Chapter 42: Siege Warfare (1)

First-year cadets were assigned mandatory courses.

If they wished, they could also register for additional lectures, and one of the liberal arts courses Carl had applied for was “Practical Use of Combat Magic.”

Just by looking at the course title, it seemed like a class for mages only, but in reality, cadets from various majors were mixed in.

“As you all know, magic has made great progress over the years. From my perspective, it has even surpassed martial arts. Of course, that doesn’t mean we need to rank one above the other.”

The professor standing at the podium adjusted his glasses and looked over the students.

“The biggest change is that we no longer need to cling to the circle-based class magic system.”

In the past, magic ranks were determined by the number of mana rings encircling the heart.

The more rings one had, the higher the level was considered, and the types of magic that could be used were also clearly distinguished.

“Modern mages no longer create circles. Instead, they form magical circuits through intuition and cognitive expansion. In a virtual form, of course.”

One of the Seven Heroes who had saved the empire centuries ago, the Archmage of “Eternal,”

A once-in-a-lifetime genius, she had liberated mages from the shackles of the circle system.

The Eternal School, which inherited the legacy of “Eternal,” had since become the Gray Magic Tower, and if one had to specify, Yuria could be considered the successor continuing that lineage.

“What’s important is a well-trained cognitive system and the capacity of one’s mana. If one has a deep understanding from a magical perspective, even a beginner can theoretically manifest advanced spells.”

Of course, that didn’t mean one could recklessly cast high-level magic.

With the disappearance of the auxiliary tool known as the circle, magical thinking had become more crucial.

That meant deeper research was needed, and the level of study and training to be accumulated had increased.

“Nevertheless, the reason we abandoned the circle system and arrived at this point is because the disparity between the two methods is incomparable. It’s at least five times more efficient. Especially since even non-mages, with enough understanding and mana, can now handle basic magic—this has sparked a major renaissance in the magical world.”

Not only had the number of mages dramatically increased, but the existence of individuals who had mastered different fields simultaneously, like magic swordsmen, had also come to light.

Talents that were once only attainable by a select few had emerged as a broad array of new possibilities.

That was why Carl was also learning and studying magic.

Scratch, scratch scratch.

The professor pulled out a pen and began writing something on the chalkboard.

The cadets quietly listening to the lecture could recognize that it was a formula for a basic spell.

“First, let’s see how skilled you all are.”

It was a common phrase heard in the first lecture of any course.

Theory-based lectures involved pop quizzes, while practice-based lectures, like “Understanding of Combat,” immediately jumped into hands-on exercises.

As such, all the students could do was look curious about what kind of practical training was coming.

“What I’ve written on the board is the basic spell ‘Scattering Light.’ If you’ve entered Bayern, there shouldn’t be a single cadet here who can’t cast it.”

Fwaaah!

A sphere of light floated up gently in front of the professor.

Scattering Light was the most basic 1st-tier spell, creating a glowing orb by condensing mana.

“Scattering Light is very useful in everyday life. But in practical combat magic, it becomes even more versatile. The formula is simple, and if you insert a new technique into this 1st-tier magic, it can transform into a completely different property.”

Zzzzzzz.

The glowing sphere began to change.

“For instance, if you mix in a technique of wind, it transforms into a formless bullet, like this. Its formal name is Phantom Bullet. Depending on how it’s used, it can even pierce through steel.”

Ping─!

With a sharp sonic burst, the Phantom Bullet fired from the professor’s hand and shot through the cadets, embedding itself into the wall at the back.

The cadets gaped, their eyes wide open at the deep hole resembling a bullet mark.

Though everyone had heard of Phantom Bullet, few had confidence that they could produce such power with a mere application of a 1st-tier spell.

It was not a technique achievable just by pouring more mana into it.

“If your magical thinking and understanding deepen, even a basic spell can produce extraordinary power. The Phantom Bullet you all use probably amounts to little more than a flick on the forehead or a hard punch.”

With a light wave of the professor’s hand, the dim lecture hall brightened.

The problem was, the scenery had completely changed as well.

“……”

Carl widened his eyes and looked around.

Just moments ago, they had been in a classroom, but now the surroundings had turned into a forest teeming with vegetation.

‘He didn’t move the space. Did he use illusion magic to alter the structure?’

Yet, he could vividly feel the scent of trees and the sunlight streaming from above.

“Wow.”

“…Is this the system Bayern boasts about?”

Other cadets, seemingly just as unfamiliar, looked around in awe.

Some cadets who had attended Bayern’s high school opened their mouths with familiar expressions.

“They use this system a lot for indoor practice at Bayern. Didn’t we see it during the entrance exam too? That one was large-scale and even had support from the Magic Tower, but for a single lecture room, this is nothing.”

“Really?”

“It’s one of the reasons this course is so popular.”

Carl also nodded while listening to that explanation.

Interestingly, top-ranking mage cadets didn’t enroll in this class.

They usually only registered for the required course credits and focused the rest of their time on personal research or training.

That was the same reason why Yuria always holed up in the library past midnight.

So the ones currently enrolled in this class were mages of middling skill, magic swordsmen, and greenhorns who had only recently begun studying magic.

“…Carl.”

Laysis, if one had to categorize her, belonged to the latter group.

“Miss Laysis, you’ve registered as well.”

“Yes. I saw you as soon as I entered the classroom.”

“I stayed quiet because there were so many upperclassmen that I was nervous.”

“That’s true. There are a lot of seniors here, not just first-years.”

Laysis gave a small smile.

She was clearly someone who focused on the sword, so why had she signed up for this lecture?

Studying magic at this point might disrupt her swordsmanship.

Or was it just simple curiosity?

“Now, everyone, please pay attention.”

After finishing the adjustments to the lecture hall, the professor stepped forward and gathered the cadets’ attention.

“This session will be a light test and practical exercise. The theme is siege warfare. The format is simple: defend your own base and destroy the opposing team’s base to win. You’ll receive bonus points based on your contributions and performance, so I expect everyone to give their best.”

Beep.

An alert popped up in front of Carl.

The message, sent via Archive, included the lecture contents and detailed rules for the siege warfare.

Additionally, the fifty cadets had been divided into five teams.

Carl was assigned to the Blue Team.

Soon, a teaching assistant appeared and handed out armbands to the cadets to indicate their teams.

“We’re on the same team.”

Laysis, wearing a blue armband, approached with a smile.

“Looking forward to working with you.”

“Likewise. I’ll be counting on you again.”

Just as Carl nodded, the professor clapped lightly and made an announcement.

“During the siege warfare, you must only use Phantom Bullets derived from Scattering Light. As long as the technique retains the properties of a Phantom Bullet, it’s okay to mix in other techniques or attributes. Any questions?”

“How will the power level be controlled?”

“This space is currently under my control. So it will be adjusted automatically.”

No further questions followed.

The professor nodded and pointed in various directions, speaking to the cadets.

“Then head to your respective bases. You’ll be given 15 minutes to strategize. An illusion field has been deployed, so there’s no need to worry about injuries. Any unconscious cadets will be retrieved by the assistants.”

The teaching assistant standing next to the professor had his hands behind his back and maintained a solemn demeanor.

Soon, the cadets began moving to the bases assigned to their teams.

“Amazing. I can’t believe the interior of a classroom can be expanded like this.”

“This must be what they used for the entrance exam.”

In response to Laysis’ comment, Carl nodded, equally impressed.

Although the classroom was fairly spacious, it wasn’t large enough for them to move around like this.

That meant the space itself had been expanded with magic.

‘Is it a technique similar to formation arts?’

Even though he had been in this world for over ten years, there were still many new things to discover.

He found it quite fascinating, thinking that if this could be applied to NOX, they could operate more efficiently.

‘Unfortunately, my knowledge of formation arts is shallow. But spatial magic… that’s worth digging into.’

A domain is a limited space.

To embed NOX’s elements into it, a minimum scale had to be ensured, which brought difficulties.

But if one could distort and expand the space itself like now with magic, it would significantly reduce unnecessary consumption.

He figured he should consult with Seven about it this weekend.

“Alright, everyone’s here. Since time is short, we’d better get straight to strategizing.”

The fifty cadets were split into five teams of ten.

Carl’s Blue Team was composed of ten members, mixed regardless of academic year.

“According to the manual, the most standard tactic is to divide into 4, 4, and 2.”

The Blue Team was led by an upperclassman in his third year.

With a square face and a rugged aura, he had a clearly muscular build, noticeable even under his uniform.

He didn’t seem like someone who’d be associated with magic, but Carl knew that he was a skilled magic swordsman even among the upperclassmen.

‘His name was Hanes, I believe.’

There was a record stating he was among the top students in the third year and was a strategic thinker.

Contrary to his appearance, he was known for his intelligence.

“4, 4, and 2 means…”

In response to another cadet’s question, Hanes nodded heavily and answered.

“Four go on the offensive. To strike at enemy bases. Four form a defensive line. To scout external movements and respond to threats. The remaining two stay close to the base, acting as direct guardians.”

He raised his thick hand and pointed at the flag symbolizing their base.

“Everyone can use Phantom Bullet, right?”

“Yes.”

“I can.”

“Me too.”

After confirming the cadets’ responses, Hanes continued.

“Phantom Bullet is specialized for offense. But since we can only use Phantom Bullet for defense as well, it won’t be easy.”

“Is there a way to block it?”

At Carl’s question, Hanes looked at him.

“There is.”

He reached into the air and used a Phantom Bullet.

No, it was technically still a Phantom Bullet, but in a slightly different form.

A small orb, about the size of a fist and not very densely packed with mana, floated slowly through the air.

“Phantom Bullet only exerts its full power on the first target it hits. So by planting these ‘dummy jellies’ along expected trajectories or random coordinates, we can reduce its power and speed. In that case…”

Bang!

The Phantom Bullet Hanes launched pierced the dummy jelly.

But soon after, its speed significantly decreased, and it merely tapped a tree branch before dissipating.

“That’s about the extent of it. Do you understand?”

Carl quietly let out a low sigh of admiration.

Even with little conversation, he could tell Hanes possessed impressive intellect and analytical ability.

His preparedness, like having the manual on hand, was remarkable—and most of all, Carl liked his demeanor.

“I understand.”

He hadn’t expected it, but he’d found a rather capable talent.

Carl nodded with a smile.

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