Chapter 16: The Spoils of Death Magic
The dungeon was ranked as a C-class, with orcs serving as the lowest-tier monsters. Hardly a challenge.
"Fluid Grasp—Death," I chanted, my voice calm and measured as the spell activated.
"Is Death Magic a field-type spell?" Samantha-sensei asked, her curious eyes fixed on me.
"Yes, that's correct," I replied with a slight nod.
"Impressive. It sounds invincible," she remarked, her tone laced with admiration.
"Indeed, unless someone attacks from a long range, it's practically unstoppable," I said, keeping my expression neutral.
"My Mana Sensor indicates a high concentration of magical energy ahead. Whatever's waiting for us seems... overwhelming. Is the secret behind Death Magic its ability to induce mana addiction?" she questioned.
"Yes, precisely," I confirmed, a hint of amusement tugging at my lips. It's funny how easily one can understand the nature of magic once they sense its flow.
"That's an extraordinary amount of mana... If a single person is capable of this, they must be beyond ordinary. Death Magic—does it summon mana from the surroundings?" Samantha probed further, her inquisitive mind never at rest.
"More or less," I answered vaguely, maintaining my cool demeanor. In reality, it was far more intricate—Mana Absorb pulled in mana, utilizing it to devastating effect.
"It seems like the reverse of Mana Transfer," she observed, her eyes narrowing in thought.
I smiled inwardly. She wasn't far off. At its core, it was all the same: manipulating mana to one's will. Samantha-sensei's deductions were, as usual, spot-on.
"We're likely nearing the end," I said as we passed the tenth floor. The dungeon had gone on long enough.
We stepped through the large doors leading into the boss's chamber. Before the creature could even react, my Death Magic enveloped it. In a mere instant, the boss was dead. No counterattacks. No struggle. The best defense was a preemptive strike.
As we entered the next room, a shining gem floated in the air—the Dungeon Core.
"This is my first time seeing a Dungeon Core. The concentration of mana here is astounding, though it's still weaker than Death Magic," Samantha mused, her gaze locked on the core.
"I'll take it," I declared, walking over and effortlessly ripping the core from its place.
Handing it to Phantom, my hidden companion, he silently stowed it away using a storage spell, vanishing from sight just as quickly.
"Ride-kun, can you use storage magic?" Samantha asked, her curiosity piqued.
I held back a sigh. It wasn't that I didn't want to tell her about Phantom, but some things were better left unsaid.
"Ah, no, it's... a magical tool," I deflected, hoping to steer the conversation away from dangerous territory.
"Can I see it later?" she pressed, her curiosity unsatisfied.
"I'm afraid I can't. It's a national treasure, you see," I replied, feigning nonchalance while inwardly feeling the sweat trickle down my back.
"That makes sense," she agreed with a thoughtful nod. "Such an item must be beyond priceless."
Phew. That was close. I really needed to stop digging these holes for myself.
With the portal offline, we walked back out of the dungeon. Along the way, I casually noted that we had slain over twenty thousand orcs. That was... a lot of orcs.
If I sold one every day, I'd have a steady income for the next 54 years. That's 54 years of not working and getting a gold coin every day! I couldn't help but grin, the sheer thought of wealth making me giddy. Even donating the Dungeon Core felt trivial by comparison.
When we reached the capital, Plink was still alive, though he had been suspended for his little stunt with the monster train. Serves him right. Honestly, I would've been happier if he were dead, but this was still satisfying.
Now, the biggest concern was the storage magic tool. I needed to turn that lie into a reality somehow. Help me, counterfeiters.
So, I visited the shady back-alley shop that dealt in... questionable goods.
"I need a storage tool. It doesn't have to be real, just... convincing."
The shopkeeper gave me a side-eye. "I'd say I don't have one, but I do. Only problem is, no one can use it. The mana consumption is so high it kills the user. They tested it on criminals, and sure enough, they all died."
A tool that kills you? Sign me up!
I glanced at the price—just a single large silver coin. Cheap.
"I'll take it!" I said eagerly.
"You might be able to handle it. But if you die, no complaints, yeah?"
"I won't complain," I assured him, pocketing my new death trap.
Back at the academy, I proudly showed Samantha-sensei the tool.
"I know I said I couldn't show you, but here's the storage tool. Just a heads-up: it'll kill you if you use it," I said, keeping my tone casual.
"That's quite dangerous. But, knowing you, I'm sure you can handle it," she replied calmly.
I activated it, demonstrating as the tool greedily absorbed my mana.
"Quite the mana drain, isn't it? Are you using Death Magic to attract the mana?" she asked, ever perceptive.
"Yes," I replied simply.
"This tool is poorly designed. I could make something far better if I had the right materials," Samantha said, dismissing the tool with a wave.
"Wait... You can make death trap tools?" I asked, incredulous.
"Of course. The true art of crafting magical items lies in mana efficiency. Without that, you can't store enough mana in magic stones for prolonged use. This tool looks like something an amateur made," she said dismissively.
I grinned. "In that case, could you make some tools for me? I donated the Dungeon Core, so I'm sure you could return the favor."
She nodded. "Naturally. I'll make whatever you need."
Goodbye, shady shop. Hello, custom magic tools!
"For starters, I'd like a magic tool for Stone Bullets, Fireballs, and Waterballs."
"I'll get started on those right away," she promised.
"Yes!" I clenched my fist in excitement. With those, I'd have long-range combat covered. Not that I'd need them much with Infinity Death in my arsenal, but it's good to have options.
Now, I needed to think about close-quarters combat. Death Magic made it unnecessary, but I wanted to be prepared for any situation. A healing tool wouldn't hurt either. Maybe some anti-arrow defenses while I was at it.
Currently, I had a decent collection of magic tools: a stun gun, a healing and body enhancement tool, a detoxification tool, a barrier, and storage magic. With Stone Bullets, Fireballs, and Waterballs, I'd be even more formidable.
Still... I really wanted a flying sword. I doubt even Samantha-sensei could pull that off. The mana costs would be absurd.
I wanted to replicate these tools with techniques of my own. Especially detoxification, healing, and barrier techniques. Body enhancement would be nice too. That's a goal for later.
I reviewed my current skillset:
Destroy Field.
Fluid Grasp.
Mana Transfer.
Appraisal.Death.
Infinity Death.
Death Tornado.
Those were the techniques I could publicly use.
As for the ones I couldn't show off:
Mana Absorb.
Mana Parry.
Oh, and the one that turned weeds into medicinal herbs.
I needed to come up with a name for that one. Maybe later. For now, I needed to expand my repertoire, even if they were small, utility-based techniques.
One step at a time.
Gifts
-- Gift
received Weekly Power Status
-- Power
Ranking 
-- Power
stone