Chapter 132: A Single Arrow (3/3)

Zhao Xu walked along the smooth corridor, realizing only then that it provided direct access to every floor. Glancing at the sign pointing toward the tenth-floor legendary-tier alchemy lift, he smiled—one day he would arrive there, but not today.

He turned and pushed open the door leading to the first floor, marking its first opening in many years since its installation and maintenance. Upon entering the test facility, he discovered that the floor was divided into various zones, each organized according to the mainstream spells practiced by mages.

There were remote target chambers for practicing "Acid Splash" and "Ray of Frost," with key points of spellcasting technique engraved at the entrances. There were infinite chambers filled with hidden doors to hone the "Detect Secret Doors" spell, and drop chambers equipped with high platforms and safety cushions below to practice "Feather Fall." It was far more orderly than the chaotic scene of novice mages aimlessly flinging spells and identifying them in the underground plaza that night. Zhao Xu walked through, nodding to himself and silently sighing at the vast resources the Floating City invested in such training.

However, his goal for this trip was the combat target room. A Cloistered Cleric possesses all divine spells from the four major classes: Cleric, Druid, Ranger, and Paladin. Cleric spells are fundamentally designed to buff and empower allies. In fact, when a Cleric decides to engage in melee combat, they can outfight even a Fighter once they have applied their buffs. The reputation of the "Battle Cleric" has long intimidated the warriors of Ae-ther. If Battle Clerics are rarely seen, it is not because they are ineffective, but because the Cleric's role as a healer is far more vital. Rangers and Paladins, meanwhile, possess numerous divine spells that enhance their own abilities, boosting their prowess in both melee and ranged combat. This was exactly why Antinua had told him that the only class capable of greater melee output than a Cleric was the Cloistered Cleric. There was a reason why the Cloistered Cleric could thrive in that terrifying and strange world.

Zhao Xu’s training today was not just to practice his divine spells, but to test his own melee and ranged output capacity after buffing himself. Against creatures with high spell resistance, even mages with specific counter-spells often find themselves in a difficult spot. Thus, Zhao Xu needed to practice his physical output; even if he didn't need to use it, he had to be prepared.

When Zhao Xu entered a combat chamber, several novice mages were already there, peering down into the four-to-five-meter-deep pit, where several Skeleton Warriors wandered blindly. After reading the instructions on the wall, he understood. The skeleton Antinua had summoned that night followed standard spell rules, but here, these skeletons had been specially modified, drawing power from the potent negative energy field beneath the floor. Their hit points were significantly higher than those of ordinary skeletons. The red-glowing skeletons in the arena were the lowest tier, possessing 10 HP, while the blue-glowing ones were higher-tier, with at least 20 HP. As a quantifiable statistic, hit points profoundly influenced the world of Ae-ther, and it was only after the character card system emerged that people could truly grasp the concept.

On the tables along the arena railings, light crossbows and boxes of bolts were provided for the novices to practice their marksmanship. Zhao Xu nodded, picked up a light crossbow, and aimed at one of the red-glowing Skeleton Warriors.

*Click.* Triggered by the mechanism, the spring snapped against the locked bolt, sending it spinning in a spiral arc straight toward the nearest skeleton.

*Thump.* A dull sound echoed as the skeleton, alerted to the sneak attack, blocked the bolt with its large iron shield.

"Some of these skeletons have 'Protection from Arrows' cast on them," a female mage explained as she approached Zhao Xu. "Even without the shield, if your sneak attack landed, the deflection defense on them would likely just bounce your attack away."

The Floating City had a high demand for personnel, and the guides for these combat test rooms were usually filled by those with some magical experience. When the player Kiki saw the recruitment notice, she had promptly applied for the position. She estimated that in a few more days, she would have saved enough contribution points to transcribe another first-level spell.

Zhao Xu had cast "Protection from Evil" on himself earlier, so he understood the effect of a deflection bonus—it was as if a force of deflection surrounded the body, pushing attacks aside. If a mage stacked their deflection bonus high enough, one would find that no matter how they aimed, arrows would be pulled away by a massive gravitational force as they neared the target.

"Junior, unless you’ve learned the first-level spell 'True Strike,' you’re unlikely to pierce these skeletons' defenses," Kiki explained to Zhao Xu, a look of regret crossing her face. The style of Earth players was very distinct; she had recognized him at a glance, but as a guide, she couldn't say much and had to follow the Floating City's protocols. Just a moment ago, another player had come to this less crowded room after finding the others too busy, only to leave in disappointment after failing to pierce the reinforced skeletons.

"Oh, no worries, I’m just testing," Zhao Xu replied, still holding his light crossbow. In reality, he didn't need to prepare that spell; his "Extraordinary Insight" feat allowed him to use the three empty spell slots from his Mage class to cast it.

Seeing that Zhao Xu had nothing more to say, Kiki turned to guide the other novices, taking the opportunity to explain the strengths and weaknesses of the Skeleton Warriors. Standing in the shadows, Zhao Xu reviewed his spell list and released the Ioun Stone from his pocket, allowing his first-level Cloistered Cleric spells to function at the level of a second-level caster.

He began to chant the incantation for "Divine Sacrifice," a unique first-level Paladin spell. Paladins don't gain first-level spells until fourth level, and if they lack sufficient Wisdom for bonus slots, they might have to wait until sixth level to receive their first slot. Thus, these spells were quite powerful, far exceeding the standard first-level spells of mages or clerics. "Divine Sacrifice" was a spell that traded blood for output. By sacrificing 10 HP of his own, Zhao Xu could gain a powerful bonus for the next two rounds, adding 5d6 (5-30) points of damage to one attack per round. Compared to this, the 1d8 (1-8) damage of the crossbow bolt was merely a garnish.

Immediately after, Zhao Xu cast "True Strike" on himself, granting him immense insight to peer into the enemy's weaknesses and pierce their defenses. With both spells active, he raised the light crossbow again.

Kiki, having finished explaining to the others, was walking over to teach Zhao Xu the tricks of using a light crossbow. Having practiced archery on Earth, she was one of the few players who didn't need much training, which was why she was assigned to this small room. However, when she noticed Zhao Xu aiming his bolt directly at a blue-glowing, 20 HP skeleton, she couldn't help but laugh. The junior was too cute—was he afraid of killing it in one hit?

The reason the skeletons were placed over a negative energy field was that while it would harm ordinary people, it acted as healing for the skeletons. Normal crossbow damage wasn't enough to kill them; if they weren't finished off in one round, they would recover their health entirely by the next. Several frustrated novices had already failed after attacking with "Magic Missile" because their damage wasn't high enough. Unless one could kill them in a single round, the enemy would be fully restored the next.

Kiki hurried forward, intending to tell Zhao Xu not to bother picking the sturdier blue-glowing skeletons. But just then, Zhao Xu fired.

Kiki’s attention followed the bolt. She watched as it grazed the edge of the iron shield and, at an impossible angle, pierced the top of the skeleton’s skull. The entire skeleton shuddered in place. Kiki was about to turn to look at the junior’s bewildered expression, but instead, she was the one who became bewildered. After being struck, the blue-glowing skeleton immediately crumbled into dust.

It took a long while for Kiki to recover. Her mind was filled with the question: *How is that possible?* That was 20 full HP—a second-level fighter might not even have that much. This amount of health had been one-shotted by a simple crossbow bolt from a first-level mage. Who would believe that?

A first-level mage with that kind of ability was a player-killer in the making, capable of downing anyone they saw. Kiki blinked rapidly, thinking she was lightheaded from exhaustion, but the numbers didn't lie. She hadn't seen it wrong; the skeleton was truly gone. She spun around to ask the junior how he did it, but the dim corner was already empty, leaving only the light crossbow, still warm, resting on the table. Kiki looked at her work manual in frustration. What reason could she possibly write down to describe why this skeleton had been destroyed?

***

Floating City, The Highest Hall.

As the core of the Floating City, this place monitored the entire structure's activity. Every monitor watching the projection panel in front of them had an "Alchemy Voice Tube," the only ones capable of connecting to all areas of the city.

"What’s going on? Why is there a massive energy fluctuation inside the city? There were no large-scale experiment reports filed for today," one monitor complained.

"Locate it immediately," said the supervisor sitting at the back.

"Confirmed, it's the Combat Testing Hall."

"Call them and ask." The supervisor directed while sipping black tea. Unlike communication spells like "Message," these alchemy voice tubes, while expensive to build and maintain, were highly efficient, allowing even ordinary people who couldn't use magic to maintain communication.

A monitor picked up the tube and dialed the Combat Testing Hall.

"What? You activated the 13th level temporarily? Who gave you permission? Did you submit an application?" the monitor demanded. But a moment later, his expression changed, and he said politely, "Fine, understood. I will pass that on. If you need any coordination, connect directly here. I will contact the Energy Regulation Room to increase the power output to the Combat Testing Hall."

The supervisor had already grasped the situation from the fragments of the conversation. He put down his teacup and asked, "Which Great One went there?" Only the Seven Giants would be addressed as "Great One" by him.

"Miss Antinua," the monitor replied, head bowed.

Upon hearing that name, the supervisor’s expression tightened. Antinua never needed to visit the Combat Testing Hall, as her own facilities were far more advanced. *Could she be related to that old man, Listan?* He reviewed Listan’s life history, but found no connection to the Iter family. If there really were one, Listan wouldn't have been on the current list for replacement. Thinking of this, he decided he should inform his in-laws not to move against Listan for the time being.

***

Combat Testing Hall.

Listan hung up the voice tube and continued to command the ninth-level mage to adjust the operating instruments to maximum output. His recent outburst was the most reckless act he had ever committed against the Highest Hall, the core department of the Floating City, leaving all his subordinates who knew the source of the questioning trembling in fear.

The only thing bothering Listan was: *Why hasn't Miss Antinua arrived yet?*