Chapter 38: The Birth of the Top Eight

The free-for-all battle was brutal and intense. After Sisi and Franks each eliminated one opponent, they exchanged glances. Sisi raised her little finger in a taunting gesture, while Franks merely flicked his hair back with a smug smile.

Eric, on the other hand, was immediately pinned down by two attackers. Seeing her brother in peril, Sisi rushed over and drew one of them away. Relieved of half the pressure, Eric channeled his frustration and vengeance into unleashing a flurry of **Palms of Thunder** and **Falling Lightning Strikes**.

As for Thunder, the Wind mage who had been pelting him with blades finally gave up after realizing none of his attacks could land. He wisely chose a tactical retreat.

But Thunder wasn't about to let him go. Wobbling comically as he ran, he called out, "Hey, why are you running? Come back and hit me!"

*Is this guy brain-dead?* The Wind mage decided to ignore the so-called "magic apprentice" who couldn't even cast basic spells and sprinted away even faster.

The audience burst into laughter. Never in the history of the academy's tournament had a match been this absurd. Everyone suddenly realized that ever since Thunder had joined the competition, what was once a serious event had turned into pure comedy.

Cornered, the Wind mage grabbed a nearby Earth mage who was busy attacking someone else. "You deal with Thunder! I'll take your opponent!"

The Earth mage glanced at his current target, then at Thunder, who was scratching his head behind them. After a moment's thought, he nodded firmly. "Deal!"

Thunder was notoriously hard to hit—everyone knew that. But since he couldn't cast spells, it meant the Earth mage could attack freely without fear of retaliation. *This is a steal!*

With their opponents swapped, the Earth mage grinned. "Thunder, you better watch out. Earth magic isn't so easy to dodge."

"Bring it on!" Thunder was eager to test his **Celestial Master's Agile Steps**—practicing alone every day had gotten boring.

"This move is called **Earth Spike**. It attacks from beneath your feet. Good luck." The Earth mage leisurely chanted his spell.

Thunder focused, sensing the elemental fluctuations around him. Earth magic was different from other elements—unlike fire, ice, or lightning, its attacks were invisible until they struck.

The earth beneath his feet trembled as sharp spikes formed, ready to impale him. But at the last second, Thunder swayed slightly and sidestepped the attack effortlessly.

The Earth mage was stunned. *How did he dodge that?*

It was widely believed that the only ways to hit Thunder were either with unpredictable, instant spells or large-scale area attacks. Since most junior mages hadn't learned wide-range spells yet, Earth mages had a clear advantage.

But now, Thunder had dodged even that.

"He just got lucky!" the Earth mage reassured himself and launched another **Earth Spike**.

Though only a junior mage, his mastery over this single spell was solid. He was confident he could land a hit.

Yet to his dismay, Thunder took a single, casual step and avoided the attack again.

"*Extremely* lucky!" Sweat beaded on the Earth mage's forehead.

"Stay calm. I *will* hit him." Watching Thunder dodge others had been entertaining, but facing him directly was pure misery.

Victory felt so close, yet unreachable.

Soon, the ground around Thunder was littered with jagged spikes—each one sharp and deadly, yet utterly useless against him.

The Earth mage's face paled. *Now I know why that Wind mage traded opponents.* Thunder might seem harmless, but he could drain a man's magic dry through sheer evasion.

"Thunder, brace yourself! This is my ultimate move!" the Earth mage suddenly roared, his expression grave.

Thunder tensed, ready for anything.

Then—

The Earth mage yanked his robe over his head and bolted.

"Hey! Get back here!" Thunder realized he'd been tricked and gave chase, shouting, "Turn around and fight me!"

The audience was speechless. *This is too ridiculous.*

"Thunder, pick on someone else! Have some mercy!" the Earth mage pleaded, looking back with the expression of a man being chased by a rabid dog.

Thunder kept running.

A "useless" magic apprentice chasing down a full-fledged mage—while somehow *still* being the one under attack—was a sight no one had ever expected to see.

Then—

**Boom!**

A lightning bolt and a fireball struck the Earth mage simultaneously, shattering his shield.

Thunder had won!

At this moment, he was not fighting alone—he was *carried* by the sheer absurdity of the situation.

Sisi and Franks shot him identical looks of disdain from opposite sides of the arena. "Pathetic."

"**Halt!**" Headmaster Laurent's voice rang out. Thunder turned to see that although some battles still raged, only eight competitors remained with intact shields. Eric had barely scraped through.

"The Top Eight have been decided! Winners, please come forward to register!"

Thunder approached the devastated Earth mage and patted his shoulder. "Sorry, man. My condolences."

The poor guy had been so distracted by Thunder's antics that he hadn't noticed Sisi and Franks' sneak attack. Though the headmaster had forbidden alliances, the two powerhouses targeting the same person wasn't technically against the rules.

"Don't talk to me!" The Earth mage looked ready to collapse on the spot. Just seeing Thunder made him tremble.

"Let's go!" Sisi grabbed Thunder and dragged him away before the Earth mage could have a full mental breakdown.

**Who will Thunder face next—and can his unorthodox tactics keep working?**