Chapter 3: The Killer in the Dark Night (Part 1)
In the name of Ulysses, respond!
Suddenly, a tall figure burst out from the nearby alley—no, to say it "burst" might not be entirely accurate; more precisely, it was "thrown" out, landing heavily on the ground with a muffled "thud." At the same time, another equally tall figure slowly emerged from the alley.
In the name of Ulysses, respond!
Ulysses did not hesitate to cast three level three spells in quick succession, using two healing spells to mend Leon's wounds, while applying the Light Shield to himself for an additional layer of magical defense. Looking at the radiant Light Shield surrounding him, Ulysses felt considerably reassured; this shield was sufficient to withstand a full-force strike from a level six expert. The title of the foremost in light magic defense was not earned without reason.
In the name of Ulysses, the Shield of Light
What exactly are you! ! !
A soft white light was born from Ulysses' hands and then spread throughout his body. Under the shimmering light of the healing spell, Ulysses gradually regained his lost strength. Looking at the white light enveloping him, Ulysses felt a wave of comfort; although he was not a priest, he had long mastered several low-level light magic spells commonly used by junior priests, thanks to his childhood dream of becoming a priest. While other children were playing in the mud and playing hide-and-seek, Ulysses began to diligently practice light magic. Fortunately, although his talent was low, he did possess some aptitude for light magic. After putting in ten times the effort of an average person, he became a Level 4 Light Mage at the age of fifteen. However, there was no church in the village where Ulysses was born, so he could not receive a proper priestly education; he self-taught light magic from the only remaining low-level light magic book in the village. Therefore, he was unaware that becoming a priest was not solely based on magical ability; a firm faith in the Supreme God and loyalty to the Church were equally important. Consequently, the priestly examination was divided into two parts: the magic examination and the priestly doctrine examination. But Ulysses, who had never left the village before the age of fifteen, was completely unaware of this; he naively believed that mastering light magic was sufficient to become a respected priest. It was not until he arrived at the church in Taj City with three gold coins he had saved for ten years to take the priestly examination that he learned of the existence of the priestly doctrine examination.
Under the illumination of the moonlight, the figures of Leon and his opponent gradually became clearer. Upon seeing Leon's condition, Ulysses gasped in shock. Leon, lying on the ground, was covered in blood; his expensive high-grade beast armor was torn to shreds, and the dwarven-made longsword he almost never let go of was reduced to half its length. His body and face were riddled with horrifying wounds, many of which were deep enough to expose bone, and there was a gaping hole in his abdomen that pierced through to his back. Such injuries were beyond the healing capabilities of Ulysses's recovery spells; the two recovery spells he had just cast could only alleviate his pain slightly. From the fragments of the armor, Ulysses recognized it as a set made from the hide of an Earth Demon Bear, known for being the most defensively robust among level seven beasts. Armor made from its hide allows the wearer to ignore any martial skills or magic below level seven. What kind of attack could have rendered this armor in such a state?
For Ulysses, who is already a Level 4 Light Mage, the demonstration of light magic in the magic examination was as simple as having a meal, considering that even a typical low-level cleric can only use Level 3 magic at best. However, the examination on the ecclesiastical regulations, tenets, and history from the clerical canon left Ulysses, who had never encountered these subjects before, at a loss, forcing him to leave in disappointment. In the following three years, Ulysses devoted himself to studying the clerical canon, but compared to those apprentice clerics who had undergone over a decade of clerical education, he still had a significant distance to cover, making passing the examination seem even more unattainable. Nevertheless, Ulysses is a person who never easily gives up; he firmly believes that as long as he continues to work hard, becoming a respected cleric is only a matter of time.
Ulysses took a deep breath, feeling for the first time how close death was to him. The sense of security brought by the Shield of Light vanished in an instant, leaving only a bone-chilling cold in his heart. With Leon's power having been so thoroughly defeated, who exactly was this opponent? He began to scrutinize Leon's adversary—the tall figure that had appeared later. To his surprise, he couldn't help but exclaim upon seeing it.
After resting on the ground for a full two hours, Ulysses' magical power finally recovered somewhat, and he quickly cast a level 3 healing spell on himself
Taji City is a commercial metropolis built by the sea, renowned for its exceptional level of commerce on the continent. Consequently, the closing time of its city gates is significantly later than that of ordinary cities. Typically, other cities close their gates around 9 to 10 PM, while Taji City closes its gates at midnight. As Ulysses rushed through the city gates under the influence of an acceleration spell, the church's great bell rang precisely at midnight. Watching the gates behind him slowly close with the sound of the bell and the books, Ulysses felt his legs weaken and sat down on the ground. The recent bout of frantic running had drained him of too much stamina, and to maintain his high speed, he had continuously cast acceleration spells on himself, depleting all the magical energy within him. Ulysses was now in an extremely weakened state, and it was likely that even a level 2 goblin could easily defeat him.
In the name of Ulysses, respond!
After recovering his strength, Ulysses stood up from the ground. The streets of Taj City, usually bustling at around 2 AM, were strangely devoid of any people today. The sight of the normally crowded streets now empty sent a chill down Ulysses's spine, as if some unknown beast were lurking nearby. But this is Taj City; monsters shouldn't appear here, right? He shook his head vigorously, trying to dismiss the feeling, and strode purposefully towards his home.