He narrowly avoided the most destructive core of the shockwave, only grazing the edge of the blast.
-577!
A significant damage number floated above his head.
At the same time, a stack of Blazing Inferno Mark was applied to him, causing his HP to tick down continuously.
But Ethan didn't care in the slightest.
He raised his staff.
A surge of bright holy light descended upon him, restoring his HP to full instantly.
The continuous damage from the Blazing Inferno Mark suddenly seemed utterly laughable.
The stands erupted into shocked gasps.
"Holy shit! He dodged it?!"
"What kind of movement is that? Is he dancing in the flames?!"
"Dammit! He can't be killed! Vax's overwhelming firepower is turning into a joke?!"
Vax's attack had failed—but his rage only burned hotter.
The pride that came with his S-rank talent made it impossible for him to accept this reality.
"I'd like to see how many times you can heal! Flame Storm! Fireball Barrage! Great Fireball Technique!"
He abandoned all pretense of defense or evasion.
He waved his staff wildly, unleashing one powerful fire spell after another as if they cost him no mana at all, bombarding Ethan relentlessly.
The arena transformed into a veritable hell on earth, the sound of explosions echoing endlessly.
The searing heat was so intense that even the audience in the front rows could feel their cheeks burning.
Faced with this relentless bombardment, Ethan's movements became even more ethereal, more ghostly.
He no longer charged recklessly.
Instead, he dodged the most powerful spells while darting in occasionally to land a few hits on Vax, then retreating to heal himself.
The duel devolved into the most bizarre spectacle imaginable:
Vax stood in the center of the arena, unleashing enough firepower to incinerate any other contestant in his year, while Ethan danced through the flames like a white streak of light, occasionally tapping Vax with his staff.
He cast Heals on himself whenever his HP dipped slightly, keeping it locked at full.
The green healing numbers never stopped flickering above Vax's head.
And Ethan's HP bar was welded shut—occasionally dropping a little before bouncing right back to full.
"AAAAGH! DIE ALREADY!"
Vax had completely lost his mind, his mana pouring out like an open floodgate.
He refused to believe Ethan's mana was infinite!
How could a mere Priest have more mana than him—a mage blessed with an S-rank talent that reduced his mana costs by half?!
What he didn't know was that Ethan's Heal cost him zero mana at all.
Time ticked by.
Vax's onslaught began to slow down.
The intense, nonstop casting was taking a massive toll on his mental energy and mana reserves.
His breathing grew ragged, and beads of sweat rolled down his forehead.
Ethan, on the other hand, looked completely relaxed.
He stood right next to Vax, casting Heals on him every now and then as if he had nothing better to do.
If only Ethan knew a mana restoration skill.
He would've healed Vax's mana too, just to make him suffer longer.
The stands had gone from chaotic cheering to stunned silence.
The audience's expressions shifted from shock and confusion to numbness—and finally, to sympathy.
Yes, sympathy for Vax.
How could anyone fight this guy?
You can't kill him, you can't catch him, and he forces you to accept humiliating healing while he beats you up!
It was torture for both the body and the mind!
Vax finally snapped out of his blind rage, if only for a moment.
Feeling his rapidly dwindling mana and seeing Ethan's HP bar remain completely full, a bone-chilling fear shot up his spine from the soles of his feet.
Something's wrong!
Terribly wrong!
This guy is toying with me!
The moment this thought crossed his mind, it spread like wildfire, consuming his every thought.
He looked into Ethan's calm, unwavering eyes—eyes that seemed to hold a hint of encouragement—and was instantly overwhelmed by shame and terror.
I can't keep going like this!
I'll be drained to death!
I'll become the laughingstock of the entire school!
Ethan noticed Vax's expression shifting and instantly sensed that something was wrong.
He stopped avoiding the flames licking at his feet deliberately.
In the span of a heartbeat, three more stacks of Blazing Inferno Mark appeared on his body.
Then he returned to his calm, relaxed demeanor, as if nothing had happened at all.
But to a seasoned fighter like Vax, this tiny, deliberate opening was as clear as a shooting star streaking across the night sky!
Vax, who had been drowning in despair and humiliation, spotted that fleeting chance—and the dying flames of hope in his eyes blazed back to life with renewed intensity!
"I've got him!"
"He's burning through mana faster than I am! He's just putting on an act!"
Vax's heart leaped with wild joy, so intense he almost burst out laughing.
He knew it!
There was no way such high-intensity dodging and spellcasting came without a cost!
That priest must be forcing himself to hold on—his earlier stumble was proof enough!
His mana or stamina must be running on fumes!
"Putting on an act! Let's see how long you can keep this up!"
Glancing at his remaining quarter of mana, Vax was tempted to go all-in for a final strike.
But as he watched Ethan still casting Heal on himself relentlessly, he decided to bide his time a little longer.
"Still pretending!"
Vax sneered inwardly.
If the guy wanted to waste his precious mana, he was happy to wait.
Once his mana recovered to a third, he'd show this fraud what true cruelty looked like!
Vax fought down the urge to lash out immediately.
He maintained a minimal stream of flame jets to harass Ethan while silently channeling his mana back to full.
His eyes were fixed on Ethan, tracking every tiny movement, gauging his current state with sharp precision.
Ethan chuckled to himself, but his expression remained that of a man "straining to hold on despite growing fatigue."
Every now and then, he deliberately stepped into the flames at his feet, keeping the Inferno Mark stacks hovering around five.
He even made the casting motion of his next two Heals imperceptibly slower by a fraction of a second.
These subtle details were like the sweetest poison, fueling Vax's confidence to keep waiting.
"He's almost done! He can't hold on much longer!"
Minutes ticked by.
Vax felt his mana gradually climb back above the safe threshold.
Then he saw Ethan step into the flames yet again.
Now!
A sharp glint of resolve flashed in Vax's eyes—no more hesitation!
The quarter of mana he'd restored surged madly toward the fire gem atop his staff!
"Flame Dragon's Roar!"
This was his weapon's signature skill—a single-target burst attack far more devastating than Meteor Shower!
A ferocious dragon composed entirely of highly compressed flame roared to life from the staff's tip, swallowing Ethan's position whole in an instant!
The scorching fire of the Flame Dragon's Roar engulfed Ethan completely.
The raging fire elements blotted out the audience's view entirely.
Gasps erupted from the stands. Everyone thought this grueling war of attrition was finally coming to an end with Vax's desperate counterattack.
"He hit him!"
"This has to be it! It's over!"
But Vax stared in horrified disbelief as Ethan emerged unscathed right beside him.
The staff in Ethan's hand blurred into motion once more, striking Vax repeatedly in rapid succession.
Thud!
Thud!
Thud!
Thud!
A dense flurry of impacts merged into a single continuous sound.
And with each strike, a flood of bright green healing numbers exploded above Vax's head.
Vax was completely dumbfounded.
His last hope, his trump card skill—
had missed completely?
Not only had the enemy emerged unharmed, but he still had the energy to toy with him?
The crushing letdown, coupled with the sudden weakness from his mana being drained dry, sent darkness swimming across Vax's vision.
Those Heals being forced onto him felt like a never-ending stream of mockery, searing his dignity to ashes.
Suddenly, the sensation of being struck vanished.
A faint gasp reached Vax's ears.
When he turned his head, he found Ethan still looking completely unconcerned, as if nothing had happened.
Ethan noticed Vax's gaze and twirled his staff, ready to strike again.
"He's still faking it!"
"He's running on fumes too!"
"I haven't lost yet!"
"He can't hold on much longer, but my mana can keep regenerating."
"Just a little more waiting!"
Vax tore his eyes away from Ethan's infuriatingly calm face.
He lowered his eyelids slightly, focusing most of his energy on circulating and restoring his mana.
The flames on the arena still burned, but their intensity had dwindled significantly.
The towering inferno had been reduced to flickering embers.
Vax abandoned his attempts at area-of-effect spells to blanket the stage—they cost far too much mana for far too little gain.
Instead, he kept up a minimal stream of flame jets to disrupt Ethan's movements.
Like a lurking cheetah, he locked onto every tiny twitch of Ethan's body, waiting for his next mistake.
Ethan grinned inwardly.
The fish had taken the bait again.
He kept up his performance without missing a beat.
Time dragged by in a strange, tense calm.
The scene on the arena grew monotonous, even tedious.
The audience's initial excitement and shock had long since faded into numbness.
Now, some were even starting to doze off.
"How much longer is this going to take?"
"Did Vax run out of mana? Why isn't he casting any more spells?"
"Ethan seems to be slowing down too, right? I saw him struggle a little to dodge that tiny fireball just now."
"They're both just waiting for the other to collapse first."
The contestants from the other arenas had finished their matches long ago and now gathered in the stands, watching the two's tedious spectacle.
"What on earth is Ethan doing?"
Ella groaned in frustration, watching the two on stage.
"I was planning to ask him to join my dungeon party after the match! At this rate, it'll be dark before it's over."
"I'm sure he has his reasons. Let's just be patient," Amy said from beside her.
A little while longer passed, and finally, a new development unfolded on the arena.
It seemed Ethan had grown bored of playing.
With a casual flick of his staff, he sent Vax flying off the stage.
Vax managed to stabilize himself mid-air, stumbling awkwardly upon landing, his face a mask of utter bewilderment.
It wasn't until the referee announced the result that the truth finally sank in.
He'd lost?
Wasn't the other guy supposed to be on his last legs?
How could he still unleash such power?!
"It's finally over! Ethan's the only one who drags matches out like this in the finals!"
"Tell me about it! Everyone else finished ages ago.
We've just been waiting for the Top 5 Challenge to start."
Murmurs of complaint rippled through the crowd, directed squarely at Ethan.
Ethan paid them no mind. He stepped down from the arena, feeling the brand-new talent coursing through his veins, and a satisfied smile tugged at the corner of his lips.
Blazing Hellfire Rage (S-rank): Fire elemental skill damage increased by 100%, casting speed increased by 50%, mana cost reduced by 50%.
All attacks apply a Blazing Inferno Mark.
Target takes damage equal to (number of stacks × 50% of caster's spell power) per second for 5 seconds.
When 10 stacks are accumulated, the marks detonate, dealing fire damage equal to 5 × the target's missing HP.
What a powerful S-rank talent!
Undeniably formidable!
True, as a priest, he couldn't cast fire spells directly—most of the talent's effects were rendered useless.
But the Blazing Inferno Mark effect was independent of fire magic!
This meant his normal attacks could now apply the mark, burning enemies continuously over time!
And more importantly, that terrifying execute effect—5 × missing HP damage!
It would definitely turn the tide in crucial moments, delivering unexpected victories.
"Feigning weakness really is the best strategy," Ethan confirmed to himself once more.