by Zhuang Bifan
"Thousand Miles of Ice!" The audience gasped again.
Of all the level-16 spells, the Thousand Miles of Ice was definitely the most powerful. It had the ability to freeze everything instantaneously once it was unleashed. The scariest part was that before achieving the Legendary-realm, the Thousand Miles of Ice was the spell that would result in the largest impact. It was no joke.
In a battle that would concern a few thousand lives, a Thousand Miles of Ice could turn the tides for any losing party. Many skillful people from level-17 or level-18 could not help but feel intimidated by the spell. What was more for a young mage of the age 20?
"It's a hopeless case…" Hoffman shut his eyes in resignation.
Herza, who was beside him, also shook his head and sighed. "What a waste of talent…"
Amidst the violent, roaring wind, one could only see white particles at the areas the chilling wind passed through. Immediately, huge shards of ice were formed. A wave of crisp sounds could be heard when the stone slabs on the ground of the Aurora Square froze. At that moment, it was as though the air was frozen too.
Everyone was stunned. No one made a sound. The Aurora Square that was unusually boisterous just before became unusually silent now.
Gryffindor gripped his staff tightly. Because he broke into level-16 by force, fatigue could be seen on his handsome face. However, apart from tiredness, it was filled with more satisfaction and elation. To him, it was extremely important to get rid of the mage from Jarrosus. He would not hesitate to break into level-16 forcefully in order to achieve that…
Since Matthias was also a cripple, it would be easy for Gryffindor to kill him even if he was in a weakened state. It wouldn't affect the next battle for him.
Although the chilling air from the Thousand Miles of Ice had dissipated, the furious snow continued. Amidst the mad winds, an ice sculpture stood in the middle of Aurora Square quietly.
"Mage Felic, how was it? I'm sure it doesn't feel good to be frozen in the ice, does it?" Gryffindor jeered as he stood in front of the ice sculpture and laughed hysterically. He was beyond elation. He felt as if he had smacked dead an irritating fly that was buzzing around his ears for a long time. Although he knew that his opponent would not be able to hear him inside the ice, he could not help but stay there to soliloquize, venting all his emotions.
"What a pity! Although you have made it to the top three, you are still unable to return to Jarrosus alive. Yet, you can only blame yourself for this. It's not that I didn't give you any chance, but you took it for granted. Pfff… How clever do you think you are to even try to take away the presidential seat of the new guild from me? Go and have your grand dream in hell!"
"Aldwin, quick… stop that little bastard!" Macklin rushed up the VIP seats breathlessly. He urged, "If anything were to happen to Felic, then…"
This time, the old man was really anxious. He was extremely clear what a Thousand Miles of Ice entailed. Even though Aldwin had established four master-level mageweaths, and Felic was armed with an Elemental Shield, it was still the mightiest spell from level-16. If Felic was trapped in it for more than a minute, he would not be able to save himself even he become a divinity.
If Felic were to die here, Macklin would be the first to be doomed. It was not easy to negotiate with Andoine. Who knew what that old man would do if he turned crazy? And the two other fellas in the Pharmacists Guild… Macklin clearly remembered that Grimm Burnside had sent a message to the Guild of Magic before the battle, and it said that President Balbo had some matters to discuss with Mage Felic…
Holy…
God knew how long had Macklin not heard such a formal request from the Pharmacists Guild…
Macklin could use his knees to conclude that Lin Li must have established some connections with Balbo when he was at the gathering. If the fella were to get into any accident, what would the Pharmacists Guild do to them? If the potions that they had been providing to the Guild of Magic for at least a thousand years got stopped abruptly, not to say Macklin, the entire Guild of Magic would become sinners!
"Erm…" Aldwin hesitated. To be honest, it was really difficult for him to make any decision. How would he not know Macklin's worries? But, both of them were in different positions. Macklin's concern was on the consequences if Felic were to die. He, however, had to judge the matter as a whole. Aldwin had to weight the impact of his actions as the president.
It would be very easy to stop Gryffindor. But, what would come next? Were they going to continue the battle?
Strictly speaking, his interference in the last round already affected the overall fairness of the finals. He was thankful that Garat for being abnormal just now. The extreme undead energy gave him the reason to interrupt the battle. But, what explanation could he give if he were to do so for this battle? Although Gryffindor was a little extreme in his tactics, he had never gone against the rules from the start. As much as he wished to stop him, he had to think about the fairness of the battle. Or else, how could the battles go on?
Yet, Macklin was not wrong to be that frantic over it…
Felic's background was really complicated. He was involved in too many things. If anything were to happen to him, it would be very difficult to explain to Jarrosus Guild of Magic.
Just when Aldwin was still hesitating, Sendros and Hoffman stood up from the VIP seats almost at the same time. One took up his skeletal staff, started to recite a spell, and generated some thick black smoke in his palms.
These two people had zero concern for the fairness of the battle. From their occupations and status—one being a necromancer and the head of the Darkness Shrine, the other being a conjurer of dark magic and the decision maker of the Glittergold Trade Union—anybody would know that rules would not matter to them at all. They did not have to care about the Guild of Magic in their daily lives. To them, Gryffindor and fairness would never be as important as a talented pharmacist.
Unfortunately…
The situation changed again just when both of them stood up from the VIP seats.
"C-crack…" Amidst the roaring winds was a crisp sound. Although it was gentle and soft, it was extremely deafening to Gryffindor. It was as though a thunder had sounded right above his head…
Cracks could be seen appearing on the ice sculpture. These few lines were like plague, spreading uncontrollably. In the blink of an eye, they had multiplied furiously like nobody's business. A crystal clear ice sculpture looked as though it was covered in worms. Then, it exploded instantly. "POM!" The shattered ice flew in all directions, forming vapor in the air…
Gryffindor stared at the scene blankly. He saw how the cracks formed on the ice sculpture, and how it exploded thereafter. He was in disbelief. How could the Jarrosus mage escape from the Thousand Miles of Ice? Did he see a ghost? The temperature of the Thousand Miles of Ice was close to zero degrees Celsius. It would be as tough as steel once it got frozen.
How could a human mage be able to break free from it? At this point of time, it was as though Gryffindor saw a beast escape by prying open his own trap…
"So, Mage Gryffindor, you look very surprised?" Lin Li asked. Although he was standing in the vapor and had many ice shards on his Rune Robe, the smile on his face had never been so bright. The temporal entrapment brought about by the Thousand Miles of Ice nearly cost him his life, but it also allowed him to think through many things.
Gryffindor's true ability was one of them.
Frankly speaking, Lin Li had a shock when Gryffindor unleashed the Thousand Miles of Ice. He knew very well what a level-16 Archmage entailed. The appearance of the four signature magic spells had become the divider of the abilities of Archmages. To be exact, although they were all Archmages, a level-15 Archmage had no chance to battle a level-16 Archmage at all. It would be better to just surrender immediately…
However…
When the Thousand Miles of Ice was unleashed, Lin Li started to suspect Gryffindor's true abilities. Gryffindor could have used the Four-element Shields on him from the star
t. Even if he had Mana Retroaction and the Arcane Wall with him, it would not be any threat to Gryffindor.
There was no choice too. The defense mechanism of the Four-element Shields would be too mighty to counter any attack below level-16. If Gryffindor had that ability, why would he have toiled so hard to cope with Lin Li?
When the crucial stage was over, everything that was abnormal became reasonable at once.
That was right. Gryffindor must have used some method to level himself up unnaturally. Like Cromwell, who raised himself to level-14 using a mystical spell of the High Elves. Lin Li did not have to worry about anything. There was no free lunch in the world. Since Gryffindor broke into level-16 unnaturally, he would have to pay for it.
Hence, when Lin Li walked out of the foggy mist, he was extremely light-hearted.
"H-how could this be…!" Gryffindor exclaimed as he fixed a deadly glare on Lin Li. It was as though someone had fixed his body in cast. He stood rooted to the ground for at least a minute before screaming in agony.
"Nothing is impossible, Mage Gryffindor. Since even roosters lay eggs, how can't I escape from the Thousand Miles of Ice?"
"You—"
"Stop it. You can leave your words at the cemetery…" Before Lin Li speak finish, he had already unleashed Mana Retroaction.
Almost immediately, Gryffindor started his recitation too. But, before he could recite another word, the mana in his body got disrupted. He felt a strong heat flying towards him. It was a fireball as big as his face, dragging a tail of flame towards him…
Chapter 266 - Gotta endure it!
"BOOM!"
With a loud noise, a Pyroblast flew and dropped onto the Elemental Shield. At that moment, it created a dazzling scene. Numerous sparks splattered like beautiful fireworks in the night sky, drawing a magnificent scene in the Aurora Square.
Gryffindor was all shrieks behind all the grandiose. Flying off like a kite with broken strings, he puked a great amount of blood and left a long trail of it in the air.
"Instantaneous… Instantaneous Pyroblast?" Thousands of mages among the audience gasped…
No one had expected that a competition between trial students would be so intense. Look at what they did! It started off with Gryffindor breaking into a level-16 when he used a Thousand Miles of Ice on the mage from Jarrosus. At that point, everyone thought that Gryffindor won. After all, it was impossible to bridge the difference between level-15 and level-16.
However, they realized that they had guessed it wrong very quickly. They saw how the young mage from Jarrosus broke the Thousand Miles of Ice apart with zero injuries…
Wait, that was not the end.
The mages would never dream of how the monster would attack his opponent with an instantaneous Pyroblast…
All of a sudden, the Aurora Square was silent.
Everyone was really flabbergasted after witnessing an instantaneous Pyroblast. I-it… was impossible, right…?
A Pyroblast was definitely a level-15 spell. Although it was not as powerful as the Thousand Miles of Ice, it required similar amount of mana as any level-16 spell. Although there were a lot of mages seated in the Aurora Square, none could claim they could unleash a Pyroblast instantaneously.
It was like forcing a rooster to lay eggs, and forcing a hen to crow. The Jarrosus mage absolutely transgressed the fundamental laws of Magic. Even if it were the mighty Sendros or Aldwin, they would not have been able to do that.
But now, everyone had witnessed a young mage not over the age of 20 unleash a Pyroblast instantaneously. At that moment, all of them thought they were dreaming. It was absolutely unbelievable!
Yet, the scene in the Aurora Square was very real.
There was no tedious and long recitation of spell, and no complicated gestures—only a ball of flames followed by sparks, clashing gallantly against the colorful Elemental Shield…
Their eyes were wide open together with those of the guests in the VIP seats.
"Too… too fake…" Hoffman uttered in shock as though he was in a dream. That was simply unbelievable! If he'd viewed Lin Li as a talented pharmacist from the start, it was perhaps time to reevaluate this young man.
He had no choice. The scene he'd just witnessed was too freakish. Anybody with a normal IQ would do the same too.
Hoffman could not help but doubt if the Glittergold Trade Union would be able to employ him even if he were to agree to it. Being a successful businessman, Hoffman would subconsciously use the perception of a businessman when he considered things. He always believed there was value in every individual, and people who were more powerful would have a higher value.
But, the young man before him was beyond powerful. The price to pay for him would no doubt be extremely high…
Hoffman was not the only one reconsidering his plans of partnering with Lin Li. All the big shots—Herza beside him, necromancer Sendros, Archbishop Englos, as well as Prince Lionheart Johnathan—could not help but frown at what they saw. Even Aldwin and Macklin were deep in thoughts. They were going to reevaluate the abilities and potential of this young man, and change their attitude accordingly…
He was no longer a young man with a bright future. He was an unreasonably transcendent mage!
Just when everyone were in deep thoughts, the battle in the Aurora Square had reached the most crucial point.
Gryffindor knelt on the ground on one knee, his right hand clutching his staff. His complexion was really palish from the loss of too much blood. Yet, no sense of anxiety could be found on his face, but some traces of joy.
He was probably the only one who knew that although he'd attained level-16 by unnatural means, the number of level-16 spells he could use was not limited to one, and the Thousand Miles of Ice was only one of them. He was certain that the Jarrosus bumpkin would never escape the fate of losing after he took a breather.
"I will let you see what is a true Archmage!" Gryffindor smirked as he covered himself with water element. At that instant, everyone could see the formation of a blue panel.
"Holy, that's a Water Shield…" The mages who finally got over the fact that the Pyroblast was cast instantaneously had another thing to gasp at. The sound of discussion filled the room as if billions of locusts flying past a field. No one expected that Gryffindor could still summon one of the Four-element Shields while suffering serious injuries.
It seemed that the battle was not going to end yet…
"I have to admit that I'm surprised at your abilities…" Gryffindor hissed. His deadly glare was fixed on Lin Li like a poisonous snake. "But, it is enough. Mage Felic, accidents are accidents because they don't occur frequently."
Almost immediately, Gryffindor's right hand gripped his staff. He began another round of recitation. It was really quick and had no pauses, just like a storm, and created vigorous magical waves.
"Is that so?" Lin Li asked, the smile on his face not fading away. His Aether Staff was positioned in front of his c.h.e.s.t.
At that moment, he cast another fireball the size of a sink.
"POM!" The effects of Pyroblast were too great. Even though he had the skills of a level-16 Archmage temporarily, Gryffindor could not help but allocate a huge amount of mana to defend himself. He even had a short pause during his recitation.
However, Gryffindor was not worried. He knew that it would take at least five Pyroblasts to destroy the Water Shield in his hands. By that time, he would have finished his recitation, and readjusted himself for the battle…
Gryffindor would not expect it to be more than five. He was very clear that the mage from Jarrosus must have gotten the skill to cast instantaneous Pyroblast by unnatural means like him. He did not know how that fella did it, but was certain that Lin Li would not last.
Five Pyroblast had to be the maximum he could reach, or else how would he not have used it on him at the start but saved it to the very last moment?
Furthermore, everyone knew that Pyroblast would require a great deal of mana, and a level-16 Archmage
would only be able to cast around 10. Otherwise, Pyroblast would have been the favorite spell among Archmages…
"Hey, Jarrosus bumpkin! Feel free to be c.o.c.ky! When you finish your mana, I will not allow you to cry…" Gryffindor jeered, and diverted a great amount of mana to cushion the impact of the Pyroblasts while continuing his recitation…
Second, third, fourth, fifth…
Gryffindor was right. After the fifth Pyroblast, his opponent really stopped to take a break.
He could not help but smirk upon seeing the scene he'd expected. Like Lin Li, he began a recitation that was more rapid. He wanted to use this crucial opportunity to show everyone who was the strongest amongst all the trial students!
Then, the smirk on Gryffindor's face froze…
He clearly heard that the opponent started his recitation as well. The voice was very fast, with a rhythm stronger than his.
Furthermore, the spell he was casting was obviously Pyroblast again!
"Goddamm—"
Gryffindor did not even have the time to be vulgar. He saw a fireball in the size of a sink dragging its long tail of flame towards him.
"BOOM!" Sparks could be seen flying, giving Gryffindor the urge to crash himself into the wall…
Gryffindor really wanted to ask, "F*ck, do you know what is the meaning of wastage? That is a level-15 Pyroblast, not something for a rookie Archmage like you to cast as and when you feel like it!"
Unfortunately, before Gryffindor had the chance to speak, Lin Li cast another Pyroblast on him. It was the same short and rapid recitation of spell, and it shut Gryffindor's mouth instantly.
At this moment, Gryffindor really had the urge to blast a Pyroblast back at him.
But, he realized that it was not worth it to do that. Pyroblast would take up a great deal of his energy. He would be wasting precious energy if he was not totally sure that he could break his opponent's Elemental Shield.
Goddammit, I'm the top mage of Felan. I can't stoop to your level of a country bumpkin. I'm going to endure this!
Chapter 267 - Prolonged Endurance
