The Genius Tamer of the Academy

Chapter 52

“I… I give up.”

“Aaah! I almost died there!”

“This difficulty is insane…”

“Are they even serious about making us pass this?”

Thud.

Each time a student was ejected from the examination room, Professor Grint clicked his tongue briefly.

“You’re all more pathetic than I expected. It’s too soon for anyone to be coming out.”

“I agree, Professor. I think the difficulty level of this exam was just right.”

“Don’t you?”

“Yes, of course.”

Assistant Professor Selene, who was standing beside Professor Grint, agreed with him, but inwardly she muttered to herself.

‘It was incredibly difficult. Does he really think this is easy?’

Even from her perspective as an assistant professor, the exam was absurdly tough.

The weaker students were knocked out mentally almost immediately, while the stronger ones used up all their magic power and still got eliminated.

Some even stumbled and fell into the lava, ending the exam in vain.

Under normal circumstances, this level of failure would make one question the exam’s difficulty, but not Professor Grint.

His strict nature meant that anyone who failed at the first hurdle would be on the brink of failing the course.

As around 50 minutes passed, Professor Grint, with his hands behind his back, slowly began to move.

He intended to check how the remaining students were holding up via the screens.

As expected.

‘What a disaster.’

Even the students who had survived so far didn’t have any special strategies.

They were fighting the fire spirits with everything they had, trying to conserve as much magic as possible.

Because of this, many were depleting their mental strength faster than their physical strength.

“Aaaagh!”

Another student was ejected just then.

“You tried hard, but it’s unfortunate.”

“Huff… Huff. It was too hard.”

“It’s because you’re lacking.”

“Th-that’s…”

Professor Grint helped the fallen student to his feet before moving on to the next exam room.

Although the performance of the earlier students had caused him to frown, this group seemed a bit better.

“Oh, quite a few have survived here.”

With 10 minutes left, several students were still holding their ground.

Natalie, always cheerful and active on the field, caught his eye. She wasn’t exceptionally talented, but her positive attitude occasionally softened Professor Grint’s stern expression.

Natalie, even while battling the fire spirits, kept her composure as she gathered water to cool down the heat and prepare for an attack.

Although she had the advantage of being a water-attribute mage, other students with similar abilities were struggling, proving it wasn’t just her elemental affinity.

Professor Grint stopped in his tracks, quietly impressed.

[Physical Strength: 18%. Mental Strength: 80%. Magic Power: 9%.]

Despite the dire situation of having single-digit magic power left, her mental strength was higher than any student he had seen.

It wouldn’t be an exaggeration to say she was holding on purely through mental fortitude.

Seven minutes remained.

Professor Grint smiled in satisfaction.

“She should be able to hold out.”

“She’s no ordinary student.”

Step by step.

Professor Grint walked a few steps further.

“Is that Adela?”

“She’s always been good.”

Adela was no different. She used minimal magic to bury the fire spirits.

The seismic shifts she caused might have seemed like they required tremendous power, but Adela handled her magic with calm efficiency.

Additionally, she was levitating the stone she was sitting on to block the heat, an advanced application of the basic magic that Professor Grint had taught in class.

She was also covering the remaining stones over the lava, minimizing the risk of falling and pushing the fire spirits into the lava to contain them.

Her strategy, focused more on defense than offense, was impressive.

Professor Grint touched the tip of his staff and nodded.

And then.

“Han Siha?”

Professor Grint frowned, stopping as if entranced.

There was no way he could overlook his student who kept lingering in his mind.

“I wonder if he’s doing well. I’m a bit worried.”

Han Siha, the Tamer who had taken the Red Dragon with him.

In fact, the first test was an extreme challenge for Han Siha. Just managing to stay in the test this long was impressive.

The attacks of Basilus, which were centered around fire, could easily destabilize the Tamer’s mental strength. Additionally, the confined space would restrict movement with two of them present.

But somehow…

[Physical Strength: 74%. Mental Strength: 75%. Magic Power: 34%.]

His health and mental state were surprisingly good, likely due to efficient use of his magic power.

“How on earth did he…?”

Professor Grint looked up at the screen, then paused again.

‘Aaaah, get away from me!’

‘Huff… Huff. How could it be this tough?’

While other students were struggling, Han Siha was sitting calmly as if in meditation.

‘Ah, this is nice. Basilus, you should lie down too.’

‘Groo!’

He even seemed to be nodding off now.

With an expression as serene as if he were on vacation at a summer resort, Professor Grint couldn’t help but chuckle.

A sturdy wall of ice surrounded Han Siha. Judging by the continuous white steam rising from where the flames touched the wall, it appeared cool inside.

Was he keeping his body temperature stable by locking himself in a freezer?

Professor Grint’s mind whirred as he tried to predict the magic circle Han Siha had drawn.

“He should have only learned Air Shield…”

A new magic that Grint hadn’t taught, one that hadn’t been seen anywhere else.

‘Creating a solid magic circle that won’t collapse, and advancing to the next level by applying basic spells into more complex forms—this is what I’ve been teaching you all for the past two months.’

Countless times he had recited and reiterated, yet no student had truly grasped his teachings.

The more talented students became obsessed with higher-level magic, focusing solely on casting spells without understanding the underlying principles.

They merely memorized the material, rather than comprehending it.

But Han Siha was different.

‘That method is only possible because he understands it perfectly.’

He had analyzed the principles of the Air Shield and transformed air, one of the four elements, into water.

He then combined three Air Shields to create not a flat but a three-dimensional defensive barrier—a barrier so solid that even the fire spirits couldn’t break through. Inside, he simply sat and waited.

So clever.

“I didn’t think of that,” Professor Grint murmured.

“Are you talking about that student?”

“Yes, could you have solved it like that?”

“…I don’t think I could have. I would probably have chosen the most efficient way to fight the fire spirits.”

Professor Grint nodded in agreement with the assistant professor’s honest admission. Most people would have given a similar answer.

A pleased smile spread across Professor Grint’s face.

“As I thought…”

His eyes hadn’t been wrong. Han Siha was indeed exceptional. Perhaps, in this midterm evaluation, he might rank much higher than expected—his rapid growth was even starting to make Professor Grint uneasy.

Just then, a beep sounded.

[The first test has concluded.]

* * *

[The second test has concluded.]

[The third test has concluded.]

With each elemental test, the number of students visibly dwindled.

Those who had survived the first grueling challenge assumed the following tests would be easier and were sorely mistaken.

Seeing the students being eliminated rapidly, Professor Grint sighed as he checked the remaining numbers. All the while, his gaze remained fixed on Han Siha.

“As I thought…”

His earlier worries were unnecessary. From Professor Grint’s perspective, Han Siha was a student with exceptional strategic ability rather than raw offensive power.

This made the role of a Tamer particularly suitable for him.

He seemed to calculate and act with precision, figuring out how best to attack and maximize his chances of survival. It was not the kind of thinking one would expect from a fifteen-year-old student.

“He’s quite clever.”

Han Siha used Basilus to supplement his combat strength and strategically managed his stamina. In the underwater battle, where the elemental disadvantage drained Basilus’ magic with every attack, Han Siha took the lead himself.

Step by step, he had climbed up to the final test.

The final elemental challenge was air—an extreme test in an oxygen-deprived environment where survival depended on minimizing movement. The greatest threat here was the rapid depletion of mental strength due to fear.

“Hah.”

Upon checking Han Siha’s condition, Professor Grint let out a quiet laugh.

His mental strength was being maintained at a level almost as high as Natalie’s, the icon of boundless positivity.

“Selene.”

“Yes, Professor?”

“Remember that student’s name well. One day, he will represent the Empire as its Tamer.”

Selene’s eyes widened at Professor Grint’s definitive statement.

In all the years she had worked under him, she had never heard such praise.

Professor Grint was not one to hand out compliments lightly, even to the most exceptional students.

The only other student he had ever genuinely praised was Lee Han, the second-year student.

But now, he was speaking so highly of Han Siha?

Although Han Siha had changed dramatically from last year, Selene still found it hard to believe.

‘But… is this really a good thing?’

Selene couldn’t decide whether to celebrate the birth of a genius acknowledged by Professor Grint or to lament the fact that, despite years of effort, she couldn’t keep up with a fifteen-year-old student. With mixed feelings, she smiled faintly.

Then, it happened.

“A Tamer who represents the Empire?”

“Wh-what?”

Selene wasn’t the only one startled by the sudden voice from behind. Professor Grint, too, was visibly flustered as he turned around belatedly.

‘Why is he here?’

Dean Ernest, who had been walking with his hands behind his back, glanced at Professor Grint and asked with an air of authority, “Is that so?”

“There aren’t many Tamers who represent the Empire. If he works hard, he could become one.”

“Heh, is that right?”

Professor Grint waved his hand dismissively with a hearty laugh.

Even if he thought so privately, he wasn’t about to show all his cards in front of Dean Ernest.

Every professor wanted to secure talented students for themselves, and Professor Grint was no exception, even if the one eyeing his student was Dean Ernest.

“I didn’t mean much by it, Dean.”

“Hmmm.”

But Dean Ernest seemed to attach significant meaning to Professor Grint’s earlier words. He slowly lifted his thick glasses and muttered quietly.

“Remarkable. I didn’t expect you to say that.”

“Oh.”

“I hope it turns out as you wish. Especially since that boy is quite necessary right now.”

“…Are you talking about Han Siha?”

Unfortunately, Professor Grint’s question was drowned out by a loud alarm.

At that moment, the magic practical exam came to an end.

Beep!

[The fourth test has concluded.]

—

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