The tournament had begun, and all the participants gathered in the arena. Over a hundred people had entered, and the space was gradually becoming tighter.

  "Ah, maybe we should have built the arena a bit larger?" the mayor said in a panic to Stein.

  "I expected many competitors, but this is really a lot," Stein said, standing up.

  "There’s no other choice. I don’t have all day either." He looked over the arena from a podium and drew everyone's attention with a glow from his staff.

  "Thank you for your attention. Unfortunately, there is a problem—you are too many, and this would make the tournament last too long." The young participants grew nervous and exchanged words among themselves.

  "What exactly does that mean?" a boy called out from the crowd.

  "Quite simple," the magician said, stroking his beard.

  "We’ll simply reduce the number of participants." He raised his staff into the air and whispered some words to himself.

  A magic circle appeared beneath the contestants in the arena.

  "Huh? What’s happening?" Voices of confusion and panic spread through the crowd.

  Julius felt uneasy. If Stein was trying to cut down the number of contestants, then something was about to happen.

  "Just in case," Julius thought, casting a spell to reinforce his body.

  "Blackout!" With these words, Stein struck his staff against the ground.

  Suddenly, screams echoed as one participant after another lost consciousness and collapsed. Julius dropped to his knees, his brain shaking violently. It felt like spinning at high speed in circles. He was on the verge of passing out, but with his last strength, he managed to stay on his knees.

  As the dizziness began to subside, Julius looked around. Nearly all the participants were on the ground, unconscious. Only eight others besides Julius had managed to stay awake. Julius was still struggling to get back on his feet.

  "Wasn’t that a bit excessive, Professor?" the mayor asked with concern.

  However, his concern was not for the participants, but for the event, which had cost him and the city a lot of money.

  "This is still a selection process for a place at Lidoris Academy. Of course, we have our standards, whether commoner or noble," the magician responded.

  As he scanned the remaining participants, one person particularly stood out.

  Among the hundred contestants, one boy remained completely unaffected, standing tall on both feet.

  "What is your name?" the magician asked.

  "Jon Bricks," the boy answered.

  Julius was finally able to focus his vision and looked forward. The young man standing firm wore simple clothes, like those from a village. He couldn’t be a noble.

  "Incredible. That was a Tier 4 spell," the magician mused.

  "You have passed, Jon Bricks."

  Julius was shocked to hear those words. That meant one spot was already taken.

  "The remaining conscious contestants will soon compete against each other," the magician announced before sitting back down.

  "Clear the arena!" the mayor commanded, and guards and assistants began carrying the unconscious participants out of the arena.

  "Looks like you made it too," a familiar voice came from behind.

  It was Shadow.

  "My grandfather used to grab me by the legs and swing me around when I was a kid, so I’m used to this," he said with a laugh. Then, suddenly, he stopped.

  Blegh.

  You might be reading a pirated copy. Look for the official release to support the author.

  Shadow vomited.

  Julius just looked annoyed. "I don’t need to worry about him," he thought.

  But as he looked around, he noticed something—everyone else who had passed was wearing clothes with golden stripes, the sign of nobility. One face, in particular, stood out. The guy with the staff, the one Julius had almost fought earlier.

  Julius clenched his fists.

  "There’s no way I’m losing to him."

  The arena had been cleared again, and most participants had enough time to recover. Now, eight people stood in the arena. The magician stood up and swung his staff once, and numbers appeared above the participants. Those with the same number would face each other.

  Julius looked around and saw the young man with the same number as him. He was slightly overweight but, judging by his robes, still a noble.

  "We kindly ask the others to clear the field for the first match," the mayor announced, officially starting the first duel.

  Everyone except for two participants left the arena: Shadow and his opponent. His opponent was also a noble—tall and slender, wielding a magic staff.

  "It’s unfair that they’re allowed to use magic staffs," Jin muttered.

  Magic staffs were essential for mages as they enhanced and controlled spells better. However, they were expensive, making it nearly impossible for commoners to own one.

  "Why don’t you just surrender and spare yourself the humiliation?" the noble sneered, laughing like a snake.

  But Shadow stood tall, arms crossed. "The word 'surrender' doesn’t exist in our organization."

  A loud signal from Stein marked the beginning of the match.

  "Fireball!" the noble shouted, launching multiple fireballs at Shadow.

  Yet, Shadow dodged them effortlessly.

  "He’s fast," Julius noted, watching in surprise.

  Had he enchanted his body to increase his speed?

  Not a single fireball even grazed Shadow. He jumped and ducked like an acrobat, avoiding every attack. The noble grew frustrated and fired even more rapidly.

  "Fireball! Fireball! Fireball!" he yelled.

  But Shadow only laughed.

  In mid-air, Shadow twisted and kicked into the air. "Air Slash!" A blade of wind shot toward the opponent.

  "Shield!"

  The noble barely managed to protect himself, but the force of the wind blinded him momentarily.

  "What—?" he gasped, taking a step back.

  But it was too late. Shadow was already in front of him.

  "Thunder Strike!"

  Lightning erupted from Shadow’s hands, shocking the noble and rendering him unconscious.

  The crowd erupted in cheers.

  Julius was stunned. "He’s stronger than I thought."

  The mayor was furious. A commoner had already secured a spot, disrupting his plans. "Damn commoner! No honorable mage fights like that!" he spat, seeking confirmation from the professor.

  "Lightning magic is one of the highest-tier elemental spells. It’s difficult to control, making it an advanced technique. Using it in close combat is unorthodox but clever," the professor remarked.

  The next two matches ended quickly—both won by forfeit. Julius was furious.

  "What the hell?" he snapped.

  "They’re conserving their mana," Jin explained. "The nobles don’t just want to secure a spot; they want to make sure as few commoners as possible pass."

  "Those bastards," Julius growled as he was called for his match.

  Now, Julius and his opponent stood in the middle of the arena.

  "You commoners have no pride. Your friend’s tricks won’t work on me," the noble taunted.

  Julius clenched his fists, ?talking about pride, huh“.

  "Burn! Fireball!"

  A massive fireball hurtled toward Julius. He barely dodged in time.

  "Damn," he muttered under his breath, but before he could catch his breath, another fireball was already coming.

  "Shield!" Julius shouted.

  The impact sent him stumbling backward.

  "Hahaha! That’s the difference between us, commoner!" his opponent laughed.

  Julius gritted his teeth. "Starting with such strong spells…" He analyzed his opponent carefully. Then he noticed something—an armband with a crystal embedded in it. Jin had told him about nobles using magical artifacts to gain an advantage. The crystal was blue, likely enhancing his mana reserves.

  Julius was in a tough spot. If this continued, he’d run out of mana before he could win, let alone fight another match.

  "I have to end this in one move," Julius decided, steeling himself.

  "Burn! Fireball!" Another attack was already coming.

  "Enhance!" Julius cast a spell to strengthen his body and dodged the attack.

  "Where did a commoner like you learn that spell?" his opponent scoffed, disgusted.

  Julius sprinted forward at incredible speed, closing the gap between them.

  "Reinforced Shield!" The noble yelled, summoning a glass-like barrier around himself.

  "Even a lightning attack won’t scratch this!"

  "You nobles are all the same," Julius said, fire burning in his eyes.

  "Burn to ashes! Fireball!" Julius unleashed an enormous fireball with both hands.

  "What?!" The noble’s expression twisted in horror as his shield shattered, sending him flying backward. The fight was over—Julius had won.

  The crowd roared in excitement, including Jin, who cheered loudly.

  Julius panted. "That spell consumes a lot of mana."

  The mayor’s jaw dropped. "How is this possible? How did he break that shield?" he asked the professor in disbelief.

  "His attack was Tier 3 magic, and the shield was only Tier 2," the professor replied.

  "What?! How can a commoner use Tier 3 magic?" the mayor fumed. "I thought only noble children were capable of that!"

  The professor stroked his beard. "It’s true that most noble students use Tier 3 or 4 magic because their wealthy parents hire expensive tutors."

  "Then how does a commoner know it?" the mayor demanded.

  The professor thought for a moment. "There was once a student in Lidoris who copied spellbooks and sold them to nobles. When it was discovered, he was expelled, and the school tried to recover the books. Of course, not all copies were found, and they continued circulating on the black market."

  "So, he has one of those books?" the mayor asked.

  "Unlikely, it was just a story that came to my mind. Tier 3 books are also sold legally, but they are very expensive."

  "He must have stolen it! We should arrest him!" the mayor raged.

  "Let’s not jump to conclusions," the professor said calmly.

  "Even with a book, learning Tier 3 magic alone is incredible."