Chapter 10

EP.10 Class Assignment Evaluation - Interlude

The class assignment evaluation has ended.

The results were not good.

I managed to defeat the demon with my weak body for five hours, but I only managed to collect two mana crystals.

One point per crystal, for a total of 20 points.

Even though there was a blind spot where mana crystals were more visible at night, the mana detection skills of the students here are top-notch. They could sweep up all the mana crystals regardless of such a blind spot.

Moreover, time was insufficient.

Right after defeating the Saphir Fernicus, only about 20 minutes remained.

Then, after returning to the scene and pretending to be surprised to Lucie with acting skills that rivaled a professional actor, and secretly picking up the magic pouch, only about 10 minutes were left.

I spent those mere 10 minutes desperately searching for the remaining mana crystals...

Gel is distributed according to the class assignment evaluation scores. In other words, I will only earn 20 gel.

It's an amount that would be completely spent on two loaves of bread...

‘This is hopeless.’

Returning to the dormitory, I lay down with a troubled mind... but then got up again to go for training.

This is not the time to be struggling. It's not the time to be discouraged by earning less gel. I need to become stronger. Strong enough to defeat the final boss, the evil deity Nephid.

‘Ugh.’

Indeed, my whole body aches. The muscle pain is unbearable. I must have overdone it.

Thanks to the hellish personal PT sessions given by the knight department students who welcomed me to the physical training room over the past few days, and the fatigue from the class assignment evaluation...

Still, I can't delay my training. Today, I'll focus on magic training. I want to quickly refresh the sensation of the magic I used when fighting the Saphir Fernicus.

Since the class assignment evaluation was held today, most of the first-year students will be resting from exhaustion. In other words, I can monopolize the training ground.

On a night with a full moon hanging in the sky.

Ignoring the garden corner where I had been practicing magic for a week, I headed to the first-year magic department's exclusive training ground.

As I entered the dome-shaped building, the empty training ground greeted me. When I turned on the lights, the ceiling, enchanted with a light-emitting spell, lit up.

The silence felt awkward. This place is where ambitious students always sweat to hone their magic.

Since I am a commoner with E-class mana capacity and am often ignored, I can't use the training ground freely. If I get into an unnecessary conflict, I'll suffer both mentally and physically.

So, except for the first day when my mana capacity was measured, this is the first time I'm using the training ground.

The spacious area was equipped with various special facilities made of different elements. A lake, a stove, rocks, an iceberg, and so on... These facilities were designed to effectively train [Elemental Efficiency] and [Elemental Synergy].

There was also a training ground where you could aim at targets with various elemental attributes or fight against magical creature illusions. That's in the adjacent building.

“Let's try...”

I slapped my cheeks with both hands to shake off the fatigue.

It's not time to rest yet. Just hold on a little longer.

First, let's allocate my stats.

[ Potential ]

Available Stats: 8

◆ Growth Rate

- Physical Training Efficiency (C): 26/100 [UP]

- Magic Training Efficiency (C): 27/100 [UP]

- Learning Efficiency (D): 12/100 [UP]

◆ Elemental Resistance

- Fire Elemental Resistance (E): 0/100 [UP]

- Water Elemental Resistance (D): 6/100 [UP]

- Ice Elemental Resistance (C-): 24/100 [UP]

- Lightning Elemental Resistance (C): 29/100 [UP]

- Rock Elemental Resistance (E): 2/100 [UP]

- Wind Elemental Resistance (D): 13/100 [UP]

- Neutral Elemental Resistance (D): 8/100 [UP]

◆ Racial Combat Power

- Human Combat Power (E): 4/100 [UP]

- Beast Combat Power (E): 1/100 [UP]

- Celestial Combat Power (E): 0/100 [UP]

- Demon Combat Power (S): 100/100 [MAX]

I invested all 8 stats into [Magic Training Efficiency].

[Your [Magic Training Efficiency] has improved from C to C+!]

C+... The growth rate will definitely increase, but I remember that noticeable changes only started at B+.

B+ is the realm of geniuses.

I waved my hand, and the status window disappeared.

Now, let's review the magic I used against Fernicus.

First, the magic I want to learn as quickly as possible is the 5-star magic, [Ice Burst].

[Ice Burst] is a versatile and powerful offensive magic. Once I learn it, it will be a kind of ultimate skill for me.

However, 5-star magic is generally only learnable by second-year students. Students like Lucie and Kaya, who can use 5-star magic easily from their first year, are exceptional.

Anyway, my short-term goal is to learn [Ice Burst] to a basic level before the human combat performance evaluation.

That will be a good time to measure my combat ability as a normal Isaac. After all, not all enemies are demons, so I can't rely solely on my [Evil Slayer] trait.

Moreover, the semester-end evaluation will follow shortly after the human combat performance evaluation. Since it involves Lucie's familiar, the level 175 Thunder God Galiya, I could easily die if things go wrong.

Therefore, I need to increase the number of skills I can use when my [Evil Slayer] trait activates.

‘But who will I fight in the human combat performance evaluation?’

In the human combat performance evaluation, the protagonist Ian Fairytail is scheduled to fight Lucie. The opponents are determined by a lottery? No, it's just because Ian is being rebellious.

Then, who will I fight? The game doesn't describe who Isaac fought, so it's an unknown area.

At least by then, I want to have learned several good skills in addition to [Ice Burst].

I stood straight and pressed all my fingers together on both hands.

I created a gap between my palms and poured mana at maximum output.

[Ice Burst] is a magic that releases a concentrated burst of mana to cause an explosion, so this posture is the most efficient.

A cold, blue light began to coalesce between my hands. It was ice elemental mana.

I will release and explode this all at once!

I extended my hands and burst the condensed blue mana.

...Whoosh─.

“Ah.”

The mana scattered weakly, making a sound like a deflating balloon.

When I fought the demon, I could easily use [Ice Burst] due to the ‘Skill Tree +10’ effect, but now I can't even attempt it properly.

“Phew...”

One more time.

...Whoosh─.

...Damn.

Sweat dripped down just from the attempt. Controlling the fine details of mana was difficult, and my mana capacity itself was insufficient.

When I fought the demon, it felt like I was pouring mana out in a steady stream.

Now, it feels like a trickle?

If we compare it to a shower, it's like the water pressure is weak, and there's only one small hole to release the water.

I opened the status window to check the acquisition conditions for [Ice Burst] again.

Poof─.

[Owned Skills]

Active

- (★1) Ice Creation (D+)

- (★2) Ice Barrier (C+)

- (★1) Cold Emission (C+)

- (★1) Basic Protection Magic (D)

Passive

- None

Skill Tree <<Details>>

I pressed the [Skill Tree <<Details>>] at the bottom.

I pressed the [Ice] item, the first of the two elemental categories. The second elemental attribute has not been unlocked yet, so the second skill tree is locked.

By the way, there is a third menu [Neutral], which includes skills like [Basic Protection Magic].

I checked the ice elemental skills listed under the [Ice] item. The skills I can use are marked with bright letters: [Ice Creation], [Ice Barrier], and [Cold Emission].

The skill tree is structured like a circuit branching out downward.

In the middle, the words [Ice Burst] are engraved. The text color is dark, indicating it has not been acquired yet.

When I touched [Ice Burst] with my finger, a new system window appeared.

[Ice Burst (★5)]

:: Condenses a large amount of ice elemental mana and releases it to cause an explosive freezing effect, dealing powerful damage to enemies.

Type: Active Skill (Offensive)

Attribute: Ice

Acquisition Conditions

- Level 50 (-)

- [Ice Creation] B- (-)

- [Cold Emission] B- (-)

- Ice [Elemental Power] C+ (-)

- Ice [Elemental Efficiency] C+ (-)

Activation Conditions

- None

None of the conditions are met...

Well, it's fine. Ultimate skills are not supposed to be easily obtained.

I waved my hand to close the status window.

I still have time. The only way is to train harder and become stronger.

[Ice Creation].

I released mana toward the large rock set up in the training ground.

“Ice Creation (Ice Attribute, ★1)”

Crack─.

When I use [Ice Creation] directly, I can only create a ball the size of a soccer ball.

But when used on an object like a rock, I can spread it out to freeze a wider area.

The rock's surface was covered with the ice I created. As expected, it was thin.

“Oh, right.”

I had forgotten about the loot.

I took out the ‘Remnant of Darkness’ from my pocket.

I infused the ice mana into the black pearl-like Remnant of Darkness.

The Remnant of Darkness began to emit a dark light, and the dark mana flowed into me.

I felt a cold and damp mana merging inside my body. Suddenly, a new sensation arose, and a system window appeared in the air.

[The aura of the loot [Remnant of Darkness] is seeping into you...]

[Congratulations! You have acquired the unique skill [Black Ice]!]

[Black Ice (★5)]

:: Creates black ice.

Type: Active Skill (Versatile)

Attribute: Ice (Darkness-derived)

Acquisition Conditions

- Infuse ice elemental mana into [Remnant of Darkness] (O)

Activation Conditions

- None

Black Ice.

It's the same as [Ice Creation], but the power and strength are on a different level.

I knew how to use Black Ice. It felt natural, almost instinctive.

I extended my hand toward the rock and released the ice. The ice turned into a powder that emitted a blue light and evaporated, and the rock returned to its original state.

Then, I activated the new skill created by the mixture of ice mana and dark mana.

‘Black Ice.’

“Black Ice (Ice Attribute, ★5)”

Crack─!

“Wow...!”

The rock was instantly covered in black ice.

Compared to the [Ice Creation] I used just now, this was much more powerful and had a more intense freezing effect. The thickness of the black ice covering the rock's surface was about five times thicker than when I used [Ice Creation].

Moreover, the ice shone black, making it difficult to distinguish whether there was a rock inside.

‘This could be used as a smokescreen too.’

Next, I extended my hand upward and activated [Black Ice] at maximum output toward the air.

Crack─!

“Ugh...!”

A lot of mana was drained instantly. I felt my strength leaving my body, and I was about to collapse from mana depletion.

However, when I saw the ice created in the air, I couldn't help but feel elated.

‘It's huge!’

It's not the size of a soccer ball. It's almost the size of a car!

At that moment, a system window appeared in front of me.

[Your [Elemental Power] for ice has improved from D+ to C-!]

[Your [Elemental Efficiency] for ice has improved from D+ to C-!]

Perhaps because I increased [Magic Training Efficiency] and used [Black Ice] for the first time, both [Elemental Power] and [Elemental Efficiency] improved by one level.

Good, very good.

‘Ah, release, release.’

Before the black ice chunk fell, I quickly released [Black Ice].

The black ice chunk turned into black powder that scattered in the air and soon disappeared.

‘I almost collapsed... How much mana is left?’

Mana Capacity: 10 / 350

- Mana Recovery Speed (D)

“Good grief.”

I was shocked when I opened the status window. Only 10 mana was left...

When you reach a state of mana depletion, the recovery speed of mana drops sharply. Although I haven't experienced it yet, that's how it was in the game. I must avoid that.

‘[Black Ice]... It lives up to its performance value.’

[Black Ice] cannot completely replace [Ice Creation]. It consumes much more mana due to its superior power and output.

And.

[Owned Skills]

Active

- (★1) Ice Creation (D+) / (★5) Black Ice (D+)

[Black Ice] corresponds to the [Ice Creation] skill. If one level increases, the other also increases. There is no disadvantage in terms of growth even if you alternate between them.

When [Black Ice] proficiency reaches S, you can apply [Black Ice] to other spells like when Fernicus applied [Black Ice] to [Ice Spear]. This significantly increases the power of the spell, acting as a kind of buff.

In other words, whenever I fight demons and my [Evil Slayer] trait activates, I can apply [Black Ice] to my other spells to power them up. Of course, in normal times, I can only use it for [Ice Creation].

The problem is that applying [Black Ice] to other skills increases mana consumption by about three times. So, it's best to use it sparingly unless it's a critical moment.

Finally, one more check.

‘Can I learn [Ice Wall] yet?’

[Ice Wall], the first magic I used against Fernicus. The sensation of using that magic still remains.

I went back to the [Skill Tree <<Details>>] in the status window, pressed the [Ice] item, and touched the [Ice Wall] skill.

[Ice Wall (★4)]

:: Creates a sturdy wall of ice.

Type: Active Skill (Defensive)

Attribute: Ice

Acquisition Conditions

- Level 30 (O)

- [Ice Creation] C- (-)

- [Cold Emission] C (O)

- Ice [Elemental Power] C- (O)

- Ice [Elemental Efficiency] C- (O)

‘I'll learn it soon.’

The only unmet acquisition condition, [Ice Creation] C-, is just one level away.

I'll be able to learn [Ice Wall] soon.

My motivation is surging. It's fun to grow.

Since my mana is low, it's best to end my magic training here for now.

‘I feel better. Maybe I'll do some exercise.’

I went to the physical training room.

The knight department students welcomed me as if they had been waiting.

After finishing the hellish PT.

I returned to the dormitory, trudging along in deep regret.