I became a god through archaeology in the Wizarding World.

As the intrigues of night transformed into the clamor of day, the heat within the shadowy arena burned even brighter than it had two days prior.

Although the academy's perimeter had been sealed off by the Iron Duke's military police, and the necromancy department's supply routes had been cut off, this had not affected the progress of the annual assessment in the slightest.

On the contrary, this tense situation added a touch of violent gunpowder to the air in the arena.

Rhodes stood in the shadows of the waiting area, listening to the deafening cheers outside.

"Next up, the highly anticipated bloodline genius, the history major—Rod Griffin!"

As the referee shouted, Rod slowly walked out of the tunnel.

This time, he was greeted not with ridicule and boos, but with a complex mix of awe, curiosity, and envy.

The scene of shattering the wind barrier with a single punch not long ago has become the hottest topic of this year's assessment.

However, Rod's gaze did not linger on the audience seats, but rather crossed the crowd to look at a corner of the VIP section.

There's an empty seat there.

That seat belonged to Mortimer, the head of the Necromancer Department.

Although that old ghost was overwhelmed by the combined pressure from the military and the royal family, he didn't even show up in person.

"The opponent is... a necromancer, Malek."

The referee announced the other side's name.

Rhodes' pupils contracted slightly.

There was no random draw, and there was no fairness whatsoever.

Standing at the other end of the ring was a hunched-over, gloomy young man whose entire body was wrapped in gray bandages.

Malek, a renowned tormentor of the necromancer class, is said to be best at not killing his opponents, but rather using curses to make them wish for death in agony.

"It seems Mortimer is still not giving up."

Rhodes sneered inwardly.

"start!"

As the protective barrier rose, Marek didn't waste any words.

His cloudy eyes were fixed on Rhodes, and his withered fingers drew several twisted symbols in the air.

"The Curse of Pain"

A dark red light instantly crossed the field, ignoring physical defenses, and directly entered Rhode's body.

Immediately afterwards, Malek pointed his wand.

"Weakening rays".

A gray beam of light followed closely behind, striking Rhodes precisely in the chest.

There is absolutely no room for evasion; the characteristic of curse-type spells is that they lock onto the soul, making them extremely difficult to avoid.

"Well……"

Rhodes' body jerked violently, letting out a suppressed growl.

He felt a piercing pain explode in his nerve endings, as if countless rusty saws were cutting into his bones.

At the same time, the negative effects of the weakening rays made his muscles feel as heavy as lead, and his strength seemed to be rapidly draining away.

"Is this what they call a bloodline genius?"

Marek let out a piercing laugh, not rushing to attack, but watching Rhodes as if admiring his prey's struggle: "Before a curse, even the strongest beast is nothing more than a screaming piece of meat. Kneel down and beg for mercy, and perhaps I'll let you suffer less."

The audience erupted in uproar.

"It's over, it's a curse-type that's been completely countered."

"Those muscular brutes are most afraid of this kind of weakening spell."

Instructor Galon clenched his fists in the stands, his face ashen.

He could tell that this was a targeted arrangement, but he couldn't interfere; that was the rule.

In the center of the ring, Rhodes stood with his head down, his body trembling violently.

To outsiders, this appears to be a sign of pain and weakness.

But in reality, Rhodes was calmly assessing his body's data.

"Pain signal shielding by 30%... The high tolerance brought by the [Stone-skinned Groundwalker] gene is taking effect. Muscle strength has decreased by about 20%, but the [Steel-bristled Wild Boar] still has ample reserves of explosive power."

This pain, compared to the tearing sensation when directly fusing genes, is like a mosquito bite.

Rhodes slowly raised his head.

His eyes were bloodshot, not from weakness, but from him deliberately manipulating his emotions to simulate the madness of a wild beast after being provoked.

"roar……"

A deep growl escaped from the depths of Rhodes' throat.

He did not retreat, nor did he try to dispel the curse with magic. Instead, he stepped forward, defying the aura of decay and despair.

One step, two steps.

With each step, the stone slabs beneath his feet cracked under the weight.

Marek's smile froze on his face.

"How is that possible? How can someone who's been hit by a weakening ray still move?"

He frantically raised his wand, attempting to cast a second control spell: "Prison of Bones!"

Several pale, bone spurs protruded from the ground, attempting to trap Rhodes's legs.

In that very instant.

A cruel smile curled at the corner of Rod's mouth.

His leg muscles suddenly swelled, and although the steel bristles were not visible, the explosive power belonging to an ancient creature had accumulated to its peak beneath his skin.

At the same time, a pair of invisible [wings of light] quietly unfolded on his shoulder blades.

This time, instead of gliding, he used the enormous lift and gravity reduction effect generated by the instant the wings unfolded to amplify his original jumping force by a full three times!

"boom!!"

A large crater was blown open in the ground.

Rhodes' figure vanished from the spot in an instant.

In the audience's view, he was like a cannonball compressed to the extreme and then launched, crossing half of the arena in an instant with a speed and height that completely defied the common sense of physics, directly passing over those newly raised cages of white bones!

"What?!"

Marek looked up in horror and saw only a huge dark shadow blocking out the sunlight.

Rhodes was in mid-air. Although his right arm was not completely mutated, the surface of his skin had already developed a dark gray, rocky sheen.

【Stone Skin - Heavy Hammer】!

Using the terrifying momentum of his descent, Rhodes' fist, accompanied by a sharp whistling sound, slammed into Malek's fragile magical shield.

"No! Ghost Shield!!"

Marek screamed as he crushed a piece of the amulet.

A semi-transparent ghost wall appeared above his head.

But against Rhodes's deadly strike, which combined the explosive power of [Steel Mane], the hardness of [Stone Skin], and the acceleration of [Light Wings], that shield was as fragile as an eggshell.

"Bang!!!"

A loud bang.

The ghost shield shattered instantly, turning into countless points of light.

The force of the punch didn't diminish; it landed directly on Marek's shoulder.

"Snap!"

The sickening sound of bones cracking echoed throughout the stadium.

Marek's body collapsed on one side instantly, and he was smashed into the ground like a rag doll. He passed out without even being able to scream.

Smoke and dust rose everywhere.

Rhodes stood at the edge of the pit, panting heavily, his eyes bloodshot, as if he had lost his mind.

The referee rushed onto the stage: "The winner... Rod! The match is over! Please stop!"

However, Rod did not seem to hear the referee's voice.

He whirled around, his murderous eyes fixed on the referee, a threatening growl emanating from his throat, his right arm muscles tense, as if he were about to attack the referee as well.

"roar!!"

It was a kind of madness completely dominated by bestiality.

The referee was startled and quickly stepped back, preparing to cast a spell to protect himself.

Just then, a red figure flew down from the stands.

"Calm down! Rhodes! Calm down!"

Mentor Galon rushed into the arena and grabbed Rhodes' shoulder.

Instead of using magic to suppress it, he used a special soothing method to infuse a gentle stream of blood energy into Rhodes' body.

"Look at me! The battle is over! Your prey has fallen!"

Rhodes' body stiffened for a moment.

He looked at Galon, the crimson in his eyes gradually fading, replaced by a deep weariness and confusion.

"Mentor...?"

Rod's voice was hoarse, and his body went limp, almost causing him to fall.

Galon caught him, his face showing no anger, but rather an expression of ecstatic joy.

"Great! That's wonderful!"

Looking at the terrified audience around him, Galon loudly announced, "This is the power of bloodline! Your bloodline has some mutations and side effects, making you susceptible to being corrupted by bestial instincts in battle, but this is precisely proof of the extremely high purity of your atavistic bloodline!"

He turned to look at Rhodes, his eyes filled with affection and protectiveness: "Child, you've done very well. This wildness is a gift; with a little guidance, you'll be the strongest war machine."

Rhodes leaned against Galon, his lowered eyelids obscuring the fleeting clarity in his eyes.

Having demonstrated the side effects, a bloodline genius who is prone to losing control, acts violently, and relies solely on his physical strength is far more reassuring than a calm, rational, and cunning schemer.

The more satisfied Galon is with him now, the tighter his protection will be.

Mortimer's plan to ruin him through the competition not only failed, but actually helped him gain a foothold in the bloodline system.

"Take him to the lounge! Use the best medicine!"

Galon waved to disperse the crowd and personally escorted Rhodes away.