The inside of the observation deck was engulfed in absolute, suffocating silence.
Through the black, one-way mana glass, Cassandra and Sophie stared at the scene below. It was simple, yet utterly paradigm-shattering.
Down in the cratered ring, the blinding red light of the Overcharged Arc-bolt completely dissipated. It hadn't exploded outward. It hadn't bypassed him. The hyper-dense, Mach-speed spell simulating Ivan Baker's ultimate strike had simply... died against the palm of a first-year student.
Alex stood amidst the shattered stone, his posture entirely relaxed. Smoke curled lazily from his right hand, the leather of his glove completely singed off, exposing slightly reddened skin.
But his arm wasn't broken. He wasn't bleeding. He was just glaring up at the observation deck with the bored, arrogant irritation of a king whose time was being wasted.
"If you're going to test an apex predator, don't use a toy. You insolent fools."
