thefictionvixens Page 202
Page 202
The simulator says that simple differences in cognition can lead to completely different outcomes in two consecutive simulations, and isn't reality no different...?
He entered the gates of Yindao Town and headed towards the house where he was temporarily staying. A moment later, a figure standing at the door appeared before him. He asked in surprise:
"Lord Torso?"
Torso turned around, pulled his hand out of his sleeve, performed a mage's salute, and after a moment of silence, said:
"Lord Latis, I have been waiting for you for a long time. If you have some free time, would you like to have a chat?"
……
"I'm sorry, my teammates have all gone out, making you wait outside for so long."
Latis sat at the stone table in the courtyard, looking at Torso with curiosity.
He didn't feel much hostility towards this man who should have been his adversary. Firstly, because in his previous life he himself was a level 6 dog-tag Torso player with a 0/20/0 rating. Secondly, because Torso's words and actions didn't seem like those of a bad person. On the contrary, he had some of the retro style that Atlantis had long since disappeared.
Battles based on differing stances do not affect Latis's personal evaluation of others, since stances are not necessarily chosen by oneself, but words and actions can reveal a person's true character.
"No, it's my fault for bothering you, sigh..."
Torso's expression was somewhat complicated. He scratched his head, seemingly wanting to bring up the reason for the previous fight, but also feeling a little embarrassed.
Suddenly, his eyes lit up, and he said:
"Lord Latis, we previously discussed research on magic elements and schools of thought. Now it seems you are a dual practitioner of magic and martial arts... Have you ever heard of the ancient profession of magic warrior?"
"Demon Warrior?" Latis was startled, suddenly remembering the Demon Warrior Legacy Record that had been gathering dust in the warehouse. He had studied the Demon Warrior in the simulation, but in the end, it came to nothing, and he gradually forgot about it in reality.
“Yes.” Torso, observing the expression on Latis’s face, guessed that Latis hadn’t studied the relevant knowledge. His expression shifted, and he gave a relaxed smile, saying:
"I read fragments of the Demon Warrior's legacy during my travels and developed related techniques on my own. However, since I had not previously studied warrior abilities, I could only rely on what the legacy described as 'using magic to nourish myself and using magic affinity to assist in combat.'"
"Simply put, mages cast spells based on magic affinity, while magic warriors, in addition to mages, tend to use the guidance that magic affinity provides to them for close combat."
"For example?" Latis temporarily suppressed the urge to take out the Inheritance Record, intending to listen to Torso's explanation first.
"For example... Oh, Lord Latis, do you remember when I launched a surprise attack while you were eavesdropping behind my door?"
“I remember.” Latis looked at Torso, who was already in the zone, with a hint of helplessness, and couldn’t help but complain in his heart:
"Hey, is it really okay to bring up the time we fought so badly our brains almost popped out in front of each other? Aren't you afraid I'll get angry and beat you up?!"
Despite his initial complaints, he quickly recovered and asked:
"You didn't set up any detection spells at the time; you detected me using the abilities of a magic warrior?"
“That’s right.” Torso clapped his hands and said with a smile, “This is an ability that mages have not yet developed. They can sense magical fluctuations and can set up detection spells, but for magic warriors who have applied their affinity to magic to their bodies, relying on their own physical intuition is sometimes more intuitive than spells.”
He stood up, thought for a moment, picked up a few pebbles from the ground, closed his eyes, and threw them straight into the air. Then, to Latis's great shock, he struck an extremely contorted pose, letting the pebbles trace the edges of his body as they fell to the ground.
"Damn, I'm dead!" Latis couldn't help but complain.
"Quack?" Torso scratched his head, sat back down on the stone bench, and explained:
"At that time, a breeze blew past your body. Although it did not produce any magical fluctuations, I could sense the presence of someone in the wind, so I attacked without hesitation."
“I see, thank you for clearing things up.” Latis said with sudden realization, “It seems that ambushes are almost impossible against targets like demon warriors.”
“Not necessarily,” Torso said without reservation.
"I merely possess a high affinity for wind magic. If you are lurking underwater or using shadow magic, I should not be able to detect you."
"There's really no need to be so open and honest!"
Latis mentally scoffed and nodded.
“And then there’s…” Torso hesitated for a moment before saying:
“My magic affinity isn’t at its peak, so this is just a guess. Ordinary magic affinity allows one to sense the flow of magic energy, while advanced magic affinity allows one to sense the flow of wind, just like I do, even if there isn’t much magic energy present, it doesn’t diminish my perception of the wind.”
"I'm wondering if magic essence could actually be further subdivided, with higher-level magic essence having a higher affinity, resulting in more and more minute magic essence that can be sensed? However, the magic essence that mages can currently utilize is only 'magic essence' in a general sense with a fixed size..."
"It sounds a bit like something about molecules or atoms... but my current abilities are too limited to verify it..."
Latis fell into deep thought. After a while, he looked up at Torso, who was also deep in thought, and couldn't help but think to himself:
"He really shared everything he knew... Why? Does he feel indebted to me?"
He thought for a moment, then cast aside his initial wariness, retrieved the Inheritance Record from the dimensional rift, placed it on the table, and said to Torso in astonishment:
"I think we can continue this discussion..."
……
……
The sun gradually sets in the west.
Torso closed the surviving treasure book, handed it back to Latis, then rose and bowed deeply, solemnly saying:
"Thank you for your generous sharing; I have benefited greatly!"
"No, no, no, it's about learning from each other!"
Latis quickly said, stepping forward to shake Torso's hand and glancing at the panel with delight.
[Class: Third-level Mage Warrior (Third-level Mage 24%, Fourth-level Warrior 40%), Third-level Alchemist 0%]
It seems that the class of Magic Warrior is a combination of both mage and warrior. Perhaps in future research, he can gradually find a way to organically combine the abilities of the two. However, for now, he has already learned a new ability under Torso's guidance.
[Triple Ring Magic Combat Skill - Forward Slash: Propelled by a gust of wind, dash through an enemy, and if not interrupted, the gust of wind surrounding you will continue to build up, gradually increasing your speed while riding the wind.]
A feeling of freedom and joy washes over me...
With the ultimate skill of the "Happy Wind Man" (a character class in the game) in hand, Latias suddenly felt an itch in his feet. He felt his current boots were outdated and he needed to find a pair of skateboard boots...
“By the way,” Torso glanced at the sky, then sighed and said, “Lord Latis, the main reason I came here is to tell you something else.”
"Please speak, Lord Torso." Latis chuckled and sat back down on the stone bench, gesturing for him to continue.
Torso pondered for a moment, then took a scroll out of his pocket and spread it out on the table.
"A silhouette painting, 'Time Flow' and 'Newly Appointed Aristocracy'..."
Latis recognized himself at a glance. In the simulation, the point at which he met the Queen was when he became a newly promoted nobleman, so he was certain that this was the clue the Queen had revealed.
"What does it all mean?" he asked calmly.
“This is the task I am tasked with right now,” Torso explained. “I have been following you because I think you fit the description above.”
"I see." Latis frowned slightly and said:
"But apart from being a mage, I don't fit any of the other criteria. When I first met you, I was just wary of strangers, which is why I left quickly."
“I think so too.” Torso gave a wry smile and shook his head. “Using these clues to find someone is like looking for a needle in a haystack. I was in a hurry, so I made that kind of probing attempt to alert the enemy. Please forgive me.”
"It's ok."
Latis watched as Torso put the scroll away, breathed a sigh of relief, and then asked:
"If you fail to find the target and complete the mission, will you be punished?"
"Perhaps, perhaps not. That gentleman is mysterious and unpredictable, but also somewhat capricious," Torso said in a low voice.
“Actually, I’m a little curious…” Latis scratched his head and asked, “A powerful magic warrior like you shouldn’t be too subject to others, right? So, what kind of organization is behind you…”
"Please forgive me for not being able to disclose it."
Torso sighed, stood up, and said:
"I have received the organization's grace, just as I have received the grace of the Church of Light, and I must remember this throughout this journey. Beyond that, I entrust my ideals to the organization..."
"Ideals?" Just as Latis was about to inquire further, Torso smiled, shook his head, bid farewell, and headed towards the gate, muttering:
"A chance encounter, a bonfire for a night, all the affairs of the world, gatherings and partings, all are but fleeting moments..."
bass!
A longsword instantly pressed against the scabbard that Torso had just raised, producing a dull thud.
Torso stood in the shadow of the house's gate, turning to look at Jennifer, who stood proudly with her sword across her back in the setting sun, and the two dwarf girls behind her.
He was supposed to bow and explain the purpose of his visit, but the afterglow of the setting sun was so bright that he momentarily forgot what to say.
Torso sheathed his sword, remained silent for a moment, then turned and left, following the shadow of the residential wall.
"Lazi!"
Jennifer rushed into the yard, and seeing that Latis was unharmed, she breathed a sigh of relief, then smiled and patted her chest, saying:
"Fortunately, I live up to my fate!"
"Huh?" Latis scratched his head, glanced at the sky, and asked as he stood up, "Why are you guys back so late? Didn't you say... I'd be back soon?"
He stared blankly at the continuous towers that had risen on the distant hills, taken aback, and quickly asked:
"How come it's already over?"
"Yes, everything went smoothly thanks to your guide."
Jennifer habitually took Latis's hand and sat back down at the stone table. She recounted the process of conquering the Tower Fortress ruins, then paused hesitantly, asking with a puzzled look:
"According to what you said in the guide, we were originally going to stop in front of the lobby and wait for you to kill that so-called necromancer together."
"But when we arrived, although there were indeed some traces of skeletal guardians, there was no sign of any activity, and the hall with its open doors showed no signs of any living creatures wandering around..."
"Could it be... because the magical energy in the air hadn't yet been dispersed by the strong winds, the magic network detected the presence of necromantic magical energy and directly destroyed it?"
Latis touched his chin uncertainly, and seeing Jennifer's worried expression, he patted her shoulder reassuringly and laughed, saying:
"Hey, I knew this was a guide to other tower fortresses I'd gotten before. Maybe when the people who made this guide were making it up, they considered the necromancer as a fixed asset of the dwarven tower fortress. After all, an immortal mage should have a lot of residual value..."
He made up some nonsense, exhaled, looked again at the majestic tower on the high mountain, and murmured:
"In any case, the mission to protect Silverway Town should be more or less resolved now. Tomorrow, let's see if the seasonal tornadoes will still pose a threat under the protection of Tower Fortress. That should be enough..."
For some reason, the thought of the necromancer who had disappeared without a trace cast a shadow over Latis's heart.
"Necromancer..."
Chapter 216 Long Live the Black Hat
"That concludes today's morning lesson. Please go back and study the profound meanings in the sacred texts. Spiritual practice is not only about physical exercise, but also about one's inner self."
"By the way, the priest in charge of weather monitoring has detected a sharp drop in the light energy of the Wilderness Territory overnight, so the Holy Knight squad responsible for clearing out monsters has begun preparations. Anyone who needs to go home early can come to me to collect this week's allowance. Don't worry, the gods will be with you..."