Galos City, Swordflower University Training Hall, Second Floor.
Compared to the first floor, the second floor was much simpler and more spacious, with almost no equipment in sight. The walls and floors were layered with Thunder Serpent Meteorite tiles, their blue serpentine patterns designed to disperse and withstand attacks. Enhanced by a complex array of runes, the floor could endure even Sanctuary-level destruction miracles, making it an ideal space for sword duels. Its only flaw? The glaring light pollution from the reflective surface.
This floor served as a battlefield for sorcerers, as miracles often wreaked havoc on their surroundings. To fight with full power, duelists needed specialized arenas like this one. Public duels, on the other hand, were punishable by fines and a three-point deduction from a sorcerer's professional license.
It was already past 11 PM. Most sorcerer apprentices had either retreated to their dorms for the night or ventured into the virtual realm for exploration. In the vast emptiness of the second floor, only two sword sorcerers remained, their clashes carving stark white streaks across the reflective floor.
Ssss—
The sharp sound of drawn silk prompted Felix to immediately withdraw his sword and retreat.
The Red Sword Maiden Sonia's original miracle, Water Moon, had made waves across all sorcerer academies in Galos City. Recently, it was even included in the Stellar Miracle Catalog with a rating of Mid Radiant Silver. Countless sword sorcerers eagerly awaited the day Sonia would lift the licensing restrictions on this defensive-counter miracle to study its intricacies.
In Stellar, miracles were classified under a highly detailed evaluation system. They were divided by power into four main tiers: Silver, Gold, Colorless, and Void. Each tier was further divided into three levels—Dim, True, and Radiant—and then split again into Upper, Middle, and Lower ranks, creating a total of 36 levels.
If Sonia could continue refining Water Moon, perhaps by replacing its rare sorcery spirit with a more accessible one or addressing its casting limitations, it might even reach Upper Radiant Silver. Such a feat would cement it as one of the finest miracles accessible to Silver-tier sorcerers.
Felix's family had gone so far as to commission him to negotiate a long-term licensing agreement for Water Moon with Sonia. The miracle, rooted in the Wave Sword style, would bolster their family's collection in Fusloda's Wave Sword system, not to mention its inherent value as a Mid Radiant Silver treasure.
In the Stellar evaluation system, Radiant-grade miracles were considered "trump cards that could surpass tiers," True-grade miracles were "impressive accomplishments worth boasting about," and Dim-grade ones were merely "acceptable."
Why such a complicated system? To better standardize pricing. Buyers needed to feel their purchases were justified, while sellers sought validation of their miracle's worth. The Stellar Bureau employed hundreds of full-time sorcerer staff and thousands of part-time consultants dedicated to this system, making it the lifeblood of countless sorcerers.
Water Moon was a swift-casting, powerful counter miracle fully deserving of its Mid Radiant Silver rating. After sparring with Sonia for days, however, Felix had developed a counter-strategy: the moment he heard the faint thread-like sound of activation, he'd retreat and launch ranged attacks, rendering her miracle ineffective.
But this time, as Felix abruptly canceled his attack and retreated, he noticed something odd. His opponent wasn't surrounded by the signature threads of Water Moon. Instead, Sonia lunged forward, her sword aiming straight for his exposed stance.
A trap.
Felix had retreated too hastily and couldn't defend in time. The red-haired Sword Maiden's wooden blade slashed upwards, leaving a crimson wave trail.
Killing Intent Wave Slash!
Demonic Light Slash!
Rift Wave Slash!
Felix was launched into the air, unable to regain his footing. Wave Sword techniques had two primary traits: dispersion, which broadened the impact area, and vibration, which increased lethality. Mastering both traits unlocked a third: forced elevation.
By chaining upward strikes, a Wave Sword sorcerer could juggle their opponent, leaving them helpless mid-air—a sitting duck for a relentless onslaught.
Felix had taken great care to avoid Sonia's upward strikes, never giving her an opening. But he underestimated her cunning. She baited him with a fake Water Moon, forcing a retreat, and exploited the moment to strike.
This is bad. She's going to chain me to death!
Being airborne was nearly fatal for a sword sorcerer, as most techniques relied on grounded stances. Desperate, Felix resorted to a contingency. As Sonia prepared another Demonic Light Slash, Felix spat in her direction. Enhanced by a sinister wind, the spit transformed into a rancid, foul rain.
Miracle: Corrupting Gale!
"Oh?" Sonia exclaimed with delighted surprise, deflecting the rain effortlessly with a wave of her sword.
Landing smoothly, Felix no longer held back. He exhaled sharply three times, unleashing three airborne blades.
Miracle: Wind Fang!
Without pause, he crossed his arms and conjured a crisscrossing web of corrosive rain blades.
Miracle: Poison Fang Web!
"You're full of surprises, Felix," Sonia said, her tone tinged with amusement. She shredded through his miracles step by step, her ruby eyes gleaming with an almost predatory light. "You—"
Slice!
This time, Sonia didn't hold back. Before Felix could cast another miracle, she landed a devastating Demonic Light Slash. The crimson blade ripped through his left arm, spilling blood that glistened under the hall's glaring lights. The gash was so deep it revealed bone.
At the sight of blood, Sonia's eyes lit up with an unsettling brightness. Her grip on the wooden sword tightened as if some primal instinct was awakening. But she quickly snapped out of it, tossing the blade aside. "Let me take you to the infirmary—"
"No, I'm fine," Felix insisted, hiding his injured arm behind his back. "It's just a scratch. I have a healing spirit for water magic. I can patch it up myself and use the opportunity to practice my water techniques."
Typical rich kid behavior. Even without pursuing a healer's path, Felix carried a water healing spirit wherever he went.
Sonia peeked at his arm, noticing his gloves—likely enchanted to amplify his miracles. As for the injury? Well, his hand was still attached, so it didn't seem that bad. Relieved, Sonia let him tend to himself.
"You should've called for a pause when your star coat broke," Sonia chided.
"Probably broke while I was mid-air. I didn't notice," Felix replied.
Both of them were shielded by a shimmering, bubble-like barrier—the Academy's Star Coat. It absorbed all damage during duels, ensuring students could fight to their limits without fear of accidentally killing each other.
"Guess we'll call it a night, then," Felix said, breathing a sigh of relief. "Fighting you is always enlightening—"
"Let's continue," Sonia interrupted, her excitement unbridled. "Your other hand's still fine, isn't it?"
"But I'm injured!" Felix gritted his teeth, exasperated. "Let's rest. I'll patch up my arm."
Felix had endured these sparring matches for several nights in a row, initially motivated by the opportunity to train with a prodigy. But Sonia's increasing intensity was wearing him down. By the third night, he'd been forced to visit the infirmary after each session, silently cursing, Is this girl ever going to calm down?
Still, Felix's pride as a noble and refusal to yield to a "peasant prodigy" kept him coming back.
As he sat down to tend to his wounds, he realized with grim humor: At least getting injured meant tonight's session ended early.