Chapter 198: Chapter 173 Sword Maiden’s Interlude – Part 1
Jiale City, Sword Flower University training hall second floor.
Compared to the first floor, the second floor seemed much plainer, almost devoid of any equipment, but the walls and the floor were all laid with a layer of Thunder Snake Meteorite, its surface azure-blue snake pattern effectively dispersed resistance against any attack. After being enhanced by an Array, it could even resist Holy Sanctuary Level destructive miracles, making it a durable spot no matter how much it was roughed up.
The only drawback was the severe light pollution from the Thunder Snake floor.
This was a stage specifically provided for Mages to duel. Since most miracles severely damaged the surrounding area, Mages needed to duel in designated areas; dueling in public places without permission could result in fines and a three-point deduction from a Mage’s professional license.
By this time, it was past 11 PM. Most Mage apprentices had either returned to their dormitories to sleep or ventured into the Void Realm. On the vast second floor, only two Sword Masters were dueling, their released Sword Qi scraping white marks on the Thunder Snake floor!
Hearing a sound like a thread being pulled taut, Felix quickly withdrew his sword and retreated.
The ‘Red Sword Maiden,’ Sonia’s original miracle, Water Moon, had already resonated throughout the Mage schools of Jiale City. Recently, it was even included in the “Dazzling Star Miracle Catalog,” rated as a Radiant Silver Mid-Level miracle, leaving countless Sword Masters waiting for Sonia to lift the authorization restrictions to witness the Counterattack Miracle firsthand.
In Dazzling Star, miracles had a very detailed evaluation system, categorized into four levels based on Magic Power: Silver, Gold, Multicolor, and None; each level was divided into Dusk, True, and Radiant tiers; each tier had Upper, Middle, and Lower ranks, totaling 36 levels.
If Sonia could continue to optimize the Radiant Silver Mid-Level ‘Water Moon,’ replacing the precious Technique Spirit with a common one or further compensating for the casting shortfalls, then Water Moon could be rated as Radiant Silver Upper Level, becoming one of the top-tier miracles accessible to Silver Mages!
Her family had even unprecedentedly commissioned Felix to purchase the long-term authorization for Water Moon from Sonia at any cost. Based on the Wave Motion Sword and renowned for its Sword Body system, Vosloda would include this miracle in its family miracle compendium simply to enhance miracle diversity, let alone a gem of Radiant Silver Mid-Level.
Generally speaking, Radiant Level miracles represent a “trump card for overcoming higher challenges,” True Level miracles are “excellent achievements to boast about,” and Dusk Level miracles are “just okay.”
Why, you ask, do miracles need such a complex evaluation system? It is, of course, to better price miracles, ensuring buyers see the price as reasonable and sellers find it fair.
After all, the Star Extreme Hall, responsible for compiling the “Dazzling Star Miracle Catalog,” employs hundreds of Mage staff and thousands of Mage part-time advisors, all of whom depend on this miracle evaluation system for their livelihood.
Water Moon activated extremely quickly, was powerful, and was also a defense and counterattack miracle, entirely deserving of its Radiant Silver Mid-Level rating. However, after several days of sparring, Felix knew how to counter it—by retreating to a distance immediately upon hearing the thread sound and launching a long-range attack, he could easily unravel this miracle!
Yet, just as Felix forcibly interrupted his attack and withdrew his sword, he realized his opponent was not entwined with the threads of moonlight but instead took the opportunity to attack, aiming at his open guard!
But Felix had retracted too swiftly; he couldn’t defend in time!
The red-haired female Swordsman’s wooden sword produced a crimson Wave Motion Sword slash from below to above, lifting Felix!
Killing Intent Upper Slash!
Felix was knocked airborne, unable to land. The Wave Motion Sword had two main characteristics, ‘dispersion’ and ‘vibration’; the former enhanced the strike area, and the latter enhanced lethality. But if a Sword Master completely mastered these two characteristics, they could develop a third—forceful knockback!
Using the Upper Slash, a Wave Motion Swordsman could send an enemy flying into the air, losing all grounding, turning into utterly vulnerable prey!
Felix constantly avoided Sonia’s Upper Slash, never giving her the opportunity; he never suspected she, seemingly simple and beautiful, harbored such deceptive tactics—pretending to use Water Moon to force him to retreat, then seizing the chance to Upper Slash for an optimal attack opportunity.
If this continued, he’d be comboed to death!
However, being airborne was nearly a fatal condition for a Swordmaster since most swordsmanship moves required grounding. Therefore…
Just as Sonia was about to launch another Evil Light Slash, Felix suddenly spit at her, and with the augmentation of a sinister, gentle wind, it instantly transformed into a foul-smelling evil rain!
Miracle·Sorrowful Wind Erosion Rain!
Sonia let out a surprised and delighted sound, casually blocking all the rain with a Wave Motion Sword.
Felix, having landed safely, no longer concealed his strength. He blew thrice in succession, each breath forming a nebulous Wind Blade!
Then he lightly wiped his lips with both hands, crossed them, and sliced out ten interwoven acid erosive waters!
Miracle·Poison Blade Net!
“Interesting, really interesting!” Sonia step-by-step tore through Felix’s miracles, her lips curling slightly, her light red pupils nearly turning vertical: “Felix, you—”
Sonia had held nothing back this time, launching the Slaughter Sword before Felix could even cast a “Miracle”, a crimson Sword Light slashing through his left arm, breaking out in deep red blood, the wound so deep the bone was nearly visible!
In the moment when she saw the blood, Sonia’s eyes shone brightly and her grip on the wooden sword tightened. However, she quickly came to her senses and threw the wooden sword down, hastily saying, “I’ll take you to the medical room now—”
“No, no need,” Felix said, hiding his left hand behind him and shaking his head repeatedly. “It’s just a minor injury; I have a Water Therapy Technique Spirit. I’ll heal myself gradually, and I can also use this opportunity to raise my status in the Water Technique Faction.”
So this was the young noble lord? He wasn’t even taking a Medical Practitioner’s path, yet he was carrying a Water Therapy Technique Spirit with him.
The Village Girl expressed surprise at the wealth of the city dwellers, peeking at Felix’s left hand, which was always gloved, perhaps a tool that could enhance the effects of the “Miracle”.
As for the injury… Since the hand wasn’t severed, Sonia reasoned that it was merely a minor injury not worth mentioning and calmly let Felix deal with it himself.
“Why didn’t you call a halt when your Star Garment was torn?”
“It was probably torn mid-air; I didn’t notice it then.”
Both wore a thin layer resembling a dreamlike froth, which absorbed all damage when their bodies were attacked, keeping the duelers’ lives safe.
This was the welfare of academy Mages called “Star Garment,” which they could get added by their advisors before duels, allowing them to enjoy the pleasure of fighting at full force without fears of accidentally bursting a classmate’s head.
“It looks like tonight has to stop here,” Felix exhaled, “although fighting against you, Sonia, is truly beneficial…”
“Then let’s continue.” Sonia was still immensely spirited and excitedly said, “Your other hand isn’t broken yet.”
“But! I! Am! Injured!” Felix gritted his teeth, “Let’s rest for a bit, and I’ll tend to my injuries.”
Lately, Sonia had sought him out for a Mage duel every night. At first, Felix was pleased to learn from a genius, but Sonia grew more aggressive each night; the first night, Felix managed to handle his injuries but by the second had to seek a Medical Practitioner, and by the third, he was barely holding his body together after saying goodbye to Sonia, calling for help to be sent to the medical room as soon as she was far enough away, cursing Sonia every day in his head, ‘Hasn’t this Village Girl’s tide come yet?’
If it weren’t for the little dignity left and his reluctance to lose to a peer, Felix would have long refused such a one-sided thrashing by Sonia.
But she refused to believe it; she had been a burdened Avenger from her youth, how could she fear a vulgar village girl with nothing but talent?
She could lose, but she wouldn’t lack the courage to draw her sword against a Village Girl!
Felix sat down and looked at his bleeding left hand; if this incident hadn’t happened, they were likely to fight until midnight. According to past experiences, the Village Girl tended to become more excited and ferocious as the fight went on, especially the last half-hour felt like a stormy devastation, breaking Felix’s wooden swords several times.
Injuring one hand, ending work an hour early… it seemed like… not a loss?
“Your Wind Skill, Water Magic, and Poison Skill are all at Silver Realm, right?” Sonia asked out of the blue, “Did you start learning them when you were young, or only recently?”
Felix hesitated for a bit, “Recently.”
“You should have given up swordsmanship long ago.”
“That’s not true,” Felix replied while healing himself with the Water Therapy Technique Spirit, “Swordsmanship is the key to Vosloda, and the foundation of my survival. Sometimes, one must compromise for survival; without survival, there’s no chance for talents to bloom, prioritizing is clear…”
“I’m not listening, I’m not listening, I’m not listening.” Sonia covered her ears, “I refuse to get involved in the love-hate-interest disputes of nobility.”
“You were the one who started this topic,” Felix relaxed and snorted coldly, “I won’t come to duel you anymore tomorrow.”
Sonia looked at her in astonishment, then awkwardly grabbed the hem of her garment, lowering her head, lost in thought.
Felix was somewhat pleased by Sonia’s demeanor, not expecting the Village Girl to show a hint of embarrassment; she had thought the Village Girl would mock her for running away when hearing this.
“That… how about the newspaper?”
“I’ll roll up a newspaper,” Sonia gestured rolling a newspaper, “I’ll fight you with a newspaper, how about that?”
Felix was taken aback and his face turned red: “I’m not afraid to duel you!”
“Not even the newspaper? I can even use a finger, I can activate the swordsmanship Technique Spirit with one finger!”
Felix felt that if the conversation continued, he might eventually be enraged to death by the Village Girl and simply said briskly, “My spirit has healed, I can enter the Void Realm tomorrow, I don’t have time to duel you!”
Earlier, Felix had been blocked by a Fish-Slicing Dragon in the Void Realm, which had claimed his first blood through the Vortex channel, but the Fish-Slicing Dragon was soon taken advantage of by Sonia, which led Felix’s Slaughter Sword to eventually end up in Sonia’s hands, beginning their formal contact over interests.
After experiencing death, Felix hid his Magic Power level from his family to avoid asking for help, but after many days had passed, his soul had naturally recovered.
Thus Felix felt so indulgent tonight to reveal his true strength against Sonia—losing was still a loss, but if he won, he had a reason to leave right away, not giving the Village Girl a chance to turn the tables!