The Adventurer's Guild's sparring room was located underground.
The entire room was built from Whitecliff stone, with walls three meters thick, capable of withstanding attacks below the Legendary rank.
The fully enclosed structure ensured that combat wouldn't affect bystanders, nor would it lead to trouble by accidentally killing some passerby with an incredible background.
Don't think such things were rare.
There was a reason the guild's sparring rooms were perpetually popular and fully booked.
Fighting in the city districts was risky.
Fighting outside the city was pure suicide.
Therefore, the price for this room was not cheap.
Ten gold coins per hour.
Lin Gui's mouth twitched when he paid the fee.
But thinking of Elvia's "performance" over the past few days, he paid it anyway.
Inside the room.
Lin Gui held his oak staff and wore his mage robes, standing in the center of the arena.
Opposite him, Elvia was fully armed.
Silvery light armor covered her body, its lines smooth and form-fitting.
The breastplate, pauldrons, bracers, and greaves were each meticulously polished, glinting with a cold white luster under the magic lamps.
The armor wasn't heavy but rather designed for easy movement.
The joints were connected with gambeson, which didn't hinder the flexibility of her movements.
However, its defensive power was strong, capable of withstanding many attacks at the Transcendent rank.
This was a piece of custom female knight light armor that Lin Gui had spent a significant sum of money on for Elvia.
He didn't mention exactly how much it cost.
When Elvia saw the bill, her eyes had sparkled for days.
At this moment, wearing this light armor, Elvia stared at Lin Gui with an expression full of resentment.
She had fantasized for a long time last night.
A wonderful date, candlelight romance.
As it turned out, the guy wanted to beat her up.
"Can't you think about anything else?"
Her tone was wistful.
Lin Gui remained expressionless:
"Let's begin."
Elvia took a deep breath and drew the rapier from her waist.
The blade traced a silvery arc under the lights.
Her gaze grew even more resentful as she looked at Lin Gui.
She naturally knew Lin Gui's objective.
He wanted to fight her to judge her level while helping her improve her strength.
The advancement of many physical classes was heavily related to the frequency and intensity of combat.
Of course, it was also related to auxiliary supplies and materials, but it wasn't as extreme as it was for mages.
This was why at the lower levels, choosing a physical class was always preferred over choosing a mage.
Because from the bottom to the peak, the Title Rank, there were several individuals from physical classes.
But for mages, there was not a single one.
Elvia looked at Lin Gui, lacking interest.
She didn't want to fight.
She wanted to go back to sleep, go shopping, or go to a tavern for a drink.
Lin Gui spoke:
"If you win, then for the next few days, I'm at your disposal."
"Whatever you want to play, I'll accompany you."
Elvia's gaze sharpened instantly.
She drew her rapier and pointed the tip at Lin Gui.
The corner of her mouth curled into a charming arc:
"Does that include nighttime interactions?"
Lin Gui gave her a flat look.
Then he nodded.
"Fine."
Elvia's smile was as bright as spring sunshine.
Then she stated her requirements:
"You aren't allowed to use Levitation."
"You aren't allowed to use Shroud of the Gloomy Night."
As someone who had once worked with Lin Gui to ambush a Legendary Archer using Shroud of the Gloomy Night, she understood all too well how game-breaking that magic was.
If he used that spell against her, she might as well just lie down and admit defeat.
Lin Gui nodded:
"Agreed."
His tone was very relaxed.
So relaxed that a wave of unease rose in Elvia's heart.
She recalled the spells Lin Gui knew.
Wind Blade, Shadow Pierce, Soil Loosening, Growth Acceleration...
He couldn't perform chantless casting for those high-tier offensive spells; she could definitely dodge them.
As for those novice spells, while they were very useful in the wilderness, in terms of combat...
Elvia gave a scornful smile.
I won't even need to dodge.
As long as I ban those two broken tricks of his, what waves can he possibly stir up?
For a High-tier High Rank knight to handle a High-tier High Rank mage without protection, it would be as easy as taking candy from a baby.
Plus, she had her own secret methods.
In short, the advantage was hers.
Elvia gave a mischievous laugh.
Thinking about how she would soon pummel Lin Gui made her heart bloom with joy.
She really did want to beat up this jerk; he only responded when she took the initiative, and even then, he didn't always respond.
Elvia gripped the hilt tightly and shifted her feet, settling into a starting posture.
"Then I won't hold back."
Lin Gui raised his staff.
"Come."
"By the way, allow me to give you some mental preparation."
Lin Gui waved his hand casually.
A magic circle expanded instantly.
A Wind Blade shot out from the ring, grazing past Elvia and cutting into the wall of the sparring room.
Chi—
A light sound rang out.
A faint mark was left on the wall.
Elvia's pupils constricted slightly.
She looked back at the mark, her expression one of surprise.
Lin Gui said indifferently:
"I can already perform chantless casting for the Mid Rank magic, Wind Blade."
"While the power of a single shot isn't enough to break through the defense of your armor, if the quantity increases, it can still pierce through."
"So, don't think about breaking through from the front."
Looking at the mark on the wall, Elvia's surprised expression turned into one of excitement.
She looked back at Lin Gui's calm face and licked her lips.
"As expected of the man I chose; you've easily done something many mages can't."
She gripped the hilt and shifted her feet.
"Now I'm looking forward to seeing the look on your face when I beat you until you cry."
With those words, she moved.
It wasn't a straight-line charge but a sideways dash.
Her steps were light, like a cheetah moving through the grass.
The rapier trailed behind her, the tip grazing the floor and kicking up tiny sparks.
Lin Gui raised his hand.
Wind Blades shot out.
One, two, three.
The angles were tricky, blocking her path forward.
Elvia didn't stop.
She tilted her body to dodge the first one.
She ducked, and the second one grazed the top of her head.
As she took her third step, she swung her blade horizontally, shattering the third Wind Blade.
Pa—
The Wind Blade shattered, dispersing into currents of air.
Her pace didn't falter.
Lin Gui's Wind Blades were fired continuously, one after another, as if there was no end to them.
While dodging, blocking, and charging forward, Elvia closed in on Lin Gui's position.
Once a physical class got into close quarters, no mage could withstand their melee attacks.
In other words, as soon as Elvia touched Lin Gui, the victory would be hers.
Elvia moved quickly, and her reactions were even faster.
Those Wind Blades seemed to move in slow motion before her.
But she knew they weren't slow; Lin Gui was controlling them.
He was controlling the angle, the power, and the rhythm.
He didn't want to hurt her; he wanted to pressure her.
A smile curled on Elvia's lips.
She raised her hand and swung her sword.
A silvery-white beam of blade energy shot from the tip, slicing along the ground toward Lin Gui.
Lin Gui sidestepped and dodged.
The blade energy grazed past him, striking the wall behind.
Boom!!!
A deep gash was left in the Whitecliff stone wall.
Elvia didn't stop.
A second, third, and fourth shot.
Beam after beam of blade energy followed, the angles becoming increasingly difficult.
Lin Gui dodged through the gaps in the blade energy.
He sidestepped, ducked, and retreated.
The hem of his mage robes fluttered in the air currents, appearing somewhat frantic.
But he dodged them.
The blade energy was powerful, but the speed was slow and the telegraphing was obvious.
Even a mage like Lin Gui, whose physical stats were poor, could dodge them by rolling like a lazy donkey ahead of time.
Although he successfully dodged, Elvia was constantly shortening the distance during those moments.
Elvia charged forward while swinging her sword.
The distance closed.
Fifteen meters.
Twelve meters.
Ten meters.
Lin Gui's Wind Blades began to grow dense.
It was no longer one at a time but two or three firing simultaneously.
Elvia's pace slowed down.
She swung her sword, shattering one.
She tilted her body, dodging another.
She raised her arm, and her bracer blocked one.
Ding—
The Wind Blade struck the bracer, leaving a white mark.
Her form faltered for a moment, but she recovered quickly.
Eight meters.
She raised her hand, condensing blade energy.
Silvery-white light gathered on the blade.
Then, a Wind Blade shot out with precision, striking the focal point of her sword.
Pa—
The condensed blade energy dispersed.
Elvia gritted her teeth and tried to condense it again.
Another Wind Blade, striking the same focal point.
It dispersed again.
Her expression soured slightly.
But she didn't stop.
She changed her approach.
She no longer condensed large amounts of blade energy; instead, she attached battle force to her blade.
Then she swung.
The rapier traced a silvery arc in the air, carrying a sharp wind as it slashed toward Lin Gui.
Lin Gui retreated, simultaneously firing three Wind Blades.
Elvia didn't dodge.
She swung her sword, shattering all three Wind Blades.
Ding, ding, ding—
Crisp sounds echoed in the sparring room.
Her steps quickened.
Five meters.
"Lin Gui—" Her voice carried a hint of a smile.
"How much longer can your mana hold out?"
As she spoke, she continued swinging.
Another Wind Blade was shattered.
"Once your mana is exhausted, I'll be able to do whatever I want."
She licked her lips.
"When that time comes, I'll tie you up, and then—"
She intentionally drew out her words, saying excitedly.
"I'll 'treat' you well, just like how my eldest sister treats her male favorites."
Lin Gui's mouth twitched.
He recalled the things he had seen in that room when he kidnapped Diana in the Carter Royal Capital.
It was extremely eye-searing.
He definitely couldn't let such a thing happen to him.
Lin Gui took a deep breath.
He began to chant.
This was the first time he had chanted today.
The incantation flowed from his lips, the syllables clear and rapid.
Elvia's eyes lit up.
An opportunity.
She swung her sword, shattering two Wind Blades.
Then, without any hesitation, she charged straight ahead.
Five meters.
Four meters.
Three meters.
Lin Gui's chanting didn't stop.
A magic circle rose beneath Elvia's feet, moving along with her.
She glanced down and sneered.
She didn't dodge; she kept charging.
Two meters.
Lin Gui's chanting paused for an instant.
A split second later, at the moment Elvia closed in on him, black shadow spikes erupted from the ground beneath her feet.
High-tier offensive spell, Shadow Pierce.
In theory, Elvia should have avoided it.
Because that attack would make her footing unstable, causing her to lose balance and subsequently get blasted in the face by Lin Gui's Wind Blades.
That would be very dangerous.
But she didn't dodge.
She charged forward blindly, allowing the shadow spikes to lunge toward her feet.
Lin Gui raised an eyebrow and instinctively lowered his mana output.
Although it was a live-combat exercise, they should stop before causing injury.
However...
Wong—
The sound of a magic barrier breaking rang out.
The shadow spikes stopped less than a fist's distance from Elvia's ankle.
It was as if they had hit an invisible wall.
They shattered and dissipated.
Lin Gui was somewhat stunned.
Meanwhile, Elvia laughed triumphantly.
"Didn't expect that, did you?"
"When I was out enjoying myself the other day, I spent several thousand gold coins to buy a defensive magic item!"
"Go to bed peacefully, Lin Gui!!"
She had already raised her sword.
Holding it in a reverse grip, the hilt was facing forward.
She wasn't going to pierce him; she was going to bash him.
Bash him right into Lin Gui, who was within arm's reach.
Two meters.
One meter.
Her hilt was about to hit Lin Gui's forehead.
Then she saw it.
Lin Gui's chanting hadn't stopped.
His lips were still moving; the incantation was still flowing.
At the very moment Elvia was about to touch him, he opened his eyes.
In front of him, dozens of magic circles rose instantly.
They weren't generated one by one or disappearing one by one; they all expanded simultaneously in an instant.
Dense and layered, they crowded into the space between the two of them.
Within every circle, a Wind Blade was condensing.
The Wind Blades were wrapped in crimson flames.
Flame Enchantment.
Elvia's pupils contracted violently.
She stared at those Wind Blades wrapped in fire, looking into Lin Gui's calm black eyes.
Lin Gui looked at her, his tone one of helplessness:
"I already told you, don't break through from the front."
"It seems I'll have to craft you a new set of armor, Elvia."
With those words falling...
Dozens of fiery blades were fired simultaneously.
Boom, boom, boom, boom!!
Continuous explosions erupted in the sparring room.
Elvia's body was pushed back by the shockwaves of the fiery blades.
The armor on her chest shattered, her bracers shattered, and her greaves shattered.
Fragments flew through the air, sparkling like dust under the magic lamps.
She slammed into the wall.
Bang!!
A shallow indentation was left in the Whitecliff stone wall from the impact.
Elvia slid down the wall and slumped on the floor.
A trickle of blood leaked from the corner of her mouth.
Her armor was in tatters, fragments scattered all over the floor.
She lay there, motionless.
Lin Gui sighed, watching the blown-away Elvia from a distance.
He waited for a long time.
The other party remained motionless, and then a series of sobs began to ring out.
"Ugh..."
"Wuu..."
Lin Gui looked at her speechlessly.
"Stop acting."
"I only shattered your armor; I didn't actually hit your body."
"Don't think about using your crying to lure me over so you can launch a sneak attack or something."
As soon as he finished speaking...
Elvia's crying stopped.
She raised her head to look at Lin Gui.
There were no tear stains on her face, and her eyes were bright and full of dissatisfaction.
"You cheated."
Her voice was muffled.
"You didn't tell me beforehand that you could fire multiple Wind Blades at once, and you misled me by firing them one at a time during the fight."
Lin Gui looked at her, an eyebrow raised.
"I already fired three at once; couldn't you guess that I could fire multiple shots?"
"And who's the one who really cheated? Someone who was secretly hiding a magic defense item."
Elvia opened her mouth to say something, but swallowed it back down.
Finally, she muttered to Lin Gui:
"How many Wind Blades can you fire at once?"
Lin Gui didn't hide it, answering directly:
"It depends on my mana. According to my current capacity, a single overdraft can fire over a thousand shots."
"Then why the hell am I even fighting? If you just blast my face with Wind Blades, let alone me, even a Transcendent would be flattened."
Elvia slumped on the ground in defeat, falling silent.
Lin Gui ignored her.
He closed his eyes and asked in his mind:
"How was it?"
A long silence followed in his mind.
Shadow Blade Lynn's voice rang out, carrying an indefinable tone.
"It was alright."
Lin Gui said.
"Help me train her and make her stronger."
Shadow Blade Lynn gave a light chuckle.
"And what do I get?"
Lin Gui answered.
"While I am busy with my own affairs, you can have her help you collect whatever you need."
"She was once a royal; she knows better than I do how to buy those precious, expensive things you require."
Shadow Blade Lynn chuckled and looked at Elvia, who was still slumped in the distance, before saying to Lin Gui.
"One month. I will have her reach the Transcendent rank."
Rate on N.U.
