Chapter 4 - Destined for the Spotlight (1)
Chapter 4 - Destined for the Spotlight (1)
"Swords, huh. I was thinking of learning that as a second or third option."
Rosaria, who had her spear shaft slung over her shoulder, smirked when she saw me choose a sword.
She seemed quite confident in her spear skills.
Well, if she'd been training since she was young, she'd definitely be better than me, whose only experience with a blade was holding a kitchen knife.
But a spear... I wouldn't really recommend it.
Even if you have the [Martial God] trait, considering the limited builds available to the Player, it's more efficient to stick to one path.
The reason I specifically chose a sword among the many weapons was simply because I used many sword-specialized melee units when I was a Player.
The reason was that for a standard walkthrough aiming for a hardcore clear, taking the sword tech tree offered the most possibilities.
"We're allowed to pick any weapon, but we still need time to build up proficiency, don't we?"
"That's true. That's why I usually recommend focusing on two or three weapons."
Rosaria shrugged at my words.
Recommend two or three weapons, huh. I faintly curled the corners of my lips.
I don't know who she heard that from, but it's wrong.
Just one. Dig into only one until you die.
If a unit's sword proficiency breaks past a certain threshold, you can equip an Ancient Magic Sword during a guaranteed event that always appears in the early-to-mid game.
The stat requirements are too high compared to when it appears, and the risk is as big as the return.
It's an item you can barely manage to equip only when your trait and unit proficiency grinding goes well. In my experience, it happens maybe once in 20 runs. But with me now, I can definitely make it into that one out of 20.
The Player is already trying to align the overall build to me, who has been identified as an OP unit following the community's advice.
If I just go all-in on sword proficiency, the Player will definitely build in that direction too.
"Let me ask you one thing. What do you want?"
"What?"
"What you want to obtain by graduating from Eisenblut and becoming a Guardian."
Guardian. The official name for combat units in the game.
In this world, it refers to the knights who fight on the front lines against the erosion of the Demon World.
A thought suddenly occurred to me.
I don't have much of a choice, so I intend to help the Player see the game's ending, but others might be different.
If you just become a Guardian, you get a lot in return for the hardship.
Immediate rise in status, huge salary, various immunity privileges, etc.
If you just survive, you can do almost anything.
"Just becoming a Guardian brings immense honor to oneself and one's family. Honor is important. Though someone born into a prestigious family from the moment they were born might not know that."
"..."
Rosaria, her face slightly stiffened, answered while stabbing the ground with her spear, which she had spun around.
After watching her for a few days, it was clear that she, being a commoner, had a tendency to be obsessed with honor.
Does she want to become a noble?
If that's all, she'll probably be able to achieve what she wants.
Even if she doesn't get chosen by the Player because she focused on spear skills, she'll be able to work well as a Guardian somewhere.
"Let's start the training."
I smirked, picked up my sword, and headed toward the swordsmanship instructor.
Rosaria's stinging gaze pierced my back, but I didn't bother looking back.
"Even if you possess a talent specialized for swords, you will need thorough training to properly blossom it."
The swordsmanship instructor began to teach the trainees gathered before him with a stern expression.
I quietly listened to his teachings while glancing around.
Except for me, all the trainees with sword-specialized traits were standing there with tense, stiff faces.
They are likely to dig into only one well of swordsmanship.
In other words, it means some of them are highly likely to be chosen by the Player along with me.
"It will by no means be an easy training process, but believe in your own talent."
With the instructor's advice, the real training began.
'Th-this isn't training, is this abuse?'
Thinking of the level of training I experienced during my military service in my past life, I was completely blindsided.
Repeated training while constantly wearing belt-type magic tools that forcibly correct posture on the neck, arms, wrists, legs, and ankles.
If the posture is even slightly off, a strong shockwave rings out painfully.
In that state, training to cut straw scarecrows.
But these scarecrows are a type of magic tool, so they move as if they're alive, looking for opportunities to counterattack.
When I got hit in the face by the arm of a straw scarecrow, a strong sense of humiliation welled up along with the pain ringing from the correction device.
However, my body, which had never held a sword in its life, surprisingly began to adapt to this abuse-like training process at an incredible speed.
Even though I'm wielding a blade as tall as me, my body feels light, and the hilt in my hand wraps around like it's a part of my body.
This is the talent of the [Martial God].
My blade, swung in one breath, sliced the scarecrow's body in half.
"Hmm, to think you'd be at that level on the first day..."
I heard the swordsmanship instructor's small exclamation of admiration.
Just when I thought he might let me rest for the day.
"Send three more."
The instructor sent three scarecrows at me at once.
My breath was already reaching my throat, but I had no choice but to grit my teeth and move.
Even though I wanted to throw it all away and give up, it was hard to shake off this sense of exhilaration that I could do it if I tried.
Overwhelming talent, the realization of that talent. It was a thrill I hadn't experienced in my past life.
While the other trainees barely managed to deal with one scarecrow and sat on the floor resting.
I continued to move my body and swing my sword.
"Magic, archery, marksmanship. If I had to pick one, I'd have to pick magic."
My stamina was completely drained from the swordsmanship training that lasted all morning, but in the afternoon when others were resting, I couldn't even rest and had to move alone to another training ground.
It's to utilize the [Dead Eye] trait.
Just as I decided to dig into only one well of swordsmanship for melee weapons, I decided to dig into only one well of magic among ranged attack methods.
"Over here. I was waiting for you."
Likewise, while most trainees had already finished their morning training and were resting.
A female trainee wearing an armband similar to Rosaria's was waiting in front of the training ground.
'Huh?'
The moment I looked closely at her smiling face, I felt a sense of familiarity.
Bright blonde bob cut, clear blue eyes.
"Long time no see, Leon. It's been a few days since I've seen your face properly."
Memories buried in the inherited memories began to surface one by one.
Seira North. The second daughter of the Count North family, close to the Leberk family.
It was definitely the girl who came to play at the Leberk estate a few years ago and stayed for nearly three months.
"I didn't expect to meet you here."
"Your tone has already become so stiff. It suits you, but it's a bit different from the Leon I knew."
The moment I tried to keep my distance because I didn't know how to treat her, she strode closer, broke her mask, and grinned.
"It's just the two of us now. You can act like you used to when it's just us."
"...Is that something a cadet instructor should say?"
"Trainees should listen to us. Let's go first. Before we get scolded."
She put her mask back on with a graceful smile and pointed to the training ground with her finger.
Actually, there's no time for small talk. The instructor will be waiting.
"Magic is on a completely different level from just moving your body first."
The magic instructor was a middle-aged woman who already had a strict impression, and she was even more prickly because she couldn't rest during her break time and had to teach because of me.
Even Seira was just watching the situation, standing next to me and receiving the training together.
'I'm worried too.'
I couldn't help but feel nervous while listening to the training.
Unlike swordsmanship, which had something intuitive where you just grab and swing, magic was a fictional study and miracle that didn't even exist in my past life.
Could I really use it well? Is it even possible to learn?
Seeing Seira, who had the [Magic Specialization] trait and had been studying to become a mage since she was young, struggling to barely create and shoot a single fireball, that doubt deepened even further.
"How can this be..."
"Already!?"
However, such worries were ultimately meaningless.
I really just tried it once as taught, and a fireball burst from my fingertips, flew, and hit the target.
Seeing the magic, which had its precision and casting speed greatly enhanced by the effect of [Dead Eye], I got the hang of it.
"T-turn the page. Let's try the next magic."
The feeling that a path of hardship had opened up again, that is.
At the urging of the magic instructor, whose eyes had turned, I ended up being held until just before dinner.
"It would be enough to just teach us how to fight... Why on earth is there liberal arts?"
My schedule, which has more to do than others, ends only at night.
Basic classes including Korean, history, math, etiquette, etc., were even harder because I didn't have any specialized traits for them.
It was fortunate that things I learned from the family since I was young remained in the inherited memories; otherwise, I would have become a laughingstock as an empty can who is only good at fighting.
'In the game, it was just a fleeting moment.'
As I walked staggeringly to my room, I calculated how much longer I had to roll in Eisenblut.
The time it takes for the Player to be able to pick up the units after the unit preview appears is generally about 30 minutes.
The key was how different the Player's time and our time were.
[Post: What is this. Eisenblut raid event scheduled?]
ㄴDamn, the forced difficulty is insane right from the start.
ㄴIt triggered even though you haven't even picked your initial units? Then just hit reset...
ㄴDo it over, yeah.
ㄴIf that triggers, there's a high probability that all units will die and only half-crippled ones will remain, and it triggered in the early game? It's just kindly telling you to start a new game.
ㄴWhoa, wait a second, does this mean that legendary unit dies without even being used? LOL.
ㄴLook at the level of this trash game. Giving and taking back, legendary.
It was then that the community window popped up again without warning.
Now, without even flinching, I checked it naturally, but soon my face stiffened.
Eisenblut raid event.
After a certain amount of time, Eisenblut is raided, and many of the units pre-selected in the preview die, ruining the Player's plans—a shitty event that makes you angry whenever it triggers.
"This place gets raided?"
Just before entering the room. I looked down at the outside through the hallway window.
But now, it's not just a level of annoyance and anger.
If it gets raided as foretold, many of the people here, including me, will die or be injured.