Dark Magus Returns

The beasts the students were facing… were unlike anything most of them had ever imagined.

Towering frog-like and toad-like monsters loomed over them, some thick and bulky with bloated bellies, others leaner and more agile, but all of them massive by Alterian standards. Compared to any regular creature they had studied or seen before, these things were nightmares made flesh.

For many of the mages, it was their first time encountering beasts of this scale, and understandably, fear struck deep. The fear wasn’t just of their grotesque appearance, it was the realization that these creatures were actively trying to kill them.

“What are you idiots doing?!” Chiba shouted, panic and frustration in her voice. With a swift motion, she hurled a fireball toward one of the larger frogs. It landed with a crackling boom, igniting the creature’s slimy body. The beast let out a terrible croak, flailing as flames danced across its skin, until, maddeningly, it lunged toward them despite the fire.

Reacting fast, Chiba swung both arms forward. Two tornadoes shot up from the earth, spiraling into the air with violent force. They caught the flaming frog mid-leap, striking it in the belly and launching it skyward. The winds twisted and churned, slamming the beast down to the ground with brutal speed. As the tornadoes dissipated, their wind blades shredded through the toad’s thick flesh, leaving behind nothing but a ripped, tattered corpse.

Chiba had acted fast, and effectively. In an instant, she had killed one of the beasts, and for a moment, it seemed to shake the rest. The other frogs hesitated, wary of her overwhelming power.

But the pause didn’t last.

With guttural croaks and booming splashes, the toads charged. Some leapt forward with powerful hops that shook the ground, while others stayed at a distance, launching their long, whip-like tongues.

In a panic, the students began casting whatever spells they could muster. Fireballs, lightning strikes, water spears, magic filled the air. But many spells missed their targets entirely. Some students fumbled their incantations, messing up formations or misfiring entirely.

A few weren’t able to react in time. They were struck, pulled, or entangled. Some toads spat out strange, sticky material, thick globs of mucus that latched onto students and glued them to the swampy terrain. Each move was a struggle. Every breath felt like a fight to survive.

Yet, amid the chaos, something remarkable was happening.

Despite the mistakes… the panic… the overwhelming pressure, the students were beginning to work together.

Without needing to be told, they were naturally helping those around them. They weren’t thinking about grades or rankings anymore. They were thinking about survival. They were covering for one another, protecting each other’s backs, reacting instinctively like a real team.

Because in that moment, they weren’t competing, they were fighting to live. And they understood, even unspoken, that if the person next to them fell, they’d be next.

“See anyone that stands out?” Redrick asked, arms crossed as he calmly observed the battlefield. “Anyone surprising you… or is it the usual suspects?”

Luka let out a slow breath, watching closely. “There have been a few surprises,” he admitted. “But as you said, the ones who stand out most… are the ones we already expected to do well.”

“The top-ranked students were the first to react,” he continued. “They didn’t freeze up, they assessed, adapted, and started helping those around them. They’re giving commands, calling out spell combinations, and coordinating defenses. They’re leading.”

Panla nodded in agreement. “They’ve become natural leaders in this situation. And the others… they’re listening. They know that advice right now could be the difference between life and death.”

“It’s not just about raw power,” Luka added. “Take Moze for example, he’s barely in the top five. There are others with skills close to his, but they’re frozen. Can’t move. Can’t think.”

“I was worried at first,” Luka admitted. “The number of beasts… the chaos… it could have derailed the entire assessment. But it’s turning around. Some of them are truly showing their potential.”

Still, not everyone was performing well.

“There are those who are excelling,” Redrick muttered, narrowing his eyes. “And then there are the disappointments. What about the transfer students? Have they even moved? I haven’t seen any of them lift a finger. They’re just… standing there.”

Panla let out a soft laugh. “Maybe they’ve got incredible luck. They’re positioned perfectly, out of range of the beasts and not in anyone’s way. No one’s noticed them. Yet.”

True enough, Raze and his group hadn’t made a single move. They hadn’t cast a single spell. While others fought for their lives, they simply watched.

“Hey,” Liam whispered, “shouldn’t we do something? Aren’t we being assessed too?”

“There’s no need right now,” Raze replied, calm as ever. “The beasts we’re seeing… they’re probably the weakest ones in this entire dimension.”

He glanced at the carnage unfolding. The muddy battlefield, the screams, the explosions of magic, it was only the beginning.

“If that’s the case, then the others need this experience. If we stepped in now, we’d only rob them of the growth they need. And besides, I’m confident, we’ll make it to the cultural exchange.”

But even as he said that, something gnawed at the back of his mind.

‘These beasts… they’re weak. But there’s far too many of them clustered this close to the portal.’

In Alterian, when a portal opened into a dimension, it was customary to clear the surrounding area. Beasts would either be hunted quickly or avoid the entry point altogether. Over time, most would instinctively stay away from the portal zone.

There were usually a few stray creatures, yes, but not this many. Not an entire swarm.

‘So why are they here? Has this place… never been cleared before?’ Raze wondered.

His eyes narrowed.

‘We entered through the portal with the dispersed mana… If this place has been opened multiple times before, and beasts keep returning… then maybe… just maybe…’

A chilling thought crossed his mind.

‘Are they using us? Are they testing this dimension through us, seeing what lies beyond the portal, without risking their own people?’

****

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