Home Run
Home Run
The main purpose of the welcome party was, ultimately, networking.
In this industry, luck and skill are important, but connections are just as critical.
Superhumans operate in many fields, but the most representative is undoubtedly 'monster subjugation.'
The danger is obvious, since you're risking your life fighting monsters.
Working in a party, even a small one, might cut into your individual profit, but it's overwhelmingly safer than going solo. The income might even end up better than going it alone.
However, there's a common saying.
Put five people together, and you'll always find one piece of trash.
How could I know if some bastard behind me had a rotten personality and would stab me in the back?
No matter how much the Association builds a credit system and allows you to check personal information before forming a party, who can predict how things will turn out?
'That's why connections matter.'
The network you build over the four years until graduation invariably proves its worth when you meet again later in the field.
Because working with people you've built long-term friendships with is more efficient and stable than working with strangers you just met.
That's why Siyoram encourages networking. Besides, anyone admitted to Siyoram is more or less guaranteed to have potential.
Normally, I should've been slowly building relationships with my peers here too.
Even if I've decided to go the solo route, raising my Affection with them could only help if I needed it later; there's no downside to it.
'...I'm exhausted.'
In the game, I just clicked a few dialogue options. Now, I have to walk around in person and have real-time, face-to-face conversations with people who approach me.
Moreover, since most of them are from prestigious families, their ulterior motive to extract information leaks out from everything they say, making it even more awkward.
The label of Special Admission Cadet drew them in. They had doubts, but approached to establish early ties in case I proved worthwhile. After somehow politely deflecting them, I escaped to the restroom.
'...Should I head back now?'
Participation in the banquet is mandatory, but there's no rule saying you have to stay until the end. A few people have probably already left after the opening ceremony.
My spatial perception is in such a sorry state I couldn't confirm everyone. But I could distinguish some of the main figures by gender, build... and most importantly, the nature of their mana.
I only stayed to briefly observe the spot where most of the main characters gathered; I had no further reason to be there. More precisely, I was tired and wanted to go back.
After checking that no one else was in the restroom, I took off my gloves.
I carefully examined the faucet, distinguished the hot from the cold, and washed my hands with warm water.
Ever since the sunflower showerhead scalded me last time, I'd been extra cautious when using faucets.
- Bump
As I was walking out of the restroom, someone brushed past me and bumped my shoulder. Fortunately, it wasn't hard enough to knock me over, just made me stagger, but I almost went sprawling on the floor twice in one day.
"Tsk."
The person who bumped into me clicked their tongue loudly enough for me to hear, then disappeared down the opposite hallway without a word of apology.
Was it an accident or deliberate?
If it had been a first-time occurrence, I'd have thought it was a mistake, but since this has happened a few times now, the scales are tipping toward quiet harassment.
'Sheesh.'
They vanished before I could even say anything, so I was left hanging. The absurdity was fleeting; I let out a deep sigh and moved on.
'...Still, I'm glad the intensity was low.'
This morning, I went rolling across the floor.
Comparing the two shoulder bumps, I realized just how considerate Hong Yeon-hwa's response had been.
One was a light shoulder bump, while Hong Yeon-hwa hit me with a full-body tackle, so there's a difference...
But that's just how Hong Yeon-hwa's fiery personality is; her disposition leans toward good.
And come to think of it, the person just now might not be that bad either.
They didn't spit on me, and no punches or kicks came flying. They didn't grab me by the hair and bash me around either.
Most of all, given their internal mana level, if they'd hit me for real, my shoulder might have been torn off.
Compared to those bastards from the past, I'd say that level is pretty decent.
- Aaah...!
- Hey, hey, aren't...!
- ...can't... see...
"?"
A bustling noise reached my ears.
It was coming from the center of the banquet hall. Had something happened? I hurried my steps toward where the party was in full swing.
- Crash...!
"Urk...!"
"Haha! What's wrong? Your sword's gotten slower!"
As I expanded my spatial perception, I saw Hong Yeon-hwa fiercely swinging her sword on the stage.
- Clangclangclang!
In the blink of an eye, their swords entangled and deflected each other repeatedly. Along with the sharp, clear impact ringing in my ears, the male cadet clashing swords with Hong Yeon-hwa frowned and stepped back.
As if refusing to lose, he drew up even more mana and responded. But as if that was futile, Hong Yeon-hwa's sword moved first.
- Clang!
- C-cclangclang...!
A brilliantly dancing sword display. From below the stage, exclamations and cheers flowed out.
'Ah, right, this event existed too.'
Standing there blankly, a locked-away memory surfaced in a corner of my mind.
I'd been so distracted with other things I'd forgotten. When the freshman welcome party is in full swing, some of the main characters usually hold a friendly spar for fellowship.
Hong Yeon-hwa, who has a bit of a battle-maniac streak, was practically guaranteed to participate... and her opponent was usually Baek A-rin or Katsuki Yusei of the Three-Form Sword.
Katsuki Yusei is a main character from the Three-Form Sword group and possesses a sword-related unique ability.
'That startled me.'
I'd panicked at the sudden sword fight, but upon closer observation, the mana wasn't being released externally at all; it was kept at the level of physical enhancement. The weapons themselves were wooden training swords too.
Most importantly, neither of them was using their unique abilities at all.
I calmed my pounding heart and focused intently on the fight.
'...Wow, how on earth do they move like that?'
Before long, I was genuinely intimidated.
Their swords clashed and retracted three or four times in the span of a blink. I admired the swordsmanship that seamlessly transitioned into the next motion the moment a blade was withdrawn.
No matter how much they're holding back, if you drove a sword strike like that into an ordinary person, wouldn't something just burst open somewhere?
'When am I ever going to reach that level...'
My initial admiration turned to shock, and before long, the thought that I'd have to reach at least that level someday automatically made me shrink back.
'...No, don't get intimidated. I can do this.'
I grabbed hold of my sagging emotions and shook my head vigorously.
When I think about it, aren't I in a much more advantageous position than them? It was a game, sure, but I have knowledge of the future, and while others are born with one unique ability, I possess a whopping three of them.
As a bonus, I ended up with three curses attached, but if I can solve them, there's practically no downside for me.
'I can do this.'
I will do it. I'll definitely break the curses and enjoy a happy hikikomori lifestyle.
I made a resolution for what felt like the umpteenth time while carefully observing the spar.
Sword met sword with forceful impact, producing dull noise, and then at other moments, they collided three or four times in an instant, letting out short, rapid sounds.
Watching the spar where the offense and defense shifted back and forth, I felt a strange sensation.
I thought there was no way a total layman with zero combat experience would get anything out of watching that, but when I focused and observed with my spatial perception, I was picking up quite a lot.
'What is this?'
A layman who'd never undergone proper training. Over the past few days, all I'd done was memorize basic texts. And those were related to mana, so I knew even less about martial arts.
Using my spatial perception, which can collect an extraordinary amount of data within its observable range, I broke down every single part of their combat process.
I could read their momentum.
The grip. Why do they hold the sword like that? Why deliberately attack while leaving an opening? Why didn't they press in deeper there?
At first, I couldn't find the answers. Unanswered questions piled up.
Eventually, I began supplying my own answers, one by one.
A light swing to create an opening. Light, but not weak. Not a single strong attack, but multiple weak ones woven in to dictate the flow.
'Why can I read it?'
I found that strange.
I did possess an ability called All-Rounder.
It's a versatile ability that doesn't let me reach the pinnacle of any single field, but allows me to achieve above-average proficiency in nearly every area.
'Swordsmanship' must fall under that versatility. I'm bound to have some talent for the sword, so it's not unusual for me to be able to read and analyze it.
But it feels like I'm reading it too well.
There's a difference between information sensed through spatial perception and visual information.
The eyes can't perceive speeds exceeding the limits of dynamic vision. Spatial perception is the same. However, the information taken in through spatial perception is stored deeply within me.
The data accumulates. The reference material gradually increases.
That's not all. The clear, deep-blue mana and the blazing red mana rising from their bodies. I could sense how the mana inside them was forming a rigid body.
Mana Affinity.
'Ah.'
It was only then that I realized. These three abilities were organically linking together.
In the process of perceiving the world through spatial perception, the correction from All-Rounder allowed me to penetrate deeper and absorb it all.
And with Mana Affinity, I could even feel the flow of mana, adding a layer to what should be spatially limited information.
The same applied to other aspects. The abilities meshed with each other, producing a synergy effect.
The linkage of three abilities. That realization changed everything.
'Was I wrong?'
To be honest, I'd thought All-Rounder might have been a bad choice. Sure, it's labeled a versatile ability, but isn't it just mediocre?
I'd thought, as the saying went, a crow-tit that follows a stork will tear its legs, that focusing everything on one well wasn't even enough, so how could anyone succeed by just dabbling in multiple fields?
But seeing the current phenomenon, maybe I was mistaken.
'If I use this well...'
In that instant, a thrilling sensation surged through me, as if my mind was being turned inside out.
At the same time, my spatial perception rippled violently and then began to flicker.
The information stream repeatedly shut off and came back. It was as if the world was disappearing and reappearing like a light being turned off and on.
Something inside my spatial perception was changing.
Amidst all this, the friendly spar was also reaching its climax.
Throughout the match, Hong Yeon-hwa relentlessly pressured her opponent with a refreshed smile, and then one decisive strike sent Katsuki Yusei's body flying into the air.
"Kgh...!"
An attack driven into a momentary opening that appeared while he was taking a defensive stance. He managed to plant his feet before flying off the stage.
But Hong Yeon-hwa wasn't one to miss that opening. She swiftly kicked off the ground and pulled back both arms tightly gripping her sword.
A full-powered heavy blow. The large motion would normally make it easy to dodge, but it was impossible for Katsuki Yusei whose posture had already collapsed.
The sword came around in a wide arc, swung more like a blunt weapon than a blade.
"This is it—!"
She let out an exhilarating shout. Katsuki Yusei gritted his teeth and thrust his sword out.
- BOOM!
With an instant roar like a cannonball impact, Yusei's body, unable to fully absorb the blow, was launched like a baseball.
'Wow.'
Just how hard did she swing to send a person flying like that? Even amidst the thrilling elation, my mouth gaped in admiration as Yusei's body, shot like a cannonball, hurtled toward the wall...
?
'Uh.'
What. My thoughts stopped dead at the sight of Yusei's figure hurtling toward the center of my spatial perception.
"Kyah! This... Huh, uh, oh? Oh shit, hold on...!"
Hong Yeon-hwa's flustered shout. The noise rising from below the stage. That thing getting closer to the center of my spatial perception... getting closer to me.
Ah, I see.
So that's flying straight at me?
Caught up in the thrill, I'd been slow to notice.
I reflexively moved to dodge. But this frail body of mine didn't move the way I wanted it to.
Astonishingly, there was no one around me. Meaning, there was no one to help.
'Oh you shi—'
Impact. My consciousness faded. It felt like stars twinkled before my blind eyes.
But strangely enough.
Beyond my fading consciousness, I saw the illusion of Hong Yeon-hwa rushing at me in tears.
Her crimson hair billowed like living flame.