Chapter 41: Chapter 41: Element and Arcane
Spirit Swordsmanship emphasized lightness and flexibility, featuring a variety of offensive moves. It even went so far as to sacrifice some defensive capability to launch a furious, storm-like assault on the opponent.
Ever since Duane had raised his Skill Level in this swordsmanship to Skilled, his attacks had shed their former sluggishness and grown increasingly fierce.
At times, he could even pose a genuine problem for Kaelon, forcing him to abandon his casual approach to their sparring sessions.
Take tonight, for example.
In the beginning, their spar wasn’t much to watch. But after more than an hour, Kaelon’s concentration seemed to be flagging, while Duane’s attack patterns remained largely unchanged.
So much so that the tip of his sword managed to tear the corner of Kaelon’s clothing.
As an observer, Raymond was deeply impressed by the Baron’s progress. "Just now, if Kaelon hadn’t suddenly erupted with speed surpassing that of a Basic-level Warrior, that sword thrust would have likely broken his skin."
As the night deepened, Duane brought the sparring session to a close.
After two hours of practice, his stamina was running low, and his body was drenched in sweat.
"As expected of you, Kaelon. Your breathing is barely even disturbed."
Duane couldn’t help but marvel. ’The stamina of a Human Tier Warrior really is something else.’
Kaelon let out a hearty laugh. "My stamina might be high, but I get careless when things drag on. You’re different, My Lord. It’s your focus that I admire most."
Duane wasn’t sure if his focus was influenced by the attribute panel, but it was undeniably strong.
Of course, Kaelon’s carelessness was also due to Duane’s high Skill Level in Spirit Swordsmanship.
The two exchanged a few more compliments before concluding their evening spar.
After requesting a sparring session with Raymond for the following morning, Duane sank comfortably into a bathtub to enjoy a hot soak.
He opened his attribute panel. His Spirit Swordsmanship Skill Level had increased to (Skilled 51/300), having gained 36 points during the spar.
’This rate of increase is much slower than for a [Basic] Skill of the same Level, but I guess it’s acceptable.’
’Tomorrow, I need to see if there’s a Basic Archery Skill. I also need to start brewing.’
Lying in the tub, Duane planned for the next day while reflecting on his current life.
’Being a Lord in an Otherworld isn’t easy. Not only am I busy all day, but I also have to put on an act for others.’
The thought of acting made him think of Kalina. Her figure was undeniably impressive. If Duane were the type to think with his lower half, he would probably be scheming how to get his hands on her.
But he was an ambitious and proactive Lord. How could he let himself be seduced by mere beauty?
After a thoroughly enjoyable bath, he went to his study.
The gift from the Holy Hand Association was sitting on his desk. Jasmine had already inspected it and confirmed there was no poison or hidden traps.
’Mages...’
He picked up the book on top, titled *Magic Overview*, and began to read. The title page said:
If you imagine the Extraordinary Energy of the world as a spiderweb, the closer you are to its center, the purer and more powerful that energy becomes.
Ordinary people exist outside this web. As a person’s Spiritual Power increases, they draw closer to it.
When a person’s Spiritual Power reaches a certain threshold, they can touch the outermost strands of the web and connect to the power of that layer. This is what is known as a Level 1 Mage.
The higher a Mage’s Level, the greater their Spiritual Power, and the deeper the layer of the web they can touch. Thus, there are Level 2 Mages, Level 3 Mages, and so on.
Mages must use their Spiritual Power to absorb Extraordinary Energy into their bodies and refine it. The special energy this process creates is Magic Power.
When casting magic, a Mage must use Magic Power to construct a Spell Model. Spiritual Power then radiates outward from the Spell Model, drawing upon the external Extraordinary Energy to ultimately form a spell.
The text on the title page wasn’t long, yet it gave Duane a basic understanding of Mages, Mage Levels, and the mechanics of casting magic.
It was clear that the author of this book possessed a profound understanding of magic and a remarkable ability to summarize it.
Duane couldn’t help but glance at the bottom-right corner, where the author was credited: a Grand Mage named Ernst Cage.
He searched his memory but found no recollection of the name.
Still, he breathed a sigh of relief. At least the author wasn’t Daniels.
’If it had been the leader of the Holy Hand Association, my estimation of him would have risen by several notches.’
He turned past the title page and read on. The next section detailed the different schools of magic and related knowledge about casting spells.
According to the book, Mages divide the world’s Extraordinary Energy into two major categories: Elemental and Arcane.
The Elemental category is further divided into seven attributes, which can also be called seven schools: Wind, Fire, Earth, Water, Thunder, Light, and Darkness.
As for Arcane magic, it is categorized into seven schools based on its form: Abjuration, Conjuration, Shaping, Enchantment, Illusion, Transmutation, and Divination.
Both Elemental and Arcane magic rely on affinity; a Mage must possess the right affinity to wield the corresponding Magic Power.
However, there are differences between the two.
First, the seven Elemental schools are mutually exclusive.
For example, a Water Mage cannot use Fire Magic, unless they can also refine Fire Attribute Magic Power.
Second, Elemental and Arcane magic are not mutually exclusive.
Even if a Mage is unable to absorb external Arcane Energy into their body and refine it into "Arcane Magic Power," they can still directly use their Spiritual Power to draw upon external Arcane Energy, construct a Spell Model, and cast magic.
While this method allows one to forcibly cast Arcane Magic, compared to a Mage who possesses Arcane Magic Power, the difficulty is greater, the Spiritual Power consumption is higher, and the resulting spell is weaker than that of a true Arcane Mage.
Third, Arcane Mages have their own unique characteristics.
A Level 4 Arcane Mage is able to master "Shaping" Spell Models. By using Spell Models from different schools, they can convert the Arcane Magic Power within their bodies into Elemental Magic Power.
For instance, an Arcane Mage can use a "Water Element Shaping Spell Model" to cast Water Magic, or a "Fire Shaping Spell Model" to cast Fire Magic.
When an Arcane Mage masters the Shaping Spell Models for all seven elements, they become a Full-Element Mage.
Of course, this method of casting also has issues, such as high consumption and great difficulty, but these are less pronounced than when an Elemental Mage tries to use Arcane Magic.
Duane had to read this section several times before he completely grasped the distinctions.
He set the book down, lost in thought.
’So, Arcane can be considered a type of Elemental Attribute. The only difference is how it interacts with the others regarding mutual exclusivity.’
After processing this information, he resumed reading.
The rest of the book introduced the names of various spells and described their power.
For example, spells Duane had often read about in novels—like Fireball Technique, Flash Technique, Wind Blade Technique, and Thunderbolt Technique—were all mentioned in the book.
However, these were only brief descriptions; the book didn’t explain what the Spell Models for these spells actually looked like.
For a Mage, Spell Models were costly. High-level Spell Models were as precious as secret recipes or formulas.
Duane set aside the book and picked up the other two.
These two thin volumes contained four Spell Models.
The first book contained the Light Magic spells Flash Technique and Healing Technique; the second contained the Fire Magic spells Flame Technique and Fireball Technique.
Duane examined the Spell Models with curiosity. They looked like geometric figures—three-dimensional patterns formed by combining multiple shapes.
’The Spell Model for a Level 2 Magic is obviously more complex than one for a Level 1 Magic,’ Duane concluded.
A Mage had to analyze these Spell Models and then use their Magic Power to construct them.
The process was incredibly complex. Some Mages, despite having sufficient Spiritual Power, lacked the patience to learn, dissect, and study them, and could go for years without mastering a single new spell.
It was a bit like painting.
Some people are geniuses who can draw something after a single glance.
Others have less natural talent but can make up for it through diligent study.
Then there were those who had a bit of talent but were inconsistent, working in fits and starts, or simply gave up entirely, and thus naturally never achieved anything.
’Should I learn magic?’
Duane put down the two books and fell into thought.
