Dragon Tribulation of All Realms

Chapter 14: Heading North

When Wu Chen re-boarded Lazard's carriage, he clearly felt that the tiger man's attitude had become more respectful. In the two hours from Standing Stone back to Misty Tower, as long as he did not take the initiative to speak, the tiger man would not disturb his meditation.

He was indeed deep in thought.

Hera Molly's notebook appeared in his mind, and this notebook mainly contained explanations and annotations of four books of magical knowledge.

"Elemental Introduction"—Identifies and analyzes various common magical elements. This includes model constructions for the three fundamental destruction spells of Ice, Fire, and Lightning Projection, as well as common misconceptions. Compared to the power prototypes provided in the Dragon Priest Mask, the models in this book offer not only slight improvements but also a rich collection of error questions.

Magic is a delicate craft.

Knowing what's right is only the foundation. To achieve mastery, one must also understand what's wrong, and what's half wrong or half right. Without this book, Wu Chen wouldn't have known that adjusting a few specific rune structures could transform a flaming arrow's straight trajectory into an arc. In a wizard confrontation, this is practically common sense for dealing with an opponent who will inevitably deploy a magic shield.

"A Brief Introduction to Magic Structure"—A summary of common magic structures. The most important aspect is shaping the force field structure. Use your will and spirit to guide magic, constructing effective runes. Each rune structure is like the various components in an electrical system; their combination creates a function.

This book primarily explains the operational forms and principles of various magical runes, as well as dozens of common combinations identified by predecessors and their corresponding adjustment methods. By studying this book, one can acquire a set of spellcasting techniques that may seem out of place in the style of The Elder Scrolls, yet are common in various fantasy worlds.

——Arcane Missiles.

A colorless force projectile lingered between Wu Chen's fingers. As the carriage raced on, he casually swung his hand, and the colorless yet stylish force projectile struck a hapless bird flying through the forest. Because the spell didn't require the addition of elements to enhance its power, it had a gap in the spell's arsenal for a guidance module. Dodging was useless; the only option was to use shields or armor to withstand the impact.

Very effective—Hera's notes also included an additional power specifically designed to counter this spell. This was a later-developed armor technique, not recorded in the Dragon Priest's mask. While simpler than the self-healing effect, it also offered lower defense, yet still possessed the magic equivalent of light leather armor.

——Minor Armor.

An invisible shield enveloped Wu Chen. Unlike higher-level armor spells, it glowed with magical energy. Yet, it was so easy to master that even Wu Chen, unmasked, could master it with time. Coupled with the lesser shield spell, which derived from a similar structure, Wu Chen could finally call himself a proper beginner wizard.

This is also documented in the third book, "A Brief History of Spellcasters and Common Rating Systems." Unlike the game's simplistic five-step process of novice, apprentice, veteran, expert, and master, Tamriel's thousands of years of magical evolution have naturally led to the construction of a suitable power rating system. Regardless of other professions, at least in the path of magic, there's a clear distinction between high and low.

The lowest level of spellcaster is the Apprentice, a level above the Amateur. Living creatures in this world possess a certain degree of spellcasting talent. Even without training, relying on intuition and emotional excitement, one can easily create elemental phenomena or force surges. Consciously sensing and memorizing these spell phenomena until they can consistently unleash them is considered the beginning of the arcane path. Upon achieving mastery of a complete runic structure, one becomes an Apprentice.

Within the apprentice class, there's no distinction between high and low. In Tamriel, spellcasters discovered a type of fluorite that glows when infused with mana. They consider the amount of mana needed to fully illuminate a cubic decimeter of fluorite to be one unit. With 300 units of mana and mastery of at least three apprentice-level spells, including lesser armor, one is considered to have crossed the threshold of a beginner wizard.

Leaving aside the cultural theory courses, after all, in this world, fists are more powerful than laws. Even if a skilled fighter is illiterate, no one dares to say he's incompetent. Of course, in a formal magic institution, academic grading still requires passing exams.

Examinations of various levels.

The rank of beginner wizard is further divided into three levels: Standard, Senior, and Elite. Each of these three levels requires a certain level of mana reserves and spell mastery. The Standard level requires only three, the Senior seven, and the Elite beginner wizard requires knowledge and mastery of at least thirteen apprentice-level spells across the five branches of destruction, restoration, transmutation, illusion, and summoning. Furthermore, one must possess at least one thousand units of mana. It may seem a bit complex, but it's a simple matter of building up the skills. Beyond the beginner level, a wizard who successfully masters a single intermediate spell with a complex runic structure can become an intermediate wizard.

The first intermediate spell most traveling wizards master is Fireball. Simple, direct, and pure force, it unleashes destructive power. A single, rapid-fire fireball can solve most of a traveling wizard's immediate problems. Obviously, the realm of intermediate wizards is divided into three levels: Standard, Experienced, and Elite.

Wu Chen felt that this rank was roughly comparable to the fifth-level wizards in DnD. After all, Fireball was a universal truth across many fantasy worlds. Unlike the strict spell mastery requirements for entry-level wizards, a standard mid-level wizard only required one spell. Advanced wizards were only required to master all five spells, with no specific number requirements. However, for elite wizards, the bar rose dramatically.

Becoming an elite mid-level wizard requires more than just learning; it requires mastery, control, and even improvement. This is because everyone's physique, philosophy, and magical properties vary. Only those who transcend the limitations of standard magic, refine and develop specialized magic tailored to their individual constitutions, can be considered elite. The standard for improvement is a minimum 30% change in rune structure and a 30% or greater increase in spell effectiveness.

While not changing a spell beyond recognition, significantly enhancing its effectiveness and power is what developers, not users, should do. Going even further, if one can create their own unique mid-level spells, or master a standardized high-level spell, they can achieve both magical power and operational precision, becoming a standard high-level wizard.

The status of mages was thus divided, with developers and improvers naturally having higher status than users. The contents of the book also ended here. After all, when one's level is low, understanding and exploring too much can only be called unrealistic. And now, Wu Chen's normal position is...

——About 500 points of standard magic reserve, which feels about right.

His magical reserves had already reached the standard of a seasoned beginner wizard. The remaining spells would only take time to complete. Hera Molly's notes also contained valuable books on restoration, illusion, and summoning, such as "Detailed Explanation of Common Creatures," "Logic and Mentalism," and "An Overview of Oblivion and an Introduction to Demonic Writing." Once Wu Chen had thoroughly read, memorized, and understood them all, he would naturally be able to complete this advancement.

but……

needs time.

The wagons stopped, and Lazard proved his foresight. The rescued survivors didn't flee with their belongings or fight among themselves over the spoils—they had gathered enough goods and valuables from the Misty Tower during their short trip back and forth for half a day, and some of them might have hidden them. But they still managed to form a line of three fully loaded wagons.

There are horses and there are carts.

A few people who insisted on leaving rode away a few horses, but there were still enough horses to pull the carts.

Now, all that needs to be done is decide where to go next.

"Let's go north to Windhelm City." Wu Chen naturally became the decision maker.

So that was settled.

(End of this chapter)