Chapter 117: The Ice and Fire Showdown

Chapter 117: The Ice and Fire Showdown

Phil understood the deeper meaning behind Airael’s words and chuckled, “Since we’re here to discuss magic, Miss Ailia, please follow me.”

With that, he started leading Airael through the corridors.

Airael followed closely behind him.

After a while, they arrived at the competition area inside the Tower of the Archmage.

It was a circular arena.

Surrounding it were raised platforms for spectators, while the combat took place below.

At that moment, a duel was underway in the arena.

Two mages, one male and one female, stood on opposite sides, unleashing their magical attacks on each other or defending against incoming spells.

“Miss Ailia, there are currently mages dueling in the arena. Let’s head up to the platforms and watch the action for a bit,” Phil suggested to Airael.

“Alright.”

Airael didn’t decline and followed Phil up to the platform to observe the battle below.

Their arrival didn’t draw much attention.

The fighters fought, and the spectators watched.

Everyone was entirely engrossed.

However, one thing was notably different about this arena compared to others: it was very quiet, with only the sounds of the duel echoing below. The onlookers were intently focused on the fight.

Each person analyzed the unfolding situation in their minds, hoping to glean some valuable insights to help their own growth.

Once seated, Airael also leaned forward, quite interested in the conflict below.

If she wasn’t mistaken, this duel seemed to be a spar between mages of the Tower of the Archmage.

Both duelists sported the tower’s emblem on their robes.

A silver staff insignia.

The female mage was clad in a blue robe, predominantly casting water and ice spells, indicating her specialization in those elements.

In contrast, the male mage donned a fiery red robe and focused his magic on fire-based spells.

As they say, ice and fire don’t mix! It certainly wasn’t surprising for these two to clash.

Their abilities were remarkable, and the power of their spells and magical energy fluctuations suggested they were high-tier practitioners.

What stood out even more was their youth.

Neither seemed to be over thirty.

Such young high-level mages were quite rare in elven society, as they had significant potential to advance to the hero tier.

Of course, among mages of the same tier, elven spellcasters were generally stronger.

This was due to long-term experience and inherent talent.

Elves found it easier to manipulate magical elements due to their affinity for magic.

Humans, however, faced more challenges.

Take the two battling below, for instance; if they relied solely on one method of casting, their spells would take longer to complete.

Thus, the combination of two or more spellcasting styles became the norm among human mages.

Such as pairing magic arrays with incantations, magic arrays with gestures, or gestures combined with incantations.

Though more complex combined casting methods demanded greater effort, they were the only option for human mages to enhance their competitiveness.

Of course, elves could also use these methods.

But often, they found little necessity to do so.

Nowadays, many elves hadn’t specifically trained in such techniques.

After pondering this, Airael continued to watch the duel.

It was clear the match had been ongoing for some time, and both combatants appeared somewhat fatigued.

The fire mage, Nadal, was even starting to pant.

“It seems today I won’t be able to defeat you,” Nadal remarked, glancing at the cool-headed female mage across from him, resignation dripping from his tone.

This wasn’t their first tussle.

They had battled many times before.

Yet every time he trained and returned for more, she too would show improvement, so the gap between them hadn’t narrowed significantly.

“Then let’s call it a day here,” Lucy, the female mage, replied, sensing his intent to concede.

After all, this was merely a friendly exchange, not a life-or-death struggle.

“No, I haven’t lost yet. I still have a chance!” Nadal insisted, his eyes burning with determination, making Lucy’s expression shift to one of seriousness.

They were familiar with each other’s strengths and weaknesses by now, so if Nadal was this resolute, it meant he truly believed he had hope.

A spark of excitement ignited within Lucy.

Though risky, they had gone past worrying about the consequences.

“Then let’s see what tricks you still have up your sleeve!”

Nadal, her sparring partner, had shown substantial improvement each time, but after so many defeats, Lucy was beginning to feel a lack of achievement on her part.

Could Nadal finally surprise her this time?

Lucy fixed her gaze on Nadal.

At that moment, Nadal began his spellcasting.

He started reciting a mysterious incantation, his hands moving rhythmically, while the red magic array beneath his feet sprang to life.

He was combining three different casting methods.

Along with the surge of intense magical energy surrounding him.

This signified that he was about to unleash a significant spell.

Lucy couldn’t afford to slack off; she too began her spellcasting.

Just like Nadal, she melded three casting methods together, a powerful magical energy radiating from her.

The atmosphere in the arena grew increasingly charged.

Such scenes were rare in battles between mages.

But when they did occur, they were truly electrifying.

The onlooking mages didn’t dare blink, eager not to miss a single moment of the excitement.

Airael’s enthusiasm intensified further.

These two were undeniably fascinating.

Considering their displayed potential, it was very likely they would reach the hero tier.

In the center of the arena, Nadal, who was the first to prepare, unleashed the magic he’d meticulously prepared.

A massive fireball materialized before him.

It looked just like a larger fireball technique.

However, keen observers would quickly recognize that it was different from the usual fireball spell.

This was no mere fireball.

It had to be the Explosive Fireball, a high-tier fire spell!

This fireball brimmed with extensive, compressed flaming energy.

Its power far exceeded that of a simple fireball.

Seeing this, Airael shifted her attention to Lucy.

The Explosive Fireball was one of the high-level spells known for its incredible destructive power, and by the look of Nadal, he was exhausting his last reserves to cast this spell, guaranteeing its phenomenal power.