The Cornflower Witch

Book 3: Chapter 80: Blue Salt Blessing - Moonblade Impact

Even among the same cohort of new students, different groups would form, especially after the division into teams following the opening ceremony. Students from the Gemor District and the Ximilye District, due to differences in upbringing and familiarity, were roughly split into two broad factions. This division, reinforced by the team assignments after the ceremony, further deepened the rifts and competition, causing students from the Gemor District and the Ximilye District to rarely interact, usually sticking to peers from their own district.

This conflict was an extension of the rivalry and competition between these two factions, though most people wouldn't escalate things to such a severe degree. However, Mogesh and Vilik, as the thorns representing each side, quickly turned a minor dispute into a full-blown confrontation, leading to the current situation.

The competition was a three-on-three match, with each side sending three people. Before it even began, Vilik and his companions were already discussing how to deal with Mogesh.

"If we don't give him a proper beating this time, he'll be strutting around like we're cowards while he plays the 'great hero' helping his friends," one of them said with a sarcastic tone.

"At least make sure he can't get out of bed for a month," another companion suggested.

"But we need to be careful. If it's too severe, the professor will investigate," they said, still holding a healthy respect for the instructors at Tetis College.

"Break his leg. Even after it's healed, he'll need crutches."

"Let's do it that way." After they finished discussing, they entered the combat arena.

"Begin the match!" the instructor announced, and both sides immediately sprang into action.

Mogesh activated the copper-bar golem at his side. Driven by its core, the golem's willow-like legs moved, joints twisting rapidly as it sprang into action.On the other side, Vilik and his two companions raised a circular barrier screen, and then one of them used a secret art of the Gold Steam Aspect to temporarily solidify the projected barrier into a solid form, enhancing its defensive strength.

The golem quickly closed in, drawing its razor-sharp dual blades and beginning to hack at the pale golden barrier screen. Mogesh's two teammates also cast spells, granting the golem various enhancements—its blades shimmered with a silvery gleam, becoming even sharper, and the golem's surface became covered in faint silver patterns, granting it resistance against local magic.

Inside the barrier, Vilik and his two companions faced the nearly ten-foot-tall golem and began casting their spells. One of them used a relatively powerful "Möbius Distortion Spell," which twisted and knotted the copper bars inside the golem, partially disrupting its structure.

Then, another one pulled out a potion and smashed it. A pale blue liquid floated up, manipulated into a flowing, oversized crescent-shaped arc blade.

[Blue Salt Enhancement: Crescent Moon Strike]

As the water-blue liquid formed into a curved crescent blade, a faint cold light flashed, and the entire liquid emanated a strange, dazzling brilliance. Then, the barrier screen dissipated, and the crescent blade shot through, cleanly cutting the copper-bar golem in half. Its momentum undiminished, it flew straight toward Mogesh in the rear.

At that speed, Mogesh had no time to react. If he couldn't withstand it, one of his legs would be severed by the crescent blade. Moreover, due to the special potion enhancement, the wound inflicted by the blade would cause infection and salt corruption, making recovery exceptionally slow.

Their plan wasn't complicated, but without advance preparation, Mogesh would have almost no chance of dodging it.

"Guess they really think highly of me," Mogesh muttered as he watched the scene.

Using potions to enhance spells and boost their effects was not uncommon in mage combat—the famous Four Salts School was especially adept at such techniques—but in a sparring match, wasting a Third Tier potion just to win was a truly unexpected move.

Fortunately, he wasn't completely unprepared. After Sylutia had laid out the terms of the bet earlier, he had already made plans to avoid taking any injuries in this match. Besides, Sylutia had also said that if he fought according to her specified methods, she would upgrade and improve his golem for free. There was no way he was going to miss out on that opportunity.

Mogesh then activated the magical orb he had prepared earlier. A crimson grid spread out, clashing with the incoming crescent blade. Both shattered simultaneously. At the same time, Mogesh stamped his foot, activating the lightness enhancement that his companion had recently applied. His body leaped nearly ten feet into the air, flailing awkwardly for a few moments before landing on the back of the copper-bar golem.

Then, he grabbed hold of one of the golem's joints, and with the infusion of Gold Steam Aspect power, the paralyzed golem reactivated. By this time, Vilik and his two companions had already dropped their barrier screen and had no time to erect another one. With the golem reactivated, the three of them had to scramble to dodge, with no time to organize any powerful counterattacks. Meanwhile, Mogesh's other two teammates didn't sit idly by, constantly launching spells at them. Stuck on the defensive and off-balance, Vilik and his team fell into a disadvantage.

A few minutes later, the three of them were defeated one by one.

"Mogesh's side wins!" the instructor announced the result of the match. In his eyes, there was nothing particularly special about this fight, except for the unexpected move of Vilik investing in a high-cost potion-enhanced spell in the middle of it.

After the results came out, the students on both sides reacted with a mix of surprise, excitement, indifference, and thoughtful glances toward Sylutia before heading off.

After basking in cheers and praise, Mogesh walked over to Sylutia, hoping to claim the reward the girl had mentioned earlier.

"Not bad reaction speed," the girl said with a slight nod. She certainly intended to deliver on her promise of help, but she also wanted to take this opportunity to rein in Mogesh, redirecting his energy toward serious study rather than clowning around.

"I'll help improve the golem's construction, using some theories from the Puppet Shadow School. I'll only teach you once during the process. How much you can learn is up to you," she said. She knew that with Mogesh's personality, he definitely wouldn't pass up this chance to learn, and he'd likely be immersed in it for at least the next month.

That should keep him out of trouble, she thought, brushing a strand of hair behind her ear before leading her group out of the combat arena.

A few minutes after she left, Spencer finally arrived with several others, only to find that the match had already ended.

He looked at the dejected and humiliated Vilik still standing on the field, his brow furrowed.

He had never liked Vilik forming his own little cliques—that was like building a country within a country among the students he was supposed to lead. And now, Vilik had gone and lost so publicly to a member of Hedra's group, making him look bad. It was as if not only could he not beat Hedra himself, but even the supposedly superior Ximilye students he led couldn't beat the students Hedra led.

"Tell me the reason and the process," he said. He already knew the result.

Vilik then roughly recounted the process, and other students around him added their own supplements. Spencer quickly caught a certain detail.

"You're saying Hedra came over specifically and gave Mogesh some instructions before the match?"

"That's right, Chief Spencer."

"I see." Spencer wore an expression of "I knew it."

I knew it. How else would Mogesh, that troublemaker from the Gemor District, suddenly get so clever and start using tactics? Looks like someone was coaching him from behind the scenes.

I didn't think she'd try to outshine me not only in personal strength but also in leadership ability, making me look incompetent. How sinister and despicable, Spencer thought. Sylutia was nowhere near as innocent and gentle as outsiders claimed. In his eyes, this girl who had once defeated him was nothing but a black-hearted, evil opponent who filled him with anxiety and fear.

He couldn't just sit back and do nothing. It was time to think of a way to suppress her and teach her to pull in her claws.