Chapter 369 - 368: Free Apartment
"In that case, I recommend you choose an attack spell. If you want to interrupt a spell that requires concentration, attacking the Caster directly is a good option. You can never have too many attack spells."
As he spoke, Donkexes opened his Spellbook and handed it over. "Take a look from this page on. See which one you want to learn. But I have to warn you, it might take longer than last time. If you can’t wait, you’d be better off buying a Scroll."
"How long, exactly?" Colin asked.
"Maybe a few weeks," Donkexes said. "With your talent, you should be able to manage it within three weeks."
"Three weeks?" Colin said in surprise. "I don’t think it even took me this long to learn Counterspell. Same with the Tier Two Magic I learned."
"The higher a Magic’s Tier, the more time it takes to learn—it’s not a simple addition. Tier Two Magic and below are basically what you learn as an apprentice.
Also, among the Tier Three spells, Counterspell is the easiest to learn. The difficult part is seizing a fleeting opportunity in battle, and that’s not something training or studying can make up for."
Donkexes drained his ale in one gulp. "You think I’m just spouting nonsense?"
’Don’t people usually spout nonsense *after* they’ve been drinking?’ Colin thought. At the same time, he asked, "Then how many days would it take to learn from a Scroll?"
"Two days, I’d say. A Scroll has a ready-made Magic Model, after all, so you don’t have to figure it out yourself. It’s just that a Tier Three Scroll probably costs around two hundred Gold Coins."
"Two hundred Gold Coins? That’s robbery!" Colin blurted out.
Donkexes chuckled. "Now you know why most Mages are rich?"
"My gods." Colin scratched the back of his head.
He suddenly remembered the handful of Tier Three Magic Scrolls he’d used back at the White Dove Monastery. The Morninglord Sect there was really willing to spend the money; he’d burned through hundreds of Gold Coins just like that.
’So, should I really buy a Scroll?’
’I’m not in a huge rush right now. And even though I have seven hundred Gold Coins saved up, spending it this way feels like a terrible value.’
’Learning the Magic itself should also increase my Skill Level. Maybe I should just take half a month off and spend the money on Magic Materials instead. That way, I can raise my Skill Level a bit more, and the money will be well spent.’
Colin said hesitantly, "Let me take a closer look, then."
’So far, I’m definitely not lacking in area-of-effect attacks.’
’I have Burning Hand at Tier One and Shatter at Tier Two. But because of their Tier limitations, both are ultimately just Low-tier Magic.’
’Their Damage and casting range can’t compare to High-tier Magic, even using Rising Tier Spellcasting. So, learning a High Tier area-of-effect spell is still essential.’
’And it would be best if the spell’s damage type and area of effect don’t overlap with my other spells.’
Colin carefully examined Donkexes’s Spellbook.
There were several spells that met his criteria, like ’Tidal Surge,’ ’Earthshatter Eruption,’ and the Fireball Technique.
In the end, however, Colin chose Lightning Bolt.
Lightning Bolt, Tier Three Magic. You specify a direction, and a line of lightning thirty-three meters long and two meters wide bursts forth from you in that direction. Each creature struck will take 11-51 points of lightning Damage.
’This spell’s range is longer than my other two area-of-effect spells, the Damage is comparable to the Fireball Technique, and it deals lightning Damage.’
’This way, if we run into a creature immune to Flame Damage, our party will have a way to deal with it.’
"So, are you planning to start learning now?" Donkexes asked.
"I’m going to ask my superior if there are any missions coming up. I’ll be back later," Colin said, clearing his throat.
Donkexes yawned. "You’re going to Horn Castle now? I’m getting tired just thinking about it. Fine, go on if you must."
Colin waved goodbye and jogged over to Horn Castle to ask Edwin.
After getting a positive response, he ran over to the Magic Material Shop and bought the Magic Materials he would need for his studies.
Only then did he return to the Dwarf Sewer to begin learning the Magic with Donkexes. The entire day passed in the blink of an eye.
Early the next morning, that familiar feeling of something pressing on his chest washed over him again.
Colin opened his eyes and glanced up. Sure enough, a gray rat was standing on his chest.
He took a deep breath, closed his eyes, and lay back down.
"Stop pretending, human thing! I saw you wake up, yes, yes. Go to Black Cloak Alley in the Southern District. Your nest. Before ten o’clock. Hurry, hurry!" the rat’s shrill voice chirped in his ear.
’It must be about the move,’ Colin thought, rubbing his face.
When he opened his eyes again, the rat froze for a second before it, too, started washing its face while standing on his chest.
"Alright, but I don’t have any bread today. I ate out all day yesterday," Colin said, lifting the rat and setting it aside.
"Stingy human, rude human! Yes, yes!"
After watching the little creature scamper off, still complaining, Colin went to wash up.
The thought that these rats were actually being controlled by the Master of the Black Tower gave him a strange feeling of dissonance.
After he finished getting ready and went downstairs, Ale’s door opened, just as he’d expected.
"Are we going to study today?" Ale asked, holding up the notebook in her hand. "Or heading over to the Dwarfs’?"
"Today’s supposed to be moving day. Let’s go to the Southern District and check out that free apartment," Colin said.
"Oh, then I’ll go wake up Orelia," Ale said before turning back into the room to get her.
Colin thought for a moment, called out something into the house, and then went back upstairs to sit and wait for the two girls to get ready.
A while later, the three of them went to the Dwarf Sewer and found Kase training. When Dorn saw the group, he tagged along as well. The five of them then headed toward Black Cloak Alley in the Southern District.
It had to be said, the streets of Thousand Masts City were quite complex.
They had to ask several passersby for directions before they finally found the place.
Colin looked at the small alley before them.
The alley was just wide enough for two carriages to pass through, its road paved with bluish-gray granite flagstones. At the moment, only a few people dressed like apprentices were hurrying down the street.
It was quiet here, and the faint sound of wind chimes could be heard.
At the end of the alley stood three four-story stone apartment buildings. The buildings surrounded a small courtyard, making the complex look like a small castle from a distance.
The alley was located on the border between the Southern District and the Trade District. Although it was relatively quiet, the Southern District’s small market was just a two-block walk away, making the location quite good.
"It looks pretty nice," Orelia said, her voice filled with unconcealed excitement.
"That’s not very convincing coming from you," Dorn chuckled. "You usually live in the Church’s public dorms. For all we know, my place in the sewer is nicer than that."
"This is still better. The sewer stinks," Ale said.
Dorn wrinkled his nose, looking displeased.
"Alright, let’s go check it out," Colin said, clearing his throat. He took the lead, walking toward the courtyard and successfully averting the impending battle.