Above the mage

Chapter 741 An Early Encounter

The lottery process was getting faster and faster, and each time a nameplate was displayed, it caused a small commotion.

The Holy Empire against the Rock City-State.

The verdant ring faces the Sultanate.

The Duchy of Twilight versus the Windveil Alliance.

The three matchups have been determined.

At this moment, everyone's eyes were focused on the figure slowly walking onto the drawing platform.

That was the captain of the mage team in Linhai City, Tris Igor.

At this point, there was no longer any need for him to draw lots when he stepped onto the stage.

Because only one plaque remained in the crystal lottery pool.

Of the eight teams that have reached the quarterfinals, only the Golden Flower Dynasty's opponent position is still vacant.

In other words, the Linhai City Mage Team will be the Golden Flower Dynasty's next opponent.

Upon realizing this, a tremendous uproar, more intense than ever before, erupted in the Dragonspine Arena.

The Golden Flower Dynasty, the Holy Empire, and the Seaside City Mage Team are the three championship seed teams in this knockout stage, with comparable strength and profound foundations.

Everyone thought that these three teams would meet in the semifinals and finals and stage a showdown of the best.

Unexpectedly, the Golden Flower Dynasty and the Linhai City Mage Team met in the quarterfinals!

This means that one of the three seeded teams will be eliminated in the quarterfinals, bidding farewell to the championship race ahead of time.

This result is both unexpected and incredibly exciting.

Although there was no longer any need for Tris Igor to draw lots.

However, following the Dragonspine Arena's lottery procedure, he still walked to the crystal lottery box, slowly reached out, took out the last nameplate from the box, and held it high.

The nameplates were displayed openly to everyone, to prove the fairness and impartiality of the draw, and to confirm to everyone that this was destined to be a spectacular showdown.

Sure enough, the pattern on the plaque was the other half of the crescent moon entwined with vines in the hand of Liu Ying, the captain of the Golden Flower Dynasty.

The crescent moon and vine pattern, gleaming with a clear luster under the sunlight, officially heralded the next round of the most anticipated showdown:

Golden Flower Dynasty Mage Team vs. Linhai City Mage Team.

The Plantagenet dynasty's adherence to the classical doctrine of justice is truly not just empty words; they genuinely don't offer divination sticks at all...

As Gao De looked at the nameplate in Tris Igor's hand, this was the thought that popped into his head.

All the match-up lists have been released, and the schedule will be determined next.

The quarterfinals consist of only four matches, so there's no need for a complicated schedule.

Several referees gathered around the draw table, whispered for a moment, and quickly finalized the match schedule.

There will be a three-day break, after which the competition will officially begin, still following the rule of one elimination match per day.

The Holy Empire's competition was scheduled for the first day.

As a top favorite to win the championship, playing in the first match can not only stabilize the excitement of the competition, but also allow the subsequent matches to proceed gradually.

The match between Golden Flower Dynasty and Linhai City, as an early clash between the three seeded teams, is undoubtedly the most eye-catching and hottest game of this round.

Therefore, it was scheduled for the last day as the final match, which not only brought the atmosphere of the competition to a climax but also gave both teams ample time to prepare.

After announcing the match schedule, the referee left the field.

The audience was still caught up in the excitement of the upcoming showdown between Linhai City and the Golden Flower Dynasty, excitedly discussing as they left the arena under the guidance of the staff.

The sounds of footsteps and chatter mingled together and lingered for a long time.

The Golden Flower Dynasty player area.

The crowd looked solemn.

The formidable opponent, the mage team from Linhai City, made things difficult for them.

However, in this somewhat somber atmosphere, Gao De stood beside Liu Ying and naturally and gently took her fingertips in his hand, the movement fluid and natural, as if he had done it a thousand times before.

Good grief, they still have the mind to flirt at a time like this... The other team members subconsciously had this thought when they saw this scene.

Liu Ying looked up at Gao De.

She felt a foreign object in her palm and realized it was the gold card she had given to Gaode earlier.

"It cost 175,000 Golden Bird Coins to acquire that Elemental Seed," Gao De told Liu Ying using [Communication].

"Hmm..." Liu Ying exclaimed sincerely, "So cheap!"

"5

Gao De's lips twitched slightly.

Mage Fritz strode over, his gaze sweeping over all the members of the Golden Flower Dynasty. He solemnly instructed, "Everyone, go back and rest for a bit. We'll meet tonight to discuss our tactics and personnel for the match against Linhai City."

Everyone knew that the battle against Linhai City would undoubtedly be a tough one.

In this situation, tactical arrangements become particularly important.

When the two sides are evenly matched, in addition to the players' performance on the day, a reasonable tactical arrangement and selection of players can almost determine the final outcome.

You can imagine the pressure that Master Fritz was under at that moment.

The members of the Golden Flower Dynasty also put away their previous relaxed attitude.

Even Cedric, who is usually confident and flamboyant, frowned slightly at this moment.

Even with his confidence, he was well aware of Linhai City's strength.

If you still don't care at this moment, then it's not confidence, it's just being brainless. However, there really is one "brainless" person in the team: Liu Ying.

She maintained her indifferent demeanor, looking relaxed.

It was as if their next opponent wasn't the formidable Linhai City, but a weak and vulnerable team; they truly didn't take this tough battle seriously at all.

The lottery ceremony concluded in the morning.

By the afternoon, the news that the Golden Flower Dynasty mage team and the Linhai City mage team had clashed ahead of schedule had become the hottest topic in Mithril City.

From noble monks to ordinary people, almost everyone's conversation at the dinner table today revolved around this.

Even ordinary people who didn't understand the complex magic duels joined in the fun, discussing the relative strengths of the two teams.

However, besides this highly anticipated clash of seeded teams, there was another event that, while not as shocking as the former, still caused a small stir.

The power rankings are updated in real time.

No one expected that in the round of 16 elimination matches, Gao De, a mage with a level 3 ring, would achieve the amazing feat of defeating four opponents in a gauntlet battle.

Even more outrageous, he crushed and defeated a mage in the early stages of the fourth ring with an absolute advantage.

.

This achievement was like a thunderclap, directly propelling his combat power ranking to soar.

Not only did it make a strong comeback to the top ten, but it also jumped to third place.

Compared to the top two players, the difference in combat power rating is less than fifty points, which is almost negligible.

It's important to know that after the brutal elimination round of sixteen to eight, the current power rankings have become far more valuable.

Of the top ten people on the list, all of them except Gaode are fourth-ring masters.

Only Gaode Maps, with its third-tier ranking, managed to stand out among the top-ranked maps dominated by fourth-tier maps.

To even break into the top three is nothing short of a miracle, leaving everyone who follows the power rankings speechless.

Immediately, discussions about Gaode Maps flooded the internet, with some busybodies even stating bluntly:

Gao De may not be the strongest mage in this year's Mage Battle Tournament, but he is definitely the strongest third-ring mage!

Although the phrase includes the qualifier "Three-Ring Mage," the word "strongest" is powerful enough to instantly elevate Gaode's popularity and reputation to a new level.

Reactions to the rankings on the combat power list varied from party to party.

Gaode himself does not actually agree with this third-place ranking.

Too low!

He wasn't arrogant; rather, he had a clear understanding of his own abilities: ranking third among all the participants was reasonable.

However, among the top ten in the current combat power rankings, there isn't a single person who can reliably defeat him.

However, Gaode also understands that the power ranking is based on real-time performance in the game, and while it may not be universally accepted, the ranking is not unreasonable.

After all, Captain Blackstone's strength wasn't actually that great, and they hadn't been able to truly force him to reveal his trump card.

Fireball, in the eyes of outsiders, is his signature spell, his main method for crushing his opponents.

But only Gao De himself knew that this thing was just the spell he was most comfortable using to crush noobs.

It's simple and straightforward, which is why he uses it so often.

As a result, because it was used so frequently, it was naturally regarded by outsiders as his core method.

In reality, his true expertise has always been in wood and ice elemental magic.

It's an exaggeration, really.

The elements of wood and ice are actually mutually restraining and quite clashing with the element of fire.

As a result, this mage, who practices both wood and ice elemental magic, now has a signature spell that is the fire element's [Fireball].

That's pretty outrageous.

As night falls, the magic crystal lamps of a quiet courtyard light up.

The environment here is tranquil and far from the hustle and bustle.

The seven members of the Golden Flower Dynasty gathered in a quiet room deep within the villa, each with a solemn expression.

In the center of the room stood a long oak table, with a metal alchemy device placed in the very center.

A clear crystal is embedded at the top of the device, emitting a faint glow.

Mage Fritz walked slowly to the alchemy device, his expression serious, and his gaze swept over each team member present: "Let me first go over the situation and information of the members of the Linhai City Mage Team, so that everyone has a general impression. We will discuss tactics and personnel arrangements later."

After he finished speaking, he gently pressed the button on the side of the device.

.

Instantly, the runes on the alchemical device lit up.

The crystal at the top trembled slightly, casting a clear light and shadow.

The light and shadow slowly unfolded and coalesced in the air, eventually transforming into a clear human figure.

Lifelike, as if the real person were right in front of you.

All eyes turned to the beam of light.

He was a tall, handsome man with a calm demeanor.

Even in a portrait with light and shadow, one can feel his innate charisma.

"Tris Igor, captain of the Seashore City Mage Team, a fourth-circle early-stage mage," Mage Fritz's voice rang out, his tone solemn.

Yes, even as the captain of the Linhai City mage team, Tris's mage level is only at the early fourth ring.

In fact, according to the information currently available, among all the participants in this year's Unparalleled Mage Tournament, apart from Liu Ying, there is only one mid-stage fourth-ring mage.

Ellie Warwick, the captain of the Holy Empire's mage squad.

Of course, the difference between the early stages of the Fourth Ring Road and the early stages of the Fourth Ring Road could be greater than the difference between a person and a pig.

Fritz paused for a moment, then continued, "Tris comes from the Igor family and is an elite mage trained by the Igor family. He has not yet made a move in this competition."

"He rarely makes a move in Linhai City, and we have hardly gathered any information about him."

"There's only some uncertain information; they seem to be skilled in crowd control spells."

"But his strength is undeniable. Triss has been the top student in his class at Nolan Magic Academy for many years, and his position has never been shaken."

The Nolan Magic Academy, located in Linhai City, is the number one magic academy on the Nolan Continent, surpassing the Royal Magic Academy of the Golden Flower Dynasty and the Imperial Magic Academy of the Holy Empire.

His ability to consistently rank first among his peers in such an academy speaks volumes about his strength.

Everyone nodded in agreement, taking it very seriously.

An opponent whose strength is unknown but has never made a move is far more daunting than a formidable foe whose strength is clearly defined.

"So, for the ace player, I submitted his application."

The application for the ace player was completed by the afternoon.

No one objected to Master Fritz's decision.

Under normal circumstances, the captain of each team is the strongest mage in their team.

Moreover, given that Triss is so mysterious and has such a powerful background, it is only natural to list him as an ace player.

Master Fritz activated the alchemy device again, and the light and shadow shifted, revealing a second figure.

He was a tall, slender male mage with a hint of arrogance in his eyes and a light complexion.

"Elwin Irn, one of the five main members of Linhai City, comes from the Irn family, one of the four major merchant families in Linhai City, and is a fourth-circle early-stage mage."

"Although he has never appeared in public, we have gathered far more information about him than we have about Triss," said Master Fritz.

"He is a typical violent mage, also known as a turret mage. He is skilled in various evocation spells, especially fire and lightning spells, which are the most destructive."

"He has a fast casting speed, a deep magical foundation, and powerful spells. Once he creates distance, it will cause a devastating blow."

At this point, the mage Fritz added very carefully, "Of course, it's hard to say. Just like the impression Gaode currently gives to the outside world, he is also a turret mage."

"Elwin may also have some hidden tricks up his sleeve, so we must not let our guard down when facing him."

The light and shadow shifted again, and this time, a beautiful female mage appeared.

She was a female mage with a heroic appearance and a very slender figure.

Her long, light blonde hair was tied into a high ponytail, making her look capable and dashing.

She wore a light silver-white armor robe, and instead of a staff, she had a long, slender sword at her waist.

"Olivia Oakenley, born into the Oakenley family, is an early-stage fourth-ring mage."

As soon as the mage Fritz finished speaking, God's gaze involuntarily paused for a moment, and some long-forgotten memories surged into his mind.

However, he quickly suppressed the turmoil in his heart, turned his gaze back to the light and shadow figure, and listened attentively to the introduction.

"Olivia is a relatively rare melee mage. Her magical weapon is not a conventional staff, but an extraordinary longsword meticulously crafted by the Oakenli family."

Fritz's tone carried a hint of admiration.

"With the Alchemist family's alchemy skills, this extraordinary longsword utilizes their most advanced alchemy techniques. It is not only incredibly sharp, capable of easily cutting through ordinary magical defenses, but it also possesses the ability to inscribe spells onto a staff, while simultaneously enhancing her close-combat abilities."

"She is skilled in both offense and defense, and her style is fierce. She is one of the most troublesome players in the Linhai City team."