Chapter 073: The Decisive Battle
In the stands, Colin’s cousin, Ella, sat with her sisters. The few sisters looked at the outstanding Colin with excitement, their eyes almost sparkling.
One of the girls praised, “Senior Colin is so amazing. He won so handsomely. I really hope to have a boyfriend like that. Ella, can you help me set up a date with Senior Colin?”
Ella just smiled.
She knew very well what kind of person her cousin was.
That guy, although he usually acted proper in front of people, it was only because the girls in Ximan City were no challenge for him. For a rich and handsome guy from Xilan City who had aspired to wreak havoc on the beauties of the Imperial Capital since he was a child, the Turin Academy, with its abundance of beautiful women, was his true ideal land.
Looking at the exquisite staff in her cousin’s hand, she didn’t seem to have heard where he had acquired such luxurious equipment. Such magic equipment couldn’t be obtained without certain connections.
At this, her gaze couldn’t help but turn to the person who was with her cousin before.
That guy named Chen Ran, when he first saw her, didn’t have the familiar look of amazement or admiration. He even seemed to be avoiding her.
This made her a little curious and a little unwilling.
For that ordinary-looking guy, she had even forgotten what his face looked like, but she unexpectedly remembered the feeling of his gaze on her at that time.
She couldn’t describe that feeling at the time. She couldn’t understand the complex look in that man’s eyes, but it was very attractive to her, as if he had many secrets she didn’t know. Such a look, at least among the boys she knew, she had never seen before. It revealed a maturity that made one feel at ease.
She blinked, then quickly turned her head and continued to look at the assessment ring.
Unsurprisingly, the two mages, Colin and Bies, with their outstanding performance and luxurious equipment, had reached the final round of the assessment. The final winner would be born from the two of them. This made the students in the academy look forward to this duel, which could be said to be a showdown between the strongest students in the academy.
From the performance of the two before, it was clear that neither of them had used their full strength, which left a suspense for everyone as to how exciting the next match would be.
Duels between mages were known for their splendor and shock, unlike the melee duels of so-called warriors, which required excellent timing, psychology, and judgment. Outside of a real battlefield, it was difficult for laymen to understand the philosophy of that kind of battle. They were often just looking for splendor and excitement.
Amidst the cheers of thousands, the two contestants walked onto the assessment stage, which was protected by a magic barrier.
Up close, Bies glanced at the Lightning Staff in Colin’s hand, a trace of surprise flashing in his eyes, but he said sarcastically, “I didn’t expect you to get such a high-level staff. I really underestimated your family’s ability. We’ve fought for so long without a result. This time, let’s see who is the strongest mage student in this academy.”
“I’ll give you a quick one,” Colin said, glancing at his opponent. Bies’s fingers, wrists, and neck were all adorned with high-level magic jewelry that flashed. Even his clothes had enchantment-enhanced attributes. The fire magic staff in his hand was not much inferior to the lightning staff in his hand. Overall, Bies’s aura was a little stronger.
It was clear how much effort Bies’s family had put into this assessment. Just borrowing this set of luxurious equipment would cost at least seventy or eighty thousand gold coins. His connections were also something Colin couldn’t compare to. Without Chen Ran’s help, there was almost no chance of winning this match.
He tightly grasped the Lightning Staff, feeling the blood boiling in his body. Colin smiled confidently and looked at his opponent.
Chen Ran sat quietly in the audience, his gaze fixed on the stage.
Before Colin went on stage, Chen Ran had cast a round of all the support buffs he knew on him.
However, the few spells he knew now were more helpful for melee classes and did not have the imagined effect in a duel between mages. Most mages’ spellcasting was based on stationary bombardment. He couldn’t expect Colin to run up and punch his opponent out. Although, he admitted that if a duel between mages ended in such a way, it would be too comical.
At this, Chen Ran couldn’t help but lament his own pitiful level. He was only level 27. If he reached level 40, his support skills could effectively enhance a mage, greatly increasing their magic critical strike and magic attack power. With that kind of strength, Colin’s match would be almost without suspense.
But this was reality. On the road forward, there were always suspenseful moments that you couldn’t control.
Chen Ran decided that after he had dealt with the matters in this city and had made a set of equipment for himself, he would go out and properly raise his level.
After the match began, the two mages simultaneously began to gather their most proficient magic. On one side was a blazing white lightning, and on the other was a raging fire dragon. In an instant, the atmosphere of the hall was raised to a climax.
At this moment, neither of the two on the stage held back. The urgency of the battle captivated every spectator’s heart. During the spellcasting process, Colin, who had stored magic power, was clearly a little faster. His first skill was quickly cast.
“Lightning Flash!”
A surging, straight current of electricity made a chilling “hissing” sound as it rushed toward Bies. With this first move, his previous opponents had all been suppressed from the beginning and had a hard time fighting back. Bies, whose casting speed was slightly slower, was the same. The magic power he had gathered had to be formed into a scorching flame shield to block the fierce lightning. At the same time, he was knocked back a few steps. He had clearly suffered a small loss, but was not injured.
The battle continued splendidly. With the initial advantage, Colin took the opportunity to beat the dog while it was down. His powerful magic attacks temporarily suppressed Bies, who was unable to fight back. Cheers came from the stands.
But any discerning person could see that the calm movements of the two on the stage seemed to indicate that they both had their killing moves yet to be used.
Chen Ran looked at the situation on the stage. The lightning and fire dragons shone in the hall. He estimated that no one had expected a battle between Tier 4 mage students to be so magnificent. It was probably the most interesting battle in recent years.
But in reality, although Colin on the stage still had the initiative, his advantage had been gradually reversed by Bies, who was clad in powerful equipment. Now, the situation was a stalemate, which was clearly not a good thing for Colin.
After the initial warm-up, the two sides had a general understanding of each other’s attack power and routines. Chen Ran could feel that the moment that would decide the outcome was about to arrive.
Sure enough, this time it was Bies who couldn’t hold back first. He thought he had already figured out Colin’s true strength, and his movements became more unrestrained.
Perhaps Bies had also drunk a potion similar to the one Chen Ran had given Colin. After activating the energy in his body, Bies’s magic power suddenly became much stronger in that instant. Chen Ran looked at Bies’s aura again. At this time, he had indeed reached the strength of a Tier 5 magician. His fire magic instantly became much more agile, and the effects of his magic jewelry were almost fully activated.
The fire dragon attacking Colin became more substantial, with a wild roar, and instantly suppressed Colin’s thunderbird. And it was still growing stronger at an even more rampant pace.
Chen Ran knew that at this moment, Colin could no longer hold back.
