Chapter 13: Skills

Chapter 13: Chapter 13: Skills

Immediately, the enormous list shrank.

"Huh?"

Ragnar leaned closer.

"There are actually quite a few."

The first skill caught his attention because of its extremely simple name.

[Basic Physical Enhancement]

[Cost: 1 Soul Point]

[Description: Temporarily strengthens the user’s physical body, increasing strength, endurance, and physical resistance by a small amount.]

[Duration: 5 minutes.]

[Cooldown: 30 minutes.]

Ragnar nodded thoughtfully.

"Pretty basic."

However, he didn’t dismiss it.

A physical enhancement skill could be extremely useful in an emergency, especially since he was currently only Level 5.

"If someone stronger than me gets inside the dungeon, even a small boost could make the difference between surviving and dying."

He continued scrolling.

The next skill immediately caught his attention.

[Minor Regeneration]

[Cost: 2 Soul Points]

[Description: Accelerates the body’s natural recovery, allowing minor wounds such as cuts, bruises, and shallow injuries to heal considerably faster.]

[Effectiveness increases with the user’s physical vitality.]

[Does not restore lost limbs or recover from fatal injuries.]

Ragnar’s eyes narrowed slightly.

"Regeneration?"

He read the description again.

"This one is actually pretty good."

Considering the fights he had experienced over the past few days, Ragnar knew exactly how useful recovery could be. Even a minor injury could become troublesome if he had to fight several times in a row.

He continued scrolling.

[Minor Fireball]

[Cost: 1 Soul Point]

[Description: Creates a small sphere of fire and launches it toward a designated target.]

[Effective Range: 30 meters.]

[Mana Consumption: Low.]

Ragnar stared at the description.

"...Fireball."

A nostalgic feeling suddenly emerged within him.

This was one of the most basic magical abilities in Dungeon Maker.

Almost every beginner mage could learn some variation of it.

Yet, Ragnar had never actually used magic before.

He continued browsing.

[Minor Ice Spear]

[Cost: 2 Soul Points]

[Description: Condenses surrounding mana into a sharp spear of ice and launches it toward a designated target. The impact can cause both physical and freezing damage.]

[Effective Range: 40 meters.]

[Mana Consumption: Low.]

"Oh?"

Ragnar’s interest increased.

Unlike Fireball, Ice Spear had both offensive and control capabilities.

If an enemy was slowed or partially frozen, Ragnar could create an opening for his goblins to attack.

He scrolled further.

[Basic Mana Manipulation]

[Cost: 1 Soul Point]

[Description: Allows the user to perceive and manipulate small amounts of mana within their surroundings.]

[Effect: Slightly improves magical control and reduces mana consumption when using basic skills.]

Ragnar’s expression became thoughtful.

"This one might actually be more important than the offensive skills."

The creatures outside possessed abilities that didn’t exist in Dungeon Maker.

Some beasts could manipulate magical energy.

Some possessed strange physical traits.

If magic was truly part of this world’s natural environment, then learning how to control mana could become extremely valuable in the future.

Ragnar continued scrolling.

[Minor Barrier]

[Cost: 2 Soul Points]

[Description: Creates a thin magical barrier capable of blocking weak physical and magical attacks.]

[Duration: 10 seconds.]

[Cooldown: 1 minute.]

Ragnar’s eyes lit up.

"A defensive skill..."

He imagined himself fighting a stronger opponent while using Minor Barrier to block an incoming attack before counterattacking.

"Not bad."

He continued browsing through the cheap skills.

[Enhanced Vision]

[Cost: 1 Soul Point]

[Description: Temporarily enhances the user’s eyesight, allowing them to see farther and perceive small movements more clearly.]

[Duration: 10 minutes.]

[Cooldown: 20 minutes.]

[Minor Wind Step]

[Cost: 2 Soul Points]

[Description: Briefly increases movement speed by channeling mana through the user’s legs.]

[Duration: 5 seconds.]

[Cooldown: 1 minute.]

[Basic Detection]

[Cost: 1 Soul Point]

[Description: Allows the user to detect nearby living creatures through fluctuations in their presence.]

[Effective Range: 20 meters.]

[Minor Strengthening]

[Cost: 2 Soul Points]

[Description: Temporarily increases the user’s physical strength.]

[Duration: 3 minutes.]

[Cooldown: 15 minutes.]

Ragnar slowly leaned back against his throne.

"So these are the cheap skills..."

He couldn’t help but feel a little excited.

There was nothing legendary among them.

No skill capable of destroying an entire army. But that wasn’t what Ragnar needed right now.

He needed a foundation.

Something that would allow him to survive long enough to become stronger.

Ragnar continued scrolling until he reached the bottom of the low-cost section.

Including basic poison resistance, enhanced hearing, increased stamina, minor earth manipulation, and even a simple healing spell.

Each cost only one or two Soul Points.

For a normal player, these skills would have been considered beginner abilities.

But Ragnar wasn’t a normal player anymore.

He wasn’t sitting safely behind a computer screen.

Every monster he fought was real.

Every injury could become fatal.

And every enemy that entered his dungeon could potentially become the person who will end his life.

Ragnar’s eyes moved across the list one final time.

There were plenty of useful abilities available, but with his current Soul Points, he couldn’t afford to purchase everything. Every Soul Point was extremely valuable to him, especially since gathering them was painfully slow right now.

Ragnar rested his chin on his hand and carefully considered his options.

"Let’s think about this."

His body was weak.

His understanding of mana was almost nonexistent.

And he needed something that would allow him to recover from injuries without constantly relying on external help.

Ragnar slowly nodded.

"Then I’ll start with the basics."

His finger moved toward the first skill.

[Basic Physical Enhancement]

[Cost: 1 Soul Point]

[Purchase?]

Ragnar pressed the confirmation button.

[Ding!]

[Basic Physical Enhancement has been acquired.]

[1 Soul Point has been consumed.]

[Remaining Soul Points: 8]

The moment the notification disappeared, Ragnar suddenly felt a strange sensation spread throughout his body.

It started from the center of his chest.

A faint warmth flowed through his muscles before spreading toward his arms, legs, shoulders, and back. It wasn’t painful, but it felt as though every muscle fiber in his body was being awakened one after another.

Ragnar’s eyes widened.

"...Oh."

He slowly clenched his fist.

The strength inside his fingers felt noticeably different.

He stood from his throne and stretched his arms before twisting his body from side to side.

His movements felt smoother, and his balance felt more stable.

Even his breathing seemed slightly deeper.

"So this is the effect?"