As we were about to be roasted by the fire lizards' breath attack, at the last second Vallachio put a barrier around us.

For a second I thought he'd let us get roasted. The hot air had hit us head-on.

The recruits were still screaming like little girls before they registered the barrier presence.

The barrier looked like a soap bubble with an iridescent fuzzy surface in turmoil. I would have found it fascinating if I hadn't been so busy focusing on my survival.

Vallachio clapped enthusiastically.

「Vallachio: Ah-ha! I see some of you attempted to use cold magic to shield themselves from the fire.」

I couldn't tell if he was being ironic or not.

In any case, it wasn't hard to notice we were covered in brine.

He began pacing around us.

「Vallachio: It would certainly work, alas, such method can only protect you from the fire. What if an enemy magician were to throw in lighting, or some spiritual interference magic?」

He kicked away one of the lizards who were too close to the barrier.

「Vallachio: The fire breath of these lizards is made of magic. What else could be used to negate it?」

He asked us with the same teacherly tone he used back at the Academy. He looks so damn relaxed.

「Recruit: A-anti-magic field?」

Someone proffered.

「Vallachio: Yes! Excellent! Has any of you ever practiced anti-magic shielding?」

No one replied.

「Vallachio: Of course... this kind of magic is often taught in advanced classes. To our regret, with a war on the horizon, we won't have time for a leisure training. To be able to stand against an enemy magician is paramount.」

Vallachio stomped on another fire lizard that attempted to cross the threshold.

「Vallachio: Fail that and everyone in the unit is as good as dead. I shall now explain the basics... you'd better to learn fast if you don't want to be burned alive! Ohohoh!」

Our instructor explained to us that an anti-magic field consisted basically in flinging out chaotic spiritual energy. Unlike the usual magic that requires stabilizing the flow of mana, in this case, we had to the opposite. Direct contact with these energies breaks down the magic that crosses it.

Sounds simple enough, right? Anyone can do it.

Yeah, but there's a catch.

Shaping a field with it is damn near impossible since chaotic energy is hard to control. That explains why it's taught in advanced classes.

And we're supposed to learn it now?! I stared dumbfounded at Vallachio.

「Vallachio: Everyone! Practice putting on an anti-magic field, try to complement each other and form a unified barrier.」

He spurred us on with usual cheery attitude.

I tried myself, it was indeed hard to give it shape, my attempt was full of shifting holes.

I looked at the iridescent distortions in the air. Ours were nowhere as close as Vallachio's.

We're never gonna make it.

「Vallachio: You better get on with it, I'm dropping the barrier soon!」

He laughed.

Damn you Vallachio! We needed more time!

Like me, the others were struggling. We started working together, desperately spreading our fields to cover each other.

「Vallachio: Aaaaand... shield dropped! Ahahah!」

Shit!

The fire lizards bathed us with fire.

Our anti-magic field barely held, part of the flames licked my skin, but I used cold magic to counter them.

「Recruits: Gaah!」

Others weren't as fortunate.

I tried to cast cold on those next to me, taking away part of the brunt.

「Vallachio: Very well for a first try, keep at it! Don't lose concentration!」

He clapped enthusiastically.

We tightened our circle to make overlapping the fields easier.

It was working. We took another full brunt of flames, but this time barely any flame seeped through.

「Vallachio: Very good, I see the drill sergeants taught you teamwork!」

Yeah. That's all good and well, but those lizards are starting to get too close!

「Vallachio: But just defending will not save you, you must not neglect attacking!」

No shit. I glanced at Vallachio with murderous intent.

A recruit tried to spear one of the lizards, he pushed it back but the spear tip was almost about to melt. I took it from his hands and cast freeze at it, I gave him my mace instead.

「W-What am I supposed to do with it?!」

I ignored him. These creatures were too low for me to smash their skull comfortably, but with this...

I eyed the closest lizard and speared at it, casting freeze as I connected.

That seemed enough to break through its skin and deal a killing blow. I did it. I smiled with renewed confidence.

I quickly stepped back refocusing on the anti-magic field before I got hit by another fire breath. The hot air made me wince.

It's a fucking training with Vallachio episode. I thought to myself, swear words escaping my lips.

「Vallachio: Good, those of you who can't attack, focus on defense. Play upon your strengths!」

The other recruits were following my example, taking turns at spearing the fire lizards while casting freeze to keep the tip from melting. A rock tip would have been better.

Even better would have been obsidian, due to the magic dissipating effect.

Wait, there's plenty of lava around here. Those big glassy rocks near the flowing lava had to be obsidian, but we didn't have time to chop pieces and turn them into weapons. What if...

My brain gears started spinning.

「Allen: Can we go closer to the lava?」

I shouted to my fellow recruits.

「Recruit: Are you crazy! The monsters are coming out from there and it burns hot!」

If I have to be honest I don't think I've ever been sane.

「Allen: I want some obsidian on my spear tip!」

I said pointing at the spear's tip.

「Wait, that's not a bad idea.」

「Let's try it, quick!」

I gained more consensus than anticipated. It helped that they were as desperate as me.

We moved in the direction with fewer lizards going as close as we could without the radiating heat burning us. Then the ones of us who could use cold magic closed the rest of the distance and quickly dipped the spears into the lava, casting freeze to prevent it from melting.

I took out mine, the tip was a messy mixture of impure obsidian.

More burning shapes were emerging!

「Allen: Ok, move back now!」

I said motioning back.

I quickly began grinding the tip on the rocks to restore its stabbing capabilities. The result had a sharp point, it was good enough.

I took a deep breath.

「Allen: Alright!」

I said loudly and speared one of the closest lizards. The obsidian protected the underlying metal and negated most of the magic-enhanced burning. I didn't even have to cast freeze!

Good, because between casting freeze and the anti-magic field my mana was depleting dangerously fast!

「Vallachio: Oohh! That's a clever idea!」

He burst out laughing while stomping a score of lizards that were surrounding him. I refocused on our situation.

The others finished sharpening their obsidian tips and resumed the killing, under Vallachio's enthusiastic applauding.

Yep, that guy is definitely mental.

We kept going for a good half an hour, then the lizards understood they had to steer clear from us.

We were tired and panting. Multiple burns covering our skin.

「Vallachio: Excellent! Now pick up the dead lizards that have cooled off, once dead they begin cooking themselves hahaha! This is going to be our meal!」

We did so but their skin had become very hard after cooling off. We had to crack them over.

The meat was tasty, and I could feel the mana flowing back while eating it. This was my first taste of a magical creature!

We sated ourselves then our instructor shot up, striking a dramatic pose.

「Vallachio: And now, we march forward! There are many wondrous places to see!」

He set off in some apparently arbitrary direction.

Wondrous places. I could only feel dread.

We followed him. It's not like we had any choice, none of us had any idea where the fuck we were. How to get back home, or how to survive these "wondrous" sights Vallachio was talking about.

Reminder for next time. Never ever follow Vallachio through a portal if you value your life.

We walked away from the Fire Lizard Den, defending ourselves against the scorching flames and the godforsaken creatures that inhabited it.

I think it's a miracle nobody turned into a smoldering pile of ashes. We had collected a good amount of burns, though.

We did our best but we could only do so much in such a short time. It was only thanks to everyone focusing their anti-magic field that we were able to pull through.

It was then when it hit me... we had a whole month of... this... ahead of us.

How did it turn like this... I just wanted to learn magic.

My heart sank.