Chapter 7

Alfa looked at the 1 point of free attribute points he gained after leveling up to level 10. Suddenly, he had an idea and smiled as he allocated the 1 point to Willpower.

Each time a character levels up to a multiple of 10, they receive a free attribute point that is directly counted as a base attribute point. This means that after adding it, Alfa's base Willpower would be 20 points.

Willpower is related to divine spell effects, resistance to negative status effects, and the speed of health and mana recovery. It is a versatile attribute that every class needs, typically at least 10 points. Otherwise, it would have a negative impact on both PvP and leveling up.

Especially for a mage, who is extremely vulnerable to negative status effects and relies heavily on mana recovery, having 13 or 14 points of Willpower is not excessive. Even mages with 20 points of Willpower, like Alfa, are not uncommon. However, under the condition of extremely low Intelligence, a mage who does not allocate the free attribute points to Intelligence but to Willpower after leveling up is as rare as a scorpion's feces—Alfa is the only one.

"Let's see how this goes."

After allocating the point, Alfa's attention turned to the specialization panel that appeared after reaching level 10. There were many new specializations, especially those closely related to the mage class, but most of them were about enhancing casting abilities, which Alfa had no interest in. The four 0-level spells made Alfa have no interest in "casting," his primary job as a mage.

However, there was one specialization, the [0-Level Spell Specialization], that Alfa found quite interesting:

[0-Level Spell Specialization: Casting 0-level spells will no longer consume mana. The effects of 0-level spells are enhanced by 50%, but each time the same spell is cast in the same battle, the cooldown time increases by 1 second.]

After adding this [0-Level Spell Specialization], the mage can use 0-level spells without any mana cost, and only needs to manage the 1-second cooldown increase after each cast. Additionally, the spell effects are enhanced by 50%.

However, since it only affects 0-level spells, it may not be very practical for most mages, as the power of 0-level spells is limited—three [Frost Ray] spells do not even match the damage of a single 1st-level [Burning Hands] spell, even with a 50% effect boost.

But for Alfa, a weak mage, the [0-Level Spell Specialization] is particularly important. Since he only knows four 0-level spells, the ability to cast them freely and with enhanced effects is significant:

For example, using [Mage Hand] to interfere with the Corpse Fire's attack, the 50% effect boost, combined with his 14 points of Strength, makes Alfa's [Mage Hand] even more effective than a warrior with extremely high Strength.

If Alfa were to use [Mage Hand] in a wrist-wrestling match, he would likely have no opponents.

[Flare] can instantly blind enemies, which is a useful support skill, especially effective against evil creatures, and is a technique Alfa often uses in battles.

[Voice Imitation] can mimic other sounds, making it perfect for deceiving and tricking others.

[Trick] has a variety of effects, such as adding flavor and texture to bland game food, keeping himself warm, drying and cleaning clothes, and more.

For Alfa, who cannot communicate with the magic network normally, making the most of these four spells that other mages often ignore is crucial.

However, there is a significant obstacle: Alfa's mana is extremely low.

In fact, mages receive 2 points of mana for each level, which is a very high mana reward. Other mana-based classes, such as warlocks, priests, and bards, receive only 1 point of mana per level, and paladins and rangers receive only 0.5 points per level.

But Alfa's mana is still a pitiful 68 points, thanks to his 5 points of Intelligence:

1 point of Intelligence adds 10 points of mana. A typical mage with 17-18 points or even 20 points of Intelligence can easily reach over 200 points of mana at level 10, while Alfa, with 5 points of Intelligence, is in a tragic situation.

In fact, Alfa's mana level is not much better than that of a paladin, a quasi-spellcaster with very low mana, but paladins' 0-level spells consume much less mana.

The least mana-consuming [Flare] requires 30 points of mana, while a paladin's 0-level spell only requires 5 points of mana.

This means that in a battle, Alfa can cast only 2 0-level spells at most.

However, with the [0-Level Spell Specialization], Alfa can freely use these four spells, and the 1-second cooldown increase for each cast in the same battle is not a significant issue.

Unlike other specializations, the [0-Level Spell Specialization] is a one-time specialization that costs 10 specialization points.

Of course, after spending these 10 points, it is a one-time investment, and the specialization is maxed out.

Alfa has plenty of specialization points. He has hardly allocated any points to the numerous class specializations of a mage, and he receives 11 specialization points per level, so even after allocating points to the previous 9 specializations, he still has 27 points left. Allocating these 10 points to the [0-Level Spell Specialization] is not a problem.

In fact, many mages do not allocate points to the [0-Level Spell Specialization] because they lack the specialization points, as mages need to allocate points to many specializations.

After finishing his preparations, Alfa took out a return scroll that could teleport him back to Northshire Abbey.

The return scroll is a privilege for players not exceeding level 10 in the Elwynn Forest newbie area. After leaving this area or reaching level 10, this amazing item is no longer available. By choosing to use it, Alfa would be teleported back to Northshire after a 2-second casting time, during which he cannot be interfered with by any external actions or attacks.

Just as Alfa was about to use the return scroll, a sharp voice suddenly came from behind him. He turned his head sharply, and a short crossbow bolt shot straight at his chest. Alfa instinctively blocked it with his hand, and the bolt pierced his forearm.

-13!!!

"You have been attacked by player 'Cai Zige.' You have 5 minutes to defend yourself."

The system's PvP warning followed—Cai Zige, that name.

"Hey, you're pretty quick,"

A sharp and somewhat arrogant voice came from a distance. Alfa pulled the bolt out of his forearm and looked up at the figure about 10 meters away, holding a crossbow. The figure was a spellcaster in a dark red robe, with a mage guild emblem on his chest, indicating he was a mage.

—Clearly, the bolt was his work, the so-called Cai Zige.

In fact, it is not unusual for mages to use crossbows in "Dungeons and Dragons."

Due to the relatively low mana in the early stages, to improve survival, mages and warlocks, who are not strong in melee combat, usually carry a crossbow to prevent being caught in a passive situation when their mana runs out. The crossbow requires no Strength and is stable at medium to long range, making it suitable for spellcasters.

Faced with a provocative arrow, Alfa shrugged and said nothing.

For such an impolite and absurd attack, Alfa's stance was to ignore it. After all, it did not substantially harm him. Rather than getting angry over a minor injury, it was better to avoid trouble. Or, more accurately, Alfa simply did not want to waste time on such a person, a newbie with no manners and a tendency to act recklessly in the game.

Seeing that Alfa did not respond, Cai Zige took a step forward:

"You, are you leading people to kill Corpse Fire here?"

"Yes,"

Alfa answered calmly. He did not even consider why the other person was asking. A newbie boss in the newbie village, how big of a deal could it be? It's not like it was a world boss or an epic item. Surely, he wouldn't seek revenge just because Alfa brought people here?

"My buddy also wants to kill Corpse Fire. You're leading people to farm, what are we supposed to do? Do you know you're wasting my time?"

As he spoke, Cai Zige pointed to two rogues standing a few meters behind him, with rusty starting daggers and dull newbie leather armor.

—These two were pure newbies.

Due to their frail bodies and low initial attack power, rogues, who mainly rely on close combat, find it very difficult to deal with Corpse Fire. They usually need to be led by others, and most of the people Alfa led were rogues.

"Oh, I'm not killing it anymore. I'm about to return to the city."

So it was about this. Did he think Alfa was monopolizing Corpse Fire? It seemed Alfa did not prevent others from killing it. Moreover, after the long conversation with Corpse Fire, no one had come to the Evil Cavern except for a few "bosses," so there was no issue of wasting time waiting for Alfa. This reason was quite absurd.

However, Alfa knew that many people online act this way, so he did not argue with Cai Zige. Since he had finished, he decided to leave and avoid trouble.

But Cai Zige clearly did not think so:

"Is it over just because you're leaving? Apologize!!!"

As he spoke, Cai Zige raised his hand and fired another bolt. This time, Alfa was prepared and sidestepped, then smiled and said:

"It has already respawned. You can kill it now?"

At this moment, the few companions Alfa had just led to kill Corpse Fire gathered around. People are naturally curious, especially newbies who are very interested in Alfa's combat style, all hoping that Alfa would use some amazing tactics to teach this arrogant guy a lesson.

"Alfa, go for it!!!"

The small warrior who had praised Alfa's skills earlier shouted, waving his fist. This guy was really eager to join the fun. Cai Zige glared and cast a [Magic Missile] at him...

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