13: Practical training

Brian nodded and cautiously approached the Gale Wolf.

The Gale Wolf seemed to sense Brian's approach,

and immediately stood up,

staring at him warily, letting out a low growl.

Brian did not act rashly; he first conceived a battle strategy in his mind.

Suddenly, the Gale Wolf leaped, pouncing towards Brian, while simultaneously spitting out a sharp wind blade.

Brian reacted quickly, casting a Teleportation Technique to dodge the Gale Wolf's wind blade attack.

He instantly cast a First-rank Swamp Spell at the Gale Wolf's position.

Before the Gale Wolf could make any further moves,

he used a First-rank Mage's Hand to slam the Gale Wolf into the First-rank Swamp Spell.

The Gale Wolf was caught off guard by this sudden chain of spells,

its body sinking into the swamp. Just as it tried to struggle out, it was slammed down hard again by the Mage's Hand.

It was finally petrified in place by the Mud to Stone spell, with only its head exposed, letting out a whimpering cry.

Brian looked at the immobilized Gale Wolf, feeling both excited and a little scared.

He was excited that it was his first actual combat, and he had successfully used his learned magical techniques to subdue his opponent.

He was scared that if he had reacted a little slower, or if his spell casting had been inaccurate, he might have been injured.

Klein walked up behind him and said,

"Not bad, Brian. Your first actual combat exceeded expectations. You reacted quickly when faced with an attack, flexibly using Teleportation, Swamp, Mage's Hand, and Mud to Stone. Your mastery and application of magic have improved greatly."

Brian scratched his head and chuckled: "Hehe! Uncle, it's all thanks to your guidance."

"Actual combat has unexpected situations. You remained calm and used techniques to respond to spell attacks, which is great! This time, you also found that your mana control could be more precise; these are things you need to improve."

"Uncle, I understand. I will summarize my experience, find my shortcomings, strengthen my practice, and perform better next time."

"Very good, with such ambition, you will surely become a powerful Mage. Next, let's find a few more magical beasts for actual combat to familiarize yourself with magical techniques."

"You cannot use mental force to control objects or attack spells above the second rank in actual combat," Klein added, "If you use object control and second-rank attacks, the magical beasts of the Zhongnan Mountain Range would be like dishes on a plate."

With that, Klein led Brian deeper into the Zhongnan Mountain Range, continuing the actual combat training.

In the subsequent actual combat, Brian encountered several magical beasts of different ranks and types,

including a third-rank Iron-backed Bear skilled in close-quarters combat,

and a third-rank Poisonous Mother Spider that could release poisonous mist and was accompanied by a group of second-rank small spiders, among others.

Facing these different opponents, Brian tried his best to use the magical techniques he had learned to cope.

Most of the time, he would instantly subdue the magical beasts, with only a few special third-rank magical beasts making him appear somewhat disheveled.

For example, that third-rank Iron-backed Bear had thick skin and flesh, so ordinary first-rank magic attacks had little effect on it, and its strength was astonishing; one pounce almost sent Brian flying.

Brian first cast a Slowing Spell, intending to reduce the Iron-backed Bear's movement speed,

but the Iron-backed Bear only slowed down slightly and still charged towards him.

Brian quickly cast an Earth Shield in front of himself. The Iron-backed Bear clawed at the Earth Shield, and cracks instantly appeared on it.

Seeing this, Brian quickly used the Teleportation Technique to teleport a hundred meters away, while simultaneously casting an Ice Spike Spell at the Iron-backed Bear's leg, the ice spike piercing its leg, causing it to pause its movement.

Brian took the opportunity to cast an Entanglement Spell, using vines to bind the Iron-backed Bear's limbs, which finally temporarily subdued it.

In the end, Klein helped finish it off, taking out his object-controlling flying cones and instantly piercing the Iron-backed Bear with a thousand arrows.

There was also that third-rank Poisonous Mother Spider, whose poisonous mist made Brian feel dizzy, and the several second-rank small spiders surrounding it constantly pounced at Brian.

Brian first used a wind-element magic to disperse some of the poisonous mist, then cast a Wall of Fire to block the small spiders, and then cast a Purification Spell to dispel the residual poison on himself.

Before the Poisonous Mother Spider could get close, Brian seized the opportunity and cast a second-rank Binding Spell to trap it,

then a hundred First-rank Fireball Spells stacked up and smashed towards the Poisonous Mother Spider, finally resolving this troublesome magical beast.

After each actual combat, Klein analyzed the strengths and weaknesses of the battle, and Brian listened carefully to the advice for improvement.

As the number of actual combat sessions increased, Brian's application of magic became more proficient, and his strategies for dealing with different magical beasts became richer.

Time flew by in battle.

Unbeknownst to him, Brian had been training in actual combat with Klein in the Zhongnan Mountain Range for three days.

In these three days, Brian had experienced dozens of battles, big and small.

From being flustered when first facing third-rank magical beasts to now calmly dealing with them, his growth was very significant.

Moreover, with Klein's help, all magical beasts of rank 3 and above in the entire Zhongnan Mountain Range had been cleared out.

Now, only magical beasts up to rank 2 could be found in the Zhongnan Mountain Range, which indirectly made Brian's territory safer.

On the day the Mage Tower was fully activated.

Brian stood in front of the Mage Tower, and as a flash of light passed,

the Mage Tower's gate slowly opened, releasing a faint magical power fluctuation.

Klein stood at the entrance, smiling at Brian and saying:

"Brian, from today onwards, this Mage Tower will fully serve you. It can not only help you cultivate but also provide abundant magical resources and knowledge. But remember, true power comes from your effort and exploration."

Brian nodded firmly:

"Uncle, I will cherish and make full use of this Mage Tower, and not let down your expectations."

Entering the Mage Tower, Brian and Klein went together to the elemental pool on the first underground floor.

In the elemental pool, colorful magical liquid flowed slowly, emitting a rich and pure magical aura.