Sofia wouldn't just let him get closer to her as she swiftly cast another Spell.

"Blades unseen, whisper through the storm--

Wind Cutter!"

This wasn't a Tier 1 but a Tier 2 Spell that!

Soon, a half-dozen translucent blades shot outward!

Rayven's hand lifted.

"Telekinesis."

[ 1 Gold Coin deducted. ]

A subtle ripple spread outward.

The blades suddenly veered off course as if swatted by an invisible force, colliding midair and dissolving into wisps of wind.

"What?" Sofia was shocked…

She was sure that Rayven used Telekinesis and not a Mana Shield. She didn't expect that it was possible to target her Wind Spell with Telekinesis!

'I thought it was only effective on objects… This guy…'

The arbiter was also surprised after seeing this.

"What kind of control…?"

Sofia exhaled slowly, studying him.

"You don't use normal chant. Not even runes to help you with the activation... Is that staff one of those Tier 4 ones?"

Rayven didn't answer as he liked to be mysterious, and also because he couldn't reveal his system…

Nonetheless, Sofia wasn't done yet… She still had plenty of mana, and she knew that Rayven shouldn't have a lot of it since he was only a Tier 1 Mage.

Well, she didn't know that Rayven relies on gold coins anyway…

Sofia focused as she swiftly stepped back and got some distance from Rayven... She didn't use a Spell this time, but it seemed that her boots had the ability to help her.

"Then let's see how far that trick of yours can go…"

She raised her staff, and a soft emerald glow began to swirl around her.

This time, she wouldn't just be relying on her Spell Mastery… She planned to use the power of her staff and also her unique ability as an Adept Mage!

Dual casting!

"O flames that seek and winds that dance--

Fireball and Wind Burst!"

The two Spells activated at once!

They were not merged spells like the one Wallace had done during the Spell Demonstration. This Dual Casting was simply a method to cast two Spells at once!

The orb of fire and the wind burst shot at Rayven like a cannon…

'Dual casting… She's not holding back.'

His response was immediate.

"Mist Shroud."

[ 2 Gold Coins deducted. ]

Soon, a thick mist burst outward, blanketing the field in a dark fog!

The Fireball smashed into the shroud, only to erupt prematurely, its blast deflected and scattered by the dense vapor. The explosion's force pushed Rayven backward slightly, but the visibility now belonged to him.

As for the Wind Burst, it completely missed Rayven!

Sofia frowned as she couldn't easily sense her opponent within the Mist.

'Gust Step… Telekinesis… Mist Shroud… Just what other spells do you have?' She thought for a moment.

Nonetheless, she wasn't worried at all.

'You want to take away my visibility advantage? Smart… but I'm not done yet. Many dungeons are known for their miasma. This is why I got this Spell…'

"O currents unseen, unveil what is hidden--

Wind Pulse!"

The mist around her began to tremble from the pressure of wind mana!

It was then followed by a shockwave!

Whoosh~

This Spell didn't just clear the surroundings but also allowed her to stun weaker targets, quite similar to Rayven's Mana Pulse!

Thankfully, Rayven's Mist Shroud was an Uncommon Spell… The moment that Wind Pulse destroyed the mist, it no longer had the strength to stun him.

Soon, Rayven dashed away and used another Spell.

"Mana Flick."

[ 1 Gold Coin deducted. ]

A nearly invisible flicker of mana surged from his fingertip.

Sofia's eyes widened as she was about to dual cast…

However, the small flick of force struck the base of her staff. It was not strong enough to harm, but sharp enough to break her concentration mid-chant. Her next spell fizzled instantly!

"Interrupt skill!?" she gasped.

Rayven used her moment of shock.

"Stone Skin."

[ 3 Gold Coins deducted. ]

His skin hardened with a faint gray sheen!

Sofia recovered quickly… 'That's already five spells. All of them are also quite unusual…'

She mused.

"Not bad, Initiate. But let's raise the tempo."

This time, she planned to push Rayven to his limits! Initiate Mages only had seven Spells. Now that she saw five of Rayven's spells, it means that he only had 2 left!

If she also learned about that, she'd feel more confident to end this match.

"O earth that anchors and flame that roars--

Earthen Grasp and Fire Lash!"

The ground around Rayven cracked open, and two arms of compacted soil rushed upward, reaching for his legs, while a whip of fire lashed toward his torso at the same time!

Rayven didn't hesitate.

"Gust Step!"

[ 1 Gold Coin deducted. ]

The wind exploded beneath him, propelling him upward just as the earthen arms clutched at empty air.

The Fire Lash sliced past his boots, missing by an inch!

While airborne, Rayven extended his hand downward.

"Fireball."

[ 1 Gold Coin deducted. ]

'Ahh? You have a Fireball?!' Sofia was surprised…

The small sphere of flame then shot downward like a bullet, forcing Sofia to dodge to the side.

Boom!

The explosion lit the field for an instant.

When the light faded, Rayven landed…

The observers were definitely impressed by their battle.

"This isn't just a duel between a Tier 1 and Tier 2 mage…" the veteran muttered. "That Initiate is reading her tempo like a veteran duelist."

Sofia exhaled deeply as she looked at Rayven… That was a close call.

Yet instead of frustration, excitement flashed in her eyes. "You really are full of surprises."

Rayven smiled faintly. "And you're still holding back."

She laughed softly. "Then maybe it's time you see what an Adept Mage truly means."

Soon, the mana density around her spiked sharply.

"O twin forces of nature, fuse and rend all before you--

Ignis Lance and Wind Burst!"

This wasn't just dual casting anymore…

A harmony was formed between the spells.

Rayven frowned, seeing this…

'Fuse? She's serious now. I can't dodge this one…'

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