Chapter 349: Chapter 348: Tomb Exploration Again Chapter 349: Chapter 348: Tomb Exploration Again Several days had passed in the blink of an eye.

Richard had finished making and modifying the new Magic Rune Rings, two in total–No. 3 Ring and No. 4 Ring.

If the function of No. 1 Ring was to strengthen oneself and the function of No. 2 Ring was to weaken the enemy, then the No. 3 Ring was focused on long-range, single-target spell attacks.

Richard had inscribed two Zero-Circle High-Order Spells on the No. 3 Ring by using the overlay method of low-level magic. Although the power was not as great as First Circle Magic, it had the advantages of requiring very little mana, releasing quickly, and allowing continuous casting, which created an effect like a barrage of magic.

The two Zero-Circle High-Order Spells were Chain Explosion and Cold Ice Fragments.

Chain Explosion, a type of Shape Energy Fire Magic, operates by triggering unstable Fire Element energy to create powerful explosions, which can be considered a weaker version of a Hand Grenade. A single explosion is weak, but under conscious control, the explosions can be triggered continuously. To exaggerate a bit, as long as one has sufficient magic and strength, Chain Explosion could continue indefinitely–ten chains, a hundred chains, a thousand chains, even ten thousand chains!

For now, however, Richard was most skilled with Double Ring Explosion–using the first explosion to effectively break the target’s defense, then the second explosion to inflict damage on the target.

If the target was strong, one could consider increasing the number of chains in the explosion to Triple Chain Explosion or Quadruple Chain Explosion, or even repeatedly releasing Double Ring Explosions. After all, while magic is rigid, practitioners are flexible–adapt to situations unpredictably and apply it flexibly.

Besides Chain Explosion, another spell was called Cold Ice Fragments.

Cold Ice Fragments, a type of Shape Energy Water Ice Branch Magic, operates by producing extremely cold ice, causing the ice shards to hit the target, inflicting puncture and freezing damage.

Similar to “Chain Explosion,” this too was a spell that could be “chained,” where the number of “chains” largely depended on the size of the ice produced.

Following No. 3 Ring was the No. 4 Ring.

Richard’s intention for No. 4 Ring was for area-effect spells, specifically for dealing with large groups of enemies. Due to limited time, Richard had only inscribed two spells, Greasy Swamp and Winter is Coming.

These spells, aiming to reduce the loss of Free Energy during casting, also utilized the layering of low-level magic to achieve the power of First Circle Magic. After all, when facing large groups, less powerful spells wouldn’t achieve the desired effects.

Greasy Swamp, a type of Shape Energy Water Acid Branch Rocnas School Magic, was rather obscure, but Richard saw its usefulness. It could rapidly generate a vast area of incredibly greasy, viscous liquid to delay and bind the enemy’s advance. Moreover, this liquid was flammable, and in combination with Fire Magic, it could certainly provide a nasty surprise to the ensnared enemies.

Winter is Coming was a type of Shape Energy Water Ice Branch Magic, which, compared to Greasy Swamp, seemed less distinctive. It merely created a cold zone, massively lowering the temperature across a wide area. However, under special conditions, its effects were not to be underestimated and it could even affect Greasy Swamp.

In extreme cases, if Greasy Swamp was uncontrollably ignited or swallowed allies, then using Winter is Coming to cool and extinguish the flames of Greasy Swamp and solidify the liquid could be the key to rescuing people.

Besides crafting the two Magic Rune Rings, Richard had also studied some other spells and did quite a bit of meticulous work, developing what could be considered a comprehensive combat plan. He felt that if nothing unexpected occurred, this second exploration of the tomb would definitely complete the investigation and clarify what secrets the White Stone Tower and the Black Spirit King hid.

With that thought, Richard set out.

…
Late at night.

On the outskirts of White Stone City, Richard appeared in a sinister and eerie graveyard.

He easily located the grave of Alex’s ancestors and cast “Control Earth and Stone” to crack open the ground, revealing a descending passage which Richard then stepped into.

Following the passage down into the underground corridor, Richard didn’t release “Phosphorus Fire” for illumination; instead, his lips were slightly parted, and a faint crimson light glowed from his eyes.

This was a new spell he had just learned.

Through this spell, Richard had obtained night vision. The pitch-black view changed, and the scenes in the corridor were displayed on his retina in a unique way, quickly transmitting to his brain.

Transformational Construction Magic, Zero-Circle High Order, Dark Vision!

After slightly adjusting to this new way of viewing the world, Richard cautiously moved forward, carefully sensing for any beetles.

After walking along the corridor for a while and finding no beetles, Richard’s eyes flickered and he stopped, starting to continuously cast “Control Earth and Stone” around the corridor.

He had learned this Zero-Circle Magic long ago. Originally, in the forests of Cuijin Kingdom, to excavate tunnels and retrieve the crystal skull, he had used this specific spell to create holes in the rock walls and fill them with liquid oxygen explosives for blasting.

The mechanism of this spell was very simple: it forcibly shaped materials–what was originally round could be shaped into square, and what was originally volumetric could be shaped flat. The hardness of the materials determined the amount of mana used.

Compared to reshaping stone, transforming the mud in the corridor was extremely mana-efficient, and by casting in the way of an Apocalypse Wizard using free energy elements instead of mana, the cost was incredibly low. This allowed him to work on a large scale, transforming the entire corridor as desired.

In fact, the transformation he performed was simple: he widened and reinforced the corridor, then piled up the excess mud at a fixed location to form an extremely narrow checkpoint that barely allowed a body to pass through. These large-scale transformations were carried out three times in succession, making the entire corridor look like a misshapen three-section gourd.

“Whew–”
After completing the transformation project, Richard let out a long sigh and stepped out of the corridor, arriving at the place where his first tomb exploration had come to a halt–the first great hall.

As soon as he stepped into the great hall, Richard heard a “rustling” sound.

With previous experience, Richard knew this was a small batch of beetles that had detected his intrusion, but they posed little danger.

Sure enough, before long the rustling sound grew louder, and a group of over ten beetles, the weakest type with completely black bodies, burst out from under the loosened ground.

Richard glanced over and, feeling no inclination to use a spell, he took out a great sword from his Space Iron Ring and started hacking wildly, quickly dealing with the black beetles.

After dispatching the first batch of beetles, Richard did not rush to move forward; he stayed in place, patiently waiting, and soon enough, a new rustling sound emerged.

Moments later, the second batch of Double Silver Striped Beetles burst from the ground of the great hall.