The three days leading up to the Demonstration of the Arcane were a blur of intense, focused preparation. David's workshop was no longer a solitary sanctuary; it had become a strategic war room. Elisa was a whirlwind of energy and ideas, using her influence and knowledge to gather the resources they needed. She returned with a small, specialized bag containing rare earth-attributed crystals, purified ironwood essence, and intricate runic schematics—materials that were incredibly difficult to acquire even for a noble of her standing.
"My mentor, Master Vex, was hesitant," Elisa admitted one morning as she laid out the materials on the floor. "But he owed me a favor for a... rather embarrassing incident with a summoning circle. He also, surprisingly, seemed intrigued by your 'chaotic genius.' He warned me that this is an incredibly risky strategy."
David, who was still recovering but able to move, simply nodded. "All I need is for my body to hold together for a few hours. That's all. I'll handle the rest."
Their collaboration was a strange, silent dance. Elisa would explain the political subtext of Valerius's challenge—how he would use the crowd's expectations to set a trap. David, in turn, would listen and then immediately begin working, his hands moving with the precision of a master craftsman. The casual banter that had defined their last few meetings was gone, replaced by a shared focus and a silent respect that grew with every passing moment.
"Valerius will begin with a show of force," Elisa explained, pointing to a diagram she had drawn. "He's famous for his control over the arcane, his intricate spellweaving. He'll create a complex magical structure—a labyrinth of illusions, or maybe a conjured construct. Something to show off his prowess and make you look like a brute."
David didn't respond. Instead, he took the ironwood essence and began to purify it with his Pill Master's mana, the substance turning from a murky brown to a translucent green. He was preparing the foundation. He would not just counter Valerius; he would build a monument to his own path.
The plan was audacious. They would not engage Valerius in a contest of spell-casting. David would use his Fortress Master and Knight abilities to build a defense that was both physically and magically impenetrable. He would build a fortress on the coliseum floor, a symbol of his path's resilience, and he would do it in front of the entire kingdom.
The day of the demonstration arrived. The Royal Coliseum of Aethelburg was a magnificent structure, filled to capacity. The stands were packed with nobles, commoners, and guild masters from across the kingdom. At the center of the arena, two platforms had been erected. On one, stood Prince Valerius of Auroria. He was dressed in pristine white robes, his silver hair and emerald eyes giving him an almost divine appearance. He exuded an aura of calm confidence, a true master of his craft.
On the other side, stood David. His simple dark tunic and trousers stood out against the gilded grandeur of the coliseum. He looked thin and tired, a stark contrast to Valerius's polished perfection. The whispers began immediately.
"That's him? The genius? He looks like a farmer."
"He's been out of sight for days. He probably got scared."
"I heard he almost died in a cultivation accident. This is just a public execution."
Valerius, hearing the whispers, offered a condescending smile. He wasn't arrogant like Kael; he was a master of public perception. He knew that the more pathetic David looked, the more glorious his own victory would be.
As the crowd settled, a royal herald stepped forward. "Today, we witness a Demonstration of the Arcane between two of our kingdom's most promising talents! On my left, Prince Valerius of Auroria, a Transformation Five Mage
The crowd's murmurs grew louder at the mention of the Multitalent Path, a legend thought to be extinct.
Valerius bowed gracefully to the crowd, then raised his hands, and a massive, complex runic circle formed in the air above him. The mana in the coliseum swirled, responding to his command. "I shall begin," he announced, his voice carrying to every corner of the arena. "My demonstration will be a spectacle of magical might! I will conjure the Silver Spire of Auroria! A testament to the power of pure spell-weaving!"
Elisa, watching from a royal box with her brother, Prince Arion, leaned forward, her eyes fixed on David. "He's trying to make you look like a brute," she whispered to herself. "He's counting on you to attack him directly."
But David did not attack. He simply raised his hands, and a faint, earthy hum resonated from the ground beneath him. He was a Knight, a Mage, a Pill Master, and a Fortress Master. He would use all of it. He began by channeling his Fortress Master's mana into the ground, solidifying the earth beneath him. Then, he channeled his Pill Master's energy, using the purified ironwood essence to weave a molecular structure into the very soil, making it tougher than steel.
Valerius's Silver Spire was a thing of ethereal beauty, a tower of shimmering energy that reached for the sky, its walls adorned with ever-shifting illusions of silver dragons. It was a masterpiece of magical art.
David's creation was the opposite. It was a monument of raw, unyielding reality. With a guttural roar, he channeled the physical strength of a Knight into his hands, pounding the earth. Cracks appeared on the coliseum floor, and great blocks of stone began to rise. He used the mana of a Fortress Master to guide the stones into position, his muscles bulging as he single-handedly manipulated gigantic blocks. The rumbling of the earth was deafening, a stark contrast to the quiet beauty of Valerius's Spire.
The crowd watched in stunned silence. They had expected a battle of spells, not this brute-force feat of construction. David was building a fortress, stone by stone, a defensive bulwark against magic. He was doing it with a speed and a precision that was completely unheard of.
Valerius, his confident smile wavering, finished his creation. "My spire is a testament to the might of the arcane! What is your creation, Master David? A pile of rocks?" he sneered.
David, still pouring mana into the ground, simply looked up, his face grim. "A pile of rocks? No," he said, his voice a low, gravelly rumble that was barely audible over the rumbling of the earth. "This... is a shield. And a promise."
As the final block of stone settled into place, a massive, rune-etched fortress stood on his side of the arena. It was ugly, functional, and completely, terrifyingly real. A massive, impenetrable wall against Valerius's magic. The crowd, who had come for a spectacle of magic, was now witnessing something entirely new. The Fortress of a Genius. And Valerius, for the first time, felt a pang of genuine fear.