Above the mage

Chapter 157 New Spells (Part 5)

Previously, due to financial constraints, Gaode had not purchased spell recipes.

After all, it takes him very little time to build the spell model, so he's not in a hurry and it won't delay anything.

But now, through the [Patrol the Mountain] mission, he suddenly received a "huge sum" of 51 gold coins, and Gao De couldn't contain himself.

He planned to purchase several more spell recipes to further expand his spell library, while also accumulating spell power for a possible "super feat".

The old master took Gaode's identity badge and scanned it on the alchemy machine.

"A freshman who just enrolled this year, right?" He glanced at Gao De, then pulled out a sheet of parchment from a stack on the table and handed it to Gao De.

"This is a list of spells that you can purchase with your current credits."

At Cyrus Academy, not only the academy's facilities, but even "paid knowledge" requires academic credits to purchase.

To purchase spell recipes from the academy, the minimum credit requirement is 10 credits.

Fortunately, Gaode Maps awarded me 5 points for completing the enrollment task; otherwise, I wouldn't have anywhere to spend the money now.

Gao De took the parchment and began to browse through it.

The spells listed on the parchment were all level 0 spells, but there were quite a few of them; a quick glance revealed about thirty.

Most of the spells that Gaode possesses are also found on it.

Compared to the Mage Guild, the spell recipes provided by the Academy far surpass those of the former in both quality and quantity.

At least, the spells on the list include many damage spells, unlike the Mage Guild which only sells recipes for utility spells.

Gao De first eliminated the spells he knew and found that there were eleven spells to choose from: [Fire Control], [Light Dance], [Light], [Spark], [Divine Guidance], [Wind Dance], [Lightning Pull], [Earth Shaping], [Primal Strike], [Water Manipulation], and [Fire Combustion].

He pondered for a while and finally selected seven spell recipes from them.

First, there are the four transformation magic tricks that manipulate the four elements of nature: [Wind Dance], [Earth Shaping], [Water Manipulation], and [Fire Control].

Then came the [Divine Guidance Technique], the first spell he ever saw, which made him secretly vow to obtain the spell recipe in the future.

Now that we've seen it, we should naturally choose it.

Finally, there's the high-damage spell [Lightning Pull] and the lighting spell [Light], which will inevitably be used later.

"Are you sure you want to choose so many spell recipes at once?"

"The academy generally does not recommend that freshmen learn spells first, because the efficiency of learning spells will be higher when the mage's level is higher."

Before reaching the level of a third-class Dharma Master apprentice, it's more worthwhile to focus your energy and time on coursework and spiritual practice.

The old mage frowned and offered a word of advice when he saw Gao De select seven spells in one go.

Although he is not a faculty advisor, he sits on the second floor of the library and interacts with the students year-round, so he can be considered a mentor in a sense.

"I'll buy it first, and whether I learn it or not depends on whether I have the energy and time," Gao De said casually, without refusing the old master's request.

"I see." Seeing that Gao De had said this, the old mage had no reason to persuade him any further. "Seven level 0 spell recipes, a uniform price of 6 gold per set."

The price is the same as the price in the Mage Association.

"Aren't there any discounts?" Gaode still asked instinctively.

"If you have more than 50 credits, you will only be charged 5 gold coins per course." Surprisingly, it was true, but Gaode Maps did not meet the requirements.

"Alright." Gao De obediently took out 42 gold from the 51 gold reward he had just received and handed it to the old mage.

After receiving the money, the old monk got up and went into one of the back rooms, a library with the door tightly closed.

After a while, he reappeared, this time with seven beautifully bound booklets in his hands.

These were the seven spell recipes that Gao De had requested, and each booklet also bore the emblem of Cyrus Academy in the lower left corner.

"Your spell recipes." The old mage handed seven booklets to Gao De.

After rushing back to his dormitory with the seven newly purchased spell recipes and the fruit drink ingredients, Gao De first followed the same procedure as last time to brew the flawless fruit drink.

He then went into the meditation room on the second floor, took out the spell recipes, and eagerly opened and read them one by one.

[Divine Guidance] (Prophecy, 0 Rings):

Select a target to cast this spell, temporarily and slightly improving their performance in the next skill.

Including but not limited to: lockpicking success rate, archery accuracy, and item crafting success rate.

*****

Gao De was already quite familiar with Divine Guidance.

Of course, after taking several lessons on "Understanding General Spells (0-3 Rings)," Gao De now knows a lot of spells and is no longer the novice he once was.

In short, Divine Guidance is a very useful utility spell that can be applied to almost every situation.

Although we don't know how effective it will be and we need to conduct further tests, it's definitely better than nothing.

[Fire Control] (Change System, 0 Rings):

Select a non-magical flame that you can see within a 5-cubic-foot radius, and then affect it in one of the following ways:

Immediately spread the flames five feet in one direction, as if there were wood or other fuel in the new location.

Extinguish the flames in that space immediately.

This doubles or halves the area of ​​the bright and dim regions produced by the flame, and/or changes their color. This change lasts for 1 hour.

Create simple images within the flames—such as a blurry image of a creature, a stationary object, or a location—and these images appear within the flames, changing as you wish. These images last for one hour.

If you cast this spell multiple times, you can cause up to three non-immediate effects to take effect simultaneously, and you can also remove one of these effects at any time.

【Dance Wind】(Change type, 0 ring):

At a distance (60 feet), at a point you can see, the air is controlled by you, forcing one of the following effects to occur:

A medium or smaller creature of your choice will be pushed a distance by you, depending on its strength.

You can create a small air blast, enough to move an unheld or uncarried object weighing no more than 5 pounds. The object can be pushed 10 feet away from you. The force generated in this way is insufficient to cause injury.

You use the air to create harmless sensory sensations, such as rustling leaves, closing blinds, or your clothes swaying in a breeze.

【Plastic Clay】(Change System, 0 Rings):

You select a pile of dirt or a rock that you can see within 60 feet and that fills 5 cubic feet of space. You can modify it in one of the following ways:

If you point to a patch of loose soil, you can immediately dig it up and move it along the surface, transporting it to a distance of no more than 5 feet. The force of this movement is insufficient to cause harm.

You change the shape and/or color of the soil or rock, writing words, drawing patterns, or carving designs. This transformation lasts for one hour.

If the soil or rock you specify is on the surface, you can make it difficult terrain. Alternatively, you can make an already difficult terrain area normal terrain. This change lasts for 1 hour.

If you cast this spell multiple times, you can maintain up to two non-immediate effects at the same time, and you can also dispel one of the above effects at any time.

【Water Manipulation】(Change System, 0 Ring):

Within a selected distance, you can see a body of water that occupies 5 cubic feet. You can manipulate it in one of the following ways:

Immediately create or alter the flow of water in your chosen direction, changing it by up to 5 feet in any direction. The force of this movement is insufficient to cause harm.

It allows the water to take on simple shapes and move as you wish. This change lasts for one hour.

The color or transparency of the water has changed. The entire body of water must be altered. This change lasts for one hour.

Frozen water, provided there is no living organism in it, will thaw within one hour.

If you cast this spell multiple times, you can maintain up to two non-immediate effects at the same time, and you can also dispel one of the above effects at any time.

*****

These four magic tricks can control the four common natural phenomena of earth, water, wind, and fire, and are all highly practical spells.

According to the instructor's advice in the "Understanding General Spells (0-3 Rings)" class, it is recommended that you either don't learn these four spells or learn them all.

I listened to the lectures very attentively, so I selected all of them at once.

[Light] (Evocation, 0 Ring):

If you touch an object that is no more than 10 feet in any direction to cast a spell, the object will emit a bright light within a 20-foot radius and a dim light within a 20-foot radius beyond the end of the spell.

The color of the light is determined by you; when the object is completely covered by something opaque, its light is blocked.

If you cast the spell again, or wish to dispel it, the spell will terminate.

****

Both Light and Dance are illumination spells, but they differ significantly in function, effect, and usage.

The Light spell makes an object glow like a torch, thus illuminating the surrounding area.

The Light Dance spell is more flexible and versatile, allowing the caster to create multiple light sources within a certain distance.

These light sources can appear in the form of torches, lanterns, or spheres of light and float in the air, and they can also move.

It seems that the Dance Light Technique is more practical.

But the Light spell also has its own advantages.

It lasts longer, sometimes for hours, and is more effective at illumination. It can also be used as a marker – for example, if you find an opportunity to cast a light spell on an enemy's clothing or objects, they will either have to abandon their armor or be marked.

After careful consideration, Gao De still felt that a longer-lasting light spell might be more practical.

Of course, once they have the money, Gaode will eventually acquire the spell recipe for [Dancing Light].

Finally, there's the high-damage spell, Lightning Pull.

[Lightning Pull] (Energizing System, 0 Rings):

You create a whip-like lightning energy attack that strikes a creature within a range (15 feet) of which you can see.

Depending on the strength of the target, you will pull it closer in a straight line. If the target is within 5 feet of you after being pulled closer, it will be damaged by lightning.

If the target is within five feet of you, you will be damaged by lightning regardless of whether you are pulled closer.

***

As Master Faron once said in his "Spell Application and Combat" class, mastering spells of various damage types is one of the most basic requirements to become a qualified and powerful combat mage.

Because there are so many types of creatures in the ley lines, if you are only good at one or two types of damage spells, you will easily encounter situations where you are targeted or unable to target them.

Even in internal conflicts between mages, there is a concept of restraint.

In the world of mages, especially battle mages, one must be omnipotent.

Therefore, when Gaode saw [Lightning Pull], a type of lightning damage that he had not yet mastered, he did not hesitate to select it.

After reviewing the seven spell recipes, Gao De picked up a pen and paper and began to establish a Cartesian coordinate system. He then quickly converted the nodes of the seven spell models into corresponding coordinate arrays to facilitate his subsequent rapid "modeling".

(End of this chapter)