Virtual World: Close Combat Mage
chapter-29

Chapter 29 - Repeating Fireball

Luo Luo held on to her own glass and walked toward Gu Fei and Fireball’s table.

“Is it alright if I join you?” Luo Luo said as she indicated the empty seat next to their table.

Fireball was very excited. Every time he sat with Gu Fei, they would take up two seats out of the possible three or four, leaving one or two seats empty to create such an opportunity.

Gu Fei felt rather surprised by her question. He had initially thought that the lady only greeted them out of courtesy, yet she unexpectedly asked to sit with them. Gu Fei naturally was not an inhospitable person so he nodded, “Go ahead!”

“My name’s Ruthless Falling Flowers1,” Luo Luo introduced herself as she sat down.

“That’s a nice name,” Gu Fei complimented.

“Is that the only way you know how to praise others?” Luo Luo snickered at Gu Fei.

Gu Fei felt embarrassed once he recalled how his flippant use of the sentence back then had caused that hot-tempered lady Lie Lie to send a fist his way.

“What’s your name?” Luo Luo asked Fireball gracefully.

Fireball stared at her for quite a while before he covered his face and wept.

“What’s up with him?” Luo Luo was perplexed.

Gu Fei tried his best to hold back his laughter, “He’s called…” He didn’t finish his sentence, but rather dipped his finger into his wine and wrote the name on the table.

“Oh, Fireball” Luo Luo laughed as well.

Fireball reflexively tensed up, yet Luo Luo simply laughed and said, “Don’t worry, I’m not a Mage.”

Fireball heaved a sigh of relief. He immediately livened up and began unloading his misery to Luo Luo, telling her all the troubles the name had brought him. The way he said it seemed as if the burden of his name was so severe that it had formed a shadow in his heart, and that only a truly powerful surge of emotions, such as getting to know a lady like herself, could remove this shade.

Seeing that Fireball no longer cared to discuss with him regarding guild matters, Gu Fei simply chuckled as he stood up and said, “Keep chatting you two. I’m taking my leave first.”

“Go ahead! Bye!” Fireball thanked Gu Fei’s perceptiveness.

“Wait!” Luo Luo stood up, causing Fireball to feel as if he had fallen into a frozen cellar.

Gu Fei turned back to look at her.

“I’ve got something for you,” Luo Luo said.

“What is it?”

Luo Luo took out a small emblem from her pocket. It had a circular shape and a white background. The drawing was similar to the signage exuding a faint purple glow that could be seen hanging outside B17 on Charlotte Street.

“What’s this?”

“Guild emblem. Everyone in the guild has one,” Luo Luo explained.

“Ah? Drunk bro, you joined a guild? What guild is it? Why didn’t you mention it before?” Fireball already fired off all these questions with great intensity before Gu Fei could even speak a word.

“Ah! This… Actually, it’s a mistake. I’ll only stay in this guild for no more than a few days,” Gu Fei said.

“That’s not true,” Luo Luo laughed, “Xiaoqi doesn’t exactly dislike you. She might convince the rest of the ladies to accept having a male player in the guild.”

“Ladies? Male player?” Fireball muttered before suddenly asking, “What’s your guild name?”

“It’s the guild you were telling me about: Amethyst Rebirth,” Gu Fei said apologetically. Pain filled his heart as he sought for Fireball’s forgiveness.

Fireball suddenly sprung up and earnestly looked at Luo Luo and Gu Fei, loudly saying, “Sister Luo, since you don’t mind one, surely you wouldn’t mind two. I am Drunk bro’s junior; I’m like his shadow, so wherever he goes, I go as well. No one could separate us two brothers.”

Gu Fei felt embarrassed. He really wanted to declare to everyone that he did not know this man.

Luo Luo giggled impassively, “One more only makes two, so I don’t really mind.”

Fireball was elated.

“It's a pity that I have no say in this,” Luo Luo added.

Fireball was on the verge of tears.

Gu Fei, on the other hand, gazed at the emblem that Luo Luo had placed on the table and said after a pause, “There’s no need to complicate things. I’ll just leave once you girls find a suitable person.”

“If that’s the case, so be it.” Luo Luo retrieved the emblem from the table.

Fireball was very bewildered as he stared at Gu Fei. He emotionally said, “Drunk bro, don’t do that. Since you’ve been given the chance, you shouldn’t just give up! You don’t have to care about my feelings.”

“You two can keep chatting, I’m leaving first,” Gu Fei didn’t even look at him as he turned around to leave.

Fireball carried on shouting, “Drunk bro, I understand your feelings. From here on, I’ve already decided! You’ll be my brother FOREVER!”

Gu Fei could no longer bear the crowd’s look of amusement as if they were watching a comedy duo’s live performance. He abruptly spun, raised his right hand, and hollered, “SHUT UP! Repeating Fireball! Fire!”

“Ah!” all the bar customers called out in shock.

Repeating Fireball was a level 30 Mage spell after all.

Despite Parallel World’s setting adjustment and the lowering of the experience points needed to ascend to level 30, some of the players did not reach that level yet. This was especially the case for Mages who were known for having a more difficult time gaining levels in the game’s early stages.

None of the players in the tavern had seen a level 30 Mage before, not to mention the level 30 spell. Hence, everyone was staring at the scene unblinkingly. In this virtual reality game, high attack, speed, or defense could not be compared to the coolness of a Mage chanting and releasing a spell. Many players only realized this after personally experiencing the game. Thus, for countless nights, many players cried into their pillows, “How wonderful would it have been if I had chosen a Mage job class back then....”

Gu Fei was probably the only person who regretted being a Mage in Parallel World.

The annoyed Mage aimed at Fireball and released the spell for the first time. Gu Fei might be the only Mage as well that got to level 30 without using spells all the time.

The crowd became filled with anticipation except for Fireball who was flustered and absolutely clueless. However, Repeating Fireball had yet to appear.

“What’s going on?” Gu Fei shook his finger with doubt. Magic could clearly be released with just bare hands; a magic staff only increased the damage of a spell, and incantations were not needed to be said either!

The players, originally preparing for a breathtaking performance, all jeered. They thought that the person must have not reached level 30 yet and was simply shouting out the spell to scare others.

Just when people lowered their guard, a flaming dragon left Gu Fei’s fingertip and explosively shot out in a stream, causing even him to feel frightened.

“F*ck, that’s a really long casting time!” Some rather quick-witted players already figured out what had happened.

The flaming dragon quickly circled and formed into a string of fireballs as it flew toward Fireball and bombarded him.

“Ahhh!” Fireball was enveloped in flames under the shocked gasp of the crowd.

The tavern became still and quiet. In half a beat, a series of wracking coughs broke the silence.

“That hurts like hell!” Fireball yelled as he wiped his face with his hands, which was now streaked with black soot.

“Eh?” everyone was astonished, “What trash damage! This guy’s nothing after all.” Although Mages were known for having the weakest physique in-game, the damage they could deal was staggering. Everyone knew that the level 30 spell could normally instantly destroy any opponent, unless the opponent had plenty of health or had equipment with high magic resistance.

Unlike Gu Fei who wore mismatched outfit, the others could easily identify that Fireball was a Mage from his attire. A Mage did not possess high HP in Parallel World.

“Does that person have high magic resistance gear?” someone asked doubtfully.

An expert with Appraisal quickly said, “Nope. He’s wearing common-grade equipment.”

Everyone’s attention therefore shifted toward Gu Fei.

Based on the current analysis, Mages would focus their stat points on to Intelligence and Spirit. These two attributes affected a Mage’s magic damage, casting time, and magic proficiency. Intelligence especially influenced damage and proficiency, whereas Spirit mainly influenced the casting time. A recent rumor even claimed that once Spirit reached a certain threshold, the cool-down time of the skill would be reduced.

In this case, Gu Fei displayed a long-casting time as well as a low magic damage.

Everyone could only feel their suspicions accumulate. How could such a Mage manage to survive and get to level 30?

“It must be because they’re friends, so the other one held back,” some player quietly analyzed.

“You’re right. Look, he’s not even carrying a magic staff.”

“But how did he have such a long-casting time?”

“Hey. Didn’t he add a few words before he casted the spell?”

“Uh-huh, it went like ‘Shut up!’”

“Could it be a hidden incantation that extends a spell’s casting time?” someone excitedly asked.

“Let’s go and try it out.” Many Mages got up and hurriedly left the tavern. After a bit, various shouts of “Shut up! XXX spell!” traveled back to the tavern from outside that gradually went away.

Gu Fei had also recovered at this moment. He felt that he was rather rash a while ago.

“You, alright? Fire… What’s-His-Name?” Gu Fei asked.

“I’m fine!” Fireball declared loudly, “Drunk bro, don’t mind it. We’re brothers after all! I won’t get angry no matter what you do.”

“Alright. I’ll take my leave, then!” Gu Fei could not stand Fireball’s antics anymore.

“Can you still leave?” a voice came from behind Gu Fei.

Gu Fei turned and saw a heavily armored Warrior; a sense of foreboding instantaneously filled him.

“It’s you!” Gu Fei laughed, recognizing the Warrior that had helped him with his burlap sack.

The female Warrior’s eyes were icy cold. Her right hand suddenly moved. Gu Fei had long expected the attack and he swiftly escaped outside while dodging it.

“Don’t you dare run!” The female Warrior brandished her huge axe and chased after him. Everyone from the tavern quickly followed the two.

Gu Fei did not run off very far and was actually standing just outside the tavern. His hand now held a weapon like his opponent. The crowd was shocked at the sight of the sword in his hand as they knew very well that he was a level 30 Mage.

“Lady, what happened? Let’s slowly talk this over,” Gu Fei earnestly said, albeit he did not let his guard down. Just from their exchange from back before, it was easy to see that this woman had a very careless yet stubborn personality.

Once she decided on something, she would go ahead and do it, just like when she decided to help him carry the burlap sack.

At the moment, she wanted to use that axe to cleave him in two. Since that was her intention, she would naturally act upon it. Why would she speak to him any further? For her to speak once more, Gu Fei would have to wait for her to relieve her anger by hacking him.

The woman truly did not listen to Gu Fei’s words and just swung her axe as she closed in on him.

Gu Fei dodged the blow and reciprocated by cutting toward her arm with a reverse swing.

Clang! Gu Fei’s heart froze for half a beat when he heard that sound.

The way the strike vibrated through his arm told him without a doubt that his sword did not even scratch the woman’s armor.

Gu Fei’s Mage body had no Attack Power to begin with; the damage he could deal came purely from the weapon he held. Now that he had Eddie’s Emblem, his Strength helped add a few more points to his Attack Power. Nonetheless, the fact that he was a physically weak Mage did not change. The extra 6 stat points to Strength that his Mage body had acquired was still not a match for a Strength-based Warrior.

Hence, penetrating the Warrior’s strong defense was not doable even with the combination of his 6 stat points of Strength and the common-grade weapon’s damage.

Gu Fei truly had no way of causing any amount of damage to this heavily armored Warrior.