Chapter 173: Contrast Emerges

【Cat's Claw】 (Transmutation, 0-level):

The caster awakens their inner wildness, manifesting it upon their hands. During the spell's duration (up to one minute), damage from unarmed strikes is significantly increased.

Additionally, unarmed strikes made during the spell's duration are considered magical attacks.

Casting this spell again or picking up a weapon will terminate the spell.

Gao De felt somewhat helpless.

No wonder Master Laler was so straightforward.

It turned out there was a "pitfall" waiting for him.

This spell, how should one put it, certainly deserves the name "rare."

After all, strictly speaking, its damage ceiling can far exceed that of many ordinary spells.

The damage of typical damage-dealing spells is one-off.

For example, Fire Bolt or Ray of Frost; the damage they can cause is equal to the spell's power.

But 【Cat's Claw】 is a continuous damage spell, meaning the damage it can cause should be equal to: number of effective attacks during the spell's duration * spell power.

Theoretically, one could use this spell to deal damage equivalent to casting several or even dozens of spells for the cost of only one spell slot.

The problem is that this is only theoretical.

In most cases, 【Cat's Claw】 is a chicken-rib spell for magic users.

Firstly, 【Cat's Claw】 is a melee spell that applies a "magic-infused" effect to both hands.

Therefore, you must be able to touch the opponent for this spell to take effect.

This is already a major limitation.

Secondly, the threshold for this spell is too high.

One needs at least a certain foundation in combat and movement techniques to unleash the potential 【Cat's Claw】 should have.

How many magic users would bother to learn combat and movement techniques?

"Anyway, learning spells isn't difficult for me, so I'll just learn it first. Even if it can only hang in my spell list as a decoration, it can be considered accumulating a foundation for awakening a specialty in the future." Gao De quickly adjusted his mindset.

Carrying the improved composite rune diagram, Gao De arrived at the rune workshop located on the third floor of the Dean Jia Wen Building.

Unexpectedly, he discovered that someone was standing outside the rune workshop today.

It was a young magic user with handsome features, a tall stature, and noble attire.

Seeing Gao De walk over, he immediately raised an eyebrow.

"You are Gao De?"

"I am."

"My name is Tang Ni Ese, the chief student of the Rune School. You should have heard my name," the young magic user said with a smile, his voice very soft.

But Gao De keenly sensed the faint hostility beneath Tang Ni Ese's smile.

Although he masked it very well.

"I have heard of it." Gao De nodded, responding as he walked into the rune workshop.

He had indeed heard of it.

Shadi had specifically warned him to be careful of "Tang Ni Ese."

And his memory had always been decent, and he had always been willing to listen to advice.

Therefore, he was not surprised by the hostility Tang Ni Ese hid in the shadows.

Watching Gao De walk into the rune workshop as if it were a habit, without needing to wait or even knock on the door,

the look in Tang Ni Ese's eyes as he watched Gao De's back was already filled with unconcealable hatred.

He never imagined that the Rune School had declined to such a point, yet there would still be a new student joining.

Because the Rune School had made no contributions for years, the funding allocated by the academy had been cut again and again.

And because of the stubbornness of the Rune School's director, He Xi, they suffered intentional or unintentional squeezing from the academy's upper echelons.

If it weren't for the rune construction technology mastered by He Xi, he, Tang Ni Ese, one of the heirs of the Ese family, would never deign to join this broken Rune School and be this so-called chief student.

Last year, he heard that He Xi had taken on another student, and one who had been forcibly shoved over by the academy.

Initially, he didn't think much of it.

Rune studies were not something just any Tom, Dick, or Harry could learn.

This new student shoved to He Xi would likely soon be abandoned by He Xi for being "incompetent" and unable to continue learning "Rune Studies."

But he didn't expect that the subsequent development of events would far exceed his expectations.

First, he heard that He Xi had specifically applied for an exemption for Gao De, and then he learned that Gao De would come to the Dean Jia Wen Building to find He Xi on time every day. Clearly, Gao De was learning runes from He Xi.

And as Gao De's learning ability gradually manifested, many people were even spreading rumors that Gao De might have a certain talent in rune studies and was highly likely to be treated as a mantle disciple by He Xi to be taught rune construction.

"If you want to pick the peaches, you have to ask if I agree!" Thinking of this rumor, the handsome noble young magic user's face remained expressionless, but his heart was secretly fuming.

"Mentor, Tang Ni is outside." Knocking on the small room's door, Gao De first gave a reminder.

"No rush, you come in first." He Xi waved his hand, saying casually.

"This is the modified rune diagram, and the composite rune designed according to the requirements you proposed yesterday." Gao De did not act coy, handing the two drawn composite rune diagrams to He Xi.

He Xi looked at the composite runes drawn by Gao De on the magic paper, and a glow appeared on his aged face unconsciously.

He had taught many students and guided many people.

But no one had ever been able to create such excellent composite runes full of their own style and ideas like Gao De.

Many rune masters had studied the thirty-six classic composite rune diagrams that Gao De was learning.

But after finishing their studies, most people would consciously or unconsciously apply those designs in their subsequent rune designs.

Only Gao De truly just learned the ideas to master the underlying logic within those thirty-six classic composite rune diagrams.

And in the rune diagrams submitted by Gao De, He Xi could not see a trace of imitation; they were all autonomously designed according to the requirements he proposed, without any copying.

Even if there were major flaws in some designs, he could feel Gao De's whimsical ideas and infinite talent flowing from these designs with major flaws.

"The modifications are good. Compared to yesterday's, both the implementability and compatibility have been greatly improved, but it can still be optimized. For example, the 'sturdiness' here can be adjusted..."

He Xi spoke slowly, dissecting and pointing out Gao De's rune diagrams in more detail.

A long time later, Gao De walked out of the rune workshop with the assignment for the day set by He Xi.

He glanced at Tang Ni Ese, who was still waiting at the door, and said softly: "Mentor calls for you to go in."

Even though Tang Ni Ese hated Gao De to the core in his heart, he could still maintain a proper posture on the surface.

He first nodded slightly to Gao De before striding into the rune workshop.

Although he had been waiting outside for so long and was extremely annoyed, he controlled his emotions well.

After entering the rune workshop, he immediately bowed respectfully to He Xi, "Director He Xi."

Then, he carefully took out a rune diagram drawn on high-quality magic paper, "This is a magic array I thought of after a flash of inspiration a few days ago. I would like to ask for your guidance."

Despite the pride he couldn't hide in his heart, Tang Ni Ese restrained this arrogance and remained humble.

It must be said that his etiquette and demeanor were impeccable. He Xi took the rune diagram.

The carrier of the rune diagram was a piece of magic paper made from the skin of a second-circle earth-vein creature, the Flame Rhino. The quality was extremely excellent, and a complex magic array was engraved on it.

He Xi looked at it carefully; it was a first-rank magic array composed of three composite runes, carrying the effects of first-level strength and first-level flame runes.

In terms of technique, one could see that Tang Ni Ese's basic skills were very solid, and his craftsmanship was also very proficient.

According to general standards, it was a pretty good rune diagram.

But He Xi glanced at it casually and couldn't help but sigh in his heart, lamenting that it was a waste of good materials.

Such good magic paper could only be called qualified if used to draw a magic array with more than five composite runes.

"The completion is okay. Hmm, the style of Kunxi Ese is very obvious in the magic array."

"It can be seen that Kunxi Ese did not hide anything from you, and you have mastered it well, but the disadvantage is that the style is too Kunxi Ese, and there is not a trace of your own style..."

Kunxi Ese, a second-rank rune master of the Ese family.

Although only second-rank, he was already one of the top rune masters in the Saint Xi Encheng.

"So, you only want to become the second Kunxi Ese? If not, then stop imitating others blindly."

In the early stages of rune study, drawing runes by imitating the thought processes of predecessors to achieve a faster entry is also considered a method of learning.

The problem is that Tang Ni has been a first-rank rune master for a long time, and the magic arrays he draws are still shadows of others, without a bit of his own stuff.

Such a rune master, in a broad evaluation, can also be considered a rune master; after all, he can indeed draw first-rank magic arrays.

But in He Xi's view, such a rune master is just a high-level "craftsman," essentially no different from those masons who paste walls according to blueprints, and cannot be considered a rune master at all.

Actually, although he used to think that such rune masters were meaningless, his mindset was at least very peaceful and he wouldn't say such sharp words as he does now.

Why is it that the older he gets, the more direct his personality becomes? He Xi thought for a moment and had the answer:

After eating fine food, one can no longer eat this coarse grain.

He Xi shook his head and returned the rune diagram to Tang Ni Ese, while praising: "The magic paper is good, it's just a bit of a waste."

(End of chapter)