As the two combatants faced off in the arena, two others stood at the railing, equally confrontational."I don't know Jacob, but that doesn't prevent him from approaching me. This must be the downside of power! The Soren family sends a junior to test the waters and express goodwill towards me, but I feel quite wronged! I truly apologize for causing your friend some psychological distress," Prince Wining said lazily, spreading his hands in a gesture of helplessness.
This was hardly an apology; it was clearly a show of arrogance.Charlie chuckled, "For a man, it is indeed a heavy psychological blow, but being able to end the humiliation himself might just be an opportunity for growth."
"Are you this confident? Confident enough to overlook such an obvious gap? The difference between first and second-year students is likely greater than you imagine!"
"Confidence is built on the foundation of strength," Charlie replied with a mysterious smile, quoting an elder's saying: "We must disdain our opponents strategically while paying attention to them tactically."
"Oh! A great philosophy!" Wining smirked, saying, "Charlie, if it weren't for Qing Tong, do you think we could be friends? Honestly, I quite admire you!"
This statement made Qing Tong flinch slightly. She was standing beside Charlie, hearing their conversation, and Qian Jue perked up, curious to hear Charlie's response.
"Whether we could be friends has nothing to do with Qing Tong, but in terms of personality and hobbies, the likelihood is probably zero!"
Wining raised an eyebrow, gesturing towards the two in the arena, and laughed, "Oh! That's a pity. Don't you think the relationship between the three of us is somewhat similar to theirs?"
His seemingly absurd comparison made Charlie feel a sense of crisis. In terms of both strength and character, Qing Tong was significantly stronger than Mia. However, the power held by Prince Wining made Charlie deeply apprehensive; the resources at his disposal far exceeded those of Jacob.
Qing Tong smiled lightly, "Wining, you're overthinking it. Let's focus on the duel!"
Meanwhile, the battle in the arena had begun.At the start, Jacob gripped his sword tightly and charged at David…In his mind, the script for the duel was very simple: charge, slash, and end the fight.No matter what spells the opponent cast, it would be useless!
Any apprentice magic would be weakened to a bearable extent in front of the standard light armor unless it was a star-level mage capable of dealing threatening damage. Jacob couldn't employ such a simple tactic.But unfortunately, there were no "what ifs."As Jacob ran, he noticed David retreating, a smirk creeping onto his lips.What a laughable novice! If a mage doesn't seize the opportunity of the initial distance between them, he will lose the only chance to strike in this duel.
The knight's sword glimmered with a chilling light as he delivered a diagonal strike, creating a crescent-shaped arc of light. The released fighting spirit proved that Jacob possessed the strength of a legitimate knight.The blade struck the ground, sending sparks flying; the floor, reinforced by a magic circle, left no trace from the apprentice's magic or fighting spirit.
David performed a roll to evade the heavy blow, constantly adjusting his position to keep up with Jacob's movements. More crucially, the intense movement did not cause the pale blue glow gathering in his hands to dissipate.
Boom!A precise burst of frosty energy spread across the ground, forming a thin layer of ice. Jacob, unable to control his momentum on the smooth surface, slid away.
The crowd erupted at the sight."Oh my God! Is this mobile casting?! A skill that even star mages might not master!""Wow! This year's freshmen are amazing!""Goodness! Am I hallucinating? Why am I seeing such skills in a first-year duel?!""No! It's not just mobile casting but also rapid casting! I bet that fireball didn't take more than 1.2 seconds!"
Just as the spectators gasped, a fireball shot from David's hand, exploding against Jacob. The runes on the surface of the light armor flickered, and the scorching wave of heat interacted with the runes, absorbing each other. A small amount of heat seeped through the cracks, scorching Jacob and making him let out a pained roar.
Although the light armor absorbed most of the magical damage, the residual impact still caused some pain.Jacob readied himself again and charged at David."So this is your so-called strength? Seems like it's not enough!" Wining frowned slightly and sneered, "A third-level spell can't threaten a proper knight. Jacob could last at least ten more minutes, but can David hold out that long? One mistake and it's game over for him!"
Charlie calmly replied, "Be patient; let's keep watching!"At this moment, Jacob, as the direct participant, felt the pressure more acutely. After a few days apart, his opponent seemed like a different person—exceptionally agile and physically capable, unlike any magic apprentice he had faced before. Despite not using higher-level magic, David felt incredibly difficult to deal with; he remembered that magic apprentices were never this tough.
Able to run, dodge, and cast spells, such a person was rare even in the second year. He was breaking the conventional thinking in mage duels and showcasing a new tactical approach.If this tactic was conceived by David, then he truly was a remarkable talent!
The defensive runes on the standard light armor have an energy absorption limit. Once saturated, the magical defense of the armor would significantly reduce, leaving Jacob with little room to maneuver.Jacob bit his tongue and spat out a mouthful of blood, then let out a ferocious roar. With that roar, the exposed parts of his body reddened and heated up, his hair bristled as he erupted, his speed increasing by another 50%. The knight's sword shone with dazzling brilliance as he charged at David like a rainbow.
With the explosion of secret techniques combined with fighting spirit skills, Jacob unveiled his most powerful trump card.Someone in the stands exclaimed, "Bloodline ability?! Is that 'Sacrifice'? Or 'Raging Fury'?"The entire hall erupted with excitement as everyone focused intently on Jacob's every move!
In an instant, David raised one hand, and thick magical vines shot up from the ground, growing wildly in an attempt to bind Jacob's feet. Yet under Jacob's thunderous charge, they were snapped one by one.However, Jacob's charge was still somewhat hindered.Then, electric sparks flickered in David's hand as he released two lightning orbs, but he wasn't finished yet. He pulled out a scroll from his pocket, tore it open, and murmured an incantation.
In the blink of an eye, both combatants entered their final confrontation state, each pulling out their prepared trump cards.Their performances left the crowd in stunned silence.Instant-cast "Vines" and two "Lightning Arrows"?! What on earth just happened? How could an apprentice wield such powerful instant magic techniques? The students in the stands were struck with astonishment!
"It seems he has some decent equipment, but that's still not enough!" Wining coldly huffed, having detected the underlying issue first.However, as the electric light faded, a brownish-purple orb shot from David's hand, causing Wining to freeze in place, his mind halting momentarily.
The two lightning orbs drained the energy from the light armor's runes, and against this weakened backdrop, a strange, gloomy energy orb hit Jacob, exploding into a cloud of purple-black mist that engulfed his upper body. Jacob, terrified, inhaled the mist, losing control as he lunged toward David, who dodged effortlessly.
A chilling sense of despair engulfed Jacob, flooding him with endless fear. He felt as if he had fallen into a filthy, terrifying worm pit, where oily, spiky worms writhed, revealing their brown and black warning colors. He was plummeting into a heap of worms, like descending into hell.
Ah!!Jacob let out a hysterical scream, frantically clawing and scratching at himself. His steel helmet tore away, and his nails broke during the struggle, blood pouring down. His exposed skin visibly yellowed and darkened, dehydrating and withering, while purplish-blue veins protruded horrifically.
In an instant, Jacob's contorted, hunched body rolled together, dying like an old man, while his steel armor appeared corroded, resembling discarded scrap metal abandoned for many years.There was no mercy; he was not deserving of it, even though Jacob's death was tragic!
David felt no regret at all. Seeing his opponent unleash a secret technique, he unhesitatingly drew the last trump card Charlie had prepared for him.Two arena judges jumped down from the stands and checked Jacob's condition, looking at David with a mix of shock and suspicion."You used shadow magic?"David explained, "It was a scroll!"
The judges nodded slightly and said, "Alright! Using a scroll is reasonable, but shadow magic is a different matter. Be prepared for inquiries from the academy; you may need to explain the origin of the scroll.""Sure," David nodded and asked, "Can the result be announced now?"
The judge stood up, gesturing to the entire arena, indicating that David was the victor, and said, "According to tradition, the victor may choose a trophy;
you may choose!"
All glory is illusory; all arrogance sows the seeds of consequence. Your demands inscribe sins, while I bear the thorns, dragging you into eternal hell.David stepped forward, picking up the knight's sword that had fallen to the ground, pointing it towards the sky, and let out a furious roar towards the direction of his team!
In an instant, the atmosphere of the arena ignited. Cheers and claps erupted from the stands, deafening the space as students screamed their hearts out, unable to hear their own voices.Colin gripped the railing of the stands tightly, releasing a long roar that expunged all the frustration and pressure within him.Qian Jue rubbed his eyes and broke into a smile.Qing Tong also breathed a quiet sigh of relief, her complex gaze landing on Charlie. It was precisely because she understood David's strength that she felt how incredible today's scene was.
Prince Wining's expression darkened significantly. It was an utter failure; not only had he failed to eliminate his opponent and undermine Charlie, but he also cast a shadow over any future collaboration with the Soren family. He might lose a valuable ally because of this.This battle contained many noteworthy moments, almost overturning people's perceptions of freshmen duels. It was a classic comeback, as David represented the weaker emotional side and, due to the rank disparity, also represented the weaker combat side. This subtly united most of the students present. The topic of "the weak defeating the strong" was something that sparked great interest.
At this moment, David had clearly become the representative of the avenger, winning the hearts of the vast majority of the audience.Meanwhile, in an inconspicuous corner of the stands, a girl quietly huddled against the wall, covering her face and slumping down, unable to hold back her tears.