1047 The Poison in the Wind (1/2)
Translated by XephiZ
Edited by Aelryinth
The stage was completely sealed off by a barrier, with defensive Mages stationed around the stage to block the energy from leaking out after it exceeded the threshold of the barrier.
The students in the World College Tournament were all Advanced Mages, and the damage of a single Advanced Spell was enough to destroy an entire street. As such, even though the stage was the size of four soccer fields, they still could not afford to lower their guards.
Normally, the world organizations did not encourage Mages to duel with one another, mainly because of how hard it was to control the power of their spells. As Mages grew stronger, the destruction they could cause was absolutely terrifying. There were quite a few incidents where Mages were seriously injured in duels.
The stage's ground was made of soil, with tiny dust particles scattered across it. Even the simplest Wind Spell could sweep a huge chunk of dust into the air.
However, a few older Mages soon entered the stage. They started to alter the appearance of the stage with their Earth and Plant Elements.
It was like a magic show, as sturdy soil, hard dirt, tall rocks, and sand dunes rapidly formed under the crowd's gazes.
Following that, it was the Plant Mages' turn to perform. Tall, ancient trees emerged from the ground, as a green canopy full of vines and branches shrouded the sky, turning the stage into a primordial forest!
The barren stage from just a while ago had transformed into a wilderness battlefield. If the stage was not surrounded by the barrier and spectator seats like the Colosseum, the participants could almost assume they were currently in a forest out in the wild!
”These people are professionals at setting up dueling grounds!” Jiang Yu exclaimed, unable to locate a single flaw on the stage that had been set up.
The Mages needed outstanding control, comparable to a Super Mage, to be able to create a stage that was exactly the same as the wild in such a short period...
There were many kinds of Mages. Mo Fan was the typical offensive type, and even though the ratio of battle-type Mages was a lot higher, the forgemasters, blacksmiths, herbalists, gardeners, constructors, and stage builders in a city were all Mages too. They were not as impressive in battles, but a few of them could construct an entire city in a short amount of time. These Mages were usually highly respected in society, too!
After the stage builders were done setting up the stage, Mo Fan was left in awe. He initially thought the stage would be boring and dull as it was, but to his surprise, the stage was set up randomly before every match!
Since the terrain of every match was different, the spectators would not feel bored watching the tournament. On the other hand, it was important for the students to use the environment to their advantage.
Since every Mage had different Elements, there was a chance that the terrain of each match would place some Mages in an advantageous position. Therefore, the terrain of every match that took place in Venice was only decided right before the match, and was set up randomly...
”Neither side will have an advantage in a terrain like this. It's quite fair to both sides,” Advisor Feng Li observed.
If the environment did not bring one side a great advantage, it simply came down to the strength of the teams.
The Japanese team consisted of their captain, Shou Watani; Akira Matsuki, whose primary Element was the Shadow Element; and the newcomer Yosuke. The last two representatives were a short-haired woman and a plump man.
”To your positions!” the judge ordered.
The candidates immediately entered their designated areas. Meanwhile, the spectators sitting a fair distance away burst into uproars while sharing their predictions with one another. The information of the representatives of each team was kept confidential prior to the tournament. As such, every representative of a country had become a hot topic for the public! Many vendors selling information would go as far as digging up everything that happened on the day that a representative Awakened their magic!
”It's my first time fighting in front of such a huge crowd, I'm feeling a little bit nervous,” Jiang Yu whispered.
”What is there to be nervous about? Just beat the crap out of them!” Jiang Shaoxu said confidently.
”Guan Yu, keep an eye on Akira Matsuki, he's a Shadow Mage,” Ai Jiangtu said to Guan Yu.
”Got it.”
After going through their strategy briefly, the countdown in the form of number-displaying fireworks had started in the sky. As the biggest, loudest firework exploded in the air, it officially declared the start of the World College Tournament!
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There was a huge blast in the air, and the vivid fireworks were projected onto Mu Ningxue's pale and icy face. She slowly lifted her gaze and focused her attention on her opponents.
A breeze swept past, blowing the strands of hair beside Mu Ningxue's face.
Mu Ningxue breathed in and sensed an abnormal presence from the wind. It was extremely vague, but rather deadly!
”The wind is poisonous,” Mu Ningxue said to her teammates confidently, her gaze sharp.