Chapter 55: Spells
Under the siege of a group of Grey Dwarf Warriors, the wizard’s protective barrier finally shattered. After all, it could only withstand a limited amount of attacks. However, when one Grey Dwarf’s battle axe struck the wizard, it suddenly rebounded as if it had hit marble.
——Stone Skin!
Soren could tell the outcome of the battle as he observed; the Stone Skin could endure approximately 150 points of damage. It would take a string of attacks from them to potentially break the wizard’s Stone Skin. This group of Grey Dwarfs seemed to lack any high-level warriors, relying solely on a group of around second-tier fighters, which was not enough to take down a high-level wizard.
Sure enough.
One of the Grey Dwarf warriors froze for a moment, then suddenly turned and severed a companion’s head with an axe.
——Berserk Charm.
The suddenly-controlled Grey Dwarf warrior went on a killing spree, slaying three nearby companions in one go before being killed by others.
“Not a single spellcaster?”
Soren surveyed the battlefield and then smirked, “Not even a priest with them, isn’t this just sending them to their deaths?”
“Isn’t it about time for a widespread attack?”
Just as his words fell, a gust of wind suddenly swept across the battlefield, and the wizard’s speed became astonishing, swiftly creating a distance of nearly fifty meters. Then he quickly cast a spell, spreading a web that ensnared many of the Grey Dwarfs. The web spell relies on strength and agility for evasion and can be broken free from by sheer force. However, for lower-tier warriors, dodging a high-level wizard’s web spell is quite challenging. The wizard cast the spell quickly, and a fireball, the size of a basketball, materialized before him. He pointed forward, and it shot out immediately, exploding among the Grey Dwarf warriors.
——Fireball Spell.
Possibly due to the influence of dungeon games in the 21st century, many people think that the Fireball spell can be casually thrown around. However, in reality, it is not a low-level spell; it is a third-tier evocation spell that requires a wizard of profession level 6 to cast. Its power is roughly akin to what is seen now, accompanied by a rumbling explosion, resembling a grenade blasting in the center of the Grey Dwarfs, instantly tearing one apart!
The searing flames raged, and the blast force sent nearby Grey Dwarfs flying.
The ones fortunate enough to survive sprayed bl**d from their mouths, and much of their hair and clothing ignited.
“About profession level 12.”
Based on the power of the Fireball, Soren roughly judged the wizard’s level. A higher-level wizard casting Fireball would have much greater power, and at least half of these Grey Dwarfs would likely perish under the spell attack. Fireball was one of the spells he was most familiar with, as there had once been a period when the ‘Five Fireball Cult’ became popular, wherein five second-tier wizards simultaneously cast Fireball, creating concentrated area explosions and high-temperature flames that eradicated enemies within a sixty-foot radius, leaving a crater about three meters in diameter. “His spell slots must be limited now?”
Soren squinted at the scene and then showed a hint of eagerness. Although spellcasters seem to possess extraordinary abilities, once they run out of spells, they become easy targets. It appeared that the wizard had been fighting for some time, and there must be around twenty or thirty dead Grey Dwarfs nearby, so he had certainly spent numerous spell slots.
——“Spider Growth Spell!”
The wizard cast something that landed on a Grey Dwarf’s corpse, and soon two spider eggs emerged and quickly expanded, ultimately bursting forth with two poison spiders the size of millstones. After the poison spiders appeared, they shrieked and swiftly lunged at the other Grey Dwarfs under the wizard’s control, quickly biting two or three warriors to d*ath.
Soren’s hair stood on end.
He gaped in shock and murmured, “Dark Elf?”
Spider Growth is a rather obscure fourth-tier spell that allows a wizard to breed one to three spiders in a short time, depending on the spell components and personal level. The biological level of these poison spiders might range from level 6 to 8, and they could even breed special types of spiders, which are not only dangerous but possess quasi-spell abilities. This is a rare spell that only wizards from the underworld learn, especially practiced by Dark Elf wizards and priests.
Because they worship the Spider Queen Rose, an evil and powerful deity.
The wizard’s protective barrier still had not been broken, and throughout the entire encounter, he had not taken a single point of damage. The Grey Dwarfs finally began to despair.
Some turned to flee, only to be bitten to d*ath by the rapidly moving poison spiders, while others made a last-ditch effort to fight back but were met with arcane missiles that exploded their heads.
A high-level wizard’s arcane missile can penetrate a steel plate three millimeters thick.
Equivalent to the power of a handgun shot at 100 meters, even if it doesn’t hit a vital point, it can create a hole in the body, and sometimes even pierce through armor.
Soren abandoned the thought of risking it because Dark Elves are notoriously cunning.
He knew he definitely had a few deadly spells left unutilized!
………………
From start to finish.
This was a slaughter, as a high-level wizard methodically killed thirty low-tier Grey Dwarf warriors.
Except for the initial danger when the protective barrier was almost breached, the wizard had no problem maintaining control afterward. Among all the professionists, only the Sword Saint could break through a wizard’s protective barrier in one strike at the same level; the others generally needed two or three strikes, and it becomes even more difficult with a difference in professional level.
If Soren had a truly extraordinary weapon, he would have the ability to break through the protective barrier in a second.
Unfortunately, he could not k*ll that wizard in a single strike!
Because the robe the wizard wore seemed to be extraordinary equipment, undoubtedly containing unactivated protective spells.
Buttons, brooches, rings, gems, headdresses, necklaces, amulets; many items that appear to be mere decorations could potentially be extraordinary equipment that the wizard carried. These spellcasters are outrageously wealthy, with a second-tier wizard being worth around five to six thousand Gind, and a third-tier wizard at least worth over ten thousand Gind.
Otherwise, Soren wouldn’t call them spellcasters.
“If I were to face him, would I have any chance?”
Soren watched the distant retreating wizard, with two millstone-sized poison spiders following behind. They could remain for a while before rapidly aging and dying. The wizard remained extremely cautious, with the two poison spiders flanking him as he moved toward the distant plains. He did not know where the wizard’s ultimate goal was, as Dark Elves are not suited to the sunlight of the surface world.
“If I could break through the protective barrier, the poison of a Bipedal Dragon should be able to paralyze him, considering wizards generally have lower constitutions.”
“Unless preemptively buffed with a spell, otherwise toughness cannot beat the poison’s saving throw.”
“The effectiveness of the poison would cause at least a 50% failure rate for the wizard’s casting; he might even be unable to cast at all. But the question is, just how many layers of protective barriers does he have? Do I have the confidence to hit him before he casts a spell?”
Soren slowly sheathed his curved blade. His confidence in facing the high-level wizard was less than ten percent, even if the wizard had already used numerous spells.
Dealing with wizards requires explosive power!
If he could not break through their protective barriers in one strike, he would inevitably fall victim to their various spells.
Soren had killed well over a hundred wizards during his rise to becoming a Legendary Thief—he knew too well the terrifying consequences of allowing them time to cast spells.
“Too bad I don’t have ‘Shadow Travel’; otherwise, I could have taken him out in one strike.”
Thieves of profession level 12 or above, if proficient in shadow abilities, can master ‘Shadow Travel’ to temporarily send themselves into a shadow plane passage and then return directly to the material plane from that passage. Although it only takes one second, it would be enough for Soren to break through the protective barrier and directly attack the wizard himself. This is a key to mastering the legendary skill ‘Shadow Realm’ later on; top thieves and assassins love to conduct assassinations across planes!
They also emerge from the shadow passage behind their enemies.
The wizard’s figure grew farther away, as Dark Elves seldom appear casually in the surface world. Soren was sure something was about to happen, but he did not know what exactly it would be.
A profession level 12 wizard does not hold a low status; few reasons could justify his solitary presence in the wilderness.
………………
