Chapter 10
Chapter 10
-----------------------------------------------------------------
Translator: Vine
Chapter: 10
Chapter Title: Bloody Battle
-----------------------------------------------------------------
I belatedly clenched my fists.
I'd passed Hector's test, but it was nothing more than a stroke of luck.
'I couldn't even react...'
In truth, it was an expected outcome.
I was a newbie, and he was a top-tier knight.
Still, frustration welled up inside me.
It was no different from being robbed blind in broad daylight.
“...”
I struggled to calm my mind.
This was a problem that would be solved once I got stronger, and quickly.
Just before leaving his family for the academy.
Jace had claimed victory in a duel against Hector.
This body had that much potential.
That meant I could do it too, without a doubt.
“Alright. I'll do whatever it takes.”
It was time to get serious.
I would take on the achievement I'd been putting off.
[Sudden Quest]
[Hunt Target: Bear]
[Reward: +50,000 Achievement Points]
A bear that boasted a knockout punch.
It wasn't just a tough opponent; it was extremely dangerous.
One wrong move, and I'd be the one getting mauled.
That was precisely why it was worth the challenge.
Simply repeating my training would make me an empty shell.
The difference between having real combat experience and not was immense.
The moment I awakened the senses that straddled life and death, I would take another step forward.
“...”
Those who held a grudge against Jace.
Those who had expectations for Jace.
The two were polar opposites, but the way to deal with them was the same.
I would eventually clash with the Demon King's Army.
It was wise to start preparing now.
At the very least, I would gain the strength to protect Ceria.
As a man, I wanted to live up to the girl's feelings.
“So come on out!”
A long journey in search of the bear.
My quest proceeded swiftly.
Having hunted continuously until now, finding its tracks wasn't too difficult.
Heavy paw prints... No doubt about it.
I had finally entered the bear's territory.
I calmly surveyed my surroundings.
I didn't forget to secure an escape route, just in case.
How long had I been walking?
My body reacted before I could even register what was happening.
Sure enough.
A bear burst out from the bushes across from me.
“Kuaaaang!”
“...”
I thought it was a bit small for a bear.
But when it stood on its hind legs, the sense of pressure was intense.
What would drop if I killed the bear?
For some reason, only a bear's gallbladder came to mind.
That, that, that... thing that looks like a red bean.
It's probably completely different in reality, but whatever!
I drew my sword and held it upright.
The duel of the century was about to begin.
* * *
People often use the expression "stupid bear."
But bears are surprisingly agile and can climb trees with ease.
It meant they were not only strong but also quick.
More than anything, I tried to grasp its movements.
Whoa, look at those claws.
A direct hit would be a one-way ticket to the afterlife.
So I focused on defense rather than offense.
“Grrrr...”
It glared at me as if it wanted to tear me apart.
Predators don't forgive intruders.
Even considering that, it was excessively aggressive.
It charged relentlessly.
I was struggling just to dodge.
Even so, I managed to land a few stabs with my sword.
“...”
I'd expected it, but it was a tough opponent indeed.
Its hide was too thick; half-hearted counterattacks were useless.
By the way...
Why was it so desperate?
The habits of wild animals are mostly the same.
If they have a clear advantage, they'll attack fiercely.
But in a balanced exchange like this, they should back off a little and look for an opening...
'It's charging like it's seen its mortal enemy...'
Was my presence that threatening to it?
It was reckless, which gave me many chances to attack, but it was far more difficult than I'd anticipated.
For a moment, my stance faltered.
I lost my balance on the uneven ground.
“---!!”
Evasion was impossible.
The best I could do was barely assume a defensive stance.
In the end...
I was sent skidding backward by a swipe of the bear's paw.
Ah, it hit the bone!
I couldn't absorb the shock, and it hurt like hell.
The continuous attacks left me with quite a few wounds.
It was a good thing I'd reinforced my body with mana; a chunk of my flesh could have been ripped off.
“...”
I hadn't meant to, but I had ended up underestimating it.
This was no time to be picky about my methods.
[Current Points: 21,500]
[Strength Enhancement II]
[Required Achievement Points: 10,000]
[Agility Enhancement II]
[Required Achievement Points: 10,000]
I invested the points without hesitation.
It felt like my abilities had increased by about ten percent.
I wasn't strong enough to be a completely different person.
But in a close fight, it was a significant number.
I gripped my sword tightly and thrust hard.
The sensation of piercing deep... followed by a gush of blood.
Having switched to offense, my defense was relatively weaker.
I twisted my body with all my might, but I couldn't dodge completely.
Even though I'd focused mana in my left arm, the claw marks were distinct.
Before I knew it, the brown bear had turned into a red bear.
My own appearance was probably not much different.
My heart pounded.
I was as excited as if adrenaline was pumping through me.
My head was cool, but my body was heating up on its own.
In the midst of this life-or-death struggle.
A new sensation flowed from my body into my sword.
“---!!”
A shimmering aura of light.
Faint, but it was definitely Sword Ki.
Is there anything as effective as real combat?
You bear bastard. Just you wait!
I'm gonna slice you up with this big, beautiful Sword Ki!
That was the plan...
But it seemed to have noticed, as it turned tail and fled.
I didn't give chase immediately.
My prey was already as good as caught, so I could afford to be leisurely.
Just then.
A small figure popped out from behind a large tree.
“...”
Papa bear is fat.
Mama bear is slim. Baby bear is so cute...
I wasn't so sure about the first two lines.
But the last line proved to be an undeniable fact.
A cute and adorable baby bear.
Even bears are cute when they're cubs.
The bear I'd been fighting took a final defensive stance in front of the cub.
“...”
Situation assessed.
I was overcome with a sense of reluctance.
You... don't tell me... you were the mother bear?
Aah! I accidentally picked a fight with a mother!
The phrasing sounds a little weird...
Anyway, with this, everything became clear.
I finally understood why it had been so desperate.
It had attacked me so fiercely because of its cub.
If I pressed on, I could complete the quest, but...
'Ah. Forget it, just forget it...'
How could I kill a mother in front of her child?
There are some lines you just don't cross, no matter the situation.
As I sheathed my sword without a second thought, the system window displayed a message.
[Sudden Quest]
[Hunt Target: Bear]
[Reward: +50,000 Achievement Points]
[If abandoned, cannot be re-attempted]
Fine, whatever.
I'll just do without those damn points.
It was a lot of points, but...
I could earn them back with enough time and effort.
Just as I was thinking that, something absurd happened.
[Hidden Achievement Unlocked: A Righteous Heart]
[Reward: +100,000 Achievement Points & 1 Free Exchange]
Huh? What in the world is this?
It seems its disease of giving things away for free has flared up again.
The points, double the original amount, were surprising enough.
But if you included the exchange ticket, it was almost triple.
“...”
When someone's giving things away, it's polite to accept without question.
See, it pays to be a good person.
I gazed at the mother bear.
So, you were a female... In any case, it was a great fight.
Suddenly, I felt awkward.
This is basically... barging into someone's house and causing a ruckus, isn't it?
I should probably disappear quickly, if only out of apology.
Just as I turned to take a step away.
“Kuaaaang!”
“...”
A bear even bigger than the mother appeared.
From the context, it was the papa bear, and it was furious.
You dare touch my old lady? Get ready!
With that kind of vibe, it attempted a paw swipe.
I had no will to fight back.
I was the sinner who had disturbed the family's peace...
Well, I'd already gained a lot.
The achievement points and the free exchange ticket.
Above all, manifesting Sword Ki was the biggest gain.
There was no reason to risk my life fighting.
I quickly escaped through the route I'd secured beforehand.
Sorry, guys...
Actually, I'm an innocent victim too.
I just fell for the system window's wicked temptation...
So stop chasing me and live happily!
* * *
Ceria couldn't focus on her classes.
All her attention was on Jace.
'Just a little more patience...'
Only a few days were left.
His punishment would soon be over, and he would return to the academy.
The Hero Academy, by its nature, had a tight schedule.
Ceria, being on the Student Council, was especially busy.
Still, she could make time to be with Jace.
“...”
They had been closer than family.
The person who would soon become her family.
To the young girl, Jace's existence was bound to be special.
Should I go see him, or not?
Her conflict deepened.
Having been together since childhood, Ceria could guess Jace's state of mind.
He didn't want to show himself in his weakened state.
According to his wishes, she should keep her distance for a while, but...
'But what can I do if I miss him?'
Was it because they were physically apart?
She grew restless, as if they were meant to be one.
She understood how Jace felt.
But on the other hand, she wondered if it was really necessary to go that far.
No one in the world is perfect.
Jace was close to perfect, but he had his flaws too.
They were minor faults, but theirs was a relationship that had shared many secrets...
As her thoughts reached that point.
Ceria, as always, indulged in some wishful thinking.
'Maybe he'll be secretly happy to see my face?'
At last, the girl shook off her hesitation.
She wanted to be a source of support for her one and only love.
And so, with light steps, she went to find Jace, but...
“---!!”
Good heavens... his whole body was covered in blood.
Anyone who saw him would think he'd been in a bloody battle with a bear.
And why were there so many wounds...
The girl's heart ached with distress.
“What on earth happened... First, we need to treat your wounds.”
As she strode closer.
He turned away awkwardly, as if he'd shown her something he shouldn't have.
If he knew that, how did he end up in this state?
“Don't tell me you were attacked by a bear?”
“No, the opposite. I was the one who attacked.”
“---??”
“It wasn't as dangerous as you might think. So you can calm down.”
He continued speaking nonchalantly.
Judging by his attitude, it seemed she could rest easy.
She examined his wounds; they were nothing that immediate treatment couldn't fix.
Still, the trembling in her heart didn't stop.
If he was weaker, he should have avoided overexerting himself.
Instead, he seemed to be pushing himself even harder than before.
“We should wash off the blood first. If it's hard for you to move, I can wash you.”
“---!!”
As if to say that wasn't necessary.
He walked quickly to the lakeside.
While Jace took off his shirt and washed.
Ceria stared blankly at the sight.
A body covered in scars.
There wasn't a single uninjured spot.
Separate from her worry.
Her lover's rugged atmosphere made the girl's heart flutter.
Had he become more dependable?
His sexiness naturally brought suggestive thoughts to her mind.
They were engaged, so rather than feeling shy, it was only natural...
“It might hurt, but bear with it.”
“---!!”
“You should have been more careful.”
She was getting grumpy because he was always getting hurt.
Her hands gained strength as she applied the ointment and wrapped the bandages.
“Anyway, you defeated the bear, right?”
“Mm, I almost had it, but I let it go.”
“Why?”
“It had a cub.”
Even without any further explanation.
Ceria could clearly grasp the situation.
That warm-hearted compassion was one of Jace's strengths.
The desire to hug him suddenly arose.
So she lightly wrapped her arms around her lover's neck.
This level of affection was nothing special for them.
His broad back welcomed Ceria.
The girl gently closed her eyes in that familiar tranquility.
“You went through all that trouble and got nothing out of it.”
She gently chided him.
He would probably laugh awkwardly.
That's what she expected, but Jace's reaction was completely different.
“That's not true. I gained quite a lot.”
Ceria tilted her head.
Surely he wasn't just talking about the experience.
As strong as a bear might be, it couldn't compare to a monster.
At one time, Jace had received a perfect score on a practical evaluation.
He had single-handedly taken down an A-rank danger-level ogre.
The girl's question was answered in a truly unexpected way.
“It's still faint, but I manifested Sword Ki.”
“I-Is that really true?”
He turned back and grinned.
That innocent smile brought back old memories.
When Jace first mastered Sword Ki, he had proudly shown it off and declared confidently.
-With this power, I'll protect you. Forever.
How could she forget those sweet words?
It felt as if they had gone back in time.
Her worries had been for nothing.
With this, every last trace of her anxiety vanished.
In a situation where she couldn't contain her joy.
Ceria boldly raised the level of her affectionate display.
“---!!”
His reaction somehow felt cute.
It stimulated her even more, and her playful side emerged.
The girl held her lover tightly, refusing to let go.