leonardwarren Chapter 185 Challenge Tier 3
Chapter 185 Challenge Tier 3
Chapter 185 Challenging the Third Tier
Within the six kingdoms, third-tier spellcasters, regardless of which faction they belong to, can rise to the leadership level or be treated as honored guests.
In the city of Nord War, a third-tier professional can become a mage tower master or a judge.
At the Susas Mage Academy, they are the deans of the various departments.
In name only, a third-tier mage is far stronger than Kane, who is currently only at the second tier.
In contrast, the group of second-tier mages to which Kane belonged, though varying in strength, were generally considered to be captain-level.
You either lead a small team on a mission or take control of a local underground force.
That is why Kane is finding it difficult to accurately assess his true strength at this moment.
Judging from his past record, he was able to use a variety of methods to kill several second-tier molten wax demons.
However, this largely depends on his immortality and the protection he receives from evil magic.
However, battlefield situations change rapidly, and enemies vary in characteristics. Relying solely on past battle records ultimately makes it impossible to objectively assess one's own skill level.
Therefore, finding a friendly third-tier mage to fight is undoubtedly the best way for him to test his own strength.
Seeing the conflicted look on Arundel's face, Kane was led by Dean Bella toward a pure white spire within the academy.
Along the way, the monks they passed cast respectful glances at them. The two continued on their way and finally stopped in front of a huge mahogany gate.
Arundel stepped forward and pushed open the door, revealing a spacious hall behind it, completely empty.
Kane and Bella entered the hall one after the other, and stood about 30 meters apart.
Kane looked around and found the enclosed hall to be quite empty.
The walls are covered with densely packed magical runes, and the material is obsidian, which can resist magical attacks.
Arundel, standing to the side, hesitated, but Dean Bella spoke first, her tone gentle: "Mr. Kane, may we begin?"
Kane's gaze fell on Bella, the head of the third-tier Illusion Department, whose strength was clearly unfathomable.
He nodded slightly and said, "Then I'll be rude."
"Please."
Bella smiled and calmly took a short staff from Arundel's hand.
As soon as he finished speaking, Kane charged forward, his scimitar slicing through the air as he aimed directly at Bella.
Just as he was about to close the distance between them, Bella's figure suddenly became blurry.
Without the slightest hesitation, Kane brought his scimitar down heavily.
But the hazy figure vanished in an instant, leaving him seemingly all alone in the empty hall.
"It's a combination of obscurity and invisibility."
Kane reacted immediately, and without stopping, he charged forward.
To his surprise, Dean Bella, who was hiding in the shadows, did not take the opportunity to launch an attack.
"Looks like I've been underestimated."
Kane thought to himself, his eyes scanning his surroundings warily.
He knew very well that once a spellcaster advanced to the third tier, their strength would undergo a qualitative leap, but he felt no anger at being looked down upon.
Third-tier spellcasters will have a significantly increased number of spell slots, and their spell combinations will become more varied.
He can make existing spells unique, and Bella, as one of the top spellcasters in the region, will naturally only be stronger.
Moreover, Bella is the dean of the Illusion Department, and her expertise in the field of illusion is probably far beyond that of an ordinary third-tier mage.
Since the other party is testing him, he should respond accordingly.
Kane made up his mind and then chanted the spell: "Cloud Mist Spell".
He slowly closed his eyes. In the empty hall, the thin water vapor quickly condensed and spread, soon forming a white mist that enveloped the entire hall.
He did not rely on his sight, but instead used his water manipulation skills to carefully perceive every movement in the air.
Soon, he clearly sensed that Bella was not far to his right, waiting in ambush.
Without hesitation, Kane conjured two daggers with a thought, and under the control of the Mage Hand, they flew out, aimed directly at Bella's location.
At the same time, he quickly stepped forward to further close the distance between them.
On the other side, Bella looked at the two daggers flying towards her, a hint of surprise flashing in her eyes.
At first, she thought Kane was just an arrogant young upstart who came to challenge her.
Therefore, they only used two low-level spells, Obscuring and Invisibility, from beginning to end, without actually exerting their full power.
But she never expected that Kane could use the clouds and mist to break her illusion and even use the mist as "eyes" to accurately track her movements.
"interesting."
Bella smiled and, with a thought, used her mage's hand to deflect the dagger Kane had thrown.
At the same time, he cast a shield spell, blocking Kane's scimitar strike.
She smiled and said, "Master Kane, your water manipulation is incredibly skillful. Could you tell me about it?"
In just one sentence, she changed her address for Kane from "Sir" to "Mage".
This is undoubtedly an acknowledgment of Kane's strength.
Bella was genuinely surprised. Water manipulation was just a very basic life skill, and she had never seen anyone use it to such an exquisite degree.
It can actually be combined with the first-level Cloud Mist Technique to achieve an effect similar to the second-level "Detect Invisibility".
Kane's scimitar was blocked by an invisible shield. He quickly sidestepped a magic missile launched by Bella and took two steps back.
He watched Bella's figure blur and change, and smiled as he replied, "Dean, these are just some small tricks. If there's a chance later, I'll explain them to you in more detail."
Furthermore, please do not hold back and launch an attack as much as possible.
Upon hearing Kane's invitation, Bella chuckled and replied "Okay," gently raising her left hand with a playful glint in her eyes.
The next moment, beams of freezing light shot out from her hand, densely attacking Kane.
Kane remained calm and stepped to the side.
At the same time, he used the Spiderwalking technique to climb the wall and repeatedly leap across the ceiling, skillfully avoiding all the freezing rays.
He knew very well that the freezing ray was just the most basic trick.
Even a magician's apprentice could master it, but in Bella's hands, such a simple trick had reached a level of consummate skill.
With the added strength of a third-tier cultivator, the rays traveled at extremely high speeds and were continuous, leaving almost no gaps.
The distance between the two did not decrease; instead, it increased.
He barely managed to block a ray with his scimitar, his brow furrowing slightly.
The damage from freezing rays is at most frostbite and frost, so continuing to use them is a pure waste of time.
Moreover, if he weren't unwilling to expose his immortality, he could completely disregard these injuries and charge straight in for a close-quarters attack in actual combat.
"What exactly is she trying to do?"
Kane's eyes flickered slightly as he pondered something when he caught a fleeting smile on Bella's lips.
Immediately afterwards, he saw Bella lightly swipe her short staff, causing the surrounding airflow to ripple and the mist in the hall to begin to gather in front of her.
Kane's heart skipped a beat, and he immediately stepped closer.
Whatever Bella's purpose is, we must not let her succeed.
He swung his scimitar sharply, cutting straight through the gathering fog.
"Snap!"
With a crisp sound, the mist instantly froze into ice—it was the Frost Shaping Technique.
Kane felt the temperature around him drop sharply, the chill penetrating to the bone, and immediately pulled back.
Before he could even stand firm, frost began to spread across the ground, and at the same time, several freezing rays shot out again.
The fog that had enveloped the hall had completely dissipated.
"I've been tricked."
Kane's gaze turned serious, and he instantly understood Bella's intention:
He used his water manipulation skills to sense the moisture in the mist to determine Bella's location, while Bella directly turned all the mist into ice, changing the physical form of the water.
In this way, he could no longer use water manipulation to sense the other party's whereabouts.
Although Bella's figure was still before him, he could no longer tell whether it was her real body or just an illusion.
"Mage Kane, to have achieved this much, you are already far superior to my good-for-nothing student."
Bella's voice seemed to come from all directions, filled with laughter.
She looked at Kane, who had closed his eyes again.
At this moment, she was standing not far from Kane, looking at this second-tier arcanist with admiration in her eyes.
In Bella's view, Kane was completely different from those spellcasters who only mechanically used magic networks and rigidly released spell models.
His use of magic is flexible and ingenious. With such a foundation, he will be able to advance to the third tier sooner or later.
She wouldn't mind befriending a future classmate at all.
So, if the previous battles were somewhat casual, then this time, she was truly putting her heart into it.
Just when she thought Kane would back down and end the match, she saw a smile appear on his lips as he said, "Dean Bella, you've taken all the moisture from the air, but haven't you overlooked one thing?"
Bella's smile remained unchanged, her voice ethereal: "Oh? What point did I overlook?"
"The moisture on the ground is not so easily carried away by the wind."
And you just happened to step on a few drops of water in the lobby.
As soon as Kane finished speaking, he began to move.
Bella's expression changed slightly upon hearing this.
Kane had already turned around quickly, unleashing his Blood Acceleration, and shot out like an arrow, his scimitar slashing down heavily!
"Bang!"
The scimitar slammed heavily into the short staff in Bella's hand. The staff had clearly been hardened by a spell, emitting a piercing metallic clang.
Bella's phantom vanished instantly, and at the point of impact, Bella's true form suddenly appeared.
She looked at Kane, who was so close to her, and subconsciously took a step back, her expression becoming completely serious.
Arendel, who had been watching the entire battle from the sidelines, was now filled with disbelief, muttering to himself, "—He actually managed to attack the mentor?"
But at that moment, Kane took a step back, bowed slightly, and said, "I have lost this match."
He knew very well that it was wise to stop while he was ahead.
His original purpose was to test the gap between himself and a third-tier mage and to accurately assess his own strength, and now that purpose has been achieved.
Bella only used tricks and first and second-circle spells from beginning to end, without even using a single third-circle spell, yet she still managed to exhaust most of his abilities.
However, Kane wasn't too discouraged.
Bella did not use her full strength, nor did he reveal his trump card.
If Bella had released the freezing ray at the very beginning, he could have easily gotten close by using his immortality.
Alternatively, if he prepares flammable powder in advance, he can unleash his trump card, a "dust explosion."
Even if Bella can become invisible, she could still be severely injured if caught off guard.
Bella gave Kane a deep look, and seeing his respectful attitude and lack of arrogance, she smiled meaningfully and said, "It seems that Mage Kane still has a good chance of winning against Logan."
Kane's eyes flickered, and he instantly understood Bella's unspoken meaning:
The other party did not think highly of him at first, so they did not place all their hopes on him in the voting at the college meeting, but had other tricks up their sleeve.
Just as he was about to ask further, Bella turned to Arundel, who was still hesitant to speak, and said, "Arundel, take Mage Kane for a walk around the academy."
He can access spellbooks from the Illusion Academy that are below the third ring.
Arendl looked shocked upon hearing this.
He admitted that Kane's performance was astonishing, successfully breaking his mentor's illusion.
But the fact that his mentor was willing to open up all the spellbooks below the third ring in the branch was a level of importance that far exceeded his expectations.
Kane's eyes also flickered slightly. He knew very well that, from a social perspective, this was undoubtedly a signal that Bella was taking the initiative to befriend him.
He took another step back and said respectfully, "Dean Bella, thank you for your generosity. I will remember the friendship of the Illusion Academy."
Bella simply smiled, offering no comment.
After saying that, Kane followed Arundel out of the hall.
As Bella watched Kane's departing figure, the smile on her face gradually faded.
She raised the short staff in her hand, and saw a deep engraving on the staff.
Clearly, the short staff was damaged in the collision.
Her hand holding the short cane was trembling slightly.
"After all these years, has another combat-oriented arcanist finally appeared?"
Bella sighed softly, her gaze falling on the frozen ground. Her tone was complex. "This continent is becoming increasingly turbulent."
On the other side, Kane followed Arundel up the spiral staircase.
Along the way, he saw mages busy at work on every floor of the academy:
Some were cultivating magical plants, some were conducting spell experiments, some were enchanting equipment, and some were meditating with their eyes closed.
Everyone performed their duties in an orderly manner.
However, when these mages saw Kane and Arundel, most of them would stop what they were doing, turn their gaze to Kane, and look at him with surprise and curiosity.
Arundel noticed the stares from the crowd and explained to Kane, "They're just curious."
-
He gave a wry smile and continued.
"At the college meeting, your duel with Logan has become the focus of everyone's attention."
Now, you're famous in all eight divisions of the Mage Academy. And—"
"And what?" Kane asked curiously.
"Moreover, I didn't expect you to be this strong."
Arundel shook his head with a wry smile.
"I'm not surprised that you can deal with the Wax Demon that neither Asler nor I could, after all, neither of us are professional spellcasters who specialize in combat."
But you actually managed to get Instructor Bella to use so many spells, and even revealed her form twice—this is almost something I've never seen a second-tier mage do.
Kane shook his head slightly and said modestly, "It was just Dean Bella being modest; she didn't use any third-circle spells from beginning to end."
Arundel gave a wry smile and didn't reply.
He knew very well that even if Bella hadn't gone all out, Kane's ability to achieve this was already far beyond that of an ordinary second-tier mage.
However, Kane's humility also earned him some goodwill. After all, Kane was his friend, while Bella was his mentor and the headmistress of the Illusion Academy, representing the face of the academy.
Kane's humility was also a great compliment to Bella.
As they walked, Kane asked, "Arundel, can you tell me about Logan Susas, whom I'm going to face tomorrow?"
I'd like to know more about her.
Arundel hesitated for a moment, then lowered his voice and said, "Do you still remember the Bloodline Purification Society?"
A century ago, the third-ranking heir of the royal court had a mixed-race child with a maid. Because the man publicly held a bloodline purification ceremony, he and his descendants were expelled from the royal court.
But this is not absolute. It is said that Logan Susas was one of the lucky few who were not purged back then.
However, even if she wasn't purged, she wouldn't be able to gain a foothold in the royal court, and she would lose her right to the inheritance.
Kane pondered silently for a moment, then asked, "So, she chose to join the Necromancer's Academy because she was an outcast of the royal court?"
Arundel gave a wry smile: "I don't know about that."
However, Logan was very hardworking, and her lineage did indeed make the "Skeleton" Dean favor her.
That's why she shone brightly in many battles both inside and outside the academy; at least, even when Asler and I joined forces, we were no match for her.
Moreover, you should pay more attention to this—”
"What is it?" Kane immediately looked over, his expression becoming serious.
Arundel's tone also became serious, and he solemnly said, "A necromancer's strength is closely related to the corpses he controls."
What kind of corpses Logan will bring to the duel tomorrow, how many she will control, and what kind of enchanted equipment she will carry are all crucial factors.
After all, the skeletal dean clearly didn't want the academy involved in the internal struggles of the Susas Royal Court, and since he had chosen Logan, he might very well hand over a few powerful corpses to her.
He paused, then added.
"Kane, this is not a friendly match like before. Once we start fighting, it's not impossible for a life-or-death situation to occur."
Kane met Arundel's worried gaze and solemnly replied, "I understand. Don't worry, I will take this match seriously."
Hearing Kane's promise, Arundel finally breathed a sigh of relief.
The two continued walking forward until they reached the fourth floor.
Arundel stopped, recited an incantation, and pushed open a door beside him. Inside were rows of circular bookshelves.
Below the bookshelf, several monks dressed in red robes were arranging books.
Arundel stepped aside and gestured: "Please come in. This is where the Illusion Academy stores spellbooks below the third ring."
Kane nodded, stepped inside, and his gaze fell on the rows of bookshelves.
This room contains at least a thousand spellbooks of various kinds.
Although he is an arcanist and his main profession is arcane scholar, and he currently only possesses the specialization of the Transmutation school, this does not mean that he cannot learn spells from other schools.
Kane's gaze slowly swept across the bookshelf.
The Art of Obscurity, The Art of Distorted Value, The Psychedelic Manuscript, The Art of Invisibility, The Art of Mirror Image, The Shadow Blade —
Books of spells from the School of Illusion came into view.
Kane's eyes began to flicker.
Finally, his gaze settled on "Shadow Blade".