Unless the target is extremely sensitive to the power of time, it is hard to detect the presence of such a mark.]
This gain made Ron feel exceptionally satisfied.
Originally, he just wanted to eliminate the safety hazards on himself, but he unexpectedly gained a practical tracking enhancement.
Now, he can mark a target without being detected.
This will undoubtedly play a significant role in future actions.
"An unexpected joy..."
He gently stroked the silver pocket watch on his chest, feeling a deeper reverence for this magical item:
"The potential of the ’Predation’ ability is far broader than I initially imagined. It can devour not only tangible objects but also abstract concepts and energy marks."
"Each successful predation brings corresponding knowledge and ability feedback, which is simply the perfect growth mechanism."
Now, he has completely rid himself of the tracking threats from the Time Hound, acquired precious introductory skills in necromancy, and enhanced his marking ability.
This handling of Sheena’s "bait" can be said to be immensely rewarding.
.........
Ron carefully observed this old acquaintance.
Holt is indeed reasonably good among his peers.
Whether in magic power control or magic construction, he’s reached quite a decent level.
But in this kind of competition tier...
"Are you sure about participating?" Ron didn’t directly refuse but asked back:
"From what I know, the participants of the Elemental Night are mostly enhanced wizards with special bloodlines."
"I know it will be difficult," Holt gritted his teeth:
"But you always need to try to find out, right? And I feel I’ve made significant progress recently, maybe..."
He hadn’t finished his sentence when a series of footsteps interrupted him.
Hayek came walking from the other end of the corridor, a curious expression forming upon seeing the two conversing at the doorway:
"What are you discussing?"
"Holt wants to participate in the competition of the Elemental Night," Ron answered honestly.
Hayek stopped walking, his deep eyes lingering on Holt for a moment, then shook his head:
"Kid, are you sure you know what that means?"
Holt tried his best to stand tall:
"Master Hayek, can you give me an opportunity to test?"
"Test?" Hayek raised an eyebrow, a glint of amusement in his eyes:
"Alright, then I’ll show you what a real power disparity truly means."
With that, he raised his right hand, lightly stroking his fingers.
In an instant, the ground beneath Holt began to transform strangely.
The originally solid stone slab floor seemed to turn into fluid, starting to collapse inward.
A gravity vortex with a diameter of three meters instantly formed, with its center reaching over ten times the normal gravitational strength.
"Gravity Collapse."
Hayek spoke calmly, his voice without any emotional fluctuation:
"This is just my most basic control magic-like technique."
Holt hadn’t even had time to react before being pulled down by the immense gravity.
He desperately attempted to stand up, but the pressure of ten times gravity made even raising his arm extraordinarily difficult.
Sweat seeped from his forehead, his face turning flush red from exertion.
"Master Hayek... I..."
He struggled to speak, but the immense pressure made his words intermittent.
"Give up struggling." Hayek looked at him calmly:
"The intensity of this spell, I only used thirty percent. At full strength, even a Moon Level wizard would need considerable magic power to break free."
At this moment, Magnus’s signature laughter echoed from the end of the corridor:
"Haha, another young one being reckless?"
The Elder Alchemist strolled over, seeing Holt unable to move on the ground, a gleeful look in his eyes:
"Kid, you can’t even beat an old man specialized in potion making like me, and you want to challenge those bloodline monsters?"
He took out a bottle of light blue potion from his pocket, gently shaking it:
"I have a bottle of ’Giant Strength Potion’ here, which can boost the drinker’s strength by five times for an hour. But even then, you still can’t escape Hayek’s gravity spell."
"This is the disparity between levels." Magnus squatted down, nearing Holt’s ear:
"It’s not something effort alone can bridge, understand?"
It was only then that Hayek waved his hand, lifting the gravity spell.
Holt collapsed on the ground, breathing heavily, his clothes entirely soaked in sweat.
"Do you think you are on the same level as Lecturer Ralph?"
Hayek looked down at him, his tone filled with unabashed sneer:
"He could survive alone in the Abyss Fourth Layer when he was at Morning Star Level. You can’t even break free from a single control magic-like technique of mine."
This statement struck like a wake-up call, thoroughly shattering the last bit of luck in Holt’s heart.
He slowly got up, tidied his disheveled robe, and bowed deeply to the others:
"I thought too simply, sorry for wasting everyone’s time."
With that, he turned and left, his steps marked with obvious dejection.
Ron watched Holt’s departing silhouette, a hint of sympathy rising in his heart.
The sharpness shattered by reality, though a necessary lesson, still evoked a sense of discontent.
"Don’t pity him."
Hayek seemed to discern Ron’s thoughts:
"In the wizard world, mistaken self-awareness leads to death. It’s better for him to recognize reality now than be torn apart in the arena."
Magnus nodded in agreement:
"Moreover, the kid’s nature is rather stable; upon hearing our analysis, he quickly gave up.
This indicates he possesses basic sanity, and the future holds potential for development."
"Just needs more time and experience."
.........
The next morning, the Sand Sea School’s battle training field hosted a special internal test.
The training field was built within a natural depression on Leviathan’s back, surrounded by shields.
This setup not only prevented magic power from leaking but also shielded against external elemental storm interruptions.
The ground was paved with specially crafted elemental-conductive slab stones, capable of enduring full-force attacks from Dark Sun Level wizards without damage.
These slabs also had recording and reproducing functions, allowing the battle process to be completely preserved for subsequent analysis and study.
Director Salamanda personally attended, his eyes like molten gold solemnly sweeping over everyone present.
Three wizards stood behind him, all the finest young talents of this generation of the Sand Sea School.