The Genius Tamer of the Academy

Chapter 51

Buzzzz—

The system quickly scanned our bodies before we entered the testing site.

Basilus, standing next to me, underwent the same process.

Unlike the other students who only had to worry about their own stats, Tamers had to factor in both their own stats and the average stats of their partner.

If my partner were a weaker monster, I might have been concerned, but I had a Red Dragon.

His physical and mental resilience was formidable, and there was just one thing that worried me: like me, he had a tendency to burn through magic recklessly.

This test would come down to my ability to control him.

“Hey, we can do this, right?”

“Coo!”

If we could just get through the third test site, the Ice Mine, we’d be in good shape.

We’d already faced extreme conditions in training, from deserts to glaciers.

I hoped that those experiences had been deeply ingrained in Basilus.

I gave a stern warning to Basilus, who was gazing up at me with his innocent black eyes.

“Basilus, keep your focus sharp.”

“Woong!”

Once again, our fates were tied together.

The assistant professor called my name.

“Student Han Siha, your number has been assigned.”

“Thank you.”

I replied politely as I accepted my unique identification number.

A quick glance at the clock showed that only ten minutes remained before the exam started.

The other students were just as anxious, causing a buzz of activity.

“Hey, what do we do? I’m already nervous.”

“What do you think the extreme conditions of the four elements will be like?”

“Are they going to throw us into a pit of fire?”

“Oh, come on, no matter how much of a devil Professor Grint is, even he wouldn’t go that far. Satan himself would probably cry.”

“Well, if it’s Professor Grint, anything’s possible.”

As the students around me speculated and expressed their concerns about the exam, one of them turned to look at me.

“…It’s Han Siha.”

“Isn’t he the one who saved Usher?”

“I think so. I heard a rumor that Dean Ernest even called him to the dean’s office.”

Whisper, whisper.

With each step I took, I could feel the growing burden of their stares.

I’d tried to maintain a model student persona, but this was drawing too much attention.

“Is he going to take first place again, like in Taming Studies?”

“Come on, it’s a core subject this time. Lee Han and Solia are also competing.”

“Yeah, you’re right.”

As I listened to their plausible speculations with a faint hum, I felt a familiar gaze on me.

It was Solia, staring at me with an unreadable expression.

And beside her stood Lee Han, equally intent.

They were all vying for the top three spots.

They had always been the ones to claim those positions.

Could it be… they were wary of me?

“Interesting.”

Originally, the top three spots would have gone to Solia Arkenent, Lee Han, and Adela.

But unfortunately for them, I planned to step in.

“Hoo…”

I took a deep breath and met their gazes head-on.

This test played to my absolute advantage.

“How should I approach this?”

Since I remembered how Lee Han had handled the previous midterm evaluation, I could tackle this in the same way if I wanted to.

But Professor Grint had a different approach in mind.

Survive in the most efficient way possible, tailored to the individual.

Lee Han and I were different in many ways.

Naturally, our efficient methods would differ as well.

‘If I can adapt and just hold on…’

I knew the solution that Lee Han might have missed.

While I might not have his level of skill, I had the knowledge to make up for it.

I intended to use that knowledge to create a miracle that no one would believe.

My thoughts were interrupted by the sound of the microphone.

“Ah— We will now begin the test. The first student, please enter the exam site.”

“Student Natalie, please step forward.”

“You have one hour.”

The test had begun.

* * *

Professor Grint really might be a devil after all.

No, all professors are like this.

I muttered a low curse as I recalled the harsh truths I’d learned during my college days.

Tatatak.

Boiling lava bubbled up just within arm’s reach.

One misstep, and it’d be straight to the afterlife.

Of course, the system would eject us just before we fell in, but that didn’t stop my entire body from shivering in fear.

The narrow patch of ground that Basilus and I barely fit on.

Even worse, the ground was heated by the scorching stones, making it difficult to sit.

Ouch, it’s hot.

Meanwhile, Basilus, my Red Dragon, was lounging comfortably as if he were used to it…

Enjoying the sauna.

You’ve got to be kidding me.

Looking so content, are you?

I shot him a glare, and he glanced at me with a guilty look.

No, he wasn’t feeling guilty—he was enjoying it even more.

That lazy expression… He’s going to ask me to bring him some roasted eggs any minute now, isn’t he?

“koo… Nice….”

“Hey, can’t you see that I’m dying here?”

“koo?”

This is why people say raising kids is pointless. The old saying isn’t wrong.

Realizing that this wouldn’t work, I quickly cast a cooling spell.

[Health 100%. Mental Strength 97%. Magic Power 95%.]

My magic power and mental strength were rapidly depleting.

But this was only the beginning. Grumbling, I pulled out my staff.

“Alright, now it’s time to get serious.”

It was about to arrive.

The midterm evaluation for Practical Magic.

There was a reason why the first test, the inferno, had the highest difficulty level.

Almost half the students would fail at this first hurdle.

The sweltering heat was almost unbearable, as if it could cook you alive.

Maintaining a stable temperature required a considerable amount of magic, and there was hardly any space to stand.

And finally…

The relentless onslaught of fire spirits.

Honestly, I had no idea how they expected us to fight in such a confined space, but that was the rule of the test.

You had to maintain your balance and endure on what felt like the edge of a precipice.

…And here they came.

Screeech—

A grating, unpleasant sound, like nails on a chalkboard, grew louder as it approached.

A mass of shapeless, red clouds gathered and condensed into a sinister form.

These were fire demons, also known as fire spirits. Merely touching one would drain your health rapidly and inflict continuous damage.

The thick, acrid smoke they emitted would quickly sap your mental strength as well.

Whoosh.

One of the fire spirits, with its black eyes flickering, rushed towards me.

Basilus instinctively reared back, preparing to unleash his breath.

I hurriedly stopped him.

“Hey, it’s already hot enough in here.”

“Derber?”

“Yeah… it’s hot….”

Drenched in sweat, I gave him a look, and he understood, covering himself in electricity instead.

In this environment, lightning magic was far more effective than fire magic.

[Health 96%. Mental Strength 92%. Magic Power 93%.]

The temporary cooling spell I had cast was starting to dissipate, and the temperature began to rise again.

In the meantime, Basilus had taken care of one of the fire spirits, growling as he sent lightning bolts soaring.

Crackle.

There was no time to rest. Barely five minutes had passed, but the number of fire spirits was increasing rapidly.

Crackle.

Crackle.

In the blink of an eye, Basilus’ lightning reduced the fire spirits to ashes.

Their sharp screams echoed in my ears.

“Screeeech!”

I had survived the first wave, though it was far from a hopeful situation.

“If this keeps up, it’s going to be tough to endure.”

Basilus was an excellent partner, but this wasn’t a situation he could handle alone.

If things continued like this, I’d burn through my magic just trying to maintain the cooling spell while fending off attacks.

I closed my eyes and recalled the solution Lee Han had used.

In this part of the test, Lee Han had used spirit magic.

He summoned a water spirit, assigning it part of the offensive, thereby minimizing his magic usage and easily passing the test.

He had learned and mastered spirit magic in just a week before the test.

Unlike a Tamer, he didn’t need to worry about managing the stamina of two individuals, and he could afford to pause his attacks, allowing for efficient energy distribution.

Even though he wasn’t aiming to become a spirit master, his quick thinking and problem-solving impressed even Professor Grint.

Of course… that approach would work, but…

Lee Han’s method and mine were a bit different.

A water spirit wouldn’t mesh well with Basilus, and I had never learned spirit magic before.

Even if I had a natural affinity, summoning a spirit was an entirely different matter.

So what should I do?

With the cooling spell on the verge of failing, I had to make a quick decision.

After dealing with another fire spirit charging at me, I called out to Basilus.

“Basilus! Buy me five minutes.”

“koo!”

Air Shield magic.

Typically a first-class basic spell used for personal protection, but as Professor Grint taught, it could be adapted for use in this situation.

A barrier that could protect me from the flames, the heat, and the fire spirits.

I visualized a dome just large enough for one person.

Then I began drawing it on the ground, not just in my mind.

The tip of my staff began to scorch as it touched the ground.

On top of that, my body, pressed flat against the ground, was slowly roasting.

“Ah, this is so hot I might die.”

The ground was so intensely heated that it felt like I’d burn if I touched it.

I gripped my staff tightly and bit my lower lip.

Let’s finish this quickly.

Swish, swish.

First, I drew the magic circle for Air Shield.

A rune formed, composed of four lines.

“Now, from here….”

I erased the eastern line with magic and boldly turned towards the west.

Air Shield, or more specifically, the process of converting one of the four elements, air, into water.

“koo!”

“Hang in there, Basilus.”

Stay calm; mental strength is precious.

[Health 78%. Mental Strength 90%. Magic Power 85%.]

My health was draining at an alarming rate.

Next, I overlaid the runes of Air Shield.

Once, twice, and finally, a third time.

Swoosh.

With each stroke of the staff, the heat caused the magic circle to flare up.

Three layers of Air Shield stacked atop one another, and at the end, I wove in the cooling spell.

I wasn’t sure if this would work.

When I first heard Professor Grint’s abstract explanation, I couldn’t understand what he was talking about.

But after reviewing my notes, I pieced together my own formula.

It wasn’t far off from what I had learned during basic spellcasting classes.

As Professor Grint had said, layering basic spells and minimizing magic usage was the most efficient route.

I drew the most rational magic circle I could think of.

It was only after using spells from a basic spellbook that I realized how much I had been relying on shortcuts.

As I struggled to compile so much information, my head felt like it was going to explode, but I persevered.

And finally.

I manifested the result.

I could only hope it succeeded.

Flash.

A brilliant light burst forth from the previously quiet magic circle.

At that moment, I knew.

“It worked.”