Chapter 20: Who Is Number One? (Part 2)
Linley was now on the verge of breaking into the rank of a second-stage warrior. An ordinary first-stage warrior could lift objects weighing a hundred jin, while a second-stage warrior could casually swing such weights around.
"You, cough, cough." Rand clutched his throat, coughing a few times, then glared furiously at Linley. "You, you actually..."
"Nice!" Yale suddenly shouted, his face brimming with excitement. "That was satisfying, Third Bro. I never knew you had such strength!"
"That kid's so young, yet he's got that much power."
The fifth-stage and sixth-stage mages were astonished. Among the hotel's patrons were also some academy magic instructors, who looked at Linley with surprise.
A boy who appeared to be eleven or twelve years old had effortlessly swung a person weighing dozens of jin with one hand.
And this boy was a mage!
"Hey, Rand, weren't you bragging about being the number one in the first year?" Yale taunted.
Rand's face flushed crimson, burning with shame and anger. He stared at Linley and shouted harshly, "You, are you even a mage? If you've got the guts, compete with me using magic! What kind of trick is this? A noble mage, resorting to the crude abilities of a warrior?" Rand was seething with humiliation. He had just won first place in the first-year arena competition, but moments ago, when Linley grabbed his throat and lifted him, the feeling of having his life in someone else's hands had terrified him.
"Yeah, if you've got the guts, compete with magic! Are you even a student of Ernst Academy?" Rison and the others beside Rand immediately chimed in.
But deep down, the four of them harbored a trace of fear toward Linley. His astonishing strength just now had left them shaken.
"Magic?"
Reynolds burst out laughing at this point, speaking arrogantly, "Rand, do you really think that just because you got first place in the first-year arena competition, you're the strongest among us? Dream on. The real number one in our first year is our dorm's Third Bro. You? Step aside."
"Third Bro, show him what you've got." Yale added.
George, who had just been scolded by Rand, now showed him no courtesy either. "Rand, let me tell you, don't overestimate yourself. There are plenty of experts in our academy who can't be bothered to join the grade competitions. Don't think you're so special."
Rand's face grew even uglier.
"Why not just have a match and find out? Rand, go ahead and compete with him." The fifth-year and sixth-year youths said with smiles, finding the first-year students' squabble amusing.
Rand was only ten years old and had always considered himself a genius.
Even at Ernst Academy, he was among the top tier. When had he ever been insulted like this?
"Number one?" Rand gritted his teeth. "Number one isn't decided by words, but by competition. If you've got the guts, let's have a pure magic duel!" He was extremely confident in his magical abilities, having proven himself through a series of matches to claim the top spot.
"Strange, why isn't the hotel management stepping in?" Some onlookers noticed this oddity.
In truth, the manager of the Walde Hotel was watching from a distance but deliberately stayed out of it.
Because he recognized these students.
Setting aside the significance of Ernst Academy students themselves, among this group, there were some he didn't want to provoke—especially Yale.
"Even Young Master Yale is here. Ah, forget it. Let them do as they please. Even if they tear down the hotel, it's none of my business." The hotel manager shook his head helplessly from afar, not daring to anger Young Master Yale.
Especially after entering Ernst Academy, Yale's status in his family had skyrocketed.
"Well said. Number one isn't decided by words, but by competition." Linley stood up, looking coldly at Rand. "Rand, a magic duel without stakes is boring. How about this: if you win, I'll avoid you from now on. If I win, you'll avoid me."
Rand sneered. "The stakes are too small. The loser not only avoids the winner but also pays a hundred gold coins. How about that?"
Linley frowned.
A hundred gold coins?
His annual living expenses were only a hundred gold coins. He wasn't one of the wealthy.
"Haha, Rand, only a hundred gold coins? You're embarrassing yourself. How about this: the loser pays ten thousand gold coins. What do you say?" Yale said smugly from the side.
"Ten thousand gold coins?"
At these words, many students in the hotel gasped. Ten thousand gold coins was no small sum. Among the students present, few could casually produce that amount without batting an eye.
"Ten thousand gold coins?" Rand's heart trembled.
Although his family was well-off, his annual allowance was only three thousand gold coins. He didn't even come to the Walde Hotel every day; this visit was to celebrate his and Rison's first and third place finishes in the grade competition.
"Oh? Scared?" Yale pulled out his magic crystal card, tossing it in his hand.
"Rand, accept it." Rison said from beside him. "The four of us can pool together ten thousand gold coins. I refuse to believe that some unknown kid can beat you."
Rand exchanged glances with his three brothers.
"Fine! Ten thousand gold coins it is!"
Rand declared loudly, then sneered at Linley. "Let's go. This place is too cramped. We'll compete on the arena used for the grade competition. If you've got the guts, follow me!" With that, Rand strode arrogantly out of the hotel, his three brothers following confidently.
"Let's go too." Yale's eyes lit up.
Reynolds and George were also excited. Linley nodded and said calmly with a faint smile, "Ten thousand gold coins? If they're offering, how can we refuse?"
Linley, Yale, Reynolds, and George left the hotel together, heading outside.
The entire hotel erupted into noise. A duel with a ten-thousand-gold-coin stake was rare even among sixth-year students. Especially since the competitors were Rand, the newly crowned first-year champion, and a mysterious kid no one had heard of.
Soon, a large crowd settled their bills and noisily followed.
******
The open-air arena was made of sturdy blue stone.
Linley and Rand now stood on opposite sides of the arena.
In no time, a large crowd had gathered below. It was dinner time, and word spread quickly from the Walde Hotel to the arena. The ten-thousand-gold-coin stake alone was enough to draw a crowd.
Seeing the growing, noisy audience, Rand couldn't help but feel a surge of pride.
"Today, I, Rand, will have a magic duel with this kid named Linley. The loser pays ten thousand gold coins and must avoid the winner from now on. Everyone, please bear witness." Rand announced loudly, enjoying the attention without a hint of stage fright.
Cheers erupted from below. Having gone through the grade competition, Rand had gained supporters, while Linley had almost none.
Linley, however, stood calmly at the edge of the arena.
"Are you done talking?" Linley said flatly.
Rand smiled confidently. "Alright, let's begin."
Both Linley and Rand began silently chanting magic incantations. Both were second-stage mages, and first- and second-stage incantations were short—just a line or two.
"Whoosh!"
Seven cyan wind blades materialized in the air, shooting straight toward Rand.
"A second-stage mage?" Some experienced onlookers immediately recognized it.
At the same time, Rand unleashed his magic. Five blazing fireballs hurtled toward Linley. The wind blades flew faster than the fireballs, forcing Rand to roll on the ground to dodge them. Linley, however, gracefully sidestepped the fireballs with ease. As he moved, his lips continued to move, casting a second spell.
Earth magic—Earthquake!
"Boom~~~"
Rand felt the blue stone beneath his feet ripple like waves, making it impossible to focus on chanting. Before he could recover, Linley cast another spell. Five head-sized stones, glowing with a faint yellow light, shot toward him at high speed.
On the shaking ground, Rand could barely stand, managing to dodge only two.
"Thud!"
A stone slammed into Rand's stomach, causing him to spit blood. He quickly raised his arms to shield his head. Two more impacts sent him tumbling off the arena, covered in dust.
Arena match: Linley wins!
Linley glanced coldly at Rand below. He knew his attacks would only require Rand to rest for about a month. If he had aimed the stones at Rand's head, the boy would likely be dead.
"A second-stage dual-element mage. There's someone like that in our first year?"
Some first-year students in the crowd exclaimed in surprise. A second-stage mage in the first year was rare enough, but a dual-element one was an absolute powerhouse.
"That kid has incredible control and agility."
Some fifth- and sixth-year students were impressed. Linley had managed to dodge the fireballs while still chanting, showcasing his nimbleness.
"Haha, Rand, did you really think you were the first-year champion? Our dorm's Third Bro can crush you with magic alone." Yale laughed loudly.
"Cough, cough." Rand clutched his chest and stood up.
He knew Linley had held back.
"Yale, bring Linley tomorrow. I'll go with you to the Four Nations Gold Exchange to transfer the ten thousand gold coins. I keep my word." Rand glanced at Linley from a distance. This defeat had shattered the illusion of his genius.
Talent without hard work could still be surpassed.
"Linley, thank you." Rand bowed, surprising Yale and the others. Then he looked up at Linley with determination. "But one day, I will defeat you."
With that, Rand clutched his chest and, supported by his brothers, headed back to his dorm.
"Linley, you're amazing! You made me look good!" Reynolds hugged Linley as he stepped off the arena.
Linley looked around.
Many people were staring at him and whispering. The elite students of Ernst Academy were well-known, so no one expected a first-year nobody to easily defeat the grade champion.
"Hello, Linley. I'm Danny, a first-year water mage. Nice to meet you." A tall, golden-haired girl approached, smiling at Linley.
"Hello, I'm Linley." Linley wasn't used to talking to strangers. "Sorry, I need to go meditate."
With that, Linley signaled his three brothers. Understanding immediately, the four of them quickly slipped away through the crowd, leaving Danny frowning in dissatisfaction.