Chapter 25: Trapped

The old man in the white robe stroked his long silver beard and smiled gently, “Just tell me what’s on your mind.”

Harvey took a deep breath, then recounted in detail to the headmaster before him everything that had happened in Port Town—how Rowen’s spiritual power had first tested at twice the norm, and then, upon a second test, soared to nineteen times that of an ordinary person; how his high affinity for fire elements had transformed to an extraordinary level. Harvey explained it all thoroughly, then bowed and awaited his superior’s instructions.

“Is that all?” The old man’s eyes twinkled with amusement as he looked at Harvey.

“Yes, that’s everything, Headmaster!” Harvey replied respectfully. He dared not show the slightest disrespect toward the man before him, for the headmaster’s position at Porter Academy was unassailable. Over nearly three centuries, several vice-headmasters had come and gone, but his own authority had never wavered.

“If you’re finished, you may go.” The old man’s tone was as calm and untroubled as a passing cloud.

Harvey was taken aback; this matter touched upon what was nearly ‘forbidden’ knowledge, yet the headmaster showed not the slightest reaction and dismissed him without a word. “Headmaster, I…”

Seeing Harvey’s bewilderment, the old man smiled faintly, “Haven’t you understood my meaning yet, boy?”

Harvey shook his head. “Master Lev, forgive my dullness; I beg you to enlighten me!”

“Thomas had no shortage of secrets in his day as well. Do you know what I did about them?” Headmaster Lev’s eyes fell thoughtfully on Harvey.

Harvey knew well that the headmaster’s unshakeable position was due to a student he had taught three centuries before—a man named Thomas. In less than twenty years, Thomas had risen to the rank of Seventh-Level Mage and graduated from Porter Academy. He also bore a singular distinction—Thomas was the only necromancer to emerge from Porter Academy in a thousand years!

Later, Thomas entered the Holy See, where he held a high post. As for his mentor, Lev, he was promoted directly to vice-headmaster and, after several years, ascended to the headmaster’s chair, where he remained to this day. Harvey was privy to these details because he himself had once been Lev’s student.

Now, as Headmaster Lev prepared to share with him the hidden truths of the academy’s legendary Thomas, Harvey listened with rapt attention.

Lev stroked his beard, his gaze growing distant as if reliving those earlier days. “Back then, I stumbled upon some secrets about that little fellow training behind the mountain. I was deeply shaken and considered reporting it, but instead, I kept it hidden. Even when others began to suspect, I helped him cover his tracks. For that, he was grateful to me, and it is because of him that I hold my position to this day.”

Harvey’s eyes shone. He bowed deeply to Lev. “Master, I understand now. Thank you for your guidance. I know what to do.”

Lev nodded slightly. “Remember, everyone has secrets. If they are called secrets, it means people do not wish for them to be known. As long as those secrets do not endanger the academy or the empire, even if we discover them, there is no need to broadcast them everywhere. Wouldn’t you agree?”

…

The two-hour midday break was almost over. Now, the square allotted to the first-year students was once more crowded with figures, all waiting for the last two matches of the afternoon.

After the morning’s matches, only four contestants remained, each a seeded participant from their respective class: Tevira of the Water Class, Rowen of the Fire Class, Taichi of the Light Class, and Simone of the Darkness Class!

The teachers of the Water, Fire, Light, and Darkness classes were all thrilled. With their students in the top four, they would receive various academy rewards. Should one of their students advance to the finals or even take the championship, the rewards would be even greater. The teachers of the other three branches, however, appeared dejected. Though their students still competed in the higher grades, the rewards for those matches paled in comparison to those for the first-years.

At the host's signal, the two semifinals began simultaneously.

Rowen’s opponent was Tevira from the Water Class. After exchanging names on the platform, they immediately began their duel.

To Rowen’s frustration, Tevira was a dual-element mage of water and earth. He first cast an Earth Shield on himself, easily blocking Rowen’s lightning strikes and fireballs. Then, with agility, he launched a series of small whirlpools composed of water elements toward Rowen.

Tevira’s swift footwork and the relentless barrage of small water whirls gave Rowen no chance to employ the combination magic he had used earlier against the earth mage, Nard, to break through the earth shield.

“So, none of the top four are pushovers!” Rowen thought. Still, these small whirlpools posed him little real threat—they were slow, weak, and easy to dodge. Yet, Tevira showed no frustration, casting them with undiminished enthusiasm.

“Is this guy up to something?” A sense of danger crept into Rowen’s heart. He noticed that the whirlpools didn’t dissipate quickly but circled around him, sticking to him like glue, no matter where he moved. Just as he was about to change tactics, Tevira’s face broke into a sly smile. He uttered a single word: “Combine.”

In an instant, the six or seven small water whirlpools floating around Rowen converged toward him as their center.

In the blink of an eye, a massive water vortex enveloped Rowen, trapping him inside. He felt his body tighten as if bound by ropes, unable to move a muscle.

Seeing his combination magic succeed, Tevira’s face shone with elation. He knew Rowen was finished now; once caught in this magical snare, his opponent was no more than a lamb waiting for the slaughter.

As it turned out, Rowen was not the only one capable of combination magic—Tevira had, by chance, invented his own. The large vortex was composed of several basic first-level water spells—Water Whirlpools. During practice, he discovered that casting several in a set formation produced a powerful binding force, and from this insight, he developed his combination.

This spell, like Rowen’s before, had already surpassed the realm of ordinary first-level magic and was approaching the power of a second-level spell.

“This young man’s grasp of water magic is truly impressive. He’s a promising talent. I wonder if Rowen can break free.” Offstage, Teacher Harvey watched intently. After the headmaster’s advice, his heart was much calmer.

Monroe, the Fire Class teacher, felt a twinge of anxiety. She recognized the formidable binding power of the large water vortex. Though she had great faith in Rowen, she couldn’t be certain how things would play out against such an advanced combination spell.

“Damn, this is bad for Fourth!” Mal’s round face was etched with worry. Beside him, Gabbaz, Bill, and Karina watched the arena tensely.

At the back of the Fire Class, Valen’s lips curled into a cold sneer. He muttered under his breath, “Hmph, let’s see how much longer you can hold on, kid. When you fall off that stage, I’ll go straight to that fat fool for my thousand gold coin wager!”