NOVEL NEXT Chapter 44: New Spell
Rayven opened the Skill Market interface, and soon, the available skills for sale appeared.
[ Available Skills ]
Telekinesis I (Common) – 500 Gold
Quick Mend (Common) – 500 Gold
Toughen Skin (Common) – 600 Gold
Mana Pulse I (Common) – (750) 675 Gold (10% off – New Arrival)
Magic Missile I (Uncommon) – 800 Gold
Flame Dart (Uncommon) – 850 Gold
Stone Skin (Uncommon) – 900 Gold
'Ohh… Mana Pulse? What does it even do?' Rayven mused as he checked the skill.
Of course, he also liked the new arrival discount concept of the system, even if he didn't say it.
'It's not too bad for a common skill.'
[ Mana Pulse I (Common): Emits a short-range burst of mana that briefly stuns weaker enemies and disrupts unstable magical effects.
Radius: 5 meters.
Stun Duration: 2 seconds (affects only enemies of equal or lower rank).
Cooldown: 15 seconds.
Cost per use: 1 Gold
Type: Control / Magic ]
'This is also a decent cooldown…' Rayven mused as he imagined using this spell. Although his Mana Flick and other Spells don't have any cooldowns, it was because they weren't that powerful.
However, with the 15-second cooldown, Rayven imagined that this ability must be quite strong.
Unfortunately, before he could think more of his future Spell Combos, Miki and Nara couldn't help but notice his silence.
"Rayven? What are you staring at so hard?" Nara tilted her head.
Miki also looked and nodded. "You've been zoning out a lot lately. Don't tell me you're plotting something weird again. Just plan your battle against the Adept Mage, we'll be watching you."
He gave a tired smile. "Nothing like that. Just… sorting priorities. Anyway, your competition should be in four more days. I'll be the one watching you all instead."
They didn't press him further, though their suspicious glances said otherwise.
"Alright… You should rest now. We still have to practice."
After a brief exchange, Rayven excused himself and headed back to his room.
The night was long, but Rayven forced himself to rest.
His mind, however, remained restless, circling around Cedric, the duel, and the Sealed Catalyst sale that could hopefully make him rich…
'I should try visiting the market later. Maybe I can find something more precious…' Rayven thought as he slowly fell asleep due to tiredness.
***
The next morning, Rayven was summoned to Albert's office. The man was already waiting when he arrived, seated behind a desk stacked with scrolls, documents, and a steaming cup of tea that filled the room with herbal fragrance.
Obviously, his expression was grim.
"Rayven… Haah~ Whatever… We've done as you asked. Information about Cedric Althorne—as much as could be gathered on short notice. It wasn't easy; the man's family controls most of the records. But… he's not invincible."
Albert slid a parchment across the desk. Rayven smiled as he silently thanked his uncle for allowing him to fight the Adept Mage.
Anyway, Rayven looked at the information written on it
[ Cedric Althorne
Age: 26
Rank: Adept Mage (confirmed)
Family: Son of a scribe and adopted into the household of a Baron
Specialization: Elemental Combat Arts (Primary: Fire and Wind)
Known Weakness: Prefers flashy, high-consumption spells.
Affiliation: Count Veltham Family, 1-Star Member of the Mage Guild. ]
Rayven paused for a moment as he read this information…
"That adoption is the only reason he has noble standing at all. So don't be intimidated." Albert explained.
Before Rayven could reply, he continued.
"We've also identified at least six of his twelve spells. Look at this."
He then pushed another document listing Cedric's Spells.
To be honest, as soon as Rayven saw it, he was impressed. They worked really fast!
"You must've paid a lot to the information broker," Rayven muttered.
"Not really. Just five gold coins since this person is only a 1-Star member of the Mage Guild."
With that said, Rayven checked the list.
[ Flame Spear (Fire): A first-tier offensive spell with a high penetration rate. Effective at medium range. ]
[ Gale Step (Wind): A first-tier mobility spell. Enhances the user's movement speed with bursts of agility. ]
[ Mana Shield: A second-tier defensive spell. Strong against basic attacks, but drains mana quickly if sustained. ]
[ Magic Missile: A first-tier offensive spell…
[ Flameburst Wave (Fire): A second-tier offensive spell…
[ Wind Blades (Wind): A second-tier offensive spell…
'Fire and wind, huh…' Rayven mused as he could easily guess the other six spells they were missing. As a matter of fact, this level of information was already a lot.
"We just gave a brief description about those spells, but these are what we could confirm. You should study those spells and how they work so you might have a chance. I won't question you on how you became a mage, just make sure you win this." Albert said as he looked at Rayven's serious expression.
"Thank you, uncle… I'm not really that skilled, but I learned quite a lot from Sir Thyruz… Make sure that you're treating him well." Rayven said as he could actually feel that Thyruz was always observing him inside this estate.
"Haha… Don't worry about that. He's a great enchanter, and I'll make sure that he's comfortable."
"Great… Now… How about the other spells?" Rayven asked.
"The others remain unverified, though rumors suggest he's been experimenting with hybrid fire-wind spells. What's important is this: Cedric isn't efficient in his Spells. He relies on overwhelming strength, burning mana as if it's endless. If you can survive his opening barrage, you may force him into exhaustion. I suggest that you learn a movement spell if you can… I'm planning to loan some money and buy you a movement Spell Rune." Albert explained.
"Ahh… There's no need for that. I'll take care of it. Instead of Spell Rune, just give me pocket money, uncle." Rayven immediately said. After all, he couldn't use a Spell Rune.
He could only buy Spells and pay gold coins to cast them.
"Very well… Since you're helping our company regain its reputation, you deserve something…" With that said, Albert took out a pouch of money from his inner coat and placed it on his desk.