Chapter XXXIII - Team (part 2)

We arrived at the location after a while. After coming down from the carriage, I looked around at the town. Algar isn't really that big compared to the other towns I have visited during my days as an adventurer. Though I have been here a couple times before, it's still weird to decide whether this is a town or a village.

"Algar sure is small."

Hod said from his spot, as if reading my mind.

We both prepared our weapons by getting them out from the magic inventory ring and put it at our hips. Funny how Hod also used a sword, but his is a little small compared to my knight sword.

It's a rapier, I think that's what it's called. The small and light sword, focused more for thrusting instead of cutting.

I don't know much about the sword, but I do know the techniques. I don't think I can replicate it, though.

We arrived at the dungeon's entrance after a five minute walk. Thinking that this will be some sort of training, an idea struck me.

"Hey, Hod."

"Hmm?"

He stopped walking when I called him and turned his head to me. He was about to unsheathe his sword, too.

"I have an idea."

I began relaying to him the 'wonderful' idea of mine. Hearing such things, the look on his face is quite worthy of being taken pictures of.

"You want us to not use swords, but to use only magic?"

It is my main reason for coming here, after all. To practice my magic some more.

"Yes. Think of this as some sort of training. I'm still new with magic, and you want to learn to do it without doing the long chanting--"

"Yeah, yeah I get it."

He puts his sword back to the ring, and I did the same thing. Upon my blade entering the sheath, I quickly remembered something that I seem to have forgotten.

"How do you... use magic again?"

Immediately, Hod lets out a sigh.

We entered the cave not long after Hod reminded me how to put my hands on fire. The interior of the dungeon is the same as any dungeon. A small cave like it's been dug, with these little glimmering lights coming from some sort of light stone or gem.

"I never get the chance to ask, but what exactly are we hunting?"

Didn't he barrage me with questions on the carriage? I guess he didn't ask that one, specifically.

I told him we are hunting undead beings. Skeletons, and the thing we are looting is a piece of their weirdly evolved bones. Somewhere within them, they have this piece of bone that crystallized due to the evil reincarnating magic, hidden inside their thin little bones.

All we have to do is just crush them all to find it.

The crystal is somewhat indestructible, but the bones weren't. So, even if I burned them down to ashes, or if I squashed them to dust, the crystal would still come out clean.

The first skeleton made its appearance along with another four. It's in the first room of the dungeon.

I lifted my hand and pointed at them, preparing my fire magic to my hand. I had to be careful not to let out too much or else there will be consequences.

"Fireball."

A ball of flames conjured just a few inches from my palms. And just with a thought, the fireball launches itself towards the skeleton at a frightening speed.

BOOOMM!!!

Was that too much?

The skeleton was charred to coal. When the fire slowly dies down, I can see glimmers of light coming from their ashes. Those are the crystals we are hunting.

"Not bad for a Beginner tier."

Hod said, and I was quickly reminded of the magic tiers.

Magics of any element were divided into five tiers. The lowest, Beginner. Above that is Intermediate. Then, Knight. After that is the rare King tier. Above the King tier is the Emperor tier, and I don't think there's anyone alive right now who owns this tier. And finally, the impossible tier that no one has gotten over the span of thousands of years, the God tier.

Right now, my fire magic is at the Beginner tier. And from what I've read, once I tiered up my fire magic, the strength, color, and shape of the fire will change.

Each tiers had their own forms, depending on the elements. Sometimes the difference is barely visible, but for some elements, the difference was very clear.

For fire magic, though, the biggest difference is with its color. I guess I can only find out once I tiered up later on.

"Thank you, Ice King."

That was Hod's nickname. Other adventurers called him that, which made him quite popular amongst the people.

And regarding Hod's magic, his ice magic is at the Knight tier. However, his magic wasn't originally an ice magic, but water magic.

I don't quite understand this part, but the magic book mentions that water magic will turn into ice magic once it gets to the Knight tier. Because the water was so different compared to the previous tier, even the temperature of the magic dropped massively, turning the water into ice.

As such, Hod is probably also capable of using water magic. I just never saw him use it.

Speaking of Hod, the guy walked towards the ashes once my fire magic died out, and he grabbed the crystals. A single crystal is roughly 2 centi-meters long. The shape is like a shard. It's purple coloured with a little shades of green.

"How many do we need?"

He held the five crystals at me, but I lifted my shoulder. He looks confused, but I think it's pretty obvious.

"Does it matter?"

I walked forward, continuing the dungeon exploring. He kept on looking at me, until five seconds later when he finally understood what I meant and sighed.

"Hah... I knew it would turn out like this."

"It's always like this for me. My missions aren't missions. They are training courses."

"I'm so grateful I came along..."

Hearing him so tired, I chuckled. I came here with the intention of training, not to get rich. If we're talking money, then yesterday's mission gave a hell of a pay already, considering we killed over three hundred red orcs.

As for my past missions, I never really stop at the limit of gathering. If the mission says to acquire fifty items dropped by the monsters, I don't just stop there. Normally, I would get like two hundred more or so. Because apparently, killing monsters helps increase your mana points and also works as a training.

"Say, what are those stones anyways."

I asked while burning two or three skeletons on the path with a continuous flame. I started to learn how to do more forms of fire magic than just 'fireball'.

Hod took out one of them and showed it to me. The crystal lit up from just a thought.

"It's a type of magic crystal."

... Well, obviously.

Hod walked up to the ashes and grabbed the magic crystal from the skeletons. He held one with his two fingers while explaining.

"This type of magic crystal is actually very much needed in the market. It was used to make a ton of useful magic tools. Like the magic points checking tool, you know that ball thing?"

"I have one with me, I think I get it. There's also one at the Office which Klane lets me use a ton."

Hearing what I said, Hod raised one eyebrow. What I said seemed to remind him of something.

"So, someone else knew about your... abnormal condition?"

"Yeah. Klane and Jrake. They were the first to help me out while I was getting used to the whole being an adventurer thing."

I told him about the first time I came here. I didn't exactly specify what I was doing before I became an adventurer, so it's good that he is being kept in the dark around that area.

Hod nods from understanding, and a pair of skeletons came rushing at him whilst we were talking. The guy only turned his cold glare, and a blast of blizzard came out of his feet, freezing the two running skeletons top to bottom in an instant. 

That was truly majestic. His mastery over the ice magic is definitely high levelled. To freeze his opponents simply by looking at them... that's mad.

And after the skeletons had been frozen, Hod stepped forward and threw a very powerful punch. The skeletons shattered to pieces after Hod punched them one time each, and I clapped my hands.

"Nice punches."

"The punches caught your eye? Every girl is only attracted to physical techniques, huh?"

Hod said those horrendous words, and I gave him an annoyed look from that comment. I decided to ignore him because three more skeletons are rushing at us.

All right. My turn.

"I take back that compliment then. Let me show you how a real 'man' punches."

I said jokingly while charging up magic energy to my right fist. I also imagined fire burning in my fist, but it was quite hard to do so.

I concentrated for a bit, and a lump of fire instead appeared in front of my fist. I decided to just go with how it is.

"W-Wait!--"

BAAARRRR!!!!!!!!!!!!!

I ignored Hod's warning and threw the punch away. The fire magic that was in front of my fist exploded, destroying everything that was in its path.

However, it also affected my hand a little bit. Just a little bit.

.

.

.

"It's your fault for creating such rash techniques. That's not even magic enchanting, that was magic enhancing plus adding a fireball on top of your fist. It won't work like how you wanted it to."

Hod... lectured me as we walked out of the dungeon, and we've decided to put a stop to the mission because of the accident.

My fingers... were burnt. Badly.

The explosion caused by the small fireball was more than enough to dislocate all the joints on my fingers as well as burning them. Hod immediately shoots his ice magic to cool my hand down, and I also casted healing magic on top of his ice magic.

It was... painful. And now he's lecturing me on what I did wrong.

"Look. I just wanted to try things out--"

"Being creative is indeed a big perk to have as a magician. But, being rash is the last thing you'd want to do.

Research what you wanted to do first. See other people do it before doing it yourself. Second guess yourself on whether or not it will result badly.

Otherwise... this happens."

"Sorry, teacher. I won't do it again~."

I said with a joking tone, and Hod lets out a sigh as he began pondering to himself. Seeing him so worried made me realize that this is what Hod looks like when he is teaching somebody else.

"You know, this should've happened yesterday."

Hod turned his confused stare at me, and I chuckled from realizing how stupid it is.

"We were supposed to train magic yesterday. Not fight the God of Orcs."

Hearing such realization, Hod opened his eyes widely. He nodded firmly, and he too understands just how badly yesterday went for us.

"At least I'm glad that we still got a chance to walk around in a mission like this."

He said with such a concerned tone, and I noticed that I made a mistake by bringing up what happened yesterday.

I punched him in the shoulder, and he turned his annoyed glare to me.

"Thanks for the study session, teacher. Look forward to the next one."

I said gratefully at him, and he only laughed when he heard it.

"I'm learning as I'm teaching as well. You're welcome."

I grinned at him, and I stared at my right hand that is now fully healed.

"Got any other tips for me so I won't hurt myself again while using magic?"

"... Knowing your personality, maybe bring a suit of armor the next time you train--"

"Shut up, then."

Hod proceeds to laugh at his own joke, and the conversation goes elsewhere.