Chapter 279: The Nature of a Sixth Tier Mage

Shaoke's words made the Fifth Tier Mage embarrassed, but he did not dare to say anything, clutching his staff tightly and keeping pace with Shaoke.

On the streets, none of the professionals showed any hostility towards Shaoke's party. The sight of five mages walking together without any other professional guards struck the lower-tier professionals as odd, which is why no one tried to rob them.

Upon returning to Shaoke's residence, the mages clearly sensed that some individuals were probing the manor, which made them uncomfortable. Noticing their puzzled expressions, Shaoke calmly said, "I killed some people and stirred up some trouble." With that, he ignored them and began casting a spell.

His mental power quickly locked onto an Infiltrator not far from the manor. Although the target sensed the detection, Shaoke had already prepared the spell. A jet of black flame shot out from his staff, swiftly enveloping the Infiltrator in the shadows. In the span of two breaths, the Infiltrator vanished completely from this world.

"That's the spell lingering technique!" the older Middle-aged Mage exclaimed in surprise, identifying the technique Shaoke had just used. Shaoke's method of casting left the other two mages astonished; they had never seen such a swift and eerie spell with so little magical fluctuation before.

"I've said it before, I have various Spellcasting Techniques here, as long as you have enough magic materials to trade me for them," Shaoke said, going back inside and pouring a cup of honey water, and handed it to the White-robed Cleric. He then gestured for the mages to sample the fine wine he had prepared.

"Can we learn that kind of spell too?" the Fourth Tier Mage asked nervously. "How many magic materials would it require?" He gazed at Shaoke with envy, as the spell Shaoke had just cast—when he probed it with his mental power—he saw how powerful it was. An Infiltrator he hadn't detected vanished in mere moments, a feat beyond his own ability, and he knew it was also beyond what those Fifth Tier Mages could achieve.

"Those are just some unique military spells; haven't you studied them?" Shaoke thought for a moment and then asked the Fourth Tier Mage in return. "I recall that if you took part in that battle, you should have copied down some special spells." He raised his glass to invite the mages to drink. Meanwhile, the White-robed Cleric took a drink to hide her smile, finding Shaoke's unusual manner of speaking quite odd.

"Back then, the High-rank Mages took away our spellbooks, so we never had the chance to practice those spells," one Fifth Tier Mage said, his face turning red. "That's why we've never seen such spells." He lowered his head and fell silent. The other mages, including the White-robed Cleric, followed suit, indicating that the chaos after leaving the military had left a lasting impression on them.

"A mage should never lower his head," Shaoke said softly, quoting a phrase from the junior instructors at the academy many years ago. He had always told himself this, and had acted accordingly. "Those who bring you harm shall be slain by you; those who bring you humiliation shall be trampled under your feet. You can lose everything, but never lose your self-respect and the pride that keeps your head held high." He slowly uttered a bard's verse, hoping to remind these mages of the fundamental principles a mage should uphold—principles once upheld by the Ancient spellcasters.

Shaoke's words left several mages deeply embarrassed, especially the Fifth Tier Mage who had just lowered his head. His hand trembling, he clutched his golden goblet, spilling some wine. After a long pause, he offered no response, merely staring intently at Shaoke.

After a moment of silence, Shaoke called the servants back and instructed them to lead the guests to their rooms to rest. After all, no one had slept all night. He warned the servants not to speak too much with the mages, as he would not intervene if any mishaps occurred.

The mages were quickly escorted to hastily prepared rooms by the servants. Then, per Shaoke's instructions, the servants came to him briefly before returning to their rooms. The arrival of so many guests that night had deeply frightened these young servants; the presence of so many mages kept them in constant fear. Fortunately, their master did not demand any special services, or else they wouldn't have known if they could refuse a mage's orders.

"If they are members of the Wandering Mage Alliance or some other organization, that could be dangerous," the White-robed Cleric said, moving behind Shaoke. Following an old habit, she began massaging his temples, knowing that Shaoke might be getting a headache. She had plenty of experience with this.

"I don't care about that," Shaoke said, leaning back in his chair, silently enjoying the Cleric's delicate fingers. "Some mages will die; some will stay." He added, giving a wry smile, "Some bloodshed is the best way to resolve internal instability." Sighing deeply, he closed his eyes and fell silent.

Though the White-robed Cleric didn't fully understand his words, she dropped the matter. She felt as if she were back in the army, merely a support personnel—a cleric tasked with casting support spells for Shaoke. Matters of combat were not for her to get involved in, nor did she wish to.

Over the next two days, the four mages remained at Shaoke's manor, often gathering to discuss topics like spell techniques and how to acquire more magic materials in the future. Shaoke did not join these discussions; he was fully focused on observing the changes within his meditation space.

In just two days, the silver light within the meditation space, after a series of violent bursts, returned to its original frequency. Following this change, Shaoke found that the magic script on the altar had become significantly clearer. He estimated that the script was now more than twice as bright as before. Moreover, the magical phrases emerging from the altar within a fixed period had increased slightly. Of course, this came at the cost of greater mental exertion from the mage.

One day, as Shaoke sat resting in a pavilion with his eyes closed, the four mages approached him together. "Honorable Mage, we should be leaving now," said the eldest-looking Fifth Tier Mage, bowing respectfully as he stated their intent.

"Leaving is fine, but you won't be able to leave today," Shaoke said, suddenly opening his eyes. He then ordered the nearby servants to return to their rooms, sternly warning them not to come out.

The four mages and the White-robed Cleric, who had been staying with Shaoke, all sensed a change in the surroundings. Suddenly, a large wave of mental power and magical energy swept over the manor, probing it. Numerous mental locks settled on them, making the mages tense up. However, being battle-hardened, they quickly gripped their staves, ready for combat.

"Is that Mage Xueye inside?" An elderly voice echoed through the courtyard via a telepathic spell. "I think we should discuss the price you need to pay for staying here so long." The voice fell silent, but the mental and aura locks from the mages remained in place.

"Perhaps we should prepare for battle," Shaoke said unhurriedly to the White-robed Cleric. "Cast defensive spells on yourself." With those words, he activated two Sixth-tier defensive spells embedded in his robe and cloak. The White-robed Cleric quickly tore open a Sixth-tier protective scroll and cast it on herself. Then she rapidly cast a series of support spells on Shaoke and, after a brief hesitation, on the other mages who were still in a daze.

Despite being shocked by Shaoke's extravagance, the other four mages swiftly prepared for battle. However, their defensive spells were self-cast or came from robes with only Third-tier or Fourth-tier protections.

While the mages prepared, Shaoke began casting a spell. His fierce and powerful mental power shot out in the direction from which the elderly voice had come, quickly detecting nearly a hundred low-rank warriors gathered outside. Further down the street, about twenty to thirty low-rank mages were slowly approaching. Finally, he located the mage who had sent the message in a distant manor.

A Seventh Tier male mage sat on a chair, flanked by two Sixth Tier Mages. Shaoke's mental power locked onto him just as the Seventh-tier mage noticed the mental probe and the fluctuations of an incoming spell.

A Seventh-tier spell quickly enveloped him, and he sprang to his feet. The two Sixth-tier mages also rose, though they didn't dare to sit in the presence of a Seventh Tier Mage.

Just as the Seventh-tier mage activated his defensive spell, Shaoke's attack arrived. With the Cleric's support spells, Shaoke expended half his mental power to employ spell stacking techniques. Six golden spears swiftly formed in the air and then shot toward the Seventh-tier mage and his two companions with a roar.