Magus Supremacy-Chapter 231 - 50/50 risk!

"So, let's get straight to business. Time for you all to begin your lecture on the Breakthrough Mode," Magnus said, and all the students' ears perked up.

'Finally! Time to learn something new to add to my large arsenal of skills.' Grey smirked.

Magnus stepped forward, his eyes sweeping across the room, trying to gauge each student's potential and mana capacity.

'Impressive mana,' he thought as his gaze landed on Scarlet. He then shifted toward Greg.

'Also equally impressive.' He continued his silent assessment, arriving at Jay and giving a slight smile. 'Nice mana input. Most of them here are promising, so the classes might go smoothly depending on how quickly they grasp things.'

Then Magnus paused before Grey, locking eyes with him. There was a strange familiarity about him—one he couldn't quite place. Shaking it off, he tried to feel Grey's mana and aura.

'Huh?! I can't feel anything!' Magnus's eyes widened in surprise. He stared harder at Grey, who only shrugged and looked away. 'How is this possible? He shouldn't be able to shroud his mana unless…'

"I guess for every few impressive ones, there are weaklings too," Magnus muttered aloud before turning away and walking back to the front of the class.

As Magnus walked off, Grey let out a sigh of relief, staring at the instructor's back. 'Good thing I managed to learn how to shroud my mana in the last two months. Wouldn't want to be noticed by this instructor till I figure out why he seems so familiar.'

Magnus turned around, his voice firm as he addressed the class again.

"Today, you all will be learning a new concept—a new level in the magic world. A new boost to your power and capacity."

Everyone leaned forward attentively.

"I'm sure when you all began learning Creation Magic in your first year, you felt like you'd reached your peak and were powerful. But trust me, that was nothing compared to Breakthrough Mode," he said, a wide smile on his face.

"Yeah, we've already encountered students using it. That's why we're here," Scarlet scoffed. "We acknowledge how powerful it is, so kindly get on with the class."

"Arrogant nobles, huh?" Magnus muttered. "No surprise there. But there's one thing…"

Suddenly, the temperature in the room dropped sharply. It was as though they'd been thrown into the coldest depths of the ocean—cold enough to freeze someone to death.

"I don't take kindly to interruptions… unless it's a reasonable question," Magnus added, his tone deathly calm as the cold became suffocating.

"I… I'm sorry, sir," Scarlet stuttered, her lips chattering.

'This man… He's nothing like Instructor Von. He's powerful. Just from that chill, I can tell. If I don't go all out with my affinities, I'll be crushed,' Grey thought.

'Crap! I need to clip my mouth from now on. Wouldn't want to mess with a powerful mage ever again,' Scarlet thought, breaking into a cold sweat.

"Great," Magnus said, his expression relaxing into a smile. In the blink of an eye, the chill disappeared. The room returned to its earlier warmth.

Magnus stepped forward again, his eyes sharp, voice calm but commanding.

"What you're about to learn isn't a spell. It's not a chant, nor is it something you can mimic by watching others.

Breakthrough Mode is a state of being—a collision between your mind, mana, and willpower. To learn it, you must go inward. You must face the core of your magic… and force it to evolve."

"Force it to evolve? How is that possible? Can cores evolve?" Arthur asked.

"Exactly! To evolve, wouldn't it mean one is advancing to the next star level?" Raze added.

"Yes… and no," Magnus said, glancing between Arthur and Raze. "Our mana cores can evolve beyond their current capacity without advancing to the next star level."

"How so? I'm getting confused here," Jay said, furrowing his brows.

"Think of your core as a balloon with no air in it," Magnus explained. "Once you begin to pump air—or water—into it, it inflates, growing larger. Something much more potent than its deflated form."

"The more water or air pumped in, the bigger it becomes. Now, if you throw a fully pumped balloon at someone, it will hurt. Can the same be said about a deflated balloon?"

"Not at all. It would feel like a leaf being thrown," Vanica replied.

"Exactly. Now consider your current mana core as a deflated balloon. When it evolves into Breakthrough, it becomes inflated. It causes damage. But when the balloon pops, that's when you trigger your advancement to the next star level—if you're ready for it."

"So, the key is learning how to contain and control the mana input right enough to trigger a breakthrough, right?" Vorden asked.

"Correct. Seems like we have some bright students here after all," Magnus commented. "But… there's a but."

"Which is?" Scarlet asked.

"I was getting to that," Magnus snapped. "If you can't contain the mana, and it overflows before you're ready for the next star—your core will rupture. Crippled. And you'll never be able to cast magic again."

A heavy silence fell across the room as the weight of those words sank in.

"Which is why only those strong enough—those with solid willpower and deep mana reserves—can attempt a breakthrough."

'Damn! Success is only fifty-fifty, but the risk is worth taking,' Grey thought, clenching his fists.

'I don't think I should even try… I'm not strong enough. I don't want to lose the little power I've gathered,' Vince thought, a single tear rolling down his cheek.

'Welp! Risk is worth it. I wonder what my breakthrough will look like… that is, if I manage to do it,' Raze mused.

'Am I strong enough? Can I really pull this off?' Arthur thought to himself. ƒгeeweɓn૦vel.com

"So!" Magnus's voice shattered their thoughts, pulling everyone back to reality. "Are we ready for this? There's no going back once you begin. Some of you might succeed on your first try. Some might take months… or even years. Others may never succeed."

He paused, his gaze intense.

"Or worse—you could be crippled forever."

The air grew tense with anticipation, uncertainty, and silent determination.

"If you're ready… let's begin."