We creep to the edge of the tree line. In front of us is a stunningly green meadow, a circle over a kilometer wide. A roaring river over 200 meters wide cuts right down the middle of the grassy paradise, tapering to a narrow 20 meters and disappearing underground to our left. The picturesque nature scenery is marred only by the soldiers clad in green stationed near the cavern.
I hiss, "Is this what 'a few petty Battlemages' means to you? Dozens of seasoned Advanced Mages, led by a Super Mage?"
She blinks in innocence and climbs onto my back. "You've got this."
Snorting, I drape the Dark Noble Mantle over our bodies; Asha'ruiya and I melt into the shadows. Although it's the afternoon, mere sunlight poses no obstacle to my Magic Cloak.
As expected, we speedily zip by the Battlemages and enter the cavern, zooming along the cave walls next to the river. We revel in the exhilaration of the roaring river accelerating to its lowest depths, closing in our destination.
…
…
I cautiously materialize us both, then commence my downhill descent. Asha'ruiya spiritedly follows, and the rising Water Elemental particles concentration has us in awe. After a while, they're our only source of illumination—a bright blue aberration amidst the darkness. All the while, the roaring ruckus climbs to a crescendo, peaking when we circle around the last bend.
We've descended nearly a kilometer deep, and all the kinetic energy from the river rushing downhill yields a current violent enough to shred rocks into dust. I imagine anything under the Ruler level might suffer the same fate.
Billowing mist pervades the air surrounding the river's trough, but a blinding blue glow pierces the raging currents and white mist, emanating from the precise bottommost point, beyond which the river starts climbing uphill (to half a kilometer, not a kilometer). I suspect that corresponds to the Water Spirit.
Asha'ruiya and I hesitantly approach the riverbank, a mere 10 meters away from the Soul-grade Water Spirit. Our skin instantly slices open, riddled with cuts from stray water droplets, so we're forced to scramble back.
After a moment of deliberation, I warily approach the water, clad in my Black Snake Armor. When I gingerly dip one foot into the raging current, shallow grooves instantly decorate its surface. I hiss in surprise and yank the foot back.
The peals of deprecating laughter behind me do not improve my mood.
[How… do I proceed?]
I experimentally cast two Change of Order: Direction spells, and indeed, the river parts in twain precisely at the location of the Water Spirit. Its appearance resembles those of Will o' Wisps from an animated movie I once watched with Xinxia and Mu Ningxue: it's a flickering blue apparition.
Unfortunately, the sheer volume and density of Water particles result in incredibly violent turbulence because the split streams interrupt the natural flow of the water, and the subsequent explosions of Water erode away the Chaos spells after a few seconds. Perhaps inputting more Chaos mana will yield a longer duration.
[What are my options?]
In such an extreme environment, Water absolutely dominates the elemental mana; any non-Water spell will be less than a third as effective. Thankfully, Chaos functions just fine because it's null-attribute magic.
[Aha.]
I withdraw the Runic Pen from its designated residence in my left pant pocket and begin precisely stroking it through the air, channeling Chaos and Shadow mana into dozens, then hundreds of runes. Hours flit by amidst the roar of raging water.
…
…
As Asha'ruiya watches me, entranced by the delicate motions of the Runic Pen, I sear the imprint of the 'Bakla' rune into the river bank with a steady stream of Chaos mana that my Chaos Galaxy steadily provides.
I shake off the vestiges of my concentrated state and stand up in jubilation as the formation flickers to life, emanating soft iridescent auric halos.
"Yes!" I shout while clenching my fist, startling Asha'ruiya into falling slightly backwards from her seated position.
"Any louder?!" she angrily exclaims.
I sheepishly scratch my head. "Sorry, I just finished laying out these arrays."
Her eyes light up with passion; she stands up and stretches her back by interlacing her fingers and lifting her arms behind her torso.
"So? Aren't you going to explain what you've created here?" she impatiently demands.
"Of course. The power source of this formation is the Gathering Array, naturally. However, since the environment is absurdly concentrated with Water particles-"
Asha'ruiya interrupts, "You decided to hook it up to more Water arrays!"
"... No. The turbulent environment is a deliberate and natural consequence of the Water Spirit's disposition. Interfering with the environment by deploying Water would be a fool's errand if I'm trying to win the spirit over. You know what? Just watch and learn."
She pouts in mock vexation while I twist the teardrop-shaped 'Zweva' clockwise, supplying the functional arrays with power from the Gathering Array.
The formation thrums with power as the iridescent auric halos shift, projecting a dome of force that begins to part the raging river before me. Chaos Magic courses through the runes, bending the water's relentless flow away from its natural path. The current, strong enough to tear flesh from bone, diverts as if a diagonal wall squeezed it to half of its original width.
The blue apparition is revealed once more, yet it's more agitated than before, perhaps realizing it's about to be compromised.
I waste no time dashing into the riverbed, but the terrifying turbulence hammering at the Chaos magic frightens me to no end. I nervously grip the stone responsible for my salvation, inscribed with a single Shadow rune, and pray my double and triple checks accounted for any mistakes I made.
In front of me is a violently shifting blue… flame?
I outstretch a trembling hand and brush it against the Water Spirit. Instantly, ribbons of abrasive water lacerate my skin, but I breathe steadily, focusing my will and ignoring the cuts constantly forming and deepening on my right hand.
I launch a subitaneous mental probe at the defiant Water Spirit, enticing it with thrums from my Water Galaxy while simultaneously forcing it towards my Spiritual World: a classic carrot-and-stick approach.
Initially, it struggles violently, but it eventually complies with my stalwart will, obediently entering my Spiritual World.
[Good. No time to waste.]
Having accomplished my objective, albeit with a bloodied hand, I double tap the 'Szim' rune on the stone held in my left hand. The action triggers a surge of Shadow magic in the area. Hundreds of runes at the river bank flicker to life, emanating a soft black glow.
Amidst the maelstrom of Water elements, Shadow mana forces its way to my side, obscuring my figure in a foggy black veil. Abruptly, I feel a sinking sensation of weightlessness inside my chest as I'm yanked onto the river bank at speeds that rival teleportation. The path I traversed is briefly highlighted by an umbral fog, but it dissipates after a few seconds.
I exhale a pent-up sigh of relief, and I marvel at the sensations in my Spiritual World while I deactivate the formation.
Shutting my eyes, I find heavenly blue essence flowing into my Water Galaxy. Over the course of an hour, it condenses to the size of a Water star and boasts the same blue hue, though it bears the appearance of the elegant, complex 'moyo' rune. Fitting, as 'moyo' is Swahili for 'water'.
My original Spirit-grade Water Spirit cowers in a corner of the spiral galaxy, in awe of the aura exuded by the newcomer. It's devoid of any utility now, yet I don't regard it with disdain—it played its role in my journey thus far.
Noticing the subtle changes on my face that indicate a lapse in concentration, Asha'ruiya cautiously asks, "Are you done?"
"Yes, and feeling incredible."
"Alright… so explain what happened!" She taps her foot impatiently.
"It's exactly as you saw. Chaos magic was mostly responsible for diverting the flow of the river to reveal the Water Spirit. Shadow magic was mostly responsible for yanking me back at my discretion."
"But why have a pull-back mechanism at all?" she wonders aloud.
I snort in response. "Because there's no guarantee the Chaos magic will hold! If this attempt took too long, I would have added a few arrays that store Chaos magic temporarily, and we'd wait for them to reach maximum capacity. They'd allow me to stay in the river for a more lengthy duration.
"However, if the attempt indeed does take too long, I need a fast way to exit the river! I can't use any Elements aside from Chaos, which is null-attribute, because the overbearing Water elements diminish the power of other Elements drastically. Also, having to run out is not ideal when facing torrents of water that slice through all of my defenses like a knife through butter. Therefore, I needed to force a decent quantity of Shadow magic into the Water maelstrom, and it would 'teleport' me back whenever I desired."
"Mmmmmm, I see," she hums. "So, you got the Water Spirit? What are its effects?"
I pointedly gaze at her, then shift my eyes askance when she stares back flirtatiously, undeterred by my silent reproach. "I suppose you'll have to see it in action in the upcoming World College Tournament battles."
"Hmph!" she pouts.
Fed up with her antics, I suddenly pick her up in a princess carry. She cries out in alarm, then ratchets up her volume when she sees my plan.
"JIANYU! We'll DIE!"
"Relax, it won't harm us. My Tsiri was born and raised in the Tsiribihina River: it's like a prince in these waters."
I maintain my grip on her squirming body and plunge into the river. She screams in fear, then notices that it's abnormal for her to have the ability to scream. Indeed, while the current is rocketing us upward at an alarming rate, the water droplets have ceased lacerating our skin. Instead, they softly glide past us: the consequence of me lazily exerting my will over water in close proximity to us. The mini Domain drains Water mana from my Water Galaxy at a snail's pace, allotting plenty of time to enjoy the exhilarating ride.
I take precautions near the surface, however, and I pull Asha'ruiya into my Shadow Bird form. There's a second squadron of soldiers patrolling more than a mile away, but they pose no threat. I skirt their congregation widely, flying into the forest within a matter of minutes.
After I'm satisfied with the distance between us and the soldiers, I warily dispel the morph on us and scan the surrounding jungle foliage, relaxing when I detect no signs of demonic beasts. A thought flashes past my mind.
"Asha'ruiya, how are we escaping Madagascar?"
She beams at me, sweeping a square parchment into her hands out of thin air. It's the size of printer paper, and Space runes decorate one of its surfaces.
[Ah.]
A Scroll of Space. In absence of any hostile entities capable of influencing space, tearing this paper in half will activate Space magic that teleports everything in a fixed region around oneself to a designated location. Said location must have a Space formation capable of supplying the Scroll of Space with power and anchoring its effects.
And how did it just appear in her hands?
"Asha'ruiya… are you a Space Magician?"
Space Mages, rather enviably, have access to a small dimension that can store all of their personal belongings. How I wish I didn't have to lug my Chaotic Piercer everywhere I go; I could have even brought it on this outing if I were a Space Mage.
She pouts in response. "And what if I am?"
"Nothing, I suppose…"
Triumphant, she proceeds to tear the Scroll of Space in half. Bright silver arrays coalesce around us, and once they direct their radiance at me, I feel as if I'm squeezed into a pipe half of my size. Just for the briefest of moments, then normality resumes. The environment has transformed from a tranquil forest to a quiet courtyard. It's nighttime, but that is not sufficient to account for the eerie silence. It's like no person owns a residence anywhere around here.
Oh. We're on one of the various peaks of a relatively small mountainous region. I know exactly where we are: Asha'ruiya's quarters in the Parthenon Temple.
"Here? I wanted to get back to Venice. You know, where the tournament is!!"
"Relax and take us outside the Parthenon's territory. I'll use my identity to speed up the process, but make sure you conceal yours. From there, I'll call my private helicopter to ferry us to Venice; we'll be there by dawn. See? Easy."
I laconically grunt in response.
…
…
On the helicopter, Xinxia calls me.
"Huh, Croatia?"
Apparently, there's a terrifying plague in Croatia, one more serious than the fake one in Hangzhou. Bizarrely, the Parthenon Temple sent Xinxia right into the center of the plague after she came back from the grueling war in Puccini City, Egypt.
"Things aren't adding up. You just became an official Servant. Sure, that's no insignificant status, but you're the only one in Croatia right now?"
"Jianyu, the Hall Mother made me a Goddess Candidate. I'm so confused…"
"What? There's already 7 Goddess Candidates, and they'll compete for the role of Goddess in the next Parthenon election. Why are you being roped into that mess? What does the Hall Mother stand to gain… Perhaps she doesn't want to take a side in the election, so she's promoting you. But why you? Several other young Servants are probably far more qualified. Does she think a girl in a wheelchair won't garner support, and therefore she deliberately chose an unpopular candidate? No, that doesn't sound right. Give me some time, Xinxia, I'll analyze this."
"Okay! I called because I wanted your help. Can you come, or are you busy with the tournament?"
Asha'ruiya nods at me, then tells the pilot to reroute for Croatia.
"Yes, I'll be there by dawn. Talk to you then."
…
…
Xinxia fills me in once I land next to the healing tents set up in Kakka City.
"We have no idea what's causing the plague. People get symptoms similar to the common cold, and then they drop dead a few days later. Some last longer, some shorter."
"Any information on the source? Any hotspots?"
Befuddled, Lana asks, "How are we supposed to acquire that info?"
"Go to marketplaces, clinics, pharmacies. Sick people buy abnormal quantities of certain items, like tissues, fever medication, antibiotics, etc. Track those purchases and the ID's associated with them. Try to discern a pattern in the people you find. If there's a single source, it'll reveal itself in the people who got sick first and the most often."
Xinxia's newfound Goddess Candidate status allows her to delegate information gathering to her assigned subordinates, which hastens the process. I'm handed a huge list of people before noon, and it contains a blatantly obvious pattern that even Lana spots.
"The prison!"
…
…
Kakka City's prison is located on a cliff, part of it even dangling over the edge. As I approach, I notice the Essence Orb lighting up.
[Energy? Or perhaps a malevolent presence for the orb to refine, like Old Bao said it could.]
Xinxia casts a Blessing spell before we enter, which draws runes on our body that'll shield us from any insidious Dark-attribute magic, including Poison. We are dealing with a plague, after all.
As we walk by a few cells, Xinxia whispers, "There's something off. Their minds are cloudy, even the normal people's. I should easily be able to read their minds and comprehend their emotions, but I can't. It's bizarre."
My senses flare, and I grab a tentacle that attempts to pierce through my head. Whirling around, I find that its owner is not human. He's a prison guard, but with dozens of tentacles sprouting from his scalp. Strangely, my heartbeat roars as I near him, and the Essence Orb shines brighter than ever.
[Demon?]
Dodging a few flimsy attacks, I summon a sword to slice off the monstrosity's head and sever all the tentacles. It screams in agony as I allow the Essence Orb to refine its flesh. They both originate from the same source, the evil power accumulated from endless hatred, anger, and pain over time, a power that could immediately control the mind of a person after making contact with them. Thankfully, Old Bao masterfully transformed the Red Demon Orb into an evil-eradicating weapon.
The Red Demon… The East Guardian Tower gave birth to the first one. The second one's embryo is with me, transformed into the Essence orb. The third one…
Might just be this pathetically weak creature. If the little Red Demon is the culprit behind the plague, there's no obstacles barring its resolution. Eliminate the third Red Demon and cleanse the citizens of their malicious emotions, and the plague will vanish.
While I arrive at this conclusion, I've been refining the Red Demon. After all of its grimace-inducing body parts vanish, the Essence Orb is already at half capacity.
"Xinxia, time is of the essence. We're going to the center of Kakka City."
We melt into the shadows, zooming to our destination.
…
…
We're on a tower adjacent to the medical camp. Several authorities notice our abnormal presence, hastening my decision-making.
"Jianyu, what-"
"Just trust me. Extend your Psychic senses, interact with all the negative emotions in the city. Gather them, but don't let them consume you. Direct them all into this orb."
She ceases her queries, closing her eyes and complying. Before long, her features scrunch in pain, but I press the Essence Orb to her forehead, and she instantly relaxes. Its energy rises rapidly. 5/8. 3/4. 7/8. Full!
Her eyes flutter open in relief; it appears she's done.
"You're more adept with Psychic magic than anyone I've seen, even when compared to a seasoned Executioner or the main Psychic Mage on the national team. I hadn't imagined you'd be done so quickly and painlessly: how anticlimactic."
"The Parthenon's guidance is responsible. It prides itself on mastering all White magic, not just Healing or Blessing."
Just then, the authorities arrive, but their faces bear joyous confusion instead of anger. Evidently, they noticed the recovering patients and linked them to our presence, so we fill them in on the situation. Finally, I wave goodbye to Xinxia and board a plane in the middle of the night. No more detours; I'm heading to Venice.
…
…
The Dragon Fangs Dueling Ground is one of the oldest magic stadiums in Venice. Its arena is quite unique, containing several fake rocky hills scattered across the earth like a maze. Some are thirty to forty meters in height, as tall as the towering buildings in Venice!
I greeted the team in the early morning, and we traveled by bus to this location for today's match. We're currently in the resting zone for participants, preparing for our battle against Spain's team.
Jiang Yu exclaims, "It seems like Earth Mages are going to have an advantage this time!"
"Not really, don't you notice the whole place is sunken?" Instructor Bai Dongwei points out.
The instructor of the Training Hall is here, together with a few members of the National Hall. I wave at Mui Nujiao, who's sitting next to Yue Tangxin and Dongfang Lie. Since they are substitutes for the substitutes, they'll only take part if several official members meet with an accident.
"Advisors, Yang Jianyu has no respect for you or the team! He hung us out to dry for more than a week, missing 3 matches. He doesn't deserve to fight the Spanish team!" Mu Tingying decries me in front of Feng Li and Song He.
"What a coward. We never had a coward like him who did not dare to face his enemies among the Spanish Mages!" A man with curly, golden hair blatantly expresses his disdain for me. However, when he realizes Mu Ningxue is right beside him, he immediately clarifies politely, "Miss Mu Ningxue, I wasn't referring to you and your team, only this ruffian."
[I've never seen this guy in my life…]
His absurd hostility amuses me. I hazard a guess that he's a man with some status who's wooing Mu Ningxue, and the other members of the team somehow leaked my 'involvement' with her. I wouldn't even call it that, honestly.
[I can't believe I amounted to so little in her eyes.]
I've markedly avoided glancing at her, since I still feel a bit uncomfortable when I recall that day. Thankfully, Jiang Shaoxu's angry tirade interrupts my thoughts.
"Prince Beny, I believe it's time for you to go back to your place. It's meaningless for you to provoke us here!"
"I am not taking part in the match. Besides, I've already asked your superior, and he has granted his permission," Prince Beny firmly answers her.
"My master did not reject your request out of politeness, and yet you're shameless enough to barge your way in. You are clearly siding with the Spanish team, and yet you've come to our spot. Are you trying to eavesdrop when we are discussing our strategy?" Jiang Yu suspiciously questions him.
[So he's a spoiled Spanish prince?]
Monarchy, in most countries, is either a figurehead or gone entirely. It's the former in Spain: the royal family amounts to little more than a small, moderately rich group of people that the public adores.
"Friend, what did you mean by that? Do you think it is necessary for the great Spain to eavesdrop on your strategy and formation? Don't forget, we placed thirteenth in the last World College Tournament, and your team was disqualified right at the beginning!" Beny mercilessly ripostes.
Jiang Yu furiously counters, "Damn it, don't even mention the last World College Tournament. Your team would have run back home with their tail between their legs if they encountered the American team like we did!"
"Jiang Yu, what's up with you? Have you forgotten everything I taught you? Where are your manners?" Pang Lai glares at his student.
Jiang Yu immediately loses his spirit, provoking a laugh from Princy Beny.
"Prince Beny, aren't you supposed to go back? The match is about to begin," Pang Lai says.
"Of course, I merely wanted to spend some time with darling Mu Ningxue. Good luck! Though it won't, the Spanish team will crush you either way." Prince Beny saunters off in an upbeat mood.
Feng Li fumes at his astonishing arrogance. "Yang Jianyu… I initially agreed with Mu Tingying. We cannot tolerate you ditching us on a whim. However, redeem yourself in this match, and I'll forget everything. Eviscerate them. You'll be replacing Mu Tingying in the lineup."
"ADV- I mean, advisor! Please, let me stay in! I did well last time, didn't I? Against Yemen?"
"... I suppose, but Ai Jiangtu and Nan Yu alone could have defeated them… Anyway, Yang Jianyu, our 3 wins have already secured us a spot in the next stage of the tournament. None of the matches have really exposed the captain's true strength, and I'd like to keep it that way. Therefore, the original lineup was Jiang Shaoxu, Zu Jiming, Nanrong Ni, Mu Tingying, and Nan Yu. However, that Beny really got on my nerves! Give them hell."
"You got it, advisor."
Rumbling water attracts everyone's attention to the hilly arena. The peaks, the titular Dragon Fangs, are the only remaining land in the new environment: several Water Mages filled up the entire arena with water, around 25 meters deep.
[Now this pleases me.]
…
…
The five of us are dropped onto one of the shorter Dragon Fangs, while the opposing team is around 400 meters away on the other side of the arena.
"I'll probe their strength while you close in behind me. We'll meet a short distance from their current location."
I morph into a Shadow Bird and soar towards my adversaries, landing on the tallest Dragon Fang. The 20 meter elevation above the water couples nicely with the 80 meter distance as a sniping hotspot.
4 arrows dig into the thighs and calves of 2 Spanish students before they yell at each other to raise their guard; golden Light barriers, blue Water barriers, brown Earth barriers, all encircle them in shields impenetrable to my arrows.
To worsen matters, their Healer simply heals the injured. I imagined they'd have sportsmanship and encroach the elimination border on their own volition after they realized I went easy on them, but I suppose according to their limited mental faculties, 4 out of 5 arrows landing on moving targets is not a hallmark of exemplary accuracy. No, it must have been a fluke.
I laugh at their hypocrisy when they still conjure up barriers with spells from various Elements, though mostly Water. Spain is a rather Water-oriented country, after all: dozens of towns and small cities in Spain mimic Venice's structure of canals transporting people to their desired destinations.
I morph into a Shadow Bird once more, since I can't cross the Light barriers while draped in the Dark Noble Mantle. Although it takes a strong Mage to sense me, a targeted Intermediate Light spell is sufficient to expose me and eliminate the Dark Noble Mantle's effects once someone notices I'm using a Shadow Magic Equipment to hide myself. The Magic Cloak's forte lies in ambush and uncertainty; it's hardly better than any ratty old cloak if someone anticipates my usage of it and possesses the means to counter it.
By that logic, it'd be a crime to reveal it so early in the tournament. And the same goes for Chaos…
[Wow, most of my prowess is locked behind strategic reasoning.]
I'm far from lost in my musings, nimbly evading Fiery Fists and Thunderbolts hurtling toward my Shadow Bird form. Evidently, one or more of their Light or Shadow Mages possesses sharp senses and instantly picked up on the Shadow magic fluctuations emitted by my avian body. I circle around them once and fly off, regrouping with my teammates a hundred meters away.
"A Healer, a strong Fire Mage, a mediocre Lightning Mage, and I'm guessing a sharp Light Mage."
"And the fifth?"
Nan Yu's question explodes my alertness into full gear, and I dive into the water mere meters away, rising up within seconds. "I… didn't see any. Nor is there anyone coming at us via the water, not that I could perceive."
Nan Yu closes her eyes, focusing. Sound Mages that are masters of the Element can hone in on almost any noise produced even kilometers away, and echolocation is a vital portion of their repertoire.
She awakens from her reverie with disappointment displayed on her countenance. "I'll second that. No one's coming."
Abruptly, doom stemming from the turbulence of Water pervades my senses. I yell, "Defense! Now!"
Flower Sky: Heaven's Water Curtain! Descending Light: Sacred Wall! I cast the 1st tier Advanced Water and 2nd tier Advanced Light spells to protect the group. Everyone summons their Magic Equipment for defense: within seconds, everyone's clad in armors and shields.
A veritable tsunami is currently hurtling towards us. It encompasses the entire width of the arena and towers over 50 meters above the water line. Dragon Fangs rumble, hardly retaining their integrity as the monstrous wave washes past them.
We brace for impact. My two defensive Advanced spells last all of one second before flickering and dissipating, though they deplete a significant portion of the tsunami's momentum. What's left still shatters all defensive Magic Equipment and subsequently everyone's bones in a thundering explosion of water crashing down.
My four teammates float to the surface, unconscious. Assistant judges hastily drag them out of the arena. I'm rather battered myself, but my Demon-enhanced body endured the residual force that the Black Snake Armor couldn't dissipate. Once more, I morph into a Shadow Bird and gather my bearings, gazing at the opposing team a few hundred meters away.
The fifth Spanish member is a tall, lanky, clean shaven man. He's incredibly pale-faced and panting while sitting on the ground, surrounded by his four teammates. I recognize him as Pinole: I've scanned over the Spanish national team's roster once.
[Spain hadn't revealed this trump card once. Did they truly believe China posed a threat?]
Perhaps Prince Beny's naivety isn't the standard; Spain's authorities have obviously done their homework. Their strategy was to crush us before we could fight back, establishing dominance that'll be a deterrence to other countries in the next section of the tournament.
An excellent plan. Deterrence will save them valuable energy: others will yield without putting up a fight.
[Should I overwhelm them to secure the effect for ourselves?]
I arrive at my decision while flying towards them in the form of a Shadow Bird.
[Yes.]
I land on their Dragon Fang, lazily whirling, ducking, and sidestepping Basic and Intermediate spells hurled at me. With a Nyx Regime, suffocating darkness envelops the entire Dragon Fang, amplifying their fearful emotions. I hardly need to dodge anymore. Level 8 Shadow Evade: 4 Ghosts conjures up 3 shadow clones identical to my own shadow self, and they attract the aggro of my adversaries whenever I cast Shadow Evade to 'teleport' through the shadows.
Level 6 Shadow Nails: Debilitating Shadow Array fires 24 Shadow Nails. Repeated casts send dozens of them flying at the Spanish team, shattering flimsy barriers and passing through low-level Magic Equipment like it doesn't exist. None of them own White or Dark attribute Magic Equipment, unfortunately for them. Pinole is the first to lose consciousness from the soul damage, and the rest follow suit shortly. Their Light Mage's futile attempts to erase the Abyssal Domain amuse me: that'd work for small-scale Shadow magic, not for a domain produced by a 3rd tier Advanced Shadow spell.
Their Fire Mage's impressive destructive output accomplishes little when he can't lock down his target, but aside from Pinole, he seems to be the main carry. However, he faints like the others, and I then dispel the realm of darkness. Seriously, I'm surprised more countries haven't fielded Advanced Shadow Magicians.
Now that I think about it, perhaps it wouldn't be such a good idea. My Shadow Element possesses two staggering advantages: twice-upgraded stars and the passive Dark Noble Mantle's effects. The stars' tiers alone ensure my Shadow spells are 4 times as potent as those of a 1st tier Advanced Shadow Mage, and equal to those of a peak Advanced Shadow Mage. Without these blessings, Shadow wouldn't be nearly the offensive juggernaut it is.
And no faction is willing to shell out billions of yuan to secure a Source of Darkness, for the same reason no students have domains like Philip's. Even Meos's wasn't nearly as overbearing as his, and I'm certain her faction didn't give her many other resources after securing such a pricey Earth Spirit for her.
For one, a Source of Darkness's utility depends entirely on the Mage's talent with Shadow. It'd be a terrible return on investment if the student didn't perform as expected after obtaining one. For another, Sources of Darkness are scarce. At least there's methods to create a powerful Soul-grade Elemental Spirit, albeit costly. However, Sources of Darkness that expand the limits of a Mage's Dark Contract with the Dark Dimension are as rare as natural Elemental Spirits while being far more powerful. They're usually snapped up instantly when placed at auctions or markets, making it difficult to reliably obtain one if desired.
Therefore, I've read no reports on students even capable of casting a Nyx Regime; those that did clearly were not experienced enough with Shadow to make the cut for the tournament.
[Or they're concealing themselves.]
Regardless, the Chinese audience members explode into cheer when the assistant judges retrieve the 5 Spanish students' bodies. Without deliberation, the judge announces our victory.
I head over to Zhao Manyan, who grins at me while holding up his phone. My own lights up with a notification: 200 million yuan transferred. I gave him 50 million yuan to bet on China, and I told him to go all in on my behalf for each of China's matches. Unfortunately, after Mu Ningxue's overwhelming Ice Domain and Ai Jiangtu's stalwart Space Element were revealed in the opening match, everyone wised up to China's dominance in this tournament. Therefore, bets in favor of China are not nearly as profitable anymore.
[Who should I start betting on instead?]
…
…
Back at the hotel, we're meeting with the advisors in a private room, though there's a new face. Or rather, new to the group of authorities, not novel to me.
"President Han?"
The weathered old man gazes at me with an approving smile. "Excellent performance today! China truly stands a chance of winning the tournament with you on the team."
Mu Tingying furiously opens her mouth, but Feng Li takes over. "On that topic, the rewards have been announced. As in previous tournaments, the first and second place prizes have remained the same. Third place team members will receive a full set of synced Magic Equipment according to attributes of their choice."
Zu Jiming confusedly asks, "Wait, what are first and second getting?"
Song He offers him a strange look. "You don't know? Second place will be able to cultivate in the Altar of the Void at the Sacred Victorious Altar."
Australia's Magic Association, the Sacred Victorious Altar, is publicly known by the world as the best place for cultivation. Many Advanced Mages who find themselves at their bottleneck desperately seek a chance to visit the Altar of the Void so they can break through the barricade and achieve the Super level.
Statistics demonstrate that one's odds of achieving the Super level are by far the highest at the Altar of the Void in Australia! A chance to cultivate there is priceless for young talents, since it's practically a guaranteed ticket to the Super level once each of their Galaxies attain saturation.
"The 1st place team will receive the Blessing of the God's Seal."
[Ah, yes.]
One of the most valuable opportunities of strength enhancement I've ever learned of. Each of the strong White Magic organizations possesses its own sacred rites, but the Parthenon's is particularly outstanding. Essentially, the Goddess of the Parthenon will bestow the Blessing of the God's Seal upon a star cluster of our choice. For example, I might ask to receive it onto my Water Galaxy. The Galaxy will then be engraved with an unfathomable seal, the titular Blessing of the God's Seal. From then on, the potency of all magic cast with the Galaxy will be scaled up by a certain factor, but the magnitude of the factor varies.
Most are satisfied with a 1.5x multiplier. On top of a 6x from an imperious Soul-grade Spirit, each spell cast will be amplified by 9 times. A 3rd tier Intermediate spell might be nearly as potent as a 1st tier Advanced spell, killing Greater Warriors instantly if it's an offensive spell.
The multiplier isn't unique to the Blessing of the God's Seal; Innate Talents boast similar effects, though they're extremely rare. Anansi's Chaos Element had a natural 5x boost. All of Krishna's Elements were amped by 3x.
Those are legendary figures, and at most a handful have cropped up in history. More common, but still absurdly rare, is a 1.2 to 1.5x boost for one Element. That a bestowable seal provides identical utility to a once in a blue moon Innate Talent is enough to justify its worthiness as a reward for the tournament's victors.
[And it will be ours.]