Chapter 426: Takeoff!
The first group got booted off stage.
It was all because those popular clubs didn’t want to go first, so they were snatched up.
They didn’t care. The closer to the front, the better! After all, it was clear the target audience wasn’t Yuliya and her type, but rather certain “special enthusiasts.”
Sure enough, not long after stepping down, a freshman, looking fresh as daisies, slyly tried to flirt.
Before long, the second group was up — a club named “Purr Purr Dream Squad.”
With a name like that, who knew what it was about? But after a quick intro, it made a bit more sense.
They recorded, created, and re-enacted beautiful scenes in various ways.
Mixing dreams with reality, leaving behind moments that tugged at the heartstrings.
Still confused? Just check out what they were displaying.
Art, vocals, videos, special costumes.
Or, in simpler terms: comics, music, animation, and COSPLAY.
Holy moly! It’s the second dimension!
Yuliya was surprised.
Who knew they had the second dimension here, too?
But let’s be real — true fandom in the second dimension? That’s next level.
These folks were even making their own animations by hand!
But alas, this second dimension was clearly a niche interest, drawing a lukewarm response.
And Yuliya?
She decisively kept her distance from the second dimension.
Not her jam; not even close.
Moving on, the next few acts were equally dull.
Yuliya found herself losing interest; the others looked equally bored.
This won’t do! There’s nothing happening!
Those sneaky back-row folks were all huddled together, holding their breath, waiting for someone else to take the plunge.
Yuliya chuckled to herself.
They definitely weren’t going to hold it in forever.
Feeling a bit bored, she waved her arm: “This is so boring! If it’s all like this, I might as well hit the books.”
“Right? There’s nothing to see.”
“What’s the deal? Should we just call it a day?”
Some party crashers chimed in.
“There’s still more! We’re up next!”
Someone shouted from the back, cutting through the line and jumping right onto the stage.
The others grumbled a bit but couldn’t get too mad when they saw who it was. Besides, with them up there, they couldn’t exactly kick them off.
The leader waved at Yuliya with a grin, “Watch closely, junior! Our Gale Wing Club will definitely capture your interest!”
“Gale Wing?”
That name actually sounded pretty serious and cool.
Yuliya wasn’t familiar with the club, but plenty in the audience seemed to be.
Not just the upperclassmen; even some freshmen recognized their name.
As one of the top ten clubs at Saint Felis Academy, they’ve got some serious rep.
A handful of known figures from various places and some of the academy’s finest graduates had been members of this club.
“I’m sure many of you know our Gale Wing Club. Here’s a brief intro: We’re a bunch of warriors yearning for the sky, uniting to help each other chase freedom!”
“Our ultimate dream? To soar into the skies, fly higher, farther, faster!”
Upon hearing this, Yuliya nodded.
Now that was interesting.
After all, flying was quite the challenge for gold-level practitioners, and even many emerald-level folks couldn’t do it.
“So, please enjoy our demonstration.”
He took a step back, letting two members step forward.
One pulled out a pair of wings from a box.
Quick as a flash, he strapped those wings onto his back.
The other pulled out a staff.
The two exchanged knowing glances and nodded.
Ready, set, go!
Three seconds later, the duo slowly ascended into the air.
Once they gained a few meters, they kicked it into high gear.
“Wow!”
“They’re flying!”
“Wait, they can keep going up! They’re really flying this high?!”
The audience, especially the newbies, were buzzed.
These two students had only been here a few years, and now they were flying! Does that mean in two years, they’d be flying too?
Yuliya watched the two take off, nodding slightly.
Sure, the speed wasn’t much faster than walking, and their flight path was as straightforward as could be, but they were actually flying!
Being up in the air had its perks.
A big chunk of commonly used magic was tough to use up there.
Like that most popular Fireball Spell. Its main way of dealing damage is through the explosion after hitting something, not hitting directly.
But targets in the air? Not like hitting the ground; you can’t just smash and boom.
Someone might say, “Just aim properly then!”
If you could aim that well, I’d suggest using a bow and arrow; their direct damage is way better than a fireball.
So even though Yuliya thought these two’s flying abilities still paled compared to her past gold-level floating antics, she didn’t hold back her applause.
“Looks pretty good. Is this two types of flight? Alchemy technique and pure magic?”
“Ha! Exactly, junior! Your insight is impressive. We were a bit rushed today; this is just a simplified display. If you join Gale Wing, we promise a more efficient, faster, and thrilling flying experience!”
Yuliya smiled but didn’t give a direct answer: “If the opportunity arises, I’ll have to check it out.”
The two in the air continued to hover at a height of several dozen meters.
But suddenly, the one using the alchemy technique froze and began to struggle.
The other quickly noticed something was off and rushed over: “What’s wrong?”
“I don’t know; I suddenly can’t move. Can you help… oh no! Ah!”
Before finishing his sentence, he suddenly began to plummet.
This, in turn, disrupted the other’s magic, and they both dropped from the air.
“Watch out!”
“Move aside! Run!”
The crowd below suddenly realized something was amiss and frantically yelled for everyone to back off.
But too many people were crammed in; they were just packed in tight, and the collective didn’t react quickly enough.
“Oh no!”
The guy who had just been chatting confidently with Yuliya turned pale: “Don’t panic! Stay calm! Myer, restart the magic! We’ve got time!”
Yuliya immediately crouched down, bracing her hands on the platform.
In the next moment, the stage transformed, extending outwards.
A second later, both of them landed on that extended part of the stage, with a loud thud, and then… nothing else.
The panicked crowd stared, realizing the two were half-buried in the stage, but from their expressions, it seemed they were mostly okay.
Yuliya waved her hand, and the stage returned to normal, pulling the two back to the center.
Their bodies slipped right out from the stage.
The leader rushed over to check: “How are you both?”
“I’m fine; it’s all soft, doesn’t hurt at all.”
“I… can you check if my equipment is okay?”
“Looks all good on the outside.”
“That’s great; I’m all good!”
“Good to hear.” Yuliya smiled at them, then turned her attention to the audience below.
“Although the Gale Wing Club’s performance had a little mishap at the end, it was still spectacular, showing us another glimpse of hope. Let’s give them a round of applause!”
With that, Yuliya led the applause.
Then, the rest joined in.
The three members of the Gale Wing Club gratefully nodded at Yuliya and made their way off stage.
