My Self-Centered Skillbook Episode 007
Episode 7
After stopping by the market, I entered the dungeon and immediately headed for the second floor.
Yesterday, using [Shatter] and [Charge], I had been able to take down every monster on the first floor without taking a single wound.
I felt confident that at this level, even setting aside my Status, my strength was clearly at least that of a C-Rank Hunter.
'The monsters on the second floor are stronger, so they should give more experience too.'
With the thought that I had to get stronger, even just a little more, a little faster, I stretched my feet toward the stairs.
Perhaps because the ceiling was high, the stairs were as long as those of a five-story building.
I descended the stairs, lost in thought.
'Just what are the acquisition conditions for Words?'
Yesterday, when I had asked the book how to obtain the [Attribute] Word, it had only displayed the words 'Words can be acquired through experience' on the page.
'It's certain that not all experience lets you acquire Words.'
If I could obtain a Word every time I did something, that voice would never leave my head all day long.
While thinking such thoughts, before I knew it, I was at the door leading to the second floor.
The second floor wasn't much different from the first. The high ceiling, trees, grass, and even moss were all the same.
Grrr.
But the monsters that appeared were different.
'Damn!'
Staring at me was a boar-shaped monster with orange fur and one eye.
It was a Flame Boar.
Seeing it brought back memories of forming a team with C-Rank and D-Rank Hunters to come down to the second floor before.
'Its special ability is definitely…….'
I carefully watched the boar's mouth.
Fwoosh.
At the same time it exhaled, small flames flickered and vanished.
'Here it comes!'
The boar spewed flames from its mouth as it charged. The flames emerging from its mouth enveloped the monster.
I rolled to the side to avoid the boar's tackle.
'Ugh! Hot!'
The heat spreading across my whole body made me check if I had caught fire, but fortunately, only my clothes were slightly scorched.
When I raised my head, the boar with flames covering its entire body was glaring this way.
'Still an absurd ability.'
The boar, which should have reeked of cooking meat by all rights, was completely unharmed.
Those flames only dealt damage to opponents with hostility.
Grrrr.
'What do I do now…….'
[Charge] was a skill that kept running until it collided with the target unless canceled.
So if I used it wrongly against a boar wrapped in flames charging at me, it would backfire.
'Then I have to go with a combo.'
Close the distance with [Charge] and attack with [Shatter].
However, since right now it was practically the same as rushing toward fire, the timing of using [Shatter] was crucial.
Tak!
The Flame Boar charged again, engulfed in flames.
Just like before, I rolled my body to avoid it and immediately used a skill.
'Charge!'
Because the distance to the boar wasn't very far, I closed the gap much faster than expected. A ball of fire was right before my eyes.
'Damn……! Shatter!'
I immediately used [Shatter].
Kwang!
But because I was hasty, the timing of using [Shatter] was too early.
My club grazed the Flame Boar and struck the ground.
Pueok!
"Kuhk!"
My body was sent flying.
An intense impact assaulted me to the point that I couldn't breathe for an instant.
The Flame Boar had rammed into me in the opening created by me lifting my club from the ground.
I barely managed to block the boar's direct hit with my club, but I was still sent flying backward.
"Krrgh!"
My hand throbbed with heat. The fingers that had been gripping the club were red and scalded. It was a burn.
The next moment, a voice rang in my head.
[You have acquired a new Word,
[You have acquired 20 Exp.]
'A Word!'
I wanted to open the book right away, but the Flame Boar was charging again.
'Ugh!'
I immediately raised my club.
'I have to judge the distance properly!'
I wouldn't make the same mistake as before.
I devoted all my focus to measuring the distance to the boar.
The boar came close enough that I could feel its heat.
The heat grew even more intense.
'Now!'
"Shatter!"
My arm moved as mana drained out.
Kwajik!
'Got it!'
This time, it was a success.
The Flame Boar's head, which had been charging, was buried in the dirt floor.
[You have acquired 15 Exp.]
"Whew."
I let out a sigh of relief.
'If I had calmly aimed for the right timing to use Shatter from the beginning, I could have finished it without getting hurt.'
No matter how possible the combo was, [Shatter] after [Charge] was difficult to time after all.
Anyway, I had taken down the monster—and perhaps because it was a second-floor monster, the Exp acquired was double that of a Horned Deer—and I had also obtained a Word.
After confirming there were no monsters nearby, I summoned the book.
--------------------
-Word List-
[Attribute] (1)
……
--------------------
'Was it thanks to the experience of taking the Flame Boar's tackle?'
I decided to try making a new skill using
One Word was decided, so the remaining two had to be chosen from the list.
When I wrote the letters on the blank page, the Words combined with one another.
[A total of 100 Exp will be used.]
[A skill has been created.]
--------------------
Created Skill: [Fireball] (Normal)
Tool Required: None
Mana Cost: 5pt
Description: Launches a fireball at a designated target. Has a 10% chance to inflict 'Status Effect: Burn'.
--------------------
I immediately decided to test the skill and looked for a suitable monster to use as an experiment subject.
Before long, I encountered a Golden Fox. It was a monster with decent demand because its fur had excellent heat retention.
'Fireball!'
As mana drained away, a sphere of flame formed in one hand.
I hurled the fireball at the Golden Fox, and the fireball flew in a straight line, hitting it.
Fwoosh!
The Golden Fox's body was engulfed in flames.
[You have acquired 12 Exp.]
The power of Fireball was outstanding. I could take down a second-floor monster with a single attack.
'All right!'
I screamed internally. With this, earning experience would become much easier.
The skills I had created so far were [Shatter], [Fireball], and [Charge]—two attack skills and one auxiliary skill.
'At this level, I'll definitely reach Hunter Rank B.'
When I thought about how S-Rank Hunters had on average more than 3 skills, I wondered if I might be able to aim for A-Rank too.
But I soon shook my head. There was something critically lacking.
That was my Status.
In measuring Hunter Rank, Status was also an important factor besides skills.
B-Rank Hunters needed average stats of at least 3.5, while A-Rank Hunters needed average stats of at least 5.
My current stats averaged 3.6, slightly below 4.
It wasn't that there was no solution. There definitely existed a way to raise stats.
'But the problem is that method is practically impossible for ordinary Hunters.'
To raise one's Status, 'Mana Stones' that only appeared in dungeons of 4-Star rank or higher were needed.
However, what was needed to enter those 4-Star dungeons was an A-Rank license.
Unless you were an A-Rank or higher Hunter, you wouldn't be granted entry permission to a 4-Star dungeon even if you paid the admission fee.
The means for B-Rank or lower Hunters to obtain Mana Stones were to party with an A-Rank Hunter and go to a 4-Star dungeon, or to buy Mana Stones that appeared on the market.
Mana Stones were sold at astronomical prices. Even the cheapest Mana Stone, which raised the Sense stat by 1, cost upwards of 100 million won.
So to a D-Rank Hunter like me who had nothing left after paying the admission fee except daily meal money, Mana Stones were a pie in the sky.
'Right now, experience points matter more than rank. Let's move.'
For a while, I wandered around hunting monsters except Flame Boars with [Fireball].
Occasionally, I also used the [Charge] and [Shatter] combo. This was to leave the materials intact for sale.
It was when my bag was somewhat full from repeated hunting and dismantling.
"Grrrrr."
A Flame Boar revealed itself from within the forest.
'Good. I don't have much mana left either, so I'll finish up with that one and go to the market.'
I raised my club and faced it.
It didn't charge but glared this way.
While I was bewildered as to why it was acting that way, a sound suddenly came from behind.
Screech!
'Damn!'
I quickly looked back.
The Golden Fox was emitting light from its body.
'Dangerous!'
The Golden Fox was classified as a weak monster on the second floor. This was because it took a very long time to perform one attack.
But a Golden Fox that had finished its attack preparation was a more dangerous target than even the Flame Boar.
A brilliant light appeared right beneath me.
'Charge!'
Rumble!
At the same time that I threw my body to the side, sharp-tipped stone pillars shot up from where I had been standing with terrifying force.
It was the Golden Fox's stone spear summoning technique.
"Keok!"
The next moment, an enormous impact and heat assailed my body.
Having taken the Flame Boar's tackle head-on, I rolled backward and fell face-first to the ground.
My vision spun.
'Damn it…….'
I gritted my teeth and tried to properly assess the situation.
The Flame Boar was scraping the ground with its hooves, and the Golden Fox was preparing to attack once more.
Thinking that I had to deal with the Golden Fox first, I reached out my hand.
'Fireball!'
I unleashed flames toward the Golden Fox.
"Kyaek!"
But the Flame Boar shielded the Golden Fox.
Having been hit by the fireball, the Flame Boar's momentum grew even fiercer.
I stood up, breaking out in a cold sweat.
'This is dangerous.'
I could feel through my body that my HP had greatly decreased.
Moreover, my MP was nearly depleted from continuous hunting.
My remaining MP was 5.
I had just enough mana left to use [Fireball] one more time.
While worrying amidst the stinging pain of my burned stomach, I finally chose to retreat using [Charge].
***
Swish.
A shadow that had been hiding its body in an alley near the dungeon entrance carefully poked its head out.
His gaze was directed at the back of Hwajin, who was walking hurriedly toward the market.