Chapter 60 - - 60: A Grand Mage?

Chapter 60: Chapter - 60: A Grand Mage?

*Why him...?*

Albert had always been one of Kai’s suspects. Whether he truly stood with the academy or with evil magic users. Kai still did not know. And the same can be said about Riza.

Kai forced himself to speak despite the pain "Ralf..."

"Take Elena... and everyone... away..that monster... is far too strong..."

Ralf looked toward the enormous beast like man before smiling calmly.

"Don’t worry."

His voice contained none of the panic expected from someone facing such an opponent.

"No matter how strong he is..."

Ralf’s gaze shifted toward Albert Carson, who was quietly facing the enemy while the enormous grey hyena spirit circled around him.

"...he’s still fighting a Grand Mage."

Kai’s eyes widened, *A Grand Mage...?*

The title echoed through everyone’s minds. Not just Kai. Even the beast like man’s expression changed for the first time.

His narrowed eyes settled on Albert Carson, this was an unknown information for him.

The academy’s seemingly ordinary exorcism instructor slowly lifted his magic staff. Albert spoke in his usual calm tone.

"Shall we continue?"

The gigantic grey hyena lunged across the corridor with astonishing speed, its illusionary body leaving behind streaks of grey mana as it clashed head-on against the beast-like man.

**BOOOOM!**

The collision sent violent shockwaves throughout the corridor.

The beast-like man crossed both claws before himself, blocking the hyena’s bite, while the spirit dug its paws into the stone floor, refusing to give an inch. The two remained locked in a contest of raw strength for several seconds before simultaneously pushing each other back.

The academy floor cracked beneath both of them.

"Hmph."

The beast-like man narrowed his eyes as he looked at the spirit standing before Albert.

"So this is your spirit."

The Heinous Hyena let out a threatening growl while slowly circling around the beast-like man, never taking its eyes off the enemy.

Albert calmly stood where he was, his expression as indifferent as ever "You have caused enough trouble."

The beast-like man merely chuckled "Maybe."

Dark mana gathered around his claws once again, but unlike before, he no longer looked toward Kai or the students.

Instead, his gaze remained fixed on Albert and the grey hyena. After exchanging only a single clash, he had already reached a conclusion.

Defeating the spirit in a short amount of time was impossible. And if he could not defeat it quickly, remaining inside the academy would only attract more powerful people.

"Tch."

He clicked his tongue in an annoyance before suddenly jumping backward.

"It looks like today’s hunt ends here."

Dark mana erupted beneath his feet as he prepared to flee. Albert simply watched him without moving.

The beast-like man smirked.

"So even a Grand Mage can’t stop me if I choose to run—"

"Running away already?"

Before he could finish speaking a gentle female voice echoed through the corridor. Everyone instinctively looked toward the source of the voice.

Countless pale blue particles of light suddenly appeared in the air behind the beast-like man. They gathered together like drifting snowflakes.

The temperature throughout the corridor rapidly dropped. Even Kai, could feel a chilling cold spreading through the surroundings.

The countless particles slowly condensed into the figure of a beautiful woman dressed in a long pale-blue gown.

Her body was semi transparent, appearing more like a projection made entirely of mana than a living person.

She had long silver blue hair flowing gently despite the absence of wind, and calm sapphire eyes that carried both elegance and mischief.

The moment she fully materialized, she stretched her arms lazily before smiling brightly.

"My, my... Hubby." She glanced toward Albert with a cheerful smile.

"You were actually having fun without calling me?"

Albert let out a helpless sigh "You woke up on your own."

"Obviously." She puffed out her cheeks.

"I sensed someone making my hubby work overtime. As a wife, how could I continue sleeping?"

The half conscious students laying around the corridor stared blankly at the woman. Even Ralf wore a wry smile.

Kai’s eyes narrowed *A spirit...*

But unlike the Heinous Hyena, this spirit looked completely human.

The beast-like man’s instincts screamed danger. Without another word, he immediately turned around and shot toward the opposite end of the corridor at full speed.

"I said..."

The woman smiled sweetly "...Do not run away."

She casually raised one slender finger, and faintly muttered "Ice Prison."

There wasn’t even a visible magic circle but the next instant the entire corridor froze.

An overwhelming wave of frost erupted from beneath the beast like man’s feet with unbelievable speed.

"What?!" He desperately swung both claws, releasing dense waves of dark mana.

The dark energy shattered several layers of ice. But it did not matter. More ice formed faster than he could destroy it. Within a single breath, ice climbed up both of his legs. Then to his waist, his chest and his arms.

"No...!"

The beast-like man roared as dark mana exploded from his body once more. Cracks spread across the frozen shell.

Yet before he could break free completely, another layer of crystal-blue ice instantly covered the cracks. The temperature continued falling and his movements slowed.

Then stopped.

In less than three seconds, the enormous beast-like man had been completely sealed inside a massive block of translucent ice.

Only his furious eyes remained visible beneath the frozen surface. The corridor became utterly silent.

The woman clapped her hands together happily "There."

She smiled with obvious satisfaction "Now he will not run away."

Only then did she casually float toward Albert before naturally wrapping one arm around his shoulder.

"I did well, did not I, Hubby?"

Albert looked at her with an expression that mixed resignation and familiarity.

"...You certainly did not hold back."

"He was trying to run away after causing so much trouble." She smiled innocently.

"I don’t like people who interrupt my time with Hubby."

The students could only stare speechlessly at the eccentric spirit who had casually frozen an enemy that moments ago had completely overwhelmed everyone.

Kai silently looked at the frozen beast-like man before shifting his gaze toward the woman. There was no doubt anymore.

The spirit standing before them possessed the strength of a grand mage.

...

Kai’s POV:-

By the time the battle was finally over, the academy had already begun dealing with the aftermath of the attack, and although the fighting had stopped, the medical room was still filled with students and teachers who had suffered injuries of varying severity, with healers moving between the beds while the remaining instructors tried to organize everyone and determine exactly how many people had been affected by the sudden assault.

I was lying on one of the beds near the window, staring at the ceiling while a healing spell slowly passed over my body, and despite how much my body hurt whenever I tried to move, the damage wasn’t as serious as it probably looked from the outside because none of my bones had been broken, which meant that after receiving proper treatment and allowing my body a few hours to recover, I should be able to move normally again by tomorrow.

After the beast like man was defeated, everything happened rather quickly, almost too quickly for me to properly process.

Ralf immediately used his space magic to teleport us away from the eastern training hall and brought everyone directly to the academy’s medical room, where Instructor Ben was already waiting for us with several other teachers, having been assigned to guard the students who had been evacuated there.

By that point, the academy had already begun responding to the attack, and with the students gathered inside a secured medical facility while several instructors stood watch around the area, there was little chance of another attacker reaching us unnoticed.

The attack had been completely different from what I had expected.

It wasn’t simply because the terrorists had attacked one day earlier than they were supposed to, although that alone was enough to make me question everything I thought I knew about the future.

And there was something else. Something that had happened today which I had never seen in the game.

Albert Carson. I closed my eyes for a moment as I recalled the scene.

Ralf had arrived just in time, bringing Albert with him, and the moment that beast like man was about to finish me, Albert had summoned his spirit and turned the situation around almost immediately.

And that wasn’t even the most surprising part. Albert wasn’t merely a powerful mage.

*He was a Grand Mage.*

The revelation alone was enough to make me rethink the entire attack.

Because according to what I knew, the attackers had carefully planned today’s assault around the academy’s circumstances, taking advantage of Principal Alfred Cupin being away from the capital and Vice Principal Janet being occupied with another powerful enemy.

They had expected the academy to be vulnerable enough for them to take the students hostage and use Prince Lucian as leverage against the royal court.

But their calculations had missed one extremely important factor. There was another Grand Mage inside the academy.

And unlike Janet, Albert wasn’t occupied somewhere else. Once he entered the battlefield, the attackers’ advantage practically disappeared.

His spirits were overwhelmingly powerful, and from what I had seen, he could deal with the terrorists far more efficiently than an ordinary instructor ever could. Whatever plans the Bloodied Hounds had prepared, having a Grand Mage suddenly interfere with their operation must have completely ruined their expectations.

I slowly opened my eyes and stared at the ceiling.

*But there’s something that doesn’t make sense.*

Where was Albert during this event in the game in the first place?