No.1 clearly observed the astonishing transformation taking place in Luke.
From that square-headed, noisy, frivolous red-haired human mage to the sleek, silver-gray metallic armor before him—a vessel of unknown technology and aesthetic power…
This sudden leap in life form and energy level caused even someone with his long life and vast experience to pause for a moment.
No magical incantation, no outburst of Aura, no boiling of Blood Race lineage… just a button press and a shout?
This completely defied his understanding of how power was acquired.
Not training, not awakening, not transformation… more like… a “bestowal”?
Like a child receiving a toy beyond their comprehension, yet instantly unleashing terrifying power.
Inside the armor, Luke felt the familiar surging power refill his limbs.
The intense pain in his back and hand bones rapidly eased and disappeared under the armor’s built-in repair function.
This feeling of controlling great power dispelled the pain and humiliation of moments ago, reigniting his confidence like a flame—even more blazing than before.
After all, this time he carried the power bestowed by Senior Yize.
“I admit, you’ve got some skills,” Luke’s metallic synthesized voice came through the visor, carrying a triumphant smugness.
“Throwing me down like that, I’ll give you credit.”
He moved his metal-covered neck, producing a faint mechanical friction sound, and pointed at No.1:
“But you definitely didn’t check the stars before coming out today! Running into me means you’re out of luck!”
He stomped forward heavily, the metal sole of his boot cracking the stone slab into fine fissures.
His tone was resolute:
“As for Junior Swan… don’t even think about it! You won’t get a single word out of me!”
The recent humiliation of being tossed around like trash and having his hand bones crushed now transformed into blazing fighting spirit and vengeance.
‘I’ll personally smash this pretentious bastard into the ground!’
The words barely left his mouth when the silver-gray figure blurred.
Luke pushed the explosive speed granted by the armor to its limit, appearing like teleportation at No.1’s side and rear.
A powerful whip kick, tearing through the air with a shriek, slammed toward the back of No.1’s knee!
‘I’ll make him taste kneeling on one knee too!’
But the expected image of his enemy losing balance and kneeling did not appear.
Thump!
A dull impact sound.
No.1’s body simply stumbled forward two steps along the force of the kick and then stood firm.
He didn’t even turn around, just tilted his face.
The gaze beneath the hood once again fell on the silver-gray armor, this time filled with pure curiosity and inquiry.
“Interesting.”
No.1’s voice remained calm, showing no sign of injury.
“No fluctuation of mana condensation, no trajectory of Aura operation. Purely relying on this metallic body, it can produce an impact force equivalent to an A-rank Magical Beast.”
He slowly turned to face Luke and began to analyze in a cool tone:
“According to the continent’s standard classification of Magic Tool quality, being able to temporarily elevate a Third Rank Magician to a stable A-rank combat level… this is at least [Epic] quality, and might even have touched the threshold of [Legendary].”
He paused and gave his first positive assessment of the “Magic Tool” on Luke:
“Not a bad toy.”
Luke’s expression beneath the metal visor completely froze.
A chill spread up his spine.
‘Even though I didn’t use full power in that kick, it was absolutely enough to break the bones of an ordinary high-level Warrior! The other withstood it with just his physical body, without even swaying much? And that calm analyzing attitude makes me feel more belittled than direct mockery.’
“What… what are you exactly?”
Luke’s tone became completely serious, losing all previous flamboyance.
‘The way he received the attack also used no energy—pure physical strength! That’s not a body a “human” should have!’
“Even if I told you, you wouldn’t understand.”
No.1 seemed to lose interest in continuing the conversation.
He slightly raised his right foot, the movement seemingly casual, but it set off alarms in Luke’s entire body!
The next moment, No.1’s figure vanished from the spot.
Luke barely had time to cross his arms in front of his chest.
An indescribable tremendous force descended like a mountain flood!
BOOM!!!
The silver-gray figure flew backward, smashing through corridors, walls, and decorative sculptures along the way.
It plowed a messy trench dozens of meters long through the hard stone ground and building debris, finally slamming into the outer wall of a side building.
The entire person was embedded into it, bricks and stones falling with a rustle!
Cough!
Under the visor, Luke spat out blood, his internal organs churning.
The energy patterns on the armor’s surface flickered violently, and many fine cracks appeared.
‘The power of that kick far exceeded my estimate!’
‘Impossible… How can the gap be this big?!’
But his innate stubbornness and determination to protect his companion forced him to suppress the surging blood and fear.
He roared, broke free from the human-shaped crater, pushed off the ground—creating web-like cracks—and transformed into a violent silver light again, charging recklessly at No.1!
This time, he held nothing back, pushing the armor’s output to its limit!
Bang! Boom! Crash! Crack!
At the point of their clash, explosions rang out like continuous thunderclaps!
Fierce airwaves swept in all directions like invisible hammers!
Such astonishing commotion instantly shattered the night’s tranquility at Starlight Academy.
Lights lit up in countless dormitory windows.
Many students and low-level tutors, startled, ran out of buildings, hiding in the distance or climbing to high places, staring in shock at the center of the battle.
“My god! What is that? A Magical Beast invasion?!”
“That gleaming silver hunk of metal—what is it? A new type of magic puppet? Why is it fighting someone?”
“Who’s the person fighting it? Doesn’t look like an academy tutor! So fast! Can’t see clearly!”
“This destructive power… at least Tier 6, no, Tier 7 or above, right? When did our academy have something and a student this strong?”
These young mages, mostly at Tier 2 or Tier 3 strength, had never witnessed such a high-intensity melee.
The strongest Magical Beasts they faced on normal days were at most C-rank elite monsters that required team cooperation to subdue.
This battle—where every move demolished buildings and left people unsteady from the mere shockwaves—completely exceeded their imagination, bringing pure shock and confusion.
Some bold students even tried to get closer to observe, completely unaware of the deadly danger involved.
“Are you all fucking tired of living?! What are you looking at?! Run!!”
Luke, during a brief gap in the intense fight, caught sight of those reckless classmates crowding around.
His synthesized voice twisted in anger as he roared.
He remembered Senior Yize’s helpless remark that many academy students were “flowers in a greenhouse.”
He hadn’t agreed back then, but now he truly understood!
This was a life-and-death struggle, not a magic performance class!
As if to confirm Luke’s warning, No.1—while parrying one of Luke’s heavy punches—casually flicked an insignificant blood-colored energy.
This energy deviated from its original trajectory and slanted toward a group of students not far away who were pointing and gossiping.
Schlurp!
A faint sound.
The three or four closest students’ expressions of curiosity and excitement instantly froze.
Then, along with their low-level magic shields, they silently split into several pieces like puppets cut by an invisible blade.
Blood and internal organs splattered everywhere.
Silence.
Then came the delayed, heart-wrenching screams and complete breakdown of crying!
The surviving students finally woke up, their faces bloodless.
They scrambled away, crying and screaming, fleeing for their lives toward the direction away from the battlefield.
Their previous excitement and curiosity vanished, replaced by only fear.
No.1 paid no attention to this little “incident.”
His focus remained entirely on Luke.
After this round of even fiercer combat, the interest in his eyes grew stronger.
“Revising the previous assessment,” No.1 said while deflecting Luke’s fierce attacks with a seemingly dangerous yet effortless calm, continuing in that infuriatingly composed tone.
“Speed, instantaneous explosive power, defense ceiling… all have stably reached the standard line of an A+-rank Monster.”
“The energy supply seems quite persistent, not a short burst type… The design philosophy is remarkably ahead of its time.”
“I’m getting more and more curious about the forger of this Magic Tool.”
Luke grew more startled and frustrated the longer the fight went on.
He had thrown everything he had at the opponent, yet the man seemed bottomless.
Every attack vanished like a stone dropped into the sea, and his counterattacks, though seemingly light, were so heavy that Luke’s armor groaned under the impact.
What infuriated him even more was the way the man analyzed him from a distance, as if Luke were nothing more than a specimen worth studying.
“Mind your own damn business!”
Luke roared and threw a full-powered straight punch at No.1’s face.
The man casually raised his hand and blocked it with ease; the recoil numbed Luke’s arm.
“Hold on! The teachers will be here any second! We’ll take him down together!”
Luke gritted his teeth and pinned his hopes on the academy’s reinforcements.
As if answering his call, several urgent sounds of breaking wind came.
A few figures, carrying not insignificant Mana or Aura fluctuations, appeared at the edge of the battlefield.
They were the on-duty 6th-tier instructors of the academy!
When they saw the carnage and the two locked in combat, their faces changed drastically.
Luke’s spirits lifted, and he immediately shouted:
“Teachers! I’m Luke! Ms. Isha’s student! This intruder is suspected to be a high-level Magical Beast or a disguised being. He’s extremely strong! Please be careful!”
The instructors looked at the unfamiliar silver-gray armor, then at the dead students on the ground and the wrecked battlefield.
Though they were full of questions about how Luke had changed and gained such power, with a powerful enemy before them, they made a quick decision.
“Student Luke, keep him pinned! We’ll provide long-range support!”
A senior Mage instructor gave the order quickly.
Luke’s morale soared, and he attacked even more ferociously, trying to create an opening for the teachers.
The instructors did not hesitate.
They began chanting 6th-tier binding and attack magic, or gathering powerful Aura slashes, striking at No.1 from different directions.
Countless high-level magic and martial arts wove into a dense net, enveloping No.1.
Yet, faced with attacks that could threaten an ordinary A-Class Monster, No.1 merely furrowed his brow slightly, as if annoyed at having his observation interrupted.
He didn’t even assume a defensive stance.
Instead, a faint red glow naturally emanated from his body.
The spectacular 6th-tier magic and Aura slashes, the moment they touched the glow, quickly melted away without even raising a ripple.
“Noisy insects.”
No.1 commented coldly, seeming tired of the interference.
He casually raised one hand toward the instructors, spread his fingers slightly, and then gently clenched his fist.
Whoosh—!
A Blood Domain suddenly expanded, instantly engulfing the instructors.
They felt their blood freeze, the flow of Mana and Aura stagnate, their limbs lose control, and even their thoughts slow down.
Thud. Thud…
The several respected 6th-tier instructors of the academy collapsed without a sound, their faces pale, their breath weak, completely incapacitated.
Luke’s heart sank to the bottom.
A Domain?
Or some high-level Blood Race talent?
The gap was too vast!
The teachers couldn’t even hold him back and were instantly taken down together!
“So… you are of the Blood Race!”
Luke’s voice carried a metallic vibration, utterly certain.
This ability to control blood and suppress life force was a hallmark of high-level Blood Clan.
“You’re half right.”
No.1 seemed a little surprised by Luke’s insight.
“Then guess again. Which seat am I?”
Luke’s mind raced, and a chill spread through his body.
He had fought Bart and had sensed the auras of No.3 and No.2 from a distance.
The calmness and unfathomable depth of the person before him, along with the overwhelming suppression he displayed by instantly defeating multiple 6th-tier instructors—far beyond any Blood Pillar he had encountered before…
A terrifying answer surfaced.
“…No.1.”
Luke forced out the title.
The First Seat of the Ten Pillars of the Blood Race!
He had infiltrated the imperial heartland and come to Starlight Academy!
The other party might not even be using his real strength, and Luke had already exhausted all his trump cards without even making him take the fight seriously.
What did it mean that the top-ranked Blood Pillar had appeared here?
Had the empire’s defenses really been riddled with holes?
Just as Luke’s mind shook and his momentum was stolen—
“Stop!”
A cold, angry shout swept across the battlefield, carrying a vast pressure of Mana!
At the same time, a blazing arrow of flame tore through the night sky and shot precisely at No.1’s back, forcing him to sidestep and drop his suppression of Luke.
Two figures rushed in and landed not far in front of Luke.
They were Headmaster Kleya of Starlight Academy and Ms. Isha.
Seeing the tragic scene—especially the bodies of several students and the fallen instructors—their faces turned extremely grim.
“Luke? Is that you?”
Kleya’s gaze first fell on the silver-gray armor, her eyes full of shock and disbelief.
This armor, and the power he had just displayed…
“Headmaster Kleya! Ms. Isha!”
Luke, as if seeing his saviors, quickly explained:
“It’s me, Luke! This armor… I bought it from a Traveling Merchant a while ago as a life-saving Magic Tool!”
Knowing now was not the time for a detailed explanation, he immediately pointed at No.1.
“The important thing is this guy! He’s the First Seat of the Blood Race’s Ten Pillars! He’s terrifyingly strong! He snuck into the academy targeting Junior Swan!”
“First Seat?”
Kleya and Isha both gasped, their expressions even more serious.
They had learned from Luke and the others’ previous reports how frightening the Blood Pillars were.
Even the Third Seat could fight Laura to a standstill.
So what about the First Seat…
No.1’s gaze, for the first time carrying clear scrutiny, fell on Kleya.
A faint light seemed to glint within the shadow under his hood.
“You are Kleya?”
No.1 spoke, his tone flat, but it made Kleya’s heart leap.
He knows me?
Kleya’s internal alarms blared.
Her reputation was well-known in the human empire, but being addressed by name by a mysterious First Seat of the Blood Race was hardly a good sign.
“You know me?” Kleya asked coldly, keeping her Mana hidden but ready.
No.1 did not answer.
In his memory surfaced one of the few non-task directives Lord Jellal had ever given:
【If you encounter a human female mage named Kleya, you may, depending on the situation, show a certain degree of… restraint. She was once my disciple.】
No.1’s gaze swept over Kleya and Isha, then finally landed on Luke.
His tone remained flat.
“My purpose here is simple: hand over the human youth named Swan Raymond.”
“As long as that condition is met, I will leave immediately and harm no one else here.”
“Dream on!”
Kleya snapped without hesitation, her beautiful face frozen in frost.
“Swan is my student! A member of Starlight Academy! Hand him over to you bloodthirsty, cruel monsters? Absolutely not!”
Powerful Mana began to gather wildly around her.
The air hummed from the high concentration of Mana, revealing the majesty of an 8th-tier Archmage.
Negotiations had broken down.
No.1 seemed to sigh softly, as if regretting he couldn’t complete the task in a simpler way.
“Then… I’ll have to ‘invite’ him.”
He slowly raised both hands.
A terrifying aura, far more chilling than before, began to spread from within him, instantly enveloping the entire battlefield and even eclipsing the vast Mana Kleya had gathered!
The clouds in the sky seemed to start swirling uneasily under this pressure.