Chapter 7: Battle of the Wizards

“My goodness…”

Edelin’s and the Tower Master’s Mana Arrows collided and canceled each other out.

In between, new Mana Arrows were generated and flew towards each other.

– Whatever it is, go high school girl-chan!

– Why is it neck and neck?

– Are your eyes just for decoration? High school girl-chan is winning.

– That’s right.

A mage’s battle outcome depends on their understanding of mana and the speed of their incantations.

Edelin, with her comparatively shorter spell length, had the advantage.

Perhaps that was why.

The point where the Mana Arrows canceled each other out was gradually getting closer to the Tower Master.

“This isn’t all you’ve got, is it?”

Edelin, overflowing with relative composure, provoked him.

As someone with only 1st Circle mana capacity, dragging this out wouldn’t do her any good.

It was a ploy to agitate the Tower Master and create an opening.

“Hoho… What an amusing child.”

It was also polite to fall for such an obvious provocation.

The orb at the tip of his staff began to emit light.

‘Something’s coming.’

While continuously firing Mana Arrows with her mouth and hands, she focused on her opponent.

Edelin alternately observed the suspiciously glowing orb on the staff and his mouth.

Her eyes were reading the flow of his magic power.

Every time he chanted the Mana Arrow spell, mana flowed through the staff.

The mana, amplified after passing through the staff’s orb, returned to the mage’s body.

‘So there was a reason for holding the staff.’

‘An efficient method using a magic tool in the conventional way, not just amplifying mana but also assisting with magic calculation formulas.’

The staff given during job selection was such garbage.

That Edelin couldn’t understand why anyone carried one.

‘So that’s why that assistant fellow went down in just one hit.’

‘Reversing amplified mana back into him… This actually makes me feel a bit sorry.’

The mages of the real continent where she used to live also used staffs.

However, the difference now was that there were many foolish mages who relied solely on their staffs, which was the problem.

Edelin didn’t use a staff precisely to avoid becoming such a foolish mage.

Could someone who couldn’t use magic without a staff truly be called a mage?

‘A simple auxiliary device concept.’

‘Not bad.’

A world 100 years later.

Her curiosity and desire for exploration as a mage boiled within her.

Magic hadn’t degenerated; rather, hadn’t it become more practical?

“Try blocking this too.”

Unaware of Edelin’s thoughts, the Tower Master had finished a new spell in the meantime.

A 1st Circle magic, yet not quite 1st Circle, a new Mana Arrow with some kind of trick added.

‘Can she see through this as well?’

A dual magic mixing the 3rd Circle auxiliary magic, Magic Trap.

A Magic Trap was installed inside the mana arrow, so when the outer arrow dissipated.

The Magic Trap installed inside would activate, triggering a new Mana Arrow.

It was a trick unnoticeable unless one was of the same class.

If she was a genius, she would see through this too.

The superimposed Mana Arrow left his hand.

– Ooh… An exciting duel.

– Ah, the popcorn is sweet.

– But how long are they gonna keep shooting missiles?

Amidst their chat, completely oblivious to the mental battle between the two mages.

Edelin’s eyes gleamed.

‘What a useless trick.’

The Tower Master’s scheme had long been read by her mana-infused eyes.

The problem was that the method to counter it was ambiguous.

If she shot it down with the same magic, the new arrow hidden inside would activate.

With her current mana capacity and casting speed, she couldn’t block the new arrow.

Even if she blocked it, the follow-up summoning of another new arrow from behind was also a problem.

A pure magic battle where falling behind once meant continuously falling behind.

The way to break this situation was.

To overpower the trick-filled Mana Arrow in a single blow.

‘This will be fun.’

Even in this situation, Edelin’s mage blood boiled.

How to strategize the attack. She enjoyed the thrill of using her head.

‘Let’s do this.’

She temporarily expands the paths of mana flowing throughout her body.

Accelerating the single circle residing in her heart.

Sequentially activating the two formulas Rising in her mind.

The left hand forms the arrow formula.
The right hand forms the ice formula.

Incantations and calculations processed in a fleeting moment.

The Archmage’s brain spun madly.

‘Now.’

She generates a mana arrow and immediately fires it towards the Tower Master’s arrow.

Two arrows rapidly closing in.

Shuuuuung!

A speed that sounded like it could rip through the air.

At that moment, her other hand moves.

『 Freeze · Atmosphere 』

Another magic, newly cast from her other hand.

Ice.

The 1st Circle basic magic that turns moisture into ice manifested from her hand.

– Isn’t Ice the magic that turns water into ice?

– Is that casting speed for real?

– But where’s the water?

– And she used a shortened chant on top of that lololol

The viewers were clueless.

And then they cheered at the appearance of the ice chunk.

– ????
– Wow lolololol She’s crazy for real
– Everyone, it’s not just my eyes, right?
– Starting today, I’m deleting my character and becoming a mage.

Contrary to thinking she had misspoken the chant.

The Ice magic activated.

Edelin’s target had been the Mana Arrow from the start.

The ice chunk created according to her spell.

Had formed in a completely unexpected location at her command.

Its location was exactly where the opponent’s incoming Mana Arrow was!

It’s a natural fact that there’s moisture in the air.

Matching the incoming speed, she had frozen the area around the Mana Arrow.

The Mana Arrow, along with the ice, slammed straight into the ground and rolled across the floor.

“…!”

The Tower Master’s eyes widened as he watched the situation while chanting.

What was this unexpected application of magic, coupled with an insanely fast casting speed?

Moreover, the coordinate calculation ability to summon it timed with the incoming Mana Arrow!

‘Hohohoho… This child is a monster.’

Despite using a trick, it was countered.

He could block her arrow, but keeping up with her subsequent casting speed was impossible.

The Tower Master deployed a protection magic and blocked her arrow.

“I have lost.”

When her magic disappeared against the protection magic.

Only a quiet silence flowed through the training ground.

A mage who had just entered the continent defeated a mage who had reached the 3rd Circle.

And she did it with only basic magic, without even having learned proper spells.

Although it was a magic duel limited to 1st Circle.

It was enough to astound the users walking the path of a mage.

– Crazy. Crazy crazy crazy.
– Everyone, the world’s greatest mage has emerged from South Korea. Rejoice!
– I don’t really get what’s so amazing…
– Bro. Go check the forums, there’s probably an analysis post up. Read that.

The viewers weren’t the only ones astonished.

The magic assistants watching the scene unfold in real-time were also dumbstruck.

They couldn’t say a word.

Because they considered it common sense that beating a mage of a higher circle was impossible.

The shock was therefore even greater.

“What…? Why is the atmosphere like this… Hey, trainee! How dare you…!”

Meanwhile, the assistant who had fainted earlier regained consciousness and growled, failing to grasp the situation.

However, he was immediately subdued by the surrounding assistants with a stern beating shortly after.

Amidst the suddenly chaotic Magic Tower.

Edelin slowly walked and stood before the Tower Master.

“Since I won the wager. Shouldn’t I receive my due reward?”

“Very well. What do you desire? I shall grant anything within reason.”

Q. Wager with the Training Facility Tower Master.
You have won the wager against the Training Facility Tower Master.
You have gained the right to demand a reward he cannot refuse, within limits.

<<Choose your reward>>

1. Gain the right to view the Magic Tower’s spellbooks.

2. Become the Tower Master’s successor and disciple.

3. Request access to the Tower Master’s magic artifact storage.

4. State your desired reward directly with your own mouth.

5. Attack.

A translucent window appeared before Edelin’s eyes.

Edelin frowned looking at it.

Didn’t they say this was Realism Mode?

Thinking inwardly that it only felt like a game at times like these, she stared at the window for a moment, lost in thought.

– Excluding 4 and 5, they all look really tempting.
– Tower Master’s disciple? Doesn’t becoming a disciple mean you get all the spellbooks in the tower?
– Woah. Not only that. It means you can get artifacts later too.
– It has to be 2. Definitely 2. If you choose 2, 1 and 3 come along gg
– Guys, calm down. If she chooses 2, we might end up watching super boring broadcasts every day.
– Huh? That’s right? Absolutely protect, choose 5
– lolololol You psycho, that’s a bit much.

The golden opportunity to become the first user Tower Master must not be missed.

No. If she enters the Tower Master training, we’ll only get to watch boring educational broadcasts.

The noisy viewers, divided into two factions, shared their opinions and conversed, but.

– But anyway, the streamer can’t see this, so what’s the point of fighting?

Everyone sighed at the viewer who posed the fundamental question.

Amidst the sighs, Edelin moved.

4.State your desired reward directly with your own mouth.

Edelin chose the answer she had already thought of.

“What do you desire? O genius mage.”

Edelin’s lips parted.

“That gateway thingy, or whatever it’s called.”

“Let me pass through it.”

The Tower Master’s expression hardened at her words.