Chapter 141: Duel
Rayven felt satisfied as he relaxed in his seat while the crowd continued to cheer.
Wallace also looked tired after that performance. Nonetheless, one could see how proud he was of the result...
Although he wouldn’t earn a lot of Association Points for this mission, it would still increase his reputation as a mage.
"Magic is not just destruction. It is harmony... It is the convergence of opposites under the will of the caster." Wallace said as he looked at the crowd.
"May these insights inspire further study among the next generation of mages."
Rayven gently nodded after hearing this...
As the demonstration concluded and the last chatters of excitement faded, Rayven stood quietly and made his way out of the auditorium.
While walking out, he could still hear the crowd talking about the spell and their analysis of Wallace’s performance, but his mind was already elsewhere. He’d recorded what he came for, not just Rare Spells but two Unique-tier spells. That was more than enough.
He slipped through the crowd, heading toward the exit with a satisfied smile.
***
The next day, Rayven finished his breakfast before heading out to visit the guild.
’Time to see if someone accepted the mission...’
Soon, the familiar emblem of the Adventurer’s Guild came into view.
As he stepped inside, mages and warriors of all ranks moved about, discussing quests, trading spoils, and updating their records.
It seemed that even if the 17th Dungeon was already under the control of the large organizations serving the royal family, many Adventurers were still willing to explore the place.
Although the taxes could be expensive, it didn’t matter to them.
Nonetheless, the moment he approached the counter, Stella, the receptionist who’d handled his previous request, greeted him warmly.
Her eyes carried a hint of exhaustion, she’d clearly been working hard.
"Ah, Mister Rayven! You came just in time."
His eyes lit up as soon as he heard this. "Did someone accept the duel commission?"
Stella nodded quickly, pulling out a parchment from the counter. "Yes! I finally found someone who met your criteria. An Adept Mage... Well, she’s also Gold Rank Adventurer, actually. She agreed to take the challenge for the commission price.
Rayven repeated. "Gold Rank?"
She smiled. "Well, you’re lucky. Most Adept Mages were either busy or uninterested... but she said she was curious about your request."
He was about to ask who it was when Stella added with a slightly amused tone,
"You might remember her, Sofia, from the Jade Falcons party. I heard from her that you sold those Skitterfangs’ eggs to her before..."
Rayven blinked. "Her?"
"That’s right. Give us an hour to prepare... After that, everyone should be at the eastern practice ground. I’ll arrange a supervision team too... In case things go wrong."
Of course, the guild wasn’t foolish. Even controlled duels between Mages could end in serious injury. So, every duel request above the initiate level was observed by at least two moderators, a healer, and an arbiter equipped with mana-stabilizing seals.
"Understood." Rayven nodded and left without further delay. He needed to wear his combat gear and bring his staff after all.
***
The eastern practice ground of the Adventurer’s Guild wasn’t far. It was a wide, stone-paved field surrounded by high walls.
Rayven wasn’t sure, but it seemed to be designed to absorb stray magic, dampen explosions, and isolate the mana flow inside from the outside environment.
When Rayven arrived, he noticed a few people there already.
Several guild attendants stood near a small observation tower. Among them was probably a physician. There was also a technician who would probably be monitoring the barrier array, and finally, the appointed arbiter. It was a veteran warrior with a gray beard and an eye patch.
And standing in the middle of the field was Sofia.
She was dressed differently from the dungeon trip or the demonstration yesterday. This time, she had combat robes with silver thread and she also looked beautiful with her hair tied in a high ponytail.
She also had a staff as tall as her and even at a glance, Rayven could feel the faint aura of condensed mana around her.
It seemed that she was just practicing when he arrived.
When she saw him approach, Sofia smirked lightly. "So it really was you."
Rayven gave a small nod. "I didn’t expect you’d take this mission."
"Neither did I," she admitted, rolling her shoulders. "But after that dungeon, I was curious about you."
Rayven made sure not to blush from those words as he reminded himself that this woman was just curious about his magic...
The arbiter stepped between them before their conversation could go further.
"Duel between Rayven of Silver and Sofia of Gold Rank," he declared formally.
"Combat type: Mage Duel. Victory by incapacitation, surrender, or arbiter’s intervention. No lethal intent. Any damage beyond the threshold will trigger the barrier’s safety protocols."
He looked between the two of them. "Are both parties ready?"
Rayven adjusted his gloves. "Ready."
Sofia nodded as she tightened her grip on her staff. "Ready."
The arbiter raised his hand. "Then begin when the signal sounds."
The rune technician controlled the practice ground’s barrier, and soon, a translucent dome of blue light sealed them within the field before vanishing like it was never there.
Sofia’s eyes glinted. "Don’t hold back, Rayven. I didn’t come here to babysit an Initiate."
Rayven’s lips curled slightly as he also liked how she was ready to fight... This was what he needed.
’Perfect. Let’s see how much I’ve improved...’
The arbiter confirmed that they were both in a good distance, so he finally announced.
"Begin!"
At this time, Sofia’s voice rang out...
"O flame that hungers for release--
Ignis Lance!"
A surge of heat erupted as a burning spear of fire shot across the arena...
Rayven’s lips moved once, calm and clear.
"Gust Step."
[ 1 Gold Coin deducted. ]
Wind gathered beneath his feet, propelling him sideways in a blink.
The lance struck the ground where he had been standing, exploding in a bloom of sparks that splashed harmlessly against the barrier walls.
There was no chant... No build-up. Just a word and movement beyond reaction speed.
Sofia’s eyes lit up...
’So it’s true...’ Sofia muttered as she had already heard about Rayven’s duel against Cedric before...
However, Rayven had no time to dwell on that. His Gust Step costs 1 gold to cast, and he needed to take full advantage of it!