Lyra had also noticed and leaned in to ask in a low voice.
“Doesn’t she need to attend the practical class? Or is she hiding to plan some other scheme?”
Freya shook her head slightly and explained quietly.
“Irina majors in Light Magic, specifically focusing on healing and support. For this kind of comprehensive and highly confrontational practical class, she can choose not to participate. The Academy has specialized practical courses for the healing department that teach how to perform rescue, protection, and mana channeling in a battlefield environment. She likely went there.”
Lyra curled her lip.
“Hmph, good for her. If she dared to show up, I’d ‘accidentally’ let her experience what a real ‘practical battle’ feels like.”
She squeezed her fist, and her knuckles made a faint clicking sound.
Freya gave her a helpless look.
Just as she was about to say something, the professor in charge of the practical class—a burly man with an old scar on his face named Blaze, who looked like a retired military officer—stepped onto the high platform in front of the clearing.
His voice was like a resonant bell, instantly drowning out all the noise.
“QUIET!”
The crowd fell silent immediately.
“The content of today’s practical class—an abnormal mana disturbance has appeared in the ‘Thunder Ruins’ area deep within the canyon. We suspect that unregistered wild monsters or ancient magical constructs have awakened. Your mission: in groups of five, enter the designated area, investigate the source of the disturbance, assess the threat level, and ‘clear’ or ‘control’ the target as much as possible. You are permitted to use all the magic and tactics you have learned, but it is strictly forbidden to cause fatal injuries to your companions. Each team will be equipped with one Emergency Teleportation Rune and one accompanying observer—a senior student or a specially invited assistant.”
Professor Blaze’s sharp gaze swept over the crowd.
“This is not a drill. The environment of the Thunder Ruins is complex, and the remnants of ancient magic traps and active Thunder Elements may cause real danger. Now, begin forming your groups!”
The students immediately moved into action, looking for familiar teammates or responding to the professor’s random assignments.
As a star figure of the Academy and an A-rank Mage, Freya naturally had no shortage of people inviting her, but she had already made her plans.
“Freya, want to join our group?”
Several classmates she usually got along with approached her.
“Thank you, but this time I want to apply for a separate, small-scale reconnaissance mission with my assistant, Lyra.”
Freya politely declined and walked toward Professor Blaze.
“Separate? And with just an assistant?”
Professor Blaze looked Freya over, then glanced at the white-haired girl behind her who looked petite but had sharp eyes.
“The depths of the Thunder Ruins are dangerous, especially the core disturbance zone. You two… are you sure?”
“Professor, my assistant has special expertise in stealth, reconnaissance, and emergency response,” Freya said calmly.
“We won’t go deep into the most dangerous core. We will primarily gather information and scout paths on the outskirts to provide support for the subsequent teams. This is also a form of practical combat.”
Professor Blaze pondered for a moment.
He knew Freya’s strength and caution. As for that Lyra… although her origins were unknown, for her to be Freya’s assistant, she must have some extraordinary qualities. Moreover, such small-scale reconnaissance missions were indeed necessary.
“Fine. But you must carry two Emergency Teleportation Runes and report your situation periodically via the Communication Crystal. If you encounter danger you cannot handle, retreat immediately. Do not be reckless,” Professor Blaze warned seriously, handing her two shimmering rune stones and a simple Communication Crystal.
“Understood, Professor.”
Once the grouping was complete, the teams, led by observers or senior students, entered the interior of the Whistling Canyon through the Teleportation Array and headed toward different designated areas.
Freya and Lyra chose a path near the western edge of the Thunder Ruins.
The vegetation here was denser, with tall simulated ancient trees blotting out the sun.
The ground was damp, covered in moss and exposed tree roots.
The air was thick with the scent of old, rusted metal, and a low, thunder-like rumble could be heard faintly in the distance—the sound of unstable Thunder Elements spontaneously gathering and discharging, unique to the Thunder Ruins area.
Lyra was like a wild beast returning to the forest; as soon as she entered this area, she became exceptionally active and alert.
She no longer needed to deliberately mimic etiquette.
Her movements became light and swift, her toes barely making a sound as they tapped on the slippery moss and roots.
Her red eyes acted like a precision scanner, constantly scanning the surroundings—the tilted trunks, the marks on the ground, the subtle flow of mana in the air, and even small magical creatures that might be hiding on the undersides of leaves.
“Boss, this way,” she whispered, pointing toward a narrow stone crack half-hidden by vines that looked artificially carved and then abandoned.
“There is a very faint mana residue. It’s not natural Thunder Elements. It feels more like… someone passed through here quickly not long ago using acceleration or concealment magic. The traces are very fresh.”
Freya stepped closer to sense it carefully.
Indeed, there was a slight, unnatural disturbance in the mana fluctuations near the stone crack.
Although the other party had been very careful to hide it, Lyra’s observation skills were truly astonishing.
“Who could it be? A team that entered earlier than us?” Freya frowned.
According to the assignments, only their group should be on a reconnaissance mission in this western area.
“I don’t know. But I feel… they don’t seem like students.” Lyra sniffed the air.
“The scent is a bit mixed. There’s sweat, and a… strange spice scent. It’s a bit like Holy Temple incense, but of lower quality.”
‘The Holy Temple?’
Freya’s heart skipped a beat.
Had someone else sneaked into the Whistling Canyon besides the students assigned to the practical class? Was their target also the abnormal disturbance in the Thunder Ruins?
“Follow them and see. Be careful,” Freya decided.
This unexpected discovery might be more important than the intended reconnaissance mission.
The two of them cautiously squeezed through the stone crack.
Behind it was a dark, damp natural corridor that slanted downward.
The signs of artificial carving were more obvious here, and some blurred, long-deactivated ancient runes could be seen on the walls.
The smell of cheap spice and sweat grew stronger, mixed with a hint of… blood?
Lyra led the way while Freya followed closely, mana condensing in her short staff, ready to respond to any sudden situation.
The corridor wound downward, getting deeper and deeper.
Gradually, they could hear faint, suppressed conversations and the light clatter of metal from ahead.
After turning a corner, the path suddenly opened up into a small natural grotto.
In the center of the grotto, three figures in gray cloaks, their faces obscured, were busy around a strange metal plate half-buried in the ground that emitted unstable purple lightning.
Magical tools and several bulging bags were scattered around them.
The heavy scent of spice filled the air, seemingly meant to mask other odors and the faint smell of blood—the source of which was in the corner of the grotto, where two corpses in worn leather armor lay, appearing to be adventurers or mercenaries.
“Hurry up! The Thunder Elements in this godforsaken place are too active. The protection is about to fail!” one of the cloaked figures urged in a raspy voice.
“Don’t rush me! This thing is harder to strip away than I thought! The ‘Key’ response isn’t strong enough to fully neutralize its defensive runes!” the second cloaked figure replied.
He held a strange instrument that flickered with light, looking like a cross between a compass and a prism, aimed at the metal plate.
The third cloaked figure stood guard toward the entrance, holding a hideously shaped dagger wreathed in dark red energy.
‘Illegal intruders!’
They were trying to excavate or steal ancient magical items from the Thunder Ruins! And they mentioned a ‘Key’!
Freya and Lyra remained hidden in the shadows of the corner, holding their breath. Freya’s heart rate quickened slightly.
Where did these people come from? The Holy Temple? Or another faction? And the “Key” they mentioned… could it be something like her Mana Heart Crystal? Could what they were looking for here be related to the Holy Sword and Irina’s goal?
Just then, the cloaked figure holding the strange instrument suddenly let out a sound of surprise.
The light on the instrument flashed violently, pointing toward… the direction where Freya and Lyra were hiding!
“Something is nearby! A very strong mana reaction! No… there are two of them! One of them… the ‘Key’ resonance has intensified!” the man cried out in alarm and suspicion.
‘They found us!’
The cloaked guard immediately turned, pointing his dark red dagger toward the shadows.
“Who’s there?! Come out!”
There was no time to hesitate!
“Go!” Freya shouted. She was the first to burst from the shadows.
With a wave of her staff, several sharp, Pale Purple Wind Blades whistled as they slashed toward the cloaked figure holding the instrument! Simultaneously, her other hand quickly deployed a simple magic shield in front of her.
Lyra was even faster!
Almost the instant Freya spoke, she had already lunged out like a red ghost, staying low to the ground and heading straight for the guard with the dagger! She didn’t use any weapons.
Relying solely on her terrifying speed and explosive power, she closed the distance just as the opponent raised his dagger to parry, delivering a vicious elbow strike to his solar plexus!
BANG!
Sshhhhk!
The Wind Blades were mostly blocked by a dark shield the cloaked figure hastily raised, but a few still managed to slice through his cloak and arm, drawing a spray of blood.
Meanwhile, Lyra’s opponent let out a muffled groan.
Hit by the elbow strike that contained a strange, concentrated force, he stumbled back.
The protective mana around his torso shattered instantly, and a look of pain and disbelief crossed his face—he hadn’t seen how Lyra had gotten close at all!
“Who are you?! You’re dead!”
The third cloaked figure roared, abandoning his work on the metal plate.
He clapped his hands together, and a wave of dark green energy, carrying a strong corrosiveness and a foul stench, surged toward Freya!
‘Dark or Necrotic magic!’
Freya’s eyes narrowed.
Not daring to take it head-on, she retreated rapidly while tapping the ground with her staff.
An earthen wall rose instantly to block the path.
Sizzle…
The dark green energy corroded the earthen wall, sending up clouds of white smoke.