A Mage Is More Than Just a Profession

Five mornings later, Marvin arrived at the entrance to the Friendly Arm Inn.

He reviewed the quest panel one last time.

Quest: Explore the unknown underground area beneath the Friendly Arm Inn and eliminate potential enemies

Difficulty: Medium

Scale: Community-level

Current Success Rate: 460%

[Personal Strength]: As a level 2 mage, you would ordinarily be unable to defeat a swarm of more than a hundred Cranium Rats. However, after cleverly reducing the enemy's numbers and preparing area-of-effect spells, your odds of victory have greatly improved. (Success Rate +50%)

[Weapons and Equipment]: Your equipment will not have a positive effect on this battle. (Success Rate +0%)

[Prepared Supplies]: Cranium Rats are still rats. You have prepared sufficient smoke-producing and incendiary materials to give these pests a thorough fumigation. Combined with the Mechanized Mind Elixir, success is assured. (Success Rate +100%)

[Relevant Intelligence]: You fully understand the enemy. (Success Rate +80%)

[Teammates and Retainers]: You have elite Flaming Fist Mercenary Company soldiers as teammates (meat shields). Among them, the performance of Battle Master Lianna Portyr is worth looking forward to. (Success Rate +180%)

[Environmental Effects]: You have trapped the enemy in an enclosed environment. (Success Rate +50%)

According to the Flaming Fist's previous investigations, on the other side of the hidden passage connected to the Friendly Arm Inn lay a massive, artificially constructed underground complex with intricate terrain and drastic changes in elevation. At its heart was a room of roughly one hundred square meters.

According to Marvin's battle plan, he and four elite Flaming Fist soldiers, including Lianna, would form the core combat group after drinking the Mechanized Mind Potion and lead the frontal advance.

The other Flaming Fist soldiers would follow behind, using large quantities of incendiaries to establish barricades and gradually compress the Cranium Rats' area of movement.

Finally, once the rat swarm had been driven into a corner with nowhere left to retreat, they would use various area-of-effect attacks to annihilate it.

The Flaming Fist Mercenary Company soldiers, who had long been lined up at the entrance to the Friendly Arm Inn, saluted Marvin in unison.

"This is..." It was Marvin's first time receiving the treatment of a leader inspecting his troops, and he was somewhat surprised.

"This is the respect you've earned, Mr. Rodhart," Lianna said.

Perhaps she had harbored some doubts about Marvin before, but now this Flaming Fist commander trusted him completely.

In particular, Marvin's use of an army of cats to hunt down the Cranium Rats struck Lianna as a stroke of genius.

Before the battle, he had used only two castings of [Speak with Animals], less than two gold pieces' worth of dried fish and catnip, and two days of time to cut the enemy's combat strength in half.

Such an ingenious method was something Lianna, a warrior, could never have accomplished.

Perhaps mages were inferior to sorcerers in raw magical destructive power. But because they commanded the most extensive spell list, mages had always stood at the pinnacle of flexibility and variety among all spellcasting classes.

Moreover, just as a knight was not merely a knight, but a noble class under the feudal fief system—

A mage was not merely a mage, but a social class in Faerûn. They were spellcasters, but also scientists, inventors, and engineers—a group that commanded advanced magical productive forces.

No matter how formidable a legendary warrior might be, unless their weapons and equipment had been bestowed by the gods, which of them had not been made by mages?

It had been nearly a hundred years since Mystra's death, the collapse of the Weave, and the outbreak of the Spellplague.

These had been a hundred years in which the mage community had rapidly declined and fallen into silence.

Civilization across Faerûn had regressed rather than advanced as a result.

But ten years ago, when Mystra returned and the Weave was reforged, the mage community had gradually begun to show signs of revival.

Perhaps Marvin Rodhart will become a representative mage of the new era's rise... After this battle, for the sake of the Portyr Family, I must continue strengthening and developing our friendship with him. Lianna looked at Marvin, her mind made up.

After a brief exchange of greetings, Marvin repeated the battle plan for the day once more, then gave his final reminder.

"After drinking the Mechanized Mind Elixir, communication will become a problem, so we must firmly memorize the battle plan beforehand. If we truly encounter an unexpected situation then, we'll have to adapt as it comes."

"No problem. I specifically selected three capable men to act with me today. They're all elites I brought back from Fort Beluarian.

Even the dangerous Chult Jungle couldn't take our lives. What are a few cellar rats compared to that?"

Lianna waved her fist and loudly raised morale.

If not for Marvin, the Cranium Rats could absolutely toy these Flaming Fist soldiers to death with the elusive gathering and dispersing nature of swarm creatures, combined with their powerful spellcasting and psionics.

But Lianna would not say something so discouraging before a battle.

"To wipe out these rodents hiding underground, I spent a full nine days preparing. Rest assured, everyone, everything is under control," Marvin added confidently.

Because his quest success rate had already reached 460%!

The earlier deaths of three soldiers had left this Flaming Fist company somewhat demoralized.

But now, seeing the resolute faces of the warriors, Lianna was very satisfied.

"Move out!"

With a wave of the Flaming Fist commander's hand, the Flaming Fist soldiers marched into the Friendly Arm Inn.

The gnome proprietor personally led them to the hole in the cellar that the Duergar had dug.

"I brought in another ten barrels of alchemist's fire from Beregost, along with more firewood than you could count. All these supplies are provided free of charge. May Garl Glittergold bless you all."

The gnome proprietor pointed at the mountain of supplies stored in the cellar.

Recently, for some unknown reason, the Coast Way connecting Baldur's Gate and Friendly Arm had been cut off. As a result, he could only purchase supplies from farther south.

This filled the gnome proprietor with worry.

But before the battle, he did not wish to say too much and distract the soldiers.

Marvin summoned [Tenser's Floating Disk] and had the Flaming Fist soldiers load all the alchemist's fire onto it.

Then he, Lianna, and the other three Flaming Fist soldiers drank the Mechanized Mind Potion.

At once, the ticking of a clock sounded in his mind. Marvin felt his emotions enter an inexplicable state—cold, carrying the faintly acrid scent of rusted iron.

At that moment, it seemed that none of the world's joys, sorrows, anger, or delights could move him.

Holding a two-handed sword, Lianna led the elite Flaming Fist soldiers into the hole first.

Marvin followed closely behind.

Twenty ordinary Flaming Fist soldiers followed after them, each carrying a huge bundle of firewood on his back, filing in one after another.

They had not drunk the Mechanized Mind Potion and could easily become targets of the Cranium Rats' enchantment spells. Not only would they be unable to help in battle, they would become a burden.

Thus, these Flaming Fist soldiers had only one task: setting up flaming barricades to seal off the Cranium Rats' routes of movement.

As the last Flaming Fist soldier entered the hole, an unexpected situation arose at the front of the group.

"Humans! You actually seek to kill us, to stop our master's great plan! We will make you all die here!"

A shrill, fragmented voice, as though hundreds of throats had merged into one, echoed in everyone's minds.

The Cranium Rat swarm was using psionics to transmit a mental message.

Then came a silent tremor that seemed capable of tearing souls from their bodies.

It was Mind Blast!

Though the ordinary Flaming Fist soldiers at the rear were not the targets, many were still left dizzy and disoriented by the aftershock.

Just as panic began to rise among them, a battle cry rang out from ahead: "Helm watches over all!"

Then crimson light illuminated the pitch-black passage, and the Cranium Rats' screams filled everyone's minds:

"It hurts, it hurts so much! You hurt us again! We'll kill you! Kill you!"