Chương 5: Skill

••••• Name: Arcane Discharge Tier: 1 Type: Active Class: Gunner Cost: 1 Mana Cooldown: 10 Seconds Limit Break: 0/1 Description: Overloads the weapon's chamber to fire a burst of magical energy that deals 110% of Magic Damage as base damage. Weapon Bonus Effects Musket (Long-Trace Bolt): The projectile gains increased flight speed and deals an additional 10% of Magic Damage to the furthest target hit.

Revolver (Rhythmic Spark): Adds a bonus magic hit dealing 10% of Magic Damage if the user is attacking the same target as their previous shot. Flintlock (Concussive Blast): The impact creates a magical shockwave that deals 10% of Magic Damage and staggers unarmored enemies. Blunderbuss (Mana Discharge): Releases a short-range wave of magic that hits all enemies in a wide arc in front of the user for 10% of Magic Damage.

Hand Mortar (Unstable Field): Increases the explosion size; targets caught in the center take 10% Magic Damage and are blinded by a brief light-based effect. ••••• Name: Heavy Lead Tier: 1 Type: Active Class: Gunner Cost: Mana Cost 1 Cooldown: 10 Seconds. Limit Break: 0/1 Description: Loads a high-density projectile into the chamber for a powerful strike that deals 110% of Physical Damage.

Weapon Bonus Effect: Musket: Straight Shot – Deals an additional 10% Physical Damage and ignores 20% of the target's physical defense if fired from long range. Revolver: Pressure Point – Deals an additional 10% Physical Damage and adds an extra armor-breaking stack if the bullet hits a target already missing health. Flintlock: Lead Weight – Deals an additional 10% Physical Damage and causes a brief stun on unarmored targets.

Blunderbuss: Shrapnel Spray – Deals an additional 10% Physical Damage and causes targets to bleed for a short duration. Hand Mortar: Forceful Impact – Deals an additional 10% Physical Damage and adds a knockback effect that pushes light enemies away from the center of the blast. Stolen from its rightful author, this tale is not meant to be on Amazon; report any sightings.

••••• Name: Ballistics Mastery Tier: 1 Type: Passive Class: Gunner Cost: Mana Cost 0 Cooldown: 0 Limit Break: 0/1 Description: Enhances the user's fundamental handling and projectile behavior based on the specific mechanics of their firearm. Weapon Bonus Effect: Musket: Steady Breath – Increases projectile velocity by 5%, making it easier to hit moving targets at long range. Revolver: Fanning Technique – Reduces the time it takes to draw the weapon and begin firing by 5%.

Flintlock: Quick Powder – Shortens the reload time by 5% after a successful hit on an unarmored enemy. Blunderbuss: Heavy Kick – Increases the physical weight of the shot by 5%, slightly pushing back any enemy hit at close range. Hand Mortar: Blast Radius – Increases the size of the explosion area for all attacks by 5%. ••••• I stared at the system's explanation of the Gunner class, absorbing the fact that I was essentially signing up to be a tactical mathematician with a trigger finger.

The sheer number of moving parts was enough to give anyone a migraine. I had to worry about mana budgeting, hybrid damage types, and swapping weapons mid-fight just to keep my bonus effects relevant. It was like the developers had looked at every other class and decided they weren't complicated enough for their taste.

"Wow," I muttered, shaking my head at the floating blue screen.

"The Gunner class really doesn't believe in keeping things simple, does it? Having unique bonus effects for every single weapon type is one hell of a way to keep a guy on his toes." I started weighing the pros and cons of the skills I'd just seen. Arcane Discharge sounded flashy, but I had a limited mana pool. Heavy Lead was reliable, but was physical damage always the answer? And Ballistics Mastery... well, it's hard to argue with a passive that makes you less of a clutz.

I put my hand on my chin in my best "serious protagonist" pose and glanced over at Five, who was just standing there watching me with that maddeningly patient look on his face.

"Hey, Five, you've been around the block a few times," I said, figuring it couldn't hurt to ask the expert.

"Do you have any actual suggestions for a rookie, or are you just here for the scenery?" Five tilted his head slightly, a small, knowing smile playing on his lips as if he'd been waiting for me to cave.

"I was starting to think you would never ask for my counsel," Five replied, his voice regaining that rich, theatrical resonance.

"If I were to offer my perspective, I would tell you that within the lower depths of this dungeon, creatures possessing a true defense against the arcane are exceedingly rare. Until you have successfully descended to the eleventh floor, the vast majority of the adversaries you encounter will rely upon physical armor. Some will be lightly protected, while others shall possess no protection at all." He gestured vaguely toward the horizon, his noble attire catching the light.

"This is not a failure of the realm's design, but rather a deliberate choice. It is intended so that players might traverse these initial halls through a modest application of magic or sheer physical force. After all, these first few floors are merely a tutorial for the trials to come." I went quiet, letting his words sink in. He'd basically just handed me the cheat sheet for the early game. If I ignored a tip that crucial, I'd be even more of an idiot than my family thinks I am.

I nodded slowly, feeling like I'd just cracked a secret code thanks to my fancy guide.

"Alright then, if the monsters around here are basically allergic to the supernatural, it sounds like a magical opening move is the way to go. Magic attack it is for my very first skill." Five inclined his head with the grace of a king approving a royal decree.

"Pray understand, I offer merely a suggestion," he said, his voice smooth and incredibly formal.

"However, I would venture to say that such a choice shall significantly bolster your chances of survival and ensure your victory in the trials ahead."

"Yeah, I'm sold," I said, giving the air a confident thumb's up.

"I'll take Arcane Discharge. Let's see some fireworks." [Confirmed. You have successfully acquired the skill: Arcane Discharge.] The second the system stopped talking, my entire body erupted in a blinding white light that made me look like a human glow-stick. It wasn't painful, but it was definitely weird. I could feel the essence of the skill literally seeping into my skin and bones, weaving itself into my nervous system. It was the strangest sensation.

One second I was just a guy who couldn't even point a finger gun straight, and the next, I felt like I'd been practicing this specific move for a decade. The knowledge of how to channel mana and overload a weapon's chamber was suddenly burned into my brain like a permanent mental tattoo. I didn't need a training montage or a sensei to hit me with a stick while I practiced. I just knew how to do it. It was muscle memory without the actual muscles.