Volume 1 - CH 6

Arum vs Lux

“Can we use the facility without permission?” Arum asked.

“All of us here are already students here… at least for today,” Lux said glaring at Arum. The implications of his words weren’t lost on Arum.

“There are facilities that are already available to students like us except for the senior student dormitories and the staff buildings. The buildings for practical classes is one of them.”

“… then why were you being so considerate for using it before?”

“What?”

Lux tilted his head in confusion.

“Must be because of the conversation,” Arum whispered to himself.

‘Why were you waiting in front of the gate?’ That was what Arum wanted to ask.

The question kept resurfacing in his mind. But Arum who was a commoner couldn’t come to a conclusion.

The entrance ceremony.

An event where many famous nobles meet for the first time in a single place. Arum a commoner did not know that it was customary for noble’s houses first in front of the gate and hopefully try to build strong connections and factions from beforehand.

When all of them arrived at the building for practical skills, Lux held his hand over the sphere placed at the front of the entrance.

“I have never seen a magic stone used in such a manner before,” Misty exclaimed.

Magic stones were minerals that could contain mana well and if one interjects their maa inside it, the stone is capable of creating simple magic all by itself depending on how it is crafted.

But it cannot go through complex magical formations that wizards use while creating their magic so its use is only limited to things like a switch at most.

But that didn’t mean it was any less useful. It will only react to mana that is registered with it. So not everyone can activate it. Thus it has excellent security.

There were other simple uses for magic stones too, such as putting mana into a mana tank, but because it is expensive it can only be used by wizardry schools like the Beralt Academy and some nobles houses who were particularly rich.

“This school really is filled with luxuries…” Misty nodded.

Even for magical Academy’s, it wasn’t normal for them to possess them. Beralt however was an exception.

Lux smirked.

“Is this your first time seeing one Misty-san?”

Misty shook her head.

“No, I have one. But I can never imagine using it for door locks.”

The inside of the building was large and divide into the first level and the second level. The second floor was lined with something that resembled gallery seats for watching tournament matches. On the other hand, there was nothing on the first level. It was just a few magic stones to operate the doors and windows with a wide and open space. The space was wide enough to accommodate both Arum and Lux and their heated battle.

“I’ll open the ceiling since it seems that the magical power from the outside is not allowed to enter here. Is that okay?”

Arum nodded.

“But even if you open the ceiling now, it won’t be enough to collect enough mana to fill up this large space,” Arum whispered under his breath unheard by Lux.

The ceiling opened up as Lux operated the magic stone attached to it.

As the ceiling opened up it lined itself at the same vertical position as the walls. SO much so that it appeared to be an extension of the walls.

The ceiling opened up and the sunlight seeped portraying the blue sky above. Arum felt as if he was out in nature instead of in a civilized city.

“Awesome!”

“Arum…” misty called out to him,

“Hmm?”

“I didn’t think that things would turn out like this… But please do your best!”

“Oh thank you. You don’t have to worry Misty”

After the ceiling finished opening up. Arum and LUx naturally moved to the center of the room, while the other nobles moved to the edge of the stage clearing up the space for them.

Misty too left Arum’s side as she was told. Now Arum was on his own terms.

“Since, you and I are both students of this school today. We will naturally follow the school rules for duels.”

Arum tilted his head,

“Rule?”

“Both of us won’t use any forms of magic that can cripple the opponent. You should be aware that you and I are both students.”

Arum noded.

“I see, I can’t use that kind of magic anyway.”

“The winner will be decided when one of the participants surrenders or faints. The one who faints would be taken to the infirmary immediately so you don’t have to worry.”

Lux smirked as if challenging Arum.

“Who would be kind enough to carry me?”

Arum started laughing. He had no choice but to win.

“Don’t worry. Misty-san will carry you to the infirmary.”

Looking at how they were talking with each other they didn’t seem to be hostile. But the inner implications of the jokes and formalities weren’t lost to the watchers.

With that, the formalities were over,

“Someone come here and act as the referee.”

“Yes, yes, I’ll do it.”

One of the girls from the galleries took the initiative and stepped forward.

She was a cheerful girl with bright teeth missing. She smiled as if she was really looking forward to the duel. 

“Then, begin!” The girl shouted her lungs out.

“What!”

Arum jumped in shock at the girl’s sudden screaming. Arum was definitely not accustomed to such duels.

Lux, on the other hand, chanted magic at the same time as the girl shouted.

[Lightning Blade]

There was no unnecessary movement in his body. It was just an effortless chanting that caused a blade of lightning to appear in front of him.

The blade charged towards Arum as soon as it was created.

[Lightning Blade] was a good starting move to gauge the opponent’s strength. It was a popular starting move amongst the nobles.

“Isn’t it Lightning- attribute?”

Arum was immediately able to identify the attribute that Lux used. He might be a greenhorn in the ways of the nobles but he wasn’t a greenhorn in magic.

Arum extended his hand pointing his finger towards Lux.

[Mana Bullet]

A white ball of condensed mana was deployed from Arum’s fingers as he sang his chant.

Arum shot too charged at his opponent.

“Non- attribute magic?” Lux muttered with a stupified look.

*Screech*

The mana bullet made a shrilling noise as it collided with the Lightning blade and bending its trajectory while being destroyed itself.

Thankfully [Lightninng Blade] had no operability. If its trajectory was changed there was no way it was going to hit Arum.

[Reinforcement]

[Paralysis Resistance]

[Flash Protection]

Arum cast axially spells in rapid successions.

Arum’s legs and eyes shone brightly for a second.

He kicked the floor to cross-check the effectiveness of the spell.

The [Reinforcement] Spell reinforced his muscles while the Paralysis protections would protect him from any possible side effects from the lightning attribute. Lastly, the protection in his eyes was defensive magic for protecting his eyes from flashes.

“Fast… !”

Lux was astonished.

Even though Arum was using cheap non-attribute magic. What was astounding was the speed at which he was casting it. It was indeed abnormal. 

The speed and continuous casting of magical power were indeed proof that he was proficient in using magic unlike what they had assumed before.

Arum with the three buffs closed in the distance between him and Lux.

The three meters of distance was closed in within a moment. It was the effect of the reinforcement buff he had used.

But, Lux smirked.

“Are you aiming for hand-to-hand combat with me who uses thunder?”

“!!”

“[Thunder Knight]!”

Arum jumped sideways instinctively due to the unpleasant chills he felt on his spine.

As Lux chanted mana wrapped around his body as his whole body appeared to have been charged with lightning.

This Lightning magic was magic of higher grade than auxiliary magic that was used by Arum in every way.

The spell {thunder Knight] was not just for strengthening. It was both offensive and defensive magic all at the same time. It attacked the opponent with the mana converted into the lightning attribute.

Even Arum with three different Auxially spells cast on him couldn’t compare to the defensive capabilities provided by it.

“So it is impossible after all?” Misty whispered under her breath.

The difference in abilities between Arum and Lux was clear as a day. Only a miracle could allow Arum to win.

Lux Vs Arum

Only a miracle could help Arum to win. That’s what the audience thought seeing the difference in their abilities.

The lightning magic attribute was something that could be generated extremely quickly as a means of attack. Why? Because even if the caster didn’t really cast any spell, as long as he channels mana and converted it to the lightning attribute it could do some damage to the opponent.

This was unlike the other attributes which seemed to be harmless without the spells.

Take the water attribute for example. Water itself is harmless. It is something that is essential for life. But couple it with the force of a few strong spells? It can even destroy mountains!

But unlike the water attribute that needed spells to back it up, every spark of the lightning attribute itself was a lethal weapon! That itself spoke of the superiority of the attribute.

Arum knew about all of this. He had studied other attributes meticulously even though he couldn’t use them.

Yet he chose to barge forward in hand to combat.

‘Looks like a hand to hand would be no good.’ Arum thought.

The only reason why Arum had chose to charge in despite knowing the dangers was simply because he was curious. He wanted to know the limits of Lux’s strength.

But witnessing Lux’s [Lightning Kinght] spell Arum changed his mind.

‘Well, even if I can’t fight him in melee anymore. The spells that I cast won’t be wasted.’ 

All three spells that Arum had cast might be just simple non-attribute supportive spells. But each one of them had its own value. All of them were specifically resistant to the lightning attribute.

“I didn’t use any high mana consuming spell anyway,” Arum whispered to himself.

What’s more? Arum was able to understand the ability of Lux to a certain extent. Those sparks of thunder that floated around his body and covered it from all directions were enough of a clue. Their intensity… their brightness… their noise… they were enough clues for Arum.

*Crackle* *Crackle*

Meanwhile, on the other side of the ring, Lux had his own thoughts.

‘Hmm, interesting. He’s been using only non-attribute magic till now. Looks like he is a person who adheres to his foundations… or is it something else?’

‘I have to say that I was surprised a bit before with his fast casting speed but the tables have already been turned to my side.’

‘It’s time to teach him his place!’

That is when Lux heard a weird whisper he had never heard anyone chant.

“[Stand-By]”

“Hmm?”

Arum cast a spell that Lux was not familiar with.

All of the spells that Arum had used were non attributed so far.

The attribute of magic that a wizard uses is bound by the shape of their mana vessels, which was largely hereditary. As such all wizards of the same house usually used the same attribute of magic.

But there was one big exception to this. Non-attribute magic. As the name implies it was a branch of magic that could be used by all wizards in common since it was independent of the shape of the mana vessel in the body.

But it was the most basic form of magic. Most talented wizards could use this magic without even having to learn it.

Lux was lost deep in thought as he watched Arum cast a spell that he was unfamiliar with. For some reason, he had assumed that Arum would keep casting Non attributes only.

‘Even I had learned non-attribute magic even though I never use it. Most wizards do the same… it is after all taught as an introduction to magic and is obsolete in today’s era.’ 

Lux squinted his eyes.

‘But even then, I thought that there was no spell of non-attribute that I did not know. But I can’t seem to recall hearing a spell similar to the one Arum used despite its short and simple wording.’ 

Lux’s eyes traveled over Arum’s body as he tried to figure out any sense of changes but he found out nothing!

“Is this one also a buff…?”

If the spell affects or assists the body it should have appeared as a fluctuation of mana somewhere. But that didn’t happen. 

There were no changes.

‘It’s stupid to not be on alert. But if I pay too much attention to it, it would only affect my performance in the battle as I would be paranoid about it.’ 

‘Since it has shown no effect till now, let’s just let it be for the time being.’

“[Mana Bullet]”

“…Fu” 

Arum cast another spell at Arum. But Lux could only try to hold back his laughter.

*Sigh*

‘I thought he was trying to do something mysterious. But it’s just non-attribute magic again.’

‘Are you ridiculing me and thinking that you can win with your mana bullets alone?’

“You are getting on my nerves as usual.” Lux’s brows twitched.

“Go…” Arum whispered.

Under his command, five mana bullets of the perfectly same size and symmetry left his five fingers as they charged towards Lux with their maximum velocity.

“[Lightning Blade]”

Both of them fought with the same magic as they had released before. It was just that on Arum’s side the number of spell cast had increased to five. But even then Lux had confidence in his superior attribute. After all, even the last time. Arum’s mana bullet was only able to ‘deflect his blade and couldn’t destroy it.’

Lux’s reason was simple. If Arum wasn’t playing any cards, he didn’t have to show him any of his secret cards either. Why should he? When he could win the match with just his normal spells?

Lux smiled. But soon his smile disappeared. What he had hoped for didn’t happen.

“What?!”

“It’s a little more this time.”

Arum was only mocking him by calling it a ‘little’ as he smirked.

All the mana bullets collided with the [Lighning Blade] and they destroyed each other. The mana released dispersed into the air.

Arum had made his proper estimations. He knew properly that this time around he would only need five bullets to be on equal grounds. He truly was a genius for such accurate measurement was impossible by most of the audiences watching the show.

Lux stood astonished with his jaw slacked trying to find answers. But it was Arum’s smirking face that finally told him what he needed to.

“It is the one used in advance. He used it to increase the power of the spell!”

Lux was no fool either. He also knew how much power the mana bullets should have packed. His [Lightning Blade] should have been to destroy all five of them whole and still persist.

Thus he could only reach to one conclusion. It was the unknown spell that Arum had used before!

‘That must be the one which increased the power of the mana bullets.’

Lux clicked his tongue in annoyance for not figuring it out sooner as he glared at Arum.

‘What kind of magic it was? Was it a non-attribute spell that I couldn’t use due to the shape of my mana vessel? Is that why I don’t know about it?’

Lux pondered but soon he shrugged it off.

“So what? That doesn’t change a thing.”

Lux was using basic rank magic till now. 

‘If his mana bullets were just good enough to counter [Lightning Blade] then raising the rank would definitely do the trick.’

The balance that Arum had achieved was bound to collapse as long as Lux increases the output a little.

‘I have to say. Being a non-attribute user, your achievement so far was indeed great. But you would never be able to make up for your lack of power. The non-attribute has always been the weakest magic for use in battle. It was defective magic, to begin with that later improve into the attributed spells.’

Lux raised his right arm as his fingers closed in into a claw.

“[Claw Of Thunder]”

“Oops” 

Arum took a step back.

And with that very chant, Lux summoned a huge thunder claw that was several times larger than his own height.

*crackle* *crackle*

They were the claws of a ferocious beast coupled with the crackling of the equally ferocious thunder.

The difference in mana used from Lux’s previous [Lightning Blade] could be easily seen at glance. Even a complete novice to magic would be able to judge how terrifying the spell was.

Even if Lux had prepared as many Lightning blades as there were nails on one’s body, they would have been wiped off like scraps of paper

*crackle*

The beast roared with its thundering noise ringing in the ears of everyone present in the room as its claw was swung down on Arum.