Chapter 26
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Translator: Xrecker
Chapter: 26
Chapter Title: Skill Test (1)
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***
After making a promise to spar with Arsvald and finishing the selection of Pamela's classes, I headed to the Academy Student Counseling Office with Pamela.
"Yes, how may I help you?"
"I'd like to create a group."
"You mean creating a group. How many people are currently planning to join?"
"Two."
"Unfortunately, the minimum number of people required to create a group is three."
The counselor took out a group creation application form from a drawer.
"When you have all the members who intend to join, please fill in their names in this section and come back to apply."
"Understood."
After finishing our business, we immediately left the counseling office.
"Wh-what should we do? W-we can't create a group with just the two of us...."
"Don't worry. The third person has already as good as joined."
"What do you mean by that? D-don't tell me...."
"That's right. Arsvald Zenedict. He will be the third group member."
"B-but that person is a noble, and um... h-he really dislikes you, Mr. Shih-han, doesn't he?"
Right now, Arsvald certainly disliked me, thinking I was an arrogant guy.
It was probably even more so because Arsvald was an aggressive person who was confident in his own skills.
But because of that personality, it was also easier to draw him into a group.
"I'm going to make a bet during the spar."
"A b-bet?"
"Yes. I'm going to propose a simple bet to Arsvald where the winner gets one wish granted. With his personality, he'll definitely accept. Besides, after he joins the group, Arsvald won't be so hostile."
"Wh-why is that?"
"Hmph. Men become friends by fighting."
"I-is that so?"
Pamela tilted her head as if she didn't quite understand.
Of course, it was rare for people to become friends by actually fighting, but I could just use my penetrating mouth-jutsu to smooth things over.
"Pamela, do you have any more business at the academy?"
"N-no! I don't!"
"I see. Then... let's go to a clothing store together."
"A c-clothing store?"
"Yes. Now that I think about it, I've been quite thoughtless towards you."
"Thoughtless?"
Pamela didn't understand what I was saying at all.
I had deliberately said it like this to see her next reaction, though.
"When you were training your stamina, I didn't even buy you clothes that were suitable for it and just made you run in the clothes you usually wore. From tomorrow, you'll be wearing your usual clothes."
"Uh, uhh...."
"So let's go buy some training clothes. We should be able to buy training clothes right away."
I gently placed my hand on Pamela's shoulder.
"And let's build up your stamina with a new mindset in new clothes."
"..."
Pamela's face turned pale.
I felt sorry for Pamela, but her face was so charming that I wanted to take a screenshot.
And the fact that her face only turned pale, and she didn't run away or make excuses to do something else, reconfirmed to me that Pamela had a really kind heart.
***
After buying training clothes and diligently making her train her stamina, I parted ways with Pamela.
As always, Pamela had a face like she was about to die after her stamina training.
I hadn't pushed her too hard, so she would probably recover after a little rest.
'The time has finally come.'
And now, left alone in my room, I took out the reward I had received today from my inventory.
A Rare Item Box.
A box that randomly gave out an item of rare grade.
A light blue box with a yellow ribbon tied around it.
There was no such item in Lu-Fan, so I was curious about what would come out.
In the first place.
'There's no such thing as a rare grade.'
Weapons existed in 4-star and 5-star grades, but there were no grades like common, rare, legendary, ancient, or mythic like in other games.
No, in the first place, I didn't even know if it was that kind of rare.
In any case.
'In the end, I won't know until I open it.'
I untied the knot of the neatly packaged yellow ribbon.
Then, the box floated in the air, and the moment the lid opened on its own, a light shone out.
"...?"
A box exactly the same as the one I had just untied the ribbon from came out.
'What?'
As I was puzzled by the incomprehensible phenomenon, a notification window popped up.
[You have won a Rare Item Box.]
"Is this also considered a rare item?"
Dumbfounded, I untied the ribbon once more.
[You have won a Rare Item Box.]
Another duplicate item came out.
'Is this a matryoshka doll?'
Could it be that if you opened it without meeting a certain condition, the same box would keep coming out? The question flashed through my mind.
"Come on, no way."
Hoping that wasn't the case, I untied the ribbon again, and fortunately, this time, a different item came out instead of a box.
[Magic Power Potion (+5): A rare potion that increases the magic power stat by 5 when consumed.]
"Oh."
A better-than-expected item came out, enough to blow away my two previous moments of bewilderment.
An item that raised my lowest stat, magic power, by 5 points.
I wasn't a mage, but seeing Pamela use her skills, it was an item that increased magic power, a stat that was highly likely to be related to the maximum number of times a skill could be used.
And by 5, no less.
A value that could only be obtained by catching five bandit captains like Rubid and putting all the points into it.
In other words, it was the same as getting 5 Rubids' worth of points.
To get an item like this just by entering the academy.
'My luck is good.'
I immediately opened the bottle and drank the potion.
[Magic Power has increased by 5.]
'Status Window.'
The notification had popped up, but I opened the status window to be sure.
[Name: Ishihan]
[Gender: Male]
[Stats]
[Stamina: 6]
[Strength: 4]
[Agility: 6]
[Magic: 7]
[Luck: 3]
[Fame: 11]
[Points Possessed: 3]
[Skills Possessed: Penetration (EX), Spearmanship Mastery (MAX), Severing Spear (絶槍) (F)]
[Titles: Bandit Hunter, Wide-Area Taunter]
My magic power stat had gone up from 2 by 5, making it 7.
Even though I was a spearman, my magic power had become my highest stat.
Thanks to the new skill I had acquired and my increased magic power stat, I was fiercely.
'I want to test it.'
The desire to use Severing Spear welled up inside me.
Because it was Severing Spear.
Because it was the ultimate skill you got at the very end when you took the spearman path.
And it was a skill that oozed coolness, with a giant spear falling from the sky.
A skill that any man would want to try using at least once.
A presence that was, in a manner of speaking, the spearman's meteor.
That was Severing Spear.
But there was no suitable place to test it.
I also didn't know what kind of treatment an ultimate skill would receive in this world.
Even if it was an ultimate skill, there were many skills whose effects were not flashy. But Severing Spear was a spectacle where a giant spear slammed into the ground, just as the description said.
It was cool, but the aftermath of it happening in reality would be considerable.
The moment you used it, it was also unclear whether it would fall from right above your head or really come down from the sky.
If it was the latter, then using it indoors would definitely result in building damage.
But I couldn't just leave the skill I had acquired without ever using it.
A perfect environment to use Severing Spear.
A place where the surroundings were wide open and there would be no problem even if I used it.
After a moment of thought, a good idea came to me as if by inspiration.
Yes.
"Let's go hunt bandits."
A place to live in the open, with no buildings nearby.
A presence that I wouldn't be blamed for catching, and that I could even profit from by farming their bandanas and loot.
Testing my skill on bandits was perfect.
In the first place, bandits were a good choice because even if there were many of them, they were of no use other than for farming loot.
After deciding on a course of action, I left my room and knocked on Pamela's door.
Knock, knock, knock
"Wh-who is it?"
"Pamela, it's me."
The door creaked open.
"M-Mr. Shih-han? What is it?"
Pamela, who had changed from her training clothes to her everyday clothes, opened the door slightly and peeked her head out.
"D-don't tell me it's for extra stamina training!? I-if you say it's necessary, Mr. Shih-han, I-I-I'll do my best... I'll do my best!"
Pamela's body trembled.
Did she really hate stamina training that much?
I had never pushed her too hard.
"I didn't come for stamina training."
"Ah. You didn't?"
"I'm planning to go to Valendia tomorrow for some business. I just came to let you know."
"Valendia? I-I'll go with you...."
"No, there's no need for you to come with me this time. It's a personal matter. But I came to let you know because it's not polite for a group member to leave without saying anything."
If I had just left early in the morning without a word, Pamela would surely have been left to her own negative thoughts.
"Uh... th-that's right, isn't it? I-it would be a nuisance if someone like me kept following you around, wouldn't it? It would be annoying, wouldn't it? Even if we're friends, there are lines you have to keep. Ha, haha, hahaha...."
Pamela once again fell into her own negative delusions and let out a soulless laugh.
"If you want to come, you can."
"R-really!"
"Yes. As long as you can do it after your stamina training, it's fine."
"...Huh?"
"Since I'm going to Valendia tomorrow, I'm planning to do the stamina training in the morning. You don't have any classes to attend tomorrow anyway, so it's perfect."
"Uh... can't we do it after we get back?"
"My business in Valendia will take some time. I might come back late in the evening, so it's better to do it in the morning. Because you shouldn't skip a single day of stamina training."
"I-I-I'll do my best... I'll do my best...."
And the next day.
"Heuk! Pant! Heup... ah, ahhhhh...."
"That's it for today's stamina training. Pamela, are you ready to depart for Valendia?"
"I'm... sorry. I-I can't, pant! I can't move...."
"I see. Is there anything you'd like me to buy for you when I come back?"
"Nothing... please. More than that, water...! Please give me some water...!"
I decided to go to Valendia alone.
After confirming that Pamela had gone back to her room, I headed to the transfer room in the Lucadia Academy.
"You're a new face. May I see your badge? ...Confirmed. Which warp stone will you be using?"
"Valendia."
"Please use the warp stone at the far left. Just place your hand on the warp stone and think about where you want to go. Before you use it, please write your name and destination here."
After filling it out, I approached the warp stone, placed my hand on it as instructed, and the moment I thought I wanted to go to Valendia, I felt my body float, and the scene in front of my eyes changed.
Nearby, I could see a sign for the Valendia branch transfer room information desk and an attendant waiting below it.
When I looked back, the warp stone installed in Valendia was a little further away.
I walked to the information desk and asked the attendant.
"Is this Valendia?"
"Yes! Welcome to Valendia! Is this your first time warping?"
"Yes."
"Thank you for choosing Valendia for your first warp! Are you not feeling nauseous or dizzy?"
"No."
"That's a relief! If you don't mind, please write your name here!"
Since it was obvious I had come from the Lucadia Academy, I didn't have to write my starting point.
After filling it out and leaving the transfer room, the familiar scenery of Valendia came into view.
'Shall we go?'
I headed towards Cat's Commerce to get the things I needed to test my skill.