NOVPUBZephyr saw the smirk and couldn't help but feel it was directed at him.
His grip on his staff tightened instinctively, his knuckles turning white.
'I see how it is…' He exhaled slowly, steadying himself.
'A mage shouldn't let his emotions interfere with his focus…'
No matter how much his pride burned, Zephyr couldn't afford to let it cloud his mind.
Losing focus meant miscalculating his mana consumption, and without mana, he was nothing.
Unlike other classes that could rely on brute strength or weapons, he was utterly dependent on mana.
There was no fallback plan, no second option.
He had to win through sheer mastery of magic skills.
Zephyr's gaze flickered over his own body as his lips curled into a grin, teeth glinting under the stadium's lights.
'Victory is inevitable.' The thought sent a surge of anticipation through him, and he had to suppress the urge to laugh.
On the other side of the platform, Luka was still lost in thought, daydreaming about the magic ring.
The idea of possessing such a powerful item thrilled him—just imagining the endless possibilities made his fingers itch with excitement.
But his musings didn't last long.
A sudden mechanical voice echoed throughout.
"3."
Everyone shifted into their combat stances.
"2."
Weapons were drawn, magic skills were readied, breaths were held.
Luka and Zephyr did the same.
The heat of battle was just moments away, and they had no time for distractions.
"1."
The pause felt endless.
Then—
Ding!
The signal rang out, and all the fights began.
The whole stadium erupted in noise.
Magic skills clashed midair, weapons struck against shields, and the sound of voices roared across all the platforms.
Luka wasted no time.
He lunged forward, his dagger gripped firmly in a reverse hold, his posture low and aggressive.
Speed was his advantage—he had to strike before his opponent could unleash his magic skills.
If he got close, he understood Zephyr wouldn't be able to fire off any large-scale magic skills without putting himself at risk.
That was Luka's strategy: close the gap as soon as possible.
Zephyr, however, was no fool.
His reaction was immediate. With a flick of his wrist, he raised his staff and activated his lowest level skill.
[Fireball].
A small flame flickered to life at the tip, then shot forward in a streak of orange light.
Luka barely managed to dodge, twisting his body mid-step as the fireball blasted past him, striking the area where he had been standing just a second ago.
The explosion was small but intense, embers scattering across the platform.
The heat licked at his clothing, but Luka kept moving, undeterred.
'This fucking bastard…' Zephyr narrowed his eyes. 'He's faster than I expected.'
But that didn't matter.
If one fireball wasn't enough—he'd just use more.
And so, Zephyr began spamming [Fireball].
One after another, spheres of fire erupted from his staff, shooting through the air.
Luka's body moved on pure instinct.
He ducked, weaved, rolled—each fireball barely missing him by inches.
One seared past his shoulder, another grazed his leg, the brief contact stinging his skin.
But he kept going.
'Why won't he just stop moving!?' Zephyr thought as he backpedaled, realizing that his opponent was still advancing despite the relentless barrage.
His mana was draining quickly.
He needed to change tactics before this annoyance got too close.
Without hesitation, he switched to a different skill—[Rock].
The air around Zephyr trembled as a sudden burst of jagged stones materialized and shot forward in rapid succession.
Unlike fireballs, which could be dodged, these projectiles spread out in an unpredictable pattern, swarming Luka from multiple angles.
This time, he couldn't dodge everything.
He gritted his teeth as rocks pelted his body, small impacts bruising his skin.
He instinctively raised his arms to shield himself, feeling the sting as sharp edges scraped against his flesh.
The force made him stumble slightly, his momentum slowing for the first time.
Yet, even through the pain, Luka found himself smirking.
'This idiot is just spamming… His mana must be depleting pretty fast.'
[Ding! You took damage! HP: 13 / 14!]
A single Hit Point lost.
Barely anything.
Luka had poured two attribute points into Strength, meaning he could tank small hits like these without worry.
He had pretty much built himself for moments like this.
He exhaled, lowering his arms, his eyes locking onto his opponent's.
'Fuck, fuck, fuck…' Zephyr's breathing was heavier now, his movements slightly slower.
Luka knew he was right on the dot—his opponent wasn't used to actual fights.
He relied too much on overwhelming his opponent with magic skills, but his current barrage wasn't working.
'That's right… keep wasting your mana.' Luka took a step forward.
Then another.
His grip on the dagger tightened.
Zephyr's eyes widened slightly.
He took a shaky step back.
Luka's smirk widened.
The moment the [Rock] barrage ceased, he seized his opportunity.
With a sharp intake of breath, he leaped into the air, his body twisting slightly mid-motion.
Then—he activated [Phantom Step].
In an instant, his figure blurred, vanishing from sight.
Zephyr's eyes widened in shock. "Where the hell are you!?" he shouted, panic creeping into his voice as he frantically scanned his surroundings.
Sweat began forming on his brow.
His opponent had disappeared, and he had no way of knowing from which angle he would strike.
Not even two seconds later—Luka reappeared.
He came from behind.
Zephyr's instincts screamed at him, but he was too slow.
"Surprise!" Luka had already swung his dagger in a downward arc, aiming for the legs to cripple his movement.
A precise strike—this fight would be over in moments.
However—
Clang!
Instead of slicing through flesh, the sound of metal rang out.
A faint glow flared beneath Zephyr's clothing, flickering like a hidden enchantment.
Luka's dagger rebounded slightly, leaving no wound. "Hmm?"
His eyes narrowed as he clicked his tongue in annoyance, realizing what had happened.
'Magic light armor...'
Without hesitation, he activated [Phantom Step] again, this time retreating before Zephyr could counterattack.
His form blurred once more, and he reappeared a safe distance away.
Zephyr, still catching his breath, suddenly burst into laughter.
