How To Survive Clichés

Chapter 8

Practical Training.

In this training, teams with around 80 zones each fight to capture other teams’ zones over the course of a week. This involves not only battles between students but also surviving attacks from magical beasts.

Each practical training team consists of five members. The professors select one member from each tower, and the remaining member is chosen from lower or higher-ranked students to balance the teams. Since the selection is relatively fair, the starting zone can significantly affect performance, making it a tempting opportunity for students.

For example, students who score high in the tests can choose weaker opponents for the magical combat training and gain an advantageous position in the practical training by winning those battles.

“The test problem is as follows,”

Professor Morax quickly drew a magical formula in the air.

*Tsutsu tsutsu tsutsu―*

With each stroke of the formula glowing and emitting beams of light, students who began taking notes had to stop as the complex and reverse-order strokes were impossible to follow with the naked eye.

The room started to buzz.

“What kind of formula is that?”

“Are we supposed to replicate that?”

“Is it even possible for a person to memorize that from just one glance?”

Starting a new semester with such a difficult formula meant Professor Morax had no intention of teaching the basics from scratch.

*‘He expects us to figure it out on our own.’*

Fortunately, I was already familiar with the magic in the test. The details of the magic cast by Professor Morax were thoroughly described in the novel. Moreover, these were all combat-related spells.

The formula being drawn now was similar: Fire Arrow, Ice Arrow, and Ignition—a combination of these three spells.

However, the students had yet to realize the nature of the formula.

As the last stroke was drawn, students frowned and stared at the formula. When no magic manifested over time, they looked back and forth between the formula and Professor Morax with confusion.

“Uh?”

“Why isn’t anything happening?”

“What kind of magic is this?”

Professor Morax spoke again, his voice commanding attention.

“First, why must we learn elemental magic?”

Among the students of the Blue Abyss Tower, Princess Yuri Elloa, sitting in the front row, raised her hand first.

When Professor Morax pointed to her, she answered promptly.

“Because elemental magic is the most fundamental of all magic and forms the basis of everything.”

“Correct.”

Professor Morax continued in a neutral tone.

“Elemental magic is common and ordinary among magic types, but depending on how it is combined, it can manifest entirely new forms of magic that have a different dimension of effectiveness in combat.”

Students leaned in, eager not to miss any part of the lecture, and began taking notes.

“There are three methods of combining elemental formulas: synergy, reinforcement, and opposition. Usually, reinforcement is used a lot, such as when wind helps fire magic.”

Professor Morax demonstrated by combining fire and wind elements with his hand, creating a large flame that danced with the wind.

“Wow.”

“Whoa…”

Admiration erupted among the students. When Professor Morax clenched his fist, the flames and wind quickly vanished. He pointed to the floating formula in the air.

“Then, what elements are present in the above formula? The hint is opposition.”

Once again, Princess Yuri Elloa raised her hand first and answered.

“Ice and fire.”

“Correct.”

Professor Morax added in a tone that suggested this should have been obvious.

“If you paid attention last semester, recognizing the elements used in the formula wouldn’t have been too difficult. However, this formula also includes another type of magic that is not elemental, and it is not drawn in the exact order.”

Realizing the nature of the formula, students nodded in understanding.

“If you fail to identify and draw the formula correctly, the two opposing elements will not manifest properly and will simply dissolve. Your task for today’s test is to identify the additional magic and draw it in the correct order.”

In an instant, a mana mannequin appeared before us.

“……!!”

“Activate the formula on the mana mannequin. Scores will range from 0 to 10, measured on the mannequin and automatically recorded on the wizard board.”

With that, Professor Morax sat in a chair at the center of the podium and began reviewing some documents, indicating that there was no more to be said.

The room started to murmur but quickly settled down, as the students who had experienced Professor Morax’s class last semester adjusted quickly.

I glanced around.

Half of the students began analyzing and drawing each stroke on parchment, while the other half started casting formulas in the air in their own way.

*‘Characteristic skill.’*

I quietly activated my skill.

Soon, translucent status windows appeared next to the students.

*‘…Hmm.’*

As I looked at the status windows, I began to estimate who might score the highest. It wasn’t long before some students succeeded in creating arrows.

It was obvious who the top performers were.

“What? How did they do it?”

“Just like last semester’s top two. It’ll probably be the same this time.”

“Yeah, probably.”

It was Aite from the Black Abyss Tower and Princess Yuri Elloa. Princess Elloa, who succeeded just a step behind Aite, looked somewhat frustrated at first, pouting her lips, but quickly composed herself and waited for her score to appear.

*‘…Both will surely get a 10.’*

[10 points]

As expected. The students who saw the scores reacted as if they were their own.

“Wow! It’s a 10!”

“Princess Elloa and Aite both got 10 points.”

It was a natural outcome. Both had status windows showing grades ranging from B- to S, the highest.

*‘A bit unfair.’*

It would have been better if Damien’s status window had at least been similar.

“Sigh.”

I let out a sigh and quickly pulled myself together. There was no point in envying others; my abilities wouldn’t improve on their own.

*‘Get it together.’*

Looking around again, I saw that students who understood the nature of the formula—combining Fire Arrow and Ice Arrow—were starting to successfully create arrows. All the students had basic skills, after all.

However, scores ranged from 6 to 9, with no more 10s appearing.

Yoo Suho looked at his mannequin with a score of 9 with a neutral expression, while Theo was smiling at his mannequin with a score of 8.

Half of the students succeeded in the formula, but there were still some who didn’t, and one of them was Ian.

She struggled with the formula, which repeatedly melted away. It was evident that her hands were trembling due to her frustration.

Professor Morax glanced away from his paperwork, looked at Ian briefly, and sighed, shaking his head.

He then muttered,

“What is Ian doing, still unable to perform the formulas learned last year? Has she forgotten that failing again means expulsion?”

His words, though quiet, froze the atmosphere in the room.

“…S-sorry.”

Ian’s face turned pale.

In reality, if she had borrowed the powers of spirits, this wouldn’t have been a big deal. But since she couldn’t even summon them, she had no other option.

Ian managed to concentrate and finally succeeded, but…

*Piiiiiing―*

The score was 3 points. She bowed her head, looking as though she might cry any moment.

At the same time, her status window changed.

* Current anxiety level of this individual has risen to Stage 3.1. (3.1/4)*

*‘?‘*

I rested my chin on my hand and gazed into the air.

*‘So, her anxiety increased this way.’*

I began to suspect the reasons. Among them, the bullying from noble students was one cause, but more than that…

*‘Fear of expulsion.’*

The tuition for a single semester was over 20 million won, and for a commoner unable to become a mage, repaying that amount after expulsion would be nearly impossible. The rumor of her inability to summon spirits had likely cut off her sponsorship as well.

Moreover, having repeated a year meant her debt had increased.

*‘What should she do?’*

If I couldn’t help alleviate her anxiety, it was clear that she would eventually become a “Fallen Spirit Mage.” And that anxiety had to be resolved by Yusuho, not me, if he was to become her ally.

*‘This is complicated.’*

“There are 10 minutes left until the end of the test. Any student who hasn’t succeeded by then will receive a penalty.”

I decided to wait until the class ended to seize the opportunity.

*‘…First, the class comes first.’*

I couldn’t afford to be penalized on the first day. I focused on channeling my mana and shaping it into magical power.

I began drawing the formula to convert the mana into an arrow, slowly infusing the drawn mana. Light flowed with each stroke.

*Woooon―*

The formula vibrated, and the outline of the arrow began to form in the air.

*‘Got it.’*

As the outline became clearer, the mana vibrated intensely. At the same time, my head began to throb, and I felt dizzy and nauseous.

*‘Mana deficiency.’*

No matter how many times I experienced it, the sensation never became familiar.

*‘Damn it.’*

If I could break the clichés, the first thing I’d want to eliminate would be mana deficiency.

Sweat ran down my back, and my vision wavered. As my concentration faltered for a moment, the once-clear outline of the arrow started to blur again. I sighed and slowly began infusing the mana once more.

*‘…Focus again.’*

The blurred arrow gradually became clearer. I then drew the ice formula over it, and ice crystals covered the entire arrow.

The chill rose, and the arrow froze with a sharp ice tip.

The cold air touching my skin gave me goosebumps.

*‘Now, the arrowhead.’*

The real challenge was from here. I needed to carefully overlay the fire formula on the arrowhead part to ensure that the fire and ice formulas wouldn’t interfere with each other.

I shaped the mana into a surface as I had done during the dorm assignment test. It had to be the right thickness to avoid the risk of tearing the sharp arrowhead.

I was so absorbed that I forgot to breathe.

“……”

As I carefully covered the arrowhead part with the surface and quickly drew the fire formula, I completed the final stroke and fired the arrow.

*Piiing―!*

By the time the arrow was deeply embedded in the mannequin near the chest,

*“Ignition.”*

Flames erupted and began spreading to the mannequin.

*Fwoosh!*

However, due to the limits of my mana, the flames didn’t fully spread. The mannequin absorbed all the mana of the arrow and eventually disappeared completely.

The only thing left on the mana mannequin was the clear mark of the arrow.

I exhaled the breath I had been holding.

*“Phew.”*

It felt like my head was melting.

In actual combat, the arrow should be maintained until the target is completely destroyed. However, since the arrow was absorbed by the mannequin… the score would likely be around 6.

Not bad.

At least the formula itself was successful. Moreover, if expectations for “Damien” were high from the start, I would have to show even greater skill in magical combat. Additionally, in practical training, there was a possibility that my team’s level might drop due to balancing the team.

Starting from a good position and having capable teammates would be ideal for me.

Soon after, the score appeared on the mannequin, and my body stiffened.

[10 points]

*“…?”*

It was the third 10 points.