Chapter 156 2nd Rank Space Spells
Once within the Magus World, Dante descended into his virtual body anyway. He could have come here without using it, which was something he did plan to do, but he wanted to head to the library and learn suitable 2nd Rank Space spells.
Wait, his AI created hundreds of spells and techniques, right? Why doesn't he use any of them? Why bother with what the Celestial Arcanists have?
This had nothing to do with logic, just preference. It was half 'don't get high on your own supply' and half 'I want to learn spells the normal way, damn it'.
Acquiring power was fun, not just because of having the power, but also the process of accumulating the power. Dante was just adding a hint of spice to his magus power growth.
When he appeared in the library, the apprentices who were there greeted him respectfully upon seeing his 2nd Rank robes. Many had heard the name of the supremely talented yet reclusive wizard of their faction who was apprenticed under the faction leader himself.
Dante also maintained his aura of distance as he right away came to the section for second rank space spells. He first learned the advanced versions of the 7 first rank space spells he had.
1. Blink Step -> Spatial Blink
- Description: Spatial Blink is an advanced space manipulation spell that allows the caster to instantly teleport short distances, making them appear as if they've disappeared and reappeared in the blink of an eye.
- Casting Time: 1 second -> 0.5 seconds
- Power Rating: Low -> Moderate
- Mental Power Consumption: 10% -> 5%
2. Starry Shield -> Dimensional Shield
- Description: Dimensional Shield creates a thin, protective barrier around the caster that deflects incoming attacks and projectiles by temporarily shifting them into an alternate dimension.
- Casting Time: 2 seconds -> 1 second
- Power Rating: Moderate
- Mental Power Consumption: 15% -> 10%
3. Gravitational Grip -> Gravitational Anomaly
- Description: Gravitational Anomaly allows the caster to manipulate gravity within a limited area, either increasing or decreasing it, affecting objects and individuals within that space.
- Casting Time: 2 seconds
- Power Rating: Moderate
- Mental Power Consumption: 20% -> 15%
4. Astral Flare -> Celestial Rift
- Description: Celestial Rift is a potent offensive spell that allows the caster to tear open a rift in space, creating a temporary portal to another dimension filled with chaotic energies. These energies are then channeled into destructive beams or projectiles, which can be unleashed upon the caster's foes.
- Casting Time: 3 seconds -> 6 seconds
- Power Rating: Moderate -> Very High
- Mental Power Consumption: 25%
5. Quantum Distortion -> Spatial Distortion
- Description: Spatial Distortion warps the space around the caster, causing incoming ranged attacks and projectiles to veer off-course, missing their target.
- Casting Time: 4 seconds -> 3 seconds
- Power Rating: Low -> Moderate
- Mental Power Consumption: 30% -> 12%
6. Celestial Tether -> Temporal Lapse
- Description: Temporal Lapse temporarily accelerates the flow of time within a defined area, causing everything inside to move at an increased pace while the rest of the world remains unaffected.
- Casting Time: 1 second -> 4 seconds
- Power Rating: Low -> High
- Mental Power Consumption: 15% -> 18%
7. Warp Perception -> Phase Shift
- Description: Phase Shift allows the caster to partially phase out of the material plane, rendering them partially intangible and able to pass through solid objects for a brief period.
- Casting Time: 2 seconds -> 3 seconds
- Power Rating: Low -> Moderate
- Mental Power Consumption: 20% -> 14%
Dante was impressed with the upgraded versions as they not only expanded on what was previously there but also added new utilities that could definitely make a significant difference in the long run.
The best part was that it also came with very little repercussions. Dante did not miraculously forget the 1st Rank versions in a 'one...two...three... poof!' manner but could use them just as easily and freely as he could these new upgraded versions.
Since these spells were an upgrade on his previous foundation, coupled with his great increase in intelligence as well as familiarity with the space element, it took him only two days to learn them all.
Dante thought about it and decided that since he was here already, he might as well learn a few more useful 2nd Rank spells, but very few could catch his eye because they needed to do things he already could not do or would likely not be able to do.
From the voluminous bookshelves, the picky young man found his choice and smiled with satisfaction. He selected 3 of them that fit his criteria perfectly.
1. Wormhole Conduit
- Type: Utility
- Description: Wormhole Conduit creates a stable wormhole between two points, enabling instantaneous travel between them. The caster must visualize the destination clearly.
- Casting Time: 5 seconds
- Power Rating: High
- Mental Power Consumption: 20%
2. Spatial Reposition
- Type: Support
- Description: Spatial Reposition is a versatile support spell that enables the caster to reposition objects or allies instantaneously within a certain range. This can be used defensively to evade attacks or strategically to optimize battlefield positioning.
- Casting Time: 0.5 seconds
- Power Rating: Moderate
- Mental Power Consumption: 8%
3. Temporal Echoes
- Type: Utility
- Description: Temporal Echoes allows the caster to create brief, localized time loops in the immediate vicinity. This can serve various purposes, such as replaying recent events, examining objects, or even experiencing moments of the past to gather information.
- Casting Time: 4 seconds
- Power Rating: Moderate
- Mental Power Consumption: 15%
Wormhole Conduit would solve his group traveling issues. He might want to move with more than one person or thing at a time, especially if Dante really does take up on the idea of going to the beast taming world to contract a beast.
It definitely could not enter the Quantum Depository to move with him; otherwise, he would have long carried the OP Beatrice into these quantum worlds and torn their asses up. It would be troublesome if he was teleporting all over the place with Quantum Entanglement and his ally/beast could not follow him.
Spatial Reposition was not something he necessarily craved but took because it was useful. The one who designed this spell was thinking of acting like a chessmaster, deploying his knights or warriors to fight from him while controlling their position in real time on the battlefield.
That was a great idea, but Dante was a solo fighter most of the time. If he dispatched his robot army to fight, he had technology that could replicate and handle this effect already, so the spell wouldn't add or subtract much.
What Dante wanted it was for its ability to grab objects from a distance and move them.
Oh, it was a secret realm where there were dangers associated with rewards? You had to
defeat xxx beast or xxx person to claim that flower/fruit/liquid?
YOINK!
What was that? Theft? Unfair? Lacking martial virtue?
Gonna cry?
As you could imagine, Dante wanted this skill especially for the Zero Gate. If he found a tree and it was covered with danger, he could steal the fruit from afar and leave the defenders or whatever entity that it was that caused students to die during the exploration to fume.
Even better if he and multiple students found the same fruit. While everyone was either cooperating or fighting to the death, he would collect it into his quantum depository form afar and leave the area with Quantum Entanglement.
As for the final Temporal Echoes, it was a necessary skill for investigation and suspense shit. This was one of the most feared abilities in the Immortal World, and many cultivators worked to eliminate it, but that did not mean the same held true for reality.
In fact, Dante didn't know that Lara Sanguis, the headmistress, had once tried to reverse time in an area to see what happened to him when he was first attacked but failed because of the protection of his Quantum Entanglement, which still had the configuration of the higher-dimensional being.
If he knew, he would probably have long learned this spell because while it allowed him to see events, it also allowed him to 'corrupt the tape' so to speak of events in his area. Basically, it allowed one to peek and prevent peeking too.
After getting his spells, Dante was satisfied. He did not go to Master Elandor and returned to his mediation chamber before sitting cross-legged and beginning his practice once more. He checked to see that his quantum marker 1 kilometer away was still there and nodded.
Dante exited the Magus World and left his virtual avatar behind. Once in the Inferno Battleship, he took a deep breath before using his Quantum Entanglement to send his quantum marker in the Magus World and directly teleporting there with his real body.
For the first time, Dante felt something different. It was not like how it felt going through two universes or within a quantum world, but from a real universe straight into a quantum world.
It was not uncomfortable, just new.
He appeared in an alley 1 kilometer from his mediation room in the Celestial Arcanist's territory. The moment he appeared, his AI chip worked on concealing his life signs while he quickly used the temporal echoes to thoroughly mess up spacetime here before teleporting away from the spot.
The moment Dante left, a 6th Rank mage from the faction appeared here with a cold frown. He scanned the area and poked the space before him, trying to replay the details and see who dared to spy on them from so close.
When he saw that he could get nothing, he snorted coldly and left.