Mage Armor

Su Ran also used [Light Spell] and [Lesser Healing Spell] frequently. The former was useful for more than illumination; it worked exceptionally well against certain monsters that feared light or relied on darkvision.

The latter became one of the keys to keeping the squad going, especially when Xiaoguang couldn't replenish his holy power fast enough.

As for his equipment, the [Arcane Resonance] effect of the [Mithril Staff] triggered several times. Each time, it greatly increased the power of his crucial missiles, instantly killing troublesome elite monsters and accomplishing remarkable feats.

The mana bonus and reduced consumption provided by the [Mana Ring] and [Arcane Focus Bracer] let him fight longer than mages of the same level.

Of course, danger was always close at hand. A Shadowfin Stalker's claws had grazed Su Ran's scalp, nearly cracking his skull open;

He had also been struck in the shoulder by the Fishman Shaman's Water Arrow Spell. Although his Cloth Robe and Glimmer Shield had blocked it, the pain was still unbearable, and it left a patch of purple bruising;

On the most dangerous occasion, the squad had blundered into an ambush set by a small group of Poison Sac Murlocs. Corrosive acid had nearly splashed onto his mage robe, but fortunately Rex had blocked it with his shield in time, while Alina and Karl swiftly dealt with the spellcasters.

After three days, Su Ran had gained several wounds that weren't too serious, and the continuous fighting and prolonged tension had left him somewhat mentally exhausted. Yet his gaze had grown sharper, and his aura more condensed.

Real combat was the best whetstone.

Their squad had an impressive record. They had successfully cleared several monster gathering points and helped the Guard Hall consolidate two temporary defensive lines,

and had even taken part in a probing attack on a small Fishman nest, harassing it from the perimeter without venturing deeper.

In the Iron Cross Guild's internal temporary contribution system, the contribution points accumulated in Su Ran's personal account had reached a considerable figure, far above the average for ordinary temporary members.

That evening, after completing another clearing mission and dragging his exhausted body back to the outpost camp, Su Ran didn't immediately rest or attend to personal matters.

He went straight to the Iron Cross Guild's internal exchange station in the camp, a temporary facility made up of several reinforced military trucks and tents.

It was open only to guild members, including temporary members, who could exchange contribution points for all kinds of supplies: from basic provisions, potions, and ordinary equipment,

to rare materials, skill scrolls, and even some internal intelligence or special services.

The exchange station was crowded, mostly with awakened ones who had just rotated off the front lines, their faces marked by smoke and exhaustion. Su Ran waited in line for a while before his turn came.

He placed his Personal Terminal, which was connected to the guild's internal network, on the scanner. The screen lit up, displaying his identity information, his current level as a Lv.3 Mage, and his enviable contribution point balance.

The person in charge of exchanges was a stern-looking middle-aged female mage dressed in standard guild robes.

She glanced at Su Ran's contribution points, a trace of surprise flashing in her eyes before she quickly regained her composure. "Exchange access has been granted.

You may browse the list of available items. I recommend replenishing your consumables and getting practical items suited to the current battlefield first."

Su Ran nodded and began browsing the terminal's holographic screen.

The list was long and divided into categories.

He quickly skimmed past ordinary healing potions, mana potions—the standard models provided by the guild had mediocre effects and weren't as good as those he'd obtained from the "Gray Rat" Merchant Association, but they were cheap and a better deal when exchanged for contribution points—various arrows, basic enchanting materials, and so on.

His gaze went straight to the arcane and protection subsections under the spell model scroll category.

After the past few days of fighting, he had become keenly aware of the shortcomings in his repertoire of spells:

He lacked effective area-of-effect attack, or AOE, methods. [Energy Missile] was good, but when facing large numbers of low-level enemies, picking them off individually still wasn't efficient enough, and it consumed a lot of mana.

He relied too heavily on equipment and teammates for his own protection.

His Cloth Robe provided limited defense, while [Glimmer Shield] was weak and depended on Xiaoguang. He needed a spell he could cast himself that would provide stable protection.

He sifted through the options carefully.

There weren't many choices for arcane area attacks, and even fewer suited his current level and contribution points. In the end, his gaze settled on two spells:

[Arcane Explosion]: Triggered a small arcane energy explosion in a designated area, dealing arcane damage to all enemies within range.

Its power was moderate and its range small, about three meters in diameter, but it was quick to cast, and its mana consumption was relatively manageable. Exchange requirement: 80 contribution points.

[Weakened Magic Missile Storm]: Fired multiple self-tracking magic missiles, three to five at a time, to attack different targets or concentrate on a single target.

Each missile was weaker than a standard Energy Missile, but the tracking feature worked well against multiple moving targets. Exchange requirement: 120 contribution points.

As for protection spells, he soon found what he was looking for:

[Mage Armor (first-circle spell)]: Condensed mana into an invisible layer of force-field armor around the body, providing steady physical protection.

It was equivalent to a piece of good-quality leather armor and also offered slight resistance to energy attacks. It lasted a long time, measured in hours, and consumed mana only once per casting. Exchange requirement: 60 contribution points.

Su Ran calculated quickly. He had enough contribution points to exchange for two of them.

After weighing his options briefly, he made his decision:

"I'll exchange for [Arcane Explosion] and [Mage Armor]." He pointed to the options on the screen.

The female mage checked. "[Arcane Explosion], 80 points; [Mage Armor], 60 points. That's 140 contribution points in total. Confirm the exchange?"

"Confirmed."

The contribution points were deducted, and the female mage turned to an encrypted safe behind her and took out two pale purple crystal slivers engraved with complex runes. They were [Single-Use Learning Scrolls] containing the spell models.

Su Ran accepted the two scrolls, feeling the fluctuations of knowledge contained within them, a surge of anticipation rising in his heart.

With [Arcane Explosion], he would be better able to clear out groups of low-level murlocs.

With [Mage Armor], his survivability would improve significantly, allowing him to move into position and deal damage more boldly.

He carefully put the scrolls away, nodded to the female mage, and left the exchange station.

It was already dark outside, and scattered lights had come on throughout the camp.

Rather than return to the rest tent assigned to his squad, Su Ran found a relatively secluded personal meditation and practice area equipped with a simple soundproof barrier. He had also exchanged contribution points for temporary use of it.

He sat down cross-legged and first regulated his breathing, entering a meditative state to recover some mental energy and mana.

Then he took out the scroll containing [Mage Armor].

Safety first. I'll learn this lifesaving spell first.

He gripped the crystal sliver in both hands and sent his mental power into it...