Pursuit and Spells

Pursuit and Spells

The scene before him was utterly different from before. Compared to the previous scorching heat, this place was darker and colder.

The interior was as vast as a small world, with rugged, precipitous terrain and all manner of distinctive plants growing from the rocks.

Keosius recognized several of them: Spore Mushrooms, Algae Green Dust, Mad Frogman horns, and other plants that grew only in the deepest reaches underground.

Glowstone Rock, Nightlight Crystals, and phosphorescent mosses, lichens, and fungi dimly illuminated parts of the area.

Unknown crystals grew in clusters along the cliff walls, glimmering with a ghostly blue fluorescence that cast the nearby rocks in deep navy hues.

"Is this... the Underdark?"

"No."

This was clearly far deeper than the confines of a mountain cave. It had reached an even more profound depth.

The dark, unknown world beneath the feet of surface dwellers—the place commonly known as the Underdark.

Yet this region of the Bottomless Cave seemed sealed off from the outside world. It resembled an underground realm that had not formed naturally.

The Red Dragon extended his forked tongue, using his extraordinarily keen sense of smell to taste the countless pheromones in the air. At last, he found a familiar scent—the blood of that Azure Foot Dragon Snake.

He looked toward a corner of the rock wall. Beneath the light of the Nightlight Crystals, its color was visibly different from the surroundings. Blue-green bloodstains were scattered there. By following those traces, he could easily find the creature that had escaped.

"Found you."

"Azure Foot Dragon Snake."

He would not let this enemy escape again. He had to ensure a killing blow.

Keosius had just gone through an exhilarating battle, and his spells had been completely depleted. Thus, he used the power of Sorcerous Font to restore his spell slots.

A vast surge of sorcerous power flowed into his body.

"Invisibility Spell."

He silently recited the incantation.

At once, his body, over seven meters long, melded into the darkness once more.

In some corner, the Azure Foot Dragon Snake was weakly licking its wounds.

Its massive body, once seventeen meters long, was now less than ten. The rear of its body was no longer a tail, but a huge, horrifying cross-section where it had been severed.

Torn muscles, shattered organs, and blue-green blood constantly seeping out.

It was clear just how grievously wounded this Azure Foot Dragon Snake was.

Unless something unexpected happened, its lower body might never fully recover. It could only slowly let the wound heal, becoming a "crippled" Azure Foot Dragon Snake, though it still had seven full pairs of feet.

"Damn dragon," it muttered.

Thinking of the culprit behind all this—that peculiar Dragon Sorcerer—the Azure Foot Dragon Snake's tiny blue eyes brimmed with irrepressible hatred. The hatred in its bloodline combined with the hatred born from its wounds.

Azure Foot Dragon Snakes never built nests in regions inhabited by dragons.

If a dragon attempted to nest within several dozen miles of an Azure Foot Dragon Snake's lair, it would have to go and kill or drive it away.

Only when the dragon was too powerful to contend against would the Azure Foot Dragon Snake give up and travel elsewhere to seek a new nesting place.

That was why it had left its last nest.

An inexplicable gust of wind blew across the dark rock wall, making the Azure Foot Dragon Snake shudder.

"This feeling..."

For some reason, the Azure Foot Dragon Snake suddenly felt a palpitation rising from the depths of its bloodline. It instantly became alert, involuntarily straightening up and using its seven pairs of feet to cling to the rock wall.

But it was already too late.

"Got you."

The Red Dragon descended from above and appeared out of thin air, his powerful claws seizing the Azure Foot Dragon Snake.

This time, however, he had not grabbed its torso.

He had grabbed its neck.

Keosius had learned from before. He refused to believe the Azure Foot Dragon Snake could escape by severing its own head.

"Awoo—"

The Azure Foot Dragon Snake stared at the Red Dragon in disbelief.

Its massive body thrashed wildly. Its seven pairs of feet scraped frantically against the rock wall as it slammed its body around, trying to break free from the Red Dragon's chokehold.

"Crash!"

The rock wall shattered beneath its impacts, and fragments rained onto the ground.

But the Red Dragon did not loosen his claws in the slightest. He opened his jaws and bit down on its neck, his mouthful of sharp teeth sinking deeply into flesh.

His long, powerful tail continuously lashed at the Azure Foot Dragon Snake's wound, sending its blood splattering everywhere.

The Azure Foot Dragon Snake let out weak whimpers one after another.

Its struggles gradually grew weaker.

The Red Dragon still did not release it. He even increased his strength further, nearly reaching the point of exhaustion.

Only when a crisp crack sounded did the Azure Foot Dragon Snake's hard bones snap.

Keosius released his jaws in relief. The Azure Foot Dragon Snake's massive body fell from the rock wall and crashed heavily to the ground.

"Roar—"

The Red Dragon stood atop the cliff, spread his wings, and let out a long, exultant roar.

[Azure Foot Dragon Snake - Mana slain. Gained 7200 XP.]
[Your Class Level has risen to Level 5.]

A dense list of spells appeared once more, and Keosius was overjoyed.

There was nothing more satisfying than receiving rewards after an exhilarating battle.

Upon reaching Level 5, the Sorcerer class gained two additional Third Circle Spells.

As for his spell choices, Keosius did not choose the famous Fireball. Instead, he leaned more toward support spells.

His Dragon Feat, Maximize Breath Weapon, already gave him more than enough damage. Fireball was therefore not his first choice.

After pondering for a moment, Keosius made his choice.

[You have gained the additional Third Circle Spells: Blink, Protection from Energy Damage.]

Blink

Third Circle Transmutation Spell

For the duration of the spell, you have a 50% chance of vanishing from your current plane and appearing on the Ethereal Plane. While on the Ethereal Plane, you can hear and see the original plane, but everything appears in black and white. Other creatures can affect you, or be affected by you, only when they are also on the Ethereal Plane.

Protection from Energy Damage

Third Circle Abjuration Spell

For up to 1 hour, one willing creature you touch gains resistance to one type of damage you choose for the duration of the spell: acid, cold, fire, lightning, or thunder.

If the Red Dragon had possessed these two spells when fighting the Azure Foot Dragon Snake, he would not have been so wary of its lightning breath that he had no choice but to engage in close combat.

The two spells appeared in Keosius's mind out of nowhere.

They were far more exquisite, complex, and versatile than his previous spells—to the point that when they first appeared in his mind, he could not fully comprehend them.

He stood there thinking for a long time before he gained a preliminary understanding of the two spells and was able to cast them, albeit clumsily.

The complexity and difficulty of understanding each layer of the Weave was several times greater than the last.

Fortunately, Keosius was a Sorcerer who cast through "art."

He only needed to grasp their basic operating principles and bend reality with his own will, rather than calculate and construct every detail of a model.

No matter what, Keosius had finally taken another step forward and touched upon the third layer of the Weave.