Anser lightly tapped the cluster of nebulae. The nebula burst apart, and ten shooting stars of differing shapes and colors shot outward, each trailing a small tail as they lightly circled around him in flight.
Two of them were relatively bright, while the remaining eight were comparatively dim.
"This is the projection of my Metamagic within my mind." A trace of realization rose within him.
Counting one Metamagic per level, at 4th level he should be able to select four Metamagic options. But he had already mastered two—did those count toward the total?
The rules were somewhat vague, so he decided to prioritize the important ones first.
There were ten Metamagic options in total: Careful Spell, Distant Spell, Empowered Spell, Extended Spell, Heightened Spell, Quickened Spell, Seeking Spell, Subtle Spell, Transmuted Spell, and Twinned Spell.
He selected Heightened Spell without the slightest hesitation. Only it and Quickened Spell required the expenditure of two sorcery points; all the others cost just one, a clear indication of its potency.
Heightened Spell was different from upcasting. It did not increase a spell's raw power; instead, it used the suppressive force of a higher-level spell to impose disadvantage on the target's saving throw, effectively increasing the spell's saving throw difficulty by three to five points and raising the success rate by roughly twenty-five percent.
Its enhancement to control-type spells was enormous—such as Hold Person, petrification spells, and the like.
Just like that Shadow Thief earlier today: his Wisdom was very high, and he likely possessed similar feats as well, making Hold Person difficult to land. If Anser had had Heightened Spell, restraining the opponent would have been a high-probability outcome.
He pondered for a moment, then selected Distant Spell as well—the one that doubled a spell's range. The farther away, the safer.
Another shooting star lit up, but the other shooting stars did not disappear.
"Four—nice."
He decisively selected Seeking Spell and Empowered Spell.
Seeking Spell gave a spell a slight ability to curve and track, and overall could increase the hit rate by more than fifty percent; it could be used in combination with Distant Spell.
Most adventurers had never run into a spell that could turn, so in practice it might be even more useful.
Empowered Spell could enhance spell damage, bringing out a spell's offensive upper limit.
For example, the total damage of Scorching Ray was 6–36 points. Some spellcasters cast slowly and could not hit; after finally landing a hit, the damage was only a few points, whereas Empowered Spell could push the spell's effect to the extreme—so long as it hit, the total damage would always be higher.
After confirming it, Anser's body tensed. Surging Magic Power welled up from the depths of his bloodline, roiling and boiling, carrying soul-etched insight and memories as his mind rose and fell in the torrent.
After a long while, he opened his eyes; the faint glimmer within them lingered for a long time.
"Eight sorcery points—there's more I can do now."
A Quickened, Heightened Hold Person, followed by two or three Empowered Fireballs—who could withstand that?
If they withstood it, then do another round! And that was only the beginner's play; a Sorcerer's Metamagic and spells from the various schools would always spark unexpected fireworks.
Seeing him sitting on the bed in a daze, his expression shifting, Bratt could not help but feel worried. "Anser, are you alright?"
"Nothing." Anser took a deep breath, his expression returning to calm. "I was thinking about the Shadow Thieves' Guild."
Although the Shadow Thieves who had come to assassinate him were dead, he knew this matter would not end there.
The Shadow Thieves' Guild accepted assassination contracts and would certainly not give up so easily—and he himself had no intention of letting it go.
Bratt hesitated, as if wanting to speak but stopping himself. After a moment of indecision, he finally said, "While you were resting, Ragna found those adventurers. They were hiding aboard the Nashivaar Family's Sea Shark…"
Ragna went to conduct a search with the guards, but they were turned back. While both sides were locked in a standoff, the Silver Scale Bay governor stepped in and forcibly ordered the guards to withdraw.
The reason was not unreasonable. The Nashivaar commercial group was an officially recognized legitimate merchant caravan, and without proof that they were connected to the assassination or other criminal activities, the guards had no authority to conduct a forced search.
An order from higher authorities could have worked—but the governor did not side with the guards, and Baldur's Gate itself was in chaos. Where could they even contact their superiors?
After hearing this, Anser was not angry. Based on his understanding of Ragna, her lack of argument or noise was merely a façade—she had her own way of fighting.
"Ragna… what did she say?"
"She didn't say anything," Bratt replied, giving a slight shake of his head.
Seeing that Anser remained silent for a long time, he asked, "Kaleno quietly told me that an elven ship will dock tomorrow. Are we leaving?"
"He did mention it to me in passing. Pack things up first—if there's a chance, we'll leave," Anser said after some thought. He needed to get moving and keep his opponents from being able to track him.
"Mm."
"What's in the bag?"
A row of items was laid out on the floor—several odds and ends—but all of them had been wiped clean.
"Weapons, leather armor, that sort of thing. Take a look yourself; I don't know how to appraise them," Bratt said, gesturing with his hand. "Ragna probably didn't touch them. They were smeared with bloodstains and bits of flesh—she likely just tore them off and stuffed them straight into the bag."
Anser let out a soft chuckle. Ragna really was interesting—probably afraid that she might be tempted if she saw anything good, so she simply didn't look.
He swept his gaze over the items: a black short blade a little over a foot long, a ring-shaped pendant about the size of a thumb, and a purple bracer fitted with a grappling hook. The rest looked like miscellaneous junk, but even the foul leather boots and the tattered leather armor carried traces of magical fluctuation.
"I've struck it rich!"
This had been a ninth-level rogue who made a living through assassination—there was no way he would have been poor.
He focused his mind and appraised each item one by one using the dice.
The black short blade was called the Synesthetic Blade, of Rare quality. It granted +1 to Attack Rolls and Damage Rolls, and after psychic Attunement, it greatly enhanced abilities related to Wisdom.
The ring-shaped pendant was called the True Sight Ring, also Rare quality and likewise requiring Attunement. Once activated, it granted 120 feet (36 meters) of truesight for a continuous duration of ten minutes and had three charges.
That pair of brown leather boots was no ordinary item either. They were called the Lightstep Boots, Rare quality, requiring Attunement, and possessed two powerful properties.
First, silent movement: no matter what surface the wearer moved across, no sound of footsteps would be produced.
Second, acceleration: activated or deactivated by striking the heels together. Once activated, the wearer's movement speed was doubled, with a maximum cumulative use of ten minutes per day.
Clearly, these three magic items were the core equipment of the Shadow Thieves. Used together, they were perfectly suited for infiltration and assassination.
The Synesthetic Blade countered Hold Person and could also detect danger in advance. The True Sight Ring ignored spells such as Fog Cloud and Darkness, while the Lightstep Boots allowed silent movement and rapid approach toward enemies.
"They're rather effective against spellcasters," he sighed.
Unfortunately, all three magic items required Attunement. Having them right in front of him yet being unable to use them made him feel somewhat uncomfortable.
Attunement was, in essence, a form of mental linkage and soul resonance. It placed a burden on both body and soul, and three items was already the upper limit for an ordinary adventurer.
After a moment of thought, he put the True Sight Ring around his neck, deciding to break attunement with the Cloak of Protection shortly.
True sight was far too important to him. Without vision, he would not dare to use Misty Step recklessly.
The final piece of equipment was the grappling bracer—Fine quality. It could launch a grappling line up to eighteen meters long, with claws that could automatically latch onto or coil around a target. Whether snatching items from gaps, climbing walls, or preventing falls, it was extremely useful.
However, to Anser, this thing was rather underwhelming. He could fly and use all kinds of spells, so its utility to him was limited.
"These two items—use them for now," he said, tossing the Lightstep Boots and the grappling bracer to Bratt and Finn.
After the two asked about their functions, Finn chose the grappling bracer. It made climbing up and down easier and helped him secure high ground.
Bratt carried the boots over to Anser. They were a bit smelly, and washing alone would not do much.
Anser raised his hand and cast Prestidigitation. A wash of spell light swept over them; even the color of the boots shifted slightly, making them look like brand-new boots with a weathered finish.
"Finn, have Grey Eagle keep an eye on the Nashivaar Family's merchant ships."
"Already watching them."
Bratt's eyelid twitched. "You're not planning to go again, are you?"
"How could I?" Anser shook his finger. He was not in good condition and could not possibly take such a risk.
Besides, the Nashivaar Family was not foolish. They would certainly be on guard—there was a good chance they were waiting for him.
"That's good. How about we go to Waterdeep? With your talent, becoming a high-level adventurer shouldn't be difficult. We can take revenge later," Bratt suggested.
"Haha, we'll talk about it later. Let's rest—today was exhausting," Anser said with a laugh, brushing the topic aside.
He did have talent, that was true, but if he relied solely on spell practice, it might take five or even eight years to reach tenth level—far too slow.
In peaceful times, he could afford to lie low. But now, disasters were occurring frequently. What if something went wrong in the meantime?
Leveling up faster than disaster struck—gaining the ability to withstand the unexpected—that was the ultimate solution.
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