I was an apprentice in Ferren

Chapter 43 Practical Exercise
"True talent can't be erased by hard work. The gap between people is actually bigger than the gap between a person and a dog." DuPont murmured softly as he lay on the bed, opened the window and looked at the white clouds in the sky outside, then closed his eyes.

He suddenly felt very tired and wanted to take a break.

Anyway, it won't make a difference if we do it this time.

Once his financial crisis is over, he will try to get more part-time jobs and raise his intelligence to 20 as soon as possible. Then he will come back and give these apprentices a good slap in the face!

With the major concerns on his mind, and listening to the cooing of the turtledoves by the window, DuPont felt surprisingly calm and soon fell asleep.

He's been staying up late a lot these past few days and got up early today, so he needs to sleep in to make up for the lost energy.
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"Apprentices, thank the Magic Lady and the elders of the Harua Council. If we go back 10 years, you might have had to eat a whole dried spider to cast Spiderwalker, but now you only need a 10-gold staff as an arcane artifact."

The instructor for the staff combat class was a burly man whose solid muscles were in no way inferior to those of a barbarian, and whose voice, even without amplification, was loud enough for hundreds of apprentices and new students to hear.

"Besides replacing most spellcasting materials, staves are also a powerful weapon when facing enemies at close range. Against weaker goblin kobolds, staves can be used for chopping and sweeping, and the sharper handles can be used as spearheads to stab enemies. There is a school called Battle Mage who will plate their staves with adamantite or other precious metals to improve the quality of the staves and teach those enemies who think that mages are weak and easy to bully a lesson."

"However, in my opinion, mages should try to keep their distance from the enemy. Many mages can only calmly analyze the battlefield situation and release the most appropriate magic in a sufficiently safe environment. Once you get into close combat, even if you are not at a disadvantage, it will be difficult for you to cast spells under the enemy's melee threat, let alone support your teammates to relieve the pressure on the battlefield. Therefore, keeping safe and not being reckless is the best strategy for mages in a team. The second-circle spell, Shadowstep, is also one of the skills that all mages must learn."

"But does that mean staff combat isn't important? No! If you can't use staff combat, you'll definitely panic when enemies get close. A smart mage will use their weapon to block enemy attacks while activating a shield spell, giving teammates enough time to support you. Otherwise, if you don't have a spell slot or don't know how to use the Shadow Step, then you'll almost certainly face certain death!"

"Besides close combat, a staff is also a good choice for scouting. Whether in the mountains or in the dungeon, having a staff ahead to scout the way will greatly increase your chances of survival. Otherwise, if you get caught in a bear trap and break your leg, you'll be lucky to escape quickly."

"A hundred words are not as good as one action! Now let me demonstrate with this orc two-handed warrior."

After the mentor finished speaking, he picked up his steel staff. When he lifted the staff with his right hand, the bulging muscles on his right arm reminded DuPont of Lu Zhishen from the old Water Margin.

This steel staff must weigh at least thirty or forty pounds. Even the sledgehammer he uses in the training ground isn't this heavy. How can this person lift it with one hand and still use it in actual combat?
This terrifying power is enough to make someone like Ga Zi wield a door panel sword.

The orc warrior he was practicing with was also muscular, with a face full of fleshy muscles and two beast teeth protruding from his mouth. The halberd in his hand reflected a cold light under the sunlight.

The two sides were 30 yards apart. With a command, the mage had already cast the Bull's Might on himself. Facing the halberd thrusting towards him, he calmly cast a shield spell. The powerful transparent shield touched the tip of the halberd, making a teeth-grinding sound, but the shield did not move at all, and did not even show any signs of breaking.

Many apprentices watching were amazed: This is a shield spell that has been upgraded several levels, yet it can withstand the full force of a half-orc warrior's attack.
Just then, the instructor seized the opportunity when the opponent had exhausted their old strength and hadn't yet generated new strength, and slammed his staff directly into the opponent's face. Fast, accurate, and ruthless!
A single blow to the head knocked him unconscious, even with his orcish physique. However, with the church's help, he quickly awoke under the divine magic cast by Angie.

The combat instructor continued, "Of course, it's difficult to use this technique in actual combat. To accurately hit the enemy's head, you need not only a steady hand but also speed. If you don't have enough explosive power, you'll easily be parried, leaving you unarmed and exposed with considerable weaknesses. Those combat professionals won't miss this opportunity."

After the instructor and the orc took their positions again, their performance this time was unremarkable: they started with a shield spell, then perfectly parried two attacks from the orc by waving their staff, and used the gap in the warrior's sword swing to use the Shadow Step, instantly teleporting their bodies 10 meters away.

Ten meters is not a long distance for a formal combatant, but it is a fatal distance in the eyes of an expert.

The orc roared with his sword drawn, and the terrifying roar made many apprentices with poor mental fortitude turn pale. However, the combat instructor was not afraid at all. When the two were only two meters apart, his staff shot out a silver-white ray. After hitting the orc warrior, he stood there dumbfounded, touching this and that, as if this was not a competition but waiting for a meal.

This isn't a script, but a fourth-circle bewitching spell: Confusion. Upon hitting an enemy, there's an 80% chance they'll forget what they were supposed to do, their mind going blank, and there's also a chance they'll randomly attack their own allies.

In this state, as long as the user does not actively attack the target, the target will most likely be controlled for several tens of seconds.

"Even if you don't know the Confusion spell, Charming a human is a good option when facing combatants, but this spell is too low-level and not very versatile. Second-level spells like Blindness can produce a similar effect. Of course, if you don't even know second-level spells, I don't recommend you take the risk, because then you'll really have to rely on your own combat skills when facing enemy ambushes, and as we all know, mages aren't very good at that."

Many people laughed upon hearing the instructor's words, and one apprentice even asked, "And what about you, instructor?"

"I am a battle mage, and my main spells are divination, protection, and control. I'm not very good at other spells." The instructor smiled kindly. "To follow my path, you need a certain level of physical fitness, but more importantly, you need mental fortitude. When you go on adventures or serve as a military mage in battle, you'll know that being able to stay calm and focused at all times is the most important and also the most difficult thing. Otherwise, when the situation is dire and you are surrounded by the enemy, some mentally fragile mages may go blank and forget their spells. This is also the main reason why the mortality rate of apprentice mages is relatively high."

"Of course, if the situation is really critical, and you don't dare to gamble on whether the charmed human can control the other party or if the other party is not a humanoid creature at all, then retreating a few steps after the stealth step and releasing the invisibility spell is also the correct approach. Hide and wait for your allies to deal with the enemy, and then strike when the opportunity is right. However, if the team suffers additional casualties as a result, then we, as the spellcasters, may have to bear some responsibility."

"Is there any way to avoid this kind of thing?" DuPont asked the question, discovering that this instructor was actually willing to teach real skills.

This is a rare and wonderful opportunity.

(End of this chapter)