Book 3: Chapter 75: Enchantment Spell · Mithril Radiance |
After one round of competition, the contest entered its second round. At this point, Sylutia had formed a general assessment of the students present.
If she took Xinke, whom she had met in the Asra District, as a benchmark, there were three people present who could match her in strength. Although the other students were also elites, their constructed ability systems were not fully complete. If a weakness or shortcoming was found, they would be easily defeated by an opponent.
Comparing the training system of the Mage Alliance with the modern education in Sylutia's memory, the new students who had just entered Tetis College were essentially high school graduates who had not yet touched advanced spells. Although a few had mastered some Third Tier abilities in advance, lacking support from Aspect ranks, their power was rather limited.
The true strength of Tetis College's members probably depended on that senior Damian who had received her. He was already at Fourth Tier at such a young age, likely under thirty.
Sitting in the spectator stands, Sylutia caught some gossip from classmates behind and across from her. She found it both amusing and helpless.
The abilities and spells she had displayed were actually quite difficult, but discerning how much skill and insight had gone into them required a mage with deep understanding of spells to know.
None of the students present had ever encountered the Bionics School - after all, it was a lower-ranked faction. As for the Thread Manipulation of the Puppet Shadow School, it was easy to learn but hard to master. Only mages within that school knew how many advanced techniques existed.
Every profession was a world unto itself, and the Mage Alliance was no exception. Mid-to-high-level mages might know more, but apprentices already spent plenty of time perfecting their current courses and naturally had no energy to learn much about other schools.
Ultimately, it came down to the Ximilye District being too developed. Just like people growing up in the capital or central region of a vast empire found it hard to believe that students from border areas could be smarter or more capable than themselves.
Suddenly, she felt she didn't want to break this impression. Well, playing a little prank now and then seemed quite interesting too.
Besides, why was there such an urgent need to prove herself? Having to prove herself every time would be troublesome and exhausting, as if her actions were being dictated by others' words.
Speaking of accumulating Aspect power, she could actually advance at any time now. She just hadn't yet chosen the right progression path and core abilities.
Soon, it was Sylutia's turn for the contest.
"Hedra versus Ogg!" After the professor announced, a sturdy young man stood up from not far behind Sylutia and walked toward the dueling arena.
His posture was upright, and even in the soft fabric of the school uniform, some muscle definition showed. His arms looked like they could kill an ox with one punch.
Sylutia also rose and walked to the other side of the arena.
"Ogg's up now. This is going to be something to watch," the students below murmured.
"In the Gemor District, Ogg's grades and strength have always been rated first or second by the instructors. We all thought he would go to the Solar Furnace school, but surprisingly, he still came to the Mithril Clock."
After stepping onto the platform, the two stood still. Ogg clasped his hands to Sylutia, nodded slightly in greeting, then brought his hands together at his sides.
"The match begins!"
As the words fell, Ogg spread his hands wide. A golden runic magic array unfolded beneath his feet, and then pieces of armor began to form in the air beside him.
Golden lines sketched out, solid and elegant armor pieces assembled, adorned with intricate, beautiful Patterns. As each piece was completed, it mounted onto him, arming him fully.
[Construct Spell · Glittergold Battle Armor] (Gold Steam)
"Using the power of 'Gold Steam,' briefly construct armor made of Glittergold material to arm oneself. Based on one's understanding of Rune enchantment, Rune Brands can be inscribed within the armor to gain additional ability enhancements."
This was one of the three people Sylutia had evaluated earlier as being able to match Xinke in battle.
Very strong. Sylutia's eyes shimmered with light as she carefully assessed the strength of his armor, calculating in her mind.
Even if a Third Tier knight were here, it would be very difficult to cleave through his armor with a single sword stroke. In his current state, Ogg could likely defeat an ordinary Third Tier knight.
After the armor was fully equipped, Ogg constructed another golden greatsword and gripped it in his hand. At this point, his entire body was covered in armor, with no trace of a mage's appearance left—he looked more like a warrior.
In the Mage Alliance, this style of combat had a specific term: "Inscription Warrior." It referred to a powerful warrior wearing Inscription-Enchanted Battle Armor, with those inscribed armors often being masterpieces crafted by mages skilled in Alchemy and enchantment patterns.
Most Inscription Warriors had their armor forged by specialized mages. They only needed to wear it and adapt, without understanding the complex principles and craftsmanship involved. Few mages would personally wear inscribed armor and go to the Frontline.
But this student seemed to really enjoy the posture of personally equipping battle armor and fighting. Perhaps the feeling of flesh-and-blood combat and armor encasing the body was indeed captivating.
Gripping the Glittergold greatsword in hand, he began to charge, like a glittering War Wagon.
But the speed was average, Sylutia judged.
After all, he was a mage—his physical fitness was inferior to a warrior's, and he had no additional spell enhancements. If it were Mulieye, who had fought her before, using that "Large Stride Step," he could have made himself faster.
A strong gust of wind rushed past Sylutia's side. She simply sidestepped, avoiding his attack.
His swordsmanship was also average. His strength was applied too rigidly, lacking room for adjustment. She shook her head slightly again.
Seeing the black-haired girl avoiding attacks with such leisurely ease, many students present began to grow astonished. Such agile footwork and speed were not something ordinary people could achieve.
"Could she have also trained in the 'Breathing Technique'?" someone guessed.
"That must be it. Otherwise, it's hard for physical fitness to reach this level."
"Ogg's speed isn't fast, but among mages, it's definitely considered good."
After a few exchanges, Sylutia lightly tapped the delicate box at her waist. The Magnetite Sand inside flew out and condensed in midair, constructing a broad blade. The greatsword, nearly as tall as she was, was held in that slender wrist, creating a striking contrast.
This massive blade in Sylutia's hand was as light as if made of paper. She swung it easily, then held it with both hands in front of her.
Then, an exquisite silver pattern sprouted from the hilt, spreading along the blade like a tree sprouting and growing, until it covered the entire blade, resembling a work of art.
[Enchantment Spell · Mithril Radiance] (Secret Word)
The flowing mercury-like pattern spread, showcasing both elegance and sharpness.
This was the only Mithril Clock school spell Sylutia had learned so far, and also the material the school's instructors had specifically found for her when she decided to participate in the Tetis College assessment.
Various school colleges would place some low-rank secret arts with distinctive school characteristics in the various schools of the district as signature teaching materials, attracting young students to join their schools in the future. For example, the Puppetry School's Sobis Magic Thread Manipulation, the Four Salts School's Chierti Distillation Refinement Method, and so on.
The secret art released by the Mithril Clock school was this one. It required the practitioner to have a profound understanding of Rune patterns and control as fine as a strand of hair.