Alright, next spell. Something even hotter. He shaped the flame before it even left his palm. The body did his bidding, just like that.
No matter how weird I feel about it, it's sure coming in useful.
Two crescents of white fire curved outward and slammed into the Petra's knees, timed just as it lunged yet again. The force knocked its front leg sideways mid-step, twisting its trajectory. It stumbled for a moment, slowed. Julien darted in, seizing the opportunity.
I have to go for a joint.
He ducked low, swept a flame-coated fist against the Petra's thigh. The outer armor blackened further. A visible seam cracked along its limb, causing it to howl and lash out blindly.
Julien leapt back in time to avoid the retaliating swing. He landed harder than expected, body protesting from the movement, but didn't let it show. Already, he was forming the next spell. This time smaller, for more precision. He needed a pin-like burst of heat to strike where the crack had just opened.
He fired it.
The Petra roared, that leg buckling. Unfortunately for Julien, it was not broken. However, it was damaged just enough to matter.
From a distance, he could hear strained whispers among the kids.
"Holy crap," Alec whispered, peeking over the mossy ridge. "He's fighting it alone. He's actually winning."
"No, he's holding it," Zain corrected, voice tight. "That thing hasn't even used its big attacks yet."
Julien ignored them, already moving again. This one's risky, but I can't hold back.
A dozen small flares gathered around him, orbiting fast.
A burst ring--something Inferno used to do a lot. I hate to fight like him, but there's really no other way.
The orbs spiraled forward together, detonating around the Petra's upper body in quick succession. The impact staggered it, the weight of the power forcing it back two steps.
Julien's breathing grew heavier, but the Petra didn't hit back right away this time.
It was preparing, and analyzing.
Good. That means it's finally feeling threatened.
He clenched his jaw, sweat starting to trail down his temple.
I can keep this up. Just have to find the core. To do that, the plates need to be broken. I'll need to finish it before it adapts.
Behind him, Jenna tightened her grip on her staff. "Should we help him?" she asked, quietly.
But before they could do anything, the Petra's body heaved, cracks spreading across its chest where the burst ring had landed.
Julien didn't give it time to recover.
He planted his feet and now raised both arms. Mana surged faster now, since the body had remembered how to channel it. His fingertips flared red-hot.
That's enough spells for a bit. Time for a skill.
[Lava Bind Activated]
The ground shook violently beneath the Petra's feet, rising upward in thick ropes of molten rock. They wrapped around the monster's lower half and seared through the weak points in its armor. The creature let out a grating yell and slammed its arms down to break the trap--but the bindings held.
Not bad. Ian really did train this body hard for casting. I'd have collapsed by now if I was using my old stats.
The Petra struggled against the ropes, unable to free itself.
Alec ducked behind the ridge again. "He's not even using a staff."
Mina stared past in stunned silence. "It really is true. He doesn't need one."
So much power… Anyone could fall into evil if they weren't careful enough with it.
Zain swallowed hard. "So this is what an S-tier mage looks like when they're serious…"
Even Karis didn't speak.
Time for the finishing move. I shouldn't drag this out any longer.
[Conjuring Activated]
He'd left this skill for last and hoped not to use it, because of the memory of the atrocities Inferno had created with it. Horrific forms of flame, burning everything with just a touch. People would pray for their lives upon sight, because wherever they went, their master was sure to be found.
Even the Rainian Palace at the center of the capital had been decimated by them. The crown princess herself was a strong water-element Marked, but even she couldn't hope to put out their blaze.
That day, everything had been reduced to ash. Julien had saved as many people as he could, cutting through dozens of the monsters in the process, but that was one of the hardest battles he'd ever fought--all caused with this very skill.
But that world is gone. I can't let myself be shackled by the past.
Julien lifted his right arm. Mana shaped itself into flickering red, forming a giant sword above the Petra. Nothing particularly flashy, but it would be effective nonetheless.
It hovered for less than a second, then it plunged straight down.
The conjured sword ripped through the Petra, shattering the core in its chest. The monster was torn apart, unable to do anything to defend itself.
The Petra dropped to its knees, then crumbled into dust.
[Named Defeated: Petra Lvl.80]
[Core: Destroyed]
[Skill Proficiency Increased: Conjuring (Advanced)]
[A large amount of Experience Points have been awarded to Ian Mooring.]
Julien let his hand fall to his side, heart pounding. Gods, that was too strong. I don't want to use that again unless I have to.
Behind him, the students began to move again--cautiously, like they were afraid of interrupting something.
"Whoa," Alec muttered, eyes wide. "He really used Conjuring."
"I can't believe we got to see him use it," Mina said. "I read creation-type skills like that take insane control."
"They do," Zain murmured. "Only a few people can actually make something that stable mid-fight."
Little Julien grinned. "I've always wanted to see that famous skill!"
The forest was quiet again and the Petra left no loot behind, only emptiness. The only sounds now were the students' breathing and the occasional rustle of wind through the trees.
Julien let himself calm down for a second, and turned back to face the group. "Everyone okay?"
They blinked at him like he'd asked if they wanted lunch.
Oh, right. [Character Guidance] was deactivated. Did I say it in a weird tone?
Alec finally snapped out of it. "That was insane, Ian, sir. You didn't even flinch. It just--you summoned that thing and it crushed the Petra like it was paper. And all those other fire spells! I could feel the heat from here."
"I've never seen anything like that," Mina agreed. "Everyone knows you're the strongest at the Academy, but I still wasn't expecting it."
"Classic top-tier casting," Zain added, shaking his head slowly. "Like something from a textbook. Except real."
Ah, no, looks like they're just shocked.
Julien gave them a small nod. "Thanks. Any injuries?"
They all shook their heads.
"You've got one, though," Jenna said, pointing towards him.
Julien raised an eyebrow. "Do I?"
She gestured lightly to his face.
He reached up and touched his cheek. His fingertips had spots of red on them.
"Oh. That."
"I'll take care of it," she offered. She moved close to him and gripped her mage staff, letting her mana gather. A pale blue glow appeared and she waved her hand over the cut.
"Hold still."
Julien didn't argue. He stayed quiet as the warmth passed over his skin, sealing the shallow wound. It only took a few seconds, but during that time, realization struck him.
That was a Named.
An S-tier monster. In a D-tier gate. That could only mean one thing.
He'd been watching out for the last two hours, the system's message replaying at the edge of his mind,
[Optional: Prevent unexpected casualties.]
Casualties weren't supposed to happen in a training exercise, in a gate as easy as this. But now… a Petra.
His jaw tightened slightly. Could it be… Gate Amplification?
It wasn't a term the students would recognize. Not even most instructors or professors. He'd only come across it once, in a forgotten corner of an advanced theory text. Half the scholars who'd ever heard about it thought it was a myth. The rest didn't even acknowledge it.
But he remembered every word, because it had unsettled him even then.
A gate that amplifies itself beyond its rating, replacing all hostiles with S-tier or potentially Named-level threats. A full-scale overwrite. There has only ever been one unconfirmed occurrence of it. Once it begins, it does not stop until the gate boss has been defeated. Cause: unknown.
If that theory was right, then…
There will be more. Other groups might be facing even worse dangers than I did.
Jenna spoke up as Mina finished healing him. "Um, Ian… that thing you just fought. That was a Named, wasn't it?"
Julien faced the group as he prepared an answer. The students had drawn closer now. Not just the usual few who stayed near the front--even the quieter ones, the ones who had said nothing the entire time, had edged in.
All twelve were accounted for. Nobody was crying or panicking, but their expressions were shifting. They weren't in awe anymore. They looked worried.
"Yes… it was," he replied. No point in denying it: everyone saw the notification.
"But why?" Alec asked. "Why would something like that even be here?"
Julien paused. He didn't want to scare them--but he wasn't going to lie either.
"I don't know yet," he said evenly. "But it might mean the rest of the gate could be affected too."
Mina stepped forward slightly. "What about the other groups?"
"They're still out there," Julien said. "Another dangerous monster could spawn here, so we should go look for help."
He reached into his coat pocket and pulled out the mana-communicator. "With any luck, we won't have to go far."
The students watched closely as Julien pressed his thumb to the surface, channeling mana into the activation line.
Nothing happened.
Julien tried again--a stronger flash, directed more deliberately this time. Still nothing. Just dead silence.
He kept his expression neutral as he lowered the device.
One of the students who'd kept his head down--a boy with dark hair, holding a bow tightly--tilted his head. "Isn't it working?"
Julien looked at him, then at the communicator again. "No. It's not."
That was all he said, but the quiet that followed meant the others understood just enough.
Julien slipped the communicator back into his coat. "Without contact, searching for the others isn't practical. The forest's too vast."
He paused, then nodded toward the path behind them. "We need to head back to the portal. That's our best chance to regroup and figure out what's going on."
The students exchanged glances but murmured their agreement. They trusted him.
Julien took a deep breath, steeling himself. Since it had been more than an hour, the portal would be closed now, and they couldn't leave unless the gate boss was defeated.
But it should be safe there. Usually monsters won't spawn around a portal… If it's really Gate Amplification, that may be the only place we can go.