"Angel, hello there."

"Good grief! This rotund fellow, does he have any pride at all? Every time he encounters Alina’s friend Angel, he is all fawning smiles. Angel is indeed a beauty (though still quite young and not fully developed), but she carries herself with a certain arrogance and frosty demeanor."

Dick keeps his distance from such haughty beauties, even if they are Alina’s close friends. He has no inclination to curry favor with pretty faces.

In this world, strength reigns supreme. Once one reaches advanced levels of training, what beauty is out of reach? Hmph!

"Dick, you don’t even have a magic staff? Didn’t your uncle sponsor you with quite a few magic crystals?"

"A staff is too costly. I'm poor, as you well know. Uncle Taita also struggles to earn those magic crystals; training is what's crucial," Dick replied earnestly.

"Still pretending to be impoverished!" Alina smirked. "Let me give you a staff."

"Please, no! I genuinely can’t afford it." If it were a gift from Uncle Taita, Dick would have accepted it without hesitation. But Alina, being a young girl, should understand there are limits to taking advantage. Dick, though thick-skinned, has his principles.

"Without a staff, you’ll be at a disadvantage in the martial combat." Indeed, a mage’s battle is greatly enhanced by the magical amplification of a staff, improving both the force and speed of spellcasting.

"Don’t worry, I have this!" Dick proudly drew a short sword from his belt, a gift from Alina.

"Dick, you are a mage!" Alina was clearly irked by the sight of Dick’s short sword.

"So what if I am a mage? Can’t a mage use a sword? Alina, you’re still young and don’t understand! To achieve victory, we must use any means necessary. After all, the reward is over ten thousand gold coins."

The short sword, though small and of limited cost, made of tempered steel, could still deflect some magical attacks. Dick had tested its utility in his fights with Harvey and found it quite effective.

"Hmph!"

"Alina, you, pampered child, will learn when you fight in the Magical Beast Mountains. Combat is lethal; who cares if you’re a mage or a warrior? Killing the enemy and staying alive is what matters most," Dick spoke with the tone of an older brother schooling a younger sister.

Alina was used to Dick’s manner of speech, and he wasn’t entirely wrong. Every year, a number of mages perish in the Magical Beast Mountains. Nobles are not exempt from such fates. The so-called dignity of a mage means little in the face of death.

"Thirty-six, Dick!"

"I’m here!" The time for Dick’s combat had arrived. He did not conceal his short sword; since it was an open match, using underhanded tactics would show disrespect to his opponent and earn disapproval from the instructors.

This content has been misappropriated from Royal Road; report any instances of this story if found elsewhere.

"First-Year Class Nine, Lant!"

"First-Year Class Seven, Dick!" Even in combat, respect for the formalities of being a mage was maintained.

Observing his opponent Lant’s elaborate attire and staff, it was clear he was a noble. The presence of nobility was not uncommon.

Ignoring the unwritten rules of mage combat, Dick did not first cast a defensive water shield. Instead, he launched a barrage of fireballs and charged forward with his short sword.

Lant managed to cast a water shield to deflect the fireballs.

Good grief! Dick’s powerful warrior physique allowed for a remarkably swift charge. Lant attempted to counter with a water sword spell, but Dick deflected one of the water swords with his own short sword, slid forward on his knees, and reached Lant’s front.

"Boom! Boom!" The force of Dick’s martial energy, though less than that of a large sword, was still considerable, hitting with the force of several hundred pounds. Lant, flustered and unable to concentrate on another spell, had his water shield shattered by Dick’s short sword.

Lant was then struck on the head by Dick’s conjured water sword, rendering him unconscious. Dick had no intention of killing Lant; it was merely a match.

"Dick wins!" The proctor’s gaze towards Dick was inscrutable.

"Congratulations, Dick!" Harvey, ever the supportive friend, was the first to offer his congratulations. "I knew you’d make progress; your charging speed has improved by at least ten percent since two weeks ago."

In the first round, Harvey noticed a significant improvement in Dick’s speed. A ten percent increase reduced the likelihood of the opponent casting multiple spells effectively, which was a straightforward advantage.

"Harvey, you’d better keep up too. Losing in the first round would be quite embarrassing, haha!" Dick appreciated Harvey’s friendship and his commendable magical talent; he might be a future comrade in arms.

"Alina, you should also put in the effort…"

"Shut up, Dick! With your little warrior tricks, I’ll flatten you on the arena!"

In reality, Alina’s combat skills were formidable for a First-Year Mage, surpassing the typical spellcasting speed and intensity of most at her level.

As for Dick, after three matches, he relied on his familiar tactics: swift fireball spells followed by aggressive short sword charges. Luck was on his side; his opponents were not particularly strong, or they were still recovering from previous injuries.

Only a few First-Year students remained fit for combat after such intense bouts. Why? Just look at how Alina is already injured; the brutality of the martial combat is evident. High magical prowess doesn’t guarantee victory.

Many matches ended with both combatants severely injured, unable to continue.

"How’s it going, fatso?" It was only the fourth round, and Harvey was already spitting blood. Even if he won, the next fight…

"I’m fine, not dying yet. It’ll take ten days or so to recover," Harvey, wealthy enough to afford quick healing potions, was already treating himself. Contrary to Dick’s assumptions, the magical instructors would not waste their energy on minor injuries; severe wounds were treated by the students themselves.

Harvey’s injuries were severe but not fatal, leaving him to rely on self-healing.

"Alright, recover well. I’ll check on you later. If I win the prize, I’ll treat you to a magical feast."

Harvey was carried away by his new follower, Fandi.

"Dick, be careful. Your next opponent is likely Liu Tiesheng. He’s also a dual-element mage with exceptional talent, having reached First-Level Mage within his family. His current magical power is even more robust than mine, so you might face several of his spells during a single charge.

Most importantly, his defensive magic shield is earth-based. As you know, earth magic provides the heaviest defense…" Despite their frequent bickering, Alina was genuinely concerned for Dick.

Receiving such intelligence was always beneficial, at least to be prepared mentally.

With only the final eight contenders remaining, winning two more matches would secure Dick a top-three finish and at least ten thousand gold coins.

With many First-Year students competing, the matches were divided into two arenas to expedite the process. Liu Tiesheng had been fighting in the other arena, so Dick had yet to see him.

Ah! Given the prestige of the capital’s Magic Academy, many talented mages were gathered, and Dick had anticipated this.

Not being a noble, Dick focused solely on his training and knew few of his peers. It was normal not to be acquainted with Liu Tiesheng.