Chapter 13

Chapter 13

Kobold Colony

[Red Flame (LV20) skill has reached the maximum level]

Along with the message, a strange feeling rose in my chest.

Warm, and ticklish.

A bizarre feeling as if flame was being sucked into the body.

‘Fortunate.’

I had worried inwardly.

The Red Flame skill that activates only when attacking the enemy with fire energy.

What if the Transcendence trait doesn't apply.

But it was a needless worry.

Now it became certain.

The Transcendence trait doesn't distinguish the type of skill.

Well.

Since it even transcends skills contained in equipment, maybe it's a natural thing.

“It said to go west first···?”

Recalling the verified post, I turned direction.

After moving to some extent, something appeared on the board.

Three red dots.

It's a goblin scouting party of three as a team.

The first target is the goblin archer.

I had no thought of testing the new skill on a fellow that does ranged attacks.

It might be a matter of an arrow getting stuck in my head.

Puk!

The Fireball pierced the archer's head.

The guy's body was engulfed in flames and turned to powder and scattered.

Whether because of the level up, the speed of Fireball became even faster.

Not just goblins, even I probably couldn't dodge it.

“Kieeeeeek!”

“Kaaaaak!!”

After flinching for a while while looking at the colleague that turned to powder.

The shieldbearer and swordsman let out shrieks and charged.

Bang!

The next flame struck the shieldbearer's head.

The power was so strong that the upper part of the chest was smashed whole.

Then intense flame instantly burned below the shoulders.

Now.

'Spread.'

I hoped the flame would spread.

In an instant, as wished, the flame spread in all directions.

A feeling of a water balloon bursting and pouring water.

“Kieeeeeek!”

The goblin swordsman running beside was engulfed in flames.

The fellow that spat a death cry and instantly turned to powder and disappeared.

Looking at that appearance, I scratched my chin.

Control isn't difficult.

But honestly, it wasn't satisfying.

The flame spread too much in all directions.

Directionality was needed.

For the next goblin scouting party members I encountered, I tested directionality.

Whoosh!

The archer located in the center of the scouting party.

I smashed the guy's torso with Fireball, and instead of spreading, expanded the flame left and right.

Goblins instantly engulfed in flames.

In an instant, the three of the scouting group disappeared.

"...It's not difficult."

Fortunate.

Is it thanks to the maximum level Red Flame skill.

Creating directionality wasn't difficult.

At this point, the basic performance of Red Flame is confirmation complete.

I checked the community post once more.

──────────────────

[Verified][Information]Utilization methods of Red Flame skill.

Red Flame is the essence of flame series magic.

Nowadays MZ like shorts, so I'll briefly explain about Red Flame.

1. Basic principle of Red Flame.

Red Flame is the ability to spread and expand flames.

There are two materials.

Flame amount and mental strength.

Flame amount determines the intensity of the flame, and mental strength regulates the direction of the flame.

Which of the two is more important?

Obviously flame amount.

If firepower is overwhelming, mental strength is consumed less.

The principle that if water pressure is strong, water gushes out even if the faucet is turned a little.

2. Skill level of Red Flame.

Low-level Red Flame is a simple expansion one-tool.

It spreads fire energy.

But as the level rises, the caster's will is reflected a lot.

In fact, high-level Red Flame users are skilled at reorganizing flames according to the situation.

When sweeping large-scale enemies, a wave of flame.

When single targeting, a fire arrow.

Something like that.

Doesn't Red Flame activate only when attacking the enemy?

No, that's not the case.

That's because your Red Flame is shabby.

Common sense doesn't apply to holders of Red Flame skill level 8 or above.

Even if not in a combat situation, transforming flame is basic.

They create bizarre animals with flame, and bite or strike with front paws.

Why bother doing that?

Because it's damn strong.

Shapes molded with will go beyond simple strength and contain numerous possibilities of change.

It means a kind of skill improvement is possible.

Ah.

Of course, this kind of shape transformation is only possible when reaching the highest level of skill level.

Yes, yes.

Your thought is correct.

It means you're impossible.

──────────────────

I nodded at the clean explanation.

Definitely a completely different approach from the information obtained from TV.

It also gave sufficient implications to me.

“It means shape transformation is possible with will alone···?”

My current level is 80.

It's absolutely not high.

But the skill level itself was higher than anyone.

If a level 8 Red Flame holder can do it, maybe I can too.

It's a matter of checking.

I summoned a Fireball above the palm and infused will.

Arrow, arrow.

Arrow!

Pop!

The end of the Fireball protruded sharply.

A shape like a beak that came out piercing a round egg.

Not satisfying at all.

'Shape transformation isn't easy.'

But it was instinctively felt.

It's only a matter of proficiency.

A feeling that it would be possible if practice is sufficient.

“I'll have to practice a lot.”

Thinking that, I moved straight west.

I refreshingly burned the goblin scouting parties I occasionally met.

Once I got used to the Red Flame skill, one Fireball was enough to deal with three goblins.

I didn't miss gathering in between either.

Just going to find the dots that floated on the board was the end.

Most were the extremely common spirit grass, but even those were 100,000 won each.

It had sufficient value for me.

After walking for a long time like that, I arrived.

At Nehemis's Life Water.

Pasusssss···.

A tree trunk as thick as a building.

Above it, countless branches and leaves sway in the wind.

A mysterious feeling that can't be seen in reality.

But it didn't have any special ability or anything.

An existence whose exact use is unknown.

Used as a kind of milestone for awakeners.

It was said that such things often exist in the labyrinth.

Nehemis's Life Water was also such an existence.

“...”

After touching the trunk for a moment, I turned direction south.

From now on, it's the domain of the kobolds.

Physical ability itself is weaker than goblins, but the number is enormous, it was said.

A place advantageous for mages capable of wide-area dealing.

...Of course.

Even so, cases of coming alone like me were rare.

No matter what mage, mana eventually bottoms out, and maintenance time was needed.

It's unknown what harsh sight one might see while going alone.

It didn't apply to me.

“...Hmm.”

After walking a bit, a black dot floated on the board.

A color unfamiliar to me.

Approaching closely, it was a kobold corpse.

A pig nose attached to a face resembling a rat.

Two ears larger than the face.

A smaller build than a goblin.

But the inside of the shabby leather clothes was full of muscle.

If hit by a club, even an awakener's bone breaks, it was said.

Looking at it that way, there's no monster that can be carelessly treated.

Always have to be careful.

Step, step.

While checking the labyrinth-exclusive compass bought from the equipment merchant, I slowly advanced in the exact south direction.

Absolutely don't turn direction.

The energy spread in the labyrinth nullifies the sense of direction.

Not long after, new dots floated on the board.

Three gray dots.

About ten red dots below.

It was three hunters and a group of kobolds.

I closed my eyes.

From Detection to sensation.

The movements of humans and monsters unfolded in real time as if seeing right in front of my eyes.

The shield blocked the kobold's club.

The protruding spear pierced the guy's head.

Beyond the shield, three arrows flew simultaneously.

They accurately pierced the chests of three kobolds.

The red dots decreased rapidly.

“...Hmm.”

But the last one didn't move even a bit.

Realizing the reason wasn't difficult.

A mage.

It would be a mage of a level that can sweep the canyon alone.

I followed behind the hunters without stepping forward.

Anyway, there was nothing to raise the level with.

I also have no thought of wanting to stand out.

The destination seemed the same, but it didn't matter much.

Anyway, the canyon isn't one.

Watching them and heading to an empty canyon was enough.

‘It's convenient since they're dealing with the kobolds.’

I walked the labyrinth leisurely.

Like that, about 30 minutes passed.

Far away, a towering canyon came into view.

The canyons visible to the naked eye were a total of six.

Among them, two were already subjugated, and four were empty.

The three awakeners headed to the canyon in the deepest place.

Three small dots started climbing the upper part of the canyon.

Probably from above, the mage will annihilate the lower part with a wide-area skill.

After they completely disappeared beyond the canyon.

I moved to the nearest canyon.

The uphill path of the canyon was steep and long and boring, but there was nothing greatly difficult.

I slightly stuck my head out and checked below the canyon.

Kobolds swarming so much that the floor isn't visible.

The board was already full of red.

It had long turned into a surface, not dots.

Step. Step.

I'm curious.

If LV20 Flame Burst falls into the middle of them.

If that fire energy is spread with LV20 Red Flame.

What kind of result would come out.

Feeling my heart pounding with expectation.

I slowly moved steps toward a place where the exact center of the canyon would be looked down upon.

And a while later.

The central plaza of the canyon was looked down upon under my feet.

“Kiriririk, kirik!”

“Kererelelek!”

A group of kobolds communicating while spitting unknown shrieks.

The appearance of fellows that would easily be thousands was a spectacle.

After looking at that appearance for a moment, I created condensed flame above the palm.

And expanded it to the maximum.

Kugugugu···!!

Fire energy is sucked in madly into the flame that grew as big as a head.

Mana drained and then filled up.

Meditation skill.

This is definitely a thing.

Soon the flame filled to the limit.

A sphere trembling as if it would burst at any moment.

Holding it with one hand, I immediately threw it into the central part of the canyon.

Fwoooosh!!!

Flame Burst that flew in like lightning.

It exploded in one go above the kobold's head.

A massive amount of flame I've never seen in my life roughly burst out.

Kwaaaaaaaang!!!

Let's focus.

I grabbed the flame with the Red Flame skill and spread it in all directions.

A huge flame that turned into lava.

It started sweeping the canyon like a wave.

The explosion that burst from the plaza instantly swept the entire canyon.

“...Crazy.”

A huge flame that seemed like my mind would go just by watching from afar.

The kobolds couldn't even dare to run away.

They blankly watched the pushing flame and melted.

The red dots on the board disappeared without even a trace.

Without leaving even one black dot.

A while later.

Only after the red dots completely disappeared did I erase the flame.

Kugugugugu···!!

Belatedly, here and there of the canyon that couldn't withstand the power of the flame collapsed.

There were also places where the steep cliff turned into a gentle slope.

I carefully walked down there.

Arrived at the exact center of the plaza.

I took out the glass bottle from the inventory and opened the lid.

Sssssss···!!

Invisible energy was sucked into the bottle.

It's the vitality of the kobolds that melted in the flame.

[Breath of Hatred]

-A container that holds the vitality of monsters.

-Current capture amount: 879

The capture amount increased in real time.

There were so many souls being sucked that the surroundings wavered like a haze.

Dizzy, so I closed my eyes completely.

-Current capture amount: 3952

Only after absorbing souls close to 4000 did the situation end.

I closed the lid and put the Breath of Hatred in the inventory.

Sitting on the cleaned floor, I took deep breaths and thought.

Is it okay to go around the canyon one more time?

It's not impossible.

It's not like there are risk factors on the way back.

‘Let's go around just one more place.’

The mental strength expanded by achieving level 80 was still solid.

Since I've come this far, it should be okay to go around one more place.

Thinking that, when I was about to turn around.

“...Hmm?”

Something sparkled on the plaza floor.

A situation where everything existing melted due to the overwhelming firepower.

The fact that something remains itself is awkward.

I approached closely.

I picked up the small object that dropped under my feet.

It was a small copper-colored key.

“...”

An ordinary appearance with nothing special.

But it couldn't be an ordinary item.

If it was a general key, it wouldn't have withstood the fire energy.

It's also understandable that there was no related information in the strategy.

If not completely melting the kobolds like me, one absolutely couldn't have found the key.

After organizing the situation, I carefully looked around.

Soon I tilted my head.

There's no place to insert the key at all···?

“Ah.”

There is.

A place I saw in the community strategy.

Below the canyon, the space where the kobolds live.

Maybe something is there.

It piques my interest.

Shall I check once?

© Dome Hwangcha #1yy6t