Chapter 97: Folks, Now We Look Like Clowns
The entire Arcane Hall suddenly became chaotic, with students looking at the arena, full of anticipation.
A student on the arena slowly began to chant, gradually constructing a formation in the air.
[First-tier Magic: Flame Bullet]
Soon, that ball of flames rushed towards Viktor.
Viktor just lifted his finger slightly, and the high-speed fireball instantly changed direction, heading back towards the student.
Boom!
With a loud noise, the students watched as Viktor, seemingly without any pressure, clapped his hands. A vine suddenly darted into the smoke in front of him, entangling the student and throwing him off the arena.
The student felt a burst of pain, slowly stood up, and realized he had fallen off the arena. He saw a 'D' grade appear on the flame canvas above Viktor's head.
'Fail.'
On another canvas, the numbers of students at each level were being tallied.
The students only saw that the 'D' row had one more person.
While the number of people with A, B, and C grades were all zero.
He could only shake his head, sigh, and quietly leave.
Countless students felt the incomparable pressure from Viktor.
He didn't even actively attack, just passively defended, yet it was enough to make people feel his mountain-like strength.
"Next."
The cold voice sounded faintly.
The students were not deterred by Viktor's strength, but rather seemed to have their fighting spirit ignited even more, rushing towards the arena one after another.
Because Professor Viktor said he wouldn't take the initiative, everyone wanted to be the one who could make Viktor move a step.
Just one step, just make Viktor move one step!
Final exam, everyone passes!
Long queues had already formed inside and outside the Arcane Hall, winding from inside the hall all the way to the center of the academy square.
Since this news was released in the morning, many students didn't even attend classes anymore, throwing their books aside and hurriedly joining the queue to wait for their chance to challenge Viktor.
This event also attracted other professors and lecturers.
After all, with all the students gone, they couldn't help but notice.
A group of professors flooded into the Arcane Hall, watching the continuous battles on the arena, which left them puzzled.
After learning the whole story, they were even more amazed.
After all, Viktor's test would be quite explosive in any academy.
Although other professors also had the strength to overwhelm students, they wouldn't go as far as not moving a single step.
After all, this was a battle of attrition.
Under the students' continuous challenges, a mage's magical power would eventually be exhausted.
The longer it dragged on, the less energy there would be to deal with subsequent challenges.
Let alone setting such rules like Viktor did.
If he was forced to move one step, he would lose.
"How to put it, Professor Viktor... he's really strong."
"Yes, and he has a bit of a wicked sense of humor."
Other professors crowded below the stage, watching this scene with great interest.
They nodded and praised.
Viktor's teaching method was really novel to them.
Normally, they would only be responsible for imparting the corresponding magical knowledge in class, and how students learned was entirely up to their own initiative.
After all, the professors didn't care about these things.
Mages learn knowledge for their own sake, and if students are unwilling to learn those boring magic courses, they pay for it themselves.
So with each final exam, batch after batch of poor students would be weeded out.
The Royal Magic Academy ensured through this survival of the fittest that only excellent students could graduate successfully.
So, educators like Viktor who directly educated these students both mentally and physically were few and far between.
The number of challengers was increasing at a visible speed, but Viktor still stood on the arena without moving a step.
The defeated students, feeling the huge gap between themselves and Viktor, were amazed and at the same time, extremely disappointed and frustrated.
Each of them went on stage with great confidence, but this confidence would be quickly shattered by Viktor after the challenge.
After countless attempts, Viktor still didn't move an inch.
It was as if Professor Viktor on the arena would never feel tired.
His mountain-like aura completely crushed the confidence of countless students.
Finally, the students realized that one-on-one challenges in a war of attrition couldn't do anything to Viktor.
So, several students jumped onto the arena at the same time and asked Viktor:
"Professor, it's okay if we cooperate, right?"
Viktor nodded coldly.
Whether it was one-on-one or group combat, to him.
There was no difference.
In an instant, the leading students waved to those below, and a mass of dark figures suddenly appeared on the arena.
Viktor glanced over lightly, there were about twenty.
Fortunately, the venue was large enough to accommodate the challengers before him.
The twenty challengers on the stage were already prepared, they were evenly distributed, constructing various magical arrays in the air.
Different chanting voices gradually echoed in the air, and elemental magic of different colors appeared in the air.
At this moment, the students seemed to see hope.
If going up alone had no chance, then surely going up as a group would work.
With so many mages attacking the professor at once, surely he would have to move at least one step?
But Viktor really didn't move at all, no one saw him do anything, but the hem of his coat faintly lit up with a green glow.
Vines snaked from Viktor's body to the ground, intertwining, and wooden figures emerged from within the vines.
They seemed to have life, each head lighting up with a green glow.
As if they had developed intelligence, they began to move on their own.
Just as the students' magic was about to be fully constructed, countless tendrils suddenly appeared on the feet of those wooden figures, binding their forms, and even the magic in their hands was forcibly stopped.
A female student was trapped in a wooden figure's arm, struggling desperately. But her magical power was as fragile as a bean sprout in the eyes of the wooden figure, unable to even break its defense.
The students were startled, only able to scatter to avoid the colliding wooden figures, the scene became chaotic for a moment.
Viktor stood in place, his voice cold:
"Ugly."
"If this were a real battle, do you think you could still stand safely in place?"
Hearing Viktor's mockery, the students could only purse their lips, feeling somewhat ashamed.
Viktor clapped his hands, and the wooden figures entwined with vines put the girl down.
Then, they all retreated to Viktor's side, motionless, like faithful guards.
"Prepare again, and come at me together."
His gaze swept over the students, his tone cold, making it impossible to tell if there was any contempt in it.
The students looked at each other, and finally walked to the front.
This time, Viktor didn't interfere, just calmly watching them chant their magic again.
Whoosh whoosh whoosh——
Instantly, various elemental magic, as if turning into a rainbow, rushed towards Viktor all at once.
Viktor didn't even look, his coat slowly swaying.
As if a heavenly chasm suddenly fell, blocking and isolating that converged seven-colored light.
They could only watch as this magical impact hit around Viktor, emitting colorful light.
Finally, it disappeared without a trace.
Everything happened so suddenly.
The students felt their feet slip, dozens of vines entangled their ankles, throwing them off the arena.
As the crowd fell to the ground, a big 'D' was drawn on the flame curtain above Viktor's head.
"Next."
This time, countless observing students all fell silent.
In the morning, Viktor had continuously responded to challenges from who knows how many students.
As a result, not one person could make him move half a step.
This time they thought there was great hope, but unexpectedly, even grouping up was useless, and they lost even more embarrassingly.
Some students couldn't help but turn their expectant gaze to Erica, who was also observing.
Last year's freshman champion, currently the youngest second-tier mage.
Possibly the strongest student this year.
Perhaps, she had a chance to force Professor Viktor to move a step.
"Miss Erica! Please go up and try!"
Someone hurriedly suggested beside Erica.
Soon, more students around began to echo.
"Yes, yes! Miss Erica, we've all witnessed your strength!"
The expectant voices of one student after another did not make Erica move.
She sat quietly below, ignoring the students around her.
She just coldly asked one question:
"Why?"
One of the students spoke up.
"If you go up, you'll definitely be able to make Professor Viktor move a step..."
"And then all of you will be able to pass this final exam, isn't that right?"
Erica finished their words for them.
They looked at each other, only to hear Erica let out a faint snort.
"Attempting to gain achievements that don't belong to you with this illusory hope?"
"Well, I understand the professor's intention for this test now."
Many students were confused by Erica's words.
They just wanted to pass the final exam, what did they do wrong?
"Those who truly have ability never pin their hopes on others."
"What does it have to do with me if you can't pass the test?"
"It's not like I can't pass."
After saying this, Erica didn't even look at these students, stood up, held her head high, like a proud and elegant white swan with golden feathers, passed through the crowd, and left the Arcane Hall.
They watched Erica leave, suddenly realizing something.
Erica wasn't the only genius in the Magic Academy.
But why, until now, had no top student appeared to challenge Viktor?
Their gaze gradually fell on the surrounding crowd.
Then, they saw.
Several students with different temperaments, arms folded, quietly watching the arena.
Many of them looked very familiar, they were also geniuses of the academy.
In fact, these students had more seniority than Erica, they held positions in the student council of the Magic Academy, each one an excellent genius.
But none of these people appeared.
Compared to other students, their focus didn't seem to be on how to make Professor Viktor move.
Instead, they paid attention to the ridiculous actions of the students on the stage, as if watching some great joke.
That look was as if to say:
'How interesting.'
A chill ran down their spines, and under Erica's words, these people finally realized something.
This test, from beginning to end, was not a shortcut.
On the contrary.
'This is an education.'
Why didn't any professor come to stop Viktor, and even the principal ignored Viktor's behavior?
It's simple.
Students who truly have the ability to pass the exam wouldn't try to get any recognition from Viktor here.
Because they all know very well, no one can make Viktor move a step.
So they wouldn't come up to compare with Viktor for nothing, there's no need to come up and embarrass themselves.
Only those who clearly know their level is poor would try to confront Viktor, to get a glimmer of hope from him.
From the beginning, Viktor had made it clear.
If someone could make him move a step, then everyone could pass the final exam.
But he never said that if no one could make him move a step, it would lead to everyone failing.
This is a performance.
A brilliant performance by those trying to gain without effort.
One student after another who couldn't even last three minutes came down from the stage, and the number above Viktor's head kept increasing.
But still, not one person could break through from 'D' to 'C' grade.
Viktor still stood in place, not moving half a step.
His coat swayed on the arena filled with flying petals and green leaves, the whooshing sound seemed to be mocking those failed students.
He stood on the stage, looking indifferently at one student after another continuing to come forward, his cold voice sounding again and again:
"Next."