Chapter 99

Gordon muttered, "Trouble." The energy shield he had cast on Ronald could easily block the third-level ice energy attack spells. However, if the opponent's spell was enhanced with a spell enhancement, it would be a problem.

Under the protection of the energy shield, Ronald's life would still be safe, but the key was how badly he would be injured.

If the captain of the Lucky Coin team was severely injured and even Cynthia couldn't heal him, they would have to interrupt this adventure and return to Ash Town.

This was not good news for Gordon. He couldn't return to the town with the Lucky Coin team; he could only continue on his own. The possibility of temporarily joining another adventure team was also very low.

Just as Gordon thought Ronald would inevitably be injured, something unexpected happened.

Kara, who had just been hit by a human immobilization spell, now had the spell effect disappear. She looked at Ronald not far away, her lips moved, and she said a word with a determined look on her face, then turned and resolutely faced the incoming ice spike with her body.

Ronald's eyelids twitched as he watched Kara be pierced by the ice spike.

What Kara had said just now, Ronald didn't hear clearly, but from her mouth, it seemed to be "I'm sorry."

"No!" Ronald let out a desperate roar like an injured beast. At this moment, the ice spike with Kara's body already impaled on it struck him, exploding violently on his body.

The magical energy contained in the energy shield and the ice spike was released simultaneously in an instant, and the air, carrying a frosty breath and sparkling ice crystals, suddenly surged and churned.

Because Kara used her flesh and blood to block part of the damage for Ronald, and with Gordon's energy shield, the visual effect of the ice spike, though shocking, did not cause substantial harm to Ronald.

The dwarf and the ranger were dealing with the enemies one by one with their axe and arrow. The bard played the mandolin, using a cold and imposing song of fear to disperse the enemies, ensuring that the team wouldn't be overwhelmed. Cynthia held the eagle-shaped shield, protecting Gordon and Gregory, the two spellcasters, and seized opportunities to cast divine spells to support her teammates.

Everyone was focused on the battle and did not notice what happened to Ronald. Or even if they noticed, they couldn't do anything about it.

The enemy commander, the mage holding the Mithrendrin-style staff, seeing that the ice spike had no effect, cursed, "Fickle bitch," and began to chant the next spell.

From his hand gestures and the疯狂聚集的寒冰能量，Gordon could deduce that the next spell this guy was preparing was probably an area-of-effect attack spell.

He must not be allowed to cast another spell.

Gordon focused on the mage standing on the boulder, and the white light ball in his hand instantly formed. Feeling his mana pool decrease by 40 points, Gordon couldn't help but feel a pang of pain.

"To seize the fleeting opportunity, I have to use the spell quickening feat. I hope it works."

Gordon silently prayed, pushed his palm forward, and the white light ball immediately detached and accurately drilled into the enemy mage's staff.

Dispel Magic.

This third-level spell often plays a crucial role in mage duels. This time was no exception. It can not only counter enemy spells but also suppress the effects of magical items for a certain period.

The white energy entered the staff, and the mage, who was casting a spell, was shocked to find that the staff in his hand, starting from the top sapphire, began to develop cracks.

"What... What's happening!" The mage was startled, and the spell he was chanting was interrupted.

He had seen Gordon use the spell quickening technique to cast a spell at him and was surprised by the other's arcane prowess but remained calm, continuing to prepare his spell.

Before the battle, he had made thorough preparations, casting several defensive spells on himself, such as Mage Armor, Protection from Energy, and Protection from Arrows. So whether Gordon used an evocation school spell to directly attack him or a divination school spell like Dispel Magic to counter his defensive spells, it wouldn't stop him from completing his next spell.

Defeating a well-prepared mage is not an easy task.

But he didn't expect Gordon's Dispel Magic to target his staff.

Dispel Magic can temporarily suppress the effects of magical items but cannot destroy them! That's the effect of a sixth-level Disintegrate or a ninth-level Greater Disintegrate!

Helplessly watching his staff shatter and split into powder, the mage had no way to stop it.

At this moment, the rogue Plum, who had disappeared at the start of the battle, appeared behind the mage. The small halfling tightly pursed his lips, his eyes showing the determination and calm characteristic of his race.

Plum's dagger stabbed fiercely at the mage, and the force field energy from the Mage Armor spell rippled, slowing the dagger's speed.

For a mage, being approached by an enemy is the greatest failure. He was terrified and, before he could free himself from the halfling's entanglement, he saw Ronald charging over with a long spear, leaving a trail of afterimages.

Ronald, a sixth-level warrior, had mastered the displacement technique "Burst Sprint" and used it to the fullest. His long spear, glowing with a silvery light, drew a straight line and accurately pierced the mage's leg.

"Ah!" The mage screamed, and then his head was swept by Ronald's spear, knocking him out cold.

Seeing the enemy commander subdued, Gordon sighed in relief and quietly put away the sun elf tablet he was holding.

The mage couldn't understand why his staff was destroyed for no reason, which led to his defeat. But Gordon knew exactly what had happened, and the course of the battle was as he had predicted.

The biggest flaw of the Mithrendrin-style staff is that, to achieve the "spell enhancement" effect in a relatively cheap and easy way, it innovatively used a mixture of three types of wood and special runes to make the staff. However, in battle, this staff exposed a fatal flaw.

If hit by Dispel Magic, the array and runes on the staff that maintain energy balance would temporarily fail. This could cause the Mithrendrin-style staff, which is inherently less stable than a single-material staff, to automatically shatter.

According to official statistics from the game operator, the Mithrendrin-style staff in "Ancient Epochs" has a 57.3% chance of disintegrating when hit by Dispel Magic.

No one wants their hard-earned staff to be easily destroyed by a third-level spell, nor do they want their important weapon to be so unstable in intense battles. So when this flaw of the Mithrendrin-style staff was discovered, players quickly abandoned it.

Gordon's Dispel Magic, enhanced by the tablet, had a higher chance of destroying the staff than 50%. The result was as he had expected; Dispel Magic worked, securing the victory.

The rest of the battle was nothing to talk about. After the enemy leader was subdued, the remaining minions were quickly dealt with, with only a couple of quick-witted ones managing to escape. It was almost a complete victory.

Clang!

The dwarf slammed his heavy battle axe into the ground, making a metallic sound. He grabbed his beard and found it covered in sticky red: "Damn, I got so excited in the fight that I let those bastards' dirty blood splatter on my beard!"

"Oh, Big Beard, you're so dirty, go wash up quickly," the lively Sera stuck out her tongue at the dwarf and hopped over to Gordon. At least one advantage of ranged classes over melee classes is that, even in intense battles, the cute ranger girl could keep herself clean.

"This place is nothing but rocks. Where am I supposed to find water to clean my beard?" the dwarf grumbled.

Gordon joked, "Don't you have a bag of ale? I think the fragrant ale could wash the blood off your beard quite well."

"Hey, mage!" the dwarf's eyes widened, "No one touches that bag of ale! I'm counting on it to get me through these days in the Danzer Ruins. Do you think a sip of good ale can make a cold, drafty old building as warm as a stone cave? Even if you helped a lot in the fight, I won't listen to you!"

Gordon smiled; among the dwarves he had met, none of them seemed to be able to resist alcohol.

"Mr. Mage, we owe you a lot for seeing through the enemy's ambush. Otherwise, we would have been in big trouble," Sera looked at Gordon with her clear, water-like eyes, her smile sweeter than honey.

Cynthia nodded slightly at Gordon, and though she didn't speak, Gordon could see the gratitude in her quiet eyes.

The halfling, munching on a small green pear while searching the bodies for loot, also waved at Gordon.

"Mage, I admit I made a mistake. Your strength is great, and it's indeed lucky for our Lucky Coin team to have met you," even the bard, who had been unhappy with Gordon joining the team, expressed his gratitude.

If it weren't for Gordon discovering the enemy's illusionary trap and launching a surprise attack, the Lucky Coin team might now be lying on the ground, being looted.

With his outstanding performance in this battle, Gordon's abilities were truly recognized by the Lucky Coin team.

However, the celebration after the victory was short-lived, and everyone's attention turned to Ronald.

The captain of the Lucky Coin team, the resolute long spear warrior, stood beside Kara's body, motionless.