Chapter 71: Gajia Academy 6 - The Physical Evaluation

The students lined up perfectly across the training grounds, forming three orderly rows while Raquan stood before them with his arms crossed. His eyes swept across the students before he finally spoke.

"As your physical instructor, I will personally evaluate your bodies and physical capabilities. Using a magical link during these evaluations is strictly prohibited without me allowing it, and anyone caught doing so will be expelled immediately."

Raquan stepped forward and raised one hand. "First test: striking power."

A druid student standing nearby immediately stepped forward and pressed both palms against the ground. Roots burst from the earth with a low rumble, twisting and intertwining until ten humanoid-shaped dummies stood before the students.

"These dummies are at least ten times more durable than an ordinary Lizardman," Raquan explained. "Your score will be determined by how much damage you inflict upon them."

He pointed toward the dummies.

"You may use any kind of physical strike you want. Legs, tails, fists, heads, claws, or anything else your body possesses."

Raquan stepped aside. "Then let us begin."

The first ten students stepped forward simultaneously and stood before their assigned targets. When Raquan gave the signal, all ten attacked at once.

The first student twisted his body and delivered a powerful back kick, putting every ounce of strength behind the strike. The impact produced nothing more than a dull thud, leaving only a shallow scratch across the surface of the root dummy.

The next Lizardman student chose a different approach and slammed his forehead directly into the dummy. The impact caused its body to sway slightly, leaving behind a small patch of damaged bark around its head.

The remaining students performed similarly, some using punches while others relied on kicks or their tails. Most of them failed to leave even a visible mark.

Then Kida stepped forward.

Without changing his expression, he raised his left arm and threw a simple hook.

The instant his fist connected, a violent shockwave exploded outward, kicking up a cloud of dust around the dummy. When the smoke began to settle, the students discovered that the dummy’s head had been completely knocked off.

Several students stared at Kida in disbelief.

Raquan glanced at the destroyed dummy before calling out the results.

"Three. Four. Two. Two. Two. Two. One. Two. Three."

He paused as he looked toward Kida. "Clean hit. Ten."

Kida simply shrugged and returned to the line as if nothing remarkable had happened.

Raquan waved his hand. "Next."

One group after another stepped forward, until Akuma’s row was finally called.

Akuma walked toward his assigned dummy and glanced around the training grounds. Rize stood nearby in the same row, her expression composed as she waited for her turn.

Akuma had spent much of his childhood training in the forests surrounding his hometown, where physical strength was necessary for survival. His body had become accustomed to climbing, running, hunting, and carrying heavy loads long before he ever entered Gajia Academy.

Raquan raised his hand.

"Start."

Akuma immediately stepped forward and raised his hand.

Instead of throwing a conventional punch, he straightened his fingers and brought his hand down like a blade.

His palm struck the dummy’s neck with tremendous force.

A sharp shockwave erupted from the impact, blasting dust across the ground as the dummy’s head was violently separated from its body.

Akuma lowered his hand. Before the students could finish reacting, Rize stepped forward.

The red-haired girl raised one slender leg before bringing it down with tremendous force.

"Axe Kick." Her heel struck the center of the root dummy.

A loud crack echoed across the training grounds as the entire dummy split vertically into two perfectly separated halves.

The students who had struggled to leave even a scratch on their own dummies stared at the three students in disbelief. Kida had destroyed a head with a single punch, Akuma had decapitated his target with a hand strike, and Rize had completely split hers in half.

Yet Rize’s performance attracted the most attention.

"Did she really just split it in half?"

"She didn’t even use a weapon."

Raquan calmly looked across the row and began announcing the results.

"One. Five. Four. Ten. Three. Two. One. Ten. Six. One."

Akuma returned to his position, his eyes briefly meeting Rize’s before both looked away.

The final row stepped forward.

Among them were Akira Prosei and Ragnir Rootil.

Several students quietly watched the two of them with different expectations.

Ragnir was an elf, and elves were not renowned for possessing overwhelming physical strength. Their greatest advantage traditionally came from their ability to establish magical links quickly and manipulate magical power with exceptional precision.

As for Akira, many students simply assumed she would perform poorly.

She was a young girl from a wealthy merchant family, and to them, her presence at Gajia Academy seemed more connected to her family’s influence than her own physical ability.

They were quickly proven wrong.

Akira stepped toward her dummy and calmly raised her arm. She drove her elbow directly into its stomach.

The impact was so concentrated that the reinforced roots bent inward before breaking apart, leaving a sizable hole through the center of the dummy.

A murmur spread through the students.

Then Ragnir stepped forward. The proud elf raised his hand, revealing long and sharp fingernails.

With a single motion, he slashed across the dummy.

The reinforced roots split apart almost instantly, several pieces falling to the ground as if they had been cut by a real blade.

Raquan looked toward the remaining students before announcing the scores. "Ten. Four. Five. One. Four. Eight. Seven. Ten. One. Three."

He lowered his hand. "Very well."

For the first time, a faint trace of amusement appeared on Raquan’s face.

"This batch possesses some truly insane talent."

The students exchanged glances, each now looking at their classmates with a little more caution than before.

Raquan then turned toward the next section of the training grounds.

"Next is defense."

He pointed toward the students. "You may use your body, a shield, or simply dodge the attack. You may even use a magical link if you wish. Your method of defense is entirely your choice."

The students immediately formed a straight line.

Raquan then pointed toward one of the academy’s senior students standing several meters away.

"A senior student will launch a blunt attack against each of you. Your objective is simple. Either dodge the attack or withstand it."

Akuma’s eyes immediately recognized the senior.

That’s the senior who was fighting the druid yesterday.

The senior carried the same wooden sword Akuma had seen before, and the familiar crimson aura began forming around its blade.

One student stepped forward confidently. "This should be easy," he said, stretching his arms. "My attack power isn’t that impressive, but I’m fast."

He lowered his stance and prepared himself.

The senior student silently raised his wooden sword. The familiar red aura gathered around the blade.

The student narrowed his eyes, carefully watching the weapon and trying to anticipate the incoming strike.

Then the sword moved.

A red arc tore through the air.

The student didn’t even have time to blink. The projected attack struck him squarely and sent his body flying several meters across the training grounds before he crashed onto the ground.

The entire line fell silent.

Raquan barely reacted. "Failed."