Chapter 30: The Magic Video

Lester narrowed his eyes, his mind racing with various possibilities. Perhaps Alicia had passed through a thicket, discovering a large batch of corpses left behind by other hunters, which she then looted. That could explain her sudden surge in performance.

This thought, though absurd, seemed almost reasonable in the face of the shocking result. Lester himself found it laughable, but given the situation, it was now the most plausible explanation.

However, as Lester continued his wild speculation, the screen showed no unusual actions from Alicia.

"It doesn't seem like anything suspicious is happening," Brandon said, stroking his chin.

Lester slowly sat back in his chair, his hand resting on the teacup beside him. "This means the abnormality is still to come. I really want to know what happened!"

His nerves were on edge, yet he couldn't bear to miss a second of the footage.

Suddenly, Alicia's voice was heard on the screen. "Eric is missing!"

It was at that moment that both Lester and Brandon realized they had completely overlooked Eric's absence. His presence had been so minimal that the teachers had forgotten about him entirely.

At this point, Eric was dealing with a pack of Swiftwind Wolves!

The video showed Alicia and her teammates searching for Eric, and soon, they spotted him alongside a group of Swiftwind Wolves, as well as Lilith.

The two teachers widened their eyes in shock. "So many Swiftwind Wolves? Is this where the irregularities start?"

Their initial assumption was that the Swiftwind Wolves must have died for some other reason neither Lilith nor Eric had the ability to kill them.

But the strange conversation between Lilith and Eric left Lester and Brandon utterly confused.

"What does that mean? Is Eric implying that he killed them?" Brandon furrowed his brow.

"Impossible! Based on these Swiftwind Wolves' bodies, they were killed by Magic. I know that kid's Magic abilities well!" Lester shouted.

Though they dismissed the idea that Eric was responsible, they couldn't come up with a reasonable explanation. All they could do was watch as Eric gathered the bodies of the Swiftwind Wolves.

"Looks like this is how they got their high score, but these Swiftwind Wolves are only 1st-level Exotic Beasts. They definitely don't justify a score as high as two hundred," Brandon said.

Lester was equally puzzled and fell silent.

Just then, the video took an unexpected turn as they witnessed Kevin's altercation with the Black Serpent gang.

Through Alicia's perspective, they saw the entire event unfold.

Brandon's anger flared, his muscles tensing. "Those damn thugs are outrageous! How dare they lay their hands on my student!"

Seeing Kevin battered and bruised, Brandon felt a surge of indignation, but he couldn't help but add, "But Kevin was far too reckless. What possessed him to provoke those extraordinary beings in the first place?"

Becoming an extraordinary being and not becoming one there was an immense gap in power between the two, a gap that was simply insurmountable.

Lester said seriously, "I didn't expect such an incident to occur during this event. Kevin's behavior needs to be addressed seriously when we get back..."

"However, we are getting closer to the answer we've been looking for," Lester continued, his gaze growing more tense. He picked up his teacup and took a sip. "I'm sure the outrageous score of Alicia's team has something to do with these people!"

As the two teachers watched, they saw Alicia and the other students facing their darkest moment. Under the threat of the Black Serpent gang, they were completely suppressed, on the verge of being humiliated. That's when someone stepped in Eric.

Both teachers raised their eyebrows at the sight of Eric stepping forward.

As they continued watching, their frowns deepened. "Eric is a powerful Magic user? What's going on here?" "Yeah, what the hell is this?"

When they saw Eric making a deal with the gang, both teachers were utterly baffled and immediately continued watching. Next, they saw the territory of the Bluewood Monkeys.

Both teachers, with their powerful abilities and experience, immediately recognized the danger in that territory.

"Eric is going to fight? Eric can fight?" This was the question both teachers were struggling with, and the answer soon became clear.

The scene showed the battle beginning!

Even the extraordinary beings of the Black Serpent gang, all Physical - Cultivation Practitioners, were losing the battle against the Bluewood Monkeys. Just as things were about to fall apart, Eric made a strong entrance, using the Water Sphere Technique to turn the tide and save the situation!

"Whoosh! Whoosh! Whoosh!" From Alicia's perspective, the two teachers could clearly see the entire battlefield.

They watched as Eric expertly wielded his Magic, saw Bluewood Monkeys fall one by one, and watched as the entire battle, thanks to a high school student entering the fray, was completely turned around!

"WTF!?" "What the hell!?" Both teachers gasped in disbelief, their eyes glued to the screen, unwilling to blink.

"Lester, this Eric's Water Sphere Technique... It must be very advanced, right? I didn't know he was hiding such powerful skills," Brandon remarked, clearly impressed. As a Physical - Cultivation Practitioner instructor, he could see just how extraordinary Eric's Water Sphere Technique was.

"Not just advanced it's extremely powerful. His Water Sphere Technique is highly refined! The level of mastery is off the charts!" Lester responded, his tone much more serious, his shock far greater than Brandon's. "His skill is on a level that no high school student should possess!"

'Could it be that Eric truly had an epiphany? Could his rigid training methods have led to a miracle!?' Lester thought, still in disbelief.

Before this, he had always been critical of Eric's dogged, one-track approach to training. But now, seeing Eric's performance...

Lester didn't want to believe it. He didn't want to, but he couldn't ignore the evidence.

Brandon, who was well aware of Eric's reputation as a troublemaker, couldn't help but feel a sense of amazement: "I never expected that this incredible result would come from a student we've all overlooked."

"It's clear now. Eric must have done the Black Serpent gang a huge favor, and in gratitude, they gave him all those trophies," Brandon mused while continuing to watch the battle.

Lester looked up at him with a sharp gaze. "No, that's not it."

As an experienced Magic user, Lester understood the battle far more deeply. "I'll admit, the Water Sphere Technique is impressive. But to turn the entire battle around using just that technique? I don't think that's possible. If they didn't win, then how did Eric get so many bodies?"

Lester was puzzled, but at that moment, the battle on the screen reached a boiling point. Eric gathered his magical power, facing dozens of Bluewood Monkeys, and unleashed a C-rank Magic Water Vortex!

When the C-rank Water Vortex appeared, Brandon's jaw dropped in shock.

Lester, who had been sipping tea, suddenly froze, then jumped up from his seat, standing with a jerk. "C-rank Magic! And with such mastery over it! This is artistry!"

He was stunned, unable to believe that it was Eric who had done this.

Brandon, equally stunned, murmured, "Now, we really have the answer."

Lester couldn't find the words. He just stared at the screen, his hand, still holding the teacup, trembling slightly.

"Ripples of Water!" Suddenly, Eric cast another C-rank Magic.

Again, with terrifying proficiency, Ripples of Water appeared at the most critical moment, turning the tide once more. Brandon's pupils constricted in disbelief.

Lester, overwhelmed with emotion, heard the loud "crack!" as he crushed the teacup in his hand, his entire body shaking.

"Eric! Is that really Eric?? Eric actually…?" Nothing had ever shocked Lester this much. A genius, a Magic genius, had been right in his class all along.

But as his Magic teacher, Lester had failed to recognize it.

Not only that, he had neglected Eric all this time! It was a shameful failure!

At that moment, Lester was consumed by shock and regret. How many times have I failed Eric? he thought to himself.

The footage on the tape slowly came to an end, as the effects of the Magic dust only lasted a little over an hour.

Clearly, Lester had found the answers he was seeking.

After Brandon left, Lester sat alone in his office for two hours, his overwhelming shock gradually beginning to subside.

He sat there, staring at Eric's grade sheet, as if deep in thought.

...

Three days later, on campus.

Eric walked along the path, and many students around him couldn't help but glance his way. However, his expression remained impassive.