Mage

Moonlight streamed down, filtering through the gaps in the forest and illuminating the two figures locked in a standoff. Rhode and the blue-robed Mage exchanged glances, each confirming certain things in their minds.

Although Rhode had drawn his weapon from his Space Ring, he made no further move. He didn't charge the blue-robed Mage directly, but stood his ground, watching the Mage before him.

Rhode knew that with his own Strength alone, defeating the blue-robed Mage before him would be incredibly difficult. To kill the blue-robed Mage, he would need the Vampire's assistance.

Following Rhode's mental prompt via the Mental Mark, the Vampire, after dodging the previous attack, had returned to the side of the deceased horse and was rapidly devouring its flesh.

Looking at the blue-robed Mage opposite him, Rhode understood that even though the Vampire had consumed some of the Mage's Mana, it wouldn't significantly impact the damage his Spell Burst could unleash.

For a Mage, as long as their Mana wasn't depleted, their strength wouldn't diminish much. Even if their body sustained injuries, Mages could still perform at their original level, whereas melee Practitioners would be hindered by physical damage, leading to a decrease in their power.

Due to the sheer number of special skills Mages needed to learn, coupled with Mana limitations, Mages appeared weaker at lower tiers, only capable of Burst damage attacks without sustained combat capability.

Low-tier melee Practitioners could defeat Mages of the same tier through their own strength.

As tiers increased, Mages learned various special skills and Spells with diverse effects. Combined with abundant Mana, these factors led to a geometric increase in a Mage's overall strength.

Once a Mage reached Tier 4, the level of a Formal Mage, they could begin to show their true power. At the same Tier 4, ordinary melee Practitioners would find it difficult to contend with Mages of the same tier, and this gap between Mages and Warriors would become increasingly apparent with rising tiers.

As tiers continued to increase, among non-Hero melee Practitioners, except for a very small number of elites at the same tier and some melee Practitioners who had acquired powerful Treasures, the remaining melee Practitioners would be almost incapable of resisting Mages of the same tier.

The growth of a Mage's strength required the support of a large number of special skills. Since the Skill Points obtained through leveling up class tiers were limited, players aiming to cultivate powerful late-game Mages needed to meticulously calculate every Skill Point, or even spend a significant amount of time self-studying special skills to conserve Skill Points.

Players received no special treatment when self-studying skills; they had to learn them like the game's native inhabitants, joining Mage Academies. Even basic special skills often took weeks or even months to master.

Such Mages, once they reached the late game, would possess immense overall strength. Whether it was pure damage Magic, Spells for crowd control, or Spells with special effects, they could unleash their maximum power, possessing virtually no weaknesses.

In his past life's game, Rhode had been such a Mage, and therefore, he deeply understood the power of Mages at higher tiers.

In this life, due to circumstances, Rhode had not deliberately saved Skill Points but used them immediately upon acquisition.

Every Skill Point Rhode had used was based on his own analysis and effectively solved the situation at hand. Had he not learned these skills then, he might not even have the chance to stand here now.

Rhode knew that upon reaching higher tiers, although he could learn Magic, he would lack the diverse special skills to be as versatile as a traditional Mage. However, he could compensate through other means, ensuring his overall strength would be at least on par with Mages of the same tier.

With his thorough understanding of Mages and recalling the Spells used by the blue-robed Mage earlier, Rhode deduced that he possessed Tier 3 strength. Therefore, Rhode didn't intend to engage in combat himself immediately but waited for the Vampire's response.

Sensing the message from the Vampire through the Mental Mark, Rhode knew that even though the Vampire had used Bat Form multiple times while distracting the blue-robed Mage earlier, it could still be used, though only for one final transformation.

From leveling up his character previously, Rhode still had 2 Free Attribute Points unused. During the battle with the blue-robed Mage before him, if he were hit by the Mage's Magic, Rhode would have to resort to using his Free Attribute Points to increase his Constitution, rapidly restoring his HP.

The blue-robed Mage was currently looking in Rhode's direction. While observing the enemy, the blue-robed Mage had also noticed something.

Previously, when they were in the merchant caravan, they were unable to see each other as they were both inside the carriage. It was only now that the blue-robed Mage could see the enemy's appearance.

Looking at the enemy before him, the blue-robed Mage knew clearly that the enemy would not let him go. As long as he still possessed the merchant caravan's Space Ring, the enemy would surely pursue him.

When the enemy drew his weapon and seeing his stance, the blue-robed Mage was clearly taken aback.

Generally speaking, apart from some Mages from noble backgrounds who were skilled in swordsmanship, the weapons held by Mages were either Magic Weapons with special functions or merely symbolic. A Mage's true strength lay in their Spells.

The blue-robed Mage looked at the enemy before him. Although the enemy, clad in black robes, appeared to be a Necromancer, his swordsmanship posture and aura clearly indicated he wasn't using the sword symbolically but intended to fight with it.

In the blue-robed Mage's mind, based on the intelligence he had obtained from the caravan leader earlier, these two travelers could discern the caravan's true cargo through subtle perception, indicating a profound understanding of Necromancy.

Furthermore, during the caravan's journey, the blue-robed Mage had sensed that one of them had undergone deep Meditation. In the blue-robed Mage's estimation, a Mage capable of deep Meditation without fear of interruption must be extremely powerful.

Therefore, the blue-robed Mage, like Yusuf, concluded that the two travelers in the caravan were a Necromancer and a Undead Creature controlled by him, heading to Dya for the purpose of participating in the war, just as he had stated.

Now, seeing that the supposed Necromancer had drawn a sword first, the blue-robed Mage became unsure of their profession. If not a Necromancer, were they a Fallen Warrior or a Spirit-Summoning Swordsman...

With this thought, a hint of regret began to surface in the blue-robed Mage's heart. Had he known that the enemy wasn't a pure Necromancer and not as strong as he had imagined, perhaps by cooperating with the other members of the caravan, there might have been a way to defeat them.

Sensing his remaining Mana, the blue-robed Mage raised his hand first, preparing to cast a Spell.