Is This How You Use It? (2)
By the way, is this how it’s written?
Magic came in different grades—basic, low, mid, high, supreme, and master. The way to tell them apart was varied, but the most common method was range.
Basic magic just dealt with elements. Low-grade turned projectiles into weapons you could fire. Once you hit mid-grade, the forms widened until they covered whole areas.
That’s exactly the kind of mid-grade magic Hana Rin used now.
Mid-grade elemental magic—Scorching Rain.
It rained from the sky over a wide area, but each individual drop carried little power. Hana Rin hadn’t been trying to deal damage with it.
“They’re split apart.”
Wide-range mid-grade spells earned the nickname Tactical Magic because they were perfect for blocking formations or movements.
That was exactly what was happening. The flames cascading from above blanketed the three bat-humans, forcing them to scatter to avoid it.
Crackle—
Hiss—
Like burning iron falling from the sky, even three rookie villains had no choice but to dodge.
Although each drop was weak, Hana Rin still wanted to avoid them hitting her clothes. She watched the three scatter and cast another spell toward the perfect distance.
She channeled the mana from the burning rain and summoned a wall of fire.
Crackle—
She placed the wall of flame exactly between one and two, cleanly splitting them.
One side was where Ji Yu-chan and Hana Rin stood. The other side had two bat-humans near Do-hyun. It was a surprise, but Iksy, the lone one left, looked at Ji Yu-chan and Hana Rin with a puzzled expression.
“Heh heh. What were you thinking when you split them?”
Seeing Iksy say something so ridiculous, both Ji Yu-chan and Hana Rin glared at him with irritation.
Splitting the enemy like this wasn’t fun, but it was Do-hyun’s plan, so they had agreed.
Ji Yu-chan had already accepted Do-hyun’s strength and power, so he was fine. But Hana Rin’s pride was hurt; her normally cool face grew even colder.
Iksy just laughed and muttered, “Heh heh.”
“If you just keep holding out here, they’ll come to save you from the other side. Let’s see what these newbies can do.”
He struck a relaxed pose, but inside he was tense, eyes fixed on Ji Yu-chan and Hana Rin.
They looked like fresh graduates. One had the posture of a trainee, and the other had already cast two mid-grade spells in a row. Iksy tensed and rushed forward.
When Iksy attacked, Ji Yu-chan narrowed his eyes at him.
His speed was faster than expected. Ji Yu-chan noticed the stat gap instantly but stayed calm. He infused mana into his sword and scattered it across his body, activating Mana Manipulation.
With vitality and raw power coursing through him, he moved even faster.
Thud—
Surprised, Iksy gripped both daggers and blocked with one hand, then prepared to counter.
His hand was too slow. If Ji Yu-chan’s blade slipped past, Iksy would have the advantage and lunge into the opening.
That was when Ji Yu-chan swung.
Clang—
Iksy barely deflected the strike. Then his other dagger came down toward Ji Yu-chan’s neck, but Ji Yu-chan’s eyes snapped wide and he moved. Iksy felt a heavy impact to his stomach and was shoved back like he had been hit by an explosion.
Crash—
Iksy tumbled backward, long legs scraping the ground, a thin line of blood dripping from his mouth.
It was only a human kick, but it had been heavy. Iksy blinked in shock at Ji Yu-chan. At that exact moment a massive shadow fell over his head. He looked up and saw a long ice spike the size of a spear raining toward him.
Kwaaang—
He barely dodged, but Iksy saw Ji Yu-chan swing his sword from behind. Iksy raised his dagger to block, yet the blade curved at the last second and sliced straight across his chest.
Splatter—
“Craaaaaah!”
Gasping in pain, Iksy recoiled, but then a massive ice spike formed directly in front of him. He tried to flee, but it was too late.
The creature Ji Yu-chan’s blade had cut was slow. A razor-sharp ice pillar plunged down and pierced its body.
Crack—
“Guaaaah…”
The life inside the ice pillar vanished instantly. Hana Rin, having finished the kill, stared at the corpse with a dissatisfied expression.
No remorse showed on her face. These were the villains who had attacked them. She had already decided they were no different from goblins, so she felt nothing.
Ji Yu-chan felt the same. He had killed far too many goblins before, so slicing open a living being had become routine. The bat-like humanoid shape brought no disgust either.
Fast and agile, yes. But this was their first time fighting together, and they had won too easily.
Of course, their breathing had synced perfectly too.
That’s why Hana Rin stared past the wall of fire with clear frustration.
She was genuinely annoyed.
Even alone she could have handled the creature, yet they had ordered her to help catch one. Did they not respect her enough? Still, watching the battle unfold beyond the flame wall, she understood a little.
“……Even with the two of them, they’re toying with them.”
“……At this point, I feel sorry for the villains.”
Ji Yu-chan gave the same reply. Hana Rin nodded.
Looking at the two bat-humans being toyed with by Do-hyun, she felt pity.
***
When they had been split apart at the start, Tsurak and Brhar were completely bewildered.
If they had been torn into two groups, they had assumed they would face Ji Yu-chan and Hana Rin together. The fact that the opponent was alone stunned them.
Yet Do-hyun only smiled faintly at the two.
“So is this how you use ultrasonic waves?”
Seeing Do-hyun fire ultrasonic waves with a playful voice, Tsurak and Brhar stared at him like a madman.
They didn’t know how he was using ultrasonic waves, but they judged him to be a cocky newbie who was cocky about his strength.
A beginner wouldn’t challenge two veterans like this unless he had some trump card.
Tsurak and Brhar nodded at each other, used stealth, and melted into the surroundings like part of the scenery.
Do-hyun watched and laughed with pure delight.
It was crazy, but there was a very good reason.
[『Tsurak’s』 skill 「Stealth [E]」 has been analyzed.]
[Skill level below standard.]
[Skill acquired without consuming AP.]
[Skill already possessed.]
[Skill 「Stealth [E]」 proficiency has increased.]
[『Brhar’s』 skill 「Stealth [E]」 has been analyzed.]
[Skill 「Stealth [E]」 proficiency has increased.]
[Skill 「Stealth [E]」 proficiency maxed out.]
[Grade has upgraded.]
[「Stealth [E]」 → 「Stealth [D]」]
[Agility permanently +3 due to the upgraded skill.]
“Whoa! Proficiency event!”
Do-hyun grinned widely and used stealth exactly like Tsurak and Brhar. He dissolved into the air and vanished.
The two blinked in surprise and frantically scanned their surroundings.
“Where did he go?”
“A human, a new human, can even use stealth like this!?”
They tried to talk with ultrasonic waves, but Do-hyun could use them too.
“Thanks. Learned it from watching.”
“You crazy bastard!”
“Found him!”
Angered, Tsurak and Brhar blasted ultrasonic waves at maximum output, searching frantically. They finally located Do-hyun hiding in stealth.
The two rushed at him with dagger techniques. The dense, flowing dagger combos seemed airtight at first, but Do-hyun just smiled.
He wasn’t even looking at them—he was staring into empty space.
[『Tsurak’s』 skill 「Dagger Art [E]」 has been analyzed.]
[『Brhar’s』 skill 「Dagger Art [E]」 has been analyzed.]
[Skill 「Dagger Art [E]」 proficiency maxed out.]
[Grade has upgraded.]
[「Dagger Art [E]」 → 「Dagger Art [D]」]
[Agility permanently +3 due to the upgraded skill.]
Do-hyun immediately noticed that their dagger art differed subtly from what he knew.
When the knowledge of the two-dagger technique flowed into his mind through analysis, he drew the two daggers he had prepared. One reversed, the other upright, he spun them like a spinning top and blocked the incoming attack.
Clang—
The daggers bounced back with sparks. Without hesitation, Tsurak and Brhar stabbed with the remaining dagger, but Do-hyun’s spinning top kept turning and deflected it too.
Clang—
Sharp metal clashed. The two daggers flew away, and Tsurak and Brhar gaped at the spinning top Do-hyun still held.
This was the signature dagger art passed only among their own species.
How had this newcomer learned it so perfectly? They retreated, trying to distance themselves.
If they stayed close, he would cut them down like that spinning top.
Poof! Pop!
They backed away quickly, mouths opening. Concentrating mana and expelling it with ultrasonic waves, they unleashed their signature technique.
Weeeeeeeee—
Weeeeeeeee—
Sharp ultrasonic waves ripped through the air toward Do-hyun. He stopped spinning and fired his own ultrasonic wave straight back.
Kaaaaaaa—
The two waves canceled each other out perfectly. Tsurak and Brhar’s eyes shook violently as they stared at Do-hyun. He smiled at them.
He was absorbing their techniques like a sponge and returning them.
Shocked, the two watched in awe. Do-hyun asked,
“Is this how it’s done?”
“……W-what!”
“……Our technique!!”
The two trembled like leaves in a storm at Do-hyun’s nightmare-like appearance, but nothing changed. Do-hyun sighed and said,
“I can’t learn gliding because I don’t have wings. Too bad, but that’s it.”
The moment the sentence fell, Tsurak and Brhar saw Do-hyun’s double daggers rush toward them at speeds faster than their own and their blood ran cold.
[Defeat a villain and acquire points from the villain’s possession.]
[Distribute points by party member contribution.]
[Total points acquired: 8720P.]
“What? Points.”
Yet when they saw the points, a far more shocking message appeared.