The Golem Mage

To control the trajectory of one's attacks effectively, strong mental strength and focus are essentially needed, as only then can the attacks be manipulated with precision.

Asher, who is attempting to flaunt his mental prowess, pushed himself to guide ten fireballs simultaneously using his limited mental power, which eventually caused the sweat to pour down from his forehead.

Even he had never expected the battle to reach this point, his plan was simple: cast [Exploding Fire Balls], allow them to get close to his opponent, then detonate one to trigger a chain reaction that would force Katie off the stage in a fiery blast.

But things hadn't gone as planned. Katie not only evaded every attack with surprising agility, she had also destroyed two of the fireballs while maintaining her distance, Asher was left straining to direct the remaining ones, as his mental energy was rapidly draining.

With the pressure mounting on him, and a pulsing headache beginning to take hold, it was almost like he got a warning, asking him to release the spell.

Yet Asher refused, as cancelling it now would cause mental backlash, and detonating them carelessly might backfire since he was within the range all remaining eight would cover, to make matters worse, he suddenly realized Katie wasn't just dodging anymore, she was advancing directly toward him now, and with the remaining eight fireballs trailing behind her like flaming hounds.

Now, even if he wanted to escape, it was already too late.

His overuse of mental energy had locked up his body making any physical movement twice as stressful, leaving him unable to move as the fireballs and Katie closed in.

He wasn't used to this level of coordination yet—his mental strength was still underdeveloped, and trying to multitask in the middle of a fight only left him vulnerable to Katie.

With no other choice, Asher quickly cancelled the spell, as the remaining eight blazing fireballs, which had been trailing Katie toward him, dispersed instantly.

But the moment he retracted the spell, a trace of blood rose to his lips as a backlash of withdrawing such energy.

He bit it back, forcing himself to stay composed but Katie was already closing in.

He crossed his arms in an X formation, taking a rushed defensive stance. It was sloppy and far from his usual form, but he still underestimated her and didn't feel too much pressure.

Until now, Katie had only shown speed, so he assumed she was a mobility-type fighter.

[> Special Ability – Super Strength <]

As soon as she reached striking range, the air around her shifted, thick and oppressive.

As ancient-looking runes surged up her arms as she activated her ability, choosing strength enhancement without warning, her right fist smashed directly into Asher's hastily raised guard.

And it shattered instantly.

Bang!

Time seemed to pause, mages from the Royal Mage Academy stared in disbelief as Asher's body crumpled from the impact, his face contorted in pain but before anyone could react, a crimson flame, unlike Asher's usual blue own, erupted from Katie's right elbow.

The explosion that followed rocked the entire battle ring, as the ground beneath her cracked, and a powerful sound wave rippled outward from the collision of raw energy, the next moment, gasps echoed from the Royal Mage team as they watched Asher's body soar through the air, completely overwhelmed.

At this moment, no one could tell if Asher was merely unconscious or seriously injured.

But one thing was clear, Katie wasn't finished.

She twisted her stance low and whispered, "Speed," before launching herself off the ground, soaring just above Asher's limp body as he began to fall.

In a flash, her right leg snapped out, kicking him back down with brutal force.

But before he could even hit the floor, she had already appeared at that spot his body was heading, and invoked strength this time again as the runes covered her arms.

She slammed him in another direction, again and again, every time she invoked speed, runes flaring along her legs as she darted across the ring like a blur, while striking him mid-air before he could even reach the destination with her strength runes.

For over thirty seconds, it was as though Katie was using Asher as a living ping pong ball, as her afterimages flickered around the arena as she battered him from one point to another.

Finally, when it seemed she had exhausted her barrage, she stood calmly at the center of the stage and delivered a single, devastating uppercut to his jaw, while Asher's body snapped back and collapsed in a heap.

He was out cold—completely motionless. It was over.

The mages from the Royal Mage Academy were stunned, their eyes darting between Katie and Asher in disbelief.

Some members of the reserve team even pinched themselves, trying to confirm if this was real, both fighters were supposed to be in the Low Tier 6 realm, yet Katie had made it look like a one-sided beating.

Asher might as well have been a rookie.

"The first win goes to the War God Mage Academy. Royal Mage Academy, you have approximately 60 seconds to choose your next fighter and evacuate your unconscious member from the stage," the judge's voice echoed across the silent arena.

The announcement snapped them from their stupor, the easy first win they had been counting on had just been torn away, right before their eyes.

Asher had been defeated by a mage they knew nothing about, not even her name.

He hadn't even allowed them to gain any real insight either from the battle , as it had ended in under four minutes.

All they could gather was that she possessed a special ability and likely had a low-level affinity for flames.