Arcane Academy: The Divine Extraction Legacy

Chapter 1248 1248: The Second Test

The announcerʼs voice rang out once more.

”Next… Skye of Marshall Academy!”

The hall quieted once again as they heard the name of the Academy.

Of course, the name Skye was unfamiliar to all of them, but as soon as the girl stepped forward, they all gasped in appreciation of her beauty…

She didnʼt even look nervous, unlike the others who were worried about the Spell they should use.

They were all concerned about what spell to use to get the highest holy strands possible, but Skye was different… It was as if she had everything under control.

Nonetheless, no one suspected anything unusual about her.

Only Vale knew the truth. Skye was not like the others.

She was a Homunculus, a being crafted and not born. Her true nature was a secret, and since Vale was also curious about their existence, he had decided to just gather information about these Homunculi and allowed them to study in his academy.

Valeʼs eyes narrowed as he watched her walk toward the crystal.

ʼLetʼs see how you perform, Skye. Show them what you have…ʼ

Skye raised her hand.

She wasnʼt using any staff or even long chants…

Her aura was subtle as if she was an old Bishop...

Soon, she invoked a spell known as Sacred Pulse.

A wave of light rippled outward, striking the crystal with a force unlike anything seen before.

The crystal trembled violently, glowing so brightly that the audience shielded their eyes.

Soon, strands began to appear!

Ten… twenty… thirty… forty…

The count soared higher, faster than anyone had imagined.

Forty‑five… forty‑eight… fifty.

The crystal pulsed one last time before dimming completely, its glow lingering in the air like a divine flame.

Fifty strands.

The hall fell silent. For a moment, no one spoke. Then, the outburst came.

”Fifty?!”

”Impossible!”

”No one has ever reached fifty!”

”Marshall Academy again?!”

”Who is she?!”

The announcerʼs voice was also filled with disbelief. ”Marshall Academyʼs Skye… fifty strands!”

The crowd roared…

None of them thought that they would see something like this at all…

Some started cheering wildly while others were unable to comprehend just how incredible it was to reach that many strands.

Needless to say, Journalists scrambled to capture the moment, their devices flashing as they tried to record every detail. Then, Professors from rival academies exchanged worried glances.

Valeʼs lips curved into a faint smile.

ʼYes… this is what I expected. A Homunculus achieving such purity… extraordinary. I guess they will remember her name now…ʼ

Skye bowed quietly to the audience. Her expression also remained calm, as if fifty strands were nothing unusual.

Soon, she stepped back, leaving the hall buzzing with disbelief.

The next students were called, but their performances paled in comparison.

From Radiant Dawn Academy, a boy invoked Sacred Light Wave. The crystal responded weakly, strands climbing only to twenty-seven. The crowd applauded politely, but the excitement had already faded.

Celestine Holy Academyʼs representative used Divine Prayer. The glow was soft, strands reaching twenty-five before stopping.

Golden Cross Academy followed with Blessed Radiance. The crystal only pulsed faintly with the strands halting at twenty-three.

Each attempt seemed weaker than the last. The audience grew restless…

After Skyeʼs fifty strands, everything else felt insignificant.

Vale smiled after seeing all of this happen.

ʼMarshall Academy has proven itself beyond doubt.ʼ

It was his mission to spread the prestige of his Academy after all,

Soon, the announcer finally declared the end of the first test. The crystal dimmed with its light fading into silence.

But the competition was far from over.

”The first test is complete,” the announcer declared. ”Now, we move to the second trial of the Holy Arts Competition!”

The crowd stirred, eager to see what came next.

Soon, the test was introduced…

This time, the test was called the Affinity Trial.

Unlike the purity test, which measured alignment with holy energy, this trial was about strength and application.

The judges summoned Imp… They were creatures of shadow, notorious for their resilience against curses and such.

Furthermore, these were not ordinary Imps, but Master‑Rank ones, far stronger than the students themselves.

The task was simple in theory, but difficult in practice… Each student had to cast their Holy Arts against the Imp. The goal was not to defeat it, that would be impossible at their level, but to heavily injure it.

The stronger the damage inflicted, the higher the score.

The announcer explained clearly, ”Each practitioner will face a summoned Imp. You must cast your strongest Holy Art. The more damage you inflict, the higher your affinity score will be. This test will determine how well your holy energy can suppress corruption and darkness.”

The first student stepped forward nervously.

A judge raised his hand, and after some chants, an Imp materialized…

”Whoa…”

”That looks scary…”

”So thatʼs what Imps look like.”

”Are they strong?”

Even the student felt a bit surprised, but he didʼt have the time to process it.

The student invoked Blessing Dew, droplets of light falling onto the creature. The Imp hissed, its skin began sizzling faintly, but the effect was weak. The judges recorded the score with just a minimal damage.

The next competitor tried Sacred Flame. A burst of fire struck the Imp, searing its flesh. The creature roared, feeling the pain from the flame.

The crowd cheered at this, impressed by the visible wound. The judges noted the score as moderate damage.

One by one, the students attempted the trial. Some managed to scorch the Impʼs skin, others barely left a mark.

Most scores hovered between moderate level damage equivalence. The audience grew restless, waiting for something spectacular.

Then, it was Marshall Academyʼs turn again!

Everyone was looking forward to their performance for obvious reasons.

Galatea stepped forward first.

”Watch me…” She whispered.

Then, she did not raise her hand this time, but instead clasped her hands together in prayer.

Her voice rang out as she invoked Radiant Spear.

A shaft of pure light formed in the air, glowing with holy energy. With a wave of her hand, she hurled it toward the Imp!

Boom!