"He blocked it?"
"He's unharmed?!"
"That's impossible! He's only Level 1!"
As Arthas effortlessly blocked Riveria's attack, a chorus of disbelief erupted. Everyone stared, dumbfounded, at the impossible scene.
Level 1 versus Level 6—a chasm of difference. Everyone expected an easy victory for Riveria, but Arthas had proven them wrong.
The Level 1 adventurer had calmly received Riveria's attack, even if it was just a probe.
But the sheer power of the attack left everyone speechless. They marveled at Riveria, Orario's strongest mage; her power was extraordinary.
The noise and surprise from the audience were unheard in the arena; Arthas wasn't paying attention; he was focused on something stranger.
Riveria's attack wasn't unusual; it was her usual method during their training sessions.
Their magic practice always started with Riveria's barrage of spells.
Sometimes fire, sometimes lightning, sometimes wind blades.
What intrigued Arthas was his fire poker-like staff.
Riveria's fire magic had been completely absorbed by the unassuming staff. It was a near-greedy absorption, startling Arthas.
He'd studied the staff for a while, but with little progress. He knew it had incredible mana affinity; using it amplified spells.
This was the first time he'd seen it absorb mana so greedily.
Wait… is it the mana attribute? The staff seems interested only in fire magic?
As Arthas pondered, Riveria, having finished her probe, created a fire barrier in front of her, then began chanting a complex spell.
Elves' understanding of magic surpassed humans'; they compressed and refined mana.
Complex spells chanted in common language were reduced to a few syllables in Elvish. This made their mana concentration and casting speed far superior to other races.
This was an innate talent, unmatched by others. Even with contractual magic, other races couldn't compare to Elven mages.
Mastering one or two spells was difficult for them; Elves like Riveria mastered all elements!
The elegant Elvish chant was quickly completed; Arthas felt intense heat beneath his feet.
He knew this spell; it was one of Riveria's favorite opening moves.
'Flame Blast'—gathering fire elements beneath the target and unleashing them.
This spell had a 0.5-1 second delay; someone with quick reflexes could dodge it.
Ais, for example, could dodge and counterattack.
Arthas lacked Riveria's agility; he couldn't dodge the blast, his physical limitations unchanged. But he chose a simpler, more brutal method.
Arthas stomped the ground; frost spread, freezing the entire arena.
The half-cast spell was forcefully suppressed; Riveria felt a surge of blood, her mana unstable.
"Such immense mana reserves…"
Riveria smiled wryly; she'd been completely outmatched in mana.
Her only advantage was her understanding of magic and her vast spell repertoire.
After the failed 'Flame Blast', Riveria chanted another spell.
Riveria was fast, but she needed time to chant; Arthas didn't.
Without moving, Arthas raised a hand towards Riveria.
A huge vortex appeared in mid-air; Riveria was pulled towards Arthas, her spell interrupted.
"A… mana vortex?!" Riveria was startled, using her mana to resist.
But her mana was suppressed by an even greater force; her magic felt childish, unable to withstand this incredible power.
This… is impossible!
She knew Arthas's mana was immense, but this disparity was too great!
Riveria realized she couldn't win; Arthas was overpowering her!
Mana was everything to a mage; Arthas's mana was so vast it could create a vortex to pull her in. How could she fight?
Riveria had thought their mana difference was like a cup versus a bowl; now she realized Arthas wasn't a bowl; he was an ocean.
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