Chapter 151: Castrobrusso Combat Class
Chapter 151: Castrobrusso Combat Class
When Liam and the group entered the classroom, he was surprised to find that it was completely different from the Defense Against the Dark Arts classroom at Hogwarts. There was no blackboard, no projector, and not even desks or chairs.
The entire classroom was set up with numerous obstacles, making it resemble a maze. Liam even noticed that temporary openings had been cut into the walls, leading to adjacent classrooms. Through these openings, he could see that the other classrooms were similarly arranged.
"Everyone gather around so I can see each of you", a voice called from behind a plant. As they moved past the plant, a burly middle-aged professor stood on a tree trunk, addressing the young wizards below: "I know we have exchange students joining us today, so I hope you can allow me to introduce what we'll be doing today. I believe some of you may not know, so this is a good opportunity to listen. Of course, those who are already familiar are welcome to rest while I speak."
"Last year, we spent the entire year practicing casting spells, dodging, and defending during wizard duels. This year, we will add more complex and realistic variables, such as different environments and surroundings. So, I've turned the classroom into a maze to help you understand how to adapt your combat strategies to various conditions."
"In front of you, the maze contains several automatons that can fire spells, as well as many aggressive plants. Your task for this class is to use all the skills you have to obtain the Golden Acorn I've placed at the center of the maze."
"Your final ranking will be determined by the time it takes to retrieve the acorn. Each hit will add 30 seconds to your time. You are allowed to be hit five times; any more and you will be eliminated. Of course, the top three students who complete the task today will receive a reward: I will teach them the advanced spell, the Patronus Charm, during their free time. Now, I have a question: who can tell me what the Patronus Charm is used for?"
Hermione, as usual, raised her hand immediately, while the others were a bit slower. The professor, who resembled the character of the Horse Lord from the TV series Game of Thrones, pointed to Hermione and said, "Alright, you there, the brown-haired exchange student from Britain. What's your name?"
"Hermione Granger."
"Hermione, please answer the question."
"The Patronus Charm is generally used to repel Dementors or Vampire Bats, and it can also be used to send messages. When casting the spell, a wizard must focus on the happiest memory they can think of. The incantation is 'Expecto Patronum.' The spell allows a wizard to summon their Patronus, which can defend them from attacks and counterattack on their behalf", Hermione answered confidently.
"I can't think of a more accurate answer. Yes, the Patronus Charm is a spell with a narrow but crucial application. It's important to note that Dark Wizards cannot cast this spell because they are negatively affected by Dark Magic, which leaves them lacking the positive emotions required. The need for emotional involvement is a key characteristic of advanced spells."
The professor then looked at the three exchange students in the room and added, "Lastly, I want to point out that Britain has the largest population of Dementors in the world, yet they strictly control the teaching of the Patronus Charm. The reason is that their Ministry of Magic uses Dementors as one of their direct forces. However, I find this to be a very foolish practice, as these inherently evil creatures are highly untrustworthy. Collaborating with them is nothing short of foolish."
"Alright, line up in alphabetical order by your last names, and enter one by one. Remember, whether you complete the task or are eliminated, meet in the designated classroom afterward. Do not return here. Now, let's begin."
As time passed, the number of students around Liam dwindled. Hermione and Daphne had already entered, but the obstacles prevented Liam from seeing what was happening inside, and he had no idea if they had succeeded. Finally, the professor called Liam's name. With a whistle, Liam dashed into the classroom.
As soon as Liam entered the classroom, he noticed that the room had suddenly fallen silent. It seemed that these obstacles also had soundproofing effects, which explained why he hadn't heard any sounds from inside. Liam had initially planned to use the Summoning Charm to bring the acorn to him, but he realized he had no idea what an acorn looked like, so he reluctantly gave up.
The path between the obstacles was winding, but there were no forks. After a few steps, Liam turned right around a bend. The path ahead was still empty, but Liam raised his alertness to the highest level. After all, the space here was limited, and it was unlikely that the students would be able to breeze through so easily.
Sure enough, after just a couple of steps, Liam saw two wooden sticks suddenly emerge from the obstacles and swing at him. At that moment, Liam cast a Crushing Curse to shatter the lower stick and then leaned back to avoid the upper one.
The initial challenge was quite formidable, and it was clear that the path ahead would likely be even more difficult. As expected, the journey became increasingly challenging. Liam encountered a Totem Pole that fired fireballs, trees that struck with their branches, flowers that released strange pollen, and even a group of Kepora hiding on the obstacles, throwing Stinkcap Mushrooms at anyone who passed by.
Fortunately, the professor had used a lot of animated plants, so Liam could use the combined detection of Nature and Life Magic to anticipate most of the traps. The various sudden attacks were not particularly difficult for Liam, who had faced no fewer than twenty Raider ambushes in the Wasteland.
Finally, after using a Crushing Curse to blast through an obstacle, Liam managed to take a shortcut to the end. At the end, a small stone platform held a single acorn. However, unlike ordinary acorns, this one was golden.
Having been caught off guard by the professor's traps earlier, Liam learned from his mistake. He took off his robe and used it to roll the acorn off the stone platform. As he suspected, a trap was set on the platform. As soon as the acorn left its original position, a jet of brownish-yellow liquid shot out from the platform. If he had been careless and reached for the acorn directly, he would likely have been drenched.
After the liquid spray subsided, the stone platform slowly sank into the ground, and a hidden door leading to another classroom opened. The students who had already completed the maze were now in this room.
Liam easily found his two companions, as the two black-robed figures stood out among the sea of green robes. However, the girls didn't look too good: Daphne's head was covered in the green slime from Stinkcap Mushrooms, and Hermione's robe was stained with various colors from the pollen.
When they saw Liam in his clean black robe, they were a bit surprised. After asking, Liam learned that neither of them had successfully completed the course. Although Hermione had improved her physical strength by following Liam's training methods and Daphne, as a Pureblood, knew many special spells, their lack of experience with this kind of practical training made them easy targets for the traps.
However, this didn't mean they were poor performers. From the comments of the other students, Liam learned that even after a full year of specialized training, two-thirds of the class still failed to complete this project.
According to the students, the layout of the maze changed for each practical session, and the final exam required everyone in the class to successfully navigate such a maze. It was clear that the Castrobrusso Academy's status as one of the world's top magic schools was well-deserved.
(End of Chapter)
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