Practical Exercise

"True talent can't be erased by hard work. The difference between people is truly greater than the difference between people and dogs." Du Pont murmured as he lay in bed, opened the window, looked at the pure white clouds in the sky, and closed his eyes.

He suddenly felt so tired, wanting to be willful and rest for a while.

It wouldn't make a difference this once.

Once his financial crisis passed, he would find a way to get more part-time jobs and raise his Intelligence to 20 as soon as possible. Then, he'd come back and slap those apprentices in the face!

With the important matter off his mind, listening to the cooing of the Dove Messenger by the window, Du Pont's mood was surprisingly calm, and he fell asleep before long.

He had been staying up late these past few days and had woken up early today. He needed to sleep in to make up for the lost energy.

"Apprentices, thank The Lady of Magic and the elders of the Haluar Council. If we went back 10 years, you might have had to eat a raw spider jerky to cast Spider Climb, but now you only need a 10-gold-coin staff as an Arcane Arts implement."

The instructor for the staff combat class was a burly man, his solid muscles no less impressive than a Barbarian's. His voice, even without amplification, was enough for hundreds of apprentices and new students to hear.

"In addition to replacing most spell components, the staff is also a powerful weapon when facing enemies at close range. Against weaker Goblins and Kobold, the staff can be chopped or swept, and the sharper end can be used as a spear tip to stab enemies. There's a school called Battlemage that even plates the staff with Adamantine or other precious metals to improve the staff's quality and teach a lesson to those enemies who think mages are weak and easily bullied."

"But in my opinion, mages should try to maintain distance from enemies as much as possible. Many mages can only calmly analyze the situation on the battlefield and cast the most appropriate spells in a safe enough environment. Once in close combat, even if you're not at a disadvantage, it's difficult to cast spells under the enemy's close-range threat, let alone support your teammates and relieve the pressure on the battlefield. Therefore, staying safe and not being reckless is the best strategy for a mage in a team. The second-circle spell Misty Step is also one of the skills that all mages must learn."

"But does that mean staff combat isn't important? No! If you don't know how to use staff combat, you'll definitely panic when facing enemies at close range. A smart mage will activate Shield Spell while using the weapon in their hand to block the enemy's attack, creating ample time for teammates to support you. Otherwise, if you don't have spell slots or simply don't know Misty Step, then almost certain death awaits you!"

"In addition to close combat, the staff is also a good choice for scouting. Whether in the mountains or in the Dungeon, having a staff to scout ahead will greatly increase your chances of survival. Otherwise, if your calf is caught in a hunting trap, you'll be lucky if you can retreat quickly."

"Practice is better than a hundred explanations! Now let me demonstrate with this Half-orc two-handed warrior."

After the instructor finished speaking, he picked up his Steel staff. When he lifted the staff with his right hand, the bulging muscles in his right arm reminded Du Pont of Lu Zhishen from the old Water Margin.

This Steel staff must weigh at least thirty or forty pounds. Even the sledgehammer he used in the training ground wasn't this heavy. This person could actually lift it with one hand and use it in actual combat?

This terrifying strength was probably enough to learn how to wield a door-sized sword like Gazi.

The two-handed Half-orc warrior practicing with him also had a body full of muscles, a face full of bulging flesh, and two beast teeth protruding from his mouth. The halberd in his hand reflected a cold light under the sunlight.

The two were 30 yards apart. With a command, the mage had already cast Bull's Strength on himself. Facing the thrusting halberd, he calmly cast Shield Spell. The powerful transparent shield made a teeth-aching sound when it came into contact with the tip of the halberd, but the shield remained motionless and showed no signs of breaking.

Many watching apprentices couldn't help but exclaim: What level of Shield Spell is this that can withstand the full blow of a Half-orc warrior?

Just then, the instructor seized the opportunity when the opponent's old strength was exhausted and new strength had not yet been generated, and directly smashed the staff in his hand at the opponent's face.

Fast, accurate, and ruthless!

One blow to the head directly knocked the Half-orc unconscious, even with his physique. However, with the help of the Church, he quickly woke up under the Divine Magic cast by Angie.

The combat instructor continued, "Of course, it's a bit difficult to use this technique in actual combat. To accurately hit the enemy's head, you not only need a steady hand, but also speed. If you don't have enough explosive power, it's easy to be parried, and then you'll be unarmed and expose considerable flaws. Those combat professionals won't miss this opportunity."

After speaking, the instructor and the Half-orc returned to their positions. This time, the performance was more conventional: still Shield Spell to start, followed by waving the staff to perfectly block the Half-orc's two attacks, and using Misty Step during the warrior's sword swing, teleporting the body 10 meters away in an instant.

Ten meters is not far for a formal combat professional, but in the eyes of experts, it is a fatal distance.

The Half-orc raised his sword and roared. The terrifying roar made many apprentices with poor psychological endurance turn pale, but the combat instructor was not afraid at all. When there were only two meters between the two, his staff shot out a silver-white ray, and after hitting the Half-orc warrior, he stood there blankly, not knowing what to do, touching this and fiddling with that, as if this was not a competition but waiting for dinner.

This was not a script, but a fourth-circle enchantment spell: Confusion Spell. After being hit, the enemy has an 80% chance of forgetting what to do, their brain goes blank, and there is also a chance of randomly attacking their allies.

In this state, as long as you don't actively attack the target, the target is very likely to be controlled for dozens of seconds.

"Even if you don't know Confusion Spell, Charm Person is a good choice when facing combat professionals, but this spell's circle is too low and its versatility is not strong. The second-circle spell Blindness Spell can also create a similar effect. Of course, if you don't even know second-circle spells, then I don't recommend you take risks, because in that case, you can only rely on your own combat skills when facing the enemy's surprise attack, and as we all know, mages are not very good at that."

Hearing the instructor's words, many people laughed, and some apprentices asked, "What about you, instructor?"

"I am a Battlemage. My own spells mainly focus on divination, protection, and enchantment, and I am not very good at other schools." The instructor smiled kindly, "Walking my path requires a certain amount of physical fitness, but more important is psychological quality. When you take risks or participate in battles as an army mage, you will know that being able to stay calm and focused at all times is the most important and most difficult thing. Otherwise, when the situation is bad and facing the enemy's siege, some psychologically fragile mages may have a blank mind and even forget the incantation. This is also the main reason for the high mortality rate of apprentice mages."

"Of course, if the situation is really critical, and you don't dare to gamble on whether Charm Person can control the opponent, or the opponent is simply not a humanoid creature, then retreating a few steps after Misty Step and casting Invisibility Spell is also the correct way to deal with it. Hide and wait for your allies to solve the enemy, and then take action when the opportunity is right. However, if the team suffers additional casualties as a result, then we as spellcasters may have to bear some responsibility."

"Is there any way to avoid this?" The question was asked by Du Pont, who found that this instructor was actually willing to teach real things.

This was a rare opportunity.