But Take saw through the mechanism at a glance. The Magic Shield was absent while he was casting; it only appeared around him when he stopped all movement.
This was a game mechanic called Focused Magic. Spells could only remain active when the caster's concentration was maintained.
"His shield can only exist when he isn't casting!"
The mage's expression darkened. He had not expected the one who looked most out of place to be the first to see through his magic. It seemed he would have to kill her first.
By then, the archer had already aimed at him again. He had no idea where such a young girl got that much strength and stamina, while the guy wielding the flail had already charged right up to him.
Flail Player shouted, activating the Warrior's basic skill, Battle Cry, as he swung his flail at the Fire Mage.
The mage snorted coldly, and his entire figure vanished without a trace.
Invisibility? No, Teleport!
Take felt scorching heat at her back and quickly rolled forward. A mass of blazing fire exploded where she had been standing, and the scattering sparks stung as they struck her body.
From the beginning until now, the enemy had used at least four different spells: White Mist to block vision, flames that ignited from nothing and could be controlled, Magic Shield to avoid ranged damage, and instant movement.
Every one of those spells was immensely powerful. Finding a way to counter them would be truly difficult.
Take glanced at her status bar. The Fireball's splash damage alone had taken 37% of her health. If she had been hit directly, she would probably have died on the spot.
Having missed his shot, the Fire Mage, who had teleported behind the players, curled his lip. Before the archer could react, he began chanting again. A mass of chaotic red flame formed in his hand, its immense heat seeming ready to devour everyone.
This was not a single spell, but a combined use of Ignite, Arson, and Intensify Burning. It was a technique only a Sub-elf with an affinity for flames like him could use, something not even the Arcane Academy would teach.
Once the spell took shape, the three people before him would immediately be killed, just like those mercenaries transporting goods earlier.
Yet before the flames could form, the Fire Mage's vision suddenly went black. Weakness and agonizing pain swept through his entire body.
His spell was forcibly interrupted. The Fire Mage was bewildered, but drawing on his experience studying at Sunday Secret College, he recognized that he had been struck by a Curse Spell. But who was the enemy? Where were they hiding?
That tower!
He had been careless. He should not have shown himself so early, but should have relied on the advantage of White Mist to kill them all.
The Fire Mage quickly realized this, but it was too late for regrets. He had already heard the archer's arrow flying toward him. At that very moment, he instead calmed down.
He poured magic into the ring on his left hand. At the same time, the Fire Element within his left hand stirred. Red light flashed, and the curse was immediately dispelled. The mage calmly restored his Elemental Shield and blocked the arrow.
"If I hadn't been wounded while dealing with those old bastards, I wouldn't need to use external items to deal with you." The Fire Mage's face was cold. After the ruby-studded ring on his left middle finger flashed several times, it immediately lost its luster.
He pointed, and a streak of green light shot forth, piercing straight through the annoying archer's head. At the same time, his other hand did not stop moving. He took a scroll from his pocket and directly used it on the other two.
Second-tier magic, Charm Light!
Flail Player only felt his vision blur. Then, driven by some inexplicable force, his body moved on instinct. He walked straight to the edge of the bridge, then jumped off.
Take was also a target of the charm, but she only felt a sharp pain in her head before instantly waking up.
That was only natural. From the very start, she had very foresightfully chosen the extraordinary trait Savage Blood, which made her extremely difficult to control. It was proving incredibly useful now!
The Fire Mage's expression changed. He had not expected anyone to resist the control of a second-tier spell. He instinctively began chanting, preparing to use Ignite to kill her completely, but then pain suddenly struck his chest as a crossbow bolt pierced straight into it.
Take threw aside the Hand Crossbow she had prepared long ago, drew her short sword, and charged at the mage, ready to fight him to the death.
But before she could run more than a few steps, violent flames swallowed her in an instant.
After dealing with the last person, the Fire Mage did not forget the extraordinary being hidden in the tower. He summoned White Mist again to obscure the stone bridge.
The Fire Mage thought calmly. The other party was hiding in the tower and did not dare show themselves, which meant they were not confident in facing him alone. But his injuries were now too severe. That damned mercenary had actually coated his crossbow bolts with poison. The longer this dragged on, the worse it would be for him.
With that thought, he cast another spell and threw a mass of fire at the spire, then swiftly left his position.
The flames exploded inside the tower, but the Fire Element's feedback told him he had not hit the enemy.
Then a voice came from the mist. "You're running low on magic, aren't you?"
The Fire Mage gritted his teeth and ignored it.
The direction the voice came from might not be the right one. To conserve magic and avoid exposing his position, he did not use magic again.
"From the beginning until now, you've used two White Mists, four Ignites, one Intensify Burning, one Arson, one Elemental Shield, one Poisoned Arrow, and one second-tier magic scroll. Excluding Dispel and Teleport, whose costs are unknown, your total magic consumption is 32 points. That's already more than half your total magic power, isn't it? Are you sure you still have enough left to cast spells?"
The other party's voice continued to drift through the air, its position seeming to change nearly every time.
The Fire Mage knew the other party was trying to bluff him. Although his magic was indeed running low, winning this battle would still not be a problem.
"I suppose I'm a student of the Arcane Academy too. Maybe our mentors even know each other."
A student? Since when did the Arcane Academy admit students who knew how to cast Curse Spells?
Naturally, the Fire Mage did not take the other party's words seriously. An idea came to him, and he took a bottle of green potion from his pocket. After drinking it, he replied, "I find that hard to believe, unless you tell me who your mentor is."
A moment later, the voice came again.
"My mentor is the benevolent Professor Siswell. Perhaps you've heard his name."
Siswell? That famous Archmage?
The Fire Mage believed it even less. Under normal circumstances, he would never bother with someone like this, but he had just drunk a Moonlight Potion and needed time to digest it. So he continued playing along, though his tone could not help carrying a trace of mockery. "I have indeed heard of him. That professor truly is an extraordinary mage, to have taught someone like you!"
The other party was unmoved and continued.
"Since we are both students of the Arcane Academy, why should we kill each other? Why not put our enmity aside for now and settle this dispute in a more civilized manner... Those people were my companions. You killed them first, but I can pretend none of it happened. What do you say?"