A Flag Called Infinite Stamina

No sooner had the joint training ended than another major event was waiting for us.

"The Korea Hero Academy and America's Divine Academy hold an exchange every year."

Instructor Seo Wooju announced from the podium.

"This year brings a particularly large occasion. Korea Hero Academy will be exchanging with the Divine Academy of the United States. Now that the midterm evaluations are over, everyone is to prepare for the trip to America."

"Wait — we're the ones going to America?"

"That's right. The exchange alternates each time — either we cross the ocean to them, or the Divine Academy's people come here. This round, it's our turn to head to the States."

"I see."

The other students' eyes lit up. Divine Academy was, after all, the only institution that could truly be called a rival to Korea Hero Academy.

And that guy was there too, wasn't he.

I recalled the character who stood as Kim Seohyun's rival. That one was no pushover either.

"One more point of caution regarding the exchange. America venerates the Pantheon of One Hundred Gods — a polytheistic nation — so there are things you must all be careful of……"

I was letting Seo Wooju's words drift past one ear, staring blankly into space, when a message arrived.

I weighed it for a moment. There was little on today's schedule worth doing.

Head to the penthouse and train under Heukcheon, work out with Kim Seohyun, look after Kim Ara for a while, then climb back up to the penthouse and train under Heukcheon again — that was the entire day.

I was just about to send Erciel a reply that I had plenty of time today, when—

After firing off my reply to Seong Hanbyeol, I texted Erciel.

With the messaging done, I went over the things I planned to hand Erciel.

Recovery potions are no problem. She's been struggling lately — maybe I should slip her some elixirs.

She was my business partner — and, at the same time, someone who must not die. Part of it was that she was a major force in the story to come, but part of it was that I simply didn't want to watch her die.

I've gotten rather attached, haven't I.

Smirking wryly, I tapped my phone and connected to the alchemy guild.

Speak of the devil, and the devil appears — my Faith had gone up by 1.

About time I started working on this, too.

Faith was such an unfamiliar power that I couldn't quite get a feel for it. But I knew exactly how to handle it, and so I practiced, and practiced again.

I browsed for a while, traded idle chatter with BiLab, posted alchemy tips, and handed out recipes. Then, after amusing myself for a decent stretch, I stumbled across a post about Erciel.

…It really does climb fast.

No other stat rose anything like this. It was true that Faith was a stat I'd never obtained in either my past life or this one, but even accounting for that, the speed was flatly abnormal.

Which meant the alchemists had that much faith in me.

Or, alternatively……

The moment my thoughts reached that point, I wondered if I hadn't wandered too far. If that were true, then the reason the Pantheon was based in America did make a rough sort of sense.

Which was why the class representative was Lee Seoha.

……What?

My train of thought simply died there. For reasons I couldn't quite explain — except that at some point I'd been saddled with the thoroughly annoying job title of class representative.

"If it's Mr. Lee Seoha, I trust him."

Erciel, for reasons beyond me, had ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠nodded earnestly as she said it.

"Lee Seoha, is it. Nothing to be done, then. I'll yield the seat."

Park Unhyeok had declared, striking one of his awful poses.

"Congrats, Seoha."

Kim Seohyun had offered with a sly little smile.

What on earth was all that……?

"Hm."

I lightly opened and closed my fist, over and over. A body tempered by the Black God Martial Art was formidable — its hardness surpassed that of ordinary weapons.

Which was exactly why I'd been trying to learn a fist art.

It was proving far harder to pick up than I'd expected. With anything sword-related, the talent 「Sword Demon (S)」 smoothed the way so thoroughly that twin blades were actually the better fit for me.

The problem, though, was this.

—I couldn't wield them properly.

I heaved a sigh inwardly. The Body of Defying Heaven simply could not draw out a weapon's full power. I only managed blades at all because I had the Heukcheon Demonic Sword, my dedicated weapon — hadn't I failed to properly handle even the Winter Sword?

When I fought the merman spearmen, I had, in truth, killed them with the Winter ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠Sword half by force. A brutishly crude method, through and through. Had I been a mere intermediate-rank fighter, that approach would have left me permanently crippled.

Exhaling a sigh into the empty training space, I loosened my body.

-How goes the practice, Master.

'Hard to say.'

This was the self-harm method Heukcheon had explained to me some time ago. Self-harm was a stretch, but its applications were intriguing enough that I'd been drilling it relentlessly.

Well — more like a rampage than self-harm, really.

A technique of mutual destruction, throwing away my own life to drag my opponent down into death alongside me. I clung to it for one reason alone: the more I practiced this rampage, the faster my Black God Martial Art proficiency climbed.

Letting out a long breath, I sank down onto the ground. I steadied my breathing and slowly cooled the circulation of blood through my body, regulating my condition with every inhale. Once my head had cooled a little, I turned my gaze elsewhere instead of resuming training.

267,500p

Enough to buy a single S-rank art or talent outright.

I opened the multidimensional shop and was going through my usual debate — talents or arts — when—

"………"

Wasn't the timing a little too convenient?

But a gacha is a gacha. Nobody can resist it. I opened the gacha shop and checked the odds.

C-rank: 50%. B-rank: 45%. A-rank: 4%. S-rank: 1%.

Those are absurdly good odds.

Far better than I'd expected. More than worth a try.

Hm…

I stared at the screen for a moment, then opened my status window.

And then I pressed the one entry I currently needed least: 「Lecture (D+)」.

So it does work.

The problem, however, was grim. Going by talent-purchase prices, 「Lecture (D+)」 was worth 1,500p — if the refund returned only a sliver of that, the loss was catastrophic.

I'll spin it just three times.

Half in jest, I gave the wheel one turn.

A glimpse of ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠every martial art. Not bad at all.

I spun twice more.

One thing after another had been strengthened. And yet there I stood, staring blankly at my status window.

This is…

"Random" was just a pretty word for it — all the gacha did was push up talents and arts I already possessed. 「Glimpse of All Martial Arts (B)」 synced with Deft Hands, and even linked with Sword Demon.

I would be able to pick up every martial art under the sun — broad and shallow, everything at once.

The other two had likewise fused with my existing talents and arts to produce boost effects.

What a waste.

237,500p

That carefully saved-up balance was now only enough for ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠a single more spin. I hesitated a moment, then spun one last time.

"………"

And at last, I was left speechless.