Chapter 40
Chapter 40
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Translator: penny
Chapter: 40
Chapter Title: New Skill
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Sunset.
I returned home, locked the door to my room, and sat face-to-face with Laura.
To receive the training I had mentioned before.
Laura pointed to her horns and wings with her finger.
“This body is that of a dragonewt. A race that carries even a tiny drop of dragon blood.”
“Yes.”
“Normally, it looks like a human with wings or a tail attached, but in battle...”
She suddenly stood up and took off her clothes.
Swish.
Her pristine white naked form was fully revealed.
I panicked and averted my eyes.
“What are you doing?”
“Take a good look.”
Red scales began to sprout from Laura’s skin.
Her nails and teeth transformed into those of a fierce beast, becoming incredibly tough.
The scales grew rapidly, forming the shape of armor.
If you didn’t look closely, it just looked like red-painted armor.
Her golden eyes stared straight at me.
“This is the true power of a dragonewt.”
At a glance, it felt like B-rank—no, A-rank or higher power.
“Impressive. How strong is the scale’s defense?”
“Mithril level. It should block bullets, at least.”
“Mana coat seems better for bulletproofing, though.”
“That gets pierced by mana-infused attacks. Scales are more versatile.”
I nodded.
Definitely amazing.
But I didn’t know why she was showing this to me.
Showing off?
“So, what are you going to teach me?”
“How to become a dragonewt.”
“Yes?”
“When I briefly possessed you, your body transcended humanity.”
“Yeah, I know that.”
Thanks to it, all my stats had risen nearly a whole rank.
It was a freebie, and I had fond memories of it.
“Lately, I’ve noticed your soul is also transcending humanity, drawing closer to a dragon.”
“...”
“It seems largely due to the influence of the souls contained in the Dragon Heart.”
Soul corruption.
This was a bit scary.
If I cleared this world and left, I didn’t care what happened to my body.
But my soul would likely remain the same even after leaving this world.
“Long story short, you can do it like me.”
“You mean scales will grow on me like yours?”
“Not just scales. You’ll grow stronger in strength, agility, intelligence—everything.”
“That sounds... good.”
Another chance to boost my stats for free?
Too good to pass up.
From S-rank onward, there were ‘trials,’ making it hard to level up easily.
“But think it over carefully. To do this, we’d have to alter your soul, turning you fully into a sub-species of dragon.”
“Will my appearance change?”
“It’ll be the same as now. You’ll only transform when you want.”
If I accepted Laura’s offer, even if I returned to my original world later, I’d go back as a dragon sub-species.
It was concerning, but that was a problem for after I survived first.
“What if—and I mean hypothetically—the altered soul of mine entered the body of a normal person who hasn’t awakened?”
“I don’t know why you’re asking, but it’ll be rough. Your body will restructure according to the soul’s blueprint, so you’ll be bedridden for a few days.”
“That’s it? I won’t die?”
“You won’t die unless you’re sickly. It’s a dragon soul, but still a hybrid.”
I grinned.
Then the answer was decided.
“I’ll do it.”
“Don’t resist my power. Accept it as it is.”
Laura wrapped her hands around the back of my neck.
Something hot flowed in through my neck, spreading to every corner of my body.
“Ugh.”
It hurt so much I groaned involuntarily.
“I’ll register it in the system for ease of use.”
As soon as she finished speaking, a message appeared before my eyes.
<[Skill Acquired]>
-------------<Skill>-------------
◈ Name
Polymorph: Dragonewt
◈ Rank
--- S
◈ Description
Transforms the caster’s form into that of a dragonewt.
※Restriction: Those who possess a dragon soul
-----------------------------------
An S-rank skill.
The effect: scales equivalent to mithril armor, and overall strengthening.
I suppressed the corners of my mouth that were curling up.
I took off my clothes and immediately activated the skill.
“Polymorph.”
Scales began growing from my skin.
Red scales, just like Laura’s.
The scales had no particular sensation.
They felt like nails or claws.
Soon, the scale growth stopped.
I checked the mirror.
“Gasp.”
I was startled.
My entire body was covered in scales, turning me into a monster-like figure.
“L-Laura. What is this?”
“Well, you should’ve controlled it better. Forming scales into stylish armor is a skill in itself. If you just do it thoughtlessly like you did, you end up looking like a lizardman.”
To make scales as stylish as Laura’s, I’d need training.
But one question came to mind.
“By the way, doesn’t this give me higher defense?”
Laura’s armor covered vital areas but left skin exposed here and there.
She clicked her tongue in response.
“Tsk tsk. That’s no fun. It’s uncomfortable to move in, too. No romance. You.”
“Ah, yes...”
“That’s also why I told you not to go hunting. For now, I’ll teach you how to control the scales.”
I nodded and deactivated the skill.
The scales vanished like a mirage.
Laura’s scales disappeared soon after.
Knock knock knock.
Then came a knocking sound.
“Shin Noda. Dinner’s ready! How many times have I called you?”
Having seen my form and Laura’s once each, I shouted urgently.
“W-Wait a second!”
The door opened.
Park Ha-yeon screamed at the sight of us.
“Kyaaah! What the hell are you two doing?!”
She covered her eyes in shock.
We were both naked.
***
The next day.
Lunchtime.
I ran into Park Ha-yeon in the hallway by chance.
She seemed excited for some reason and kept talking to me.
We chatted as we strolled around the school grounds.
The sports field was in the middle of a soccer game, making the area very noisy.
“Shin Noda. Which club did you join?”
“Hero Culture Research Club.”
Park Ha-yeon tilted her head.
“What’s that?”
“Nothing special. Think of it as a hero fan club.”
“Got it! I joined the Swordsmanship Club!”
The Swordsmanship Club wasn’t bad.
It had several famous characters, making it a solid tier-1 club.
‘Honestly, spears are the most overpowered, but clubs don’t teach proper spear techniques anyway.’
Strictly speaking, it was more about networking than learning.
“Oh. Nice choice? Makes sense—you’d pass the test with ease.”
She blushed and downplayed it.
“No. It was close! And today I learned a skill! They give out free skill books to members.”
“Really? What is it?”
The Swordsmanship Club gave out various skill books.
Which one you got was random.
Some users would save-load repeatedly until they got a good one.
“Iaido.”
“Ah.”
I let out a small sigh.
Iaido was a dud.
Unfortunately, investing time to raise proficiency was inefficient.
It was a technique hard to master without ‘madness.’
“Better to delete it.”
“Huh?”
“From my experience, the returns are low, and later you’ll regret not erasing it due to attachment.”
“But still...”
Park Ha-yeon looked conflicted.
Fair enough.
Skill books weren’t easy to get, and suddenly deleting it would be hard to accept.
“The skill you got before... Phasing, right? Wouldn’t it be better to focus on that and your electricity power?”
“Hmm. Okay. I’ll think about it. But I won’t delete it!”
“Sure. Search ‘Iaido’ online... It has innate limitations. It’s a skill, so stronger than normal attacks, but investing time in it is less efficient than putting it into other skills.”
She looked a bit deflated.
I felt a little sorry for nagging.
She was probably excited about the skill, and I overdid it.
I changed the subject.
“Anyway, how’s your class? Gotten close with Hwang Je-seong?”
“Just... uh.”
This topic wasn’t great either.
Park Ha-yeon’s face darkened.
Hwang Je-seong had a cheerful personality, so it shouldn’t be hard to get along—strange.
“Wanna catch a movie tomorrow evening?”
Normally, Dark Knight activities would leave me short on time, but I was on break now.
Training with Laura could wait until after.
“Th-the Avengers? Yeah! I heard it’s fun lately!”
“Yeah, that one.”
I spent the entire lunch break trying to cheer up Park Ha-yeon.
‘By the way, why did Yang Min-seo turn back halfway?’
***
Lunchtime.
After eating, Yang Min-seo sat on a bench in the school garden, talking with Ji So-yeon.
On the main sports field, Class A and B from the first years were having an inter-class soccer match, with kids’ shouts echoing intermittently.
“Did you handle the task I gave you last time?”
“Yeah. No one saw.”
“Good job. Hand the item to the knight, and I’ll give you your reward once confirmed.”
Ji So-yeon whined in a voice lacking confidence.
“But is it really okay to do this?”
Yang Min-seo smiled gently and soothed her.
“Those people—no, they’re not even people. They cover it all up with money, but those vermin have sins worse than most villains. Think of it as upholding social justice. Like Dark Knight.”
“I’ve seen their evil deeds, but... do I have the right?”
“If you’re that worried, think of it this way: you’re my tool. All responsibility lies with me. Who blames a tool?”
“Tool...”
“Then you can go now.”
A blunt dismissal.
Ji So-yeon left.
Yang Min-seo sighed and wandered the school grounds.
She spotted Shin Noda and Park Ha-yeon from afar.
She approached to say hi but overheard their conversation by chance.
Shin Noda speaking with a serious face.
“Better to delete it.”
Yang Min-seo felt puzzled.
‘What’s she supposed to delete?’
She unwittingly hid in the bushes.
“Huh?”
Park Ha-yeon asked in confusion.
“From my experience, the returns are low even if you raise it, and later you’ll regret not erasing it due to attachment.”
Yang Min-seo suddenly remembered they lived together.
‘No way... did they go too far already?!”
Park Ha-yeon hesitated and refused.
“But still...”
Yang Min-seo was inwardly disappointed in Shin Noda.
To mess up and then say things like ‘delete it’ or ‘returns are low’!
She felt sympathy for Park Ha-yeon.
‘To think he’s such a shameless guy...!’
A loud cheer erupted from the sports field.
Class A scored first.
Spectators and players roared.
“Woooah! Hwang Je-seong! Hwang Je-seong!”
“This is Class A! Take that, B-class trash!”
“Woooah!”
Someone grabbed Yang Min-seo’s shoulder.
She jumped in surprise.
“Eek!”
The one grabbing her shoulder was Oh Ha-na.
“What are you doing here?”
Yang Min-seo hurriedly stood and brushed leaves off her clothes.
“Ah, um. Nothing.”
Oh Ha-na spotted Shin Noda and Park Ha-yeon in the distance and grinned.
“Aha. Min-seo, you like Shin Noda, huh? Stalking him like this! I gotta tell everyone?”
“N-No, it’s not like that...”
Yang Min-seo broke into a sweat trying to explain.
Oh Ha-na grabbed her arm and pulled her along.
“The boys are getting water. Come with!”
“Yes...”