The True Magic

Chapter 41: True Magic

Antinoa remained completely unmoved, as if she hadn't seen his swinging arm.

Zhao Xu knew something was wrong.

Antinoa hadn't even made the most basic dodging motion.

Refusing to move didn't mean her defense would drop to zero; there was still the armor bonus, the deflection bonus, and so on.

But if she didn't move, her Dexterity would be treated as 0, and the adjustment value would become -5.

No one could afford to underestimate the impact of those 5 points on their defense.

However, Zhao Xu was like a gambler who had gone all-in on the final hand; there was no way he could pull his punch back now.

Just as he was about to touch Antinoa, much like when the Magic Missile spell was about to trigger earlier.

Zhao Xu's eyes showed an expression of disbelief.

A huge, semi-transparent pair of wings unfurled behind Antinoa, making her look like a half-dragon, half-human at this moment.

Zhao Xu could only press on regardless, even if Antinoa had completely transformed into a true dragon, he would still throw this punch.

A Warrior's spirit was always to press forward.

Facing Zhao Xu's punch thrown with all his might, Antinoa's semi-transparent wings were not just for show. They directly wrapped forward, forming an invisible force field barrier like dragon wings.

Zhao Xu suddenly found that his punch was like a mud ox entering the sea, its force dissipating into nothingness.

The azure light on his palm, representing Touch of Fatigue, also vanished completely.

His attack had been neutralized, and his spell was gone.

"A second-level spell, Aegis of the Wing, it negates one special attack. I'll dismiss this spell now, you can continue."

Antinoa said slowly to Zhao Xu after he managed to stand steadily.

This was too difficult. Even with Zhao Xu's resilient mind, he felt like he was facing a dead end.

Walls everywhere; break one, and another appears, endlessly.

Although this spell could naturally negate one attack, making it incredibly powerful while only being a second-level spell was very attractive to him.

However, Zhao Xu felt no anger at this moment.

His eyes gazed at Antinoa, filled with fighting spirit, as if she were a whetstone.

Zhao Xu knew that only being able to cast one spell per round was too slow.

He wished he could cast two spells in a single round.

That way, Antinoa wouldn't be able to deal with him so easily.

But he was helpless, as the vast majority of spells were "standard actions."

Spells that could be cast instantly as "swift actions" were uncommon and not within his current repertoire.

So, Zhao Xu could only cast one spell per round, while Antinoa countered him like a chess player, casting one spell per turn.

At this point, he only had one Zero-level Spell left.

Wanting to cast two consecutively was like a clever housewife trying to cook without rice.

"If you don't move soon, you'll lose, you know," Antinoa said, looking at him with a smile.

Zhao Xu was never one to endure insults passively, but he was patient with taunts during combat.

In his past life's battles, he had seen too many failures who couldn't resist and charged forward.

They were defeated by the monster's counter-attack before they even got close.

In casinos, those who lost big and then recklessly increased their bets lost everything.

If Zhao Xu lost his composure now and threw his last spell, only to fail again, Antinoa would truly have mocked him to death.

Zhao Xu continued to pace around Antinoa.

He didn't like gambling.

But at this point, there was no other choice.

Antinoa had said she wouldn't reuse spells that had already taken effect.

Mages, when researching spells, wouldn't research the same spell repeatedly, would they?

If this assumption held true, then perhaps Antinoa had no means to negate ray attacks.

Zhao Xu's eyes were determined as he watched Antinoa begin to chant.

This time, his casting time was even longer than before.

Finally, Zhao Xu's robes fluttered as if caught by a wind.

Ray of Frost!

A ray of cold air and icy fragments shot from Zhao Xu's hand, heading straight for Antinoa.

It was very similar to Acid Splash, just that it dealt cold damage.

However, Antinoa chuckled the moment Zhao Xu cast the spell.

Hearing her laugh, Zhao Xu knew he had failed again.

It was just that his last spell was also used up.

His mind instantly entered a state of ethereal clarity.

It felt as if all things in the world were outside of him, and nothing could disturb him any further.

The sliver of consciousness remaining in Zhao Xu told him that he needed to be faster.

He needed to cast immediately; without two spells hitting at the same time, there was no way to break through the barrier Antinoa had set.

But, he didn't!

He didn't know any "quickened" spells.

He also had no spell slots left.

Unless he could compress a "standard action" into a "swift action."

Unless he could recover the spell slot he had just used.

Zhao Xu's pupils suddenly turned a grayish-white, like an arrogant deity looking down upon the mortal world.

At this moment, the cold air created by his "Ray of Frost" had just reached Antinoa.

Tragedies in the world are always similar.

Antinoa seemed to possess an immense repulsive force; the cold air was repelled the moment it neared the hem of her clothes.

An invisible force continuously enveloped and protected Antinoa entirely.

"Level four spell, Friendly Fire, can—"

Before Antinoa could finish her sentence.

Ray of Frost reappeared!

The second "Ray of Frost," condensed from cold air and ice, had appeared at some unknown time, approaching Antinoa's body.

Zhao Xu had cast two Rays of Frost in succession!

Just now, Zhao Xu felt something surging within his mind, something even he hadn't noticed.

A line of text appeared on his character card:

[Potential Points: 5]

His "Ray of Frost," which should have been impossible to compress into a "swift action," was unreasonably quickened and cast instantly.

And so, the second "Ray of Frost" hard-landed on Antinoa.

It then dissipated, a few drops of water falling to the ground.

Antinoa's defense had blocked the ray.

But she had been hit by Zhao Xu's spell.

Zhao Xu had succeeded.

Everything was so contrary to common sense!

Not to mention that Zhao Xu had no spell slots left!

He also didn't know the metamagic feat—Metamagic: Quicken Spell.

The second Ray of Frost's simultaneous arrival was precisely because it was quickened and cast instantly.

After "Metamagic: Quicken Spell," even "standard action" spells could be turned into "swift action" spells.

From several seconds of chanting to instant casting.

This was the strategic value of "Metamagic: Quicken Spell."

This was why, even though "Metamagic: Quicken Spell" required a spell slot four levels higher, people flocked to it.

However, Zhao Xu's "Ray of Frost" was a "Zero-level Spell." To quicken it, it would require a level four spell slot as a cost.

And even if his spell slots were intact, he only had a level one spell slot. How could he possibly quicken it, leaping three levels?

Not to mention, he hadn't mastered the metamagic feat "Metamagic: Quicken Spell."

"How did he do it?"

From a shadowy corner of the arena, a black-robed mage stepped out, looking at Zhao Xu, but his words were directed at Antinoa.

Why could Zhao Xu be so contrary to common sense?

By what right?