The Legendary Programming Mage

Drip. Drip. Drip.

As soon as the light around me faded, I began to hear the faint sound of dripping water echoing around me.

During the two days I had been at home, I had trained mana relentlessly.

The reason I did this, even with my life-drain condition, was because I received a mana potion from Naomi.

With it, I was able to restore my active flow (mana) again.

Taking in a deep breath, I relaxed my tense muscles and scanned my surroundings.

It seemed the rift had led us into a cave with jagged rocks and water dripping from its edges.

Except there was nothing else, though the terrain still looked familiar.

'Like every manhwa doesn't have a dungeon like this.'

Beatrice, who stood by my side, also scanned the area quickly. "Let's move, Allen."

I didn't respond and simply followed behind her.

As we ventured deeper into the cave, I made sure my eyes searched every corner.

From the bones that littered the ground to the blood that stained the walls.

"What monsters are inside here?"

Beatrice glanced back at me, then forward again. "F-rank Goblins, while the dungeon boss is an E-rank Alpha Goblin."

"Hm…"

In the novel, Goblins were the lowest rank any monster could be.

And according to the encyclopedia Allen had left for me, Goblins gave a total of 5 stat points while Alpha Goblins gave 25.

Stat points were usually divided when they entered the body.

One side would go to active flow while the other remained in the ascension reservoir.

As for the actual stats, they increased by pushing them to their limits, though the stat points gained from killing monsters did enhance them.

"Allen."

The voice of Beatrice snapped me out of my thoughts as I raised my gaze.

"Keep your guard up, because—"

Grrr! Grrr!

The moment her warning came, the sound of monsters echoed through the cave as two goblins appeared ahead.

Beatrice stepped back and let me stand at the front. "You can handle them, right?"

She was staring straight into my eyes.

"I'll try," I said flatly.

During those two days, I had indeed trained in using mana, but not my abilities.

It wasn't like I could ask for any help since my affinity was unheard of.

Usually, mages when awakened would choose an element they wanted to specialize in, usually one that matched their body.

This was because for mages, spells derived from affinities weren't something you needed to create or something unique to you.

Each element had nine tiers of spells, from nine all the way to one, and they were the same for everyone—except the special spell a mage could create from C-rank and above.

That meant all that mattered for mages was mastery.

Mastery didn't only determine whether or not you could advance, but also how strong your spell would be compared to others of your rank.

And since I, as an F-rank, could only use Tier 9 spells, mastery became even more important.

I stretched out my hand, channeling mana through my body as the system rang in my head.

『 User has activated Tier 9 spell: Distortion 』

Distortion.

Even though I didn't know the full depth of the spell, I did know two of its major abilities.

Blink, which was also a lightning Tier 9 spell, and Displacement Mirage.

Blink allowed me to move across short distances in an instant, while Displacement Mirage allowed me to make things appear slightly off from where they actually were.

The goblins, which were ready to charge a moment ago, stopped.

Their feet staggered backward, as if the world itself was shaking.

I knew this effect since I had tried it on myself with a reflection.

The person standing in front of you would start trembling, and your vision would be worse than that of a drunk man.

The moment the spell activated, I lunged forward.

The first goblin, trying to shake off the spell, thrust its wooden spear forward.

I let my "Red Flash" affinity surge through me as red lightning crackled around my form.

With a single duck, I dodged the monster's spear and sent a jab to its jaw.

Boom!

The monster flew toward the wall, slamming into it.

Even though our strength was the same, I had greater stamina and speed, and when combined with my red lightning, I was even stronger.

'Time for that.'

『 User has activated Tier 9 spell: Red Chains 』

The moment I activated the spell, I leapt back into the air as four small portals appeared behind me, and red chains shot out of them.

A sharp triangular hook was at the tip, making it deadly, and the entire chain was coated in red lightning.

With a single mental command, I sent one of the chains forward, piercing the monster's heart.

I twisted my wrist slightly, and the rest of the chain that pierced the goblin wrapped tightly around it.

I couldn't crush it into chunks of meat since I wasn't strong enough, but I could strangle it.

Flicking my gaze to the side as I landed on my feet, I sent the second chain toward the other goblin, piercing its forehead.

Ding!

『 You have slain a Goblin [F] x2 』

『 You have earned: 10 stat points 』

『 You have received: ½ a day's worth of life force 』

I exhaled as the chains, still hovering around me as if alive, retreated into the portals and vanished.

Turning back to Beatrice, I saw her expression filled with shock.

"So that's Red Flash?" she muttered in a barely audible tone. "It's strong. Very strong."

I nearly collapsed to the floor but forced myself to stay upright. "That was exhausting."

I never realized that doing so much aerial combat and casting spells would be this draining.

Beatrice clapped once. "Alright, rest while I check the surroundings."

I, who was drinking from a bottle I had taken from the dimensional ring Quincy had given me, almost choked.

"What do you mean check around? That's literally telling a monster far above my rank to come find me."

Beatrice shook her head. "This is an F-rank rift, so nothing above that would appear, and if something does, it'll only be a goblin."

She stepped deeper into the cave. "Wait here for me."

I let out a sigh as her figure vanished into the darkness.

Screech. Screech.

I forced a smile. "I knew it."

Turning my head toward the path Beatrice had taken, I saw the shadow of a massive bear.

"Fucking protagonist energy."

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End of today's chapters! ☺️