Chess Mage of Faerûn

Chapter 468 Where is the greasy senior sister?
"Knowledge and reason are the cornerstones of power."

Facing the square stone, the monk slowly recited these words.

There was no reaction, which was not surprising to Zhang Yuan himself. He had just spoken the sentence in the common language, so it would be surprising if it could be recognized.

"Knowledge and reason are the cornerstones of power!"

The monk who recited the sentence again almost roared, not because he was excited, but because he was using the Dragon Language. The excessive throat vibrations and humming sounds made the language sound like a low growl.

However, it was of no use; the faint glow emanating from the surface of the square stone flickered almost imperceptibly.

This is a bit of a headache, as the correct pronunciation of Loros language has been largely lost, and mages can only speculate and deduce based on its shared origin with dragon language.

Combining the language of the Nessians, the nomadic people who now live in the Buffalo Desert, which has been lost and changed over thousands of years, the mage tried repeatedly, deduce almost every syllable one by one. Fortunately, the stone was somewhat accommodating, and the brightness of its flashing varied slightly with Zhang Yuan's different pronunciations.

"posture…"

"Sour and greasy..."

...

Since there is feedback, continuous trial and error becomes possible, and the success rate is much higher than that of blind men feeling their way along.

As for why Master Zhang knows Nessus, you'd have to ask Grandpa Tyrantier. The archmage, who had overheard Zhang Yuan speaking a few words in the language, didn't explain much, only saying that he had learned it during his adventures years ago.

The more casually the teacher explained it, the more Zhang Yuan felt there was something hidden. He couldn't pry into it during his studies, but when he had more free time after graduation, he couldn't help but be curious.

After all, it wasn't a secret that the Wild Buffalo Desert was part of the Netheril Ruins. During his time as the Archmage's assistant, he had taught himself some basic Nessarian, and with occasional conversational practice, although he wasn't an expert, he had grasped some of the language's basics, and his pronunciation was at least passable.

"Posture and womanhood are the technicians of sensual pleasure..."

After much effort, the lost rhyme finally escaped the mage's lips, echoing through the ancient tomb that had been silent for so long.

The inverted pyramid's stones began to tremble, and the eerie light emanating from them flickered and shimmered, as if something was gestating within them, yearning to break free from its constraints.

Suddenly, a great light shone forth, illuminating the surroundings like a light curtain, with various patterns, words, and runes floating within it, like stars in the deep sky or fish swimming in the sea.

What is this? Loros language and arcane runes?

Only a few scattered pieces of information could be barely discerned before all the light receded like the tide, returning to the square stone, and the surroundings fell silent once more.

Upon seeing this, the monk was taken aback, thinking that the effective time had expired, and was about to recite the proverb again.

"posture…"

Before the mage could finish reciting the corny incantation, a beam of light shot out from the tiny gap between the top of the inverted pyramid and the obelisk, hitting the mage squarely between the eyebrows before he could even close his mouth.

In an instant, a flood of information rushed into his mind. Whether it was an illusion or not, the monk vaguely felt a burning sensation and swelling in the area between his eyebrows where he had been exposed to the light, and for a moment his consciousness became somewhat hazy.

However, it only took a blink of an eye. Zhang Yuan quickly calmed himself, cleared his mind, and processed all the information. This wasn't too difficult, at least not for a mage with an intelligence level of 20.

After spending quite some time settling the unexpected visitor in his mind, Master Zhang finally had some free time to examine and assess the situation.

The vast amount of information is presented in a well-organized manner; the thoughtful senior expert, Drezan, even prepared a general outline and table of contents for those who come after him.

Unsurprisingly, a significant portion of the information concerned knowledge about constructs and the manufacturing process of Shadowsteel golems. This knowledge was stored in the stone and categorized into books, experimental records, and manuscripts, gradually building a golem manufacturing encyclopedia.

What delighted Zhang Yuan even more was that, in this vast ocean of knowledge, besides construct science, lay the true treasure he had longed for—the path of the arcane mage.

As I said before, the strength of a class largely depends on the current version. Given that Mystra still controls the magic network, the arcane class is not necessarily much stronger than the mage. If we have to compare them, they are only about equal.

But once times changed, and the mysterious lady fell and the magical plague broke out…

That's not just a matter of being roughly equal; it's a fundamental difference between having and not having.

Even with full confidence and the Sword Saint class as a backup plan, Master Zhang still wanted to eliminate the last bit of risk.

Moreover, learning from others can be beneficial; by examining the composition of spells from a different perspective and at a more fundamental and subtle level, one can certainly make progress on the path of arcane magic.

But that means there's just so much to study!

Spell research and experimentation, construct science, alchemy, martial arts training, swordsmanship, and the development and construction of the territory…

Even with Mr. Zhang's good appetite, he felt a chill run down his spine for a moment.

After a moment's thought, he decided to temporarily set aside construct studies and arcane arts to avoid biting off more than he could chew.

The idea of ​​a golem army is certainly enticing, but the cost is enough to shatter any illusions of a little lord still struggling to escape poverty.

But if it's just a small-scale or even isolated deployment, what's the point?

Wouldn't it be better to build more Eternal Oath Formations and permanently station a few high-level chess pieces than this lump of iron?

As for the Arcane Path, it is undoubtedly a crucial backup plan. If everything proceeds according to the timeline presented in the previous life, the fall of Mystra (Midnight) would have occurred in DR1385, which is only twenty years away from the present.

Twenty years is indeed a long life journey for ordinary people, but what is it for seekers of the Way who walk the path of mystery?
It might be enough to help a clever and quick-witted apprentice grow into a successful young talent, a rising star in the eyes of his peers;

Perhaps this will allow middle-aged mages, who are already past their prime and have wasted their lives, to break through their bottlenecks and explore the deeper mysteries of the magic network.

But no spellcaster could be certain that in just twenty years they could rise from a mere tenth level to the next, crossing more than ten levels of increasing difficulty, or even perform miracles like an epic figure, breaking through the pinnacle of mortals, becoming a legend, and transcending the ordinary.

Zhang Yuan dared not, not out of a lack of confidence. Having come this far, he had no doubt about his talent and potential, nor had he wavered in the slightest about his future path.

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(End of this chapter)