A colossal hand that blotted out the sky crashed down with world shattering pressure, striking Samuel's body with perfect accuracy.

  A shrill, agonized scream rang out as Samuel was slammed heavily into the ground.

  His limbs were instantly shattered by the immense force, blood mixed with gravel spraying everywhere and staining a wide stretch of the arena red.

  An eruption of shocked gasps burst from the stands as everyone stared at the scene in horror.

  "That's the Annihilation Giant Hand! A master level spell that only a Senior Mage can cast!"

  "How is this possible? Allen is clearly only an Intermediate Mage, yet he used a master level spell!"

  At this moment, the elders in the VIP section all rose to their feet once more, eyes wide as they stared at the arena.

  "Crossing levels in battle is one thing, but actually defeating Samuel. This is truly unheard of!"

  Augustine froze in midair, forgetting to move for a moment.

  He saw the key issue clearly. Allen's mana core was not strong enough to sustain a master level spell, but the speed at which he absorbed mana was simply too fast.

  In just a few seconds, he had frantically drawn in the surrounding mana. At the very instant his body reached its critical limit, he poured all of that power into the giant hand, completing a desperate counterkill.

  Allen slowly descended from the sky. At this moment, every pair of eyes in the arena was fixed on him.

  The enormous palm print had crushed the original platform into dust. Samuel lay at the center of the imprint.

  With great effort, Samuel lifted his head. Blood kept pouring from his mouth, and his eyes were split wide with extreme fury and unwillingness as he stared at Allen.

  "What did you say? You killed... you killed Karen!"

  Before he could finish, a series of crisp cracking sounds echoed through his body as his bones shattered. His mana core completely collapsed. His head tilted to the side, and all signs of life vanished.

  "Samuel... he was beaten to death?" a junior apprentice said in a trembling voice.

  His tone was full of disbelief, as if he were trying to confirm that what he saw was not a dream.

  "An Intermediate Mage killing a Senior Mage. This is simply a fantasy!"

  The murmurs erupted once again.

  "You little bastard! I will kill you!" Marcus slammed the table and stood up. His seat was instantly shattered by the violent surge of mana around him.

  His eyes were bloodshot, filled with intense killing intent as he moved to rush toward Allen."You killed my son! I will fight you to the death!"

  At that moment, Eleanor stepped in front of Elder Marcus.

  "Marcus, as an academy elder, if you openly violate the rules, are you not afraid of being expelled from the council of elders?"

  Blocked by Eleanor, Marcus's fury only grew stronger."He killed Samuel! He killed my son! Does he not deserve to die!"

  Eleanor spoke up."A match always carries the risk of victory and defeat. Casualties are sometimes unavoidable."

  "Besides, it was your son Samuel who first tried to take Allen's life. Allen merely acted in self defense."

  "Must Allen have died by his hand for you to be satisfied?"

  Marcus's eyes were wide with fury, yet he had come back to his senses a little from the peak of his rage.

  He knew the rules of Radiant Magic Academy well. If an elder struck an apprentice with lethal intent within the academy, the headmaster had the authority to enforce the rules on the spot.

  At that point, not only would revenge be impossible, even his own safety would be at risk.

  Stolen story; please report.

  Thinking of this, Marcus turned to Augustine with tears streaming down his face, his voice choked with sobs.

  "Headmaster Augustine, you must seek justice for me. Allen disregarded the bonds of his fellow disciples and openly killed Samuel."

  "This was a resource battle. The academy rules clearly forbid taking a life. He knowingly broke the rules. He must pay with his life!"

  He deliberately raised his voice, trying to stir up the emotions of the surrounding apprentices, but found that everyone remained silent, cowed by the overwhelming power Allen had just displayed, and no one dared to echo his words.

  Hearing this, a chill flashed through Allen's eyes as he was about to step forward and expose Marcus's sophistry.

  Samuel had been the first to use lethal force, and the rules of the resource battle had already been broken by him. But Augustine raised a hand, stopping Allen.

  Augustine's gaze swept over Marcus, then fell on Samuel's corpse. His tone was steady and fair.

  "Eleanor is right. Samuel acted with lethal intent first. Allen acted in legitimate self defense and bears no fault."

  Marcus was completely stunned, staring at Augustine in disbelief. His crying suddenly grew louder.

  "Headmaster, how can you take his side?"

  Augustine shot Marcus a displeased glance and rebuked him sharply.

  "And you still have the nerve to cry. Do you think I could not see what your fine son was plotting just now?"

  "He deliberately lured Allen into a fight high in the air, calculating that it would take me time to intervene, so he could kill Allen quickly."

  "If he had stayed on the platform, perhaps he might have kept his life. The situation now is entirely of his own making. He has no one else to blame."

  Marcus froze in place, his sobbing abruptly cut off. He stared blankly at the elders in the VIP section. Some looked away, others wore grave expressions. Not a single one spoke up for him.

  It was clear they all agreed with the headmaster's judgment. Burning with anger and hatred, Marcus knew he would gain nothing today. Gritting his teeth, he said,"Fine. All of you are protecting that little bastard."

  Marcus looked at Allen with eyes full of venom. That gaze was like a poisoned dagger, as if swearing that he would have his revenge one day.

  He spun around and strode out of the arena, heartless enough to leave even his son's body behind.

  At this moment, his heart was filled only with hatred. He wanted nothing more than to leave this place where he had lost all face and secretly plot his revenge.

  Seeing Marcus leave, Augustine finally waved to the crowd below and said in a deep voice,"All right. Disperse."

  The apprentices in the arena left while murmuring among themselves, their gazes toward Allen mixed with awe and curiosity.

  Augustine looked at Allen, a hint of approval flashing in his eyes."There is no need to continue the remaining resource battles. You have claimed the final victory."

  At this point, no one in the academy dared to challenge Allen. With the strength of an Intermediate Mage, he had crushed a Senior Mage and now stood as the strongest among the apprentices of Radiant Magic Academy.

  Allen gave a slight nod, his gaze calmly following the direction Marcus had left, already knowing that this feud would not end here.

  Augustine stepped forward slowly and patted Allen on the shoulder, his tone carrying a mix of seasoned gentleness and admonition.

  "First time taking a life, huh? Don't be nervous. This world is far crueler than you can imagine."

  "When you leave Radiant Magic Academy and step into the vast world, remember: never show mercy. Kindness to your enemies is cruelty to yourself."

  "What happened today, you did not do wrong. There is no need to feel guilty over Samuel's death."

  Allen nodded slightly, understanding the meaning in his heart.

  Seeing that Allen remained silent for a long while, Augustine assumed he was either shocked by the bloody scene earlier or unsettled by taking a life.

  In truth, Allen's attention had been fixed the entire time on the direction Marcus had gone.

  With his current strength, even without unleashing Demon King-level power, using only the magic of an Intermediate Mage combined with his learned spells, he could hold his own against Marcus evenly. Marcus could no longer openly attempt to take his life.

  Yet the venomous gaze Marcus had cast as he left made it clear he would not give up easily. He was undoubtedly still seeking an opportunity for revenge in secret.

  Allen had already made a plan: he intended to leave the academy deliberately and conspicuously in the coming days, giving Marcus a chance to act.

  With Marcus's hatred, if he sensed an opportunity, he would not miss it.

  Then Allen could eliminate the threat once and for all, not only taking Marcus down, but also targeting his family, tracing the bloodline upward to completely erase this hidden danger.

  He had no intention of getting trapped in an endless cycle of"beat the young, and the old comes out."

  After leaving the arena, Allen went directly to Evelyn and handed her the pass token to the Godfall Battlefield.

  Evelyn, now a Ninth-tier Intermediate Mage, needed a mana-rich space like the Godfall Battlefield to ascend to Senior Mage.

  When she took the token, gratitude shone in her eyes, mixed with a hint of concern, and she repeatedly reminded Allen to keep watch on Marcus.

  The next morning, Evelyn prepared and left Radiant Magic Academy, using the Aetherlan City teleportation array to enter the Godfall Battlefield.

  Allen quietly followed her in secret. He remained worried that Marcus might act recklessly to strike at Evelyn as a means of revenge against him.

  However, what he feared never happened. Since the battle with Samuel, Marcus had completely disappeared from everyone's sight.

  According to the academy guards, Marcus had left the academy that very day without reporting his whereabouts to the council of elders. No one knew where he had gone.

  This sudden disappearance completely ruined Allen's original plan to lure him out. He stood outside the teleportation array, watching Evelyn's figure gradually vanish, silently reflecting.

  Marcus was far more patient and clever than Allen had anticipated. He had not been blinded by the grief of losing his son, but had instead chosen to lie low for the time being.

  A threat hidden in the shadows was far more dangerous than an open and direct challenge.