Carl Paul

Once the Thorn Ring's tournament selection began, no one could leave before the first round unless they withdrew entirely. Apart from the top talents already living on the tower's floating islands, everyone had to take part in the first round.

The second round was voluntary. Wizards who won their first match could issue challenges freely, and those challenged could choose whether to accept.

In short, the first round was a mandatory task. The second was the real talent selection.

There were more than a thousand Ring of Law wizards. Even with those who knew they were outmatched forfeiting, a full round of one-on-one matches would take a long time.

Following the example of some wizards nearby, Dago shaped an Animated Ice Crystal into a chair. He sat down and watched the fights in the arena spaces to pass the time.

His fight with Jarliden had given him a rough idea of his current strength. With Despair Frost Domain enhanced by Dual-Domain Stacking and several Apex of Sorcery techniques, he still held an advantage against a Second-Ring Wizard with a Third-Rank Rating, even without fully unleashing the power of his Iceflame Blue Demon Body.

Of course, his easy victory over Jarliden had owed much to two factors: his apparent strength as a Late First-Ring wizard had invited underestimation, and no one had known about the spells he revealed in that fight.

After that match, Dago was probably the most closely watched dark horse in the entire Thorn Ring. Those two hidden advantages were gone.

Anyone with an interest in him would hurry to gather information. Even an opponent no stronger than Jarliden would be harder to fight from now on.

As Dago thought about this, he sensed someone approaching. He quietly looked up and saw a handsome young man with brilliant