Sleeping Player (Project Chrysalis Book 3) by John Gold (novel24 TXT) 📕

A couple of girls blush heavily when they hear what happens as a result of that particular modification.

“On the other hand, once you acquire the rank of apprentice, you get an ability that lets you exchange the lava body of a human for that of a lava golem. Their entire body is then covered with red-hot rock in the form of light plate armor. Once you use the battle transformation, you need some time for the rock plates to grow. Modifications like that are all designed to protect you from your own magic. Many of you have seen mages use a fire or lightning aura, automatically turning on their modification in order to avoid killing themselves with their very own aura.”

I’m sitting at a desk at the back thinking about the advantages of a hybrid body. There’s no point picking a hybrid for fire, air (lightning), water, or land—I’m much better off just boosting my resistance to that kind of damage. There are some benefits for life and mind mages, however. After my first battle with Talamei, I realized that complete resistance doesn’t give you immortality. The only absolute defense out there is the bubble that paladins have. They use divine strength to create a space completely cut off from the outside world, but the most important thing there is that only paladin players can create them. Gods don’t get bubbles—their body is always tied to the source of their strength in the astral. Using a bubble would mean cutting off their own head.

My parents are in the Gray Lands, the land of death, where life can’t exist. The mental damage there is so high that living beings are killed the very first second without the right to respawn. I’m going to have to max out my resistance to mental damage.

Anri continues speaking, moving on to the Life and Mind primary elements.

“There are also modifications that use the primary element Life. You can boost your survivability, health, and stamina to do enormous damage in close combat, though that isn’t a modification that’s often chosen—it’s more for strong lone wolves.” Anri gestures actively. “It’s something like monks, only you use spells instead of combat equipment. Instantaneous healing and mana take the place of body amplification.”

After pausing, he continues. “Finally, there’s the last option for modification: the primary element Mind. It strengthens the mental body, boosting your resistance to mental damage and accelerating your mana restoration speed. This modification has undeservedly fallen out of favor, as only Dark and Mind Magic do damage—and they’re rarely used by battle mages. Wanderers use them even less, as they don’t increase the damage you do.”

A body is carried into the auditorium on a stretcher. Judging by the clothing, it’s a low-level earth mage.

“And now, let me explain the difficulties inherent to the modification process.” The body of the mage is placed right on the floor, and Anri creates two projections that hover in the air at the front of the auditorium. “As you can see, these are the mental and physical bodies of this mage. To modify them, you need a life mage and a mind mage to simultaneously change the patient’s mental and physical bodies. If there have been elemental modifications made, you need a mage for that element. In a word, two or three specialists with advanced skills. For the first stage, your skill needs to be at 50; for the tenth, it needs to be 500.”

A noise breaks out in the room as the players express their surprise at these numbers. Anri stomps.

“Please, be quiet! You’re at a lecture, not a bazaar. I know there aren’t many mages in those disciplines with skills that high, and that’s why we always have a group here at the academy to offer their services. It costs a thousand gold for each specialist.” Just a few people continue to make a noise; the rest are too shocked to speak.

I’ve already figured out that I’m going to be a life mage, and I’m going to make a mind modification. Just the thought of doubling my mana restoration speed makes my breath catch in my throat.

Thinking back to the fire mages who battled the demons, I start to realize why there were only two of them. At least two thousand gold, and that’s just for the base modification! The problem is mind mages—they’re too narrowly focused, and so there aren’t many people who become them. And that 500 requirement… You have to pay for the trials, the spells, the equipment, and much more, too. Lunar must rake in money hand over foot from mages. I make a mental note to see what it’s like to be a swordsman, and if they get fleeced like this, as well. Maybe, it’s even worse for them.

I’m a mage now, and I figured out what specialty I want, so it’s time to go talk with my dean. With the way things turned out, that kolobok is him. I wait until we’re the last two people in the room, just in case.

“Mr. Anri, I’d like to pick Life Magic as my specialty. Can I do that right now?”

Anri smiles again, his happiness and the interest he displays toward me are flattering. That damn empathy!

“Young man,” Anri says, looking me over, “I was sure that you were already a life mage. I thought the desk you made sprout was proof enough. Anyway, you’re very…gifted if you can do that even without a specialty.”

“No, I’m just a simple mage who stumbled across the path of power. So, can I pick Life Magic?”

You have a specialty offer: Life Magic

Price: 1000 gold

Accept: Yes/No

I certainly didn’t know that picking a specialty was a paid affair. There isn’t much money left in my wallet, and I need to hang onto it. Sure, I know how I can earn some money for food, but earning enough for that modification?