章 105: Chapter 105: Ascending the Ladder

Chapter 105: Ascending the Ladder

In the days that followed, Alex stayed within the mage tower, learning spells at the fastest possible pace.

Though he understood the proverb "haste makes waste," right now, a high-profile display of power was the best way to make the White Tower take him seriously. If they deemed him unworthy of cultivation, Alex might face the prospect of returning to the sanctuary. So he held nothing back, hungrily absorbing every bit of magic he could learn.

Watching Alex's rapid progress, Rex could only sigh in resignation. He'd expected that Alex had exceptional talent, but this rate of advancement was beyond imagination. In just over half a month since Rex began teaching him magic, Alex had already mastered fourth-level spells—a feat bordering on extraordinary, given he was simultaneously studying four different branches of magic.

It normally took over a decade for a mage in the White Tower to reach this level through extensive study and experience.

What frustrated Rex even more… was that Alex's talent extended far beyond spell learning. Every time Rex saw him, he couldn't shake the feeling that all his years of life experience had been in vain.

It was not a pleasant sensation.

That's why Alex now stood here.

"Though I've tried adjusting your progress as much as possible," Rex began, "I have to say, you've exceeded what I thought was the limit. But this isn't enough. A mage isn't just a bookworm. Even if you master ninth-level spells, without practical experience, it'll mean nothing. So, I'm sending you somewhere. It's a dueling ground for mages, a place to hone skills. Your knowledge is solid, but you lack experience. I suggest you test your abilities against other mages there, refine your techniques… Once you arrive, someone will explain the details. By the way, I've prepared a mage's robe and staff for you—lose that ridiculous outfit. It's no ballroom, and no young lady's going to invite you to dance dressed like that!"

"Is this it?"

Dressed in a white robe and holding his staff, Alex looked up at the strange space before him. After Rex had practically shoved him into the teleportation array, he found himself transported here.

It seemed everything floated in midair. He could see stone slabs suspended nearby, a vast plaza, and a series of circles moving like elevators. As he looked around, Alex saw clouds hanging like curtains. Despite the bright surroundings, there was no sun, and when he looked down, no ground in sight.

Was this a demi-plane?

Thanks to his recent studies, Alex had picked up some basic mage knowledge, one of which was that mages often used demi-planes to solve problems. Stronger mages could reportedly even create demi-planes the size of small countries. Based on what Alex could see, this space wasn't too far from that level.

"The spatial structure here is very precise, with signs of manual alteration. Master, I believe this is an artificially constructed space," said Ikaros, who had followed Alex. It was odd—she excelled in spatial skills, yet couldn't cast even a single spell, a mystery that defied explanation.

"Let's go."

With a quick glance around, Alex stepped forward. He stood on a small platform, behind him a closed stone gate carved with an intricate, mysterious emblem. Alex recognized it as Rex's symbol… which was why he was here now.

Accompanied by Ikaros, Alex stepped onto a silver disk ahead of the platform. Upon activating it with his soul force, the disk carried them swiftly toward the plaza at the center. It felt like something out of a sci-fi movie, and even Alex couldn't help but marvel. Ikaros, however, appeared unphased—perhaps, in her world, this wasn't particularly impressive.

The silver disk brought them to a corner of the floating plaza, where, as it came to a stop, Alex saw a servant made of runic patterns "float" toward him.

"Greetings, mage. Is this your first visit to the Sky Arena?"

"It is," Alex replied with a nod.

At his response, the servant promptly took out a scroll and offered it to Alex.

"Then, please sign your name here, along with your star-marked seal."

"Certainly, no problem."

After living in this world for so long, Alex had come to understand that this process was practically like "signing one's name along with a photocopy of an ID." Skillfully, he took the scroll and quill handed to him, signed his name, then placed his star seal on the designated spot. A flash of light followed, leaving a unique star pattern on the scroll.

"Mr. Alex, from the Tower of Thunder… Your number is 876, and your first match will begin in two minutes, so please prepare yourself. Your companion may stay on the disk to watch up close, or, if you prefer, she can join the battle. The rules are straightforward: regardless of method, knock your opponent off the platform to win, or force them to surrender or lose consciousness. You don't need to worry about harming other participants; any spell that could cause physical or mental harm will be strictly limited, so please proceed without concern."

"Understood," Alex nodded, listening to the invisible servant. He could already hear the cheers from the plaza above, along with explosions from spell collisions and other battle sounds.

It was clear these mages weren't simply scholars unwilling to use force.

As Alex pondered, the disk beneath him rose again, carrying him to another section. Soon, he found himself silently dropped onto a small, circular arena—about half the size of a soccer field, reminiscent of a Roman colosseum. The spectators were few and scattered in the stands. Looking up, Alex spotted a man in a red mage's robe across the platform, who was eyeing him with a serious expression.

"Time to climb the ladder."

Murmuring to himself, Alex stepped off the disk and stood in the designated spot. A wall of light appeared behind him, separating him from Ikaros. A voice soon echoed in the center of the arena.

"The match begins."

The moment the words were spoken, Alex saw the red-robed mage lift his staff and begin chanting, waving his hands dramatically. His staff emitted a radiant red glow, and his chanting echoed loudly across the arena. Soon, a bright crimson barrier formed around him, creating a solid shield.

Alex remained motionless throughout the mage's casting of his first spell. Seeing this, the red-robed mage smirked in satisfaction. As a regular in the arena, he knew well that many novice mages displayed this type of behavior when they first arrived, clueless about how to battle. Mage duels were not like the brute force of warriors; here, the real game was in the clash of wits. It seemed this young opponent was just as naïve, so he figured he'd teach him the basics.

Just as he started channeling soul force to conjure another spell, he noticed the black-haired youth raise his staff and point it at him.

Typical rookie—no chanting or spell casting, relying only on—

Pop.

But before the thought completed, his elemental shield burst like a soap bubble with a sharp "pop." In an instant, a series of flashing missiles shot through the shattered barrier and struck the red-robed mage, launching him backward.

How was this possible?!

Shocked by the stinging pain, he widened his eyes. Before he could even get up, the voice echoed once again.

"Number 812 defeated, Number 876 moves up to rank 812."

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