Skill Grades and Types

The highest skill grade revealed so far was Rare.

The order was Normal > Normal+ > Rare, and no higher grades had appeared yet. Well, after Rare, it would probably be Rare+, I guess.

For reference, the Flame Strike skill I obtained was of Rare grade.

Skills were also broadly categorized into “Physical-type” and “Magic-type,” and Magic-type Skills seemed to drop much more rarely than Physical-type Skills.

So, at first, I thought I had gotten a good skill.

*It's Nightmare Difficulty, after all; they should at least give this much reward,* I thought.

[Butter Bread: Magic-type Skills are just trash, aren't they?]

[Phone: Ah, f*ck, 8th Floor reward was a Magic-type!]

[Amkorean: Magic-type is seriously *overrated trash*. No advantages at all except firepower.]

No, it wasn't.

The evaluation of Magic-type Skills was generally ambiguous among Climbers.

There were several reasons.

“Mr. Davis, you mentioned you recently acquired a new Magic-type Skill on the 7th Floor, right? What skill is it exactly?”

“It’s a Normal+ Grade skill called Shockwave. It’s simply the ability to unleash an intangible force.”

“How was it when you used it? Climbers generally seem to have a negative view of Magic-type Skills.”

“Hmm... that’s right. Magic-type Skills do have their advantages and unique characteristics. They allow for ranged attacks, and their power is decent.”

I once saw an interview with a man named Davis, famous as a frontrunner in Normal Difficulty, and he explained the reasons well.

“But that’s where it ends. Even at my current level, the Willpower Consumption is terribly high, draining it completely after just a few uses. And the biggest problem is the unique “Concentration” penalty of Magic-type Skills.”

Concentration.

In other words, it’s the Casting Time required for the skill.

This was a penalty-like condition said to be exclusive to Magic-type Skills.

“When you’re in Concentration, you can’t move your body. It’s truly absurd. I mean, if you need to use a skill during a fight, do you expect the enemy to just wait for you?”

“Hahaha.”

“Alright, let’s take a look. The Shockwave skill requires 10 seconds of Concentration and 50 Willpower Consumption to cast. On the other hand, my other Normal+ Grade skill, “Charge,” requires no Casting Time and only 15 Willpower Consumption. While you’re wasting 10 seconds to use Shockwave once, you could use Charge more than three times.”

“Oh, I see...”

Mr. Davis’s conclusion was clear.

“In short, Magic-type Skills are just *flashy trash*. There’s almost no way to use them effectively other than waiting for the enemy before a fight starts and unleashing one big hit. Well, if you use it well, it might be alright, but Physical-type Skills are superior in almost every aspect. Honestly, I don’t think any Climber would disagree.”

Long Casting Time.

It is difficult to use during combat.

Plus, a one-trick pony trash skill that consumes a ridiculously high amount of Willpower.

That was what Magic-type Skills were.

Seriously, does it really deserve such a harsh evaluation?

But... I couldn't argue with it.

[Skill: Flame Strike (Rare)]

Launches a Condensed Flame forward, causing an explosion. Requires 20 seconds of Concentration to cast.

Category: Magic-type

Willpower Consumption: 100

Cooldown Time: 30 seconds

This was the description for the Flame Strike skill I obtained.

For reference, Willpower was a concept similar to mana in games. It was a stat that increased as my level went up.

It was said to recover 1% per minute after consumption.

[Difficulty: Nightmare]

[Floor: 2nd Floor]

[Level: 10]

[Willpower: 100/100]

[Skill: Flame Strike (Rare)]

And this was my Status Window.

In other words, if I wanted to use the Flame Strike skill...

After completing 20 seconds of Concentration, I could use it exactly once, and that was it.

To use it again, I would have to wait until my Willpower fully recovered, which meant waiting 100 minutes.

*Seriously, what kind of bullshit is this...?*

It truly was *flashy trash*, just as they said.

Still, since its power was supposedly good, that was the only thing I had to look forward to.

[You have entered Nightmare 1st Floor.]

The familiar Cave.

I picked up my sword and looked at the Passage.

I didn't intend to use the skill right away.

I'd take down the first three myself, and then try it on the Bow Goblin when it appeared.

After a short wait, the Goblins emerged from the Passage.

“All right, come on in.”

I hadn't even tested the skill once yet, as it was hard to use in reality.

But my body, strengthened by leveling up, was already quite accustomed.

Honestly, I was surprised at how much stronger I'd become, more than I expected.

Hard Difficulty supposedly grants 4 levels for each floor cleared, right?

Nightmare was 2.5 times that, 10 levels.

So I had no confidence... *in struggling against mere Goblins, that is.*

Kieek-!

As expected, one Sword Goblin charged first.

There was no need to rush.

My reflexes and dynamic vision had improved so much that the Goblin's attacks were clearly visible.

I easily dodged and swung my sword.

Crack!

The Goblin's upper body split in half.

*Huh?*

*The sword cuts too well.*

*No, it's my strength that's increased, of course.*

The Goblin's body, split in two, fell with a thud.

The two Goblins charging behind it flinched.

It must have been quite a shocking performance for them too.

“What’s wrong? Come on.”

Since they didn't charge, I moved first.

I charged at a Sword Goblin and swung my sword.

It couldn't even properly resist and was cut in half like its predecessor.

The last remaining Spear Goblin suddenly fled towards the Passage.

“Seriously.”

I let out a hollow laugh and chased after it.

I caught up instantly and stabbed it in the back of the neck, killing it.

Easy.

*Did it even take 10 seconds to kill three?*

I wasn't even out of breath.

I could clearly feel that my body had completely surpassed human limits.

Now for the next three.

I decided to kill it as soon as it emerged from the Passage, especially the Bow Goblin that had given me so much trouble.

I cast the skill for the first time.

As I began to cast the Flame Strike skill, my body stiffened and I couldn't move.

Something like an hourglass began to flow in my mind, a strange sensation.

*Is this the Concentration state?*

I could only use the skill after completing 20 seconds in this state.

If interrupted midway, it would naturally restart from the beginning.

The hourglass in my mind completely emptied, and the skill was ready.

I was flustered.

*What the hell?*

...I still can't move?

Wait, don't tell me.

It wasn't just that I couldn't move my body *during* the Concentration Time.

*Was it that I couldn't move at all until I finished Concentration and actually used the skill?*

To move, I would have to cancel the skill as it is.

*Wow, seriously.*

I already understood why Magic-type Skills were called trash.

I stood frozen, waiting endlessly for the Goblins to appear.

Ker-ruk-

Finally, the next Goblins emerged from the Passage.

Two Sword Goblins and one Bow Goblin.

I immediately cast the skill.

Hwa-reuk!

A fireball erupted from mid-air before my eyes.

The fireball shot rapidly towards the Goblins, guided by my will.

And then...

KWA-AAANG!

Flames spread rapidly, causing a massive explosion.

The Shockwave pushed my body back slightly, and my hair flew wildly.

I was momentarily stunned by the power, which was beyond imagination.

“Whoa...”

The smoke cleared.

The three Goblins that had been there moments ago were nowhere to be found.

Instead, there were black ashes scattered everywhere on the cratered ground.

It seemed they had been blown to smithereens, leaving no proper corpses.

“...The power is certainly incredible.”

It's definitely strong. I admit it.

My evaluation of it went up slightly, but I still wasn't sure.

The penalties that came with such immense power were simply fatal.

*If it's like this, I really can't use it during combat...*

Koo-goo-goo-goo-

As all the Goblins died, the Stone Gate began to close.

I ran and exited through the Passage.

I ran continuously up the ascending path.

By the time the iron ball started rolling, I was already in the Recess.

Kwoo-oong!

This section is easy if you know about it.

After the roar subsided, I calmly emerged and checked my Status Window.

[Willpower: 1/100]

Willpower is depleted after one skill use.

I decided to wait until it was fully charged before moving.

Next was the boss monster, the Knight Goblin.

With my current physical ability, I felt I could win even without using the skill.

But I wanted to test the skill's power against it once.

After waiting a full 100 minutes, I fully restored my Willpower and advanced again.

The unmanned Weapon Shop appeared.

I passed by without choosing anything.

I entered the red-lit Boss Room.

Krr-ruk-

The Knight Goblin stood in the center of the Cavern.

As soon as I spotted it, I began casting Flame Strike.

20 seconds of Concentration.

But the Knight Goblin approached me even faster than that, the moment it saw me.

I clicked my tongue inwardly.

That guy's impatient.

If this happens, I can't use the skill.

Without much thought, I stopped time.

But then...

*Huh?*

The hourglass in my mind continued to flow.

...Concentration isn't interrupted?

*Why, when time is stopped?*

I was momentarily flustered by this strange phenomenon, but then I realized.

*Could it be possible even with time stopped? Concentration?*

The hourglass completely emptied.

As soon as I finished Concentration, I released time and immediately cast the skill.

The fireball struck the Knight Goblin.

KWA-AAANG!

It was sent flying several meters and slammed into the wall.

And it didn't move anymore.

I approached and examined it.

The impact of the explosion had blown apart both its armor and the Goblin's body.

The boss monster I had struggled so much with was one-shotted.

Even I was quite impressed with myself.

By the way, this...

I tilted my head.

*Concentration is possible while Time Stop is active?*

*Why is this happening?*

Suddenly, a hypothesis came to mind.

Time Stop.

Even if time stops, I can still think.

In other words, even if the world's time stops, the time within my mind continues to flow normally.

*What if Concentration is also judged as a mental flow of time?*

*Is that why it's possible even with time stopped?*

Then another thought suddenly occurred to me.

*...Then what about Willpower?*

Isn't the word 'Willpower' also somewhat mental?

No, 'will' and 'mind' are both similar concepts, aren't they?

I stopped time again, just in case.

[Willpower: 0/100]

It was willpower that had been depleted from using the skill just now.

I waited quietly with time stopped.

And a moment later.

[Willpower: 1/100]

*...!*

Willpower recovered.

Even though time was stopped

I involuntarily cried out inwardly.

*Eureka.*

*...I think I've discovered an utterly broken cheat.*

One that only I could use.