Sunburst had roughly the same area of effect as Otiluke's Freezing Sphere, but it dealt the relatively rare radiant damage, making it especially effective against evil creatures.
It also had no projectile travel time. Instead, it erupted in a blinding burst of radiant light at a chosen point without warning, making it much harder to anticipate or defend against.
The other spell could only be selected from the Sorcerer spell list, and unfortunately it didn't include the Antimagic Field Anser had coveted for so long. That spell was exclusive to Wizards and Clerics.
But he had Signature Spells. Upon entering the advanced stage, he gained one every two Sorcerer levels: at level 11, Temporal Shunt; at level 13, Prismatic Spray.
Now he could choose another one.
Since Signature Spells drew from the entire spell list, his options were extensive.
'I'll pick my Signature Spell first, then choose another Sorcerer spell afterward. That's basically the same as learning an extra spell.'
Anser silently opened the Signature Spell selection list.
Antimagic Field, Psychic Scream, Maze, Mind Blank, Telepathy, Reality Break...
Every spell had its own merits.
Psychic Scream unleashed devastating psychic devastation.
Mind Blank rendered its target immune to psychic damage.
Reality Break shattered the barrier between reality and the timelines, plunging a creature into chaos and madness...
'This is a tough choice.'
After thinking it over for a while, he ultimately chose Antimagic Field.
He already had plenty of control and offensive spells. Adding a universally useful defensive spell seemed like the better choice.
...
Antimagic Field: 8th-level Abjuration
Duration: Concentration, up to 1 hour
Creates an antimagic aura with a 10-foot (3-meter) radius.
Within the aura, spells cannot be cast, magical actions cannot be used, and magical effects cannot be created.
The magical properties of magic items cease functioning inside the aura and cannot affect anything within it.
Spells and other magical effects cannot extend into the aura, teleportation cannot enter or leave it, and planar travel is impossible within its bounds...
...
Antimagic Field made no distinction between friend and foe. It suppressed virtually all magic unless the effect originated from an Artifact or was cast directly by a deity.
It was one of the ultimate defensive spells.
Once the antimagic aura was active, it cared about nobody.
Against melee bruisers, he would unleash his full firepower, bombarding them from range and using superior mobility to wear them down.
Against spellcasters whose magic surpassed even his own, he could simply charge in under the protection of Antimagic Field and settle things in close combat.
They'd find out soon enough whose fists were harder.
And if he ever faced a spell barrage he couldn't withstand...
Activating Antimagic Field instantly would solve the problem.
'I wonder what changes it'll undergo after becoming a Signature Spell.'
Anser couldn't help looking forward to it.
As for the other Sorcerer spell, none of the options stood out particularly.
Demiplane, Dominate Monster, Earthquake, Power Word Stun...
None of them were indispensable.
After hesitating for a moment, he selected the 6th-level spell True Seeing, intending to manifest it as a supernatural ability.
...
True Seeing: 6th-level Divination
Duration: 1 hour
For the duration, a willing creature you touch gains Truesight out to 120 feet (36 meters).
...
He truly couldn't do without Truesight. Against top-tier Rogues, fighting without it put him at a severe disadvantage.
Magic items such as the True Sight Ring required Attunement, and their Truesight duration was quite short, making them useful only for emergencies.
Most dragons also relied primarily on Blindsight, Darkvision, and passive perception.
Without Truesight, Anser was no different—unless he eventually reached the stage of an Ancient Dragon.
True Seeing could also be cast on others.
With the amount of magical power he possessed, he could cast it on more than twenty people in succession.
He could easily assemble a team of professionals to conduct a carpet search of the Rock of Bral or Durlag, leaving the Mind Flayers with nowhere to hide.
For his enhanced Metamagic ability, he chose Transmuted Spell.
It allowed him to change a spell's damage type into another, including acid, cold, fire, lightning, poison, thunder, necrotic, or radiant.
With that, his spellcasting would become even more versatile.
However, Empowered Transmuted Spell still depended on the spell's original form. Some spells simply weren't suited to being converted into another damage type.
Take Otiluke's Freezing Sphere, for example. If converted to fire damage, all of its freezing and immobilizing properties would disappear. A fireball couldn't be held in one's hand the way the original sphere could, and its stability wasn't particularly good either.
His Magic Power Control advanced to the 8th circle, granting +5 Magic Power and allowing him to wield 8th-level spells with ease while significantly improving the stability of his spellcasting.
[Strength: +2, Spells: Sunburst, True Seeing, Signature Spell: Antimagic Field, Arcane Bloodline: True Seeing, Metamagic Enhancement: Empowered Transmuted Spell. Confirm?]
"Confirm."
The skies above Holrewen changed dramatically.
A vast torrent of magical power gathered overhead, forming a gigantic, visible funnel above the Black Tower. Its edges shimmered with faint rainbow hues, radiating seventy percent oppression and thirty percent mystery.
Many people were startled awake.
They got out of bed and gazed at the spectacle in the sky with reverence.
The Kobolds were even more extreme. As one, they prostrated themselves toward the Black Tower, worshipping devoutly while muttering prayers under their breath.
This had become one of Holrewen's signature wonders.
Everyone living here knew about it.
Although Bratt had once forbidden anyone from discussing the phenomenon, everyone knew who was responsible. Countless theories circulated in private, though no one dared voice them aloud. Instead, their awe toward Anser only continued to grow.
Anser had long been aware of it, but there was nothing he could do.
Other adventurers advanced gradually through years of accumulated effort. Mastering a single spell often required months or even years of study and practice, so their increase in strength was a gradual process.
Anser was different.
His power growth was compressed into mere dozens of minutes. The transformation was simply too drastic, making these supernatural phenomena unavoidable.
After an unknown amount of time, Anser finally emerged from his immersive arcane learning.
Stretching lazily, he immediately noticed the changes in his body.
He had grown slightly taller and noticeably broader.
His muscles looked as though they had been sculpted from stone, his movements had become even quicker, and an overwhelming urge to smash everything in sight welled up inside him.
The external changes brought about by entering the extraordinary stage of Strength were remarkably obvious.
'My Dexterity is starting to fall behind.'
Dexterity represented agility, reflexes, and balance.
The greater one's Strength became, the more equally powerful Dexterity was needed to match it. Otherwise, maintaining balance under such extreme speed and impact became increasingly difficult.
He brought up his Character Sheet.
His experience pool was nearly empty.
Experience: 165,000/195,000.
He needed another 30,000 experience to level up.
His Hit Points had reached 248.
Meanwhile, Mask's Chosen, despite being four levels higher than him, had only about seventy percent of his health.
His Magic Power stood at 312, enough to cast twenty 8th-level spells.
More importantly, both his Magic Power Control, soul, and body were capable of sustaining that many high-level spells.
Most Clerics could cast only one or two 8th-level spells in a day.
Wizards fared somewhat better, but even they struggled to withstand the tremendous strain that repeatedly casting 8th- and 9th-level spells placed on their bodies.
He had also gained a new supernatural ability: Truesight.
Its range was 72 meters, exactly matching the effective range of True Seeing.
More importantly...
It was permanent.
The original spell lasted only one hour. Even after enhancing it with his extraordinary attributes and Metamagic, he could only extend it to four hours.
But after integrating it into his Arcane Bloodline, it had become an innate biological ability that he could freely switch on and off.
'My vision has changed quite a bit.'
Anser got up and walked into the washroom.
A faint spiritual glow shimmered within his black pupils, subtle enough to be almost unnoticeable.
'Then I'll just leave it on all the time.'
Although Truesight could be activated and deactivated at will, it processed an enormous amount of information. Keeping it active constantly consumed some mental energy.
Still...
That was far preferable to being caught in an ambush.
Antimagic Field wasn't bad either.
After becoming a Signature Spell, it no longer required concentration. It also gained the benefits of Metamagic, allowing him to instantly deploy an antimagic aura with a radius exceeding 6 meters, lasting for four hours.
'Not needing concentration alone makes it more than worth it.'
Antimagic Field was currently Level 8.
Upgrading it would require 16,500 experience, so there was no chance of improving it anytime soon.
'If only the antimagic aura could suppress Artifacts...'
Anser smacked his lips, still far from satisfied.
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