Some of Yark’s original friends began attacking Nora in retaliation.
Others, unaware of the truth, joined the fray simply because others did.
Still, many remained indifferent, unwilling to involve themselves in the chaos.
But when the attacks reached Nora, everyone finally witnessed the extent of her true power.
Nora had always kept a low profile. Most of her time was spent reading or working on her magic, often with the help of the semi-divine artifact Daniel had given her.
To most of her peers, she was just a girl from a small, insignificant place—someone with a bit of talent but hardly worth noticing.
What kind of power could someone like her possibly have?
Surely, against the collective might of so many students, a girl from nowhere couldn’t possibly stand a chance.
Yet reality struck them like a resounding slap in the face.
Nora moved.
The entirety of the A-Level House was suddenly enveloped in a vast web of mana threads she summoned.
It was as if the building had been transformed into an enormous magical array, completely sealed off from the outside world.
Within this space, no one could escape unless they possessed power capable of breaking through the barrier.
Anyone outside who touched the mana threads was instantly pulled into this inescapable domain.
This was a space of no return.
And in this space, Nora was the absolute ruler.
The mana threads deflected the students’ attacks with ease.
In the next moment, those same threads pierced through their bodies, one by one, ending their lives almost instantly.
To Nora, these people were insignificant.
To her, the entirety of the A-Level House was insignificant.
“How is this possible? How could you… possess such overwhelming power?”
Yark attempted to flee, but the sealed space left him with no escape.
Nora’s actions drew a mix of reactions—disgust from some, intrigue from others.
After all, everyone in the A-Level House was a genius. Every student carried pride in their abilities and status.
Yet Nora’s display of power and her utter disregard for them was an affront to their egos.
Several students, infuriated by her behavior, launched attacks to challenge her.
But the outcome was the same: all of them were effortlessly defeated in a single move.
Nora’s expression remained cold and detached. To her, these people were all the same.
This was why she chose to envelop the entire A-Level House in her mana threads.
Why had Yark been able to act so recklessly in the first place?
Because in a place like the A-Level House, the relationships between geniuses were precarious at best.
They could be friends one day and enemies the next. With fewer people, there were more resources to go around.
If given the chance, these students wouldn’t hesitate to turn against one another.
Nora didn’t bother distinguishing between them. She simply wiped them all out in one fell swoop.
Years of relentless study, access to academy resources, Daniel’s semi-divine artifact, and the forge he left her had propelled Nora’s strength to terrifying levels.
There wasn’t a single student in the A-Level House who could withstand even one of her attacks.
Nora moved casually through the battlefield as though she were out for a stroll, methodically eliminating everyone.
Yark was left for last.
As she struck down the final person standing in her way, Yark’s terror reached its peak.
He grovelled, his voice trembling as he begged for his life. He promised servitude, swore to do anything she asked, but Nora didn’t spare him a glance.
Her goal had always been clear: to ensure Yark died in agony.
When all his pleas failed, Yark descended into madness, hurling curses at her until Nora silenced him permanently.
With Yark’s death, it was over.
The mana threads vanished, revealing the scene to the outside world.
Bodies littered the floor of the A-Level House. The once-proud geniuses were now lifeless corpses.
…
“Nora, run! The headmaster and the others are coming to arrest you!”
Eileen rushed to Nora’s side, her voice urgent.
“There’s no need,” Nora replied calmly, her gaze fixed in a particular direction.
A group of figures had already arrived.
Their faces were a mix of shock, fury, and disbelief.
As teachers and the headmaster of Karea Academy, they were trained to keep their emotions in check.
But the carnage before them was too much to process.
Nora stood amidst the bodies, her clothing stained with faint traces of blood from Yark’s final moments.
Around her lay the remains of the A-Level House students—geniuses who once held the academy’s highest expectations.
Remarkably, even after killing so many, Nora’s clothing bore only a few bloodstains. It was as if the slaughter hadn’t fazed her in the slightest.
The headmaster’s face darkened, his fury barely contained.
“Nora… why did you kill them?”
“I only wanted to kill Yark,” Nora replied flatly. “But since they stood in my way, I had no choice but to kill them too.”
Her tone was so calm it was unnerving, as though she were discussing something trivial.
“But… but you didn’t have to kill them all! Do you realize who these people were?”
“I don’t know, and I don’t care,” Nora said, her voice unwavering.
“You—”
The headmaster was so enraged he nearly lost control. Mana swirled violently around his staff as he prepared to strike her down.
Nora, unflinching, summoned her mana threads once again, forming a shield in front of her.
“Enough,” a voice said, calm yet commanding.
The mana surrounding the headmaster’s staff dissipated instantly.
The headmaster looked up in disbelief. Above them, a figure hovered in the air.
Nora followed his gaze, her own mana threads still poised to defend.
“Why, my lord?” the headmaster asked, his voice trembling.
“Let her live.”
“But… she killed so many A-Level House students. Do you know the forces backing them? Their families—”
“I said, let her live,” the figure repeated, its tone leaving no room for argument.
The headmaster clenched his fists but lowered his head. “Yes, my lord. I understand.”
“Those so-called geniuses you speak of—are they the corpses lying here?” the figure asked pointedly.
“It seems you’ve forgotten something: a corpse cannot be a genius.”
The headmaster froze, the weight of the words sinking in.
This was the doctrine Karea Academy had always upheld. A talent that failed to mature was no different from mediocrity.
Karea Academy didn’t seek ordinary talent; it sought true geniuses.
Not just a team of them, but the one who stood above all others.
“Do you understand?” the figure continued, its presence exuding pressure so immense that sweat formed on the headmaster’s brow.
“Yes, my lord,” he replied hastily.
“Good. Then you know what to do.”
The figure’s gaze shifted to Nora.
Nora felt its scrutiny, like an all-encompassing force that stripped away every layer of her being.
She stood still, her mana threads unwavering.
Just then, the semi-divine artifact on her glowed, blocking the invasive gaze.
The overwhelming pressure eased, and the figure chuckled softly.
“You’re impressive, young one. I look forward to seeing what you’ll bring to Karea Academy.”
With those words, the figure vanished.
Nora bowed her head, silent.
The pressure the figure had exerted on her was immense.
It made her feel utterly powerless, as though a single glance could have ended her.
Clearly, she still wasn’t strong enough.
She would need more time—much more time—to truly stand on her own.