Chapter 18
Chapter 18
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Translator: penny
Chapter: 18
Chapter Title: Ah, I Just Bought It Not Long Ago
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There were two reasons why I was turning on the game right now.
The first was that I needed to level up in time for Yura's tournament schedule.
The tournament was just days away.
My character's current level was 12.
I'd been putting off leveling up while messing around here and there, so I was only close to level 15. That wasn't enough to meet the minimum requirement of level 15 or higher to participate in the tournament.
"Gotta max it out today."
I planned to skip school and shoot straight up to level 25 to make it worth it.
It used to be capped at level 20, but after Yura officially announced the revised rules, 25 became the new max level.
Since I'd cleared the 3rd floor during my previous stream, I could head straight up to the 4th.
Twirl twirl.
I spun the sword I'd gripped after a while and checked out the kobolds appearing in front of me.
They had wolf-like faces.
Their upper bodies were covered in fur.
They walked upright on two legs, with five fingers on each hand. They moved in packs.
Where else would you find beastkin?
'Those are the beastkin right there.'
Monsters that had undergone evolution after evolution to reach this point.
They didn't have much intelligence.
That was why the humanoid races didn't recognize kobolds as equals.
But considering that humans had also evolved to become what they were, kobolds might develop more intelligence over generations and take on a more human-like appearance in the future.
"Grrr... Human...!"
They already had the intelligence of beasts capable of simple speech like this.
As we faced off, old memories started bubbling up again.
-Maybe in a few generations, all monsters could become beastkin.
-Are you finally losing it? Say that in church, and you'll get burned at the stake.
-The church? Those guys daring to burn me, the sage?
-Or I, the hero, could step in for you.
-You don't even have much faith in the gods.
-True enough.
The sage who so casually blasphemed the divine.
He was a smart kid, so his words carried weight.
And actual history had unfolded that way.
Maybe because I hadn't formed strong bonds with anyone in this life, these memories kept coming back.
Whoosh.
I raised my sword as the kobolds approached.
I glanced at the recording indicator in the corner of my vision.
It's working properly.
The second reason I was firing up League of Worlds.
I still had lingering attachments to my school days.
Honestly, skipping school without permission for the next six years felt like a massive waste of time.
Of course, I had no intention of going back to the elementary school I was currently attending.
It wasn't good for the teachers or the other kids to have someone as out of place as me mixed in with normal children.
It was a chore for me too.
So, I came up with a clever solution.
Not exactly like me, but...
What if it was a place full of other kids who were similarly out of place?
Fortunately.
Such a place existed in this world.
I muttered under my breath.
"Since the semester's already started, regular Academy enrollment is off the table. Guess I'll have to go for special admission."
The Academy.
Also known as a Hunter or Hero training school.
It was a place where kids with unique traits gathered to hone their special abilities.
Inside, there were kids who used magic or excelled in swordsmanship, but also those who manipulated spatial concepts or practiced martial arts.
In short, a gathering spot for unusual kids.
I figured even an unusual kid like me could fit in among other unusual kids.
If not, I'd have no choice but to do real homeschooling or refuse to attend school without permission for six years.
I just hoped it wouldn't come to that.
'They say the Academy has lots of mentally mature and smart kids, so it should be way better than a regular elementary school.'
I wasn't aiming for sage-level, of course.
As long as the classes weren't too advanced for me to keep up with and the kids' mental worlds weren't too bizarre, it'd be fine.
And the curriculum offered by the Academy matched exactly what I needed.
With my last hope riding on it, I prepared to record the video for my Academy application.
Obviously, I couldn't get in through normal means.
The Academy was a school for training 'Hunters or Heroes.'
So, they had to verify if applicants had the qualities to join.
To that end, the Academy didn't accept just anyone who applied.
They conducted their own written and practical exams to assess a child's talents and admitted those who qualified.
And now.
With the semester already underway.
Official written and practical exams were out of the question.
So, special admission was my only shot.
To achieve that, I had to prove I was worthy of special admission.
I recalled the special admission requirements from the Academy.
"Just show off some basic swordsmanship and magic, right?"
For the written part, scribble down some random theory.
For the practical, send over footage from this first-person view.
League of Worlds was a highly realistic game.
That's why many scholars and Hunters used it to test techniques' power.
In other words.
Even though it was a game, League of Worlds had credible verification authority.
Kobolds lived in packs.
Since they hunted in groups, even low-rank Hunters could die horribly if they encountered just one.
But for anyone with even a modicum of skill...
Slash-!
...kobolds were nothing more than endlessly respawning scarecrows.
No matter how open the terrain, the number and directions they could attack from were limited.
Just fight while keeping track of that.
"Kraaaah!!!"
I slashed the arm of the charging kobold short, and it let out a scream of pain as it recoiled.
When surrounded, most people think you have to take out the enemy in front first.
It's not wrong. You can't break the encirclement leaving enemies behind.
But there's an even easier way.
Inflict a non-lethal but painful wound, and the enemy reflexively backs off.
Using that gap, spin around, close in on an enemy, and you'll naturally create an opening to slip out of the encirclement.
Then, gift that helpful enemy eternal rest as thanks, and you've escaped.
Slash!
The moment I broke the encirclement, I leveled up.
This should be enough swordsmanship demo.
Now, time to show some magic theory.
I could just write a paper and send it, but it'd be better to include an example.
"Kruk!"
As I stood still for a moment, kobolds surrounded me again.
In that sense, it felt like a game.
Normally, they'd slink away in fear by now, but the moment they recognized me as a player enemy, they charged again.
Unless trained otherwise, kobolds exploited blind spots in vision gaps, swinging their long claws wildly.
Swish.
I knew it'd slash me if I stayed still, but I didn't budge.
"Krooooaaarrr!!!"
The kobold roared triumphantly, as if it'd slain its lifelong nemesis.
"Hey."
"?"
"You done?"
"Kruk?"
Unable to comprehend my unscathed state, the kobold tilted its head.
Then it snapped back to its senses and attacked again.
Swish.
That rippling sound echoing since earlier.
The kobold's claws passed right through my body.
"Hey. Your attacks don't work on me anyway."
The magic theory I'd submit to the Academy.
Space Distortion.
Manipulating space itself by sending high-dimensional vibrations via mana to adjust spacetime curvature.
On a local scale, it could refract attack paths or disperse impact.
Taking it a step further refracted enemy attacks back at them or warped spacetime outright.
In other words, a magic based on teleportation fundamentals.
Maximized, it folded space for true teleportation anywhere.
'Unusually, there aren't many space-related spells.'
Even in a world where magic was advanced, space magic was rare. So I picked one related to space that I'd used often in my past life.
It'd leave a strong impression on first-time viewers.
I still remembered the sage's shocked face when he first saw it.
-Dude, your magic is OP.
-Crazy bastard. You're syncing your body with another dimension? Not something for the guy who invented teleportation to say. I'd just tweaked his spell a tiny bit. And the original creator reacted like that. Everyone else's reactions were obvious. Of course, for pure impact, straight teleportation might be flashier. Actual spatial movement. But I demonstrated a refined refraction net—the most basic form of teleportation. Novel enough to pass both written and practical with flying colors. No need to show more and attract excess attention. I didn't use teleportation much anyway. And most importantly... Crackle-!
"As expected, this magic glitches the space."
As a spacetime magic, it had the worst compatibility with illusion magic.
Just a little use, and part of the game console broke.
If I'd tried full teleport, the spell's volume would've force-closed the game.
And turned it into a scrap heap.
I finished off the kobold with my sword and logged out.
The kobold I just killed gave decent EXP, so I hit level 15 and wrapped up my morning gaming session.
Smoke was billowing psssh from the game console.
"......"
Ah.
I just bought it not long ago.
If I wanted to play more this afternoon, I'd probably need a new one.
Talent can appear at any moment.
Awakening comes suddenly.
Genius drops from the sky like a bolt.
Guided by this philosophy, the Academy's chancellor enabled special admissions anytime for those with talent.
But usually, they started after a semester ended.
For kids who awakened mid-semester, or those who outshone peers but attended regular schools and later wanted in.
The common method was to attend another school for a semester, then transfer via special admission when procedures allowed.
So, the staffer handling early-semester special admissions—light on duties—was bored, yawning while checking other departments' paperwork.
He habitually opened his inbox and saw an email.
"Hm...? What's this?"
This was the special admission email.
Curious, he checked it.
The subject boldly read: "Submitting Special Admission Documents."
The staffer's eyes widened as he opened it.
"This is...?"