Chapter 24

"Alright, let's do this!"

It had been five days since I last visited the fourth floor of the dungeon, and I was psyching myself up.

"Last time, I got beaten badly, but not this time..."

The bitter memory of retreating from the coordinated attacks of the monsters still lingered. I walked around the fourth floor, recalling the tough days of hunting on the third floor.

"There they are... the usual formation."

After wandering for a while, I encountered the monsters.

The Kobold Archer immediately nocked an arrow, and the Goblin Mage started casting a support spell, apparently noticing me.

"[Ice Wall]"

Last time, I had no skills to use at this stage, leaving me helpless until the enemy gained the upper hand. This time, it was different. I prepared for their ranged attacks as they got ready.

"Now, this is just preparation. The next move is..."

The Warrior Goblin and Warrior Kobold closed the distance, and the Kobold Archer's arrows bounced off the ice wall. The Goblin Mage seemed to have finished his support and was ready for the next situation.

"[Fire Arrow]"

Six fiery arrows shot forward. The Warrior Goblin and Warrior Kobold shielded the rear, taking the hits.

"Kobolbolbolbol!"

They each took three arrows. Thanks to the increased power of my magic compared to last time, their movements were noticeably slower after taking the hits.

"Goblin Heal!"

The Goblin Mage, who had been holding back, cast a healing spell on the Warrior Kobold.

"[Fire Arrow]"

I couldn't wait for them to recover. I cast the spell a second time, attacking the front line again.

"Kobolbolbolbol!"

"Still... not down?"

Despite casting the spell twice, the front line was still standing. Meanwhile, another healing spell was on its way.

"One more [Fire Arrow]"

When the third spell hit the front line...

"Guh!"

The Warrior Goblin, who hadn't received the healing spell, fell.

"Got it!"

My joy was short-lived, as the Warrior Kobold, taking advantage of the time I spent casting spells four times, approached and swung his weapon. I didn't have the luxury to cast another spell.

"You're too soft!"

If I were just a mage, I would have been defeated by the Warrior Kobold's attack.

"Kyaun!"

But I had sword skills. With my long-unused short sword, I slashed the Warrior Kobold, who cried out and fell. It was clearly a fatal wound, and his body began to be absorbed by the dungeon.

"Now, the remaining rear guard..."

Expecting arrows to fly, I peeked from behind the ice wall...

"Goblin!"

"Gur!"

The Kobold Archer and Goblin Mage nodded at each other and left the scene.

"Revenge accomplished!"

With a smile, I collected the magic stones. For the past three days, I had been hunting, unsure if my actions were correct.

I was worried about what to do if it didn't work.

"At least now I can make this place my hunting ground."

Even though I had defeated them, I hadn't wiped out the entire formation, so I still had a lot to improve. I needed to be even more cautious.

But I felt a sense of growth from overcoming an opponent I had once lost to.

"This time wasn't perfect, so there might be room for improvement."

I couldn't stay in the afterglow of victory forever. I switched my mindset and started looking for the next target.

After facing the same formation several times, I had become accustomed to the flow from [Ice Wall] to [Fire Arrow].

The rear guard still retreated, and the bodies of the Warrior Kobold and Warrior Goblin lay nearby.

"Maybe it's time to try the new skill."

So far, I hadn't taken a single hit. As long as I could defend against the ranged attacks, the difference between these monsters and those on the third floor wasn't significant. They were a bit faster and tougher, but my equipment was top-notch, allowing me to easily cut them down.

I judged that I could cover any slight delays in my actions now.

The tenth monster of the day stood before me.

I cast [Ice Wall] with a familiar motion, but...

"Goblin, Goblin"

"Kobol, Kobol"

The Warrior Goblin and Warrior Kobold, supported by the Kobold Mage, moved but didn't cast any spells.

During that time...

"[Mana Focus]"

I could feel the magic power in my body being activated.

This skill increases the power of the next spell by focusing mana.

They approached at a faster speed than usual, probably because they hadn't taken any damage. I cast a spell at the two approaching monsters.

"[Fire Burst]"

"Kobolbolbolbol!?"

The spell exploded between the two, sending the Warrior Kobold and Warrior Goblin flying in different directions.

"Great, they're separated."

Thinking about pursuing them while they struggled to get up, I realized they weren't getting up at all.

Moreover, the Goblin Mage wasn't casting a healing spell.

"Huh? Could they already be down?"

It seemed that the increased power had taken them down before the Goblin Mage could heal them.

"Goblin...?"

"Kobol...?"

The two rear guards, looking at each other in confusion, seemed vulnerable. I thought...

"[Fire Burst]"

"Kobolbolbolbol!?"

I cast the spell, enveloping both in it. This time, the spell was cast without [Mana Focus], but they were weaker than the front line, so they fell and stopped moving with this one hit.

"Alright! I wiped them out!"

I made a victory pose, amazed by the power of the new skill.