Chapter 6: Duel

Lin Yuan had always believed that mages were noble and respected. This belief had been reinforced during his first two months in this world, through his interactions with Hawk and his experiences at Finor Academy. So, he never expected that someone would speak to him in such a tone, let alone insult Finor Academy as a whole.

Lin Yuan slowly turned around, and his first thought was that a wall had suddenly appeared in front of him. When he regained his composure, he realized that the person standing before him was a giant of a man, over 2 meters tall. The man's physique was incredibly robust; his arms alone were almost as thick as Lin Yuan's thighs, not to mention his wall-like torso.

Standing in front of him, Lin Yuan felt an immense pressure bearing down on him.

"I heard that old man Hawk hasn't returned to Finor yet. So, you kids must have come out without his permission," the giant man lowered his head slightly to meet Lin Yuan's furious gaze. "Let me tell you, old man Hawk used to be wise. He knew that you inexperienced little mages would only get beaten up out here, which is why he never let you become mercenaries. Never thought you'd slip out while he's away this year. Haha, has old man Hawk lost control over Finor as well?"

Lin Yuan's anger turned to cold laughter. Who was Hawk Fernas? One of the two Archmages on the Farinos Continent, a figure at the pinnacle of human achievement. Such a person was not to be spoken of in such a disrespectful manner by ordinary people. Only those with comparable strength or sheer audacity would dare to do so, and this man clearly fell into the latter category.

Lin Yuan scanned the man up and down and sneered, "So, you think you're strong enough that being a mercenary poses no danger?"

"Of course!" the man snorted. "You don't even know who I am. I'm 'Mad Wolf' Carter. You lot aren't even worthy of tying my shoes."

"Mad Wolf? I think 'Mad Dog' suits you better."

Seeing the students gradually gathering around, Lin Yuan gestured for them to stay back and observe. This man had insulted Finor Academy and its people right in front of him, and he wouldn't let it go.

"What did you say?" the giant man roared. "You dare call me Mad Dog? Do you want to die?"

Lin Yuan waved his hand dismissively. "I'll give that back to you. You dare insult Finor Academy? Do you want to die?"

Turning to Katusha, who had moved closer, he whispered, "Do you know who this guy is? He doesn't seem like a lunatic, so why does he hate Finor Academy so much?"

Katusha gave him a sidelong glance. "I just transferred from Pamil Academy. If you don't know, how would I?"

Lin Yuan thought it made sense. He looked at the fuming giant and beckoned him with a finger before turning and walking towards the exit. This gesture was a clear provocation, and without a second thought, the giant followed him out. The people in the Mercenary Guild, sensing a spectacle, rushed out as well.

Outside the Mercenary Guild was a modest-sized square, flat and clean, perfectly suited for a duel. Lin Yuan stopped at one end, and the giant halted at the other.

"I won't waste many words. I don't care why you chose to insult Finor Academy today, but that's a fact," Lin Yuan paused, his expression darkening. "Since you've insulted Finor, and I am a teacher at Finor, this can't just be let go. Come on, let's duel."

Lin Yuan was usually easygoing and amiable, but deep down, he had a fiery temper. When he wasn't angry, everything was fine, but once provoked, he would let nothing stand in his way until he had vented his frustration.

The students and Katusha had wanted to say something, but as soon as Lin Yuan mentioned "duel," they could only watch. This was an unwritten rule on the Farinos Continent: as long as both parties in a duel were willing, not even the king could intervene.

The giant man chuckled, revealing a mouthful of yellowed teeth and a piece of vegetable stuck between them: "Noy Carter. Level 7 Warrior."

The crowd erupted in gasps.

Although mages were a profession known for their immense destructive power, they were not as agile in close combat as warriors of the same level. Before becoming an Archmage, it was considered a sign of exceptional magical talent if a mage could defeat a warrior one level below them in a duel.

Of course, once distance was created or with proper protection, a mage could easily take on a squad of warriors of the same level. This was one of the main reasons mages held a higher status than warriors, and the other was simply because mages were far rarer.

According to this logic, to defeat Carter, Lin Yuan should have been at least an 8th-level mage. Although no one doubted the magical prowess of a teacher at Finor Academy, not every teacher was an 8th-level mage, especially considering how young Lin Yuan looked.

"Lin Yuan, unranked."

"Unranked?" Carter was taken aback, then sneered. "An unranked person—Finor Academy would hire you as a teacher? Maybe you're just afraid of me, afraid of losing and being embarrassed."

"You can say that after you win."

"Then you can just wait."

Carter roared and stomped his foot, shattering the smooth stone tiles beneath him into pieces. He then charged forward at an astonishing speed.

Lin Yuan's heart skipped a beat. As soon as Carter finished speaking, he had already cast two wind barriers in front of him, but to his surprise, Carter just plowed right through them without slowing down at all.

With no time to think, Lin Yuan waved his hand, sending out two wind blades while casting a Wind Shield on himself. He lightly tapped the ground and drifted backward.

"Kid, running away is no way to duel. Also, don't embarrass yourself with such low-level tricks. They're useless against me," Carter stood where Lin Yuan had been, completely unscathed, and laughed loudly.

Lin Yuan frowned. He had seen clearly that Carter hadn't even used any martial energy; he had taken the two wind blades with sheer physical strength, leaving only two fleeting white marks on his body.

A Level 7 Warrior was indeed tough to deal with.

Carter didn't give Lin Yuan time to think and charged again with a loud laugh.

Lin Yuan flicked his hand, and a large pit suddenly appeared in the ground in front of Carter, catching him off guard and causing him to fall in. Immediately, a water ball materialized above the pit and fell, turning it into a puddle.

As Carter was about to curse, the water in the pit began to spin rapidly, and the surrounding soil was drawn in by a small tornado, creating a whirlpool of mud and stones that trapped him.

After a while, the water flow and the tornado stopped, and the pit was filled back in. Carter's massive body was now buried up to his neck, leaving only his head sticking out like a mushroom growing out of the ground, which looked rather ridiculous.

Lin Yuan's series of actions seemed ordinary to the average person, but the students and Katusha watching were all shocked. Lin Yuan had used earth, water, and wind magic—three different elements—all of which were low-level spells below Level 2. Yet, he had cast them all by himself, which completely defied the common sense of all mages.

However, Lin Yuan didn't pay attention to the gazes around him. He intuitively felt that Carter wouldn't be so easily trapped, after all, he was a Level 7 Warrior.

Sure enough, Carter's face still wore a cold smile, showing no sign of being at a disadvantage.

"I told you before, don't use such low-level magic against me," Carter's eyes suddenly widened, and a hint of dark red light emanated from his exposed head, seeping into the soil around him.

"Lin, be careful!"

"Teacher, watch out!"

As the warnings from Katusha and the students rang out, Carter roared again, and his body, buried in the soil, burst out like a projectile.

Lin Yuan was hit painfully by the chunks of soil Carter threw off. He didn't have time to block with a wind barrier and could only cast another Wind Shield to drift to the side.

Even so, he couldn't avoid all of Carter's attacks. A blade of tangible martial energy grazed his left arm, opening a gash instantly.

"Hahaha, you brat, I, 'Mad Wolf' Carter, will teach you what real power is today!"

Seeing Carter's ferocious expression, Lin Yuan suddenly felt a thought stir in his mind.

"Before you boast, clean the mud off yourself first," Lin Yuan sneered.

Carter's face darkened, and the dark red martial energy around him intensified.

"Roar——"

As Carter charged straight at him at high speed, Lin Yuan smiled faintly, raised both hands, formed a fireball in his left hand and a water ball in his right, and threw them simultaneously.

The two different elemental spells traced arcs through the air and collided fiercely, just as Carter rushed into the impact zone.

"Just as I told you..."

"Boom——"

With a loud explosion, a flash of red and blue light burst at the point of impact, and Carter was sent flying backward at an even higher speed. He crashed through a nearby wall and only stopped after rolling on the ground for several meters.