First Battle with Skeleton Warrior

Chapter 38: First Battle Against Skeletons

The next day, Zhao Xu logged back into Arthur feeling refreshed and invigorated.

This was the first time in two full weeks that he had managed to get a full eight hours of sleep.

Mages were required to sleep for eight hours to prepare their spells, with no distinction made between light and deep sleep. This was something many had complained about in his previous life.

However, none of that detracted from the power of the Mage class.

Zhao Xu had logged off at the Obsidian Spire yesterday, and he reappeared there upon logging back in.

Only if he died would he be resurrected by the Genesis Temple and teleported back to the vicinity of the temple in the last town he had visited.

There was a time when a player got lost in the wilds of Arthur and couldn't find their way back, forcing them to use a Resurrection Stone to commit suicide and return to town.

Only after people realized the rarity of Resurrection Stones did maps and "Survival" skills gradually appear on players' lists.

When Zhao Xu logged in, Antinoa was already standing there.

She looked at Zhao Xu and said, "Sit down and begin preparing your spells."

Zhao Xu followed Antinoa's instructions, quietly sitting down cross-legged as if meditating.

Zhao Xu had already previewed how to prepare spells when he learned them the day before yesterday.

However, Antinoa still watched his condition and offered a few pointers.

The Obsidian Spire where Zhao Xu was located was arguably the highest point in the entire Floating City.

Yet, he still couldn't feel even the slightest breeze, much like his state of mind.

Normally, when a Mage prepares spells, they would be busy flipping through their spellbook at this time.

For Zhao Xu, it was enough to quietly gaze inward at the spell models etched into his heart.

What he was doing now was essentially casting spells in advance.

Once his spells were prepared after this hour, he could then cast them using the required "swift," "standard," "full-round," or even more time, simply by consuming the corresponding time according to the spell's requirements.

Generally, the mainstream casting time for spells in Arthur was "standard action."

Only a very small number of spells were naturally "swift action" spells.

Spells like "Feather Fall," which could be cast with a single thought, were compressed into "swift action" time.

In actual combat, "full-round" actions were generally avoided by most Mages because the long casting time made them easy targets.

Within a single round, even if a "swift action" spell was cast, a subsequent "standard action" spell would have its casting time extended to nearly a full round.

Thus, the exchange of one spell for another was the common practice in low-level Mage duels.

A little over half an hour later, Zhao Xu suddenly realized that his spell slots were all prepared.

He had these spell slots after waking up, lying on his character sheet.

All he had to do was spend an hour filling these empty spell slots with specific spells.

Moreover, he had three spell slots that could be used for "Mindlink," so they didn't need preparation.

This also saved Zhao Xu some time during consecutive battles in the future.

At this moment, Zhao Xu stood up directly. He looked at Antinoa and said, "Teacher, I am ready."

Antinoa glanced at him. "Are you sure?"

Zhao Xu nodded.

This time, Antinoa flickered directly to his front, grabbed him, and cast a teleportation spell again.

"You are about to be teleported. Do you agree?"

This time, Zhao Xu finally saw this message appear in the dynamic panel at the bottom of his mental character sheet.

This was also a privilege they gained after becoming level 1 professionals.

The entire world had begun to become information-based for them.

However, after completing the ritual yesterday, he was only asked if he agreed to the action the other party was about to take, not specifically that it was a teleportation.

The source of this panel's information was him.

If he perceived it as teleportation, then it would display as teleportation.

He couldn't use this information panel as evidence.

Zhao Xu didn't make a choice, and everything proceeded according to the same actions as yesterday—meaning he implicitly agreed.

Zhao Xu was instantly transported from the Obsidian Spire to a spacious, enclosed area.

The surroundings were empty, with high walls extending to the horizon, like an enormous cage.

Immortal Bright Flame torches were lit all around, illuminating him and Antinoa so brightly that their shadows could not hide.

"This is the Primal Arena, where most Mages conduct their spell duels," Antinoa said.

"Your task is to eliminate the summoned creature that appears next."

"Don't feel any psychological pressure; it's just a projection. However, if you can't bring yourself to do it, then I suggest you go back to research honestly."

Zhao Xu paid no mind to Antinoa's words. In his past life, he'd slain more goblins than Antinoa had ever even seen.

Blood was only a sensitive matter the very first time.

Antinoa casually pointed a finger. "Level 1 Summon Undead Creature."

A medium-sized Skeleton Warrior materialized directly in front of Zhao Xu.

It exuded an aura of evil, a large iron shield covering its front to block the main assault. In its other hand, it wielded a scimitar, its hollow eye sockets fixed on Zhao Xu.

Gazing at the Skeleton Warrior before him, Zhao Xu felt reassured.

In his past life, he had participated in battles against Undead Armies.

While a civilian might find fighting skeletons tricky, any Level 1 Warrior would have no problem.

As Zhao Xu assessed the situation, the mindless Skeleton Warrior, obeying Antinoa's command, charged at him, regarding him as an enemy.

Zhao Xu held his breath.

He mentally reviewed its stats.

A medium skeleton had 1D12 hit points, meaning 1-12 hit points (average 6 HP).

Its attack was only Level 1, and with dodging, he had a greater than 50% chance to evade.

However, the skeleton's defense was Level 15, nearly 5 levels higher than its natural base defense of 10. This presented a significant challenge for him in his current unarmed state.

His advantage was the Improved Initiative feat, granting him extremely fast first strikes, often allowing him to hit enemies first.

As he pondered this, the skeleton had already closed the distance.

It was possible the creature would close in and attack him before he could finish casting.

Zhao Xu needed to decide which spell to cast first.

This was Antinoa's test for him; his choice would undoubtedly determine his score.

Protection from Evil, Prismatic Spray, Magic Missile, Mage Armor, Ray of Enfeeblement, Dimension Door?

Six Level 1 spells flooded his mind.

But which one to choose?

Magic Missile could unleash one force missile, dealing 1D4+1 (meaning 2-5) damage, but it might not be enough for a killing blow.

Protection from Evil was effective against the skeleton's evil alignment, but it was only a temporary fix.

Mage Armor would grant a +4 bonus to Armor Class, reducing the skeleton's hit chance to 40%?

Finally, Zhao Xu gritted his teeth and began chanting the incantation.

A missile of condensed energy surged from his hand.