Hearing Antinoa's words, Zhao Xu looked slightly stunned.
Hit her?
How could that be easy?
Zhao Xu was only a First-level Mage. He wanted to hit Antinoa with a First-level Spell?
He did not act rashly. Instead, he raised his guard and watched her with full caution.
If there had been any spectators, they would have thought he was the one on the defensive.
Antinoa looked at Zhao Xu and gave a slight nod. She was fairly satisfied with his cautious reaction.
"Don't worry. There's a condition: every time you attack me, I won't use the same method again."
Antinoa's echo drifted throughout the circular arena.
She would not use the same method again.
"What about saving throws?" Zhao Xu pressed.
For some negative spells to take effect, the target had to fail a saving throw—Fortitude, Reflex, or Will.
Antinoa's naturally high level gave her extremely high saving throws. It was not something a First-level rookie like him could break through.
"We're not betting on whether the spell takes effect. As long as you make me roll a saving throw, I'll count it as a hit."
Hearing that, Zhao Xu understood that Antinoa was not trying to show him how easily she could crush him.
She wanted him to experience just how many methods a high-level Wizard had to defend against an opponent's attacks.
With that in mind, Zhao Xu no longer felt excited or anxious.
Then Antinoa suddenly remembered something. "Also, you just used a First-level Spell, so you only have one First-level Spell Slot left. To be fair, catch. This is a scroll of the Magic Missile you just used."
A scroll traced a graceful arc through the air and landed neatly in Zhao Xu's palm.
After putting it away, Zhao Xu took a deep breath.
He now had three Zero-level Spell Slots, one First-level Spell Slot, and a Magic Missile scroll.
Gradually, as his breathing evened out, Zhao Xu cast aside every emotion that could affect his thoughts. Gains and losses alike seemed to vanish completely.
He stared only at Antinoa, several meters away.
For an instant, Zhao Xu felt dazed, as though Antinoa had cast a spell.
He immediately blinked, but saw nothing.
The eight major schools of magic were abjuration, evocation, conjuration, necromancy, illusion, transmutation, enchantment, and divination.
Other than his Zero-level Spells covering every school, he had only six First-level Spells.
He did not have many options for spells that could hit Antinoa.
After taking another deep breath, Zhao Xu reached into the pouch of Spell Components at his waist and grabbed a handful of powder mixed with red, yellow, and blue.
Holding the components in one hand, he raised the other and began chanting.
Prismatic Spray!
A dazzling, rainbow-colored stream of light spread out in a cone before Zhao Xu.
This spell required only a standard action to cast. Zhao Xu completed it in the blink of an eye, taking less time than it had taken him to pull out the components.
The fan-shaped area, nearly five meters in radius, immediately enveloped Antinoa as well.
Although Antinoa was already above twentieth level, with more than 20 Hit Dice,
Prismatic Spray remained enduringly useful because even creatures with 5 HD or more would still be stunned for one round if affected.
Being unable to move for a round meant losing most of one's defenses. That was why the negative condition of being stunned was so tyrannical.
Yet when the radiance faded, Antinoa showed no reaction at all, as though it had meant nothing to her.
"Spell Resistance directly blocked your spell. I'll give up my Spell Resistance now. Continue."
Antinoa spoke calmly, as though nothing had happened.
Zhao Xu shook his head, trying to clear his mind.
Spell Resistance and saving throws were the twin barriers of Arthur's spells. Most spells used to control or attack enemies had to first penetrate Spell Resistance, then overcome a saving throw, before they could take effect.
Spell Resistance was generally possessed by monsters and Other Races. Humans did not naturally possess it.
It seemed that Antinoa had cast a spell on herself to grant herself Spell Resistance.
Or perhaps she had possessed Spell Resistance from the moment she appeared.
Zhao Xu did not pause. He grabbed the scroll Antinoa had given him and began chanting the incantation written on it.
A missile formed from magical force appeared in his hand once again and flew straight toward Antinoa.
He was already thoroughly familiar with casting it this time.
Magic Missile had to overcome Spell Resistance, but ignored saving throws.
However, right before Zhao Xu's eyes, at the very instant the Magic Missile was about to reach Antinoa,
an invisible wall seemed to solidify before her. The Magic Missile dissipated on the spot, without even touching the hem of Antinoa's clothing.
"Minor Spell Immunity, a fourth-level spell. It can block spells from first through third level. I'll give up this spell now. Continue."
Hearing that, Zhao Xu finally understood the overwhelming suppression high-level Wizards had over low-level spells.
Did that not mean that as long as Antinoa was protected by this spell, he could do nothing to her until he reached seventh level and could cast Fourth-level Spells?
But Zhao Xu did not lose heart or say anything like giving up.
He focused and analyzed Antinoa once more, considering what methods he could still use.
After his previous castings, he had exhausted all his First-level Spells, including the scroll.
Now, he only had three Zero-level Spells left.
That also meant he still had three chances.
With that in mind, Zhao Xu immediately began chanting again.
Acid Splash!
A small orb of acid condensed out of thin air in Zhao Xu's palm, then shot toward Antinoa.
This Zero-level Spell could strike creatures at short range. It dealt 1D3 acid damage and required neither a saving throw nor Spell Resistance.
However, spells with trajectories like this required ranged touch attack rolls. They were effectively Zhao Xu's projectiles, meaning the target could still block or evade them through defense.
Yet Antinoa remained as motionless as a wooden statue. Just as the small orb of acid was about to touch her, it suddenly veered aside.
It smashed directly into the ground, producing a faint sizzling sound.
The arena floor had been reinforced. The small pit the acid had just corroded was immediately restored.
Antinoa seemed as though she had never been the spell's target to begin with.
"Impossible," Zhao Xu muttered.
If the small orb of acid had simply vanished, he would not have said a word.
But it had been deflected?
"Ray Deflection, a fourth-level spell. It grants immunity to ranged touch attacks, including ray spells and creatures' ray attacks. I'll give up this spell now. Continue."
Hearing Antinoa's words, Zhao Xu could only concede.
She did not even need to make a roll. She was simply immune.
Her last sentence was also telling him not to bother trying ray spells.
At that moment, Zhao Xu realized there was already sweat on his forehead, ready to drip at any moment. Antinoa's act of standing there and waiting for him to attack placed tremendous pressure on him.
Then Zhao Xu had a sudden idea.
He wiped away a drop of sweat, spread it evenly across his palm, and used it as a Spell Component to cast Touch of Fatigue.
Once the casting was complete, a bluish glow gathered around his hand.
Zhao Xu immediately rushed forward. If he failed to touch Antinoa within one round, the spell would dissipate.
When he sprinted into arm's reach of Antinoa, he swung his arm at her.
Antinoa was immune to ranged touch attacks.
Then what about this melee touch attack?
Before you continue