The moment the magic circle faded, Lyle immediately turned his attention to the description of "Spell Ascension."
The information was incomplete, but based on what he'd seen and what his instincts told him, he finally pieced together how the enhancement worked.
"Used up 110 mana in one breath... Lucky I didn't try casting something even higher-tier. Not that I could."
Feeling nearly drained, a cold sweat crept down his back. But then, as he noticed the newly acquired spell shimmering faintly in his mind, he couldn't help the corner of his mouth twitching in amusement.
"So... self-replicating magic, huh? Neat trick."
The key was clear now: Spell Ascension could only elevate spells he already knew.
Take "Lesser Healing", for example - a Tier 1 spell. By enhancing it two levels, he'd effectively cast "Major Healing", a Tier 3 spell.
So, no - he couldn't just pull higher-tier magic out of thin air. The enhancement had to follow a logical progression.
Stepping out of the ritual circle, Lyle approached Sukyu Juju and raised his left hand, where the Orb of Death glowed ominously in his palm. He held it aloft, casting a soft glow over the lizardman's bloodied face.
A small magic circle bloomed in his hand. A gentle white light enveloped Sukyu Juju, mending his broken flesh with a slow, deliberate grace.
"Finally figured it out," Lyle muttered as the healing took effect.
He glanced at the status screen - yet another spell had been learned. He smiled, satisfied.
Since he'd now unlocked "Major Healing", there was no point mastering "Moderate Healing" separately. Efficiency, after all, was key.
Still, this new enhancement spell came with limitations. For example, his humble Fireball had no higher-tier variant. So even with Magic Ascension, it remained stubbornly unimpressive.
[Orb of Death: 280 → 210/280]
"Seventy mana," Lyle whistled, eyebrows raised. "That's a ridiculous price tag."
Fifty mana for the enhancement alone - and double the original spell's cost? If a ritual was involved, the total cost quadrupled.
At that rate, Magic Ascension was more of a trump card than a regular spell - which explained why the old lizard priest had dismissed it as impractical. Especially during live combat, ritual casting was a nightmare.
It also opened up a backdoor to accessing higher-tier magic. For instance, if he applied Arcane Elevation to Tier 4: Papermancy, he could effectively simulate a Tier 5 version. And if done repeatedly, he could eventually solidify it and learn the new spell, saving a skill point in the process.
Not a bad deal at all.
Even more promising, he had already learned Tier 5: Resurrection. That meant, using Spell Ascension in conjunction with a proper ritual, he could attempt the Tier 7: True Revival spell and potentially acquire it.
Unfortunately, Resurrection demanded a caster level between 43 and 49. Lyle wasn't quite there yet.
"More than I expected," Lyle said aloud, watching Suque Juju slowly regain consciousness under the effects of dual healing spells.
He cast a glance at the barghest nearby.
The hound understood. It trotted forward and raised a massive paw - then slammed it down on Sukyu Juju's skull.
The lizardman's head bounced off the dirt floor. Lights out - again.
"Draw the entire ritual circle for me," Lyle said, turning to the old lizard priest with a smile as if he hadn't just casually concussed someone.
He handed over a sheet of long-lasting enchanted parchment from his inventory.
The ritual circle had been intricate - too much for him to reproduce on memory alone.
Copying it perfectly wasn't important. He just needed a working replica. After all, he could always learn by... well, copying the shape and winging it. Trial and error worked fine for him.
Best let the old priest sketch it out while he still had a pulse.
By the time the priest had finished drawing the entire sigil, albeit in a shrunken format, the sun had dipped below the horizon.
Lyle carefully rolled the parchment and the accompanying scroll, slipping both into his item chest.
"Thanks for your help."
His hands closed around the old priest's neck and twisted sharply. The crack of vertebrae echoed across the clearing.
With one foot, Lyle nudged the unconscious Sukyu Juju and slung him over his shoulder. He exited the wooden hut, then casually set it ablaze.
His voice was calm. The fire danced behind him, casting long shadows as night fell.
Once Sukyu Juju came to again, Lyle wasted no time. One "All Racial Charm" spell later, the lizardman was obedient as a puppy.
Through him, Lyle learned the location of two nearby tribes:
Both were far stronger than the Small Fang Tribe they'd just crushed.
The Green Claw Tribe wielded the artifact weapon "Frost Pain", while the Dragon Tusk Tribe possessed another relic: "The Great Wine Pot."
In terms of military might, Green Claw had over 120 lizard warriors, double the strength of the Fang Tribe and five priest-casters.
Dragon Tusk's forces were similar in number, but they had only two priests. More importantly, their current chieftain wasn't particularly powerful.
Apparently, their original leader had lost a duel two years ago and had since gone off on a pilgrimage for strength.
Meaning? The Dragonfang Tribe was the weaker target.
The crescent moon spilled a faint silver glow over the darkened land.
Within the Dragon Tusk encampment, silence ruled. Only two lizard warriors guarded the wooden gate - barely awake, leaning against posts, heads nodding.
From the darkness, Sukyu Juju and the barghest emerged. Silent. Focused.
High above them, Lyle floated, suspended mid-air by a hovering spell. He surveyed the camp like a god observing mortals from his throne.
"Let's begin," he murmured.
He raised both hands. A magic scroll unfurled in each palm.
Light exploded from the scrolls.
Two blazing Flame Archangels materialized in the night sky, bathed in sacred, white-hot fire.
They drew flaming swords and dove downwards like twin meteors.
Below, Sukyu Juju and the hound locked eyes with the gate guards.
Sukyu Juju's slingshot snapped up.
Two small stones, enchanted and deadly, rocketed forward.
Both guards crumpled, their skulls split open before they could so much as scream.