Cornflower Witch

Chapter 379 Participating in the Freshman Competition

Is it a 'phantom flying sword' or a 'synesthetic technique'?
Seeing the girl hesitate, the two waited for a long time, and then, as if suddenly receiving some kind of instruction, they made a decision together.

"Why don't we learn both and see which one suits us better?" they suggested.

"But isn't the rule that you can only learn one subject?" Hiltiya touched her finger lightly, looked away, and asked somewhat embarrassedly.

"Logically speaking, one can only learn one subject, but there are other channels and methods to gain the qualification to learn an additional subject."

“Come with us.” With that, the senior student took Silti’s hand and led her out of the library.

"There is a competition being held at the Hall of Suspended Silk today, which is divided into different levels. Although you are not a student of this academy, as a visitor, you can participate in the easiest level."

"In this category, the highest rank of the participants cannot exceed the third rank, and if you get into the top eight, you will receive the qualification to learn an additional secret technique," she said as she walked.

"There's such an event? Thank you, senior." Hiltiya nodded gratefully, wondering if the competition would be difficult.

If she doesn't adhere to the abilities and methods of the mage faction and freely changes her gender and profession, even though she is only at the second rank now, she can defeat many third-rank opponents.

However, she cannot reveal her identity yet, so the outcome is hard to predict. After all, a difference of one level in appearance can create a huge gap, especially since those who can come to Rolik Academy are all elites among their peers.

After the three left the library, they met the old lady with her granddaughter in the lobby. She was surprised that the three had come out in such a hurry, and they were discussing their future path with Tikkiss.

"What happened? Why are you in such a hurry?" She could tell that Hilti didn't seem to have chosen a secret technique and was ready to learn it.

When the old lady asked her a question, the three of them explained, but before she could answer, Tikkis said she wanted to go and see too.

Seeing that her granddaughter really wanted to go, she had no choice but to agree. So the five of them went to the arena not far away, which was only about 800 meters away.

More than ten minutes later, the group arrived at the arena, where a number of students and guests had already gathered. Some were sitting in the audience watching, while others had signed up for the competitions they had chosen.

After bringing Siltiah to the registration desk, the two explained the situation, and the registration staff nodded.

"Oh, so you're a little sister who hasn't enrolled yet. In that case, you can only participate in the freshman competition, which is a competition that students who have been enrolled for less than two years and apprentices who haven't entered any academy can participate in."

"There are 64 participants in this round, and it's an elimination tournament. If you can survive to the final eight, you can get a reward. Of course, the higher your ranking, the richer the reward."

"The first round of the competition has already started, and the second round is still accepting applications. It will start in about half an hour."

Although there are 64 people in one round, as long as you defeat three opponents, you can enter the quarterfinals. In reality, luck plays a big role. However, the purpose of such a competition is to motivate students to learn, and it is not necessary to rank them precisely based on everyone's performance.

The element of luck plays a significant role, which makes the competition more interesting, giving even those with less skill a sliver of hope.

After registering for Siltia, the five of them went to the audience seats to wait. It was then that Siltia learned the identities of the two senior students from their conversation.

"My name is Dicas. I am currently a first-class student at the Film Star Academy and have been studying at Rolik Academy for five years."

The "Film Star First Class" he mentioned is the ranking system used by the academy to classify its third-tier members. Starting from the Film Star Fifth Class upon enrollment, members gradually advance based on their contributions, mastery of spells, and improvement in strength. If they advance to the fourth tier, it's from "Venus Fifth Class" to "Venus First Class." As for the fifth tier, it's from "Rose Third Class" to "Rose First Class." The sixth tier, which is above that, consists of the academy's professors and powerful core members.

Hilti didn't react much after hearing this, but the old lady next to her changed her expression slightly when she heard that the two were both 'top-tier movie stars'. Seeing their unusual enthusiasm towards Hilti, she seemed to have guessed something. The arena was now divided into four large sections, with battles taking place simultaneously. This way, even if a match ended or wasn't exciting, the audience could immediately shift their focus to the battle in another section.

Sitting in the audience, Hilti noticed that most of the participants in the freshman competition were at the third tier, with only a handful at the second tier, and their performance was poor.

Thinking about it carefully, this is normal. If one could easily overcome the gap in rank to fight, then so many people wouldn't be so obsessed with and eager to advance in rank.

Half an hour passed quickly, and after the first round champion was determined, the second round of the competition officially began.

Hiltiya also arrived at the special waiting room and received her numbered tag.

"Hedra, number 47." After receiving it, Hiltiya followed the others and tied the tag around her waist.

The matches are played very quickly, with the winner usually decided in two minutes. Excluding the time it takes for a match to start or end, each match lasts about 4 to 5 minutes.

"Contestant number 47 versus contestant number 48, enter the arena now." Hearing the referee's voice outside, Hilti tidied her clothes and entered the battle arena.

Although it was late at night, the place was brightly lit, and the huge torches around the battlefield illuminated the environment very brightly.

Hiltiya saw the people cheering for her on the stage in the distance, nodded, and then turned to her opponent, who was wearing a black uniform and looked to be a freshman at Rolik Academy.

Neither of them was carrying any weapons, so it seemed to be a pure battle between mages. After the host announced the start, the other party took out a handful of strange powder and sprinkled it into the air. Then, two pale, ethereal hounds took shape and charged at Hilti.

Although it looks fierce, it doesn't seem that strong, the girl thought to herself.

【Bone Spirit Hound】(Tier 2 - Death Ashes), a creature summoned by magic, with a limited duration, a semi-ethereal body, and extremely fast speed.

While the intensity was limited, the assessment that the speed was extremely fast was indeed correct. The two began fighting forty meters apart, and in the blink of an eye, they rushed in front of each other. If Shilutiya were the kind of student who was slow to activate her spells, she would probably have had to admit defeat on the spot.

Facing the two vicious dogs that attacked like the wind, Hilti opened her hands, and several threads appeared beside her. After floating and opening, they instantly strangled and cut the two vicious dogs into several pieces.

The destroyed bone spirit hound turned into fluorescent powder in the air, and then, under the control of the opposing mage, it attempted to reform. However, Hiltiya did not give the opponent this opportunity, but instead continued to expand and arrange the threads to interfere with the opponent's control.

Seconds later, the opponent of the 'Bone Spirit Hound', which was unable to reassemble, was entangled by the incoming threads and surrendered.

"Number 47 wins!"

After the competition, he loosened his tight collar, shook his head, and walked off the stage, complaining to his companions not far away.

"I was careless. I was thinking that since the opponent was a second-level student, I could catch them off guard and win directly."

He was a third-tier mage, and theoretically he could also summon third-tier creatures to fight, but it would take much longer and there was a risk of being defeated by slower attacks from lower-tier opponents. Therefore, he chose the tactic of summoning extremely fast "bone spirit hounds".

"Haha, it's okay, you can participate again in a few months. This kind of freshman competition is held several times a year." Several companions comforted him, laughing as they walked off the stage. One of them even gave Siltia a thumbs up in praise.

The atmosphere is so friendly, the girl thought.

(End of this chapter)