Chapter 161: Level 1 Mage
Duane had planned to fish all morning, but the interruption had completely ruined his mood, so he cut the trip short.
After a quick trip back to the manor, he galloped to the riding grounds on the outskirts of the city and began an intensive training session for his Riding Skill.
He deliberately chose wild, untamable horses to train with—some even had the blood of Demon Beasts.
Taming such mounts yielded greater rewards.
Although his Basic Riding Skill Level had already reached Mastery (393/400), he struggled to gain the last seven points. By the time evening came, he was still three points short.
It wasn’t until the following afternoon—after he had tamed two ferocious horses and run five more high-quality warhorses to exhaustion—that his Skill Level finally reached Perfection.
[Congratulations, your Basic Riding Skill Level has reached Perfection]
[attribute points +0.5]
[Perfection Level Basic Riding Skill has granted you an Enlightenment Effect. You have obtained the "Summon Warhorse" Spell Model and the "Arcane Resonance" Spell Model. attribute points +2]
"Spell Models again!"
The last time his Basic Archery reached Perfection, he had obtained a Spell Model and an Enchantment Formula.
This time, though there was nothing else, he had gotten two Spell Models instead.
He opened his attribute panel.
[Strength]: 34.8
[Spirit]: 4.5
’2.5 attribute points should be enough for a breakthrough.’
He began allocating the attribute points to his Strength Attribute. He only needed 0.2 points to reach the Human Tier Strength cap, at which point he couldn’t add any more.
Next, he added points to his Spirit Attribute.
He had originally thought that raising it to 5.0 or 5.5 would be enough, but this breakthrough unexpectedly demanded a higher level of Spirit.
He only broke through after using 1.5 attribute points to raise his Spirit to 6.0.
The gap in the Spirit Attribute between Basic-level Warrior, Middle Level Warrior, and Advanced Warrior was 0.5.
The gap from Advanced Warrior to Human Tier was 1.
And from Human Tier to Earth Tier, it became 2, showing a pattern of slow but steady growth.
Fortunately, perfecting his Basic Riding Skill had given Duane 2.5 attribute points. If he had been just one point short, he wouldn’t have been able to break through today.
Duane felt a tingling sensation spread through him. His Fighting Qi channels now fully permeated every inch of his skin and flesh, forming a dense, crisscrossing network of highways within his body.
Only an Earth Tier Warrior could perfectly control their Fighting Qi and unleash the true power of their Combat Techniques.
On top of this, Duane had the added boost from his Skill Levels, making his actual combat strength even greater.
Therefore, even though he had just broken through, his combat power was already far beyond what an ordinary Earth Tier Warrior could match.
He shifted his gaze to the attribute panel. He had intended to check on the two new spells he’d acquired but was surprised to see a change in the [Level] section.
[Level]: Earth Tier Warrior, Level 1 Mage
Duane froze for a second before a look of delight spread across his face.
’I’m a Mage now?’
Duane’s Spirit Attribute was now 6.8. Discounting the boost he received from his Warrior breakthrough, his Spirit must have met the requirements to become a Level 1 Mage when it hit 6.0.
’This is a pleasant surprise!’
Duane’s mind began to race with possibilities.
Now that he was a Level 1 Mage, he could learn a Meditation Skill.
He could also learn the many Level 1 Magic spells he had obtained from Daniels and Selena.
He was about to enter a period of rapid growth.
’The situation is still uncertain. While learning Magic would be beneficial, I should focus on raising my Warrior Level to the Celestial Tier first.’
Harrison, for instance, whom he’d met yesterday, had two Earth Tier Warriors as bodyguards.
Although Duane was the same level as them, he was still badly outnumbered.
Only by reaching the Celestial Tier could he be considered truly powerful.
So, he allocated his remaining attribute points to the Strength Attribute.
[Strength]: 35.8
[Spirit]: 6.8
Following the pattern of attribute gaps between tiers, he would need another 9.2 attribute points to become a Celestial Tier Warrior.
’It’s a shame I’m low on money. Otherwise, I could buy some Potions.’
He had bought two bottles of Bear Heart Burning Blood Potion at the Silent Shore, and at 200 gold each, they were incredibly expensive.
He still had one bottle left, but he was saving it for Kaelon.
The Potion allowed an Earth Tier Warrior to unleash immense strength for a short period, making it a valuable trump card in an unexpected conflict.
Duane turned his attention to his new spells.
Summon Warhorse was a Level 4 Arcane Magic. A Mage who cast it could summon a steed that was telepathically bonded with its master, requiring no verbal commands, only intent.
The warhorse’s power was tied to the Mage’s own level—the higher the Mage’s level, the more powerful the steed.
A slight smile touched Duane’s lips. This pretty much solved his problem of finding a suitable mount.
Even the Flame Horses bred by Duke Kelvin Hughes probably couldn’t compare to the warhorse he could summon with this spell.
Unfortunately, the summoned warhorse could only be used by him. Otherwise, he could have provided a couple for the warriors under his command.
"Level 4 Magic, though!"
Duane could only sigh. He was still a long way from being a Level 4 Mage.
He looked at the second spell.
Arcane Resonance: Allows a Mage to resonate with the Magic Net, temporarily increasing casting speed and spell power. It can also trigger Elemental Resonance in a summoned warhorse, causing it to enter a Phase Dash state and erupt with double its normal speed.
Although it was a support spell, its ability to boost Duane’s combat power, as well as his pursuit and escape capabilities, made it extremely effective.
Unfortunately, this spell had an even higher requirement: one had to be a Level 6 Grand Mage to cast it.
’It took me a year to go from an ordinary person to an Earth Tier Warrior. I wonder how long it’ll take to get from a Level 1 Mage to a Level 6 Grand Mage?’
Duane was quite optimistic about his prospects.
’Time to head back.’
He tugged the reins, turning his horse around and heading out of the training grounds.
The stable master saw him and jogged over enthusiastically to take the reins. "My Lord, this horse is nearly exhausted. Do you need me to get you another one?"
He was quite surprised. Why would the Baron, whose Riding Skill was already so superb, feel the need to practice nonstop?
But he didn’t ask. Perhaps it was just one of the young Baron’s daily hobbies?
Besides, he was running a business. As long as the customer paid, the rest wasn’t his concern.
"Thank you, but that’s all for today."
"Very well!"
The stable master asked again, "Will you be practicing tomorrow? If you are, I can have a horse ready for you in advance."
Duane shook his head. His Riding Skill was now at Perfection; there was no need to practice it further.
Besides, tomorrow was the day King Eric would summon the other Nobility and the envoy from the Akutas Kingdom.
The matter of Viscount Freddy’s Gale Corps attempting to assassinate Duane would also be officially announced.
At that time, with the King, Dukes, Marquises, and Counts—the Grand Lords and High Lords—leading the way, the Pruck Kingdom would make a show of its military might to the Akutas Kingdom.
"I have other matters to attend to tomorrow, so I won’t be coming."
Duane handed the horse over. "If you know any suitable horse breeders, you can recommend them to me. Black Forest Island is in need of a professional stable master like you."
The currently developed area of Black Forest Island wasn’t large; it could be crossed on foot in just a few hours.
But as development pushed further inland, the island would effectively become larger, making horses an indispensable means of transportation.
Moreover, if he had the opportunity to wage campaigns in the Starfall Islands or other regions in the future, warhorses would be equally essential.
"Thank you for the compliment, Baron!"
The stable master bowed deeply. "I will certainly keep an eye out for you."
Duane nodded, mounted the warhorse from the Earl’s Manor, and galloped away.
The horse beneath him was just an ordinary warhorse. Even though it was a little faster without its barding, the ride back would still take over an hour.
The main reason was that these stables were located on the western outskirts of the Royal Capital, a considerable distance away.
Duane rode through a bustling town, then followed sprawling country roads outside the city walls. Further ahead lay a small, forested hill.
Although it was a forest, it wasn’t a particularly remote area.
On the contrary, merchant caravans and travelers passed through frequently, and one could even see farmers cutting firewood on the slopes. It was neither remote nor dangerous.
But as Duane rode along the main path up the hill, a team of assassins lay in wait, concealed within the bushes on the ridge above.
At first, everything seemed normal. But just as he was about to crest the small ridge, an unnatural, acrid smell reached his nostrils, and he abruptly yanked his reins tight.