Chapter 160: The Grand Brawl Has Upgraded to a Survival Showdown
With the support of two spells empowered by my wrist guards, those competitors were unable to escape given my current physical attributes; after all, there are boundaries in the arena.
Moreover, I’m not only skilled in melee combat; melee is merely one way I use the Fireball Spell. At its core, the Fireball Spell is still a ranged attack.
“No way! How could the released Fireball Spell turn a corner?”
The girl I targeted, thinking she had evaded my Fireball Spell, turned around and directly collided with another Fireball that had taken a curved path.
Then, under the referee’s intervention, she expressed such a perplexed soul as she was held up by a hand.
It was clear that the referee determined she could not withstand that strike in this state, and the reality was indeed so; otherwise, even if she were severely disfigured, it would be a testament to her good fortune.
Without any protection, even an ordinary Fireball Spell could k*ll an ordinary person; this is the conventional power of a spell that expends minimal resources on the spellbook.
As for the other contestants I had locked onto who were planning to cast spells to counterattack, a hastily released Fireball hit behind me but was blocked by the Protection Spell.
“I got a bit careless; that was a good sneak attack, but do you only have one Fireball Spell in your spellbook?”
When I quickly arrived in front of her, she had already begun to release the next spell, but it was obvious she was too late. As I reached out one hand, I gripped her Magic Wand that was pointing at me through the spell ceremony.
Crack—
Her Magic Wand snapped in response, along with the spell itself shattering completely. I shook off the elemental energy from the spell that had stained my hands, leaving behind a swirl of runic phantoms; they were an essential structure in the ceremony, but now they were broken.
“My Magic Wand!”
“Your performance as a contestant is subpar; which class are you in?” I asked instinctively.
“No? I… I quit! I concede! Wuwu…”
“Huh?”
I looked at her, who started crying immediately after I broke her Magic Wand, feeling rather speechless; her psychological endurance was quite weak.
However, at this moment, she indeed exited the arena’s edge without needing the referee’s assistance.
It seems there’s a reason she lost in the first match; now targeted in the Resurrection Match, her pressure must be immense, especially since the scenes here would be broadcasted.
Carrying the expectations and blessings of her entire class, she fell here.
But… what does that have to do with me?
I merely eliminated a contestant who was supposed to be eliminated; perhaps the other party is someone not deserving of sympathy or just a temporary class leader taking the blame.
However, I am curious about how she became the class leader. Once a class leader, she would gain access to more class resources. Or is this just the usual resource allocation result?
With only one Fireball Spell in her spellbook, her total Magic Source barely reached double digits.
If she had sought help from her counselor or joined a more reliable club, she wouldn’t have been in this position.
At this moment, I rapidly shifted my thoughts; it was a chaotic brawl time. After taking care of these individuals, I felt like I had become the target of many.
A simple initial collision led to the total number of participants, nearly two hundred, being reduced by almost half.
As in the earlier selections, those contestants were completely eliminated in the first filtering.
Interestingly, most of the remaining ones seem to possess transformation spells; no wonder they are considered the most cost-effective spells at this stage.
None of the counselors for each class are fools; supporting students naturally requires the most cost-effective spellbooks, ensuring that maximum benefits can be gained by delivering them to the students.
As their gazes intentionally lingered on me, I silently released the Illusionary Clone Spell.
They were wary of me and had been paying attention to me, so why wouldn’t I want to eliminate them too?
Perhaps they didn’t expect that while they were watching me, they might fall under the influence of the Illusionary Clone.
Some might know, considering I was aware there was commentary during the first match. My Illusionary Clone Spell had likely been exposed, and contestants who enjoy scouting before matches wouldn’t overlook such tactics.
However, when I didn’t make a move, they wouldn’t respond so quickly.
Even if they did realize, they might not have any means to swiftly dispel the illusion effect.
At this moment, in the live-streaming perspective.
As once the number one arena commentator and now the number one perspective commentator, it was a regret that she didn’t comment on the second half of the first match.
Even when she personally switched to live streaming, the outcome was less than ideal.
Now that she was once again a commentator, she naturally needed to give it her all!
“Now we can see that the number of participants on the arena has sharply reduced to under a hundred. This rate of elimination is simply astonishing.”
“However, we can also observe that many familiar faces among those eliminated were contestants who performed poorly in the first round elimination.”
“Oh— the first major scene in the Grand Brawl has appeared! Contestant No. 14 once again demonstrated her skill to rip apart the spell ceremony with her bare hands and also broke her opponent’s Magic Wand!”
“The opposing contestant, overwhelmed by pressure, burst into tears and voluntarily withdrew from the match. Hopefully, this won’t leave too big a psychological scar on her.”
“But now, this situation seems to be unfavorable for Contestant No. 14; indeed, the terrifying strength from the first elimination match has put immense pressure on everyone. However, No. 14 doesn’t seem to be affected and has even started to conjure a Fireball!”
“The Fireball conjured by No. 14 is actually circling around her body without exploding. This maneuver seems somewhat familiar; it appears this spellbook does hold some potential.”
“As more Fireballs gather, the pressure on the crowd from No. 14 also increases, presenting a dilemma for the opponents. If they neglect No. 14, they will be completely crushed afterward, while attempting to interrupt now may not guarantee success… Wait! Someone has charged forward!”
“It’s Contestant No. 96! While others hesitated, only she made a bold choice! Let’s… huh? The direction she’s charging in doesn’t seem right; is that strike aimed at thin air?!”
“Oh no! She was swiftly eliminated by No. 14. Tsk… it seems she has fallen victim to No. 14’s Illusionary Clone, as everything seems to be within No. 14’s control.”
After the first to charge forward was dealt with in this manner, many realized what was happening with my Illusionary Clone.
Of course, there were those who weren’t aware of what this represented; they merely thought I used some spell to control the opponent.
Even so, many began to stay alert, some suspiciously doubting whether the person in front of them was a clone.
However, they weren’t characters to just wait passively; while melee might be captured, long-range attacks would be much safer, allowing them to probe whether the opponent was a clone. After all, with so many people, the opponent would need to pay a price to deal with them all at once.
Moreover, they didn’t only possess spellbooks as their means of attack; they also had alchemical items, potions, and various other strategies.
Even the potions could be aggressive, such as volatile potions, poisons, hallucinogens, corrosive potions, etc., which are all very formidable means.
As for the alchemical items, they are not inferior to the spellbooks they currently possess.
In fact… using them can often feel more convenient than spellbooks.
At this moment, I truly began to experience what being besieged felt like; the drain on my Energy Shield was rapidly becoming significant, but fortunately, my supply of Magic Sources was still sufficient.
This surplus of resources was a first for me; I even started to consider experiencing the power of my spellbook that had a consumption rate of a hundred points.
But that would be somewhat excessive, so I decided to let that thought go.
At this stage, even a dominating win should be conservative; if I were to lose due to overconfidence, I’d regret it for a lifetime!
A torrent of attacks surged toward me like a tidal wave. Once their morale was raised, the rhythm would fall into their hands, with ranged harassment coordinated, leading the contestants focusing on transformation spells to surround me.
Such momentum coming at me did feel somewhat tricky, even making me ponder whether I should learn some close-combat skills.
However, this thought was quickly extinguished because… rather than engage in close-quarters brawling with them, I found I much preferred the violent crush of spells!
Especially when the Fireball Spell severely injured them from angles they couldn’t imagine; the sense of achievement felt incomparable to that of a close-combat brawl.
But it seems that ordinary Fireballs no longer deal fatal damage to them due to their transformation spells.
What about after magical modification?
No need for any flashy tricks; simply improving the magical conversion efficiency, even if it’s still a Fireball Spell that expends some magic power, its power has become terrifying.
I haven’t studied the other spellbooks much, but I have thoroughly mastered the Fireball Spell, especially with the benefits I gained from these two battles.
The magical conversion efficiency within the spellbook forms an exponential increase with damage to some extent; the further you go, the more horrifying the damage increase becomes due to conversion rate improvements.
However, this increase is not limitless; that’s why I mentioned that the relationship between conversion rates and damage demonstrates a “partial” exponential growth trend.
This points to every spellbook having a limit. No matter how much I modify, the spells released from the Fireball spellbook cannot reach the power to destroy stars.
The result of infinitely stacking magic is the destruction of the spellbook.
Perhaps the spellbook could achieve what I deemed impossible, but I can’t access that level of modification technology; as of now, I cannot surpass that limit.
Rather than stubbornly stubborn on refining the Fireball Spell, switching to a spellbook with a higher ceiling for modification is more cost-effective.
Boom—!
With the first magically modified Fireball erupting in horrifying reverberations on the arena, the nature of this match was altered.
It was as if the chaotic brawl occurring in this arena had transformed into a survival showdown.
“I told you, why Contestant No. 14 has been performing so unimpressively until now. Now No. 14 has revealed her fangs! A casual strike exploded in a Fireball even more terrifying than the Explosion Flame Spell, and at her first appearance, she eliminated three contestants!”
“Fortunately, the referee acted quickly; aside from one contestant being slightly over-stressed, the other two seemed merely startled.”
“Imagine such a terrifying spell exploding before you; that is an incredibly frightening scenario!”
“What should the remaining contestants do now? Submit to fate and survive until the last one standing or join forces for that slim chance of victory?”
“Given this trend, collaborating seems the only option, but it could also lead to total annihilation, as the explosions from this morning’s elimination round still linger in memory.”
“The crowd is somewhat restless; a previously united group seemed to have disbanded? What’s going on?”
“It’s the Illusionary Clone! Such a widespread use of Illusionary Clones; when did this spell start? This non-aggressive spell has unexpectedly become the last straw to dismantle their alliance!”
“It’s hard to imagine how many clones are confusing their judgment in the contestants’ eyes. There’s even infighting among the crowd… Wait, that doesn’t make sense; they are opponents, how could there be infighting?”
“It seems No. 14’s intimidation has almost made us forget this was a chaotic brawl. Now, the number of contestants on the field has sharply decreased. According to the earth vein information, there are currently only 56 left, and this number continues to dwindle at an astonishing pace!”
The commentators at this moment felt they couldn’t stop; it was as if every moment since the grand brawl began was a climax.
You need to know that the chaotic brawl format is generally difficult to comment on, especially with viewpoint issues. If the switches are too frequent, it can lead to poor audience experience.
But now, with a one-sided situation unfolding, it actually made commentary easier.
Such scenes are rare to encounter, only appearing during surprising upsets.
“Contestant No. 14, dubbed the Explosive Witch, truly lives up to her name!”
The commentary continued, while I kept trying out various tactics. The arena was a place for unrestrained spellcasting, even more convenient than a laboratory.
A dominating stance doesn’t elevate combat skills; if no new insights about spells are gained, this battle would undoubtedly be a failure for me.
The first elimination match made me realize the significance of spell diversity, and this second match must yield something as well.
Fighting purely for show with the aim of gaining popularity holds no significance; plus, I’m not really fond of fighting. If I must, I prefer an absolute overpowering.
Apart from the Fireball Spell, I also intermittently incorporated other spells to mix things up, especially since I currently had over two hundred Magic Sources, enough for this kind of extravagance.
“We can observe that Contestant No. 14 has utilized spells she has never used before. It seems No. 14 truly has hidden depths: Wind Blade Spell, Raging Tide Spell, Thunderbolt Spell! While they may appear to be typical spells with a similar minimal magic power consumption like the Fireball Spell, their potency seems to not exceed our perception. No. 14 still seems to excel more at the Fireball Spell series.”
“The number of contestants has further diminished, indicating this grand brawl is nearing its conclusion. In this finale, let’s see which unfortunate souls on the field won’t make it to the next match.”
At this moment, I seemed to grasp a clear understanding; my comprehension of spellbooks has reached a deeper level. Faced with frequent sudden situations in battle, demands emerged that I would have never considered ordinarily, presenting challenges and issues to resolve.
With problems, everything gained a clear direction. Although this battle appeared to be merely a one-sided overpowering, I thoroughly understood the Fireball Spellbook.
Then, in my next step, I encountered a bottleneck, and the rigid barrier blocking me was my knowledge reserve.
This inevitably brings to mind the runes-related book that Teacher Ji gave me earlier.
The path I could traverse with talent had reached its end; the next step involves professional expertise.
In simple terms, I am still just a first-year student — like a child newly exposed to minor inventions. While I possess exceptional practical skills and can modify various inventions, talent is not omnipotent. Without the support of theoretical knowledge and reserves, I can’t progress any further.
This is the dilemma I face in the arena. The increasingly complex challenges surpass my individual understanding; I need time to gradually solidify and accumulate my foundation.
Even the areas I excel in must integrate with the knowledge from books; this is definitely not something that can be achieved with a few mere words.
Understanding this principle made me lose my enthusiasm for continuing to bully the weaker contestants; I just wanted to end this farce as quickly as possible.
However, as my Fireball Spell sped toward a contestant who couldn’t escape, a large hand grasped my magically modified Fireball, crushing it until it extinguished!
I looked up to suddenly see the owner of that hand: it was the referee.
“Alright, the match is over! Everyone, cease attacks!”
The referee gestured toward me, then loudly announced the end of the match. The girl who had nearly been blown up by my Fireball looked as if she had literally just walked through the gates of hell, now lying on the ground, easing her tense nerves.
With the referee’s formal announcement, the arena’s overhead display also indicated that this match had concluded.
The photos and names of the remaining contestants began to display on the screen.
However, the audience at that moment erupted with loud cheers for “Explosive Witch” and “Yang Yuelan,” demonstrating their recognition of this title and approval of me.
Outside the arena, many girls broke down in tears due to overwhelming pressure.
After all, they had just reached adulthood; the pressure and the terrifying opponent’s crushing dominance inevitably caused emotional breakdowns for many.
They represented the glory of their entire class—a class was made up of so many individuals, and fear of public opinion can be daunting. Even if the entire class offers consolation, it may only provoke them to face the pressing realities ahead.
Not to mention the pressure arising from blaming others.
At this moment, I maintained a calm mindset, feeling that this match had finally come to a close.
Then, I rummaged through my storage leg ring, finally pulling out the book “Analysis of 300 Common Runes” given to me by Teacher Ji. It seems she was well-planned in her intentions.
To delve deeper, I indeed need to understand what runes are, starting from the basics to dissect the fundamental internal structure of spellbooks.
As the brief grand brawl in the afternoon concluded, the 18 contestants qualifying were finalized, and today’s new student confrontation had ended.
Tomorrow morning will feature battles among two hundred individuals!
And this will be the most crucial battle, as this fight will ultimately determine the top hundred slots!
Furthermore, there will no longer be any resurrection matches.
The top hundred will ascend to the New Student Top Hundred list!
Regardless of rankings, the moment of reaching that Top Hundred status is an honor!
Subsequent confrontations will gradually refine ranking issues.
Besides, the rankings will also impact the final reward offerings; the closer you are to the top of the rankings, the more rewards you’ll garner!
In essence, after this resurrection match, the selected two hundred contestants have commenced receiving rewards immediately from this moment on; only consolation prizes remain for those beyond the two hundred.
As the contestants exited the arena, teachers quickly approached to summarize the day’s events and organize the audience’s orderly exit, etc.
As a contestant, I could directly return to the contestant resting area or head back to my dormitory.
Naturally, I wouldn’t stay here for long; I needed a quiet place to get through the book that Teacher Ji gave me. I believe once I thoroughly grasp these fundamental runes, my understanding of spellbooks will elevate to a new level!
This is far more meaningful than blindly exploring the structural aspects of spellbooks. It seems Teacher Ji had indeed been quite lenient, allowing me to mess around like this.
Researching in an unstructured manner is often frowned upon. Although I previously grasped the Fireball Spellbook in this haphazard manner, it must have seemed like a primitive person trying to invent something to Teacher Ji, relying purely on mysticism.
Upon leaving the contestant resting area, I noticed a crowd had already surrounded me. I deliberately read a preface while resting; why were the audience lingering here without dispersing?
Seemingly, upon spotting me, the crowd erupted into cheers.
“Hey, it seems they are here to block you.”
“Good luck, Explosive Witch.”
A few girls passing by casually greeted me with smiles.
I could only respond awkwardly; I must be foolish to walk out here, thinking it would be fun to be blocked by so many people!
I didn’t have the luxury to waste time with them; after surveying the open area of the arena and ensuring there were no hidden barriers, I took out my Flying Broomstick and slipped away from above.
“Hey! That Xiao Han has escaped!”
“Where? Where?”
“Woo, the Flying Broomstick!”
“Never mind, I’m going too! Flying Broomstick, activate!”
Just as I made my exit, I exhaled deeply; being surrounded by so many people felt uncomfortable. Were those seniors that bored?
If I became a senior, I wouldn’t have the inclination to watch the newcomers’ confrontation so attentively; hence, it seems the seniors watching today aren’t simple characters.
While I was up in the air trying to determine my direction, suddenly, a figure riding a broom approached me.
“Excuse me, are you the Explosive Witch Yang Yuelan? I didn’t mistake that, did I?”
“Huh? What’s this?!” I was startled by the sudden appearance of this person.
It felt like riding smoothly on a bicycle when suddenly someone rode alongside and asked if you were someone—who would react calmly to that?
“I’m a reporter from the Witch Academy News Club. May I interview you like this?”
“Ah?”
I was stunned for a moment; how is it that the academy has every kind of club, even such peculiar ones? My escaping clearly meant I was trying to avoid her existence!
Yet here she was, insistently sticking around!
