Chapter 198: The Prerequisites for the Flame Walker

Chapter 198: The Prerequisites for the Flame Walker



"Hmm? Is it that you don't have the system heritage, Lord Rain?" Naya's beautiful eyes widened as she covered her mouth with her fair hand.

She quickly realized that Rain most likely didn't have the system heritage and was a wild wizard apprentice.

Rain gave a wry smile and said, "Miss Naya, being too smart isn't always a good thing for a lady."

"Oh, I'm sorry, Lord Rain. Please forgive my slip. It's just that I'm so surprised. I thought you must have the system heritage; otherwise, how could you have achieved such mental power at such a young age?"

System heritage?

There was a system, but no heritage.

Rain couldn't help but think to himself.

"But rest assured, I can explain the process of a regular wizard apprentice advancing to a full wizard."

"Oh? Could you please elaborate, Miss Naya?" Rain raised his eyebrows, trying to contain his excitement and maintain a calm tone.

"Of course, Lord Rain. You've helped me so much; we're friends, aren't we?" Naya smiled, revealing a row of white teeth.

"However, if you don't mind, I'll start with the wizard's aptitude and then discuss the advancement to a full wizard later. Is that okay with you?"

"Of course," Rain couldn't help but feel delighted.

He lacked knowledge about wizards, and if Naya was willing to share more, he would be more than happy to listen.

Perhaps Naya had intended to be helpful from the start.

Rain suspected that she might have realized he had no wizard heritage and wanted to provide more detailed explanations.

"A wizard's aptitude encompasses various aspects, including the type and degree of elemental affinity, mental power strength, and more," Naya explained.

After a few minutes, Rain nodded frequently as he listened attentively.

As expected of someone from a sorcerer family, Naya effortlessly answered questions that had previously puzzled Rain.

For instance, the issue of wizard aptitude.

Naya provided a clear explanation.

Initially, Rain had thought that elemental affinity, mental power strength, and perhaps the speed of learning basic meditation techniques were the only factors that made up a wizard's aptitude.

But now, it seemed more complex.

These apparent factors were like a boxer's arm span and weight in his previous life—important, but just one aspect of boxing talent. Boxing talent also included punching speed, punching power, reaction speed, and more.

The same applied to wizard aptitude.

Moreover, the higher the wizard's aptitude, the greater the likelihood of becoming a powerful wizard, similar to a boxer's talent.

However, many hidden factors were challenging to judge, such as an individual's understanding, insight, and innovative abilities in magic, to name a few.

Naya smiled lightly, dimples appearing on her cheeks as she tucked a strand of her black hair behind her ear. She continued, "Regarding the advancement of a wizard apprentice to a full wizard, the first step is to determine their elemental affinity. This is crucial for choosing the appropriate spell model during the advancement process."

Spell model?

Rain was slightly confused by this new term.

Just as he was about to ask for more details, Naya asked him a question.

"Lord Rain, I can see that your mental power is at least that of a Level 2 wizard apprentice. Have you determined your elemental affinity already?"

"Well..."

Naya's question made Rain feel a bit embarrassed.

After some thought, Rain decided to be honest since she already knew his situation. "To be honest, I only know that I have a high affinity for fire. I'm not sure about the other one."

Naya was taken aback but smiled sweetly. "Lord Rain, please come with me. I'd like to test your affinity and clarify it for you."

"Thank you!" Rain was grateful for her offer to test his elemental affinity.

Perhaps Naya could also explain the mysterious silver energy particles he had sensed with his mental power.

With this thought, Rain felt a surge of anticipation.

He immediately followed Naya, and their figures slowly disappeared down the corridor.

For Naya, this was a privilege she had recently gained. Initially, she didn't have the family permission to allow strangers into the family library or use their magic tools to test someone's elemental affinity.

However, after Naya came of age and was confirmed to have an exceptionally high bloodline concentration, her status within the family rose rapidly.

Currently, Naya's position was second only to the head of the Ussman family, her father.

With her elevated status, these privileges naturally became accessible to her.

"My father's study is just ahead, and there's a testing crystal inside," Naya explained.

"A testing crystal? Is it a spherical crystal ball?" Rain asked.

He had one of those, obtained as spoils from Adams.

"Hmm? Lord Rain, do you know about testing crystals? Spherical? No, it's not that. Our family has a prismatic crystal, which is more precise than the spherical crystal you mentioned."

Soon, the two arrived at a meticulously decorated study. The furniture, made from a dark red wood, exuded an air of antiquity and emitted a faint scent of raw wood.

On the large desk, Rain spotted the prismatic crystal Naya had mentioned.

It was a tall, approximately one-meter-high crystal with equilateral triangular facets. In the candlelight, it reflected a dazzling array of colors.

"Lord Rain, since you've used the crystal ball before, the method is actually the same. You hold it, focus your mind, and then mobilize as much mysterious side energy particles as possible," Naya explained from the side.

"Alright, Miss Naya," Rain nodded.

After a quick glance, Rain closed his eyes and held the prismatic crystal in both hands, concentrating his mind.

As Rain infused his mental power, the crystal soon emitted a soft white light, and within the originally transparent crystal, different-colored lights began to swirl.

After a few seconds, the light gradually stabilized.

At this moment, Rain opened his eyes and saw that the top of the prismatic crystal had a red mist, while the middle was filled with a pale silver mist. The lengths they occupied on the crystal's scale were almost identical.

Although there was a slight difference, it was merely a subtle one.

The rest were a mix of various colors, almost all the colors of the rainbow.

"Oh, Lord Rain, besides the common Fire Elemental Affinity, you actually have the extremely rare Metal Elemental Affinity," Naya exclaimed in surprise.

Hmm?

Metal Elemental Affinity?

Rain's heart skipped a beat!

So that pale silver mysterious energy particle was metal?

As the answer was revealed, Rain realized that he had overlooked something all along.

His Extraordinary Trait, 'Iron Skin lv3', when he first manifested it, the mental power he sensed was also of this pale silver color.

"Your Fire Affinity is 7, and your Metal Affinity is 72, both are in the middle to upper range of affinity, which is great!"

However, Naya seemed to suddenly remember something and frowned as she spoke to Rain: "Lord Rain, it's really a pity!"

"Pity?" Rain didn't quite understand Naya's meaning.

Judging from Naya's expression, his metal affinity should be quite rare and uncommon.

Shouldn't rarity equate to value?

"Yes! You have Metal Elemental Affinity, and your affinity level is also in the middle to upper range."

"But you're not from a large Sorcerer clan, nor have you joined a Wizard school. There's almost no way for you to acquire Metal Magic."

Naya explained regretfully.

Hearing Naya's explanation, Rain's heart sank.

No way to acquire Metal Magic? Rain instantly understood Naya's meaning.

It's like learning 'Dragon Slayer Magic' only to find out that dragons no longer exist in the world.

"Your Metal Affinity is indeed rare, but with your background, there's little chance of obtaining Metal Magic."

"If we go back thousands of years, there might have been more Metal Magic, but due to wars and other calamities, most of it has been lost in the annals of history."

"So, there's no Metal Magic school at all?" Rain asked, still hoping for a different answer.

"I'm afraid not, Lord Rain. With my experience, I've never heard of a school specializing in Metal Magic. Of course, it could be due to my limited knowledge."

"Naya shook her head."

"However, with your rare metal affinity, if you were to join a fire-based wizard school, I imagine you'd feel a bit reluctant. Oh, perhaps you could find some powerful departments within the Empire."

"With your knight talent, I believe joining some special departments wouldn't be difficult."

"Does the Empire have such departments?"

"Of course. Some special departments in the Empire possess a collection of spell models that surpass your imagination, far exceeding those of ordinary wizard schools."

"They even have extremely rare spell models. So, I believe if you can join one of these departments, you'll definitely find the metal-based spell models." Naya replied promptly.

This was a bit beyond Rain's expectations.

But it was a pleasant surprise.

He no longer needed to search for a wizard school.

Since the special departments within the Empire had a richer collection of spell models than the schools, once he passed the 'Swordbearer' assessment in a month, he would have access to these resources.

Rain's mind quickly pondered.

"Oh, and regarding the promotion to a full wizard, there's something I should mention about the choice of spell models. Although we're a sorcerer family, there's no issue with the selection. But I once overheard a visiting wizard briefly discussing this."

"It seems that innate spells and the development of late-stage wizards have a certain correlation. I'm not entirely clear on this, so Rain, you might need to find someone more experienced for further details."

Naya paused and added:

"Hmm? It's related to late-stage development as well?"

Rain's expression showed his confusion.

It seemed he would need to consult more senior individuals to find the answer to this question.

"Thank you so much for your help, Miss Naya," Rain smiled and turned to her.

"By the way, does that mean I can promote to a full wizard as long as I solve the issue of a defensive innate spell model?" Rain continued.

"It's not that simple. That's the second crucial point I haven't mentioned yet. When promoting to a full wizard, you need to use a type of elixir called the Fog Condensation Elixir."

"Fog Condensation Elixir?" Rain was unfamiliar with this term.

"The production method of this elixir is monopolized by the Empire and major wizard schools. It's almost impossible to find it on the market." Naya explained.

"If you can obtain the Fog Condensation Elixir, along with the previously mentioned defensive innate spell model, you'll have a chance to promote to a full wizard."

"For example, the wizard who is close to my father successfully promoted with the fire-based defensive innate spell 'Flame Barrier' as his fixed spell model, and his high affinity for fire elements."

At that moment, Rain's entire body went stiff as he noticed a system prompt:

【Ding! Detected host listening to wizard secrets, triggering class change - Flame Walker (Legendary)!】

【Pre-requisites for promoting to Flame Walker (Legendary): 1. Wizard Aptitude (Fire Affinity over 75); 2. Mental Attribute over 30; 3. Basic Meditation Technique - Will Rune (24/24); 4. Mastery of Fire-based Innate Spell 'Flame Barrier'; 5. Fog Condensation Elixir. Current conditions do not meet the requirements. Promotion to Flame Walker (Legendary) failed!】

In the afternoon, Rain returned home and retreated to his study room for contemplation.

He had gained a lot of new knowledge today, so after listening to Naya's introduction, Rain didn't stay any longer.

"Apparently, to meet the promotion conditions to a full wizard, whether it's the defensive innate spell model or the crucial Fog Condensation Elixir, I should focus on joining the 'Swordbearer' special department first."

"In the short term, my priority is to promote to Weapon Master (Legendary)."

"As a 'Legendary' class, Weapon Master will surely bring me some surprises."

"I need to quickly level up the 'Kadral Fist Technique'."

"However, to level up the fist technique from lv4 to lv10 as quickly as possible, it's unrealistic to allocate all skill points."

"Leveling it up to lv5 or lv6 and then allocating skill points is already the limit."

"I have one remaining skill point, and if I can level up my Armorer profession by crafting that box of Frost Iron Ingots I bought at the auction, that's two remaining skill points."

"If I can level up Knight (Extraordinary) soon, that's three remaining skill points."

"But where can I get that last one or two skill points?"

Rain pondered to himself.

He focused his attention on the attribute panel, reviewing the levels of each profession.

Name: Rain Karan

Professions: Wizard Apprentice (Extraordinary) lv5 (1546/2000) / Knight (Extraordinary) lv5 (1789/2000) / Beast Tamer (Extraordinary) lv5 (102/2000) / Armorer lv6 (211/3000)



Physical Strength: 22

Strength: 22

Agility: 20

Mental Attribute: 27

Remaining Attribute Points: 6

Remaining Skill Points: 6

"Perhaps I should use more spells in my next battle, which might level up my Wizard Apprentice (Extraordinary) profession."

"As for Beast Tamer (Extraordinary), I have all the materials to make the full set of potions I collected at the Nightingale Market in Rosby City."

"If I make them all and feed them to my pets, I wonder if the system will reward me with some experience?"

"But I'll be assuming my post in Fishing Harbor Town soon, so I should focus on crafting first. If there's time, I'll work on the potions."

In the luxurious manor of a noble family in Master County City, deep underground, a grand hall could be found.

Here, a Black Flame Cultist named Maral respectfully reported, "High Priest, I have news. That Baron Norman was killed by Baron Rain in the bloody duel!"

The corpulent High Priest slowly turned his head, leisurely extending his emaciated arm, and tapping his fingernails as he spoke, "This was something we had anticipated, wasn't it?"

"What a foolish fellow. He doesn't know his own strength, and now he's emboldened Rain."

But as he finished speaking, he realized Maral remained silent.

The High Priest glanced at Maral with suspicion, seeing him standing aside, his face filled with hesitation, as if he had something to say but didn't know how to begin.

The High Priest, annoyed, said, "Speak up if you have something to say. Are you trying to say Baron Norman wasn't weak?"

"Well, was the duel intense? Did Rain barely win?"

Maral shook his head, "High Priest, before the bloody duel, Baron Norman had successfully advanced to the Great Knight tier."

"What? Norman became a Great Knight?" The High Priest's small eyes narrowed, and his expression changed as he turned to Maral, "Is that so?"

"Yes, High Priest," Maral bowed slightly, showing respect.

"Then how did Rain defeat a Great Knight? What did the witnesses say?" The High Priest's face showed deep thought as he continued to question.

"The spectators couldn't understand how Rain could defeat Baron Norman, who had just become a Great Knight. They only felt that Rain's hammer technique was powerful, and Norman couldn't defend against it."

"Afterwards, I secretly went to the scene and found a particularly noticeable depression of over ten square meters, supposedly caused by Rain's hammer."

"Now, Rain has earned the nickname 'Baron Hammer' among the county town's citizens."

The underground hall fell into a long silence.

"Slap!"

The emaciated arm slapped the armrest of the chair, and the High Priest's expression turned sour, "In the end, we let our guard down."

"The power of a Great Knight is always a hidden threat."

"Oh, right, has Rain left for Fishing Harbor Town yet?"

The High Priest seemed to have been mentally prepared for Rain's rise, quickly adjusting his mindset.

"Not yet, but it should be soon."

"Hmm, organize Rain's information and send it to the God of the Sea Church. If they don't make proper preparations, they might be caught off guard by Rain."

"Yes, High Priest!" Maral, clad in black robes, bowed slightly, ready to leave and prepare the necessary arrangements.

At this moment, the High Priest called out to him again.

"Maral, how's the preparation of the prayer materials going?"

Maral froze for a moment, then turned back, "It's all set. Rest assured, it won't hinder the Black Flame Prayer Ritual."

"That's good. The prayer ritual is less than a month away." The High Priest sighed in relief.

"Yes, High Priest, is the time node confirmed?" Maral asked, looking up.

"I've sensed the response to my prayers. The next time node is the second Sunday of the Life Moon."

"Then, we'll surely give Minster Province a big surprise, hahaha!" The corpulent High Priest seemed to have thought of something amusing.

(End of Chapter)

Chapter end