Chapter 215: The Opponent’s Advanced Defense Shield.

"Whoa!"

Another wave of astonished cries erupted from the stands.

"Hahaha! What kind of fighting style is that?"

"Well, the rules don't say mages can't fight in close combat."

"That Mage Apprentice named Sperien is incredibly agile!"

"Seriously! I only blinked, and suddenly he was behind Ludwig."

"You don't see many mages who can move like that."

"But shouldn't mages settle things with magic?"

"True. If he keeps fighting in close combat, there won't be much to watch."

"The match has only just started. Don't jump to conclusions."

"Ludwig needs to put some distance between them and strengthen his defenses before he'll have a chance to counterattack."

"With Sperien's speed, do you really think he'll give Ludwig time to recite an incantation?"

As everyone knew, Mage Apprentices had limited abilities and had to recite an entire incantation before their magic could take effect. Unfortunately, complete incantations were lengthy, and they were often interrupted before they could even be finished.

That was precisely why most people found matches between Mage Apprentices boring. Watching two novices stand at a distance and take turns casting spells was dull and tedious.

Sperien, however, had broken from convention by attacking in close combat, completely changing the usual pattern of battle. The novelty immediately caught the spectators' interest.

Zephyr said to Ilio, "The little guy's fighting style is a lot like yours!"

Right from the start, he had caught his opponent off guard with a surprise attack. It was thoroughly underhanded in the most Ilio-like way possible.

As though he hadn't heard the teasing in Zephyr's voice, Ilio said proudly, "Of course. How could someone I taught be bad?"

"I knew it!" Zephyr wasn't surprised in the slightest.

Elsewhere, Moresy laughed. "I like his fighting style."

Seidler declined to comment.

Any mage who had adventured across the continent knew that magical beasts and villains weren't going to give you time to prepare. Without agile movement and exceptional skills at escaping, you could only resign yourself to being slaughtered.

Sperien's way of fighting was simply a basic requirement for surviving in the wild.

"Wow! Nice kick!"

In the front row, Dixio, Angel, Budno, and Amanda cheered excitedly. Seeing Ludwig sprawled miserably on the ground, they burst into loud laughter.

Siti marveled, "You can fight like that?"

She'd learned something new today.

Nasha covered a smile.

Kumandi and Ace said nothing, quietly watching the match.

Hector stared in astonishment. He could already imagine how furious and humiliated Ludwig must be.

In the arena, Shu Li didn't press his advantage after the kick. Kindheartedly, he waited for the battered Ludwig to climb back to his feet.

"Hey, let's keep going."

Wind seemed to gather beneath Shu Li's feet as he sprang into the air. Just as he was about to kick Ludwig down yet again, golden light suddenly flared, and his foot struck something solid.

His attack had been blocked.

A translucent golden barrier had appeared around Ludwig, high-ranking magical runes flowing across its surface. Shu Li's foot had struck the barrier and could advance no farther.

His sharp gaze swept downward and caught sight of the magic scroll lying at Ludwig's feet.

He'd resorted to it already?

How useless.

Shu Li twisted in midair and landed steadily, then sprang lightly backward several meters, putting distance between himself and Ludwig.

Panting, Ludwig touched the scrape on his cheek with the back of his hand and hissed in pain before glaring furiously at Shu Li.

That damned bastard had humiliated him in public twice!

"You won't get a third chance!" Ludwig ground out. "You think you can beat me with nothing but punches and kicks? Dream on!"

"A defensive magical formation?" Shu Li studied the golden barrier surrounding him. Judging by the runes flowing across it, this defensive formation could withstand attacks from a Senior Mage.

Friton really did spoil his junior. He had even given him a high-ranking magic scroll.

Tsk, tsk. If Shu Li really were an ordinary Intermediate Mage Apprentice, there would be no chance of him winning this match.

"At least you know what you're looking at!" Ludwig raised his ornate magic staff and aimed it at Shu Li, his face twisting viciously. "You'll be kneeling and begging me for mercy soon."

"Great Fire God Afama Chips, I am Ludwig Snowo, your faithful believer. I beseech you to command the fire elements to gather around me and bring me fireballs that will destroy everything!"

Protected by the defensive magical formation, his opponent couldn't attack him, while Ludwig himself could still launch attacks from inside it.

As the incantation ended, crimson flames gathered around the sunstone at the tip of his magic staff. He swung it viciously, and fireballs began shooting out one after another, hurtling toward Shu Li.

Ludwig was completely confident.

The magical defensive equipment his great-uncle had given him could not only withstand magical attacks but also amplify the power of his spells, raising his Fireball Spell to the level of a Junior Mage.

That lowborn bastard Sperien could wait to die!

As fireballs came flying toward him one after another, Shu Li remained perfectly calm. He moved with precise, skillful steps, evading them with incredible ease. He seemed to have wings on his back, darting left and right with impossible lightness, even leaping and twisting through the air as he effortlessly avoided the entire barrage.

"What?" Ludwig's eyes widened in shock.

His attack had failed?

How was that possible?

Anyone else would already have been badly burned by his fireballs.

Damn it!

Shu Li lowered his gaze to the scorched marks the fireballs had left on the ground and shook his head.

Friton had really spared no expense to ensure Ludwig's victory.

Unfortunately for Ludwig, his opponent was Shu Li. No matter how many treasures he possessed, they wouldn't change the outcome of the match.

After failing to land a single hit, Ludwig began reciting the Fireball Spell again.

This time, even larger and more numerous fireballs launched a dense assault on Shu Li.

"Dodge! Go on, dodge! Let's see you keep dodging!"

He swung his magic staff wildly.

Shu Li switched back into evasion mode, racing around the entire arena while the fireballs chased after him. Even under such intense exertion, his reactions and agility didn't suffer in the slightest.

"He's strong!"

Someone in the stands sighed in admiration.

"Ludwig's magic really is powerful. Those attacks are already on par with a Junior Mage's," another person said.

"No, I wasn't talking about Ludwig. I meant Sperien," the first person replied. "His evasive footwork is every bit as good as a swordsman's."

Many mages neglected physical training, only to find themselves failing at critical moments because their stamina couldn't keep up.

Yet agility wasn't something that could be developed simply because one wanted it.

First, it required extraordinary willpower. Second, it required instruction from an exceptional teacher. Third, it required real combat experience.

Judging by Sperien's performance in the arena, he possessed all three.

They had heard that he was a mountain villager.

That explained everything.

Mountain villagers lived in harsh environments that forced them to become agile and physically capable. Otherwise, they couldn't climb mountains, hunt, or deal with the magical beasts that inhabited the wilderness.

As for a noble young master like Ludwig, if he weren't relying on all the fine equipment given to him by his Saint Mage relative, he probably would have lost already.

In the VIP seats, the Saint Mages chatted amiably, offering their opinions on the match below.

One Saint Mage who was on good terms with Friton said with a smile, "Your junior has quite impressive control over his magic!"

High-ranking equipment was certainly useful, but without sufficient ability to match it, one would have difficulty bringing out its true magical power.

The corners of Friton's mouth rose unconsciously. "Aside from his short temper, the boy is excellent in every respect."

Otherwise, among so many juniors, Ludwig would never have distinguished himself enough to catch his eye.

"Haha. Young people are full of vigor. It's inevitable that they'll be impatient. You can slowly teach him in the future," the Saint Mage said.

"Exactly. Today can serve as a lesson and help him remember it in the future." A gleam appeared in Friton's eyes as he watched his junior's performance with considerable satisfaction.

However, some Saint Mages disagreed.

"Relying too heavily on high-ranking equipment will hinder his future development."

"The boy named Sperien still looks perfectly at ease to me."

"As expected of a child valued by the Mage Sovereign. He's exceptionally gifted. That agility and reaction speed alone surpass what any of us had at his age."

"This match really is rather interesting."

At least they hadn't put aside important work and come all this way for nothing.

Danlov maintained a faint smile. As long as nothing excessive happened in the arena, he had no intention of stopping the match.

"Damn it! Ludwig is hiding behind that defensive formation and attacking Sperien nonstop!"

Siti was furious enough to want to jump into the arena and fight alongside him.

Nasha clasped her hands together and forced herself to remain calm. "We have to trust our captain."

Hector watched the situation nervously. Every time a fireball narrowly brushed past Shu Li, his heart leaped into his throat.

What puzzled him was that Dixio and the others, who had been so excited earlier, had instead gone quiet. They were staring intently at the arena without looking away.

"Is dodging all you can do?" Seeing Shu Li darting this way and that filled Ludwig with satisfaction, and he viciously continued casting Fireball Spells.

He was protected by the defensive formation. He was perfectly safe, and his opponent couldn't do anything to him.

Taking advantage of a brief opening, Shu Li pulled a face at him.

Ludwig stamped his foot in fury and unleashed an even more ferocious attack.

"Great Fire God Afama Chips, I am Ludwig Snowo, your faithful believer. I beseech you to command the fire elements to gather around me and bring me the infernal flames that will burn everything to ashes!"

The high-ranking magic staff rapidly drew in the surrounding fire elements, condensing them into a dazzling glow. The next instant, a ferocious fire dragon burst forth, claws bared as it lunged toward Shu Li.

Shu Li raised an eyebrow. As though he had already predicted the direction of the fire dragon's attack, he shifted away in advance and slipped out of its range.

Ludwig knew he would dodge.

He just hadn't expected him to dodge that quickly.

"You think that's the end of it?" ℴℴ𝘮

"Explode!"

The fire dragon crashed into the ground and burst apart, scattering countless smaller fireballs. The wide-ranging attack engulfed half the arena in a sea of flames.

"Run! Go on! Let's see where you can run now!"

Ludwig immediately began reciting the incantation for Infernal Flames again.

Shu Li leaped onto a patch of ground the flames hadn't yet reached and raised his magic staff before Ludwig could finish.

"Great Water God Hildani Getty, I am Sperien. I beseech you to command the water elements to gather around me and bring me waterballs that will drown the flames!"

As soon as the incantation ended, the water elements in the air surged wildly, scrambling over one another as they rushed toward Shu Li.

The high-ranking mages in the stands all looked astonished at the strange phenomenon.

"What terrifying elemental affinity!"

Someone gasped.

An endless stream of water elements crowded so densely around Shu Li that there was barely any space left. If he successfully absorbed them all, he could transform them into an extraordinarily powerful magical attack.

Being surrounded by countless blue "slimes" wasn't exactly comfortable for Shu Li.

He couldn't absorb too many water elements. He had to keep the amount within the limits expected of an Intermediate Mage Apprentice.

The water elements affectionately rubbed against his cheeks, kissed his hair, and clung to his clothes, acting spoiled like a swarm of little animals.

Absorb me! Absorb me! Hurry up and absorb me!

They eagerly volunteered themselves, enthusiastically begging Shu Li to choose them.

Shu Li firmly rejected most of them and took only an appropriate amount of water elements to form his waterballs.

By the time Ludwig finished reciting the incantation for Infernal Flames, Shu Li was already swinging his magic staff. Waterballs materialized one after another and accurately extinguished the flames burning across the ground.

"Hisssss—"

As fire met water, clouds of white steam billowed upward.

When Ludwig's second Infernal Flames lunged toward Shu Li, every flame left behind by the first had already been extinguished.

Shu Li swiftly changed position and calmly recited the Waterball Spell despite the danger, once again extinguishing the sea of fire Ludwig had created.

Ludwig was furious. He began casting Infernal Flames over and over again.

He refused to believe that his fire couldn't overpower his opponent's waterballs.

Shu Li shrugged and transformed into a "firefighter." Wherever Ludwig set something ablaze, Shu Li extinguished it with Waterball Spells. As the arena floor grew wetter and wetter, the flames found less and less ground on which to take hold.

Infernal Flames was a powerful spell that consumed enormous amounts of a mage's mental and physical strength.

After Ludwig cast it five times in succession, each attack was noticeably weaker than the last.

"Huff... huff..."

He lowered his magic staff and panted heavily.

Shu Li extinguished the final patch of flames and looked at his opponent, still protected inside the golden barrier.

"Now it's my turn to attack."

He raised his magic staff and pointed it at Ludwig.

"I'm going to crack open that turtle shell of yours!"

If Ludwig insisted on hiding inside a golden shell and refusing to come out, what was he if not a turtle?

"Hahahaha—!"

The spectators in the front rows heard him and burst into laughter.

Ludwig flew into a rage. "This is a high-ranking defensive formation! An Intermediate Mage Apprentice like you could never break through it!"

"Is that so? Then let's find out."

Shu Li began reciting a wind spell.

"Great Wind God Wendis Inor, I am Sperien. I beseech you to command the wind elements to gather around me and bring me sharp arrows of wind—"

As the incantation ended, the wind elements surged wildly toward him, just as the water elements had.

Witnessing the extraordinary phenomenon for a second time, the mages exclaimed in amazement.

Such extraordinary elemental affinity was enough to make anyone burn with envy.

The Dark Elf Moresy thoughtfully stroked his smooth chin.

Could a human truly possess elemental affinity comparable to an Elf's?

Shu Li swept his magic staff forward.

The wind elements transformed into razor-sharp arrows of wind and shot toward the golden barrier protecting Ludwig.

"Bang! Bang! Bang!"

The hard golden barrier and the wind arrows collided with deafening impacts.

At first, Ludwig was somewhat worried that the defensive formation might not withstand the assault. But when the wind arrows continued striking it for several minutes without any apparent effect, he burst into arrogant laughter.

"Hahaha! Stop wasting your strength! Low-ranking magic can't break high-ranking magic. Everything you're doing is useless! You might as well kneel and beg for mercy now!"

Shu Li ignored his mockery and tirelessly continued releasing wind arrows.

Quantity eventually produced a qualitative change.

Every wind arrow struck the exact same point, fast and precise. Together, they resembled a green laser beam, exploding into dazzling light where they met the golden barrier.

Convinced that Shu Li's magic was useless, Ludwig recovered his strength and began his second round of attacks.

"Great Fire God Afama—"

"Crack!"

Before he could finish the incantation, a piercing sound suddenly came from the surface of the golden barrier.

Another barrage of wind arrows struck.

Cracks abruptly spread across the golden barrier.

"It broke!"

An uproar swept through the stands.

"Crack, crack, crack—!"

The entire golden barrier shattered into fragments, dissolved into countless motes of light, and vanished.

And the wind arrows still hurtling forward pierced straight through the fading starlight and shot toward Ludwig's chest.