Chapter 260: The First Level 1 Mage Examination
The central arena outside the Magic Association tower was solemner than ever before.
The spacious area, usually used for sparring and exchanging skills, was now shrouded in a magical barrier, and even the air was filled with a sense of magical pressure. The strength of this barrier magic is not very high; it is simply set up to prevent others from accidentally entering this area.
The surrounding platforms were empty, except for two figures floating side by side in the air high above: Serie and Kurtz.
Nineteen mages stood scattered across the field below. Their expressions varied, and their bodies were filled with considerable magical energy as they constantly looked up at the legendary figure in the sky. Of course, Kurtz's figure also attracted the curiosity of some people, but most mages regarded him as a disciple of Serie. Only a few mages with keen senses sensed the terrifying magical aura emanating from Kurtz.
'This man is very strong.'
This is their shared feeling.
The mages in the center of the plaza below are elites who have passed the second-level mage assessment and have gathered here to challenge for the highest level of first-level mage qualification. If it were just a simple certificate of magic, it wouldn't attract so many people. Those who can pass Serie's Level 2 Magician test are more or less well-known magicians, so naturally, they look down on this so-called Level 1 Magician title.
They are more concerned about the rewards that follow.
Among them are even mages from the St. Katia Magic Academy. Obviously, the offer of the magic that the elven saint Serie could grant was simply too tempting.
Outside the venue, ministers from the Kingdom of El were waiting. Once the assessment is over, regardless of whether these mages passed or not, they will approach them to recruit them and see if they can get them to serve the Kingdom of El.
Using this method, they have found many mages willing to join the Kingdom of El, and, of course, Kurtz deserves some credit for this as well. The other party is consciously helping the Kingdom of El to establish its own army of magicians.
Serie's gaze swept down, and her voice, amplified by magic, clearly reached everyone's ears. "The rules for the Level 1 Mage assessment are very simple."
She paused, letting the silence settle. "You will be teleported to a specific battlefield, and the last two who remain on the battlefield will pass the test. During this period, any means are acceptable, and neither is death."
She paused again, then offered a reward that would drive any mage mad. "Those who pass the test can make one request of me. Any magic will do, even forbidden spells from the mythical era; as long as I possess them, I can teach them."
Upon hearing this, the breathing below instantly became much heavier.
Magic from the Age of Myth!
This is the ultimate knowledge that all magicians crave! While older magic isn't necessarily more powerful, it allows for research and development! In particular, the legendary strongest offensive magic of the mythical era, "Divine Strike", if one could research it and create a magic of the same power, that achievement would be enough to make one famous for generations to come.
Kurtz stood beside Serie, his gaze sweeping across the crowd. In his hand was a list of all the mages who had passed the Level 2 Mage exam. He is checking the people on the list and the mages below.
But it seems one person is missing.
Twenty people passed the Level 2 assessment, but only nineteen showed up at the moment. Kurtz's eyes narrowed slightly as he ran his finger down the list.
Carlo?
Kurtz paused slightly at a name. He seemed to have heard the name somewhere before, but couldn't quite place it. However, did this mage not come because he knew he was not strong enough, or was he so engrossed in his research that he couldn't extricate himself?
Kurtz didn't delve into it further, since participating in the Level 1 Mage assessment wasn't mandatory; it was entirely voluntary for these mages. So he turned his attention back to the arena.
Serie raised her hand without speaking further and grasped the holy sword Atos. A burst of powerful magical light suddenly erupted, instantly enveloping all the examinees present, as well as herself and Kurtz.
Immediately afterwards, space distorted violently, and the teleportation magic circle was activated.
The next moment, everyone found themselves in a vast forest. At the same time, an enormous golden barrier, like an inverted giant bowl, enveloped the entire forest and the sky above it.
Complex ancient runes flowed across the barrier walls, clearly indicating that it was the exclusive barrier of Atos, who was known as the world's strongest defensive magic.
"This barrier limits the battlefield, and you should not even try to break it, as that would be a waste of magic." Serie's voice rang out again.
"Furthermore, the barrier will shrink over time. The barrier shrinks once per hour until only a hundred meters of space remain at the center. Those who refuse to move will be forcibly repelled by the barrier's power and considered to have failed the test."
The harshness of the rules sent a chill down the spines of all the examinees. This can be described as a naked battlefield. The elven saint's test was very simple: she made these mages fight each other within this barrier, and the two who stood at the end were considered to have passed the test.
"Start."
As soon as Serie's voice fell, the nineteen mages were grabbed as if by an invisible giant hand and were thrown haphazardly into various corners of the barrier, instantly disappearing into the dense forest.
Meanwhile, Serie and Kurtz remained suspended high in the sky. Before them, several magically constructed monitoring screens appeared out of thin air, clearly displaying the battles that were taking place or were about to take place in various corners of the forest below.
"Who do you think will win?" Serie asked casually, her gaze sweeping over the screens with interest.
Kurtz smiled and said, "It's hard to say. There are too many variables in a chaotic battle, but there are a few mages who are quite interesting."
His gaze was mainly fixed on two screens. He leaned back slightly, gesturing toward them.
On one of the screens, a tall, thin male mage with gray hair is being attacked. Several blazing fireballs attacked him from different directions. However, he did not use any offensive magic to retaliate, nor did he even try to dodge completely. He simply stood calmly in place and quickly cast spells.
Buzz!
Layer upon layer of shields instantly unfolded around him! He was completely enveloped by colorful defensive magic, like a giant tortoise shell. The opponent's attacks struck these shields, bursting into blinding flashes of fire, but they could not budge them in the slightest.
The mage remained expressionless and even took advantage of the lull in the attack to add two more layers of shields to himself.
"An extreme defensive approach," Kurtz commented, his tone thoughtful. "Abandoning all offensive methods and focusing all magic and energy on defense is an extreme approach, but in this kind of chaotic battle, it might allow one to survive for quite a while."
"Furthermore, it also contains some defensive magic I hadn't seen before, seemingly specifically designed to counter elemental attack magic. This person has clearly mastered defensive magic."
Serie remained noncommittal. She turned her gaze to another screen, her head tilting slightly.
The scene on this screen is completely different.
A female mage dressed in a red mage's robe is moving at high speed through the forest. She made no defense whatsoever; her body was surging with magic power, clearly having entered a state of magic liberation from the very beginning.
Boom! Boom! Boom!
Wherever she goes, she doesn't care who her opponent is, or whether they are fighting or fleeing; she simply raises her hand and unleashes a wide-ranging fireball or countless bolts of lightning. It was a completely unrestrained barrage of firepower, a frenzied release of magic, as if her magical power were inexhaustible.
And that's pretty much the case. At least in Serie's eyes, among these mages, the only one whose magical power could rival hers was that mage who only knew defensive magic.
"The other extreme, the ultimate offensive style." Kurtz's eye twitched slightly. "Completely abandoning defense, pursuing ultimate destructive power…"
He paused, then said quietly, "This guy is really fearless."
His fingers twitched slightly, and an extremely subtle magical shield was silently attached to the red-robed female mage. Although Serie's words were quite cold, he didn't want an assessment to actually result in a death, especially for such a promising young talent.
Serie clearly noticed his subtle movements.
She glanced at him, her expression unreadable, and said calmly, "The threat of death is the best motivation for a mage to become stronger."
Although she said that, she did not actually stop him.
"After all, it's just an assessment, not a real life-or-death battle. There's no need to actually kill anyone." Kurtz shrugged and gestured toward the screen. "Besides, look, she seems to have a very special kind of magic."
Serie turned her gaze back to the screen.
As the red-robed female mage frantically unleashed her magic, she moved through the forest at an incredibly fast speed. Other mages' attacks often couldn't even touch the hem of her clothes, which was the biggest reason why she dared to abandon any defense.
"A special technique that temporarily and greatly increases speed and evasion by burning magic." A hint of appreciation flashed in Serie's eyes. "Although it consumes a lot of magic, it complements her fighting style perfectly."
She tilted her head slightly in observation. "If she could control the frequency of her attacks and focus more on efficiency rather than simply venting, she would be stronger and have a better chance of standing until the end. She is ultimately too hasty; this isn't simply a test of ability."
Kurtz nodded in agreement. "In comparison, this mage specializing in defense is much more composed. His magical power is quite astonishing. You see, while maintaining the highest intensity of multiple composite defensive spells almost the entire time, the fluctuations in his magical power remain stable. This level of magical power is top-tier among humans, almost reaching the pinnacle, but unfortunately, it's still a little short."
He subconsciously compared him to Flamme, but Flamme was an exceptional monster, not a normal human genius.
The two fell silent as the observation continued.
The battle in the forest intensified.
The first contraction of the barrier had begun, with the golden wall slowly pushing inward, forcing all the surviving mages to move towards the central area. Encounters became more frequent.
Magicians were constantly being eliminated due to depletion of their magic power or severe injuries. Although the red-robed female mage attacked fiercely, she also encountered danger several times, and her robes were charred black, making her look quite disheveled.
The mage, focused solely on defense, remained undefeated regardless of the attacks he encountered, relying solely on his terrifying magical power and defensive capabilities to repel wave after wave of attackers.
"Looks like this guy has a better chance of winning," Kurtz said, stroking his chin thoughtfully. He turned slightly toward Serie. "So, Serie, how about we make a bet?"
Serie raised an eyebrow at him. "What are we betting on?"
"Let's bet on that guy down there who specializes in defense," Kurtz pointed to the figure on the screen enveloped in layers of shields. "If he passes the test, what type of magic will he ask you for?"
Serie chuckled softly. "He might not pass. I'm more optimistic about that mage with top-tier attack and speed, if only he were a little smarter."
Even so, she accepted the bet. "What are we betting on?"
"Let's have a kiss. It seems you've never kissed me first, not counting that accident before."
Kurtz laughed, referring to the time when Serie got drunk, which was also the beginning of their relationship becoming public knowledge. His tone was light, teasing.
Serie was stunned for a moment. The two had kissed quite a few times during this period, but it seemed that she had never taken the initiative. She felt her body getting hot again for no reason, and her face is itchy too.
It's just a normal kiss, so why does it always make my thoughts so chaotic? Could he be secretly using some kind of mental magic?
Serie forced a calm expression on her face and replied, "Okay. I think he'll choose magic that can significantly weaken the enemy's magic power, or magic that can further enhance his own defensive strength to the extreme; this best suits his fighting style and needs."
She turned back to the screen. "I remember seeing similar magic effects before. If this guy really did pass the test by chance and made such a request, I could just give him the magic."
Kurtz shook his head, revealing a meaningful smile. "I guess he'll ask you for the magical rune formula of the barrier itself, which the Holy Sword Athos created."
Serie paused for a moment, then shook her head. "Impossible! Athos's barrier magic originates from the power of the holy sword itself, and its magical runes are beyond the comprehension of ordinary people. Even if he obtained it, he wouldn't be able to unleash its power, let alone recreate a barrier of this level. It would be utterly useless to him."
"Perhaps," Kurtz said noncommittally, his smile not wavering. "But I just have a feeling about it. We'll see."
As time passed, the barrier shrank again and again, and fewer and fewer survivors remained on the battlefield.
The red-robed female mage eventually succumbed to excessive magic consumption and was injured by multiple opponents in a moment of untimely evasion. Although Kurtz's defensive magic saved her life, she was unable to fight and was eliminated.
Finally, when the barrier shrank to just a small open space with a diameter of 100 meters in the center, only four people remained on the field. Besides the defensive mage, there were three other mages of equally formidable strength.
A final, chaotic battle erupted.
The three mages seemed to have formed a brief alliance and launched a fierce attack on the defensive mage. In an instant, all sorts of high-level magic rained down on the thick tortoise shell like a storm. However, the opponent's defensive magic seemed truly indestructible, withstanding all attacks.
Furthermore, his magical power was extremely terrifying. Under such intense bombardment, although his shield was flashing brightly, it showed no signs of collapsing. On the contrary, the three attackers' magical power was being consumed rapidly.
Ultimately, rather than fighting to the death with this guy who only knew how to hide behind defensive magic, the three mages chose to engage in a full-scale battle. The fragile alliance crumbled instantly. One person's magical power was exhausted first, and the other person took advantage of him, resulting in his injury and elimination.
The last remaining attacker successfully eliminated him, leaving him as one of the two remaining survivors.
The assessment is over.
The golden barrier slowly dissipated, and the forest returned to its original state, leaving only traces of the magical battle. The two surviving mages, including the defensive mage, were teleported back to the Magic Association Tower.
Both of them were greatly exhausted, especially the defensive mage, whose face was very pale. Clearly, enduring the attacks of these mages all the way had taken a toll on him.
Serie and Kurtz descended from the sky and stood in front of them.
"Congratulations, you have passed the test." Serie's voice remained cold and clear. "Now, tell me the magic you desire."
Another mage, trembling with excitement, uttered the name of an ancient attack spell that had been missing from his family's heritage for hundreds of years. Serie nodded and taught the other person the magic with measured precision.
When it was the turn of the mage specializing in defense, he took a deep breath and stepped forward. He bowed slightly before addressing Serie with utmost solemnity.
"My esteemed Lady Serie, what I desire is the complete formula for constructing the magical runes of the magical barrier that you just cast over the battlefield."
Serie: "..."
A hint of surprise flashed across her golden eyes, and she subconsciously turned her head to glance at Kurtz beside her.
Kurtz winked at her with his usual smile, his expression utterly composed.
Serie withdrew her gaze and looked again at the mage who had made the strange request. "Do you know what that is? It is a miracle that can only be performed by relying on the power of the Holy Sword. The formula is far more complex than you can imagine; even if you had it, you wouldn't be able to understand it. Are you sure you want to waste this precious opportunity and ask for it?"
The mage's gaze was unwavering. "I am certain, Lady Serie! Whether I can understand it or not is a matter for later. I yearn to know its composition. Even if I never manage to cast it in my entire life, just glimpsing its mysteries would be enough for me!"
Serie looked at him silently for a moment, her expression contemplative. Then she suddenly nodded gently. "All right then."
She raised her hand, revealing countless complex magical runes. After teaching all the magical runes to the mage, she looked at his incredibly excited expression and paused. She then turned to Kurtz, her tone somewhat complicated.
"How...how did you guess?"
Kurtz smiled and stepped forward, naturally putting his arm around her. "Because of intuition. Someone who specializes in defensive magic must crave the world's strongest defensive magic; even if they can't learn it, they must obtain it. This is a unique collector's obsession."
He bent down and gently patted Serie on the head, laughing. "Alright, great saint, I won the bet. I'm looking forward to your initiative."
Serie then remembered the contents of the bet, and her expression instantly became somewhat subtle and unnatural. She glanced at the mage, still lost in the euphoria of knowledge, and then at the cunning man beside her.
For the first time, she had a feeling that perhaps making a bet wasn't a good idea.
She remained silent, her hand brushing against the warm arm still around her shoulders.
[End of Chapter]