Chapter 763: This is an Unrestricted Match, after all~
Translator: RaidenTL
Chapter 763: This is an Unrestricted Match, after all~
"She won!"
Seeing the situation unfold, even Xia Li and Ying Shiqian couldn't help but be swept up in the atmosphere of the arena.
They knew full well that the Immortality possessed by upperclassmen meant Tan Han couldn't end the fight with a single blow. However, in a high-intensity environment like this, anyone heavily wounded in one strike would usually find themselves in a position from which there was no recovery.
The entire Arena was now blanketed in a layer of frost. Snowflakes continued to drift through the air, and within the Ice Sealed World, the high-intensity magical impact had kicked up a cloud of crystalline ice dust.
However, this visual obstruction couldn't block other forms of perception. Even through the overlapping dimensions of the Ice Sealed World, Spirit Vision could see everything clearly.
Thus, I didn't join the Shopkeeper and the others in their immediate celebration. Because... Tan Han hadn't won yet. In fact, she hadn't even secured a definitive advantage.
"As expected, it has the same properties as the False World Space Great Witchcraft," I remarked.
"Oh? That Great Witchcraft... wasn't that the technique the Wizard Academy used during that exchange competition in the Bobapus Archipelago during your first semester?" Sister Chris joined the conversation.
"Exactly... Death in that world isn't true death. The April inside the Ice Sealed World was merely a frost projection."
"What?"
Hearing my words, the Shopkeeper and Ying Shiqian immediately stopped cheering and turned to look at Mentor Chris and me in disbelief.
They looked as if they were hoping I was joking.
As Sister Chris and I spoke, the changes on the battlefield became even more violent.
April, who had been "killed" within the Ice Sealed World, tumbled onto the Arena stage amidst a flurry of shattered ice.
This was her mistake; she had never imagined she would actually have to use this life-saving measure.
By holding the "Ice Sealed World," she was much like Tan Han holding the Staff of Absolute Cold. Death within that world was not true death, but functioned more like a substitute-death effect.
Furthermore, this effect was universal. It wasn't just for her; any "death" within the Ice Sealed World was false. Any attack sufficient to kill would simply result in the outsider being expelled from that "world."
So... they were at a stalemate.
She couldn't truly kill Tan Han while the latter was still inside the Ice Sealed World.
Mainly, she had never considered that Tan Han could enter it. She had been naive, thinking that because she held the medium for the Ice Sealed World, she was the only one with access permissions.
Now, her only advantage was the information gap. She had to make Tan Han believe she was heavily wounded, then deactivate the Ice Sealed World to forcibly eject Tan Han. Only then could she deal real damage.
Tan Han didn't have Immortality, so April still held a massive advantage.
Before the ice dust had even settled, the Ice Sealed World was deactivated. April began casting a spell, relying on her previous positioning of Tan Han.
While spellbooks eliminated the need for tedious spell frameworks, chanting, and ritual drawing, high-level casters possessed a comprehensive understanding of magic.
They might not specifically research Runology or study the construction of magic rituals, but they were naturally curious about the spells contained within the spellbooks they mastered.
Moreover, as a Teaching Assistant, April was required to learn and know certain things to meet Mentor Chris's expectations.
The situation in the Arena shocked even the Commentator. However, as a veteran, she knew that in such a complex situation, she shouldn't just describe the scene, but rather guide the audience's emotions.
Just when everyone thought the battle was decided, a violent surge of mana blew away the interfering ice dust. April reappeared, looking almost entirely unscathed!
This sudden turn of events left many spectators stunned.
"Heavens! Contestant April is unharmed! In such an inescapable, desperate situation, April actually managed to seize an opportunity!" The Commentator, upholding her professional standards, reacted immediately to explain this unbelievable scene to the crowd.
Meanwhile, Tan Han, having exhausted her initial momentum, felt her spirit and body flagging under the weight of such a massive reversal of expectations.
The only thing she could rely on now was the Staff of Absolute Cold, its seals fully released.
The exploding ice dust had bought April too much time. The only thing Tan Han could manage in her reaction window was a near-instantaneous defensive spell. Even with the amplification of the fully unleashed Staff of Absolute Cold, it would be difficult to withstand the coming spell.
BOOM—!
A massive explosion rang out again. Despite the protection of the amplified defensive spell and the absolute zero ice, Tan Han was still sent flying by the blast.
Fortunately, she didn't take a direct hit from the spell. While not heavily wounded, the injury required a temporary healing spell to stabilize, which would create a massive drain on Tan Han's mana reserves.
"Tan Han has been blown back! Heavens! What a shocking turn of events! The tables have turned! Contestant Tan Han is in a very precarious position..." The Commentator had intended to use this gap to talk down Tan Han's chances, creating a sense of dramatic contrast and building suspense for a potential comeback, but she stopped herself in the next moment.
"Contestant April... this—this! This is actually a second over-limit consumption spellbook! According to our real-time mana consumption metrics, Contestant April only has a little over a thousand mana left, yet she has resolutely chosen to use an over-limit consumption spellbook! It looks like this will be her final, finishing blow!"
"The charging time for this strike is so long... if I'm not mistaken, this should be an over-limit consumption Transformation Magic! It seems the victory is decided. The probability of Contestant Tan Han turning the tables while April is transforming is miniscule..."
The Commentator's voice was filled with regret, as if the outcome were already set in stone.
"Is Tan Han really going to lose like this?!" The Shopkeeper spoke up, her voice full of indignation. Just a moment ago...!
Why were there such "cheating" items!
Though... in a way... the Staff of Absolute Cold was just as much of a "cheat" weapon as the Ice Sealed World.
"Even so, it's not like Tan Han has no chance of winning~" I said, standing up with a smile.
"Xiao Han actually thinks she can win in this situation? Care to tell me why?" Chris asked, sounding genuinely interested. Even she felt that Tan Han had very little chance left.
While the transformation period of a Transformation Magic was indeed a window for counter-attack, the sheer power of something like the Ancient Remnant Ice Transformation was usually enough to overwhelm an opponent from the start.
And the fire-type transformation April was using now had completely turned the ice-covered Arena into a sea of flames!
In this transformed state, April would have the combat power to fight the Staff of Absolute Cold continuously, whereas Tan Han lacked that kind of endurance.
Though ice and fire countered each other, in the end, it was simply a matter of the strong suppressing the weak.
"Sister Chris wants to know?" I leaned over the edge of the observation deck and glanced at her. "Why don't you come forward and see for yourself?"
"Alright~" Chris stood up and walked to the front of the deck, acting as if she had no choice but to indulge me.
When her gaze met April's from across the distance of the Arena—as if guided by fate—she suddenly understood what Tan Han's chance of winning was.
* * *
On the Arena stage.
I don't want to lose... is there any way to win...
After being sent flying by the blast, Tan Han accepted that she was at a disadvantage. But just as she thought, she didn't want to be defeated so pathetically by a comeback!
Did she have any other moves left?
Tan Han's mind raced. Even the Great Knowledge Seed, which helped her manage the battlefield through data and information, was running at full capacity.
"I found a way..."
"Huh?" Hearing this conclusion, Tan Han instinctively looked toward the Knowledge Shadow, but she immediately dismissed the thought. "You're not the Knowledge Shadow..."
"I was a moment ago, but I'm not now. Thanks for opening up the communication permissions."
"Isn't this against the rules...?"
"What are you talking about? Isn't the Great Knowledge Seed one of your abilities? This is an Unrestricted Match. I'm just a fan in the stands giving you a suggestion, and you just happened to overhear what I was saying through the Great Knowledge Seed."
"In the arena, isn't it common for fans to tell challengers how to fight? It's just that most of the time, the people on the field treat it as noise."
"What should I do...?"
"I am your game-changer. Make that April look at me on the observation deck. I'll create an opportunity for you to break her transformation. Of course, you only get one shot."
"What? Make her look at you?"
"If you can't do that, just make her look in my direction. The opportunity I'm talking about... is the split second she gets distracted. I don't need to tell you what to do next, do I?"
Tan Han instinctively glanced toward the observation deck behind her and saw Xiao Han looking as if she were about to stand up.
"I..."
Tan Han naturally knew what she had to do: disrupt April's transformation spell!
How familiar this scene was!
Wasn't this exactly how her first match against Xiao Han had ended?
However, Tan Han knew very well that April wouldn't have such an obvious flaw as she had back then. Nor was she Xiao Han; she couldn't see through the core of a spell at a glance or shatter the ritual framework of a transformation with a single strike.
So, how to solve these two problems?
Xiao Han said she would handle the first one. What about the second?
What other means did she have... the Great Knowledge Seed?
No... it was the Ley Line Identification Art!
Xiao Han definitely knew she didn't have that kind of innate ability. Since Xiao Han had said this, her only chance... was the Ley Line Identification Art.
In an instant, Tan Han rallied her spirits. Using a healing spell to ensure her injuries wouldn't hinder her, she realized her mana was almost completely depleted. She had only one chance, and Xiao Han could only provide one opening.
She just didn't know how that opening would be created. Would Xiao Han interfere with the match directly?
Or something else?
At this moment, Tan Han felt that victory or defeat was no longer the most important thing. Her actions now were more critical than the final outcome!
"Still trying to resist?" April said disdainfully as she watched Tan Han move again. Her voice, amplified by the transformation, made the flames sweeping the field tremble.
Tan Han could only rely on the Staff of Absolute Cold to shield herself from the scorching heat.
"You don't have a single chance left, Tan Han. This is a match you are destined to lose!"
"Who wins and who loses... is yet to be decided!" Tan Han swung the Staff of Absolute Cold. The only thing she had that could damage an over-limit consumption spellbook was the staff, and her own energy was nearly spent.
She didn't have Xiao Han's trick of detonating a spellbook to cause massive damage. Her only chance was the burst of power from releasing the seals on the Staff of Absolute Cold.
Once again, it was a duel of ice and fire, but this time, she was the one who had to pull off a desperate reversal.
"What is the source of your persistence? That Staff of Absolute Cold? Such a tool is like an over-limit consumption spellbook—it's a bargaining chip that decides the outcome, not a means for you to secure victory!"
April seemed to foresee her own triumph. Even if it wasn't a "fair" win, it didn't matter. She only needed to follow her instructions: defeat Tan Han utterly, crush her desire for victory, and break her fragile support!
And now... her transformation was almost complete.
Her form was entirely engulfed in flames. The pressure of the "Flame Demon Transformation" surged outward once more. The armor of a Flame Demon began to coalesce and cover her massive frame. Though the transformation wasn't finished, the crimson hellfire she summoned with every movement forced Tan Han to scramble like a mouse being toyed with by a cat.
"You're coming that close? Do you want to be burned to death!" April roared in confusion as she saw Tan Han step onto her transforming body. The shout nearly sent Tan Han flying, but she managed to steady herself.
"April, I'm giving those words back to you! I already hold the winning chip in my hand. Why don't you take a look at who is standing behind me!"
"I don't care who—" April, in her half-transformed state, was about to roar and swat Tan Han away, but she was still led by Tan Han's words to glance toward the stands behind her.
It was a very conspicuous section of the stands. Tan Han's body partially obscured the area, but a figure flickered into her sight.
In that moment, in April's eyes, Tan Han's figure blurred, while the figure behind her became increasingly clear. When her gaze met that person's eyes, a primal, instinctive terror instantly crawled over her entire body!
At that moment, even her nearly completed transformation spell shuddered, almost causing her to suffer a double backlash of mental power and mana from the over-limit consumption spellbook.
"Mentor... Chris..." April stammered instinctively, completely forgetting she was in the middle of a match.
At the same time, Tan Han noticed April's glaring abnormality. Was she... hard-crowd-controlled?
She hadn't felt any magical interference... but that wasn't her concern right now.
"It's real... then..."
Tan Han suppressed her joy. She gripped the Staff of Absolute Cold. In her vision, the information from the Ley Line Identification Art was already scrolling.
There was an unnaturally large amount of information. If she had performed the identification herself, she never could have gathered this much data.
There was only one possibility: Xiao Han had already gathered this information beforehand and shared it through the Tree of Great Knowledge. The Ley Line Identification Art from the Great Knowledge Seed was simply pulling that pre-existing data upon targeting the same objective.
"It's over... April! This is my winning chip!"
* * *
On the observation deck.
"Xiao Han~ that was quite sneaky~ Isn't that against the rules?"
"How could it be? This is an Unrestricted Match, after all~" I shrugged and said to Sister Chris with a smile.