The whispered conversations among the three Dark Sorcerers in the stands were far too intricate and enigmatic for the apprentices below to fathom.
After concluding his own duel, Elandril and Baus made their way to the arena reserved for the Senior Apprentices, intent on getting an up-close view of their combat techniques.
"Hey, over here Elandril!" Phyra, with her signature pale mask, beckoned as Elandril approached the Senior Apprentice section. Having harnessed the ferocious power of fire element magic, coupled with an array of magical artifacts gifted by Master Mosido and Elder Zorro, Phyra had already secured a spot among the top three contenders.
Yet Elandril's gaze was drawn elsewhere; his girlfriend Lina and Lilliana, whom he had encountered once before, were still engrossed in their respective battles. At this juncture, two spots for the finals had already been claimed, leaving them vying for the last available slot.
Lina's adversary was a unique apprentice, a master at the rare art of corpse-beast synthesis. In him, Elandril saw echoes of the renowned Dark Sorcerer, Master Kosolun. Not only did he control a summoned monstrosity, an amalgamation of various magical beasts' torsos and heads, but he himself bore an eerie sight with four arms, sending shivers down the spine of onlookers. But what was even more unsettling was the red, fleshy growth protruding from the apprentice's neck.From the tumor-like growth, a rhythmic thumping emanated, akin to the soft beat of a heart, as if something was being nurtured within.
The Senior Apprentices' combat techniques and styles significantly outpaced those of the Intermediate and Junior Apprentices.
Not only did they possess mastery over multiple spells, some even had a dozen or more, with an unending array of trump cards revealed from all angles.
Take, for instance, the apprentice with the tumor growth. Beyond his contorted beast of a minion, he also wielded unique abilities reminiscent of death rays.
The grey cloak draped behind him too seemed to be a high-tier magical equipment.
Contrastingly, Lina, apart from the black crystal bracelet familiar to Elandril, only had another piece of magical equipment: a dark bangle on her wrist.
Moreover, Lina seemed to have acquired two additional Dark Element spells in the past couple of months – one emanating rays from her fingers and another that conjured orbs of dark energy.
As someone still half a year away from advancing to a Senior Apprentice, it might be challenging for Lina to clinch a victory in this battle.
"Your little girlfriend is quite skilled," Phyra remarked with a smile. "To push Death's Hand Mike to this point, I initially thought the fight would be over quickly."
As Senior Apprentices, they had a general idea of each other's rankings even before the annual evaluations began.
Death's Hand Mike was undoubtedly among the cream of the crop in the academy's Senior Apprentice tier. Not only was his grasp over necromantic spells commendable, but his fearless synthesized beast was also a formidable opponent to contend with.In the world of arcane, conventional wisdom suggested that Mike had essentially secured the third and final spot amongst the top Senior Apprentices.
However, the unfolding scenario indicated that Mike's victory wasn't as assured as many had thought.
As Phyra teasingly commented on the situation, Elandril was about to respond. Yet, upon observing a sudden shift in the arena, his expression shifted dramatically. Lina, who had been dubbed the 'Madwoman' during her Intermediate Apprentice phase, seemed to have not changed much even in the Senior Apprentice circle.
Mike, known as the 'Hand of Death', adeptly coordinated with his necromantic construct in both close and ranged combat. For Lina to defeat him using standard tactics would be an uphill battle. But Lina wasn't one to easily admit defeat. A fierce fireball formed in one hand, while a dense glow of Dark Element began to gather around her crystal necklace.
The preparation of two simultaneous spells caught even the ever-composed Mike off guard. But in a twist no one saw coming, after the twin glows of her magics emerged, Lina didn't release them. Instead, a glint from her wrist bracelet transformed her into a swift shadow, darting menacingly towards Mike.
"What?!" The spectacle caught the attention of many, with several apprentices unable to contain their shock.
Even the three Dark Sorcerers in the stands were now intently watching. One of them, perhaps trying to diffuse the icy tension Andis had just cast, remarked, "She's unleashing two spells at once. No, to be precise, it's three.""While she might be suspected of relying on two magical artifacts, her refinement of the Psychic Force and her delicate control over Mana is indeed impressive," commented the Dark Sorcerer, a hint of admiration in his tone.
What the Dark Sorcerer noticed was Lina's seamless combination of three spells. Meanwhile, Andis, the most powerful mage present, observed something else entirely: Lina's audacity in defying convention and daringly approaching Mike, showcasing a keen sense of combat intuition.
Being a spellcaster who had been through countless battles, Andis was all too aware of the peril mages faced when confronted up close. Indeed, they wielded immense elemental powers. Yet, their physical frailty was an undisputed reality among all schools of magic. With a few exceptions like bloodline warlocks, who were proficient in close combat, most spellcasters depended on magical shields or summoned creatures for their melee defense.
Senior Apprentice Mike did have a reanimated composite beast at his disposal. However, this creature clearly lacked intelligence and moved rather stiffly. As for a magical shield, judging by Mike's current frantic demeanor, it seemed he hadn't mastered such spells.
"Boom!" The deafening explosion of a massive fireball resonated.
This was closely followed by almost twenty smaller chained explosions. Lina's enhanced explosive fireball, something Elandril had witnessed two months prior in the black market, was at play here. The initial large fireball knocked down the reanimated beast in front of Mike. Just as the monstrous creature tried to rise, the subsequent barrage of smaller fireballs rendered it immobile, unable to muster the strength to move.In the presence of the fire element, the fused beast seemed peculiarly vulnerable.
Seizing the moment, Lina swiftly closed the distance between herself and Mike.
In a desperate bid, Mike unleashed two deadly rays. Lina bravely blocked one and deftly dodged the other.
As Mike was about to employ another tactic, Lina had already circled behind him. Her right hand, radiating a dark and intense glow, was aimed directly at Mike's head—or, more precisely, at the odd growth on his neck.
Gasps of astonishment echoed throughout the training arena.
In the sky above, out of the seven owls, two swooped down, their gaze fixed intently on the two combatants.
With Lina having the upper hand, Mike's complexion shifted between shades of pale and green.
Was it anger or embarrassment? Or perhaps the necrotic magics had taken a toll on him. A faint smell of decay wafted from the joints of his extra arms.
"Do you think you've won? Go ahead, make your move," Mike taunted. "But I assure you, the moment you do, my cloak of bones will drench you in its venom. Even your corpse will be a feast for my pet."
True to his word, the magical cloak behind Mike began to levitate, seemingly sealing off all of Lina's escape routes. Even the fused monster, previously felled by a fiery blast, now covered in slime and blood, managed to shakily stand once more.
Such tenacity in that creature!
Would Lina, threatened by Mike, still earn the title of "Madwoman"?Indeed, as Mike's words faded, the luminescence of the Dark Element in Lina's hand did not diminish. Instead, it shone even more brilliantly.
In the blink of an eye, a jet-black Mana beam was about to turn Mike into a sieve.
"No!" cried Elandril from the sidelines, his voice filled with desperation.