Trial

Chapter 37: The Test

Antinoa had tried this before, deceiving him in one sentence only to reveal the truth in the next.

Having been fooled once, Zhao Xu wouldn't easily fall into the same trap again.

It was just that Antinoa's explanation was too plausible.

So plausible that it hit his sore spot perfectly.

"Mentor, then why didn't that old Mage named Mokar undergo this spell during his middle age?"

Zhao Xu asked, still remembering the gaze of that elderly Mage.

There was a certain emotion in it.

To live to that age and still have a noob like Zhao Xu notice it meant that emotion had to be incredibly strong.

"It's very simple, he wasn't qualified," Antinoa replied.

Zhao Xu almost didn't react to that, "That can't be right? Mentor."

"There's nothing wrong with it. There are indeed more ways than one to achieve immortality. Besides Mages, other classes have their own channels, and some of your advancements can even grant you a form of immortality."

"Everything has a price. Mokar used to believe he had a chance at becoming legendary, so he didn't want to use other means. As a result, the methods available to him now are limited."

Antinoa looked at Zhao Xu as she said this, "Remember, the purer you are, the easier it is to break through the legendary barrier."

In his previous life, Zhao Xu hadn't even encountered many Mages above level 10, let alone legendary ones.

Yet, here in the Floating City, Antinoa had already spoken to him about legendary matters several times.

Being praised as having legendary potential was a good thing.

It was just that the process of turning that potential into reality was too difficult.

"Then why don't you give that Mage Mokar the low-cost eternal life?" Zhao Xu couldn't help but ask.

"If he can't break through his mental block, he'll remain a weak level 14 for his entire life. He thinks his little schemes are known only to him," Antinoa said mockingly.

"Basically, from the moment each of you stepped into the Floating City, the Association creates a file for you, containing analyses of your development and records of all your experiences. Mokar's past misdeeds have made it so that none of the giants in the Association think highly of him."

Zhao Xu really wanted to complain.

To them, a level 14 Mage like Mokar was already a top-tier powerhouse.

"Mentor, doesn't he still respectfully call you 'Teacher'?" Zhao Xu suddenly remembered.

"Heh, I was the guide for their batch back then, and I ended up with this title. He's been calling me Teacher for decades, it drives me crazy."

"He's just clinging to illusions. If his mentor were me, he surely would have become legendary long ago," Antinoa said.

Zhao Xu finally understood. That emotion he sensed was jealousy.

Zhao Xu and Antinoa's casual chat didn't last long. Shortly after, she received a notification for a "Teleportation Spell" and vanished again.

Before leaving, she handed Zhao Xu a blank silver-sealed book, instructing him to write his name on the cover and then drip a drop of blood into it.

According to her, she had already infused the "Spell Familiarity" and "Uncanny Foresight" feats into the book, and Zhao Xu would be able to see the content by reading it.

Antinoa was essentially telling Zhao Xu to teach himself and then log off to sleep.

Tomorrow morning, after getting enough rest, he would log back in to prepare for spells and then begin his Mage duels.

As for the "Spell Familiarity" feat, Zhao Xu had no difficulty with it at all, thanks to being a Mindful Caster.

This feat, which reportedly took other players several days to master, he had solved in just a few minutes.

He spent the rest of the day, nearly the entire day, engrossed in studying "Uncanny Foresight."

However, Zhao Xu had no spell slots, so he couldn't practice it; he could only learn through contemplation.

Finally, close to 11 PM, he felt a sense of emptiness and loss in his mind.

Only then did he realize that on his character panel, the names of the "Uncanny Foresight" and "Spell Familiarity" feats had appeared under "Flaw Bonus Feats."

Zhao Xu smiled in relief, knowing this meant he had initially mastered these two feats, and now he just needed to gain proficiency.

Afterward, Zhao Xu logged off from his spot on the obelisk and woke up in the real world.

At this time, his two roommates were still immersed in Arthur, their helmets on.

The other one, who was preparing for postgraduate exams, still hadn't returned.

Arthur's popularity in society hadn't reached its peak yet; there wasn't yet that explosive phenomenon.

But many people in his class had joined the game.

That's the university environment for you; if a few people are playing a game and it's fun, it's easy to attract classmates to join.

Many classmates who initially wanted to prove themselves had been discouraged by the training for spellcasters, especially Mages, and had honestly switched to other professions.

Zhao Xu, holding a box of Vita Lemon Tea, walked onto the dormitory balcony, opened the straw, and took sip after sip.

He was finally a level 1 Mage.

If he slept a solid eight hours tonight, and logged into Arthur tomorrow, he would be someone with spell slots.

In his previous life, if he got sick, he had to find "doctors" who had upgraded their "Heal" skill, and even then, there was no guarantee it would work.

However, a third-level "Remove Disease" spell could cure the vast majority of illnesses.

Spells truly could accomplish things far beyond what mortals could manage.

Zhao Xu didn't put the box down until it was completely empty and flattened.

His thoughts were already consumed by tomorrow's battle.

Antinoa had told him as she was leaving.

If he could pass the assessment, she would give him a magic item as a gift for a Level 1 Mage.

Could anything Antinoa carried possibly be worth less than 10,000 GP?

Zhao Xu didn't believe it.

In the early stages, obtaining an item worth 10,000 GP was practically a minor artifact among players.

He just wondered what form this Mage combat assessment would take.

Zhao Xu couldn't help but fall into deep thought.

Zhao Xu remembered his spell slot list—

Zero-level Spell Slots: 3=3 (Mage)

First-level Spell Slots: 2=1 (Mage) +1 (Intelligence)

A total of 5 spell slots, 3 zero-level spell slots and 2 first-level spell slots.

He had 3 Intelligence modifier points, which could be used to reserve three spell slots without deciding on specific spells, allowing him to choose them when casting.

All of these had naturally been allocated to the first-level spell slots.

All that remained was to arrange which spells to prepare for the 2 zero-level spell slots.

Suddenly, Zhao Xu realized something.

Antinoa had left in a hurry today and taught him two feats.

But he still had the "Human Talent Feat" and the "Level 1 Character Feat" that he hadn't assigned yet.

Could it be that what she taught him depended on the results of tomorrow's battle?

Zhao Xu couldn't help but click his tongue. He essentially learned things through trials, proving that there were no free lunches even in large organizations.

His gaze gradually firmed.

He excelled at both hard work and desperation.