by Zhuang Bifan
Then…
They heard a crisp sound—it was as if something had scratched glass. It was sharp and ear-piercing, giving everyone goosebumps. Immediately after, there were cries of alarm from the spectator seats. The group of mages that had closed their eyes started to slowly open them. After that, they saw that the trial apprentice called Mason had already escaped from the Aurora Square at an unknown time. He was now standing outside of the battling zone and directing a crude hand gesture at Gryffindor. "F*ck your mom, come over and kill me if you have the guts!"
"…"
"Shut up…" Macklin smacked Mason's head. "There're so many people looking, don't be an embarrassment. Hurry up and go to the guild medical center to treat your wounds."
"Oh…" Although the old man's tone was hostile, the concern he had could not be concealed. As for Mason, he had pulled off a miraculously obedient attitude today. He did not glare furiously after being smacked by the old man on the head, but just obediently nodded his head. He hobbled back to the guild's medical center with the support of two mage apprentices.
It was just that before he left, he waved his fist at Lin Li. "Felic, destroy him!"
"Relax." Lin Li gently nodded his head. This sentence was not only directed to Mason, it was also directed to himself. Gryffindor was really going overboard. Within a few days, he had injured both of Lin Li's teammates. Orin could only watch the tournament, and Mason had now been sent to the guild's medical center, not knowing when he'd fully recover.
This was absolutely intolerable for Lin Li.
Frankly speaking, Lin Li's character was nothing much. Even Herza could tell that this guy was naturally hypocritical. People like this hardly treated anyone as friend. Sometimes, he might seem to be a loyal friend, but actually it was just superficial. Very few people would be treated as true friends by him. For example, Mason, Orrin and that particular fatty at Jarrosus. Lin Li would never be stingy towards them or reject them. He could not tolerate seeing them getting hurt. Gryffindor had consecutively injured Mason and Orrin. It had completely ignited Lin Li's killing intent…
Yet at this time, Gryffindor was regretting the opportunity that he had missed. His face was purple with rage while standing in the middle of the Aurora Square. Even when the judges announced his victory, he did not display a single hint of smile on his face.
Gryffindor could not understand even after wrecking his brains. They were obviously two decisive Wind Blades—how could they miss for no rhyme or reason? Gryffindor clearly saw that those two razor-sharp wind blades had struck Mason's throat. Why was it that they seemed to have landed on a piece of metal and bounced far away with "dang"? They did not even leave a mark, not to mention slitting Mason's neck…
How was this possible? Gryffindor stood there, totally clueless…
But it was alright, for he still had another chance.
That country bumpkin from Jarrosus called Felic… wasn't he in the final three already?
The finals for the top three was a round-robin tournament. Willing or not, I will still have to fight with the other two. By that time, I, Gryffindor, will definitely let this country bumpkin from Jarrosus know what it is to be a genuine Archmage. Don't think that you are amazing just because you are acquainted with Hoffman. Even Hoffman himself would have to address my master respectfully as "Leader Rosen", not to mention that you are only acquainted with Hoffman. What kind of a big deal are you, a trial apprentice from the countryside, going to be?
When Gryffindor walked out of the Aurora Square with a sullen look, the tournament was about to come to an end. The final three were Gryffindor from Alanna, Matthias from Sunrise City, and Felic from Jarrosus City. The person who'd control the new Guild of Magic would be decided by the round-robin tournament at the end.
To be fair, all three of them were given an hour to rest.
After one hour, the first fight would commence. It would be Gryffindor from Alanna versus Felic from Jarrosus…
Lin Li had been standing at the side of the Aurora Square and staring at the Gryffindor far away all the time.
…
An hour of rest time went by quickly. After Aldwin said "Let's Begin", Lin Li and Gryffindor almost stood simultaneously and walked into the Aurora Square together. At this time, the atmosphere in the whole arena had changed. Be it the VIP seats, the spectator's seats, the big shots from the whole of the Felan Kingdom, or the mage apprentices that could only steal a few glances from the side of the square, they had all roused up their spirits and fixed their eyes on these two men that had just walked into the square.
If the previous match was an appetizer, then the current one in progress would be the real main course. These three man represented the highest standard among all of the young mages in the Felan Kingdom. Be it Matthias, who had a sudden surge in power, the long appointed number one genius, Gryffindor, or Felic, whose way of fighting was more interesting than a magic show, their strength had already been proven in this tournament. However, everyone wanted to know who was the strongest out of these three young mages.
Herza, who sat at the VIP stand, asked in a mean manner, "Hoffman, you seem rather anxious…"
"Of course…" Hoffman's pea-like eyes stared straight at the Aurora Square. He was so anxious that he did not dare to blink; it was as if he was afraid that he might die just from blinking. After hearing Herza's mocking remark, he only pouted his lips, and complained, "This match involves tens of millions of gold coins. If it was you, you would be as anxious as me…"
"…" When this astronomical number of gold coins was brought up, Herza almost choked on his saliva. He stared at Hoffman with deep hatred and quietly cursed to himself. "No wonder these bastards from the Glittergold Trade Union are so rich as if they are leaking oil. F*ck, a match like this, and they could even bet tens of millions of gold coins. How could they not be rich?"
After being shocked, Herza could not help but feel doubtful. "Hoffman, do you happen to know any inside story? If not, why are you so confident about Felic that you actually dared to bet tens of millions of gold coins…"
"Don't be noisy, let me finish watching the match, and we'll talk…"
"…"
When those two men were mumbling to each other, the two trial apprentices had already completed their final preparations.
"Start!"
Once the judge's voice was heard, Lin Li and Gryffindor simultaneously started reciting incantations. Maybe it was because these two men's mentors were members of the Supreme Council, but both of their execution methods were abnormally similar. When the battle started, both of them used the highest level spell to pressure their opponents.
Lin Li recited the Fire Storm incantation, whereas Gryffindor recited the Ashen Tornado incantation. Both were level-fourteen fire attribute spells, and both also had a five-second recitation time.
"F*ck, what is wrong with the youngsters these days. Why are they so brutal, making things so exciting from the start?" Hoffman was dumbfounded as he watched. He had not imagined that these two fellas would actually choose to use high-level magic to fight from the start. Once these two spells were released, the only fear was that everything would be destroyed. Even if their Elemental Shields were not broken, they would definitely not able to stop the magical attack that came afterward. Didn't this mean that this battle would be over in just ten seconds?
Just as Hoffman was dumbfounded, the magical wave in the Aurora Square had been suddenly stifled. The searing fire magical elements seemed to be doused by a bucket of cold water and dissipated in an instant.
It was as if it had been agreed on. Both of them started reciting incantations, and then suddenly cut off the mana output.
With their strength as Archmages, they had no need to worry about the issue of the Bite of Mana when canceling a level-fourteen spell. They only thing that they had to be careful about was just the release and gathering of mana. As long as they were not too anxious or too quick, it would not result in any mistakes.
Afte
r that, Gryffindor smiled.
The power of this country bumpkin from Jarrosus was weaker than his by quite a bit. To cancel a level-fourteen spell, Lin Li required one more second than Gryffindor. Usually, this did not amount to much, but now, it allowed Gryffindor to do a lot more things.
After coming in first in canceling the spell, Gryffindor did not hesitate, and released a Mana Retroaction…
"I want to see how long can an Elemental Shield help you…" When the Mental Control had been released, Gryffindor already knew he had won because he clearly felt that his opponent's mana was instantly cut off. The thing he had to do next was to constantly barrage him with spells, breaking down his opponent's Elemental Shield like cracking open a turtle's shell. After that, he could do the same thing as he had with Mason, starting off with a Mental Control to deplete his mana and then using all sorts of spells to destroy him!
On the other side, Lin Li did not lose his composure after being struck by a Mana Retroaction. He allowed Gryffindor's Fireballs to strike the Elemental Shield, letting the layer of rainbow brilliance to dim slowly. Lin Li slowly raised the Aether Staff in his hands, and the Dragon's Eye socketed to the top of the staff started to radiate a gentle orange light…
After that, Gryffindor was in a daze…
Chapter 265 - Thousand Miles of Ice
"H-How… How could that be…?" Under the flash of the faint yellow light, Gryffindor's smile froze on his face. He suddenly realized the mana in his body stopped flowing. No matter how he tried to stimulate his mental strength by recitation, he could not recall any bit of magical wave.
Gryffindor nearly went crazy on the spot…
F*ck, how could someone who was suffering from Mana Retroaction be able to freeze him?
Unfortunately, he did not have time to think much, because in the next moment, Lin Li already started reciting the Flaming Storm Spell. Flames rose up into the air wildly. The streaks were like fire dragons pouncing towards him viciously. Gryffindor had no choice but look at how the Flaming Storm exploded on his body. The radiant Elemental Shield turned dim almost immediately.
After the Flaming Storm, Lin Li showed no mercy and attacked Gryffindor with a Chilling Touch. The use of one fire element and one ice element magic was so complementary that they were like a rhythmic poem harmoniously written by both fire and ice. It blasted a magnificent elemental storm in the Aurora Square. Gryffindor could only back away from the raging magical waves. The retroactive effect brought over by the Arcane Wall turned the situation around. Gryffindor who was one second away from absolute advantage had become the one who had to deal with the beating.
Gryffindor could not help but keep stepping backwards and make use of unexpected movements to increase the difficulty of casting spells for his opponent to buy more time for himself.
"F*ck, how did he do that?" There were thousands of mages in the audience. Their eyes were open wide after seeing how the young man named Felic had managed to turn the tides. Despite suffering from Mana Retroaction, he could still unleash the two spells with force as though nothing had happened to him…
Could that be an inconceivable way of unleashing spells?
No, no, no. It couldn't be…
No matter how incomprehensible the technique was, it would never allow a person to oppose the laws of magic. However, the situation now was very unreasonable. What was the difference between a mage who could not control Mana Retroaction and a beast without humanity? Goddammit, was another monster going to appear after these few hundred years?
Of course, it did not concern the two men who were battling. Neither Lin Li nor Gryffindor had time to think of other matters. One was trying to defend himself from all the attacks and overcome the awkward situation, while another was trying to find every opportunity to attack so that he could continue to maximize the chances of winning. The battle in Aurora Square became strangely delicate all of a sudden…
Lin Li unleashed another Flaming Storm as he saw Gryffindor backing away.
"POM!" A horrifying sound echoed in the arena like thunder. At that moment, at least half of the audience stood up. It was no laughing matter. Although he was an Archmage, Gryffindor could barely defend himself from the two Flaming Storms and one Chilling Touch with his Elemental Shield. If his luck was worse, he might lose the entire battle.
"Sigh…" Lin Li sighed softly while he waved his hand to put away a Wind Blade and prepare an Elemental Shield for himself. He knew that he did not have enough time left. Although he had compressed the time he used to cast the three spells, his speed was still lacking. When the second Flaming Storm was out, the Arcane Wall lost its effects. The seemingly terrifying splattering of sparks only bashed onto another Elemental Shield.
After a soul-stirring exchange, the two men got back to the starting line again.
Lin Li estimated it correctly. Three icicles shot out from the blaze and thick smoke right after he held his Elemental Shield up.
"You're doomed, bumpkin!" Gryffindor hollered as he walked out of the thick smoke.
Gryffindor's rage was justifiable. He was back to his usual self now. His delicate long robe had long become a mess under the strong flames and thick smoke. It looked crumpled and torn as though Gryffindor had just walked out of a rubbish dump. He had bruise on his face and dirt on his nose. A circus clown would have been more attractive than him.
How would the egoistic Gryffindor be able to tolerate such an insult? He really wanted to smash the Jarrosus bumpkin like an ant.
In fact, he had the confidence to do so.
The heart-racing exchange looked as though it was Lin Li who gained the upper hand. However, Gryffindor was completely aware that it was just an accident. He just had not expected that Felic who got attacked by the Mana Retroaction could still turn the tides to control him. But, it did not matter now. An accident was an accident because it would not occur frequently. One time was enough—he would not allow himself to be fooled again. Apart from it being an accident, the difference between the two men were obvious. Gryffindor was already an Archmage who was at the peak of level-15. One more step, and he would surpass level-15 and reach level-16, a state where he could use the Four-element Shields.
On top of that…
Gryffindor was completely aware that he could do it. Although it was unrealistic to most people, he knew that as the student of the Legendary-mage Rosen, he could do it anytime he wanted to.
A rookie Archmage who rose to his level due to good luck would never expect him to raise himself by a level just like that. This made Gryffindor anticipate how exciting Felic's expression would be when he unleashed his level-16 abilities. Would it be shock or hopelessness, torment or confusion…?
As he walked out of the thick smoke, Gryffindor started his recitation.
"Damn…" Lin Li exclaimed. He could tell that the spell Gryffindor was reciting was entirely made up of the High Elves' language.
To a real mage, the language was like their second common language. In reality, there would always be some key characters written in that language in most spells. Since even Lin Li, a mid-life career changer, had already comprehended some of the common words, how well would the top mage of Felan fare in the utilizing of the High Elves' language?
However, it was Lin Li's first time hearing a spell that was formed entirely of the High Elves' language. This could only mean that its effects were far off from what an ordinary spell of level-15 would create! Lin Li reacted quickly. After realizing the gravity of the situation, he opened the Ring of Endless Storm and fished out a Multicolored Potion he had prepared long ago…
Then, a strong wave of mana radiated in the entire Aurora Square.
"F*ck, Gryffindor has reached level-16!" The crowd cheered. Almost all of the mages had their eyes open in disbelief. None of them had expected Gryffindor to reach the next level in the Archmage realm like that!
"Sh*t, how could it be possible?" Hoffman's eyes nearly fell off. He sprung up from his seat in shock. As he was too agitated,
even his meaty cheeks twitched. He could not believe a mage around the age of 20 could have a level-16 ability!
Only people who truly understood the differences between the magic levels would know that the one level that separated level-15 and level-16 was a huge leap. Although a level-15 Archmage could master the Levitating Spell, he was not very different compared to a Magic Shooter at the peak of level-14. However, once he was able to reach level-16, the difference between the two levels would be widened as though there were no boundaries. That was because at level-16, he could learn the four signature spells, and use the Four-element Shields across the series—a near-perfect defensive weapon acknowledged by mages!
"Doomed, doomed! Felic is going to lose…" Even Hoffman, who always had great trust in Lin Li, had to bring out his hopeless side. The difference between a level-15 and level-16 was not what the technique of spell casting could breach. The only thing he could hope for was that Lin Li had enough potions on him to defend himself from a level-16 attack…
But, to be honest, it was an extremely slight hope…
Just when the crowd was stunned, Gryffindor's magic staff began to emit a blinding light. A massive amount of ice element filled the entire Aurora Square. Even the mages sitting far away from Gryffindor could feel the chilling sensation very clearly.
At that moment, a cold white breeze blew at the Aurora Square, along with snowflakes as big as goose quills.