TBAGM Vol. 2 Chapter 4 Part 5

“Ellis… she’s hit her limit on the 23rd floor.”

Hearing Nero force those words out, I nodded.

“So it really was that.”

I’d figured it was only a matter of time. Even if we’d gained two powerful Gladiators in Rii and Mii, it didn’t mean Ellis herself had improved.

“Can’t you cover for her, Nero?”

“If Rii and Mii grow a lot more, we can cover for her. But that won’t be for Ellis’s sake.”

Ellis had a powerful 【Water Ball】. If it was only about 【Water Ball】, it would probably work even against monsters on the deepest floor. But aside from magic, her stats were basically D-rank across the board. In the lower floors, where B-rank strength or higher was demanded, she wouldn’t be able to keep up.

“Can’t you raise her up with your training, Lloyd?”

“I want her to prioritize mastering 【Water Ball】. But if we spend too much time on that, Incarnation of the Sun will full-clear the dungeon.”

Nero and I kept agonizing over a question that had no easy answer. Then two bright, energetic voices reached us.

“Lord Lloyd! We’re back!”

“Were you holding a boys’ night?”

Ellis and Serina, who’d been out, had returned. Unlike us, Ellis wore a deeply satisfied smile. She looked like she was dying for us to ask, so I did.

“Welcome back. Something good happen?”

“Oh, you can tell? Yes! The problem I’d been carrying is solved!”

As if she’d been waiting for those words, Ellis grabbed my arm.

“Please come to the training grounds for a bit! There’s something I want to show you! Nero, you too!”

“Uh, yeah.”

“Then I’ll be seeing Rei.”

Serina dipped her head in a polite bow, then walked toward the serving room where Rei was. Nero and I followed behind Ellis, who was practically bouncing with excitement.

“What is it you want to show us?”

“Hehehe. I’m confident I can surprise you, Lord Lloyd!”

Ellis looked brimming with confidence. When we reached the training grounds, she didn’t stand in her usual spot, but walked straight to the center.

Huh? Wasn’t she going to show us 【Water Ball】?

I’d assumed she would fire 【Water Ball】 at the target like always, but apparently not. Nero seemed to be thinking the same thing, because he furrowed his brow.

“Watch closely, okay!”

Ellis drew the staff at her hip and held it vertical to the ground. The stance was different from when she used 【Water Ball】, yet it carried a faintly similar air. Then she chanted at a volume I’d never heard from her before.

“Dance with grace!”

“W-What?!”

Nero and I were stunned. Ellis shouldn’t have been able to use any magic besides 【Water Ball】. And her chanting was even more impossible. On top of that, I had never once heard the chant she’d just spoken.

Ellis glanced at our shock with a pleased smile, then invoked her spell.

“【Water Dress】!”

In that instant, Ellis’s body was enveloped by a 【Water Ball】 that manifested right in front of her.

“H-Huhhh?!”

All we could do was gape at the bizarre sight. The 【Water Ball】 surrounding Ellis gradually reshaped itself into a dress-like armor.

It vaguely resembled 【Water Armor】, but the effect felt completely different… What was this spell?!

【Water Armor】 was a beginner spell that only raised defense a little. Its stats looked like this:

.

【Water Armor】

[Effect] Endurance +20% Defense +50%

.

Ellis, who had no talent for magic besides 【Water Ball】, shouldn’t have been able to use even a beginner spell.

And yet, she had cast one right in front of us.

To resolve the contradiction, I hurriedly used 【Appraisal】 on her.

.

[Original Magic]

【Water Dress】 C/S

[Effect]  All Stats +200%

.

The moment I appraised her, I understood.

(Oh. This one’s terrific.)

A magic chant always started with a fixed attribute phrase: “By the blessing of water,” “By the blessing of fire,” “By the blessing of wind,” and so on. But Ellis hadn’t spoken that customary opening line. Instead, she’d used a chant I’d never heard before, which was probably something she’d made up on the spot.

“L-Lloyd… it might’ve been a hundred years too early for me to be worrying about her.”

“Yeah. It makes us feel stupid for even agonizing over it.”

Nero and I each put a hand on the other’s shoulder, consoling ourselves. Then, after regaining a bit of composure, I asked her how this had happened.

“E-Ellis… how did you learn this spell?”

“I went to Mint for advice, and she gave me a magic grimoire for 【Water Armor】.”

“I see. If it was a grimoire… but that spell isn’t 【Water Armor】, is it?”

Ellis wore a beautiful dress of water. It looked elegant, yet the performance boost was so extreme it defied the image. Among armor-type magic, it might have been the strongest effect imaginable. With this, going below the 23rd floor would be possible.

“Don’t you think armor is kind of lame?”

“Huh? W-Well… armor doesn’t really suit you, Ellis.”

The question was abrupt and made no sense, but I answered anyway. Beside me, Nero muttered quietly, “Armor is cool, though,” but Ellis didn’t hear him.

Yeah, I get you, Nero. Armor is cool.

I agreed with him silently. What guy didn’t admire armor at least once?

Ellis nodded emphatically, then delivered her conclusion.

“So I tried mixing in 【Water Ball】 to make it cute.”

“Huh? Huhhh?!”

Had I misheard? I could’ve sworn I just heard the word “mix.”

“Fufu. Well? Isn’t it cute?”

Ellis fluttered her water dress and beamed. Normally, I should have met her expectations and answered “It’s cute” right away.

But me, and probably Nero too, were thinking about something completely different.

…And a monster was born.

—

Mint probably had not realized it, but even if Ellis read a spellbook, she could not have learned magic. The only reason Ellis could use 【Water Ball】 was because it was not magic, but a skill. Unfortunately, no matter how hard she tried, she would never be able to use magic. She simply lacked the talent.

And yet, Ellis had overcome that natural law by fusing it with her own 【Water Ball】. Without that idea, even if she had read the spellbook, she never would have been able to master 【Water Armor】.

“Alright, it’s late. Let’s go to bed for tonight.”

“Mr. Lloyd?! You’re totally going to dump this on me, aren’t you?!”

Nero pleaded with his eyes, but I forced myself not to meet his gaze. At this point, common sense no longer applied.

With magic like this, the dungeon run would probably wrap up without incident in another two days or so.

“We’re probably going to overtake Incarnation of the Sun, so stay on guard, just in case.”

“O-Okay…”

I could not blame Nero for how he felt, with Ellis rampaging like that. But I had an important duty: training Greenpeak.

That was right. I was not running away.

I looked at her, still dressed in that beautiful gown of water, and said:

“Ellis. You really did well.”

“I don’t know if this actually made me stronger, though. But I’m going to keep pushing myself and take 【Water Ball】 even further!”

Ellis nodded, her expression brimming with motivation.

“Then let’s do this. I want you to aim for reaching the 25th floor in two days. We’ll save everything from the 25th floor onward for after the Guild Showdown.”

““Got it!””

At my words, the two of them nodded with firm resolve.

And with that, our discussion ended, and we each returned to our rooms.

†

Six days had passed since Lloyd began training Mint and the others. Tomorrow would be the Guild Showdown. Today was the final day of training.

“Hoo… I’m actually starting to look the part.”

Marcus muttered as he stared at his hardened fists.

Since then, he had done nothing but pummel and kick the sandbag. The training method was worlds away from what a mage should have been doing, yet his brain had already accepted it as the fighting style that suited him best.

Lloyd had visited Marcus several times a day, pointing out details: how to draw his hips back, how to drop his weight, how to drive the fist in with a twist.

(Just who the hell is Mr. Lloyd? How did someone that incredible stay in the shadows all this time?)

Over these six days, Marcus had learned just how dangerous Lloyd was.

Lloyd had instantly seen through the gears Marcus himself had stopped, then set them turning again. That alone was enough to earn Marcus’s wholehearted admiration.

(He turned 【Mana Coating】, which was supposed to be a dud skill, into something indispensable, and he even saw my talent for fighting up close. How many years’ worth of growth did I cram into these six days?)

In these six days, Marcus had grown into the mage Lloyd wanted.

.

[Name]	Marcus (23)
[Title]	Greenpeak, B-rank Adventurer, First Squad, Squad Captain
[Stats]	Vitality: D → B/A Magic: C/C Ambition: B → A/A Leadership: C/C Intelligence: D/D
[Skills]	Mana Coating: Unawakened → B/S
[Inherent Trait]	None
[Profession]	Arcane Pugilist
[Attribute]	Hand-to-Hand Combat: E → B/A Strength: E → C/B Endurance: D → B/B

.

The results of Lloyd’s six days of constant instruction were, frankly, monstrous.

Lloyd would probably downplay it with, “They worked hard,” but from the outside looking in, Lloyd was clearly the culprit behind these monsters being born.

(Not being shackled by the mold of “mage,” huh… Those guys from Azure Sea Whitecaps are going to lose their minds when they see how I fight now.)

The fixed notion Marcus had carried about what a mage should be had already been stripped away.

His current profession was the original class: Arcane Pugilist.

At long and mid range, he pressured enemies with magic. Once they closed the distance, he cast support spells and shifted into a hand-to-hand style. It was the very image of a mage who had compensated for his weaknesses.

From the start, Lloyd had designed Marcus’s training with one key factor in mind: for a mage, Marcus’s magic reserves were low. Support spells consumed less magic, too, so he would not burn out the way he used to. It truly was Marcus’s calling.

“Alright… let’s finish with one clean shot.”

Marcus lowered his stance and stood squarely before the sandbag.

What had once been pristine was now battered and misshapen, its contents starting to spill out in places.

“Under the blessing of support… 【Build Up】!”

Marcus cast the support spell 【Build Up】 on himself.

Support magic atop muscles honed over six days. His strength had already grown to a level that did not seem remotely mage-like.

Then Marcus activated his skill.

“【Mana Coating】!”

A thin but resilient layer of magic power enveloped Marcus’s right hand.

The larger the coated surface area, the more brittle it became. The smaller it was, the sturdier it became. By focusing it into his right hand alone, the toughness surpassed even metal.

“Hhh… HRAAAAH!”

Marcus took one deep breath, then drove his fist into the sandbag with everything he had.

That strike was the culmination of six days.

His fist punched through the center as if gouging it out, bursting out the other side.

“I… did it…”

That sandbag had been so hard at first that his own knuckles would have been the ones to break.

Yet six days later, he had pierced it.

Bit by bit, a surge of achievement and exhilaration flooded his chest.

(With this power, I can get even stronger!)

If he could smash something this tough, he could probably punch through even a defensive barrier with ease.

That was how much he had grown.

Clenching his fist, Marcus shouted in triumph.

“Yessssaaaahh!!”

†

Bang! Bang! Bang!

“Three out of three. Not bad, if I do say so myself.”

Alterna congratulated himself on his hit rate. For the first two days, he had done nothing but build up his stamina. After that, he had moved on to marksmanship drills. At first, he had been so hopeless he couldn’t even fire unless he was standing perfectly still, but now he had improved to the point where he could shoot even while running.

(Who’d have thought I’d get this hooked on guns? I gotta thank Nick too.)

Alterna glanced at the gun in his right hand and recalled what Nick had said three days ago.

…

“This is the first Mana Handgun prototype No. 1 that I made. I dialed the firepower way down so patents and permits would go through more easily, and I built it with a level of sophistication most people couldn’t even fire.”

“You did good, Nick. I didn’t expect you to make something this complete.”

“We’re a blacksmith guild under Veiled Moonrise, after all. As the guildmaster, I figured I had to make something a little outside the norm.”

The Mana Handgun Nick had completed was, just as Lloyd had praised, remarkably impressive for a first prototype.

.

[Name]	Mana Handgun No. 1 (1)
[Title]	Made by Nick. The world’s first mana-bullet gun
[Stats]	Power: B Range: D Rate of Fire: C
[Mana Infusion]	Accuracy Correction

.

Because it was a handgun, its range and rate of fire were low. Even so, with power rated at B, it was stronger than most ordinary bows. On top of that, the gun’s performance depended heavily on the user’s ability. If you couldn’t control mana, you couldn’t even form mana bullets yourself in the first place. And since the gun’s power varied with the quality of the bullets you produced, it was hard to rely on as a main weapon. In practice, it was more of a support weapon.

“Alterna. I made this gun specifically for you, based on your stats. I’m not saying you have to master it, but I’d appreciate it if you took good care of it.”

“Understood. I’ll treasure it. How much should I pay you?”

“I had fun making it, so it’s free this time. That said, if you end up liking it, do me a favor and keep supporting Twinwing Smiths, alright?”

…

That had been three days ago.

(This thing fits me better than any weapon on earth. And Nick put it together in two days, like it was nothing. What a monster. Him getting famous is only a matter of time… or was he already famous? Eh, whatever. While I still can, maybe I should get him to sign a partnership contract with me.)

Every time Alterna used the Mana Handgun, he understood Nick’s skill more deeply. The weapon fit so naturally it felt like an extension of his own body, and he had fallen for it completely.

(But the biggest monster is still Lord Lloyd. Six days, and he made me grow this much… I get why Lady Mint took a liking to him now.)

Alterna, like Marcus, had undergone explosive growth over those six days.

.

[Name]	Alterna (25)
[Title]	Greenpeak, B-rank Adventurer, Second Squad, Squad Captain
[Stats]	Vitality: D → B/B Magic: A/A Ambition: A/A Leadership: D/C Intelligence: A/A
[Skills]	Chant Shortening: B/B
[Inherent Trait]	None
[Profession]	Mage
[Attribute]	Mana Control: B/B Agility: D → B/B Endurance: E → C/C

.

All of Alterna’s stats had reached their limits. And it was all because he had survived Lloyd’s hellish training. A full year without meaningful progress, and Lloyd had made him grow in only six days.

(I’m gonna become the kind of mage who can protect my squad.)

Alterna raised the muzzle of his Mana Handgun and aimed at the target again. This shooter-like combat style… once he realized it was essentially the same as firing from a staff, only with a different look, he had already thrown away any rigid preconceptions.

“【Mana Bullet Transfer】!”

He took full advantage of chantless execution and mana control, packing his mana into the Mana Handgun. If he lost focus for even an instant, the bullets would lose their shape, and he wouldn’t even be able to fire them properly. After loading every bullet, Alterna lined up his sights again.

“Pierce!”

As he thanked Lloyd for revealing his potential, and Nick for giving him a way to use his abilities, Alterna began firing again.

†

(Three is stable now. That means I can finally start practicing fusion magic.)

Mint had devoted every waking moment of the past six days to training 【Parallel Casting】. Now she could flawlessly perform three actions at once: solve problems with her right hand, maintain intermediate magic with her left, and play word chain games out loud.

.

[Name]	Mint (25)
[Title]	Guildmaster of Greenpeak, A-rank Adventurer – The Most Formidable Witch
[Stats]	Vitality: E/B Magic: SS/SS Ambition: E/E (Magical Curiosity: S/S) Leadership: E/B Intelligence: E/A
[Skills]	Magic Encyclopedia: S/S Natural Mana Regeneration: C/B Chantless Casting: B/A Parallel Casting: B/A
[Inherent Trait]	None
[Profession]	Mage
[Attributes]	Strength: E/B Agility: E/A Endurance: E/B

.

Because she had poured her time into realizing fusion magic, there were still areas that hadn’t grown much, but even so, these numbers counted as rapid progress. Mint understood that better than anyone.

(Lloyd’s advice that makes you grow this much in six days… so that’s what “Veiled Moonrise” really means.)

Mint had assumed Lloyd used 【Appraisal】 to spot talented people and recruit them into the guild. Otherwise, the guild’s sudden rise made no sense. But she now felt, painfully, how shallow that assumption had been.

Lloyd made anyone grow, no matter who they were. Ellis, Nick, Elna, all of them had been stuck in harsh circumstances. He dug out their potential and handed them a way to live. Knowing that was exactly why Mint had come to like him.

“Alright then, time for fusion magic training!”

Last night, she had gotten Lloyd’s permission to practice fusion magic. Apparently, Lloyd had an unmissable obligation on the final day, so today’s training was only the three of them.

“【Stone Cannon】.”

Using one thread of thought, Mint prepared a rocky projectile in her right hand. Since 【Stone Cannon】 was intermediate magic, it had plenty of power even on its own. But against an A-rank opponent, the story changed. Loren would slice through intermediate magic with ease.

“【Wind Wave】!”

With a second thread of thought, she generated a wave of wind in her left hand. It was intermediate wind-element magic that simply produced a strong gust. It wasn’t something she would have bothered using before, but as an ingredient for fusion magic, its effectiveness multiplied many times over.

“【Fusion Magic】!”

With a third thread of thought, Mint blended the two spells together. Her brain, which had once felt like it would overheat and scorch, was now far calmer. That training had done its job. Performing two threads of thought at once was already close to a divine feat. Fusion magic required three simultaneous threads via 【Parallel Casting】.

“Good. It mixed.”

Mint smiled with satisfaction at the spell swirling together in front of her. This was her magic, something nobody else could use, an abnormality not even recorded in her skill Magic Encyclopedia. As she thanked Lloyd for making this possible, Mint launched the combined spell straight at the target.

“Fusion magic! 【Rock Railgun】!”

The spell she fired rode along a path created by the wind and launched forward with absurd velocity. It was dozens of times faster than 【Stone Cannon】, so fast that a human couldn’t even perceive it. With a thunderous boom, it slammed into the target, kicking up a massive cloud of dust.

“Huh? What is this…?”

When the dust settled, a catastrophic scene was revealed. The target had been pulverized without a trace, and even the nearby targets had been smashed into fragments. Worse, it had punched clean through the wall behind them, leaving a hole that framed the cloudless sky beyond.

This room’s walls were layered with multiple defensive barriers as an Ellis countermeasure, and it had still pierced through.

That meant the power of 【Rock Railgun】 exceeded even Ellis’s 【Water Ball】.

“What is thiiiiiis?!”

Still unable to believe it, Mint screamed. It would take her a little longer before she truly accepted that this was her own magic.