When TuTu stepped onto the arena, everyone experienced déjà vu, falling silent again. But having learned from bitter experience, no one threw sleazy comments this time.
And good thing—no way I'd feel like explaining to Lai Chansin and Du Yueshen why their arena suddenly had a bunch of invalids. After sleazy remarks toward my girl, it couldn't not happen.
"One hundred thousand yuan! Who wants to fight me?!" TuTu asked loudly with anticipation.
But the people here were already wise, and her aura was clearly stronger than Mu Nujiao's. Third step Mid-level in plant element, after all. No one would risk their money against an obviously stronger opponent than the previous one.
"Three hundred thousand yuan!" If raising the bet doesn't work…
"Five hundred thousand yuan, that's my final bet!" TuTu shouted.
A man just over thirty jumped onto the arena sharply. He had long gray hair and yellow eyes… well, eye. The second was covered by a patch. Well-groomed stubble and a cigarette in his teeth gave him a dandy look, while the striped shirt and black jacket draped over his shoulders completed the picture. He felt like a Mid-level peak mage.
"Well, at least one brave soul showed up. The rest seem really unsure of themselves," TuTu grinned joyfully at her found opponent.
"I take it you and the previous young lady came to this city to test yourselves? Then I'll take the liberty of showing you what a bad idea that was," the man said calmly and smiled confidently.
Then he brought his index finger to his face, and lightning ran along it. An experienced person would immediately sense it was also enhanced by a Seed. Judging by the man's level—a Spiritual one. He shouldn't have revealed his element before the fight, of course. Though maybe it was a ploy to distract from his second element? We'll see soon.
After the opponents moved to the arena's edges, the part-time judge raised the loudspeaker and announced:
"Begin!" After his signal, the opponents began casting magic simultaneously.
The man and TuTu finished their spells at the same time. For the man, it was natural casting speed; my girl used a star control pendant. The cultivation transplant's control degradation still showed.
Though she could raise her casting speed a bit more with persistent training, not to the level of the most experienced Mid-level mages, like the man opposite her.
The man cast third step Mid-level light element "Light Armors" on himself, covering his body in armor. Notably, this element wasn't enhanced by a Seed, unlike his lightning. Maybe that's why he accepted TuTu's challenge—to save for a Seed?
TuTu cast second step Mid-level plant element "Wild Growth." The space within a fifty-meter radius around her instantly overgrown with tall Silvergrass, which hurried to shield its mistress from all sides against the expected lightning strike.
The man smirked—apparently, everything went according to his plan. He'd built solid defense, provoked the opponent into revealing her defensive element, wasting her magic energy in his view.
TuTu, not receiving the expected lightning strike on her defense, opened small gaps in the wall and watched the opponent smirking over her. This time, he circled the girl from the other side, building a spell in parallel. Definitely a lightning strike this time, but what step?
The man cast first step Mid-level lightning element "Lightning Strike," forming a small cloud over TuTu that unleashed a purple lightning enhanced about 2.5 times at her. It clearly aimed at the spot with the least grass.
When everyone expected her grass defense to be swept away, it unexpectedly withstood the damage. Sure, the top layer charred and fell as ash to the arena floor, but new blades quickly replaced the destroyed ones, making the man frown.
After he released the spell, everyone clearly sensed his lightning element cultivation was only first step Mid-level. Meaning he couldn't unleash a stronger lightning strike, and thus couldn't pierce the girl's defense.
"Hey, girlie! How about we call it a draw? Considering you haven't used your second element yet, it won't help now. With this light armor on me, you can't do anything to me, just like I can't to you with your grass dome. We pay ten percent of the stake to the arena and part in peace," he proposed in a convincing tone. The man clearly didn't want to risk fighting an opponent whose defense he couldn't breach.
"Dreaming's free!" TuTu shouted and began pouring magic energy into the grass around her.
The Silvergrass began expanding rapidly, covering more and more of the arena, clearly not planning to stop. But it grew most aggressively toward the man, already closing in on his position.
"Tch, ambush." Clicking his tongue, the man activated artifact boots and dashed at increased speed to a grass-free arena patch.
But it didn't stay free long. The open space shrank faster and faster until Silvergrass covered the entire arena, and the man could no longer dodge.
He tried launching "Lightning Strike" at TuTu twice more, but the grass dome, which the girl thickened just in case, reliably protected her from sudden attacks.
Finally, the grass began entwining his ankles, then the rest of his body. To the man's horror, it sliced through the "Light Armors" defense in seconds, leaving several deep scratches on his body. Luckily for him, he managed to shout one word before TuTu repeated her friend's feat, wrapping him in a plant cocoon.
"I surrender!"
Receiving confirmation of one side's capitulation, the part-time judge issued the verdict:
"The girl wins!" Wonder what he shouts when two men fight? Player 1 wins?
With victory confirmed, TuTu smugly snorted loudly and unwrapped her prisoner, who was still conscious.
"So, who taught whom a lesson?" the girl asked him with a smile. But the man didn't answer, just left the loser's money with the judge and left the arena. He looked very grim.
A minute later, the girl, having received her winnings, ran up to us beaming:
"Mu Bai, I won!" She jumped into my arms.
Patting her head in approval, I couldn't help noting how different the girls were—like fire and water. Where Mu Nujiao would win with tactics, TuTu would with force. They say opposites attract—maybe that's why their friendship is so strong?
"I doubt you can properly calibrate now. No one will fight you anymore," I pointed out the obvious to the girls with a sly smile.
Sure, maybe a couple more fools would chalk the girls' wins to luck and challenge them for fame, but then what? Guess I'd have to go to Du Yueshen and negotiate.
This time, it should work without extra costs—per my deal with Lai Chansin, the girls should have a steady stream of opponents.
That's what happened. Du Yueshen grumbled about troublesome youth but made an exception and calibrated them based on one fight. From tomorrow, they'd join the arena's official organized bouts. Today, they rest.
I checked the time. Over three hours until my fight, and the girls were in high spirits after their wins. Perfect time for a tour and souvenirs. That should cement their positive impressions of the day.
I could try digging info on my upcoming opponent, but it'd be pointless. Lai Chansin wouldn't invite anyone stronger than himself to a city under his control.
This city doesn't host truly strong High-level mages anyway—maybe some wander in for personal trade with the crime boss. But even they top out at first-second step, no Soul Seed, so I'm fully confident.