Ready for Anything

Fran's Contribution Points in the Duel Arena rose rapidly because as her score increased, she was able to be matched with more opponents she couldn't previously be matched with.

Unlike those mages who win one game and lose another, with their score slowly creeping up, she always ended the battle 3-0.

This spares her the problem that all Magic Duel face: most mages in her current rank have already been challenged once, and even if they want to continue, they can't duel because their opponents in the Preliminaries are on cooldown.

Furthermore, due to the information asymmetry, her Greater Fireball was cast incredibly fast. Even if she deliberately timed it to 1.8 seconds, mages who weren't prepared beforehand simply couldn't compete with her.

However, the information gap was only temporary. She won every game 3-0, and her ranking speed was like drinking water. Now she has played a Magic Duel every day for five consecutive days and has accumulated 75 points.

At this moment, some Magic Duel learned that a newly registered mage had won all five of his matches 3-0. Even five consecutive wins would be something this mage could boast about for a long time.

In the lounge of the Champion Mage Preliminary Tournament's Duel Arena, several close mages sat on soft chairs, discussing the matter.

"Hey Jasper, have you heard about that new guy who just got five 3-0 victories?"

Jasper could only strain his facial muscles to avoid giving his friend away, and after a short pause, he finally answered:

"Of course I know, those were five 3-0 victories. Even the mages who eventually won the championship... might not have said they could achieve that result in the Preliminaries."

"That's an exaggeration. Those mages who eventually won the championship, if they started from a position of 10 points... Of course, not the 10 points at the very beginning of the Preliminaries, back then there were all sorts of people at that rank."

"I think they're still very likely to achieve five 3-0 victories, as long as the mages they encounter aren't particularly strong..."

"You've added so many restrictions, and you still only got a partial answer... I heard she started playing from around 50 or 60 points, so doesn't that mean she's already a shoo-in for this year's championship?"

"It probably won't work this year. There are only a few days left until the end of the Preliminaries. Let's wait for the next one four years from now. I estimate she'll be one of the strongest contenders then."

Just then, one of Jasper's friends leaned back in his chair, raised his hand, and said with a smile:

"I think she was able to win five games 3-0 simply because she didn't face me. If she had faced me, I would have beaten her 3-0..."

"You're bragging. Winning two or even one game is one thing, but a 3-0 victory against an opponent like that? Why don't you just fantasize about winning the championship and advancing to the third tier...?"

"Why not? If I faced an opponent like you, I feel I could still win 3-0 in five games."

A cheerful atmosphere immediately filled the room. The Magic Duel present were unusually engrossed in chatting, and no one mentioned going to training or anything like that.

Magic Duel of their caliber are in an awkward position. They are still a long way from being able to compete for a place in the top 100 of the final Main Tournament. If they want to make it, they will inevitably need to spend another 20 or 30 years honing their skills.

Below them are those half-baked Magic Duel; they can easily win against these people.

So they're stuck here. No matter how much they train, they inevitably slack off when faced with a long-term race.

Moreover, such a topical event is rare, so none of them wanted to do anything else and just wanted to chat here for a bit.

Even Jasper was not immune to this. Even though he contributed to Fran's first 3-0 victory, as long as he never mentioned it, his friends naturally couldn't laugh at him about it.

Just then, a deep voice drowned out their discussion, drawing their attention to the doorway.

"Hey, look what I've run into!"

The monk waved the paper in his hand, and the contents revealed on it drew the attention of all the monks present.

"That's a 3-0 scoreline across five games... You encountered that mage, Edmund?"

Edmund walked over, sat down in a chair, and slowly explained to his friend what had just happened.

"I was just about to apply for a new magic duel, but the staff immediately asked me if I wanted to accept the duel."

"I agreed, so I saw the game record."

Jasper was nervous when he saw the familiar icon of the Elemental School, but then he remembered.

Although the match records of the opposing mage will be available here, they will only contain the score and the School of both sides. Other information, including the most crucial duelist registration serial number, will not be stored.

This number is a measure taken by the Preliminaries to distinguish different mages; each number corresponds to a mage who registered for this round.

Jasper's number naturally wouldn't appear in the game record.

Jasper breathed a slight sigh of relief, but Edmund's initial excitement turned into worry after showing it to his friends.

"Damn it, I've run into a master! What should I do? Does anyone have any ideas?"

The mages present fell silent. Despite their lively conversation just moments before, they all had to admit, faced with the achievements of the other, that this was undoubtedly the work of a master.

Even if they don't have the potential to win the championship, they should at least be able to consistently finish in the top 100. Otherwise, very few people can achieve such a record when scoring in the 70s or 80s.

"By the Goddess of Magic, I heard your voices outside even before I came in. I thought you had a lot of ideas."

Edmund complained, then leaned forward slightly.

"Then I can only prepare myself and see if I can get a point from her, so as not to lose too much face."

"By the way, does anyone here have any information about her? If we know how she achieved such results, things will be much easier."

His friends looked at each other in bewilderment; although they had been discussing it enthusiastically, they had only received secondhand information.

No Magic Duel has the time to explain their experience of being crushed 3-0, so they haven't heard much about Fran's battles.

This includes how Fran fights, her usual spell setup, which spells she typically uses, and which Magic Scroll she carries—all of this is completely unknown.

Upon seeing this scene, Edmund lowered his head and sighed softly.

Just then, Jasper suddenly spoke up:

"Edmund, I think I've heard about her fighting style."

Edmund's eyes lit up, and he immediately became interested, asking:

"Tell me in detail."

Jasper straightened up and said slowly:

"I heard that her casting speed is very fast. Your shield may not even have time to be cast before she breaks it with a First Order spell."

Then Jasper fell silent. Edmund paused for a moment before realizing why Jasper wasn't speaking, and he asked:

"Just like that, it's gone."

"That's all."

Edmund was silent for a moment, as if to say that what he had said was as good as nothing, but then he thought that Jasper was the only one who could give him some information, so he decided not to discourage him.

And this also contains a crucial piece of information: it reminds him to prepare a First Order shield Spell Ring if the opponent's casting speed is truly that fast.

This explanation is somewhat different from the combat style he had envisioned.

Although it's difficult for mages to observe the opponent's subtle movements during battle, they can still tell whether the opponent prefers to build up full shields for a safe approach, or prefers to bombard with spells, or is willing to risk everything by walking off a cliff.

For each type of playing style, players of their level can adopt corresponding methods to gain an advantage.

If your opponent likes to use shields, then seize the opportunity to launch a quick attack in the first two rounds; if your opponent likes to bombard you with spells, then deplete their Mental Power in the first two rounds. Once you get through the early stages, your opponent will be at your mercy.

Information about the actual combat methods should be interpreted as follows.

Seeing that he could not obtain any more useful information, Edmund had no choice but to get up and say goodbye to his friends.

"Then I need to go back and prepare... You can come over tomorrow afternoon, and you'll know whether I got a point or not at the exit."

"Go for it! I wish you victory!"

Encouraged by his friends, Edmund left the Duel Arena.

"By the way, Jasper, you only mentioned that her opponent's casting speed was fast. Did she send you away just as quickly when you encountered her?"

A friend's sudden joke sent a chill down Jasper's spine, but he managed to maintain his composure, forcing a stiff smile as he retorted:

"How could that be? If I were to encounter her, as a mage of the Sword Chant School, even if I couldn't win, I could definitely hold my own for more than a minute in a short match... How could you only observe this one point?"

"I need to know what the second-tier spells she frequently uses are, at least."

"Could it be that I'm always being instantly killed by her First Order spells...?"

His friends chuckled, and no one noticed the stiffness in Jasper's expression.

They immediately changed the subject, betting on whether Edmund could win a small set the next day.

"I bet Edmund will win both games. He's been on fire lately, winning several matches in a row and reaching 83 points. Two Gold Coin."

"You guys really don't trust your friend? I bet Edmund will win the game, two Gold Coin."

"Can't you guys be a little more realistic? No matter what, the opponents we're facing are on a completely different level. I'll bet on winning one small round."

At this moment, Jasper had a sudden inspiration and said to his friends:

"I'm betting on Edmund to lose 3-0. I think their record of so many 3-0 victories is definitely not simple."

Some friends jokingly advised against it:

"Jasper, you might as well just throw the Gold Coin down from the Floating City. Edmund is definitely prepared; even if he runs out of spell scrolls in a single round, I reckon he'll want to win one round first."

Jasper, however, smiled and waved his hand, not withdrawing his bet.

Even now, when he thinks about it, he still finds Fran's spellcasting speed unimaginable. If First Order spells can be fast, second-order spells can naturally be fast as well. Coupled with her terrifying battle record, he has almost no hope that Edmund will win.