Black Hearted Mage

Chapter 295 Challenge

On the third day of a continuous rainy day, fine drizzles still blanketed the bustling Red Stone City. The gray sky made the morning seem particularly gloomy. Shallow puddles formed on the stone paths of the courtyard, reflecting the leaden sky.

Caesars was awakened by a rapid knock on the door. He rubbed his sleepy eyes and casually grabbed the dark blue robe hanging by the bed and put it on. When he opened the door, the cool air with rain and mist hit him in the face, making him shiver.

The brass ring on the courtyard gate still trembled gently. Caesars reached out and pulled open the rain-soaked wooden door. Outside stood the always polite receptionist from the Consulate. She was wearing a dark green dress and holding a large black umbrella emblazoned with the Consulate's crest. Not far behind her, a carriage adorned with a golden emblem pulled to the side of the road, its brass bells gleaming faintly in the drizzle.

"Master Magician!"

The receptionist leaned forward slightly, raindrops dripping down the edge of her umbrella onto her shoulders. "Since you accidentally killed a competitor, the judges have unanimously decided that you will be the first to take the stage and accept the challenge from the other magicians." Her voice was calm, but her fingers gripping the umbrella handle unconsciously tightened. "The challenge will begin in an hour. Please prepare as soon as possible."

"I'm the first to go?" Caesars raised an eyebrow, raindrops trickling down his hair. Although slightly surprised by the arrangement, a faint smile played at the thought of the upcoming battle. Being challenged? That suited him perfectly.

"Yes, Master Mage." The female receptionist glanced at the magic timer. "Please hurry up and wash up. I will take you to the Grand Arena!"

"Come in and wait, I'll be there soon." Caesars stepped aside to make way.

"No need, I'll wait here." The receptionist politely but firmly refused.

Caesars nodded, turned, and hurried back into the house through the rain. He first gently nudged the still-sleeping Emily awake, then unceremoniously kicked the snoring puppy curled up in the corner. Finally, he pulled a small, arm-thick black demon snake from under the bed. It was spitting its tongue in displeasure, and he stuffed it into a leather backpack he had prepared.

After a quick wash, Caesars donned his shimmering spidersilk robe, its delicate threads faintly visible in the morning light. He adjusted the dark pattern on his cuffs, turned, and gestured to Emily, "Follow me." The girl immediately trotted along, following him obediently. As Caesars stepped into the carriage inlaid with dark gold heraldry, the receptionist, dressed in a formal long dress, also climbed in, lifting her skirt. The carriage suddenly filled with the faint scent of violet perfume.

"Regarding the specific rules of the challenge..." The female receptionist had just opened the parchment scroll in her hand when Caesars raised his hand to interrupt her.

"I know all the rules." Caesars tapped his knees lightly with his slender fingers. "I do have one thing I want to ask. Is there any gambling in this challenge?" There was a hint of indifference in his voice, but a gleam of light flashed in his black eyes.

On the Roland Continent, every public duel or tournament is accompanied by gambling. From the most luxurious arena in Fire Maple City to the humble arena in a small border town, the dealers never miss a chance to open the market. This is a great opportunity to earn gold coins, and Caesars certainly doesn't want to miss it. Emily pricked up her ears, her slender fingers unconsciously twisting the corner of her clothes as she listened quietly.

"There is indeed a gambling game, and the bets are placed directly in the Colosseum." The receptionist put the scroll into her sleeve. She hesitated for a moment and added, "As for the specific stakes and the odds ratio, I'm not quite sure!" She thought for a while and carefully added a few betting methods she had heard of.

Caesars chuckled at this, the dark patterns on his robes rippled with his movements. "A bet is all it takes," he suddenly leaned forward and said with a hint of joking, "If you want gold, bet it on me!" The gray light filtered through the car window, casting a dark shadow on his face. His smile was filled with confidence.

A few minutes later, the carriage slowly stopped in front of a massive stone building. The original challenge was indeed scheduled for an open-air arena, but three days of incessant drizzle had left puddles of varying sizes on the bluestone pavement. Organizers had no choice but to move the competition to an indoor arena.

Despite the inclement weather, the arena was still packed. The cries of vendors, the chatter of the audience, and the shouts of the guards blended into one. Caesars' carriage moved along a designated passage. The glittering magical emblems on its hull caused the guards to retreat, allowing it to enter the arena unimpeded.

After passing through a dark corridor, Caesars was led into the lounge at the edge of the arena. A maid immediately brought him tea and snacks. The receptionist from the Executive Office also bowed to Caesars and left.

"Excuse me, where is the betting point for this gambling game?" Caesars asked the maid in a black maid outfit.

"Master Magician, would you like to place a bet?" the maid asked.

"Yes!"

"Please wait a moment. I'll have the betting staff come right over!"

The young maid replied while pressing a button behind her. After waiting for about two minutes, a middle-aged man wearing aristocratic robes and slightly overweight arrived.

"Master Magician, do you want to place a bet?"

"Yes, I'm betting on myself. What's the maximum amount of gold coins I can bet?"

"The amount this time can't be too large. Each person can only bet one thousand gold coins. If you don't change the bet, the gold coins can be transferred to the next game!"

After hearing the middle-aged man's explanation, Caesars still didn't understand.

"I don't need to place a bet myself again. If I win, my principal plus the gold coins I won will be automatically invested in the next challenge?"

"That's it! In Red Stone City, it's called a one-size-fits-all bet!"

Caesar nodded and immediately took out two thousand gold coins, which served as his and Emily's bet. The more wins you get in the Caesar Challenge, the lower the odds will be. After all, as long as you win, you'll get gold coins; it's just a matter of how much you get.

Emily's slender fingers gently rested on the custom-made glass window, and the cool touch made her frown slightly. The lounge's one-way, magical glass perfectly blocked out the outside noise, but she could clearly see the throng of spectators surging like a tide at the arena's entrance. Those moving figures resembled the insect swarms she had seen in magic encyclopedias.

"Brother, which staff are you using today?"

Emily suddenly turned around, and her light pink dress drew a half circle in the air.

"Forget the staff. I'll just wear a magic badge and a magic blade. I won't use high-damage spells this time. As long as I cast small spells fast enough, I can still make the big magician jump up and down!"

Caesar's fingertips brushed across the silver magic badge on his chest, and the delicate and intricate magic patterns shimmered like ripples as he touched them.

"Then my brother wants..."

Emily blinked her amber eyes, she seemed to have guessed Caesar's intention.

"Cast quickly with both hands!"

Caesars walked to the window, his nose almost touching the glass. He saw the people from the Church of Saint Laurent and asked, "Could it be that in the Redstone Kingdom, priests and combat priests are also classified as magicians?"

"Brother, will you cast a spell on them?"

Emily knew about the Church of Saint Laurent and knew that the people in the church were bad.

"Of course, the rules of the challenge can save their lives... but they can't save their dignity!"

The magic clock in the lounge chimed, and the referee's voice echoed. "Time's up, it's time for Caesars to take the court." He waved to Emily and walked toward the lounge door.

The vast amphitheater was filled with roaring noises. Tens of thousands of spectators filled the tiered stands, waving colorful flags and roaring deafeningly. Caesars stood at the entrance, his pungent sweat and the relentless shouting causing him to frown. This wasn't a solemn magic duel; it felt like a noisy cattle market.

At that moment, a team of judges, clad in ornate magical robes, slowly approached. Leading the group, Grand Alchemist Kandel, a gleaming emblem adorned his chest. He stroked his long, silvery beard as he quickly recounted the rules of the competition, which he had already memorized. Caesars noticed that the referees' eyes drifted toward the center of the field, clearly eager for the match to begin.

"Master Kandel, respected judges," Caesars suddenly raised his hand to interrupt. "Please allow me to raise a question. The combat priests of the Church of Saint Laurent—do they truly meet the definition of a magician?"

Kandel exchanged helpless glances with his colleagues, then shrugged and said, "Kaisas, in the southern border countries of Roland Continent, anyone who can control magic power is classified as a magician. This has been the unchanging rule for 1,300 years!"

"But those priests wear heavy magic steel armor with magic patterns, and wield magic steel shields and war hammers!" Caesar's voice rose with excitement. "Apart from a few simple blessings, they basically fight with brute force! Is such a rule fair to real spellcasters?"

An old wizard with white hair and beard in the referee's booth spoke tremblingly, "Kid, what you said makes sense... but the competition is about to begin..." His cloudy eyes looked at the other contestants preparing in the center of the field, "Rule changes... can only wait until the next conference..."

Caesars took a deep breath, suppressing his resentment. At the referee's urging, he adjusted his robes and walked towards the central platform. This was the competition venue reserved for great magicians. Around him, three equally sized magical barriers surrounded him, where magic duels of varying levels were already underway. Multicolored magical light shimmered in the sunlight, illuminating the entire arena with a dreamlike quality.

Kaisas looked towards his lounge. Although he couldn't see what was inside, Emily, the greedy fat dog, and the little golden-eyed black snake must be in front of the window.

Caesars' gaze passed over the bustling arena, toward his lounge. Although the one-way crystal window obstructed his view, he could imagine Emily nervously crouching before it. The fat, always hungry dog ​​must have been wagging its tail excitedly, while the little golden-eyed black demon snake was probably perched on the windowsill, watching the movements inside with its cold, vertical pupils.

As Caesars steadily stepped into the center of the arena, his opponent slowly approached from the other end. With a humming sound, a nearly transparent magical protective barrier rose around the arena, enveloping the entire arena. A referee in a gray robe approached the arena and announced briefly in a hoarse voice: "Challenger Caesars, 34 years old, majoring in the Dark Element; Challenger Morris, 375 years old, specializing in the Fire Element."

As soon as the voice fell, the referee quickly retreated to the outside of the field and shouted loudly: "The game begins!"

Caesars didn't immediately launch an attack, nor did he even cast any protective spells. He narrowed his eyes slightly, carefully examining the old wizard across from him. Morris's back was already hunched, and the hand holding his staff was covered in age spots, which made Caesars frown. He was truly worried that this old man, who looked like he could fall apart at any moment, might not be able to withstand his low-level spells.

"A great magician who is almost four hundred years old?"

"Could this old man have come to the wrong place?"

"How could someone from the Videl family..."

The audience was already in an uproar, whispers rising and falling. From Caesar's perspective, the old mage's life force was like a candle in the wind, and it was already a rare achievement for him to maintain the strength of a low-level great mage. His body was as fragile as an eggshell, and it was difficult for him to withstand the huge impact of the shadow bolt.

In the moment Caesar hesitated, Morris suddenly launched his attack. His withered arm erupted with astonishing strength, and a massive fireball, over half a meter in diameter, instantly condensed from the tip of his staff. The blazing flames distorted the surrounding air and whistled towards Caesar.

"Magic Armor!" "Magic Shield!"

Caesars instinctively double-protected himself, but he chose not to take the hit head-on. Instead, he dodged, leaving behind an afterimage, his true form appearing three meters to Morris's left. A sudden exclamation erupted from the outside—the fireball barely brushed past Caesars's afterimage before exploding at the edge of the arena, its flying sparks illuminating the barrier a brilliant crimson.

Morris didn't give Caesars a chance to breathe. He retreated, holding his staff high and chanting a lengthy spell. A trace of pity flashed in Caesars' eyes, and he raised his right hand slightly, a gray magical light flowing in his palm.

The curse fell upon Morris, and the chanting abruptly ceased. Simultaneously, a mage's hand, covered in strange black lines, appeared out of thin air, easily piercing Morris's hastily erected magic shield and grabbing the old mage like a chick.

As the audience watched in stunned silence, the wizard's hand pierced the protective magical barrier. With a flick of his hand, Morris's small body arced and landed steadily on the cushions outside the arena. The entire arena fell into a brief silence, then erupted in a deafening roar.

"Is this...is this the end?"

"It's not even thirty seconds!"

"That was a great magician, and he was thrown out so easily!"

In the referee's booth, eight or nine senior referees exchanged bewildered glances. One of them was the patriarch of the Videl family—an old man renowned for his wisdom. His mouth hung open, his snow-white beard trembling with his rapid breathing. He clearly couldn't comprehend what had just happened.

"Is there something wrong with the defensive barrier?" a wrinkled referee muttered to himself.

"Impossible!" his colleague immediately retorted, "I did a thorough inspection before the game, and all the barrier stones are new!"

Caesars stood in the center of the arena, gently brushing off the nonexistent dust from his robes. He looked toward the referee's seat and calmly asked, "Can I announce the result?"