The Fire That Defies the System
Of course Fireball is an elemental spell. The bombs I've used before are a bit ambiguous, but they're definitely closer to the fire attribute. Beyond elemental magic, there are all sorts of other categories—holy, nature, death, illusion, mystery, and more. Some schools even treat weapon enchantment as its own independent category. At first glance, Ilwol clearly seems to possess a natural talent for fire among the elemental affinities. But if the abilities Ilwol uses are similar to those granted by the Bookmark of Memories, then we need to reconsider things. After all, that power probably doesn't steal the opponent's proficiency along with the skill itself.
"Ah... so you're saying Ilwol might actually have no affinity for the elemental fire attribute...?"
"That's right. It's just one possibility among many, of course."
I'm... not talented with fire?! No way...!
"I'm not sure if it applies to summons like Ilwol, but when people awaken as mages, there's one thing they do first."
"Ah... you're talking about using Appraisal, right?"
"Yes. It would be good to check it out."
Yeonhee clenched her fist tightly, saying she would go take care of it right after they finished. I already knew about Appraisal. To be precise, it meant going to a hunter who possessed the Appraisal skill and having them analyze my tendencies. With luck, I might even learn information I wasn't aware of myself. The theory was that the strange phenomena occurred because I was using skills that didn't suit me from the beginning. But Jua immediately brought up another possibility.
"But there's something I don't quite understand."
"What is it...?"
"Ilwol's bomb ability. I can't wrap my head around the idea that someone who can freely use such a high-dimensional unique ability would have no connection to the fire attribute. That goes against all my knowledge."
"Um... are bombs really that high-dimensional...?"
"Absolutely. In fact, it's completely absurd."
Jua's face lit up with unusual excitement as she dove into the topic of magic, words tumbling out rapidly.
"Using mana to replicate functions similar to objects in our world is difficult enough. But to take monster bones, alter their properties to create bombs, and then meticulously construct an internal structure capable of causing explosions? Doing all of that as easily as playing with toys is simply astonishing. If I wrote a paper on this and presented it, everyone would point at me and call me a madwoman, wouldn't they?"
"I-is it really that extreme...?"
"It is!!"
Yeonhee shrank back from Jua's overwhelming enthusiasm, nodding vigorously. Still, she kept trying to speak because she considered this precious time to learn more about Ilwol incredibly valuable. Gathering her courage, Yeonhee asked another question.
"Um, but aren't bombs and fireballs pretty similar? They both go 'boom' when they explode... is there really a way to say one is better than the other? And from what I've heard, elemental magic is supposed to be the strongest."
"You're right that the two skills are similar, and elemental magic is generally the most powerful. But because it's so powerful, it has the drawback of being highly standardized. Let me give you an example. Could you bury a fireball underground and make it explode an hour later?"
"...... I don't think so."
"Why not?"
"Well... because it's fire? The moment it touches the ground, it would probably burst into flames right away..."
"Exactly! What could you possibly add to or subtract from a primal ball of fire? A fireball is already a perfect ability in itself. But to add conditions like 'explode after a certain amount of time' requires painstaking effort and harsh costs. Now, what about Ilwol's bomb ability? Is it impossible to bury it in the ground?"
"Ah......!"
"See? I can't say for certain, but based on what I've observed of Ilwol so far, his bombs may eventually gain functions beyond simple explosions. They might even be able to set timers, like in the example I just gave."
Whoa... Bae Jua... she seems like a completely different person right now.
Jua had reached this conclusion purely through her own reasoning, deducing the possible derivative abilities of the Skeleton Bomber that I'd seen in the class selection options.
"And the reason that's possible is because the magic was originally structured around the concept of a 'bomb.' If it's connected to the core nature established at the beginning, it can evolve in various ways. Taking it further, you could even make the bomb release radioactive or other toxic substances like a nuclear explosion when it detonates. Of course, that would require Ilwol to actively work toward developing in that direction."
... I've already considered pretty much every ability that comes to mind when thinking about bombs, but hearing it explained like this makes the Skeleton Bomber sound like something truly incredible.
"Ahem— I got a bit carried away, but my conclusion is that his aptitude isn't mismatched. So then why is his accuracy so terrible? There's one other slim possibility."
"W-what is it?"
Yeonhee wasn't even watching where she was going anymore. She simply stared up at Jua, who was being carried by an orc, as she walked.
"There are countless mages who wield the power of fire. It makes sense, since fire is one of the most familiar elements to us, along with water. But if you delve deeper, even fire mages are divided into very specific subcategories."
Jua pulled a tumbler from her inventory, took a few gulps, and continued her explanation.
"Fire mages convert mana into magical power and then manifest flames with that power. However, that fire isn't created entirely from their own magical energy. Strictly speaking, they're using their magic to draw fire from somewhere else."
"So the classification depends on where they get the fire from, right?!"
"Correct. But could you please keep your mouth shut, rabbit?"
Arin puffed out her chest with a triumphant expression, proud that she'd gotten the answer right. Jua simply ignored her without effort.
"More precisely, it depends on which entity they borrow the fire from. For example, mages connected to fire spirits like Luina or Pyrolis have ridiculously weak firepower for fire-attribute mages. Their growth potential is also low, and as far as I know, none of the hunters connected to those spirits have ever reached A-grade or higher. On the other hand, because those entities have gentle dispositions, they don't act against the awakener's control much. That makes them easy to manage and means they consume less mana."
"I see—"
"Conversely, hunters connected to powerful entities like Libisenax, Voldoro, or Blaze display overwhelming firepower the moment they awaken. But they're extremely difficult for the caster to control, and the mana consumption is enormous. Because of that headache, some people say it's better to connect with entities of milder disposition rather than clumsily trying to link with superior beings."
"Then... what about Ilwol...?"
"Exactly. If we think along those lines, it would mean the entity connected to Ilwol is something incredibly powerful. But from what I know, even Libisenax—one of the so-called superior entities—doesn't reduce magic accuracy to the degree we see with Ilwol. In any case, being connected to an awakener means that entity has permitted them to use its power. They wouldn't grant so much power that it's impossibly difficult to control."
"So what's the conclusion?"
Arin pressed her palm against her forehead as if her head hurt.
"Well... it's hard to reach a definitive conclusion. But if Ilwol doesn't lack talent for the fire attribute, then..."
......
"Considering how his fireballs fly in completely opposite directions or shoot straight up into the sky before exploding, we can assume the entity he's connected to is extraordinary. Think about it. It doesn't make sense, does it? You aim forward and it flies backward? That's a power that directly opposes the System itself—the very existence that has swallowed this Earth."
"Now that you mention it, the fact that he can't control an ability clearly engraved in his status window is pretty... and it's only a basic spell, isn't it?"
"That's exactly what I'm saying."
"... Just how powerful would an entity have to be to twist a power permitted by the System in the opposite direction?"
"It's questionable whether such an existence even exists. Maybe if it were one of the supreme fire entities like 'Hwacheon' or 'Agni,' but that's ridiculous. And if he were connected to an entity of that caliber, his body wouldn't be able to endure it. A few of the early awakeners demonstrated that themselves."
······
With those words, Jua fell silent. Yeonhee and Arin also seemed lost in thought, and for a while the only sound was the rhythm of their footsteps on the ground.
Step. Step.
In particular, Bae Jua mulled over her own words and suddenly recalled what No Hayun had muttered while staring at Ilwol.
"The being of the question mark... we must stay together no matter what..."
Did No Hayun already know something back then...? No wonder she threw such a fit about entering an E-grade dungeon when she was preparing for her C-grade promotion. She must have realized there was something to gain from it.
Jua nodded quietly to herself and looked at Ilwol with renewed interest. A being of the question mark, not just a simple summon. When she'd first heard No Hayun say it, she'd thought the girl was spouting nonsense again. But now, she couldn't think of any words that described Ilwol more accurately.
Still, whether Ilwol was a mere summon or a miraculous existence born from the mysteries of mana didn't matter to Jua. The fact that they'd discovered the mine today was reason enough to continue working together.
Jua had no intention of staying in the hunter business for long. Of course she didn't. This filthy underworld was a place where the longer you stayed, the worse things got. It was a world where whether you could rise or not became clear very quickly. Depending on where you reached, you could obtain everything you desired—or lose everything.
Fifty billion won.
She would earn fifty billion won, retire comfortably, and spend her days researching magic. There wasn't a particularly clear reason why she'd set her goal at fifty billion, but she had decided that would be the day she retired. It might have seemed like an early dream for a woman in her early twenties, but since she was already earning far more than her peers, she didn't think it was impossible.
And with Ilwol—this golden goose—by her side, she felt like she could reach that goal much sooner than expected.
I had a strange feeling about him from the very first day we met... I hope you'll stick with me until I retire, skeleton.
While Jua was lost in these thoughts as she gazed at Ilwol, Ilwol himself was carefully considering her opinions.
Either I have absolutely no talent for the fire attribute, or the entity I'm connected to possesses absurd power. Those are the only two options... they're both so extreme. If it's the latter, then there's nothing I can do about it, is there?
Instead of solving the problem, he'd only added more worries. Still, simply being able to look at the issue from a different angle was helpful enough.
Step. Step.
For the next thirty minutes or so, we walked in complete silence.
"So, have you decided where we'll go for the next dungeon?"
Jua asked when there were about thirty minutes left until the exit. It was a bit late to be asking since everyone had been lost in their own thoughts, but it was an important question. The two dungeons ranked just above the Wolf's Den were Harpy's Spawning Ground and Abandoned School No. 1.