Chapter 69: Chapter 69: Metamagic Technique

’Right now, the most important thing is definitely to construct the Will Runes.’

’The sooner I raise my Spirit attribute, the greater the long-term benefits will be.’

’But considering I’ll probably have to fight heretics soon, strengthening my combat abilities is also necessary.’

Pei Ze contemplated for a moment and quickly made a decision.

"All-Knowing, consume Power of Rules to accelerate the analysis of Silent Spell."

There were currently two ways to quickly improve his combat abilities.

One was to master more Magic.

The other was to master metamagic techniques.

Incantations had always been one of the most glaring weaknesses for a Wizard Apprentice in battle.

In a rapidly changing battle, half a second could decide many things, let alone the one or two seconds it took to chant an incantation.

That was why many Wizard Apprentices would arrange for Knight retainers to block enemies at the front, buying themselves time to cast.

Silent Spell, however, could alleviate this weakness to a certain extent.

A Wizard who had mastered Silent Spell could mentally recite the incantation and release the spell at the opportune moment, catching their enemy off guard at a critical juncture.

This technique was even more useful when facing experienced enemies.

Many non-human races who frequently fought against Wizards could identify the upcoming Magic by listening to the incantation and respond accordingly.

But when they encountered a Wizard who had mastered Silent Spell, this experience became useless.

It was worth mentioning that Silent Spell only involved mentally reciting the incantation; it didn’t actually reduce the spell preparation time.

In this regard, it was far inferior to Quicken Spell.

Only a Wizard who had mastered the Quicken Spell technique could truly overcome the weakness of chanting incantations.

The moment the command was given, countless pieces of knowledge and insight appeared out of thin air in Pei Ze’s mind.

He closed his eyes to absorb it for a moment, then opened them, raising a finger. A dazzling light suddenly blossomed from its tip.

Light Spell!

In just an instant, he had successfully mastered Silent Spell, a metamagic technique that almost only full-fledged Wizards could grasp.

Looking at the light on his fingertip, Pei Ze broke into a joyous smile.

’With Silent Spell, I’ll have many more options in combat.’

’Especially against opponents who love to run their mouths. I can play along with them for a bit, then use the opportunity to stack ten or twenty layers of Mage Armor on myself. When the fight actually starts, I can give them a big surprise.’

Snapping out of his joy, Pei Ze thought for a moment and mentally commanded, "All-Knowing, analyze the Quicken Spell technique."

[Task created. Beginning analysis of Quicken Spell technique. Estimated time: 491 days]

Pei Ze was secretly astonished. This analysis time was much longer than the one for Silent Spell.

Even if he poured in all his remaining Power of Rules, it wouldn’t be enough.

’No wonder Quicken Spell is called one of the most difficult metamagic techniques.’

Empower Spell, Reach Spell, Widen Spell, Extend Spell, Composite Spellcasting... these all belonged to the category of metamagic techniques.

Among the many metamagic techniques, Composite Spellcasting and Quicken Spell were widely recognized as the two most difficult.

Pei Ze then issued a command to analyze Empower Spell. The feedback he received stated an analysis time of 312 days, still significantly longer than Silent Spell.

The other metamagic techniques were more or less the same.

’It seems Silent Spell is the easiest metamagic technique.’

Pei Ze shook his head, deciding to wait until his Spirit attribute was higher before analyzing other metamagic techniques. For now, he should focus on mastering more Magic first.

Metamagic techniques were, in the end, enhancements to spellcasting. Without enough Magic to support them, these techniques were just castles in the air.

Turning his attention back to Magic, Pei Ze analyzed Magic Missile, Fireball Technique, and Frightening Skill all at once.

The Fireball Technique, as its name suggested, released a Fireball that dealt explosive and burning damage. It was the most commonly used offensive One-Ring Spell for a Wizard Apprentice.

The effect of Magic Missile was to release missiles formed from concentrated Magic Energy. The number could be as few as three or as many as ten, depending on the Caster’s Spirit strength and magical proficiency.

The power of a single magic missile was far less than that of a Fireball, but its strength lay in its numbers, classifying it as a group-attack spell.

Furthermore, Magic Missile had a powerful trait: as long as the target was visible, the Magic Missile would be a guaranteed hit!

Regardless of whether the target was hidden or in cover, as long as it was within the Caster’s line of sight at the moment the Magic was cast, the subsequent attack would be a definite hit.

The Caster could also decide the target for each individual magic missile.

Of course, it was impossible to specify the point of impact.

Frightening Skill was a Control Skill that could cause living beings within a certain range to fall into a state of fear and flee in all directions.

’Defense, single-target attack, group attack, and a Control Skill. I have it all now. This should be enough to handle most situations.’

’I’ll deal with the remaining Magic analysis and modifications later.’

After this series of actions, he had 310 points of Power of Rules left.

Pei Ze used all of it to construct Will Runes.

Number 18, Number 19, Number 20, Number 21, Number 22...

In just an instant, five new Will Runes took shape in the depths of Pei Ze’s mind.

The sense of fulfillment from the explosive increase in his Spirit made his head feel slightly swollen. But once he adapted, it was replaced by a refreshing sensation, as if drinking from a sweet spring, as if his entire being had been elevated in an instant.

Pei Ze let out a long, relieved breath, his eyes filled with delight.

"All-Knowing, check my current status."

[Spirit 89.53]

[Constitution 49.19]

An increase of over 17 points in Spirit!

Pei Ze’s face beamed with joy. ’At this rate, the remaining 10 Will Runes will bring an increase of at least forty more points to my Spirit.’