Helvia and Felix departed soon after, leaving the City Lord and Rifi alone to discuss matters more privately regarding Rifi's new role.

Before any details like pay, assignments, or formalities could be addressed, the City Lord needed to assess Rifi's true strength. While it was certain that Rifi was a red-core mage, not all mages of the same core rank were equal. Some stood leagues above their peers, and this disparity was especially evident among close-combat mages.

Close-combat mages ranged from nearly ineffective to godlike warriors, their abilities more volatile compared to spellbound mages, who were generally more balanced in power within their respective core ranks. Of course, exceptional individuals always stood out.

Though Rifi had been given the title of Battlemage—a title reserved for elite close-combat fighters—the City Lord wanted to see for himself whether it was a mere honorary designation or if Rifi truly embodied the feared essence of a Battlemage.

It should be noted that even honorary Battlemages were a formidable force, difficult to contend with, but a true Battlemage was the king of any battlefield, feared by both allies and enemies alike.

The arena, now cleared, was silent, save for Rifi and the City Lord. A sparring match was set to determine Rifi's true capabilities. No one was allowed to observe—not even the guard who had escorted them. He now stood outside, waiting for further instructions.

The City Lord, though two ranks above Rifi and a yellow-core spellbound mage, showed no signs of underestimating his opponent.

"Prepare yourself, Rifi," the City Lord shouted across the arena. "I'm about to begin."

The battle commenced.

Rifi immediately flooded his muscles with mana, a mixture of lightning mana and raw, elementless energy, careful not to reveal the full extent of his abilities. His mana surged through the arena, and he could feel every minute detail in the space around him. Heat radiated from his body, steam rising from his skin. Black lightning marks crackled across his limbs, giving the impression that he had just been struck by a thunderbolt.

Rifi stood ready, not needing to wait long. The City Lord made two heavy steps forward, and with each step, Rifi felt massive amounts of earth mana being channeled into the ground.

The earth beneath Rifi's feet rumbled, and in an instant, jagged rocks shot toward him from three directions. Instinctively, Rifi knew he had to leave the ground. The speed of his movement was blinding, easily outpacing the incoming projectiles. Leaping into the air, he used the momentum from the rocks to propel himself forward, dodging the spikes that erupted where he had just stood.

The City Lord smiled, an amused glint in his eyes, and vanished behind an enormous wall of earth that rose between them. The wall shot toward Rifi with alarming speed, leaving him vulnerable in midair.

With no time to evade, Rifi infused his legs with lightning mana to their maximum capacity. As he reached the wall, he pushed the lightning from his feet, obliterating the earth spikes before they could fully form. His movements were fluid, swift. Running across the side of the wall, each step left charred lightning marks in his wake.

But the ground between them was no longer safe—magma had begun seeping through the floor, bubbling and hissing as it spread. More projectiles of molten rock hurtled toward him.

Rifi narrowed his eyes. The City Lord was a dual-element wielder. It was a surprising discovery, though Rifi had sensed the shift in mana before seeing the change in the battlefield.

Unfazed, Rifi drew his sword, lightning crackling along its length as he deflected the magma projectiles with ease. With a roundhouse kick to the wall, he sent chunks of earth scattering across the molten floor.

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The City Lord, now fully encased in an armor of earth, continued his assault, summoning waves of earth and magma spikes that he hurled toward Rifi. Each spike was met by Rifi's blade, though the intense heat from the magma and the lightning energy flowing through the sword was rapidly deteriorating its condition. He knew it wouldn't last much longer.

But it didn't matter—Rifi was closing in. Only a few meters separated him from the City Lord now.

A massive earth spike shot toward him from the right, while another wall began forming in front of the City Lord. Without hesitation, Rifi leapt to the left, channeling a bolt of lightning through his sword and directing it straight at the City Lord.

He only used half of his strength in that strike—it was, after all, only a spar.

But as the lightning struck the City Lord's earth armor, Rifi's eyes widened in shock. The armor cracked and crumbled, but it was empty.

By the time Rifi realized the deception, it was too late. As he landed, the ground beneath him gave way, and in a blink, he was pulled neck-deep into the earth.

He was about to release his full power to escape when the City Lord's voice cut through the chaos.

"I've seen enough. We'll stop here."

The City Lord rose from the ground behind Rifi, a satisfied grin on his face. "You've got remarkable reflexes, especially with that lightning affinity of yours. But you rely on it a bit too much."

Rifi's expression shifted, apologetic. "I was too arrogant. I'm sorry to have disappointed you."

"Disappointed?" The City Lord chuckled. "Not at all. You are more than deserving of the Battlemage title. With your speed, few can match you—certainly no one of the red core rank. Your use of lightning mana to enhance your body is unlike anything I've seen. You are, however, inexperienced. But that will change with time, provided you don't let arrogance cloud your judgment."

"Thank you, City Lord," Rifi replied, bowing his head in respect. "I will carry your advice with me and learn from this."

"Hoho, a promising young talent indeed," the City Lord mused, stroking his beard. "Now, come. We have much to discuss. There's an important assignment waiting for you, especially since our views on the great clans seem to align."

As they left the arena, the receptionist awaited them with towels and refreshments. Rifi wiped the sweat from his brow as they made their way back to the City Lord's office. The receptionist led the way and poured tea for both of them before bowing and leaving the room.

Rifi remained silent, his thoughts lingering on the battle. 'No wonder the old man is such a beast on the battlefield. He probably trains like this every day.'

He wasn't wrong. Despite the City Lord's outwardly aged appearance, his strength was undeniable. Rifi now had first-hand experience of just how formidable the man truly was.

As soon as the receptionist exited, the City Lord got straight to the point.

"Rifi," he began, "now that we've established some trust, I want to share something with you. But know this—what I'm about to reveal could place you in great danger. Are you willing to bear that risk?"

"If it involves the great clans, they've already ensured I won't remain on the sidelines," Rifi answered firmly. "You needn't worry about me."

"Good," the City Lord said, his eyes glinting. "That's what I needed to hear. Having another Battlemage on our side will be invaluable. For now, nothing is certain, but we suspect the Esquliana clan is involved in something sinister. I wanted you to be prepared—war may soon be upon us."

"Of course, it's those bastards," Rifi muttered through clenched teeth.

"It appears so," the City Lord nodded. "But we cannot act rashly. For now, keep this information between us. I need to know that I can rely on you when the time comes. As for your immediate assignment, you will be placed in an elite battlemage squad. They're currently away, but they'll return within a week. Once they're back, I'll summon you for your first mission."

They continued discussing various matters for another hour. By the end of the meeting, Rifi was set to receive top-quality equipment, crafted personally by the City Lord's blacksmith. He had even requested two swords, and the City Lord happily agreed. It was a significant investment, with all the materials coming from tier-seven beasts.

Though the equipment would be provided at no upfront cost, Rifi agreed to forfeit his share of any beasts he killed during his first year of service to the city. After that, he would receive the standard share.

The pay was beyond anything Rifi had ever imagined. A weekly payment of 500 mana stones or 5 medium-grade mana stones was agreed upon—a little more than most red-core mages received, but after witnessing Rifi's abilities, the City Lord was willing to pay handsomely.

As Rifi left the headquarters, he picked up his first week's payment from the receptionist. Now, with his next mission a week away, it was time to enjoy a well-earned rest.