Single Spell Sorcerer-Chapter 89: Damager

"Smelting ore?" Jax asked. "Why do you have to smelt ore? Doesn’t the smithy have Black Lead ingots for you to work with?"

Mel appeared a little embarrassed at the question. "Ahem, there is, but... it costs a little more since someone else has to have done the work."

"Does my cost increase?" Jax asked.

"No... but my profit decreases. And I need the money."

Jax didn’t know what to say. "This won’t slow down the overall production of the armor, will it? Because if it will—"

"No," she hurriedly said. "I told you what I said this morning considering that I would have to smelt the ore myself. It won’t cost you anything extra, and neither will it take any longer. I should be done in 4 days if things go perfectly. But considering revisions, you should estimate 6 days to be the correct time."

"So 5 more days?" Jax asked.

Mel nodded.

Her food was brought over, delivered by a server who snuck a glance toward him. Jax did not want to even begin to think what this was about.

"I need that armor as soon as I can. I am going to go hunting tomorrow, but until I get the armor, I can’t do it seriously. It is too dangerous," Jax said.

Mel nodded for a moment before a frown appeared on her face. "Aren’t you Damager?" she asked. "You aren’t defense, are you?"

"Damager?"

"Yeah," Mel said, expecting Jax to answer, only to get a confused look in return. "You do know the Party-based terminologies, right? Damager, Melee, Range, Healer, Control, Buffer, Debuffer — that sort of stuff."

"I... have heard a few of those," Jax said. "Damager means someone who focuses on wounding the monster, right?"

"Yeah. So, are you a Damager or not?" she asked.

"I’m everything really," Jax said. "I’m a one-man party. I do everything I need to."

"Yeah, but what are you really good at?" Mel asked. "In a party, I mean. For example, I would be a clear case of a Damager. I have no special Spells or Skill to do anything fancy. I am just a runemaster with a blade. I go in, and I try to beat them while the Defense takes the blow."

Jax frowned. "Honestly, I’ve never thought about this. I think I would fit in most places since I don’t have a specialty. But if I have to choose one, I would be a Damager mixed with Control."

"Oh, a Damager-Control hybrid? That’s a nice combo. No wonder you’re used to fighting by yourself," Mel said. "I think you’ll be accepted into any party. You won’t have to worry about hunting really."

"But I want to do it alone," Jax said. "That’s why I want the armor."

Mel paused halfway through taking a spoonful of her food and placed it back down on the plate. "Are you seriously thinking of hunting all by yourself? Are you insane?"

"N-no. Why? Is that too dangerous?" he asked.

"No shit! Do you know how many people die even when hunting in parties? And you want to go at it all alone. I can’t believe it," Mel said. "Stop being suicidal, and join a damn party. I don’t want to have to make such tailored armor, only to have the idiot who is to wear it end up dying before I get my money."

Jax thought for a long moment and nodded. "I understand," he said. "I will do as you say. I will find a party."

"Good," Mel said. "Now finish your food. It’s getting cold."

Jax continued eating his food, feeling like an idiot at still wanting to do it all alone. But he had known from the start that he had to get a party. Or else he couldn’t get away from this Carriage.

He peeked a glance at Mel before him and wondered if he should seriously invite her to his party. She was his only friend here, so he considered it a good idea. Especially because she already met the requirement for leaving for the next Carriage.

However, he didn’t want to be too hasty. After some thought, he let the question linger in his mind, to be decided upon later whether to ask it out loud or remove it entirely.

Once Jax finished his plate, he took his leave and went back to his room. There, he chatted with Gemma, trying to see if he had to join a party or not.

"What is stopping you from joining a party really?" she asked. "Is it because of your instinct still?"

"Partly," Jax said. "A part of me still doesn’t trust in working as a group for some reason."

"But that’s not all anymore, is it?" she asked.

Jax looked down at his palm, the name burned into his flesh a constant reminder of the debt he owed to that red-haired young man. "I need money, and working in a party means splitting the profit."

"Sure," Gemma said. "But it is not as if you are in a hurry to pay back the sum, are you? There is no deadline from what you’ve told me."

"No, there isn’t a deadline. Well, maybe a self-imposed one. I need to pay him back by the end of this turn, so in 180 days. 178 now."

"Right," Gemma said. "Well, it definitely will take you a while to earn over 1900 stones in 6 months, but you should remember that you and everyone are stronger, so you will be earning a lot more because of that. Even if you work with a party, you will do fine."

Jax sighed. Maybe he did need to work in a party for now.

He talked with Gemma for a while longer, deciding on what sort of party he should join when there was a knock on the door.

"God, I hope it’s not another person coming to sell me stuff," Jax murmured to himself and walked over to the door.

When he opened it, his eyes narrowed in surprise. The one outside was another server-woman from the tavern hall.

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