Thousand-Faced Dragon

Chapter 188 The Compatibility of a Mage

When the snake jumped out, Rean thought things were going to get very bad.

A big shot of this caliber can cause countless waves with just a slight action. Rean thought the snake would bring him a lot of new trouble.

"Perhaps he's a good snake?"

Rean is a typical results-oriented person. The snake's summoning time is already halfway over, and he has unknowingly spent the most comfortable week since he came to this world.

There were no cultist disturbances, no sudden assassin attacks, and even Suliman seemed preoccupied with something. Rean spent his days reading and practicing his sword, easily enjoying a few days of near-retirement.

"This is so wonderful," Rean thought, feeling inexplicably moved as he looked at the blue sky and white clouds outside the window.

For three or four days in a row, he didn't encounter any unexpected events and just stayed at home playing with his friends.

He vaguely sensed the core of the problem; the biggest change was his own mindset.

When the spirits of heroes existed, he was afraid of wasting a single day. He needed power to protect himself in this dangerous world.

Barring unforeseen circumstances, I am now able to protect myself.

When the spirits of the fallen heroes were around, Rean wished he could make the most of every day, learning and practicing as much as possible.

Now that the snake spirit is elusive and occasionally appears in the house, Rean only hopes that it won't cause him any trouble. He wishes he could make the most of two days and get rid of this plague god as soon as possible!
"Tsk tsk tsk, you heartless little brat, do you think your uncle would cheat you? That's right, I would." The snake laughed as cheerfully as ever.

He could already see the fun-loving guys about to arrive on the battlefield.

Rean didn't take it seriously. This guy loved being a riddle teller, especially enjoying teasing you into asking questions and then saying nothing.

Besides, Rean couldn't stop the snake from doing whatever it wanted, so he might as well pretend it didn't exist.

Of course, Rean didn't do nothing.

The adaptation training for the new armor has been completed quite well. Even without considering combat spellcasting, the "weight reduction" of the armor alone has given it too many new tactical options.

He even followed the example of other knights and obtained an alchemical bomb pouch and a hunting bow to compensate for his short legs.

But soon he threw away his hunting bow. With his near-zero marksmanship, even the best magic arrows would be a waste.

Missing is one thing, but even if he hits, the power is not as great as the scorching ray that he can already use in actual combat. If he needs higher power, he can use dragon speech spells.

He kept the Alchemy Bomb Pack for later use, as many of its effects were quite interesting. The small packs containing lubricant, dust bombs, alchemy fire, and lime powder could enrich his tactical options.

This was something Rean asked Victoria directly for; she had also planned to give him a gift box of twelve poisons, but he refused.

However, the adventure team's expression towards Rean became increasingly subtle. Ordinary knights and warriors use all sorts of tools, but for a paladin to use these things was somewhat like that of an aberrant species.

At the same time, Rean thoroughly digested the magical knowledge left behind by Kuku, and he completed the analysis of the second second-circle spell.

"Drifting through space while wearing heavy armor? How outrageous!!" He had already successfully used it in actual combat, stunning and even frightening all the viewers.

Through actual combat, Rean tested the armor-piercing spellcasting characteristics of the new armor. It wasn't completely without impact, but the impact was negligible.

Besides its near-physical precision in casting spells, the "Dragon Armor" also boasts magical penetration and adaptability similar to a dragon's body, completely unimpeded by the flow of magic.

Even during the casting process, Rean vaguely sensed a certain magical amplification effect and elemental damage amplification effect!
Unfortunately, the black dragon is, in a sense, a "corrupted water dragon" and an "evil dragon that brings destruction." It has good adaptability to shadow and acid spells, but Rean has no corresponding spells.

In Rean's study list, acid spells were almost at the bottom; the highest priority was always spells needed for practical combat, such as the famous...
"I never expected you to be a second-ring mage, Mizongbu."

The little dwarf illusionist Gesem looked at Rean with adoration. But in reality, he himself was a third-circle mage.

“It’s different. I spent over a decade, unable to bear this dull and boring life, and feeling like I couldn’t climb any higher, before I came out to take a look. Ha, my buddies always complain that I don’t have many offensive spells.” Gesim sighed. Even the optimistic dwarf on the ground was still pained by the slow progress of a spellcaster.

But before Rean could say more than a few words, the conversation turned to the grumpy black cat at the mansion gate. Finding Rean boring, he happily went to his teammates and started talking about the butter and beef for lunch.

Dwarfs aren't immune to anger or sadness; rather, they tend to cheer up quickly. They seem to instinctively avoid topics that might upset them and are always able to find things that make them happy.

"Stealth Step? Not bad, that's probably the most difficult of the second-circle spells." Even the snake was somewhat surprised.

Reality is not a game; it's not a list of spells laid out here, where a mage can simply copy a scroll and learn a spell. Scrolls are actually triggerable spell models.

Mages can reconstruct the spellcasting process by analyzing scrolls, thereby gaining relevant knowledge and spell models.

However, whether you can learn it depends on two things: firstly, you need to have the corresponding knowledge, and secondly, you need to have the corresponding talent. The higher the level of the spell, the more compatibility is required.

The "Mysterious Step," a super-short-range teleportation technique, is a typical example. It requires spatial awareness (a talent of spellcasters) to master, and to use it well, it also requires corresponding talents.

Some people use the "mysterious footwork" technique like a phantom drift, where you can only see the shadow but not the person.

Some, however, are like express trains heading straight for hell, hurtling straight into the gaps between rocks and walls. In fact, even a slight deviation in teleportation can be fatal; quite a few mages have used spells to teleport themselves away.

Rean has a good talent in this area; he has already incorporated "short-distance teleportation within his field of vision" into his combat system.

With this long-awaited spell, he was able to make up for his weakness of short legs.

This also means that his mage abilities are finally starting to benefit his combat system!

"It seems my spatial talent is not bad; no wonder Kuku suggested I also study spellcasting."

Conjuration and Evocation are essentially inseparable sibling systems, with much knowledge merging with each other, and many high-level spells appear to incorporate elements of both. The most direct examples are various summoning of elemental creatures and elemental attacks.

But this doesn't mean that if you learn spells well, you can learn to shape energy. Rean is a clear example of this.

"I only know how to use fireball, but its power seems a bit weak." For mercenary mages who want to make a living and receive decent rewards and treatment, the prerequisite is that they know how to use fireball.

However, if the power of a spell does not reach the standard strength, there will be a big problem.

The ability to create a complete spell model but fail to achieve the standard effect is basically due to a deficiency in the spellcaster himself.

His teammates didn't look down on him because of this. It's common knowledge that dwarf illusionists can't master evocation spells.

They could accept this flaw because dwarf illusionists were truly exceptional in their support abilities, especially in their various illusions that created illusions that altered reality.

Besides being skilled in illusion magic, dwarves are often also adept at spellcasting. Dwarf illusionists often perform a whole host of tricks to "conjure pigeons" and are also masters of escape.

"I'm quite good at manipulating energy, especially fire."

Spellcasters have affinity, and it's quite obvious. Rean's current affinity for Emanation, Spellcasting, and Transmutation is quite good, and this is the system he learned first.

"Spellcasting, Evocation, Transmutation... a pure turret mage?! Preparing to become a battlefield mage?"

When combined, this system seems to enhance the power of fireballs and can create powerful and versatile elemental magic.

"I haven't decided yet. I haven't taken on a master yet; I should probably find a fire mage." At this, the adventurers' expressions towards Rean became even more subtle.

Even the hot-tempered dwarf spoke to Rean in a softer voice.

Somewhat strangely, Rean specifically targeted the lizardman monk and demanded an explanation.

"Well, that's actually a dwarf's stereotype. He talked about it in the group back then." For some reason, this lizard monk, despite his considerable strength, always felt instinctively fearful and uneasy in the face of Rean.

He shared some "interesting anecdotes," but the content went beyond mere stereotypes about dwarfs; it revealed the private legends and unspoken rules among the mages.
"Different factions often have compatibility; a certain personality type is particularly suited to a certain faction. For example, the Shaping faction is basically for people with short tempers and straightforward personalities." Okay, case solved quickly.

According to dwarfs, skilled illusionists are often sensitive and emotional, while prophetic sorcerers are introverted and pessimistic. If the compatibility between each faction is high, it can, to some extent, prove the personality of the practitioner.

"Is magic good for escaping?"

"No, those with a magical background are either rigid and cautious lawyers, or con artists and pranksters—all quite difficult to deal with. Gesim said the common thread among magical people is that you can't believe a word they say; if you encounter one, run as far away as possible."

Rean fell silent, as if this wasn't a very good assessment, but considering the sorcerer's infamous reputation in the multiverse, it seemed difficult to refute.

"All those with sculpting abilities have bad tempers? Not necessarily. I've met some very easy-going seniors." Rean thought of seniors like Royce, who were all quite approachable.

"Besides their volatile tempers, the Evoking type also has a particular pursuit and worship of power. They will show great respect for the stronger. Violent maniacs only respect stronger violent maniacs."

Rean wanted to refute it, but seemed helpless; it sounded too real.

He was starting to wonder if the other factions also had this subtle assessment.

"What changes? Are alchemists all very patient?"

"Changeability is a neurotic disorder; all sorts of personalities exist, but most are not quite normal!" the dwarf mage cheerfully chimed in.

"The most prolific and schizophrenic of alchemists are the variability and schizophrenia; every alchemist is a lurking madman."

Rean thought of Kuku and nodded subconsciously.

Wait a minute, are all eight elements rated this low? Are mages just a reserve force of madmen?
"No, the four notoriously difficult ones are spellcasting, magic, transformation, and death magic. They all produce madmen, fanatics, and psychopaths." The dwarf, who knew nothing of fear, cheerfully explained the long-standing anecdotes about mage compatibility divination to the younger mage.

Unbeknownst to him, Rean, whose three elemental affinities were at their maximum, was already smiling in a rather dangerous way.

"Lana, come ride a horse! A friend has offered to play with you!"

(End of this chapter)