Wizard: My magic facility can be upgraded!

Chapter 77 Three Variations

The flaming arrow exploded in the bear's mouth, and the enormous impact caused the bear to lose consciousness instantly. Its massive body crashed to the ground, transforming back into human form.

Elisa also fell heavily onto the edge of the platform. Her face was pale, and she bit her lower lip tightly to keep herself from crying out in pain.

"The winner... Elisa Polk!" Mentor Barton announced immediately, while waving his hand to signal his waiting followers to go up and carry her up for treatment.

Applause erupted again from the stands; the ferocity of the duel and the resilience of the two witches had earned everyone's respect. Elisa and Denise were quickly carried off the field and taken to the [Life Recovery Chamber].

As evening approached, all three rounds of the competition concluded, with five of the eight members of the enforcement team advancing to the semi-finals on the following day.

Aside from Li Ang's easy victory, the other four suffered injuries of varying degrees. Fortunately, the Life Recovery Chamber was highly effective, and they could be healed as long as they did not die on the spot.

In the evening, after having dinner provided by Obsidian Tower, it was the turn of his Eighth Squad to take over from the Sixth Squad, who had been on guard all day, and to begin taking charge of the night watch over Celia's room.

Inside the room, Celia was still sitting at her desk, with a thick stack of parchment in front of her.

But unlike before, she seemed somewhat absent-minded, her golden eyes often unfocused, and she would occasionally glance unconsciously at Li Ang and Eric standing guard beside her.

Night duty was even more monotonous than daytime duty. They could only stand motionless, listening to each other's soft breathing and the occasional rustling of Celia turning the pages of a paper, until the early hours of the morning when Celia fell asleep and the fourth squad came to relieve them. Only then could Li Ang and the others return to the rest room.

There were five makeshift beds in the lounge. Miguel and Remus, exhausted from the day, fell asleep almost immediately and soon began to snore softly.

After a quick wash, Elisa lay down fully clothed, and Captain Eric checked the doors and windows before falling asleep as well.

Lying in bed, Li Ang recalled his recent experiences and Celia's seemingly genuine expression, and slowly drifted off to sleep.

The next morning, when the clock struck six, Li Ang was the first to open his eyes and got up with great energy.

The other four woke up feeling somewhat tired. The intense guard duty of the past few days, the aerial battles, and yesterday's match had clearly taken a toll on their condition.

Miguel sat up abruptly, rubbed his still sleepy eyes, and mumbled:

"The bed in Obsidian City is really hard; it made my back ache."

Remus, already dressed, was adjusting his brown robe in front of a blurry metal mirror on the wall. Hearing this, he turned around and gave a wry smile: "It's good enough to have some sleep; it's better than being out in the cold wind. Besides, you've successfully advanced."

His tone was somewhat dejected, clearly still brooding over yesterday's defeat. Losing to that prickly guy in the first round was truly frustrating.

Elisa was carefully moving her left arm, which she had injured yesterday. The life recovery chamber was working very well; the broken bones had healed, but her muscles were still a little sore.

After confirming that her injuries were no longer serious, she touched the protective ring on her left hand and secretly rejoiced.

After hearing Remus's words, she walked over and patted him on the shoulder, her tone cheerful:

"Alright, Remus, victory and defeat are common in war. That poisonous hedgehog's abilities are indeed troublesome; even if I were in its place, I might not fare well. Today, we'll avenge you."

Captain Eric fastened the twin sword badge on his chest, his voice as steady as ever:

"Cheer up, everyone. Today's opponents will only be stronger. Don't embarrass the Elemental... Lyrita, especially you, Remus. Hold your head high and don't let people think that the people of Lyrita can't accept defeat."

They had intended to say the Elementalists, but then suddenly remembered that Leon wasn't a member of the Elementalists, but rather the Potions School, so they had to change their tune.

Li Ang splashed cold water on his face; the icy touch dispelled the last bit of sleepiness.

He picked up a towel to dry the water stains and replied:

"The captain is right. No matter the outcome of the match, just do your best."

After everyone had finished getting ready and had breakfast, they headed to the arena.

The semifinal draw began. Li Ang drew number seven, and his opponent was Clive Abbott, who also drew number seven.

"Clive Abbott..." Elisa frowned slightly as she looked at the match schedule.

"It's that guy from yesterday who can double transform. Leon, you need to be careful of his tactics, he's very cunning."

Li Ang nodded and memorized the name.

The competition began quickly. The first few matches were spectacular, with the Obsidian Tower's apprentice wizards showcasing the flexibility and power of the Transmutation school to the fullest.

Miguel narrowly won another move thanks to the berserk power of Leifa, while Shiro from the fourth squad also managed to defeat his opponent and advance.

"Seventh match, Lelita, Leon Carlsen, yes, Obsidian, Clive Abbott!"

Li Ang steadily ascended the stage. His opponent, Clive, looked unremarkable and was somewhat thin, but his strength was undeniable.

As soon as the start signal for the match was given, Clive moved instantly, tapping his wand on himself. His figure blurred and turned into a shadow, silently blending into the shadows in the corner of the platform. This was Shadow Stealth in Shadow Wolf form.

Li Ang immediately became alert, holding his wand horizontally in front of him, his mental energy highly concentrated, sensing the subtle energy fluctuations around him.

Suddenly, a red light flashed from the shadows to the side and behind, and a fireball rat darted out, firing a blazing fireball from its mouth.

Li Ang was prepared and instantly cast [Gentle Breeze], skillfully deflecting the fireball's trajectory.

The Fireball Rat missed its attack and immediately transformed into a Shadow Wolf, disappearing once more.

Over the next few minutes, Clive took this tactic to its extreme. He would sometimes pounce from unexpected angles in his Shadow Wolf form, and other times transform into a Cyndaquil to harass from a distance. After each strike, whether it hit or missed, he would immediately flee, using the Shadow Wolf's stealth ability to disappear again.

The stands erupted in gasps of amazement, applauding Clive's unpredictable and elusive playing style.

"They're too difficult to catch, we just can't get them to come."

"Lelita is completely outmatched."

Li Ang appeared to be on the defensive, constantly dodging and blocking, which made him seem somewhat passive.

But his eyes remained calm. Through repeated exchanges, he gradually became familiar with the rhythm of his opponent's switching between the two forms and the signs of magical fluctuations. Moreover, his opponent's mental energy should be almost depleted in these repeated changes, while his mental energy was still almost full. He was confident that the outcome would be decided soon.

Just as he seemingly narrowly avoided the shadow wolf's attack once again, he slightly turned his body, deliberately revealing a tiny opening.

The shadow wolf that had just missed its target did not use the force to escape into the shadows as before, but instead underwent a third transformation in mid-air.

A massive, muscular moon bear crashed to the ground, its enormous paws carrying a fierce gust of wind that tore through the air, aimed directly at Li Ang's chest.