Chapter 186 : Chapter 186
Chapter 186. New Combat Magic
SCREECH!
“Haha, this guy. I know, I know.”
Radel scratched the neck of the magical beast he had ridden and took out jerky to roast over the fire.
WHOOSH!
As Radel chanted a spell, fire element magic shot out from the tip of his staff. Watching the jerky being roasted until golden brown, Tarun was dumbfounded.
'Did he just tame a magical beast with that jerky?'
Tarun had also taken Cryptozoology in his first year. However, his taming grades were not good. Even if he gave food, it was only for that moment; he couldn't figure out how to commune with the magical beast at all. Grasping the mood of the magical beast was a hurdle for him from the start.
But Radel was acting as if he understood the words of that Giant Sea Gull, wasn't he?
“It's tasty, right? You worked hard giving me a ride all the way here.”
SCREEECH!
Radel smiled contentedly watching the magical beast devour the jerky. Seeing that scene reminded him of the Cryptozoology majors. He hadn't been close enough to ask them usually, but they also often talked to magical beasts. Tarun asked Radel, just in case.
“You…… do you understand that guy's words?”
Then Radel stiffened his expression as if he had heard something absurd.
“That can't be true? I am a person and that guy is a magical beast.”
Tarun felt a bit wronged by the attitude that implied it was too obvious.
“No, you just talked to it, didn't you……?”
“I just pretended to. It feels the same as talking to newborn babies.”
Hearing Radel’s answer, Tarun shut his mouth tight.
‘Ugh.’
For some reason, he couldn't shake the feeling that he had been had.
‘He might have talent in Cryptozoology, but it will be different in real combat.’
What an unlucky guy. Indeed, there was a need to teach him a hotter lesson. Tarun ground his teeth and said to Radel.
“Let's go to the next floor. It ended too early, so the excitement is gone.”
“Yes, Senior.”
Radel answered obediently and bid farewell to the magical beast.
“You heard him, right? I have to go now. Thank you for today.”
Then, the Giant Sea Gull cried mournfully toward Radel as if it were sad to part.
SCREECH! SCREECH!
Tarun looked at the two with a gaze full of suspicion. 'Is it really true that they can't communicate……?'
* * *
FLASH!
Tarun and Radel, who arrived at the middle floor, stepped down from the teleportation magic circle. On the middle floor, newly joined 1st-year Combat Magic majors and their direct seniors were gathered, resting or listening to explanations.
What particularly caught Radel’s eye was a large magic bulletin board, where the names of students and the highest floor numbers they had successfully conquered were written. He hadn't seen it last time because he was distracted by the duel.
Radel looked for the name of his direct senior, Tarun. Tarun’s highest record was the 60th floor. Considering other 2nd-years were stuck around the 50th floor, his direct senior seemed to be quite skilled.
Tarun explained the middle floor to Radel.
“This is the middle floor. In reality, we don't know which floor of the tower it is, but for convenience, we call it the middle floor. It's a kind of safety zone.”
“I know. Because I've been here before.”
Tarun’s brow twitched.
“You've been here?”
“Yes. I had a chance to tour last time, so Professor Lilian guided me. I even had a duel here.”
“Don't tell me the guy who dueled Senior Estina was you?”
“So you knew as well, Senior. That is correct.”
He had heard rumors that a certain 1st-year had come to tour the Combat Magic Workshop before the semester started. And the story that he was carried out while dueling with Senior Estina, a 4th-year.
Back then, Tarun was staying in the tower for days, challenging the floors he hadn't conquered. So he heard the outside news belatedly.
‘I wondered what bold guy fought Senior Estina, and it was this guy.’
Indeed, he was a guy with guts. From arrogantly choosing the Integrated Major to dueling Senior Estina, he was no ordinary guy.
At first, Tarun intended to teach him a moderately hot lesson, but hearing Radel’s words sparked a stubborn streak in him. The stubbornness to hear this arrogant guy beg for his life.
After checking his equipment, Tarun asked Radel.
“You brought some potions, right?”
“Yes, I packed them when coming to the Combat Magic Workshop.”
“I hope you packed a lot. Because the place we're going from now on won't be easy.”
Speaking stiffly, Tarun walked ahead.
“Oh, Tarun!”
Just then, 2nd-years close to Tarun spotted him and acknowledged him.
“Didn't you say you were going to the 8th floor with your junior?”
“That place is too easy, so I plan to go to the 20th floor.”
“What?!”
The 2nd-years looked at each other and then looked at Radel.
“You're going there with a 1st-year? Will it be okay?”
“Since I'm going together, there's no problem.”
“If it's you, Tarun, maybe…….”
At the 2nd-years' unusual reaction, Radel greeted them and asked.
“Hello, Seniors. Is the 20th floor very difficult?”
“Uh, um. It is bound to be. Because you can never come out before catching the Dungeon Boss.”
Then Tarun spat out a word and turned his back.
“Don't say useless things. What are you doing? Follow me.”
“Yes, understood.”
Radel nodded, bowed to the seniors, and chased after Tarun.
“A 1st-year who just entered would struggle to even climb the 5th floor, but the 20th floor?”
“Those guys, will they be able to come out within today?”
“There was a senior who entered the 20th floor and was trapped for more than half a month before.”
“Really? What did he eat to survive?”
The 2nd-years whispered, sharing the information they knew among themselves.
And not far away, there was someone listening to their words. Upon hearing the news that Radel and Tarun had entered the 20th floor, he conveyed it to the person right next to him.
“They say the 8th Prince is entering the 20th floor.”
“The 20th floor?”
“Yes. Now that Professor Lilian isn't here, it is the golden opportunity to strike the 8th Prince.”
Combat Magic Workshop. Commonly known as the ‘Tower,’ neither the principal’s flying golems nor communication golems could enter inside.
It meant that as long as there were no witnesses, it didn't matter what happened inside here. Someone smiled darkly.
* * *
Radel arrived at the 20th floor with Tarun.
At a glance, it looked like an ordinary forest, but according to the seniors he saw earlier, it seemed one could only leave after catching the Dungeon Boss. Tarun spoke to Radel with a blunt face.
“It seems the conquest hasn't started yet or there's no one here.”
“Should there not be other people?”
“If there's someone who started the conquest first, you can't enter the 20th floor. Once you enter the 20th floor, a waiting time of 10 minutes is automatically given. After that, it closes.”
“Is there a waiting time too?”
When Radel asked, Tarun nodded.
“If other people enter during the 10 minutes, you compete with them. Among them, the person who catches the Dungeon Boss first wins.”
Radel, who had experienced various Dungeons in his previous life, understood quickly.
‘If no one comes in within the time, just one team conquers it.’
In other words, it was a Dungeon perfect for taking tests. After a certain time passed, a Dungeon Boss would appear on the floor, and if one failed to catch it, they could not leave the 20th floor.
If things went wrong, it was perfect for getting trapped in the Dungeon. He felt like he understood why the seniors he met on the middle floor earlier said it was difficult.
“If you are a Combat Magic major, this much should be easy, right?”
Tarun’s sharp eyes turned toward Radel. Radel could feel his direct senior’s burning passion. The heart of a senior trying to create an unforgettable experience for his junior by insisting on a difficult floor.
If Radel, a 1st-year, were alone, he wouldn't even have been able to enter the 20th floor.
“Of course, Senior.”
Radel answered in a strong tone. Tarun was surprised by the will contained therein.
“Ahem, anyway, we depart immediately in 10 minutes.”
'His eyes are quite decent.' However, Tarun didn't show it.
Combat Magic was not easy enough to challenge with just clumsy will. He intended to teach this arrogant guy reality.
* * *
10 minutes later, Tarun took Radel and set off.
Beyond the endlessly unfolding forest, there was no sign of other people. But Tarun did not let his guard down.
Combat Magic majors, influenced by the battle maniac Professor Lilian, did not fear attacking other students when conquering the tower. Especially since how many floors one climbed in the tower was an indicator of grades in Combat Magic, who succeeded in the conquest was a very important part.
The 20th floor had a stronger tendency for that. Because only the person who defeated the Dungeon Boss was recorded on the bulletin board.
Thanks to that, one could not let go of the tension until catching the Dungeon Boss. A situation where one had to be wary of magical beasts, but also of fellow Combat Magic majors. That was the daily life of Combat Magic majors.
SCREECH!
Just then, a goblin popped out from the bushes. It was a monster that used to roam around and disturb people before the Dungeon Boss appeared.
Tarun deliberately kept his hands off and watched what Radel would do.
“Light!”
Radel took out his staff and chanted a spell. A beam shot out from the tip of the staff and hit the goblin’s eye.
SCREEECH!
As the goblin howled, other goblins also revealed themselves one by one from the bushes. But Radel did not panic.
“Light! Light!”
He only calmly chanted spells while swinging his staff. Every time he swung his staff, goblins grabbed their eyes and screamed one by one.
SCREEECH!
It wasn't a very aggressive magic, but his ability to precisely control small amounts of magic power was something worth noting.
‘But the battle won't end like this.’
'I wonder what magic he will use next.' While Tarun was watching quietly, didn't Radel pick up a thick stick from the ground?
WHISH!
And after swinging it once in the air, he smiled with satisfaction. Holding a staff in his left hand and a stick in his right, Radel moved through the goblins without hesitation.
“Light!”
When a goblin approached, he burned its eyes with light.
THWACK!
He approached the blinded goblin and struck the back of its head with the stick, knocking it out in one blow.
“No, what is this…….”
Tarun was speechless. Majoring in Combat Magic, this was the first time he had seen such a sight.
'If you call it magic, it is magic, but if you ask if it is Combat Magic, it doesn't seem like it……?' It was to the point where he thought it would be better to just catch them with a sword if he was going to do this.
SCREEECH!
THUD.
As the last goblin lost consciousness and fell, Radel sighed in relief and put away his staff properly. To catch the upcoming Dungeon Boss, it was better to conserve strength as much as possible. This was a decent battle that saved both magic power and stamina.
Tarun asked Radel, who was catching his breath.
“Why don't you use your sword when you have one?”
Looking at his posture when swinging the stick or striking the goblin, he seemed like a guy who had trained with the sword for quite a long time. However, even in dangerous situations where goblins appeared from blind spots, he didn't draw his sword. Tarun was curious about the reason.
“Ah, it is because of Professor Lilian’s advice. Since I came to learn Combat Magic, she told me to use magic as much as possible here.”
Hearing Radel’s answer, Tarun’s expression became subtle.
He did seem like a guy ready to learn. But he couldn't understand why he felt so sly.