Episode 23: Skill Selection
Claris and I arrived at Death Ruler Volcano.
We advanced deeper into the dungeon, avoiding the bubbling, seething lava.
“Loin… it’s hotter than I thought…”
“Yeah… it is. We won’t be able to stay long…”
And this is even after chugging down a ton of those potions called Iced Potions.
Even so, it’s so hot I feel like my body’s going to melt.
“Are Skill Mages really in a place like this…?”
The monsters we encountered along the way all seemed to be resistant to heat.
Turtles with thick shells…
Fish that swam through lava with thick scales…
Crabs protected by thick carapaces…
“Ah…! Loin, look at that!”
It seemed Claris had discovered something.
When I looked over, there was a monster clearly different from the ones we’d seen so far.
“Is this… a Skill Mage!?”
The Skill Mage… it was a small, humanoid monster.
Or rather, it was like a mage version of a Goblin…
Like a red version of a Goblin… something like that.
I could see it had thick skin that looked resistant to heat.
This isn’t going to be like a regular Goblin…
Its fangs and the look in its eyes also seemed more vicious than a Goblin’s.
“Kyui kyui kyuieeee!!!!”
“Hey! It’s noticed us! Be careful!”
Once the Skill Mage noticed us, it clearly showed hostility.
And then, it actually launched magic at us—!
—Fwoosh!
A red fireball shot out from the Skill Mage.
“Ghk…!”
“What a troublesome attack…!”
I used my Demon’s Blade as a shield to block it.
But like this, I can’t get close.
However, I had the perfect partner for this.
“Leave it to me!”
“Claris!?”
Claris readied her shield and charged straight towards the Skill Mage.
It was a charge that practically screamed, ‘This is what shield bearers are for!’
“Kyui kyui!?”
The Skill Mage desperately kept firing magic, but it was all deflected by Claris’s shield.
Claris’s shield was the Titan Shield, made with Dragon Star Rock.
So naturally, it’s strong against magic too!
“Kyui…!?”
“Uooooooh!”
It seemed the Skill Mage was confused that its attacks weren’t getting through.
It stayed rooted to the spot, continuing to fire magic uselessly.
Claris rapidly closed the distance—!
“Hiyah! Shield Bash!”
Having closed the distance enough, Claris bashed the Skill Mage with her shield!
The Skill Mage was struck on the head and seemed to have a concussion.
“Now, Loin!”
“Leave it to me…!”
I seized the opening and closed the distance in one go—
“Demon’s Blade! Cleave the Skill Mage in two!!!!”
I cut the Skill Mage in half with my beloved sword!
—Zashaaaaaa!
A rain of blood fell on the spot.
“Your weapon has incredible attack power, Loin…!”
“You too, that was a nice assist!”
If I were alone, it might have taken quite a while.
But thanks to Claris, it looks like we can defeat even troublesome enemies smoothly.
“No, no, this is thanks to you too, Loin.”
“Eh…?”
“The reason I have this shield is because you gave me the Dragon Star Rock, after all.”
“Ah, yeah… well, that’s true. But seeing you in action just now, it was worth giving it to you.”
For a Skill Mage that uses magic, Dragon Star Rock, which deflects magic well, is the optimal material.
Maybe I’m lucky even in situations like this.
“Well then… time for the long-awaited drop item.”
“Eh…? Wait a minute, Loin.”
“Hm…?”
Claris looked at my face, seeming completely exasperated.
She was staring at me quizzically.
Actually, she just snorted at me, this girl…
Well, I guess that makes sense…
I still haven’t told Claris about my ability.
“A drop item…? Just how lucky do you think you are? This is only the first one, you know?”
“Yeah, you’re right.”
“The chance of a Skill Mage dropping a Skill Book is less than 0.001%, you know?”
“Yeah, I know.”
“In that case…”
“Wanna bet?”
“Eh…?”
“Wanna bet whether the Skill Mage dropped an item?”
I said, my expression full of confidence.
Was I being a little mean to Claris…?
But Claris still looked suspicious, giving me a cold stare.
Is she put off by me?
“Alright, Loin! I’ll definitely win! Hmm… how about the loser buys dinner tonight?”
“Yeah, sure.”
Of course, I’m going to win this bet.
Well, I’ll gratefully accept the dinner money as payment for the Dragon Star Rock.
That way, there won’t be any lingering awkwardness.
“Alright, here I go…?”
“Bring it on!”
To check if a drop item had appeared, I rummaged through the Skill Mage’s corpse.
I searched for a Skill Book amidst the bloody mess of flesh.
“Uhm… Oh, found it!”
“No way!?”
“Well then, I win the bet!”
“Wh-what’s going onnnn!?”
Well, I guess I’ll reveal the trick later…
More importantly, what matters is the content of the Skill Book.
“Hey, Loin. Let’s hurry and see what skill it is.”
“Oh, right. Depending on that, its value could be zero or a hundred million.”
Now then, the memorable first skill…
What on earth could it be?
With my skill, acquiring a Skill Book is guaranteed, but—
I don’t know what’s inside the Skill Book itself.
So, whatever this is, I’ll probably end up defeating a few more Skill Mages.
“Ooh!? Th-this is…!”
“Let me see, let me see…!”
[Book of Air Slash]
Rarity ★★★★★★★★
Drop Rate ???
Description: Allows learning of Air Slash.
Single use only.
“It looks like an attack skill…!”
“It might be perfect for you, Loin, since you use a greatsword!”
I decided to try using the skill right away.
When I flipped through the Skill Book and chanted “Use Skill,” the Skill Book turned to ash and disappeared.
“What a strange thing…”
“It is… I’ve never seen anything like it…”
“Alright, then let’s try it out. How about I try cutting that rock over there!”
I readied my sword, facing the rock.
And then—
“Air Slash—!”
Then.
—Zdooooon!
—Crack!
Something like a shockwave shot out from the tip of my sword as it cut through the air.
And it split the rock several meters away clean in two.
“A-amazing…!”
“With this, I can fight at long range too…!”
I was convinced that I would keep getting stronger from now on.
For a while, I’ll keep coming to this volcano and carefully select skills.
Unneeded Skill Books can be sold for money.
Besides, if a shield-type skill drops, I can just give it to Claris.
“I hope a shield-type skill drops next.”
“Eh…?”
“Well, you’re a shield user, right, Claris?”
“W-wait a minute… Y-you’ll give it to me?”
“Yeah, of course, right? I don’t need it, and…”
“N-no way…! I can’t accept something so valuable!”
“No, it’s fine… They’re going to drop like crazy from now on anyway.”
“Eeh… What’s with that overwhelming confidence regarding drop items…?”
Well, it’s not confidence or anything, they’re guaranteed to drop, so…
I imagined Claris’s surprised face again and chuckled a little.
I’ll keep my ability a secret for a while longer.
Well, if Skill Books drop three times in a row, she’ll probably figure it out whether she wants to or not…
I’m looking forward to her reaction then—!