Erik was an enigma, reserved and pensive, he rarely drew attention to himself until he came across the Thrall clan enforcer. The fight was a spectacle of rigor and guile that gave him the reputation of a mage that did not fit the stereotypical nature. Rumors stalked the halls of Sinki that he wielded a niche element. But everyone was unsure because of his diminished presence and quiet attitude. Even Faneel didn't know what he had walked into.

  Few people had witnessed his strength, but nobody could figure out what he could do. It was rumored that he was a mage of niche elements. Faneel, on the other hand, didn't know that his foe was a mage.

  The dusty air of the gymnasium was littered with the remnants of battle. There were multiple fights taking place concurrently, everyone was contesting for their position in the Thrall clan. The sounds of weapons clashing and the grunts of their peers echoed. Both Erik and Faneel stood stationary. Their eyes anticipate each other's moves. The onlookers were mixed with anticipation. They knew that Faneel was the rumored wolf, who fought Pikey. However, everyone voted for Erik, who effortlessly submitted to Thrall's enforcer.

  Faneel growled and surged forward, releasing his energy like a spring. He darted towards him, aiming for a low tackle to overpower him with brute force. But Erik was tranquil; he gracefully moved his body like a dancer and avoided the attack. The crowd gasped in surprise.

  Faneel was hit with the realization that sheer force alone wouldn't work. He shifted his play and feigned a break to bait Erik into attacking. It was a gamble; Faneel needed to understand the strength of his opponent. In contrast, his opponent was not a fool. Erik recognized the strategy of his foe and responded with a calculated strike. As Faneel closed in on him, he felt an invisible weight holding him back. He hesitated his attack, and Erik slipped away unscathed.

  "What was that?" Faneel growled with obvious frustration. The spiky-haired boy merely shrugged; he gave off a smirk as if he was toying with Faneel.

  Faneel's mind raced; he was having a hard time keeping himself patient. But his training with his father, a seasoned veteran of the Palia Army had taught him forbearance. He recalled the stories of his father during his time in the frontline, about the mages who would summon storms or manipulate plants. However, Erik's magic was different; it was bending perception that Faneel had to adapt to quickly before he faced the loss.

  It was up to the wolf boy to figure out his opponent's ability. He decided to use his technique of martial acupuncture.

  As he approached him, with the footwork using the technique, he noticed a big block of concrete blocking his action.

  Faneel thought to himself, "When did it get here?"

  As he moved to another side, he noticed an attack coming from Erik. He moved to dodge, but he got hit nastily with the blunt side of the sword.

  Blood gushes from Faneel's nose and lips.

  His inner thoughts circulate within his mind. I dodged that, didn't I?

  Now, he came to an understanding that everything was deliberate. His feeling of uneasiness in the first attack, the concrete on the floor, and the deception of the attack.

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  "It's an illusion, isn't it?" Faneel voiced.

  The crowd whispered. It was rare for illusion magic to be seen within the Sinki, where the four elements were in abundance. The illusion of magic was probably a rare sight for the observers, as they didn't expect to discover it within the Thrall clan.

  Despite being rare, illusion magic was not considered powerful. It was a type of magic used to support warriors during wars.

  However, the combination of a mage with a sword, while camouflaging the real attack with the fake ones gave a special advantage to Erik.

  The spiky-haired boy was in the niche line of mages that carried weapons despite not being a warriors. He wielded the magic so skillfully that it seemed like an art. After understanding the type of magic. The wolf planned to bait and switch with an attack.

  Traditionally, he still attacked with full aggression to comprehend the opponent's strength. He learned three things: the nearer he goes, the more he loses significant strength.

  He noticed different illusions in his environment. Likewise, the pattern of attacks was unreadable due to multiple faint attacks.

  While understanding his opponent, his body took severe punishment from Erik's attacks. He was nearly on the verge of collapse from the blood loss.

  Rubbing the dust from his hair, Faneel asserted, "Okay now! It's my turn."

  Faneel took out a stray staff lying beside the inductees of another fight. He charged towards Erik while closing his eyes. The wolf used his ears to listen to the sounds of attack, but the illusion of his opponent was in the sounds as well. There was a cacophony of illusions coming from all directions.

  He heard different movements, and he couldn't distinguish whether it was real or fake. Instead of panicking, he pushed through with his agenda and approached the opponent with the staff.

  He used the reach of staff to attack the vital body parts of Erik. Faneel pushed the stick inside his abdomen, and then he picked out the joints of his opponent.

  Erik wasn't able to reach the attack. He thought he had bamboozled his foe with the illusion of seeing and hearing.

  However, that did not seem to be the case. Before, he could think for a second. Faneel had already rear-mounted him and was attacking him with punches that were putting him in and out of consciousness.

  "That's enough." Vice-captain of the Thrall clan interrupted.

  It was clear to the spectators that the winner was none other than the wolf boy.

  Erik gradually stood by leaning on the support extended by Faneel.

  Erik whispered, "How did you figure it out?"

  Faneel answered, "I listened to the vibrations."

  Originally, the power resembled the omnipresence of air. It was an intangible force that couldn't be deciphered. Erik's illusion was a mix of light and sound energy. It created false realities and perceptions that did not agree with Faneel's instincts.

  Since his early childhood, Faneel had been sensitive to mana. His warrior training with his father progressed by leaps and bounds because of it. The wolf was able to hear the vibrations of mana that surrounded him.

  However, it didn't come easy to him, as his peak concentration was essential to realize the variables.

  Faneel couldn't do anything about Erik's attack with his other senses. He decided to trust his sensitivity to mana around him. Despite his, not understanding the depth of Erik's power, he figured out the vibrations that gave him an upper hand in the attack.

  The Vice-leader Cos spoke, "As you have seen, the winners of the spar will be inducted within the Thrall clan. Those who are defeated are requested to leave the gym courtyard.

  Erik said goodbye to Faneel and walked toward the door. A voice called, "Not you, you will be my junior."

  A guy with tatted arms picked out Erik.