Chapter 71: The Tournament I.

Chapter 71: The Tournament I.

"Bring it on!" Zeke yelled, dodging the fireball that Gretchen had thrown at him. Despite the resistance suit slowing down his movements, he managed to barely escape the inferno. He got up and rolled out of the way of the wind blades that were coming at him from above.

Margret, Zeke's other guard, had taken advantage of his distraction to launch a sneak attack. Gretchen saw that Zeke was off balance and smiled as she launched several Flame Spears at him. Zeke, who had expected her to do this, disappeared from the spot as the lances struck the ground. He appeared a couple of meters to the side, already charging at Gretchen at full speed.

The Grand Mage was not intimidated by Zeke's charge, however. Her smile only grew wider as she summoned a giant pillar of flame above her head, ready to crash it down on him.

Before the impending clash could occur, a tornado enveloped Zeke. The boy was lifted off the ground and sent flying through the air in an uncontrolled descent. At the last moment, Zeke utilized his [Air Step] spell to change his trajectory. With a half flip, he managed to land on his feet. With his eyes now fixed on his second opponent, Margret, Zeke prepared for his next move.

Just as he was about to try a new approach, Margret landed beside Gretchen and delivered a blow to her head. With a stern expression, the taller woman spoke out.

"You're getting carried away, Gretchen. That spell you were about to use was Grand Mage level. It would have seriously injured Zeke if he had been hit, and he can't afford that right now."

Gretchen pouted at the admonishment. "Come on, it wouldn't have been that bad. The kid has become ridiculously sturdy, and he would heal in no time anyway."

But Margret was not going to let this slide so easily. With a stern look on her face, she continued her admonishment.

"Do you think I don't know that? But the tournament starts tomorrow. This is not the time to bring out a new challenge. What if he has to fight with a depleted core tomorrow because of you?"

The two women locked eyes in a stare-down, with Gretchen having to look up at almost a right angle to meet Margret's gaze. The stalemate continued until a voice brought them out of their standstill.

"Please don't talk about me as if I'm not here," Zeke said as he approached the two women. "In any case, I think this is a good time to call it a day. It's already lunchtime, and I'll be doing my meditation research this afternoon. I won't need either of you to guard me."

Gretchen immediately cheered at the prospect of having the afternoon off. Margret hit her over the head again. "Just because we're not guarding Zeke doesn't mean you get the day off, you brat," she said.

Gretchen was incensed. "Who are you calling a brat, you gorilla? I'm more than ten years your senior, you know?"

Zeke was used to the banter between the two. Even though Gretchen was the older one of the two, she looked almost like a child next to the tall and athletic Wind Mage. Despite having similar features to Gretchen, Margret had a more mature appearance. If someone saw the two of them together, they might mistake them for mother and child.

Zeke could see the argument was heating up, so he quickly broke it up before it could get violent... again.

"So, how did I perform today?" Zeke asked.

He was trying to distract the two women who had turned their angry eyes on him. They had fallen into the habit of competing over who could deliver the best critique. Providing him with guidance after each spar.Ñøv€l--ß1n hosted the premiere release of this chapter.

Gretchen, who often gave optimistic assessments, went first. "You've become faster, Zeke. Even the resistance suit isn't slowing you down much anymore. Your teleport was performed in a matter of seconds, and that was impressive. I believe you'll excel at the tournament."

Zeke smiled at the compliment, but he didn't take Gretchen's words too seriously. She was always praising him, after all.

Next, it was Margret's turn. Known for her strict assessments, Zeke couldn't help but wonder what she would have to say. She thought for a moment, then gave a rare smile before uttering a single word.

"Passable."

Maximilian froze for an instant. He turned away from Zeke, showing his back to the boy. As he spoke, Zeke could swear the old man sounded a little choked up.

"Is that so? Well, I guess you leave me no choice then."

Zeke smiled at his mentor's actions. While he didn't want his work to be taken by a stranger, he had no problem with it being credited to Maximilian. He felt that the old man had done far more for him than he could repay in several lifetimes. He saw no need to rush and claim the credit for himself.

Zeke stretched as the last of the kids shuffled out of the study, a pleased sigh escaping his lips.

"Finally," he said with a grin. "I thought this day would never end." Despite his words, the smile on his face betrayed how much he enjoyed the work they were doing.

Maximilian merely smiled. He was not going to call attention to Zeke's obvious attempt at hiding his true feelings.

"You did good work today," he said. "Why don't you go have dinner and get some rest? You'll need it for tomorrow."

Zeke nodded, he felt the strain of the past month's endless work all over his body. The combination of physical training, spell development, and research had taken its toll. He decided to take it easy for the rest of the evening and retire early.

He bid farewell to Maximilian, who he knew would likely be finishing up their research notes. He headed to dinner with Gretchen and Margret. Afterward, he indulged in a relaxing bath before retiring to his room for an early night's sleep.

[Results of Analyze]

First name: Ezekiel. Mage name: None. Last name: von Hohenheim. Age: 15. Gender: Male. Height: 1.75m. Strength: 23 Constitution: 26 Agility: 20 Intelligence: 21

Blood magic (Perfect affinity), Rank: Mage, Engraved spell: [Perfect Body control].

Space magic (Greater affinity), Rank: Mage, Engraved spell: [Perfect Spatial Awareness].

Mind magic (Greater affinity), Rank: Mage, Engraved spell: [Perfect Sensory Recall].

Blood Magic:

Perfect Body Control Active & Passive

This spell allows the caster to control his own body functions and gives the caster complete understanding over the body.

Blood Spike Active This spell allows the caster to create solid spikes of blood that grow out of his skin. Blood Whip Active This spell allows the caster to manifest whips made of condensed blood. These whips can be used to strike and cut opponents, as well as to bind and control them. The spell requires a significant amount of blood magic energy to maintain, but the whips can then remain summoned for a minimal Mana cost.

Space Magic:

Perfect Spatial Awareness Passive This spell allows the caster to have perfect awareness of everything happening in a radius around him. Spatial Freeze Active This spell allows the caster to stop people from moving by compressing the surrounding space Spatial Barrier Active This spell allows the caster to create a barrier in front of him for protection. Air Step Active This spell allows the caster to manipulate the surrounding space, allowing him to step on air. Short Range Teleportation Active This spell allows the caster to instantly teleport to a location in his field of view.

Mind Magic:

Perfect Sensory Recall Active & Passive This spell allows the caster to recall anything that happened within the area of his spatial awareness in perfect clarity. Analyze Active This spell allows the caster to view collected data in a comprehensive form. Mind Fog Active This spell allows the caster to slow the mind of an opponent. The effect wears off quickly. Effectiveness and duration are determined by the target's strength of will and their level of advancement.