Melee Mage

Chapter 5: Facing Challenges

Early the next morning, Adrian arrived at school on time, just as his mother headed to work. That's how the world works—many things are inevitable and must be endured.

Sitting in his seat with a low mood, Adrian couldn't help but envision his mother's pale, wrinkled, and scarred hands. He knew that it wouldn't be long before his mother's hands aged completely, but Adrian was powerless to do anything about it.

Although having a son as old as Adrian was a fact, the truth was that his mother gave birth to him when she was only sixteen. Even now, she was only twenty-four or twenty-five, which should have been the most beautiful period in a woman's life. However, for Adrian's sake, his mother had to...

As Adrian sat in the warm classroom, receiving instruction from his teacher, he couldn't help but think of his beautiful mother toiling away in a cold room, using icy cold water to wash one piece of clothing after another. Only when she washed enough clothes would others pay her. Lost in thought, Adrian's body trembled uncontrollably. How he wished he could help his mother.

"Hey!" A crisp voice sounded in Adrian's ears while he was immersed in his distress.

Startled, Adrian opened his eyes and looked in the direction of the voice. To his surprise, he found all the lovely and cute girls in his class gathered around him, forming a tight circle. They surrounded him, layer upon layer. Adrian couldn't understand why these girls were crowding around him. Why were they surrounding him?

As Adrian was puzzled, a girl with long blue hair bent down playfully and examined Adrian from head to toe. With a hint of doubt, she asked, "We're all curious, how did you get in? Could it be that your talent in water magic is even stronger than that of the girls?"

This... Upon hearing the girl's words, Adrian couldn't help but blush. It was indeed a bit strange—a man being stronger in water attribute talent than a woman was like a woman having more strength than the strongest man. It was highly unconventional, almost like being a freak. He was definitely not a normal person.

In fact, Adrian himself was well aware that his water attribute talent was far from strong. Within the class, he was actually the weakest. His strength lay in his control over water, not in his talent for water magic!

Seeing Adrian blushing but not answering her question, the girl with blue hair pouted and arrogantly declared, "Since you won't answer this miss's question, fine... I'm going to challenge you. I want to see what makes you qualified to be in our class!"

"Challenge!" Adrian's eyes lit up upon hearing the girl's words. In Adrian's perspective, a challenge meant performing, and that was something he loved and was confident in.

Without hesitation, Adrian nodded and accepted the girl's challenge. Adrian, who had never stepped out of his house and had no companions, didn't know that a challenge wasn't about performing alone. It involved two people targeting each other and launching attacks!

Unexpectedly, Adrian readily accepted the challenge. The girl was momentarily taken aback. Generally, girls weren't inclined to be combative. The girl's challenge was merely to salvage some face. As long as Adrian gave a reasonable excuse, it could have ended there, just a small display of girl's displeasure. But she didn't expect Adrian to accept so readily!

No matter how talented he was, the girl was still a girl. Even before the fight began, her heart started to feel uneasy. She walked a few meters away, then mechanically turned around with a stiff motion. Shaking, she said to Adrian, "Alright... Since you've agreed to the challenge, then... this lady won't be polite!"

While speaking, the girl reached back and drew out a staff from her waist. Pointing it at Adrian, she said, "Stand up quickly and take a water ball spell from this miss. Otherwise... be careful... be careful..." She repeated "be careful" several times but couldn't come up with a threatening statement towards Adrian.

Upon hearing the girl's words, Adrian stood up with great interest. He walked to an open space beside him and positioned himself directly in front of the girl. In Adrian's view, since the girl wanted him to catch a water ball, it must be part of their coordinated performance. In that case, he would simply wait obediently.

Lost in thought, Adrian smiled at the girl, raised his right hand, and beckoned her with his finger. Confidently, he said, "Alright, I'm ready. Go ahead and throw it at me!"

For Adrian, the so-called challenge was just a performance or a game. It was what he excelled at, and it was nothing significant. However, for the other girls, everything was completely different.

For the other girls, a challenge meant combat, a fight. Even the blue-haired girl, who had a relatively bold personality, was trembling. But when they looked at Adrian, standing there effortlessly with a relaxed smile on his face, he appeared to be an extraordinary expert.

In this world, there was a profession called a wandering bard. They traveled to various cities in the world, and wherever they went, they would share their experiences in the taverns. Among them, the more remarkable individuals would be immortalized in poetry for everyone to remember.

It can be said that bards are the most authoritative critics in this world! The so-called epic legends, epic heroes, and epic treasures all originate from their mouths. The epic-level evaluation given by bards is considered the highest praise!

At this moment, Adrian, who treated the challenge as a performance and a game, unintentionally revealed the demeanor and temperament of an epic-level character. Everything he did not only astonished the surrounding girls but also made the female lecturer, who had already entered the classroom and was preparing to stop the fight, obediently close her mouth. Everyone wanted to witness the battle of an epic-level character!

There is a popular saying in this world, considered a truth passed down through the ages: When you confront your opponent, either you or your enemy will be afraid. If you can be fearless, then your enemy will undoubtedly be afraid!

Whether this statement is true or not, we won't discuss for now. Faced with Adrian's confidence and relaxed demeanor, the girl with blue hair was already terrified. However, words spoken and actions taken cannot be undone. With the situation as it is, the arrow is already on the bowstring and she has no choice but to act.

Biting her lip, the girl raised the small and cute blue staff in her hand, swiftly reciting the incantation for the Water Sphere spell. Soon enough, a basketball-sized water sphere rippled and shot out from the tip of her staff, whistling towards Adrian. Witnessing this scene, the female lecturer behind the crowd nodded in approval. This girl's talent was indeed impressive, being able to cast the Water Sphere spell so quickly. She was truly extraordinary!

"Perfect timing!" While the female lecturer silently admired, on the other side, Adrian's eyes suddenly brightened. With a loud shout, his right hand swiftly extended like lightning, and the blade-like fingers plunged into the round water sphere. Then, with a twist and a grab, Adrian forcefully pulled his right arm, instantly elongating the spherical water into a nearly ten-meter-long, thumb-thick water flow. Skillfully controlled by Adrian's graceful hands, it flowed smoothly around his body, spiraling.

Witnessing this scene, everyone stood with their mouths agape, unbelievably observing everything before them. What was this? Was it a circus act or a magic performance? It was inconceivable. No one had ever controlled water like this! It was well-known that the most basic form of water was the enlarged form of water droplets, not water ribbons!

Seeing the astonished expressions of the classmates around him, Adrian couldn't help but feel a secret delight. Driven by his desire to show off, Adrian abruptly pulled and pushed both hands. Instantly, the long water flow fiercely spiraled, transforming into a ferocious dragon that dashed toward the blue-haired girl on the other side.

"Ah!" Faced with the violently rushing water, the blue-haired girl screamed hysterically. Unable to dodge in time, she could only cover her face with both hands, her body tensed up, teeth clenched, waiting for the pain to come.