บท 78: Chapter 78: Oh My, What a Bold Idea
Chapter 78: Oh My, What a Bold Idea
"About the mage?"
The young priestess blinked curiously, looking at Alex.
"Mr. Alex, are you trying to learn more about spellcasters?"
"Exactly. During the last battle, I realized that I don't really understand how mages operate. So, I'd like to ask you, Miss Fina, about the way mages fight and such."
Alex wasn't making this up. In fact, if he had previously thought it unnecessary to fully understand the mage profession, he now had to change that mindset. The bald-headed Charles had put him in quite a predicament, and if not for Nym's help, he probably would have had to flee in disgrace. Considering that their upcoming enemies might include another destructive mage, Alex naturally wanted to gather some intel on spellcasters first.
"That's not a problem at all. What would you like to know, Mr. Alex?"
"What exactly was that lightning shield? Why did it suddenly appear when I attacked him?"
This was the part Alex couldn't wrap his head around. He was sure he had stopped time around the bald-headed mage, which meant the man should have been defenseless. But just as Alex's sword was about to strike, lightning suddenly materialized, knocking him back. Moreover, his control over time had been interrupted. It was the most puzzling aspect to him.
However, Fina quickly provided an answer.
"Based on your description, I believe that was a triggered spell... It's a technique where the mage stores a spell in advance, and it activates automatically under specific conditions. Most intermediate mages can use this skill. I think Charles had set it up to cast a lightning shield when he was attacked, which is why your strike was blocked."
Are you serious? This is like an auto-hack!
Hearing this, Alex rolled his eyes. It reminded him of those automated programs from online games—auto-heal when HP drops below a certain threshold, or auto-restore MP. Damn, mages in this world really were OP!
"Miss Fina, can you use this technique as well?"
"Well..."
Fina looked a little troubled by Alex's curious question.
"Triggering spells is a skill for intermediate or higher-level spellcasters, though there are similar effects in divine magic. However, those require being cast in advance..."
"So, how do you typically counter something like this?"
Hearing Fina's explanation, Alex frowned. From the sound of it, mages were nearly invincible—immune to sneak attacks, capable of fighting head-on, and able to flee if things went south. Fortunately, he had Nym, who could hack and take control of enemy spells. Otherwise, he might as well give up fighting any mage and just go home to sleep.
"In battles between spellcasters, they often prepare spells specifically designed to break through an opponent's defenses. There are also weapons that can disrupt magic. Alternatively, using overwhelming force to shatter the defense is another option..."
"Hmm..."
Alex frowned even more at Fina's answer. He didn't have any magic-disrupting weapons at the moment, and while using raw power to break through was one solution, the truth was that his final attack on Charles had only succeeded because Nym had canceled the mage's defensive spell. As the saying goes, know your enemy and know yourself, and you'll never lose a battle... It seemed...
"Miss Fina."
"Yes? What is it?"
"If I wanted to learn magic, would there be any restrictions?"
"Restrictions?"
Fina was momentarily stunned by Alex's question, then shook her head.
"Not really... The temple doesn't impose any restrictions. However, Mr. Alex, magic is a very complex and difficult craft. It requires a great deal of effort, and it's not easy to master. This is why very few people choose to study magic alongside specializing in swordsmanship..."
"That's true. I'm being a bit too hasty. Thank you."
Hearing this, Alex finally calmed down from his earlier frustration. As Fina had pointed out, he hadn't even fully mastered swordsmanship yet, so thinking about magic might indeed be premature. Still, Alex wasn't about to give up on learning magic. Just from his encounter with the bald-headed mage, he could see how useful magic could be, far more versatile than just relying on sword skills alone.
And... damn it, I'm a dimensional mage. What kind of mage doesn't know magic? Just buffing weapons and casting light spells—that's a Gandalf template.
Now, only one question remained.
"Miss Fina, you mentioned earlier that divine magic has similar effects... Could you cast it for me? I'd like to run a small experiment."
"Ah, of course, no problem."
Fina readily agreed to Alex's request. Although she hadn't known him for long, the intelligence and wisdom he had demonstrated had already earned her trust. He had not only managed to trick Charles into revealing their conspiracy but also used the scant clues to deduce their next move. Fina was quite impressed by this and felt inferior in comparison. So, even though she didn't fully understand why Alex wanted to do this experiment, she quickly nodded in agreement, raised her staff, and a beam of light suddenly appeared, enveloping her body before dissolving into sparkling particles.
"This is Divine Armor. It automatically manifests to block attacks when I'm assaulted, similar to a mage's triggered spell... but it needs to be cast beforehand."
"Got it."
Alex nodded as he stared at the glowing aura surrounding the young priestess.
The next moment, time stopped.
In Alex's eyes, the young girl froze in place instantly. She stood there motionless, her gaze fixed ahead, looking like a wax statue.
Alex extended his hand and gently patted her shoulder. The touch was warm and soft, but Fina didn't react at all.
Hmm... At this moment, I suddenly have a bold idea.
Looking at the priestess before him, Alex couldn't help but swallow. For some reason, certain scenes from those old movies he had watched before flashed through his mind… Now that he thought about it, stopping time does have that kind of potential use!
Cough cough… I'm overthinking it, overthinking it. Let's focus.
Shaking his head to push aside those inappropriate thoughts, Alex began to closely observe the girl in front of him. He then raised his sword and aimed it at her shoulder.
Ding!
The strike wasn't fast, but just before his sword could touch the girl, a golden barrier suddenly appeared, blocking his attack. As the barrier manifested, Alex immediately sensed his control over time weakening, and the time freeze he had cast was rapidly depleting. However, unlike with the bald-headed mage, Fina wasn't as powerful, allowing Alex to still maintain some control over the time flow.
So, if I attack an enemy who has an active skill during time control, my control over time decreases?
Alex had suspected this when he noticed a similar effect during his combo attacks. Now, after battling Charles and practicing with Fina, he was becoming more certain. His time manipulation ability wasn't invincible—it had many limitations and even risks of being resisted or nullified.
Even facing a trainee priestess like Fina, his time control could be weakened. So, it wasn't surprising that the bald-headed mage had managed to break through it. He had claimed to be a three-star mage... Well, that's probably considered a base-level power, better than one- or two-star mages, at least.
I wonder what a five-star mage would be like?
With his mind wandering, Alex absentmindedly snapped his fingers, and time resumed its flow. Fina, who had been frozen, returned to her normal state.
"Thank you for your help, Miss Fina."
"You're welcome, Mr. Alex."
Although she had no idea what Alex had just done, Fina quickly responded politely. And then...
"Let's move out."
As he spoke, Alex glanced around the camp, littered with corpses. This place certainly wasn't suitable for camping.
"Let's find a safe place to rest first, then head toward the Dark Swamp... I'm also curious about what those cultists are planning."
(End of Chapter)
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