Chapter 375: New Spells, Ideals

In the Library, Xia Duo's goal was very clear: it was 4th-Ring Spells. In his understanding, the core of a Mage's deterrent power lay in mobility.

Or rather, survivability.

As for damage or creativity, those were secondary.

Among 4th-Ring Spells, those linked to the core of a Mage's strategy and tactics, Xia Duo believed, were 【Short-range Teleportation】, 【Dimensional Anchor】, as well as 【Scrying】 and 【Detect Detection】.

These four spells played an extremely important role, whether in terms of tactics or strategy.

The Tower of Time did not have a reserve of Learning Scrolls for these spells. Strictly speaking, the Tower of Time only had a reserve of Learning Scrolls for 0-Ring Spells; no one would easily produce higher-level Learning Scrolls, as that would be equivalent to selling out one's own core secrets.

However, there were quite a few relevant Spellbooks, and even though Xia Duo was the Tower Master Proxy at this time, he still had to pay a certain price to borrow them. Of course, Xia Duo did not need to meet the borrowing thresholds that others had to.

There were 12 books in total. If others were to borrow them, it would cost 2400 Gold Coins per day. Calculated by Spell Circle, each day of borrowing a 4th-Ring Spell-related Spellbook required 200 Gold Coins.

This price was not considered high for an Intermediate Mage, though it was certainly not cheap.

As for Xia Duo, he did not need to pay daily; he only needed to pay once. This was a benefit brought by his Tower Master Proxy Permission Level.

However, this time Xia Duo did not provide actual Gold Coins but instead put it on credit. Although he could produce that many Gold Coins, his Permission Level "told" him that he could put it on credit first.

There was not even a set repayment date, which made Xia Duo sigh; Niya might have been truly anxious at the time and never thought about these details.

But regardless, he and Niya were now husband and wife, and they had even established a Sacred Contract, so theoretically, this Tower of Time should also be half his. Did he still have to pay to read his own books?

Through his own experience, Xia Duo even discovered loopholes in the Tower of Time's contract. If ordinary Mages made good use of them, they could completely fleece the Tower of Time.

Consequently, Xia Duo decisively notified the Tower Spirit and Aiboke to change the contracts for members of the Tower of Time. The changes in the new contract were not many; they simply added a qualifier before the relevant rights and obligations—

"Including but not limited to."

For example, members of the Tower of Time must not damage the interests of the Tower of Time, including but not limited to... such situations.

It was impossible for a contract to be completely without loopholes, but doing this could plug many of them.

Of course, so as not to cause resentment among the members of the Tower of Time when changing the contracts, Xia Duo increased the benefits for Intermediate Mages, and correspondingly, the clause "The Tower of Time will support Primary Mages in carrying out specialized research projects" was also written into the contract.

To some extent, Xia Duo was using the excuse of patching loopholes for the Tower of Time to promote his own Primary Mage development project. This was an attempt, and perhaps in the future, it could change the world.

Before leaving Savile Territory and returning to Daxia Territory, or rather, shortly after changing the contracts for the members of the Tower of Time, Niya sent word from Seventon saying that she agreed with his approach and told him to communicate more with Aiboke and Saixili Duo.

Xia Duo was well aware of this; it was inevitable that someone would tip her off. However, for Niya to trust and agree with him so easily, perhaps she really had gained a different perspective after arriving in Seventon.

This also made Xia Duo develop a strong interest in Seventon, but he knew very clearly that his stage was not in Seventon, at least not right now.

In the big picture, he currently had only two goals, and he only needed to do these two well: one was to develop the Territory well to cater to the expansion movement the Princess was currently pushing—this was a big, sturdy thigh he could not let go of.

The other was himself; his advancement plan could not stop. Only by becoming an Arcanist could he truly gain a foothold in Netheril.

……

After boarding the "Lucky Owen," Xia Duo stood at the bow, turned off the faint elemental smoothing ability of the 【Crimson Shelter Robe】, and let the river breeze hit his face.

The time had now entered September. The breeze blowing against him carried the last trace of summer heat and the slight chill of the arrival of autumn. Looking at the monotonous forest scenery on both banks, Xia Duo rarely stopped thinking about those troublesome problems.

Just quietly gazing at the scenery on both banks, occasionally a crooked tree leaning toward the riverbank made him smile knowingly. These "landmarks," whether familiar or novel, made Xia Duo feel a touch of intimacy.

Not Savile Town, nor Daxia Territory, just these trees that could neither speak nor walk.

Perhaps only at this moment was he Xia Duo, the most real Xia Duo.

At other times, he was just that Xia Duo the Mage wearing a disguise, seemingly having integrated into this world. But the longer he stayed in this world, the more he felt he was out of place here.

Reason told him that this was the emotional and belonging need that emerged after he had fulfilled his basic physiological and safety needs.

Toward Netheril, he had no feelings. Perhaps when he was on Earth, he might have often kept it on his lips, but that was only because it originated from a game he liked.

Being in the real Netheril, what kind of identification or belonging could a person from Earth possibly develop!

Once a worldview was formed, it would not be easily shaken. To him, Magic was merely a realistic result of epistemology. Even if the Lord of Radiance stood before him one day, it would be impossible for him to shake his worldview.

Looking at the Wolfburg River before him, which flowed to an unknown destination and seemed like his destiny, Xia Duo fell into deep thought. Even a pragmatist could not avoid a moment of melancholy.

Having seen the "blood aura" on the body of the Mage Weierde who visited earlier, as well as the "flowing, moist" "Water Element aura" at the Mythallar Ruins, Xia Duo dared not let negative emotions accumulate in his mind for a long time.

Who knew if a situation like being entangled by evil thoughts would occur!

Even on Earth, health was divided into two parts: physical and mental. The only difference was that in this real magical world, mental problems might affect the material body.

This made it necessary to be highly vigilant.

Having vented the long-accumulated negative emotions at the bow, Xia Duo returned to the captain's cabin, took out a brand-new notebook, opened the inner page, and solemnly wrote eight Chinese characters on it—

"Open up the world, recreate the universe!"

Rarely using Chinese characters to write, Xia Duo was in a sudden mood and wrote down many plans hidden in the bottom of his heart, a little here and a little there, without any organization.

Although chaotic and disorganized, they always pointed to one central idea—

Change the world!

Between completely integrating into this world and changing the world, Xia Duo chose the latter without hesitation. As a transmigrator, how could he have no pursuits at all!

In fact, he had intentionally or unintentionally revealed this idea in the past, but what truly made him make up his mind was the increasingly deep sense of alienation from this world.

Before joining the Tower of Time, more than half a year;

Joining the Tower of Time (Main Plane), a little over a year;

First Astral Projection, a little over a year and a half;

Second Astral Projection, over a year.

From the perspective of his own perception, he had already transmigrated to this world for more than four years. If he didn't take action, perhaps years later, he would have been assimilated to the point where he was no different from the natives here.

Perhaps the future him would identify with this assimilation, but the current him still had the self-perception of an Earthling; he could not develop a true sense of belonging here.

In that case, it would be better for him to assimilate this world and transform it into the shape he hoped for.