"Just a simple spar… Nothing lethal… I want to know what kind of mage I'm trusting with this." Ardania said with a smile.

Rayven hesitated as he recalled his set of spells… They were really nothing impressive against an Archmage. He would certainly lose without being able to do much against her.

Still, he received 100 gold coins from her. It shouldn't be too bad to use at least 20 or 30 gold coins to satisfy her…

"I'm not sure that's necessary," Rayven said after a few moments.

Ardania could tell that Rayven was just hesitating, and he wasn't really rejecting the spar. "You're investigating a noble with political immunity and military reach. I need to know you can defend yourself."

Rayven sighed… "Alright," he said. "Let's spar."

Ardania finally smiled. "Good. I'll arrange the space."

***

Within half an hour, they arrived at the Adventurers Guild's training wing.

The receptionist didn't ask questions as Ardania's presence alone was enough to bypass the usual paperwork.

She was granted access to a private sparring chamber. It was protected by enchanted walls like mana-dampening enchantments and other barrier arrangements to prevent collateral damage.

"I can give you two hours without any charge." The receptionist, different from Stella, said.

After that, Rayven observed the chamber.

It was quite simple. No cover. Just open space and a few mana markers embedded in the floor.

He didn't bring his staff or robe to this sparring. He believed that he didn't need it.

After all, Ardania didn't either.

They stood across from each other, roughly twenty meters apart.

"No need for formalities," Ardania said. "Just show me how you fight."

Rayven nodded. With an Archmage in front of him, there was no need to pull his punches.

He took a deep breath as he reminded himself about his Physical Augmentations. They were Body Conditioning I and Grip Enhancement I.

"I can do this…" Rayven muttered to himself.

"You can come any time you're ready." Ardania reminded.

"Alright… "Gust Step."

The system deducted 1 gold instantly.

A burst of wind surged beneath his feet, propelling him sideways… He didn't charge forward as he repositioned himself just to see her reaction.

Ardania didn't move.

"Mana Pulse…" Rayven said.

Another 1 gold vanished. A ripple of mana expanded outward from his body, scanning for active enchantments and also attempting to stun her…

However, Ardania's aura or mana lit up immediately. It was her natural shield against weaker Spells... This shield wasn't even a spell but a natural barrier of mana for someone who had a huge amount of mana within their bodies.

Rayven expected as much and used another Spell.

"Fireball."

[ 1 Gold Coin deducted. ]

A sphere of flame formed in his palm and launched toward her.

It was not fast or very strong in front of an Archmage, but at the level of an Adept, it was still quite something…

"Hmm… Nice form… It feels as if you've mastered this Spell for years." Ardania muttered as she waved her hand to destroy the Fireball.

It was actually the first time she had seen such a perfect ball of flame from a younger mage. If she were to make a guess, this Tier 1 Spell was most likely Rayven's first spell, and he had mastered it for at least five or more years to reach this perfection.

It was simply that clean.

This perfection may not be easily noticed by an Adept and Arcanist Mage, but for an Archmage like her, it was very clear.

'He must've worked really hard to create that. Unfortunately, it's still not worth casting a Spell to block that.' She mused.

As the Fireball dissipated without much effort, Rayven didn't feel down at all.

He expected as much. Instead, Rayven just used his next spell.

"Stone Skin."

[ 3 Gold Coins deducted. ]

Then, his skin hardened, gaining a dull gray sheen. It wouldn't stop any Tier 5 Spell from her, but it would reduce impact damage.

Thankfully, Ardania wasn't too cruel. Instead of casting a Tier 5 Spell, she just released a Tier 2 Spell that had been modified to her level.

"Arcane Lance."

A thin bolt of pure mana shot toward him. Rayven felt a bit nervous seeing how threatening it was.

Originally, he wanted to take it with his Stone Skin, but he changed his mind…

"Gust Step."

Another 1 gold. He sidestepped the lance, letting it strike the wall behind him.

She was now watching him closely.

Rayven knew she was analyzing his casting speed and his movement pattern… maybe even his Mana Flow… But there was nothing to see.

"Telekinesis."

[ 1 Gold Coin Deducted. ] He grabbed a loose training dummy from the corner and flung it toward her.

Ardania just wryly smiled and used another Tier 1 spell. "Wind Slice."

A blade of air cut through the dummy in the air, splitting it cleanly.

Rayven realized that the woman was just waiting for him to use more of his Spells.

"Alright… "Mist Shroud."

[ 2 Gold Coins deducted. ]

A cloud of vapor enveloped him, obscuring his position. He moved silently within it, shifting to the left.

Ardania gently nodded, as if she liked this Spell… Nonetheless, she made sure to let him know that it wasn't effective against her.

"Pulse Reveal."

A pulse of light burst outward, dispelling the mist instantly.

Rayven could only cast Fireball to disrupt any more of her Spells.

"Fireball… Fireball… Fireball…"

Three gold coins were used as he aimed for her foot or her position.

At the very least, Rayven wanted to make her step back or change her position!

He launched it low, aiming for her legs!

"Mana Barrier." Ardania blocked again. This time, she only used Tier 1 Spell, but with her huge amount of Mana, it was still very strong…

Boom! Boom! Boom!

It must be remembered that the Fireball had a 2-meter explosive range. Since it hit her barrier, the explosions blocked her vision.

It was his perfect opportunity, as soon as the blast cleared up, Ardania saw 20 more fireballs coming at her!

'Ahh… How is an Adept capable of doing this?'

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