ALL NOVEL Chapter 56: An Example II
"BEGIN!"
Vance didn't plan on wasting time, as he was confident that he could finish the match swiftly.
He slammed his foot into the ground, and with a low rumble, the earth beneath them began to shake violently— his first spell, [Earthquake].
The ground began to tremble and cracks began to split the arena in arcs.
Kyle barely had time to brace himself as the shaking began.
Thanks to the stance he had assumed, he had enough footing on the ground so as not to falter.
He didn't plan on rooting to a spot forever as he had already began channeling his mana, even before Vance.
Vance might have beat him to casting a spell, but he had forseen that to happen already.
That was why, the spell he had channeled was his second Tier-1 spell— [Lightning Dash]
His opponent might be quicker than him in summoning spells and have stronger spells. But he was here to go all out, and see the potential if his 'infinite mana'.
As soon as he activated [Lightning Dash], his body disappeared in a flash of speed, narrowly avoiding the jagged cracks forming around him.
The crowd gasped, excited by the usual thrill of an elemental battle.
Vance frowned. "Lightning, huh? Let's see how long you can keep that up."
Kyle materialized at his back, already drawing mana for his next move. He was still getting used to the time it took to cast his spells, but he knew he had an advantage.
With a sharp thrust of his arm, he released [Lightning Bolt]— the quickest spell at his disposal.
The bolt of electric energy shot through the air, aimed directly at Vance's back.
But Vance was no amateur. As if being able to see his back, he made the ground rise up with a single gesture, forming a thick [Stone Wall]
Kyle's lightning bolt crashed into the rock, dispersing harmlessly against its surface. Vance laughed, stepping out from behind his wall with ease.
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"Is that all you've got?" he taunted, his hands already glowing with the heat of his next spell.
He summoned a swirling orb of fire, hurling it toward Kyle— [Fireball]. The fiery projectile tore through the air, leaving a trail of heat as it passed.
Thankfully, Kyle was prepared. He was able to dodge again, this time leaping to the side with another burst of [Lightning Dash].
The fireball exploded against the far wall of the pit, sending a plume of smoke as the wall held well.
Vance, however, wasn't finished. He conjured another [Fireball], sending it toward Kyle.
The fight was becoming a chase. Kyle darted from one spot to another, evading each attack, drawing mana for his next bolt of lightning.
It was always very close for Kyle, as he had to be perfect with spell and make sure he does so in time.
Every time Vance launched a spell, Kyle would dodge, but the gap between their power levels was clear.
Vance was relentless, barely breaking a sweat as he alternated between [Fireball] and [Stone Wall] to keep Kyle on the defensive.
"You're quick, I'll give you that," Vance called out, his eyes narrowing. "But speed won't save you forever."
Kyle knew Vance was right. He couldn't keep dodging indefinitely. His infinite mana allowed him to maintain his abilities, but he needed to find an opening.
A single [Lightning Bolt] wasn't enough to break Vance's defenses, and the crowd was wondering why Vance hadn't won yet.
'He must be either Third or Fourth year, with his mana pool. But... I wonder why he's only using two spells, Tier-1 spells as of that,'
Vance monologued, observing his depleting mana pool. It was getting difficult to keep up, as he couldn't draw out the fight for much longer.
'I'll make sure he fights back.'
Vance hurled five [Fireball], waiting for Kyle to run. As expected, he did, but this time he didn't use a spell, bending his back slightly over so the fireballs flew past him.
It was quite stupid for him to fire in that fashion.
"Running out of mana, huh?" Vance smirked as he taunted.
Kyle didn't reply, not that he could if he wanted. He had been readying something and it was time to unleash it.
Planting his feet on the ground and standing straight once more. His body tensed, lightning crackling around him in violent arcs.
The crowd held their breath, watching as Kyle prepared to unleash something more powerful.
Vance noticed the shift in energy and smirked. "Finally going to fight back?"
With a roar, Kyle hurled a barrage of [Lightning Bolts] he had been building up for long.
They crackled through the air until they met a large expansive [Stone Wall] Vance had set up.
However, they had enough force to shatter it into pieces. The crowd gasped as the wall crumbled, leaving Vance momentarily exposed.
Seizing the opportunity, Kyle dashed forward, his body moving faster than the eye could follow.
In a flash, he was behind Vance, his hand sparking with lightning. He aimed to strike, but Vance reacted quickly with [Earthquake], stomping the ground with enough force to send a shockwave of earth shooting upward.
Kyle was then thrown back, crashing against the far wall of the arena.
"Not bad!" Vance called out, his grin widening. "But this is where it ends!"
The air around Vance began to heat up as he raised his arms to the sky, calling forth his signature move—[Meteor Shower]. The sky above the arena darkened as fiery orbs appeared, growing larger and larger as they prepared to rain down on the battlefield.
Kyle's heart raced. He had a bad feeling about this spell. It should be devastating, but that didn't mean he should cower.
'It's now or never,' Kyle inwardly hoped for godspeed on his spell casting.
As the meteors began to fall, Kyle activated [Lightning Dash], zigzagging across the arena with blinding speed.
The fiery rocks crashed into the ground around him, shaking the arena with each impact.
The crowd was on the edge of their toes, watching as Kyle narrowly avoided each meteor, his movements a blur of lightning.
But he wasn't just dodging.
Between each dash, Kyle gathered more mana, charging his next attack. His body glowed with a fierce light, his eyes locked onto Vance, who stood at the center of the storm, controlling the chaos with ease.
"Time to end this," Kyle thought, his body crackling with energy.
In one final dash, Kyle appeared in front of Vance, his hand outstretched.
He released all the mana he had been gathering in one concentrated burst—[Lightning Bolt] enhanced beyond its normal strength.
The bolt struck Vance directly, the force of it sending him flying backward, his body crashing into the arena floor.
The crowd erupted in shock. Vance, the third-year powerhouse, had been hit.
But it wasn't over. Vance struggled to his feet, his body smoking from the impact. He glared at Kyle, his eyes filled with fury. "You think that's enough to beat me?"
Kyle didn't respond, his body still glowing with residual lightning. F
Vance roared, slamming his fists into the ground. The earth rumbled violently as another [Earthquake] tore through the arena, but this time, Kyle didn't move. He stood his ground, his eyes glowing behind the mask.
With a final surge of mana, Kyle activated [Lightning Dash], moving so fast that he became nothing more than a streak of light. He circled around Vance, striking him from every angle with bolts of lightning, each hit chipping away at his defenses.
Vance roared in frustration, unable to keep up with Kyle's speed. The worst came when he realized that he had exhausted his mana, and the damage was beginning to take its toll.
Finally, with one last powerful [Lightning Bolt], Kyle struck Vance directly in the chest, sending him crashing to the ground. The arena fell silent as Vance lay still, his body smoking from the lightning's impact.
Kyle stood over him, breathing heavily, his body still crackling with residual energy. The crowd, the spectators and not the gamblers, stunned by the outcome, slowly began to cheer.
"The winner: ABYYSSSS!" the announcer's voice boomed, breaking the silence.
Kyle smiled behind his mask, his chest heaving from the intense battle. He had done it.
This was only the beginning, he was sure of that.
[Quest completed! ]
[You've gained 5 Skill points! ]