Chapter 141 - 140: Multi-layered Spell Structure Magic
Chapter 141: Chapter 140: Multi-layered Spell Structure Magic
"Alright, let’s start harvesting," Manlin said, clapping her hands.
She also explained some of the precautions for gathering Magic Plants.
"Some Magic Plants are very delicate, so you need to be careful when picking them... Take this Dragon Heart Fruit, for example. You have to cut off the entire tuber when you dig it up, or its energy will completely dissipate from the opening."
"And this Stone Skin Moss can only be scraped from the rock with a Silver Saber, otherwise it will be ineffective.
"And this one..."
While the Mage Students gathered the Magic Plants, the Adventurers spread out to keep watch, ensuring they wouldn’t be disturbed by a sudden Demon attack.
"GROAN..."
Just as everyone was about to start, the Medicinal Turtle at their side suddenly made a deep sound.
It poked its head out of its shell, its small, bean-like eyes staring resentfully at Zelir.
The Medicinal Turtle shook its short, thick neck, clearly complaining that it had led the way but received no payment.
"Oh... I almost forgot about you."
Zelir picked out and dug up two healthy-looking Magic Plants and offered them over.
Only then did the Medicinal Turtle open its large mouth in satisfaction, its long tongue flicking out to snatch the plants and begin chewing loudly.
After finishing its meal, it wagged its short tail, slowly turned around, and disappeared into the depths of the Fluorescent Forest Sea.
Watching the Medicinal Turtle’s retreating back, Zelir couldn’t help but think.
’I wonder if there’s a Special Ability, like a Druid’s, that could tame this creature. It has a lot of potential uses.’
The process of gathering the Magic Plants was not easy. The delicacy of these herbs and flowers far exceeded everyone’s imagination.
While Lante was digging up a Root of Serenity, his shovel barely touched a tendril, and a tiny crack immediately appeared on the jade-like root, greatly diminishing its quality.
A few other Magic Plants also lost some of their stored essence due to clumsy harvesting techniques.
However, Instructor Manlin didn’t say anything.
This was a training exercise, after all. With this experience, they would be more careful and skilled next time.
Finally, all the Magic Plants were collected and placed into Storage Pouches in batches.
After finishing such a mentally taxing job, on top of all the travel, everyone was feeling exhausted.
"Alright, that’s enough for today,"
Manlin announced.
Although they couldn’t see the sky in Moon Bay Basin, they could tell from the passage of time that it was almost night.
"Let’s find a place to set up camp and rest."
The campsite they chose this time was also near a river.
But this river was a bit special. It was a stream where two tributaries converged, forming a natural Y-shaped confluence.
The water was clear, and the surrounding terrain was flat and open.
"Ha, perfect."
A smile lit up Lena’s eyes. "One river for the men, one for the women."
"Huh?" Zelir was confused.
...
The stream murmured gently.
Under the eternal twilight of Moon Bay Basin, the water’s surface reflected starlike specks of fluorescent light.
Right now, there were quite a few people in the river.
Not fishing, but bathing.
The long journey and battles had left everyone covered in sweat, dirt, and the stench of blood.
Under these circumstances, a good wash was not only a matter of hygiene but also helped maintain a good state of mind.
After all, no one wanted to smell sour, nor did they want their teammates to.
While they could easily get water using the Water Ball Skill, the supplies they brought for this Monster Hunting trip didn’t include bulky items like large wooden tubs.
If they wanted to bathe, a Mage would have to continuously cast the Water Ball Skill nearby to create a shower-like effect, which was quite a hassle.
Now that there was a clear, clean, natural river right here, it would be a waste not to use it.
"Zelir, my man, can you help me scrub my back?"
Gray sidled up to him in the cool river.
Zelir shot Gray a sideways glance and said irritably,
"Scrub it yourself."
Gray wasn’t annoyed by the rejection. He sized Zelir up with great interest.
"Whoa... You can’t tell when you’re wearing clothes, but you’re actually in great shape."
Even though only the part of Zelir’s body from the waist up was visible above the water, the muscles of his upper body were lean and solid.
He didn’t have the explosive muscle mass of Marcus, but every inch of his skin radiated a sense of power.
What’s more, Zelir had clearly defined abs, which looked very well-proportioned and pleasing to the eye under the fluorescent glow.
"Here, don’t bother Zelir. I’ll scrub your back for you."
Before Gray could react, a hand as large as a cattail fan clamped onto his shoulder.
It was Marcus.
Without a word, he grabbed a towel and started scrubbing Gray’s back vigorously.
Gray’s short, mournful cry immediately rang out.
"OW! Marcus! Go easy! You’re gonna rub my skin off!"
Zelir ignored their horseplay, his gaze shifting to the other side.
That was the bathing area exclusively for the girls, designated by Instructor Lena.
The two tributaries were quite far apart, and a dense patch of forest in between blocked the view, so normally, nothing could be seen.
It wasn’t that Zelir was suddenly overcome with lust; he had just detected a faint, strange magical fluctuation from that direction.
The magic enveloped the entire area like a field.
’This must be a Protective Magic set up by Instructor Manlin or Instructor Lena, probably to prevent guys from accidentally wandering in while the girls are bathing?’
Just as he thought.
When Zelir focused his Perception on it, his Technique Celestial Calculation immediately reacted.
Whispering Barrier, analysis progress—2%.
’So there really is one...’
But this analysis was different from before.
As Zelir immersed his mind in it, he was immediately stunned by the Whispering Barrier’s Spell Structure.
Although the analysis wasn’t complete, the image displayed in his sea of consciousness showed that the magic’s structure was no longer a two-dimensional blueprint.
Instead, it was a three-dimensional structure formed by multiple, interwoven planes.
Each plane was inscribed with different Rune Circuits, which were interconnected by countless tiny energy conduits, forming a stable yet complex whole.
’In other words...’
’The Whispering Barrier is a Multi-layered Spell Structure Magic!’
A sense of astonishment surged within Zelir.
’It makes sense, though.’
’A magic that covers a large area and has specific effects must have a very complex circuit structure.’
’It would be difficult to inscribe so many functions within the limited space of a single-layer Spell Structure.’
’I just don’t know what level of Multi-layered Spell Structure Magic the Whispering Barrier is.’
’It definitely can’t be Level Four, so it must be Level Two or Level Three?’
’I’ll know once the analysis is complete.’
When he came back to his senses, Zelir suddenly noticed Valles staring at him with a strange expression from not far away.
"What is it..." Zelir asked subconsciously, a little confused.
"Nothing..."
Valles just shook his head and continued to silently scoop up water and pour it over himself.
But the look on his face was one of disdain.
Only then did Zelir realize that he had been staring in the direction of the girls’ bathing area the entire time.
"Ah, I..."
Zelir opened his mouth to explain, but found he didn’t know where to start.
"It’s nothing. It’s normal for a man your age to be a little curious."
Valles waved his hand magnanimously, signaling that nothing more needed to be said.
"I won’t tell anyone."
Zelir: "..."
...
Droplets of water trickled down a fair, delicate neck, leaving behind glistening trails.
They continued downward, slowly tracing a beautiful, youthful curve before finally rejoining the river.
Bev submerged her entire body beneath the surface, the gentle current caressing her skin, washing away all fatigue and dust.
Only the top half of her head was showing. She squinted in satisfaction, occasionally blowing small bubbles from her mouth with a "BLUB BLUB BLUB" sound.
Because everyone was rather modest and shy, the girls all kept a considerable distance from one another.
On the river’s surface, a hazy steam rose leisurely like mist.
This was a small magic Instructor Lena had added to the barrier. It turned the once bone-chillingly cold stream water warm and comfortable, just like a natural hot spring.
"Hah..."
After enjoying a thoroughly relaxing soak, Bev reluctantly stepped onto the bank.
She wrapped her graceful body in a large white towel and walked into the temporary changing area behind the trees.
Bev quickly changed into fresh, clean clothes, then put her light purple Magic Robe back on.
When she came out, the other female team members had also finished washing up and were either changing clothes or tidying their appearance.
"Hey!"
Yanni reached out with both hands, suddenly pouncing on Bev from behind.
"Yanni... stop fooling around," Bev said, startled.
"Bev, you always smell so good," Yanni said, taking a deep breath.
"Don’t say such things..." Bev’s cheeks turned slightly red.
"But it’s true! Your hair is still a mess. Come on, sit down. I’ll comb it for you."
Yanni pulled Bev over to sit on a large, clean rock.
She gathered Bev’s waterfall of golden hair and began to comb it with a wooden comb.
Bev’s hair was naturally high quality, like the finest golden silk—exceptionally smooth and soft, making it hard to stop touching.
Just as Yanni was focused on combing Bev’s long hair, Mili, another Magic Apprentice from the Third Squad, came over.
"Bev, Yanni," she greeted them.
They both nodded slightly in acknowledgment.
"Ah... I’m so jealous of you guys."
Mili sat down next to them.
She sighed softly and started talking, "You must feel so safe being on a team with Zelir."
"Well, we can’t help it. Instructor Lena decided the teams," Bev said, her tone seemingly casual, but the corners of her lips curved up slightly.
"You guys are so lucky."
Mili couldn’t help but purse her lips at the thought of yesterday’s battle.
"Our captain, Leiden, is such an oaf. He made a complete fool of himself in our first fight and almost got the whole squad wiped out."
"Zelir... is definitely reliable when it comes to fighting," Yanni said.
Even she had to admit it.
Whether it was the battle against the goblin golem before or the recent attack by the Pseudo-Mantis, Zelir’s performance had been outstanding.
If it had been Leiden, upon seeing the Pseudo-Mantis, he probably would have panicked and started flinging magic at his own teammates’ heads again.
As for the suggestion Zelir had made to her that day by the stream about playing the hero saving the damsel in distress...
Yanni sighed softly.
’I think I finally get it now.’