Wizard: Starting from the Skill Tree

Duke glanced at the attribute panel on his Skill Tree.

[Constitution: 367.9→ 478.3]

[Power: 382→ 496.6]

[Agility: 373.1→ 485.0]

[Spirit: 627→ 652.4]

The growth in Spiritual Power wasn’t much, but the increase in physical attributes was around thirty percent, a considerable figure, as his Basic Attributes far exceeded those of a Level 3 Junior Mage.

The refinement of a Level 3 Body, Elemental Holy Body, and the Rule Baptism combined had already brought his flesh strength up to that of a specialized Bloodline Mage, and the Dark Form further amplified it by thirty percent, making his physique extremely formidable, far surpassing his peers.

This was without even starting the practice of the Elemental Holy Body’s third stage. If he were to fuse Rule Power into his body, his flesh strength would escalate to another level.

The increase in flesh attributes was merely the most basic ability of the Dark Form.

At the Second Stage activation of the Dark Form, he could perform short-distance shuttles in the Shadow Space, but it was more akin to relying on external tools like a Shadow Cloak, rather than truly grasping the Shadow Rules.

Back then, it was only after possessing a Level 3 Body through the Elemental Holy Body that he could genuinely master the Shadow Rules within the Shadow Space, limited to that area.

At this moment, standing still, he could clearly perceive the Shadow Rules’ threads in the surrounding space.

Their threads were distinct from the heat of the Flame Rules, the majesty of the Light Rules, and the weight of the Earth Rules; they were flowing, alive, like countless dark rivers swimming through space, with no fixed shape, each operating at different speeds, directions, and frequencies.

They did not repel Duke’s Spiritual Power but rather entwined with it, as if welcoming a fellow member who already had entry rights.

This was the innate advantage of the Dark Bloodline; the Dark Race is inherently linked to the Shadow Rules, controlling them not through cultivation but through innate instinct, just like fish swimming or birds flying.

Although Duke wasn’t a pureblood Dark Race, the integration of the Blood of the Dark into the Spiritual Power Crystal had granted him a rule affinity equal to that of the Dark Race.

In other words, the moment he activated the Dark Form, he automatically gained the ability to invoke the Shadow Rules, without needing the Key of Rules like the Flame Rules, the slow seepage via Divine Status like the Light Rules, or repeated insights through the Ancient Stone Slab like the Earth Rules.

The Shadow Rules accepted him because, through his bloodline imprint, he was already considered part of the Dark Race.

Meanwhile, the bloodline imprint unveiled several new abilities, each felt like an innate instinct, with information streams flowing into the depths of his consciousness with a mere thought.

These abilities stemmed from the innate talents of bloodline inheritance, obtained without any cultivation.

This strength of bloodline power is why Bloodline Mages pursue powerful bloodlines.

After disengaging the Dark Form, Duke found a black branch had grown on his Skill Tree, representing the branch of the Shadow Rules.

At the moment he entered the Dark Form, the bloodline power of the Blood of the Dark had already helped him unlock the door to the Shadow Rules.

This door was truly open and wouldn’t close upon exiting the Dark Form, unlike when he had to rely on a Level 3 Body and bloodline power in the Shadow Space to control the Dark Form’s rules.

The branch of Shadow Rules was slightly thinner than the branch of the Fire Attribute, colored the most pure black, a deep ink that seemed to absorb all surrounding light.

The surface of the branch wasn’t smooth but covered in densely detailed, microscopic patterns, each created as if by the finest needlepoint on the surface of a crystal, matching the pattern of the Shadow Rules threads perceived in the Dark Form.

These patterns weren’t static; they flowed, meandering over the branch’s surface with an extremely slow pace, like countless miniature dark rivers sealed within the branch.

[Rule of Darkness: LV1 (1/10000)]

While Duke was focused on researching matters following his promotion, news of his successful advancement to Level 3 Mage gradually spread.

Upon confirmation from the Black Sail, Duke’s permissions and status within the organization were elevated once more.

At the Level 3 Mage tier, Duke could already be considered part of the high ranks within Black Sail.

The legion commanders of Black Sail’s ten legions were at Demigod Level; typical brigade commanders were at Second Stage level, making Level 3 undeniably part of the elite combat force.

For talented individuals like Duke, even though he had joined the Six-Ring Tower, Black Sail still viewed him with importance.

Black Hand Morgan personally sent congratulations, ending his message with, "Black Sail is proud of you."

Duke received numerous congratulatory messages from others.

After Vera’s congratulations, she said, "I’m still preparing materials, the Key of Rules at Thorn Holy Tower is already ready, just need some time to settle before I can start the ascent."

"For you, advancing shouldn’t be a problem. Keep a calm mind, and let nature take its course," Duke replied.

Duke didn’t expect Morris, the usually silent man, to also send congratulations: "Lord Duke, congrats on advancing to Level 3 Mage, may the path of rules be smooth."

Duke replied, "Thanks, same to you."

Then he chatted with Leon and Edmond, who needed more time to prepare, still at a distance from advancing to Level 3.

Though their families had already prepared the Key of Rules for them, it only required time to settle.

For them, being the direct descendants of their families and factions, and key cultivation targets, resources weren’t a concern.

Meanwhile, Duke also learned Audric had advanced to Level 3 Mage; possessing the Golden Dragon Bloodline made it easy for him to advance, simply needing to harness bloodline power.

Next was news from Vivian.

Vivian was preparing to advance to Level 2 Mage, walking the path of the Bloodline Mage.

Grace found Vivian a bloodline legacy of the ancient Wind Elf, a highly powerful and rare bloodline strength.

From Knight Attendant to Official Wizard, from Maple Hill County on the Florence Continent to Central Islands at the Six-Ring Tower, Duke’s journey grew faster and farther, while Vivian steadily progressed at her own pace, never rushed by his speed, nor belittled her own tempo.

She had a Knight’s tenacity in her bones, a tenacity that needed no words to prove.

From a time perspective, Vivian’s advancement to Level 2 Mage seemed slow but only when compared to Duke.

She naturally couldn’t compare to top talents like Duke and Vera, but among ordinary Wizards, Vivian was already quite outstanding.

Given her Wizard qualifications, reaching this point was extremely rare, with most Wizards peaking at Level 1 Crystalized Mage.

Vivian chose the path of the Bloodline Mage for future prospects, to ensure she could go further ahead.

Many Bloodline Mages took this path out of necessity; their innate talents and qualifications alone could not support a distant future.

But that doesn’t mean the path of Bloodline Mages was wrong; choosing a strong enough bloodline power could lead to an extremely broad future.

Upon receiving this news, Duke immediately tasked Harrison with preparing a range of materials to assist Vivian’s advancement.

Harrison, upon seeing the list, remarked, "Mr. Duke, for advancing to Level 2, you don’t need so much, such high-quality..."

"No worries, you just need to prepare and deliver them."

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