Chapter 12

The magician -- among the professions that exist in Another World, it is one that excels in wide-area destruction capabilities.

...However, in the early stages when the level is low and the acquired skills are few, they only possess skills that attack single targets, and even the "Fire Arrow" they learned before only affects a small area (about 2 meters, which can expand to a maximum of 5 meters with skill level increases). Therefore, with only this level of skill, it is difficult to call them a profession capable of wide-area destruction.

Until they learn a certain skill.

Goblins -- although they are about the height of my chest, I shoot "Mana Bolt" at five of them to draw their attention.

While retreating to the rear, I judge that if the goblin group continues to approach, they will fall within the estimated effective range, and I use the skill.

The 7 seconds or so it takes to cast this skill is actually quite a bottleneck.

It may seem short, but it's a time that can mean life or death, so I keep a fair distance from the enemy. However, when I see the approaching enemy, I get anxious and wish it would activate faster.

After anxiously waiting, the goblins finally gather at the estimated point, and the skill finally activates.

A sphere of light appears from the staff and heads toward the goblins.

As it approaches the goblins, the sphere of light emits a burst, and the area is engulfed in an explosion.

The space, more than 15 meters wide, is enveloped in a blue explosion, a sight so overwhelming that I can't help but catch my breath.

It seems all the goblins were caught in the explosion, as there is no sign of movement.

This is the magician's highest-power wide-area attack skill, "Mana Explosion."

It might be mistaken for a fire-based spell due to the explosion, but it is actually a non-elemental spell that involves exploding mana, which is different from ordinary fire.

Additionally, as a first-class skill of the magician, there are more powerful skills in the second class, so this is the highest power in the first class.

Still, the power is beyond my imagination.

Even at this level, it's only Skill Level 1, so the power when the skill level is increased can be inferred.

It's also strange that there is no blast wind despite the flashy explosion, but this is a game, after all.

Such a powerful skill has weaknesses to maintain game balance.

In short, it cannot be used consecutively.

This is due to the MP consumption and recast time.

This spell alone consumes about a third of my current maximum MP, so after using it three times, I can't use "Mana Explosion" for a while, even considering natural recovery.

I've been raising my Intelligence stat with almost every level up, so my MP should be quite high, but consuming a third of it is still a significant amount.

Additionally, this skill has a 45-second recast time, during which it cannot be used at all.

The recast time can be reduced to 30 seconds by raising the skill level to its maximum of 5, but there is no way to reduce it further (there is no enchantment effect to reduce recast time in the current wiki).

The only way to recover MP is through natural recovery or mana potions, so I use mana potions.

By the way, how are potions used in the game?

You might imagine applying them directly to the affected area or taking them orally.

Both methods work.

You might wonder if there is an affected area for something invisible like MP, but mana potions are treated as a more concentrated form of the mana in the air, and they are said to recover MP by being absorbed through the skin when applied.

Incidentally, when taken orally, the potion tastes like a sports drink, and the mana potion has a sweet and sour citrus flavor.

I wonder what a healing potion would taste like.

If it tasted like a health drink, it would be almost like torture.

However, there are times when you can't take the time to drink or apply potions during a battle.

In such cases, there is a "quick use" function.

This allows you to use an item directly without taking it out of the item window.

In previous MMORPGs, to use a specific item, you had to open the item window, select the item, and use it, but this is a shortcut function that allows you to use an item with a single button press.

Using a potion with "quick use" allows you to recover HP and MP without taking the item out.

However, "quick use" has limitations, and it takes 60 seconds to reuse the same item, and there is a risk that you cannot take out the same item during that time.

It's a function that needs to be used carefully.

That said, I gulp down the mana potion to recover my MP.

Using magic to wipe out enemies, the essence of being a magician, is filled with a sense of satisfaction and feels good.

The first time I used "Mana Explosion," I was taken aback by its power, but even now, I'm still not used to it. I felt a bit proud, thinking that I had finally become a full-fledged magician.

There are four days left in the closed beta test.

It's a bit sad that all the data will be deleted after the test, but it was expected, so it can't be helped.

When the open beta test starts, I'll start a new character from scratch.

It might be good to try raising a character other than a magician this time.

It could be interesting to become a producer or a healer.

However, since I've raised this character to this point, I want to try something reckless at least once.

If I'm going to do it, I might as well try to defeat a boss.

The test lasts until Monday morning, and I can play for long hours on the weekend.

Considering the travel distance, defeating a nearby boss will be my goal this time.

I'm getting excited.

I'll use all my money to stock up on potions right away!

The audience chamber of the Castal Kingdom's royal palace is one of the most luxurious halls in the kingdom.

This marble hall, with its polished floor and columns that reflect even the slightest movement, exudes a cold and solemn atmosphere.

However, the walls and ceiling are adorned with depictions of the king, queen, and past heroes, and the furnishings are of the highest quality, with intricate gold work on the chandeliers.

The audience chamber is a room that gives an impression of solemnity without being overly gaudy.

However, the solemn atmosphere was now being erased by the clamor of voices.

"We have confirmed that the group of orcs threatening the northern part of our territory numbers over a thousand. If this group continues to move south, it is expected to cause significant damage to the towns and villages in the north."

Upon hearing the report from the knight, who was over thirty, the people in the audience chamber began to murmur.

The elderly man sitting on the throne, King Wilfred III, silenced the room with a glance.

"From what I hear, this group of orcs is different from the usual orcs, which tend to launch sporadic attacks based on instinct. Instead, they are taking organized actions. Is this true?"

"Yes, Your Majesty. According to the villagers who were attacked by the orcs, the orcs first surrounded the village before attacking. The villagers, with a desperate resolve, left the village to call for help, but the orcs had not only surrounded the village but also set up ambushes to block their path. When we sent knights, the village had already been destroyed by the orcs. If this is true, it is no longer just a group but rather an army."

The audience chamber was once again filled with murmurs at the knight's report.

In the past, when orcs attacked a village, they often did so with brute force, and the orcs themselves suffered significant casualties.

They were recognized as low-intelligence monsters that were satisfied with taking food to sustain themselves.

"Lord Lilburn, the behavior of these orcs is so different from what we know. Are you sure they are orcs? Could it be a misunderstanding, perhaps encountering a group of orcs by chance?"

An elderly man voiced the disbelief that was spreading around the room.

"The few remains left in the village and the group confirmed by the scouts are undoubtedly orcs."

The room buzzed with disbelief.

Even the knight, Rafael Lilburn, who was giving the report, initially doubted his own ears.

Even civil servants, who usually do not deal with monsters, found it hard to believe.

However, these orcs have already caused damage to the kingdom.

It is easy to imagine where their fangs will strike next.

With a group of over a thousand and the high reproductive rate of orcs, their numbers will only increase over time, and the surrounding villages and towns will fall quickly.

If that happens, the damage will eventually reach the capital.

The standing army of the capital is three thousand.

However, it is not possible to send all the troops to defend the capital.

Deploying troops, a maximum of two thousand would be a reasonable number.

In that case, the number of troops would be roughly equal to or slightly outnumber the orcs.

With this level of force, while it might be excessive for regular orcs, it would likely result in significant casualties against the organized orcs this time.

"We should urgently form an army and defeat the orcs!"

One of the civil servants advised.

"Indeed. However, there are many puzzling aspects to the orcs' behavior. Should we not investigate further to understand why they are so organized?"

"More importantly, we don't have enough troops. We should request aid from neighboring countries to deal with the situation."

"Should we show our weakness to other countries? The orcs are not a significant number. We should recruit adventurers to defeat them."

"That's impossible. There are a thousand orcs moving like a human army. We need to deploy the entire army to deal with the situation."

"This is absurd! Are you planning to leave the capital defenseless?"

"Then why not recruit adventurers to join the troops?"

"Perhaps for a small number, but how will the command structure work?"

One after another, opinions flew back and forth.

However, there was no sign of a consensus.

"Silence."

The room instantly quieted at King Wilfred's single word.

"Lilburn."

"Yes, Your Majesty!"

"Urgently recruit adventurers and form a mixed army of two thousand troops to defeat the orcs."

"Yes, Your Majesty!"

Rafael bowed deeply and left the audience chamber.

There is still a lingering concern with just two thousand troops.

The key will be how many adventurers can be gathered.

He cannot show his anxiety.

The king's order has already been given.

His job as a knight is to carry out the mission.

He set off to fulfill his mission.