Anser now had many choices. For example, he could continue stockpiling experience and reach level 9 as soon as possible, mastering 5th-level spells.
Powerful spells like Dominate Person, Hold Monster, Teleportation Circle, Bigby's Hand, and Synaptic Static were all 5th-level spells. Mastering any one of them would bring a qualitative transformation.
He could also spend 3,600 experience points to raise his Paladin Multiclass to level 4, use a Feat to max out his Intelligence, and unlock a second Multiclass.
A new Multiclass would not only increase his combat power, but also let him push his Intelligence past mortal limits through a Feat and Attune to more magic items.
After hesitating for a moment, he decided to raise his Sorcerer level first!
There was still a petrified high-level rogue in the black tower, and outside the city a large number of Amn troops were hurrying in. A huge amount of experience points would soon be flowing in, and leveling up was close at hand.
At a time like this, he absolutely had to hold back. As long as he had experience left over after leveling up, it would not be too late to raise his Multiclass then.
Anser continued checking his character sheet. Beneath "Resistance," a new category had appeared: "Immunity," with two entries: Charmed and Frightened.
In other words, he could basically ignore spells that caused those two effects, such as Charm Monster and Fear.
Aside from that, the greatest change came at the level of the soul, but it was hard to feel it in any very intuitive way.
He got up and walked to a corner of the room. From a row of magic items, he picked up a dark-gold ring covered in circles of blue arcane patterns.
It was the long-unused Ring of Spell Storing, capable of storing one 5th-level spell.
He did not Attune to it immediately. Instead, he took the ring and teleported back to the Union. Pulling open the window, he saw that the staff dining building next door was brightly lit and packed with people.
The garrison was lit up as well, and several teams of Fighters carrying lamps were moving south along the street, probably to change shifts.
Seeing that everything was normal, Anser turned and went downstairs. After giving a few instructions to the guard on duty, he came alone to the back of the building, chose a spacious spot, and focused his mind to cast.
"કેબિન"
A hemispherical aura appeared and spread outward from him, growing larger and larger. Everything it passed over was covered, and very soon it formed a hemisphere nearly 5 meters in radius.
Anser felt an unprecedented sense of ease and mastery, as though after learning college mathematics, he had gone back to look at middle-school mathematics. Countless approaches to solving problems sprang into his mind, effortless and pleasant, all fully under control.
A thought stirred in his heart, and the sphere began to change shape. Its colors shifted, and very soon it turned into a plump, colorful mushroom house, as if it had come out of a fairy tale.
Stepping into the mushroom house, he found a tea table, round stools, and a wooden bed fixed to the floor. Everything was in a cartoon style, brightly colored, and full of childlike charm.
'It can actually be done to this extent.' Anser looked at everything in astonishment.
Previously, when he cast Leomund's Tiny Hut, he could only release it rigidly according to the spell model and did not dare alter it casually. But now, within the range permitted by the spell, he could make slight adjustments to its effects.
The spell was still the same spell, but the degree of control had changed. Casting it was more flexible now, and the casting speed had become faster as well.
Theoretically speaking, casting a 1st-level spell required the casting attribute to reach 11 points, a 2nd-level spell required 12... and a 9th-level spell required 19. At 21 points, he had already far surpassed the basic requirement.
'Maybe one day, every spell I cast casually will be comparable to a Metamagic effect.' He let out a soft laugh, in an excellent mood.
But then he reconsidered. Those genius Wizards, even without Metamagic, could still rely on their understanding and control of spells to bring out part of Metamagic's effects, such as Empowered Spell.
And then there were those innately extraordinary races, each one more outrageous than the last. Because of that, he could not measure himself by the standards of an ordinary human.
He collected himself, put the Ring of Spell Storing on the index finger of his left hand, took out a blanket and spread it over the bed, then closed his eyes and meditated.
Under the city's surface, dark currents were surging. There were also wounded people who could turn into werewolves at any moment, while outside the city there were the Amnians. Staying in the black tower was too passive; he would be unable to learn about the situation in time. Living outside was the better option.
An hour passed, and Anser completed Attunement with the Ring of Spell Storing. The entire process was fairly easy, and he did not feel much burden at all.
"Brilliant Radiance" was equivalent to increasing the soul's "bandwidth," allowing him to connect calmly to more magic items.
He stored one casting of Dimension Door and one casting of Magic Missile in the Ring of Spell Storing, then began making blessed holy water.
Tomorrow he would have to settle the bill, and the amount of holy water he had on hand was still not quite enough.
...
The moon was bright, the stars were sparse, and a cool breeze blew gently.
In the wilderness, the rapidly advancing Amn vanguard suddenly came to a halt, and messengers ran back and forth.
A short while later, all the troops made camp on the spot, set patrols and watches, lit fires, and started cooking.
Very soon, a large central command tent was erected. More than a dozen officers hurried over and took seats on both sides. Simple meals had already been set out on the low tables, but no one touched them.
The middle-aged officer seated at the head wore a gloomy expression. Stroking his coarse short beard, he said coldly, "The werewolf disaster plan has failed!"
Surprise appeared on everyone's faces. They exchanged glances, but did not speak, waiting for more exact intelligence.
"The latest report from the spies says that this afternoon, the Union suddenly launched a large-scale raid and precisely hunted down the werewolves lying low in the city. In less than two hours, the fighting was over. The werewolf leader was blasted to death at the north gate by Union President Holrewen..."
"How is that possible?" A long-faced man with a pair of protruding canine teeth frowned, confusion on his face. "I've seen that man before. He's fairly strong, but not enough to keep that evil wolf there."
He had been deeply impressed by Anser's Fireball, but since he had never truly fought Anser, he could only rely on speculation.
"The detailed battle report hasn't arrived yet, but someone saw the owlbear, and the Lady of Fort Jacqueline also took part in the battle." The middle-aged officer glanced at Derrick, his eyes carrying a trace of disdain.
"No treant?" Derrick looked suspicious. He had always regarded the treant as the greatest threat.
"No treant!" The middle-aged officer looked at Derrick coldly. "Next time you speak, remember to add the word 'sir,' or you can roll back to Nashkel."
Derrick's expression stiffened. In terms of strength, he was no weaker than the other man, but his rank was one level lower. In the camp, he could only obey orders.
Suppressing his humiliation and anger, he lowered his head slightly. "Yes, Sir Bahamond."
"Mhm." The middle-aged officer did not pay him any further attention. This man had only been in the army for half a year, yet he already independently led an elite combat squad. He carried too many adventurer habits on him and had to be kept in line at all times.
At that moment, one of the officers spoke up. "Sir, the werewolves only entered the city today. They couldn't possibly have failed to hold out for even that little time. Could it be that... someone leaked the secret?"
"It's possible some werewolves were captured." Bahamond shook his head slightly, his eyes troubled. "The Emerald Enclave has always been at odds with the Union. I never expected them to get together this time. They've been keeping an eye on the werewolves all along, so it wouldn't be strange if they noticed their movements in advance."
"I knew a pack of beasts couldn't be relied on. They don't have the brains to play at strategy. Why not just launch a daytime assault directly? If a thousand wolves entered the city, Durlag would definitely fall into chaos." Derrick curled his lip, his face carrying a trace of mockery.
"The werewolves may not be as smart as you, nor as quick on their feet." Bahamond said blandly.
The moment he finished speaking, many of the officers failed to hold back and let out a few suppressed laughs.
Derrick gave a cold snort and simply said no more.
"Sir, what do we do now? Without the werewolves tying them down, a direct assault would bring enormous losses," one officer asked with a grave expression.
"Encircle them, blockade them, and look for an opportunity," Bahamond said after some thought.
"This..." The officers looked at one another.
Most of Nashkel's forces had been transferred to Beregost. A portion had been left behind to defend the city, and the remaining two thousand or so troops had all been brought out by them.
Two thousand men were barely enough to blockade two city gates. How could they possibly have the ability to besiege a small city?
"Who said I was going to surround Durlag?" Bahamond laughed loudly, full of confidence. "To strike a snake, strike its vital point. Durlag's survival hinges on two key figures. Take them down, and everything will be easily resolved."
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