Charlie, as a spellcaster, controlled the landing point of his fireballs and donned the magical cloak of Blizz, ensuring that the shockwave did not harm him.
This was the second time Charlie unleashed his strongest attack, and the first time he used it against apprentices. Compared to his previous explosion, he held back somewhat, maintaining half of his mana pool to avoid entering a state of mana depletion.
In just a few seconds, he cast 13 fireballs, turning that circular area into a scorched wasteland. The soil melted into lava, the effect more intense than a level five spell, Firestorm. Apart from the two golden shields in the center remaining intact, everyone and everything else merged into the charred earth.
This meant that 17 Gold Badge apprentices were reduced to nothingness, both physically and spiritually. Charlie guessed this might bring him trouble, but he had no choice; when faced with the option of being killed or punished, he preferred the former.
Amidst the flames, Charlie and Peter locked eyes across a layer of the shield, separated by curling, burning embers.
Peter bit his lip until it bled, gritting his teeth as he said, "Charlie, it's over for you! You've killed 17 of my brothers, and none of their families are something you can handle!"
"I don't harm those who don't harm me, but if someone harms me, I will surely punish them! Do you think it's only permissible for you to kill, while those who are attacked can't fight back? If you decide to target me, you must be prepared to pay the price!"
"You're truly insane!"
Charlie smiled indifferently and replied, "If it weren't for the fact that I can't break through this shield, you would be dead right now!"
Peter nodded as he said, "You did it! You were attacked by two groups and still managed to counterattack, turning the tide! I'll give you that tonight! But get ready to face the academy's judgment!"
"Alright! We'll see!" Charlie noticed a group of people crossing the sea of flames, gathering towards the center, and quietly disappeared into the night.
A great fire burned for a day and a night, and on the third day, the heavy rain at Sogo Beach finally extinguished the wildfires.
Perhaps the chaotic battle on the first day had worn out the apprentices' energy, and many combative individuals perished in the fray, making the following days relatively uneventful, spent mostly gathering materials and hunting magical beasts.
Soon, the new student activity season concluded. After half a month of trials, under the tests of iron and blood, and in the face of real threats of death, the apprentices shed their naivety and gained much experience that couldn't be acquired within the academy.
This year's new student activity season would undoubtedly be remembered in the history of the Arcane Circle for having the highest death and elimination rates, breaking numerous records from the past few decades:
The highest number of apprentice deaths, with a death rate of 53%, three times higher than in previous years.
The highest elimination rate.
The least collection of herbs and magical beast specimens.
The greatest loss of advanced apprentices.
When the statistical data was laid out on the table, Councilor Victor's heart raced. He was responsible for overseeing the management of the first-year students, and now such a serious issue had arisen; the higher-ups would likely hold him accountable.
As a member of Victor's management team, seeing the piles of data made everyone break into a cold sweat.
"Mr. Victor, should we hold a summary meeting for the new student activity season's outcomes?"
"We must!" Victor instinctively replied. After a pause, he pondered, "Not only must we hold it, but we should also expand its scale.
Penny, you're in charge of sending a magical communiqué to the management committee, including the key data from this new student activity season. Inform them that we will broaden the meeting's content to analyze some unusual situations from this season and invite them to participate.
Marcus, gather all the magical audio-visual materials and request the assistance of the academy's inspection department to help find all materials that can clarify the issues.
Webster, take some people to collect feedback from the students; I want to hear their voices.
Alright, everyone, let's get moving! Our goal is to ensure that everyone understands the truth, regardless of what decisions the higher-ups make. Our first-year management team has already done everything we can; we've fulfilled our obligations."
"Yes."
At that moment, in Anthony's laboratory, three apprentices stood before their teacher.
Anthony wore a pleased smile, saying, "I'm quite surprised and very happy that you three did not disappoint my expectations and returned safely."
Saying this, he held up a piece of parchment and laughed heartily: "Especially Charlie, who topped the points list in this new student activity season, and Erin surprisingly made it into the top 100! You two have completed half of my point quota for this year. It's something I could never have dreamed of! What rewards do you want?"
Jerry smiled widely, ready to speak, but was interrupted by Charlie.
"Teacher, today Jerry and I are destined for a life-and-death showdown…"
Jerry's face turned crimson, and he abruptly interrupted Charlie, saying, "Charlie, you ruthless guy! You kicked me out of the team, and now you want to play the victim?!"
Anthony looked astonished and asked, "What's going on?"
Jerry quickly replied, "Teacher, Charlie is selfish! For reasons unknown, he kicked me out of the team on the first day, otherwise, I could have made it into the top 100!"
Anthony frowned and scolded, "Be quiet! Let Charlie speak!"
Charlie glanced at him coolly and responded, "After we arrived at Sogo Marsh, there were some disagreements. Erin and I decided to check out the swamp for some herbs, but he didn't want to leave the beach out of fear and refused to follow the majority's decision. He left the team alone and insulted both me and Erin."
"You're slandering me!" Jerry shouted, his cheeks flushed, ready to leap up.
Anthony scoffed lightly, and a wave of mental pressure descended on him, stunning him in place.
In the interest of fairness, Anthony turned to Erin, whom he remembered as honest and trustworthy.
"Erin, who is telling the truth here?"
Erin replied without hesitation, "Charlie is telling the truth. There was a fierce battle between the apprentices and the fishmen at the beach, which made it unsafe. We wanted to take a chance in the swamp, but Jerry was very rude about it, so we parted ways."
Anthony nodded and asked Charlie, "But just because you had a disagreement, does that warrant such an extreme reaction?"
Upon hearing the teacher's question, a flicker of hope ignited in Jerry's eyes. It seemed the teacher still valued him; his potion-enhancing talent was valuable. Jerry kept reassuring himself.
Charlie replied coldly, "Yes, it was just a minor issue that could have been forgotten. But that night, Daniel suddenly led a group of apprentices to ambush our team in the reeds. I detected them and caught them off guard.
Then, Daniel and I dueled on the spot. During our conversation, Daniel let slip that it was Jerry who had sabotaged me, guiding them to find us, and he was right there in Daniel's group, pushed out by the others. This kind of treachery even they disdain to associate with!
Erin witnessed what happened, and I also have other friends who can testify, including Qingtong, who is Lady Angelina's apprentice, the Ghesta brothers, and Qianxue from the Welsh family.
At that moment, I swore that from then on, if I ever encountered Jerry again, it would be a life-or-death outcome!"
Upon hearing this, a chilling look appeared on Anthony's face as he turned to Jerry. "For fairness, I'll give you a chance to defend yourself."
Jerry quickly said, "Teacher, Charlie is lying! He has no evidence! Those people are all his friends, of course, they will speak for him. If you don't believe me, you can ask Daniel to confront me directly!"
This guy was quick-witted, but Daniel's team had suffered heavy losses, and Daniel himself was receiving treatment at the academy. Given his poor relationship with Charlie, why would he be willing to come out and defend Charlie?
Anthony shook his head. "That cannot serve as evidence. Your focus now is to prove your innocence, not to demonstrate that Charlie is slandering you."
Jerry was left speechless.
Charlie said coldly, "Jerry, I told you, since you made this move, I can no longer tolerate you. Even though it may upset the teacher, I can't care about that anymore; you've stepped on my limits.
After the first day, I didn't see you throughout the entire new student task season; you were lucky! But today, it ends here. You cannot escape the debts owed, unless you don't return!"
Saying this, Charlie turned to Anthony and stated seriously, "I hope the teacher will give me a chance to deal with this lingering issue. I do not wish for someone who has betrayed me to remain in the same room with me!"
Jerry displayed a look of despair, also casting a hopeful glance at Anthony.
In fact, conflicts between apprentices often do not require evidence; rather, it's about assessing the value of both parties. If Jerry's value far exceeded Charlie's, today's situation would have played out very differently.
Charlie, possessing the mentality of an adult, undoubtedly understood the path of competition. This was strategic thinking, while Jerry was still stuck in the phase of using petty tricks—clearly a distinction.
Anthony shook his head. Upon seeing this gesture, a flicker of hope sparked in Jerry's eyes, but that hope quickly transformed into despair the next moment.
"Charlie, you are a magical apprentice; you should not resort to violence," Anthony said. With that, he chanted an incantation, and a swirl of bluish flames enveloped Jerry, sinking into his body.
Suddenly, Jerry collapsed to the ground, his face contorted with pain, sweat pouring from his forehead as he rolled on the floor, clutching his stomach and letting out agonizing screams.
Charlie could sense Jerry's mana burning away, the flame-shaped runes devastating his personal mana pool in some mysterious manner, causing his mana level to drop continuously. In his gasping breaths, Jerry unleashed the most venomous curses.
"Charlie! You filthy little man, I curse you! I will peel your skin off! Toss you into the fiercest nest of insects, let them gnaw at your bones! Devour your soul! I curse your whole family; may you all die miserable deaths, forever falling into hell…"
"And you, Anthony, that hypocritical and malicious man, I curse you to be abandoned by the academy, forever stagnating in…"
Anthony snapped his fingers, and a rune fell, instantly swallowing Jerry's voice. They could see his bloodshot eyes wide open, his face contorted in rage, yet no sound emerged.
Anthony spoke sternly, "Jerry has conspired against a classmate, cursed a teacher, and harbors a heart that is extremely cold and malicious. His magical powers are hereby revoked, and he is stripped of his apprentice status, reduced to the status of a slave. He will be sent to the Alchemy Department as a test subject. Are you satisfied with this punishment?"
"That's acceptable; thank you for your support, Teacher."
Just then, the badge on Anthony's chest flickered with red light. He casually channeled his magic, and a figure appeared before him.
"Anthony, the academy's inspection department is investigating your apprentice Charlie for some of his actions during the new student activity season. We would like you to bring him to us so we can verify some matters."
Upon hearing this news, Jerry lay on the ground, crying and laughing at the same time. "Charlie, today is your turn! I'll be waiting for you on the road to hell! No! You'll definitely die before I do! Hahaha!"