The class competition continued, and the first round was a process of eliminating the weak from the strong. In just an hour or two, only 24 students remained. Zane was surprised to realize that everybody in his class had survived the first round — including James. Although Zane was the only one with a perfect victory record, Evans also finished first in his group.
The second round did not begin immediately but was instead delayed until the afternoon class. Zane wanted to return to his dorm for a quick nap. Over the past few days, he realized he could function perfectly with only three hours of sleep as long as he takes a half-hour to an hour nap in the middle of the day. And he wasn't the only one. As long as a mage has enough mental energy, they can survive for days without sleep.
However, on his way, Evans invited him to a meal in the cafeteria. Zane was about to reject him until the latter stated it was repayment for the ten points on the first day of class. Since Zane had accepted Ahmed's gratitude, it would be rude to reject Evans. As for Tom's whereabouts? Well, with his thin skin, he obviously didn't want to return with them after what happened in the physical class.
The two ate their food in silence; it wasn't out of awkwardness or a lack of discussion topics. Their focus was primarily on the upcoming competition. While they were roommates, they will soon be opponents. However, as soon as Zane finished his meal, he sensed a sudden change in his body and immediately checked his student profile.
[Meditation Stage: Apprentice]
[Mana: 0.3]
[Mental Energy: 0.43]
A smile crept on Zane's face. The meditation in the past few days had increased his mana to 0.28, and now, he had finally reached another threshold. However, his elation did not last long.
"A single meal increases my mana by 0.2. How much mana do Evans and people like him have?" Although the growth of mana is based on talent, resources are also crucial. And from what he can infer over the past few days, Evans also had great talent, maybe on par with his.
"If I face him in battle, I need to end the fight as swiftly as possible," Zane analyzed. A battle of attrition is the worst thing he could do, and that's not mentioning how Evans seemed to know more than the two free spells the tower handed to the recruits.
Sleeping after a meal was a bad idea, but Zane's digestive system had become quite impressive since his title gave him a peak human physique. So, after showing, he read for 30 minutes, slept for an hour, woke up, and continued reading until it was time for the afternoon class.
For the second round, the protective barrier divided the arena into four sections, giving the fighters ample space to be agile and employ a variety of evasive maneuvers — a fact Zane swiftly noticed. The instructors did not waste a single second. As soon as everyone arrived — including those eliminated in the first round — the matching began. Once again, Zane's number was among the first to be called, but he was surprised to learn who his opponent was.
"I can't believe you're my opponent."
"I won't go easy on you because you're my friend," Tom Nguyen stated.
"Same."
The countdown began, and the two stared at each other.
"Tom is a fast caster," Zane thought. He had watched many matches, and Tom was one of his targets as well. The latter had also calculated the most optimal path for his spells. "However, his body is his weakness, and he also uses a very aggressive form of fighting."
As soon as the countdown ended, Zane enacted his magical shield. However, soon afterward, less than the time it takes for the human body to breathe, Tom's spell finished: 0-ring Necromancy Spell: Negative Ball. A dark gray sphere the size of a volleyball flew toward Zane, instantly annihilating his shield, which should have left him vulnerable. But Tom's spell was also canceled in the collision.
Without missing a beat, Zane immediately began engraving his next spell. Evans followed up, but he soon realized he would be a step slower, so he gritted his teeth and stopped his engraving, preparing to evade. His idea was theoretically the correct choice, but only if he wasn't a physically weak Necromancer. What happened next was unsurprising to anyone watching. Zane's magic bullets hit Tom, and the protective ward activated a shield to prevent him from being injured.
"I lost," Tom Nguyen sighed. "But only because I haven't learned a spell to control undead yet."
"Don't be a sore loser. I also only have two spells — well, three if you count the Water Condensing Spell," Zane countered.
"I guess that's true."
The two walked out of the arena to give way for the next match. Zane had to meditate, so he asked Tom to record the other battles for him. He only needed less than ten minutes to return to his peak, but that was more than enough for most matches. The good — well, maybe bad — news was that he arrived in time to witness Evans' match. Unfortunately for him, his opponent was Sergeant Rhode, the man who scored first in the physical exam.
"This man," Zane thought with a deep frown on his handsome face. Sergeant Rhode's tactic was simple: he cast the Swift Step Spell, and before his opponent could react, he rushed over and kicked them out of the arena.
"His physical strength is already the best in the class, and with the addition of the Wind Spell, his speed is supernatural. And there is the possibility that he can add mana channeling to the mix." With the limited range of most apprentices and the inability to cast instantly, speed is the nemesis of every mage present, making the sergeant the greatest threat in this tournament. As soon as the battle ended, Zane's mind was already devising a strategy to face this man and win with the limited spells he knew; the championship must be his.
The second round soon ended since only twelve matches were played. Of all the roommates, Zane and James were the only ones who made it into the third round, with only 6 students left standing. For a moment, Zane thought he had understated James, but after watching a recording of his battle, he knew the latter was just lucky. While his skills were decent, the only reason he made it this far was that his opponents were weaker.
For the Quarter-Final, the arena was divided into two sections, and this time around, both Zane and Sergeant Rhode were summoned for the first battle, meaning they were separated by one energy barrier. However, none of them looked at each other, focusing on their individual battle.
Zane's eyes locked on his opponent: a brown-haired, white woman wearing navy blue tights, a white undershirt, a light blue V-neck long sweater, and black-and-white running shoes.
"I remember her name was Evelyn?" Zane thought. He remembered her because she was very close to Keesha Jackson. Throughout today's class, the three best performers are without a doubt Sergeant Rhode, Zane, and Keesha. Although a few others had their brief moment to shine, these three were, without a doubt, the stars of today's class.
"I remember she's quite well off, and has used more than two spells," Zane thought. For a moment, he could not help resent these rich people who could use gold to buy spells as if they were nothing. However, he soon regained control and focused on the battle. In this situation, distraction would only be a recipe for disaster.
[10…9…7…]
As soon as the countdown ended, the two fighters made their move, and their tactic was the same: defense. Their casting speed was relatively the same, with Zane being slightly faster, but the difference wasn't enough to make a difference. Zane had a plan for this match, but before he could execute it, his brow furrowed at the sight of Evelyn's spell: countless rocks surrounding her body, outlining her like well-fitted armor.
"Rock Armor? Damn it," he thought. His Magic Bullet primarily does physical damage, and the Rock Armor spell is among the best 0-ring defensive spells against physical damage; it could even be argued it's in the first. Even Zane's method of using his magic shield as a battering ram primarily deals physical damage. With this level of defense, all his spells and tactics became useless.
His mind operated swiftly as he concocted a plan. Then, with a thought, his mana shield rushed forward, slamming against Evelyn's body. As expected, it did nothing — at least, in terms of damage. Zane's goal, however, was to disrupt her chanting while he cast his second spell.
A few seconds later, magic bullets rain down on Evelyn, but her rock armor easily blocks them. But Zane did not mind. The Rock Armor had powerful defense, but it was slow and heavy. With zero to no agility left, Evelyn had no choice but to take it in or cast another spell.
"It's time to put my training to use," Zane thought. He immediately aimed the magic bullets toward the armor's head. Simultaneously, Zane also began casting a second magic bullet spell before the first one ran out of ammunition. As a barrage of rapidly flying objects struck her face, Evelyn instinctively backed away.
"It's working," Zane thought. He moved forward, putting even more pressure on her. His plan was a multiple approach: first, disrupt the enemy's concentration and chanting process by targeting her head. Second, focus his attacks on one area. One bullet may not be able to penetrate the rock armor, but dozens, maybe even one hundred, might. Third, apply psychological pressure. The speed of those magic bullets is no different from physical guns, and no ordinary humans can remain unaffected as they are being shot at.
Lastly, Zane wanted to drain Evelyn's mana. He had long noticed how draining defensive spells were. So, his tactic was to outlast her. However, this method carried some risk, since Evelyn was similar to Evans and had ample resources to improve her mana, which meant there was a chance she could outlast Zane.
"I-I surrender," Evelyn yelled after more than a minute of bombardment, making Zane sigh in relief.