The Magic Now (2)
“Ugh…”
Yoo Ji-yeon shivered and let out a small moan.
I wanted to do so, too. The descent down the dungeon was very filthy.
The stairs were covered with unidentifiable waste, attracting flocks of maggots and flies.
Yoo Ji-yeon pinched her nose as we walked.
“How did you know there was a dungeon in this place?”
“By chance…”
I didn’t have an excuse prepared, so I just blurted that out quickly.
Ji-yeon nodded, though, as if she was convinced.
Perhaps seeing a top hunter like Han Yeon-soo chase me made Ji-yeon respect me more.
[That’s an obvious lie. How could she believe it just like that?]
The Traveler shook his head.
I can’t help but smile as we continued walking down the stairs.
It seemed as if the descent was endless. We’ve walked quite a while.
Until…
Footsteps.
I quickly turned <Nightmare> into a bow.
[‘Cheonri Archery’ is activated.]
The darkness that obscured my sight vanished. The stairs stretching farther down, the bugs crawling in every corner… even the dust particles floating in the air are clearly visible.
The figure of a monster running vigorously from below us caught my eye.
Pointed ears, raised canines, strong muscular body covered with green skin.
Orc.
I felt a slight vibration as the orc leaped, narrowing the distance between us.
I don’t know if his eyes are adapted to the darkness, or if his natural abilities are excellent.
He knew exactly where we were standing.
I wish it was the former.
Orcs were one of those races whose power greatly varies.
Ordinary orcs are weak enough for a single hunter to catch.
However, when modifiers are added to their names, such as ‘shaman’ in the case of this dungeon, they are completely different beings.
It was as if a modifier ‘hero’ was attached.
A modifier added on to their names means that they are an evolved form.
[Name: Shaman Orc]
There was only one characteristic attached to him, and no other modifiers existed.
Thank God.
In the past, during the Monster Wave, I had seen orcs with 16 modifiers.
Shu-!
I quickly pulled the bow and shot an arrow from Nightmare.
The black beam flew quickly, straight towards the orc’s head.
Teeing-!
“This…”
The arrow bounced off.
I increased my focus and saw that there is a light dancing around him.
Shield magic.
It works particularly well against long-range projectiles.
“Huh?” Yoo Ji-yeon looked confused. She’s unaware of our situation because of the darkness.
“Why did you shoot your bow? Are there monsters around us?”
“Uh… There’s one orc in front. He has a magic talent and has a projectile shield on his body. He could only use up to three magic spells simultaneously during combat.”
“Okay… then, I should attack when he brings down the projectile shield? But I can’t see his location. I’ll need you to give me a location briefing.”
Yoo Ji-yeon’s expression changed immediately after I gave her the location.
She has definitely improved, not only with her power. It was a 360-degree turn from her first evaluation.
I stared at her. “Can you cast spells? Your magic is not coming out…”
“I’ll do my best. We’re inside a dungeon, and I need to help you with my attacks. Besides, I feel that mana concentration here is a lot higher than on the outside. With this… maybe I can help… even if the mana doesn’t listen to me, I’ll keep trying.”
“Okay. Then, I trust you.”
The bow in my hand transformed into a long sword.
At the same time, Cheonri Archery was deactivated, and my characteristics were replaced with those that come with swordsmanship.
[Arrogant fencing (E) is activated.]
A different sensation filled my body.
The darkness returned to my eyes, and the widened field of vision returned to normal.
However, senses other than vision began to awaken.
An orc that rises into the air.
The sound of his rough breath.
The vibrations on the ground.
The odor peculiar to the orcs.
I slowly step forward.
“Wow!”
At that moment, I heard the orc’s cry. He was underneath the steps I am on.
[‘Excellent Insight’ is activated.]
The orc is using two magic spells—a projectile shield, and a spell that boosts his physical ability.
He can only use one more spell.
An ordinary shaman or wizard can use a maximum of three spells simultaneously.
To use beyond three spells is a very high wall to breach.
Whoo-!
The ugly orc’s grip is aiming at my neck. Blue light is shining from his hand.
It looks like attack-type magic.
His third.
I felt a weak wind approaching my cheeks and dodged in time to avoid the orc’s swing.
There was a brief gap exposed as he missed me, and I wielded my sword without hesitation.
Tuk-!
The orc’s head was chopped off with one swing.
Its huge body crashed on the ground and red blood poured out.
Yoo Ji-yeon stared at it.
“Uh… you killed it with one swing?”
[I still don’t know how much you have grown…]
“You don’t need my help at all! What were you…”
The voices of the Traveler and Yoo Ji-yeon rang at the same time.
* * *
When we reached the bottom of the stairs, a scene that suits the word ‘orc village’ unfolded.
Structures that could only be found in fantasies, hordes of orcs, and unrecognizable hieroglyphs on the wall…
[Are you sure you want to activate ‘View Information?’]
[There are many records of orc language in the Akashic Records.]
I kept an eye on Yoo Ji-yeon as she walked around, then muttered to myself.
“Activate.”
With that, the information on the walls began to flow into my head.
[The magic of the orcs was not different from that of the humans. However, the method they use to develop it was different. Orcs were born in predator bodies and needed different types of magic techniques than human beings. They need a means to strengthen their bodies and make it easier to face other predators that are stronger than them…]
Information about the magic of the orc race, accumulated through countless years, flowed into my head. I am inexperienced in the field of magic, and this new information was interesting for me.
Based on the knowledge I learned from the walls, I awakened the mana flowing in my body.
My skills were nothing compared to Yoo Ji-yeon’s, but with the details written on the walls, I could at least cast spells efficiently.
“Uh, Si-woo? Your body just glowed… it disappeared quickly.”
“Huh? You must have been imagining it.”
The Nightmare in the form of the sword returned to the back of my hand.
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