Oh crap!
If Tentacle Monsters could sweat, Wu Yan’s forehead would’ve been drenched.
He’d gotten too carried away showing off. Uh… would it be too late to run now…?
Wu Yan felt the urge to bolt.
Coline watched students fly off the stage one by one. Knowing they wouldn’t suffer serious injuries, she didn’t intervene.
She simply smiled, lifted her teacup, and took a slow sip. Then she glanced back at the stage to see which student had secretly reached High Mage level.
*Pfft!*
One look made her spit out her tea.
“Headmistress, are you alright?”
“F-fine. I’m fine.”
Coline waved a hand, signaling she was unharmed.
*A Dark Beast casting a Fourth Level Spell?* Ancestors of past headmasters, did I see that right?
She’d expected a hidden genius—not a Dark Beast.
With the Dark Beast’s near-limitless mana, if it could cast Fourth Level Spells… what about Fifth? Sixth? Even Tenth Level?!
Coline’s expression turned grave. If mishandled, the consequences would be catastrophic…
*Weren’t Dark Beasts supposed to be utterly useless? Even this one…*
Memories of an incident at the academy over a century ago flashed through her mind.
Coline sighed.
What a waste. Such a waste…
She studied Wu Yan for a moment.
*This requires consulting the past headmasters. Extreme caution is needed…*
Silently, she chanted a communication spell, contacting headmasters from the last ten generations.
Those before the tenth generation hadn’t contacted the academy in ages. By lifespan estimates, they’d either ascended to Demigod status or perished.
Suddenly, Coline recalled rumors of a student summoning a Dark Beast during a ritual. She’d feared a repeat of the all-boys’ academy incident—but hearing it was from the Commoner Class, she’d dismissed it. Yet now…
*The Commoner Class…?*
A trace of sharp wisdom glinted in Coline’s eyes.
***
“How did I end up on stage?!”
“Why is everyone off-stage?!”
***
Lilina opened her eyes at the commotion, stunned by the scene before her.
Every single person on the stage was now outside the arena!
*Didn’t the Student Council have two Intermediate Mages?*
Her gaze swept the crowd until she spotted the utterly bewildered Student Council members kneeling helplessly below.
“What… what happened?”
The two supervising teachers froze, unsure how to proceed—until Coline materialized before them in a flash.
“I’ll handle this!”
She vanished again before their eyes.
“Headmistress…?”
They stood dumbfounded.
*Does one High Mage really warrant the headmistress’s attention?*
***
Coline reappeared among the students. With a flick of her wrist, white light washed over them. Minor wounds on students and Contract Beasts healed instantly.
She vanished once more—reappearing beside Wu Yan, who was trying to slip away from a shadowed corner.
*Gurgle?*
Huh? Why did the sky go dark?
Wu Yan looked up. A slightly wrinkled hand reached down to grab him.
*No!*
Panic surged through him. He channeled mana into his Magic Array. In the next second, his entire body flushed crimson.
*First Level Spell—Heat Transfer!* (Ugh, best I could come up with. Bear with me.)
*Huh?*
Coline’s eyes widened. That was unmistakably a First Level Spell—Heat Transfer—but forcibly upgraded to Fourth Level! And cast instantly!
*So that earlier Fourth Level Spell… was it just the First Level Cleaning Spell?*
Her mind raced even as a pale blue water barrier formed over her hand. It seized Wu Yan amid crackling sparks where the opposing magics clashed.
The next moment, Coline and Wu Yan vanished from the stage’s center—leaving only scorch marks and a faint dark circle behind…
Coline reappeared before the crowd, setting Wu Yan down. “Whose Contract Beast is this Dark Beast?” she announced loudly.
*Gurgle!*
Wu Yan landed on guard, staring at Coline. She was the first person who made him feel utterly powerless.
“Dark Beast?”
Lilina jolted at the word, snapping out of her despair.
“Little Dark! Where are you? Are you hurt?”
She scanned frantically until she spotted Wu Yan beside Coline.
“Little Dark!”
Lilina rushed over, scooped him up, and checked him thoroughly. Only when she confirmed he was unharmed did she exhale in relief.
“Girl,” Coline forced a gentle smile that still radiated bone-chilling coldness, “is this Dark Beast your Contract Beast?”
