My Skill Book, My Way - Chapter 021
Chapter 21
"Right? Like, why does a bastard like that even exist……"
I sighed, recalling the image of the dwarf sitting atop the altar behind the elite monsters. If someone had created this on purpose, it was undoubtedly to mess with hunters. The moment we entered the 50th floor, four elite monsters each fired Magic, Flame, Ice, and Lightning missiles. They were the monsters protecting the boss of the Magic Tower.
I hastily cast resistance skills, but just that alone made my MP plunge. In that situation, the boss dwarf, wrapped in a glittering golden cloak as if to say "I'm the boss," cast a debuff skill on us. Realizing that our already scarce MP was gradually disappearing despite doing nothing, we panicked. With no other choice, thinking to target the boss first while even a little MP remained, Uncle and I charged.
"Nooo, seriously, how the hell are we supposed to take it down like this?"
Uncle snapped, as if remembering what had happened earlier.
"We barely made it through the elite dwarves' missile barrage to get near the boss, and a barrier? Does that make sense? Does it?!"
And so it was. The axe Uncle swung with all his might, even using a skill, was blocked by a transparent barrier and bounced back powerlessly. Not even my Flame Lance could pierce the barrier.
"Let's calm down and organize the situation first."
I swallowed my irritation and anger at this absurd situation and spoke calmly. I asked Seono, who was still panting, for a pen and notebook.
"The problems are, first, the elites' elemental missile attacks, then the MP drain debuff, and finally, the barrier. Meaning, we just need to do something about these."
I said, writing in the notebook.
"Hwajin? Don't tell me you're trying to go to the 50th floor again right now?"
Hyeri asked with a startled expression.
"I just want to organize my thoughts first for now."
I said that to calm Hyeri down, but I didn't mean it.
'That boss dwarf probably giggled as it watched us run away.'
The sound of cackling laughter came to mind.
Crack.
'Damn.'
Seeing a crack form in the ballpoint pen, I quickly loosened my grip.
"If we go in with resistance skills, we can endure the elemental missiles well enough. The problems are the debuff and the barrier."
I put the pen down and fell into thought. Something flitted about in my head, almost within my grasp.
"Should we really give up after all?"
I heard Uncle's voice.
"I think that's for the best. We don't have much time left now……"
"Hyeri."
I said, looking at the sighing Hyeri.
"Could I borrow your staff for a moment?"
"My staff?"
"There's something I want to test."
Hyeri handed over the staff with a puzzled expression.
'Until now, I've made ranged attack skills, healing, and support skills using
I summoned the book and opened a blank page.
'Lightning, Staff, Block……'
As I wrote the Words, a voice was heard.
[A skill of the same type already exists.]
[You can consume 50 EXP to enhance the existing skill's effects. Will you do so?]
I had a good feeling about this.
[A total of 50 EXP will be used.]
[The Lightning Resistance skill's effects are enhanced.]
I checked the part in the book where [Lightning Resistance] was listed.
'The mana consumption decreased by 2 pt!'
Moreover, the effects had improved. The skill duration increased from 10 minutes to 15 minutes, and the power reduction effect had jumped from 50% to 90%.
I tested it once more. This time, it was
The results were similar. The mana consumption decreased, and the probability of inflicting burns jumped from 10% to 50%.
'As I thought. Skills that seem like something a wizard would use are suited to
Furthermore, when I used those skills while holding the staff, the mana consumption decreased even more. It was double-layered.
'With this, it might be possible. Now, if I can just make skills that fit the situation from earlier……'
I immersed myself in thought as I looked at the list of Words.
Gangil, Hyeri, and Seono were making expressions as if they were looking at something strange. Their gazes were fixed on Hwajin, who was sitting on the floor. For a while now, Hwajin had been repeating a cycle of writing something in the book with a quill pen, then making a disappointed expression and saying "This isn't it." Just moments ago, he had screamed, "Uaaack! My EXP!", startling the three of them.
"He's probably making some kind of skill, right?"
Hyeri said.
"It looks that way. Seems like it's not going well."
Gangil said, not taking his eyes off Hwajin.
Seono, who had been watching Hwajin, slowly approached, wondering if there was anything he could help with.
"Um, Hwajin hyung……"
Just as Seono stood behind Hwajin and called out to him.
"I got it!"
Hwajin sprang to his feet.
"Uwaaah!"
Startled, Seono scrambled backward.
"Ah, sorry Seono. Uncle! Hyeri! Please come here for a moment. I have a strategy I want to try."
Gangil and Hyeri approached Hwajin with puzzled expressions. After hearing Hwajin's explanation, Hyeri made a displeased expression.
"If we try that and it doesn't work, isn't it too dangerous for Uncle?"
"It'll be fine. The resistance skills I cast on the way here all worked properly, didn't they?"
"Don't worry, Hyeri. I trust Hwajin."
Gangil looked at Hwajin.
"Alright. Let's do as you say."
I returned the staff to Hyeri and asked her and Uncle to cast support skills on me. Having received buffs for increased attack power and mana recovery, I received the staff from Hyeri again.
"I'll borrow it just a bit longer. Ah, and the mana potions too. I'll pay you back later."
"No, it's fine since we're party hunting."
Hyeri said so and handed over three mana potions. Each bottle recovered 10 MP.
"Uncle, you take this."
What Hyeri handed Uncle was a smoke bomb. It reminded me of when we fought Boss Centaurus.
"If things get dangerous, set it off and retreat immediately."
Uncle and I nodded and headed up.
***
Standing before the door to the 50th floor, I pressed the staff against Uncle. As mana drained out simultaneously, streaks of red, yellow, and blue light enveloped Uncle's body.
"This skill's time limit is 5 minutes, but we can probably finish before then."
Uncle nodded.
I drank a mana potion and raised the staff.
"Let's go in."
"Mm!"
Uncle, holding an axe in his hand, kicked the door open. The door swung wide open, revealing the monsters inside. Behind the elites, the boss sat on the altar.
"Woooooah!"
Uncle shouted and charged at the monsters, and simultaneously, I raised the staff.
"Hakr!"
"Pakr!"
"Sakr!"
"Har!"
The four elites shouted something as they swung their staves. Flames, lightning, ice spikes, and bullets made of mana assailed Uncle simultaneously.
Kwagwang!
The elites' magic was stronger than what the monsters on previous floors had used. But there would be no problem.
"Woooooooooah!"
Uncle emerged from the explosion, shouting even louder than before as he swung his axe at the monsters. The monsters dodged the axe and continued pouring out magic, but Uncle was completely unfazed. It was thanks to the newly made skill.
--------------------
Created Skill: 3-Attribute Resistance (Rare)
Tool: Staff
Mana Consumption: 20(25-5) pt
Description: For 5 minutes, reduces the power of Fire, Lightning, and Ice attribute attacks dealt to the target to 10%, and grants immunity to the status ailments of Burn, Paralysis, and Slow.
--------------------
The six Words used were
Normally, the mana consumption would have been higher, but thanks to the
Uncle swung his axe at the monsters, unperturbed by their magic. However, the monsters avoided the axe with swift movements and continued using magic.
'Right now, it's a stalemate.'
Holding the staff, I looked at the boss. As time passed, I could feel my mana gradually draining. It was the boss's debuff ability. But it didn't matter if my mana decreased. I had already used the skill the moment I entered through the door. This was why I had recovered my mana with a potion before entering.
'About 7 seconds have passed since Uncle charged, so 3 seconds remain.'
2,
1.
"Urk!?"
The boss sitting on the altar opened its eyes wide.
"Now!"
I shouted toward Uncle.
Fwooom.
Uncle swung his axe at the boss, which was trying to rise from the altar. The swung axe split the half-risen creature's body in two. The monsters screamed as they saw the boss split in half. They must never have expected the magic protecting the boss to vanish.
[Total Dispel].
It was another 6-Word skill that eliminated the barrier surrounding the boss. The mana consumption was 25 pt—since I was holding the staff, the actual consumption was 17 pt. It was a 'Rare' grade skill that erased all effects caused by mana applied to the target.
I hadn't faced any difficulty making [3-Attribute Resistance]. I had just added
Feeling that my mana was no longer disappearing since the boss was dead, I drank a mana potion. All that remained was eliminating the elites. Holding the staff, I cast [3-Attribute Resistance] and [Flame Lance] in succession, then joined Uncle, who was already attacking the elites.
***
The Guild Master's office.
"You sent only three people to the Magic Tower!?"
A man shouted. Appearing to be in his late twenties, he was wearing armor made of purple metal.
"Yes. I sent only three."
The Guild Master's expression was the picture of leisure.
"It's a place where even six A-ranks have a hard time, so why……"
"I don't think they can catch the boss either. However, among those who came today, there is a peculiar hunter. I wanted to test them."
"Peculiar?"
"Yes. According to Hyeri, they say he has more than seven skills."
"Is that true?"
The Guild Master nodded.
"It so happens that I've also run out of materials for the equipment to give as a guild entry gift, so I intended to test how many floors they could climb while gathering materials."
"You told them that, at least to Hyeri, right?"
At the question from the man in purple armor, the Guild Master closed his mouth and stroked his beard.
"……I forgot."
"You old geezer!"
Just then, the Guild Master's door burst open. The Guild Master and the man in armor turned toward the door, their eyes going wide.
"We're back."
Hwajin's party entered the Guild Master's room. In Hwajin's hand was the shaft of the staff that the Magic Tower's boss had used.