In the ethereal expanse of the spirit realm, the Spirit King lounged upon his crystalline throne, his massive frame dwarfing the ornate seat. Standing nearly seven feet tall, his muscular form pulsed with barely contained energy, each ripple sending waves of power through the mystic air. His sapphire hair and eyes matched the otherworldly atmosphere, while his exceptionally pointed ears marked him as nobility even among spirit-kind.
Before him floated a crystal sphere, its surface capturing the unfolding drama in the mortal world. Within its depths, Marcus knelt motionless as a massive fireball descended toward him. The Spirit King released a weary sigh, his ancient eyes reflecting centuries of similar scenes. "You still haven't changed," he murmured, his voice carrying both fondness and disappointment.
A smaller spirit materialized beside the sphere, her form no larger than a human palm, although she was considered MASSIVE among her kind, in front of the spirit king who was as big as a human, she looked quite small. If Marcus was there, he would recognize her as the same shy spirit who had led him to Ambrose's unconscious form.
Though her demeanor now carried more gravity than shyness. She studied the scene with visible skepticism, her delicate features pinched with concern.
"Is this the person you chose?" she questioned, unable to mask her doubt.
The Spirit King's laughter rolled through the chamber like distant thunder. "You misunderstood something," he responded, amusement dancing in his eyes. "I didn't choose him."
Before the smaller spirit could voice her confusion, the entire spirit realm began to tremble. The violent shaking reached even the Spirit King's throne, causing the massive structure to quiver despite its otherworldly construction. The smaller spirit's wings fluttered anxiously as she tried to maintain her position.
"What's happening?" she demanded, her voice barely audible above the supernatural quaking.
The Spirit King rose from his throne, his expression shifting from amusement to concern as he focused his attention on a specific direction. His next words carried a weight that silenced even the realm's tremors: "It's from the human world."
Recognition dawned on his features, followed immediately by alarm. "Oh no! Victoria..." The name had barely left his lips before his form vanished, leaving only dissipating energy in his wake.
The smaller spirit hovered in the suddenly empty chamber, stunned by the unprecedented display. Never in her existence had she witnessed the Spirit King so disturbed, let alone rushing personally to the human world. Though spirits could traverse between realms, for the king himself to depart so hastily...
She began to contemplate the implications for their realm's security – perhaps the Demon King might exploit this absence – but caught herself mid-thought. Such concerns were beyond her station now. Instead, she returned her attention to the crystal sphere, where time had barely advanced. The scene remained frozen in that crucial moment, Marcus still kneeling before the descending inferno, his fate hanging in the balance.
…
As the massive fireball descended toward Marcus with lethal intent, Ambrose observed the scene through his supernaturally enhanced perception. Thanks to his [Thought Acceleration] and [Time Perception] abilities, the deadly projectile appeared to move in slow motion, giving him ample time to analyze the situation. His earlier hope for a protagonist's power-up moment crumbled as Marcus remained stubbornly motionless.
"What power-up? He's clearly lost it," Ambrose muttered through gritted teeth. Without further hesitation, he activated one of his newly acquired abilities:
[Blink](A) - Enables short-range teleportation through spatial manipulation. Each use requires significant mental strength, limiting frequent usage. The user can teleport themselves or small objects they're touching up to 20 meters, with accuracy and distance scaling with mental power. Multiple teleports in succession cause exponentially increasing mental strain, making this ability better suited for tactical rather than continuous use.
Though the skill's stated range was twenty meters, Ambrose calculated that with sufficient mental strength, he could push beyond that limitation. The hundred-meter gap between himself and Marcus presented a significant challenge, but one he was prepared to overcome. His gambit proved successful as he materialized directly above Marcus, his calculated "fall" bringing them into immediate physical contact.
This precise positioning was no accident – while Ambrose's enhanced mind could process events at incredible speeds, his weak body couldn't match that perception. Simply appearing near Marcus wouldn't have allowed him to make contact before the fireball struck. By materializing above him, gravity ensured instant contact, allowing Ambrose to immediately trigger another teleport, whisking them both to safety just as the fireball obliterated their previous position.
The moment they materialized at a safe distance, Ambrose sent a mental signal to Hualing. She responded instantly, launching herself at the Flame Serpent with predatory grace. The monster stood admiring its handiwork, actually scratching its head in confusion as it wondered if it had completely vaporized its target. Its self-congratulatory moment was cut brutally short as Hualing seized its tail, slamming it into the ground with bone-crushing force. Blood erupted from the creature's mouth upon impact, but Hualing showed no mercy. She immediately yanked it up again, using its own body as a weapon to demolish several trees in succession.
Despite the monster's near B-rank status, it found itself helpless against Hualing's raw physical supremacy. She leaped atop its humanoid torso, unleashing a savage barrage of strikes. When the creature attempted to retaliate, transforming its mouth into a serpentine maw to breathe fire, Hualing simply clamped its jaws shut with brutal efficiency. Even as the monster's powerful limbs landed heavy blows against her sides, she maintained her grip, seemingly reveling in the exchange of violence.
A/N - Although it's almost a B rank, that's in terms of magic. Since it's a mage type, its physical stats aren't that high. It's still high enough to beat someone like Marcus who's an agility type. But not enough to beat hualing who is the same rank and also a berserker type…
Blood trickled from her mouth, yet her expression grew only more feral. "More! More! More!" she screamed, her voice carrying an unsettling edge of ecstasy as she absorbed punishment that would have felled lesser beings. The Flame Serpent's confusion at this incomprehensible opponent proved to be its final thought – the magical energy it had been building up, trapped within its throat by Hualing's iron grip, detonated spectacularly. The resulting explosion painted Hualing in a gruesome coat of monster blood, yet her maniacal smile never wavered.
When her blood-soaked visage turned toward the observers, Lysander's group didn't wait for introductions. They fled immediately, requiring no encouragement beyond that terrifying gaze. They had been running from that monster for almost a day now yet it was killed that easily? Who's the real monster here?
However, rather than pursuing them, Hualing suddenly collapsed to the ground. Adelaide rushed to attend to her fallen form, while Meihua split her attention between checking on Marcus and Ambrose.
A/N - Changed up some stuff. The next one or two chapters will be the end of this Academy Entrance volume. Then we can actually Survive the Magic Academy With Just Intelligence Stats