I decided to test the Shadow Leap scroll on a common slime wandering nearby. Standing in the shade of a tree, I focused on the slime’s shadow and activated the scroll. For an instant, my vision plunged into pitch-black, and when it cleared, I noticed the scenery had subtly shifted. However, the most important thing—the slime—was nowhere to be seen.
"Tort, behind you!"
"Huh? Oh, right."
I turned at Halfa’s call to find the slime sluggishly attempting a body slam. I assumed it was an attack. Probably.
"Hmm. So my orientation doesn't change from before I use the magic?"
"Likely so," Lowell observed. "From my perspective, there was a momentary gap between your disappearance and your reappearance."
I pondered the mechanics of the spell while ignoring the slime, but Lowell’s point was intriguing. Now that he mentioned it, my vision had gone dark for a fraction of a second. Perhaps that was the time spent actually traversing the shadows.
By the way, as per usual, I had learned the spell after a single use. Now I could cast it to my heart's content. As we continued our search for another Golden Slime, I kept experimenting with Shadow Leap.
Yeah, this is incredibly useful!
While limited to my line of sight, it allowed me to move almost instantly regardless of distance. It was essentially a short-range warp exclusive to shadows. The Mana cost was a bit high, so I couldn't spam it, but it seemed perfect for surprise attacks if I warped into an enemy’s shadow. It would likely have great synergy with my Shadow Strike skill.
The description mentioned moving "shadow to shadow," but since I almost always had a shadow at my feet, the condition was met as long as I could see my destination. Furthermore, the size of the shadow didn't need to be large; a shadow the size of a slime was plenty. A tiny speck of a shadow from a pebble wouldn't work, but since it was nearly impossible to spot something that small from a distance anyway, it wasn't a practical issue.
"Looks like we're closing in on a second one."
As I finished my testing, the Item-finding Rod began to veer. We were about to draw one in.
"I’m going to try a Shadow Leap this time, so please hold off on your attacks for a moment."
『Oh, magic? Understood,』 Shiroru replied.
I planned to attempt a surprise attack on the Golden Slime using the new spell. Once I had everyone's agreement, I used the Attraction Slip.
Just as planned, a Golden Slime appeared. I immediately chanted the incantation and triggered Shadow Leap. In that moment, keeping track of our relative positions was vital. The moment I teleported, I twisted my body to bring the target into view and lunged with my Mithril-made Dagger. I felt the Shadow Strike skill trigger as the surprise attack connected—but it was shallow! Even with a mithril blade and enhanced piercing power, it couldn't bite deep into that Metal Body.
But I wasn't finished.
I channeled Magic Power into the dagger, manifesting a Light Blade at the tip. The Golden Slime jerked and convulsed as the radiant edge pierced through it. It seemed that even a Metal Body that repelled external magic couldn't defend against a magical attack generated from within. It was incredibly effective; the Golden Slime vanished in the blink of an eye.
"Phew. I guess a surprise attack alone isn't enough to secure the kill."
I’d hoped to take it down in one hit without relying on the Light Blade, but I suppose I was being overoptimistic. Still, since I could finish it in one go by combining the two, I could at least farm them efficiently.
"No, that was impressive," Lowell said. "So it only repels magic on the surface? In that case, I might be able to pull off something similar."
He had a point. Lowell's magic sword was usually neutralized the moment it touched the Golden Slime, but if he activated the effect after the blade was already inside, he could probably finish it the same way.
Regardless, it was time to check the drops. This time, we found a magic stone, a book, and a gold ingot.
The gold ingot was roughly the size of a fist. Given its high purity, it was undoubtedly worth a fortune. Depending on the Golden Slime’s spawn rate, our earnings per hour could become truly frightening. Then again, since we hadn't gotten one last time, the drop rate was likely low.
"The magic stone looks normal," Spira noted, holding it up to the light.
It was a faintly translucent blue, quite different from the first one we’d found. As I suspected, that first stone had been a special variant.
"And this book?"
"Hold on... Oh, it's a Skill Book!"
Upon using Appraisal, I realized the book Halfa was holding was a rare item that granted the user a specific skill.
"What kind of skill?"
"Let's see... Shock Voice. It's categorized under Singing Magic."
It was interesting that Singing Magic came in books rather than scrolls. Then again, since I’d learned Song of Soothing from a dungeon tablet, the category seemed to be an outlier.
Since it was Singing Magic, I had Halfa use it. While anyone can learn a skill from a book, it was more efficient for her to take it rather than one of us trying to level it from scratch.
Shock Voice wasn't so much a melody as it was a shockwave generated by vibrating the vocal cords. In practice, it was an offensive spell. When Halfa tested it on a nearby slime, the creature burst apart instantly. Even a large rock sitting nearby was reduced to rubble. The power was far beyond my expectations.
"It’s fast and invisible. Dodging that would be a nightmare..."
"We’ll need a signal for when you use it," I added. "Getting caught in that by accident would be disastrous."
"I know! I'll make sure to warn you!"
While Lowell and I were a bit pale at the unexpected destruction, Halfa was all smiles. She seemed delighted to have a powerful new attack. Her usual style involved Singing Magic and her bow, which meant her role was typically support-oriented. She’d never complained, but given her personality, she might have found that a little unsatisfying.