The Mage’s Flaw and the Dragon’s Might

“Third-tier magic, Water Pillar!”

Furlan shouted, then began chanting, brandishing his magic staff. Even though he possessed his own staff, which significantly reduced his casting time, the greatest characteristic of a mage was the necessity of chanting—the so-called ‘channeling’ period. Before a spell was cast, a mage was merely an ordinary person, perhaps even weaker. After all, a mage’s physique was inherently frail.

This stood in stark contrast to knights, who trained their physical bodies. Knights were typically those without magical talent, dedicating themselves to constantly honing their bodies, treating them like diamonds to be endlessly polished. They were typically robust, thick-skinned, and resilient, though their offensive capabilities were usually average.

Mages, however, were different. Once they became mages, they yearned to practice magic every day, leaving no time for physical training. While magic could unleash world-shattering damage, mages themselves were incredibly fragile. Any knight, no matter how weak, could instantly defeat a mage in close quarters.

The correct strategy for mage combat always involved casting a shield first to enhance one’s defense before unleashing spells. This was a fundamental lesson taught to mages upon entering the academy. The very first lesson emphasized that in battle, a mage must always maintain distance, cast a magic shield, and only then deploy offensive magic.

Unfortunately, Furlan gravely underestimated Ai Ou. In his estimation, he was the undisputed overlord of the second year. Who dared defy him? Moreover, he had pulled strings to commission a personalized staff, allowing his magic to reach the potency of a third-tier spell. From every angle, this was a clear victory; how could he possibly lose?

Witnessing Furlan’s magic, the audience was utterly astonished. A third-tier spell, and judging by the casting speed, it was considerably faster than typical third-tier magic. It was terrifying!

“Is this Furlan’s true strength?”

“To think… a third-tier spell could form so quickly. He must be able to create a Water Pillar in under a minute!”

Ai Ou observed the third-tier Water Pillar, which was only halfway formed, and shook his head. He then addressed Furlan.

“Have you forgotten something crucial?”

Furlan continued his chant, but his eyes darted towards Ai Ou.

Ai Ou shook his head. Then, his eyes narrowed. Suddenly, with a powerful push of his foot, he accelerated, instantly closing the distance and appearing directly before Furlan.

So fast!

Furlan gasped in alarm, attempting to retreat, but it was already too late. His concentration was partially divided, as he was still chanting his spell. Seeing Ai Ou abruptly appear before him, Furlan’s mind went blank, his thoughts scattering in an instant.

Ai Ou unleashed a swift punch, striking Furlan squarely in the stomach. Furlan’s concentration shattered, and his chanting was abruptly cut off. The Water Pillar, nearly formed in the air, lost its shape as Furlan’s chant was interrupted, dissolving into droplets that fell onto the dueling arena.

“Aaaargh!”

Furlan clutched his stomach, screaming in agony. He felt as though he might vomit his very gall bladder.

“Have you forgotten the most important lesson a mage learns? A mage’s body is incredibly frail, even weaker than an ordinary person’s. Once an opponent gets close, you easily lose your combat effectiveness. That’s why, at the start of any battle, you must create distance and cast a magic shield to boost your defenses. You underestimated me so thoroughly that you forgot even the most basic principles.”

Ai Ou looked down at the convulsing Furlan, his voice laced with admonition.

When Ai Ou first arrived in this world, he had believed he was in medieval Europe. As the descendant of a noble, he naturally assumed he would inherit his father’s title. How could one enjoy life without a strong body? He recalled that feudal nobles supposedly possessed the legendary droit du seigneur. How could one exercise such a right without a robust physique? Thus, he trained himself relentlessly, until he discovered that this was, in fact, a world of magic.

However, after learning it was a magic world, he activated the Dragon Island system. With each dragon he revived, he gained a dragon-like constitution. Reviving a Fire Dragon granted him the ability to control fire, and reviving a Water Dragon bestowed upon him water control.

Crucially, the dragon race’s bodies were renowned worldwide for their immense strength. Ancient legends even spoke of bathing in dragon blood bestowing immortality, a testament to the sheer power of their physiques. By chance, Ai Ou had inherited this very constitution.

By now, his physical attributes were many times greater than before. He could effortlessly lift rocks several meters in size and leap over a dozen meters in a single bound, moving with a speed akin to having applied wind magic. The terrifying might of a dragon’s physique was fully manifest in him. He even felt he could withstand a third-tier spell head-on. Of course, he wasn’t foolish enough to actually cast a third-tier spell on himself, but the sensation was there. His magic resistance was exceptionally high.

Compared to being a mage, Ai Ou felt he was more suited to being a magic warrior—applying magic to himself and then engaging in close-quarters combat.

“How could you… not follow a mage’s path at all!”

Furlan, who had been groaning on the ground for a long time, finally felt his stomach ache subside. He struggled to lift his head, glaring furiously at Ai Ou.

“A mage’s path? Is there a rulebook for it?”

With that, Ai Ou kicked out. Furlan gasped in shock. Disregarding all dignity, he rolled away like a dog, narrowly dodging the blow. Ai Ou’s kick landed heavily on the dueling arena. The ground shook violently with a rumble, and a crack began to spread from where Ai Ou’s foot had struck.

Furlan stared, dumbfounded. Not just Furlan, but even the spectating students and Vivian, the referee, were wide-eyed with disbelief, gazing at the cracked dueling arena. It was well known that this dueling arena was specially constructed for students’ battles, made from top-grade magical materials. It could withstand damage equivalent to a fifth-tier spell, and even a sixth-tier spell bombarding the platform would, at most, only cause cracks.

Even physical damage of several tons could be resisted. Yet, Ai Ou’s single kick had produced a crack. This implied his kick possessed several tons of force. If that had connected with a person, wouldn’t they have simply been torn apart?

As he watched the spreading crack, Furlan felt as though he had just awakened from a dream. He had narrowly escaped the gates of hell. That earlier punch had nearly killed him. If he had been hit by this kick, would he have been instantly cremated, then needed six pallbearers to carry his coffin?

Furlan was gripped by a wave of lingering fear. He didn’t dare stand up, instead scrambling to the edge of the platform with dog-like rolls, putting as much distance between himself and Ai Ou as possible. Once he could roll no further, he gathered his resolve, overcoming his physical pain with sheer willpower, and stood up.

“Are you a warrior or a mage?!”

As soon as he finished speaking, he immediately began waving his staff, casting spells.

“First-tier Water Magic, Water Shield!”

“First-tier Water Magic, Water Shield!”

“Second-tier Water Magic, Water Shield!”

“Third-tier Water Magic, Water Escape Technique!”

****

Due to Ai Ou’s previous attack, which had left a deep impression, Furlan finally recalled the lessons taught in class. No one fought like Ai Ou, deviating from the mage’s conventional path. Normally, during duels, everyone would simply cast spells, and whoever had faster casting speed or higher magical damage would be stronger. No one would directly rush in for a frontal assault. Only a freak like Ai Ou would do such a thing.

Furlan finally understood why the very first lesson in school emphasized the importance of a mage always prioritizing defensive measures. Thus, he hastily cast multiple magic shields upon himself, from first-tier to third-tier, unleashing them one after another. A single layer wasn’t enough; he encased himself in over a dozen layers of shields, only feeling secure once he sensed his mana consumption had exceeded half.

With so many layers of shields protecting him, he finally felt a semblance of safety. A single layer was too thin, offering no security at all. Observing the dense, pale blue glow surrounding him, the dozen-plus magic shields appeared almost tangible, like an eggshell completely enveloping Furlan.

“Second-tier magic, Water Healing.”

After casting the water-attribute specific healing spell, Furlan felt much better. Although his stomach still throbbed faintly, it was no longer the excruciating pain from before. He glared at Ai Ou with hatred.

“I was careless before, allowing you to exploit a weakness and succeed in a sneak attack. I never imagined you wouldn’t fight like a mage, but rather like a knight who had trained diligently for years, possessing such immense physical strength. I won’t forget that punch. Being struck by you just now was merely my mistake. Your biggest mistake was not knocking me unconscious on the spot. From now on, I will not make any more errors. I will show you how a mage truly fights; mage combat is far from barbaric!”

After delivering his harsh words, the pent-up frustration within Furlan finally released. Protected by over a dozen layers of magic shields, his sense of security soared. Standing within the magical barrier, Furlan decided to attempt something grand.

“Water Dragon Coil!”

Given that water magic generally leaned towards recovery and defense, powerful offensive spells were scarce. It was a well-balanced magic type, possessing attack, defense, and recovery, but not excelling in any single aspect. Therefore, only higher-tier spells held significant destructive power.

Furlan no longer cared about the fact that he was technically only a second-tier mage. This was the first time he had been so utterly humiliated in front of so many people, especially Teacher Vivian. He disregarded all school regulations, and paid no mind to whether he could even successfully cast a fourth-tier water spell. Enveloped within his layers of magic shields, he began to chant.

“What! Furlan! You can’t do this! You haven’t even reached the level of a third-tier mage. You struggle even with third-tier spells. Casting a fourth-tier spell will cause a backlash!”

Vivian’s face paled in alarm as she saw Furlan chanting within his magic shields. She cried out to him.

“Stop it now!”

“It’s too late. Ai Ou, you made me lose face today. If I don’t reclaim my honor, I’m not Furlan!”