After defeating Wang Li Ting, Luo Song didn't stop at the achieved. The remaining three summoners besides me were swept away by him just as quickly. He didn't even need to use mid-level magic anymore.
Wang Li Ting had been the strongest of these six, with his Bone Vulture at senior Servant level. The two who came after him had beasts only at mid Servant level.
They didn't even have good defense like their predecessors, so Luo Song, deftly maneuvering with earth waves, gradually froze them with beginner-level ice element spells.
The last one had a newly born wolf pup at junior servant level. Even Luo Song, venting his irritation on the summoners, couldn't bring himself to harm this cutie with gray fur and heterochromatic eyes. After cooing a bit over the cutie trying to look fierce, he let its poor master surrender peacefully.
Finally, Director Xiao announced my turn. And I, rising from the armchair and stretching, trudged onto the arena.
Unlike canon, Luo Song didn't leave the arena after defeating four summoners but stayed standing. I don't understand what he's counting on; he must have realized from my conversation with Mo Fan that I'm also a mid-level mage.
As soon as the start signal sounded, Luo Song immediately used earth waves and began distancing himself from me even more.
I think I get what he's doing. He wants to drain as much of my magical energy as possible in these chase games, so I won't have reserves left to win over the remaining 39 mages after him.
Smart, nothing to say. I even admire his motto - can't win, then crap in the pool. Too bad he picked the wrong opponent. If I were a spectator, I'd even root for him.
Anyway, not the point. Now I need to create the image of a strong but heavily expended mage. So, I'll play along with Luo Song's game for now.
Mentally nodding to myself, I began chasing Luo Song at the speed of an ordinary mid-level mage, occasionally shooting beginner-level ice element magic at him.
When Luo Song's earth element reserve was nearing its end by my estimates, I pretended to snap and constructed a mid-level ice element spell:
"Ice Lock!" The ice chain shot out quickly, and when it was about to wrap around the unable-to-dodge Luo Song, a light shield appeared before it.
The judge did good work. If a person has no protective artifacts, such an attack, if not restrained in power, could easily kill a mage. Our physique is still too weak compared to monsters.
"Winner, Mu Bai!" the judge announced.
The crowd applauded enthusiastically; they really enjoyed the magical arena chase performed by two mid-level mages. Before the judge sent new opponents onto the arena for me, I raised my hand and addressed Director Xiao:
"Director Xiao, don't you find this situation unfair?" I asked.
The crowd quieted and began listening attentively. They still remembered my performance with the question about extra resources for those deciding to finish university today. Now they expected another show.
"What unfairness are you talking about?" the somewhat wary director asked. He's a scholar already; he knows I might pull something.
"Well, how so?" I feigned sincere indignation at his ignorance.
"The summoning division, if it wins, keeps its resources. If it loses, it forfeits them. I think it's unfair not to give us - and especially me - extra rewards! Especially when other faculties lose nothing. Where's my gain?!" At the end of my speech, my tone even carried Jewish notes.
"Aaa, so that's it." The director even relaxed a bit. He shouldn't have; I wasn't done yet.
"This cage defense battle does have one more rule clause." He began explaining not just to me but to everyone in the hall.
"This clause states that if the summoning division defeats 200 mages, it takes the resources of the other faculties. " The hall erupted in indignant voices; they really didn't want to lose their resources.
"Simply, this rule hasn't been announced in ages, as the summoning division hasn't reached that coveted number in twenty-seven years." He quickly calmed the agitated students.
"Can artifacts be used in battle?" I grinned in anticipation and began slightly moving my hand as if about to pull something out.
Ordinary students didn't notice, but the experienced gaze of the old mage quickly caught it. Looking at my growing smile and the students in the hall, mostly clanless and thus poor kids, he gave the expected answer:
"No, artifacts are not permitted on the arena. Only your own power." The director pinned me with a glare.
"Got it, Director." I grimaced and pretended my plan was ruined.
"Continue the duels." The director, pleased at putting me in my place, addressed the judge.
When the judge began sending the usual combat trio onto the arena, I quickly stopped him.
"Eee, where are you sending a whole crowd? Did I allow it? My dumb classmates were trying to show off; I'm working on the result. Send them one by one." I told him.
The judge glanced at Director Xiao. He, slightly frowning, nodded. Indeed, by the rules, fights should be one-on-one, as at the event's start. Simply, Hai Dafu decided to show off first, and then my other classmates didn't want to lag behind.
I won't even say how stupid they were. And yet in previous years, it was the same, and everyone considers it normal. In China, face matters a lot. If your predecessor fought three, be kind and fight three too. Look how the students are side-eyeing me now.
"Eeeey! Tear them all apart, Mu Bai!" Only Ai Tutu supports me. Even Mu Nujiao sitting next to her just covers her face with her palm. Though probably because of her friend's behavior...
"Iiii, begin!" the judge signaled the start of the fight.
While my opponent prepared a beginner-level spell, I already unleashed the first tier of beginner-level ice element at him, and at the max speed for a mid-level mage - 0.3 seconds.
But due to star enhancement to the fifth tier, the spell gained third-tier power, and I stopped restraining the magic amplification from the Spiritual Seed. In short, this spell was nearly half the power of first-tier mid-level magic.
No wonder my opponent instantly froze and covered with a thin ice crust. If I hadn't weakened the spell, he'd be dead.
The judge looked at me in shock. No kidding, the mage under his protection just nearly froze to death, and he didn't even raise a shield. He hadn't expected first-tier beginner-level magic to deal such damage. The hall was also silent in shock.
What did you expect? 1v1, without artifacts, good luck driving me off this arena now. I smiled at Director Xiao, whose eye twitched for the second time today. Poor old man; I'd only just started.