The fight erupted suddenly, and it was Sene and Lina who initiated the attack.
Lina had earned the nickname "Madwoman" among other apprentices for a reason; she could strike indiscriminately in such a high-stakes area like Black Street without a second thought!
The enormous fireball, radiant with deep blue flames, was dramatically different from the smaller Incendiary Fireballs Sene typically cast, not just in size but in sheer power!
The fireball hurtled directly toward Scarface Jork's face, and he seemed caught completely unprepared. In the next instant, it looked as though his brains might explode from the impact.
Magicians generally had weak physiques, and without a magical shield, a low-level apprentice's ability to withstand blows was not much better than that of a healthy adult male.
The key factor was that no one had expected Lina to attack!
Suddenly, a pale white light emerged from within Jork's group.
Sene, equipped with magical gear, was far from the only one; there were those among Jork's crew who had magical artifacts as well.
The pale white glow emanated from a small silver wand belonging to a male mid-level apprentice with a sickly complexion. He clearly hadn't wanted to get involved in the confrontation between high-level apprentices nor had he wished to waste his precious magical item.
However, the magical shield formed by that pale white magic energy crumbled in mere two seconds against the force of Lina's fireball!
But those two seconds had granted the group an instant to react.
As the pale magical shield shattered, so too did Lina's enormous fireball.
Yet the deep blue fireball didn't simply disappear; instead, it split apart, transforming into nearly twenty smaller, fiery yellow globes.
This unexpected turn of events showcased the uniqueness of every spell. Each magic has its nuances; even if they are all variants of fireball spells, the results vary depending on the caster's capabilities.
Lina's deeply blue fireball was a special technique she had transformed and enhanced; the phenomenon of it bursting into twenty smaller Incendiary Fireballs wasn't something noted in the library records regarding the standard fireball spell.
This was a stark demonstration of a high-level apprentice's formidable power!
And given Lina's exceptional talent and capabilities, her promotion was well deserved—she was no ordinary high-level apprentice.
The explosion of smaller fireballs caused significant damage to Scarface Jork's group, primarily injuring the entry-level apprentices. They were severely outmatched and caught in the crossfire of a high-level apprentice's magic, turning the situation into a disaster for them.
In addition, two more low-level apprentices, who reacted too slowly, were also struck by the smaller fireballs, suffering considerable burns.
In the blink of an eye, almost half the members of Scarface Jork's group had been incapacitated.
It was then that Jork's group finally retaliated.
Leading the charge was a female apprentice with short light-red hair, a mid-level sorceress who was clearly outraged by Lina's sudden attack.
At the Dark Magic Academy, the majority of apprentices were male due to the academy's brutal competitive atmosphere. In such an environment, any female apprentice that managed to rise to mid-level or higher was not a weak opponent—and often, they could be even more ruthless than their male counterparts.
With a scream, the red-haired apprentice unleashed a soundwave magic spell.
This was the first time Sene had witnessed an auditory magic effect; its speed exceeded anything he had previously encountered with basic spells.
"Indeed, there are hidden talents in the Dark Magic Academy!"
The rapid soundwave magic quickly enveloped both Sene and Lina. As a low-level apprentice, Sene staggered under the impact of this mid-level spell known as Siren's Scream.
Fortunately, the faint recovery power emanating from his corrosive acid staff helped mitigate the effects of the spell somewhat.
Meanwhile, Lina, the main target of the Siren's Scream, endured the brunt of the magical assault. While she didn't have a staff to soften its impact, her status as a high-level apprentice meant she had a stronger mental fortitude.
However, the Siren's Scream was a high-cost spell, and the red-haired apprentice was unlikely to cast another in quick succession due to the significant mana expenditure.
Yet, with that, the initiative shifted back to Lina.
She produced a black bracelet seemingly out of nowhere, a magical item Sene had hardly ever seen her use.
Chanting hurriedly, the dim black light emanated from the bracelet, promising another magical attack.
At that very moment, Jork and his faction launched their own retaliation.
This was the consequence of being overwhelmed in number; even though Lina's strength exceeded that of most in attendance, she was ultimately just one person, while Jork's group contained eleven apprentices all of various levels.
Not to mention, within that group were four others, including Jork himself, who were mid-level figures.
Jork acted next, taking a different approach than most spellcasters. He drew a short sword from his robe and charged directly at Sene and Lina.
Flames with a light red hue flickered along the blade, not due to it being a magical weapon, but rather because he had infused his own fire elemental power into the steel.
This technique was known as—Fire Element Enchantment.
Jork's speed was impressive, honed by years of survival in the Dark Regions, and the scars covering his body were a testament to his experience and strength.
Sene was no slouch in terms of melee combat or reflexes, but he found himself outmatched against Jork's skills.
Their paths diverged—Sene focused on sorcery, while Jork prioritized physical prowess.
Despite Jork's speed, Sene had one advantage: he was faster!
The enchanted sword targeted Lina, as Jork sought to severely injure or even kill her since she had struck first.
In a one-on-one duel, Jork wouldn't stand a chance against Lina. Still, he had the advantage of numbers on his side.
Moreover, Lina's near-ruthless area of effect fire attack had made her numerous enemies.
Considering Lina's recent promotion and her uncertainty, this might be Jork's only chance to inflict a serious blow or even finish her off.
"The person worthy of being Master Andis' apprentice shall be me!" he shouted internally. "This year's academy rewards are mine as well!
You ignorant madwoman, die!"
Jork's mental screams reflected the source of his conflict with Lina.
But before he could successfully land his strike, three streams of corrosive acid suddenly appeared before him, making his face pale as dread washed over him.