Chapter 152: The Match Begins
Translator: RaidenTL
Chapter 152: The Match Begins
At the referee’s command, I reacted instantly, and Tan Han did the same.
The buff from my Witch Hat made my mental power feel more condensed, sharpening my reflexes. Simultaneously, I triggered the Body Strengthening Spell on my bracers. The sudden surge of all-around physical enhancement made me feel light as a feather.
While focusing my attention on Tan Han, I subconsciously activated my protection spells.
Tan Han’s opening move, however, was simply to cast a shield on herself.
But through my Spirit Vision, I saw her trigger several spellbooks at once!
Multi-casting—this technique didn't just test mental control; it required a terrifying level of multitasking. Such rapid casting suggested that either her spellbooks were heavily modified, or she was using minor spells that didn't require rituals.
Minor spells cast without a ritual rely purely on transcendent laws. By bypassing the cumbersome ritual drive, one can achieve rapid casting at the cost of power and effectiveness.
Yet, I still couldn't see what the effects of those spells were. None of them seemed offensive. Were they similar to my Body Strengthening Spell?
It didn't look like it...
Just as I was wondering what her next move would be, the energy in her magic wand surged. Without warning, a scorching ray shot toward me.
* * *
Over at the live broadcast of Arena No. 1, the commentator began her play-by-play.
Being a commentator was no easy task. It required not only eloquence but also lightning-fast reactions and a vast vocabulary of magical terminology. If a contestant cast a spell and the commentator couldn't even name it, how embarrassing would that be?
"Alright, the battle in Arena No. 1 has begun!"
"We can see Contestant No. 14 immediately activating the mental power buff from her Witch Hat. Those bracers on her wrists are also alchemy items."
"Let’s see... Oh! A beautiful sneak attack!"
"She dodged! No. 14 actually dodged it! We can see the ripples of the protection spell on her. With such quick reactions, those bracers must have a solidified Body Strengthening Spell. What nimble movement!"
"No. 1’s sneak attack was completely unexpected. Who would have thought her wand had a solidified Charged Ray? Solidifying spells is a huge drain on a wand's performance, though."
"An unexpected Charged Ray is certainly powerful, but since the first attempt failed, that tactic will likely become a burden on the wand later."
"Let’s take a look at the Ley Line Information records. Forgive my poor eyesight—some spells just can't be seen with the naked eye, but the Ley Line data will record everything faithfully for us~"
The commentator explained the situation to the viewers in a fast, cheerful tone, even pulling up the Ley Line Operating System.
The Ley Lines were a force that inherently carried information. With the right application and decoding, one could grasp events in real-time, including the activation of spellbooks.
"Let’s look at No. 1... Whoa~ Look at that! Quick Casting, Spell Enhancement, Elemental Affinity, Focused Attention, Power Strengthening, Vision Enhancement... She’s stacking buffs on herself like they’re free!"
"But that’s not the main point! Contestant No. 1 has actually mastered Multi-casting!"
"Now let’s look at Contestant No. 14... Hmm, an Energy Shield. It looks like just one spell."
"It seems No. 14 doesn't have as many tricks as No. 1. Her Body Strengthening Spell doesn't show up in the spellbook column, so it must be the effect of an alchemy item. Let’s see..."
* * *
Back on the field, I had just barely dodged that ray.
If my reactions hadn't been fast enough, a sneak attack at that speed could have left me severely injured in an instant. Fortunately, I had cast Body Strengthening and Energy Shield beforehand. Even though the scorching ray only grazed me, it sent ripples through my shield, proving its lethality.
This kind of sneak attack reminded me of "American Iai"—one moment it’s a magical duel, the next it’s a sudden ambush. If the wand in Tan Han’s hand were a gun, the resemblance would be uncanny.
Then again, sometimes the ambush potential of alchemy items was even more terrifying than firearms. Spells were the same; even a Fireball Spell could be launched at speeds the naked eye couldn't follow.
"You dodged it. Looks like I need to work on my aim."
Tan Han didn't seem disappointed that her sneak attack failed. Instead, she continued finishing her final few buffing spells.
I didn't waste words. During the opening, I quickly fired off a Fireball Spell. It was fast, but Tan Han didn't try to tank it with her shield. At this distance, she had plenty of room to dodge.
The speed of a Fireball Spell couldn't compare to a ray.
After a simple round of magical probing, the distance between Tan Han and me began to close. At long range, trading spells was just a waste of mana.
Tan Han could have chosen to play the attrition game, given her absolute advantage in the number of Mana Sources. However, her powerful spellbooks also had high consumption; if she used her big spells, she wouldn't be able to fire many shots.
Closing the distance was her next logical step—but not yet. She had an advantage, and she intended to use it.
She had many spellbooks, covering various fields, including summoning.
Stone Golem Summoning. Nothing could beat that thing in close-quarters combat.
As she activated the spellbook, I proactively closed the gap, which also gave her the chance to get the first strike.
From this distance, I couldn't interrupt the spell, and I didn't know what its effect would be. Judging by the ritual structure of the spell, I saw patterns similar to the Spirit Cat Summoning Spell. I quickly realized it was likely some form of summoning.
Just as I made that judgment, a massive stone golem, three meters tall, appeared in front of Tan Han, blocking my path. I realized I needed to speed up my deduction process in the future.
The golem’s body was made of massive boulders, and it creaked and groaned with the sound of grinding stone as it moved. If I got hit by that, I’d be lucky to escape with just a "severe injury."
I immediately threw an enhanced Fireball Spell to test it. The Fireball Spell hit the clumsy giant with precision. The terrifying explosion instantly blew off one of its limbs. It seemed its defense was only at the level of ordinary stone, but the way it began to reconstruct itself was a bit of a nuisance. It could actually regenerate? Even if the process was slow.
I followed up with another Fireball Spell to take out its lower limbs, turning it into an immobile stone pedestal that couldn't get in my way.
That bought me enough time.
Meanwhile, the commentator was passionately analyzing the battle for the audience.
"It’s clear that No. 1 intended to rely on her massive mana reserves for a long-range war of attrition, but unfortunately, the Stone Golem Summoning used to stall No. 14 didn't seem to work."
"It’s now just an immobile stone block."
"No. 14’s performance is brilliant. Two Fireball Spells to end the fight. Trading two points of mana consumption to take out a summon that cost the opponent over a dozen mana is a very worthy trade."
"However, the casting time for that Fireball Spell seems a bit off. The power is too high."
"How strange. No. 14’s Ley Line Information doesn't show any Quick Casting or Spell Enhancement buffs, nor are there any in her alchemy item column."
"It seems that Fireball spellbook is a precious Modified Spellbook!"
The commentator kept scrolling through the Ley Line data. Even though this was just a freshman competition, she felt her knowledge base was being challenged. It was one thing for No. 1 to have so many spells, but No. 14 actually had a modified spellbook. If she hadn't known the concept, she might have made a fool of herself during the broadcast.
"So, how will Contestant No. 1 respond? If she doesn't intercept, this attrition war might turn into a close-range magical brawl. That situation isn't ideal for either side; even with Body Strengthening, one might not be able to react in time."
"But No. 1 hasn't given up on interception! Jackdaw Summoning, Mire Spell—a dual interception from the ground and the air. Let’s see how No. 14 handles this."
"The Jackdaws are incredibly fast. Although their attack power isn't high, they’re causing No. 14 quite a bit of trouble."
"The corrosive mire spreading across the ground looks like it’s meant to trap No. 14. The situation is looking very grim."
"Wait! What happened to the Jackdaws?! A black shadow just flashed by! What did No. 14 throw out of her hand to knock the Jackdaws down so efficiently?"
"Wait... let’s check the Ley Line Information. It’s the Spirit Cat Summoning Spell! I didn't expect No. 14 to have summoning spells too, and she used it so simply yet effectively!"
"Well, there’s nothing to be done about that. Who told the Jackdaws to be on a cat’s menu? Let’s have a moment of silence for the Jackdaws."
"Alright, let’s get back to the contestants. How will No. 14 deal with this predicament? No. 1 isn't giving her a single moment to breathe."
* * *
On the field.
The magically constructed arena was being eaten away by the corrosive mire. Although the crow had been accurately pounced upon and killed by the Spirit Cat I threw out, Tan Han clearly had no intention of letting me rest.
She had so many spellbooks. Even now, she had already demonstrated several types of summoning spells.
Now, she had summoned a swarm of poisonous bees. They were called bees, but each one was the size of a fist, and there were so many of them. I didn't want to imagine how big the welts would be if those things touched me.
Furthermore, these poisonous bees were incredibly fast, quickly sealing off all directions.
Instead of fear, I felt a surge of excitement. The more I faced these kinds of dilemmas, the more I could push myself to understand how spells were truly meant to be used.
Back in the lab, I had constantly tried various modifications. Aside from the few clear directions Teacher Ji Niang had suggested at the start, my subsequent modifications had been like a headless fly, lacking direction. I could only experiment blindly, resulting in many laughable effects.
But when faced with a crisis, I had to find a solution, which in turn provided me with new ideas.
How should a Fireball Spell be used against so many targets?
Isn't that simple?
It was a choice between precision strikes and carpet bombing. My mana couldn't compete with Tan Han’s, so I didn't really have a choice.
The wealthy opt for carpet bombing; the poor settle for precision strikes.
They were just poisonous bees. Their physical structure dictated that their defense was low; they were the type that relied on numbers. Therefore, the power of the Fireball Spell didn't need to be high—I just needed enough of them.
Of course, spell modification wasn't something you could just do on a whim; you needed a prototype. I had experimented with so many Fireball Spell effects that I naturally had one for this situation. In fact, I had so many that for a moment, I didn't know which to choose.
But in the end, I had to pick one. For example... the variation I named "Mayfly Fireball Spell." Since I had given it a name, it meant this specific modification was one worth remembering.