Turning the Tables

Jialan's fingertips trembled.

The chill of the Misty Forest had seeped into his bones; even his breath froze into frost in the air. He gently stroked the crystal at the tip of his staff, feeling the ice-element mana flowing within it.

The sound of dead branches snapping came from afar.

Jialan held his breath and pressed his back tightly against a frost-covered tree trunk. He spread his spiritual power to its limit, covering the thirty meters around him. Three distinct presences were approaching: one light as a cat, one heavy as a bear, and one with the sharpness of metal. An assassin, a warrior, and an archer—a standard hunting party.

"Found you, little mage."

A hoarse voice came from above. Jialan abruptly looked up to see a Shadow Figure diving from the canopy, the cold gleam of a dagger slicing through the mist.

"Frost Shield." This spell, which had taken him seven or eight seconds to cast, was the strongest shield he could currently use. He had prepared it long ago, suppressing it without releasing it, waiting for this exact moment.

"Crack!"

The shield held for a few breaths before shattering, but it bought him precious time. Jialan rolled across the ground, his robe torn by shards of ice.

After pulling away, Jialan suddenly turned, driving his staff into the icy ground. A blinding blue light burst from its tip as the Ice Mist Technique activated instantly. Thick fog spread outward from him. This was a trap he had carefully prepared; in a forest like this, the Ice Mist Technique's effects would be amplified severalfold.

The assassin's figure flickered in and out of view within the fog. Jialan could see the shock on the man's face. This distance was still too dangerous for a mage—but even more dangerous for an assassin.

"Thorn Bind!"

Six or seven thorny chains studded with ice crystals sprang from the ground, precisely wrapping around the assassin's limbs. The man struggled desperately. Though this was only an apprentice-level Wood Element spell, Jialan had scattered six or seven seeds around the area earlier, binding the assassin all at once. Even as he unleashed all his battle aura, he could not break free for the moment.

Jialan steadied himself and calmly chanted the incantation. Five or six seconds later, "Frost Ray!" pierced through the assassin's chest. His blood froze before it could even spatter. Jialan had no time to catch his breath. He heard the clashing of heavy armor drawing near. It was the warrior.

The sound of an arrow cutting through the air came from the thick fog. Jialan twisted aside, and the arrow grazed his cheek, leaving a bloody mark. But that shot also exposed the archer's position.

"Shadow!" Jialan called in a low voice.

"Understood!"

A familiar voice came from the treetops, followed by the twang of a bowstring. The enemy archer let out a muffled groan and fell from his hiding place.

The warrior's roar grew ever closer, and Jialan could feel the ground trembling. He raised his staff and began chanting a complex incantation. Moisture in the air began to condense as a spear gradually took shape.

The instant the warrior burst through the dense fog, he was greeted by Jialan's strongest attack—"Spear of Frost."

It struck the warrior heavily in the chest, sending the heavily armored man off balance and crashing to the ground. Blood gushed from his mouth, but the blow was not fatal. This warrior really had thick skin.

Shadow frowned slightly, then released the bowstring with his long fingers. The arrow tore through the air and struck the warrior precisely in the throat. The warrior's eyes widened as he tried to make a sound, but it was already too late. He collapsed heavily into the snow, his blood staining the surrounding snowdrifts red.

Jialan let out a long breath, only then realizing that his entire body ached. This battle had consumed too much; his mana was nearly depleted.

Aside from the Ice Mirror Technique and Skating Technique, which he had cast using his staff's built-in effects and a scroll, he had cast everything else himself during that harrowing battle.

The Flash Spell, Ice Mist Technique, and Thorn Bind were merely apprentice-level spells. Frost Shield, Frost Ray, and Spear of Frost, however, were genuine Tier 1 Spells. A Beginner Low-Tier caster could normally cast at most eleven or twelve apprentice-level spells and three Tier 1 Spells at a time.

Although Jialan was already a Beginner Mid-Tier caster, his Mana Pool was somewhat smaller than that of others at the same tier. This was his weakness. He could only spend more time using brute-force spiritual power to temper it. Meditation Methods that could greatly increase one's mana were not something a little mage without any background like him could obtain.

His mana was nearly exhausted, and he could cast at most a few more apprentice-level spells. The Misty Forest was fraught with danger. A caster without mana was not much stronger than an ordinary person. Fortunately, for some unknown reason, many of the magical beasts in the forest had disappeared. There were fewer magical beasts, but far more enemies. Enemies were far more terrifying than magical beasts.

The two of them searched the battlefield, but found nothing. Naturally, why would ambushers carry all their possessions except necessities?

Afraid that the sounds of battle would draw more enemies, they hurriedly left. After traveling seven or eight kilometers, Jialan truly could not walk any farther. Only then did he find a large tree hollow sheltered from the wind and snow, crawl inside, sit cross-legged, and enter Shallow Meditation.

Three or four hours later, Jialan opened his eyes after recovering seventy or eighty percent of his strength. He called Shadow, who had been standing guard outside, then took out some dry rations from his Spatial Bag. The two shared the food.

"We investigated you..." Shadow suddenly said. Facing Jialan's puzzled gaze, Shadow continued, "This mission is extremely important. We couldn't just casually find someone to join the team. We sent your information back to the Imperial Capital through a teleportation array, and received a reply a few days ago."

"Is there anything special about me?" Jialan asked.

"Other than being a caster, you're just an ordinary citizen of the Longsheng Empire." Shadow's expressionless face showed no emotion. "For this mission, what we need is someone like you—someone with no background... a poor man!"

"What's wrong with being poor? I never agreed to join your team or carry out some important mission. Though I belong to the military, as a caster, I have the right to refuse dangerous assignments," Jialan snapped in embarrassment and anger.

"You won't refuse!" Shadow stared straight at Jialan. "Arrow Protection!"

"What?" Jialan sprang to his feet.

Shadow looked at the wound on Jialan's delicate face, left there by the enemy archer during the earlier battle. Though it had already been healed with the Soothing Rain Spell, a faint mark remained.

"The captain said that as long as you agree to participate in the mission, your reward will be the structural analysis diagram for the Arrow Protection spell. After the mission, there will be additional rewards—potions, materials, magical items, spell structures, even Meditation Methods. As long as your contribution is sufficient, you can exchange it for all of them..."

Seeing Jialan's uncertain expression, Shadow's lips rarely curled into a smile. "You know, the captain is the heir to Marquis Kapei's Manor..."