“Indeed, the true charm of magic lies in overwhelming force.
The thrill of simplifying a vast influx of formulas into a single rule and resolving everything in one blow was truly special.
When I turned my head, Jin Bora was watching me with a peculiar smile.
“How was it?”
“…Oh, um. It was impressive.”
She scratched the side of her head and continued.
“But the Arrow Rain spell feels a bit wasteful compared to the Ice Javelin spell? Still, this one looks stronger.”
“You think this was wasteful? Well, I did go overboard by shooting ten arrows, but in the end, the mana consumption for spamming Mana Arrows and casting a single Ice Javelin is about the same. If you really focus, the casting speed could be faster for this one.”
“Really? The world of magic is quite profound.”
Caught up in the thrill of spamming magic, I continued hunting.
With low mana consumption and fast casting speed, the Mana Arrow combo paired perfectly with the ‘Copy Magical Position’ skill obtained from the trial, allowing me to sweep through the surrounding Lava Worms.
Maybe because of my flashy combat style, other players who were hunting nearby would occasionally glance in my direction.
“Did you see that?”
“Arrows were raining down from the sky. What kind of ability is that?”
It’s not an ability; it’s magic, though.
Not that it matters. After fighting several times, I realized something. I definitely have a knack for quantity-based warfare.
‘Eia, what do you think? Which do you find more efficient: spamming Mana Arrows or using Ice Javelin?’
-Analyzing the battle data of the Tower Master.
After a moment, she responded.
-If comparing pure efficiency, the mana consumption for ‘Copy Magical Position’ used with Mana Arrow spam is high, and the calculations are intensive. Against monsters with opposing attributes, Ice Javelin is overwhelmingly more efficient.
Ugh, so Ice Javelin is more efficient, huh.
I need to think about this a bit more.
I took a light breath and looked over at Jin Bora.
She was quietly following behind me, observing my hunting without getting involved.
When our eyes met, she gave me a playful smile.
“Aren’t you going to hunt?”
“I’ve been hunting little by little. But you were so absorbed that you didn’t notice, Senpai.”
…Absorbed mode? What’s that supposed to mean?
“More importantly, Senpai! Aren’t you running low on mana?”
She asked with sparkling eyes that seemed a bit too eager.
Judging that she’d be disappointed if I said I had plenty left, I nodded.
“I was waiting for this moment. Tada!”
As she reached out into the air, a small green portal appeared.
That’s the exclusive subspace of the ‘Potion Brewer’ class.
On the first floor of the Tower, there’s a storage room for administrators, and Jin Bora could freely take out items from there whenever she wanted.
She pulled out a blue potion and offered it with both hands.
“Try this. It’s my latest creation!”
“Oh, this is a Blue Elixir? You succeeded in brewing it?”
“Yep!”
Without another word, I took a drink.
A sweet grape scent filled my senses, followed by a refreshing coolness that flowed down my throat.
I could feel my mana rapidly recovering.
“Wow, this is really good.”
“Right? Right? How does it taste?”
“Taste? Just like grapes, I guess.”
“Hehe! I added flavouring this time.”
You added flavouring? Is that even possible?
She confidently waved her index finger side to side.
“Regular elixirs taste a bit chemical and weird, don’t they? So, I added fruit flavoring.”
“Then that means it’s different from the recipe in the book, right?”
“Yep! I made sure the magical effects weren’t diminished while enhancing the taste!”
…That’s impressive, though in a rather unnecessary way.
Still, this is good enough to pass.
Although I also have the potion brewing trait, Jin Bora, who enjoys the administrator perks of the first floor, was now surpassing my level of completion.
I think I can leave potion brewing to Jin Bora and focus on other things.
Seeing how she keeps trying to impress me, it looks like she’s keen on maintaining her position somehow.
Once we return to the Tower, I should put her to work.
“…Why are you looking at me like that?”
“What do you mean?”
“Your eyes… looked like you were plotting something sinister.”
“You’re imagining things.”
As I was casually deflecting her suspicion, Eia’s voice echoed in my head.
-Tower Master.
‘What’s up?’
-The scribe is entering the Lava Cave Dungeon.
Jung Seojin is here? I turned my head.
“Seojin’s here. Let’s wait for a bit.”
“Ugh, why is he coming here?”
We paused our hunting and went to the dungeon entrance to meet him.
Sure enough, Jung Seojin appeared at the entrance.
“Good morning, Tower Master.”
He bowed his head in greeting.
“What brings you here?”
“I heard from Eia that you were selling items in the Lava Cave. I came to see if I could help… ”
So that’s why. I crossed my arms and responded confidently.
“No worries. I’ve already reached the target amount.”
“As expected of the Tower Master.”
A quiet nod from Jung Seojin conveyed his trust.
I guess this proves my capability.
“When did you finish everything? I don’t know why you crawled in here, hoping for leftovers.”
Jin Bora muttered loudly enough to be heard, clinging to my arm.
Jung Seojin’s eyebrow twitched.
“It was nice and peaceful with just the two of us. Why did you have to come?”
“I told you, I came to assist the Tower Master. Is your memory that poor?”
“Hey! Did you just call me a goldfish?”
The two started bickering again.
Why do they always fight whenever they meet?
Considering how Jin Bora interacts with other guys and how Jung Seojin treats Eia, it’s quite the mystery.
“Enough.”
At my words, both of them immediately closed their mouths and backed off.
“I’ve secured the funds I needed, and since we’re in the dungeon, I thought we might as well hunt a bit before leaving. Want to join?”
“Hmm.”
After a moment of contemplation, Jung Seojin nodded.
“I’m not a fan of fieldwork, but if the Tower Master wishes it, I have no choice. I’ll join you.”
“Ugh.”
Jin Bora grimaced and turned her back on him.
Still, once she sees his skills, she might change her mind.
And so, for the first time, the members of the Tower formed a three-person party.
According to the association’s announcement, a boss battle would take place in an hour.
We were quickly crossing the field to join the boss battle.
The persistent lava worms attacked us, but the three of us working together managed to handle them without much trouble.
-Tower Master. We are 30 minutes away from the boss room.
“Got it.”
Communication with the outside world was impossible inside the dungeon, but thanks to Eia, who shared a part of my consciousness, the limitations of place and space did not apply.
Thanks to her guidance, we were heading to the boss room without getting lost.
The only reason for the delay was…
“Senior! Look at this! It’s a river made of lava!”
Jin Bora was in tourist mode, eagerly taking selfies.
“If the impurities in the dungeon’s lava are removed and it is solidified, it can be turned into a special material called Black Demon Stone.
If the problem of transporting the lava can be solved, it might be quite profitable.”
And Jung Seojin was busy planning a business.
…Honestly, you two aren’t interested in the boss battle, are you?
RUMBLE!
At that moment, the lava river Jin Bora was using as her background for selfies began to bubble and boil before erupting with a bang!
From within, a massive lava monster the size of a house emerged.
Scorching droplets fell to the ground with a sizzling sound.
“…Huh?”
“Run! It’s that monster!”
The surrounding players quickly scattered, not even daring to attempt a fight.
Something about this situation felt off.
‘Eia, I need information on that monster.’
-Yes. The name of the monster is Lava Golem. It is a rare large monster in Rank 2.
The difficulty of hunting it is quite high compared to the experience points gained, so it is recommended to avoid it.
I would like to avoid it too!
The creature, as soon as it rose, swung its giant fist directly at us.
BOOM!
I quickly jumped back to dodge, but where its fist struck, a massive pit of lava formed.
Wait, how is this thing Rank 2? Its entire body is a deadly weapon.
“Damn that thing…!”
The other players were already fleeing, but the man beside me boldly launched a counterattack.
A series of mana-coated arrows flew toward the Lava Golem, but they didn’t seem to have much effect.
The golem simply swung its massive arm in response.
“Whoa!”
The man was so startled that he tried to retreat, but he ended up bumping into me as I was preparing a spell behind him.
As we got tangled and fell, the golem’s arm descended upon us.
“Ahhh! Aaaaah!”
A dark shadow loomed over us.
The man screamed in terror, completely losing his composure.
‘Seriously, what a mess.’
I calmly stretched out my right arm, gathering mana.
BOOM!
I deployed a shield in the direction of the swinging arm, absorbing the impact.
Just before the first shield shattered, I rapidly summoned another, then another.
A series of five shields held firm.
The Lava Golem eventually gave up and withdrew its arm.
“…Huh?”
The man, who had finally opened his eyes, was stunned by the scene that had just unfolded.
Then he looked at me.
“Could it be that you…?”
“Yes.”
“T-Thank you! You saved my life!”
Realizing that this monster was beyond his capability, the man hurriedly fled.
I got up and looked over at Jin Bora.
“Bora, let’s see what you can do.”
“Alright! It’s finally my turn!”
Jin Bora stepped forward with confidence.
Despite being a first-year student, she was recognized as a promising talent and was part of the student council.
At school, she was known for her long-range combat style, using enchantments to enhance her arrows.
“Did you bring your bow?”
“Oh, I don’t need it anymore.”
She held out her palm, summoning a green portal from which a potion bottle dropped out.
“Because I have a new weapon now.”
The Lava Golem was getting ready to attack again.
This time, it seemed determined to finish us off as it expanded its molten body, stretching its arm.
The grotesque, asymmetrical figure looked menacing, but Jin Bora’s expression remained relaxed.
“Here I go!”
What is she planning to do with a potion?
She gripped the potion tightly with both hands, swung it behind her head, and kicked off the ground.
Her stride shifted her weight smoothly from her right leg to her left as her shoulders and waist twisted.
It was a textbook pitching form. Pretty impressive.
“Hiya!”
But then, she completely ignored the release and follow-through, jumping up and flinging her arm awkwardly.
…Yeah, that figures.
WHOOSH!
But the potion, despite her clumsy form, shot out like a cannonball the moment it left her hand.
However, its trajectory was going way off course.
It was bound to miss, but then, mid-flight, the potion’s path suddenly curved sharply in the opposite direction.
BOOM!
The potion hit the Lava Golem square in the face, triggering a massive explosion.
‘…A curveball?’
The Golem staggered from the impact before crashing to the ground with a loud thud.
Everyone watching was left speechless.
“Did you see that? Did you see that, Senior?”
Jin Bora ran over excitedly, looking for praise.
…What did I just witness?
“This is my new creation! I made it to use for self-defense, and its explosive power is far greater than arrows when combined with enchantments!”
“…That’s impressive. But how did you throw it like that?”
“Throw it? Oh, you mean pitching?”
She covered her mouth with her hand and whispered.
“Thanks to my newly acquired trait, when I throw potions, they fly exactly where I want them to.”
…Is that even possible?
Sensing my confusion, Eia elaborated.
-The trait ‘Potion Swing Lv.10’ of the Potion Brewer doubles the power and accuracy of thrown potions.
At level 10, it can even defy the laws of physics.
What a crazy trait. Somehow, it suits Jin Bora perfectly.
The Lava Golem began to rise again.
With a sly grin, Jin Bora held out her palms, summoning two more explosive potions from a pocket dimension.
She then started flinging them recklessly with her terrible form.
Although her throws were clumsy, the potions flew at near-cannonball speed just before impact, hitting the Lava Golem with explosive force.
“Take this!”
For her final throw, she spun around, flicking her hair stylishly before tossing the potion over her head.
…She’s going for style points now, huh?
BOOM!
The explosion was massive.
The Golem’s enormous body was riddled with holes.
The onlookers watched in awe.
“She’s pretty good.”
“Hey, did you see that? That girl just soloed the Lava Golem!”
Hearing this, Jin Bora protested loudly, “Soloed? I elegantly subdued it!”
The Lava Golem’s remaining half of a head tilted unsteadily before it finally toppled back.
While everyone had let their guard down, the golem, which was about to collapse, suddenly steadied itself and reached out toward Jin Bora.
“…!”
At the moment Jin Bora flinched from the unexpected attack, someone appeared like the wind in front of her and blocked it.
Then, without hesitation, he countered with a punch.
Bang!
The man’s fist collided with the golem’s.
Jin Bora covered her mouth in shock.
The man who threw the punch leisurely adjusted his glasses as he looked back.
“Don’t let your guard down, Miss Jin Bora.”
“Who said I was letting my guard down! You startled me by jumping in like that!”
Crash!
The lava golem’s arm, which had clashed with Jung Seojin’s fist, crumbled in reverse.
Everyone watching dropped their jaws, but Jung Seojin walked over with an expressionless face and stood next to me.
“Please don’t misunderstand my role, Tower Master. The front lines aren’t my domain.”
“…You sure seem like a front-line fighter.”
“I’m the strategist type, meant to devise plans from the back.”
‘He sure can shamelessly say that himself.’
Jung Seojin’s unique ability, “Iron Man,” was more than just having a tough body. It was the highest-level physical ability that granted superhuman strength to his entire body.
Many envied his power, but he himself was dissatisfied with having such a physical-type ability.
He often complained that it didn’t suit him or wondered why his unique ability was physical when it was supposed to reflect one’s personality.
Well, I personally think that the power went to the right person.
“Alright. Then I’ll finish this off.”
I stepped forward, stretched out both arms, and unfolded a magic circle on my palms.
‘Eia, to the left.’
-Yes, commencing formula calculation.
The magic circle emitted a brilliant blue light and fired spears of frost.
Thud!
A spear pierced right through the center of the golem’s head.
As two more spears followed and struck it, the massive lava golem twisted before collapsing backward, returning to molten lava.
[Ice Javelin’s proficiency has reached 10%.]
[Mana has increased by 1.]
Cheers erupted from the onlookers. Everyone had considered the lava golem in this volcanic cave an unbeatable monster.
“Wow, that guy definitely has a combat-type unique ability. I’m jealous.”
“But didn’t that guy create some sort of barrier earlier?”
“Idiot, that must’ve been someone else. His ability is making ice spears.”
They were all wrong.
It’s magic.
