Sincere Apology

"Gosh! He is so domineering! But, I love it!"

Hearing Rena's comment about Donovan's taunt made Alice furrow her eyebrows. 

As the daughter of a viscount, she was well aware about the antics of Donovan in the academy. It was obvious to her that Ren must have been one of Donovan's victims, but after observing his composed demeanor in the arena, she began to doubt herself.

"The weakest in the cohort versus the son of a local viscount. It was clear what the final outcome would be, but why isn't he running away?" She muttered to herself. She had no desire to witness an unfair duel, nor did she wish to waste her time to see a weakling struggle. In a world where strength is of the utmost importance, being weak is the gravest crime to commit.

While she was lost in her thoughts, the sudden reverberating sound of a horn emerged, drawing everyone's attention as a teacher stepped onto the stone platform at the center of the arena.

The appearance of the teacher elicited gasps from the large crowd immediately. Clad in black stockings and a seductive dress that ended just slightly above the knee, her presence caused quite a stir among the students, especially the male students.

"The duel between Donovan Acker and Ren will commence shortly. This is a personal duel between academy students, and neither party will be held responsible in the event of fatality. The match will conclude when one participant either forfeits or loses their life. The headmaster and several teachers will oversee the duel to ensure fairness and prevent any cheating. Furthermore, a protective barrier will be established by the faculty, allowing unrestricted combat. Rest assured that the stone platform of the arena possesses magical self-repairing capabilities, so feel free to unleash your full power." After Abigail Nightwind completed her instructions for the duel, she glanced at both Donovan and Ren. After receiving their nods, she stepped down from the platform with a sour expression.

Originally, she had intended the duel to be a minor event. However, after Donovan's father caught wind of it, it escalated into a political spectacle in which she had to take part. It was a pity, but her guinea pig would most likely lose his life in this fight. 

"Ready! At the count of three, the fight will commence!"

"Three."

"Two."

"One!"

As the noise from the crowd reached its peak, both Ren and Donovan started to make their moves. Ren opted to close the distance between them while Donovan chose the complete opposite strategy. 

Moving swiftly with his enhanced physique, Ren closed the distance between them rapidly, catching Donovan completely off guard as Donovan underestimated him, and it proved to be a fatal mistake.

As he closed into striking range, Ren conjured a fireball in less than a fraction of a second and launched the scorching flame at Donovan's face. 

With precision born of experience, the fireball struck Donovan squarely, unleashing its full force on its target. 

Despite landing a successful hit, Ren remained vigilant and readied a second fireball. He lacked experience fighting Donovan, but he understood that it would require much more effort to defeat a noble with a B rank mana core.

"Hahahaha! I don't know how you manage to cast a fireball, but did you really think that you could defeat me with such a basic skill?" 

Donovan's voice echoed through the arena as the flames from Ren's attack dissipated, revealing him clad in pitch-black metallic armor. His entire body was encased in the armor, leaving no openings to exploit. Ren's attack did not even manage to scratch it.

Recognizing the metallic shine and the iconic black horn on Donovan's helmet, Ren felt a surge of pressure. Donovan's magical armor was a third-circle spell that encased its user with the tough hide of a black rhino, making it impervious to any of Ren's attacking spells.

A first-circle fireball was the only spell in his arsenal. Given more time, he could undoubtedly advance to a second-circle mage. But right now, a first-circle mage going up against a third-circle mage was essentially a suicide mission. There was no way he could win with such a big difference.

"How did you become a third-circle mage?" Ren asked coldly. Besides the handful of geniuses in the empire, he'd never heard of anyone reaching such an extraordinary level at fifteen years old. 

If Donovan were truly a genius, Ren would have known in his previous life. Yet, the three magic circles hovering behind Donovan confirmed that he had indeed achieved this level.

"Surprised? I suppose I can tell you since you are going to be dead soon. I took the Julius Denver pill. A flawlessly crafted pill that significantly enhances a mage's spell effectiveness. It took a great deal of effort to acquire one from the rising genius alchemist Julius himself. Using it not only allows me to cast third-circle spells temporarily but also leaves no side effects. Rejoiced, since you forced me to use the pill with your sneak attack!"

"What the fuck? Julius Denver?"

Upon hearing Donovan's explanation, several veins bulged visibly on Ren's forehead as he cursed. Not only did he discover that Julius had sold his opponent the same pills that he painstakingly crafted against him, he was also irritated by the awful naming of the pills as well.

The atmosphere in the arena subtly shifted as Ren's mood soured.

"Apologies," Ren apologized, causing Donovan to be puzzled by Ren's erratic behavior.

"It's too late to apologize now!" Donovan chuckled, convinced that Ren must have lost his mind after his only chance of winning had been thwarted. However, Ren's next words sent a chill down his spine.

"Yeah, you are right. But still, I apologize for underestimating you. I was a fool for thinking that I could demolish you easily."