Chapter 258: Spellcasting Mishap
The sudden turn of events stunned everyone.
From Sylas West to Lance, from William Merlin to Hugh Bann, a dozen or so people watched in disbelief as Fran shot up into the air like a severed kite, then crashed heavily to the ground. That muffled 'thud' seemed to echo in everyone's chest...
"This..." No one expected that the one sent flying would be Fran—a true Title Archmage. Even Lance, a Ninth-Rank Mage, was utterly powerless before him.
And yet, his Elemental Shield was forcefully pierced by a single Fireball...
And the one who cast that Fireball was none other than the Ninth-Rank Mage, Matthew Merlin!
What the hell just happened?
A Fireball from a Ninth-Rank Mage broke through a Title Archmage's Elemental Shield—was this some kind of cruel joke?
This couldn't be explained by carelessness or underestimating the opponent...
The gap between a Ninth-Rank Mage and a Title Archmage is simply unfathomable. To put it bluntly, even if a Title Archmage stood motionless, it would be almost impossible for a Ninth-Rank Mage to harm them. The difference in mana alone is a hundredfold, a thousandfold. What's more, Fran had just activated his Elemental Shield—how could a Fireball possibly break through it?
Unfortunately, he was still too slow...
Fran hadn't even managed to cast his Counterspell before a sharp pain struck his chest—a dazzling burst of white light exploded there, followed by a relentless barrage of 'pop, pop, pop' as more white lights erupted across his chest.
Fran knew—it was Arcane Missile...
To be honest, the damage wasn't much. Arcane Missile is only a Level One spell. With Fran's power as a Title Archmage, his mage runes are fully integrated, making him nearly impervious to ordinary spells. Even without incantations or gestures, he can summon vast magical forces at will. Although the Arcane Missiles kept coming, most were blocked by the magic Fran summoned on the spot—the actual damage was minimal.
But for Fran...
The 'pop, pop, pop' of the Arcane Missiles was like a series of slaps to Fran's face. It was humiliating—he could accept being pierced by a Fireball, but now he was pinned down and pelted with Arcane Missiles by a Ninth-Rank Mage.
If word got out, people would die laughing!
And yet, there was nothing he could do about it...
Fran truly felt powerless. He possessed the strength of a Title Archmage, yet was being beaten down by a Ninth-Rank Mage. The frustration and humiliation were driving him mad.
Honestly, the opponent's casting speed wasn't even fast. As the bearer of the Timehand Mage Rune, Fran hadn't cared about such speed even before reaching Title Archmage by using the Crystal Balance.
But now, Fran was being driven into utter disarray by this slow, measured casting speed.
That's right—the opponent's casting speed wasn't fast, but it was crucial and deadly, as if every move was pre-calculated. Each spell disrupted Fran's rhythm, and there were even four consecutive moments where Fran was forced to interrupt his own casting.
What does that even mean...?
Even for a Title Archmage, abruptly interrupting a spell is extremely dangerous. It's not just a waste of mana—each interruption can cause magical backlash. Unless absolutely necessary, no mage would willingly interrupt their own spell.
But each of those four interruptions was absolutely necessary...
One time, just as his Elemental Shield faded and Fran tried to seize the initiative with a burst of power, the opponent made a casting error—a spell that should've been completed seconds earlier, Elemental Burst, was mysteriously delayed.
So Fran had to face a very awkward choice...
Either interrupt his spell, or finish his burst while taking the Elemental Burst head-on—essentially gambling to see who would fall first under the barrage of spells.
The thing is, Fran knew just how powerful that Elemental Burst was.
It wasn't as bizarre as that earlier Fireball that pierced his Elemental Shield, but its power was far beyond what a Ninth-Rank Mage should possess. To be blunt, without his Elemental Shield, even Fran, a Title Archmage, could have been seriously injured by that Elemental Burst.
So Fran had no choice but to interrupt his burst, pulling back all his mana to form a Rune Shield against the Elemental Burst.
He had no other choice—the Rune Shield was far weaker than the Elemental Shield. To block the Elemental Burst with it, Fran had to pull back all his mana.
It was disgusting...
The hard-won chance to counterattack vanished because of the opponent's casting error. Fran was so frustrated he could cough up blood. Right now, he really wanted to ask, "Damn it, why do I have to pay for your mistakes?"
Yet...
But then the same thing happened again and again. Once or twice might be a coincidence, but three, four, even five or six times—Fran finally realized something was off.
Could it be... Matthew Merlin was doing this on purpose?
No, impossible...
How could a Ninth-Rank Mage have such spellcasting ability? Not just a Ninth-Rank Mage—even Sylas West and Caron, who became Title Archmages before me, couldn't pull off such precise, cunning magic. Of all the people I know, perhaps only my unfathomable teacher Nolan could reach this level.
But isn't this all a bit too much of a coincidence?
Once or twice, three or four times, five or six times—it kept happening. Could there really be such coincidences in this world?
Unfortunately, Fran no longer had time to think. After several interrupted spells, he was at a complete disadvantage. Now, all he could do was defend with various protective spells—there was no chance to counterattack.
A dignified Title Archmage, completely suppressed by a Ninth-Rank Mage—unable to fight back from start to finish...
The entire United Exploration Team was stunned by the scene.
"Saruman, who do you think will win...?" By now, Lance had broken free from Fran's mana restraints and his wounds had healed. He stood beside Saruman, staring at the battle in shock while sneaking in a question.
"I really can't say..." Saruman smiled and shook his head.
"True..." Lance realized he'd asked a foolish question. Saruman was the strongest mage in Seaview City, but this fight was clearly beyond the level of mages. Even as a Ninth-Rank Mage, Merlin was showing power that matched the very best.
And that was just raw power...
What was truly terrifying about Merlin was the spellcasting and control he showed in this fight. It was unfathomable. Such mastery would frighten anyone, even those at the Ninth-Rank Mage level. The control was downright terrifying. Fran might not see it in the heat of battle, but Lance, watching from the sidelines, saw it all clearly.
As a Ninth-Rank Mage, Merlin was able to completely control the pace of battle against a Title Archmage—an astonishing feat!
The only thing Lance couldn't see was how the fight would end.
Right now, Merlin seemed to have every advantage. But don't forget—Fran is a Title Archmage. That means standing at the very peak of magic. The gap between them is more than ten levels. Normally, you wouldn't even need to start the fight to know the outcome.
The fact that Merlin could fight this far was already a huge surprise for Lance.
Enough, enough, it's already enough...
This battle proved that Merlin had the strength to stand against a Title Archmage. Even if he lost now, it wouldn't matter. Whether it was Fran or Sylas West, before making a move for those magical materials, they'd have to consider Merlin's reaction.
Of course, deep down, Lance still had one thought.
If only he could win...
But that was just wishful thinking. Lance knew this situation was partly luck—Merlin only gained the upper hand thanks to that bizarre Fireball, which pierced the Elemental Shield and gave him his first real advantage.
But that strange Fireball—Lance knew even without Merlin saying so—couldn't possibly happen over and over. Otherwise, Merlin wouldn't still be fighting Fran; he'd have just blasted him out of the fight with a few more Fireballs.
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