Undead Mage: I Have a Skeleton Clone-Chapter 493 - 356: Both a Whale and a Cheater

In terms of specializations, Fang Zhou had previously won the championship in the new recruit competition and received a professional specialization infusion reward from the Longxia Federation’s military. 𝒻𝑟ℯℯ𝑤𝑒𝑏𝑛𝘰𝓋𝑒𝓁.𝒸𝑜𝘮

At the suggestion of several instructors, especially Su Xinyan, Fang Zhou had chosen "Mana Conductor," a Universal Specialization for Magic Professionals, which greatly enhanced his mana recovery speed.

Now, having successfully condensed an invisible mana core and advanced to the Black Iron Tier, Fang Zhou could begin learning a second professional specialization. This time, however, he could not rely on the infusion technology provided by the Longxia Federation military. He would have to master the new specialization bit by bit through his own efforts.

A gleam flashed in Fang Zhou’s eyes. Although I don’t have the support of external forces, my attribute panel and accumulated Soul Power might provide some small assistance in learning a new specialization.

Fang Zhou gently swiped the screen of his personal terminal, entering the resource library of Sea City Military Academy. As an officer with the rank of Senior Sergeant, he enjoyed E-level permissions, which meant he could access more advanced resources with his Black Iron Tier strength. The logistics department’s resource library management rules clearly stated that a Black Iron Tier Professional like him had the right to exchange for one professional specialization.

Therefore, Fang Zhou no longer needed to consult Instructor Su Xinyan. During their previous discussions, she had already explicitly recommended that he choose the [Strong Undead Summoning] specialization for the Black Iron Stage.

Fang Zhou’s gaze swept across the lines of text, carefully browsing Sea City Military Academy’s list of specializations for Magic Professionals. Although there weren’t many specialization types for an Undead Mage, there were dozens of Universal Specializations available to Magic Professionals. Among them, [Strong Undead Summoning] was undoubtedly the one that best suited his needs, as it would significantly enhance his Summoning Ability and give him a greater advantage in battle.

Different professional specializations required different amounts of contribution points for exchange. Fang Zhou noted that [Strong Undead Summoning] required 1,000 contribution points, which was the general price for a Bronze-grade skill. This was not surprising, as specializations like [Mana Conductor] and [Strong Undead Summoning] belonged to the common category, and their corresponding learning materials were not very expensive.

Above these common specializations were High Tier professional specializations that only high-tier Professionals could master. Learning these required not only precious study materials but possibly also the aid of rare resources, making them naturally much more expensive.

Fortunately, the 1,000-contribution-point cost for [Strong Undead Summoning] was not an unbearable burden for Fang Zhou. As one of Sea City Military Academy’s top prospects, he was entitled to a substantial discount, allowing him to exchange for the specialization’s learning materials with only 300 contribution points. This was a great deal for him.

Fang Zhou’s gaze fell upon his attribute panel, his heart filled with anticipation. He had just successfully solidified his talent skill, [Summon Undead Creatures], during his breakthrough to Black Iron, which had already greatly enhanced the effect of his summoning Skills. Now, if he added the amplification from [Strong Undead Summoning]—a specialization exclusive to the Undead Mage Profession—along with the effect of his contract Enchantment, Fang Zhou himself could hardly imagine how astonishing the number of Undead Creatures he would be able to summon would become.

Of course, mastering a professional specialization was an incredibly difficult task for any Professional. It required persistent effort and could not be achieved overnight. Even someone with Fang Zhou’s talent would need to invest a period of hard work to fully master the [Strong Undead Summoning] specialization.

However, those with cheats were an exception. With the small boost from his attribute panel and Soul Power, Fang Zhou might be able to shorten this process. Since the learning materials for the specialization hadn’t arrived yet, Fang Zhou wasn’t completely confident about this.

He then turned his attention to his Alchemist sub-profession. Since he had taken on the Alchemist sub-profession, many instructors had subtly reminded him to focus his main energy on leveling up his primary Profession as an Undead Mage. They warned him not to get too distracted by sub-professions, lest it affect his growth.

Fang Zhou had naturally followed his instructors’ advice. During the Apprentice Stage, he had expended some Soul Power to successfully take on the Apprentice Alchemist sub-profession, and it had indeed provided an immediate increase to his combat power.

Now that his primary Profession had successfully advanced to Black Iron, Fang Zhou felt it was time to consider further advancing his sub-profession. He planned to learn some of the more profound knowledge of alchemy from Instructor Su Xinyan to advance his sub-profession to the Basic Level Alchemist grade. This would not only provide him with more support resources but also bring more convenience to his future research and practice.

Additionally, if the need arose, Fang Zhou could also try taking on a second sub-profession. The options before him were not few. They included learning the Blacksmith sub-profession from Instructor Huang Qiuyue, the Array Master sub-profession from Instructor Chu Chengxiu, or self-studying the Alchemist sub-profession using the materials left behind by Gu Yueyuan. These three sub-professions—Blacksmith, Array Master, and Alchemist—each had their own unique appeal.

Which one should I choose next?

Ultimately, Fang Zhou just shook his head slightly, making a note of the question in his memo. He decided to leave the decision for a later discussion with Instructor Su Xinyan. Choosing a sub-profession was not only a matter of personal interest but also related to his future cultivation path and development potential, so it required careful consideration.

As for his World Runes, Heart Steel had already smoothly advanced to its second stage, thanks to the enhancement from the Rune seed split off by Major General Ning Danxin. Fang Zhou was already exploring how to upgrade and enhance Night Watcher and Gallows, so there was no immediate rush.

The next major area Fang Zhou needed to focus on was the deduction and enhancement of his skills. He was especially eager to learn many of the new universal skills available to Black Iron Tier Magic Professionals. For instance, from his hunt in Cave No. 1, he was keen to obtain [Friend of Life] and [Summon Mage Mount]. These two skills would undoubtedly provide immense convenience during exploration.

Beyond those, there was also the skill [Language Mastery], which allowed its user to understand and speak the languages of different Alien Races. For a Mage who often adventured in the wild, this was undoubtedly extremely useful. Whether for communicating with other races or deciphering ancient spells, [Language Mastery] would be a major asset for Fang Zhou. These three were almost essential universal skills for all Magic Professionals. While they didn’t play a large role in combat, they were very useful in a Magic Professional’s daily life, studies, research, and cultivation.

Furthermore, during the Apprentice Stage, Fang Zhou had already mastered the skill [Calm and Relaxed]. At the Black Iron Tier, this skill had a more powerful, advanced version—[Strong Calmness]. The skill’s effect was simple and direct: it provided a Black Iron Tier Magic Professional with a stronger mana recovery capability. Whether in the heat of battle or during peaceful daily cultivation, this skill was indispensable and considered an essential universal skill for every Magic Professional.

As for other Black Iron Tier universal skills for Magic Professionals like [Mana Armor], [Strong Mage’s Hand], and [Continuous Mana Missiles], while not essential, they were still very important to Fang Zhou. To deduce his apprentice-level Skeleton Series Skill Tree to the Black Iron Tier, he would also need to accumulate many Black Iron Tier Magic Professional Skill Materials.

During the Apprentice Stage, Fang Zhou’s primary combat mode was to summon a large number of skeletons to form a Skeleton Legion. Sheltering under the protection of his Skeleton Legion, he would act as a Magic Cannon Platform, utilizing Skeleton Flying Spear and Death Ripple. This tactic was not only effective but had also achieved significant results in multiple battles.

At the Black Iron Stage, Fang Zhou had no intention of changing this combat mode.