Yinsen's New Weapon

The shield in his hand blocked a heavy blow just in time. The dagger poised in his right hand shot out at full speed, piercing straight through the Fallen's chest. After dealing with the Dark Creature that had suddenly rushed him from the side, Yinsen swiftly pulled back his dagger and resumed his stance to meet the next round of attacks.

"Nicely done, Yinsen. You're improving quickly."

They had been away from the Rogue Encampment for more than half a day. This time, Yinsen was no longer deliberately avoiding dangerous enemies as he had before. Instead, they actively sought them out, eliminating every Dark Creature they encountered.

In just half a day, they had killed more than a dozen Quill Rats, over twenty zombies, and an unknown number of Fallens.

As they moved farther and farther from the encampment, the Dark Creatures they encountered gradually became tougher, and their numbers increased as well.

This time, they had run into a small Fallen tribe numbering several dozen, mixed with at least three Fallen Shamans. Isendra and Zul immediately made those three shamans their top priority, then slowly cleared out the rank-and-file monsters left without magical support.

For two capable sorcerers like them, even fighting in close quarters, eliminating several dozen Fallens was no difficult task. The only thing they needed to watch out for was Yinsen's safety.

They did not object when Yinsen suddenly announced that he would join them in clearing the Dark Creatures from the Den of Evil. On the contrary, they welcomed him.

"Anyone willing to fight demons is our companion."

Strength was not something they cared much about. Even if Yinsen was weak, they were willing to bring him along to destroy the darkness.

Along the way, the two sorcerers had deliberately trained Yinsen. When they encountered scattered zombies, they let Yinsen handle them himself. When they encountered larger groups, they intentionally left a few weaker stragglers for him, giving him practical combat experience.

This time was no exception. After swiftly killing the most threatening Fallen Shamans and taking control of the battlefield, the two sorcerers deliberately allowed several scattered Fallens to dart away and launch sneak attacks on Yinsen.

They were not worried that Yinsen would lose his life. After spending this time with him, both had gained a clear understanding of his abilities.

As spellcasters who cultivated Mental Power themselves, they also understood perfectly the physical changes brought about by increased Mental Power.

After Yinsen's Mental Power increased, his mental reaction speed had surpassed that of ordinary people. Whenever he focused during battle, he felt as though his opponents' movements had slowed down.

When Rathma Priests first began learning close combat, this trait was practically their greatest reliance. Excellent mental reflexes allowed them to better grasp their opponents' movements, while abundant and powerful Mental Power enabled them to think up countermeasures in an extremely short time.

The only thing limiting their close-combat ability was the speed of their bodies' reactions.

Yinsen now faced the same problem. Fortunately, this body of his belonged to a seventeen-year-old youth. Teenagers might lack strength, but their reaction speed was absolutely at the peak of life, and they were far more agile than adults. Thus, he could barely keep up with his mental speed and make the appropriate movements to kill his enemies.

After a period of training, Yinsen had progressed from merely defending against ambushes to counter-killing his attackers. Even if his opponents were only weak Fallen fodder, it was still a tremendous improvement.

Even weak Fallen fodder possessed strength comparable to that of a strong adult man. They were also incredibly fast and could easily shake off cumbersome human pursuers. Being able to kill a Fallen on his own proved that Yinsen's Combat Power had surpassed the level of an ordinary person.

After killing the last few Fallens, Yinsen stood still and took a deep breath. The air, filled with dark energy and the foul stench of Fallens, was far from pleasant, yet it brought him heartfelt joy. Every time he survived and endured until the end of a battle was something worth celebrating.

"Your rate of improvement is even faster than I expected. I really wonder why someone with your talent still hadn't become a true Sorcerer's Apprentice at your age."

A true Sorcerer's Apprentice could initially master a few basic spells and even assist their teacher with the preliminary work for minor magical experiments. Though still an apprentice, such a person was no longer ordinary, but someone who had truly grasped the power of magic.

Even young people chosen and personally taught by sorcerers rarely remained uninitiated at such an age. Of course, disciples chosen by sorcerers were born with strong Mental Power. Most only needed to practice controlling it before directly beginning to condense magical power.

"Because I only truly came into contact with magic not long ago."

As Yinsen answered, he glanced at the dagger in his hand. The weapon Kashya had given him had finally reached the end of its life. Its blade was bent and battered, and the already short blade had become even shorter after its tip broke off. Only the hilt remained intact.

Strictly speaking, this was his first weapon, so it held great sentimental value. But it no longer even had value as a keepsake. The ruined blade had warped so badly that it would not fit into its sheath. He could only throw it away.

"There are quite a few things the Fallens collected here. Take a look and see if there's a weapon that suits you."

Unlike Yinsen, the two sorcerers each had weapons of their own. Isendra, for instance, wielded a long staff that could be used for Staff Fighting when necessary. Her Staff Fighting was no mere flashy display; it was truly capable of fighting demons.

Zul's personal weapon was a strangely shaped dagger. Supposedly, it was personal equipment exclusive to Rathma Cult priests, and every priest possessed one. The dagger had many uses: it could be used in close combat and assist with spellcasting. Yet Zul was not using it at the moment. Instead, he had created a long bone scythe with magic. If he changed into a black hooded robe as well, paired with that gloomy and frightening aura...

"Can't you use your magic to make me a longsword or something?"

"This kind of magic requires a continuous infusion of magical power to maintain its form, and it carries my personal Mental Imprint. You wouldn't be able to use it."

Yinsen nodded and began searching the messy encampment for a suitable weapon.

The most common things on the ground were the short knives and Wooden Sticks used by the Fallens. They were crudely made, and from the looks of them, they were not much better than his dagger.

After searching for a while, Yinsen could only settle on a Wooden Stick that looked fairly sturdy.

Once he had picked his "new weapon," they prepared to continue onward. They were not far from the Den of Evil now, and they could even see the outline of its entrance at the edge of their vision.

It was precisely because they were so close that such a large Fallen encampment had been established here.

"Huh?"

After taking only a few steps, Isendra called the other two over and picked up an iron rod from beside a rock.

"This thing..."

She casually swung it a few times. The whooshing wind seemed to announce the iron rod's weight, while the sudden flash of electricity that followed revealed that it was anything but ordinary.

"Ha, your luck is pretty good."

Isendra handed the iron rod to Yinsen. "Throw away that piece of firewood in your hand. You can use this instead."

"What is it?"

Yinsen had naturally seen the fleeting flash of electricity and knew this was no ordinary iron rod. But it was covered in mud and grass, and looked even more miserable than the Wooden Stick. He truly could not tell what kind of weapon it was.

Zul, with his broad experience, was the first to identify it. "If I'm not mistaken, this is a One-Handed War Hammer."

"A war hammer?" Yinsen had seen one-handed hammers at Charsi's forge. "Where's the hammerhead?"

Isendra spread her hands. "It must have broken off. This is the back half of the one-handed hammer... the part connecting the hammerhead to the handle."

Hearing only that, one might think Isendra was playing a joke on Yinsen. What was so good about a broken weapon? So the female sorcerer immediately explained, "Don't think that without the hammerhead, it's worse than the Wooden Stick in your hand. This is Magic Equipment."

Yinsen nodded. He had thought of that as well, since the flash of electricity just now had not been an illusion. Still, without its hammerhead, this piece of Magic Equipment was damaged. Could it still display its proper power?

"You don't need to worry that it can't display its power. I tested it just now. Although the Magic Runes inscribed within have been damaged and can no longer unleash their full power, most of the magic can still function."

No amount of explanation could compare to experiencing it himself. Isendra told Yinsen how to infuse it with his Mental Power and how to use the piece of Magic Equipment correctly.

As his Mental Power flowed in and found the "switch" within the iron rod, the weapon in Yinsen's hand suddenly erupted with blinding electricity. Flickering arcs danced continuously across its surface, and even Zul, the powerful necromancer, involuntarily stepped back as the sudden current burst forth.

"Oh? Its power seems quite decent. But what magic is actually attached to this equipment?"

In that instant, the leaping electricity had struck Zul, causing even his body, protected by Bone Armor and powerful magical power, to feel numb and stinging. If an ordinary person took a hit like that...

"It should be a very powerful Lightning Magic spell. However, the Magic Runes for its final shaping and release were probably inscribed on the hammerhead. Without seeing the hammerhead, I can't tell exactly which spell it is."

So this was a stick that could automatically discharge electricity. Fortunately, it automatically absorbed nearby ambient energy to replenish and store magical power. Yinsen only needed to trigger it with his Mental Power, and the iron rod would automatically convert its stored magical power into lightning and release it.

"So this thing is basically an Electric Baton?"