Chapter 103 - 102: Adding Points

Chapter 103: Chapter 102: Adding Points

Frost Damage... Gaode looked at the newly added extra effect, deep in thought. The enhancement direction of [Frozen Ray] looked ordinary, but in reality, it should have miraculous effects in certain special environments or team battles. For example, in extremely cold environments, without any setup, basically every shot of [Frozen Ray+] could directly trigger a freezing effect.

[Frozen Ray] had always had a low usage rate in Gaode’s hands because whether it was power, Casting Distance, or damage range, it was far inferior to [Flaming Arrow]. But this did not mean that [Flaming Arrow] was a higher-tier magic compared to [Frozen Ray]. [Frozen Ray] itself possessed a strategic value that [Flaming Arrow] could not replace.

This was also one of the characteristics of magic; although both were Damage Magic, their applicable scopes varied greatly. Even lower-damage magic had its unique uses.

Magic in this world was not a simple system of upgrading and eliminating, unlike what was written in some classic novels Gaode had read in his previous life. The Great Magic-guided Masters in those books seemingly mastered a bunch of magic, but in reality, the ones they commonly used were generally just one or two of the most powerful ones. Here, the magic mastered at the 0th Ring could even be used all the way to the end. For example, [Mage’s Hand] was continuously used by High-Ring Mages.

This also made the breadth of every Mage’s Magic Library exceptionally important. Only by reserving enough magic in the Magic Library could they handle various situations with ease and truly be called "omnipotent."

This time, Maciej made everyone rest for a full hour before leading the team back into the dense forest.

This day’s land-clearing mission ended up being slightly thrilling only during the initial encounter with the swarm of Earth Demon Bats; for the rest of the time, not many accidents occurred. Moreover, it seemed the population of Earth Vein Creatures gathered within a specific area always fluctuated around a fixed value. Since they had killed twelve Earth Vein Creatures right at the start—including a 1st Ring Earth Vein Creature—Maciej was unable to find a single one in his assigned sector by the time afternoon rolled around and the sky had yet to darken. Out of all these days, this was the first time Gaode’s team had completed their mission ahead of schedule.

The weather was growing hotter. As time marched to the 20th of the Harvest Month, this "land-clearing" operation, which had lasted for over half a month, was finally drawing to a close.

The arduous environment and the life of sleeping rough in the wilderness had turned the once-radiant Mage Apprentices into a disheveled and grime-covered bunch. Death had always shadowed them. Even in Gaode’s team, one person had unfortunately perished. It was a 1st Ring Leaf Poison Snake, hidden among the foliage, that suddenly launched an attack.

Although Maciej intervened in time and killed it, the Leaf Poison Snake’s venom spread far too quickly. In just a few short minutes, the toxin had already infected the attacked Mage Apprentice’s entire bloodstream, rendering him beyond the cure of medicine or magic.

However, as time passed, the casualty rate dropped lower and lower each day unless there were special circumstances. For more than ten consecutive days, there were at least five or six battles daily. This allowed the Wild Mages, who initially only came to earn some extra cash, to become increasingly proficient at dealing with Earth Vein Creatures. Their experience grew richer, their vigilance heightened, and they gradually formed their own understanding of combat.

This was especially true for Gaode.

Prior to this, his combat experience was far too lacking. These dozen or so days of high-intensity land-clearing made up for Gaode’s weakest aspect. Moreover, by teaming up with so many Mage Apprentices and being led by a 1st Ring Mage like Maciej from the Law Enforcement Team, he also learned about the specific effects of many forms of magic, greatly broadening his horizons.

Of course, all of this was secondary. To Gaode, the truly important harvest was something others couldn’t see.

With a thought, he pulled up Wind Spirit Moon Shadow. Compared to half a month ago before departure, the information panel of Wind Spirit Moon Shadow was undoubtedly much richer now.

Origin:

0th Ring — [Gray-eyed Mouse]... [Earth Demon Bat] (Used);

[Human] (2/7), [Earthworm] (1/7), [Wolf Rat] (7/7), [Fierce Rat] (7/7), [Demon Burst Frog] (2/7), [Electric Lizard] (7/7), [Maned Dog] (1/7), [Giant Soldier Ant] (2/7).

When he set out, the Origin column had a total of only 7 entries; now it had expanded to 14, exactly doubling. But it was limited to just this. Gaode believed that the types of 0th Ring Earth Vein Creatures surging out from the Hogan Earth Vein were definitely far more than these. It was just that not all 0th Ring Earth Vein Creatures would flee this far from the center of the Earth Vein, nor would all Earth Vein Creatures appear on both sides of the main road. Ultimately, the area they stepped into and swept clean was only a very, very small piece.

"Before I knew it, it’s already been seventeen days since we came out," Gaode couldn’t help but sigh, seeing that the casual clothes he bought upon arriving in Bremen, which he intended to wear for a year or two, were already worn out from the high-intensity wilderness life.

Although these days were tough, watching the numbers jump on the Origin column of Wind Spirit Moon Shadow every day, along with his increasingly skillful combat techniques and stable mindset, Gaode had become somewhat addicted to it. It really felt a bit like being an "internet-addicted teenager" in his previous life, pulling an all-nighter to level up at an internet cafe with a bucket of instant noodles and a sausage; though exhausting, he found joy and contentment in it.

Currently, excluding the Origins he had already used and the ones he hadn’t fully collected, Gaode still held 3 unused Origin Points. With this thought, Gaode set his "gaze" on the Magic List.

Magic:

0th Ring — [Repair Skill+], [Acid Splash+], [Frozen Ray+], [Enhance Resistance+], [Flaming Arrow+], [Blade Protection+];

[Mage’s Hand], [Water Creation Skill], [North Pointing Skill], [Purifying Food], [Tracking Mark], [Flash Technique], [Touch of Fatigue], [Detect Magic], [Reading Magic], [Detect Poison], [Magic Tricks], [Switching Technique], [Communication Skill].

There were 19 0th Ring magics in total, six of which had already been upgraded, including all the magic Gaode used most frequently in combat. Among the remaining unupgraded magics, Gaode’s current usage rate wasn’t particularly high for any of them, so he hadn’t been in a rush to upgrade immediately after obtaining the Origin Points. It was foreseeable that after this land-clearing mission ended, he wouldn’t have such an opportunity to quickly gain Origin Points for a short period, and his collection progress would temporarily stagnate.

Precious resources had to be spent where they mattered most. Gaode needed to carefully consider which three magics he should allocate these 3 Origin Points to. After pondering for the past few days, he had made a decision. Excluding magic that could enhance his combat power and magic with a currently high usage frequency, the priority for the next upgrades should be:

Magic that was foreseeably going to be frequently used > Magic like [Repair Skill+] that had a certain probability of providing monetary gain > Others.

Following this line of thought, the three magics Gaode selected were: [Detect Magic], [Water Creation Skill], and [Reading Magic].

"Food for survival in the wilderness is somewhat easy to find, but locating a safe water source isn’t that simple. Moreover, carrying food is relatively light; even packing several days’ worth of dry rations wouldn’t add too much weight.

"Water is different. Calculated at 3.5 liters a day, that’s 3.5 kilograms. Bringing three days’ worth of water would be 10 kilograms...

"Therefore, the main source of water for wilderness survival must rely on magic.

"My next plan is to head to Cyrus Magic Academy to study. It’s foreseeable that my chances of coming into contact with Magic Text will greatly increase... The frequency of using Reading Magic will definitely rise as well.

"There’s no need to mention Detect Magic. It has always been one of the most commonly used magics by Mages, second only to Mage’s Hand."

Gaode sorted out his thoughts in his mind once more. Confirming his choices, he quickly focused his attention and clicked on the three flashing yellow "+" signs behind these three magic entries.