Chapter 83: Making Magic
If audio player doesn't work, press Stop then Play button again
Chapter 83: Making Magic
Edgar stepped into the arena under the deafening cheers of thousands of people. System-enhanced lungs thundered with roars, feet stomped on the wooden stands, and the constant din of conversation flowed underneath the rest of the noise, difficult to perceive but always there.
The cheers hit Edgar like a warm wall of humidity, like entering a marsh. The sun came immediately afterward, shining on his eyes and making him shield them, while the sweat-filled breeze of the arena blew into him along with grains of sand.
Two weeks ago, Edgar would have been overwhelmed. Now, he just gulped.
This pressure wasnt something you could get used to this quickly. You either had it in you or you didnt, and Edgar didnt, but he tried his hardest anyway. By now, he could stand it.
He walked deeper into the sands, approaching the center of the arena. The cheers intensified as he conjured two mana birds and sent them spinning through the air in recognition of the crowds fondness.
Jack Rust stood opposite him. His bare chest glinted in the sun, his wild eyes stared Edgar down like a beast of prey, and his nonchalant hands were ready to smash Edgars face apart. As he stood there, under the cheers of thousands of people and the eyes of billions, Jack seemed nonplussed, like this was another day in the park.
He smiled and nodded. Edgar did the same.
We finally meet on the sand, Jack said. Are you nervous, Edgar?
His voice shouldnt have reached through the clamor, but the arena had some magical sound enhancement going on. Not only could Edgar hear him, but so could everyone in the audience.
A bit, Edgar admitted, chuckling. His glasses shone under the rays of light, and his messy dark hair were ruffled by the breeze, as were the cyan wizard robes he wore. He tightened his grip on the crystal-topped staff. But dont let your guard down, Jack. I am here to win.
That was meant more to himself than Jack, but the crowd didnt know it. They cheered in response to his tauntingthough it wasnt anything spectacularand watched as the two fighters prepared for battle.
Edgar waved his staff around and summoned three balls of condensed mana around him. At the same time, he let his inner mana spread out of his body and into his surroundings, imbuing the air and sand and making it easier to manipulate later. His master, the lizardman archmage, had taught him many tricks. Edgars strength had risen meteorically.
And yet, Jack remained as tall as ever. He simply cracked his knuckles. Suddenly, Edgar felt an aura of brutality blanketing the entire arena and suffocating him. He had seen Jack fight; he was a beast in man form, a relentless, unstoppable machine of pain, a towering, invincible behemoth.
There was a mental component to Jacks fighting style. Anyone who saw him fight shivered at the thought of facing him. His last battle against Shard Presht, that brutal, merciless beatdown, had especially driven the point home.
Edgar felt his knees go weak and his breath quicken. His concentration faltered momentarily.
Jack Rust was a monster.
A monster that Edgar would tame.
Come, Jack! he shouted to embolden himself. His entire body flared with blue light. The air around him warped from power as reality bent to his will. His eyes and mouth spilled magic.
Opposite him, Jack grinned. Oh, I will, he said, then dashed forth. His legs hammered at the sand. Edgar suppressed a pang of fear as he sent an opening salvo Jacks way. A flock of two dozen birds materialized mid-airpigeons with sharp talons, made of blue wind. Each of these was equivalent to a Level 15 beast.
They fell into formation and charged at Jack. Their flight patterns interweaved, making them unpredictable.
Jack grinned as he stopped and adopted a boxing stance. His left fist darted out faster than Edgars eyes could perceive, unleashing a series of jabs that blew birds apart like they were made of foam. His punches reached beyond the physical length of his arms, shooting down birds from a couple feet away.
Edgar gritted his teeth. He knew about Drill, but he didnt expect that Jack could use it so well. His birds had attempted to surround Jack, but only half of them were left by now. He sent them into a kamikaze attack, diving at Jack with talons extended. Both his arms blurred into strong punches, annihilating the swarm with ease.
Two birds managed to reach him, but their talons only left superficial scratches that closed before Edgars eyes.
His opening salvo had been destroyed, but he never intended to defeat Jack with it, anyway. Its role was to gather information and scout out his opponents current capabilities.
This was how a wizard battled. Efficient utilization of resources backed by higher intellect. Scouting, feints, defense, analysis, attacks, and killing blow. To a wizard, a battle was a highly intellectual affair; like chess.
Edgars flock had completed its assignment. His mind took in the skills Jack had revealed, analyzed his movements, and formed a simulation in his mind. A dozen different scenarios played out in the blink of an eye, analyzing how Jack would fare against a combination of different attacks.
The solution was clear: he had to limit Jacks mobility and attack from below, where his fists would struggle most to reach.
Why couldnt it be me?
The thought had been bouncing around in Edgars head since the very start. Jack deserved what he had, but so did Edgar. He just hadnt been as lucky. Everything he had came from sheer hard work.
He felt bitter.
However, Edgar was the master of himself. The world was unfair. He wouldnt envy his friend.
But he sure as hell would try his hardest to win, no matter how invincible or terrifying Jack was. Fate was in his hands. He would just beat the odds again.
Jack plowed through Edgars attacks. He was unstoppable. Attacking like this was a waste of Edgars mana, so he simply stopped. Jack tore through two more mirror images in an instant.
The remaining five Edgars tossed their dots of condensed, multi-colored mana that had just finished forming. He thought Jack would dodge. The madman just grinned and punched one of themthe right one. Edgar hurried to jump back, but it was too late.
An explosion rocked his world, breaking his glasses and making his ears ring. He was plastered against the ground, all mirror images broken. Without his glasses, he could just barely make out Jacks mangled hand and blackened wrist. Jack roared through the pain, but his eyes remained clear. He still had another hand, and Edgar was out of options.
Game over, Jack said. Edgar noticed that his opponents hand wasnt regeneratingwas it because hed used a Skill containing his Dao? A Dao Skill? Did that interfere with anything?
If only he knew sooner
Edgar crawled backward and to the side as Jack approached and loomed over him. Resign, he commanded. You fought bravely, but this is over.
I Edgar gritted his teeth. His remaining 20% of mana evaporated. His fake despair receded, revealing triumphant eyes. Quintus Convergius.
Jack instantly realized hed fallen into a trap. His entire body tensed. Mana filled the air. The dispersed wind and sand glowed, the hints of fire shimmered, the broken rock rumbled, and the large bottles of water Edgar carried under his robes trembled.
Elemental mana traveled all over.
The crystal atop his fallen staff shone with ethereal light and launched a beam at Jack. It was fire, water, earth, wind, and sand, all at once. It carried the strengths of all five elements simultaneously, all combined into a beam of elemental power that could blast through steel walls.
The laws of physics protested. You couldnt just combine different things like that. It was illogical. It made no sense.
It was Magic.
Jack had been caught prepared. There was no time to dodge. His good hand was ruined. The cyan beam flew over the fallen Edgar and reached him in an instant.
All colors disappeared, but the beam remained cyan. A purple meteor fell from orbit and met it head-on.
A blinding explosion rocked Edgar harder than before. His vision swam. His ears bled. The shockwave pushed him into the ground until his bones cracked. The elemental particles in the air danced in disarray.
Jack had been sent flying. He skipped off the ground twice, then smashed into the back wall. From where he lay on the ground, Edgar could only hope it had been enough. That Jack was unconscious.
But it just wasnt meant to be.
Through the dust and sand, Jack rose. He was wobbling a bit. Both his hands were mangled nowhe couldnt punch if he wanted to. But he was standing, and Edgar was not.
Fuck, Edgar whispered, letting his upper body fall again. He faced the bright blue sky. He had lost, but hed challenged and held his ground against Jack Rust. The strongest human of Earth.
A grin formed on his lips. He had proven himself worthy. He wasnt just another loser. He had done his best, and that was enough.
I resign, he croaked out.
The crowd erupted into the loudest cheers hed ever heard, and Edgar lost consciousness with a smile.
Please report us if you find any errors so we can fix it asap!
Chapter 83: Making Magic
Edgar stepped into the arena under the deafening cheers of thousands of people. System-enhanced lungs thundered with roars, feet stomped on the wooden stands, and the constant din of conversation flowed underneath the rest of the noise, difficult to perceive but always there.
The cheers hit Edgar like a warm wall of humidity, like entering a marsh. The sun came immediately afterward, shining on his eyes and making him shield them, while the sweat-filled breeze of the arena blew into him along with grains of sand.
Two weeks ago, Edgar would have been overwhelmed. Now, he just gulped.
This pressure wasnt something you could get used to this quickly. You either had it in you or you didnt, and Edgar didnt, but he tried his hardest anyway. By now, he could stand it.
He walked deeper into the sands, approaching the center of the arena. The cheers intensified as he conjured two mana birds and sent them spinning through the air in recognition of the crowds fondness.
Jack Rust stood opposite him. His bare chest glinted in the sun, his wild eyes stared Edgar down like a beast of prey, and his nonchalant hands were ready to smash Edgars face apart. As he stood there, under the cheers of thousands of people and the eyes of billions, Jack seemed nonplussed, like this was another day in the park.
He smiled and nodded. Edgar did the same.
We finally meet on the sand, Jack said. Are you nervous, Edgar?
His voice shouldnt have reached through the clamor, but the arena had some magical sound enhancement going on. Not only could Edgar hear him, but so could everyone in the audience.
A bit, Edgar admitted, chuckling. His glasses shone under the rays of light, and his messy dark hair were ruffled by the breeze, as were the cyan wizard robes he wore. He tightened his grip on the crystal-topped staff. But dont let your guard down, Jack. I am here to win.
That was meant more to himself than Jack, but the crowd didnt know it. They cheered in response to his tauntingthough it wasnt anything spectacularand watched as the two fighters prepared for battle.
Edgar waved his staff around and summoned three balls of condensed mana around him. At the same time, he let his inner mana spread out of his body and into his surroundings, imbuing the air and sand and making it easier to manipulate later. His master, the lizardman archmage, had taught him many tricks. Edgars strength had risen meteorically.
And yet, Jack remained as tall as ever. He simply cracked his knuckles. Suddenly, Edgar felt an aura of brutality blanketing the entire arena and suffocating him. He had seen Jack fight; he was a beast in man form, a relentless, unstoppable machine of pain, a towering, invincible behemoth.
There was a mental component to Jacks fighting style. Anyone who saw him fight shivered at the thought of facing him. His last battle against Shard Presht, that brutal, merciless beatdown, had especially driven the point home.
Edgar felt his knees go weak and his breath quicken. His concentration faltered momentarily.
Jack Rust was a monster.
A monster that Edgar would tame.
Come, Jack! he shouted to embolden himself. His entire body flared with blue light. The air around him warped from power as reality bent to his will. His eyes and mouth spilled magic.
Opposite him, Jack grinned. Oh, I will, he said, then dashed forth. His legs hammered at the sand. Edgar suppressed a pang of fear as he sent an opening salvo Jacks way. A flock of two dozen birds materialized mid-airpigeons with sharp talons, made of blue wind. Each of these was equivalent to a Level 15 beast.
They fell into formation and charged at Jack. Their flight patterns interweaved, making them unpredictable.
Jack grinned as he stopped and adopted a boxing stance. His left fist darted out faster than Edgars eyes could perceive, unleashing a series of jabs that blew birds apart like they were made of foam. His punches reached beyond the physical length of his arms, shooting down birds from a couple feet away.
Edgar gritted his teeth. He knew about Drill, but he didnt expect that Jack could use it so well. His birds had attempted to surround Jack, but only half of them were left by now. He sent them into a kamikaze attack, diving at Jack with talons extended. Both his arms blurred into strong punches, annihilating the swarm with ease.
Two birds managed to reach him, but their talons only left superficial scratches that closed before Edgars eyes.
His opening salvo had been destroyed, but he never intended to defeat Jack with it, anyway. Its role was to gather information and scout out his opponents current capabilities.
This was how a wizard battled. Efficient utilization of resources backed by higher intellect. Scouting, feints, defense, analysis, attacks, and killing blow. To a wizard, a battle was a highly intellectual affair; like chess.
Edgars flock had completed its assignment. His mind took in the skills Jack had revealed, analyzed his movements, and formed a simulation in his mind. A dozen different scenarios played out in the blink of an eye, analyzing how Jack would fare against a combination of different attacks.
The solution was clear: he had to limit Jacks mobility and attack from below, where his fists would struggle most to reach.
Why couldnt it be me?
The thought had been bouncing around in Edgars head since the very start. Jack deserved what he had, but so did Edgar. He just hadnt been as lucky. Everything he had came from sheer hard work.
He felt bitter.
However, Edgar was the master of himself. The world was unfair. He wouldnt envy his friend.
But he sure as hell would try his hardest to win, no matter how invincible or terrifying Jack was. Fate was in his hands. He would just beat the odds again.
Jack plowed through Edgars attacks. He was unstoppable. Attacking like this was a waste of Edgars mana, so he simply stopped. Jack tore through two more mirror images in an instant.
The remaining five Edgars tossed their dots of condensed, multi-colored mana that had just finished forming. He thought Jack would dodge. The madman just grinned and punched one of themthe right one. Edgar hurried to jump back, but it was too late.
An explosion rocked his world, breaking his glasses and making his ears ring. He was plastered against the ground, all mirror images broken. Without his glasses, he could just barely make out Jacks mangled hand and blackened wrist. Jack roared through the pain, but his eyes remained clear. He still had another hand, and Edgar was out of options.
Game over, Jack said. Edgar noticed that his opponents hand wasnt regeneratingwas it because hed used a Skill containing his Dao? A Dao Skill? Did that interfere with anything?
If only he knew sooner
Edgar crawled backward and to the side as Jack approached and loomed over him. Resign, he commanded. You fought bravely, but this is over.
I Edgar gritted his teeth. His remaining 20% of mana evaporated. His fake despair receded, revealing triumphant eyes. Quintus Convergius.
Jack instantly realized hed fallen into a trap. His entire body tensed. Mana filled the air. The dispersed wind and sand glowed, the hints of fire shimmered, the broken rock rumbled, and the large bottles of water Edgar carried under his robes trembled.
Elemental mana traveled all over.
The crystal atop his fallen staff shone with ethereal light and launched a beam at Jack. It was fire, water, earth, wind, and sand, all at once. It carried the strengths of all five elements simultaneously, all combined into a beam of elemental power that could blast through steel walls.
The laws of physics protested. You couldnt just combine different things like that. It was illogical. It made no sense.
It was Magic.
Jack had been caught prepared. There was no time to dodge. His good hand was ruined. The cyan beam flew over the fallen Edgar and reached him in an instant.
All colors disappeared, but the beam remained cyan. A purple meteor fell from orbit and met it head-on.
A blinding explosion rocked Edgar harder than before. His vision swam. His ears bled. The shockwave pushed him into the ground until his bones cracked. The elemental particles in the air danced in disarray.
Jack had been sent flying. He skipped off the ground twice, then smashed into the back wall. From where he lay on the ground, Edgar could only hope it had been enough. That Jack was unconscious.
But it just wasnt meant to be.
Through the dust and sand, Jack rose. He was wobbling a bit. Both his hands were mangled nowhe couldnt punch if he wanted to. But he was standing, and Edgar was not.
Fuck, Edgar whispered, letting his upper body fall again. He faced the bright blue sky. He had lost, but hed challenged and held his ground against Jack Rust. The strongest human of Earth.
A grin formed on his lips. He had proven himself worthy. He wasnt just another loser. He had done his best, and that was enough.
I resign, he croaked out.
The crowd erupted into the loudest cheers hed ever heard, and Edgar lost consciousness with a smile.
Chapter 83: Making MagicEdgar stepped into the arena under the deafening cheers of thousands of people. System-enhanced lungs thundered with roars, feet stomped on the wooden stands, and the constant din of conversation flowed underneath the rest of the noise, difficult to perceive but always there.The cheers hit Edgar like a warm wall of humidity, like entering a marsh. The sun came immediately afterward, shining on his eyes and making him shield them, while the sweat-filled breeze of the arena blew into him along with grains of sand.Two weeks ago, Edgar would have been overwhelmed. Now, he just gulped.This pressure wasnt something you could get used to this quickly. You either had it in you or you didnt, and Edgar didnt, but he tried his hardest anyway. By now, he could stand it.He walked deeper into the sands, approaching the center of the arena. The cheers intensified as he conjured two mana birds and sent them spinning through the air in recognition of the crowds fondness.Jack Rust stood opposite him. His bare chest glinted in the sun, his wild eyes stared Edgar down like a beast of prey, and his nonchalant hands were ready to smash Edgars face apart. As he stood there, under the cheers of thousands of people and the eyes of billions, Jack seemed nonplussed, like this was another day in the park.He smiled and nodded. Edgar did the same.We finally meet on the sand, Jack said. Are you nervous, Edgar?His voice shouldnt have reached through the clamor, but the arena had some magical sound enhancement going on. Not only could Edgar hear him, but so could everyone in the audience.A bit, Edgar admitted, chuckling. His glasses shone under the rays of light, and his messy dark hair were ruffled by the breeze, as were the cyan wizard robes he wore. He tightened his grip on the crystal-topped staff. But dont let your guard down, Jack. I am here to win.That was meant more to himself than Jack, but the crowd didnt know it. They cheered in response to his tauntingthough it wasnt anything spectacularand watched as the two fighters prepared for battle.Edgar waved his staff around and summoned three balls of condensed mana around him. At the same time, he let his inner mana spread out of his body and into his surroundings, imbuing the air and sand and making it easier to manipulate later. His master, the lizardman archmage, had taught him many tricks. Edgars strength had risen meteorically.And yet, Jack remained as tall as ever. He simply cracked his knuckles. Suddenly, Edgar felt an aura of brutality blanketing the entire arena and suffocating him. He had seen Jack fight; he was a beast in man form, a relentless, unstoppable machine of pain, a towering, invincible behemoth.There was a mental component to Jacks fighting style. Anyone who saw him fight shivered at the thought of facing him. His last battle against Shard Presht, that brutal, merciless beatdown, had especially driven the point home.Edgar felt his knees go weak and his breath quicken. His concentration faltered momentarily.Jack Rust was a monster.A monster that Edgar would tame.Come, Jack! he shouted to embolden himself. His entire body flared with blue light. The air around him warped from power as reality bent to his will. His eyes and mouth spilled magic.Opposite him, Jack grinned. Oh, I will, he said, then dashed forth. His legs hammered at the sand. Edgar suppressed a pang of fear as he sent an opening salvo Jacks way. A flock of two dozen birds materialized mid-airpigeons with sharp talons, made of blue wind. Each of these was equivalent to a Level 15 beast.They fell into formation and charged at Jack. Their flight patterns interweaved, making them unpredictable.Jack grinned as he stopped and adopted a boxing stance. His left fist darted out faster than Edgars eyes could perceive, unleashing a series of jabs that blew birds apart like they were made of foam. His punches reached beyond the physical length of his arms, shooting down birds from a couple feet away.Edgar gritted his teeth. He knew about Drill, but he didnt expect that Jack could use it so well. His birds had attempted to surround Jack, but only half of them were left by now. He sent them into a kamikaze attack, diving at Jack with talons extended. Both his arms blurred into strong punches, annihilating the swarm with ease.Two birds managed to reach him, but their talons only left superficial scratches that closed before Edgars eyes.His opening salvo had been destroyed, but he never intended to defeat Jack with it, anyway. Its role was to gather information and scout out his opponents current capabilities.This was how a wizard battled. Efficient utilization of resources backed by higher intellect. Scouting, feints, defense, analysis, attacks, and killing blow. To a wizard, a battle was a highly intellectual affair; like chess.Edgars flock had completed its assignment. His mind took in the skills Jack had revealed, analyzed his movements, and formed a simulation in his mind. A dozen different scenarios played out in the blink of an eye, analyzing how Jack would fare against a combination of different attacks.The solution was clear: he had to limit Jacks mobility and attack from below, where his fists would struggle most to reach.Why couldnt it be me?The thought had been bouncing around in Edgars head since the very start. Jack deserved what he had, but so did Edgar. He just hadnt been as lucky. Everything he had came from sheer hard work.He felt bitter.However, Edgar was the master of himself. The world was unfair. He wouldnt envy his friend.But he sure as hell would try his hardest to win, no matter how invincible or terrifying Jack was. Fate was in his hands. He would just beat the odds again.Jack plowed through Edgars attacks. He was unstoppable. Attacking like this was a waste of Edgars mana, so he simply stopped. Jack tore through two more mirror images in an instant.The remaining five Edgars tossed their dots of condensed, multi-colored mana that had just finished forming. He thought Jack would dodge. The madman just grinned and punched one of themthe right one. Edgar hurried to jump back, but it was too late.An explosion rocked his world, breaking his glasses and making his ears ring. He was plastered against the ground, all mirror images broken. Without his glasses, he could just barely make out Jacks mangled hand and blackened wrist. Jack roared through the pain, but his eyes remained clear. He still had another hand, and Edgar was out of options.Game over, Jack said. Edgar noticed that his opponents hand wasnt regeneratingwas it because hed used a Skill containing his Dao? A Dao Skill? Did that interfere with anything?If only he knew soonerEdgar crawled backward and to the side as Jack approached and loomed over him. Resign, he commanded. You fought bravely, but this is over.I Edgar gritted his teeth. His remaining 20% of mana evaporated. His fake despair receded, revealing triumphant eyes. Quintus Convergius.Jack instantly realized hed fallen into a trap. His entire body tensed. Mana filled the air. The dispersed wind and sand glowed, the hints of fire shimmered, the broken rock rumbled, and the large bottles of water Edgar carried under his robes trembled.Elemental mana traveled all over.The crystal atop his fallen staff shone with ethereal light and launched a beam at Jack. It was fire, water, earth, wind, and sand, all at once. It carried the strengths of all five elements simultaneously, all combined into a beam of elemental power that could blast through steel walls.The laws of physics protested. You couldnt just combine different things like that. It was illogical. It made no sense.It was Magic.Jack had been caught prepared. There was no time to dodge. His good hand was ruined. The cyan beam flew over the fallen Edgar and reached him in an instant.All colors disappeared, but the beam remained cyan. A purple meteor fell from orbit and met it head-on.A blinding explosion rocked Edgar harder than before. His vision swam. His ears bled. The shockwave pushed him into the ground until his bones cracked. The elemental particles in the air danced in disarray.Jack had been sent flying. He skipped off the ground twice, then smashed into the back wall. From where he lay on the ground, Edgar could only hope it had been enough. That Jack was unconscious.But it just wasnt meant to be.Through the dust and sand, Jack rose. He was wobbling a bit. Both his hands were mangled nowhe couldnt punch if he wanted to. But he was standing, and Edgar was not.Fuck, Edgar whispered, letting his upper body fall again. He faced the bright blue sky. He had lost, but hed challenged and held his ground against Jack Rust. The strongest human of Earth.A grin formed on his lips. He had proven himself worthy. He wasnt just another loser. He had done his best, and that was enough.I resign, he croaked out.The crowd erupted into the loudest cheers hed ever heard, and Edgar lost consciousness with a smile.
