Chapter 67 (1/2)
Chapter 67: The Final Opponent
Translator: Nyoi-Bo Studio Editor: Nyoi-Bo Studio
Red Leaves Cove
…
“Gildern, pack our spoils of war and we’ll set off,” Link commanded.
Link usually left the physical labor to his followers. Jacker was injured from the previous fight while Gildern remained unscathed. The work naturally fell into the hands of Gildern, who hastily loaded the weapons and armor they looted from the bandits of the Syndicate.
After casting an Elemental Healing Magic on Jacker, Link leaned against a tree to get some rest and recounted on the past few battle experiences, reflecting on his mistakes.
This was a habit he developed from playing the game in the real world. Wasn’t there a saying that went, “the Holy Knight would not be defeated by the same tactics twice?”
Link was no Holy Knight, nor did he suffer any defeat. However, he was not perfect either, and he often reflected on those insufficiencies to ensure he did not commit the same mistake twice.
Even if I continue to invest Omni Points into my Maximum Mana, it would only be at 148 points, that’s way too low! It would be fine if I cast Level-0 and Level-1 spells. However, one Level-2 spell consumes 20 Mana points, and a Level-3 spell consumes anywhere from 60 to 120 Mana points. I can only sustain casting one or two of these spells before I run out of Mana. The assault from the high-level Magician this time was especially dangerous, I would need to find a more efficient and faster way to replenish my Mana.
Link was still afflicted by the Ailing Magic status. When he fully recovers in two months, his Maximum Mana would be at 1480 points, equivalent to that of a Level-4 Magician. There was thus no reason for him to continue investing Omni Points into his Maximum Mana. The best alternative now was to find a faster way to replenish it.
Mana Recovery Potions can be an option; I should prepare those when I get back. However, the side effects of these potions are also strong. I should couple this with mana recovery spells.
Link vaguely remembered a Level-4 Secret Spell, Mana Surge. The cost was 50 Mana points and it could recover at least 80% of your Maximum Mana points in a short period of time after casting.
It was probably time to invest some Omni Points into learning this spell.
There was yet another problem with the battle today.
Though he emerged victorious, luck playing a major factor in his triumph. At the last few moments, if Andy were to be more patient and stall the battle for another five minutes, Jacker would not have been able to withstand the Crystal Golem’s attack. With Jacker defeated, Link would have had to deal with both the Crystal Golem and Andy’s assault, and the probability of his success would have been much lower. It was such a high-risk maneuver; if that continued something bad was bound to happen.
Link found this battling style to be uncomfortable. As a Magician, he preferred to be in control of the tempo of the battle. Also, in the event that he was unable to do so, he always had to have a trump card he could play in case of an emergency.
A battle like today’s, where they unveiled every single tactic they had was disastrous.
Link couldn’t help but think of the black-robed Magician.
That Dark Elf has been searching for the Occultic Runes, he should be the one working in the shadows to rescue Tarviss. He must be upset, letting an Occultic Rune slip by him like that, I will definitely see more of him in the future.
Link did not know the Dark Elf but was able to gauge his personality based on the battle they just had.
As with most Magicians, he does not like close quarters combat but prefers to plan in advance and control the flow of battle. I would probably have been unable to retaliate if I had walked right into his trap.
Speaking of traps, Link gestured to Jacker and Gildern to stay and went off alone to search for the untriggered traps set by the Magician. He cast an Aura of Detection over himself and followed the trails of the Syndicate bandits. This time, he was calm and meticulous, inspecting every detail. Midway through the mountains, he stopped in his tracks.
There was something peculiar about the aura in this area. There was a small distortion, but peculiar nonetheless. In the midst of a raging battle, a single misstep would have landed the trap.
Link advanced cautiously, circling around the peculiar aura when he finally found the trap. He swiped the weeds off and revealed a flat rock, slightly illuminated by the silver-green light emanating from the rune formation carvings on it.
This was Rune Magic!
Rune Magic was merely a layman’s term. In theory, it should have been termed as a high-level spellcasting technique. It worked by enchanting the magic structure into the rune formation before carving it onto a relatively flat surface.
Link observed the position of the runes and the elemental energy emanating from the stone. This spell …
“It’s Chain Lightning!” Link felt a shiver run down his spine.
Chain Lightning
Level-3 Lightning Spell