Chapter 58: Compat Training [2]

“Start!”

Leonard’s shout became a signal, and the situation instantly changed.

RUMBLE.

The walls of previously uniform height began fluctuating violently, rising and falling at different levels like pistons in an engine. Additional walls emerged from the floor, transforming the static maze into something akin to a shifting, crushing labyrinth.

“Ugh!”

The ice bridge that connected the walls shattered as the supports moved in opposite directions. Maya yelped, falling to the ground inside the maze with a heavy thud.

But the hardships didn’t end there.

“Fire!” a voice yelled from the observation platform.

Mana-woven arrows of non-elemental magic, roaring fireballs, jagged ice spears… Various magic attacks from the second-year students rained down, surging toward Maya’s position in the maze.

She scrambled to her feet, clinging to the shifting walls like a sticker, desperately using them as cover as the floor around her exploded.

“Uh? Uh, wait a minute!” Maya screamed, widening her eyes and looking up at Professor Leonard through the smoke. “This wasn’t in the rules!”

However, all she received in return was a harsh scolding.

“Even if you’re ambushed in a real battle, will you just stand there, dazed complaining about the rules?!” Leonard roared. “Adapt! And deal with it!”

With a bewildered, terrified expression, Maya swallowed a dry gulp.

Looking at the scene from the starting line, I nodded my head in understanding.

’So, this was intentional.’

The red flag and the time measurement were just illusions. Distractions. The essence of this practice evaluation lay in demonstrating how flexible one could be in unexpected, high-stress situations.

It felt quite well-structured. The ability to immediately manifest magic in unforeseen circumstances under heavy fire was truly the measure of one’s survival skills.

It didn’t matter if she didn’t reach the flag. The key to this evaluation was how well she could showcase her adaptability.

’So, how much can she prove herself?’ I mused, watching her mana flare.

A wide, thick ice barrier suddenly spread upward from Maya’s position, covering her like an umbrella. Its intensity and width were excellent compared to the mock battles from a few days ago.

I sighed, shaking my head.

’Why are you thinking about blocking?’

The moment she attempted to block all the attacks and hunker down to ’resolve’ the situation safely, she was already doomed. In a shifting environment against superior numbers, a static defense is just a delayed tomb.

Bang!Crash!Fwooosh!

The relentless onslaught of attacks from the seniors was blocked by Maya’s impressive ice barrier. The ice cracked and hissed, but it held.

However, that was all. By devoting all her energy and concentration to maintaining the defense overhead, Maya now couldn’t move an inch from her position. She was pinned down, trapped in the maze by her own shield.

“Stop!”

At Professor Leonard’s shout, the fluctuating walls immediately returned to their original, uniform height. The manifestation of magic from the second-year students also ceased, dissipating into harmless sparks.

“Evaluation over,” Leonard declared, marking something on his clipboard. “Go back to the start. I took into account that it’s your turn as the first-year, so I won’t fail you completely. But your tactical assessment is a D-minus.”

While Maya returned to her spot, she didn’t utter a single word. Her shoulders were slumped, her usual delinquent swagger completely gone.

It was only natural. The practice evaluation that seemed to be solved by simply bypassing the maze had concealed additional constraints that were beyond a typical freshman’s imagination.

She walked up and stood next to me, refusing to look up.

“I messed up,” she whispered, her voice trembling slightly with humiliation. She subtly bumped her shoulder against my arm, seeking a familiar anchor.

“You did,” I agreed bluntly, not sugarcoating it. “You made yourself a stationary target. Next time, use the moving walls to launch yourself, or reflect their spells back at them. Don’t just build a roof and wait to die.”

Maya bit her lip, but she nodded. “Right. I’ll… I’ll remember that.”

Above us, the observation platform was buzzing with laughter.

“This year’s first-year students are quite underwhelming, aren’t they?” a senior with slicked-back blonde hair sneered, leaning over the railing.

“Isn’t it easier compared to our time? They just turtle up the second things get loud,” another mocked, tossing a fireball from hand to hand.

The second-year students chatted among themselves. Their expressions were bright and arrogant.

It wasn’t their evaluation; they could comfortably unleash their magic without any risk, and the targets were just the inexperienced, “easy” first-year students. To them, this time slot was nothing more than a light amusement. A shooting gallery.

The problem was that their banter was intentionally loud, heard clearly by the freshmen standing below.

Martin looked like he was about to cry. The other two students from Group 5 were shaking.

Professor Leonard did not impose any sanctions on the seniors’ mockery, acting as if the surrounding gaze, the insults, and the psychological pressure were also counted as part of the ’unexpected situation’ the freshmen needed to overcome.

“Now, everyone knows what kind of evaluation it is, right?” Leonard grinned, his scarred face looking downright demonic. “Next. Carol.”

A girl from Group 5 stepped forward. She looked like she was walking to the guillotine.

“Start!”

Carol didn’t even try to build a bridge. She ran straight into the maze.

RUMBLE.

The walls shifted. A dead-end suddenly appeared in front of her.

“Ah!”

Before she could turn around, a wave of water magic crashed down from the observation deck, courtesy of a laughing senior. The water hit Carol, sweeping her off her feet and washing her entirely out of the maze bounds.

“Evaluation over! Ten seconds. F-Rank,” Leonard announced mercilessly. “Next! Martin Luke!”

“Eek!” Martin squeaked.

He ran in. The walls shifted. He panicked, cast [Grease] in an attempt to slide under a lowering wall, slipped on his own spell, and slammed face-first into a stone pillar.

“Ouch.” I winced.

“Evaluation over! Pathetic. Next. Jonas.”

Jonas lasted fifteen seconds before a barrage of harmless but explosive light-spells disoriented him, causing him to wander out of bounds while covering his eyes.

The seniors were howling with laughter now.

“Are there any actual mages down there?!” the blonde senior shouted down. “Leonard, sir, are you sure these aren’t the janitorial staff?”

The remaining freshmen hung their heads. Maya was grinding her teeth, her hands clenched into fists.

Professor Leonard marked the final failing grade for Group 5. Then, he slowly looked up, his dark eyes locking onto me.

“Well. That’s a disappointing streak,” Leonard rumbled. “Let’s see if the last one can break it. Alex Edelhart. Step up.”

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