Chapter 8: 1st Floor Hidden (1)
Translator: RaidenTL
Chapter 8: 1st Floor Hidden (1)
To date, the highest skill grade ever revealed is Rare.
The hierarchy follows a simple progression: Common, then Common+, and finally Rare. It is said that no grade higher than that has appeared yet, though logically, Rare+ would be the next step.
For the record, the Flame Strike skill I obtained was Rare grade.
Furthermore, skills are broadly categorized into 'Physical-type' and 'Magic-type.' Apparently, Magic-type skills appear far less frequently than their Physical counterparts.
At first, I thought I had hit the jackpot. I figured that since I was on Nightmare difficulty, a reward of this caliber was only natural.
[Butter Bread: Aren't Magic-type skills just trash?]
[Phone: Ah, damn it. My 8th-floor reward was Magic-type;]
[Amkorian: Magic-type is seriously overhyped garbage. It has zero advantages besides raw firepower.]
I was wrong.
Among Climbers, the evaluation of Magic-type skills was lukewarm at best. There were several reasons for this.
"Mr. Davis, you mentioned you recently acquired a new Magic-type skill on the 7th floor. What exactly is it?"
"It's a Common+ grade skill called Shockwave. It’s an ability that fires a burst of intangible force."
"How has it been using it? I’ve heard that Climbers are quite negative about Magic-type skills."
"Hmm... well, yes. Magic-types do have their advantages and unique traits. Basically, they allow for long-range attacks, and their power is decent."
I had once seen an interview with a man named Davis, a famous frontrunner on Normal difficulty, and he explained the reasons perfectly.
"But that's where the benefits end. Even at my current level, the consumption is so horrific that my Willpower bottoms out after just a few uses. And above all, there's the penalty unique to Magic-type skills called 'Mental Focus.'"
Mental Focus. In other words, the time required to cast the skill. This was a restrictive condition that existed only for Magic-type skills.
"While you're in Mental Focus, it's impossible to move your body. It’s honestly ridiculous. I mean, if I tell an enemy to wait because I need to charge a skill in the middle of a fight, do you think they’ll actually listen?"
"Hahaha."
"Now, let's take a look. The Shockwave skill requires 10 seconds of Mental Focus and consumes 50 Willpower to cast. On the other hand, my other Common+ grade skill, 'Dash,' requires no casting time and only costs 15 Willpower. In the time it takes to waste 10 seconds using Shockwave once, I can use Dash more than three times."
"Oho... I see."
The conclusion Mr. Davis reached was clear.
"In short, Magic-type skills are just pretty-looking trash. There are almost no situations where they can be utilized, except perhaps for sniping an enemy before a battle starts. Well, I suppose it depends on how you use it, but Physical-type skills are much better in almost every way. Honestly, no Climber would disagree with that."
Long casting times. Impossible to use during active combat. On top of that, they were power-heavy resource hogs that ate up a hell of a lot of Willpower.
That was the reality of Magic-type skills.
Man, did he really have to be that scathing?
But then again... I couldn't refute it.
[Skill: Flame Strike (Rare)]
Fires condensed flames forward to cause an explosion. Requires 20 seconds of Mental Focus to cast.
Category: Magic-type
Willpower Consumption: 100
Cooldown: 30 seconds
This was the skill description for the Flame Strike I had obtained.
For reference, Willpower is a concept similar to Mana in games. It was a stat that increased along with your level and was said to recover by 1% per minute once consumed.
[Difficulty: Nightmare]
[Floor: 2nd Floor]
[Level: 10]
[Willpower: 100/100]
[Skill: Flame Strike (Rare)]
And this was my status window.
In short, if I wanted to use the Flame Strike skill... I would have to endure 20 seconds of Mental Focus, use it exactly once, and that was it. To use it again, I’d have to wait until my Willpower fully recovered—meaning a wait of 100 minutes.
What kind of bullshit was this? Just as he said, it really was pretty-looking trash. Still, they said the power was top-tier, so that was the only thing I was looking forward to.
[You have entered the 1st floor of Nightmare difficulty.]
The familiar cave appeared. I gripped my sword and stared down the passage. I didn't plan on using the skill right away. I’d take down the first three myself, and when the Archer Goblin appeared, I’d test it on him.
After waiting a moment, the goblins emerged from the passage.
"Yeah, welcome back."
I hadn't tested the skill even once because it felt weird to try it in the real world. However, my body, which had grown stronger as I leveled up, was already well-adjusted. To be honest, I was surprised by how much stronger I had become.
I heard that on Hard difficulty, you gain 4 levels every time you clear a floor. Nightmare was 2.5 times that, granting 10 levels. That was why I was so confident—confident that I could easily handle mere goblins now.
Kieeeek—!
As expected, a Sword Goblin lunged first. I didn't even need to stop time. My reflexes and kinetic vision had improved to the point where the goblin's attack was clearly visible. I dodged lightly and swung my sword.
Splat!
The goblin's upper body was cleaved in half.
Wait, what?
The blade cut through him too easily. No, it was my strength that had increased. The goblin's bifurcated body collapsed with a wet thud. The two goblins following behind hesitated. It must have been a shocking sight for them as well.
"What's wrong? Come at me."
Since they didn't attack, I moved first. I dashed toward a Sword Goblin and swung my blade. He couldn't even mount a proper defense before his body was sliced in half like his comrade's. The last remaining Spear Goblin suddenly turned and fled toward the passage.
"Give me a break."
I let out a hollow laugh and gave chase. I caught up in an instant and drove my blade through the back of his neck.
Easy.
It hadn't even taken 10 seconds to kill all three. I wasn't even out of breath. I could clearly feel that my body had completely surpassed human limits.
Now for the next three. I decided to kill the Archer Goblin, who had given me so much trouble before, as soon as he stepped out of the passage.
I cast the skill for the first time.
As I began casting Flame Strike, my body stiffened. I was rooted to the spot. An ethereal hourglass began to flow in my mind. It was a strange sensation.
Is this the Mental Focus state?
I had to complete 20 seconds in this state to use the skill. If I interrupted it midway, I would have to start over from the beginning.
The mental hourglass finished draining, and the skill was ready. But then, I was taken aback.
What the?
...I still couldn't move?
Wait, could it be? It wasn't just that I couldn't move during the Mental Focus time. Did it mean I couldn't move until I actually used the skill after finishing the focus? If I wanted to move, I had to cancel the skill entirely.
"Wow, seriously."
I finally understood why they called Magic-type skills trash. I stood there, helplessly frozen, waiting for the goblins to appear.
Kerrrrk—
Finally, the next set of goblins emerged from the passage: two Sword Goblins and one Archer Goblin. I immediately unleashed the skill.
Whoosh!
A sphere of condensed fire erupted in the air in front of me. The fireball shot rapidly toward the goblins, guided by my will.
And then...
KABOOOOM!
The flames spread instantly, followed by a massive explosion. My body was pushed back slightly by the shockwave, my hair fluttering in the heat. I was momentarily stunned by the power; it was far beyond my imagination.
"Whoa..."
The smoke cleared. The three goblins that were there just a moment ago were nowhere to be found. Instead, charred, ash-like remains were scattered across the cratered floor. They had been blown apart, leaving no corpses behind.
"...The power is definitely something else."
It was strong. I'd give it that. My evaluation of the skill went up slightly, but I still wasn't sure. The penalties attached to it were too fatal, no matter how powerful it was. At this rate, I really wouldn't be able to use it during actual combat...
Rumble—
Once all the goblins were dead, the stone gate began to close. I ran into the passage, heading up the continuous slope without stopping. By the time the iron sphere began to roll, I was already safely inside the niche.
THUD!
This section was easy once you knew the trick. After the thunderous sound echoed, I stepped out leisurely and checked my status window.
[Willpower: 1/100]
My Willpower was depleted after using the skill just once. I decided to wait until it was full before moving on. Next was the boss monster, the Knight Goblin. With my current physical abilities, I felt like I could win even without using a skill, but I wanted to test the skill's power against him as well.
After waiting a full 100 minutes to completely refill my Willpower, I advanced. I passed the abandoned weapon shop without picking anything up and entered the red-lit boss room.
Grrrr—
The Knight Goblin stood in the middle of the cavern. As soon as I spotted him, I began casting Flame Strike.
20 seconds of Mental Focus.
But the Knight Goblin was faster. The moment he saw me, he charged. I clicked my tongue inwardly.
He's got a short fuse.
I couldn't use the skill like this. Without much thought, I stopped time.
But then...
Huh?
The hourglass in my mind continued to flow. The Mental Focus wasn't interrupted.
Why? I've stopped time.
I was momentarily flustered by this phenomenon, but the realization soon dawned on me. Could it be that Mental Focus is possible even while time is stopped?
The hourglass finished draining. Having completed the Mental Focus, I unleashed the skill the very moment I resumed time.
The fireball struck the Knight Goblin dead-on.
BOOM!
He was sent flying several meters, crashing into the far wall. He didn't move again. I walked closer to inspect him. Both the armor and the goblin's body had been torn apart by the impact of the explosion. The boss monster I had struggled so much against was taken down in a single hit.
Even for me, it was impressive.
By the way, this...
I tilted my head. Mental Focus is possible while time is stopped? Why does this work? A hypothesis occurred to me.
Time Stop. Even when time stops, I can still think. In other words, even if the world's time stops, the time inside my head flows normally. What if Mental Focus is also judged as a mental flow of time? Is that why it's possible even while time is stopped?
Then another thought struck me.
...Then what about Willpower?
Doesn't the word 'Willpower' also sound mental? No, will and mind essentially mean the same thing. Thinking no way, I stopped time again.
[Willpower: 0/100]
My Willpower had been bottomed out from using the skill just now. I waited quietly while time was stopped. And a moment later...
[Willpower: 1/100]
...!
My Willpower had recovered. Even though time was stopped.
Inwardly, I couldn't help but shout.
Eureka.
I think I've just discovered a total god-tier cheat. One that only I can use.