I am a mage, with an infinite mana bar!

"I admit defeat, I admit defeat," the man said with difficulty, his voice coming out of his throat.

Is that even possible? Isn't it supposed to mean you're out only when the barrier that absorbs magic completely disappears?

Lynn glanced at Barton beside him in confusion, only to see the old man looking embarrassed as he reprimanded the young man in white:

"Seth, didn't I tell you to avoid coming to the training grounds as much as possible? Have you finished all the homework I assigned you?"

The young man in white, Seth, was startled. He first turned his head to look, then quickly canceled the spell he had cast on the staff, and the staff returned to its original state.

He trotted up to Barton, carrying his staff, and asked humbly, "Teacher, what brings you here?"

Teacher? This person is Barton's student? Lynn silently sized him up.

He was of medium build, with a healthy wheat-colored complexion, short dark brown hair, regular facial features, thick eyebrows, and large eyes. He wore a short white jacket and black trousers, revealing glimpses of his well-defined muscles.

With that outfit and that aura, if Lynn hadn't known beforehand that the other person was a mage, he would have thought they were a fighter...

Seth explained with a fawning smile, "Professor Barton, I've finished all the research assignments you gave me. I'll send the paper to you this afternoon. I was really itching to practice, so I came here to give it a go..."

Patton snorted, his mustache twitching. "You wretched apprentice, you never give me a moment's peace! If this keeps up, my mailbox will be overflowing with letters reporting you!"

Lynn understood Barton's feelings perfectly; Seth's playstyle was just too un-"mage-like".

The rule of using the [Absorb Magic] barrier as a health bar was originally intended to determine the outcome of the battle based on the strength of the magic, but he attacked people at close range and then disarmed them by covering their mouths...

I doubt any mage would accept that.

After all, spellcasters' strengths don't lie in close combat; their true strengths lie in controlling the battlefield, creating openings, supporting teammates, and suppressing enemy fire.

"Good morning, Mr. Aldorf!" Seth bowed to Aldorf again before turning to Lynn and asking curiously, "And this gentleman is?"

He was secretly curious. The young man in front of him had a very youthful face and was being led by two highly respected elders. He wondered what his background was.

Barton's expression softened somewhat, and he introduced, "This is Lynn. He's very interested in practical magical training, so I brought him over to take a look."

He then turned to Lynn and said, "Lynn, this is my student Seth. He is very talented in 'magical weapons.' You two can exchange ideas when you have time."

Lynn nodded politely, but in his heart he felt that the old man's words seemed to be an introduction of his future senior brother.

Seth clearly felt the same way, and immediately grinned, patting Lynn on the shoulder, "Did you just join the White Tower Society today? Feel free to ask me any questions."

"No, Mr. Seth," Lynn shook his head with a smile, "I'm still just an apprentice mage and I'm not qualified to join the Mage Tower yet."

"See... an apprentice mage?" Seth paused for a moment, casting a puzzled look at his teacher.

Barton scoffed, "When did I ever say he joined the White Tower? Get back to your desk and revise your paper! Don't just throw this garbage at me!"

Seth's already dark face immediately darkened several shades, and he dejectedly prepared to leave.

"Wait a minute, Mr. Seth," Lynn suddenly called out to him.

Under the watchful eyes of the three, he calmly said, "Would you like to have a match with me?"

Seth opened his mouth, intending to shout, "You're just an apprentice mage, fighting me is just bullying you!"

Fortunately, she realized something was wrong in time and didn't say anything.

Barton suppressed his surprise, his expression slightly displeased, feeling that Lynn was too reckless and didn't know his own limitations.

Aldolf looked at Lynn meaningfully, seemingly lost in thought.

Lynn certainly knew what it meant to be a beginner mage, but after hearing about the rules of the training grounds, he had a question.

Are the rules for magic combat set up in the training ground too idealistic? In actual combat, it is rare for both sides to prepare defensive magic in advance and then bombard each other with magic.

In many cases, even the most skilled monks struggle to complete the incantation smoothly.

Moreover, he was not only a mage but also an adventurer, facing monsters that were far more ferocious and bizarre than humans.

After watching Seth's battle, he suddenly became interested and wanted to spar with this "melee mage" who was less particular but more realistic in combat.

Lynn didn't intend to explain further, but simply said to Seth, "Mr. Seth, I think it makes more sense to duel with you."

Upon hearing this, Seth's eyes lit up. Was this person a fellow enthusiast? He never expected that someone else besides himself would like such a barbaric fighting style.

He immediately became interested and asked Barton, "Teacher, this young man looks quite friendly. What do you think about me fighting him without using second-circle magic?"

Barton's lips moved slightly. Whether or not one has mastered second-circle magic is indeed the biggest difference between a beginner and an apprentice, but the differences in experience, understanding, and skills accumulated over time are also objectively real.

After a long pause, he finally said, "Don't hurt him."

Seeing that his teacher had agreed, Seth nodded excitedly and hurriedly pulled Lynn to the sidelines to get ready.

"Junior brother, oh no, Lynn, have you studied any protective magic?"

Seeing Lynn nod, he felt relieved and explained, "I am skilled in weapon enchanting magic, but because magic is attached to physical weapons," he waved his dark brown staff, "it inevitably causes pain when attacking, which 'absorption magic' cannot defend against."

"Don't worry, Mr. Seth," Lynn nodded gently, "I should be able to defend against anything below the second ring, so you don't need to worry too much about me."

Upon hearing this, Seth patted Lynn on the shoulder heartily, "Good lad, you've got some big talk. You're much better than those mages who can't even speak properly. Let's have a good fight."

...Was this a compliment or an insult? Lynn didn't quite understand at first.

After saying that, the two parted ways and stepped into the dueling arena from opposite sides.

Lynn suddenly felt a layer of magic surrounding him, with an invisible barrier forming on his body.

This is a level one protective [Absorb Magic] skill? This arena is really intelligent.

Outside the dueling arena, the two mages who were originally spectators, along with the blue-robed man who had been forced to admit defeat by Seth's choking, all stopped in their tracks upon seeing this.

The mage circle in Colin Town is very small, and these three are all novice mages who have joined the Mage Tower, so they naturally know each other.

One of the short-haired women looked at Lynn and asked curiously, "Who is this person? I've never seen him before?"

Although both the Magic Association and the Mage Tower encourage mages to strengthen their combat skills, combat training, a thankless and arduous task, is considered a niche activity for professional mages who have secured stable employment and generous pensions after joining the Mage Tower.

Therefore, the people who come regularly are relatively fixed, and they know each other well.

Another tall, thin man standing nearby, who had some connections in the Magic Association, recalled, "I think I vaguely remember this kid. He seems to be... an apprentice mage?"

"A novice monk? How could a novice monk get into the third floor?" Upon hearing this, both the short-haired woman and the blue-robed man were stunned.

The blue-robed man, who had just suffered a loss at Seth's hands, frowned and said, "Is Seth addicted to fighting? He doesn't even spare novice mages."

"You know what, I've never seen a novice mage fight here before. Maybe this kid really has some skills?" the tall, thin man said casually.

But the short-haired woman scoffed, "Don't joke around..."

The difference in mage levels is significant. Mastering each additional ring signifies a major leap forward in their mana pool, mental control, and magical tactical reserves.

A clash with such a disparity is like a rabbit fighting an eagle—it can only end in a crushing defeat.