"It's interesting; his aura is surprisingly restrained to this extent. Alan seems to be no ordinary opponent," remarked the woman in palace attire.
"Only a match of equal strength is entertaining. Let's see how they perform," she added, her interest piqued.
The man in the top hat nodded, and both turned their attention to the arena.
As the top force in Snowguard City, joining their ranks was impossible without exceptional talent and strength.
Noticing that both significant figures were watching, the seneschal wasted no time:
"The time has come; the life-and-death duel begins!"
With that, he dashed out of the arena.
As the seneschal left, magical runes surged from William's feet, flames flaring as he shot forward like an arrow aimed at Alan.
Tier-Bronze Movement, Fire Step!
This was a basic fire attribute spell, enhancing speed significantly by releasing compressed fire elements in a short time. It was one of the foundational magics of House Roan.
However, due to William's Hellfire bloodline, he had a natural affinity for fire elements, making his speed nearly double that of a normal cast!
In an instant, he reached Alan, his palm enveloped in crimson flames, a scorching heat radiating from him.
Blazing Fist, a Tier-Bronze Enhancement Spell, fortifying his arm to shatter stone!
Without hesitation, William unleashed his most practiced spell, aiming to annihilate Alan in one strike.
William's assault was fierce, yet in Alan's heightened sense of perception, he could clearly see it coming. His eyes narrowed, and he responded with a punch of his own!
Blazing Fist!
This too was a foundational spell of his family.
Though lacking the Hellfire bloodline's enhancement, Alan's flames were more refined, exuding a feeling of mastery.
Boom!
The two fists collided instantly, the intense flames exploding outward, dazzling and bright.
William's arm jolted, and the confident smile on his face suddenly froze.
The overwhelming force from Alan's punch left his arm aching, and he staggered backward, his feet dragging along the ground, leaving long black marks.
This scene sparked true discussion among the crowd; they rubbed their eyes in disbelief.
William was easily overpowered by Alan!
He was a Hellfire bloodline wielder and a Tier-Bronze mage in the early stages!
Hadn't Alan's mana core shattered? How could he possess such formidable combat power?
Amidst the crowd's astonishment, confusion settled in.
The seneschal, who had just been leisurely enjoying a drink, leaped up in disbelief.
When had Alan's combat power become this terrifying? He was merely a Tier-Iron Level 6 mage, and there should be a vast gulf between him and the current Tier-Bronze William!
"How is this possible?!"
Stabilizing himself, William looked at Alan with newfound realization, sizing him up; this was not the Alan he remembered!
However, Alan paid no attention to William's shock. Instead, he stepped forward and launched a punch at him.
Only now did William react, raising his hand to block, but he was once again pushed back, this time reaching the edge of the arena.
His expression darkened. Today, he aimed to step over Alan and achieve greatness, not to be suppressed by him.
In an instant, rage and murderous intent surged in his heart, causing a unique heatwave to emanate from his body.
The surrounding fire elements flocked to him, causing the air temperature to rise sharply.
With a massive influx of fire elements, William's skin appeared flushed and seemed to be covered in a layer of magma-like armor, his aura reaching the level of Tier-Bronze Mid!
This was a full level higher than Tier-Bronze Early!
"Is this the terror of the Hellfire bloodline? His aura has skyrocketed so much?"
"Alan certainly hasn't broken through to Tier-Bronze; now William is comparable to a Tier-Bronze Mid. He's in real danger."
"Tier-Bronze Mid, even those elders are only at this level."
Many gazed at the now powerfully imposing William, their eyes filled with awe.
If they had such strength, they could easily dominate the Northern District!
After the surge of his aura, William felt terrifying power coursing through him, as if he could smash a cow with one punch.
If Alan had used the previous technique to fight him, it would have been Alan sent flying!
"Today, let me show you that the true prodigy of House Roan is me, not you!"
With a furious roar, he stomped down on the arena surface, leaving a faint imprint of his foot, and the fire magic erupted, propelling him forward with a burst of speed.
Sensing the surge in William's aura, Alan remained calm as he watched him.
Having broken through Tier-Iron Level 10, Alan's total magical capacity and explosive power had already surpassed the average Tier-Bronze Early mage.
Even with the enhancement of a unique bloodline, William was merely catching up.
Did he dare to act arrogantly before him?
Without retreating, Alan advanced, exchanging blows with William as the arena echoed with continuous explosive sounds.
For the battle-hardened Alan, this was merely an appetizer.
Every strike of his fist, knee, or elbow became a fierce assault, forcing William to retreat further and further!
"Has Alan been juicing? Previously, many talents from the Northern District challenged him, and they could barely last three moves before being taken down; now his combat power is terrifying!"
"Why do I feel he's treating Alan as a stepping stone, and might end up hurting himself…?"
As they watched William erupt yet still be dominated by Alan, many mages in attendance were stunned, not expecting such an outcome.
They had come here primarily to latch onto William's rising star, fearing that once he soared, meeting him would become a daunting task.
The three lords of the Northern District exchanged bewildered glances.
The situation shouldn't be like this.
How had Alan managed to overpower William?
There was a significant tier gap between them.
Moreover, they had all seen William's explosive power and were quite wary of it.
Alan's strikes, though not flashy, precisely struck at William's vulnerabilities, almost as if he was countering him effortlessly.
"What formidable combat experience and sharp magical perception..."
The two from Snowguard City exchanged astonished looks, recognizing the shock in each other's eyes.
Even after years of battle, they dared not claim superiority over Alan in combat experience.
If Alan also broke through to Tier-Bronze Early, they believed William would likely be crushed in a single encounter.
"This Alan must be the true genius!"
In that moment, both felt a surge of admiration, their gazes growing fervent.
Then, the woman in palace attire seemed to remember something and said slowly:
"However, William is after all of the Hellfire bloodline, which has some mysterious aspects; if he's careless, he might easily stumble."
Seeing William in a disadvantageous position, the seneschal clenched his fists and warned:
"The Hellfire bloodline has three transformations; activate the second transformation now!"
Upon hearing the seneschal, many frowned. It was a life-and-death duel, and no one was allowed to interfere; they knew it was about determining life and death between the two.
Yet unlike others' disdain, William's eyes lit up with understanding.
Suddenly, crimson runes danced upon his forehead, releasing a strange wave of energy.
At that moment, Alan felt an acute sense of danger and dodged to the side. Fire erupted from where he had stood, like a sword of flame, charring the arena black.
"What is happening? He's manipulating fire elements from a distance; isn't that a magus's ability?"
"Could it be that William is a hidden magus?!"
As William unleashed this sudden ability, the crowd erupted in an uproar!
Compared to the Hellfire bloodline, a magus was a rare existence!