Chapter 147: Composite Casting, Spell Construction
Meditation Room
In the room, Su Nan sat cross-legged on the ground, absorbing the Divine Energy he had just extracted into his body. He then closed his eyes to begin his meditation.
A little over three hours later, when he finished and opened his eyes to summon his status panel, he discovered that his Spiritual Power had increased by 0.25.
"Not bad," Su Nan said with a nod of satisfaction.
"By next year's Blazing Fire Month at the latest, I should be able to construct the sixteenth Star Ring."
Getting up, Su Nan left the Meditation Room and headed toward the inner Flash City.
Since being designated as the new capital, Flash City had undergone significant expansion, making it larger and more prosperous than before.
Walking along the street, one could see merchant caravans and travelers from all over, creating a bustling and lively atmosphere.
The expanded Flash City was divided into the Royal City, Inner City, and Outer City.
At the center of the city stood the Royal City, where a magnificent palace could be seen from afar.
Upon arriving at the Royal City, Su Nan went straight to the palace.
As he entered the front courtyard, he noticed two maids leading a delicate, fair-skinned little boy toward him.
"Su Nan Sir!" the maids exclaimed, quickly bowing in greeting.
The little boy opened his eyes wide, curiously examining Su Nan.
Seeing the boy's face, which closely resembled Ke Yi's, Su Nan immediately understood.
This little fellow was Ke Yi's son—his nephew, Abbott Yarnell.
Since the boy's birth, this was the first time Su Nan had laid eyes on him, and he couldn't help but think he wasn’t being a very good uncle.
Su Nan walked over and gently touched the boy's head.
The little one, unshy and full of curiosity, stared up at him with bright, black eyes and asked, "Who are you?"
Su Nan smiled, chose not to answer, and walked straight inside.
It wasn’t until he was farther away that the two maids straightened up, one of them gently explaining, "Young Master Abbott, that was Su Nan Sir, your uncle."
"Uncle?" The little guy tilted his head, a puzzled expression on his face as he tried to comprehend the meaning of the word.
But children have limited attention spans; he was soon captivated by the flowers and plants outside, giggling as he dashed out.
"Young Master, please slow down!"
In the study, Ke Yi was attending to official duties. When he saw Su Nan arrive, he paused his work and smiled warmly.
"What brings you here today?"
After settling into a chair, Su Nan replied casually, "I saw the little one earlier. He's quite sturdy!"
Ke Yi chuckled. "He's doing well, but he's still a bit weaker than Wes."
Wes, Ke Yi's second son, had just turned two and was born after Ke Yi advanced to Legendary Knight, endowing him with naturally stronger physical attributes.
"When do you plan to begin their cultivation?" Ke Yi asked.
"Let's wait until they're six."
After some light conversation, Su Nan shifted to the main topic, raising the issue of separating the finances of Base and Starry Sky Empire.
Upon hearing this, Ke Yi wasn't surprised. He smiled and said, "Actually, I've been wanting to discuss this with you for some time."
To be frank, Ke Yi had hoped that Base and Starry Sky Empire could merge into one entity, growing and evolving together. However, he understood that this was unlikely.
In the beginning, both sides had been equal partners, each fulfilling their needs, but that balance shifted as Base began developing Underworld. Now, Starry Sky Empire found itself in a weaker position within the partnership.
The most obvious change is that Base's funding no longer relies solely on Starry Sky Empire. Even without its financial backing, the profits from Star Alliance Mine are more than enough to support Base's growth.
Conversely, Starry Sky Empire has remained dependent on Base's resources, such as Dragon Blood Fruit, Puppets, and Enchanted Weapons.
This is the current state of affairs. As Base continues to grow stronger, the power imbalance between the two entities will become increasingly apparent.
If they were compelled to merge, the most likely outcome would be Starry Sky Empire becoming a vassal of Base.
After careful consideration, Ke Yi believed that separating their finances and establishing a mutually beneficial cooperative trading relationship would indeed be more advantageous for both parties.
After hearing Ke Yi's thoughts, Su Nan was slightly surprised; he hadn’t expected his older brother to have thought so deeply about it.
This, however, spared him the effort of convincing him.
The two hit it off immediately and began discussing the specific details. It wasn’t until evening that their conversation finally concluded.
"Oh, right," Ke Yi suddenly recalled something, "I heard that Base has introduced a new type of armament called the Magic Pattern Construct. Is it really powerful?"
Su Nan hadn’t deliberately concealed the existence of the Magic Pattern Construct, so he wasn’t surprised that Ke Yi knew about it. He briefly explained its effects.
Upon hearing this, Ke Yi’s eyes lit up, and he quickly asked, "What is the cost of this thing?"
With equipment this powerful, if they could arm the army on a large scale, they could create an invincible legion!
Su Nan, sensing Ke Yi’s enthusiasm, poured cold water on him. "The lowest-grade First Level Magic Rune Construct costs over eighty gold coins, and at the moment, I am the only one capable of refining it. It cannot be mass-produced. Most of it is reserved for the Knight Guard. If you want some, I can only spare about ten sets for you."
Ke Yi felt somewhat disappointed, but then he thought to himself that as Base grew stronger, the Magic Pattern Construct would eventually benefit the duchy’s army, which eased his mind.
In the year 1257 of the Starlight Calendar, in the month of Blazing Fire (July), two Black Rock Leopards stopped at the entrance of Base.
Xie Man jumped off the back of the Black Rock Leopard, gazing at the familiar gates of Base, feeling a rush of emotion.
It had only been about a year since he left Base, yet it felt like much longer.
After the passing of Old Roger, Base had truly become a home to him.
"What are you dazing out for? Hurry up and report to the teacher," Cole said, leading the Black Rock Leopard into Base without looking back.
Just as they passed through the gate, they saw several students approaching. Upon recognizing Xie Man and Cole, their faces brightened with joy.
"Xie Man Senior, Cole Senior, you’re back!"
Xie Man smiled and greeted them warmly.
Cole's face also managed to display a rare hint of a smile.
Although he didn’t say it, returning to the familiar Base had significantly lifted his spirits.
After chatting idly with their junior disciples for a few moments, Xie Man recalled their purpose and asked, "Where's the teacher?"
"The teacher went back to Base 2."
Exchanging a glance with Cole, Xie Man handed over the Black Rock Leopard to the junior disciples, instructing them to return it to storage, and then hurried toward Base 2.
Youhu City was as gloomy and damp as ever.
Quickly passing through the chaotic Lower City, Xie Man and Cole soon entered the clean and orderly Upper City.
However, they were immediately surprised to find many more people in the Upper City.
As they walked down the street, they occasionally saw groups of young men and women chatting and laughing as they passed by.
These individuals were roughly between the ages of sixteen and eighteen, clad in finely crafted leather armor.
Xie Man recognized at a glance that the leather armor had been enchanted with Enchanted Armor.
Furthermore, the Knight's Longswords at their waists were mostly of Enchanted Weapon quality.
After a moment of thought, Xie Man and Cole understood who these people were.
"It seems the Knight Guard has welcomed its first batch of members," Xie Man said with a smile.
"I wonder what their strength is like?" Cole remarked, scrutinizing a young Knight nearby.
The original purpose of establishing the Knight Guard was to coordinate with their actions as Other: Wizard Apprentices outside.
Naturally, their strength needed to meet certain standards.
"Given that they were able to pass the teacher's test, I imagine their strength should be adequate," Xie Man replied with a grin.
The young Knights they passed acknowledged the two Other: Wizard Apprentices in their long robes, stopping to bow slightly in respect.
Xie Man and Cole continued walking toward the towering stone pillar at the center of the city.
From a distance, they heard a series of roars coming from the direction of the stone pillar.
The sounds seemed to be emanating from some kind of ferocious beast, resonating with a soul-stirring power.
Exchanging looks of surprise and doubt, Xie Man and Cole quickened their pace. After turning a corner, they soon spotted the source of the noise.
In the open space in front of the Base, dozens of enormous metal cages held various ferocious beasts.
These beasts varied in shape; some were serpentine, others resembled lizards, and some were even entirely made of rock.
What they all shared, however, were their enormous, powerful jaws, claws on both their front and hind limbs, and thick scales covering their entire bodies.
"Sub-Dragon Species!"
Xie Man immediately recognized the species of these monsters, astonishment etched on his face.
Where had so many Sub-Dragon Species been captured?
Cole was equally taken aback. Sub-Dragon Species were incredibly rare; how could so many appear all at once?
If these Sub-Dragon Species weren't all caged in metal enclosures and severely wounded, he might have thought that Youhu City had encountered a beast tide.
Karolina stood at the entrance, directing the Clay Golem to move the metal cages. Out of the corner of his eye, he spotted Xie Man and Cole. Nodding slightly at them, she said, "Master is waiting for you both in the study."
Upon hearing this, Xie Man and Cole didn’t dare to delay any longer. They set aside their doubts and quickly entered the base.
Upon arriving at the study door, they hadn’t even knocked when Su Nan's voice called from inside, "Come in."
Xie Man and Cole took a deep breath, pushed the door open, and stepped inside to see Su Nan seated behind the desk.
"Teacher!" they both bowed respectfully.
Su Nan looked them over. After a year of traveling, they had shed much of their naivete. Their faces bore a hint of contemplation and steadiness, giving them a more mature appearance.
Su Nan nodded inwardly and asked, "Have the matters concerning the Magical Plant Garden been handled?"
"Yes, Teacher," Cole replied respectfully. "All three Magical Plant Gardens have been developed and are running well. The personnel to take over have also been stationed in the gardens."
"Well done. Go see Geli later to settle your Contribution Points."
Su Nan smiled, praising them. However, before they could bask in their success, he continued, "Go back and rest for five days, then come to Knight Guard to select personnel. Next, the two of you will join the exploration team to assist Karolina and Red Widow in exploring the area around the Star Alliance."
"Yes, Teacher!" Xie Man and Cole replied without hesitation.
"Alright, you may leave," Su Nan said, waving his hand.
Once the two had departed, he rose from his desk and left the study, making his way toward the laboratory.
The operation to capture the Sub-Dragon Species had made significant progress. The individuals sent by Karolina and Red Widow had successfully located a group of Sub-Dragon Species and managed to capture a good number of them alive.
However, when the investigative team attempted to delve deeper, they were ambushed by a Sword Crystal Dragon.
The Sword Crystal Dragon was a particularly powerful and rare type of Sub-Dragon Species. An adult Sword Crystal Dragon possessed power at the Second-Ring Legend level, and those that lived even longer could reach the Third Circle Legend.
Faced with such a formidable Exotic Beast, the investigation team stood no chance and had no choice but to retreat.
Su Nan had initially intended to assign the investigation to Xie Man and Cole upon their return, but now it seemed he would have to cancel those plans.
"Looks like I'll have to take this on myself."
After all, this was crucial for improving the strength of the Hidden Dragon, and the blood and organs of the Sub-Dragon Species were valuable resources. Su Nan took this matter seriously, determined to uncover the origin of these Sub-Dragon Species.
The captured Sub-Dragon Species had already been transported to the Confinement Zone.
Under the suppression of the Confinement Zone's magic array, the already badly injured Sub-Dragon Species were no longer as violent and fierce as before, each one lying listlessly on the ground. When Su Nan entered, they merely glanced up before ignoring him.
Su Nan surveyed the area, his expression growing increasingly surprised.
There were a total of twenty-five Sub-Dragon Species, encompassing eighteen different kinds.
What was more, three were legendary high-ranking Sub-Dragon Species.
Barring human intervention, Su Nan couldn’t fathom why so many different species and ranks of Sub-Dragon Species were living together in the same area.
This only deepened his curiosity about the underlying reasons.
But alongside this curiosity, Su Nan was also extremely pleased.
With so many Sub-Dragon Species, the rate at which the Hidden Dragon Blood vein concentration increased would surely improve dramatically.
Steadying himself, Su Nan fired a Weakening Ray that struck the nearest Sub-Dragon Species and began extracting its blood.
Time flew by, and before long, it was Frostfall Moon (November).
After three months of integrating his Bloodline, Hidden Dragon's concentration successfully surpassed 45%. Its body swelled again, and the color of the scales on its skin became even more vibrant.
At the same time, the training progress for Composite Casting finally reached 100%.
Su Nan successfully mastered the third Metamagic Technique.
After practical testing, Su Nan discovered that he could simultaneously cast a maximum of three different types of spells.
For instance, he could cast the Levitation Spell, Elemental Protection, and Magic Missile at the same time, but he could not combine Scorching Ray, Magic Missile, and Shattering Sound Wave. The operational principles of these spells were too similar, causing conflicts that resulted in failure.
Even so, Composite Casting was still an incredibly powerful technique, significantly enhancing Su Nan's practical spellcasting abilities.
“With Composite Casting combined with Instant Spell Casting, I can easily handle opponents below the Third Circle of Legend.”
A smile crossed Su Nan's face.
“The next Metamagic Technique I should focus on is Spell Construction.”
Spell Construction would improve his control over spells, allowing each spell to achieve its maximum effect.
Taking Magic Missile as an example, after mastering Spell Construction's Wizard (Apprentice) level, he could greatly increase its power, change its shape to a sharp cone or arrow, and control its flight path, making it difficult for enemies to anticipate.
With the Shield Spell, he could transform the formless shield of the Tower Shield into armor that covered his entire body, expanding his protection area.
In short, mastering Spell Construction would empower many spells to exert more powerful and flexible effects than before, significantly enhancing his practical combat capabilities.
“The difficulty of Spell Construction is lower than that of Composite Casting and Instant Spell Casting. It shouldn't take more than two years to master.”
Su Nan began the training for Spell Construction immediately and then gazed out the window at the sky.
“Next, it’s time to head to Ryan City.”
If it weren't for Composite Casting, he would have already set off for Ryan City. Now that he had mastered Composite Casting, it was time to attend to matters there.
It seems that I must eat my words. Due to a sudden increase in chores, the extra chapter will need to be postponed. I will prioritize maintaining my daily goal of [8,000] words, and if I have the energy, I might add more. The second chapter tonight will be delayed, so I apologize to everyone for the wait.
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