Besides, how could she test the true quality of this "alchemical tool" if the stats were halved?

  Behind the booth, Kael’s eyelids twitched. He silently wished this new customer good luck. In terms of pure individual dueling prowess, even Kael found the Battle Mage to be a daunting opponent.

  "A 'Battle Mage'? I’ve never even heard of such a class. This shop is getting more suspicious by the second," Zhong Lingyun muttered. She familiarized herself with the controls while scrutinizing her chosen opponent.

  The Battle Mage was perhaps the most "gentlemanly" offensive class in the roster. As Zhong Lingyun sized him up, he simply stood on the stage, quiet and composed.

  Ying Feng was also studying the new character. After a while, he asked curiously, "Boss, what class is this?"

  The Battle Mage’s attire was distinct from the typical mage. He wore a short-cut robe that looked more like a combat tunic. He had armored bracers on his forearms, and his weapon appeared to be a fusion of a longsword and a staff—essentially a blade where the hilt had been replaced by a short magical conduit.

  "A Battle Mage," Kael replied.

  "When did a new class like this appear?" Ying Feng stared blankly.

  "What do you mean?" Kael glanced at him.

  "Exactly what I said. I’ve truly never heard of a Battle Mage class before," Ying Feng stated with absolute certainty.

  Kael fell silent. He had always assumed that the classes in the arena were common roles in this world. It turns out the Battle Mage was an entirely unknown entity.

  System, do you have the ability to create entirely new classes? Kael asked inwardly.

  After a long pause, the System replied.

  [System:] Host, please note: all classes appearing in the Combat Simulation Room are created based on the power systems of this world.

  [System:] Therefore, any class that appears is fundamentally possible within this reality.

  And then, silence.

  Kael waited, but the System offered nothing more. After pondering those two sentences, he realized the System was essentially saying: These classes are logically sound; if they don't exist in your world, it’s just because your people aren't capable enough to invent them. It was a bold, arrogant claim.

  However, upon deeper reflection, Kael had to agree. The essence of a Battle Mage was still a mage—they didn't "dual-cultivate" Battle Qi. True dual-cultivation of magic and martial arts didn't exist in this world because mana and Battle Qi were fundamentally incompatible energies. Even Kael only achieved it by using a special, third energy to simulate both.

  Royal Road is the home of this novel. Visit there to read the original and support the author.

  Ying Feng didn't dwell on the matter. He knew the world was vast; it wasn't impossible for obscure classes to exist in some far-off corner.

  A moment later, Zhong Lingyun finished her preparations. "Let's begin."

  She opened the Magic Tome in her hand. Her weapon was different from a standard staff; it was a specialized catalyst crafted with massive resources and time. It could record the spells of the blood-bound owner, enhancing their power and drastically increasing casting speed. Many spells stored within the tome could even be cast instantaneously.

  When the Simulation Room perfectly replicated her Magic Tome, Zhong Lingyun was genuinely startled. This was an incredibly niche weapon. This feature alone made the crystal ball invaluable—one could use it to simulate experimental weapons that hadn't even been built yet.

  She made a mental note of this and flicked a page.

  "Mana Shield." "Binding Trap." "Mana Fortification."

  Clearly, Zhong Lingyun’s combat instinct was far superior to that of a self-taught mage. In an arena setting, she immediately layered herself with defensive and buffing spells. After all, you can't deal damage if you're dead. Given the casting speed, these were clearly bound to her tome as near-instant casts.

  Across from her, the Battle Mage watched her with a seemingly naive expression. He didn't move an inch while she cycled through her entire buff routine.

  "As expected of an alchemical puppet. It lacks the capacity for thought. I suppose my expectations were too high," Zhong Lingyun sighed in disappointment.

  Anyone with real combat awareness wouldn't just stand there and watch a mage stack buffs. That was why she had dedicated several of her precious "instant-cast" slots to utility spells. Every buff made her exponentially stronger.

  Ying Feng was equally confused. "Is this some kind of handicap for mages? It wasn't like this when I challenged the arena."

  Kael watched in silence. He knew better. The Battle Mage wasn't stationary because he was "dumb"; he was stationary because he simply didn't care about her buffs.

  "Ice Storm!"

  With her preparations complete, Zhong Lingyun launched her assault. Enhanced by her buffs, the Ice Storm grew massive, nearly swallowing the entire stage. Shards of ice as sharp as daggers swirled within the cyclone, the wind howling as it sliced through the air.

  In an arena, large-scale AOE (Area of Effect) spells were a nightmare. The storm covered every inch of the stage; except for Zhong Lingyun herself, there was nowhere to hide. With her shield up and traps set, she was effectively invincible.

  "It’s over," Zhong Lingyun said, her tone laced with boredom.

  "Instructor Zhong is amazing! When I first stepped onto that stage, I didn't even last thirty seconds," Ying Feng immediately chimed in with a compliment.

  "Yeah... it’s over," Kael agreed, nodding.

  Because the moment the Ice Storm manifested, the Battle Mage’s silhouette had already vanished.

  "Magic Missile!"

  Accompanying the missile was a distinct ripple in space.

  "A short-range blink?" Zhong Lingyun’s brow furrowed, and her tome flipped to a new page.

  She hadn't expected her opponent to be able to navigate the Ice Storm, but a short-range blink accompanied by spatial fluctuations was the easiest thing to intercept. The moment he stepped out of the rift, she would end the match.

  However, the first thing she felt wasn't her opponent appearing in front of her—it was a cold sensation against her throat.

  "Crap!" Zhong Lingyun reacted instantly. That spatial ripple had been a decoy. The Battle Mage had actually appeared directly behind her.