Chapter 62: The Big Test (5)

Even though she had worked so hard.

But why, in front of her, was she still so powerless?

Frustration.

It gnawed at Merlin’s heart like poison.

She suddenly pulled a sword out of her magic pocket.

*Bang!*

Another grey smoke bomb exploded at her feet, the pungent smell of sulfur instantly enveloping the small streambank.

Merlin’s figure vanished into the smoke, pouring all her strength into her legs as she slashed at Marcina’s silhouette.

However, the smoke seemed to have no effect on Marcina.

Just as Merlin was about to break through to her—

“Too naive.”

Marcina’s cold voice pierced the smoke. She did not retreat or chant; she simply held her hand out flat.

*Clang — !*

The screech of metal clashing with ice echoed.

Merlin felt a massive shock in her chest, a wave of extreme cold traveling up the blade. She was sent flying back by the immense force, crashing heavily onto the pebbles a few meters away.

The smoke cleared.

Marcina still stood in the same spot, unharmed. In her hand, she held an ice sword instantly condensed from magic.

“Merlin, don’t underestimate me.”

Marcina’s face was expressionless, her pinkish-blue eyes filled only with helplessness.

“Since everyone knows a mage’s weakness is close-quarters combat, I naturally learned swordsmanship as well. It seems Lucia’s rampage the other day gave you a false impression. First, she was very close then. Second, she indeed possesses monstrous strength and mana. But this time is different.”

The chill radiating from that ice sword was even sharper than Merlin’s blade.

Merlin struggled to get up, but her right hand, which held the sword, was already numb from the cold.

‘It’s over…’

Marcina raised her ice sword, pointing the tip directly at Merlin.

Merlin’s brain worked frantically at that moment.

‘Is there a way?’

Just then —

“ROAR — !!!”

A roar full of savagery and tyranny echoed from the slopes of the second mountain.

*Rumble — !*

The loud crashes of falling trees followed one after another.

Merlin and Marcina stopped their movements in unison and suddenly looked up.

Under the cold moonlight, a giant magical beast the size of a house was charging down the mountain. It had rough, lizard-like scales, yet possessed insectoid compound eyes and sickle-shaped forelimbs.

It was at least a B-rank magical beast.

Merlin didn’t care about that. She threw a crystal and used the buffer of a shield to put distance between them.

“Tch.”

She poured an Ice Magic Blocking Potion over her frozen hand, and the translucent shards of ice flowed to the ground with the liquid.

Marcina did not look at Merlin’s little tricks; her pinkish-blue pupils reflected the roaring beast on the mountain.

With the beast’s footsteps, Marcina felt the ground beneath her feet trembling rhythmically. She realized this wasn’t just a physical impact.

The opponent was using Earth Magic to trigger a landslide.

A mudslide mixed with giant boulders and magic was about to swallow everything here. It was far more violent than the two previous ones caused by the Alchemy Department students.

Marcina turned back sharply.

“Merlin, do you have an Earth Magic Blocking Potion?”

“I don’t have anything like that.”

“What a pain. Look at the trouble your Alchemy Department caused. It likely woke up from those consecutive explosions and is absolutely furious.”

Merlin muttered under her breath.

“Who could have known?”

“How could you not? Making such a big commotion was bound to attract the strongest beast in the area, not to mention waking a sleeping one. Should I say it’s a blessing in disguise? It didn’t rage toward the other side, or the students over there would be doomed.”

*Rumble — *

The mudslide had already formed, surging toward the two at the foot of the mountain like a massive flood. The destructive power of the mudslide, mixed with magic, was nearly equal to a full-force blow from an A-rank beast.

The beast’s own aura was among the top for B-ranks, let alone in its home territory.

Even if it was just a B-rank, it was a question whether Marcina, exhausted from a full day of fighting, could handle it, let alone a full-strength A-rank blow.

This was difficult. Ever since Merlin joined the Alchemy Department, she had been causing trouble every day.

A school barrier was set up in this area; even if they couldn’t handle the mudslide, they would just be eliminated from the competition. The teachers and professors were watching from outside. Even if the students were wiped out, the teachers would just have to intervene.

Furthermore, this was an uninhabited zone, so there was no worry about causing disaster issues.

But Marcina didn’t want to lose.

Not just losing to Merlin and Lucia; she also wanted to fight for first place. Thanks to the explosions Merlin caused, there were only two real competitors left.

The opportunity couldn’t be missed.

“Merlin, let’s cooperate.”

“Cooperate?”

Merlin was watching the activity on the mountain. Hearing this, all the wariness in her eyes instantly shifted back to Marcina. Her body tensed like a cornered cat.

The current Marcina could finish her off at any moment, yet she was talking about cooperation?

“Do you want both of us to be buried by the mudslide, or do you want us to survive together? You choose. After we deal with that beast, I’ll let you run for three hours first.”

Regardless, Marcina could still win even if she let her run first.

“This…”

For Merlin, she actually had no choice. Anyway, if not for this beast, she would have been finished just now. Agreeing gave her one more chance to escape.

“I agree.”

Marcina stopped looking at her, mana flowing through her eyes as she quickly scanned the surrounding ground. Soon, she pointed to a corner shielded by a giant rock on the side.

“Use those crystals of yours to blow a big hole here.”

“Okay.”

*Rumble — !*

The roar of the mudslide was close at hand.

Time was tight, and Marcina didn’t even bother to explain. She lunged forward and, before Merlin could react, ignored her exclamation and hoisted the smaller girl onto her shoulder.

“Hey!”

Being hoisted onto a shoulder like a doll by her ex-wife — this was just too humiliating.

“…Time is short. Carrying you is the most efficient way.”

“Waaaah! Don’t I have any pride?!”

‘Why are you bullying me so soon?!’

‘How could you treat me like a pet!?’

‘Where is that sweet little wife who used to follow me around?! I won’t accept this!!’

“Give me a signal, and I’ll take you out of here.”

“Got it.”

‘Forget it, I can’t beat her right now.’

Right… even if they were still in that kind of relationship, usually the one who could fight better held the power in an argument.

Merlin quickly stuffed a large number of crystals into the crevices of the rock.

*Boom — !*

Another loud explosion, and the mountain rock was blasted open into a cave large enough to hold two people.

Simultaneously with the explosion, Marcina picked up Merlin again and returned at top speed.

“Hurry!”

“I know!”

In the next instant as they rolled clumsily into the cave, destruction descended.

*Boom — !!*

The mudslide led by the beast submerged the base of the mountain where they had just been standing with thunderous force.

Marcina’s extreme cold mana gushed out, instantly generating a thick ice barrier that held the cave steady, preventing it from collapsing under the heavy pressure of the mudslide.

Even hiding in the cave, the two could feel the entire mountain shaking violently. Debris fell from the cave ceiling, and their ears were filled with the terrifying roar of the world collapsing.