Chapter 68
Chapter 68
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Translator: Vine
Chapter: 68
Chapter Title: How About a Professorship at the Academy?
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[ Level Up! Check your status! ]
[ Level Up! Check your status! ]
The notifications, which had been popping up one after another, finally stopped.
The level-ups were finally over.
Usually, it would just skip ahead if I gained more than five levels, so I wondered why it was showing them all this time. It turned out to be because of that last one.
[Level 100 Reached. As a special reward, you will acquire a new skill based on your recent actions.]
Whoa! A level 100 reward!
In game terms, this must be like an awakening.
A new skill without even having to kill a demon... my heart swells with excitement!
[Analyzing user's recent actions... ]
The system window showed a spinning circle, like a YouTube video loading, for quite a while.
[Analysis of user's recent actions is complete.]
[You have acquired the skill: Alpha Male.]
Ugh. How is the skill name 'Alpha Male'?
Then again, it's a skill that suits me perfectly.
Just as I was wondering what kind of skill it was, the system window displayed an explanation.
◈ Skill Information
Name: Alpha Male
Grade: S
Description: You are different from petty men. You have proven yourself through sheer strength, and no one could stop you. From now on, all who stand in your way will kneel before you.
Ability: Applies physical pressure to a designated target, forcing them to kneel.
※ Effect only triggers on targets with a lower overall combat power than your own.
※ The skill can be toggled on/off.
"Oh..."
This is different from the killing intent Argo used on that bald guy I saw before.
Killing intent is literally the aura of wanting to kill someone, used to intimidate them.
This skill, on the other hand, exerts a forced physical power on those weaker than me.
While it might seem lame at first glance, it's structured to grow stronger as I do.
If I become an S-rank, I can make everyone kneel except for other S-rank adventurers or S-rank monsters.
In other words.
Once I'm S-rank, I could swallow the empire whole by myself without a single scratch.
"What a ridiculously broken skill."
I've become a true alpha male, acknowledged even by the system.
The hunt was over, and I'd gained a lot of levels, so I opened my status window to allocate my stats.
[ Information ]
Name: Luke
Gender: Male
Age: 20
Mana: 0 / 0
Level: 100
[ Skills ]
Inventory (F)
Monstrous Strength (B)
All-Attribute Resistance (A)
Status Effect Resistance (B+)
Alpha Male (S)
[ Stats ]
Strength: 90(+45)
Agility: 10
Intelligence: 0
Stamina: 10
Stat Points: 10
Level 90 before the raid.
Level 100 after the raid.
Since I gained two levels from killing the mermen in between, the Sea Serpent must have given me eight levels.
Considering I got six levels for killing the Dullahan, it might seem low, but when you remember this was a large-scale raid with at least thirty people and not a solo kill, eight levels is a huge gain.
If I had soloed it, I probably would have gained close to twenty levels, wouldn't I?
'Should've just come here first, soloed it, and bounced.'
Too bad.
A huge loss.
"Ahahat! You're tougher than I thought!"
Just then, Hazel, having roughly finished cleaning up, laughed heartily as she looked me over.
"Not only did you make it back alive from that situation, but you attacked it from the inside and came out. I've never seen anyone do that before."
"That's the standard approach."
Whether it's people or monsters, they're only tough on the outside.
You rarely see monsters that are soft on the outside, unless they're like slimes with physical immunity, or chimeras that regenerate at super speed when cut.
Aside from those special cases, isn't attacking from the inside the standard way to deal with a typical monster?
Especially a monster with a body tens of meters long like that one.
"Kekeke... A madman like this is only a B-rank? That old man's jokes are getting out of hand."
"If you put in a good word for me, I could probably get to A-rank in no time, right?"
Going from a high-speed promotion to a rocket promotion!
I'll channel my inner Melon Musk and get a sweet taste of Mars.
"Alright, alright. I'll write a glowing report, so don't you worry."
"Make it a heaping 5,700 characters, spaces not included, please."
"Do you have to be so specific...?"
Because that's the 'national rule'.
"Got it. For now, just rest until it's time to head back. It'll take a while to finish processing the Sea Serpent."
"Kay."
It felt like a waste to just rest.
Since I'm resting anyway, I might as well test out the new skill I just got.
'But how do I use this thing?'
It says it's an on/off toggle, but it's not like there's a switch in front of my eyes.
It's not a passive skill like the others I've gotten, so I have no idea how to activate it.
"...Hmm."
I scratched the back of my head and just thought I wanted everyone to keel over.
"Kuh...!"
"Guhk!!"
"Hmph!"
"Kyaa!"
Everyone on the ship dropped to their knees.
Including Hazel.
I guess I didn't realize it, but did I become stronger than Hazel after leveling up just now?
"Sir Luke...! What did you do...?!"
"Luke, please release us...!"
Ah. My bad.
I accidentally used it without setting a range.
"Tehee."
But how do I turn this off?
***
After some experimenting, I figured out how to turn it on and off.
I just had to do it like I do with my inventory.
Why didn't I think of that sooner?
After that, we sailed for over an hour and returned to the port.
"So, can we just head back now?"
"Just in case, maybe you should ask Ms. Hazel?"
Right after we arrived at the port, I figured we had nothing else to do, so we might as well head back to the empire.
I wasn't sure if we were done or not, so I asked Hazel if we could leave.
Her response was...
"Leave? Where are you going? The raid is over, so we have to party!"
"Oh..."
Is this what they call a heart-pounding company dinner with the boss?
Only Hazel...
Evening came, and the city regained its liveliness.
The calamity that had put everyone here out of a job, the Sea Serpent, was dead. So, even as darkness fell, the streets shone brightly.
Hazel rented out a few restaurants among the many bright lights and threw a party for all the adventurers who participated in the raid.
Apparently, this is the 'national rule' in this world after a raid ends.
"Ahem. Well then, to celebrate the successful raid!"
""Cheers!!!""
The sound of wooden mugs clinking together came from all around.
Everyone seemed focused on drinking, so I went from table to table, swiping all the food.
"What the! Where'd my snack go?!"
"Puhaha!! First come, first served, you idiot!"
"Says you, but your skewer is gone too."
"What the hell!?"
Literally, first come, first served.
So I served myself first.
Anything I was too full to eat, I stuffed into my inventory as emergency rations.
"Hmph... Luke..."
While I was at it, Yui suddenly grabbed my sleeve, on the verge of tears.
"What's wrong! Who is it! Who bullied my girl! Just say the word and I'll kill them all!"
"You took my skewer, Luke...!"
"Ah."
"...Sir Luke. Could you return my stew as well...?"
It's these damn hands.
"Listen up, Luna, Yui. You never know what might happen, so you always have to be on your guard. That's how you keep your food from getting swiped."
""...""
The two of them glared at me.
When an adult speaks, you should listen! Kids these days!
I returned the stew to Luna and took out two skewers, placing one in each of Yui's hands.
At that, Yui's face blossomed into a wide smile, and she began to munch on the skewers.
"Ugh, I'm thirsty."
All that running around and eating has made me thirsty.
So I casually picked up a cup from a nearby table.
"Sir Luke, you can't drink that!!"
"Huh?"
Luna, who had been quietly eating her soup, frantically tried to stop me.
But when someone tells you not to do something, it just makes you want to do it more.
"I don't wanna!"
"Ah..."
What's her problem?
What, is there poison in this or something?
But I'm immune to all poisons.
Therefore, I have nothing to fear!
However.
A taste that was somehow bitter and shitty.
A taste that wasn't familiar, but not entirely unknown either.
This is...
"Alcohol?"
-Thud!
***
We spent the night at the port, then traveled a long distance by carriage.
I'd never gotten motion sickness before.
But I fell into a state of Qi Deviation again, creating a carpet of vomit for the entire carriage ride.
"Bleeeaaarrgghhh—."
"Are you okay, Luke...?"
"Noooooope—."
"Eek...! That way! Face that way when you talk!"
Who was it that said you build up a tolerance if you drink a lot?
I have absolutely no intention of returning to my original world, but I really want to go back just once to smash the head of the person who told me that.
"Sir Luke. We'll be arriving soon, so please be careful not to throw up in the Adventurer's Guild again."
"Bleeeaargh—?"
"If you throw up again, I think Ms. Adela might actually slap you...."
That's considered a reward.
I'm not a masochist or anything, but back in my past life, getting hit by a pretty girl was considered a reward, regardless of your tastes.
"We've arrived, sir."
Looks like we're here just in time.
Following Luna's advice, I kept my mouth shut tight as we headed straight for the Adventurer's Guild.
"Ms. Adela."
"Ah, Ms. Luna. It seems the raid was a success."
"Yes."
"You all worked hard."
*Bow.*
Adela greeted them with a bow of her head.
"Um... but why isn't Luke saying anything...?"
"Sir Luke is currently suffering from a hangover, so I will be answering for him."
"Ah..."
When Luna answered for him, Adela took a step back.
Why?
"Should we submit the confirmation form to you, Ms. Adela?"
"Yes."
"Sir Luke?"
"*Mmph mmph.*"
I nodded and handed Adela the confirmation form I'd received from Hazel.
"Yes. It's confirmed. Also, there was a message from the Guild Master. He asked me to tell Luke's party to come to his office upon your return."
Why now?
I didn't say it out loud, but my expression must have given it away, as Luna noticed my intent and asked for me.
"May we know the reason?"
"Well... I'm not entirely sure myself, other than that he has an important guest."
What does an important guest have to do with me?
Is it an assassination request?
Maybe it's a request to memorize the important guest's face so I can take them out later.
'I'm good at that kind of thing.'
Anyway, since he called for us, we headed to the Guild Master's office.
*Knock, knock.*
I knocked, and once again, entered without waiting for a reply.
"Haaah... Please, wait for a reply before you come in."
Argo was sitting on the sofa in front of the reception table.
And across from him.
"Hello, Student Luke."
A woman with a gentle, beaming smile.
Lucia Merigold.
The Headmaster of Jeomineol Academy was sitting there.
"Ah, or should I be calling you Luke now?"
She chuckled softly, as if something amused her.
"Luke. I'll get straight to the point. Would you be interested in becoming a temporary professor at the academy?"
"... ."
"Um... Luke?"
"Bleeeaaarrgghhh—."
"Aack!?"