20demayo Chapter 10: Is that all you've got?
Chapter 10: Is that all you've got?
Luo Mu was somewhat surprised when he saw the system's error message.
This was his first failed optimization attempt.
"Um?"
As a senior architect in his previous life, he believed that the code logic he modified was absolutely perfect and closed-loop, so how could it possibly throw an error on the first run?
And it also deducted 2 points of computing power for nothing.
"Could it be that the variable calls for wind magic are different from those for fire magic? Or is some environmental prerequisite parameter missing?"
Rom frowned, squatted down in the snow, and continued to study the white magic scroll in his hand.
Now all he needs is a cup of tea, a pack of cigarettes, and a bug to fix for a whole day.
Just as he was engrossed in studying the bug, a slight noise came from the edge of the distant woods.
A figure emerged from under the large cedar tree.
Luo Mu looked up, and their eyes met.
The person looked somewhat disheveled, with messy hair covered in snowflakes, but his clothes were very exquisite.
It turned out to be Jack, the second-tier mage from the city.
"You little brat!!"
Jack was furious when he saw Rom.
Come to think of it, it's all this kid's fault.
After being humiliated and driven out of Blackrock Town yesterday, Jack was too afraid of encountering monsters because it was too late, so he could only find a dilapidated cave to hide in for the night.
As a result, he almost froze to death during a snowstorm that night.
To make matters worse, when he woke up in the morning, he discovered that all the potions and magic scrolls he always carried with him were gone.
That's a wind-element scroll, a commemorative gift from the Red Dragon City Magic Academy to outstanding graduates!
Jack was furious, and the more he thought about it, the more uneasy he felt.
He felt that a run-down place like Blackrock Town couldn't possibly hide any experts. He figured that old man Hamelin was either bluffing or using some kind of trick.
He grew angrier and angrier, and was extremely unwilling to accept it. So at daybreak, he found out where Hamerlin lived and came to get revenge.
As soon as he reached the door, he spotted Rom, who was holding his precious scroll and looking at it!
"Your name is Rom, right? So it was you, you country bumpkin, who stole my magic scroll!" Jack roared.
Romulo tucked the scroll into his coat pocket and shrugged innocently.
"So this is yours? Noble mage, I found this on the roadside in town."
"You must have dropped it when you were running away yesterday, right? I can tell you were in a hurry yesterday; the muddy footprints on your white robe aren't even dry yet."
Hearing Rom's mockery, Jack's old and new grudges surged up. Enraged, he drew his staff, pointed it at Rom, and shouted:
"You master and disciple have gone too far! Go and bring out that old swindler Hamelin to give me an explanation! Otherwise, this mage will challenge you to a duel right now!"
Luo Mu frowned slightly; it seemed this guy wasn't planning to let it go.
A duel? Rom wasn't afraid of him.
However, this was not cautious enough. Although he had the system, he had only tested the fire array and fireball, and had never engaged in a real PvP battle with a regular mage. The opponent's strength was also unknown.
Professor Hamelin is so weak that he can't even get out of bed. If a fight breaks out, it could get to the Stone House and cause trouble.
Rom was figuring out how to deal with this guy.
Suddenly, the pine forest not far away shook violently, and large swaths of snow fell.
Rom was taken aback, staring intently into the depths of the woods, and asked in a low voice, "Hey, Jack, which way did you come up the mountain just now?"
Jack noticed the unusual activity in the woods, gripped his staff tighter, and frowned. "I came from the west along the mountain path. What's wrong? Don't try to change the subject!"
"Roar—" At this moment, a chilling low roar came from the woods.
Luo Mu cursed under his breath, "You idiot, you've disturbed the sleeping magical beast!"
Before he could finish speaking, several loud "crack" sounds rang out, and several pine trees as thick as bowls were suddenly snapped in half.
Accompanied by a gust of cold wind, a giant wolf, as big as a small truck, pure white, and with a black horn on its head, pounced out of the bushes!
The giant wolf had bloodshot eyes and its four claws dug deep furrows in the snow as it stared intently at the two people at the door.
"Warcraft!!"
Jack screamed in terror, staggering back several steps, his voice trembling: "It's a [Winter Dire Wolf]!! This...this is a top-tier level 2 magical beast!"
Rom's heart was in his throat.
Rumor has it that dire wolves are cunning and bloodthirsty by nature, and usually require a well-equipped three-man mage team to deal with them in the wild. But this one has actually followed Jack all the way to his doorstep.
He was confident he could handle Jack, but he wasn't confident he could handle this direwolf.
"Hey! Rom... this dire wolf is tough to deal with!"
Jack had completely lost the toughness he had shown when he challenged the duel; his voice trembled as he said:
"You have a fire-gathering array in your house, right? Monsters are afraid of fire arrays, let's go inside first!"
However, they were still dozens of meters away from the stone house, and were currently facing off against the Ice Wolf. If they panicked and ran away, exposing their backs, it would only further provoke the monster's killing intent.
Jack quickly chanted the incantation, then suddenly spread his arms wide, striking a pose resembling the shredded meat on the bow of the Titanic.
Then, a gentle breeze appeared out of nowhere, lifting the hem of his robe.
Seeing this, Rom cursed inwardly, "You wouldn't be...?"
Jack suddenly swung his staff and shouted, "[Wind Walk]!"
"As expected..."
Two small whirlwinds rose out of thin air, and Luo Mu immediately felt his legs lighten, as if a supporting force was pushing him.
"run!"
Jack cast the Wind Walk buff on himself and Rom simultaneously.
The two exchanged a glance, then turned and ran wildly toward the stone house.
However, the Winter Dire Wolf let out a low growl, its hind legs suddenly leaping forward, transforming into a white lightning bolt, and unexpectedly leaping ahead of Jack to block the stone house, cutting off his retreat.
"So fast!" Rom was secretly surprised.
"Get out of my way! I'm a second-tier mage!"
With his escape route cut off, Jack was enraged. He wildly waved his staff, shouting, "[Wind Blade]!!"
A whistling whirlwind rose in mid-air, carrying snowflakes from the ground, forming two visible wind blades that slashed fiercely at the massive body of the Ice Wolf.
"Snapped!"
However, this seemingly imposing wind blade, when it struck the direwolf's thick fur covered in frost elements, only left two shallow bloody marks!
But this attack thoroughly enraged the monster.
The direwolf roared and leaped into the air, its massive claws, carrying a sharp, icy aura, slamming down on Jack.
Jack was so frightened that his legs went weak, and he quickly cast [Wind Shield].
But before the cyan aura shield could fully form, it was torn to shreds by the wolf's claws like paper.
Jack screamed as he was flung away by the huge wolf claws and crashed heavily into the snow.
He rolled over twice and quickly got up.
However, the dire wolf had already opened its blood-red maw, drooling as it approached him.
Jack completely broke down.
He crawled desperately backward through the snow, shouting frantically at Romu, who was standing not far away: "Romu! Don't stand there! Quickly use those high-level spell scrolls you used to ignite the great formation yesterday!! Otherwise, we'll all die here today!"
Rom stood still, watching the monster pounce on Jack, ignoring Jack's shouts, his eyes narrowing.
"A good opportunity."
He didn't chant any incantations or strike any pose.
He simply raised his right hand with utmost calmness, recalled the line of code he had optimized to its maximum level last night, and pressed Enter.
"Whoosh—"
A fireball that did not shine quietly appeared out of thin air in Rom's palm.
Rom suddenly waved his hand, and the fireball flew towards the Ice Wolf like a cannonball.
Jack lay on the ground, watching the fireball fly towards him, his heart sinking.
"Fireball?!"
"My second-tier mage's wind blades were useless, and you can only use basic fireballs to fight it? You're not even worthy of burning its fur!"
"Oh no... this kid really is a complete novice who knows nothing!"