Chapter 583: Frostburst Blade
Translator: EndlessFantasy Translation Editor: EndlessFantasy Translation
In total, there were nine forms of Aquamancy.
The most common, obviously, being ‘Form’: To draw moisture from the air and condense it into liquid water.
This was the most basic of Aquamancy techniques, and the one every Aquamancer was most familiar with.
As the most rudintary of techniques, the water that was produced—if not subjected to higher-level techniques or transformations—could only be used for the simplest attacks, dealing little damage to speak of. The Aqua Bullet, for example, only did a pitiful three points of Magical Damage.
The next technique was ‘Freeze.’
Once the water was hardened into solid ice, it produced dramatic increases to damage and defensive potential. Frost Arrows, Frost Lances, and Chilling effects... Once an Aquamancer beca proficient in this technique, they would be toothless no longer. To put it another way, this technique was what truly made an Aquamancer.
Then there was ‘Burst!’
A low-level elental technique available to Tier 3 Aquamancers, it was the first ti they would gain any sort of area-attack capability—their first damaging area-effect spell.
Although it wasn’t that powerful, if used with skill and precision, it could nevertheless serve as the Aquamancer’s primary weapon. Consider the case of Qin Ruo, who’d used simultaneous Frostbursts and the Twelve Frostramparts Formation to win himself the title of ‘Winter Demon.’
***
In that sense, there were hardly any Aquamancers who were superior to Qin Ruo in the understanding and use of these low-level Aquamancy techniques.
When it ca to mid-level Aquamancy, however, Qin Ruo was a long way from satisfactory!
After he’d reached Tier 4, Qin Ruo had skyrocketed through his levels, never spending any substantial amount of ti on mastering the mid-level Aquamancy techniques available at Tier 4.
Although he’d nonetheless spent far more ti on this than the grand majority of regular players, it was nowhere close to the amount he’d done in Tier 3. His proficiency with these three further techniques was a pale shadow compared to his mastery over the low-level stuff.
“Pierce!” As Qin Ruo intoned this softly, the mass of water before him drew itself into a tapering point, obeying his will. Even liquid water could be shaped into a deadly weapon with this technique!
With a thought, the Aqua Arrow he’d created with ‘Form’ and ‘Pierce’ was sent hurtling away. At a speed worthy of a Frost Arrow, it slamd right into a hapless Blacksteel Zombie nearby.
The Level 58 Blacksteel Zombie was one of Dinosaurcerer’s latest targets for his Sealing efforts. With an unlimited supply of Spectral Mana Cores from the Underworld, these days Dinosaurcerer’s favorite side pursuit when not training levels was sealing away all manner of Undead, and then giving them away as gifts.
(Of course, these gifts ca with a catch: Typically, Qin Ruo had to exchange several Mana Cores for one such Soul Stone.)
With no weapon in hand, Qin Ruo’s Magical Damage was limited to 320 or less. Even so, an Aqua Arrow ford out of plain water was able to deal over eight hundred damage to the Arcane Zombie.
Essentially, ‘Pierce’ was a sharpening Elentalism technique, which increased damage slightly.
Up until now, Qin Ruo had favored speed instead, and so avoided using this technique. However, after much experintation in the Underworld, a thought had suddenly occurred to him: Although this ager increase in damage was unlikely to prove decisive in combat, and lengthened casting ti as well, it might not be completely without its uses.
On the opening strike, at least, players typically had plenty of ti to ready their first spell. With that in mind, Qin Ruo had been inspired to combine this technique with a homing spell, enhancing damage so that he could establish a definite advantage right from the first move.
The first experintal subject—
But it was a terrible pity: The default spells were generally considered to be finished products, and could not be modified any further.
Qin Ruo found this sowhat disappointing—he’d been hoping to raise the damage on his Lycan Barrage. If he could enhance the damage on a multi-hit attack spell like that, the total damage produced would be even more fearso! However—
‘Hold on...’
A new idea had surfaced: Although the standard spells couldn’t be altered, what about his own custom spells? Could those still be refined further?
Now his thoughts turned to how he’d used his Mimic skill to make his Compressed Frost Bullet Barrage appear as three flying skulls, disguising their true nature.
Eureka!
Qin Ruo suddenly burst into action.
‘Form!’
***
“Qin, what are you up to? You’ve been hanging around there for a while now.”
Not far away, Xin Yu had just wiped out a bunch of Skeletons, and now she shot a curious look in Qin Ruo’s direction, bewildered.
Although Pretty Woman had already explained this to her several tis, what Xin Yu saw was Qin Ruo casting and unleashing his Aqua Magic repeatedly, but he seed to be damaging a Blacksteel Zombie only to heal it back up again. It left her rather stupefied.
“Careful!” a man abruptly yelled from nearby.
Alard, Xin Yu noticed a Phantom Skeleton spawning in their vicinity, and scrambled to engage it.
The Level 50 Phantom Skeleton was a Bandit-type close-combat monster. Although not as powerful as a Tier 6 Skeleton, it was very fast, and together with its Stealth and Ambush abilities, it was a dangerous solo opponent for any Bandit to take on.
A few hours ago, Xin Yu had depended upon both her equipnt as well as potions to be able to barely hold her own against a Phantom Skeleton. However, under the tutelage of Fateless, Xin Yu was really getting to grips with the basics of close-quarters combat. She didn’t need to use potions anymore, and it was no longer a challenge for her to take down a Phantom Skeleton on her own—although she was still so way from the flawless technique Fateless demanded of her.
“Rember: You are a Bandit. On the battlefield, losing your focus for even a single mont could be your end.” As he observed Xin Yu’s performance, Fateless lectured her coldly from the sidelines.
Sticking out her tongue, she nodded ekly. “It won’t happen again.”
“Hm.” Fateless had found it sowhat annoying for Qin Ruo to summon him to the Underworld on short notice to serve as Xin Yu’s coach and babysitter. Seeing her behavior, however, little by little he was getting over it, and he’d begun to pass his expertise down to her, one lesson at a ti.
In just half a day, Xin Yu had advanced from a normal, run-of-the-mill Bandit to being able to see through the Phantom Skeleton’s Stealth ability with the naked eye. Fateless felt that his ti hadn’t been wasted on this apprentice that Qin Ruo had handed over to him.
He was also beginning to understand what Qin Ruo was truly after.
Shaping Xin Yu into a decent Bandit over the span of three days, and then providing her further advantages via equipnt, potions, and a Pet... she could yet beco another one of the stars within the Fallen Angels League!
Qin Ruo had high hopes for Xin Yu, and Fateless likewise believed that he could make sothing of her.
anwhile...
Fateless cast a glance at what was going on nearby. He was still trying out new things? There was no end to his talents. Small wonder that he could command the power and prestige that he did today.
He hadn’t moved from that spot for hours now, drilling the sa spells and techniques over and over again. His perseverance was truly startling!
“Eh?” Just as he’d been about to look away, Fateless noticed sothing out of the corner of his eye—Qin Ruo was doing sothing different this ti!
Before this, he’d just been testing out simpler Elentalism techniques. This, however... a Compressed Frost Bullet? Fateless had finally recognized the spell being cast.
Torrents of water surged in until an azure sphere, thirty centiters across, had ford above Qin Ruo’s palm. Dense ripples played over its surface, and thrumd through its core.
‘What’s he up to this ti?’ Fateless was transfixed.
One, two, three... five seconds passed, and still nothing had happened. And yet, Fateless could sense that the writhing mass of water Qin Ruo held was becoming increasingly unstable.
Eight seconds...
Ten seconds!
‘Splash!’
Fateless averted his gaze as his composure shattered, but already he was wondering if he could make a video clip from the recording he’d just taken, and maybe sell it off to Black Rock. Subjugator might even consider it worth an Embedded Stone.
***
Many tis now he’d tried to apply the Pierce technique to the Compressed Aquaball, to no avail, until his last attempt had caused the whole thing to burst apart, drenching him from head to toe.
Qin Ruo was sputtering mad.
“Spheres have no corners. There’s nothing to sharpen. What a blooming idiot I am!”
“Form!” he whispered, drawing the water out from his damp clothes and even his hair.
Qin Ruo refused to despair.
In the end, he only had those few custom-made spells. Besides his Compressed Frost Bullet, there was the Ice Net and the Twelve Frostramparts Formation—neither of which were suitable for this.
“Hmph! If you don’t have any corners for , I’ll pull one out of you.”
Once again, Qin Ruo began to cast the previous spell!
Once again, water churned as it was channeled into his grasp.
As the Compressed Aquaball took form, Qin Ruo imdiately drew it out into a different shape. The pressurized water that it was composed of, inherently malleable, was suddenly stretched out into a glittering blue blade.
It was working!
Delighted, Qin Ruo swiftly carried on to the next step.
Pierce!
The blade of water, its surface rippling violently a mont ago, had suddenly beco smooth and glossy, a razor-sharp edge leading to a finely tapered point!
This was it!
Eyes alight, Qin Ruo didn’t lose a single mont. “Freeze!”
Bone-chilling cold rolled off the newly ford ice shard. He waved his hand, and the blade of ice, created through a combination of ‘Form’ and ‘Pierce’, hurtled away!
Carrying with it a bitter chill, it stabbed into the Blacksteel Zombie.
With his Elental Perception, Qin Ruo could sense that in the instant before his spell hit the Zombie, the overwhelming cold from it had already coated its pallid skin with a thick layer of frost. Frozen and slowed down, crystalline structures of ice had even ford around the heart that he’d been aiming for.
The blade bit deep into flesh!
Even Fateless was watching in awe.
The blade, over two feet in length, penetrated right through the Blacksteel Zombie, renowned for the resilience of its body. Half the blade was protruding out the other side.
“That’s pretty sharp.”
Fateless cried out in silence as the icy shard suddenly burst apart with a sharp crystalline crack, spraying countless Ice Blades in every direction!
The mirth drained out of his expression. Looking down at the broken shards of ice that now littered the ground all around the Blacksteel Zombie, equal parts shock and excitent were playing across his face!
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