The audience cheered upon witnessing the explosion. Their cheers only got louder as the dust settled and let them see the giant acolyte lying unconscious on the ground. Flashy offensive spells were really good at riling up the audience and the one Emery just used was no exception.
"Whoa! Are we mistaken, or was that really a tier 4 spell?"
"Yes! It was!"
"That's amazing! How can it break through the Greater Stone Skin spell?"
"More! More! We want more!!"
Acolytes and magus all mingled together among the audience and all of them were capable of estimating Emery's strength from the spell he just used, [Dark Matter]. In addition, such strength from a tier 4 spell was unusual. It was clear, the spell was not only flashy enough to attract the audience's attention, but also capable of piquing their curiosity.
Meanwhile, on top of the usual audiences' area, there was one special place. It was the VIP seating area reserved for the elite members of the Magus Academy. Seated among them were the headmaster Altus Dreyden, the deputy head Delbrand, the dozens of grand magus of the institutes, the representatives from major families and the members from humanity's governing body.
Emery did not realize the significance of what he did. The area was abuzz with whispers and discussions, each discussing the spell he used.
In contrast to the others, Grand Magus Zenoia watched the arena with rapt attention, eager to know just a little bit more about Emery's progress.
"Zenoia, you recognize that boy in Arena 7? I think he's from the Darkness Institute, right?"
Similar to Zenoia, the magus who asked her was also a grand magus specializing in the darkness element. However, unlike Zenoia, he was the instructor of the Destruction Path branch.
"Vulmar, you do realize there are a lot of people joining the darkness institute every year, right? Expecting me to keep track of hundreds of acolytes is absurd."
"Hah! Zenoia, you really do need to pay more attention to the members of your institute. The power of that kid's Dark Matter spell was off the charts. Knowing more about it should be worth the effort."
"Oh, you think so…? I personally think it's just a standard outcome from a spell that takes such a long time to be cast. It's nothing to write home about."
"Really? So, would you mind if I poach him and teach him the ways of Destruction Institute?"
Zenoia grinned, as if she just heard the most absurd joke and waved her hand. "If that's what you want, I'm not stopping, you, Vulmar." She winked and added in a husky voice. "Do whatever makes you happy."
Being noticed by them would only bring fortune to Emery. Regardless of the outcome of each battle, the Grand Magus watching from the VIP area had the final say of which acolyte would be the real winner of the Magus Games.
Unaware of the discussions going on amidst the audience, Emery basked in his victory, before realizing what he just did. With a worried frown, he ran towards the direction where Sparse fell unconscious. After all, they were no longer in a virtual simulation and his spells could cause real lasting damage here. He didn't have a precise idea on how strong the [Dark Matter] spell he just released was.
He closed the distance between him and Sparse and saw the former giant acolyte was lying down on the bare ground as his skinny self. He seemed to have regained consciousness and was currently being taken care of by other acolytes who specialize in healing. From what little he had seen, the talkative guy turned silent while being treated. It seemed his wound couldn't compare with the humiliation he just received.
When he saw Emery walking closer, he shouted in anger. "You! You still owe me a punch!"
"Sure, sure, we can do a rematch at any time you want. Just tell me."
Emery's reply made Sparse feel even more angry, but he was conflicted between his rage and his embarrassment of losing after acting with such confidence. Unable to come up with a good reply, he decided to stay silent and stew in his grudge.
Emery had confirmed his opponent's injury was not too serious, therefore he decided to return to his corner and wait for his next battle.
The moment he walked into the room, Emery was welcomed with dozens of threatening gaze, all sharply focused on him like a bunch of daggers. His skin prickled slightly, but he was not too afraid.
It was to be expected. After all, at the end of the day they are all his competitors, his victory would mean things getting harder for them.
Emery decided to conserve his energy and ignore them all, before taking a small spot in the corner. He sat cross-legged on the floor and tried to stabilize his darkness core.
When he focused on his core, he could feel the slight aftereffects of using such a powerful spell. But, from what he knew so far, it should be nothing unusual. Though he did pour all his strength to release a powerful [Dark Matter] spell, at the end of the day, he was only using a tier-4 spell. He was quite surprised too, when he witnessed the destruction his spell had brought, including throwing a giant several meters out of the arena.
He took a deep breath, concentrated and decided to cast [Nature's Blessing]. The spell was perfect for the occasion, as it was not only able to heal physical wounds, but also soothe one's spirit energy. He took his time and let his body rest for one hour, allowing the spell to restore his body to his prime.
He stood up, stretched his body and started watching the ongoing fights after his body was fully healed.
When he looked at the arena, he saw Rofos Trigerson, the red-haired muscular young man, who was among the top half-blood fighters participating in this game. Despite being able to, the acolyte with the tiger bloodline did not bother using his transformation powers at all.
Emery could recognize some of the half-blood acolytes scattered around the arena. Among them, his favorites were Zach, the dragon boy, and Vida, the bird girl. None of the opponents who had the misfortune to face them were able to last more than five minutes. But then again, the game had just begun and it was impossible for them to lose this early in the game.
He continued watching the fights and gathered more information from each acolyte battle style, hoping it would become useful later. Time flew, and in two hours, Emery's name was once again called. He took a deep breath, calmed his mind and walked out. Soon, the second match of the game would start.
Emery walked out of the corner reserved for participants and glanced at the large screen to find out who his next opponent would be. To his surprise, he saw a familiar name, the name of the elite acolyte he met in the previous game.
The elite acolyte flew down the sky, letting his flames billow in the wind to keep him afloat. After a while, he landed and waved at Emery with a grin. "Hey, finally we get a proper rematch! Emery the Mad Acolyte, against me, Gerri the Violet Flame!"
Gerri's smile made Emery tremble with excitement. This was the perfect chance to measure his progress in the last 10 days.
Gerri raised both of his arms, took a battle stance with his martial arts technique, the purple flames wreathed both of his hands, sending heat waves everywhere.
"Round two, Emery! Let's fight!"