"Warriors strengthen their physical bodies to change the world, while Mages use their own will and thoughts to influence the world. Don't use the foolish Warriors' way to understand magic. Otherwise, you will remain an acolyte for the rest of your life, or a foolish Warrior who only knows how to wield the sharp sword known as magic."
Harloys is right. In the past, I did walk the wrong path. Just because I was troubled by the lack of long-range and long-range attacks as a Holy Knight, I didn't care about my actual situation and blindly chose to learn Ice Magic.
Demand determines supply. Back then, I didn't really need to dig deep into the potential of Ice Magic.
Even though my talent in Magic is average, fine, just as Harloys said, my perception of the essence of the Elements is so slow that it's stupid, I still forcefully raised it with the help of the System.
However, at the same time that I no longer have to face bottlenecks, I also lost the accumulation period of being stuck at bottlenecks and the period of growth after a breakthrough.
This is just like a science and engineering otaku using pure logic to analyze a literary work. Perhaps, he might be able to analyze all the attractive points of the literary work and make it sound logical. However, if he were to write his own beautiful essay, he would only end up writing dry pieces of tofu.
Due to his lack of emotions and devotion, he is unable to link all the scattered points together into a truly good story. In the end, most of the stories end up as simple and clear news articles.
According to Harloys, learning Magic is similar to creating art. Both are about using one's own will to paint a small world in one's heart, then using one's own small world to influence the real world.
In that case, learning Magic requires a strong sense of personal subjectivity.
These thoughts and processes may seem unrelated to one's strength, but in reality, they are extremely important. They determine a Mage's path, and after losing these perceptual knowledge, one's path will naturally become narrower and narrower.
I am the most obvious example. I learned literature (Elemental Magic), which requires perceptual knowledge, as mathematics (Martial Arts). In the end, I could only follow the books and imitate the footsteps of my predecessors to learn standard Magic, forcefully turning my own Ice Magic into an Ice Cannon Tower.
Accumulating mana and blasting it became my ultimate understanding of Ice Magic. As a Mage who researched Forbidden Spells, this is too much of a waste.
But fortunately, hard work is never wasted, even if it's the opposite of what you're trying to do.
Even though I didn't do research on emotions, the time and effort I put into learning rationally wasn't wasted. The Fate Points that I spent were rewarded. Although my rationality wasn't aware of it, the emotions in the depths of my soul were enlightened. Yep, it sounds like a tongue twister. Then, it should be "Even though your mouth says no, your body is so honest".
The crystallization of his understanding and feelings was the once-in-a-lifetime Soul Imprint.
[Soul Imprint: Mark of Justice (Destruction), Necropolis Crown (Destruction), Ice Treader (Destruction), Son of Light (Destruction)]
On the System's interface, the four Soul Imprints of Destruction were split into a row. "Increase the effect of Magic Incantations by 1%" and "Increase the power of Necromancy Spells by 1%" were negligible and could only be used to commemorate their past existence.
Of course, unless I was suicidal enough to burn my soul again, they would probably be like this forever.
In my second life, [Ice Treader] was my Soul Imprint, but it was clear that I had always let down its true meaning.
Treader, a person who walks, measures the world with his own footsteps. From the perspective of a traveler, he discovers the scenery, understands nature, and understands life.
Ice Treader is actually a traveler who is obsessed with the scenery of the Northern Country.
The boundless snowy region, the unreachable peak of the mountain, the beauty of life under the dormant state, the avalanche that causes the earth to shatter, the small world that never freezes under the ice river, the white wolf pack that howls at the sky, the giant monster and the snow leopard that hides in the snowy mountains, the sprouts under the snowy ground, life and nature, fighting and coexisting harmoniously.
Even the Gods have to remain humble in the face of the true power of nature. Life changes and the rules of nature remain unchanged for thousands of years. In order to survive the difficult winter, we have to work together. The winter wolves that work together to hunt understand this, and so do the people of the Northern Country.
When Harloys mentioned the essence of Ice that she had comprehended, the scenery of my hometown in the Northern Country kept replaying in my memories.
"So, no matter if it was then or now, I have always been homesick."
Deep into the night, thunder started to rumble outside. I silently stretched my hand out of the window. What fell on my palm wasn't the familiar snowflakes but the warm summer rain.
What happens when a lost traveler is homesick? Naturally, it is to make a trip back home. But, it is a pity that even though the scenery of snow in my memories is still the same, the flag flying on that piece of land isn't the same as before. That seemingly unchanged snow country is no longer my homeland.
"I don't want to go home, at least not now."
Then, since I can't return to my homeland, I will temporarily turn the scenery of my homeland into a dream. Perhaps, one day, my dream will turn into reality.
【Infallible Diffindor】
The soul is always more honest than the mouth. In the 3 Soul Imprints that formed my Soul World, the Ice Treader turned into the snow scenery of my homeland, displaying its true power. It turned into an endless traveler in the snow, describing the natural winter and the beautiful scenery of the snow and ice of my homeland.
"Heh, what an unqualified master. To think that you don't even know the true power of your own Soul Imprint. Is it because the immense power has blinded your senses? But, it shouldn't be too late to understand now. So, let it snow. "
As I spoke softly, the rain outside turned into snowflakes.
The midnight snow that was limited to the small residence might not be noticed by the neighbors, but it caused the temporary residents to exclaim in surprise.
I finally understood that my path of Ice Magic isn't the self-righteous path of a cannon. Instead, I used magic as a pen to turn the beautiful yet dangerous Ice Plains in my memories into reality.
"Heh, don't you understand now?"
Harloys giggled as she jumped onto the windowsill. Turning back into her cat form, she disappeared into the snow.
I closed the window. Understanding is just the beginning. There is still a long way to go before I can turn it into actual power.
At the same time, in the depths of my soul, the Soul Imprint of the [Ice Treader (Destruction): Increases the effects of Ice Magic by 1%] image of the Snow Night Traveler quietly changed. At this moment, it is the [Ice Treader (Damaged, in the midst of recovery): Increases the effects of Ice Magic by 3%].
"Looks like I have been overly reliant on the System. My soul is still here, so the body that nurtures my soul is still here. Naturally, the Soul Imprint, which is the crystallization of my soul, can be recovered. Hehe, let's take it slowly. A Legend with 4 Soul Imprints, I am really looking forward to it. "
… …
Very quickly, following the recovery of the Soul Imprint, my Ice Magic grew rapidly. Not long after, I was able to grasp the final Forbidden Spell, Ice Aeon. Then, I used the Forbidden Spell as a threat to force the Ottoman Empire to recognize the independence of the Donglan Principality.
Alright, none of the above is possible.
Life isn't a dream. Just by relying on one's understanding, one can advance a thousand miles in a day. Those are the stories in novels. In reality, one has to take things one step at a time.
Even though I have already understood the essence of Ice and have a plan for my future development, the problem from the past still exists. That is …
"As expected, my talent in Elemental Magic is trash."
It is still that magic book, it is still that person. Even if he comprehended some principles, he is still that wooden head, unable to understand what I am reading.
Thus, after reading for half the night, I can only close the book helplessly. Opening the interface, I use the old method from the past — Using the System to cheat.
"20 Skill Points, I really can't bear to part with it."
Skill Points is a good thing. It can allow me to learn a skill or magic, or raise a skill or magic to a circle. For example, a single Skill Point can raise a circle 1 Ice Arrow to a circle 2 Ice Arrow, greatly increasing the attack power and many other aspects.
Now that I have just entered the 2nd Rank Bronze-rank, the highest I can grasp is a circle 3 Magic (The relationship between the number of magic circles and rank is that a 1st Rank spell is a circle, a 2nd Rank spell is a circle, a 2nd Rank spell is a circle, a 3rd Rank spell is a circle, a 3rd Rank spell is a circle, a 4th Rank spell is a 5th Rank spell, so on and so forth). If I were to throw a dozen Skill Points into it at one go …
Alright, then I would be a cripple. Not mentioning the fact that the higher the circle, the more Skill Points are required to raise. If the circle is too high, then the failure rate of casting will be greatly increased. The backlash of magic can easily kill me. Throwing so many Skill Points into a 1-circle spell without much potential is in itself an extreme waste of resources.
The Fate Points that I have recently aren't enough for me to raise the next level. At this moment, I am still a LV21 Order Knight/Chaos Witch King. Originally, I should only have 10 Skill Points for every 2 levels. However, this dual job not only brought me twice the amount of Skill Points, it also gave me 4 times the expenditure.
Before this, I didn't use any Skill Points at all. That is because I am confident that I can grasp any of the Holy Light and Law elements of the Order Knight without using any Skill Points. As for Necromancy Magic, it isn't the time for me to learn it. Thus, I stored it all up, intending to forcefully break through the bottleneck of a high-rank.
But at this moment, I probably want to increase my fighting prowess very soon. I can vaguely see the path of the future. Since Order and Chaos are bound to develop in a balanced manner, then naturally, I have to invest more in the weaker areas. Furthermore, with my terrible talent in Elemental Magic, it is impossible for me to save on Skill Points.
If there is any difference, it would be that I understand the path of the future through comprehension. I am consciously choosing the direction of development, accumulating experience and breaking through, and no longer making random choices.
Looking through the messy Ice Magic on the interface, most of them are powerful turret-type magic. However, what I need isn't them.
Very quickly, I found my target.
"I have already learned the 1-circle Ice Magic, Ice Shield. Adding on the other two spells, I should be able to reach my goal."
[First Circle Ice Barrier (Steel): Forms a thin Ice Barrier on the caster's body, increasing defense by a small amount. If the caster is struck by the enemy, the attacker will be slowed down by 0.1 seconds.】
【2-circle Ice Breath (Bronze): Casts a cone-shaped Ice Breath, dealing 1 to 3 Ice Damage. Also, it will cause the target to be slowed down by the freezing effect. The maximum range is 2 meters and the duration is no more than 6 seconds.】
【3-circle Circle of Ice (Bronze): With the caster as the center, a circle of ice is created and explodes outwards. The circle can only travel for a maximum of 15 meters. Those who come into contact with it will be slowed down by the freezing effect.】
The attack power of these three spells are close to zero, but they are rare Ice Magic that can slow down the target. If my estimation isn't wrong, they should belong to the same series, which can serve as a stepping stone to higher heights.
"First is the close-fitting Ice Shield."
The Ice Armor that can be ignored by the naked eye doesn't have much effect, but it allows me to be enveloped by the Ice Element. Furthermore, it is one of the few spells that can directly create Ice Speed Reduction, and it is this Ice Speed Reduction that causes the attacker to be slowed down.
At this moment, as I continuously activate my magic, a large amount of Ice Speed Reduction is created from the Ice Armor.
"Next is Ice Breath."
The Ice Speed Reduction transforms into an icy mist. The Ice Speed Reduction is purified and evolves, and the ground that it touches is covered with a thin layer of ice.
"Finally, the Circle of Ice."
Following the command, the accumulated Ice Speed Reduction explodes in an instant, destroying the entire room. Regardless of whether it is the furniture or the ceiling, everything is covered with a thin layer of ice.
The chain of spells has achieved the effect of 1 + 1 + 1 + 3, but I still furrow my brows in distress.
If it was just for this effect, I would have just thrown in a random high-level spell. The huge investment of 2 Skill Points isn't for this.
"Is it still not enough? Un, it should still not be enough. Then, there is only that spell left. "
Thus, I open the interface once more and find the large-scale Ice Speed Reduction Spell.
【6-circle Blizzard (Gold-rank): Create a small-scale Blizzard. Use the falling snow to create a large-scale Ice Damage and Movement Speed Reduction effect.】
"Even if I light up a 6-circle spell, I won't be able to use it for a long period of time. 3 Skill Points, please don't let me lose everything."
In the next second after I activate Blizzard, the Ice Armor disappears and the Ice Speed Reduction Spell that fills the room is suddenly retracted. Then, with a breath and a release, it turns into a higher quality lethal Ice Speed Reduction Spell.
"Ding! Congratulations host, you have learned the Combination Skill 'Ice Speed'. This skill is a simulation of the cold of the natural world. No life form is completely immune to it. — Brat, you have made a good choice this time. You finally know how to use me. Use the best steel on the blade, cherish your Skill Points. "
【Ice Speed Reduction Spell: A type of silent and deadly Ice Speed Reduction Spell. It can be attached to the physical body and weapons, and can also be used along with Ice Magic. Those who come into contact with it will have their movement slowed by 1% and will receive 1 point of Ice Damage per second. This ability can be stacked. If the movement speed reduction effect exceeds 20%, the user will suffer from Ice Speed, Mental Rigidity and many other negative effects. If the movement speed reduction effect exceeds 50%, the user may die from hypothermia at any time.】
【Usage Requirement: Soul Imprint Ice Treader. If host breaks through Gold-rank and grasps Blizzard Magic, Ice Speed Reduction will automatically evolve to the next stage.】
As expected, my guess wasn't wrong. Under the catalyzing effect of my Soul Imprint, the accumulation of Ice Speed Reduction Spell has turned into a qualitative change.
Just by imagining it, one can imagine how sinister and deadly this silent Ice Speed Reduction Spell would be. As long as one fights with it, it would be stacked. By the time one realizes it, the Ice Speed Reduction Spell would be wrapped around one's body and it would be too late to reverse the situation. It would be like those pests in the fields that were suddenly frozen to death in the middle of the night. They can only watch helplessly as they die.
And this is just the beginning. This Ice Speed Reduction Spell that mimics the cold of the natural world will become the cornerstone for me to reach a higher stage. In the end, it will become the Impassable Winter that belongs to me alone.
"As expected, only after passing through the cold of winter will I be able to see the warmth of spring. Only by abandoning my incomplete physical body and starting anew will there be a possibility of improving. Perhaps, with the accumulation of four Soul Imprints and four lives, I will be able to reach the peak of this world in this lifetime. "
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