After a night of sailing, the magic ship sailed into the deep sea.

The water turned a rich black, dull even in the sun. The sea on the horizon is distinct from the sky. The sky was still cloudless, blue and deep, but the sea was like a pool of stagnant water that had long since frozen, full of terrifying silence.

The deep sea water of this world is not only extremely salinity, but also has complex and extraordinary properties, which are manifested in astonishing corrosiveness.

Imagine that 80% of the starry sky pollution that falls from the stellar filter ends up in the ocean. These starry sky pollution are like medicinal herbs soaked in wine jars, slowly releasing their own pollution and extraordinary properties. As long as it lasts long enough, the starry sky pollution will one day "dissolve" in the seawater and merge itself with the ocean.

If you take a handful of seawater out of the deep sea, you can detect several toxins, uncontrollable mutation factors, and strange magical effects. This is enough to prove how strong and survivable the sea people who live at the bottom of the sea are.

Fortunately, there is Captain Berkeley, the nine-ring metal battle wizard. He and his magic ship kept the discomfort of the deep sea at bay. Passengers were able to enjoy the journey to the deep sea in a relaxed and relaxed atmosphere.

"Ladies and gentlemen, we are now in the deep sea 315 kilometers east of Dianjin Island. This deep-sea area is known as the "Sea of Black Folds", and its interior is divided into 80 sub-seas. Each sub-sea has its own fog threshold.

"The speed of the magic ship is now 14 kilometers per hour. In the next 21 days, we will cross the Sea of Black Folds and enter the Sea of Swords, an open sea area west of Bald's Gate. If the weather is clear and the view is excellent, passengers will see the Gate of Balde rising from the sea to the east at noon on the 21st day. It is a remnant of civilization left over from the previous era, and it resembles a magnificent sword inserted into the earth. Have a nice trip. ”

The magic strip over the streets of the ship's town is looping Captain Berkeley's words.

Leno glanced up at the dynamic text on the strip, then took Dinas in his arms and stepped into the arena door opened by the magical servants.

The arena is located on the southwest side of the boat town, near the stern of the ship.

Its appearance resembles a short and fat cylinder, and from the outside it looks no more than 20 meters wide and more than 30 meters high.

After stepping into it, you can find that there is something else.

A magical space covering an area of more than 1,000 square meters was fixed on a magic ship and became the venue for the competition.

A circle of auditoriums enclosed the octagonal cage in the center of the field.

The seats in the auditorium are unpretentious, just a single wooden chair that is more comfortable to sit on.

That octagonal cage is a bit of a story. It is a magical creation, made of strong magical metal with a base and fence, and an enchanted fence that absorbs magical energy.

With the protection of the enchanted fence, spectators will be able to watch the radiant game safely.

Leno and Dinas sat down in the contestant-only auditorium.

His gaze was focused on the enchanted fence net, and a deconstruction technique was thrown out.

[System News:]

[You're about to use Deconstruction on Enchanted Fence (Level 60).] ”】

[It is estimated that 60,000 energy points will be consumed, which can make the completion of deconstruction reach 100%]

Li Nuo nodded secretly.

I should be able to get this 60,000 energy reward. As a contestant, it makes sense for him to smash his spell on the enchanted fence because his opponent is dodging his own attack.

His gaze shifted, and Li Nuo looked at the contestants who were seated in the audience one after another.

The Bahrain Athletic is only open to Extraordinaries of Tier 5 and below. The number of matches and opponents of the contestants is completely determined by the competition system. A wizard like Li Nuo, who only has the strength of one ring on the surface, is likely to meet the second, third, or even fifth-ring wizards who come to join in the fun.

Wouldn't the five-ring wizard participate in the competition to win a reward?

No, this will not be the case.

Before entering the magic octagon, the contestants wear something called a "confinement collar" on their wrists to suppress their strength to the level of a ring.

- Yes, yes. The collar is worn on the hand, not around the neck. Putting this kind of torture instrument with a buckle and magic gems on the neck of the contestant is somewhat insulting. Therefore, contestants usually wear it as a watch and wear it on their wrists. Except for a few players with special hobbies.

According to the History of the Unas Ring, the "Imprisoned Collar" is a magical product of the previous era. At that time, most of the human wizards were slaves of the dragons. Today, the dragon clan is basically gone, and only occasionally appears in the Flying Continent. Human wizards are flourishing, spreading the flame of civilization to the world, and using the shackles imposed on their ancestors in the past as magic props for competition.

Anyone who knows the origin of the "Imprisoned Collar" will sigh at the strength of human wizard civilization and the vicissitudes of life in the world.

Li Nuo is no exception.

But his focus is on the ontology of the "confinement collar" rather than its historical connotation.

He'd heard of it before, and now he finally saw it.

The staff of the Bahrain Arena, who maintained order at the scene, distributed the "confinement collars" to each participant.

The collar is numbered, in the form of label paper, which is attached to the belt.

Li Nuo's player number is No. 116.

He gripped the collar, his fingers rubbing lightly against the magic gem of the belt, and a tingling sensation came from his fingertips like an electric shock.

Lines of systematic words quickly appeared in Li Nuo's mind.

[System News:]

[You have come into contact with the "Soul Stasis Gem.] 】

【Carry this gem with you and come into contact with your skin, you will get the following effects:】

【1.「 Consciousness Blockade", your consciousness will no longer be able to leave your body and enter any magical space, such as the Court of Silence. 】

【2.「 psionic suppression", the ancient dragons referred to magic and various extraordinary abilities as "psionic energy". They discover that the soul is the key to the extraordinary being in mobilizing extraordinary abilities. The "Psionic Suppression" effect of this gemstone will effectively suppress the restlessness of the soul level, thereby reducing the extraordinary strength of the wearer. 】

[Note:]

["Psionic Suppression" is only for extraordinary abilities driven by souls.] "Life force" and "physical power", which are the two of the three primary forces, will not be affected by "psionic suppression". 】

[Any spell or skill that can be cast with "Soul Strength" is driven by the soul.] 】

[Please check the skill list and wear this gem with caution.] 】

Leno noticed the last line of systematic text.

He pulled up his list of skills and examined them carefully.

Death spells, 18, all of which can be cast with Soul Power.

Psychic spells, 12, all of which can be cast with soul strength.

A general-purpose spell, the "Magic Shield", can be cast with soul strength.

Overall, only the Dusk Breathing Method and the "Power Burst" obtained from "Soul Casting Technique" do not need to consume soul strength. Both of these skills only use energy.

This should be the difference between "soul driven" and "physical power driven". Soul-driven skills are inseparable from soul energy and can also be replaced by other energies. Skills driven by physical power, on the other hand, do not require soul energy at all.

As for lifeforce-driven skills...

Leno rummaged through his knowledge and found the nocturnal spell that had been deconstructed from Fquoia's relic. In this branch of spells, life force is involved. Unfortunately, all nocturnal spells use soul energy, or blood mana as a substitute for soul energy. They are still in the category of soul-driven skills.

So, so far, Li Nuo has not yet acquired a skill that is purely driven by life force.

After wearing the "Imprisonment Collar", "Power Burst" will become his hole card.

Wouldn't I be able to use the "burst of power" to steal chickens?

Li Nuo blinked his eyes as he faced the collar in his hand.

He looked up and glanced back and forth at the contestants. Basically wizards, a few are strong men in armor.

The brawny men in armor grinned happily when they put on their collars, apparently discovering that the rumored "confinement collars" had no effect on their muscles. They looked at the wizard with a playful tone, as if they were looking at a flock of lambs to the slaughter.

After the wizard contestants put on the collar, discomfort appeared on their faces, but they basically maintained their composure and calmness, and did not see a panicked look. This shows that even if some of the strength of the wizards is suppressed, they still have enough confidence and strong men in armor who have mastered brute strength.

Combined with the magic knowledge he had recently learned, Li Nuo saw some doorways.

The dominant power system in this world is wizards. Even a battle wizard with only one ring of strength can fight back and forth with a third-order, fourth-order, or even fifth-order person with extraordinary brute strength. This is akin to consensus.

Such an unbalanced system of the Extraordinary is all caused by the wizard's excessive magical power.

But it's right to think about it.

It's not a game company in this world, and you don't have to pursue a balance between professions. The fact that wizards can be so strong is the result of natural development.

Li Nuo put a collar on himself as usual, so that the gem was placed close to his left wrist.

The system sent a reminder that all of his spell skills were forced to drop to level 10. While the power of the spell decreases, the upgrade rewards for the entire ten levels remain unchanged. The "Death Finger" is still the "Death Finger" and has not degenerated into the "Death Finger".

In addition, his "spirit" attribute value temporarily dropped to 30 points, which is the level of a wizard who has just stepped into the first ring.

Li Nuo threw out the deconstruction technique and looked at it.

The "Soul Stasis Gem" on his wrist is level 50, produced by the Wizard Law Enforcement Department in the Unas Ring, which was originally a torture device for escorting criminals, and somehow fell into the hands of the Bahrain Athletic.

The Level 50 "Soul Stasis Gem" can suppress the strength of extraordinary people whose level does not exceed level 50.

Li Nuo needs to consume 15,000 energy points to untie it.

Li Nuo considered the possibility of breaking the gem in battle, and did not rush to break the gem.

Just as he was thinking to himself, Dinas tugged at the corner of his coat and whispered:

"You see, I've noticed that there are quite a few gray wizards participating. You be careful. Many Grey wizards don't follow the usual path and may master strange spells. ”

"Well, good. Rest assured, Dinas. Li Nuo came back to his senses, held the other party's hand and rubbed it gently to show comfort.

After a short wait, all the contestants had arrived and the seats were full.

The gray-robed staff began the lottery. The way the wizarding world draws lots is not complicated. The staff walked in front of the contestants holding the metal boxes where the number plates were placed.

Since the participant's number is not disclosed, the metal box is airtight and shields from detection spells. All contestants are blind to their opponents without knowing the numbers of the other contestants.

After the draw is completed, the magic bulletin board is refreshed with dynamic magic words, showing the number of each contestant.

The rules of the competition are simple, using a classic round-robin system. Both sides enter the Octagon cage and the winner is decided within 30 minutes, whichever side surrenders. The winner gains points, and the loser loses points. After all the contestants face off once, the top 16 players in the points ranking will advance.

In the vast deep sea, idleness is idleness. Passengers also enjoyed having games to watch, so they had no complaints about the time-consuming format of the round-robin system.

The same goes for the contestants. As far as Li Nuo is concerned, the competition ranking is second, and the energy value obtained through passive deconstruction is the first. The circularity system caters to his needs.

The game begins.

The first is a duel between two wizards, one skilled in lightning magic and the other in rock and earth magic. The Thunderbolt Wizard unleashes a large number of lightning balls scurrying around in the Octagonal Cage, and the Rock Wizard protects himself with "Rock and Earth Armor" and counters with "Earth Spikes".

Lightning flickered, rock and earth swelled, and the ground thorns followed the thunderbolt wizard's footsteps and pierced continuously.

This scene made the ordinary passengers in the audience enthusiastic, and many families who dragged their families to travel to the ocean heard the screams of children.

The onlookers commented on the battle scene inside the Octagon Cage. The contestants of the non-wizard system had solemn faces, and the thunder and lightning spells and rock and soil spells at the first ring level still caused them a lot of pressure.

Li Nuo didn't care about the course of the battle.

He took out his unfinished magic books and used them to pass the time.

Dinas was much more serious than Linot. She took out a small notebook seriously and helped Li Nuo record the strengths and advantages of each contestant.

About two hours later, Leno was woken up by Dinas while reading.

"It's your turn, Lee."

"Oh, okay." Leno smiled at a concerned Dinas and flew into the Octagon with a "Death Flight".

Li Nuo's opponent is a witch who wears an aqua blue magic robe.

The name is unknown, as is the height, origin, and three-dimensional details.

Li Nuo only cares about how much energy the other party can bring to him.

A shot of deconstruction is thrown casually.

[System News:]

[Deconstruction will soon be used on the "Unknown Four-Ring Battle Wizard.] 】

[It is estimated that 70,000 energy points will be consumed, which can make the completion of deconstruction reach 100%]

Well, yes, 70,000 energy. I didn't expect to meet a big fat fish as soon as I came up.

Li Nuo landed on the playing field, changed back into his human form, activated the "breath of the dead", and entered the skeleton form.

A white skeleton appears on the playing field, inevitably causing a riot in the spectator stand.

The layman looks at the bustle, and the insider looks at the doorway.

Ordinary people who have not mastered the power of magic are puzzled as to how a handsome living person could be transformed into a skeleton.

The wizard who wielded the power of magic accurately recorded Lino's spell-casting habits, spells, and energy characteristics.

The witch in front of Li Nuo seemed to be a little disgusted with the Death Wizard.

At the moment when Li Nuo showed the death spell, she twisted her two eyebrows together, tilted her chin slightly, and asked:

"You're a member of the Death Society?"

The witch's magical robes bear the insignia of the Hotamus Deep Sea Academy, an arm that sticks out from beneath the rippling waters, palms facing up, holding a pearl.

As an academic wizard, her knowledge is broader than that of ordinary wizards, and she can easily "recognize" Li Nuo's identity from the basic style of the magic robe.

Li Nuo knew that his clothes, which had been transformed from the robes of the Death Society, could not avoid the knowledgeable wizards, so he didn't care.

He didn't respond, just stared straight at each other with empty eyes.

Trash-talking to each other is not a necessary pre-fight part of a competitive game.

Seeing that Li Nuo had no intention of dealing with his opponent, the gray-robed workers in the audience directly closed the octagon cage and announced the start of the game.

The witch drew her wand made of coral, and spewed a thick white mist from the tip of the wand, covering her half with mist.

Li Nuo quietly turned on the "Life and Death Tracking" and accurately identified the exact location of the other party from the dense fog.

Li Nuo intends to hone his "mastery of magic manipulation".

He held the Death Wand in his hand, carefully directing the energy of death through his body and into the wand.

Black rays shot out from the tip of the rod and landed in the white mist.

"Buzz."

The sound of the rays is very faint, like electrophoresis. The appearance of the rays is no longer hideous black lightning, but has become as thin as black hair.

If you take a magnifying glass and look closely, you will find that this energy ray, which is as thin as a hair, is actually made of two finer rays.

Under Li Nuo's careful control, the "Death Finger" appeared on the competition field in the form of a spell called "Death Finger".

[[Magic Manipulation Mastery] Skill XP +2, now 132/1000]

The system updates the skill data synchronously.

Sure enough, it's much better to train passive skills with the "Two Fingers of Death" than with the "Magic Shield".

Li Nuo's wrist continued to jog, shooting out dozens of black rays in a row.

There was an eerie scene in the audience.

The ordinary people who didn't know why were a little restless, and they whispered, not knowing what Li Nuo was doing. The skull wizard's spells were so rudimentary that they weren't as good as the magically radiant matches that had come before.

The wizards are already in a state of brain failure.

High-level spells such as "Death Finger" are basically known to every wizard. The ability to instantly unleash death rays without casting a chant is the most obvious feature of this spell.

All of the Extraordinary had recognized the spell that Li Nuo was now casting, and it was the Finger of Death that required the Professor's permission to use.

The power of the "Death Finger" he has unleashed so far is weak, probably only level 1, but anyone with a discerning eye knows that he is making it difficult for his opponent to retreat.

A person wearing a one-ring wizard robe casually spilled a level 10 "Death Finger", does this game still need to be beaten?

"Hey! Umpire! What's going on! Is this man really a Ring Wizard? How can he use the Finger of Death without limits!? ”

The contestants in the audience shouted loudly and questioned the organizers of the competition.

"Yes! Did you bring in a six-ring wizard who can freely cast high-level spells?! ”

"You want to steal the prize money and manipulate it behind the scenes, it's not like that, is it? Is it true that when we are blind, we can't see that this is the "finger of death"? ”

The staff of the Bahrain Athletic tournament looked at each other and looked at the referee's bench in unison.

There were six people in the referee's box.

Maefla was invited by the organizers to take on the role of referee and sat on the far left side of the referee's bench.

Among the other five, four of them are the sixth-ring wizards of Unas Ring, like Mevele, and have a relatively prominent identity and past.

Wizards of the Six Rings have greater autonomy in the use of high-level spells, and they can use high-level spells a limited number of times per day.

Facing Li Nuo, who fired the "Finger of Death" like a water gun, the five six-ring wizards in the referee's seat focused on the director of the Bahrain Athletic Tournament in the center of the referee's seat.

The director was overweight, and when he sat in his chair, he looked like a bloated stone mound, his magic robe bulging from the fat underneath his clothes.

His eye sockets were deeply sunken, and his mung bean-like eyes were embedded in his sockets. His dark green hair was fixed by him with hairspray and combed into a somewhat greasy back.

"The No. 116 contestant who cast the Finger of Death was on board with Ms. Mavere." The athletic director's face was calm, without the slightest mood swing. He looked at the edge of the referee's table and turned the conversation to Maeve:

"The strength level registered on the ticket of the contestant No. 116 is a one-ring battle wizard. As for why he was able to cast Deathfinger so easily, I think Ms. Mayfleur should be able to give us a reasonable explanation. ”

"Yes, I know why. It has to do with his extraordinary properties..."

Maeve looked at Filia and Betty, who were sitting in the audience next to her, who were looking at her with curiosity.

With a polite smile, Meeva explained the reason to Filia and the referee.

In the soul contract she signed with Li Nuo, she only mentioned that she would protect Li Nuo's secret before leaving Dianjin Island, and did not say that she would help Li Nuo keep it secret after leaving Dianjin Island.

Therefore, Maevle now uses extraordinary properties as an excuse to explain why Leno was free to cast the "Death Finger" spell, and did not violate the soul contract.

After listening to Maeve's explanation, the athletic director pondered for a few seconds. There was not the slightest change in expression on his face, as if it was hidden in the water at the bottom of a well.

"There is no problem with this contestant, and he can continue to compete."

The athletic director beckoned, beckoned his gray-robed staff, and said to the other party:

"When this game is over, you announce that contestant 116 has the extraordinary trait of 'mastery of magic', emphasizing that he has a companion witch as his companion. Anyone who beats him will receive an additional bonus of 2000 gold. If the No. 116 contestant finishes in the top 10, the prize will be distributed to the 11th place. The prize for the 11th place is the same as for the 10th place. Also, during the lunch break, bring a message to player 116, I want to see him. ”

"Yes, Director." The gray-robed staff ran away.

Athletic directors have apparently been involved in organising events for years, and soon seized the opportunity to create a reward scheme that would take the atmosphere to the next level.

The referees on the bench had no objection to this.

The referee's bench fell silent.

The athletic director looked towards the corner of the playing field, cast a few vague glances, and nodded imperceptibly.

All eyes were on the octagon, and no one noticed the athletic director's move.

(End of chapter)