Chapter 63 Rare Magic Books and Traps
Edited by: Kanaa-senpai
With Rock trailing behind me, I popped the lid on the copper chest. Nestled inside was a single volume.
”Jackpot. A magic book!” I exclaimed.
Yes, the treasure chest contained a magic book¹. I wasn’t exactly hurting for spells, but I wasn’t about to turn down a free addition to my repertoire.
I’d been hoping for something defensive – maybe a spell to conjure a wall. It would be perfect for buying time if I ever got flanked in a narrow corridor. I’d originally balked at the Shop prices since most of those barriers were barely wider than a person, making them a niche purchase at best. But if it’s free, that’s a different story.
”Wait… this is Fire-element, but the sigil is different from Fireball²,” I muttered.
I lifted the book, intrigued. Picking up the magic book in high spirits and looking at it, I saw the pattern on the cover depicted a sphere of flame, but it was tiny compared to the one on the Fireball grimoire. It was surrounded by several sharp, stylized streaks – it gave off the vibe of a fireball built for speed.
”Well, I’ll know once I learn it,” I said to myself.
I flipped the book open to try it out. In a flash of light and heat, the pages disintegrated into embers as the book burned away, the knowledge searing itself into my mind as usual.
”Let’s see… ho… this looks useful.”
As the details of the spell settled in my brain, the corners of my mouth turned up. This magic was going to be incredibly useful for me.
”Time for a field test,” I said.
I leveled my index finger at the empty treasure chest, mimicking the grip of a pistol, and released the magic.
”Fire Bullet³!”
A tiny, bullet-like fireball hissed from my fingertip, bridging the gap instantly and punching into the treasure chest.
”Oh! That’s faster than I thought,” I noted.
Unlike Fireball, there was no explosion on impact. But the activation time and flight speed? Those were overwhelmingly superior.
”Let’s check the Mana Capacity⁴ consumption… wait, is that all?”
To be sure, I fired off a Wind Cutter⁵ to measure the cost, then followed it up with another Fire Bullet.
”This is… about half the cost of Wind Cutter? The fuel efficiency is great,” I said.
Maybe it was because it was a pure single-target spell?
The trade-off was obvious, though. Because the Mana Capacity consumption was low, the raw penetration power didn’t seem that great. Unlike a bullet fired from a handgun, this wasn’t a physical projectile, which was likely the reason. It looked like it could punch right through the hide of a Kobold or a Goblin, but I wondered what would happen when stronger monsters appeared later on.
Still, Goblins would be my primary target for a while. Above all, this magic was very easy for me to use. Being able to discharge a projectile the size of a handgun round from my fingertip was perfect. I was confident I could master the handling of this better than any other Tester in the dungeon.
Fireball is a heavy hitter, sure, but it’s slow. Fire it from a distance and any enemy will likely just step out of the way. You have to wait until they’re bunched up or right in your face to make it count.
But Fire Bullet? The cast time and the flight speed were superior even to Wind Cutter.
”Now, let’s see what happens if I put in a bit more Mana Capacity,” I said.
I immediately poured double the usual Mana into the next shot and let it fly.
”Fire Bullet!”
”Hmm, it definitely felt like the projectile speed increased,” I observed.
Which meant the power had gone up, too. Next, I tried to triple the investment, but the mana refused to flow. Checking the knowledge I’d gained from the book, it seemed my Rank was too low to handle that much throughput. I didn’t want my finger to blow off by forcing it, so I stopped.
Still, if I put in double Mana Capacity, I should be able to handle it even if monsters stronger than Goblins appeared. Once my Rank increased, I could probably use triple the Mana. The activation would be slower, but I could just use it like a sniper rifle.
I loved magic that became more powerful as the user grew. It was great motivation to get stronger. I spent the next few minutes firing off several Fire Bullets to calibrate the effective range.
As it turned out, the effective range was longer than Wind Cutter. Wind Cutter is great because it’s an invisible blade and hard to dodge, but the further the distance, the more the power attenuates. It begins to lose its edge after about ten meters.
In comparison, Fire Bullet held its power even at the distance where Wind Cutter would fail. I could probably push it to twenty meters – double the reach of Wind Cutter.
Being able to perform an attack with this much power and range at half the Mana Capacity was a huge draw. Furthermore, when I doubled the Mana Capacity, the range doubled as well. Being able to tag an enemy from forty meters away was a massive advantage. Whether I could actually hit them at that distance was a different story.
That said, while it wasn’t invisible, I doubted any Goblin had the reflexes to dodge a fire bullet moving at that speed.
”Strange, though… I’m sure I’ve never seen this magic book in the Shop,” I mused.
Since it came out of a copper chest, it should be on par with Fireball in terms of value. Was it a loot-exclusive rare drop?
It made sense, in a way. It would be weird if the people at the front of the pack and the newbies were all using the exact same magic. The deeper you go, the nastier the monsters get. You should learn magic that corresponds to that level. Excluding these from the Shop was probably a way to differentiate those who moved ahead from those who didn’t.
Besides, if anyone could just learn a spell like this so easily, it’d be like everyone having a gun. I should be glad it wasn’t for sale.
”Alright, I’ve got the hang of the magic. I need to check what the 8th floor is like. Rock, let’s go,” I said.
I signaled to Rock and opened the black gate. Beyond lay the same familiar Labyrinth. While I felt a wave of exhaustion at the prospect of more mapping, I stepped through with Rock. At least I had the Medal of Return⁶ now; I didn’t have to worry about finding a Teleportation array⁷ just to get home.
After passing through the gate and confirming the existence of the Teleportation array, I conducted a preliminary inspection with Rock in the lead. After walking for about three minutes, the cries of Goblins echoed from the shadows ahead.
”Rock,” I whispered.
At the sound of his name, Rock firmly readies his shield and prepared for a charge. At the same time, three Goblins appeared. They still had the rusted swords and rusted knives from the 7th floor, but one of them was carrying a different weapon.
”An archer, huh? I thought it was about time,” I noted.
Sure enough, among the three Goblins, one was a Goblin Archer. Two of the Goblins came charging in, swinging their blades toward Rock. Behind them, the Archer stopped and began nocking an arrow to its bow.
”Fire Bullet!”
I wasn’t about to give him the chance. I leveled my index finger – still gripping the handle of my machete – at the Archer and let fly.
A stationary enemy is nothing more than a target. The Goblin Archer didn’t even have time to dodge the high-speed bolt before it punched a hole in his chest and he collapsed.
Yeah, I could definitely get used to this. Maybe I’ll try for headshots next time.
While I was thinking about that, Rock’s charge connected, sending the other Goblins flying. We stayed alert for reinforcements while finishing off the fallen Goblins as usual.
”Rock, from now on, it’s not just thrown knives we have to worry about. Watch your face and your neck so those arrows don’t hit you,” I said.
”Wan!” Rock barked.
”Good boy. Well, we’ve still got time – let’s push a little further,” I said.
I continued deeper into the floor with Rock in the lead. After walking a bit, I noticed a spot where part of the floor color near the center of the passage was different.
”Rock, stop!” I commanded.
I held Rock back and approached the discolored floor. Looking at the wall, I noticed a small hole bored into the stone at about the height of Rock’s head.
”A trap, huh?” I muttered.
Most likely, if you stepped on the pressure plate, arrows or poison gas would spray out from the hole. I instructed Rock to proceed on all fours. I figured at that height, even if an arrow flew out, it wouldn’t hit him.
Rock gave a short bark of understanding and began crawling forward. In the meantime, I prepared an Abnormality Recovery Potion so I could let him drink it at any time.
Click.
(Whish!)
The moment Rock stepped on the trap, a mechanical click echoed, and an arrow streaked out from the hole in the wall. However, the arrow passed right over Rock’s head and clattered harmlessly against the opposite wall.
”Just an arrow, then,” I said, letting out a breath of relief.
I tucked the potion away and signaled Rock to stand up. I picked up the fallen arrow to inspect it.
”No poison on it,” I noted.
However, the placement was devious. The arrow flew out right at the height of Rock’s head when he was standing. For me, it would have hit the collarbone or just below it. It was installed at a height that barely avoided hitting a Goblin.
Finding them in advance was fine, but if I stepped on one during a fight, it would be a nightmare. There was a good chance other types of traps were waiting, too.
”No more charging, Rock. We’re sealing that off,” I said.
It would be the worst if there was a pitfall or something. This floor was going to be tough for a solo run. Between the Goblin Archers and the traps, I was going to be using magic a lot more often.
Looks like I’ll be living on Grade-5 Mana Capacity Recovery Potions⁸ for a while, I thought, as I cut the inspection short and headed back to the Teleportation array.
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Summary:
The protagonist finds a rare ‘Fire Bullet’ magic book in a copper chest on the 7th floor. After learning and testing the spell, he realizes it’s an efficient, high-speed projectile perfect for his combat style. Moving to the 8th floor, he encounters new threats: Goblin Archers and wall-mounted arrow traps.
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Trivia:
- Traps on the 8th floor are strategically placed at a height that misses Goblins but hits human-sized intruders.
- The Medal of Return allows for easy exit without searching for the teleportation array every time
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Character Insight:
The protagonist shows a highly pragmatic and analytical mindset, immediately calculating ‘fuel efficiency’ (mana cost) and effective range (meters) of his new spell. His caution regarding traps demonstrates his growth as a solo dungeon crawler who can’t afford a single mistake.
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Behind the Scenes:
The ‘Fire Bullet’ spell follows typical ‘Blue Magic’ or ‘Rare Drop’ tropes often found in dungeon-crawler light novels to give the protagonist a specialized edge.
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TL Notes:
Notes:
• Rock – A male Kobold summoned from a Magic Sealing Crystal. He has grey fur, round eyes, and a face resembling a Shiba Inu. He wears a leather jacket and a pilot’s cap
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Edited by Kanaa-senpai.
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