novelsite Chapter 97 The Choice of Magic
Chapter 97 The Choice of Magic
Xu Yang stood aside, sizing up the strange woman who had suddenly appeared.
The woman was not very tall, and she was wearing a large black robe. Her face was completely hidden under the hood, and through the shadows, it was only possible to tell that she was also wearing a mask.
The reason for wrapping himself up so tightly is probably because he doesn't want to reveal his identity.
If it weren't for the full curves that could be seen emerging from under the black robe, it would be impossible to tell whether it was a man or a woman.
Xu Yang glanced at it a couple more times and couldn't help but make some guesses.
"This woman might be some kind of wanted criminal, but it seems like this isn't her first time here."
The fact that the opponent was able to decisively throw out the denars clearly indicates that they knew in advance about the strange reactions of the Furnace Master and the denars.
Verification is also very simple.
Xu Yang's heart stirred, and in an instant he opened the woman's box.
【Humanity】
[A normal adult female who has been living in an isolation zone for an extended period, concealing her identity. She possesses a mutation within her and has the ability to use magic.]
[Note: This is the last time!]
……
Sure enough, this wasn't their first time visiting the Forge of Miracles.
So how did she acquire so many dinars? Was it all just luck?
Xu Yang had some doubts, but quickly regained his composure.
"If there really is any way to get it, asking the Master of the Forge should suffice."
Then, he turned to look at the central stone chair.
At this moment, the Master of the Furnace looked completely mesmerized.
Three dinars burned in his hand, billowing white smoke enveloping his body.
Various images and figures were constructed in the smoke and dust, only to vanish in an instant, and the hall was filled with strange sounds.
A rather bizarre scene.
Fortunately, the strange sight soon disappeared as the dinar burned out.
The Lord of the Furnace took a deep breath, his expression returned to normal, and he looked at the woman with a calm expression.
The next moment, an interface appeared before the woman's eyes—the interface for purchasing magic.
Xu Yang glanced at it and saw that there was only a thin layer of light on the page, which obviously protected the customer's privacy well.
The woman tapped a few times on the interface.
Opposite him, the Lord of the Furnace gently raised his hand.
A golden light emerged from his fingertips, quickly rushing towards the woman, swirling around her body a few times before slowly fading away.
Clearly, this is the entire process of the transaction.
"It's quite convenient. It seems that acquiring magic doesn't come at much cost to the Forge Master, or... is the cost those denars?"
Xu Yang had a vague guess in his mind.
The dinar is far more than just a currency.
It's important to understand that pure currency is meaningless and has no intrinsic value, while the Lord of the Forge genuinely bestows magical abilities upon living beings, and such things cannot be done without a price.
Either the denar itself is a special kind of energy that can make up for the cost, or... the Lord of the Furnace has been controlled.
Xu Yang recalled what had just happened.
The scene of the chains dragging the Lord of the Furnace back to the stone chair was still vivid in my mind, and the other party had a maddening desire for the dinar, like an addict's craving for addictive drugs.
Xu Yang felt something was wrong the more he thought about it.
The Master of the Forge sounds like the owner of the Miracle Forge, but in reality, he is chained inside and has been given an addictive currency. Everyone who obtains the currency has their power extracted from him to gain the ability called magic.
"Hiss, has the Lord of the Forge offended someone?"
The thought involuntarily popped into Xu Yang's mind.
Meanwhile, the transaction has been completed.
The woman stood there for a moment to feel the power, then nodded slightly to the Lord of the Furnace, glanced at Xu Yang imperceptibly, and then quickly left.
At this moment, Xu Yang also came to his senses.
After the woman left, he hesitated for a moment before asking, "Senior, what exactly is this dinar?"
"To you, it's just a kind of currency."
The Lord of the Furnace frowned, seemingly unwilling to discuss this point, and brushed the topic aside perfunctorily.
Not wanting to make a fool of himself, Xu Yang immediately asked, "Is there any fixed way to obtain dinars?"
Upon hearing this, the Lord of the Furnace's expression softened slightly.
After all, he also needs other creatures to obtain the denars for him, and they share a common interest in this. If the other party can find the denars faster, it will also be good for him.
Then, the Lord of the Furnace spoke:
"There is no fixed way to obtain the dinar. It will choose whoever gets it. As long as you have found it before, you will always find it again."
However, there's a slight difference in time. If you want to speed things up, try to go to places you haven't been before; this will increase your chances of obtaining the item.
"Wait, what about those who have never found a dinar before? Would this also increase their chances of finding one?"
Xu Yang probed.
This statement was not unfounded; rather, he himself was unsure whether the dinars obtained through the guide could be considered as something he had found.
The Lord of the Forge glanced at Xu Yang and slowly said:
"No, this method only works for people who have found a dinar before. Either they will never find one in their entire lives, or after finding one once, they can find more."
I can only be certain that creatures that have been found in the dinars will be found in the future, and that will not change.
Xu Yang's expression became complicated.
It sounds like finding a dinar is a special state, a state that a creature can only possess after finding a dinar by chance for the first time, like a marker.
People with this mark can find more dinars.
but……
"In my case, the guide essentially handed the dinar over to me. Can such a trust relationship generate a marker?"
Xu Yang wasn't quite sure, so he asked, "Senior, I have a friend who's very envious of the abilities of these external organs. If I give him the dinars I found, will he be able to find more in the future?"
"The trust relationship is only temporary; if the dinar doesn't choose you, you won't be able to find it."
Xu Yang was speechless.
According to the Lord of the Forge, the thirty dinars obtained through the guide are a non-renewable resource.
In other words, the magic system cannot be cultivated independently, nor can it be continuously upgraded by consuming denars.
Have you chosen your abilities?
Seeing that Xu Yang remained silent and did not check the purchase interface, the Master of the Furnace urged him.
Xu Yang came to his senses and quickly accepted the fact.
Ultimately, the magic system is just a crippled system. Even if you train it to the end, you'll still be a fragile character. You still have to rely on currency and other people to improve it. It's not worth my time to waste on it.
Yes, that's it.
The Federation's hierarchical system is still superior. A body honed through countless trials can develop its own power, and mutations can be achieved entirely through one's own efforts, rather than relying on others.
With this in mind, Xu Yang quickly made a decision.
Since magic lacks the potential for sustained growth, let's abandon long-term thinking and go straight for the best option, skipping the lackluster LV1 abilities and choosing the one most suitable for the current situation.
So, the two aspects are to plug the loopholes and to enhance existing capabilities.
With this in mind, Xu Yang quickly browsed the shopping interface, which was filled with different strange magic spells. After clicking on each spell to check its effects, he began to explore.
Finally, Xu Yang's gaze settled on a magic spell.
[Mental Countermeasure LV3]
[Description: When the enemy uses mental control, charm, or other similar abilities, a mental shield can be passively generated. This shield consumes mental energy to resist the opponent's attack and reflects the same power of the ability. The final effect depends on the difference in mental energy between the two sides and the level of mental counterattack.]
Price: 10 dinars
……
It is it.
The reason for choosing [Mental Countermeasure] is simple: Xu Yang doesn't want to die suddenly.
Since acquiring [Godslayer], his battles have become far too easy.
In short—
With a glare, a quick step, and a wave of the hand.
The enemy is decapitated; the battle is over.
As the saying goes, only the person who framed you knows how innocent you are.
Similarly, no one understood better than Xu Yang how aggrieved those people were to die, especially Qi Mingxuan.
Without the mental control of [Divine Control], and without that moment when the opponent lost focus, Xu Yang could not have killed him with one blow; that explosive kick probably wouldn't have hit anything at all.
From this perspective, mind control is still too insidious.
Xu Yang couldn't guarantee that he would always be the one to take the initiative and control the opponent. What if one day he suddenly encountered a player with the same style as him, and the opponent glared at him first?
Then you yourself will be the one being ruthlessly controlled.
In such unexpected situations, mental countermeasures can play a decisive role, at least preventing him from dying in frustration.
Xu Yang's acceptable standard is—
He can control others.
He's asking for trouble if someone else tries to control him!
Only by meeting these dual standards can he feel twice as reassured.
Thus, the first spell was chosen.
Xu Yang didn't stop; he started choosing a second spell, looking at the corresponding effects as he pondered.
"There aren't any major weaknesses now, and the speed is sufficient for the time being. The only issue is that the agility attribute is a bit low, but magic doesn't seem to be related to agility."
Xu Yang couldn't help but recall the scene from before.
That was the first time he obtained the Fireball. As magic, this ability increased his sanity by 0.5.
"From this perspective, magic enhances the sanity attribute, and sanity corresponds precisely to the mental energy consumed when using magic; there's a logical explanation."
Thinking about it carefully, it makes sense.
After all, magic is essentially an invisible external organ, while agility is obviously related to the body's internal structure.
Magic naturally has little effect on the agility attribute.
Since agility cannot be improved and there are no obvious weaknesses, the focus should be on increasing actual combat strength, ideally in conjunction with existing mutation traits.
With this thought in mind, Xu Yang pondered for a moment and began to have a vague idea.
[Black Guard] has not yet been acquired and is not being considered for the time being. [Sacrifice] has been developed into two skills and can be paired with biohazard plugins in the future.
In this way, only [Regeneration] has never had a good use. It can only be used as a pure recovery skill, at most in combination with muscle repair after [Instant Kick], or in trading damage in battle.
That's just... such a waste.
Xu Yang quickly browsed the shopping interface. The conditions for using the magic in front of him had become more demanding. The original cost of activating it was only the consumption of mental energy, but it had now become a direct damage to the body.
Ultimately, he chose two spells from them.
They are [Ghost Blood Sacrifice LV3] and [Crimson Lotus LV2], respectively.
【Ghost Blood Sacrifice】Borrows the power of other creatures from the astral plane by sacrificing a part of the body, and can share the characteristics and abilities of these creatures, but requires mental energy to maintain this state.
It's somewhat similar to inviting a deity to possess you.
The key point is that the number of creatures that can be used to borrow power is not specified for [Ghost Blood Sacrifice].
If combined with the terrifying regenerative ability of [Regeneration], Xu Yang could sacrifice his body in pieces, except for his two heads, to the past. With his current physical strength, he could support the reconstruction of his entire body by [Regeneration] at least seven times.
This means that he can borrow the power of dozens or even hundreds of creatures at the same time through [Ghost Blood Sacrifice].
This truly represents the achievement of one person forming an army.
【Red Lotus】, on the other hand, is activated by consuming half of one's spiritual power, and then burning the entire body as fuel to maintain the activated state. In this state, it can greatly enhance all aspects of the body.
An extremely pure skill for risking one's life.
However, when combined with [Regeneration], it can be turned into a permanent burst, consuming the body while simultaneously repairing it.
To be honest, Xu Yang wanted both of these abilities, but he was short of money and could only choose one.
After much deliberation, Xu Yang decided to choose [Red Lotus].
The reason is simple: [Red Lotus]'s burst of power relies on his body's recovery ability, which is directly related to [Regeneration]. The repair of [Regeneration] is supported by physical strength, which in turn depends on the highest strength attribute.
In other words, the Strength attribute remains in the [Crimson Lotus] state.
The maintenance of [Ghost Blood Sacrifice] relies on the consumption of mental energy; however, the rationality attribute, which affects mental energy, is far less important than the strength attribute.
Another point is that the [Ghost Blood Sacrifice] borrows power from other beings through the astral plane, so once space is sealed off, this power cannot be transmitted.
Therefore, the scope and duration of this ability's use are comparable to the conditions under which the Miracle Forge can be utilized.
It can only be used in the isolation zone and during non-redfall periods.
With so many restrictions, [Red Lotus] is the right path.
Of course, no ability is perfect, and [Red Lotus] also has its limitations.
【Red Lotus LV2】
[Description: Actively consumes half of the current mental energy to activate the ability, turning the body into firewood and burning. During this time, the body's resistance, muscle strength and reaction speed are greatly increased, and the attack will be accompanied by both physical and mental burning effects.]
Once activated, this ability will incinerate current external organs. It requires mental energy to recover before it can be used again. The final effect depends on the ability level and the body's combustion efficiency.
Price: 15 dinars
……
This ability has a hidden cooldown period, but it is truly ruthless. It not only burns the body, but also destroys the external organs that generate the ability first after activation.
Xu Yang licked his lips, excitement flashing in his eyes.
The bigger the waves, the more expensive the fish!
The cost of activating this ability is obviously much higher than that of [Ghost Blood Sacrifice], so what are the effects...?
Xu Yang was very much looking forward to it.
These two spells would have cost twenty-five dinars, but only two have been given to the Lord of the Forge.
only……
"If I take the remaining denars from the [Guide] now, will the Lord of the Forge sense it?"
A flicker of hesitation crossed Xu Yang's eyes, but it was only for a moment.
So what if the Lord of the Furnace noticed? All these denars were originally meant for him. Apart from realizing that he had the ability to conceal himself, there was no real conflict of interest between them.
Xu Yang silently put his hand into his pocket, and with a thought, twenty-three dinars appeared in the pocket of his trench coat.
The trench coat sagged slightly.
Across from them, the Lord of the Furnace, who had been looking up at Xu Yang, suddenly focused his gaze on him.
The enormous body trembled slightly on the stone chair.
His facial muscles twitched, and a rough, panting sound was like thunder.
Seeing this, Xu Yang decisively threw out all the dinars, and the white coins fell like pieces onto the body of the Furnace Master.
It burst into flames in an instant, and white smoke billowed out once more...
The smoke dissipated and the fog lifted.
The Lord of the Furnace regained his senses and gave Xu Yang a deep look.
He could sense the denars emanating from anyone who entered this place, but just now, their appearance was so sudden that he hadn't even noticed the spatial fluctuations. Someone capable of such a feat…
But what does it matter to him? As long as he gets the dinars, that's enough.
On the other side, Xu Yang saw that the Lord of the Furnace had returned to normal, and quickly selected two abilities on the purchase interface.
In an instant, a golden light shot out and circled Xu Yang twice.
His spirits suddenly lifted.
At this very moment, as the two magic skills were generated on his personal panel, his sanity attribute had already increased from four points to six points.
His mental strength increased several times over.
It gave Xu Yang a feeling of floating on air, as if he had ascended to immortality.