Trying to catch Shadow Squid in the sea is not an easy task; otherwise, the Shadow Squids in the waters near Academy Island would have long been caught by the Wizard Apprentices.
Duke thought for a moment: first, he needed to solve the problem of underwater breathing.
Even with a Great Knight-level physique, it was nearly impossible for him to hold his breath and complete the process of capturing a Shadow Squid.
Wizards have several methods for underwater breathing; one such method involves a type of seaweed called Mandev, which enables underwater breathing just by holding it in the mouth.
However, this seaweed is very expensive, even surpassing the value of the Shadow Squid itself, which Duke could not afford.
Duke planned to use a magical technique from the "Basic Theory of Water Element," a magic known as Underwater Breathing.
This magic is just a secondary-level spell, with a complexity of just N2, appearing quite simple.
But successfully mastering and casting this spell is not easy, and many Wizard Apprentices spend a long time without being able to master it.
Because this spell requires the caster to have an extremely high ability to control the Water Element; the essence of the spell is to extract oxygen from the countless Water Elements underwater for breathing.
Duke felt he should be well-suited for this spell since he possessed the High-Level Water Element Affinity talent, enabling him to complete this step relatively effortlessly.
Constructing magic models with an N2 complexity is not difficult; Duke was already quite familiar with building such simple magic models.
He filled the bathtub with water, submerged himself completely, fully immersing his head.
The bathtub was somewhat small for him, unable to completely submerge his body, but it sufficed for testing the spell’s effect.
Once Duke was underwater, he began using the Underwater Breathing spell to extract oxygen from the surrounding Water Elements.
Water Elements automatically adhered to his body, transmitting oxygen from all over.
Duke found himself completing this step very easily, almost as if it were instinctual.
The most challenging part for ordinary Wizard Apprentices mastering this spell lies here; they expend considerable effort just to absorb the Water Elements and obtain oxygen, yet the effect is often not very satisfactory.
Most people fail to absorb enough Water Elemental Particles, rendering the obtained oxygen inadequate to sustain their breathing, let alone engage in high-intensity underwater movement.
This results in the high difficulty of this spell, causing most people to eventually abandon it until they acquire greater strength in the future.
[Underwater Breathing: Level 1 (1/500)]
In the bathtub, Duke found the skill proficiency for Underwater Breathing advanced very slowly; he likely had to rely on this spell to truly swim in the sea to make significant progress.
Once in motion, the consumption of oxygen increases, necessitating more oxygen obtained from surrounding Water Elements, resulting in greater skill proficiency growth.
Duke decided to act on it immediately—he got up, dried himself, changed into his robe, and left the room, intending to head to the island’s edge.
As he closed the door, Hanna from next door was also about to go out, wearing black stockings on her legs and high heels on her feet.
Hanna rarely wore high heels in the room because previously, walking around in high heels inside had led to complaints from downstairs.
Not wanting to cause trouble, she rarely wore high heels indoors anymore.
"Duke!" Hanna greeted warmly. Recently, they had gotten to know each other and knew each other’s names.
Duke nodded, saying nothing, maintaining his aloof and silent persona outwardly.
Hanna seemed accustomed to this and stepped aside, letting Duke walk ahead.
...
Academy Island is vast, and the residential and study areas frequented by Wizard Apprentices occupy only a small portion.
Duke wandered along the coast, finding a shallow area to jump into.
He intended to test the waters first; it wasn’t time to catch Shadow Squid yet. Adjusting to the actual underwater conditions was crucial.
The surrounding waters harbored many underwater Demons; if he perished within, the academy wouldn’t intervene. It’d be considered his misfortune.
For this reason, Duke specifically chose this area; the water was shallow, and underwater conditions were more visible and safer.
Once submerged, with just a thought, Water Elements clung to his body, continuously supplying oxygen.
Even during fast underwater movement, Duke needn’t worry about insufficient internal oxygen supply.
Thanks to the High-Level Water Element Affinity Talent, entering the water felt like returning home, incredibly light and free.
Suddenly, Duke thought of utilizing his control over Water Elements to assist his movement.
Trying it out, he easily mobilized the surrounding Water Elements; countless water currents formed around him, aiding his movement.
He felt like a fish in water—that was Duke’s sensation now.
Staying in the sea, Duke’s feet were automatically supported by water currents, allowing him to stand as if on land.
Looking up, he could see sunlight piercing through the seawater.
With a thought, a Water Arrow formed in front of him.
This Water Arrow not only formed swiftly but was also evidently denser than usual.
Duke spent less Magic Power than before, as he could mobilize more Water Elements in the sea using less Magic Power.
With abundant Water Elements in the sea, he could easily mobilize substantial amounts to serve his needs effortlessly.
Realizing the benefits of the High-Level Water Element Affinity talent, Duke pondered other issues.
If he were in a desert, where Water Elements were scarce, the spell’s effect would be greatly diminished, significantly reducing his overall strength.
Duke recognized the drawback of a single element, easily targeted.
In combat, if the opponent drained Water Elements from the area, possessing only one technique would leave him vulnerable.
Draining Water Elements sounds far-fetched, but it’s not impossible for wizards.
Moreover, deliberate trap setups would undoubtedly exploit one’s weaknesses.
While swimming to increase Underwater Breathing proficiency, Duke contemplated these issues.
He also became more determined to adopt a meditation approach for absorbing multiple Free Energy Particles, broadening his future path.
While moving at high speed, Duke continually used Water Arrow Technique and Water Shield Technique to simulate combat.
The goal was adapting to underwater combat while simultaneously increasing the proficiency of these spells.
Underwater, with unchanged total Magic Power internally, he could cast these spells several times, indirectly accelerating proficiency improvement.
Duke emerged from the water, exhausted from the substantial consumption of Magic Power.