by Zhuang Bifan
It was not that Mason did not want to surrender. After all, the difference in powers was too large, Even if he were to surrender, it would not be embarrassing, but Gryffindor, this b*tch, did not give him a single chance to surrender. The continuous magic suppression caused Mason not to be able to open his mouth, what more to tell the two judges that he wanted to surrender.
When the fourth Flaming Storm was released, Mason had completely lost all hope. The last strand of mana had been utterly expended, and the only thing he could rely on now was that negligible natural recovery.
Based on his little bit of mental strength, the bit of mana recovered was not enough for an Elemental Shield, what more to try and turn the situation around…
"Don't panic, it has only just begun…" When both of their shoulders brushed past each other, Gryffindor's voice was like a venomous snake slithering into Mason's ear…
Looking at Mason's pale face, Gryffindor's heart was filled with the delight of revenge. This was the result he'd wanted. Depleting Mason's strength, crushing all of his confidence, and then letting him die from the hopelessness of endless pain.
All of this was originally prepared for Orrin, but he had not imagined that this fella called Mason would ruin everything in the Spell Testing Hall the other day. Then, naturally, all of this could be placed on Mason. After all, regardless if you are called Mason or Mark, since you have spoilt my, Gryffindor's, plans, then you must be ready for my revenge…
After two consecutive Mind Controls, Gryffindor had completely dominated the match, The current Mason had already expended his last bit of mana. He could but watch on as Gryffindor recited the incantations with a hideous smile.
"This is bad…" Lin Li stood far away at the side of the Aurora Square, and he was really anxious. When the first Mind Control was released, Lin Li already knew what Gryffindor was planning. At that point, he really felt like rushing onto the Aurora Square to remind Mason, "Hurry and surrender, don't hold on anymore!"
Unfortunately, when the match had already progressed to this point, it was already too late for him to remind him. Gryffindor used Mind Control another two times to deplete Mason's mana. After that, it would just be an outright stomping. Lin Li could only hope that Mason could find a chance in this dire situation to catch a breather even if he couldn't end the match. Otherwise, if this continued, Mason would be driven mad by Gryffindor even if he did not die.
But with Mason's strength, how could it be easy to find a chance in front of Gryffindor?
Gryffindor had just finished speaking, and the magic staff in his hand shook. After that, a Power of Repulse was released…
This Power of Repulse could only be described as sinister. With Gryffindor's intentional control, the elemental sequencing of the Power of Repulse showed a minor disparity, which had changed its attack to start from the top and end at the bottom. It smashed Mason in a constricting manner.
That was right, it indeed was "smash"…
In that instant, Mason felt like he had been crushed by a giant rock falling from the sky. Instantly, he felt everything in front of him turned black, and his mind was blank. His eyes, nose, and ears had a trace of warm liquid flowing out…
"How does it feel?" After the release of Power of Repulse, Gryffindor was not in a rush to attack, but moved towards Mason with a face full of smiles.
"Gry… Gryffindor, you are too overboard…" Mason struggled to open his eyes, and felt that his surroundings were unusually blurry. Be it Gryffindor in front of him, or the judges and the audience far away, they all seemed to be duplicated. Looking at the blurry silhouette wavering in front him, Mason weakly raised his hands to rub his eyes, but he realized that when his hands had just touched it, his hands were covered in blood…
"Overboard? Hahaha. Mage Mason, you really are interesting. Didn't I tell you just now that this was merely the beginning? There are still more interesting things waiting for you. Enjoy…"
"Gryffindor, I… I warn you, my uncle is not someone to be provoked. If you really injure me, my uncle will definitely not forgive you…" Mason spoke in a breathless manner. He desperately invoked his mental strength, trying to recover enough mana during this limited time.
In order to buy more time, he even spouted nonsense in order to make Gryffindor continue mocking him and not use another spell to once again sink him into a desperate situation.
"Haha, your uncle? You mean Annio, that trash? Stop joking around, idiot. In terms of position, I am also a steward of the guild. In terms of identity, I am Leader Rosen's disciple. Even if I were to kill you, what can that idiotic uncle of yours do to me, not to mention just injuring you? If you don't believe me, you can try it…
"Is it?"
"I've said it before, if you don't believe me, you can try."
"Ok, I'll admit that you are right, but Mage Gryffindor, I really don't understand. This is just a competition, why are you so brutal? Don't tell me that you've used the Mental Control to sap my mana just so that you could chat with me."
"As for this question…" Gryffindor's face was filled with a complacent smile. It seemed like he really was highly conceited. It was just that when he was halfway through speaking, Gryffindor's expression suddenly changed, and he released an Air Bomb. "Ask Orrin yourself once you are dead!"
"Ah…" This Air Bomb exploded right on Mason's c.h.e.s.t. Be it the power or the damage, it had far surpassed the prior Power of Repulse. Instantly, Mason let out a cry and there was blood spewing. When the dust had finally settled, Mason's c.h.e.s.t was a bloody mess…
"Poor idiot, you really think you can those little tricks and hide them from me? Trying to buy yourself more time to recover mana with those few stupid sentences, I really don't know if you are too stupid or too naive…" Gryffindor shot another Air Bomb, severely injuring Mason. His face was filled with a sarcastic smile.
No choice. The difference in strength was too large. With Gryffindor's acute Archmage senses, he did not have to observe much before he easily grasped Mason's mana flow. When Mason first opened his mouth and spoke, he already guessed the opponent's plans. It was just that Gryffindor was not in a hurry. He really enjoyed such cat and mouse games. He waited until the opponent had finally recovered enough mana before using another Air Bomb to sink the opponent into despair again.
A cat catching a mouse was like this. Give the mouse hope time and time again before making it feel hopeless again.
"F*ck…" When the Air Bomb blasted his c.h.e.s.t, Mason felt like his whole body had been ripped apart. The stinging pain spread from his c.h.e.s.t continuously. The pain from that bloody pile of mess was worse than dying.
This time, Mason really gave up.
Gryffindor's schemes had far surpassed Mason's imagination. He had used all sorts of methods, and he even acted like a clown, but the result was that he could not even buy any time to regain his mana. All of his efforts had only gotten him one Air Bomb in exchange…
"How's it, Mage Mason? Are you still able to stand up? The game has only just begun, I don't want it to end so quickly…" Gryffindor started chanting again, and an electric arc appeared from his palm instantly. He was playing with the electric arc in hands, making it form different shapes, and then he slowly walked towards the side of the square.
It's over, it's really over this time… Mason lay down and his heart slowly sank.
While being stupefied and confused, Mason seemed to have heard someone calling his name.
At the beginning, Mason thought he was hallucinating, but he quickly realized that this voice was getting clearer and clearer. Upon listening carefully, this seemed to be Felic's voice!
"Is it really Felic?" Mason endured the shredding pain and twisted his neck. He immediately found out that Felic was cupping his hands around his mouth and shouting Mason's name from somewhere not too far. It was as if he was trying to tell Mason something.
This sudden realization immediately made the deflated Mason regain some hope.
Yes, Felic has alway
s been capable of doing something. He must have an idea!
Mason gritted his teeth while carrying this hope. He dragged his injured body and moved a few steps backwards…
Chapter 263 - Divine Protection Potion
The electric arc in Gryffindor's hands was revolving around. It was like a cat chasing a mouse, getting closer and closer. At this time, Mason had already exhausted all of his mana, and his body was totally covered in wounds. Just moving a finger would bring about pain that would rip him apart, not to mention defending against Gryffindor. If somebody else had been in this situation instead, they would have most likely just shut their eyes and waited for their turn to die…
But Mason did not give up. He stubbornly dragged his injured leg towards the edge of the Aurora Square bit by bit while facing the oncoming Gryffindor. The bloody mess on his c.h.e.s.t was oozing out blood constantly, leaving a trail of blood on the Aurora Square as Mason wavered with difficulty. It was because Mason knew that this was his last chance. If even this omnipotent roommate of his could not help him, then he could only shut his eyes and wait for death.
"Mason, behind you. Just behind you!" Lin Li was so anxious that he was about to cry while looking at this horrifying scene. He could only watch as his best friend was suffering, and could not do anything to help. For Lin Li, that sort feeling was like being nibbled by a venomous snake…
The only thing he could do was to cup his mouth his hands and desperately shout Mason's name in hopes that Mason could hear what he was saying.
But, the distance between them was tens of meters, and Mason was injured seriously at this time. His mouth, ears, nose, and eyes were bleeding profusely, and his brain was filled with a ringing sound, so how could he hear Lin Li's voice? He could only faintly hear his roommate shouting for his name, but as to what it was about, Mason could only hear it in a distorted way…
"What behind?" Mason held in the tearing pain and f.o.r.c.i.b.l.y turned his head over, but there was nothing on square except for some slabs of stone. At this point, Mason really felt like smashing his head and dying. Master Felic, oh Master Felic. Of all things to joke about, you had to joke about my life. Is there a need to joke about it till this extent?
"How do you feel, Mage Mason?" Gryffindor was standing less than ten meters, and an electric arc was still revolving around hand. That sizzling sound from the electrical jumps gave Mason goosebumps.
"Nothing… Nothing much." Mason wiped off the blood at the corner of his lips and squeezed out an awkward smile. At this point, he had already given up totally. Even that omnipotent teammate was of no help, and who else could save him? Although Mason was not somebody courageous, Gryffindor would definitely not let him go, since the situation had reached this stage. Instead of begging for mercy, why not take this chance to speak more while he was still able to talk? At the very least, he could vent his anger even if he were to die at the end…
"Is it?" When Gryffindor spoke, his face was still full of smiles, but in the next instant, his face was filled with brutality. "Then, how about trying this again?"
A flicker of blinding electrical light flashed by soon after…
There was a fizzing sound, and there was instantly a cloud of green smoke appearing. After that, there was an intense shriek ringing out across the square. Everyone in the Aurora Square could clearly hear it. Everyone's hearts could not help but clench tightly following this shriek. That feeling was like a frog had been pierced by a wire mesh and then shoved into cauldron to be cooked.
After the intense pain came the endless numbness.
There was a point where Mason had really thought he had died. There was no pain and no thoughts. His whole mind was blank other than the voice that was echoing behind him the whole time. It felt like nothing existed in this world anymore.
"Mason, it's behind you. It's…"
"Behind you…" The electrical light exploded on his body, and the latter had been burned crisp. The wounds on his body looked like squirrel fish, curling up one by one. The endless torture of pain had caused Mason's mental condition to be unsound long ago. His teammate's shouts entered his ear, and Mason instinctively raised his hand to painstakingly search around the stone slab behind him…
"To the right a little more, just a bit more…" Half of Lin Li's body had already reached into the Aurora Square. Both his eyes were fixed on Mason, who was searching painstakingly. At this time, his heart had clenched up. He was so anxious that it was as if he was the one competing.
"Behind… Behind… what is behind? Eh… what is this…" Mason reached out his hand in a daze. He searched for a while, and finally touched something different. It was smooth and mellow. When he held it in his hands, it was even slightly warm…
This sudden discovery was like a cardiac stimulant, and it immediately stimulated Mason's mind. It was as if even the wounds on his body no longer had the searing pain. It was as if he grabbed that thing in a hurry, and just by touching it, he could tell that it was a glass bottle.
"There is hope now…" Once Mason saw that glass bottle, he knew that he would not die. That omnipotent friend of his was a genuine pharmacist. He had seen it with his own eyes at least twice—once, he used a potion to save Orrin, and the other time, he gave advice to Andoine on Pharmaceutics. The potion he'd concocted would definitely allow Mason to get through this duel safely.
"At least he found it…" Looking at Mason obtaining the potion, Lin Li finally gave off a huge sigh of relief.
It was unknown who came up with the damned rules of this competition. It actually banned the usage of potions.
From Lin Li's perspective, this was nonsense. It was unknown which idiot that was clueless about pharmacists thought about it and presumptuously came up with this rule. In the end, it almost killed Mason. How would this idiot know that a genuine pharmacist would have at least ten different ways to hide the potions somewhere nobody could ever find them? There were more than ten methods to consume the potion without being found out.
This rule could only be applied to people like Mason—an unlucky person that did not master concealment methods but had a friend that was willing to give them a potion.
It was also because of the limitation of this idiotic rule that Lin Li had no choice but to come up with this weird solution. Under the cover of the Ring of Endless Storm, he had hidden a potion in the cracks between the stone slabs in the Aurora Square earlier on. It could be used when Mason and Gryffindor were dueling each other.
To be safe, Lin Li even used that potion bottle made from the Crystal of Eternity. This could reduce the risk of the bottle being destroyed. It was unlikely to be destroyed during the fight unless it was struck directly by magic. Otherwise, even an Archmage level magic would be hard-pressed to cause any structural damage to it.
It was a pity that everything was too coincidental. When Mason was about to enter the square, Lin Li thought of telling him everything. Who knew that this guy would give a fervent and excited speech, which distracted Lin Li. Before he could even speak, this fella had hurriedly rushed in. In the end, he was almost roasted by Gryffindor's lightning before he could even surrender…
But luckily, Mason found the bottle at the very least before Lin Li shouted till his throat was hoarse…
As long as he drank this potion, Mason should be completely safe. Lin Li had hidden a genuine bottle of Divine Power potion in between the cracks of the rock earlier on. Half a black lotus's power was enough to protect Mason from all sorts of magical damage. Although the time was not long as it was just 10 seconds, for Mason, these ten seconds would allow him to safely retire from the Aurora Square…
This time, Mason was rather intelligent. He held the bottle of Divine Protection Potion in his hands, but he did not drink it hurriedly, because the two judges were near him and Gryffindor was monitoring him. If he were to try to drink this potion now, Gryffindor would not allow him to do so even if the two judges did not care.
He did not even have to waste any effort and would need to
release just a single spell, then Mason would have to even swallow the bottle into his stomach.
In order to lull Gryffindor's vigilance and to hide from the gaze of the judges, Mason had very carefully held the potion bottle in his hands. His eyes were fixed on Gryffindor, monitoring his every movement. All Mason had to wait for now was a chance—a chance to drink the potion.
As to what would happen after drinking it, Mason did not think about it at all. Anyhow, Felic would never harm him. As long as he took out the potion, it would definitely help Mason escape from this predicament. During those two months at Alanna, this idea had long been etched into Mason's mind. It had become a habit—under all sorts of circ.u.mstances, his first choice would be to instinctively wait for this omnipotent teammate to make a decision.
There was no other choice. Within these two months, the miracles Felic had created were too many. From the first trial mission to the survival of the Shadowglen, and then to today's finals in the Aurora Square. One after another, the miraculous performances even made Mason suspect that there was nothing this guy could not do other than giving birth to children.
"Seems like Mage Mason is in a lot of pain, why not allow me to help you end this?" Gryffindor's face was still full of smiles. His right hand extended out, and immediately two Wind Blades appeared, but Gryffindor was not in a hurry to release them. He slowly walked towards Mason while spinning the two wind blades in his palm at lightning speed. That sharp screech made all of the mages present have goosebumps all over…
"Haha…" Mason forced out a smile and stared straight at Gryffindor. He waited till he was five meters away from him and exactly blocking out the sight of the judges behind. Mason then immediately opened the cork and shoved the whole bottle of Divine Protection Potion into his mouth. "Leave it for yourself, idiot!"
Chapter 264 - Three Man Round Robin
Just as Mason's voice had fell, the two wind blades in Gryffindor's hands shot out at the same time. In an instant, a screeching sound could be heard. At that moment, most of the spectators could not help but close their eyes. Even the lowest-level mage apprentice knew that the Air Bomb and Wind Blade were the same in terms of innate character and theory. They both used wind attribute magic to channel it, but in reality, it dealt physical damage. This also meant that the four master level mageweaths that Aldwin had inscribed had no way of protecting the trial apprentice called Mason. With the release of these two Wind Blades based on Gryffindor's Archmage powers, this trial apprentice called Mason would most likely be spilling blood…
