The professor stopped in front of his desk at the front of the class and faced the students, his eyes silently evaluating them. His expression was impassive, almost like a lord watching over their subjects.

But as his gaze fell upon the place where Melody was, Michael could have sworn he saw the man's eyes shimmer briefly—causing him to frown slightly.

Was I imagining it? He thought in his heart.

"Spellcrafting…" the professor spoke up, his voice deep and resonant, matching his aesthetic almost too perfectly. "The art of transforming mana into substance," he stated, lifting his hand slowly.

A flash of violet surged towards his palm from his wrist, eliciting a few surprised gasps.

All of their professors so far besides the headmaster were Verdant mages, no one had expected to see a violet-ringed mage teaching first-years. Yet the man continued, ignoring their reactions.

The mana pooled upon his hand, then began to dance.

It flowed in a clockwise direction, coalescing into something of a violet tornado. With a flick of his right hand, a strand of mana broke off and began to draw an intricate mana circle in the air.

The whole class was silent, watching the display with wide eyes.

Once it was complete, the mana surged into the mana circle, instantly transforming into an actual tornado—the height of an average man.

The wind pressure was significant, causing the hair and robes of those in the first rows to billow. But the demonstration was not over yet.

With another flick of his fingers, the professor sent another strand of mana out carefully constructing another violet mana circle. At a glance, the circle looked rather similar to the previous one, but Michael could see some differences in the structure.

Though it was difficult to pinpoint the exact changes.

More mana flowed through the completed circle as the students watched on with bated breath.

In an instant, a bright orange light erupted and a heat filled the room as a wave of fire attacked the tornado. The two spells collided in a clash, drawing scared and nervous looks from the students—especially those close by.

But the flame was sucked up like a funnel, integrating with the tornado seamlessly—as if they were the same spell. The heat intensified, as did the wind, yet the professor stood calmly as he watched the spectacle, no sign of panic in his eyes.

After a few moments, he gestured behind the fire tornado, slowly bringing his hands together. As he did, the spell warped, quickly losing its structure and reducing to nothing.

What was once a devastating attack was now extinguished, with nothing more than a casual gesture from the powerful mage at the front of the class.

Michael watched on with fascination, as did much of the class. Such mana control was impressive itself, but it was the seamless combination of the spells that intrigued him the most—something he'd never seen before.

"Can anyone tell me the name of the two spells I just used?" the professor asked casually, as if he hadn't just done something incredible a moment ago.

Lilly's hand shot up in the middle row beside Melody, her enthusiasm evident.

"Yes, you with the red hair."

"They should be the tier two whirling tornado and fire serpent spells professor." Lilly replied, her expression confident.

However, the professor smiled and shook his head. "Incorrect."

"B-but it was… I'm sure of it." She replied, her face turned up in a frown.

"Anyone else?" the professor said, ignoring Lilly's rebuttal.

No one in the class raised their hand. After all, there were many who also believed that the two spells were as Lilly said—they were far too similar after all.

Were they variations of those spells? Michael thought, remembering the intricate mana circles that the professor drew. If that's the case, technically they wouldn't still be the same spells…

After a few moments, Michael decided to raise his hand.

"Yes, blondie."

He cringed at being called blondie once more, this time by a different professor. But he still answered, deciding this was not the time to dispute his apparent nickname.

"Sir, I believe the spells you used were variations of the whirling tornado and fire serpent spells. So while their framework was similar, you made alterations to the mana circle—which was why you didn't use any incantations."

His words were met with silence, but he heard a small scoff from his left—Lilly who seemed to dismiss his theory.

A slight smile crept onto the professor's face, lighting up his features. "Correct, Mr…"

"Ellis, Michael Ellis sir." Michael replied, feeling a sense of achievement well in his chest.

"Mr. Ellis," the professor nodded, clapping his hands together. "You have a keen eye for observation, something that is required if you wish to succeed in my class." He said, his gaze moving to Lilly who seemed slightly offended.

"After all, combining the two spells under normal circumstances is both impractical and nigh impossible. It would be much simpler to cast the tier four spell: fiery tornado instead."

Michael nodded, though he wasn't familiar with the spell, the way the man responded made it hard to refute his words.

The professor turned towards the blackboard, suddenly realizing his mistake.

"Ah, I suppose I didn't introduce myself," he stated. "To you, I am Professor Murphy, your friendly spellcrafting teacher."

With a flourish of his hand, his name was written in perfect script upon the blackboard, centered directly at the top of the board with utmost precision—as if done purposefully so.

"But to others," he continued, turning around to face the class, his deep brown eyes turning darker. "I am many other things…" the man said, a crooked—almost sinister grin framing his face.

The ominous words settled over the class, creating a tense and uncomfortable atmosphere. No one knew how to take the man, nor did they fully understand what he was hoping to achieve with such a statement.

The professor let out a humorless chuckle, his expression becoming more relaxed. "But do not worry, within these castle grounds—I am merely a professor."

"Now," he continued, clapping his hands together. "My class will stretch your knowledge of spellcrafting, looking past the surface level of incantations and delving into the root and fundamental knowledge of magic circles."

His words caused the student's eyes to shine in wonder. The professor had a certain gravity—a mysticism that kept everyone intrigued.

Michael didn't know how to take the mysterious man. It was as if he was some sort of enigma—but one thing was for sure… He was interesting.

"And by the end of your first year, it is my expectation that you be able to craft your own unique spell…" Professor Murphy added, his gaze moving across the room. "As long as you listen attentively, I will provide you all the tools and knowledge required to do so."

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