Fulilian: The Little Master Who Doesn't Understand Love

Chapter 263 The First Level 1 Mage Examination (5K)
The central arena outside the Magic Association tower was solemner than ever before.

The spacious area, usually used for sparring and exchanging skills, was now shrouded in a magical barrier, and even the air was filled with a sense of magical pressure.

The strength of this barrier magic is not very high; it is simply set up to prevent others from accidentally entering this area.

The surrounding platforms were empty, except for two figures floating side by side in the air high above: Celia and Lord.

Nineteen mages stood scattered across the field below.

Their expressions varied, and their bodies were filled with considerable magical energy as they looked up at the legendary figure in the sky.

Of course, Lord's figure also attracted the curiosity of some people, but most mages regarded him as a disciple of Celie. Only a few mages with keen senses sensed the terrifying magical aura emanating from Lord.

This man is very strong.

This is their shared feeling.

The mages in the center of the plaza below are elites who have passed the second-level mage assessment and have gathered here to challenge for the highest level of first-level mage qualification.

If it were just a simple certificate of magic, it wouldn't attract so many people. Those who can pass Celia's Level 2 Magician test are more or less well-known magicians, so naturally they look down on this so-called Level 1 Magician title.

They are more concerned about the rewards that follow.

Among them are even mages from the St. Katia Magic Academy.

Obviously, the offer of the magic that the elven saint Seria could grant him was simply too tempting.

Outside the venue, ministers from the Kingdom of El were waiting.

Once the assessment is over, regardless of whether these mages passed or not, he will approach them to recruit them and see if he can get them to serve the Kingdom of El.

Using this method, he has found many mages willing to join the Kingdom of El, and of course, Lord also deserves some credit for this.

The other party is consciously helping the Kingdom of El to establish its own army of magicians.

Seria's gaze swept down, and her voice, amplified by magic, clearly reached everyone's ears: "The rules for the Level 1 Mage assessment are very simple."

You will be teleported to a specific battlefield, and the last two who remain on the battlefield will pass the test.

"During this period, any means are acceptable, and neither is death." She paused, then offered a reward that would drive any mage mad, "Those who pass the test can make one request of me. Any magic will do, even forbidden spells from the mythical era; as long as I possess them, I can teach them."

Upon hearing this, the breathing below instantly became much heavier.

Magic from the Age of Myth!
This is the ultimate knowledge that all magicians crave!

While older magic isn't necessarily more powerful, it allows for research and development!

In particular, the legendary strongest offensive magic of the mythical era, "Divine Strike," if one could research it and create a magic of the same power, that achievement would be enough to make one famous for generations to come.

Lord stood beside Celia, his gaze sweeping across the crowd. In his hand was a list of all the mages who had passed the Level 2 Mage exam.

He is checking the people on the list and the mages below.

But it seems one person is missing.

Twenty people passed the Level 2 assessment, but only nineteen showed up at the moment.

Carlo?
Lord paused slightly at a name on the list. He seemed to have heard the name somewhere before, but couldn't quite place it.

However, did this mage not come because he knew he was not strong enough, or was he so engrossed in his research that he couldn't extricate himself?

Lord didn't delve into it further, since participating in the Level 1 Mage assessment wasn't mandatory; it was entirely voluntary for these mages. So he turned his attention back to the arena.

Seria said nothing more. She raised her hand and held the holy sword Atos in her grasp.

A burst of powerful magical light suddenly erupted, instantly enveloping all the examinees present, as well as herself and Lord.

Immediately afterwards, space distorted violently, and the teleportation magic circle was activated.

The next moment, everyone found themselves in a vast forest.

At the same time, an enormous golden barrier, like an inverted giant bowl, enveloped the entire forest and the sky above it.

Complex ancient runes flowed across the barrier walls, clearly indicating that it was the exclusive barrier of Atos, who was known as the world's strongest defensive magic.

"The battlefield is limited by this barrier, and you should not even try to break it, as that would be a waste of magic." Celia's voice rang out again. "Furthermore, the barrier will shrink over time."

The barrier shrinks once per hour until only a hundred meters of space remain at the center. Those who refuse to move will be forcibly repelled by the barrier's power and considered to have failed the test.

The harshness of the rules sent a chill down the spines of all the examinees.

This can be described as a naked battlefield. The elven saint's test was very simple: he made these mages fight each other within this barrier, and the two who stood at the end were considered to have passed the test.

This tests not only strength, but also magical power and the ability to seize opportunities.

"start."

As soon as Celia's voice fell, the nineteen mages were grabbed as if by an invisible giant hand and were thrown haphazardly into various corners of the barrier, instantly disappearing into the dense forest.

Meanwhile, Celia and Lord remained suspended high in the sky.

Before them, several magically constructed monitoring screens appeared out of thin air, clearly displaying the battles that were taking place or were about to take place in various corners of the forest below.

"Who do you think will win?" Celia asked casually, her gaze sweeping over the screens with interest.

Lord smiled and said, "It's hard to say. There are too many variables in a chaotic battle, but there are a few mages who are quite interesting."

His gaze was mainly fixed on the two screens.

On one of the screens, a tall, thin male mage with gray hair is being attacked.

Several blazing fireballs attacked him from different directions.

However, he did not use any offensive magic to retaliate, nor did he even try to completely dodge. He simply stood calmly in place and quickly cast spells.

hum!
Layer upon layer of shields instantly unfolded around him!

He was completely enveloped by colorful defensive magic, like a giant tortoise shell.

The opponent's attacks struck these shields, bursting into blinding flashes of fire, but they could not budge them in the slightest.

The mage remained expressionless, and even took advantage of the lull in the attack to add two more layers of shields to himself.

“An extreme defensive approach,” Lord commented. “Abandoning all offensive methods and focusing all magic and energy on defense is an extreme approach, but in this kind of chaotic battle, it might allow one to survive for quite a while.”

Furthermore, it also contained some defensive magic I hadn't seen before, seemingly specifically designed to counter elemental attack magic. This person has clearly mastered defensive magic.

Celia remained noncommittal, turning her gaze to another screen.

The scene on this screen is completely different.

A female mage dressed in a red mage's robe is moving at high speed through the forest.

She made no defense whatsoever; her body was surging with magic power, clearly having entered a state of magic liberation from the very beginning.

boom! boom! boom!
Wherever she goes, she doesn't care who her opponent is, or whether they are fighting or fleeing; she simply raises her hand and unleashes a wide-range fireball or countless bolts of lightning.

It was a completely unrestrained barrage of firepower, a frenzied release of magic, as if her magical power were inexhaustible.

And that's pretty much the case. At least in Celia's eyes, among these mages, the only one whose magical power could rival hers was that mage who only knew defensive magic.

“The other extreme, the ultimate offensive style.” Lord’s eye twitched slightly. “Completely abandoning defense, pursuing ultimate destructive power…”

"This guy is really fearless." He said, but his fingers twitched slightly, and an extremely subtle magical shield was silently attached to the red-robed female mage.

Although Celia's words were quite cold, he didn't want an assessment to actually result in a death, especially for such a promising young talent.

Seria clearly noticed his subtle movements, glanced at him, and said calmly, "The threat of death is the best motivation for a mage to become stronger."

Although she said that, she did not actually stop it.

“After all, it’s just an assessment, not a real life-or-death battle. There’s no need to actually kill anyone.” Lord shrugged. “Besides, look, she seems to have a very special kind of magic.”

Seria's gaze returned to the screen. She saw the red-robed mage frantically unleashing her magic while simultaneously traversing the forest at incredible speed.

Other mages' attacks often couldn't even touch the hem of her clothes, which was the biggest reason why they dared to abandon any defense.

“A special technique that temporarily and greatly increases speed and evasion by burning magic.” A hint of appreciation flashed in Celia’s eyes. “Although it consumes a lot of magic, it complements her fighting style perfectly.”

If she could control the frequency of her attacks and focus more on efficiency rather than simply venting, she would be stronger and have a better chance of standing until the end.

She was ultimately too hasty; this wasn't simply a test of ability.

Lord nodded in agreement: "In comparison, this mage specializing in defense is much more composed."

His magical power is quite astonishing. You see, while maintaining the highest intensity of multiple composite defensive spells almost the entire time, the fluctuations in his magical power remain stable.

This level of magical power is top-tier among humans, almost reaching the pinnacle, but unfortunately, it's still a little short.

Lord subconsciously compared him to Volamere, but Volamere was an exceptional monster, not one of the geniuses of normal humans.

Observation continues.

The battle in the forest intensified.

The first contraction of the barrier had begun, with the golden wall slowly pushing inward, forcing all the surviving mages to move towards the central area.

Encounters became more frequent.

Magicians are constantly being eliminated due to depletion of their magic power or severe injuries.

Although the red-robed female mage attacked fiercely, she also encountered danger several times, and her robes were charred black, making her look quite disheveled.

The mage, focused solely on defense, remained undefeated regardless of the attacks he encountered, relying solely on his terrifying magical power and defensive capabilities to repel wave after wave of attackers.

"Looks like this guy has a better chance of winning," Lord said, stroking his chin. "So, Celia, how about we make a bet?"

Celia raised an eyebrow at him: "What are we betting on?"

“Let’s bet on that guy down there who specializes in defense,” Lord pointed to the figure on the screen enveloped in layers of shields. “If he passes the test, what type of magic will he ask you for?”

Seria chuckled. "He might not pass. I'm more optimistic about that mage with top-tier attack and speed, if only he were a little smarter." Even so, she accepted the bet. "What are we betting on?"

"Let's have a kiss. It seems you've never kissed me first, not counting that accident before."

Lord laughed, referring to the time when Celia got drunk, which was also the beginning of their relationship becoming public knowledge.

Celia was stunned for a moment. The two had kissed quite a few times during this period, but it seemed that she had never taken the initiative.

I feel my body getting hot again for no reason, and my face is itchy too.

It's just a normal kiss, so why does it always make my thoughts so chaotic?
Could it be that Lord is secretly using some kind of mental magic?

Celia forced a cool expression on her face and replied, "Okay."

I think he'll choose magic that can significantly weaken the enemy's magic power, or magic that can further enhance his own defensive strength to the extreme; this best suits his fighting style and needs.

Celia remembered seeing similar magic effects before. If this guy really did pass the test by chance and made such a request, she could just give him the magic.

Lord shook his head, revealing a meaningful smile: "I guess he'll ask you for the magical rune formula of the barrier itself, which was created by the Holy Sword Atos."

Celia was stunned for a moment, then shook her head: "Impossible!"

Atos's barrier magic originates from the power of the holy sword itself, and its magical runes are beyond the comprehension of ordinary people.

Even if he obtained it, he wouldn't be able to unleash its power, let alone recreate a barrier of this level. It would be utterly useless to him.

"Perhaps," Lord said noncommittally, "but I just have a feeling about it. We'll see."

As time passed, the barrier shrank again and again, and fewer and fewer survivors remained on the battlefield.

The red-robed female mage eventually succumbed to excessive magic consumption and was injured by multiple opponents in a moment of untimely evasion. Although Lord's defensive magic saved her life, she was unable to fight and was eliminated.

Finally, when the barrier shrank to just a small open space with a diameter of 100 meters in the center, only four people remained on the field.

Besides the defensive mage, there were three other mages of equally formidable strength.

A final, chaotic battle erupted.

The three mages seemed to have formed a brief alliance and launched a fierce attack on the defensive mage.

In an instant, all sorts of high-level magic rained down on the thick tortoise shell like a storm.

However, the opponent's defensive magic seemed truly indestructible, managing to withstand all the attacks.

Furthermore, his magical power was extremely terrifying. Under such intense bombardment, although his shield was flashing brightly, it showed no signs of collapsing.

On the contrary, the magic power of the three attackers was being consumed rapidly.

Ultimately, rather than fighting to the death with this guy who only knew how to hide behind defensive magic, the three mages chose to engage in a full-scale battle.

The fragile alliance crumbled instantly.

One person's magic power was exhausted first, and he was taken advantage of by the other person to be injured and eliminated.

The last remaining attacker successfully eliminated him, becoming one of the two remaining survivors.

The assessment is over.

The golden barrier slowly dissipated, and the forest returned to its original state, leaving only traces of the magical battle.

The two surviving mages, including the defensive mage, were teleported back to the Magic Association Tower.

Both of them were greatly exhausted, especially the defensive mage, whose face was very pale. Clearly, enduring the attacks of these mages all the way had taken a toll on him.

Celia and Lord fell from the sky and stood in front of them.

"Congratulations, you have passed the test." Celia's voice remained cold and clear. "Now, tell me the magic you desire."

Another mage, trembling with excitement, uttered the name of an ancient attack spell that had been missing from his family's heritage for hundreds of years.

Seria nodded and taught the magic to the other person.

When it was the turn of the mage specializing in defense, he took a deep breath, stepped forward, and said to Seria with utmost solemnity:
"My esteemed Lady Celie, what I desire is the complete formula for constructing the magical runes of the magical barrier that you just cast over the battlefield."

Celia: “…”

A hint of surprise flashed across her golden eyes, and she subconsciously turned her head to glance at Lord beside her.

Lord winked at her with his usual smile.

Seria withdrew her gaze and looked again at the mage who had made the strange request, her tone carrying a hint of inquiry: "Do you know what that is? It is a miracle that can only be performed by relying on the power of the Holy Sword."

Its formula is far more complex than you can imagine; even if you had it, you wouldn't be able to understand it. Are you sure you want to waste this precious opportunity and ask for it?

The mage's gaze was unwavering: "I am certain, Lady Celia! Whether you can understand it or not is a matter for later. I yearn to know its composition. Even if I never manage to cast it in my entire life, just glimpsing its mysteries would be enough for me!"

Celia looked at him silently for a moment, then suddenly nodded gently: "Okay."

She raised her hand, and countless complex magical runes appeared before her.

After teaching all the magical runes to the mage, Celia looked at his incredibly excited expression, paused for a moment, and then turned to Lord, her tone somewhat complicated: "How...how did you guess?"

Lord smiled and stepped forward, naturally putting his arm around her: "Because of intuition. Someone who specializes in defensive magic must crave the world's strongest defensive magic, even if they can't learn it, they must obtain it. This is a uniquely human obsession."

He bent down and patted Celia on the head, laughing, "Alright, great saint, I won the bet. I'm looking forward to your initiative."

Seria then remembered the contents of the bet, and her expression instantly became somewhat subtle and unnatural.

She glanced at the mage, still lost in the euphoria of knowledge, and then at the cunning man beside her. For the first time, she had a feeling that… perhaps making a bet wasn’t a good idea.

(End of this chapter)