Chapter 645
His Chapter Arrives
Chapter 645 He's Back (Part 2)
Led by staff, Gaode walked through a long corridor and arrived at a more uniquely decorated fighting arena.
The ground was not flat mud, but covered with a thick layer of black humus. It was soft and sinking when stepped on, and the sound of water flowing below could be faintly heard.
A sweet, cloying miasma filled the air, causing people to instinctively hold their breath as soon as they stepped into the area.
"Our academy is located next to the Shadow Swamp, and this miasma is the Soul-Eating Miasma that emanates from the core area of the swamp."
"However, our academy is only located on the edge of the swamp, and the miasma has been filtered and weakened by the rune array. The current concentration is not harmful to the human body," the staff member explained.
There was no harm done, but it would definitely have a negative impact on outsiders. But that's the home advantage. Gao De thought to himself.
It's like someone who has lived in the north for a long time going to the south to participate in a competitive sport.
The high humidity in the south will certainly not harm the human body.
However, for people from the north, excessive humidity can greatly increase their physical exertion during activities, leading to a significant decline in their competitive performance.
That's the idea.
However, this is of no use to Gaode Maps.
The Blood Purification Organ of the [Primary Azure Amber Body] is already operating automatically, with the detoxifying factors in the blood rapidly metabolizing trace toxins in the air.
Gaode can even feel its own pores shrinking.
Not only did it completely ignore the effects of the soul-corroding miasma, but it could even vaguely sense the faint toxin energy mixed in with the miasma, which seeped into the body through the pores like a thin stream and was slowly assimilated and absorbed by the body.
How could such a small dose of toxin stimulate "adaptive" behavior?
Gao De was slightly startled, and at the same time, some information about the Shadow Swamp flashed through his mind.
Shadow Swamp, the oldest and most mysterious swamp in County Avalon.
Many rare magical materials grow deep within the swamp, and legend has it that the remains of an ancient mage are also buried there.
However, due to the pervasive and increasingly dense influence of the Soul-Eating Miasma that permeates the area, very few people are able to explore it in depth.
As he was thinking, he looked up at the monk guarding the temple who was already waiting in the center of the venue.
The man was a male mage of about twenty years old. He had sharp eyes and when he saw Gao De enter, he did not show any contempt for Gao De because of his youth. His eyes were full of vigilance.
Clearly, he had already received news that Gaode had defeated his opponent in the first round.
Gaode was also sizing up the other party.
Based on the combat strength of each county's magic academy, the guardian mages of the second level are basically all third-ring mages, usually in the early third-ring stage.
A few magic schools, such as the second gatekeeper mage of the Ryukago Magic School and the Glorious City Magic School, may reach the mid-third ring.
"Lynn, the guardian mage of the second level of the Avalon Magic Academy, please enlighten me." This male mage was clearly much more composed and experienced than the female mage of the first level.
Before Gaode entered the fighting arena, he registered in advance. As soon as Gaode stepped into the fighting arena area, he took the lead in making a move.
hum!
The humus on the ground surged up instantly, like boiling mud.
Several rotten roots, as thick as an arm, with barbs, broke through the soil, their tips gleaming with a ghostly green poisonous light, and began to coil around Gao De's limbs and bones.
Meanwhile, thorny poisonous vines grew wildly along the edge of the field, their tendrils intertwining into a net, attacking from both sides and releasing a dense, pale green poisonous mist that flowed towards Gao De along with the airflow, compressing his movement range to the center of the field.
This is a common "control-oriented opening move" used by the Mirage Guardian Mage. First, restrict movement, then apply poison, gradually wearing down the opponent.
But Gao De reacted faster than him.
He has activated the second resonance mark that has condensed in his mana pool.
The power of [Resonance of All Laws] surged instantly, and the Azure Wood Mana and True Ice Mana within his body flowed smoothly into the two spell models:
[Calm the mind] + [Spiritual thorns].
One is a second-circle enchanting spell, and the other is a second-circle divination spell.
The resonance of two second-circle spells is naturally stronger than the [Magic Ice Bolt] formed by the fusion of two first-circle spells.
Guided by the resonance mark, the two spells merged perfectly.
A pale golden halo enveloped the dark purple spikes, forming strands of translucent energy.
It exudes a calming and peaceful aura, yet also harbors a sharp edge that can penetrate the soul.
This is the second fusion spell created by Gaode through the resonance of all laws: [Comforting Spikes].
The core function of [calming the mind] is to soothe emotions.
It does not forcibly control its opponent, but it can instantly calm down or even lower the guard of creatures that are in a state of tension or excitement.
The [Mind Spike] can only unleash its full power by breaking through the opponent's mental defenses.
When the two are combined, [Calm Mind] will mislead the opponent, making them mistakenly believe that it is a harmless soothing spell, thereby reducing their mental resistance.
The "spiritual spike" can take advantage of vulnerabilities and cause a fatal mental shock.
More importantly, Gao De's mental strength had already reached the upper limit of the third ring, far exceeding that of other mages of the same level. Facing Lynn's early third ring mental strength, he had a completely overwhelming advantage.
Gao De's gaze locked onto Lynn, and the [Comfort Spike], like an invisible thread, silently pierced through the poison and rotten roots, shooting towards Lynn's brow.
The spell was extremely fast, and it was completely concealed by the peaceful aura of [Calming the Mind], thus avoiding Lynn's spell perception.
Lynn was fully focused on manipulating the rotten roots and poison vines when he suddenly felt a gentle energy envelop him, instantly relaxing his tense nerves.
The fighting spirit and vigilance in my heart dissipated quietly, like ice and snow melting in warm water.
He subconsciously stopped manipulating the spell, the solemnity in his eyes fading, replaced by a trace of confusion and peace.
The calming effect had taken effect, and he even felt that Gao De in front of him was his friend.
In that instant, the sharp thorn of the mind pierced through his defenseless mental barrier!
"Ugh—!"
Lynn let out a shrill scream, clutched his head with both hands, staggered backward, and his face turned ashen.
His mind felt as if it had been pierced by a sharp blade; the intense pain made his vision go black and his mind a complete mess.
The rotten roots and poison vines that were originally under control lost their magical support and instantly collapsed to the ground, while the pale green poisonous mist receded like a tide.
He could clearly feel his mental energy rapidly draining away, and his spell circuits being forcibly interrupted.
What terrified him even more was that an invisible connection had been quietly established.
With the additional effect of [Mind Spikes] activated, his every move would be exposed to Gao De's perception, leaving him no chance to hide.
"It's over." Gao De's voice was calm and even, without the slightest ripple.
In the instant Lynn was plunged into mental anguish and rendered incapable of fighting, he raised his left hand, a soft, pale blue light emanating from his palm, and three ice bullets condensed.
It wasn't a fatal attack, but it was precisely aimed at Lynn.
"clang!"
Just as the ice bullet was about to hit Lynn, a pale golden shield appeared out of thin air, blocking the attack and signaling the end of the challenge.
Regaining his senses, Lynn staggered back a few steps, collapsing onto the humus, gasping for breath, his eyes filled with disbelief, fear, and bewilderment. "I...I lost," he stammered, his voice hoarse, his gaze towards God filled with awe.
He still doesn't understand why he suddenly lost his resistance.
Moreover, that deep-seated, piercing thorn in his soul was so powerful that he couldn't muster the slightest resistance.
Lynn slumped on the humus, panting heavily, his eyes filled with disbelief, fear, and confusion. The damage to his mental strength left him without the strength to even stand up.
Gao De nodded slightly to Lynn as a greeting.
"I'll have to trouble you to take me to the third arena." He then turned to look at the staff members who had "obediently" chosen to stay and watch the match, and were now once again stunned.
"Please, please follow me." The staff member's voice trembled slightly, and his eyes were filled with extreme awe as he looked at Gaode.
The decisive victory over the second-ring mage could perhaps be attributed to the opponent's carelessness or the counter effect of the spell.
However, when facing Lynn, a guardian carefully trained by the Mirage Guard and an early-stage member of the Third Ring, he was still defeated without even being able to withstand a single spell, demonstrating the vast difference in their abilities.
Gaode's capabilities have completely exceeded his expectations.
The third level, the magic arena, is even more unpredictable and dangerous than the first two.
The ground was no longer humus, but a real shallow swamp.
The murky water surface gleamed with a dark luster, and a dense layer of poisonous algae with a ghostly green phosphorescence floated on it.
This swamp is part of the Shadow Rot.
Without a doubt, the concentration of Soul-Eating Miasma here has increased significantly.
Outside the magic arena, a number of people were already standing, mostly magicians and staff from the magic academy, as well as two local noble magicians who happened to be at the academy.
Clearly, the news that Gaode had passed the first two rounds and entered the third round had spread throughout the entire venue in a short period of time.
As Gao De walked in with the staff, the monks couldn't help but whisper among themselves:
"Is this the mage who instantly killed two levels in a row? He looks too young!" someone questioned.
"What's this guy's background? Which prefecture is he from?" some people wondered.
"We don't know yet. He started and finished the first two rounds too quickly and didn't introduce himself. But the steward has already sent someone to investigate."
"Huh? Why do I feel like I look familiar to him? It's like I've seen him somewhere before." A monk frowned, racking his brains, but couldn't quite place where he had seen him before.
In the center of the arena, a young mage dressed in a dark brown robe floated in the air, his gaze as sharp as a hawk's as he locked onto Gao De as he slowly walked in.
He was Virian, the guardian mage of the third level of the Avalon Magic Academy, who practiced poison-based magic.
Gao De then looked up at him.
Their eyes met in mid-air.
The next moment, Gao De's figure rose into the air and flew lightly into the fighting arena.
This time, it's not about relying on Boeing's influence, but genuine flying skills.
Such a classic and universally applicable third-circle spell naturally falls within the spell range of the Zhenbing bloodline awakening.
As Gao De flew into the arena, a flash of light appeared deep within the pupil of his left eye.
Mandora's Eyes quietly activated.
It is said that the mages of Avalon County are skilled in illusion magic, and coincidentally, the ability that Mandora's Eye awakened when it advanced to the third tier is [Illusion Breaker].
"Wang" means illusion or falsehood. To break through illusion means to possess the purest and most realistic vision, capable of seeing through all illusions.
This includes, but is not limited to, illusion magic, mirror images, disguise, invisibility, and other abilities that directly touch upon the essence of things.
Because illusion magic is a relatively niche and difficult-to-master spell system.
Most mages prefer to practice attack, defense, or control spells, so Gao De has never had a suitable opportunity to use the [Discern] ability after obtaining it.
Now that he has finally encountered Virian, whose core combat power is illusion magic, he has developed a keen interest and wants to test the effectiveness of this [Illusion Breaker] ability.
After Gao De entered the magic arena, Verian, like the mages in the previous two rounds, slowly spoke.
He curled his lips into an undisguised contemptuous smile: "Don't think you're invincible just because you won two rounds in a row. The Avalon Gym Challenge is not a place for a brat like you to run wild."
Gaode did not get angry in the face of the other party's "disdain".
Given his mental fortitude, this verbal attack was like scratching an itch through a boot; it couldn't shake his spirit at all.
But the next moment, he couldn't help but raise an eyebrow, a hint of amusement flashing in his eyes.
Because God's Mandora Eye was already activated, he immediately noticed a faint illusionary fluctuation mixed in with Verian's voice.
The fluctuations were like tiny poison needles attached to the sound, extremely subtle, attempting to silently invade his mind and interfere with his subsequent judgment and spellcasting.
Goodness. What seems like just verbal provocation has actually begun in the French Bulldog fight.
That's cunning enough.
Gao De silently praised him in his heart, his originally indifferent eyes now showing a bit more seriousness, and he no longer held back.
"Please enlighten me." His tone was flat, without the slightest ripple.
Upon seeing this, Virian knew that his "little trick" had failed.
Although this move is not a powerful spell, its strength lies in its concealment. In the past, it has been very effective against many opponents with a restless mindset, making them fall into the trap without even realizing it.
But Gao De didn't react at all, clearly his mental strength was much stronger than he had expected.
However, this is not important. It was just a very insignificant little trick he used to test and interfere, and he did not expect to be able to decide the outcome of the battle with it.
He has many skills.
The next moment, a rich, dark green magic surged from Virian's fingertips.
They surged and coiled like living snakes, emitting a strong toxic odor.
"Let me see what you've got," Virian chuckled, then raised his hand and swung it sharply.
The dark green magic swirling around her fingertips exploded instantly, like ink drops thrown into stagnant water, spreading into a dense, green mist that blotted out the sky.
Like swamp mud stirred up by a gale, it surged and spread in all directions.
This is no ordinary fog, but a highly poisonous fog propelled by the power of the Veri Security Force.
The mist spread at an astonishing speed, engulfing every corner of the fighting arena like a tidal wave, covering most of the venue in the blink of an eye, making the already thin air even more turbid and viscous.
Even more terrifying is that this highly toxic cloud of mist does not exist in isolation.
Like a sponge, it frantically absorbed the natural miasma emanating from the Shadow Swamp, constantly expanding its size.
The cloying miasma, like rotten honey, mixed with a strong, pungent acidic odor, makes one's throat tighten, chest feel stuffy, and even feel a slight burning sensation in the respiratory tract with just one breath.
Vilian hovered at the core of the poisonous fog, watching the fog continue to expand, a hint of satisfaction flashing in his eyes.
(End of this chapter)