Chapter Forty: Ineffectiveness and Immunity

When he heard Antinoa’s words, Zhao Xu’s face revealed a trace of astonishment.

Hit her?

How could it be so easy?

Zhao Xu was merely a level 1 mage—how could he possibly hope to strike Antinoa with a first-level spell?

He didn’t act rashly; instead, he raised his guard, his entire demeanor reflecting utmost vigilance as he watched her intently.

Had there been an audience present, they might well have mistaken him for the one on the defensive.

Antinoa looked at Zhao Xu and nodded slightly, seemingly satisfied with his caution.

“You needn’t worry. Here’s the rule: with each attack you make, whatever means I use to defend myself, I won’t use that same method again.”

Her words echoed around the circular arena.

She won’t use the same defense twice.

“What about saving throws?” Zhao Xu pressed.

Many negative spells only take effect if the target fails their saving throw—be it Fortitude, Reflex, or Will.

Antinoa, with her innate high level, naturally had formidable resistance to such effects—far beyond what a novice like Zhao Xu could hope to overcome.

“We’re not wagering on whether the spell takes effect. If you can even force me to roll a save, I’ll count that as a hit.”

At this, Zhao Xu realized Antinoa wasn’t here simply to demonstrate her overwhelming power.

She wanted him to experience firsthand just how many defenses a high-level mage could muster against an opponent’s assault.

With that realization, Zhao Xu’s excitement and anxiety faded away.

Suddenly, Antinoa seemed to remember something. “Also, you just cast a first-level spell, and now you only have one more first-level spell left. For fairness’ sake, here—this is a scroll for the Magic Missile you just used.”

A scroll arced gracefully through the air and landed squarely in Zhao Xu’s palm.

He grasped it and drew a deep breath.

Now, he had three zero-level spell slots, one first-level spell slot, and a scroll of Magic Missile.

Gradually, as his breath evened out, Zhao Xu shed all thoughts and emotions that might cloud his mind; all concerns over gain and loss vanished.

He focused intently on Antinoa, who stood a few meters away.

For a fleeting moment, he almost felt as if Antinoa had begun casting a spell.

He blinked rapidly, but saw nothing.

Among the eight great schools of magic—Abjuration, Evocation, Conjuration, Necromancy, Illusion, Transmutation, Enchantment, and Divination—Zhao Xu’s zero-level spells covered all, but he had only six first-level spells.

His options for hitting Antinoa were limited.

Taking a deep breath, Zhao Xu reached into his components pouch and grabbed a pinch of powder—red, yellow, and blue grains mixed together.

He clutched the spell components and raised his hand, chanting the incantation.

Color Spray!

A dazzling spray of rainbow light fanned out in a cone before him.

The spell, which required only a standard action to cast, was completed almost instantly—quicker, even, than it took him to gather the materials.

A cone nearly five meters in radius swept forward, enveloping Antinoa within its area.

Though Antinoa was already above level 20, with more than 20 hit dice, Color Spray remained a classic precisely because, even against creatures with 5 HD or more, if it took effect, it could still stun them for a round.

And to be unable to act for a round meant losing nearly all defenses—such is the tyranny of the “stunned” condition.

Yet, as the colors faded, Antinoa remained utterly unmoved, as if nothing of consequence had occurred.

“Spell resistance. It blocked your spell outright. I’ll waive spell resistance for the next round—go on.”

Antinoa’s words were calm, as if nothing had happened at all.

Zhao Xu shook his head, trying to clear his thoughts.

Spell resistance and saving throws are the twin pillars of spell defense in Arthur’s magic—most spells meant to control or harm must first overcome spell resistance, then the saving throw, before taking effect.

But spell resistance is usually reserved for monsters or non-human races; humans have no natural spell resistance.

It seemed Antinoa had cast a spell to grant herself resistance before the duel began.

Or perhaps she had it from the moment she appeared.

Zhao Xu wasted no time. He grabbed the scroll Antinoa had handed him and recited its incantation.

A bolt of magical energy formed in his palm and shot toward Antinoa.

He was already well-practiced in casting this spell.

Magic Missile must overcome spell resistance, but ignores saving throws.

Yet right before his eyes, just as the missile was about to reach Antinoa, an invisible wall seemed to coalesce before her. The missile vanished, not even so much as stirring the hem of her robe.

“A level-four spell: Lesser Globe of Invulnerability. It blocks spells of level one to three. I’ll waive this defense for your next attempt—proceed.”

At last, Zhao Xu understood the overwhelming countermeasures a high-level mage had against low-level spells.

With such a barrier, Antinoa could remain untouchable until he reached level seven and could cast fourth-level spells.

But Zhao Xu did not lose heart or utter words of surrender.

He refocused, analyzing Antinoa, considering what options remained.

Having used both his first-level spells, including the scroll, he was left with just three zero-level spells.

That meant three more chances.

With renewed determination, Zhao Xu began chanting another spell.

Acid Splash!

A tiny orb of acid formed in his palm and shot toward Antinoa.

This cantrip could hit creatures at short range, dealing 1d3 acid damage. It required neither a saving throw nor overcoming spell resistance.

But spells with a projectile trajectory required a ranged touch attack roll—so just like any projectile, Zhao Xu’s acid orb could be avoided or deflected by the target’s defenses.

Yet Antinoa remained motionless, and as the acid orb neared her, it abruptly veered aside.

It splattered harmlessly upon the ground, with a faint hiss.

The arena’s surface, magically reinforced, instantly repaired the small pit left by the acid.

Antinoa seemed as though she had never been the spell’s target at all.

“Impossible,” Zhao Xu murmured.

If the acid orb had simply vanished, he’d have had no questions.

But for it to veer away?

“A level-four spell: Ray Deflection. It grants immunity to ranged touch attacks, including ray spells and ray-like attacks. I’ll waive this defense for your next attempt—go on.”

Hearing this, Zhao Xu could only concede her superiority.

She didn’t even need to make a roll—she was simply immune.

Her final words were a gentle warning not to bother with ray-type spells again.

Zhao Xu realized he was sweating, a bead poised to fall. Antinoa’s calm, almost passive stance exerted a crushing pressure on him.

Suddenly, inspiration struck.

He wiped away a drop of sweat, smoothed it in his palm, using it as a material component to cast “Touch of Fatigue.”

As the spell completed, bluish light gathered in his hand.

Zhao Xu charged forward—if he failed to touch Antinoa within a round, the spell would dissipate.

As he closed in, reaching out to touch her, he swung his arm toward Antinoa.

She was immune to ranged touch attacks.

But what about a melee touch attack?