As soon as Robrecka defeated the flesh golem within twenty-five seconds, she calmly walked back to where she had been standing before. Almost immediately, the girls Robrecka had been chatting with outside the dome earlier rushed toward her, their faces filled with excitement and disbelief.
"W-Wow, Lady Robrecka, I didn't expect you to defeat it in just twenty-five seconds. Despite your refined and delicate appearance, you're full of mystery, my lady," said Female Examinee E, flattering Robrecka.
"It's true, my lady. You've even taken the top spot now. that's so amazing" added Female Examinee F, clasping her hands together.
"It's nothing big at all," Robrecka replied lightly. She opened her bladed fan, gracefully covering her mouth as her eyes gently closed. "Besides, a lady who's mysterious is more elegance, don't you think?"
Soon, Robrecka and her circle continued chatting, their laughter standing out amid the tense atmosphere of the dome. Meanwhile, several individuals watched her intently from a distance, their gazes sharp and heavy with complicated emotions.
That human girl from the lower race not only surpassed me, but she even overrode me? How could this be? If anyone in my race found out about this, I would become a disgrace, Sera thought, her expression pale and unwell as she stared down at the floor.
That woman… she uses mana. Based on the abilities she showed, she might be a materialization type—no, wait, muttered the Guertenaz man, his antlers faintly glowing. When those tentacles appeared, my antlers sensed not only mana, but her shadow itself stretched. She's definitely a material infuser.
This is ridiculous, Headmaster Andrew said inwardly, a thin layer of sweat forming on his forehead. This has never happened in the academy's history. Even when we were examinees, Julius von Trinity—the current captain of the Rankers—defeated the flesh golem in one minute and fifty seconds. The S-rank #1 Leon Pendragon, the so-called Chosen One of the dragon race, cleared it in one minute and ten seconds. And now… twenty-five seconds. She's a material infuser too, a destructive and deadly category just like them. I need to observe her more closely.
That girl… Professor Kate muttered, her expression cold yet troubled. Now I understand why the headmaster told us to stay on guard around her. That flesh golem was designed to be nearly indestructible due to its infinite regeneration, as long as it had mana stored within it. Its purpose was to measure the skills, abilities, and potential of examinees. But to think it would be completely obliterated for the first time… that human girl is a monster hiding behind a human face.
Soon, Professor Kate continued the examination. One by one, examinees stepped forward. Several managed to pass, while others failed to defeat the golem within thirty minutes. A few showed promise, yet compared to Robrecka, everyone else appeared mediocre.
"Finished at ten minutes. That's great. Good job, Examinee Claude Reye," Professor Kate announced.
The Guertenaz man wiped the sweat from his cheeks with the back of his hand while panting, a golden spear clutched tightly in his other hand.
"Tsk. Commanding it doesn't work since it's an inorganic being. That dragged the fight out longer than expected," Claude said irritably.
He walked away from the fighting area with an annoyed expression, while the surrounding examinees gave him puzzled looks. Shortly after, Professor Kate tossed the dice into the air once more. When it struck the ground, a hologram appeared, displaying the name Phoebe of the human race.
"Who is Phoebe? It's your turn. Proceed to the fighting area," Professor Kate called out.
"P-P-Phoebe, it's your turn. I-I wish you good luck," Ammy said nervously, her hands clenched tightly.
"Okay. I'll do my best. Thank you, Ammy," Phoebe replied gently as she walked toward the fighting area.
As Phoebe approached the fighting area, she noticed the troll smirking at her.
"Show us what you can do, you savage," the troll said mockingly.
Hearing this, Phoebe smiled faintly. "Watch me closely, then," she replied calmly.
Soon, Phoebe stood facing the flesh golem. Professor Kate poured mana into its body, and the massive creature slowly began to move. When the golem fully stood, it charged toward Phoebe, raising its fist high into the air. As it drew closer, Phoebe raised her guard, her senses sharpening.
This golem is big, and it has strong crushing power and speed, Phoebe thought, her heartbeat quickening. But it keeps repeating the same attack patterns. Compared to the beastmen and elf I've faced before… it's weaker and slower.
Before the golem reached her, Phoebe unsheathed her rapier and pointed it forward. Gasps echoed throughout the dome as her weapon was revealed. Ammy stared in shock at the beautiful crystal-blue rapier, while other examinees' jaws dropped. Even Robrecka's eyes widened slightly. The most shocked of all was the Riveras man, whose astonishment quickly turned into barely concealed anger.
The golem threw a punch toward Phoebe. She swiftly dodged to the side and stabbed its arm. Blue flames erupted instantly.
"Azure Burst," Phoebe said softly.
The stabbed arm exploded in a burst of blue fire, severing it completely. The golem attempted to regenerate, but the flames refused to fade. Instead, they continued burning and spreading across the exposed flesh.
Phoebe seized the opportunity and thrust her rapier toward the golem's face. The blue flames engulfed its head, robbing it of vision and causing it to lash out wildly. One attack nearly struck Phoebe, and she barely managed to parry it, stumbling slightly from the powerful recoil.
"Did you see that? That rapier parried the golem's attack without shattering. Don't tell me she's also an artifact user," said Examinee B.
"By the looks of it, that's definitely an artifact," added Examinee D.
"Not only that—she's using mana too. And those flames… why aren't they dying out? They're spreading instead," said Examinee A.
"The way she fights… stepping back and forth like a dance. It looks elegant," murmured Examinee E.
"P-Phoebe, you can use mana and an artifact? That's amazing," Ammy exclaimed, her eyes sparkling.
"S-She was this strong?" the troll muttered, sweat forming on his brow.
Sera and Claude stared blankly at the battle, unable to understand how a human could wield such ability.
"What? There are not one, but two mana-and-artifact users? And both are material infusers?" Sera whispered, biting her thumb anxiously.
Among the crowd, only two people focused solely on Phoebe. Robrecka observed her intently, while the Riveras man glared with arms crossed, his hostility undisguised.
"So this is the examinee recommended by Sir Julius," Professor Kate said with a smile. "She does look promising."
"Interesting," Headmaster Andrew said, smirking faintly. "She's also a material infuser. You were right, Julius. Phoebe has the potential to become a top Ranker."
"But… she must be careful," Andrew added quietly, his gaze turning cold as it lingered on the Riveras man and Robrecka. "There are monsters hiding in the academy"
Noticing the golem's movements slowing, Phoebe launched a series of rapid thrusts.
"Azure Burst. Azure Burst," she called out repeatedly, explosions detonating inside the golem's body.
With one final strike, she shouted, "Azure Burst!!"
A massive explosion of blue flames engulfed the golem. Its body froze, then collapsed heavily onto the ground, marking its defeat.
"Finished at one minute and forty-five seconds. Well done, Examinee Phoebe. You passed," Professor Kate announced with a smile.
"Ha… ha… yes… thank you, Professor," Phoebe replied, panting softly.
She sheathed her rapier and walked back toward Ammy. Along the way, she noticed the troll staring at her puzzled. Instead of mocking him, Phoebe offered a gentle, bright smile and continued on.
"Phoebe! You were amazing! You didn't tell me you could use mana and an artifact—that's so cool," Ammy said excitedly.
"I wanted to surprise you, I hope I did" Phoebe replied.
"You did. I was completely shocked," Ammy said with a grin.
"That fight was decent… and elegant," a woman's voice said nearby.
Phoebe and Ammy turned to see Robrecka, her mouth covered by her bladed fan.
"W-Well, um… thank you. You were incredible too. You're still number one," Phoebe said politely.
"W-What? …No, there was nothing special about what I showed. It was mediocre," Robrecka replied coldly, deliberately avoiding their eyes.
"I understand. It's just my first time seeing another ability like that," Phoebe said. "A materialization type, right?"
"Tsk. My ability isn't materialization. It's material infusion, just like yours," Robrecka interrupted.
"Oh… but I don't see you holding a weapon," Phoebe said.
"I don't need to explain everything to you," Robrecka replied irritably. "You're here to learn. So learn, or figure it out yourself."
"Y-Yes, I'm sorry," Phoebe said awkwardly, stepping back with Ammy.
"Why did she snap like that?" Ammy whispered.
"I don't know. Let's just focus on the exam," Phoebe replied.
Soon, Professor Kate announced another successful examinee, then rolled the dice once more. The hologram revealed the name Kael Valtrazar of the Riveras race. As Kael stepped forward, he briefly locked eyes with Phoebe, his gaze sharp and filled with hostility, before turning to face the flesh golem, holding a white claymore resting in his hand.