Lin Li’s opponent was from the Lordaeron Guild of Magic. The fellow looked to be in his twenties. He had a full beard on his face and was nearly two meters tall, which made him look like a tower in the Aurora Square. If he hadn’t worn a mage robe and held a magic staff in his hand, perhaps most of the spectators would think him a warrior.
An Archmage in black mage robe stood between the two of them. As they came up to the arena, the Archmage announced in a clear and loud voice, “Let me introduce the two apprentices for this round—Loken from the Lordaeron Guild of Magic, and Felic from the Jarrosus Guild of Magic…”
“Eh…?” At this moment, Lin Li’s face revealed a hint of surprise.
Could the fellow before him be the Battle Mage from Lordaeron that Andoine had once mentioned? He remembered Andoine had once said that Lordaeron was near the Frozen Highlands and bordered the territory of the Savages. Over the past 1,300 years, the combat skills of Savages had been continuously introduced into Lordaeron, and the magic knowledge of human beings had been constantly disseminated in the highlands. As a result of the exchange of knowledge between the two sides, an unconventional kind of Battle Mage had emerged.
Magic and martial arts, knowledge and the physical body seemed to be two incompatible pairs. But they had found complement in the Battle Mages, and that resulted in an explosion of amazing power. People who studied the Battle Mage profession were regarded as insane at the start, but as the power structure of the Battle Mages matured day by day, these people who were good at both magic and martial arts soon became an indispensable force in the Felan Kingdom.
Hoffman’s eyes were agape as he said incredulously, “F*ck, how can such a monster appear…” He couldn’t believe what he saw. That young mage’s luck was unbelievable. He had encountered a Battle Mage in his first round. This was no joke. There hadn’t been a Battle Mage in a 100 years, and how many people knew how terrifying the youngsters were nowadays?
Damn it. I’ve gotten myself into hot water now…
Even if the genius pharmacist had the strength of an Archmage, Hoffman wasn’t sure he would win the duel. The existence of the Battle Mage was simply too mysterious. A little carelessness might end up resulting in a lifelong regret. When the power structure of the Battle Mages was just established and people didn’t know much about them, countless people suffered huge untold losses in front of these magically and martially adept fellows.
Herza sat next to Hoffman, so naturally he’d have noticed his every move. The moment he saw Hoffman’s expression change, a thought immediately came up in his mind. However, he didn’t expose it on the spot, but instead chuckled, and asked, “How’s that, Hoffman? What do you think of this round?”
“What’s there to see? Are Battle Mages that impressive? Don’t be so sure that the fool’s going to win. Let me tell you, as long as the other fellow grasps the fool’s weakness, he’ll be beaten into a pulp immediately…” Hoffman’s eyes were fixed on Loken. He was dying to fight and win on behalf of Lin Li for this round if he could!
Unfortunately, the rules didn’t allow for that…
“Heh heh…” Hoffman’s expressions fell into Herza’s eyes, and he promptly grasped the situation. The old fellow was gloating smugly. “That kid’s misery is about to start. He’s at most a level-12 Magic Shooter. He can’t possibly win being up against a level-12 Battle Mage…”
“Nonsense…” Hoffman shot him a murderous glare, but it was obvious that his confidence was shaken. He wasn’t worried about the level-12 Battle Mage, for the genius pharmacist was an Archmage after all. Hoffman was afraid that the Archmage was unaware of the strength of a Battle Mage, and if there were any mishaps, Glittergold Trade Union would lose tens of thousands of gold coins…
“Hehe…” Herza giggled, and said nothing more. His murky eyes were fixed on the exceptionally young trial apprentice on the Aurora Square.
Just as Hoffman was all keyed up, the two men on the Aurora Square were ready.
Lin Li held the Aether Staff tightly in his hand, taking in the enormous mana emanating from it. The Dragon’s Eye inlaid on the tip of the staff was giving off soft light in the sun. This staff was made by Andoine back in the Twilight Forest. It was the first time Lin Li was using it.
He had to admit that Andoine was truly generous to him…
Lin Li was unaware of something at the beginning. It was only when he received the staff after his return from the Cinder Woods that he realized Andoine had used a precious branch of the Wisdom Tree as the staff’s main material! The Wisdom Tree was grown to make staves since the Dark Ages because it not only contained enormous mana, but also had extremely high sensitivity to magical elements. Unfortunately, the war that broke out in the Dark Ages destroyed six of the Sky Castles, causing the magical elements in Anril to go out of control. After losing the nourishment it needed to survive, the only Wisdom Tree disappeared along with the High Elves in the long river of time.
Every branch from the Wisdom Tree that existed to this day had been passed down from that era, and each of them could be said to be a treasure of its own kind. If Lin Li were to try and sell the staff in his hand, countless of mages would be vying for it at his doorstep. Perhaps even the experienced profiteer, Hoffman, wouldn’t be able to estimate its real value.
If they were to put a price tag on the Aether Staff, it’d probably be “priceless”!
With the branch of the Wisdom Tree, a fist-sized Dragon’s Eye, and three mageweaths drawn by an inscription guru, who would have the guts to evaluate such a sick piece of staff?
However, the sick staff only attracted a burst of ridicule when it was taken out.
No way, the Dragon’s Eye looked too outmoded…
Nine out of ten mages would say it was an amber stone from the soft yellow light, faint magical wave, and its fist-like size. As for the remaining one, he probably didn’t even know what an amber stone was…
“This, this… This can’t be real. Felic was someone who defeated Macklin; how could he take out such a staff? Look at that amber stone. Isn’t that only used by magic apprentices?”
“To hell with it. How would I know? I can’t fathom how he’d set an amber stone on the staff. Surely the Jarrosus Guild of Magic couldn’t be *that *down-and-out?”
“Maybe it’s really true. I’m sure you know about Jarrosus. The place is so poor that even a fly won’t settle there. I’ve heard that the mages there can’t even afford a meal. Oh, right, you’ve seen the mage robe Felic wore the other time, right? He couldn’t even bear to throw it away even when it’s so worn and old. I heard that Macklin had given him a more decent robe to wear after that…”
“That bad?”
“Absolutely!”
“This simply can’t be real. He’d actually set an amber stone on a pretty decent staff. If he really couldn’t afford one, he could negotiate with the guild. He’s someone who defeated Macklin, after all. Surely the guild won’t mind lending him some money?”
“You’re asking me? How am I supposed to know…?”
The mages in the audience began to talk about the Aether Staff as soon as it was taken out. For a moment, the Aurora Square was buzzing with discussions. It was as if thousands of bees were flying about at the same time.
Even Hoffman was confounded. What was Felic thinking when he set the amber stone on the staff…?
“Haha, this kid is interesting. I must have a talk with him after the finals. What was he thinking? He actually took out a staff inlaid with amber stone in finals like this…” Herza watched the two men in the square with much amusement. His eyes were already narrowed into slits with laughter.
“What do you know, you old fogey…” Hoffman cursed in exasperation. However, he couldn’t help but feel anxious. For a mage, the staff was the most crucial magical weapon. A good staff could bring the strength of a mage into full play, whereas a lousy staff would send the mage into passivity from the beginning.
Undoubtedly, Felic was holding a lousy staff at present.
Hoffman was utterly regretful. If he’d known things were going to end up like this, he’d have chosen to be on the conservative side and impose the handicap on Gryffindor instead. The little bastard was seen with a radiant smile on his face—he must have gotten a good draw for the match. Look at Felic, then; he had encountered a Battle Mage in the first round, and he had actually taken out a staff inlaid with amber stone…
If it weren’t for the many pairs of eyes around him, he’d have kneeled before Felic and say, “My lord, can you take this seriously? This is a business that involves tens of thousands of gold coins. You could’ve told me earlier if you’re short on cash. I could give you a staff that’s worth a million—no, two millions—for free.”
There were at least thousands of mages in the spectator seats at this time. In addition to them, there were the big figures on the VIP seat. All of them had keen eyes, in particular an experienced merchant like Hoffman. The amount of gold coins that passed through his hands could pile up into a mountain, and devil knew how much magical equipment he had seen in his life.
However this time, they had misjudged.
Granted—they could hardly be blamed. The Dragon’s Eye was too deceptive.
Who could have thought that there’d be a fist-sized Dragon’s Eye in the world? It could probably frighten someone to death if it was made known. To avoid becoming a murderer, this had to be called an amber stone!
The stress was much less if it were an amber stone. Although a fist-sized amber stone was rare, it wasn’t entirely unbelievable…
…
Loken took his place in the center of the Aurora Square. He propped the staff in his hand heavily on the ground, giving out a clear and loud “plop” sound…
F*ck… Lin Li felt miserable all of a sudden. He cursed inwardly,* Since when are iron rods used as magic staffs…?*
If he were to be hit by the iron rod, wouldn’t it be the end of him?
“Looks like both of them are ready. Let the match begin!”
Once the referee announced the start of the match, a violent magical wave began to spread on the Aurora Square.
Loken’s recitation was fast and hurried, and three spells—the Hastening Spell, Potence Spell, and Stoneskin—landed on Lin Li at the same time. Then, there was a rush of heavy footsteps, and Loken threw himself on Lin Li like a cannonball.
Almost at the same time, Lin Li raised the Aether Staff in his hand high up. There were no recitations nor complex hand gestures. A bone-chilling aura emanated and spread dozens of meters in an instant. At that moment, everyone saw that a plume of white mist rose and innumerable ice shards danced around amidst it.
“F*ck, it’s an instantaneous Crystal Nova!” The mages in the spectator seats stood up almost instantly.
“Oh, my God!” Hoffman’s voice sounded like a pig about to be slaughtered. He leapt up from the VIP seat with a face full of surprise. He was in a frenzy. This fellow had the knack of scaring someone to death with a single brilliant feat.
Hell, an instantaneous Crystal Nova…
The Crystal Nova was a through-and-through level-eight spell. Even a Legendary-mage like Aldwin wouldn’t dare say he could release it instantaneously. However, that young mage who was barely 20 years of age had done it. Just look at the plume of mist and the flying shards of ice. Hoffman’s energy instantly perked up as he thought,* I’ll slap anyone who says that this isn’t a Crystal Nova!*
“This isn’t Crystal Nova…” Unexpectedly, there wasn’t even enough time for Hoffman to turn the idea around in his mind when Herza’s words reached his ears.
“Bloody hell, old fogey, you’re doing it deliberately, aren’t you?” Hoffman’s face was flushed with anger. If he’d been a match for this old fellow, he would’ve beat the air out of him long ago!
“Open your eyes…”
“What?”
Hoffman gave a start of surprise. Then, the battle situation on the Aurora Square hit him like a hammer…
This was not the Crystal Nova indeed.
The bitter cold aura spread, but it didn’t erupt into an astonishing frostbite. Three sharp sound tore through the white mist successively.
“Damn, Master Felic is insidious…” Hoffman was someone with vast experience. He immediately knew what was going on when he heard the three deafening sounds in the air.
Nine out of ten people would think of that bone-chilling cold as an instantaneous level-eight spell. But, in fact, the real killers were the three icicles that were hidden in the cold. It was unknown how Master Felic had rearranged the elemental sequence of the Crystal Nova so that the level-eight spell was camouflaged as an instantaneous spell.
Just when everyone was struck with terror by the camouflage, the three icicles had advanced secretly under the former’s cover. Perhaps no one could have thought that there was such a scheme behind this attack…
Almost everyone thought that the Battle Mage was done for. The distance between the two of them was too short. In addition to the Crystal Nova as a cover up, he couldn’t have avoided the three icicles.
“Dang, dang, dang…!” However, what followed were three loud stomps.
The whole Aurora Square fell into silence in an instant.
“F*ck…” Lin Li’s heart tightened. That fellow’s physical strength was beyond his estimation. The three icicles seemed to have been shot into a Frost Shield instead. Even a magical beast with thick hide wouldn’t have been able to withstand it.
Fortunately, he had the strength of an Archmage at present. The three icicles had missed unexpectedly, but his response was nonetheless quick. The moment the three stomps sounded, Lin Li had already cast a Power of Repulse. The target of this spell was not Loken, but the ground beneath him.
“Boom!” A muffled explosion rang out after a surge of mana. The huge recoil of the Power of Repulse sent Lin Li flying. With the help of the recoil, Lin Li withdrew to a distance of more than dozens of meters away in a moment.
Almost concurrently, Loken’s staff came down heavily on the ground. Rubble spattered instantly. The power of the instantaneous outburst was no less than a level-five spell’s. A chill ran down Lin Li’s spine despite being in the air. If the staff were to land on him, wouldn’t he be crushed to pieces on the spot?
This won’t do. I’ll have to defeat this fellow as soon as possible. I’ll only be in greater trouble if this drags on!
Lin Li released a Levitation Spell just before he was about to land on the ground.
The release of the Levitation Spell was extremely concealed. Air element surged just less than half a meter from the ground, bringing Lin Li to land lightly on the ground. No one managed to see the release of this spell as Lin Li had landed too fast. No one had noticed that he had cast an Archmage-level spell in less than just a second’s time.
Loken didn’t feel discouraged at all that his attack had missed. He raised the heavy staff high and approached Lin Li with speed brought by the Hastening Spell. At this moment, Lin Li was reciting a spell. The gem on the Aether Staff was glowing, and an enormous mana flowed through the branch of the Wisdom Tree into his body…
“To hell!” The mages who knew their stuff could no longer sit still when the hurried recitation fell into their ears. They found it hard to believe that a mage barely 20 years of age could cast a spell like this!
“Old fogey, did you see it?!” Hoffman was totally excited. He was grabbing onto Herza with his fat and thick hands, shaking him with all his might. “See it? This is the level-12 mage you were talking about. Hahahahaha…”
“I see it, I see it…” Herza was getting on age; how could he stand all the vigorous shaking? He was giddy from the grabbing and shaking, and was desperately trying to break free of that thick, fat hand while trying to speak. “To hell with it. How is this possible?”
“BOOM!”
While the spectators were thrown into a frenzy, another explosion sounded from the center of the Aurora Square. Fire dragons charged fiercely at Loken with their fangs bared and brandishing their claws.
“Flaming Storm?” Loken grabbed the staff with both his hands, and a sneer appeared on his face. Looks like this is all to the fellow who has once defeated Macklin. After all that preparation, he merely released a Flaming Storm. Surely he didn’t think that a level-12 Battle Mage could be defeated by a level-eight spell?
Moreover, was he just an ordinary Battle Mage?
I have the blood of the Savages flowing in me!
“Go to hell!” Loken roared and pushed himself off the ground. He was like a tower falling from the sky, holding his staff high in the air and coming down with a tremendous force…
But in the next moment, the ferocious expression on Loken’s face suddenly changed to one of fear. He clearly felt that besides the compelling fire magical element, there was another force influencing him quietly. The force wasn’t strong, but it was absolutely lethal to him at present.
Bloody hell, it’s the darned Magic Quell!
Although Loken had realized something, there was no way he could use his magic in the air. He couldn’t even slow down his descent a little. He could only watch the magic spell on him disperse quickly, and in an instant, he was like a naked baby facing the ferocious fiery dragons.
Then…
In a moment, countless fire dragons swallowed Loken, who was without the protection of any magic spells. Although he was a Battle Mage and had the blood of the Savages, these could only help enhance his magic’s effect and reduce the damage he’d suffer. These things couldn’t give him immunity to spells. The dispersion of the amplifying spells meant that he was reduced to nothing…
How come there were two spells? In that moment, Loken only had time for one question in his mind. Before he could figure it out, he felt the world spin and was knocked out cold…
“See that, old fogey? This is the level-12 Battle Mage you were talking about!” Hoffman didn’t bother hiding his elation. He laughed uncontrollably as he patted Herza on the shoulder.
“I must be blind…” Herza admitted generously. There was no embarrassment on his aged face at all. The young mage called Felic was simply too outstanding. Although he had used some low-level spells, he was perfect in terms of his spell-casting skills. Not to mention the Alanna Guild of Magic, even the people from the Supreme Council couldn’t have done it better than him.
Herza sat down, and quietly asked the fatso next to him, “Hoffman, you know this kid?”
“Heh heh…” Hoffman was extremely pleased with himself, and his cocky laughter got even more out of control.
