This Guy is Just Acting!

"This guy... has no fighting spirit at all!"

Kevin watched Leo dodging left and right amidst the flames, the fire of anger in his eyes burning brighter and brighter.

Although it was impressive that someone of this age could withstand his bombardment until now with only the strength of the 【Crowned】 rank, the fundamentals were indeed solid.

But that scattered gaze, that passive defense... could he be intentionally holding back because of my status?

No, that shouldn't be it...

This guy, despite possessing a wealth of mana, has no idea how to fight!

He’s like a farmer wielding a legendary divine weapon only to chop vegetables!

How pathetic... a self-taught hack without the guidance of a master. No matter how much talent he has, this is as far as he’ll ever go.

Kevin swung his staff even more violently, but a hint of bitterness rose in his heart:

Yet... compared to this fellow who doesn't know how to cherish his talent, someone like me—who has confidence but no talent—is the truly pathetic one, isn't it?

Leo had no time, nor any interest, in empathizing with this muscle-headed bull’s rich and melodramatic internal monologue.

At this moment, he was busy polishing the script that was about to play out in his mind—"The Great Defeat":

Next, I just need to find an opportunity to deliberately leave a huge opening and take a direct hit...

Then I’ll use my mana to pressure my internal organs, spray a ten-meter-high pillar of blood (maxing out the special effects), fly back like a ragdoll, and finally crawl on the ground like a pathetic maggot to admit defeat.

This will satisfy this guy's vanity so he stops paying attention to me, his "defeated opponent," and I can smoothly get that ordinary 【Crowned】 rank certificate.

Perfect!

Just as Leo was preparing to implement this grand "staged accident plan."

Standing on the sidelines, a sharp glint flashed in the cloudy old eyes of Master Brandon.

Initially, he had only glanced over because of Kevin, treating it as idle amusement, and hadn't paid much attention to this ordinary passerby coming for certification.

But as he watched, this 【Palace】 rank powerhouse began to notice something.

"How intriguing..."

Brandon stroked the beard on his chin, a playful smile curling at the corners of his mouth.

This kid... is he hiding his strength?

Although the young man named Leo seemed to be retreating step by step, looking battered and exhausted with several scorched patches on his robes.

However!

Despite fighting for this long, he didn't have a single substantial injury on him!

And those seemingly bizarre incantations that always mysteriously stuttered halfway through...

They always managed to form the weakest, yet most effective mana barrier at the exact moment of Kevin’s lethal strikes...

Even those Arcane Missiles he "accidentally" flung out while struggling managed to precisely hit the nodes of Kevin’s mana shield every time, making Kevin feel just a bit uncomfortable...

This level of mana control, this composure that allowed him to stroll through a storm...

What kind of ordinary mage was this?

This was clearly a wily veteran!

While he didn't know why the boy was hiding his strength, it looked quite interesting nonetheless.

Since you want to act, then this old man will help you add some drama.

Brandon, who had already learned the basic details of this young "talented" mage from the proctor beside him, flashed a mischievous, old-codger-like glint in his eyes.

"Young man, if you spit out that mouthful of blood, don't even dream of stepping through the doors of the Mage Association for the rest of your life."

An old yet teasing voice, precisely compressed by magic, ignored the deafening explosions around them and bored into Leo's ears with absolute clarity.

"Pfft—Cough, cough, cough!!"

Leo was startled by the sudden voice. His focus slipped, and the blood he had forced up to his throat was swallowed right back down!

This time he was truly choking. That salty, metallic taste stuck in his throat made him cough uncontrollably, tears nearly springing to his eyes.

"Die! You dare to zone out during my attack?!"

Kevin on the opposite side didn't care about any of that. Seeing Leo expose such a massive "opening," he was overjoyed. He swung his staff with even more fervor, unleashing a series of 【Fireball Volley】 spells that hammered down like a Gatling gun.

"Boom! Boom! Boom! Boom!"

Leo was forced to perform a desperate roll (this time seven parts of it were real). While covered in dust and dodging the dense network of fire, he cursed that blind old geezer in his heart.

Indeed! This guy was definitely acting!

However, Brandon had no intention of calling a halt. He even stood on the sidelines with great interest, watching Leo jump around like a monkey while leisurely continuing:

"Let's play a game, young man."

Leo had to recharge his shield while keeping his ears open to the old geezer's nonsense.

"See that big fellow opposite you?"

Brandon's voice sounded like a rogue commentator at a football match:

"I want you to hit him once within the next 30 seconds using 【Pyroblast】—note, it must be 【Pyroblast】."

"As long as you can do it..."

"Bang!"

A fireball grazed Leo's scalp, singeing a few strands of hair.

"...this old man will break the rules and directly grant you the 【Glorious】 rank mage certification. I’ll even waive all subsequent red tape and fees, and I might even write you a recommendation letter to study at the Floating City."

【Glorious】 rank certification?!

A recommendation letter?!

Leo's dodging movements paused slightly.

"But—"

Brandon’s tone shifted, carrying a hint of wily coldness:

"If you can't do it, or if you get knocked down by him..."

"Not only will you not get the 【Glorious】 rank, but I won't even stamp the 【Crowned】 rank certification you originally applied for."

"Huh?!"

Leo was dumbfounded.

What the hell was this old geezer playing at?!

This requirement sounded simple, but in reality, the difficulty was extremely high!

While Kevin was a bit of a meathead, he was still a genuine 【Glorious】 rank mage who had studied at the Arcanum Higher Institute.

Trying to hit him within 30 seconds with a 【Pyroblast】—which had an incredibly long casting time—while pretending to be an ordinary 【Crowned】 rank mage?

For a normal 【Crowned】 rank mage, or even some "minor geniuses," this was an impossible task!

Damn it! Did this old thing notice something?

Alarm bells rang in Leo's heart.

Did I overact just now?

Acting is truly exhausting...

He was now in a very awkward position.

If he didn't accept, he wouldn't even get the basic certificate and would have to find another way, wasting time and effort.

If he did accept, completing the task without revealing his unbelievable strength was clearly impossible...

This requirement... although for someone like me who doesn't need to hide it, it’s no different from drinking water, trying to act like it was "pure luck" or "an all-out struggle" in front of everyone... that's asking too much, isn't it?

Leo complained wildly in his heart.

Initially, he had planned to certify for the 【Glorious】 rank directly.

But once he heard that the 【Glorious】 rank required a personal evaluation from the Branch President, Leo immediately chickened out.

If he got caught cheating by that old geezer, that would be a true disaster. After all, no matter which world you were in, the punishment for being caught cheating was very severe.

"The countdown begins—30, 29..." Brandon even pulled out a pocket watch from somewhere and started timing him.

"President?! What are you saying?"

Kevin, who was in the middle of his bombardment, also heard this. His movements slowed for a beat, and then a more sinister smile appeared on his face:

"Hahahaha! 【Pyroblast】? With just this sewer rat who only knows how to run?!"

Kevin roared, no longer holding back his strength. His mana erupted without reservation, forming a visible firestorm around his body:

"You want to hit me? In your next life!!"

Looking at Kevin, who had instantly entered "Phase Two" boss mode, and hearing that old geezer's death-knell countdown of "25, 24" in his ear...

Since there was no escaping it...

Then he’d just have to put on a real show for everyone!