Magus Supremacy - Chapter 235

Chapter 235: An incomplete breakthrough! (Super gift bonus chapter)
Chapter 235

“Wh… wh…where am I?” Grey muttered, his voice hoarse and weak as his blurry vision gradually adjusted.

A blinding white light flooded his sight, forcing him to squint. The ceiling above him was sterile and smooth—too clean, too unfamiliar.

The soft, sterile scent of medicine tickled his nose. He shifted slightly, and only then realized he was lying on a bed. Confused, he tried to sit up when—

“Woah there! Easy, kid. You shouldn’t be moving around yet.”

A familiar voice cut through the haze.

Turning his head, Grey’s vision cleared enough to recognize Instructor Magnus standing nearby, arms folded, a calm but watchful expression on his face.

Around the room, his teammates lay in their own beds, eyes wide open and fixed on him with a mixture of concern and curiosity.

“Wh…what happened? Why are we here?” Grey asked, his voice strained. His hand instinctively moved to his chest.

‘Why is my mana core… drained? What the hell is going on?’ he thought, panic creeping in. Then, fragments of memory—faint but vivid—flashed in his mind.

He remembered standing in the training hall, pushing his mana through his body just as Instructor Magnus instructed—faster, harder, more aggressively. Then… nothing. Just a splitting headache… a burning pain in his chest… and then darkness.

“Do you remember anything?” Magnus asked, his brow furrowed with concern.

“Not really,” Grey replied, wincing as he touched his throbbing head. “I remember doing the mana circulation exercise… then my mind just… went blank. Next thing I know, I’m here.”

“That explains a lot,” Magnus muttered under his breath.

“Explain what? Wait—why are all of us here?” Raze asked, glancing at the others.

Magnus let out a breath. “First of all, I have to say—you all were impressive today. Most of you showed strength—mentally and physically.

Though… some of you clearly have a long way to go.” His gaze swept over Vanica, Arthur, Gordon, Vorden, and finally stopped at Vince.

“Secondly…” Magnus squinted at Grey. “Uh… what’s your name again?”

“Grey Dawn,” he replied, still massaging his aching temples.

“Grey Dawn! Now I remember!” Magnus smacked his forehead. “You’re the one Captain Amir told me about—the one who took down a level 7 boss beast during your first year.”

‘Right…’ Grey thought as realization dawned. ‘He was there that day—the award ceremony. There were four of them: the principal, the captain, Instructor Von… and him.’

“The pieces are finally clicking together,” Magnus continued with a shrug. “If what Amir said was true, I shouldn’t be surprised by what happened today.”

Grey’s brows tightened. “What did happen? Why is my mana core empty? And why does my head feel like it’s being hammered?!”

“It’s normal,” Magnus replied calmly. “Your core is drained because… you broke through.”

“What?!” Grey and the others exclaimed in unison, their eyes nearly popping out of their sockets.

“You… you…you mean… I broke through? Seriously?” Grey asked, a mix of disbelief and cautious excitement coloring his voice.

“Well, technically, you didn’t fully break through,” Magnus clarified. “You got close. But something disrupted the flow and forced all your mana out. You collapsed before the breakthrough could complete.”

Grey’s expression twisted in frustration. “Can you please stop beating around the bush and explain clearly what the hell happened?”

Magnus nodded. “You had what we call an incomplete breakthrough. It’s when a mage pushes their limits to ascend to the next stage, but fails to control the surging mana.

When that happens, the mana violently disperses, draining the user entirely and rendering them unconscious.”

“If you’d managed to contain and guide that energy properly, you would’ve made a complete breakthrough—and you’d be flaunting your new strength right now.”

“So I failed…” Grey muttered, his head lowered, disappointment washing over him like cold water.

“Failed?” Magnus raised a brow. “Hell no. That was excellent—for an amateur. You surpassed all expectations.” His voice carried rare enthusiasm.

“Out of all the students I’ve ever trained, you’re the first to grasp this exercise on your first try—even if it was incomplete…” he paused, eyes narrowing in thought.

“Actually… no. You’re the second student to surprise me like this.”

“Who was the first?” Arthur asked, curious.

Magnus’s expression turned nostalgic. “An ex-third year. The academy’s ‘demonic student of the year.’ He was so powerful that some believed he rivaled—if not surpassed—the vice-captain.”

“I’ve heard of him since first year,” Greg scoffed. “People make him sound like some god. I’m sure he’s not that strong.”

Magnus chuckled, then shook his head. “Not strong, huh? I’ll never forget our sparring session. He could’ve flattened me easily—but he held back. Out of respect.”

“Wait—what?!” Scarlet gasped, her eyes wide.

“Anyway,” Magnus said, waving it off. “Rest now. Tomorrow, we will continue our training. And Grey—don’t worry. Your core will be replenished in about an hour.”

With that, he turned and exited the room, leaving silence in his wake.

‘Captain Amir talked about him. Instructor Von talked about him. The third years back then talked about him… even Charlotte mentioned him. Who is this demonic student? How strong is he really?

Why do I feel this rush inside me… like I want to fight him? Is he really that strong? Or is everyone just overhyping him?’ Grey clenched the bedsheet, fire stirring in his chest.

‘Grey… no matter how hard I work, no matter how much I improve, you always surpass me. It’s like there’s this wall I can never climb.

Even though we’re friends… It hurts like hell.’ Vince clenched his fists tightly, his gaze locked on Grey with quiet frustration. ‘But I swear—I’ll work twice as hard. I won’t drag our team down. I refuse to be a burden.’

‘He actually managed an incomplete breakthrough? A peasant like him? How far ahead is he now?’ Greg gritted his teeth, hands crushing the fabric of his blanket. ‘I can’t let this continue.’

‘An incomplete breakthrough, huh? Big deal.’ Scarlet thought with a smirk. ‘I doubt he can pull it off again.’

As silence fell over the room, each of them sank into their own thoughts. But one thing was certain—something had shifted today, and none of them would leave this moment unchanged.