ACT II
MONAMI
Chris bursts out laughing when he heard Hans talk about Delimira being his best friend. Meanwhile, Delimira who was going to drag Hans back one more time, let her hand stop in the middle. Hans was maintaining eye contact with Gazel without showing any sign of withdrawal.
Since his battle with Chris, he was cranky and needed something to vent on, so he kept inciting Delimira before, but she was not catching the bait. He declared in a raised voice, as a means to ask the two behind him while glaring at the senior above.
Hey representatives, what will happen if our 'respected senior' picks a fight with me?
Delimira apathetically responded,
The senior will get suspended or worse, expelled.
Hans added,
And what if we add the charges of running an illegal organisation and investigating a student?
Delimira became silent because she was the one who commissioned it in the first place, but there was no need to mention it since it was impossible to find her, at least for Gazel. Seeing her silent, Chris added himself in conversation,
He will definitely get expelled and his family will be barred in Concordia.
Family barring was a very harsh punishment, it meant the individual’s family will be banned forever for using Concordia’s facilities like alchemy and craftsmanship, which were the best in the world.
Hans did not know what family barring was but since Gazel's face was turning into something that was giving him satisfaction. He did not show his lack of knowledge in the matter and sneered at him, adding,
With these odds, You still wanna pick on me?
A sudden voice broke the tension,
He could have an unofficial duel, if he wants, I can allow that.
All of them turned to the source of the sound and Found a bulky man, dressed in full black, pleasantly looking at the kids. He came forth and repeated his sentence,
I said I can allow him to vent his anger on you, Hans.
Hans was baffled so does everyone, the man looked above at Gazel and said,
Master Gazel, How is your father doing? A Lot of time has passed since we met for drinks.
Gazel got happy to find backing in this situation, and he respectfully replied to him,
Professor Walter, my father is a bit busy, I would relay your kind words to him when I get the chance.
Walter looked at Hans with concern and turned to Gazel saying,
Ah, it looks like one of mine troubled you. How do you want to settle this?
Gazel smiled wickedly and said,
I wanna vent some anger on him as you said. Can you make sure it goes without a hitch?
Walter replied to him with the same expression,
Of course, I was already suggesting that, but since you are laying hands on one of mine, it warrants some compensation, right?
It was not hidden from the seniors how greedy Walter was and dealing with a greedy person seemed easy for Gazel who lacked nothing. He put on a business smile and said,
Don't worry, I won't be beating him much, just worth up to five hundred gold coins.
Five hundred gold was a hefty amount for anyone since a single gold coin could let you live lavishly for a few days. Whereas for Walter, it was a small amount but little drops make the mighty ocean, so he agreed happily,
It's not great but 500 gold would do.
Delimira shouted at the professor,
What are you doing, aren't you supposed to stop them?
Grow up girl, this is how the world works, you should know who to offend or who to avoid, kids need to learn this early so they could survive longer, I am just helping you young ones realise this before.
Walter looked at the two receptionists and said,
If I heard any word of this outside, both of you will hear from me, you know what will happen then, right?
He turned to the happy Gazel who just threw a pouch of five hundred gold at him and said,
Let's change the places before, Ms Winters could contact her grumpy mother.
Delimira looked at Walter who was just staring at her, she was in the middle of informing her mother with a communication orb in her hand. Suddenly a dark sphere surrounded all of them and when they came into the light they were outside.
Hans was having a bad feeling, he just wanted to rub on the senior's face but it now turned into a brawl with odds, not on his side. Walter was the HouseMaster of prophets, and he could easily get away with this as long as Hans won't get killed.
Walter finally said to Hans,
I told you to stay out of trouble, but you need some lessons. With this, you will learn how the real world works, youngest.
Hans turned to Gazel and became cautious. Walter added with a stern expression
Don't resent me, boy. Depending on your performance I could reduce the due punishment for you.
His words sounded like he wanted Hans to get beaten. Instead of thinking about what was in this professor’s head. Hans focused in front of him, Gazel was stretching his arms in confidence. The only mage he fought till now was Delimira who toyed with him psychologically and Vanessa who always prioritised him not getting hurt. Gazel in front of him was almost a third circle mage and he was experienced like Delimira so Hans chose to remain vigilant.
Walter started the duel,
Since it is not an official duel, there is no need for formalities. Let's start.
Not knowing another person's mana was a disadvantage. Walter was making sure that Hans do not get an upper hand in any way. Meanwhile, Delimira was looking at her communication orb which was not getting any signal. She was looking for this place to at least find where they were but it was not yielding any results.
Before Walter transported them, she managed to connect with her mother but she did not get any answer. She was concerned because It was not a duel but a fight and Hans knew that too, so he started using his strong attacks from the beginning,
SeedBullet
The metal seed was shot with a moderate speed and struck the forehead of Gazel. It was not strong enough to drill a tunnel in his head but it sure did the damage.
Gazel became disoriented for a while, Hans didn't use this opportunity for the attack but instead spread various orca vines seeds. This battle was disadvantageous for Hans because his attacks need some preparation time and since the library, he rigged while conversing with Gazel got switched with this unknown place, he had to start over.
The second-year mage took out something shiny from his pocket, it was a potion. The potions and artefacts were the game-changer items which could turn any winning battle into a humiliating loss and it's the sole reason they were banned from the duels.
Hans grunted and got ready for what was coming, as Gazel shouted,
Well, you have done it now, how dare an insignificant bastard as you hurt me?
He broke a vial and the scrape in his forehead healed instantly. This was the power of having money and items that Hans was not used to. He had already seen Gazel with ManaVision and found out that he had ground, water and wind mana properties.
The only thing that could trouble him was fire and that was only in prolonged battles, but fortunately, Hans's opponent this time did not possess that. Gazel shouted in anger and cast his first spell,
VentusVulnus
Several wind slashes conjured at Hans’s right side which made him jump to the left where another thing was waiting for him.
QuickArena
Unlike spells that originated from the caster, the spells like QuickArena which was way far from its caster do not show any bright rings. So it was hard to predict where the spell was going to appear. If the victim was not a specialist in detection he could be ambushed. And it started, the ground converted into a quicksand pit, which started swallowing Hans.
But sadly for Gazel, Hans had ManaVision, he could see the high concentration of mana forming where he decided to jump. The more Gazel thought of his plan working the more he would have underestimated Hans and he was wagering on this perception.
Seeing his plan working, Gazel started laughing and shot another spell,
BoulderSmash
It was a projectile spell which conjured a big rock that shot itself towards Hans and scored a successful hit.
Gazel saw Hans falling unconscious and bleeding through the head. He was already sunken till his waist but the first thing Concordia teaches the students is to make sure that their target is really down. He launched another BolderSamsh towards him.
Chris and Delimira pleaded with Walter to stop before something bad happened to Hans but the man was adamant about continuing this. He was excited to see how far this could go on and how much this will blow later.
After verifying that there was no movement in Hans, Gazel walked towards him and said,
now, tell me who you are, you bastard. Do you still think you are more influential than me? You must have thought that eradicating my people was a joke…
Damn, it hurts like hell.
Hans’s painful voice reached him and Gazel got startled, a first-year surviving two boulderSmash was not a regular thing. This alerted Gazel and he got a bad feeling so he drank another vial of potion. it was to heighten his senses and he started to observe his surroundings.
Hans said in a fierce voice,
It's no use, I don't like loose ends.
Along with his words, the place started to shake and Gazel’s heightened senses were telling him of incoming danger but it was not from a particular direction. All the place was designated dangerous in his sense. He looked at Hans not believing the situation.
Hans was raised from the quicksand as a long tree grew right beneath him. it embraced Hans in branches like a lover back hugging him. The tree grew with a visible pace and as Hans came out from the sand pit completely, the trembling of the ground subsided. Gazel thought it was over but his senses started tingling more aggressively.
A giant vine of thickness similar to a grand carriage sprang out from the ground, slithering like a serpent. It kept diving into the ground and emerging out from nowhere, till the whole area was reshaped. Hans was redirecting Gazel as he was trying to dodge the unending vines to the place of his choosing and at the perfect moment.
SeedBullet
One after another the fast-moving seed penetrated both his knees making him cry in pain. Gazel quickly took out the healing potion and put it in his wounds, his pain got dulled as his wounds started to heal. But it was just the start of a vicious cycle.
Hans keep shooting the SeedBullets and Gazel kept using the potion. he was healing quickly that does not mean there was no pain. Hans was returning everything he received from him in several folds. As Gazel ran out of potions, Hans decided to finish and said in a grim voice,
God is calling you, senior.
Mutilate
A shriek that instilled fear in many beasts in the Ghost Isles finally made its appearance in Concordia. The fear it inflicted on the beast there was reflected the same on Gazel too, as he could feel his end coming. Hans released the conical casing containing the crying seed at full speed.
Seeing the ominous thing coming to claim him Gazel quickly turned to Walter for help but his smiling face greeted the scared Elf. All of his hope to live vanished, but the crying seed got hit with another fast-moving spell.
All heard another loud voice, enhanced with Mana,
WHAT IS THE MEANING OF THIS?
Gazel turned his hopeless face and saw the lady he despised, as the angel saving his elven bacon. While Hans was glaring at her, not because his strongest attack got nullified like nothing but because she meddled in the hunt and that, he could not tolerate.
***
Announcement NEXT - The Big Picture
ACT II
MONAMI
Chris bursts out laughing when he heard Hans talk about Delimira being his best friend. Meanwhile, Delimira who was going to drag Hans back one more time, let her hand stop in the middle. Hans was maintaining eye contact with Gazel without showing any sign of withdrawal.
Since his battle with Chris, he was cranky and needed something to vent on, so he kept inciting Delimira before, but she was not catching the bait. He declared in a raised voice, as a means to ask the two behind him while glaring at the senior above.
Hey representatives, what will happen if our 'respected senior' picks a fight with me?
Delimira apathetically responded,
The senior will get suspended or worse, expelled.
Hans added,
And what if we add the charges of running an illegal organisation and investigating a student?
Delimira became silent because she was the one who commissioned it in the first place, but there was no need to mention it since it was impossible to find her, at least for Gazel. Seeing her silent, Chris added himself in conversation,
He will definitely get expelled and his family will be barred in Concordia.
Family barring was a very harsh punishment, it meant the individual’s family will be banned forever for using Concordia’s facilities like alchemy and craftsmanship, which were the best in the world.
Hans did not know what family barring was but since Gazel's face was turning into something that was giving him satisfaction. He did not show his lack of knowledge in the matter and sneered at him, adding,
With these odds, You still wanna pick on me?
A sudden voice broke the tension,
He could have an unofficial duel, if he wants, I can allow that.
All of them turned to the source of the sound and Found a bulky man, dressed in full black, pleasantly looking at the kids. He came forth and repeated his sentence,
I said I can allow him to vent his anger on you, Hans.
Hans was baffled so does everyone, the man looked above at Gazel and said,
Master Gazel, How is your father doing? A Lot of time has passed since we met for drinks.
Gazel got happy to find backing in this situation, and he respectfully replied to him,
Professor Walter, my father is a bit busy, I would relay your kind words to him when I get the chance.
Walter looked at Hans with concern and turned to Gazel saying,
Ah, it looks like one of mine troubled you. How do you want to settle this?
Gazel smiled wickedly and said,
I wanna vent some anger on him as you said. Can you make sure it goes without a hitch?
Walter replied to him with the same expression,
Of course, I was already suggesting that, but since you are laying hands on one of mine, it warrants some compensation, right?
It was not hidden from the seniors how greedy Walter was and dealing with a greedy person seemed easy for Gazel who lacked nothing. He put on a business smile and said,
Don't worry, I won't be beating him much, just worth up to five hundred gold coins.
Five hundred gold was a hefty amount for anyone since a single gold coin could let you live lavishly for a few days. Whereas for Walter, it was a small amount but little drops make the mighty ocean, so he agreed happily,
It's not great but 500 gold would do.
Delimira shouted at the professor,
What are you doing, aren't you supposed to stop them?
Grow up girl, this is how the world works, you should know who to offend or who to avoid, kids need to learn this early so they could survive longer, I am just helping you young ones realise this before.
Walter looked at the two receptionists and said,
If I heard any word of this outside, both of you will hear from me, you know what will happen then, right?
He turned to the happy Gazel who just threw a pouch of five hundred gold at him and said,
Let's change the places before, Ms Winters could contact her grumpy mother.
Delimira looked at Walter who was just staring at her, she was in the middle of informing her mother with a communication orb in her hand. Suddenly a dark sphere surrounded all of them and when they came into the light they were outside.
Hans was having a bad feeling, he just wanted to rub on the senior's face but it now turned into a brawl with odds, not on his side. Walter was the HouseMaster of prophets, and he could easily get away with this as long as Hans won't get killed.
Walter finally said to Hans,
I told you to stay out of trouble, but you need some lessons. With this, you will learn how the real world works, youngest.
Hans turned to Gazel and became cautious. Walter added with a stern expression
Don't resent me, boy. Depending on your performance I could reduce the due punishment for you.
His words sounded like he wanted Hans to get beaten. Instead of thinking about what was in this professor’s head. Hans focused in front of him, Gazel was stretching his arms in confidence. The only mage he fought till now was Delimira who toyed with him psychologically and Vanessa who always prioritised him not getting hurt. Gazel in front of him was almost a third circle mage and he was experienced like Delimira so Hans chose to remain vigilant.
Walter started the duel,
Since it is not an official duel, there is no need for formalities. Let's start.
Not knowing another person's mana was a disadvantage. Walter was making sure that Hans do not get an upper hand in any way. Meanwhile, Delimira was looking at her communication orb which was not getting any signal. She was looking for this place to at least find where they were but it was not yielding any results.
Before Walter transported them, she managed to connect with her mother but she did not get any answer. She was concerned because It was not a duel but a fight and Hans knew that too, so he started using his strong attacks from the beginning,
SeedBullet
The metal seed was shot with a moderate speed and struck the forehead of Gazel. It was not strong enough to drill a tunnel in his head but it sure did the damage.
Gazel became disoriented for a while, Hans didn't use this opportunity for the attack but instead spread various orca vines seeds. This battle was disadvantageous for Hans because his attacks need some preparation time and since the library, he rigged while conversing with Gazel got switched with this unknown place, he had to start over.
The second-year mage took out something shiny from his pocket, it was a potion. The potions and artefacts were the game-changer items which could turn any winning battle into a humiliating loss and it's the sole reason they were banned from the duels.
Hans grunted and got ready for what was coming, as Gazel shouted,
Well, you have done it now, how dare an insignificant bastard as you hurt me?
He broke a vial and the scrape in his forehead healed instantly. This was the power of having money and items that Hans was not used to. He had already seen Gazel with ManaVision and found out that he had ground, water and wind mana properties.
The only thing that could trouble him was fire and that was only in prolonged battles, but fortunately, Hans's opponent this time did not possess that. Gazel shouted in anger and cast his first spell,
VentusVulnus
Several wind slashes conjured at Hans’s right side which made him jump to the left where another thing was waiting for him.
QuickArena
Unlike spells that originated from the caster, the spells like QuickArena which was way far from its caster do not show any bright rings. So it was hard to predict where the spell was going to appear. If the victim was not a specialist in detection he could be ambushed. And it started, the ground converted into a quicksand pit, which started swallowing Hans.
But sadly for Gazel, Hans had ManaVision, he could see the high concentration of mana forming where he decided to jump. The more Gazel thought of his plan working the more he would have underestimated Hans and he was wagering on this perception.
Seeing his plan working, Gazel started laughing and shot another spell,
BoulderSmash
It was a projectile spell which conjured a big rock that shot itself towards Hans and scored a successful hit.
Gazel saw Hans falling unconscious and bleeding through the head. He was already sunken till his waist but the first thing Concordia teaches the students is to make sure that their target is really down. He launched another BolderSamsh towards him.
Chris and Delimira pleaded with Walter to stop before something bad happened to Hans but the man was adamant about continuing this. He was excited to see how far this could go on and how much this will blow later.
After verifying that there was no movement in Hans, Gazel walked towards him and said,
now, tell me who you are, you bastard. Do you still think you are more influential than me? You must have thought that eradicating my people was a joke…
Damn, it hurts like hell.
Hans’s painful voice reached him and Gazel got startled, a first-year surviving two boulderSmash was not a regular thing. This alerted Gazel and he got a bad feeling so he drank another vial of potion. it was to heighten his senses and he started to observe his surroundings.
Hans said in a fierce voice,
It's no use, I don't like loose ends.
Along with his words, the place started to shake and Gazel’s heightened senses were telling him of incoming danger but it was not from a particular direction. All the place was designated dangerous in his sense. He looked at Hans not believing the situation.
Hans was raised from the quicksand as a long tree grew right beneath him. it embraced Hans in branches like a lover back hugging him. The tree grew with a visible pace and as Hans came out from the sand pit completely, the trembling of the ground subsided. Gazel thought it was over but his senses started tingling more aggressively.
A giant vine of thickness similar to a grand carriage sprang out from the ground, slithering like a serpent. It kept diving into the ground and emerging out from nowhere, till the whole area was reshaped. Hans was redirecting Gazel as he was trying to dodge the unending vines to the place of his choosing and at the perfect moment.
SeedBullet
One after another the fast-moving seed penetrated both his knees making him cry in pain. Gazel quickly took out the healing potion and put it in his wounds, his pain got dulled as his wounds started to heal. But it was just the start of a vicious cycle.
Hans keep shooting the SeedBullets and Gazel kept using the potion. he was healing quickly that does not mean there was no pain. Hans was returning everything he received from him in several folds. As Gazel ran out of potions, Hans decided to finish and said in a grim voice,
God is calling you, senior.
Mutilate
A shriek that instilled fear in many beasts in the Ghost Isles finally made its appearance in Concordia. The fear it inflicted on the beast there was reflected the same on Gazel too, as he could feel his end coming. Hans released the conical casing containing the crying seed at full speed.
Seeing the ominous thing coming to claim him Gazel quickly turned to Walter for help but his smiling face greeted the scared Elf. All of his hope to live vanished, but the crying seed got hit with another fast-moving spell.
All heard another loud voice, enhanced with Mana,
WHAT IS THE MEANING OF THIS?
Gazel turned his hopeless face and saw the lady he despised, as the angel saving his elven bacon. While Hans was glaring at her, not because his strongest attack got nullified like nothing but because she meddled in the hunt and that, he could not tolerate.
***
Announcement NEXT - The Big Picture