Chapter Fifty-Five: On the Importance of Casting Free Materials
"Does using magic require a little imagination and creativity? This is really the most thought-provoking thing I have ever heard in my life." Courant couldn't help but sigh.
As a "wild mage" with little background and strong teacher guidance, his path to magic can be described as stumbling.
Especially in terms of theoretical knowledge and foundation, the gap with those "academic mages" who have received systematic education is simply not as big as usual.
Many times, Courant needs to study alone for months or years to sum up the experience. The latter often only requires taking a class or listening to a few casual instructions from the instructor.
This is why he reluctantly became a mage who mastered the three-ring arcana in his middle age, and he was full of confusion about his future.
It can't even compare to ordinary academic mages, let alone "geniuses" like Zuo Si who were personally trained by the great necromancer Asta.
In fact, if Zuo Si sorted out the various books and magic-related knowledge in the brain's "thinking library", it would probably fill a whole room.
Because during the time he lived in the floating city tower, one of his biggest hobbies was collecting books, scrolls and notes that he had not read.
Although this is just to satisfy some weird personal hobby, many books, scrolls and notes that are temporarily unused have not been read carefully at all, and are simply stored in the [Thinking Library].
But once you need it, you can retrieve it and check it immediately.
To a certain extent, Zuo Si himself is equivalent to a mobile library, which will automatically record everything he sees and hears anytime and anywhere.
Just when Culang wanted to ask for more details about this magic ritual, Apke suddenly interrupted: "Sir Soth, if we get close now, will those zombie rats attack us?"
You don't need to ask to know that this fat bald man can't wait to go over and see if there are any survivors among the pile of corpses, which can provide him with some useful information.
For example, who is the rat leader named Lanni and who is secretly supporting him?
What is the purpose of the other party doing this?
Are there any possible backup options?
Zuo Si was obviously not interested in this kind of overt and covert battle between thieves' guilds, and answered directly: "Be careful, don't get contaminated by the tomb soil scattered on the corpses and the ground. But right now, there will be nothing in the passage."
The negative energy content is very high and may cause certain damage to the body."
"I understand, thank you very much."
Apke turned around directly, pointed at the two men closest to him and ordered: "You, and you, go over and see if the rat leader named Lanni is dead. If not, give him to him.
I'll drag it over."
Although these two people obviously did not want to get close to the sewers ahead, they did not dare to disobey the order issued by the leader of the Thieves Guild.
I could only bravely cross the gap in the iron fence, walking lightly for fear of disturbing those terrifying zombie rats.
After about a few minutes, they finally found Lanny, who had fallen into a coma but had not yet died, among a pile of rat-man corpses.
Since this guy is wearing the holy symbol of Mara, the God of Hunting, it has a deterrent effect on small undead creatures to a certain extent.
So he was not eaten alive by zombie rats like other ratmen.
In Faerûn, the holy symbol is a symbol of the majesty and power of the god.
Priests can not only pray and obtain divine spells with the help of holy symbols of their gods, but they can also use them to drive away or control undead creatures.
Although Lanny is not a priest, otherwise he would have used the ability [Rebuke the Undead] when facing the attack of zombie rats just now.
But he is also a devout believer in Mara, the god of hunting, so the holy symbol he wears may contain some special power, or it may simply be a magic item in itself.
Out of caution, the assassin Bethney pulled the holy symbol from the neck of the rat leader.
This rough action obviously pulled the wound, causing the latter to moan in pain, and then slowly opened his eyes.
But before he could figure out the situation, a sharp scimitar was placed on his neck.
"We can have a good talk now, what do you think?" Epke grinned, showing his white teeth.
"Uh... I think I can explain. Everything that just happened was a misunderstanding..."
Realizing that his life was in the hands of his enemy, Lanny quickly raised his hands and at the same time released his beastly state.
In the blink of an eye, he changed from a big furry rat to a thirty-year-old adult man who was about 1.65 meters tall and slightly thin.
Very similar to the image of a beast, this guy is also blind in one eye and has a bitten gap on his ear.
"Misunderstanding?" A cruel smile appeared on Apke's plump face. "Since it is a misunderstanding, then come back with me to explain it. Don't worry, I will spare the best torture room in the guild to entertain you.
”
After saying that, the fat bald man winked at his men.
Without saying a word, the assassin Bethney raised his leg and kicked him, hitting the rat leader in the temple.
The latter couldn't even say a word to beg for mercy, so he rolled his eyes and fainted again.
The bodyguards and thugs around him tied him up tightly with ropes and stuffed him into a dirty sack with extremely skilled movements.
You don't need to ask to know that what awaits Lanny will be brutal torture and torture.
With the various potions, magic items and the powerful healing effects of divine spells in Faerûn, dying happily is a luxury.
Of course, this has nothing to do with Zuo Si.
He is currently obsessed with the improvement in physical attributes brought about by absorbing life energy.
As more and more half-dead ratmen died completely, both agility and physical fitness exceeded the critical point, and each improved to a certain point on the original basis.
【Strength:6 2(8)】
【Agility:11 5(16)】
【Physique:8 5(13)】
【Perception:12 2(14)】
【Intelligence:16 3(19)】
【Charm:11】
In addition, after the mage level is upgraded to LV2, the number of spell slots in the first level also increases from 2 to 3.
If he upgrades to another level, Zuo Si can learn and memorize the more powerful second-ring magic.
But before that, he decided to fully master all the contents and techniques of the book "On Casting Spells Without Materials".
As for the reason...
If you look at the bizarre materials required to cast these spells, and how often they are stuffed into your mouth and swallowed, you will understand why.
It’s nothing like having to swallow a live spider alive in [Spider Walking Technique]!
At worst, choose a smaller one, just close your eyes and endure it and it will pass.
Anyway, it will be digested into protein when it enters the stomach.
But the problem is that some spell-casting materials are really not acceptable to normal people.
Take the transformation magic that adds six basic attributes to the second-level spell as an example. It is simply "Old Eighth Ecstasy".
Whether it is [Bear's Endurance], [Ox's Power], or [Fox's Cunning], the corresponding casting materials are the excrement of the corresponding animal.
The most famous of the three-ring arcane spells [Fireball] also contains bat guano.
Zuo Si would rather stay on the underground floor of the floating city tower and dissect corpses every day, than walk around the market with a bag of feces of various creatures all day long, let alone taste the taste of these things.
Therefore, [casting without materials] must be learned first no matter what.
Otherwise, he will 100% temporarily exclude some magic from his choices.
No matter how practical and amazing the effects of these magics are.
And it is quite troublesome to find materials every time you cast a spell.
If you accidentally forget to add it when passing through a town, you may lose track at a critical moment.