Ascension of the Nephilim

Emeros was on the verge of tumbling down.

The angered Two-Star Expert had pressed down a greater attack on him.

But suddenly, the energy around Emeros vanished as Emeros regained his footing.

"Why are you so serious? You asked a question, and he simply gave an annoyingly long answer?" The other Two-Star Expert laughed as he harnessed the energy.

"Giving into your anger and impatience is very unlike you. Is there something more to this?" The other Two-Star Expert asked.

"Forgive my companion, Two-Star Expert of Combat, Pedagog Ilevas. I am a Two-Star Expert of the Circles, Pedagog Veynir. Well, truth be told, neither of us are official Pedagogs. But in this land, we would be considered as one." Veynir chuckled.

"Now, my dear students. It's time for us to begin this lesson. A lesson geared for teachers. That skilled brat already gave away most of our secrets. So you all have an advantage in being able to clear this trial. If you fail, it's on you!" Veynir laughed, and with a wave of his hand, the energy fell on Emeros, but it was again back to the original amount.

"So go and clear this! Show us what the Floating Continents has to offer!" Veynir laughed.

Ilevas was quiet and watched from the side, giving Veynir a meaningful look.

"I have a question. This test... does it rank our capacity based on our performance? Or is simply passing the trial enough?" Zwelus asked.

"Your performance will naturally help you. Your experience and battle in this will be beneficial for you to scale greater heights. But beyond this natural growth, you can impress the Pedagogs and us both here. That Emeros is quite talented. And since whoever is helping him has not yet made his appearance clear, Emeros is ripe for the taking. But now, if you prove you are better than this mortal-bound child, we might have to pick you." Veynir smiled.

"Good!" Zwelus chuckled as he raised his staff.

Numerous fire ropes shot out and coiled at the Earthen Spirit Artifact.

"Oh? Fire with form and physical strength...." A pedagog at the side smiled.

"Senior Teacher, be careful. Mana has weight, too." Emeros warned.

Zwelus was surprised as Emeros gave him a meaningful look.

Zwelus knew that Emeros wouldn't say such things casually. He gazed up and calmed himself down. The allure to impress had made his heart grow haughty and impatient.

Many took advantage of Zwelus's hesitation and tried many different things at that moment.

One used a forceful burst of flames to push himself up. Another used a fire shield and was generating energy to blast herself upwards.

Force experts began using numerous techniques as the attempts to rise up began.

CRASH! CRASH! CRASH!

One after the other, those who made their moves began to fall as they encountered greater troubles at the top.

Zwelus saw it all and frowned. He realized that this was an exam to make them all improve themselves.

Zwelus began to pull as the fires that coiled at the artifact began to lift him.

But as Zwelus rose, the weight in his body increased.

With a firm tug, Zwelus lifted himself to great heights along with many other Senior teachers battling it out.

SNAP! SNAP! SNAP!

The fire ropes could no longer take the weight and snapped as Zwelus fell.

CRASH!

Zwelus coughed up blood and glanced to the side as those others who attempted were also in pain from the fall.

Zwelus lifted himself up and saw Emeros standing without the staff as he glanced upwards.

Senior Teacher Crea was at the side and could not understand how Emeros could now stand.

"You have already solved this puzzle, Teacher Emeros?" Zwelus asked.

"It depends. What exactly should I solve?" Emeros smiled and asked back.

"What do you mean? Didn't you already advise me of the issue with mana? Is that how you can stand?"

"Hm? The issue with mana is not my issue. It was yours. You used quite a bit, so I warned you. Teacher Zwelus. This test has no one right answer, as you may know. I am solving my problems. You should do the same." Emeros answered.

Zwelus fell into deep thinking.

Crea heard Emeros's conversation as she tried to stand. She had a contemplating look on her face.

"Hm... But to impress those old farts, I have to do something..." Emeros thought.

"Maybe... destroy the circle? That ought to shock them." Emeros thought and observed the formation and the spellbound in the enchanted object.

"Hmm... With so many participants, I can't do my plan. The chaos of the swirling magic is too much. They have to get out of here or clear the test if I want to shock them and do the counter circle." Emeros thought and glanced around.

CRASH!

Zwelus fell again.

"Hey, teacher Zwelus. I want to impress those guys up there. But to do that, there should be less chaos in this place. Could you tell the rest to give me some time? I promise that it will also benefit them."

"...Teacher Emeros. Everyone is trying to impress them. If you want this area cleared, then start helping everyone!" Zwelus answered with a slightly irritated tone in his voice.

"That's a great idea!" Emeros exclaimed.

"See, teacher. Your problem is mana. You're a powerful mage but constantly carry the magic around you. This place is designed to be a test for us. But since we have not been taught about this, the test is how we overcome and how fast we grow. In your case, training yourself to be without mana would be the key. You have great volumes of magic, and you constantly let it all out."

"I have to... hide my magic?"

"Yes. At your stage, you are constantly wasting magic just by standing. But like my students who can cast out and release the magic at the least possible second, you can make quick attacks, defenses, and so on if you refine your concentration. Like those two Two-Star experts. If you had the same power and volume of energy as them, then this entire formation would only last an hour or so. But their refined and controlled usage allows them to keep this up for days!"

"So it's the same with you?"

"No. As I said, my issue is different. It's the same as with Senior Teacher Crea, Teacher Pors, Teacher Vertik, Senior Teacher Tedd, and Senior Teacher Lesly." Emeros pointed to several teachers.

The teachers he named all turned to Emeros and saw him calmly walking around the room without issue!

"Same issue as me?!" Crea cursed. How was Emeros having the same issue as her and quickly resolved it?! It was an insult to her skill and ability as a Senior Teacher.

"Force. We both have high Force amounts. You are a battle mage and have high Force and Magic. That's why you stumbled down while many of your peers at the same cultivation level as you can stand, Senior Teacher. Force and magic have weight. And you've been releasing more Force than ever, correct?" Emeros asked.

Crea was startled at Emeros's words.

"But... I won't be able to stand at this weight with Force!"

"You have been fighting with Force and Magic since the start. But with your physical strength stat, you only need around ten percent of your Force to fight back." Emeros explained.

At once, the other teachers who were named by Emeros were now able to stand up!

Crea saw it and gritted her teeth as she followed suit. It was embarrassing that she, a Senior Teacher, would stumble when most Senior Teachers resisted the gravity.

"Good! You can stand. Now, guys, I need you all to clear the test. If I want to impress those guys, you guys need to leave out of this circle. Pors. You could easily clear this test by using your fire burst ability. Just circulate the magic around to play with the equilibrium of magic. This is also a great trick to fly out. Do what Senior Teacher Hector failed to do. Hopefully, if he sees you pass the test faster, he'll listen to me. Next... Teacher Vertik. Your feet are injured with some poison. If you weren't, this test would have been easy with your movement technique. But you over-strained it. Luckily, it's not yet in a critical state, and I can heal it. Do you have a cauldron? I'll whip you up a pill to heal you."

"A cauldron?!"

"Equilibrium of magic..."

The two teachers had their own reaction, but Emeros called out another.

Senior Teacher Tedd. That technique you used to create wind has more magic than actual wind energy. Your laws of creation are poor, considering that the source of your wind magic is a Hurricane Eagle. Give me the heart of that creature, and I'll enhance it so that more wind would appear. But you'd need to pay me for this. And it ain't cheap!"

And so, Emeros began to teach, make deals, and resolve the issues of each teacher. He was the teacher, and his class were all teachers.