Chapter 387 - 385: Sea God’s Inheritance?
Inside the examination venue, Hilia and Shaline exchanged glances, waiting for the instructor to announce the start.
Both sides had already summoned their magic puppets.
Hilia watched her silent classmate seriously.
Although the opponent only advanced to Tier Three days before the finals, reaching Tier Three in the second grade is a feat of a prodigy; geniuses always have hidden tricks up their sleeves, so one must be cautious.
Shaline was also watching her, silent, with her magic puppet standing by, holding a magic staff, ready to start.
On one side, the instructor saw that both were prepared, then raised his hand.
"3, 2, 1, start."
As the start was announced, a cold gleam flashed in Shaline’s eyes. She raised her hand, and her puppet’s arm followed suit. It was as if the sound of the sea wave came, and everything around appeared to be submerged by seawater.
"Is it Water Element?"
Hilia also raised her hand, not letting her puppet intervene, but instead casting magic herself.
When the traces of seawater spread in front of her, they instantly froze into layers of ice mist.
These were all magical power condensations, lacking physical form.
Shaline’s move was just an initial probe, not an immediate attack.
Hilia was also conducting the same.
After probing, Shaline’s attacks came like a fierce storm.
Various Tier Two and Tier Three water magic surged forward.
Hilia felt the opponent’s assault, and slightly relaxed.
"Just entered Tier Three standard, almost scared me. Seeing her demeanor, I’d thought her skills were almost comparable to those league contestants."
Hilia was somewhat relaxed but did not let down her guard, seriously countering each move, dismantling the opponent’s water magic.
To honor her opponent, she let her magic puppet join in.
"This is just the year-end exam, not a tournament, nor a life-and-death battle, just casual sparring." The girl thought.
The purpose of the exam was to evaluate the examinee’s comprehensive strength.
Hilia thought if she defeated her in an instant, her opponent’s exam evaluation might be very low.
"But Shaline’s water magic seems different from what others use."
Hilia couldn’t pinpoint that feeling.
Just then, Rose’s voice echoed in her mind: "She’s using the ocean faction’s water magic, from the Sea God’s legacy, naturally different from others."
While speaking, Rose was in the Sealed Land watching Ethel, conveying Shaline’s situation to him.
Rose teased: "Who would’ve thought someone with prominent eyebrows would also pass on legacies."
Ethel paused, took a closer look, and shook his head: "I’m not as idle as you, I don’t know this person."
"Oh, I see."
Rose didn’t take it seriously.
If it was before capturing the Sea God, he might have followed this classmate of Hilia to investigate.
But since the Sea God was captured, it didn’t matter anymore.
However, come to think of it, if he noticed this girl before capturing the Sea God... Rose felt he’d likely be misled, failing to find Ethel.
Does Ethel truly know nothing?
Not necessarily.
In the examination venue, hearing Rose’s voice, Hilia was slightly startled, surprised: "Shaline got the Sea God’s legacy? No wonder she silently broke through to Tier Three."
Rose laughed softly: "The Sea God’s magic trait quietly binds people, if you mess up, your friends would mock you for a whole year."
Hilia became immediately alert, withdrew her relaxed mindset, released Mage’s Hand to scan, sensing the water magic power quietly hiding around, her face changed slightly, and she quickly applied Light Body Technique, jumping to the side.
Dark blue light emerged, attempting to stop Hilia, but Hilia shattered it with an Ice Burst.
Hilia no longer held back and began her offense.
Only after attacking did she feel the traits of water magic from the ocean faction.
An invisible sense of lag caused her magic power’s flow to appear sluggish.
Unseen pressure emanated out of nowhere, pressing down, trying to pin her to the ground.
"Is this the magic domain Shaline quietly laid?" Hilia thought to herself.
Her magic puppet raised its hand, sending a multitude of ice spikes toward Shaline, who responded by laying a water curtain barrier on the ice spikes’ path.
"Explode."
With a single lip pronouncement, the ice spikes exploded, forcibly clearing a vacuum in her water curtain barrier, and the remaining spikes flew in Shaline’s direction, exploding directly into the instructor’s protective skill, ending the match.
Not until the instructor announced the match ended did Hilia take a small breath of relief.
"Almost got trapped by her." Hilia introspected in her mind.
Even though she kept reminding herself not to underestimate her opponent before the start, she still did after it began.
"I’ve always faced enemies that surpassed my rank, swiftly defeating those below my tier, resulting in a shift in mentality, underestimating all opponents with paper-thin power lower than mine, that’s unacceptable."
Rose laughed softly: "Even if underestimated and trapped by her, with your strength you can easily break free, no need for thorough reflection."
Hilia replied: "Reflection is necessary. If I don’t introspect, what if there’s a low-tier mage who defeats me someday? I can transcend tiers, of course, others can, too. Just like in our match against Blue Dragon Magic Academy, their Dragon Language Magic was stronger, without Lord Rose, we wouldn’t have won the championship, what if there’s someone stronger?"
Rose smiled: "If you reach the peak of Tier Three, in a duel, you can still rely on combination skills brought by Mage’s Hand to defeat Dragon Language Magic. Nonetheless, ignoring opponents is certainly inappropriate."
While Hilia conversed with Rose in her mind, she also gave Shaline the Holy Court Etiquette.
Shaline nodded without expression, didn’t speak, and turned to walk away.
After the conclusion, discussions from below reached Hilia’s ears.
Most classmates were amazed, marveling at Hilia’s strength, indeed deserving of the Mage League championship title.
After the match’s scoring phase, Hilia undoubtedly scored full marks.
Shaline also scored full marks.
The practical assessments of second and third graders use Tier Two as the evaluation standard, their full marks resulted because the scores are limited to that.
Coming down from the stage, Benovia smiled: "Your strength exceeds some senior judges, they can’t even fathom your level."
She sighed: "Hilia truly grows stronger, vastly surpassing us."
Hilia: "...Did you come just to watch my exam, only to say this?!"
Benovia stuck out her tongue, "Of course, isn’t it so?"
"If you don’t speak up, I’ll leave, okay?"
"Alright, alright, I’ll speak."
Benovia glanced around and said: "Too many people here, not suitable for talking, let’s go elsewhere."
Hilia nodded, following Benovia to a secluded place.
Benovia’s expression turned serious, saying: "Hilia, I want to ask you to investigate someone for me."
"Who?"
"I don’t know."
"?"
Are you freaking kidding me?