novelraw Chapter 262: Two Epic Skills, Time to Go to School?
Chapter 262: Two Epic Skills, Time to Go to School?
Thinking of this, Flora suddenly felt somewhat emotional.
Back then... when she first met him, Lin Mo was just a green novice who had just become an adventurer.
Even in a small place like Roland Town, he was at the bottom among adventurers.
But now, he had already become an existence surpassing her own.
And the time between that "back then" and now wasn't a dozen or several decades, not even several years, but merely a few months...
Flora recalled the words she had once said to those challengers: "I have seen many geniuses, and they all called me a genius."
Now, it seemed this phrase had come true for her as well.
"Above the peaks, there are still peaks;
above the geniuses, there are still geniuses."
She too had been young and arrogant once;
amidst countless praises, she found it hard to truly grasp the meaning of Archmage Elvish's words.
As she grew older and saw a broader world, she gradually learned humility.And those last remaining edges were finally completely smoothed out after meeting Lin Mo.
Flora couldn't help but wonder now, would there ever be someone who, one day, could make Lin Mo experience the feeling she had now?
Unfortunately, as far as she knew, if such a person truly existed, they could only be an elusive deity.
The journey back was filled with laughter and cheerful chatter.
Fortunately, Lin Mo's carriage hadn't been affected by the earlier collapse and was still waiting in place.
So they boarded the carriage and leisurely headed towards the camp.
Having spent almost an entire day in the lower layer of the Boulder Mine, it was now around noon again, perfect timing to reach the camp in the mine's upper layer, rest there overnight, and depart tomorrow morning to return to Fargard City.
Having been away for so many days, Lena must be worried sick...
Thinking of the cat-eared girl being so anxious she couldn't eat made Lin Mo feel a bit heartache.
With nothing else to do on the road, it was a good time to check the proficiency gains from the previous battle.
First was [Wind Vortex Fist], the proficiency gained from the combined skill of [Mountain-Shaking Fist] and [Spiral Wind Vortex].
[Mountain-Shaking Fist] Proficiency +70
[Spiral Wind Vortex] Proficiency +70
...
As Lin Mo's primary means of killing those Crystal Cluster Guards earlier, these two skills gained a considerable amount of proficiency. Especially since both skills were only blue Exceptional-Grade skills, the proficiency required for their own level-ups wasn't high. So even though [Mountain-Shaking Fist] was only Level 2 before, after harvesting this wave of proficiency so rich it practically dripped oil, it directly maxed out!
The same went for [Spiral Wind Vortex].
"Skill [Mountain-Shaking Fist] Lv2 (20/20) Level Up!"
"Current Skill [Mountain-Shaking Fist] Lv3 (40/40)"
"Gained Basic Attribute Point Strength +3!"
.....
"Current Skill [Mountain-Shaking Fist] Lv7 (Max)"
"Gained Basic Attribute Point Strength +5!"
"Automatically evolved into new skill – Void-Shaking Fist!"
"Comprehended Skill [Void-Shaking Fist]! Gained Basic Attribute Points Strength +3, Agility +2!"
[Void-Shaking Fist] Lv1 (0/20): Transforms Qi and Blood into powerful fist energy to attack enemies, forming a potent shockwave fist force that vibrates space, dealing an additional 30% tremor damage to surrounding targets (including the primary target) (internal to external, ignores armor). Upon hit, inflicts a medium forced knockback effect on units with Strength lower than the user (units in knockback state cannot immediately counterattack).
This wave increased his basic Strength attribute by a total of 11 points, bringing Lin Mo's basic Strength to 134 points. However, after promoting to Elite, the attribute points required for leveling up were no longer 10, but 20. This meant he needed his basic Strength attribute to reach 140 points to level up to 12.
The newly acquired skill [Void-Shaking Fist], judging from its description, was essentially a complete superior replacement for [Mountain-Shaking Fist].
Greater power, larger attack range, slightly increased AoE capability, and the knockback effect was also enhanced, changing from a minor knockback effect to a medium knockback effect.
It also added an extra mechanic: the additional tremor damage caused by the shockwave fist force. This tremor damage was generated from the inside out, so it could ignore the armor worn by the opponent and was also effective against magical creatures with hard fur or scales covering their bodies.
Of course, tremor damage would still be mitigated by the target's own Constitution attribute;
it wasn't some true damage that ignored all defenses.
But this was already quite useful, especially against fragile professions with low Constitution attributes...
For example, if Lin Mo encountered someone with strength comparable to his but who was particularly wealthy and influential, wearing Epic Level armor, Lin Mo's attacks might suffer significant reduction due to being unable to break the armor.
But if he used [Void-Shaking Fist] to attack, even if the opponent wore Epic Level armor, the skill's additional tremor damage would teach them a lesson.
Next up was the much-anticipated evolution route selection phase.
Please choose evolution direction –
Evolution Route 1: Void-Shaking I: Further increases the damage caused by the shockwave fist force. The tremor damage inflicted by the shockwave fist force on targets increases to 50%.
Evolution Route 2: Great Strength I: The knockback effect caused by the skill is additionally enhanced, and during the knockback process, it disrupts the target's Qi and Blood and Mana circulation.
Both evolution directions were quite interesting.
The first evolution route needed no explanation;
it was a simple, brute-force increase in the damage caused by the skill's shockwave fist force, raising it from 30% to 50%, which was a considerable improvement.
The second evolution route was a functional enhancement. It first increased the skill's knockback effect and additionally attached the characteristic of disrupting the target's Qi and Blood and Mana circulation during the knockback.
It's important to note that the original knockback effect, while briefly preventing the target from fighting back during the process, still allowed their Qi and Blood and Mana circulation to operate normally. The target could fully accumulate skills during the knockback time, ready to launch a powerful counterattack as soon as the knockback effect ended.
But with the added effect of disrupting the target's Qi and Blood and Mana circulation, even after the knockback effect ended and the target started fighting back, they couldn't immediately launch a decent offensive, further improving the margin for error.
After some thought, Lin Mo still chose Evolution Route 1.
Although the effect of Evolution Route 2 was also tempting, compared to skillful maneuvering, he preferred the feeling of directly overwhelming with numbers.
The other skill, [Spiral Wind Vortex], originally had a decent level already, so naturally, it maxed out without any suspense.
"Skill [Spiral Wind Vortex] Lv5 (180/180) Level Up!"
"Current Skill [Spiral Wind Vortex] Lv6 (300/300)"
"Skill [Spiral Wind Vortex] Lv6 (300/300) Level Up!"
"Current Skill [Spiral Wind Vortex] Lv7 (Max)"
"Gained Basic Attribute Points Mana +3, Spirit +2!"
.......
"Automatically evolved into new skill – Gale Domain!"
"Comprehended Skill [Gale Domain]! Gained Basic Attribute Points Mana +4, Spirit +1!"
[Gale Domain] Lv1 (0/20): Consumes Mana, resonates with the Wind Element, forming a powerful gale domain that continuously deals Wind Element damage to enemies within range and generates a pulling effect towards the domain's center. Targets within the Gale Domain additionally receive 20% increased damage from Ice, Fire, Wind, and Lightning Elements.
Similar to Spiral Wind Vortex, it remained a comprehensive skill integrating damage, control, and functionality.
It had damage, control, and damage amplification, making it quite useful.
After reading the skill effect, Lin Mo got straight to the point and began choosing the evolution direction.
Please choose evolution direction –
Evolution Route 1: Powerful Pull I: The pulling capability of Gale Domain increases by 35%!
Evolution Route 2: Vulnerability I: Targets within the Gale Domain additionally receive 30% increased damage from all elements and physical damage!
Both evolution routes were functional in nature. One increased the skill's control effect, while the other further enhanced its vulnerability effect, not only covering elements other than the four elements of Ice, Fire, Wind, and Lightning but also allowing physical damage, meaning damage caused by blood-sucking skills, to receive the vulnerability boost as well.
Without a doubt, without any hesitation, Lin Mo directly chose Evolution Route 2.
For him, who could now combine Mage and Warrior skills, the value of this vulnerability effect was self-evident;
it would boost two types of damage at once...
This mission was truly bountiful. Not only did he successfully promote to Elite Level and obtain the Special Class Advancement of Spellsword, but in the end, he also acquired two Epic Level skills at once, greatly enhancing his strength.
Even for him, whose leveling speed was abnormal compared to ordinary people, this trip could be considered rapid progress.
However, while the progress in the Warrior and Mage aspects was substantial, the shortcomings in other professions and attributes also needed to be addressed as soon as possible.
Especially the Knight profession. With his Mage and Warrior professions already at Level 11, his Knight profession was still stuck at Level 4, which was really too low. For a period of time afterwards, he must prioritize this profession the most.
After all, what Lin Mo pursued was all-around strength, not being a glass cannon with only output, dying instantly if someone got in his face.
Moreover, the Paladin profession was still waiting for him to unlock. After experiencing the Spellsword Class Advancement and gaining a wave of exaggerated Attribute Enhancement, Lin Mo became even more expectant of other special professions.
Lin Mo had just been checking the gains from earlier in the lower layer of the Boulder Mine. Meanwhile, Flora had also fallen into contemplation.
She suddenly had the Hippogriff lower its flight altitude, jumped off the Hippogriff, and landed on Lin Mo's carriage.
Lin Mo lifted the carriage curtain and asked, "Is something the matter?"
"There is indeed something I'd like to discuss with you..."
Flora said as she entered the carriage.
"You should already know that this incident was most likely another scheme orchestrated by Duke Morin."
Lin Mo nodded: "That corpse should provide relatively strong evidence, right?"
"Indeed... but the handling speed for such cases won't be very fast. Moreover, Duke Morin is no fool. During the back-and-forth, he will try to distance the other party's connection to himself as much as possible. In the end, even if he can't avoid taking responsibility, at most it will make him bleed a bit;
it's difficult to completely bring him down."
Lin Mo nodded: "Simply put, to completely make the Morin Family fall, we must first strip them of their control over the Kingdom's market, removing their special status of holding the lifeblood of the Kingdom's alchemy market. Otherwise, unless it's a crime like treason that threatens the royal family's rule, the King won't go for the kill."
After all, the interests of the Morin Family were, to some extent, also related to the interests of the Kingdom and the royal family.
Flora looked at him with some surprise: "You see things quite clearly..."
Her understanding of Lin Mo was indeed still insufficient. Not only was his talent and strength powerful, but he also had fairly decent insights in these aspects of power and politics.
Coupled with his excellent appearance and a personality that was good except when he annoyed her... did such a person with almost no flaws truly exist in this world?
Which door did the deity close for him?
Shaking her head, Flora didn't dwell on these trivial thoughts and got down to business: "So, based on my understanding of Duke Sted Morin, this guy definitely won't let things rest. Afterwards, he will try every means to target Eve and Milun and the other children, sparing no effort to ensure his son secures First Place in the Hunting Competition."
"So..."
Lin Mo naturally knew that when she said this, there must be more to follow.
"So I want to ask you for a favor."
"You mean, for me to join them?"
Lin Mo glanced at the students sitting on the Hippogriff.
"Just as a temporary member of your team, how about it?"
Lin Mo stroked his chin, pondering.
The strength of these students was indeed not bad, especially Milun and Eve;
their strength could be considered quite formidable. Most of the time, they wouldn't hold him back.
Dirk's side would definitely need to rest for a while after returning to Fargard City;
perhaps for the next half month or even a month, they might not take on missions.
If it were only their four-person team, it might be somewhat inconvenient when doing missions outside.
Adding a few more people would at least mean they wouldn't have to set traps and keep watch themselves.
As for the potential troubles that might arise because of this... even without these students, Duke Morin wouldn't have let him off easily anyway;
there wouldn't be any difference.
"As for mission rewards and such, you don't need to worry. For these students, the Adventurers' Association mission rewards themselves aren't that important. As long as they complete missions, the academy will reward them with additional academic credits. The total accumulated credits determine whether they can graduate and their evaluation upon graduation, and they can also be exchanged for many precious things."
"There's such a thing?"
Lin Mo immediately raised an eyebrow. Wouldn't that be equivalent to double rewards?
Sounded pretty good.
Seeing his interest, Flora couldn't help but smile slightly: "Why don't you just enroll in the Royal National Academy too?"
"Huh?"
Lin Mo was stunned for a moment. She really wanted him to become a student?
Wait, is this right?
Seeing Lin Mo's somewhat conflicted expression, Flora explained: "Of course, I don't mean for you to actually attend classes. With your strength, attending classes wouldn't be of much use;
the instructors' level might not even be as high as yours. It's just going through the formalities to give you the status of an academy student. This way, firstly, if Duke Morin continues to cause trouble for you later, it would be an additional offense. Secondly, it would also make it easier for you to interact with Milun and the others... However, don't get any ideas about my students."
Flora said with some vigilance.
"Uh..."
Lin Mo pouted: "In your eyes, am I that kind of person?"
"Hard to say."
Flora glanced at the three distinctive, pretty girls beside Lin Mo and rolled her eyes.
Lin Mo shrugged helplessly: "Don't worry, I'm not interested in your students."
But as for those who aren't her students... that's another story.
"You better not be."
Flora complained, then her expression relaxed: "Back to the main topic. Asking for your help, of course, comes with compensation... After completing the formalities, you can enjoy all the benefits and treatment that other students enjoy, including the academy's credit system."
"In addition, after the Hunting Competition and the Academy Grand Competition conclude successfully, Archmage Elvish and I will give you additional gifts as rewards."
Lin Mo nodded. Although the rewards weren't explicitly stated, having known Flora for so long, he trusted her character. And as someone standing at the pinnacle of the Kingdom's mage community, Archmage Elvish's gifts naturally wouldn't be stingy.
"Wait, what's the Academy Grand Competition?"
"This... it's just a small competition after spring begins;
don't worry about it."
Flora said vaguely.
Lin Mo figured she probably intended for him to participate in this so-called Grand Competition as well. But such competitive events likely also had rewards, so participating wouldn't be bad. He didn't mind.
"Alright, I'll take on this job."
"Then, it's settled?"
Flora proactively extended her hand.
Lin Mo shook her hand: "It's settled."
Flora was pleased. Actually, after meeting Lin Mo last time and returning to the academy, she had discussed matters concerning this young man with Archmage Elvish many times and reached the same consensus – they must find a way to lure him into the academy.
This time, happening to run into him, Flora naturally wouldn't miss the opportunity. She seized upon this incident to bring up the proposal.
She didn't expect him to agree so readily;
it went much smoother than she anticipated.
A genius of this level, in theory, should be very proud and difficult to deal with...
That's how the stories compiled by bards wrote it.
Or was there some unknown reason behind this?
In fact, Lin Mo hadn't thought that much. Whether he attended the academy or not didn't matter to him, as long as it didn't hinder his path to becoming stronger and doing missions.
On that basis, if he could get more rewards and have a group of capable students act as his "tools," why not?
Moreover, Flora had done him a favor, opening the door to the world of magic for him. Now she needed his help, and it wasn't something very troublesome, so Lin Mo naturally wouldn't refuse.
"We'll reach the camp soon. We'll rest tonight, and tomorrow the students and I will head directly back to the Royal Capital. You probably still need to go to Fargard City, right?"
"Yes, someone is still there;
I need to pick them up."
"When you're ready, come directly to the Royal Capital Academy to find me. I'll take you to complete the enrollment formalities..."