Chapter 5
Chapter 5
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Translator: penny
Chapter: 5
Chapter Title: Abyss Core
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The core of turn-based combat—what is it?
Most people think it's just taking turns, you go then I go.
But that's not true.
Ironically, the heart of turn-based combat is preventing the enemy's turn from ever coming.
To achieve that, I'd boosted my attack power, raised my speed, and even pushed myself to master arts.
But it still wasn't enough. Against elite monsters, securing first turn would still be a struggle.
Was there no other way to get stronger?
"You lunatic?"
"Pardon?"
The hospital room door opened, and Adelin walked in.
She had steel weights dangling all over her body.
"You fought an elite monster wearing these?"
"I forgot to take them off."
I meant it.
After wearing them nonstop for nearly a year, I'd completely forgotten to remove them before entering the dungeon.
They'd actually helped in an unexpected way. My gut should've been split in two by a single monster claw, but the weights had absorbed the impact once.
"Do you really need to uphold a knight's honor against monsters?"
Fair point.
I'd considered sticking to the knight concept all the way, but I hadn't thought up an excuse for that question.
Common sense said there was no reason to deliberately take a hit from a monster instead of a person.
"I needed to gauge it."
"Gauge what?"
"The gap between the enemy and me. That way, I can protect my allies in any situation."
So I made something up.
Gauge my ass.
"In the end, I couldn't protect them."
"...For now, forget the squad and rest up. Body and mind."
"Thank you."
Adelin let out a sigh as she headed for the door, then paused as if spotting someone outside.
She glanced back slightly.
"Someone's here to visit you?"
"Maybe the other seniors?"
"Nope."
Then she smacked my shoulder.
"Heh heh. Our little guy's got some pull, huh?"
Right after she scampered out, two familiar girls appeared from beyond the door.
Senia Ren. And Cecilia Ren.
Our reunion after a year.
"Are you okay? You have no idea how shocked I was when I heard."
"Thank you for your concern."
"Oh, do you like fruit? I brought some apples from our territory."
"I'm spoiled."
Senia sat smiling in front of me and carefully began peeling an apple.
Meanwhile, Cecilia shot me sidelong glances with a pouty face but said nothing.
Whatever. Speak up if you have something to say.
As I stared at her, she finally spoke in a small voice.
"...You. Your arm?"
"They say holy power treatment means it'll heal completely in about three months."
"...I see."
At my answer, the corner of Cecilia's mouth twitched slightly.
Truth be told, our first meeting hadn't exactly been pleasant.
No, it was the worst.
She'd suddenly called me a filthy commoner, so I'd smashed her in sparring, and that got me transferred here.
Still, without that, I never would've met Adelin or mastered arts.
So my feelings toward her were complicated. I wasn't a main character like her anyway.
I'd just be an extra discarded once the main story kicked off at the academy.
I had no clue how to deal with her.
"Why doesn't holy power fix that burn scar? It's ugly."
"Cecilia, not that again..."
"Did I say something wrong?"
"It's fine. It's the truth."
It wasn't just her saying it.
I'd heard it countless times from others.
As I calmly agreed, Cecilia huffed and turned her head away, still pouting.
I'd noticed it last time too—why did she pick the fight and then get mad about it?
"Sorry... Cecilia has bad memories about fire."
I knew her backstory.
A single line in her background.
Before entering the Ren family manor, Cecilia had lived alone with her nanny.
One day, arson by Evil God cultists took her nanny away.
And she'd witnessed the scene herself—the charred corpse of her nanny.
After that, she developed a severe trauma toward fire and burns, which showed indirectly in the main story too.
Of course, knowing didn't mean understanding. So why was she bitching at me?
"Just focus on healing that arm. We're having a rematch later."
"Looking forward to it."
"And... sorry about back then. As a daughter of the Ren family, I shouldn't have used arts on you carelessly."
An apology was unexpected.
Honestly, now I was grateful she'd used her arts on me.
Without experiencing her Shatter Light firsthand, I never would've mastered arts.
"It's fine. I also scarred Lady Cecilia's face..."
"S-Stop talking about that! You don't seriously think you won because of it, do you?"
'Wasn't it a win?'
"If we'd both prepared everything we could and fought, you wouldn't have lasted a bone."
Then she pulled something from her pocket.
"Next spar, I'll go all out. So you need to match that, right?"
Wait, why was this coming up here?
"Take it."
"This is..."
What she offered was a worn pocket watch with sixteen slots carved for insertions.
It was the item I'd been searching for since possessing this world.
"No way... an Abyss Core?"
"What, you know about it?"
[Apocalypse Academy] wasn't a typical RPG where you allocate stats or skill points to grow stronger.
There were three main ways to get stronger.
First, basic stats from leveling or training.
Second, unique effects from gear or items.
And finally, the most crucial growth method: the Abyss Core.
Gems rarely dropped from slain monsters—Shards.
Mount them in an Abyss Core, and you could freely customize your character's abilities based on the Shards.
Max sixteen slots. Different combos completely changed your character's style.
But Abyss Cores were issued only to academy students, some nobles, and soldiers.
As a commoner, it was out of reach no matter how much I wanted one, so I'd figured I'd get it naturally upon enrollment and shelved the thought.
Now Cecilia was handing it to me.
"This was my precious person's keepsake."
"Why give something so valuable to me?"
"I told you! Next spar, I'm going all out."
Cecilia's eyes sparkled as she spoke.
"I'll use my Abyss Core then. So you need one too!"
Then she pulled something from her pocket and tossed it to me.
A faintly glowing yellow gem.
[Yellow Shard]
The most basic Shard for Abyss Cores, boosting defense by one stage.
I gazed down at the Shard in my hand.
This tiny gem was the start of true growth since falling into this world.
And she'd be the one opening that door for me.
I was too grateful.
As I looked up to thank her, Cecilia was already turning toward the door.
Her long hair swayed lightly, and her final words reached me.
"If I win our next spar, I'm taking it back."
"..."
"So if you want to keep using it, get way stronger than you are now."
With that, Cecilia left the room.
As I blankly watched her go, Senia smiled softly beside me.
"Hee hee. She's so bad at being honest."
True enough.
"...I'm not much different."
"Is that so?"
Who knows.
I popped the two apple slices Senia had peeled into my mouth.
Senia stared at my face expressionlessly for a moment, then followed Cecilia out.
Silence returned to the room, and I kept looking at the Abyss Core and Shard in my hand.
Pressing the small button beside the pocket watch brought up a translucent interface on its face.
╔═════════╗
◈Abyss Core - Rene◈
╠═════════╣
▸ Mounted Shards: 1/16
● ○ ○ ○
○ ○ ○ ○
○ ○ ○ ○
○ ○ ○ ○
╠═════════╣
● = Yellow Shard x1
╠═════════╣
▸ Stat Bonuses
Defense +1
╚═════════╝
"Rene."
The name on the Abyss Core was probably her nanny's.
I had no idea why she'd entrust such a precious keepsake to me, but one thing was clear.
I'd finally found a clear path to getting stronger.
'Soon as my body's better, straight to Shard farming.'
Shards dropped from monsters at a set rate.
Weak monsters gave weak Shards, but that didn't matter.
Quantity over quality right now. Filling all sixteen slots would noticeably boost my power.
My body itched for action.
Thus ended three months of treatment, my wrecked arm fully restored.
Thanks to holy power? Moving it around, it even felt better than before.
I wanted to bolt to the dungeon, but Adelin blocked me.
"Hey, you were a patient until last night. If you're moving, wait till you're fully recovered."
"The wounds have all healed."
"Want me to reopen them?"
Shit.
In the end, I returned to training and swung my sword until I collapsed from exhaustion.
I tweaked my regimen too.
Cardio 1 : Weights 1 : Swordplay 1.
"I won't go easy."
"Hoped as much."
Spare time went to proper spars with Adelin.
A month passed.
In all our spars, I never saw her blue gem.
⁎⁎⁎
"Tomorrow, I plan to challenge the Beast Dungeon entrance solo."
The day after I first endured Adelin's strike and stole her turn.
At squad briefing, I announced it out of nowhere.
I'd grown accustomed to arts, and my strength and agility had noticeably improved.
Now, I'd handle that elite kobold from before with ease.
Above all, I was dying to start Shard farming immediately.
Like the Man-Faced Tree runs back in 2341 Squad, but targeting elite kobolds this time.
'Elite monsters should drop good Shards.'
But as soon as I spoke, every soldier in the briefing room stared at me like I was insane.
"You... how long since you left the hospital bed, and you're heading back to the dungeon?"
No, I need to farm Shards.
My body was fine—better than ever—and I was itching to fill the Abyss Core ASAP.
I clammed up, and suddenly the soldiers gave me pitying looks.
"Haribal, you've done more than enough."
"That incident wasn't your fault, so drop the guilt."
"Push yourself like that forever, and nothing'll be left."
Then the attending nun spoke up.
"...Surely, Sir Haribal doesn't plan to hold another funeral rite like back then?"
Funeral rite? What?
I'd never done any rite.
Turning to the nun, I recognized her as a comrade's widow from the Spider Dungeon.
Vague memory surfaced of her joining my Man-Faced Tree runs after his death. She'd become a nun since?
"In our old squad, Sir Haribal mourned our fallen comrades by slaying the monsters that took them—over and over."
"No kidding... That happened?"
"My husband was among them. He... he'd thank you too."
As the nun shed tears, the mood in the barracks sank instantly.
"No way... You're stepping up to honor comrades again?"
"Why bear such resolve at such a young age?"
"A genius with righteous character after all."
I'd just been grinding for first turn, but people were building this weird misunderstanding.
In the solemn air, someone murmured.
"...The very Sword of Mourning."
"......?"
Everyone nodded.
Except me.
Thus, my new moniker was born.
Sword of Mourning. Haribal Belder.