Chapter 21: Magic! A thousand-foot-high wall!
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After defeating the monsters, their bodies turned into black ash and dissipated, leaving behind their "cores"—magic stones.
Magic stones were the crystallized essence of a monster's magic power and the source of their movement. These stones could be extracted from defeated monsters and contained incredible power. They served as the primary income source for adventurers, as they could be exchanged for money at the guild.
"Tsk, what a tiny magic stone..." Izzy muttered, looking at the three fingernail-sized blue-purple fragments resting in his palm. His tone betrayed a mix of annoyance and disdain.
"To be precise, these are magic stone fragments," Raul chimed in, stepping forward to provide some insight. "Monsters on the first through fourth floors usually drop fragments of this size. They're worth very little Vali. Those three fragments in your hand? Together, they're worth about three hundred Vali."
That meant each fragment was worth roughly one hundred Vali.
In Orario, three hundred Vali was just enough to buy ten servings of fried potato balls from a street vendor. Alternatively, at one of the popular establishments, such as The Hostess of Fertility on West Street, it would barely cover a single drink.
"Ha! Just three hundred Vali? Even a dog wouldn't bother picking that up if it fell on the ground," Izzy scoffed as he casually dropped the fragments into the small pouch on his waist.
"Hey, hey… didn't you just say dogs wouldn't pick up food from the ground?" Raul teased with a raised eyebrow.
"I'm talking about three hundred Vali falling on the ground," Izzy replied with mock seriousness. "And besides, these are magic stones I earned. Completely different."
Raul stared at him for a moment before sighing. "…Right."
To Raul, Izzy's so-called "hard work" seemed laughable. With just three spear strikes, Izzy had dispatched the goblins in a matter of seconds. If this counted as effort, Raul imagined the great scholars who defined the term "hard work" would probably roll in their graves.
Still, Raul couldn't help but evaluate Izzy's capabilities after observing the brief skirmish. His performance revealed not only strong combat skills but also experience. Judging by his calm demeanor during the fight, Izzy was no stranger to battle.
Given these observations, Raul concluded that monsters on the first four floors likely wouldn't pose much of a challenge for Izzy. Coupled with what he had learned from the captain yesterday—that Izzy had also awakened magic—Raul began to suspect his role in today's expedition.
It seemed inevitable that he would be relegated to a "supporter," tasked with collecting magic stones and items while following a much stronger teammate through the dungeon. The type of supporter who, at the end of the day, received little reward for their efforts.
---
From the moment of their first encounter with monsters, it felt as though the dungeon had taken notice of their presence.
Each time Izzy and Raul passed a fork in the maze, they encountered more creatures—sometimes one or two, sometimes two or three at once. Yet, every battle ended the same way.
Izzy's combat skills, honed through experience, combined with his high-quality equipment, made quick work of any threat. Despite only receiving his Falna yesterday, Izzy movements were fluid and precise, leaving no openings for the monsters to exploit.
For him, clearing the first floor of the dungeon was effortless.
Raul followed along, observing his companion's efficiency as they moved steadily forward. The journey felt less like an adventure and more like a leisurely stroll through the dungeon.
Eventually, the two reached the passage leading to the second floor.
"Next up is the second floor. Shall we head down?" Raul asked, glancing at Izzy.
"Does that even need asking?" Izzy responded, his eyes gleaming with excitement.
It was his first time in the dungeon and his first time wielding magic bestowed by the gods. The exhilaration of these "firsts" coursed through his veins, filling him with restless energy.
Until he fully vented that excitement, it was clear Izzy had no intention of leaving the dungeon anytime soon.
Entering the second floor, Izzy found himself in another intricate maze, an endless expanse of uniform, monotonous space.
However, it was immediately clear that the frequency of monster appearances had significantly increased.
In the dungeon, each floor has a fixed set of monster types that emerge from its walls. Occasionally, newly born monsters climb to a different floor, but such cases are rare. The general rule remains constant: the deeper you venture, the stronger the monsters become. The number of monsters and the frequency of their appearances also increase as you descend.
Izzy's first encounter on the second floor was with six earth spirits.
Despite their name, earth spirits were not ethereal beings but humanoid creatures resembling dog-headed men. They stood about 1.5 meters tall, their dark gray fur coarse and matted. These creatures carried no weapons, relying instead on their sharp claws as their primary means of attack.
"Let's do this..." Izzy exhaled softly, ready for battle.
The earth spirits emerged from the wall, growling as they fixed their crimson eyes on him. Without hesitation, Izzy launched himself forward, his spear flashing like a streak of cold light.
With one powerful thrust, his spear shot through the bodies of two earth spirits, the tip piercing their backs cleanly. The force of his strike reverberated through the weapon, and as Izzy flicked his wrist, the two monsters disintegrated into black ash.
"Gu, guoooooooooooooooooo!!!"
Izzy spun swiftly and leapt back, narrowly evading an attack from two more earth spirits that lunged at him. They crashed into the space he had occupied moments earlier, their claws swiping at thin air.
Adventurers—or anyone engaged in combat—knew one fundamental rule when fighting monsters:
Never take a hit that can be avoided.
Izzy could have turned and swept his spear to knock the creatures down mid-air, but why bother? Evading their attacks was far more efficient.
Using his momentum, Izzy struck twice in rapid succession. His spear moved like a shooting star, tracing arcs of cold light that intersected in the dim air. Moments later, two more earth spirits dissolved into black ash, leaving only silence in their wake.
"Gah, gaah!"
The final two earth spirits, unburdened by fear or self-preservation, charged recklessly toward Izzy. Their claws swiped wildly, their movements desperate yet determined.
Izzy hesitated briefly, allowing the creatures to close the distance. With calculated calm, he waited until they were within striking range.
The earth spirits' feral grins widened as they imagined tearing into him. They surged forward, certain of their victory—
"The wall is a thousand feet high!"
Boom!
Suddenly, a massive stone pillar erupted from the ground in front of Izzy. The pillar rose with tremendous force, launching the two earth spirits into the air.
The abrupt shockwave generated by the pillar spread outward, slamming into the creatures and causing significant damage. Their bodies crashed violently into the surrounding walls, embedding them deep within the stone.
The scene perfectly illustrated the phrase: "smashed into the wall so hard they couldn't be pried out even with a lever."
Black mist swirled briefly before dissipating. Two more fragments of magic stone fell to the ground, marking the end of the skirmish.
---
Raul, who had been following behind Izzy, felt as though his earlier predictions had come true.
At this moment, he was dutifully cleaning the battlefield like a rookie assistant trailing behind an experienced adventurer.
While collecting the magic stone fragments, Raul couldn't help but glance at Izzy with awe.
"That was incredible! Izzy, was that magic? A massive stone pillar appeared out of nowhere, launching the earth spirits into the air. Then it exploded, killing them instantly!"
Raul's voice was brimming with admiration as he continued, "Magic is just so powerful and cool. I wish I had that kind of miraculous ability... It's amazing!"
The second-level adventurer from Loki's Familia could only sigh wistfully as he watched Izzy, envy evident in his tone.