Transmigration

Brock withdrew his blade from the boy's neck. The boy fell to the ground choking on his own blood. Brock studied the boy's armor and narrowed his vision onto the emblem etched into the center of the chest piece.

"No wonder you went through such intricate measures to summon water."

Brock did not recognize the emblem. Given his familiarity with noble society, he assumed the boy he had just killed was not a noble.

It was quite common for talented apprentices of magic from lesser backgrounds to make their own crest. The amount of finesse required to control the water inside plants was something Brock wished to achieve.

Brock stepped out of a pile of loose dirt. The dirt seemingly with a life of its own moved like flowing water and leveled itself with the surrounding earth. He looked at the withered grass and vegetation around him then casted a pitiful gaze at the boy.

"To think a commoner enrolled in the Black Sorios academy, I applaud your courage. Your control over the water element is greater than even mine with earth."

The boy circumvented his poor mana pool by extracting water from his surroundings instead of conjuring it. He tricked the Burntry noble by giving her a false name. To be calm and cunning in a stressful situation was a very hard thing to do. Brock respected the boy. He had the traits of a great mage.

Brock looked at the boy. His eyes were teary in disbelief. He grabbed at his neck struggling to breath, struggling to stay alive. 'He and his family must've worked hard to afford the water wyvern scales. To break his family's hearts and dreams in a single moment must be heartbreaking for even the strong hearted. I would've saved you if this world were not so cruel.'

"However, a sorcerer also requires luck and you've run out of it."

If Brock was teleported anywhere else, this boy would've survived. 'How many talented apprentices have fallen in the sand shark trial? Why must such a culling be practiced to nurture sorcerers?' Brock pondered to no avail. Only true mages knew of the truth behind them.

Brock walked past the boy towards the girl. What used to be a thin girl was now a chubby one. If it weren't for the pig-like grunts she made while breathing, Brock would've thought her dead. He took a glance at her red hair. Adding that to her previous display of strength, it was an obvious sign of her Burntry family lineage.

"I respect your determination to survive. I will ease your suffering."

With that said, Brock plunged his sword into the girl's heart. After her body spasmed she laid motionless on the ground.

'Now then if what we were told is right, the badge should emerge from her body.' Indeed moments after her death, sparkles of light emerged from her chest and converged into a circular badge with ruins carved on it. In the same moment, Brock noticed a badge emerge from the boy as well.

Brock sheathed his blade and leaned down to pick the badge off the girl's chest. Midway he stopped abruptly. The cut on the girl's chest had just closed itself and healed. Brock jumped back 5 feet away and unsheathed his blade.

'Resurrection magic? How can an apprentice cast it? And it triggers upon the caster's death?' Brock watched as her bloated body slowly healed itself. After he was certain of the girl's resurrection, Brock formed a pillar of earth underneath the girl and pushed it upwards.

She stumbled in the ground, rolling multiple times before naturally stopping without any visible movement from her body. Brock formed another pillar and performed the same action this time with a different result. The girl arched her back upright and held her body in pain.

'I should ask her about the spell she used. After her intense fight I doubt she can offer much resistance.' Brandishing his sword, he slowly approached the girl. Visibly frightened, she crawled backwards only stopping after staring at her own right hand.

The girl examined her body. Starting from her clothes, she looked at her breast. She brought her hands together and rubbed them. She looked around ignoring Brock and stopped at the boy's dead body. The girl started to breathe erratically and returned an uncomfortable gaze to Brock.

"Ah, meske refpevah shies?"

"Huh?" Brock was confused. 'What is she talking about?'

With visible confusion stuck in her face, the girl once again studied her surroundings

"Guenor? Hwesk phavasmil?"

Brock could not put any semblance of meaning into her words. 'Was her brain damaged in the process of her resurrection? Can I even get any information out of her?'

"What is your family name?" 'I will start with this. If she doesn't even remember the burntry family then there is no point in further questioning. The more time I spend here, the more dangerous it becomes.'

"Meh sqim… My name is Galvar Giantwood?" The girl hesitated as she spoke. Her face contorted deeper into confusion.

'Sigh' Brock regretted his misfortune. The girl was clearly insane. If he extorted relevant information about the resurrection magic out of her it would've expanded his magic knowledge and given him an upper hand in future battles.

Cursing his bad luck, Brock parted the soil beneath him and began to fall. There was no reason to kill her. He had already gotten her badge. The battle had to have attracted some attention and Brock did not want to stay long enough to get ambushed. Yet he was interrupted once again.

"Aaaaarrrggh"

The girl screamed louder than Brock had ever thought possible from a human. He watched as her flesh expanded and grew a few inches. Sounds of bones cracking and rattling together sunk deep into Brock ears. 'Bad luck? Haha. I dodged a succubus' offer. Her resurrection spell was more incomplete than I had initially thought.'

Crack. Rattle. Crack

"Huh?" Brock looked at the boy's body on his right. His body was also melting and reforming. A sense of dread filled the back of Brock's mind. He did not understand what was going on.

'How is this possible? As far-fetched as it is, that Burntry apprentice could've cast the spell. But this boy does not have enough mana to cast a grand spell such as a resurrection spell. Even if he does that does not explain why it malfunctioned the same way the girls did. Were they researching the spell together? Then why were they fighting each other? Don't tell me someone else casted the spell?'

Brock hurriedly cast his eyes around his surroundings yet he did not see anyone. He focused his mind to perceive the vibrations on the earth. He could perceive any movement on the ground 500 feet away from him yet he did not sense anything.

Caw Caw Caw Caw Caw Caw Caw Caw

All around him crows emerged from the trees. Caught off guard by the caw's, Brock took a stance and readied his blade; however he sheathed it as soon as he recognised the crows. They were living flesh golems used for surveillance purposes in the academy. 'What are they doing here in such numbers?'

The crows circled around Brock and spoke in unison.

"Caw caw, 1st year Brock Landbare of the Black Sorios academy. You will remain here until Master Marcus arrives. Any attempt to flee will result in your death. Caw caw."

Brock listened and stood still waiting for Master Marcus' arrival. The academy was a mile away but It would not take long for a sorcerer to travel the distance. Sure enough a minute later, Brock felt someone invisible standing in front of him.

The figure revealed itself as the man stripped a cloak. He had grey hair and a stern look on his face. The crows dispersed into the forest canopy. Master Marcus observed the bodies of the man and a young girl covered in fleshy grime.

"To be able to transmute living flesh without breaking the soul, never in my life had I thought this possible." The man turned to Brock and gave a slight nod.

"I am master Marcus. I exempt you from the trial and grant you a passing grade. Take this teleportation stone and focus your mana into it. It will teleport you to the center of the academy. You will give an immediate report on what you witnessed to master Ruby on the 83rd floor."

Marcus handed the teleportation stone to Brock. Brock took the stone and bowed in respect.

"You will speak to no one of this incident."

"I will take my leave then master Marcus."

With that said, Brock channeled his mana into the stone and vanished.

____

"Can you carry these individuals on your back?"

Behind Marcus a huge 10 feet tall creature emerged out of thin air. Its slender reptile-like body was covered in green scales and wings sprouted from its back. It had a mouth with razor sharp teeth and a pair of horns on top of his head. It creaked its long slender neck down to the level of Marcus and growled in a deep voice.

"Hmph, you dare ask me to dirty my body with these lowly beings?"

In response Marcus conjured water on top of the boy and girl and washed them off of the fleshy grim. He looked at the creature with both of his eyebrows raised.

"I… guess I could do that." The creature retorted with a grunt.

Marcus commanded the air and lifted them off of the ground. He glided their bodies through the air and rested them on top of the creatures spiny back. With earth magic, he secured their unconscious bodies onto the creatures back.

"Follow me"

Marcus wore the cloak he took off a while ago and his body turned invisible. At his command, the creature turned itself and the bodies on its back invisible. A large gust of wind burst outwards where the creature had just stood.