Strike

The headlights came on again. This was the third round of the battle between Warren and Fran. If Warren lost this round, he would become Fran's tenth 3-0.

But this time, Warren was prepared for a major battle with Fran.

At the start, just like in the first game, he immediately began using the second-tier shield spell [Steel Skin], ignoring Fran's channeled Greater Fireball.

Fran casually cast Greater Fireball, sending a wave of heat hurtling towards Warren. When it got within two meters, it suddenly exploded.

However, the dark green shield did not materialize, nor did the warning sound indicating the end appear. Fran understood that Warren must have used some means to block the spell.

Before the smoke had even cleared, Fran channeled her spell a second time, this time choosing [Elemental Radiance].

Even after Fran applied all the enhancements, Warren still didn't react; they could only see him Channeling Spell through the dissipating smoke.

The shield that had previously blocked the Greater Fireball was not a [Elemental Shield] specifically designed to block elemental spells, so after that attack, the shield that had just been erected vanished instantly.

Just then, Warren's [Steel Skin] spell was finally completed. Fran recognized the spell at a glance, and then a question flashed through her mind.

Why would the opponent choose to use this spell? Isn't that stupid?

[Steel Skin] is indeed a second-tier protective spell, but like [Elemental Shield], it is a dedicated defensive spell, primarily protecting against physical attacks.

Although many spells deal physical damage, Fran is an Elemental School mage, and her strength lies in elemental damage. Her [Steel Skin] ability to defend against this type of damage is only slightly more effective than defending against First Order spells.

Fran didn't know what Warren was up to, but she knew that if she could break Warren's shield, she could win the match.

She used the Greater Fireball again, this time with a targeted Greater Fireball, carrying far more astonishing heat than before, scorching the land along its path as it flew towards Warren.

Warren's expression changed. This was a move that was very disadvantageous to him. If Fran continued to bombard him with First Order spells after the first Greater Fireball failed, that would be the best outcome for him.

If that were the case, the information that he was carrying at least two Shield Spell- triggering rings would be exposed; but now that he has cast [Steel Skin], it's equivalent to Fran having an extra second-tier shield.

However, he has now activated [Steel Skin], and Fran seems to have even taken the time to use an elemental enhancement, which is why the Greater Fireball in front of him is so amazing, almost comparable to the effect of a second-tier spell.

However, after a little calculation, he still figured out the best course of action for him—to continue activating the shield.

This time, the shield he activated wasn't focused on physical attacks, but rather on defense against magic—[Mithril Body].

As he began to guide, a sliver of liquid-like silver liquid within the small transparent bottle at his waist vanished in the blink of an eye.

These are the casting conditions for this spell. During the casting process, a certain amount of mithril, a second-tier alchemical material, must be consumed to gain strong resistance to the spell.

A wave of heat rolled in, already engulfing Warren not far in front of him, before suddenly exploding. Even faster than the intense heat wave arrived a sound that nearly shattered his eardrums.

Under the impact of this sound wave, Warren's two Shield Spell Ring lit up one after the other, one of which was shattered by the ensuing heat wave, only slightly hindering its continued advance.

The other layer stretched open for half a second, distorting the heat wave, making it no longer a perfect wave shape, and then it was twisted and broken by the enormous pressure of the heat wave, crashing into Warren.

However, even the enhanced version of the Greater Fireball, weakened by two layers of Shield Spell, was insufficient to penetrate Warren's [Steel Skin].

A surge of heat coursed through his body, causing him to involuntarily take a step back. After regaining his footing, he uttered a single sentence.

"I won."

The impact hadn't interrupted Warren's spellcasting; he only needed to wait another second and a half to unleash [Mithril Body].

With two defensive spells, he only needs to drink a specially prepared [Metal Essence]—a second-tier alchemical product used to enhance all metal-like materials—to strengthen both of his spells.

By then, it would take at least five Fireball like the one just now to break through his body's defenses, and before that, Warren would have already secured victory.

This is a defensive formation that is difficult to activate in the Magic Duel arena. After all, it has a fixed procedure: you can only activate [Steel Skin] first, and then after activating two spells, drink [Metal Essence] to strengthen it.

This well-established defense system allows Warren to enhance his defenses and launch attacks with impunity.

No matter how fast Fran's spellcasting speed is, it's impossible for her to be faster than Warren, who has so many more spellcasting wheels ahead.

Therefore, Warren believes he has already won.

On the other side, Fran sensed a peculiar magical fluctuation as Warren channeled [Mithril Body].

"The consumable spell seems to be made of a metallic material..."

Based on Warren's recent [Steel Skin], Fran could easily guess that it would be [Mithril Body].

"The combination of these two spells should be able to block at least three of my Greater Fireball..."

"After the opponent activates [Mithril Body], my [Heart of Quicksand] will have little effect against this kind of spell protection..."

Fran sensed that her opponent had done their homework and had a strong understanding of her fighting style, which was why the opponent was able to gain such an advantage by relying on Fran's spellcasting momentum.

What should she do next?

Fran thought for a moment. If she relied on magical combat, she would still have a high probability of defeating her opponent thanks to her excellent mastery of magic and extremely fast casting speed.

Warren is only ahead in shields. If she were to start using a strategy that alternates between shields and offensive spells, she could make Warren question her existence in the coming period.

However, Fran wanted to conceal her abilities in this area, pretending she wasn't good at it, so...

"Let's use Elemental Conversion... a second transformation should be enough to penetrate the opponent's defenses."

A silver coating spread across Warren's body, draping him in a thin silver veil.

He opened his eyes and looked at Fran through the silver membrane. His hands continued moving as he grasped the black liquid at his waist and brought the bottle to his mouth.

A clear stream spread across his body, and he felt the silver layer in front of him become even brighter. As a price, his body felt heavier.

He was now eagerly looking at Fran, wanting to know what Fran would do. If she used a shield, he would have to seize the advantage; if she attacked, he could declare victory.

However, when he saw the extremely active and somewhat strange Earth Element gathered around Fran, he felt extremely puzzled.

Wasn't the environment just now filled with Fire Element? Why is she using Earth Element magic now, and where did all that highly active Earth Element come from?

Warren hesitated for a moment, but finally decided to begin channeling an attack spell, first targeting Fran.

But when he looked at Fran, a second later, the smile on Warren's face suddenly vanished.

Because he could feel that terrifying Fire Element, as if it were burning his body right now.

"Elemental Conversion ..." Warren gritted his teeth and spat out the word, his whole body trembling.

When Fran Elemental Conversion into the Fire Element, he realized that what Fran was doing was Elemental Conversion, and only through this operation could the Fire Element be activated to this extent.

"How did she switch twice so quickly? I didn't even realize what the first element was before I saw the Earth Element..."

"The speed of Elemental Conversion seems to be linked to the strength of Mental Power, so her Mental Power..."

"No, I think I can't hold them off..."

"The secondary Elemental Conversion, plus the Fire Element activation spell she just cast... with this, I..."

Before Warren could even be shocked by Fran's unusually rapid Elemental Conversion, his first thought was what he could do now.

The enhanced spells after elemental transformation are not like the Greater Fireball we just encountered, which can withstand Channeling Spell.

If this enhancement spell were cast and exploded next to him, it would definitely be interrupted, given the type of shield he currently possesses.

Given Fran's casting speed and the fact that the Fire Element has already completed its second transformation, he thought he should temporarily cast a shield to absorb the damage.

He hastily cast a First Order Shield Spell, hoping to block more damage.

But before he could finish channeling the Shield Spell, Fran released the Blaze from her hand; this time she used Pyroblast.

A burst of fiery red energy erupted, and a terrifying sonic boom reverberated throughout the Duel Arena, even causing Fran to experience tinnitus.

"Where did this monster come from? It can even perform two Elemental Conversion so quickly?"

The Blaze scorched Warren's body, and the thin layer of mithril covering him almost collapsed, but it held on and prevented Warren from being defeated. However, this thin barrier wouldn't last much longer.

The shockwave interrupted his casting of First Order Shield Spell, but even without the interruption, he wouldn't have been able to continue.

Because Fran's Greater Fireball was coming again, his casting speed was no match for Fran's. Moreover, his First Order Shield Spell was no longer enough to stop the Greater Fireball enhanced by the large number of activated Fire Element around him.

"Who could possibly beat that?!"

Warren felt that even against the Main Tournament players, he wouldn't be so helpless.