Chapter 117: Rule Level Skill

“Rules?”

Old Mu seemed not to have anticipated Song Qi asking such a question, momentarily bewildered.

“Your three summoned spirits have two that have touched the edge of the rules, and one has even mastered them.”

“So you, as a summoner, still don’t know what rules are?”

At these words, Song Qi felt somewhat embarrassed.

His summoned spirits had already mastered the rules?

How could he not know?

Old Mu sighed deeply and pondered for a moment.

“I see. You must have vaguely sensed the existence of rules, but don’t understand them well.”

“So you wish to ask me for a specific description of ‘rules’ and a deeper comprehension.”

“Ah yes, yes, yes!”

Song Qi nodded vigorously.

“Exactly, that’s it!”

Old Mu did not heed his words but instead glanced at his mental fluctuations.

“Very well, it appears you truly know nothing.”

“Indeed, the summoner profession is distinct from other vocations.”

Song Qi: “........”

Yet Old Mu did not belittle him for this. He merely organized his thoughts and began to explain.

“Since that is the case, let us begin with the simplest.”

“Rules, as we call them, are the embodiment of the world’s will, the inherent pathway of the world’s operation.”

“The simplest example would be the entry rules for dungeons.”

“Low-level dungeons permit only adventurers of levels 1 to 20 to enter.”

“While mid-level dungeons allow only those of levels 21 to 40.”

“These are the rules we speak of.”

“Even the city lord, even I, must abide by them honestly before such rules.”

“The rules within dungeons are Great Dao rules! Absolute authorities set by the world’s will, immovable and unchallenged!”

“By rights, such power cannot be created by living beings; it can only arise from the Heavenly Dao or operate spontaneously from the world’s will.”

Old Mu extended his hand and sketched a rudimentary diagram symbolizing the world’s relation to living beings, to aid Song Qi’s understanding.

“But...... for our human race, the greatest strength lies in taking shortcuts!”

“Since we cannot create it, what if we merely imitate?”

“For instance, having discovered the birth rules of flame, we draw upon extraordinary power to mimic the world’s will in its operation......”

As he spoke, he drew a little figure squatting dazed beside a pile of flames.

Then he filled the flames with countless dense lines.

A lightbulb suddenly appeared above the little figure’s head; he seemed to grasp something and raised the staff in his hand, channeling the extraordinary power within his body along a precise route.

Upon closer inspection, the lines of extraordinary power operation matched those in the flames exactly!

Then...

Boom!

A fireball materialized before the little figure!

“You see? Thus, the Fireball spell was born!”

At this sight, Song Qi understood at once.

“So the skills we adventurers wield are imitations of these rules?”

“Precisely.”

Old Mu nodded.

“This is also why our human race can craft skill books ourselves, beyond merely acquiring them from monsters.”

“So the higher the skill’s quality, the closer it stands to the rules?”

Song Qi inquired further.

“This is not entirely accurate.”

“Higher quality brings one closer to the rules?”

“Greater proximity to rule level yields greater skill intensity?”

“Wrong! Utterly mistaken!”

“This is the most common misconception for newcomers upon first encountering ‘rules’.”

Old Mu shook his head and drew two fireballs in the air—one large, one small.

“Observe: here we have two fireballs, small and large. The small is a rule-level Fireball spell; the large is a legendary Great Firebomb!”

“Which do you suppose possesses greater power—the rule-level Fireball or the Great Firebomb?”

Song Qi paused.

Rule-level Fireball?

Was Fireball not an ordinary-quality skill?

Could it ascend to rule level?

Yet given the question, the answer must diverge from common expectation.

He considered and pointed toward the Great Firebomb.

“It should be the Great Firebomb.”

“Oh? Why do you think so?”

“Because you asked it that way, the answer must be exceptional.”

“You are quite astute.”

Old Mu smiled and nodded, continuing.

“Regrettably..... only half right.”

“Half?”

Song Qi was astonished; how could a paired-choice question still allow half correctness?

Before he could linger, Old Mu resumed.

“More accurately, against a lesser foe the Great Firebomb’s power prevails, yet against a formidable opponent the rule-level Fireball’s strength proves greater!”

“Do you recall the Fireball spell’s description?”

Song Qi thought briefly and recited it.

“Create a fireball and inflict minor fire and explosive damage upon enemies?”

“Correct.”

Old Mu smiled.

“If it were merely an ordinary Fireball, it would not necessarily cause harm.”

“A newly transferred level-1 mage could fire Fireball at a city lord; even if the city lord offered no defense, the spell would inflict zero damage!”

“But.... the rule-level Fireball differs!”

“Once launched, a rule-level Fireball will assuredly harm its target!”

“Even a Fireball cast by a level-1 mage!”

“Even against a fully armored city lord-level powerhouse!”

“Even if that city lord-level being had cast a Holy Spirit-quality defensive spell! Clad in Holy Spirit armor, wielding a Holy Spirit shield!”

“It would still fail!”

Old Mu declared gravely.

“Fired, this Fireball spell will inflict damage without fail!”

“No matter how the foe dodges, defends, or resists, injury is inevitable!”

“The harm may be slight! Unremarkable, yet never zero!”

“Should the opponent shove forth their Holy Spirit armor in resistance, that very armor would melt instantly before this tiny, ordinary-quality level-1 Fireball!”

“The most mundane, ordinary-quality, level-1 adventurer’s innate initial skill, once elevated to rule level, can in particular circumstances effortlessly destroy Holy Spirit-grade equipment!”

“This.... is the so-called rule-level skill.”

“For the source of rule-level power is no longer the caster alone, but has become the world’s will!”

“As long as one cannot resist the world’s collective will with solitary strength, the rule-level skill’s efficacy cannot be halted!”

Song Qi understood suddenly!

“So rule-level skills are, in essence, ‘concept-level’ abilities?!”

Since the Fireball description promises harm.

The rule-level Fireball will inflict damage and disregard strength disparities?

For example, why Ying Zheng’s [Che Tong Gui] could not bind Li Zong.

It was because Li Zong’s skill had reached rule level!

Thus Ying Zheng’s could not affect him?

Then if a skill inflicts instant death, upon becoming rule-level it could ignore all disparities and slay any powerhouse?

Like Di Xin’s [Strict Punishment]?

“Concept-level?”

“In a way, yes, that is how it may be understood.”

“After all, only another rule-level skill can influence a rule-level skill.”

Old Mu replied.

“Any further questions?”

“One last question!”

Song Qi said at once.

“How then can I master rule-level skills?”