Chapter 172: Do You Really Take Me For an Idiot? Innate Ability, Taking a Job Class
Quaiesse Hazeia Quintia!
Tang Zheng saw the suddenly appearing blond youth with a gentle smile on his face, and the man's name quickly flashed through his mind.
Why were people from the Black Scripture here?
If Tang Zheng was merely vigilant before, he was now on full alert.
The Black Scripture is the most mysterious and powerful unit within the Slane Theocracy's Six Scriptures. The sole condition for joining this unit is to reach the Heroic Realm.
Tang Zheng was able to recognize him instantly entirely because the man's younger sister was the infamous Clementine, former Ninth Seat of the Black Scripture, codenamed "Gale Stride."
The two of them bore an eighty percent resemblance; it would be difficult to mistake him.
"That was close. Are you all right?" Quinn Esai walked out from the Jungle, looking at Tang Zheng and speaking in a gentle tone.
His short golden hair covered his forehead. Paired with his soft features, his every move exuded a friendly temperament, inspiring goodwill in anyone he met.
"Thank you."
Tang Zheng spoke softly, putting on a relieved expression while his mind raced.
Quinn Esai wasn't wearing a mask or anything else to conceal his face, which meant he was likely alone.
Because the Black Scripture was a secret unit within a secret unit, the identities of all its members were completely clandestine. When on a mission, they would wear masks or other items to hide their identities.
This was because everyone in the Black Scripture, apart from their secret identity, also held other public identities within the Slane Theocracy.
"My apologies, I was a little late. You were almost injured."
Quinn Esai first spoke with a hint of apology, then introduced himself, "I am a missionary of the Slane Theocracy who believes in the 'Earth God.' I was hiding in the shadows because I couldn't confirm the other party's criminal evidence."
"You should have just seen it as well. That man is an extremely dangerous individual colluding with demi-humans."
With a few simple sentences, Quinn Esai explained the reason he was hiding in the shadows and clarified his own legitimate identity.
The Slane Theocracy's "human supremacist" ideology was widely known in all nations, so his actions and reasons for being here were completely plausible.
The tea-colored Holy Seal on his chest further verified this point. A "Holy Seal" was a magic item that could only be issued by the Church in various regions.
It was both a symbol of status and a form of proof.
Tang Zheng's eyes narrowed imperceptibly. The man's words were a lie.
The Quinn Esai before him was one of the few in the Slane Theocracy who believed in the "Dark God," one of the Six Great Gods, not some "Earth God."
But given the current situation, that wasn't important!
"I'm not interested in what's going on between you two." Tang Zheng displayed the wariness a normal Adventurer should have in this situation, tugging on the evil spirit hound's bone chain.
He postured as if to leave the battlefield and retreat.
Of the two men before him, one was a member of the Black Scripture, and the other's identity was even more mysterious. Both of them had reached the Heroic Realm.
They were definitely not opponents he could handle through ordinary means!
Towards people from the Slane Theocracy, Tang Zheng's attitude was to keep a respectful distance. He had absolutely no intention of having any contact with people from the Slane Theocracy at present, especially not members of the Black Scripture.
Seeing Tang Zheng's intention to retreat, a glint flashed in Quinn Esai's crimson pupils, and he was just about to speak.
"Heh heh... heh heh."
Across from them, the Gray-robed Mage kept his head down, his shoulders trembling continuously as he let out a hoarse, low laugh, which then grew louder and louder.
"Hahahahaha!!"
"This is hilarious. You're acting like a clown in a play you directed yourself."
The panic and surprise the Gray-robed Mage had shown at Quinn Esai's sudden appearance had vanished.
At this moment, the Gray-robed Mage's lips curled into a hideous grin, his cold eyes fixed on Quinn Esai. "Do you know why I specifically explained my masterpiece to you?"
"Did you really think I'd make the same stupid, ignorant mistake as a villain in a storybook? You really take me for an idiot and a villain!"
This sentence was clearly directed at Tang Zheng.
However, the Gray-robed Mage's gaze remained fixed on Quinn Esai from start to finish. "Of course, I was saying it for him to hear."
"Such an outstanding masterpiece is a perfect match for your innate ability, you little brat from the Quintentia family."
"You've been watching me for a long time, haven't you? If the frogman's egg hadn't been successfully completed, you never would have shown yourself with your cautious nature."
"Apologies? A little late? How could someone like you care about others? This is just a hunter's game."
"You were after my masterpiece, and I was after your innate ability. Your blood will be the final step in completing my masterpiece."
The Gray-robed Mage spread his arms, his eyes burning with fervor. "It's fascinating just thinking about it. A faithful believer of the Six Great Gods is actually planning to borrow the power of demi-humans."
A wild, ear-piercing, mocking laugh echoed through the Jungle.
Quinn Esai stood quietly in place, the gentle smile still on his face, but the surrounding atmospheric pressure seemed to drop in an instant.
Though he was smiling, it sent a chill down the spine.
"Where is that man?"
Quinn Esai's tone was soft, as if he were asking a friend.
The Slane Theocracy possessed magic for examining innate abilities, but an individual's ability was still considered a secret, and the Theocracy itself wouldn't leak it. This was especially true for a member of the Black Scripture like him. The only one who could have known his innate ability and leaked it was that man!
"Who knows," the Gray-robed Mage said with a shrug.
Hearing the conversation between the two, Tang Zheng suddenly sighed softly. "It seems I've been completely used as a pawn for you two to probe each other."
"By the way, can I pretend I didn't hear any of that?"
The Gray-robed Mage's light brown eyes glanced at Tang Zheng as if looking at a dead man, showing a complete lack of interest.
Because he knew that he didn't need to act; the man opposite him would take care of this talented, black-haired youth.
If you have to blame someone, blame your own terrible luck.
At almost the same instant, a message appeared on his stat panel.
*Partner Contract I has been severed!*
This only happened when a monster died, severing the link with the caster, but the evil spirit hound was clearly not dead.
"An innate ability?" The thought flashed through Tang Zheng's mind.
Clatter!
The bone chain on the evil spirit hound's body trembled, then wrapped around Tang Zheng, forcibly binding him to its back.
The four-tailed black panther that had helped Tang Zheng block the magic attack earlier had already turned its head and opened its mouth, aiming at Tang Zheng and the evil spirit hound.
In a flash!
A breath of pure darkness energy spewed from the black panther's mouth, striking in an instant.
The upper half of the evil spirit hound was obliterated by the darkness energy, and Tang Zheng's figure was sent flying, crashing into the Jungle far away.
For a caster specializing in angel summoning, being hit by a dark energy attack at such close range without time to defend meant there was almost no chance of survival.
"What a pity."
"To have mastered fourth-tier angel summoning at such a young age. If this were anywhere else, I would have certainly invited you to join the Slane Theocracy."
Quinn Esai glanced over, then turned his head back and looked calmly at the Gray-robed Mage. "Have you thought about how you want to die?"
"I should be the one saying that to you!" the Gray-robed Mage's chilling voice replied.
And at this moment, in the distant Jungle!
In a pit of broken trees, severed branches, and rotten leaves, Tang Zheng stood up completely unharmed, holding the half-remaining corpse of the evil spirit hound, his face incomparably cold.
His priest robe was now in tatters, the white cloth stained red with the evil spirit hound's blood.
The 40% dark attribute resistance plus his magic defense was enough to easily block the four-tailed black panther's darkness energy impact, but the evil spirit hound obviously couldn't.
"Take Job Class!"
With a flick of his wrist, Tang Zheng stored the half-corpse of the evil spirit hound into his item box, killing intent in his eyes.
Now, he was going to slaughter both of them, even if it meant exposing some of his strength!
A hum echoed.
*Job Class successfully taken!*
......
Class: Mad Mage
Level: High-Tier Job Class
Ability Effects:
Passive:
"Casting System Selection": For each level gained in this Class, you may choose to add the caster level increase to any magic caster system.
"Prepare Magic in Advance": You may prepare one spell in advance to set it, rather than wasting time casting it. It can be set again after being expended.
"Elemental Attribute Alteration": You can change the elemental attribute of attribute-based spells, altering them to one of the four main magical attributes of wind, fire, water, or earth (e.g., Fireball becomes a water ball). At the same time, you will lose any attribute-based specialization.
Class Skill:
"Mad Meditation" — Can negate the cost of one magic casting (3/day)
(Note: Each level up increases HP, MP, Magic Attack, and Magic Defense by 15 points.)
Description: Everyone praises your talent, yet behind your back, countless people describe you as a madman, a mediocre madman. No mage would ever do what you do!
...
Tang Zheng quickly scanned the information for his new class, a cold glint flashing in his eyes as a thought formed in his mind.
*1 Skill point consumed*
*Third Tier Arcane Magic "Lightning Ball" mastered*
*1 Skill point consumed*
*Fourth Tier Arcane Magic "Silver Knight's Lance" mastered*
Tang Zheng pressed his palm against the open ground before him, and a half-man-high wooden bucket appeared, filled to the brim with the blood of an ogre.
Bang!
Tang Zheng kicked the wooden bucket over.
The thick, crimson blood immediately spilled all over the ground, filling the air with a rich, bloody scent.
Lifting his foot, Tang Zheng walked into the pool of blood, heedless of the blood splashing onto him. He pulled out a nearby tree branch, bent down, and began to draw a magic circle in the pool of blood.
Meanwhile, on the other side.
Boom!
The impact of darkness energy collided with a lightning ball, creating a deafening roar.
The next moment, a Silver Knight's Lance flew out from the dense fog.
The four-tailed black panther, whose aura had weakened after exhaling the energy attack, had no time to dodge and could only watch as the attack was about to land on it.
"Attack Deflection!"
Quinn Esai raised his left hand. A magic ring could be seen on each finger. The ring on his thumb was the first to flash with light.
The Silver Knight's Lance, which had been aimed at the four-tailed black panther, suddenly tilted in mid-air and struck the ground to the side, blasting out a large crater.
"A magic item, is it."
"Then can you change the direction of this? Swarm Infestation!" the Gray-robed Mage sneered, his whole body surging with magic power.
Bzz—Bzz—
A dense cloud of mosquitoes and flies appeared out of thin air, swarming forward like a black mist.
"Lizards love to eat bugs," Quinn Esai said faintly.
The aqua blue lizard, which had been controlled by the fear effect, suddenly broke free of its restraints, opened its mouth, and lunged towards the insects.
However!
The moment the mosquitoes and flies came into contact with the aqua blue lizard, they all exploded, spraying a highly acidic liquid.
"Hiss—"
The aqua blue lizard let out a painful cry and was forced to retreat.
Seeing this, Quinn Esai's brow furrowed slightly. He suddenly realized that the figure of the Gray-robed Mage in the distance had disappeared.
"Hoo hoo!" The crimson owl on his shoulder turned its head, looking towards a spot in front of them.
"Shadow Hunt!" A smirk appeared on Quinn Esai's lips.
The crimson owl's wing trembled, and it vanished from Quinn Esai's shoulder as if teleporting, disappearing in an instant.
Bang!
A muffled thud echoed in the empty area. The crimson owl, which had just disappeared, reappeared out of thin air.
The Gray-robed Mage's figure also emerged from his invisibility, taking two steps back as the magic barrier around him flickered and collapsed.
"Damn it!"
Seeing the crimson owl preparing to pounce again, an ugly look appeared on the Gray-robed Mage's cold face. He raised his hand and fired a spell: "Shockwave!"
A visible shockwave spread out, knocking the crimson owl back.
"Magic Wolf Summon."
A faint voice followed immediately.
A massive magic circle, three meters in diameter, appeared at Quinn Esai's feet. One by one, demonic wolves charged out of the magic circle.
In the blink of an eye, more than twenty had gathered, forming a pack of demonic wolves that surrounded and moved to kill the Gray-robed Mage.
"Dispel!" A cold glint flashed in the Gray-robed Mage's light brown pupils as he shouted. He wasn't just boasting about being good at dealing with summoning-type magic.
The bodies of the twenty-odd demonic wolves stiffened, and they all dissipated into sparks of magic light.
After a brief exchange, the two sides once again pulled apart.
The crimson owl flew back, and the large aqua blue lizard and the four-tailed black panther also returned to Quinn Esai's side, circling him.
"A Magic Beast Summoner and a Beast Tamer. They really are a good match for your innate ability."
The Gray-robed Mage lifted his hooked nose, his light brown pupils staring intently at Quinn Esai, contemplating a countermeasure in the depths of his eyes.
As a magic caster, he was naturally unskilled in close combat. Dealing with his opponent's method of fighting by manipulating magical beasts was indeed quite troublesome.
"If this is all you have, then please go..."
Quinn Esai had already gotten a general grasp of the Gray-robed Mage's methods. The series of spells his opponent had just cast had a high magic power cost.
Whether in a direct confrontation or a battle of attrition, he held the absolute advantage.
He was only halfway through his sentence!
Quinn Esai's expression suddenly changed, and he whipped his head around to look behind him.
The Gray-robed Mage followed suit, his eyes narrowing.
A terrifying lightning-type magic energy was gathering in the Jungle behind them.
"Magic Power Surge · Fifth Tier Magic · Dragon Lightning!"
A cold voice came from the Jungle.
A dazzling blue-white light instantly bloomed in the dim Jungle environment. A dragon-shaped bolt of lightning, as thick as two arms, shot out from the Jungle, rocketing towards Quinn Esai.
Lightning attacks were already incredibly fast, let alone a fifth-tier magic spell.
Quinn Esai's expression changed. The four-tailed black panther beside him leaped up violently, putting itself in front of him.
RUMBLE!
The lightning attack struck the four-tailed black panther. It didn't even have time to scream before it was turned into a shattered piece of black charcoal that rained down from the sky.
The dazzling blue-white light dissipated!
A path through the Jungle, pierced and scorched by lightning, appeared before Quinn Esai and the Gray-robed Mage.
Opposite them, Tang Zheng's figure stood there quietly, watching them with an incomparably cold gaze.
*Discovered Fifth Tier Magic "Dragon Lightning." Requires Mana-based Caster Level (29-35). Current conditions met.*
*Consume 1 Skill point to learn?*
"Learn."
Tang Zheng recited inwardly, walking out of the Jungle step by step with a blank expression.
Through the "Magic Power Surge" magic ritual, he had elevated the third-tier spell "Lightning Ball" to the fifth tier, unleashing the higher-tier "Dragon Lightning."
Normally, this process would consume 150 points of magic power.
However, the class skill of the Mad Mage directly negated this magic power cost.
(end of chapter)