Full-Time Magician: Demon Mage

Chapter 274 Opening Ceremony

On this day, 32 flags were hung over Venice, and as the sun rose, a magical cannon salute resounded throughout the beautiful city in the bay.

A magnificent and sacred light shone down, falling upon the young and energetic faces of the teams from various countries.

Listening to the soaring magical battle songs, basking in the envy, admiration, and high hopes of people all over the world.

Countless aspiring monks have been dreaming of this day, from which they will no longer be unknown junior monks.

They could enter the Parthenon, the Temple of Liberty, the Inquisition, or the Great Cathedral of St. Peter, becoming dazzling and renowned magistrates.

Wherever he goes, announcing his name will elicit a sigh of sympathy.

Even the attendees were all world-renowned, highly powerful mages.

"Here, I would like to first express my gratitude to the Temple of Liberty in the Americas, the Tower of the Wizard of Dubai in Asia, St. Paul's Church in Europe, the Magic Castle at the Cape of Good Hope in Africa, and the Altar of St. Caesar in Australia!"

"A warm welcome to Venice!"

"Thank you again to the Hunter Alliance, the International Clan Alliance, the Coastline Alliance, the Parthenon, the Holy Judgment Court, the Forbidden City, the Tokyo Mage Shrine, the Tehran Magic Ridge, St. Peter's Basilica... I also sincerely thank you for coming from afar."

"And of course, there are the main characters of our grand magic competition, the most outstanding young mages from thirty-two countries, selected through rigorous rounds of competition from various magic academies…!"

Doge Fabio of Venice delivered his opening remarks in a loud and clear voice.

The opening ceremony was very grand, and everyone seated there was a world-renowned monk.

The forces and organizations they represent are the holy land that all mages yearn for most.

The chief representative from China is the court mage Pang Lai, one of the top three summoners in the world, also known as the former court mage mentioned by the governor earlier.

The court sorcerers represent the strongest group of sorcerers in China; they are superior to the judges, the Pearl Sorcerers, and the Imperial Guard Sorcerers...

Other organizations named after famous places in a country also represent national-level Dharma Master associations that enjoy a prestigious reputation in the world.

Among them, the Parthenon and the Inquisition are the most prestigious in the world.

The Parthenon, the Inquisition, and the Hunter's League—the three giants of magic—despite originating from nations, wield global influence comparable to the magic associations of the five continents.

After the lengthy opening ceremony, the tense and exciting lottery draw began immediately.

Thirty-two teams from different countries—which nation will clash with which? This suspenseful uncertainty has created a gambling pool overflowing with money all over the world.

Ordinary people, who aren't so concerned about national affairs and magical battles, why are they so keen to watch the competition between world universities?

On the one hand, this has become a hot topic every four years, as it relates to the prosperity and glory of their own country.

On the other hand, the amount of money circulating in gambling operations during this period was comparable to the total import and export volume of a country.

With such a vast amount of wealth at stake, it's natural that it would attract a considerable number of outsiders to participate.

"Captain, go draw lots," mentor Feng Li said to Ai Jiangtu.

Thirty-two teams, and the team leaders stepped forward. Normally, the task of drawing lots is handled by the mentors.

I don't know when it started, but the team captain is now in charge of the draw, which is a kind of honor.

After all, the entire lottery process is broadcast live, and the captains' faces will be exposed to the eyes of the whole world.

Ai Jiangtu was also a very bold person. After drawing the lots, he didn't even look at which team he was assigned to. He showed the lot to the referee there and then walked back with the drawing card.

Thirty-two teams—even those from the most powerful nations—were on edge at this moment.

Which country you are drawn into is crucial. Powerful countries don't want to encounter other powerful countries at the beginning, as that would only expose their overall strength too early.

Weak countries are even worse off. If they encounter a strong country, they will be eliminated early on, and before they even have a chance to be remembered, they will have to slink back to their own country.

If they don't perform well, they might even get scolded when they return home. In today's society with free speech, ordinary people are the ones who can be the most vocal critics.

Despite knowing absolutely nothing about magic, they can still spout rigorous logic, making it hard not to suspect that this might be a secondary account used by a holy mage to rant online.

It is said that in the last World University Competition, the Chinese team had very bad luck. In the second round, they encountered the American National University team and were utterly humiliated.

If we don't achieve good results this year, even the national leaders and top-level mages will probably be embarrassed. The World University Competition, in a sense, represents part of the country's face.

Everyone's eyes were on Ai Jiangtu's face, trying to discern from his expression whether he was happy or sad about the draw.

However, Ai Jiangtu always had a serious, dark face, no matter when.

"Is this the island nation team?" Nan Jue took Ai Jiangtu's draw card, glanced at the country icon on it, and immediately recognized it.

"With our strength, defeating them is a piece of cake!" Guan Yu laughed and jumped up again, receiving the second wave of resources and ushering in a new period of development.

Nowadays, almost everyone has a Star-Controlled Magic Device, which is basically dual-element high-level and can most likely unleash high-level magic.

"You're dreaming. Maybe we're not even qualified to play..." Zu Jiming looked at Guan Yu and said sarcastically.

However, she spoke very softly, and while speaking, she secretly glanced at her mentor, Feng Li.

The team members all looked towards the direction of the nearby island nation team, and the opposing team was also looking towards them, but they all had solemn expressions.

Things are different now. Facing such formidable opponents, it would be a miracle if anyone could still laugh.

On the other side, the Japanese team had already turned their attention away and started discussing how to respond in a very professional manner.

Their mentor, Fujimori Nobuko, was not as optimistic as the students seemed. She glanced at Wang Teng, the vice-captain of the Chinese team.

The news from within the country had already spread internally: a prodigy student capable of fighting Instructor Mochizuki Chika.

The opponent's existence was a major headache for her; their strength was so formidable that it was difficult to contain them with tactics, and it was easy to make things worse.

"Yosuke~ Is that the Demon of the Empire who defeated Teacher Chika?"

"Hmm~ This guy is indeed impressive, but apart from that man, the others in their team are just so-so. Does that guy really think he can carry the entire team by himself?" Yosuke, who had just been replaced by the Nationalist team, said with an incredulous look.

(End of this chapter)