Chapter 166
Chapter 166
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>Translator: penny
>Chapter: 166
>Chapter Title: Using Aura on Magic
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It wasn't just Do-hyun who had thought of it.
Magicians lived off their skills, so they were the ones most sincere about utilizing their class skills. There was no way they hadn't considered it at least once.
Especially if it was the rejected skill called Aura.
They had racked their brains endlessly over how to make this shit-tier skill that took up a precious skill slot shine.
"Huh? Aura on magic?"
"Maybe it's not for wrapping around the body but for boosting the power of spells?"
That was the first idea they came up with.
If wrapping aura around magic was the true usage, it made perfect sense for it to be Heroic grade.
It was a revolutionary shift in thinking...
*But it failed immediately.*
It failed at the speed of light and was scrapped.
The reason for the failure was simple and utterly obvious.
You couldn't wrap an element around elemental magic that already had the same element.
Dark Aura literally wrapped darkness around you. What difference would it make to wrap darkness around dark magic?
*Still, it should've boosted the damage a bit.*
The effects attached to Aura generally performed better than standard spells.
Take Dark Aura's true damage, for example.
Since the root element was the same, users speculated the system just didn't recognize it as "wrapping."
And so, Aura became the ill-fated rejected Heroic skill.
*...But my element is different.*
What about Do-hyun, though?
The one and only user who could use Fireball with Dark Aura.
No, perhaps as the only multi-element magician(?) in the entire Godohse, it was a different story for him.
*Maybe...*
...It could work?
Graaah-
Slash- stab!
[You have defeated a Troll of the Blue Forest.]
"Shut up, you punk."
Do-hyun casually dispatched the troll that was thrashing around without assessing the situation, then stared blankly at his skill slot.
The mere 10-second cooldown felt endlessly long.
Calming his pounding heart, he endured the eternal 10 seconds until the flashing skill slot appeared.
[Fireball is available.]
At the same time, Do-hyun quickly scanned his surroundings as if he'd been waiting.
There were plenty of targets.
Over ten trolls were visible right away.
He extended his hand toward three clustered together, launching a Fireball.
[Using Dark Aura on Fireball.]
Then he cast Dark Aura on the flying Fireball.
*Will it work?*
Half tense, half expectant.
As he watched with bated breath...
[Darkness has been wrapped around Fireball.]
[Darkness property effects are applied to Fireball.]
A crisp notification rang out, and the Fireball changed.
Its tail end started turning black, then in an instant, it transformed into a sphere of darkness.
The signature crackling sound of burning air vanished.
Graa?
The troll only felt the scorching heat when it was right in front of its face and recoiled in shock.
--!
The darkness-wrapped Fireball exploded in a silent blast.
Black flames didn't just burn the troll's flesh—they incinerated it from within, drawing a horrific scream of agony from the beast.
[You have defeated a Troll of the Blue Forest.]
Its death cry.
"Whoa..."
Do-hyun let out an exclamation at the same time.
One-shotting a troll? Absurd power.
It was unbelievable for a mere Rare spell, but that aside, something else ignited fire in his chest.
*It looks so damn cool!*
That fireball wasn't flashy, but it had a romance that perfectly stirred a man's heart.
It oozed style.
Overwhelmed with emotion, Do-hyun kept sighing in admiration.
*I didn't think it'd actually work.*
Honestly, even Do-hyun had tried it on a whim.
He'd hoped it might, but figured it probably wouldn't.
And yet, the power exceeded his expectations.
It must have been because the darkness property's armor-piercing damage was devastating against trolls, known for their regeneration and tough hides...
*Even accounting for that, it's beyond expectations.*
Right now, it was just Fireball, but what if he applied it to higher spells?
Hellfire—no, even Meteor?
Gulp.
The mere thought made him dizzy.
Graaah- Graa-
Were they enraged by their comrade's death?
The number of trolls surrounding Do-hyun's group had grown to over six.
Then Charlie stepped forward.
-I will protect you.
A solemn declaration, followed by a resounding notification.
[Charlie has activated 'Oath.']
[Of the three Oaths, he proposes the Oath of Protection.]
[Do you accept?]
"Yeah."
There was no reason to refuse.
In this situation, no Oath was more fitting than the Oath of Protection.
He nodded, and a translucent circle formed between Charlie and Do-hyun.
[You have formed the Oath of Protection with Guardian 'Charlie.']
[When the two are within a certain range, all defense, magic resistance, and health greatly increase.]
[However, if you leave the range, the above stats decrease by 30%.]
This was the range.
As long as they stayed within it, all of Do-hyun's defensive stats rose thanks to his Oath with the knight Charlie.
But if they strayed outside, those stats would drop instead.
That was why teamwork mattered.
*If one of them leaves the range, both get the debuff.*
If the partner was a magician or healer?
You'd trust them to cover your weak defense, only to get smacked hard in the back of the head.
A glass cannon already became a one-hit KO if grazed.
Do-hyun had no such worries, so he stepped forward, feeling his fortified body.
-Should I summon the undead?
"Nah, don't think we need to."
No need for the full undead legion.
Just Charlie and Do-hyun were more than enough for these trolls.
Plus, he wanted to test just how tough he'd gotten.
Do-hyun pulled something from his inventory. Seeing it, Jihard spoke in disbelief.
-...Did you really have to buy that? Looks way too crude.
"This guy's talking nonsense. This is all about the stats, man."
-I think it's a very fine mask, my lord.
It was a mask.
Before heading to the field after getting a quest from Luriel, he'd bought it from an accessory vendor in Pratel.
*Buying accessories from shops is such a steal.*
From Pratel onward, the accessory system opened up properly, making them easy to get from NPCs.
Of course, being easy to obtain meant they weren't as good as what Do-hyun had looted before.
At best, Normal to Normal+ grade?
[Equipped 'Crude Black Mask.']
[Agility +2.]
What Do-hyun wore was Normal+ grade as well.
No fancy options, but a little agility boost was better than nothing.
*Now I won't have to bother with mosaics when uploading videos.*
More importantly, it was convenient for the future.
With this, he could worry less about prying eyes.
He'd been wanting a mask for a while, and luckily one vendor had it.
...Though with Jihard and Charlie so eye-catching, did it even matter? It was a mood thing.
Fully prepared, Do-hyun assumed a stance.
"Cover my back, Charlie."
-Yes, leave it to me, my lord.
Six in front, four behind.
Having a single Guardian handle four might be burdensome, but Charlie's aggro control had never let him down.
With the Oath of Protection, four trolls were a breeze for Charlie.
Thud!
Do-hyun dashed forward, banishing idle worries.
Graa?
Boom!
He barreled straight in with a body slam!
A heavy thud echoed—unbelievable for a human colliding with a troll—as the beast flew back.
But Do-hyun wasn't safe either.
Deep in enemy lines, clubs came flying from all sides.
[HP: 7,713 / 7,780]
[HP: 7,645 / 7,780]
[HP: 7,572 / 7,780]
*Definitely tickles.*
Even tanking head-on like this, barely any damage.
Thanks to his already sky-high base stats and gear, plus the Oath of Protection.
Add the Gentle Light's healing, and he could probably sauna in hits for minutes.
*This'll be useful for boss fights too.*
Oaths scaled with the knight's level.
Charlie's was still low compared to rankers', but excellent for this stage.
*For squishy classes or tanking high-damage bosses, it's essential.*
No wonder rankers favored Oath-trained knights.
Satisfied with the performance test, Do-hyun swung Cheonbyeon without delay.
Slash, stab-
Thrust!
Neat slices and stabs took down two.
----!
*Urgh!*
Detonating the black-flamed Fireball dispatched another.
Graaah-! Thud.
While marveling again, he tripped a sneaking troll's leg,
[Using Rising Dragon Kick.]
Dodged the fallen one with a sidestep, grabbed an incoming troll's nape, and executed Rising Dragon Kick!
Then stomped the fallen one's nose and stabbed its heart to finish.
Gr, graaah-
The troll flung back by the initial body slam watched from afar and bolted without looking back.
Animal instinct sensing a predator's terror.
But Do-hyun wouldn't let it escape.
[Cheonbyeon transforms into Raven's Black Spear.]
[Using Dark Aura on Cheonbyeon.]
Shwooo-
Not a dagger anymore, he hurled the elongated spear, skewering it.
Naturally, a fuse—thread—was attached to the tip.
Gr, graa...
The thin thread on the heart-piercing spear tip.
The troll sensed death as it gazed at it, and an explosion followed.
[You have defeated a Mutant Troll of the Blue Forest.]
[Obtained Mutant Troll's Blood.]
"Oh, a mutant, huh? No wonder it was so tough."
Lucky break.
He'd gotten mutant troll blood after just six kills.
Turning after wiping out the last one, Do-hyun saw Charlie had already downed two.
-Hmm! You lot reek something fierce... Does your civilization not believe in brushing teeth? Four of you together, it's honestly tough, so I'm asking.
Graaaaah!
*...Still the same.*
Boasting his unchanged trash talk while perfectly holding aggro.
Charlie looked far more comfortable than before.
Previously, he'd fluidly deflect attacks with elegant swordplay to maintain aggro.
Now, he took hits he could tank or parried.
Confident he could weather normal troll attacks.
*Add Guardian's Armor, and he could tank bosses too?*
Impressive part: this wasn't even full buffs.
With a solid DPS tool like Sword of Light, he could post for a party right now and get snapped up.
[You have defeated a Troll of the Blue Forest.]
[You have defeated a Troll of the Blue Forest.]
While thinking, Charlie finished the last two, approached briskly, and bowed.
-My lord, your blade. I have completed my mission successfully.
-Hmm! Splendid work!
-Lijariza!
Jihard and Eliza mimicked Charlie, straightening up and replying in the most solemn tones they could muster.
Those two used to fight like fire and oil.
Now they'd gotten so close.
*Well, they've been together a while.*
Over half a month, probably.
Time heals all wounds, he thought with a smirk.
Ding-
An unexpected notification rang out.