A tiny, almost invisible crackle of crimson lightning transferred from his fingertip into Gerald's body.
The miniature sun in front of Gerald suddenly destabilized and then fizzled. In the next second, it exploded with a slight pop, releasing smoke, sparks and vast amount of Astra energy to the atmosphere.
Gerald's eyes rolled back into his head, and like a log of wood, he collapsed to the ground.
On the ground, his body twitched as he convulsed from the lightening strike.
Levi stood in the center of the field, surrounded by groaning students. His eyes were incredibly cold as he glanced that the person that was left.
Rosè, the Ice Princess, the untouchable genius, simply frowned underneath his gaze, making Levi surprise.
She shook her head and spoke. "The pill is too powerful for her to use. Only a genius can make use of this pill the right way. Giving her this chance is equivalent to wasting the opportunity."
Levi frowned slightly. Not because of what she said but because she didn't show any signs of fear in her face.
"Cut the crap. Do you want to fight or not?"
Rosè stared at Levi in since for a whole 5 seconds then she sighed, releasing a cold breath that froze the air into snow, revealing her insane frost intent.
"There's no need."
With that, she turned around and her first step transformed the ground into ice as she glided away, turning her path into ice.
The battle was over.
The silence that descended upon the clearing was broken only by the soft groans of the defeated students.
His gaze finally fell upon Ivory. The young woman with the silver hair was still standing, but barely.
The shimmering golden mirror of her Astra Soul flickered and faded behind her.
The constant strain of holding off three powerful opponents had pushed her to her limits, making her tired.
The moment the last threat, Rosè, had left, the adrenaline that had been sustaining her vanished. Her eyes fluttered, her body swayed, and she immediately fainted, collapsing to the ground in exhaustion.
Levi's body flashed and he appeared beside her in an instant, catching her before she hit the ground. He glanced at the metallic container still clutched tightly in her hand.
The Heaven-grade Genetic Serum. A treasure that could make an A-rank talent out of her. A treasure that, if he took it, could potentially increase his own E-rank Water Soul to a C-rank talent without any effort.
It was the fastest way and the easiest way. However, Levi only stared at it for a second before removing his gaze.
He had the system. He had his bloodline. His path to power was already set, and it was a path far grander than what a single serum could provide.
Compared to the strength of the system, what was a C-rank Astra Soul to him in the long run?
To Ivory though, it could genuinely change her destiny.
He carefully removed the container from her unconscious grasp, and then gently lifted her up.
Since he couldn't just leave her here, others would still end up coming here to collect the serum from her.
He carried her away from the clearing, deeper into the forest, until he found a small, secluded cave, dry and easily defensible.
He laid her down gently, using his own shirt as a makeshift pillow.
He stared at her silver hair covering her face and gently moved it to the back. Compared to the other girls, Ivory was slightly above ordinary but wasn't considered really pretty.
However, Levi couldn't help but notice a certain charm to her face.
"Cute."
While she rested, he went to work. He found a stream to wash the blood from his hands and arms, and then went on a quick hunt.
It didn't take long to find a suitable meal: a Rank 5 'Blazewing rabbit,' which he killed with a single, inferno slash.
By the time Ivory began to stir, the rich, savory aroma of roasting meat filled the cave.
Levi had skillfully prepared the rabbit over a burning firewood.
Ivory's eyes fluttered open, her vision slowly coming into focus. She saw the warm, flickering light of the fire, the stone walls of the cave, and then Levi, sitting across from her, calmly turning a skewer of meat.
"You're awake," Levi spoke as he turned the meat.
"L-Levi?" she stammered, sitting up quickly, her mind racing to piece together the events before she fainted. "The serum… Gerald… everyone…"
"They're taken care of," Levi said simply, not wanting to go into details. He raised his hand which was holding a piece of meat and offered her a piece.
"You should eat. You used up a lot of energy."
Ivory's face flushed red. She looked at the delicious-smelling meat, then at him, her heart pounding in her chest.
She had harbored a secret crush on him for months, drawn to him even when everyone else had dismissed him.
To see him not only save her but also care for her like this… it was overwhelming for the shy, introverted girl.
She took the meat, her fingers brushing against his for a fleeting moment. "Thank you," she whispered, her voice barely audible.
She took a slow bite. The meat was tender, and the moment it entered her stomach, a wave of warm, potent energy spread through her body, replenishing her reserves and healing her fatigue.
It was the most delicious thing she had ever tasted.
"Why?" she asked softly after a moment, looking at him with her pretty, dark-blue eyes. "The serum… it's a Heaven-grade treasure. You defeated everyone. You could have taken it. Why didn't you?"
Levi shrugged, taking a bite of his own portion. "You found it. It belongs to you. Simple as that."
His straightforward, matter-of-fact answer seemed to strike her more deeply than any grand, heroic speech could have.
In a world where everyone was consumed by greed and the lust for power, this behavior of his was a rarity.
Her face flushed an even deeper shade, and she looked down at her food, a small, happy smile carving her lips.
They ate in a comfortable silence for a while. Once they were finished, Levi stood up.
"You should be safe here for a while. Rest, and when you're ready, use the serum. I'll see you back on campus."
With that, he turned and left the cave, leaving a stunned and flustered Ivory behind.
As she watched him go, she took another look at the leftover pheasant carcass. She recognized the unique, flame-patterned feathers. Her eyes widened in shock.
A Rank 5 beast. He had hunted a Rank 5 beast for their meal as if it were a common rabbit.
She felt a surge of happiness. He was now so strong, so far beyond everyone else. She hoped that with the serum, she might one day be strong enough to stand by his side.