When Zhao Xu logged back into Arthur the next day, he felt completely refreshed.
It had been the first time in two whole weeks that he had gotten a full eight hours of sleep.
Wizards had to sleep for eight full hours to Prepare Spell, regardless of the difference between light and deep sleep. This had been criticized by many people in his Previous Life.
Still, none of that diminished the power of the Wizard class.
Zhao Xu had logged out at the Obelisk Tower yesterday, and he reappeared atop the Obelisk Tower when he logged back in.
Only upon death would he be resurrected at the Genesis Temple and sent back near the temple of the last town he had passed through.
Some players had once gotten lost in Arthur's wilderness and been unable to find their way back. Left with no other choice, they had paid the price of a Resurrection Stone to kill themselves and revive in town.
Only after everyone learned how precious Resurrection Stones were did maps and the "Survival" skill gradually make their way onto players' lists.
By the time Zhao Xu logged in, Antinoa was already standing there.
She looked at Zhao Xu and said, "Sit down and start preparing your spells."
Following Antinoa's instructions, Zhao Xu quietly sat cross-legged on the ground, as though meditating on some profound cultivation.
He had already studied how to Prepare Spell in advance when he learned spells the day before yesterday.
Still, Antinoa watched his condition and offered him a few pointers.
The Obelisk Tower Zhao Xu stood on was arguably the highest point in the entire Floating City.
Yet he could not feel the slightest breeze, just as his mind remained utterly calm.
Normally, Wizards spent this time busily flipping through their Spellbooks while preparing spells.
Zhao Xu only needed to quietly examine the spell models engraved within his mind.
His current process was essentially casting spells in advance.
Once he had prepared his spells during this hour, he only needed to consume the appropriate amount of "swift," "standard," "full-round," or even more time according to a spell's requirements when he wanted to cast it.
Most mainstream spells in Arthur used standard-action casting times.
Only a handful of spells were inherently swift actions.
Spells like Feather Fall, which could be cast with a single thought, were compressed into "swift" actions.
In actual combat, Wizards generally avoided full-round spells because their lengthy casting time made them easy to counter.
Within a round, even if one cast a swift-action spell, then cast a standard-action spell afterward, that standard action would be stretched to nearly an entire round.
Thus, you cast a spell and I cast a spell was basically the normal pattern of battle for low-level Wizards.
A little over half an hour later, Zhao Xu suddenly realized that all his Spell Slots had been prepared.
He had possessed those Spell Slots from the moment he woke up; they lay on his Character Card.
All he had needed to do was spend an hour filling those blank Spell Slots with specific spells.
What was more, he had three Spell Slots available for Uncanny Foresight, so those did not need to be prepared.
This would save Zhao Xu some time when he had to prepare for consecutive battles in the future.
Zhao Xu stood up and looked at Antinoa. "Teacher, I'm ready."
Antinoa glanced at him. "Are you sure?"
Zhao Xu nodded.
This time, Antinoa flickered directly in front of him again. After grabbing him, she began casting teleportation once more.
"You are about to be teleported. Do you agree?"
This time, Zhao Xu finally saw those words appear on the dynamic panel at the bottom of his Character Card within his mind.
This was also a privilege they gained after becoming Level 1 professionals.
The entire world had begun to become informationalized for them.
Yet after he completed the ritual yesterday, it had only asked whether he agreed to the other party's impending action. It had not specified teleportation.
That was because the source of the panel's information was himself.
It displayed teleportation only because he believed it was teleportation.
He could not use this information panel in reverse as evidence.
Zhao Xu did not make a choice. Everything proceeded according to the same behavior as yesterday—he tacitly agreed by default.
In an instant, Zhao Xu was teleported from the Obelisk Tower to a spacious, enclosed arena.
The surroundings were empty all the way to the tall walls at the edges, like an enormous prison.
Immortal Bright Flame torches had been planted all around, illuminating Zhao Xu and Antinoa so thoroughly that even their shadows had nowhere to hide.
"This is the Primal Arena. Wizards generally conduct spell duels here," Antinoa said.
"Your task is to eliminate the summoned creature that will appear next."
"Don't feel any psychological pressure. It's only a projection. But if you still can't bring yourself to act, then I suggest you honestly go back to doing research."
Zhao Xu paid no attention to Antinoa's words. In his Previous Life, he had killed more Goblins than Antinoa had ever seen.
Blood was only especially unsettling the first time.
Antinoa casually pointed a finger. "Summon Undead Creature, First-level Spell."
A medium human Skeleton Warrior appeared directly before Zhao Xu.
Its entire body radiated an Evil aura. A large iron shield covered its front and blocked its vital areas, while its other hand brandished a scimitar. Its hollow eye sockets stared fixedly at Zhao Xu.
The moment Zhao Xu saw the Skeleton Warrior before him, his heart settled.
In his Previous Life, he had participated in several battles against the Undead Army.
A commoner would find a skeleton quite troublesome, but for a Level 1 Fighter, it was no problem at all.
As Zhao Xu assessed it, the mindless Skeleton Warrior obeyed Antinoa's command and charged at him, treating him as an enemy.
Zhao Xu held his breath.
Data on the creature kept surfacing in his mind.
A medium skeleton had 1D12 HP, which meant 1 to 12 HP, averaging 6 HP.
Its attack bonus was only +1. By dodging, he had over a fifty-percent chance of avoiding its attacks.
However, the skeleton had Defense Class 15, nearly 5 points above the natural base defense of 10. It would be difficult for him to deal with barehanded.
Its advantage was the Improved Initiative Feat. It could act extremely quickly and often strike its enemies first.
As he considered this, the skeleton had already closed the distance.
It might reach him and attack before he finished casting a spell.
Zhao Xu had to decide which spell to cast first.
This was Antinoa's test. The choice he made would determine his score.
Protection from Evil, Prismatic Spray, Magic Missile, Mage Armor, Ray of Enfeeblement, Dimension Door?
Six First-level Spells flooded into his mind.
But which one should he choose?
Magic Missile could fire a force missile that dealt 1D4+1 damage, or 2 to 5 points, but it might not kill in one hit.
Protection from Evil specifically countered the skeleton's Evil alignment, but it only treated the symptoms, not the cause.
Mage Armor granted a +4 armor defense bonus, reducing the skeleton's hit chance to 40%?
In the end, Zhao Xu gritted his teeth and began chanting.
A missile of condensed energy surged from his hand.
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