Chapter 33 – Duel

The oval-shaped dueling arena bore the grandiose name “Heart of Kalaway,” a testament to its esteemed status among mages. The structure exuded an aura of grandeur and solemnity, with high walls and tiered seating extending downward, where spectators could comfortably sit. This season was not one of frequent activity for the magical beasts of the Central Forest. Except for a few adventurous mages scattered across the edges and corners of the continent—even venturing into the seas—many had gradually returned to the City of Magic. Thus, this was also the time of year when the dueling arena saw the most spectators.

Of course, once a spectator was inspired or took a liking to an interesting opponent, they would not hesitate to stand up and issue a challenge.

Here, some injuries were inevitable, but they were usually not severe enough to be unresolved. The arena provided healing potions to treat wounds promptly. If someone truly harbored malicious intent—the two or three black-robed mages seated in the front row would not hesitate to intervene and impose sanctions on the attacker.

In the Magic World, low-level mages were mostly still students of the academy, hence they were referred to as magic apprentices. They could only cast minor spells. Mid-level mages formed the backbone of the Magic World, with considerable spiritual power that allowed them to wield large-scale offensive and defensive magic. Two or three well-coordinated mid-level mages could overpower high-level magical beasts deep within the Central Forest. However, becoming a high-level mage required an exceptional talent for sensing magical elements—only then would enough elements be willing to obey their will, combining with profound incantations to unleash powerful, large-scale magic. High-level mages, already few in number, were a rare sight outside of the “Law Enforcers.” Life in the Floating Sky Capital no longer held much interest for them—they either ventured into unknown lands or secluded themselves on Siren Island to delve deeper into magic and seek new realms.

As a city of magic, the Floating Sky Capital, with its free-spirited and romantic mages, undoubtedly faced difficulties in maintaining order and peace. Thus, it also had a strict system of supervision and sanctions. The silver badges on the chests of those black-robed mages symbolized their status as “Lawkeepers,” who reported directly to the Association President and the twelve elders. Their duty was to maintain order in the Magic World. Though few in number, they were all high-level mages aged between fifty and seventy, wielding formidable deterrent power.

At this moment, the spectators in the arena were remarkably quiet—almost holding their breath as they watched the scene unfold.

The Fire Mage leapt into the air, the flames surrounding her as dazzling as her fluttering skirt.

The flames grew increasingly intense, turning a vivid red, forming a solid barrier around the mage that withstood the barrage of ice spikes flying toward her.

As the clash between fire and ice reached a stalemate, it was the perfect moment to chant an incantation—the girl’s clear voice, like the song of a nightingale, rang out. After a steady and clear beginning, it grew rapid and high-pitched as the fire elements surged more densely.

—A well-known incantation, once the beginning was uttered, had already invoked the rules of the elements. The subsequent development was guided and controlled by the mage. This process was extremely taxing, requiring not only the memorization of the incantation—without missing a single syllable—but also constant awareness of the surrounding elements. If the incantation was mispronounced or the rhythm did not align with the speed of the elemental surge, the elements would spiral out of control, dragging the mage along with them. The power and range of the spell would become uncontrollable, leading to unimaginable consequences.

Lin Wei, propping his chin on his left hand, watched Haitie’s performance in the arena, recalling the time when this lively mage had been struggling to memorize incantations while holding a book in the academy—the lengthy incantations were indeed difficult to master, and her magic teacher happened to be very strict.

However, the effect was evident. The fluctuations of the fire elements had become so intense that even the distant spectators could feel the scorching heat. Haitie’s chanting grew faster, yet her rhythm remained impeccable, showing no signs of losing control.

Her opponent, a male Water Mage, continued to control the barrage of ice spikes while also beginning to chant an incantation—this spell was of a different type, and its effects became apparent as soon as it was uttered.

A cold mist appeared in the air, gradually condensing into ice that radiated a chilling aura. Even as the surface melted in the flames, water elements continuously gathered to replenish it. As the incantation grew more complex, the ice accumulated, and a massive ice cage began to take shape, surrounding Haitie on all sides and gradually shrinking.

At this moment, the flames grew fiercer, protecting Haitie’s body, though her figure was obscured by the ice walls, leaving only a faint red silhouette visible. Her chanting grew faster and faster, and just as the ice cage was about to fully enclose her, she completed an extremely complex transition in the incantation—and then abruptly stopped!

By then, the Water Mage’s chanting had also ended, and when Haitie’s voice ceased, the arena fell into complete silence.

After a brief pause to catch her breath, she spoke again, her voice now calm and steady.

“Agathas.”

—This syllable, familiar to all mages as the concluding part of every incantation, struck a chord in the hearts of all spectators.

The violent fluctuations of the flames, along with the scorching heat, vanished the moment the syllable was uttered.

All eyes turned to Haitie—except for Lin Wei’s.

He noticed Duan Yu’s hand resting on the dark armrest, his long, elegant fingers subtly lifting and then lightly tapping the smooth wooden surface.

In the next instant, blazing flames erupted from Haitie’s body, spreading outward in all directions!

A dazzling spectacle unfolded before everyone’s eyes: the ice cage shattered completely, scattering into white fragments that flew in all directions, only to vanish without a trace as they were engulfed by the red flames.

The red-haired Fire Mage stood at the center of the inferno, which spread at an incredible speed, countless tongues of fire rushing toward the opposing Water Mage.

Caught off guard, the ice shields and walls he hastily conjured were devoured layer by layer. His cheeks flushed, whether from the strain or the heat—by this point, he could no longer muster any other defenses. With a resigned smile, he gestured to Haitie, signaling his surrender.

Such a powerful spell could not be fully retracted, so the flames split into two streams, bypassing the Water Mage’s position. After a while, the inferno gradually subsided, and the Water Mage stepped down, marking the end of the duel.

The spectators began to murmur with comments, discussions, and praises, while Haitie glanced in the direction of Lin Wei and Duan Yu, giving them a playful wink. She showed no intention of leaving the arena—the unspoken rule of the dueling grounds was that the victor could remain as long as they wished, awaiting the next challenger.

Almost as soon as the Water Mage returned to his seat, another challenger stood up.

—This immediately sparked excitement among the male mages in the audience.

What could be more delightful than two beautiful mage ladies engaging in a duel?

However, this female mage seemed to be somewhat unique.

She was tall and slender, with straight, sharp eyebrows that gave her face a bold and heroic aura. Her deep brown hair was tied into a neat ponytail at the back, and she carried a silver longbow. Her attire was not the typical magic robe but rather resembled the light armor of a warrior—revealing a pair of long, powerful legs.

After standing up, she leapt gracefully from the spectator stand, landing firmly in the arena. The sound of her brown leather boots hitting the ground was crisp and decisive.

“She seems quite skilled,” Lin Wei observed, his gaze lingering on her legs for a moment.

“Indeed,” Duan Yu agreed.

The affirmation from Duan Yu piqued Lin Wei’s curiosity even further.

Moments later, the duel began—and it ended just as quickly, much to the disappointment of the male mages.

As soon as Haitie uttered the first syllable of her incantation, pale green wind blades swiftly shot toward her. She immediately took to the air, narrowly avoiding them. Realizing the speed of the Wind Mage’s attacks, she changed her strategy, quickly casting a few instant spells to summon fireballs of varying sizes.

—Unfortunately, the female Wind Mage paid no heed to these low-level fire spells. A whirlwind carrying countless wind blades roared toward Haitie, its speed leaving her no time to utter a single syllable for an effective defense.

The duel ended swiftly and decisively. Haitie sighed softly, then stepped forward to exchange a friendly embrace with the Wind Mage—a common courtesy among female mages after a duel. She then returned to the spectator stand, her eyes filled with admiration as she watched the Wind Mage. “She’s incredible. That speed—it’s just…”

At that moment, the Wind Mage in the arena did something unexpected.

With a cold expression, she took the silver longbow from her back, grasped the handle, raised her right arm, and pointed the sharp end of the bow toward the spectator stand.

After a brief moment of confusion, Lin Wei and Haitie simultaneously turned to look at Duan Yu.

A faint smile played on his lips, as if he had anticipated this. “Me?”