Chapter 10
Chapter 10
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Translator: penny
Chapter: 10
Chapter Title: Skill Training
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Tower Climbing Gallery was peaceful as ever today.
"Ugh~ What a commotion~."
The mage from the top-floor Pseudo-Dragon Raid Team's first squad.
Astromeria chuckled out loud.
And as usual, she left a comment.
"Heh heh."
It was a lively, pleasant sight.
Astromeria was satisfied.
Things had improved since reaching the 7th layer,
but climbers, few or many, were people who had endured solitude.
Even without severe cases like Sword Fairy, the climbing gallery would be a great spice for tower raids.
'I've been feeling alive lately too.'
Astromeria stopped her gallery antics around then.
A friend had come to the restaurant.
At least, among real-life activities, she could set aside the gallery, so Astromeria still had room to return.
"Idmari~ Long time no...?"
"Eek! Eek! Eeeeek!"
Idmari, veins bulging in her eyes.
Unlike her, who was glued to the gallery even while walking.
"...You'll trip like that~?"
"That guy's keep pissing me off!!"
Arguing with someone again, huh.
Probably Boy Joy.
Or Boy Joy, no doubt.
The wise great sorceress just ignored it.
"Everyone's already gathered in the gallery~. Don't keep us waiting~ Let's start the meeting~."
"...Fine."
It was time for the Pseudo-Dragon Raid Team's regular meeting.
Astromeria spoke first.
Drift.
Slang for the influx of outside climbers.
"Ugh!"
Astromeria let out a hollow laugh at the grumbling beside her.
"Post it in the gallery~ Others can't hear~."
"We can just talk among ourselves."
"Still, it's convenient for meetings without everyone gathering~?"
The 7th layer was vast.
No, major layers were all spacious anyway.
So gathering for meetings was a hassle.
Everyone had their own tasks usually.
That was why the Pseudo-Dragon Raid Team chatted in the gallery.
"Suddenly?"
Astromeria.
Or Lumi, tilted her head.
I just match TPO.
Isn't that the fitting style for the gallery?
No desire to stand out.
Astromeria explained it nicely.
Boy Joy's topic ended there.
Great talent, but still a newbie.
Not ignoring.
Rather, holding back because of expectations.
Being conscious of that proved the anticipation inversely.
Above all.
Chit-chat stopped there.
Astromeria halted her typing.
Sword Fairy.
The friend they thought had died holding the rear alone when Pseudo-Dragon failed a raid before.
Her rescue meeting had begun.
After organizing her thoughts,
Astromeria carefully typed.
There were two main ways to enhance skills.
Using skill enhancement runes,
or honing through effort to gain superior skills.
In other words.
'Theoretically, a swordsman better than Iris, or even improving holy sword tech—'
It would be a huge boon for Sword Fairy's layer raid.
Even if the broken holy sword couldn't be fixed,
the technique to wield it could be improved.
"Sigh..."
Still bitter taste.
All impossible for Astromeria.
What could a mage teach a swordswoman?
The meeting was wrapping up.
Astromeria shrugged.
Maybe because she was racking her brains as staff officer.
Astromeria, using Idmari's typing as BGM, suddenly thought.
'Boy Joy aside, what about Gallery Master.'
A topic brought up once.
If they could exchange more than posts and info in climbing gallery?
Maybe repair the holy sword.
As a top raid team's mage, it didn't seem impossible.
'Ways to get items from current layers like tower shop during raids.'
But.
Astromeria sighed in the end.
'Climbing gallery is years of research fruit, greedy to expect more improvements.'
Or what.
Would Gallery Master whip it up and improve in a day like Bizarru incident if possible.
"Ah~ If only Boy Joy had talent in magic instead of body arts~."
As Astromeria lamented that.
Same time.
0th Major Layer.
"William Master! How do you stand on the saddle and shoot three arrows at once? My curve shots keep missing one!"
"What I should teach you isn't archery, but conscience."
"?"
Baek Jeong-uk was struggling with hunter-style training.
"Are you really using a bow for the first time?"
"No! I went to the tower at lunch earlier!"
"?"
First day learning archery.
I raised my hand and answered William's question.
Master is an elder.
Answer elders brightly and loudly.
Etiquette to keep except during trolling.
Real elder too.
"Tried what you taught this morning, but it doesn't hit when moving!"
"...You just hit all moving targets?"
"Stole goblin arrows then! Quality matters for sure."
Horse riding was pretty easy, first time today.
Had the horse done mandatory education or something.
Conversely,
archery was tough.
"...Right. Yeah, arrow quality matters."
William said with an expression full of things to say.
"Quick learner, no choice. Guess I gotta reveal a secret technique."
"Secret technique!"
I gulped.
"What skill?"
"It's called [Swift Arrow]."
-Click.
Arrow nocked on bowstring.
"Told you to treat the bow like a lover? With that mindset, think of the bow limbs as part of your arm."
"I respect privacy even in relationships."
"Then you can't use it. Shut up and watch."
William released the arrow after saying that.
Whoosh-!
Surprisingly, the arrow accelerated sharply right after launch.
Clearly faster than normal shot.
I watched closely as told and yelled in shock.
"My god! 2.41 times faster than normal!"
"?"
Over twice the speed?
Perfect for surprise attacks.
I quickly pulled the target arrow and examined it.
"Mana-based secondary acceleration. Releases mana for 0.4 seconds, morphing bow limbs just before shot? Wow, insane difficulty."
"?"
Hard to explain in words.
Middle school me at my vocab limit.
Felt it making gallery too.
Changing mana shape without attributes is super hard.
But William did it!
Honestly impressive.
My motivation surged.
'Free-form mana morphing.'
Tech I gave up on during gallery making.
Seeing it up close.
Heart pounding reasonable.
'Feels usable without bow.'
For throws, say.
Core is mana shape change after all.
I test-threw an arrow by hand.
Yaap!
Fly, [Swift Arrow]!
-Thuk!
Arrow flew without bow and stuck in wood.
"Oh, it worked!"
"?"
Light toss, but embedded like bow-shot.
Proof of success.
But not practical alone.
Why throw arrows with bow there?
Not idiot.
'Hmm, try without arrow?'
I drew half-longsword.
Much heavier projectile than arrow.
"...What are you doing?"
"Practice. Yaap! [Swift Arrow]!"
Launched skeleton senior's longsword.
But sensed failure instantly on release.
'Ah, this one's fail.'
Faint bloody mana smell.
My instinct's failure signal.
Sure enough.
Flying sword far from accelerated.
Boom-!!
Just pierced thin wood with arm strength, then rock behind.
Total flop.
"?"
"Ah damn, sorry. Gonna break the hilt."
I apologized sheepishly.
William glaring since earlier, like.
'What the fuck is this guy?'
Yeah.
Right after "bow like lover" advice, messing with own weapon.
Deserves the glare.
Using longsword as arrow was braindead.
I scrambled to pick up sword.
"Huh?"
Then sudden thought.
Right after pulled into tower.
First skill I learned?
'My first skill was definitely [Flame Arrow].'
[Flame Arrow] and [Swift Arrow].
Similar.
Name? No.
'Both imbue arrows with speed.'
But [Flame Arrow] is ranged magic coating mana in fire.
Point here.
[Flame Arrow] floats beside me pre-launch!
Obvious.
Touch it and I burn.
Thus.
'Can shoot arrow without hands?'
Just with will, shoot bowlessly.
No bow,
no throw pose.
If possible with [Flame Arrow], no reason not with [Swift Arrow].
Let's try.
Extended hand to rock-stuck sword.
Sensing from hand.
Skin spread wide, wrapping sword snugly.
And.
Attach color to mana trailed like tendons on sensing.
'[Swift Arrow].'
...Fwoosh!!
"Ugh?!"
Hastily caught sword flying at chest.
Longsword blade trembled before eyes.
My grip numb.
"?"
"Whoa, nearly died. Overdid power."
Meant light recall,
but whoa.
My sword came like shell.
Too much mana 'cause stuck in rock?
"Ah."
Right, my stats.
[Outsider] nearly doubles all stats.
"...Why'd that bastard come back alone?"
And that's clearly a sword?
Not arrow?
William muttering small.
Obviously skeptical tone.
I belatedly minded manners.
"Ah! Thanks for the cool skill!"
"Taught? Me? What?"
Face like interrogating.
Dense disciple scratched cheek awkwardly.
"Sorry. Can't handle tech properly yet."
"?"
"Long pre-cast and cooldown, nowhere near your instant cast. Needs tons of improvement."
William's [Swift Arrow].
No pre-cast on launch.
Me?
'2 seconds prep, speed only 1.61x.'
Low success too.
Shoddy imitation.
'Remodeled magic instead of delving archery, just trickery.'
Proves my talent too.
Something still missing.
That's why.
"Two days!"
Raised head,
emphasized so master not disappointed.
"Just two days. I'll master [Swift Arrow] perfectly within!"
William eyed my gripped sword.
The pierced wood too.
Then spoke like worldly-wise.
"Do as you like."
Master super strict this time.
Newbie sad.
'Kuh. No choice.'
Pride matter in learning tech?
No helping it, this Baek Jeong-uk.
Endure some face loss.
I steeled face, opened gallery.
"Damn, hiding it?"
Totally guarding rice bowl.
All archers this petty?