Chapter 21
Chapter 21
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Translator: MadScientist
Chapter: 21
Chapter Title: Dignity - Interlude
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"Ughhh... this is nice."
Finally settling into the dormitory.
Lying down on the spacious, plush bed that was worlds apart from the worn-out mattress in my officetel, I finally felt like I could breathe easy.
"This room is way too good."
Still sprawled on the bed, I craned my neck to look around.
It was about 50 pyeong wide, with a sleek, modern design that wouldn't be out of place in a model home.
And true to the modern fantasy setting, it came equipped with a private training area inside the room and a "Self-Maintaining Cleanliness" spell that kept everything spotless without any effort.
How did I know all that? It was written right there in the "Dormitory Room Guide" pamphlet on the bed.
Anyway, I was beyond satisfied that this luxurious space was my room.
Arena Academy really knew how to treat their top ranks right.
My mood was so good—boosted by the bed's comfort—that my eyes started to droop.
'...It's only been a few hours since I enrolled in the academy...'
For some reason, it felt like ages had passed.
So, just a quick nap... a really short one... that should be fine, right?
As I thought that and moved to close my eyes—
⚙ SYSTEM NOTIFICATION ⚙ Twinkle twinkle! "Ah, right! The quest reward!"
I spotted the quest window blinking in the corner of my vision.
"Almost fell asleep without claiming it."
The sleepiness vanished in an instant.
I propped myself up and leaned against the bed's headboard.
Rubbing my hands together in anticipation.
"Wonder what reward I'll get this time."
From first place in enrollment rankings to eighth—they'd prepared special matchups just for me.
I was the ultimate winner of those matchups, and I'd crushed even the top main-character-tier stars, Arthur and Lee Seo-yeon.
True to the quest title, I'd shown everyone in the training hall the true dignity of the top rank.
So, the event quest had to be satisfied too.
With that in mind, I opened the quest window.
⚙ EVENT QUEST ⚙ [Dignity] Defeat the main-character-tier figures and demonstrate the dignity of the top rank. □ Defeat Lee Seo-yeon. (Complete) □ Defeat Arthur Pendragon. (Complete) - Reward: 10,000 points (additional rewards based on performance), B-Grade Item Selection Ticket, B-Grade Talent & Skill Selection Ticket, Random Cheat Usage Ticket x3 - Failure: Favorability drop from all main and supporting characters. ✨ QUEST CLEAR! ✨ Ah, so iridescent.
Unlike the golden glow of main quests, this event quest shimmered in rainbow hues.
Even with its childish, flashy display, right now it looked utterly brilliant and beautiful.
And beneath that glow, the long-awaited rewards scrolled into view.
「10,000 points have been awarded.」 「B-Grade Item Selection Ticket has been awarded.」 「B-Grade Talent & Skill Selection Ticket has been awarded.」 「Random Cheat Usage Ticket x3 has been awarded.」 "Oh."
I knew the rewards were listed in the quest, but getting them directly like this felt amazing.
But this was just the appetizer.
There was still the "additional reward based on performance."
In other words, the performance bonus.
Thump thump.
Clearing a quest and receiving rewards was always a thrill.
But what if those rewards multiplied?
What if the reward quality got upgraded?!
'Ah, my mouth's watering.'
My lips twitched just like when I took the "Unicorn's Tear" last time.
Then—
🎉 FANFARE! 🎉 Pam-papa-ba-bam!
Fanfare blared in my ears.
And finally, the message I'd been waiting for appeared.
☆★ PERFORMANCE BONUS! ☆★ 「Achieved 'Overwhelming Victory' against Lee Seo-yeon.」 「Additional reward: 30,000 points awarded.」 「Achieved 'Overwhelming Victory' against Arthur Pendragon.」 「Additional reward: A-Grade Talent Selection Ticket awarded.」 「Perfectly imprinted the top rank's 'Dignity' on all of Class 1-A.」 「Additional reward: Select Cheat Usage Ticket x1 awarded.」 "Select Cheat Usage Ticket!"
I couldn't help but shout.
I glanced around wildly, then remembered I was in my own room.
And according to the "Dormitory Room Guide," the rooms had excellent soundproofing.
...So, I could yell as much as I wanted?
Without a second thought, I jumped off the bed and screamed.
"I knew it! Event quests deliver!"
I believed in you!
&
There was a brief dopamine-fueled commotion.
Once I'd calmed my excitement, I sat back on the bed, leaning against the headboard, and opened the point shop.
Why the point shop?
[B-Grade Item Selection Ticket x2]
[B-Grade Talent & Skill Selection Ticket]
[A-Grade Talent Selection Ticket]
To use the selection tickets I'd earned as rewards.
Normally, you'd save selection tickets like points for the perfect moment.
But my current abilities were too lacking to play it that safe.
My only talent was "Aging Gunslinger's Eagle Eye (B-)."
I had "Transfer (F)" and the derived "Moment of Insight" from the gunslinger talent, but with "Super Accuracy," I didn't need other skills yet.
Besides, I could learn skills from instructors' classes at the academy without buying them.
Right now, what I needed most were talents.
"Hmm... what to pick."
I started browsing B-Grade talents.
But with so many options in the shop, I was overwhelmed.
I was the type who spent 30 minutes agonizing between jjajangmyeon and jjamppong when ordering delivery—picking a talent felt like torture.
"No way... I should choose the A-Grade first."
I hadn't planned for a selection ticket, but I'd eyed one A-Grade talent while saving points, so I searched for it in the shop.
'Resilient Mind (A) - 200,000 points'
A mental resistance talent.
I tried to buy it immediately.
Dong. [Insufficient points. (Current points: 40,000)] A short drumbeat accompanied the insufficient points message.
Then, the A-Grade talent selection ticket prompt appeared.
[A-Grade Talent Selection Ticket confirmed in possession.] [Use A-Grade Talent Selection Ticket? YES / NO] Since I'd already set my mind on it, I hit YES without hesitation.
[A-Grade Talent Selection Ticket used.] Back in the shop—
'Resilient Mind (A) - Purchase Complete'
It had changed from 200,000 points to "Purchase Complete."
I checked the "Resilient Mind" talent right away.
⚔ TALENT ACQUIRED ⚔ 「Resilient Mind (A)」
Not despairing amid any trial or hardship. That is a resilient mind. - Resistance to A-Grade or higher mental interference. - Nullifies B-Grade or lower mental interference. - Enables "Steady Heart" skill. - Mental +10 『Steady Heart』 Skill derived from the "Resilient Mind (A)" talent. Activates when mental strength is compromised. - Mental recovery (erases mental damage). - Mental sustain (nullifies mental damage for a duration). - Duration: 10 seconds. - Cooldown: 24 hours. ⟨The mind is what you make of it.⟩
[- A soldier who attained enlightenment -]
"With this... I won't need antidotes or anything..."
How I'd envied the mental defenses of the main characters.
Just thinking about the second exam still left a bitter taste in my mouth.
But now, I had mental protection too.
Some might wonder why, out of all A-Grade talents, I picked a mental defense one like "Resilient Mind."
The Fallen who appear later have tons of mental interference skills.
And honestly, I chose it more for the derived "Steady Heart" skill than pure defense.
There are mental recovery skills similar to "Steady Heart," but few offer such extreme recovery.
Only high-ranking priests from the Great Temple, Noah, or Gloria have comparable ones.
So "Steady Heart" is insanely good for a derived skill.
Having it in a mind-breaking situation? You'd not only survive but get a chance to counterattack.
A true trump card.
"Now for the rest... B-Grade Item Selection Tickets x2 and B-Grade Talent & Skill Selection Ticket."
Still, I'd already decided what to get while picking "Resilient Mind."
I searched for a B-Grade talent in the point shop and bought it right away.
⚔ TALENT ACQUIRED ⚔ 「Swift Footwork (B)」
An assassin's first priority isn't a dagger or poison. It's stealth that evades detection and swiftness for rapid movement. - Applies "Swiftness" during movement. - Applies "Stealth" during movement. - Agility +10 ⚡ SKILL ACTIVATED ⚡ 「Swiftness」 Effect of "Swift Footwork (B)" talent.
>Adds speed bonus to footsteps.
⚡ SKILL ACTIVATED ⚡ 「Stealth」 Effect of "Swift Footwork (B)" talent.
>Reduces footstep noise.
I bought this talent for two reasons.
My lowest stats were Stamina and Strength.
Sure, Vitality was 0, the absolute lowest, but Vitality was a special stat that only appeared after baptism at the Great Temple or through devout faith like Noah's—so I set it aside.
Anyway, Stamina and Strength were my lowest, while Agility was the highest.
I'd basically become an agile archer or rogue type.
To raise Stamina or Strength, I'd need elixirs or training.
And training efficiency was poor unless you were from a prestigious family.
Buying training-related talents for late-bloomer potential was an option, but investing in high stats was far more efficient.
Second, I had the "Cheat Tool."
Someday—not sure when—I'd get cheats like "Infinite Stamina," "Infinite Energy," "Infinite Mana," "Invincibility."
They worked the same regardless of stat levels. Raising stats now was only useful short-term; long-term, they'd be irrelevant.
So instead of spreading points across stats, I decided to go all-in on Agility.
And after using a gun in today's spar—
The "Super Accuracy" cheat made it viable as a main weapon. Insanely so.
Melee weapons could wait until I got Infinite Stamina.
A gun with "Super Accuracy" was plenty powerful.
So my two B-Grade Item Selection Tickets went to firearms.
With all selection tickets used, mental fatigue hit. I eased off the headboard and lay back down.
"Haa, perfect."
The softness enveloped me, and sleepiness returned.
I lifted my wrist slightly to check the time on my Smart Watch.
[PM 10:21] "Ah."
Haven't had dinner yet.
Too late for the cafeteria now, probably.
And the vending machine? No money.
"...Screwed."
The academy's dignity stipend came next month...
All facilities were free... but not everything was free of cost.
So... I needed money... somehow...
"...Ugh... whatever..."
First... sleep.
"Tomorrow's me will... figure it out... or something."
Muttering that, I succumbed to sleep.
&
&
&
The next day, morning.
Class 1-A exclusive training ground.
"...?"
Am I still dreaming?
Bang! Bang!
"...Why? Why?!"
Why was Lee Seo-yeon shooting a gun?!
I wanted to pass out from this unbelievable reality.