C25 Using a Book to Help Him Extinguish the Fire

A blazing fireball materialized in Cliff's hand, and without a moment's hesitation, he hurled it at Zhang Xing's back. As the fireball flew, Cliff's angry, contorted face eased slightly. His expression softened from ferocious to a cruel sneer.

"Even if I can't burn you to death, I'll make sure you're bedridden for a month!"

The entire class gasped in shock. Had Master Clive lost his mind? Was he unaware that fighting was forbidden within the academy, especially in the classroom? Casting any spell could inadvertently injure other students.

Those who broke the rules faced severe consequences. They would be fined, forced to read a letter of apology before the entire school, and could even face expulsion!

"Zhang Xing, watch your back!" a student cried out in alarm.

Solina, witnessing the scene from the doorway, burst into the classroom. She was desperate to save Zhang Xing, but at fifteen or sixteen meters away, her abilities as a primary magic instructor were not enough.

"Zhang Xing, get under the desk, now!" Solina gestured frantically, signaling him to take cover.

Amidst Cliff's cold laughter, the students' panic, and the instructor's anxiety, a flicker of disdain crossed Zhang Xing's face. He had sensed the disturbance in the air's Fire Magic elements instantly.

Yet, he hadn't expected Cliff to actually dare use a fireball in the classroom. Normally, a quarrel between two kids would involve nothing more than an exchange of insults. Physical altercations over verbal disputes were exceedingly rare.

Zhang Xing was oblivious to the fact that the fragile sense of nobility these aristocrats had cultivated over thousands of years could be so easily shattered. He hadn't even hurled an insult before the fight was on.

Since Cliff had made the first move, Zhang Xing wasn't about to hold back.

"Cliff, your First Level Fireball technique is atrocious. It's slow, weak, and the Fire Magic elements are impure. What have you been meditating on all these years? Have you been slacking off?" Zhang Xing taunted, extending a diminutive index finger. On it, a fireball the size of an egg spun gracefully.

The students looked on in disbelief, having witnessed no counterattack from Zhang Xing.

He didn't even glance back. With a casual flick of his left hand, he raised a single finger.

As they watched, the fireball Cliff had launched settled lightly upon that finger.

Cliff was rendered speechless in an instant.

All the students around shared a collective sense of bewilderment, their faces etched with confusion as they stared at the fireball.

Solina, the magic instructor who had taken a couple of steps forward, stopped dead in her tracks.

But she quickly regained her composure and urgently called out, "Zhang Xing, put out that fireball, now!"

Before she could finish her plea, the fireball vanished from Zhang Xing's fingertip. A shriek from Cliff followed, as he leaped into the air.

"Ah, I'm on fire! Somebody help me!"

Only then did the classmates notice the six-inch flame blazing on Cliff's chest!

His peers scattered from their seats, keeping a safe distance.

Cliff frantically slapped at his luxurious silk top, his face a mask of terror, looking as if he might burst into tears at any moment.

"Someone bring me water!"

His classmates stood frozen, too stunned to move or fetch water.

"Smother the flames with a book!"

A hefty tome on primary magic theory thudded against Cliff's chest, significantly diminishing the flames.

Zhang Xing deadpanned a terrible suggestion.

The others, thinking it a fine solution, began pelting Cliff with their books.

"Stop hitting me with books. I need water!"

Cliff was in a frenzy, trying to extinguish the flames while dodging the incoming textbooks.

Those lobbing the books had less control over their aim than Zhang Xing. Or rather, they had a better aim, as one book struck Cliff squarely in the face with a sharp crack. Zhang Xing winced, unable to watch.

The book, weighing a solid five or six kilos, was as heavy as two bricks!