Chương 85: Ch 64 - Marcia & Jason's Ceremony (Part 1)

I remained seated on the floor alongside the other candidates, my gaze fixed on the ground. I continued to pinch my cheeks, desperately hoping that this was all just a terrible dream. I couldn't shake off the overwhelming disappointment of possessing the most basic and mundane form of support magic.

The irony of the situation weighed heavily upon me. The delay in my pursuit of vengeance had already been a great setback, but now with my newfound abilities in this life, it seemed that my dream of seeking revenge had become utterly impossible.

"Hey, weren't you quite pompous just a while ago?" Hendrickson taunted, his eyes gleaming with mischief. It was clear that he was mocking me, trying to provoke a reaction.

Despite his attempts to pick a fight, I had no intention of engaging with him. I had already resigned myself to the situation.

"Heh, he was such a hotshot not too long ago," one of the lackeys from the second tier joined in, adding fuel to the fire. "Remember how he boasted about receiving insights from the blessing of mana?"

"I bet the insights of blessing ritual didn't warn him that he would end up as a lousy healer!" another lackey chimed in, laughing derisively.

Suddenly everyone started giggling as well.

All I could do now was just stare at the floor while continuing to pinch my cheeks.

The healing ability is considered the epitome of support skills. It falls within the elemental category of life energy, making it the least offensive and most benign of all abilities and skills. Its main role is to provide assistance and support to fellow combatant mages, typically by staying at the rear of the battle and focusing on healing and increasing the overall vitality of the team. It aims to enhance the team's chances of survival rather than engage in direct offensive actions.

The mere idea of hiding behind others and relying on them for my battles infuriated me to no end. It felt utterly absurd and cowardly to depend on someone else's strength for my battles. And to make matters worse, my second affinity was tree magic, which did nothing to alter the situation.

Why was I burdened with healing abilities out of all the countless abilities in the world? Was it some cruel joke orchestrated by the supposed gods of mana, mocking me?

And to add to my frustration, my second affinity is Tree Magic. What am I supposed to do with that? Perhaps grow trees, harvest their fruits, and sell them in the market for money? It's the only practical use I can think of right now.

Could it be that my mother's love for gardening influenced my affinity for Tree Magic? But was she truly a fire mage as my father claimed? Am I starting to doubt my parents' words and actions, despite all they have done for me?

In a fit of frustration, I punched myself in the face. I rid myself of these absurd thoughts.

I shouldn't question my parents' intentions and sacrifices.

As soon as I punched myself, everyone else fell silent.

"I guess he's really lost it," muttered Hendrickson with a concerned tone. "Hang in there."

"Hey, healers play a crucial role," Trisha suddenly chimed in. "Countless other warriors rely on healer's support for their survival. So don't underestimate the importance of your role. You should carry yourself with pride, knowing the impact you can make."

Trisha's attempt to console me only deepened my worries. She didn't know that I had been yearning for more offensive abilities. But I wasn't in the mood to engage in an argument or explain my frustrations.

"Hey, Grandmaster Hamanthra is on stage," one of the guys exclaimed, finally changing everyone's attention.

All of us candidates turned our gaze towards the stage. There, standing alone, was Grandmaster Hamanthra. She stood before the exoskeleton, her eyes locked onto it. The exoskeleton had grown flesh and skin, and its appearance was gruesome. It resembled a dead man who had been skinned alive, with patches of missing flesh in some areas. It was thanks to my life energy when I did the third trial.

Lost in my own thoughts, I hadn't even noticed when she descended from her seat. Grandmaster Hamanthra extended her arm towards the exoskeleton, and in an instant, two majestic flame creatures that looked like lions formed from pure flames materialized before her. The two flame lions circled around the exoskeleton and started climbing higher into the air. Then, in a sudden burst, a towering pillar of raging fire erupted where the exoskeleton was placed.

The pillar of fiery inferno towers was as tall as the massive glowing mana pillars that supported the cave ceiling. Instantly, the room's temperature skyrocketed, and the intense brilliance of the inferno forced everyone to avert their eyes.

For a few seconds, the raging pillar of flames persisted before disappearing. Had it lasted a moment longer, we would have surely been consumed by the scorching heat. Everyone was sweating from their pores.

As the inferno went out, all that remained was the exoskeleton, still seated where it had been before. The floor bore a deep scorch mark, and the newly grown flesh and muscles on the exoskeleton had been consumed by the flames, leaving behind only the glowing redbones.

The exoskeleton had reverted back to its original form.

"Thank you, Lady Hamanthra, for assisting with the clean-up," expressed Sigurd, the head mage.

Lady Hamanthra nonchalantly waved her hand, her expression slightly less furious. "No problem. I needed to release some steam anyway," she remarked before returning to her seat in the stands.

It was a rare occurrence for a grandmaster to personally intervene and reset the trial. Throughout the trials of the other transmutant candidates, the exoskeleton would automatically shed the additional skeletal limbs, which would disintegrate into dust and vanish. This time, however, with the flesh that had grown on the exoskeleton. To get rid of it, they had to seek Hamanthra's flames to rid of the flesh.

This just goes to show whatever these bone tribe creatures were, they were indeed scary.

Witnessing the display of power from Lady Hamanthra was a testament to her formidable magical abilities. The ease with which she conjured and controlled the intense flame inferno without breaking a sweat spoke volumes about her prowess. It also served as a reminder that the other eight grandmasters were likely to possess similar levels of power in their respective areas of expertise. Their collective strength was undoubtedly a force to be reckoned with.

The grandmasters had always commanded respect and awe from the candidates, but witnessing Lady Hamanthra's incredible display of power brought a new level of realization to the rest of the candidates.

Finally, it was the turn of the phantom mage host to call out the next candidate.

"Marcia Gonzalves," she announced, her voice resounding through the hall.

Marcia, the timid girl with ruffled hair, nervously stepped onto the stage. Somehow Jason managed to send her on stage, god knows how.

During the first trial, her anxiety was palpable, and tears flowed freely from her eyes. It was disheartening to witness her cry from the get-go, that even the grandmasters began to grow impatient with her constant distressed state. Her results came excellent during the 1st trials.

However, everything changed during her second trial. To the astonishment of the grandmasters, the metallic tree had grown into a magnificent specimen, like many of the other talented candidates. But what truly shocked them were the two distinct fruits that adorned the tree. One resembled thorny tropical fruit, while the other bore the appearance of luscious custard apples. The leaves on the tree were also two different types, which further added to the grandmaster's amazement.

Grandmaster Biswaq rose from his seat, his expression filled with disbelief. "How is it possible?" he exclaimed.