In the end, the usable magic consists of twelve spells, three types from each of the four systems.
There might be others, but I'm not quite sure.
I tried various spells like Fire Hit, Fire Shoot, and Fire Tornado, but they didn't work.
The usable spells are: Ball, which performs single-target attacks; Wall, which creates a defensive barrier; and Storm, which is an area-of-effect attack.
Each type has a prefix: Fire for fire magic, Water for water magic, Breeze for wind magic, and Sand for earth magic.
It doesn't seem that water magic can heal or wind magic can teleport.
I tried spells like Water Heal and Wind Wing, but within the range I tested, I can't deny the possibility that there are other spells.
For now, being able to use these is enough.
Next, I'll try to see if I can defeat monsters using only magic.
Needlewood Level 2
I cast Fire Storm on the monster that appeared.
Although only one monster appeared, if I consider fighting a group of enemies, I need to test Fire Storm.
I can feel my MP being drained. The area-of-effect Storm consumes more MP than the single-target Ball.
Embers flew and attacked the Needlewood. The plant caught fire.
One shot wasn't enough to defeat it, so I fired a second one.
The second shot also failed.
The monster approached.
Before I could fire the third shot, I was attacked. I blocked the swinging branches with my sword.
The sight of the monster approaching while burning red was terrifying.
Suppressing the urge to run, I fired the third Fire Storm.
I started to feel that I might not win, but I told myself to stay calm and respond rationally.
If all else fails, I can use Durandal for a decisive blow.
I narrowly avoided the swinging branches.
The third shot also failed to defeat it.
I prepared to cast the fourth Fire Storm.
What if it never falls?
While dodging the swinging branches, negative thoughts crept into my mind.
The monster continued to swing its branches in the flames.
I couldn't keep dodging attacks forever.
If this continues, I will die.
I need to escape somehow.
Just as I was about to turn and run, the Needlewood fell.
Branch
It seems that the drop items are fine even if the monster burns.
I picked up the branches and put them in my backpack.
It appears that it takes four Fire Storms to defeat a Needlewood Level 2.
Although I'm a bit discouraged, I managed to cast four.
I'm not sure if I can cast more.
Casting four was possible, but if I face two monsters in a row, it could be dangerous.
Or, the MP cost for Fire Storm might double when facing two monsters.
What's the case?
I need to think positively.
Is this a fact, or am I just being negative?
I can't make a judgment.
I calmed down and hunted two monsters with Durandal to regain my composure.
So far, two monsters have never appeared in a row.
A room with a large number of monsters has only appeared once, and I've never faced consecutive waves in the dungeon.
The intervals between monster appearances are quite long.
While I can't ignore the possibility, I don't think it's something to be overly concerned about.
Moreover, Fire Storm consumes more MP than Fire Ball.
If area-of-effect spells consume more MP than single-target spells, it's unlikely that the MP cost would double when facing two monsters.
If it increases, it would be more gradual.
Judging rationally, if I can defeat a Needlewood with four Fire Storms, it should be manageable.
A Needlewood isn't much different from a Green Caterpillar. It shouldn't take ten or twenty shots.
This clears up my initial goal of dealing with a large number of monsters.
Next, I need to consider whether to focus on magic in battles.
If I fight using magic, I can put away Durandal.
By putting away Durandal, I can allocate the bonus points used for the weapon to skills that increase experience gain.
The points used for Durandal, which is a level six weapon, total 63 points.
By removing Durandal, I can add 32 points to either a 20% reduction in required experience or a 20x increase in gained experience, in addition to the 10% reduction and 10x increase I already have.
Currently, I have a 20% reduction and a 5x increase, so the difference in experience efficiency is 8x.
Putting away Durandal is scary.
Durandal has a high attack power that can instantly slay monsters and also has HP and MP absorption.
With HP absorption, I can withstand some attacks, and in emergencies, I can use skills or spells repeatedly.
As long as I fight with Durandal, I won't die in this level.
The thought of removing Durandal is terrifying.
It makes me feel very vulnerable.
Safety or 8x experience gain?
If I prioritize safety, I should continue using Durandal.
In emergencies, Durandal will certainly be useful.
It's hard to say exactly when, but there are various possibilities to consider.
For example, a very strong boss might suddenly appear.
Or, is that an unnecessary worry?
The dungeon is a battlefield, and on a battlefield, absolute safety is impossible.
It's better to consider that anything can happen on a battlefield.
On the other hand, if I enter the dungeon, I must accept the corresponding risks.
You can't get a payout without making a bet.
Rationally, I should choose the 8x experience gain.
In the long run, gaining experience will ultimately reduce risks.
I confirmed that I can defeat monsters using only magic.
Logically, Durandal is unnecessary.
If I can defeat monsters with magic alone, Durandal is overkill.
I took a deep breath and made a decision.
I removed the level six weapon.
Thinking about it, even if I focus on magic, I won't completely put away Durandal.
I'll rely on Durandal's MP absorption for recovery.
Buying recovery potions would be wasteful.
If I'm lucky, I'll have Durandal equipped in emergencies.
I had 1 bonus point, so I could add a 20% reduction in required experience and a 10x increase in gained experience.
I unchecked the full MP release and added increased MP recovery speed, which changed the display to double MP recovery speed.
It should be somewhat helpful.
I took out a wand and a scimitar from my item box.
I didn't use them before because I had Durandal, but if I use magic, the wand should be effective.
It should provide benefits like increased magic attack power.
Otherwise, wands wouldn't exist or no one would use them.
Physically, a wand can't match a sword.
It's reasonable to assume that wands have benefits other than physical attack power.
If the benefits were something like assisting in casting or speeding up casting, they wouldn't be relevant to me since I have the spell casting shortcut skill.
I also equipped the scimitar on my belt, just in case.
Needlewood Level 2
I cast Fire Ball at the Needlewood that appeared.
It seems that the fire ball is slightly larger, so the wand is probably effective.
The fire ball moved through the cave.
The monster moved to the wall to avoid it.
Bang.
Well, it's natural for the monster to avoid it.
I made a mistake by firing immediately upon spotting it, knowing that one shot wouldn't be enough.
Unlike Fire Storm, I need to aim carefully since I can't directly target the monster.
I quickly prepared the next Fire Ball, but it didn't go well.
Even with the spell casting shortcut, I can't cast spells in rapid succession.
I finally hit the approaching Needlewood.
There seems to be a slight delay when casting spells.
The fire ball forms above my head and then flies, causing a delay.
I cast the next spell as the monster approached, and a branch swung.
I blocked it with the wand and moved back.
While dodging attacks, I cast another spell.
I dodged the swinging branch. The sound of burning wood is intense when the branches are swung while on fire.
I blocked another branch from the left with the wand and hit the monster again.
The sound of burning wood echoed, and the monster collapsed.
It seems that it takes four Fire Balls to defeat a Needlewood.
The power of Fire Storm and Fire Ball is probably similar.
Both are basic fire spells.
Using a wand might not change the number of shots needed. It's not a particularly powerful weapon.
I feel a bit discouraged, but Fire Ball consumes less MP than Fire Storm.
I should be able to cast four more Fire Storms.
Green Caterpillar Level 2
I cast Fire Ball at the Green Caterpillar that appeared after luring it a bit.
The monster tried to move sideways but was hit easily.
Green Caterpillars, as their name suggests, have slow lateral movement.
I hit it again while it was approaching.
The monster got close, and an orange magic circle appeared on its chest.
As the monster was about to spit silk, I cast Fire Wall.
A wall of fire burned and blocked between the monster and me.
The silk the monster spat was burned up by the fire wall.
I tried to cast another Fire Ball while moving sideways, but it didn't work.
I swung the wand and hit the monster's head.
The Green Caterpillar charged.
I blocked it with the wand and dodged the body slam.
I couldn't cast another Fire Ball yet.
I hit the monster with the wand, but I couldn't dodge the next attack and was hit head-on.
Finally, I cast Fire Ball.
The fire ball hit, and the monster charged while burning.
I pressed the wand against it to block.
I hit the stopped Green Caterpillar with the fourth Fire Ball.
The monster fell in the flames.
It seems that it takes four Fire Balls to defeat a Green Caterpillar, plus two hits with the wand.
If I don't use Durandal to defeat it in one hit, the battle becomes quite intense.
Should I fight with Durandal?
My current priority is not leveling up.
I need to acquire funds to buy Roxane.
To do that, I need to progress through the dungeon as quickly as possible and reach the lower levels.
If using magic adds an extra minute to each battle, and I have sixty battles a day, it will delay my progress by an hour.
Ninety battles would delay it by an hour and a half.
With Durandal, I can instantly slay monsters, so my level isn't the bottleneck for advancing to the next level.
I mustn't lose sight of my goal.
Moreover, using Durandal is safer.
No, no.
I'm being too negative.
I recast the character reset.
I also took a body slam.
I think I can cast four Fire Balls, but I'm not confident about four Fire Storms.
My lack of confidence might be due to negative thinking, but it's because my MP is low, so I should be cautious.
I had 1 bonus point left.
It's a significant growth.
The 20% reduction in required experience and 10x increase in gained experience are definitely working.
I equipped Durandal and added double MP recovery speed. The next level is triple MP recovery speed.
If combined with the experience gain, it should progress to 5x, 10x, and 20x.
As I progress, it might replace Durandal's MP absorption skill.
If I remove the force job, I can add triple MP recovery speed.
I don't need to go that far.
Using Durandal is safer.
For now, I'll try with double MP recovery speed.
I hunted monsters to recover MP.
Two of them.
It's always two at a time when I need them to be one.
I removed the job setting and Durandal.
Thinking rationally, if I level up, I can pay an explorer at the dungeon entrance to take me to the lower levels.
Level is still a bottleneck.
Moreover, I can make up for the lost time quickly.
I should focus on magic in battles.
Green Caterpillar Level 2
I cast Fire Ball at the next Green Caterpillar.
The hint from the previous Fire Wall helped me realize that I can't cast the next spell while the previous one is still active.
Probably, only one spell can be cast at a time.
The next spell can't be cast until the previous one is finished.
I was caught before I could cast the third Fire Ball.
An orange magic circle appeared below the monster's chest.
I timed it and cast Fire Wall.
The silk was burned up with a light sound.
I experimented to see if I could cast two spells at once.
... I couldn't cast any other spells while the fire wall was burning.
I couldn't cast another Fire Ball or a second Fire Wall.
I also couldn't cast Water Ball, Breeze Ball, or Sand Wall.
While the fire wall was burning, I fought the monster with the wand.
I attacked with the wand and dodged the body slam.
After the fire wall disappeared, I cast the third Fire Ball, followed by the fourth.
The Green Caterpillar fell.
The cave is about three meters wide.
The fire wall created by Fire Wall is about one and a half meters wide.
Since only one wall can be cast, it can't block the entire cave.
It can't be used to block one side when surrounded.
Moreover, the several seconds during which the fire wall burns and I can't cast spells is a weakness.
Wall spells are difficult to use effectively.
Needlewood Level 2
A monster stirred in the cave ahead.
I waited for it to get close and cast Fire Ball.
I cast the second one as soon as the first one's fire disappeared.
Before I could cast the third one, I was caught within range.
I blocked the branches and cast the third one.
If I can cast four spells before being attacked, I won't take any damage, but can I cast that quickly?
I blocked a branch from the right with the wand, dodged another one, and cast the fourth one.
The monster collapsed in the burning flames.
I feel a bit discouraged, but I should be able to handle one more.
Green Caterpillar Level 2
I cast Fire Ball at the Green Caterpillar.
I cast the second one as soon as the first one's fire disappeared, followed by another one.
Since the Green Caterpillar has slow lateral movement and I understood the timing for casting the next spell, I could hit it three times before it could attack.
The Green Caterpillar approached to attack but was defeated after being burned three times.
Is it due to individual differences or a level up?
If it's due to a level up, it's good, but I feel discouraged and don't think so.
Double MP recovery speed doesn't seem to replace Durandal.
I recast the character reset to equip Durandal.
I had 1 bonus point.
While recasting the character reset, I thought about another risk of using magic.
What if someone sees me using magic?
The second job and job settings are bonus skills.
It's doubtful whether people in this world can have both explorer and mage jobs.
Can mages learn spatial magic?
Using warp and dungeon walk and casting spells might seem strange.
If observed closely, the lack of casting might be noticed.
Especially the apprentice knight I met on the first floor, who saw my intelligence card, is a concern.
Should I use Durandal instead of magic?
With Durandal, I'm safe.
No, no.
I'm being too negative.
I can only think of reasons to use Durandal.
I hunted monsters with Durandal to recover MP.
I haven't met anyone on this second floor.
It's safe to assume that there are few people here.
Whether it's because the dungeon is new, the monster combination is unappealing, or the second floor is disliked, it's unclear.
The Green Caterpillar, which spits silk, is troublesome.