After the hall finally emptied, the Combat Space shimred faintly and both participants were extracted.
Two beams of soft white light materialized near the center of the hall. When the glow faded, Michael and Rynne appeared on the platform.
Rynne's body was still limp, her breathing shallow but stable. Michael, on the other hand, was standing straight, calm as always. The long robe that had been covering Rynne was still wrapped around her.
Yara stepped forward imdiately, her boots echoing against the marble floor.
For a mont, neither of them spoke.
Then she said, her voice even but edged with restraint, "You did well, Michael Norman. But from here on, I'll handle things."
Michael gave a simple nod. But before he could speak, Yara held out her hand. "The robe stays."Michael didn't argue. With a small shrug, he made his way out of the combat hall.
Since he was top one again, Michael's rights to the villa were returned to him.
When he arrived and stepped inside after greeting the elves outside in the compound, he noticed the villa was largely unchanged. In fact, there was no change at all.
Michael was slightly surprised and wondered why that was the case. Was it because the previous occupant could only hold the top spot for such a short while, or because they simply didn't bother to make any changes, thinking they wouldn't be able to keep it for long?
He wasn't sure. The latter reasoning didn't seem entirely solid, especially considering the power Rynne had shown. Against other Rank 2 necromancers, she might have easily maintained her position even if others had their own law.
After all, she had her own law too.
That fact made Michael feel a bit jealous. Even though he had several law seeds on hand and already possessed a clear understanding of how laws worked-enough to start comprehending one if he wished- he couldn't.
He simply hadn't found a law that suited him.
It was hard to explain. So law seeds resonated with him quite well, and while it wouldn't have been much of a disadvantage to copy one of them, none felt perfect. They didn't fit.
If anything, those law seeds, instead of advancing his Law comprehension progress, it only deepened his elental affinity
while granting him more spells and skills.
The sudden disappearance he had perford back in the Combat Hall was actually the result of one of those skills-sothing he had
learned from a law seed two days earlier.
Earth Escape.
Though it was technically a skill, Michael suspected it was closer to a law-type ability. Even with his abundant mana, it caused him
noticeable strain.
If it felt that taxing to him, then for anyone else, it would likely serve as a last-resort trump card.
The way the skill worked was quite fascinating.
When activated, Earth Escape allowed Michael to rge with the ground, moving through soil and stone as though they were liquid. Inside, though, the sensation was strange. His body felt weightless, almost formless, as if he had beco one with the earth around him.
It wasn't perfect, however. The deeper or denser the material he moved through, the greater the strain on his body. The mana consumption was high-far higher than what a Rank 2 should comfortably handle.
It felt like an escape technique at its core. A way to flee instantly when overwheld. But it could also serve as a surprise maneuver in combat, letting him shift position and reappear behind or beneath an opponent.
That was what intrigued Michael most.
Used properly, Earth Escape could beco a terrifying movent
skill, one that blurred the line between evasion and attack. Still, he doubted most people could use it that way. Even he could only maintain it briefly.
It was a spell suited for those with overwhelming reserves-people like him.
Yet, realistically speaking, it was the kind of ability only strong Rank 3 creatures could use freely. Among supernaturals, those who could perform sothing similar were usually mages, whose mana reserves were usually greater.
Thinking of his skill, Michael couldn't help but have another thought.
"If there's an earth escape skill, I wonder if other elents have the
sa thing."
It wasn't impossible. If there was an Earth Escape, then there might also be skills like Water Escape.
Still, Michael shook his head lightly at the thought later.
Thinking about escape skills one after another made him realize how absurd it sounded for his current stage. At Rank 2, flight was already achievable. Once a supernatural reached that point, the reliance on escape techniques drastically decreased.
Why tunnel through the ground when you could simply take to the skies?
That thought made him chuckle quietly. Yet, the humor faded just as fast, replaced by practicality. The Earth Escape skill might be redundant but it was still valuable.
After all, the speed of the technique far surpassed flying. It was instantaneous, more like a short-range teleportation than movent. When he used it, even spiritual senses had a hard ti tracking him.
In certain situations, that made it far more useful than simple flight. "Better to have it than not," Michael murmured, a faint smile tugging at his lips.
The next few weeks of Michael's life in the academy passed
uneventfully.
He attended classes where he learned several languages and supernatural subjects while gradually getting used to his newfound
fa.
Thanks to his abundant academy points, which he used to purchase advanced knowledge materials, combined with his natural talents, Michael was starting to resemble an actual mage-one with real academic grounding and skill.
To test his progress, he decided to rent a private combat room in the Combat Hall, one equipped with its own space for battle simulations. Though the rental fee was quite high, Michael didn't hesitate. He wanted to gauge his growth.
He fought Spartan there, and though he lost in the end, he was satisfied with the result.
There was also a reason why he lost.
"Spartan, what does gyo tho you min an?"
Yes.
At so point, Michael had actually summoned his Rank 3 undead to
study with him.
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