Chapter 7: The Staff
For a spellcaster, the importance of a staff is self-evident. A suitable staff can enhance an excellent spellcaster even more dramatically than a Sword Saint finding his dream sword.
Similarly, a spellcaster without a staff is like a sharpshooter without a gun; basically, half of their abilities are immediately crippled, unless the spellcaster has mastered advanced techniques like staff-less casting.
As the ultimate race standing at the pinnacle of the spellcaster system, Demonesses are far less dependent on staffs than other races of mages who can't even cast Fireball Spell without one, as they are naturally capable of staff-less casting.
Some exceptionally talented Little Witches can even imbue their first cries with magical power, a form of innate magic that requires no staff for assistance.
And those Witch cubs who are not yet sensible and cannot control their innate magic are even more terrifying. Other races' naughty children are at most a bit mischievous, perhaps only harming furniture, posing little danger, but Witch naughty children might just randomly blast their parents with Fireball Spell and ice spells.
It is said that some of today's Apex Witches were even more extraordinary in their youth; with terrifying talent, they could cast high-level magic by instinct alone, and accidentally sending an unprepared parent to the hospital was normal.
Well, although Demonesses look like humans, their essence can actually be considered magical beasts that can naturally use magic, and there's nothing wrong with that.
However, this does not mean that Demonesses do not need staffs. It's like humans can walk, but driving a car is faster. A high-quality staff still provides a considerable boost to Demonesses' magic.
And staffs, after so many years of development and evolution, and countless spellcasters' adjustments and upgrades, the entire system and process are now very mature.
The staffs in Witch World are currently mainly categorized by length: short staffs, long staffs, and standard staffs.
Short staffs are generally under 40cm in length, and at most, they do not exceed the length of a person's forearm. The advantage of such staffs is quick and convenient casting, high precision in magic manipulation, and the small staff body is easy to conceal, making them suitable for assassins or fast-attack spellcasters.
As for their drawbacks, they lack sufficient materials, have low magic conversion efficiency, are prone to more meaningless magic loss, and provide less amplification to magic effects.
Long staffs are generally over one and a half meters long, many even taller than the spellcaster themselves. The advantages of such staffs are high magic conversion efficiency and strong amplification of magic effects, making them suitable for cannon-type output spellcasters.
However, long staffs also have disadvantages such as being too long and inconvenient to conceal, easily exposing the spellcaster's presence, and due to carrying too much magic, they are not very easy to control, thus requiring a certain level of precision in the user's magic manipulation.
As for standard staffs, as their name suggests, they are the most standard type of staff, with lengths between short staffs and long staffs, usually around one meter. They also combine the advantages of both short staffs and long staffs, being a versatile type that performs well in all aspects, yet not outstanding in any, but fortunately, without any major shortcomings.
After Dorothy followed Alice into the store, the first thing that caught her eye were various glass display cases. The entire store was divided into three areas: the left wall was filled with various short staffs, the right display wall featured various long staffs, and the central glass display cases exhibited various standard staffs.
"Welcome, two lovely Demoness adults."
A somewhat aged voice welcomed the two. It was an old gentleman wearing gold-rimmed glasses. His hair and beard were white, but he was full of vigor and very spirited, and his attire was very refined, giving off the air of an elderly gentleman.
Dorothy looked at the old man's appearance and recognized him as an ordinary human mage, which made her think highly of his craftsmanship.
After all, although humans are close relatives of Demonesses, they are not a high-ranking race in this fantasy world, and their magical talent is far inferior to extraordinary races such as elves and dwarves. The only things they have going for them are their large population and the protection of the Demonesses.
And the entry standards for the Witch Specialty Store are very high; even extraordinary races like elves and dwarves find it difficult to meet the criteria, let alone the more ordinary humans.
However, conversely, any human shopkeeper who can officially set up shop in a Witch Specialty Store must certainly have some skills.
"Grandpa Audell, I'm here to patronize your business again."
Alice greeted the old man very familiarly when she saw him.
"Hahaha, welcome, welcome, Little Alice."
The old man also showed a kind smile, happily welcoming his regular customer.
"Are you here to maintain your staff again today?"
He asked.
"Yes, I'll have to trouble you again. Also, this is my older sister Dorothy. I brought her here today because she wants to buy a new staff. Could you help us see if there's one suitable for her, preferably the latest smart staff?"
Alice pulled out two pistols from her magical coat pocket and handed them to the old man, while introducing her sister beside her.
Dorothy's gaze, however, lingered more on the two pistols Alice pulled out, her expression slightly odd.
These were a pair of cool-looking twin pistols, one black and one white, with red vein-like patterns covering their bodies. Below the barrels, two sharp blades even extended, indicating that these two guns could also be used for close combat.
These twin pistols were Alice's staffs, belonging to the short staff category.
"Tsk, staffs that look like this, times have really changed."
Dorothy complained inwardly. As someone Transmigration, she not only felt no information advantage but often felt she couldn't keep up with the development of this magical world, feeling like an old relic out of touch with the times, which truly made her feel complicated.
However, staffs in Witch World are just like this; besides length, which has some standards, there are no other restrictions. Their appearances can be anything—swords, spears, blades, halberds, guns, cannons, staves, clubs—completely unlike the single wooden stick with an inlaid gem in her preconceived notions.
But thinking about it carefully, this is normal. After all, while Demonessesare all top-tier spellcasters, they are not as physically fragile as true spellcasters. Their excellent physical prowess allows Demonesses, when enemies get close, to fearlessly engage in close combat and beat professional warriors until they doubt their lives.
Therefore, as a Demoness's staff, a wooden stick structure that is not conducive to close combat is naturally insufficient. A Demoness's staff must also be capable of long-range bombardment and close-quarters blade fighting.
Just as Dorothy was still trying to convince herself to get used to it, the shop owner, the old gentleman, shifted his gaze to her.
"Miss Demoness, may I see your previous staff?"
The old gentleman said gently.
Dorothy quickly pulled out the staff she had been using from her pocket and handed it to the old man.
This was also a short staff, one that looked similar to the staffs she had seen in a movie about a certain magic academy in her previous life.
This was her old companion for over a decade. When she first started learning magic, she chose this entry-level beginner's staff because of her movie nostalgia.
However, in recent years, her old companion had indeed struggled to keep up with her growth. Now, every time she casts a spell, she has to carefully control her magic to prevent her old companion from dying on the spot. It was indeed time for her old companion to retire and rest.
She looked at the short staff with some reluctance, then looked at the old man with some anticipation, wondering what kind of new staff the old man would recommend to her.
EDG is awesome