I Became a 6★ Gacha Character

I organized my thoughts on the various misguided adventurers I had encountered.

There was a guy who claimed to be skilled at archery, only learned elemental arrows, and then chose a crossbow as his weapon.

He always ended up struggling with mana depletion and was eventually kicked out of the party.

The one who aspired to be a magic swordsman but neglected to learn any offensive magic spells couldn't even join a party.

Another learned only one spell with the intention of becoming the strongest, but his growth as an adventurer stagnated at a floor with monsters of the opposite element.

Lastly, there was the guy who wanted to protect his allies and learned only shield and protection skills.

He was overshadowed by priests and became useless.

I rested my elbows on the table, leaned back, and spoke slowly while maintaining eye contact with Han Se-ah.

"Sometimes, beginner adventurers have misunderstandings about mages. They think mages can continuously shoot magic like archers shoot arrows."

Perhaps it was because both the viewers and Han Se-ah shared the same misunderstanding that she appeared somewhat embarrassed.

There were indeed opinions on the forum suggesting she should have five offensive spells and unleash them like firing a revolver.

"But mages are completely different from archers."

Her bright eyes listened to my words without interruption.

As she quietly paid attention like a diligent student, the voices of beginner adventurers at nearby tables naturally lowered.

Han Se-ah might not know this since she started as a mage from the beginning, but the conditions of beginner adventurer parties were worse than one might think.

Mages were a rarity; instead, four or five warriors gathered, using their bodies to block attacks and complete requests.

That's why they had to learn about mages by eavesdropping on conversations with senior adventurers like this.

"Of course, a skilled mage can maintain a shield spell for self-defense, but even the most exceptional mages struggle to manage more than two or three offensive spells when starting out."

I suppose that's typical for a high-damage glass cannon character.

From my experience playing the game a decade ago, most mages shared these traits.

Their skill cooldowns were twice as long, and skill costs were three times higher, but in exchange, their damage and range were about five times greater.

They epitomized high-risk, high-return.

Regrettably, there's no way for mages in this world to continuously cast magic missiles and become an unstoppable force.

It might be possible for a player who received a buff from the game system… but I can only speak to the common knowledge of this world.

If Han Se-ah eventually evolves into a multi-casting magical powerhouse, I'll be astonished and commend her while taking the bus.

"So, if a beginner adventurer learns basic magic, the first thing they should learn is a shield spell. As I mentioned before, it's to prepare for when monsters reach the backline."

"Yes, and what about the remaining four?"

"One offensive spell and three support spells to assist party members would be fitting. After all, there are no tough guys who can take repeated magic hits and survive in the lower parts of the tower. One shield spell for self-defense, three support spells for regular party assistance, and one offensive spell for dealing with unexpectedly strong opponents."

My words elicited expressions of awe from those seated nearby.

Simultaneously, Han Se-ah lifted her head slightly, her face radiating pride.

"I've only learned Magic Missile as my offensive magic, after the shield spell. The other three are Light, Spark, and Water magic."

"Why did you choose them?"

"First of all, I chose Magic Missile because it doesn't have any elemental weaknesses. It would be difficult if an enemy with a disadvantageous elemental affinity appeared."

"And the other three magic?"

"Well, I chose Light because I thought it would be important to secure our vision at night. From what I've heard, it seems like we'll be spending quite some time in the tower as we head to higher floors, so we'll probably have to be active at night. I had some trouble deciding on Spark, but... it could be used as a substitute for a flint and could potentially distract the enemy, so I chose it. I thought Water would be helpful when we need to rest...?"

"Good. That's excellent."

Actually, the fact that she chose only one offensive spell is already a pass.

The other spells will inevitably change depending on the party composition or the location.

For example, Light is preferred in caves, while Spark is preferred in snowy areas.

It may seem like she just copied what other streamers did, but it doesn't matter since I'm not really her magic teacher anyway.

"From now on, gain experience and earn money while being active on the lower floors, and learn a few more spells for convenience. You can change to a new offensive spell when you reach a point where Magic Missile becomes ineffective."

"So, you're saying that expanding the range of spells to respond to various situations is the priority?"

"Exactly. A mage's role in a party is not only to deliver powerful blows but also to overcome situations that cannot be handled by mere skill or ingenuity, like using Light magic in a sealed room where torches are unusable or using Water magic in a polluted swamp where clean water is unavailable."

In the first place, magic is meant to be learned and used, so there's no limitation on how many spells a mage can use.

Because of this, there's no need to repeatedly use one magic to become its ultimate master; instead, it's common to learn utility magic whenever they have the money to buy spell books and swap them out as needed.

Thankfully, this aspect is different from the game.

It's nice not being forced to use one passive, two skills, and one ultimate like a game character.

"So, mages aren't just about offensive power."

"That's why they're mages."

Magic is more like advanced technology, not merely a substitute for guns or bombs.

Hanna nodded at my words and asked me again.

"So... what should we do now?"

"You've never used magic after learning it, right? Practice a few times and then let's head back into the tower."

The only answer I could give her was practice.

Since the process of learning magic was skipped, she needed some practice before facing real combat.

After that, we'll visit the cafe that Ellis told us about.

We need to drop by the cafe quickly, or there's a high chance she'll get upset.

As I thought about this and stood up from the table, I could hear the disappointed sighs around us.

Ignoring those reactions, we headed to the open space behind the guild.

***

***

"First, want to try casting the Shield spell?"

"Yes, ...Shield!"

Holding her staff with both hands, she cast the spell. Perhaps she found it embarrassing to say the skill name out loud, as she lowered her head slightly.

Nonetheless, the skill worked, and a hazy semi-circle enveloped her. I pressed my finger against it and felt a weak resistance.

This should be enough to easily block a goblin's pebble throw.

"Good. With this, you'll be able to block most attacks on the lower floors."

"Um, it seems like there's a crack... Did I use the magic correctly?"

"Ah, that was my mistake in adjusting my strength. The magic worked properly."

Han Se-ah was surprised by the crack that started from where my finger penetrated, but it didn't matter since my finger was much stronger than a goblin's stone projectile.

Her eyes darted about, the viewers must very surprised.

It wasn't intentional, but it ended up appearing as a show of strength.

"So now..."

"Um, Roland?"

"Hm?"

I was about to ask her to demonstrate an offensive spell, but she spoke first.

Curious about what she had to say, I nodded for her to continue. With sparkling eyes, she looked at me and asked,

"Roland, as a senior adventurer, you must be quite strong. How many floors of the tower have you reached?"

Han Se-ah was curious about my record. A 6★ NPC who commands respect even from intermediate adventurers.

She believed my achievements as an adventurer would be extraordinary.

I understand her expectations, but it's a bit of a pity...

"First, let me say... I haven't climbed very high up the tower."

"What? But you're a senior adventurer."

"That's a slightly different story from my abilities."

Now that I've met Han Se-ah, I'm compelled to enter the tower.

However, in the past, I chose a wealthy and comfortable life instead of climbing the tower.

The reason was very simple.

Unlike gamers, ordinary adventurers didn't have access to convenient features.

There was no teleportation, mini-map, inventory, or reality-bending functions like save and load.

"The party aiming for the top floor is currently on the 43rd floor. I gave up climbing at around the 37th floor and descended."

"37th floor... Why?"

"That's because to go above the 40th floor, you have to give up your life in the city."

"…What?!"

I had reached the 37th floor, which meant I had passed through 36 different areas.

Relying on the Adventure Guild's maps and my own hand-drawn maps, I had to cross plains, traverse forests, pass through swamps, and break through caves.

At this point, the top floor of the tower was farther away than traveling back and forth across the kingdom.

Being a senior adventurer meant giving up the comforts of civilization like hot showers, delicious food from innkeepers, and soft beds.

Instead, I must lay out a sleeping bag in a tent and venture through uncharted fields.

Senior adventurers closely resemble homeless people, gnawing on grass roots as they eagerly anticipate the Adventurer's Guild's large supply convoy.

I couldn't live such a harsh life, so I returned to the surface and have been living leisurely since then.

"Think about the vast plains we crossed yesterday. That's the life of a top-tier adventurer, wandering around trying to find the door to the upper floors in a huge area like that. Moreover, imagine doing that in a poisonous swamp, relying solely on luck to find the door."

"That's, well, a difficult life indeed..."

Han Se-ah, who was in the same boat as me without any teleportation abilities, grew pale as she imagined her treacherous future.

Seeing her like that, I couldn't help but smile bitterly.

Don't worry, I'll have to do it with you too, damn it.

***

Heya! All chapters for this novel have been re-edited! Is it perfect? nope! I'd re-edit it again if I had the time but you just gotta stop at one point. I'm not done re-editing the other novels so no proper schedule for this novel until then. Looking at the current speed... end of the weekend latest.

Changes that you'll notice:

Rolland -> Roland

Broadcaster /station/ bulletin board -> Streamer / stream / forum / chat etc.

Enjoy the chappy!

Links for the illustrations, but I'll have a page for them in the future:

https://novelpia.com/viewer/2229232

https://novelpia.com/viewer/2184778

https://novelpia.com/viewer/2169003 -> kinda 18+

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