Chapter 3
Chapter 3
Kobold’s Cave (F)
F-rank Gate, Kobold’s Cave.
The exact terrain and features change every time.
Even so, it is a fairly well-known gate.
The difficulty is extremely low.
“Don’t let your guard down just because it’s easy. This is our magician’s first gate after all.”
Baek Un-seok, the tanker and party leader.
He was the most at ease among the three of us.
Before entering the gate, he said he had already cleared five or six F-rank gates.
“If you attack before taunt fully takes effect, aggro will shift. Stay as calm as possible.”
I nodded and placed my hand over my heart.
I immediately cast a spell.
[Frozen Shield]
Psss!
A cool sensation spread across my skin as if a thin layer of frost had formed.
At the same time, a bluish aura began to shimmer around my body.
Baek Un-seok asked with a slightly puzzled expression.
“You said this was your first gate, right?”
“That’s right.”
I replied casually.
The reason for his confusion was simple.
A level 1 magician at their first gate.
Since I was a magic dealer, the unique skill I obtained should naturally be offensive.
And yet, the first spell was a shield.
‘And I don’t really have any equipment either, so he probably won’t think I’m some privileged kid who learned a separate skill.’
But I had no intention of explaining that.
We weren’t that close.
“Let’s go.”
At my words, Baek Un-seok nodded and moved forward.
I followed behind him.
At the very rear, Lee Hye-na gave me a thumbs-up.
“Not bad? Looks like you hit the jackpot with your skills despite your rank?”
The number of skills obtained upon awakening is random.
Usually one, with up to three at most.
Lee Hye-na probably assumed I was one of those cases.
‘Four hundred fifty-nine though.’
I slowly followed Baek Un-seok while looking around.
A fairly wide cave passage.
Water droplets dripping from the ceiling and walls.
Stalactites hanging down.
And darkness stretching thickly ahead.
I reached out my hand.
[Light]
Flash!
A ball of bright white light rose into the air above Baek Un-seok’s head.
Baek Un-seok smiled lightly and said.
“You’re quite well prepared.”
“Light skill books aren’t cheap either, probably around ten million won, right? Looks like you must come from a well-off family.”
Their voices were friendly, but there was a subtle hint of curiosity.
Since I didn’t respond, Baek Un-seok started walking again.
And not long after, the owners of this gate revealed themselves.
“Kiirik!”
“Kiririk…!!”
Long ears extending sideways, pig-like snouts with upturned noses.
Short bodies barely reaching the waist.
Clubs studded with spikes gripped tightly in their hands.
“It’s kobolds. Everyone, get ready.”
Baek Un-seok, who had already taken out his shield, raised his sword.
In the brightly lit front, five kobolds approached with gleaming eyes.
Watching them, I raised my hand.
Kobolds that appear in groups.
A cave environment.
Relatively weak individual monsters.
A spell prepared perfectly for those conditions.
[Tera Crush]
A tier-1 spell.
Among them, a spell usable only in very specific environments.
Because of that, its destructive power surpassed others.
Flash!
Three thick pillars fell from the cave ceiling in an instant.
They plunged straight down at tremendous speed.
The kobolds, sensing something off, looked up.
But it was already too late.
Crunch!
The pillars smashed through the skulls of three kobolds in one blow.
Still carrying momentum, they pressed down through their throats.
The kobolds, skewered like kebabs, died instantly.
“Kiirik?!”
“Kik!”
The remaining two kobolds rushed in with their eyes glowing.
My companions were slightly shaken by the sudden turn of events.
The first to recover was Baek Un-seok.
“Wait until aggro is established!”
I kept the charging kobolds in my sight and drank a mana potion.
My mana quickly refilled.
[Mana: 10/10]
Assuming that my mana recovery rate had also improved to some extent, I calmly waited for the signal.
I had no intention of recklessly going wild just because a spell had worked once.
“Kiirik!”
At that moment, the two kobolds flinched their shoulders simultaneously.
Their eyes flared red.
Ignoring me and Lee Hye-na completely, they charged toward one person.
Baek Un-seok.
Clang!
The kobold’s wooden club collided with the shield.
Baek Un-seok shouted.
“Now!”
At that moment, Lee Hye-na thrust out her bluish blade.
It pierced the kobold’s neck precisely.
[Wind Cutter]
Slice!
An invisible, razor-sharp wind passed through the kobold’s neck.
The head flew high into the air.
Spinning around, the head rolled across the ground.
“.......”
“.......”
“.......”
A brief silence settled among the party members.
Baek Un-seok and Lee Hye-na’s gazes turned toward me.
Honestly, I was just as surprised.
‘Why is it so strong…?’
Last time, when I used Ice Arrow and blew away the ground, I felt something was off.
The skills themselves seemed strangely abnormal.
That was my impression.
And judging by Baek Un-seok and Lee Hye-na’s reactions, it seemed the same to them.
“Uh… ahem. Kim Do-yun, right? I happen to have some mana potions left from our last hunt. Would you like one?”
“Oh, both of you please rest. I’ll quickly go collect the magic stones!”
Baek Un-seok readily handed me a 500,000 won mana potion.
Lee Hye-na ran off on her own toward the monster corpses.
Seeing that, it finally felt real.
I had truly become a magician.
[Tera Crush]
Crash!
Stone pillars fell from the ceiling.
Once again, three kobold heads were crushed.
“Kiirik!”
The remaining ones were drawn by aggro.
Lee Hye-na’s blade and my magic finished off the charging kobolds in an instant.
Hunting was surprisingly easy.
After easing my tension a bit compared to the beginning, I continued the kobold slaughter until a message appeared.
[Level Up]
“Shall we take a short break?”
“Sounds good.”
“Yes!”
Everyone immediately sat down at my suggestion.
They ate the snacks they had prepared.
I looked at them briefly and opened my status window.
[Name: Kim Do-yun]
[Level: 2]
[Stats]
Strength: 1
Stamina: 1
Agility: 1
Magic: 1
[Trait: Magic Master (EX)]
[Skills: View More]
I immediately increased my magic stat.
After investing 2 points, a new message appeared.
[Magic stat has changed]
[Magic: 1 → 3]
[Mana: 10 → 30]
[Mana recovery rate increases]
[Magic effects are enhanced]
Along with that, a refreshing energy surged from around my heart.
The density of mana centered around the heart must have become thicker.
My body felt lighter.
With mana increasing by 20, I could now use a basic tier-1 spell about ten times.
‘Not bad.’
According to Baek Un-seok, we had cleared roughly half the gate.
Even though the difficulty was low, it was progressing much more smoothly than expected.
“It’s a breeze thanks to Do-yun. If we always party with a magician like this, there’s nothing to worry about.”
“Baek, at least match shields with me. I’m basically one-dimensional when it comes to stabbing. Not that I’m complaining, just saying it’s really comfortable, haha.”
Baek Un-seok and Lee Hye-na seemed to feel the same.
They treated me with respect, handing over food and taking care of any inconveniences.
I knew that capable magicians were valued more than other classes, but
‘This much…?’
I let out a quiet laugh in my mind.
Just yesterday, I was framed by a parachuted executive and fired from my company.
And today, I was being treated like this.
By hunters I once looked up to as if they were above the heavens.
It was deeply moving.
Tap, tap.
Once everyone seemed sufficiently rested, I stood up while brushing off my pants.
Baek Un-seok and Lee Hye-na quickly gathered their gear.
They were remarkably disciplined.
I hadn’t even enforced anything.
“Shall we move?”
Baek Un-seok was precise and efficient.
He moved smoothly and sensibly, just right for any situation.
The kind of person everyone would appreciate anywhere.
“We’ve collected all the magic stones!”
Lee Hye-na was diligence itself.
Without needing to be told, she handled her tasks on her own.
Impressed by how much my position had changed in just a day, I spoke.
“Thank you.”
“Oh, not at all! We’re the ones who should be thanking you!”
“You’re not only skilled, but also very polite. This is amazing!”
There was nothing particularly different afterward.
If anything, I experimented slightly with modifying my magic.
[Tera Crush]
Boom!
Pillars burst out from the side walls of the cave instead of the ceiling.
Crash!
They collided with each other, piercing the hearts of three kobolds simultaneously.
Then two more pillars dropped from the ceiling.
Crunch, crunch!
Two kobolds had their skulls crushed without even being able to lift their heads and collapsed to the ground.
Four pillars.
A variation of the spell emerging from the walls instead of the ceiling.
I learned something new.
‘Even the same tier-1 spell has different destructive power depending on mana output. And depending on how it’s applied, the effects vary widely.’
Maybe it’s time to try new spells.
Thinking that, I walked following Baek Un-seok.
Soon after, I felt a slight shiver run through my shoulders.
A sudden drop in temperature, like a wave of cold spreading through the surroundings.
Even the darkness creeping in around the brightly shining Light seemed to grow thicker.
“A boss will appear.”
I immediately turned off the Light.
Although I wasn’t an awakened one at first,
having worked at the Comet Guild for six years, I already knew the basic mechanics of clearing gates.
“Normally, I would tank first and then deal damage afterward. But this time, I think I’ll adjust the strategy a bit.”
Even though I was the main damage dealer,
the party leader was still Baek Un-seok.
Lee Hye-na and I listened silently to his words.
“Like before with the kobolds… Do-yun will strike first with magic, drawing aggro, and then I’ll pull it back. After that, you two handle the damage.”
“Sounds good.”
“Yes!”
Our responses were immediate.
Baek Un-seok smiled in satisfaction and turned around.
Not long after, a large chamber appeared.
Huge torches burned fiercely at each corner.
[Boss, Giant Kobold has appeared]
[Defeat the Giant Kobold]
The boss stood there.
A massive kobold, roughly five times larger than the normal ones.
“Wow… it looks strong.”
“We can handle it. It’ll just take a bit of time.”
Lee Hye-na and Baek Un-seok exchanged words.
Meanwhile, I ran calculations in my head.
274 tier-1 spells.
Among them, those with mana consumption of 30 or less.
The one capable of delivering the greatest destructive power.
“Let’s begin.”
I said that and reached out toward the torches burning at the four corners.
Heat was drawn into my palm in an instant.
Grasping it and lifting it over my shoulder, the heat rapidly transformed.
[Flame Lance]
A spear of blazing flame.
Not merely formed from mana alone,
but amplified by drawing in real flames, the fiery spear radiated intense heat.
An overwhelming force that seemed impossible for a tier-1 spell.
“My goodness…”
“What is that?”
Baek Un-seok and Lee Hye-na murmured in shock.
Ignoring them, I stepped forward and swung my arm.
Whoosh!
The Flame Lance shot forward without hesitation.
Like lightning, the spear of fire pierced straight through the Giant Kobold’s chest.
“Kieeek!”
A piercing scream erupted.
The Giant Kobold writhed and thrashed violently.
But the flames spreading from its chest quickly engulfed its entire body.
“Kiaaak!”
The blazing fire and the kobold’s screams filled the chamber.
Everyone watched silently.
Soon, a message appeared before my eyes.
[Giant Kobold has been defeated]
With that message confirming the boss’s defeat, a small, round metal object dropped to the ground.
Roll, roll, clink.
It was a ring.