The afterglow of the setting sun had not yet completely faded as Celeste sat cross-legged on her room's floor, slowly opening her eyes.
After several hours of adaptation, the sense of lightness and the increase in casting speed brought by the Wind Gods Blessing had completely integrated into her combat instincts.
This gave her a bit more confidence for the upcoming public execution... no, the battle.
"A Monk... no, a Battle Sister!"
She whispered the self-created class role to herself, sparks of madness and excitement dancing in the depths of her eyes.
The next morning, at the Yi City Central Arena.
The atmosphere was even more heated than the first round.
Those capable of making it to the second round were all elites from their respective schools.
In the waiting area, Celeste could clearly feel that the number of gazes falling on her was more than ten times that of yesterday.
If those gazes in the first match were looking at a little white rabbit that had blundered into a wolf pack,
then now, these gazes were filled with scrutiny, curiosity, and a playful interest in watching a good show.
"Area A, Second Ring: Celeste vs. Wang Meng!"
The announcement from the optical computer rang out.
Wang Meng?
Celeste raised an eyebrow slightly; she was quite "familiar" with this person!
As she stepped onto the ring, standing opposite her was a burly man nearly two meters tall with bulging muscles.
He carried a hideously shaped double-edged battle-axe, and his plate armor reflected the stinging sunlight.
The profession panel clearly displayed: [Wang Meng - Berserker Lv.22].
Level 22!
Among the graduating students, this was absolutely the top tier of the pyramid!
In the audience, several students in the Second High School uniform looked at Wang Meng with awe.
Although this Berserker had a foul mouth, his strength was undeniably solid.
Wang Meng looked down at Celeste, his chin tilted at an arrogant angle.
"Yo, isn't this the Priest who beat down that trash Li Yue?"
His voice was booming, hiding no contempt:
"I heard you use a staff to whack people? Fancy tricks—you're only good for bullying low-quality goods like Li Yue."
His tone shifted, becoming like a superior granting a favor.
"But seeing as you have some skill, how about joining my team? A main DPS like me is the only one worthy of a support like you."
The lackeys behind him off-stage immediately nodded in agreement, but a flicker of irrepressible surprise crossed their faces.
Brother Meng... why is he suddenly being so civilized today?
Below the stage, the keen-eyed audience also noticed something was off.
"Strange, has Wang Meng changed his nature? He actually didn't use any profanity today?"
"It is a bit weird. Although he's still arrogant, his choice of words is much more restrained."
"Is it because his opponent is a girl?"
"When has he ever been polite to girls? The mage girl in their team gets flamed by him so much she wants to quit every day!"
Celeste looked at him expressionlessly. With a flick of her wrist, the delicate pink-and-white staff was already in her hand.
"Tsk."
Wang Meng sneered, the patience in his eyes disappearing: "I say, Priest, do you really want to fight me?"
"Wouldn't it be better to stay in the back and heal? Why insist on playing melee?"
"With those thin arms and legs of yours, my axe doesn't have eyes. When I make you cry later, don't blame me."
Celeste didn't bother with nonsense. She raised her staff slightly, settling into the opening stance of the Thousand Rock Army Spear Technique.
The referee blew the whistle: "Match start!"
Wang Meng did not charge.
Like a brown bear locking onto its prey, he took heavy steps, pressing forward one step at a time.
The stone slabs of the ring let out muffled thuds with his footsteps.
The landing point of every step was precisely calculated, sealing off all angles Celeste could use to circle behind him.
That hideous battle-axe was held seemingly loosely, but in reality, his muscles were coiled, ready to explode into a strike that could tear the air at any moment.
This was a true master of a hundred battles.
Celeste's mind was highly focused, the pink tip of her staff steadily locked onto her opponent.
Her feet tapped lightly on the ground, her figure elusive as she searched for a sliver of an opening within the pressure Wang Meng created.
Suddenly, Wang Meng moved!
His right foot stomped the ground violently!
Click!
The stone slab beneath his feet shattered, and spiderweb-like cracks spread out!
His massive body launched instantly at a speed completely inconsistent with his size. His charge trajectory wasn't a straight line, but a strange arc!
The battle-axe cut through the air, a cold light flashing!
The target: Celeste's waist and abdomen!
This axe strike was heavy and ruthless, the angle so tricky it didn't seem like an attack a Berserker could pull off!
Celeste's pupils reflected the magnifying light of the axe.
She did not retreat; she advanced!
Pushing the effect of the Wind Gods Blessing to the limit, her body slid to the left. Like a weightless shadow, she instantly cut into the blind spot Wang Meng had exposed due to his large swing.
The staff in her hand turned into a condensed white line, stabbing directly at Wang Meng's axe-wielding wrist!
Countering attack with attack—striking where the enemy must defend!
Wang Meng's reaction speed was startlingly fast; the handle of the axe jerked upward!
Clang!
A piercing sound of metal clashing rang out as sparks exploded between the two.
He actually used the heavy axe handle to parry that swift thrust with perfect precision!
Immediately after, his empty left hand slammed against the face of the axe!
Changing a cleave into a push!
The thick face of the axe instantly changed trajectory, acting like a battering ram collapsing a city wall, as it slammed toward Celeste's chest!
Terrifying physical force rushed at her, the air being compressed until it let out a sonic pop!
Celeste did not dare to take it head-on.
The tip of her staff touched the axe face like a dragonfly skimming water, using the force to drift backward.
Almost at the same instant her body retreated,
Veritas: Shield!
A solid white-gold light shield formed instantly, enveloping her entire body. The casting was so fast there was almost no startup!
Even so, the wind pressure carried by the axe still struck the light shield, causing it to emit a heavy hum of being over-taxed, its surface ripples vibrating violently!
The strength gap was too large.
Celeste made her judgment instantly.
A Level 22 Berserker's Strength attribute was likely close to 90 points.
While she only had 60; a head-on collision was suicide.
The strategy had to change.
The agility of the Thousand Rock Army Spear Technique and the speed of the Wind Gods Blessing were completely fused by her.
Her footsteps became unpredictable, like a willow catkin swept up by a gale, rapidly circling Wang Meng, that iron tower of a man.
The staff no longer sought direct clashes.
Sometimes it stabbed at gaps in the armor, sometimes it poked at wrist joints, and sometimes it used clever force to stick to the opponent's battle-axe, guiding that destructive power into empty space.
Wang Meng's strength was enough to shatter stone, but every heavy strike missed by just an inch.
The battle-axe, with a shrill whistle that tore the air, brushed past Celeste's figure time and again, smashing deep, bottomless craters into the hard arena floor.
"Slippery as a loach!"
Wang Meng's brow furrowed. He gave a low shout, and a red light flared brilliantly on his battle-axe!
Frenzied Strike!
The speed of the battle-axe suddenly soared, turning into a dense, blood-colored storm of axe shadows that completely sealed off all of Celeste's evasion space!
The pressure increased abruptly!
Celeste's eyes were sharp. The staff in her hand danced into a blur of light—parrying, blocking, shedding, and guiding. The exquisite defensive stances of the Thousand Rock Army Spear Technique were pushed to their limit by her.
Just as she used the staff's body to knock aside a heavy cleave, in that brief interval where her old strength was spent and new strength had yet to rise!
Her left hand suddenly released the staff and reached up!
A mass of extremely condensed Holy Light exploded in her palm!
That light was like a miniature sun detonating right before the eyes!
At the moment Wang Meng was fully concentrated on his attack, his pupils dilated to their maximum, it was plastered precisely onto his face!
"Ugh!"
Only a dazzling white remained before Wang Meng's eyes. Tears flowed uncontrollably, and he subconsciously closed his eyes and turned his head. The violent axe shadows in his hands suffered a fatal stutter.
"Holy crap! A Holy Light flashbang?!" a magic-user contestant below the stage screamed out.
"This is a freaking Tactical Priest!"
Screech—!
Despite her doing her utmost, a stray gust from the axe still clipped the shield.
The light shield shattered on impact!
The terrifying force vibrated through the aftermath. Celeste felt her entire arm go numb, and her chest felt like it was being turned inside out.
But there was not a trace of panic on her face.
At the same instant the shield shattered, she took a step back and raised her left hand.
Flash Heal!
Gentle Holy Light fell. Her surging blood and qi were instantly calmed, and the numbness in her arm quickly faded.
Immediately following, another Veritas: Shield was seamlessly connected, and a new light shield shone once more!
From the shield breaking and taking damage to self-healing and re-shielding, the entire process was completed within two seconds, as fluid as if it were a single skill!
In the contestant area, a male student of the Priest class stared blankly at this scene.
He murmured to himself: "She... why is she wasting mana on herself? A support should give it to teammates... wait, she has no teammates! Oh, then it's fine..."
"No! It's still very wrong! Can you really squander it like that in a duel? Is her mana bar connected to a mana crystal?!"
Beside him, a spectator of the Warrior class rubbed his chin, a certain dangerous glint flashing in his eyes as he fell into a long period of deep thought.
"If... if I also had a 'pocket support' who could heal me to full at any time and take a Berserker's hit head-on..."
"No, if I myself were this 'pocket support,' why would I even need teammates?"