BOOM! BOOM!

  Deafening explosions echoed over the forest canopy, the roar of magic intermittently punctuated by the sharp, ringing clash of steel on steel.

  An outstanding Wizard Apprentice was, more often than not, an outstanding Knight as well.

  Sutherland and Gareth were no exceptions to this rule.

  Both possessed physical attributes at the peak of the Grand Knight level, coupled with exquisite swordsmanship honed through years of discipline. From the moment they engaged, the duel erupted into a fierce, high-speed melee.

  Between the flashes of cold sword light, spells were unleashed with lethal precision, woven seamlessly into their martial forms.

  Sutherland, hailing from the Silver Legion, was a master of this hybrid style. His movements were efficient, brutal, and disciplined—the hallmark of a soldier.

  In contrast, Gareth lacked the sharp, iron-blooded aura of a veteran warrior. In terms of raw combat experience and martial instinct, he was visibly inferior to Sutherland.

  Yet, as the fight progressed, a strange phenomenon occurred: it was Gareth who firmly controlled the rhythm of the battle, steadily suppressing the soldier.

  The reason was simple but devastating: Gareth had mastered the Silent Spell metamagic.

  His casting was concealed, silent, and unpredictable. There were no chanted syllables to warn of an incoming attack. A flick of a finger could unleash a torrent of flame or a kinetic blast, constantly catching Sutherland off guard and forcing him into a defensive posture.

  Furthermore, Gareth was clearly superior to Sutherland in both casting speed and raw spell potency.

  "Modified spells?"

  Pierce stared unblinkingly at the battle below, his eyes flickering with analytical light.

  The spells Gareth cast were clearly modified versions, possessing structural optimizations that made them superior to the standard curriculum taught in academies.

  This was not surprising. Apprentices from established Wizard families, or those backed by powerful Formal Wizards, almost always studied proprietary spells passed down through lineages.

  Only ordinary apprentices with no background—like Sutherland—were forced to rely on the standard, publicly available versions found in libraries.

  Had Sutherland possessed better resources, he likely wouldn't have stagnated at the rank of a Level 3 Apprentice for so many years.

  Sutherland is likely going to lose, Pierce judged quickly and coldly.

  Gaining no advantage in melee range and being completely outclassed in magical artillery, Sutherland had no path to victory.

  His only remaining hope lay in his Arcane Artifact.

  Utilizing the artifact might offer a sliver of a chance to turn the tide.

  As if responding to Pierce's thoughts, the mana fluctuations around Sutherland suddenly spiked violently.

  WHOOSH!

  A visible gale manifested out of thin air, wrapping around his body like a suit of translucent, rotating armor.

  Instantly, Sutherland seemed to transform into a titan forged of living wind.

  BOOM!

  He swung his arm heavily. The wind pressure alone acted like a siege hammer, sending Gareth flying backward.

  A soft shattering sound echoed from Gareth’s body as his Mage Armor collapsed under the kinetic force. However, a split second later, another layer of faint magical light ignited from a pendant, cushioning his landing and leaving him unharmed.

  Sutherland hadn't expected to finish Gareth with a single blow; anyone with a functional brain knew a scion of a top family would carry multiple defensive trinkets.

  As soon as Gareth touched the ground, Sutherland roared and charged, slamming toward him like a living hurricane.

  With the activation of the Arcane Artifact, the battle reached a fever pitch.

  The gale surrounding Sutherland rotated at high velocity, possessing a tearing force visible to the naked eye. Several stray stones swept into its radius were instantly ground into fine powder.

  Yet, facing this ferocious offensive, Gareth remained expressionless. He cast spells with unnerving composure while evading the brunt of the attacks with calculated movements.

  Magic Missiles and Fireballs bombarded the wind armor, but they dissipated harmlessly against the rotating gale.

  At the apprentice level, an active defensive Arcane Artifact was generally beyond the threshold of First Circle spells. To breach it, one needed either overwhelming force or an artifact of their own.

  "Why isn't Gareth using his Arcane Artifact yet?" Cecily frowned, watching anxiously from the platform.

  "Perhaps he is waiting for the right moment," Pierce suggested calmly.

  As soon as the words left his mouth, the situation on the field shifted abruptly.

  After using a Fireball to momentarily stall Sutherland, Gareth retreated rapidly, opening a gap of over a hundred meters. He then raised a hand, pointing a single finger at his opponent.

  Hiss...

  A low, hollow whistling sound filled the air, as if the atmosphere itself was being violently drained away.

  Simultaneously, Sutherland, who had been mid-charge, staggered. The gale armor on his body visibly withered, shrinking significantly. The high-speed winds seemed to lose their power source, slowing to a sluggish crawl.

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  "What is happening?" Cecily gasped.

  "It appears to be a spell that creates a localized vacuum," Pierce noted, his brow furrowing as he analyzed the physics.

  Now that Pierce mentioned it, Cecily realized the whistling had stopped. A zone of absolute silence had formed around Sutherland—a radius of a hundred meters where sound could not travel because the air had been evacuated.

  Although Sutherland's wind armor was generated by magic, it still required air as a physical medium to manifest its tearing force. In a vacuum, its power was crippled.

  Yuman, standing nearby, glanced at Pierce with a flash of surprise in her eyes.

  To identify the mechanics of Gareth's spell so quickly... Morven's disciple possesses keen insight and deep theoretical knowledge. It is no wonder he reached the standard for a Spirit Crystal so young.

  Pierce ignored the gaze; his attention was locked on the arena.

  Just as Sutherland's defense faltered in the vacuum, the earth beneath his feet exploded.

  CRACK!

  Amidst a spray of dirt, countless blood-colored vines drilled out of the ground, screeching like Banshees as they coiled around Sutherland's ankles like vipers.

  In an instant, Sutherland was wrapped into a cocoon, leaving only his head exposed.

  These crimson vines seemed to possess the ability to devour energy particles. Under their constriction, the wind armor shrank further, barely clinging to his skin. Even as the vacuum spell faded and air rushed back into the zone, the gale could not recover under the parasitic drain.

  "What is that?" Cecily's eyes widened in horror. "A spell? Or a magical plant?"

  Pierce was also puzzled.

  There had been no mana fluctuation typical of a summoning spell when the vines emerged. And magical plant seeds were classified as external consumables, which were banned in this duel.

  Yet, the six presiding Wizards made no move to intervene.

  Suddenly, a realization struck Pierce like lightning.

  "A Biological Arcane Artifact!" he blurted out.

  Cecily blinked in confusion, while Yuman cast an appreciative look at him.

  Opposite them, on the giant eagle, the wizard Zorander raised an eyebrow, smiling faintly. "Good eye, young man. Few apprentices have the breadth of knowledge to recognize such a thing."

  Pierce shrugged, offering no further comment.

  Cecily turned to Yuman. "Teacher, what is a Biological Arcane Artifact?"

  "It is a hybrid product of Golemancy and Enchanting," Yuman explained softly, her voice carrying the tone of a lecture. "In simple terms, it involves modifying a living organism—be it beast or plant—into a magical artifact."

  "Artifacts refined this way retain a portion of their sentience and life force. They are more flexible in combat than standard items and impose a significantly smaller mental load on the user. Even an apprentice can sustain one for a prolonged period."

  "Does that not make them superior to everything else?" Cecily asked. "Why have I never heard of them?"

  "Because they have fatal flaws," Yuman said, patting Cecily's head. "First, they are incredibly difficult to create, requiring mastery in two conflicting fields of magic. Second, they have a lifespan."

  "Ordinary artifacts can last for centuries if maintained. But Biological Arcane Artifacts are alive. Even if nurtured with mana, they eventually die of old age. If they are starved of energy, they wither very quickly."

  Cecily nodded in understanding.

  Pierce absorbed the information. Essentially, they were powerful items that sacrificed longevity for efficiency—perfect for an apprentice looking for a decisive edge in a short timeframe.

  "The situation is dire," Cecily muttered, looking down.

  Sutherland was in critical danger.

  The blood vines were strangling the life out of his wind armor. Once that protection failed, his standard defensive items would snap like dry twigs.

  The outcome was decided. Continuing to fight was merely a slow suicide.

  If he wanted to live, he had to surrender.

  Inside the crushing grip of the vines, Sutherland's face twisted in a struggle between pride and survival.

  Reality, however, offered no mercy. The vines tightened, thorns piercing his skin.

  Seeing his defenses on the brink of collapse, Sutherland's will finally broke. He opened his mouth to shout, "I surr—"

  Whoosh.

  At that exact instant, a cold, dark presence materialized behind his head.

  It was a shadow needle, forged from condensed dark energy.

  Before the first syllable could leave his lips, the shadow pierced through his remaining magical defenses like a needle through paper, touching the skin at the base of his skull.

  Sutherland's eyes bulged in terror.

  It was too late.

  A sharp pain exploded in his brain, followed instantly by a tidal wave of eternal darkness that drowned his consciousness forever.

  On the mist platform, Pierce and Cecily's expressions darkened simultaneously.

  In their perception, Sutherland's life force had just been snuffed out like a candle in a storm.

  Below, the blood vines contracted violently. A sickening crackling sound—the noise of bones being pulverized—echoed from within the cocoon, and blood sprayed from the gaps in the vines, painting the earth red.

  Seconds later, the vines writhed and burrowed back into the earth, vanishing as if they had never existed.

  Where Sutherland had stood, there was nothing left but a pool of dark, mashed gore and twisted metal.

  Cecily's face went pale.

  Pierce’s gaze turned icy as he looked at Gareth.

  Having just brutally executed his opponent, Gareth stood there with a calm, bored expression, as if he had merely stepped on a beetle. He exuded an aura of cold indifference that was chilling to behold.

  Sensing the gaze, Gareth looked up, locking eyes with Pierce. His stare conveyed a clear, arrogant message: You are next.

  Pierce remained unmoved. Such psychological tactics were useless against him, though a dangerous glint flickered in his own eyes.

  On the back of the giant Hag Eagle, the three Crimson Lotus Wizards smirked.

  Zorander turned to the Aurora City group. "It seems Crimson Lotus City takes the first victory."

  Elric and the Masked Wizard ignored the taunt completely, their faces impassive.

  Only Yuman scoffed. "This is not a best-of-five format, Zorander. The winner is the one left standing at the very end."

  Zorander didn't argue. "True enough. Send your next champion."

  Yuman frowned slightly, turning to Cecily and Pierce.

  Before Pierce could speak, Cecily stepped forward, her expression resolute. "I will go."

  She lowered her voice, speaking quickly to Pierce. "Ignis possesses fire magic that naturally counters my insects, and I have no solid defense against Xavier's mental illusions. Let me deal with Gareth."

  "He is the strongest of them, but he has just expended energy in a fierce battle. I have a chance. Even if I lose, you can clean up the remaining two."

  Pierce understood her logic immediately. He nodded. "Be careful."

  The Crimson Lotus side clearly had no intention of showing mercy. Gareth would kill her without hesitation if given the opening.

  "I know."

  Cecily took a deep breath and leaped off the platform.

  She cast Feather Fall, landing gracefully on the scarred earth. Immediately, she adopted a combat stance, tense and ready.

  Gareth, however, stood motionless. He made no move to attack her during her landing, maintaining an air of arrogant superiority.

  Seeing his attitude, Cecily's eyes narrowed dangerously. She didn't waste breath on words.

  She knew her spellcasting and swordsmanship were inferior to his. There was no point in testing him.

  She reached into her robe and pulled out her trump card.

  A small ring, pitch-black as the void, shaped like a cluster of solidified black flames.

  As Cecily rubbed the surface of the ring, a layer of deep, abyssal firelight erupted, shrouding her body in a ghostly aura.

  In the next instant, her physical form disintegrated.

  BUZZ!

  She exploded into a massive, dense swarm of flies. With a deafening, low-frequency hum, the swarm swept toward Gareth like a living storm cloud.

  If one looked closely, they would see that every single insect was wreathed in a tiny aura of black fire.

  "That is..."

  Pierce's eyes widened slightly as the Eye of Omniscience retrieved the relevant data.

  The Ring of Shadowfire!

  A special Arcane Artifact designed to mimic the high-tier spell Spark Insect Cloud.

  It was a niche artifact. In the hands of a normal apprentice, it was barely better than a standard magic item. But in the hands of a specialist like Cecily, who could transform into a swarm, its power was exponential.

  It imbued the user with the power of Shadowfire, granting temporary physical immunity (via Shadow Form), medium-grade Spell Resistance, and adding fire damage to every attack. It was a comprehensive buff to both offense and defense.

  While the individual buff on a single insect was negligible, when applied to thousands of entities simultaneously, the cumulative effect was terrifying.

  With the Ring of Shadowfire, Cecily's primary weaknesses—lack of raw defense and burst damage—were instantly nullified.

  Her combat power had just taken a quantum leap.