The following morning.

As always, the members of Party One gathered in the reception room.

Including me, Jenna, Eloka, Velkist, Neryssa – a total of five people.

However, there was one unfamiliar face among us.

Katiio looked around at us with uneasy eyes and exclaimed.

“What are you looking at? Is the show over?”

“Such a polite little one. Seems like he needs some education.”

As Velkist stepped forward, Katiio retreated a few steps.

“Is he really of any use? With such an attitude, I doubt he’ll be helpful.”

Velkist looked back at me and spoke.

I smiled and stepped in.

“Don’t scare him too much. He’ll need some time to adapt.”

Katiio bit his lip in silence.

It was I who had brought him here.

To make proper use of him, I needed to understand his abilities.

‘Status window.’

[Katiio Zarlila (★★★★) Lv.28 (Exp 18/280)]

[Class: Mage]

[Strength: 8/8]

[Intelligence: 113/113]

[Stamina: 21/21]

[Agility: 13/13]

[Skills: Intermediate Magic Formula (Lv.5), Mana Conversion (Lv.5), Time-Space Defying Hand (Lv.7), Flame (Lv.3), Illusion Magic (Lv.2), Intermediate Enchant (Lv.1), Intermediate Research (Lv.1)]

He had seven skills – not too many, not too few.

However, the exact specs were hard to judge.

Unlike warriors or archers, it’s not easy to assess a mage just by their status window, especially a mage scholar. Without seeing them in action, it’s impossible to gauge their ability.

“But why did you bring him here? There are other parties.”

Eloka, who had been standing quietly, asked.

“There are many places without mages. Why do we have to take care of him?”

“They don’t want him to join, what can we do?”

Edis gently refused, noting that once a member has joined, she can’t just remove them, and Party Three was different in composition from the start.

‘This is a joke really…’

Party One had been in sync for a long time.

If it was in the early stage of preparing the formation, I would have eagerly welcomed the ‘Double Magician’ combination.

“……”

I looked at Eloka.

Eloka glanced nervously between me and Katio, pacing and crossing her arms. I smiled and said.

“We won’t know unless we try him out.”

“Try him out?”

“Take him into a real battle. It’s much easier to understand than just talking about it.”

I had already thought of a mission to take him on.

The 28th floor should be fine. Good for warming up.

We usually go to the main stage only when Anytng is there, but redoing a cleared mission isn’t impossible. Free action was still allowed.

“But we are five people already…”

“I will step out.”

Neryssa, who had been quiet, spoke up.

“It’s been a while since I went to the weekly dungeon. I need to collect some poison ingredients.”

“Really?”

“Yes.”

Neryssa glanced at the restless Eloka and then left the reception room.

“W-Wait, I’m…”

“Don’t want to fight?”

“That’s not it. It’s been a long time.”

Katiio sighed.

I had expected this. The account was in the 30s level range, but he was only level 28. He must have barely participated in actual combat since his master gave up climbing.

“Then it’s a good opportunity to regain your senses.”

Enough rest had been had.

It was time to revive the real battle instincts.

I led the four members down to the rift on the first floor. The door opening and stage designation were already completed with Iselle’s help.

[What about the deployment log?]

“Erase it.”

[Okay!]

Iselle vanished with a poof.

“I didn’t know we could go on missions without the master. Why didn’t you tell me?”

“Would you go alone?”

“It’d be a nice way to pass the time when I’m bored.”

“Try to refrain. The master doesn’t really like it.”

I entered the rift.

The central mirror was already shining.

As Katiio entered last, the door closed.

[Main Dungeon, current challenge floor is 28.]

[In 10 seconds, the door will open. Get ready!]

“Oppa, how should we form up?”

“You’ll cover Neryssa’s range. Can you handle it?”

“I’ll try. It’ll be a bit different from usual.”

We had visited the 28th floor several times for leveling up.

We had practically memorized the patterns.

Light began to envelop us.

It was the sign of mission commencement. I looked at Katiio and said.

“Do what you can. Don’t overdo it.”

“I wasn’t planning to.”

Katiio closed his eyes and licked his lips.

And then.

[Floor 28.]

[Mission Type – Subjugation]

[Objective – Annihilate the enemies!]

A rocky area swept by sandstorms, with large and small caves clustered together.

The habitat of the lizardmen. I locked eyes with one of them, gnawing on a scorpion in front of a cave.

“Karak?”

Its eyes widened.

‘I could just rush in, but.’

I looked back at the others.

Maybe I’ll observe for a bit.

Blue light leaked from Katiio’s eyes.

At the same time, his hands moved in a complex dance. As his fingers intertwined and separated, transparent magical energy fluttered like threads.

Eloka murmured.

“…He’s using sigils.”

(T/N: Sigil: type of hand signs used in magic.)

Katiio completed his gestures and extended his hands backward.

At the tip of his palms, magic formed an egg-shaped construct.

[※A dimensional gate has been created!]

[Through the dimensional gate, equipment and consumables stored in the armory can be summoned to the battlefield.]

“It’s like the one we use to store the items in the weekly dungeon. What was it called?”

“Dimensional gate.”

“Ah, right! That’s it.”

[Tips/About the Mage’s Dimensional Gate]

[Mage class can create a dimensional gate. Under certain conditions, it can summon not only items but also mounts or airships.]

“It’s for replenishing potions or arrows.”

“Wait, does that mean… I can fire as much as I want?”

I nodded.

Even with an expanded quiver, a hundred arrows is the limit. But with a mage, the stock multiplies several times. It’s almost an infinite supply.

The same went for potions.