Chapter 373 - 372: Unexpected Situation
Twelve days flew by in the blink of an eye.
This afternoon, in the testing area of the public research laboratory, Colin stood at his designated casting station, staring straight ahead.
He held his Spellbook in one hand and a glass rod wrapped in Beast Hide in the other—these were the Casting Materials for "Lightning Bolt."
After reviewing the spell in his book one last time, Colin took a deep breath.
He hung the Spellbook back on his belt, then began to rub the thumb-thick glass rod with the hide, chanting the Spell under his breath.
Once every hair on the hide stood on end, Colin thrust the glass rod forward just as his chant reached its conclusion.
CRACK!
With a final, sharp crackle, a jagged bolt of lightning shot forward, instantly stretching out over thirty meters.
Judging by its power, anything in the lightning’s path would have been torn to shreds.
As the crackling sparks faded, Colin breathed a sigh of relief.
’I finally succeeded.’
’Donkexes’s prediction was pretty accurate. He said it would take about two weeks, and it did.’
Every morning during that period, Colin had practiced the Spell with Donkexes, then come to the Black Tower in the afternoons to train. Practicing around Thousand Masts City would have inevitably led to questioning from the City Guard.
Twelve days passed like this before Colin finally managed to cast the spell successfully today.
He had spent nearly all his time on Magic research these past few days. He didn’t hold back on materials either, readily spending two hundred Gold Coins to boost his Casting Skill Level to 2493.
In just twelve days, his Skill Level had increased by over three hundred points.
This rate was more than double what it had been when he spent seventy Gold Coins learning the Speed spell. Of course, the cost was also more than double.
His overall Skill Levels were now roughly: Casting (Expert) 2493/4000, Armor (Adept) 1532/2000, Swordsmanship (Adept) 1292/2000, and Craftsman (Apprentice) 549/1250.
He had focused so much on training his Magic that his other Skills hadn’t seen much of an increase.
And just like that, his savings had dropped to around five hundred Gold Coins.
Colin felt a pang of regret thinking about it.
’While that many Skill Level points wouldn’t be a massive reward from a quest, it’s an incredibly difficult amount to grind through training.’
Of course, such a steep price had come with its own rewards.
He could now cast a maximum of three Tier Three Magic spells, one more than before.
Considering the power of his two Tier Three spells, "Counterspell" and "Lightning Bolt," that one extra cast could easily decide the outcome of a small battle. Its importance couldn’t be overstated.
Kase and the others hadn’t been idle during this time, either.
After Orelia’s injuries healed, they had taken the initiative to get a few small jobs from Edwin—minor tasks like delivering letters and clearing out sewer monsters. Handling such things was a waste of their talents, but it earned them some extra cash on the side.
It was also worth mentioning that the work on White Frost’s claws and teeth was finished.
The Dwarves were currently helping Kase affix them to his Big Axe. Once completed, it was expected to be quite a formidable weapon.
As he was lost in thought, Colin suddenly felt many pairs of eyes on him.
He turned to see that more than half of the Mage Apprentices in the laboratory were staring at him.
Just then, a small figure in a sky-blue robe approached. A closer look revealed it was Sela, whom he hadn’t seen in a while.
The young girl smiled and said, "Long time no see, my busy student."
"I’m not a Mage Apprentice at the Black Tower. I have to earn a living," Colin replied.
"That was the Tier Three Magic, ’Lightning Bolt,’ wasn’t it? Not many people test Tier Three Magic in here. You’re certainly drawing attention," Sela said, crossing her arms. "So, I guess what the textbooks say is true."
’It’s not like I have anywhere else to practice.’
While complaining internally, Colin gave a slight cough and asked, "What’s true?"
"The books say that the adventuring life fully stimulates a Mage’s mind, which is why Adventurer Mages improve so quickly."
"Or maybe it’s just that the slow ones are all dead," Colin shrugged.
"Hmph. That’s not a funny joke."
Just then, Morel approached from a distance.
He walked over and said, "Sorry to interrupt."
"Oh, excuse me, Professor." Seeing him approach, Sela hesitated for a moment before saying, "Something urgent just came up. Let’s talk later, Colin."
She turned and hurried away as if she’d seen a ghost.
Once the Mage Apprentice was out of earshot, Colin looked at Morel quizzically. "Is something wrong?"
Morel yawned and said, "Silver Star Court has run into some trouble recently. Or rather, the trouble started a few months ago. As allies of the City-States Alliance, we have to lend a hand."
"Of course, it’s nothing major, not on the level of a war. Just some friction along the border. If you go, you won’t run into anything too difficult to handle."
"The main issue is that hiring Adventurers involves haggling, and we don’t have time for that right now. We need people who can resolve this quickly."
’So it’s finally happening,’ Colin thought. He had been seeing news about Silver Star Court in the papers every now and then.
Even though Ale hadn’t shown it, he could easily imagine how increasingly tense she must be feeling.
’She’ll probably be happy to take on a mission back in Silver Star Court.’
Colin said, "Alright. I’ll go and let the others know."
"If you decide to go, gather at Horn Castle the day after tomorrow. If not, that’s fine too, just come and let us know by then." Morel stretched again. "I’ve been so exhausted lately. I’m going to grab a coffee. Want to join?"
"I’m not a coffee drinker."
"Alright then. See you the day after tomorrow."
With that, Colin quickly packed his things and left.
’It’s only afternoon. The meeting isn’t until the day after tomorrow, so I can just tell Kase and the others over dinner at the Black Heart Tavern.’
He shouldered his backpack and followed the main road toward the slums outside the city.
When he reached the thoroughfare bordering the Trade District, a tall figure suddenly emerged from a side alley, blocking his path.
Colin assumed it was just a passerby and stepped aside.
However, the burly man shifted his feet, blocking him once again.
Colin looked at the stranger before him.
The man wore a well-tailored, double-breasted overcoat of navy worsted wool. Its high collar hid the lower half of his face, revealing only a pair of calm, sharp eyes.
His right hand rested on the head of an ebony walking stick, its tip planted firmly on the stone road. A sheet of iron had been riveted to the grip.
’Looks like a gang enforcer,’ Colin thought.