Chapter 210 - Discussion (1/2)

Translator: Atlas Studios Editor: Atlas Studios

Macklin was stunned. “Deceive whom?”

“This is a secret…” Lin Li smiled, but did not continue. Grinning, he merely said, “Anyway, don’t worry. I didn’t go easy on you on purpose.”

“Really?” Macklin glanced at him skeptically, but chose to believe him at last. After all, he really couldn’t think of any reason for the other party to go easy on him. To save me from embarra.s.sment? Are you kidding? Macklin knew this kid well enough to know that he wouldn’t do something so kind with this character of his.

“Of course!” Lin Li replied in all seriousness.

“Forget it. It’s no use asking you.” Macklinlin stared at him for a long time. Finally, he shook his head and gave up. Not a word coming from this kid’s mouth was true. Even if he said that the sun rise from the east, he was most likely trying to figure out how to get the sun to the west.

F*ck, none of the mages from Jarrosus are good stuff! Macklin cursed in his heart. He s.h.i.+fted his eyes to Mason and Orrin, looking like a big wolf eyeing two white bunnies.

“What… What do you want!?” Mason was slightly intimidated by Macklin’s gaze.

“Kid, I’ve heard that you’ve broken through the realm of a Magic Shooter?” Macklin had an amicable smile on his face, which made him look like a kind elder. “Not bad, young man, much better than your disappointing Uncle Morris.”

“You flatter me. This is all your good teaching…” Mason was flattered by Macklin’s compliment, such that even a shameless person like him could not help but be humbled. His words were modest, but he couldn’t hide the smug smile on his face.

“Mhm, I thought so too.” Macklin nodded, and said shamelessly, “I seem to be doing a good job as a mentor. Mason, it’s still early today, how about I give you some pointers?”

“…” The smile on Mason’s face froze. He really wanted to slap himself. Talk more! Curry more favor! Now you’ve gotten yourself into trouble…

F*ck, I’m really done for…

The old fellow had just suffered a great defeat in Felic’s hands; he would probably take the chance to vent it all on Mason.

Mason really wanted to die. He wasn’t that monster Felic. It’d be brutal abuse if he fell into Macklin’s hands. In addition, the old man was on fire. It’d be his luck if he could live after the abuse…

“Why?” Macklin was a little upset when he saw Mason dilly-dally. “Does Magic Shooter Mason think that I’m not qualified to give you pointers?”

“No, no, no…” Mason was nearly out of his wits at the old fellow’s words. That was the most powerful Archmage here. Mason wouldn’t dare to say that the latter wasn’t qualified to advise him even if he was given 100 times more guts.

Mason was too distressed to think about how he’d be abused; he could only bite the bullet and walk over.

“I’ll do a good job…” Macklin said through gritted teeth.

“…”

It was a battle without suspense. Although Macklin once again suppressed his power, it was still effortless for him to deal with Mason. He completely grasped the rhythm of the whole battle with only a Mana Retroaction. He could easily bring Mason down as he wished.

However, with the old fellow’s sinister mind, how could he bear to end the battle so quickly?

The repeated abuse and devastation were halted just as Mason was about to lose. This cat-and-mouse game was extremely childish, but Macklin was having a wonderful time with it despite his old age.

Not to mention the battered Mason, even the two spectators at the side could not help dozing off.

Lin Li only took a few glances, and quickly lost interest in the cat-and-mouse game.

In the end, he didn’t even pay attention to what the two fellows were doing, because all his thoughts were on the previous battle. Once a character of Macklin’s level was forced to show all his abilities, it’d undoubtedly be a very scary thing. Every detail and skill was worth studying.

The whole battle flashed through Lin Li’s mind over and over again. Every spell that was cast by both sides was broken up and contrasted repeatedly. Almost every comparison made Lin Li marvel at Macklin’s strength. This old man was indeed a character who was approaching the legendary-level. His skills could be described as almost perfect. If it weren’t for the huge mistake Macklin had made at the beginning and Lin Li’s abnormal mental strength, he would most likely have been the one who lost the battle.

The experience acc.u.mulated over decades was not something that could be explained in a sentence. Spell-casting was purely an instinctual habit for an old monster like Macklin. There was no need for thought nor measure. He only needed to control his mana. Perhaps Macklin did not even spare a moment of thought for which spells he should release. It was purely a subconscious act.

Doing the most appropriate thing at the most appropriate time.

This was Lin Li’s conclusion to the previous battle.

This was perhaps the most ideal state for a mage.

Lin Li knew that he was still far from this state.

To the onlookers, Lin Li’s casting speed was not slower than Macklin’s, and his response to various situations was also reasonable. Even in many cases, he could also release some seemingly powerful and unconstrained spells. The hundreds of mages in the guild hall had thoroughly enjoyed the spectacular battle style.

Only Lin Li himself knew that the reason why he could reach such a level was solely his superior mental strength.

It was because of the support of his abnormal mental strength that he could risk the bite of mana and minimize the duration for reciting the spells so that he could divide at least half of his attention to a.n.a.lyze every change in the battle and come up with the most appropriate response.

One was intentional, and the other was otherwise—the result was obvious upon comparison.

However, Lin Li wasn’t discouraged at all. He knew that he’d be able to attain the near-ideal state one day.

In fact, it was not difficult to reach this state. To sum up, it was nothing more than “repet.i.tion”. Countless repet.i.tion—repeated practice and repeated battles—would turn magic into a habit and an instinct.

Lin Li wasn’t unfamiliar with this feeling.

It was just like the various professions he was proficient in. Once reaching a certain level, it would naturally become an instinct—such as pharmaceutics. Lin Li had not sorted out the formulas he had mastered for a long time; he even forgot how many kinds of formulas he had mastered. But once he started to prepare the potion, he was able to clearly know how much of the herbs should be used and how high the temperature should be. It was often the case. There was no need to think about it at all. He could simply put his hand into the Ring of Endless Storm, and the herbs needed for the potion would be out.

It was the same for alchemy, inscription, and forging.

This was probably what was meant by “a skill approaching the practice of Tao”…