Super Magician: The Magic Network Collapsed Again at the Start

Chapter 196 Mind and Consciousness
Anser became increasingly eager to try it; he felt that this tarot deck must be something special.

But he was worried that there was a curse on it and dared not rashly switch to it, after all, its previous owner was a demon, so it was better not to move it.

A moment later, the battle scene finished playing, and the symbol transformed into the image of a spellcaster with multiple phantom images behind his head.

Ding--

[You have acquired the Adventure Trait: Mind Sharing]

[Mindful Consciousness]: Your intelligence has entered an extraordinary stage, and your ability to control your own consciousness has reached its peak. You are gradually awakening an extraordinary spiritual endowment: Mindful Consciousness, multitasking.

You can now dedicate an additional "1" consciousness to performing "2" daily tasks or focusing on "2" spells simultaneously. Whenever you take damage, you must make a Constitution save for each spell to maintain focus.

Distraction can only be used to maintain spell focus; it cannot be used to cast spells simultaneously, nor can it be used to focus on two identical spells at the same time.

'Multitasking?' Anser grinned, a silent smile playing on his lips.

"Focus" is an insurmountable hurdle for all spellcasters, and also an invisible shackle that restricts them.

Some spells need to be maintained after being cast to ensure that their magical effects last. In this case, the caster needs to devote some of their attention. During this time, spells that do not require concentration can be cast, but this will also affect the casting efficiency.

The proportion of spells that require focus is very high, especially control spells and summoning spells, which can only be cast one at a time. A wrong decision can directly affect the outcome of the battle.

For example, in the previous battle, Anser did not cast "Elemental Summoning" in advance because he needed to be ready to cast instant control spells at any time. If he interrupted his focus, the summoned creature would disappear, which would be a pure waste of mana.

The new adventure trait, [Mind Segmentation], allows him to focus on two spells simultaneously, enabling him to control and summon at the same time, resulting in a significant increase in combat power.

In fact, ordinary people can also multitask. For example, many people can study, listen to music, eat, or argue at the same time, but these are generally low-intensity tasks.

Most people find it difficult to focus on two demanding tasks at the same time.

Casting spells is more difficult than ordinary daily tasks, and it is almost impossible to maintain the ability to cast two focused spells through training alone.

"Impressive!" Anser was very satisfied.

He remembered a magical item called the "Ring of Rift" that allowed a caster to focus on two spells, but only spells below the third ring, and it had negative effects, making it practically useless.

Moreover, judging from the description of "Mindful Consciousness", it still has room for growth, which is likely related to intelligence or professional level.

He lightly tapped the symbol to confirm with his mind, and then the twenty dice suddenly lit up, beams of light illuminating the entire spiritual world.

My mind felt clear and cool, completely empty, as if I had received a deep massage and rest, and all the stress disappeared.

After a long while, his consciousness returned, and Anser felt relaxed, his observation skills seemed to have improved slightly, and he could pay attention to multiple details around him at the same time.

Aside from that, I didn't have any particular feelings.

'Meditate first, and try again when you feel better.' He immediately closed his eyes and began to meditate.

There's also a pirate's legacy waiting for him to "receive," especially that potentially magical ship, which is key to his return home.

Although there was a teleportation array for Waterdeep on the teleportation block, Waterdeep was too far from Drag and separated by Baldur's Gate, making the journey too risky. He didn't want to take this route unless absolutely necessary.
-
As night deepened, the cave tavern, with its doors wide open, welcomed several uninvited guests.

They were dressed in uniform, with swords at their waists and muskets on their backs, walking briskly and without any regard for consequences.

Several patrolling halflings saw this and stopped to watch from a distance, but did not step forward to stop them.

They recognized the blue-black uniforms; they belonged to the Lower City Guard of Blayan, one of the royal armed forces, and the middle-aged man in charge was the Lower City's sheriff.

The guards hesitated for a moment at the chilly tavern entrance before filing in, leaving two outside on guard.

The scene inside the tavern, which resembled an ice cave, was truly shocking. Several guards clicked their tongues in amazement, shivering as they carefully surveyed the not-so-large tavern.

But the place was deserted, and there were few signs of a battle; all the items were frozen inside the ice.

The head sheriff, with his red hair and beard, walked around the tavern, pausing for a moment at the spot where the body lay, his expression growing increasingly grave. "At least a high-level spellcaster!" he was very confident in his judgment.

Advanced professionals are important figures wherever they are placed, and even in Star Harbor Palace, there are very few of them, only a handful.

Even the laziest guards couldn't ignore such a figure. The death of a few civilians didn't matter, but if they offended the royal family, they would definitely lose their positions.

“Go ask someone, be polite,” he said, pointing to one of the guards.

"Yes." The guard hurriedly left.

After quite a while, the guard hurriedly returned.

"It is said that a noble sorcerer from Faerûn was targeted by space pirates who chased him to the tavern and interrogated the tavern owner, Aldon, for several hours..." The guard quickly reported the information he had gathered to his superior.

“The Faerûn sorcerers, four space pirates…” the sheriff pondered.

“Osborne sent men to search the dock area, but they found no trace of the space pirates. Instead, they had a minor altercation with the Nautilus ship that docked today,” the guard quickly added.

Has a mind flayer appeared?

"No."

"This is outrageous." The magistrate's face was grim.

Blayan City is indeed the central hub of the wasteland, but that's from the perspective of surface creatures. Evil creatures like Mind Flayers would almost certainly not be able to appear here openly.

But when they arrived, the royal family hesitated and delayed issuing any orders.

Mind Flayers have the right to be arrogant. The Nautilus is much more expensive than a regular French destroyer. It was designed by the Mind Flayers specifically for space travel and has the ability to teleport between planes, allowing them to come and go as they please.

Without the intervention of a powerful spellcaster, it would be virtually impossible to defeat them.

The sheriff knew that the Mind Flayers were all conspirators and would not have come to Blayan City for no reason; there must be some scheme they were unaware of.

"Send people to keep a close eye on the dock area, and report any unusual activity to me immediately." The magistrate knew very well who the real threat was.

Yes. And here?

"Ignore it, back to base."

"Yes……"

Halflings are interesting. They seem warm and hospitable, and the community is safe, but creatures of the evil faction cannot stand here and will be "asked" to leave within a day.

The guards were happy to have a peaceful life; as long as they had food and drink, they never had to worry about these optimistic little guys suddenly rebelling.
-
The night was deep, and the stars were shining brightly.

In the distant Jacqueline Castle, Elise, wrapped in Anser's blanket, inhaled his scent, tossed and turned, unable to fall asleep.

"Ugh--"

After a long while, she sighed, got out of bed, walked barefoot to the window, and stared blankly at the starry sky, her eyes revealing a hint of worry.

Half a day has passed since Anser left.

The two agreed to spend six hours there. According to the plan, this trip was just to check on the traveler's rest area; they wouldn't stay overnight or linger for too long.

"You heartless bastard, I hope you don't get kidnapped!" Elise muttered.

She said that, but that wasn't what she really thought. Compared to his safety, being kidnapped didn't seem like such a big deal.

(End of this chapter)