nownovels Chapter 44 Third-Circle Spells
Chapter 44 Third-Circle Spells
"Why can we consult the first-level spellbook in advance?"
"The mission is clearly not finished yet."
Kane had his doubts, but he didn't ask any further questions.
After the tavern dinner, he returned to the Night's Watch headquarters with Reed.
Instead of heading to their lodgings, the two walked toward a magnificent domed building.
Many heavily armored soldiers stood around.
Kane keenly sensed that, in addition to the guards in the open, there were also many eyes watching them from the shadows.
Pass through the main entrance of the building.
Reed's deep voice suddenly rang out.
"Follow me from here on out."
Kane nodded in agreement.
The journey ahead proved more challenging than he had anticipated.
Layer upon layer of identity verification, and ever-present scrutinizing gazes.
Even their personal weapons were confiscated upon entry.
Kane did not resist, because Reed also voluntarily handed over his sword and dagger.
After climbing several steps and undergoing a thorough body search,
A heavy door appeared before us.
A heavy creaking sound rang out, and the iron gate was slowly pushed open.
……
Behind the door lies an endless sea of books.
The oak bookshelves, reaching all the way to the dome, were piled high with yellowed parchment scrolls and heavy ancient books.
Kane sensed it clearly.
The gazes from the shadows did not disappear; instead, they became even more concentrated.
"This is a heavily guarded area by the Night's Watch."
He understood.
The two walked slowly, passing through the gap between the two rows of bookshelves.
In the open space ahead, there was a velvet high-backed chair.
An old monk with a white beard sat in a chair, his head bowed as he flipped through a thick book.
He was wearing a silk robe and a top hat.
What is most striking are his deep, seemingly bottomless eyes.
Kane's vigilance instantly spiked.
He was sitting right here.
But he seemed to be subconsciously guided by some force to ignore the other party's existence.
Clearly, this is a high-level spellcaster similar to "Lady Mistweaver".
Reed stepped forward and said respectfully:
"Lord Albrecht, I have brought my team to consult the spellbook and request entry into the first-ring spell zone."
He handed over the receipt, which the old monk glanced at and nodded slightly.
"The deducted merits have been recorded. Go in."
Then, his gaze suddenly shifted to Kane, a barely perceptible glint flashing in his eyes, and he added:
You can only choose one.
The voice just fell.
A young girl in a blue robe walked over quickly.
She was about the same age as Zeya, and wore a pair of silver-rimmed glasses on her nose.
She said softly.
"Please come with me."
Reed patted Kane on the shoulder, signaling him to follow.
Kane understood and nodded slightly to the mage Albrecht, who was still engrossed in reading.
He then followed the girl deeper into the library.
In the instant they brushed past each other, a whisper drifted into Kane's ears:
"A true spellcaster seeks the essence of knowledge, rather than being fixated on the sharpness of a blade."
Kane turned around abruptly, only to see Albrecht already looking down at his book, as if he had never spoken.
Reed remained standing there, while the girl glanced at him with a hint of doubt.
Kane understood immediately; this was the old man's subtle reminder.
He nodded silently, looked away, and continued walking with the girl.
The two walked among the towering bookshelves and eventually arrived at the depths of the library.
The bookshelves here are more densely packed, and the books are even older.
For example, "An Analysis of the Survival of the Magic Network in the Age of Atheism," "The Chronicles of the Drow Descendants," etc.
Kane's gaze lingered briefly on a book titled "The Demise of the Arcanists."
The girl beside him gently shook her head:
"This section contains texts on magical theories; reading them requires additional merit points."
"Your captain only paid the cost of one ring of spell zones."
"Understood."
Kane nodded and followed her onward.
The destination was a separate stone room with eight bookshelves inside.
Each arcane school is labeled with its own specialization, such as the Protection School, the Conjuration School, and the Prophecy School.
The shelves weren't particularly large, but the books on prophecy and necromancy were especially abundant.
"Please tell me the name of the spell you wish to choose, and I will retrieve the book."
The girl stopped and solemnly reminded him:
"The bookshelf is engraved with anti-theft spells; if an outsider touches it directly, the spells will retaliate."
Kane nodded, his gaze slowly sweeping over the names of the first-ring spells.
Absorb elements, turn beasts into friends, whisper discord, mage armor, magic missiles...
The names of spells flashed through his mind, and he repeatedly analyzed their advantages and disadvantages.
"I must choose spells that fit my existing spell-based combat system... and that can also conceal my undead nature."
His gaze lingered briefly between the two books, "The Art of Disguise" and "The Great Stride," before he fell into hesitation.
Time passed by, second by second.
The girl beside him stood patiently and quietly the whole time, never urging him on.
After a long while, Kane's fingertip stopped on the cover of a book of conjuration spells:
"This one will do."
The girl put on white gloves and reached her slender fingers toward the bookshelf.
The moment my fingertips touched the spine of the book, a ripple spread out.
She slowly probed along the lines of the force field and steadily retrieved the scroll of spellbook.
The girl did not hand him the book directly, but led him into a quiet room inside the stone chamber.
"You can stay here and study until the clock strikes midnight."
She placed the book on the stone table and gave it detailed instructions:
"Remember, do not copy, do not distribute, and do not damage the pages."
"Any violation of this rule will be subject to the Night's Watch's highest punishment."
After explaining all the rules in detail, the girl turned and left, closing the door behind her.
Kane sat down at the wooden table, the title of the book written in Nordic script on the yellowed parchment cover.
The Art of Clouds and Mist.
"Create a spherical fog with a radius of twenty feet centered on the caster..."
He silently read the opening text, his eyes gradually brightening.
"Mist is the liquefaction of water vapor. Through this spell, I can obtain water from the surrounding area at any time."
"This means that even without a water source, I can still use this to perform 'water manipulation'."
"But more importantly, with the cover of the Cloud Mist spell, it's even harder to be detected when I use my immortality ability."
Kane knew that only the spells best suited to the caster themselves were truly the most appropriate.
Moreover, once you join the Night's Watch, obtaining a first-circle spell is not as difficult as it is outside.
Without further hesitation, he lowered his head and studied the arcane runes and spellcasting instructions word by word.
Begin to build spell-related models in your mind.
As a first-order arcane mage, his arcane enlightenment nature grants him a far greater understanding of magic than ever before.
Almost the instant I finished reading the last rune.
A prompt appeared on the panel.
[Verification: You have studied the first-circle spellbook "Cloud and Mist"]
[Note: Current learning progress is 5%]
Kane stared at the gray skill icons that appeared in his field of vision, a thought flickering in his mind.
【Cloud and Mist Technique】
[Invest 3 free skill points to unlock this spell directly? Yes/No]
【Yes】
As the thought settled, the gray icon suddenly lit up and turned white.
at the same time.
The arcane principles, rune arrangement, and casting gestures of the Cloud Mist spell had flooded into his mind like a tidal wave.
Kane suddenly understood.
"After I leave, I'll find another place to try out this spell."
Just then, the bell struck its twelfth time.
It's already past midnight.
The door to the quiet room was gently pushed open, and the girl outside walked in.
She paused, just in time to see the smile appear on Kane's face.
When exchanging spellbooks with the girl.
Kane raised a question.
"May I ask, how many merit points are required to access this first-level spell?"
After hearing the girl's explanation, Kane's thoughts were understood.
His early access to the spellbook was a personal gift from Reed.
"I still owe this favor, at least a little."
I need to find a chance to pay it back.
……
Meanwhile, Reed quietly left.
He went to another library.
This place is also filled with densely packed bookshelves.
But what was displayed on the shelf was not a spellbook, but the Night's Watch's confidential files.
After submitting the voucher to the clerk on duty.
Reed made his request in a deep voice:
"Request access to the file of First-Order Necromancer Flynn."
The application was approved quickly.
A thick stack of books was sorted out and handed to him.
Reed found a chair, sat down, and began flipping through the pages.
But as he watched, his expression gradually became serious.
The last page of the file.
The final evaluation of Flynn by the necromancy school's mage tower instructor is clearly recorded:
"A mage apprentice who will never be able to advance to the first rank in his lifetime."
"That's impossible."
Reed's pupils suddenly contracted.