The air changed.
Not subtly.
Not gradually.
It compressed.
I felt it before I saw it—pressure gathering around Brix, not from the ground this time, but from him. No… not him.
From the staff.
My eyes narrowed.
"…That's a lot of mana."
It wasn't just dense.
It was familiar.
A flicker of memory surfaced—
The Gale Hound.
A freaking Stage 1 Monster.
That same oppressive weight before it unleashed its attack.
My stomach tightened.
Falsification (A)
"…Nova," I said quietly, "why does that feel like a Stage One monster?"
A pause.
Then—
[Appraise the staff.]
Right.
Higher Appraisal (SS).
The information unfolded instantly.
---
Mana-Infusion Staff / AAA Rank
RARITY: Rare
A finely crafted arcane staff forged from layered spellwood and a crystalline mana core that pulses like a living heart. Veins of condensed mana run along its length, glowing brighter with each spell cast. Designed for battle-mages, it seamlessly blends close-quarters combat with high-output spellcasting, turning its wielder into a walking storm of controlled chaos.
Effects:
• Mana Infusion Core: Continuously absorbs ambient mana and stores it within the staff. Stored mana can be injected into spells or physical strikes, amplifying both without increasing casting strain.
• Adaptive Casting Flow: Reduces casting delay by dynamically adjusting mana flow. Successive spells or strikes become smoother and faster, enabling seamless chaining between melee and magic.
• Arcane Reinforcement: Channels mana into the staff's structure, drastically increasing durability and impact force. Physical strikes carry magical weight, capable of disrupting defences and spell constructs.
• Resonant Feedback Loop: Each successful hit (melee or spell) returns a fraction of mana to the wielder. Consecutive hits increase efficiency, rewarding aggressive hybrid combat.
Skills:
• Mana Breaker — A heavy infused strike that releases stored mana on impact, causing an internal burst within the target. Effective against both physical defences and active spells, often shattering barriers from within.
• Infusion Cascade — Triggers a rapid sequence where each attack (spell or melee) auto-infuses the next with increasing power. For a short duration, the wielder enters a flow state where magic and movement become nearly indistinguishable.
Cost: Mana (Low passive drain, high burst consumption during skill or magic activation)
Requirement:
• Staff or Polearm Mastery > D Rank
• Any Magic > D Rank
---
I went still.
Then—
"…You've got to be kidding me."
The answer clicked into place so cleanly it was almost insulting.
Falsification (A)
"…He's not generating that mana," I muttered.
[Correct.]
"He's borrowing it."
[Stored. Refined. Reused.]
I clicked my tongue.
"…Of course."
Of course he had a weapon that turned him into a walking mana battery.
My gaze snapped back to Brix.
The staff pulsed.
Once.
Twice.
The mana inside it surged like a second heartbeat.
"…Mana Infusion Core," I said flatly. "You cheating piece of crap."
Not illegal.
Not unfair.
Just—
Extremely annoying.
"It's not a simple fight anymore," I muttered. "That's a Stage 1 spell pretending to be polite."
The ground beneath Brix began to glow.
A magic circle formed.
Large.
Too large.
"…Nope."
I moved.
Immediately.
No hesitation.
Aura surged into my legs—
Flow.
I dashed forward.
Cut the distance.
End it before completion.
That was the plan.
But then—
The circle locked.
The world responded.
Too late.
"…Tch."
The ground erupted.
Not once.
Not in sequence.
Continuously.
Earth Spikes.
Dozens of them.
No pattern.
No rhythm.
Just violent, relentless emergence from every direction.
I twisted.
Left.
Right.
Forward.
Back—
Spirit Intuition (S) screamed—
Move.
I moved.
A spike shot past my ribs—
Another tore through where my leg had been—
Another erupted directly under me—
I shifted mid-step—
Barely.
"…This is insane!"
[Zone type attack spell.] Nova replied calmly.
"No kidding!"
And then—
Stone Bullets (AA)
From the outside.
From Brix.
What the hell.
I dodged a spike—
Deflected a projectile—
Twisted past another—
The battlefield wasn't a battlefield anymore.
It was a killing machine.
And I was inside it.
"…How is f*ck are you maintaining this while attacking?!"
My voice echoed across the arena.
No answer from him.
Of course not.
[The staff.] Nova said.
Right.
Adaptive Casting Flow.
Infusion.
Mana recycling.
"…That thing is carrying him," I muttered.
No.
That wasn't fair.
It wasn't just carrying him.
It was amplifying him.
And right now—
It was turning this into a losing fight.
Another spike—
I pivoted—
Another volley—
I deflected—
The distance—
Wasn't closing.
It was being denied.
I exhaled sharply.
---
BARRIER DURABILITY
Augustus – 23%
Brix – 17%
---
"Damn it! At this rate..."
"…Fine."
No more testing.
No more patience.
I leaned forward.
Aura surged.
Not controlled.
Not cautious.
Focused.
Aggressive.
"Then we stop playing safe."
I dashed.
Straight.
Into it.
Mad dash.
Spikes erupted—
Spirit Intuition screamed—
I moved before they existed—
Feet landing in gaps that shouldn't exist—
Blade moved—
Clang. Clang. Clang.
Stone Bullets deflected—
Not dodged.
Not avoided.
Deflected.
Vital angles.
Minimal motion.
Every strike redirecting trajectory instead of blocking force.
The world narrowed.
Spikes.
Projectiles.
Distance.
Brix.
That was it.
Nothing else existed.
My mind stopped thinking.
My body—
Moved.
Closer.
Closer—
The circle intensity faded a little—
Not weaker—
But less effective.
Because I wasn't inside its optimal range.
Brix's eyes sharpened.
There it was.
Pressure.
He made a decision.
The circle—
Stopped.
Cut.
Just like that.
No hesitation.
No greed.
Good call.
Bad for me.
Earth Wall (B+)
Started rising fast.
Between us.
Too late.
Aura surged into my arms.
Into the blade.
Into the runes.
The sword howled.
Ironhowl Blade (A) - Reverberation Strike
But not close-range.
I swung.
And released.
A crescent of compressed silver aura tore through the air—
Fast.
Violent.
Unavoidable at this range.
Brix reacted instantly.
Staff raised—
Iron Skin (A)
Activated—
The slash hit.
The impact detonated—
Not outside—
Inside.
The wall—
Hadn't fully formed.
The strike reached him first.
---
BARRIER DURABILITY
Augustus – 5%
Brix – 6%
---
The moment he froze.
That was it.
I moved.
No hesitation.
No follow-up thought.
I stepped.
On the rising edge of the wall.
Jumped.
Over.
Brix's gaze snapped upward.
Too late.
I was already above him.
Gravity.
Momentum.
Aura.
Everything aligned.
The blade came down.
Clean.
Direct.
Final.
He tried to react—
Staff half-raised—
Guard incomplete—
The strike landed.
The barrier—
Shattered.
---
BARRIER DURABILITY
Augustus – 5%
Brix – 0%
---
The world snapped.
The arena dissolved.
Light folded outward.
Sound returned.
The dueling grounds reappeared.
Silence.
Heavy.
Absolute.
For half a second—
No one moved.
Then—
The knight's voice.
Calm.
Final.
"Victory—Augustus Ironcreed."
---
SAFE DUEL COMPLETED
VICTOR: Augustus Ironcreed
...
DEFEATED AN OPPONENT (At a higher level) IN A FAIR DUEL
CALCULATING EARNED EXP BASED ON PERFORMANCE…
Level Up.
Level Up.
Level Up.
Level Up.
---
Wooo.. 4 levels for defeating an opponent in a duel.
Damn, that's worth it.
Now I think duels are not such a bad thing.
I exhaled.
In a good mood.
My grip loosened slightly on the sword.
Across from me—
Brix stood still.
Barrier gone.
Staff lowered.
Breathing steady.
Then—
He let out a short breath.
"…Hah."
Not frustration.
Not anger.
Just acceptance.
"You're annoying," he said.
I snorted.
"You're the one who started it."
A faint smile.
Then—
He turned and walked off.
Just like that.
No drama.
No complaints.
Just—
Done.
I watched him go for a moment.
Then rolled my shoulders once.
Falsification (A)
"…That was way too close."
[Correct.]
I glanced down at my hands.
Steady.
Barely.
"…Stage One level spell," I muttered. "In a safe duel."
[You did pretty well.]
"Barely."
[Enough.]
I exhaled again.
Then looked at the arena.
The crowd.
The watching eyes.
Different now.
Not amused.
Not curious.
Evaluating.
Good.
That meant I'd done it right.
But that also meant—
"…Great," I muttered.
"More attention."
In my mind, Nova responded.
[Get used to it, with me as your partner, you are destined not to be ordinary.]
"Damn it to hell."
Sigh..