The cheers and applause on the scene instantly grew more fervent. This ’Great Escape’ run-style was exhilarating for the audience and easily ignited their enthusiasm.
At this point, the other participants started to panic, realizing that at this rate, Brother Trench Coat would sprint all the way to the finish line before they could even cast their restriction magic on him.
Consequently, they were all compelled to invoke their own Speedup Magic.
In an instant, numerous dazzling Magic Radiance erupted in the arena, and the commentator engaged his years of experience, introducing the spells each person was using at breakneck speed. Still, he couldn’t keep up. As soon as he finished introducing one magic, the competition had escalated yet again.
After about ten seconds, as the effect of the first spell gradually faded away, four distinct groups had already formed on the field.
Brother Trench Coat led the first group, having pulled ahead by almost a hundred meters.
The second group comprised two people, both regulars on the speed charts, neck and neck. About eighty meters behind them, the third group, consisting of six people, was fiercely chasing.
Naturally, the one trailing last was the lucky audience member girl who, for one, didn’t possess any Speedup Magic. When everyone accelerated initially, she was left behind immediately.
On another hand, it expressed the gap between professionals and amateurs: even without obstacles, she was overtaken by others while riding the Chocobo.
The course required four laps around the field, and this team gap persisted for two laps. Nobody dared to use their remaining two spells until the final lap, where the race took a turn.
This time, the second place used a ’Deceleration Spell’, a classic restriction magic on Brother Trench Coat, who was still leading. The rider and his Chocobo were immediately engulfed in Gold Chains, which resulted in a drastic slowdown.
However, Brother Trench coat was prepared. Aware that he would be targeted for being in the lead, he had prepared the Dispel Magic. Almost as soon the Deceleration Spell took effect, a bright light erupted around him, dispelling the Gold Chains cleanly. Consequently, his speed was restored.
Before he could rejoice, Magic Fluctuations surged again from behind.
This time, the magic was even fiercer, transforming his Chocobo directly into a sheep.
A Sheep Transformation Spell, a high-level spell, was worth over a thousand year’s lifespan and only those with exorbitant wealth could afford to learn it.
Everyone hurriedly looked for the spell caster, and soon learned from the commentator that the spell caster was the third-place participant. Surprisingly, it was a joint effort by the second and third-place racers to take down Brother Trench Coat in the lead.
This Sheep Transformation had Brother Trench Coat’s speed drop to a walking pace, and in a few seconds, he was overtaken by those behind him.
By the time the Sheep Transformation effect wore off, he had fallen to second-last place.
An angry Brother Trench Coat caught up again after recovering from the transformation. However, he had been left behind by a considerable distance by the leading group, making it difficult to catch up.
Fortunately, things were not going smoothly in the front either.
As the final dash was underway, the crowd no longer held back their magic. Multiple restriction skills were being thrown around, and the situation ahead suddenly turned chaotic.
Since it was the first magic-enabled competition, everyone was clueless and chose similar spells: a Speedup Magic, along with two Restriction spells, with only a few preparing Dispel Magic.
Having exhausted their Speedup Magic at the start of the race, competitors were left with only spells to hinder others, and several of these were group restrictions.
"Damn, who cast the Marsh Array?"
"Who put the Slippage Curse on me?"
"Who the hell cast the fog? This is so sick."
Every participant was busy criticizing but kept discreetly imposing restriction statuses on each other. Any attempt to lead was immediately met with several restriction statuses, slowing down the entire group as if stuck in a swamp.
Around this time, the most dramatic event occurred.
The lucky audience member girl, who had been lagging the whole race, actually caught up while everyone else was sabotaging each other. She charged straight into the ’mudflat’ created by the collective efforts of the others.
She had no other spells, only a Dispel Magic. When she registered, all three of her chosen spells were Dispel Magic. The registration staff thought this type of spell choice implied participation for participation’s sake and had no expectations of her. However, this proved to be very useful.
When the girl made her move, most of the others had already used their Restriction Magic. Some cast spells on her instinctively, but she easily dispelled them one after another using her own Dispel Magic. She freed herself from the ’swamp’ in front of a crowd of professional players, becoming the first to cross the finish line.
Succeeding her, the others finished the race in a disheveled manner.
As the race concluded, the leader board was updated promptly with the contestants’ ranking results. The commentator gave his critiques one by one, humorously highlighting how a single amateur had stolen the show from nine professional players - an amusing conclusion that prompted laughter and applause from the audience.