Chapter 4
Chapter 4
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Translator: Vine
Chapter: 4
Chapter Title: Ambush (1)
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Stamina is power.
The priority was to build up strength as quickly as possible.
“Piece of cake.”
I finished my quota in no time.
Now that my body was enhanced, I hardly got tired.
But…
The quest completion window wasn't popping up.
Why? How come?
Could it be because I used mana?
“…”
On a hunch, I tried it again without any enhancements.
As if to prove my guess right, the window finally appeared.
[Sub Quest Complete]
[Reward: +200 Achievement Points]
[Repeatable daily]
Tsk, and here I was trying to take the easy way out.
It strictly blocks any loopholes.
Still, the rewards were increasing, so I had to keep at it.
[Sub Quest Updated]
[Swordsmanship Training: Swing your sword 2,000 times without rest]
[Reward: +500 Achievement Points]
As my stamina increased, the difficulty and rewards of the quests also went up.
A rising sense of accomplishment.
I could feel myself improving day by day.
I opened the exchange tab on a whim and saw that there were more things I could buy with achievement points.
[Strength Enhancement I]
[Required Achievement Points: 5,000]
[Strength Enhancement II]
[Required Achievement Points: 10,000]
[Vision Enhancement I]
[Required Achievement Points: 5,000]
[Vision Enhancement II]
[Required Achievement Points: 10,000]
[Agility Enhancement I]
…
It was something like this.
Now I saw why it was handing out achievement points so generously.
“…”
It looked like there could be ten levels of this stuff.
Well, it just meant there was that much more room to grow stronger.
I welcomed it with open arms.
My perseverance and willpower were more than enough to handle it.
[Sudden Quest]
[Hunting Target: Bear]
[Reward: +30,000 Achievement Points]
Huh? How am I supposed to catch a bear?
A wolf, maybe, but a bear is on a whole other level.
No, more importantly, there are bears in this forest?
“…”
Then again, the forest was so vast, it wouldn't be strange for there to be one or two.
Anyway.
I'm not about to risk my life for some measly points!
I'd need at least a month of training for that.
Only then might I be able to face one.
Besides, even if I did catch a bear, I'd have no way to deal with it.
Skinning it would be hard, draining the blood would be a pain, and I couldn't possibly eat it all.
So I hunted an easy rabbit instead.
It was a quick little thing, but it stood no chance against my enhanced body.
Meat, meat, meat…
I finally got some protein.
“…”
It tasted nothing like I expected.
The problem was the lack of seasoning.
Where am I supposed to find salt and pepper…
The food was bland, my bed was a shabby cave, and my clothes were falling apart.
Despite lacking the basic necessities of life, I endured it all with youthful vigor.
I'm getting stronger by the day.
That thrill is incomparable to anyth—
[Sudden Quest]
[A pack of wolves will attack in the middle of the night]
[Reward…]
Aaargh, please, spare me!
You can keep the reward!
I protested with all my might, but it was no use.
Is this body's fate destined to be so cruel?
That night.
Beneath the clear moonlight, I danced with wolves.
* * *
Morning came.
“…”
I survived the wolf pack's attack.
Focusing my attacks on the alpha was effective.
Yep. I focus on one target.
Still, my body was covered in scratches.
These sons of bitches…
They were desperately trying to bite me.
But I was prepared, so I didn't get cornered.
I hate dogs…
There's nothing more terrible than the sound of a dog barking.
I like cats.
But I'm the only one without a cat…
“…”
My mind was wandering due to lack of sleep.
Anyway, I could somehow manage to deal with wolves.
It's much better than a swarm of monsters popping out.
A quick look around the cave showed the traces of battle were still there.
The wolves, lying cold in death.
Can't even eat these sons of bitches…
Something about eating carnivores feels wrong.
Eating one recklessly could cause problems.
Looking at it that way, it seems I just wasted my energy.
But the system window was generous with its rewards again.
[Sudden Quest Complete]
[Reward: +3,000 Achievement Points and 1 Free Exchange]
I beat the crap out of those mutts.
And the reward was a dog-gone good deal.
The 1 Free Exchange was worth at least 5,000 points.
Its value would increase the later I used it.
I should save it for as long as possible and use it well.
“…”
First, I'm going to take a nap.
I'm too tired to go on.
I've stacked up a decent amount of rewards, so it should be fine to take a day off.
* * *
I woke up after a deep, sweet sleep.
The sun was already beginning to set.
Skipped the workout.
After a simple meal, I figured I'd meditate.
I was quenching my thirst at a stream I'd recently found.
When I suddenly felt a presence.
Not one person, but three.
Sure enough.
A moment later, three male students appeared.
They looked like delinquents at a glance.
They couldn't have come here with good intentions.
“Jace. How've you been?”
“You look like hell.”
“Jeez, how can anyone live in a place like this?”
“…”
Their swaggering demeanor.
Memories started to surface, one by one.
These were the delinquents who had approached Jace, testing the waters, back when he was cursing the world.
Matthew, Carter, Laird…
They had offered to be his underlings.
Jace stood at the forefront, like their leader.
Skipping class was a given.
Smoking and drinking were bonuses.
Bullying the weaker kids was a daily routine.
Extorting money was the least of it; they even resorted to violence.
They committed all these misdeeds as a group.
But it was their instigation that was the deciding factor.
They pretended to treat him like a leader while shifting all the responsibility onto him.
As a result, Jace ended up on trial.
A cowardly betrayal.
Their influence must have been part of the reason Jace fell from grace.
“…”
Aargh, how unfair!
Even though I didn't experience it myself.
Anyone could see it was an injustice.
Should I just wreck them?
Should I slaughter them so they can't even open their mouths?
Now that I had this great body, I could easily do that much for him.
No, wait…
It's one against three, isn't it?
I'm the one who's likely to get beaten. The odds are against me.
In truth, these guys weren't all that impressive.
In a normal school, they'd be what you call top dogs.
But every student at the Hero Academy has some skill.
Excluding those with no combat ability.
These delinquents belonged to the very bottom of the pyramid.
In short, they're scrubs.
A dozen of them attacking would be a joke.
Of course, that's by the standards of Jace in his prime.
“…”
I'm a newbie in the middle of a tutorial.
I can't even guarantee a victory in a one-on-one.
Alright, I'll let you off the hook for now.
So come at me later!
I delivered that warning in Jace's tone.
“I have no business with you. I'll forgive you for betraying me, so just get lost.”
It's been awful, let's never meet again.
I have enough on my plate as it is. This is so annoying.
But they aren't delinquents for nothing.
They scoffed, showing their disbelief.
“You want us to just leave after coming all this way?”
“Can't do that.”
“Why should we miss such a golden opportunity?”
A vile laugh.
It was clear this wasn't going to end peacefully.
It seemed I'd have to get my hands dirty.
“You were always a pain in the ass.”
“Should've toned down the arrogance, ptooey!”
“You think being the young master of a great family means you can do whatever you want?”
These were guys who'd managed to get into the academy, only to hit a wall and fall into despair.
Instead of trying harder than others, they went astray.
“There's a rumor going around. They say you're going to be disowned.”
“Then there's nothing holding us back.”
“How does it feel to lose your family's backing on top of your power? Huh?”
An inferiority complex.
It was manifesting in the worst possible way.
Given my situation, causing trouble would be problematic.
But due to the nature of the Hero Academy, minor scuffles are generally tolerated.
Furthermore.
Since it looks like I'm being oppressed by a group, it would qualify as self-defense.
“…”
I have no intention of avoiding this.
This is actually for the best. I can use this chance to test my training.
The only good thing about delinquents.
Everyone hates them, so you can beat them up without any guilt.
Manifesting Sword Ki was still a long way off.
But it was the same for them, so it was fair.
Still, I expected a tough fight.
Well, this is the kind of crisis I'll have to overcome.
If this counts as a real fight, then it's a real fight. It seemed like it would be good experience.
They closed in slowly, as if to surround me.
If the fight starts like this, I'll be at a disadvantage.
First, I should seize the initiative and rebuke them.
“You seem to be mistaken about something…”
A low, calm voice.
I hadn't even gotten to the main point, but they flinched.
I raised my sword and let my instincts take over.
“Just because I've gotten weaker, doesn't mean you've gotten any stronger, does it?”
The reaction was truly surprising.
Not from them, but from the system window…
[Achievement Unlocked: A Legendary Quote for the Ages]
[Reward: +10,000 Achievement Points]
Oh, come on… read the room!
It was so random it took my breath away.
That aside, why so many points?
I struggled through a quest to get 3,000 points.
And it just hands over 10,000 for a single one-liner.
At this point, it's starting to feel suspicious.
Not that I can refuse it…
As if to say, ‘Are you complaining even though I'm giving you this?’
The system window flickered, brightening and dimming repeatedly.
“…”
I was just grumbling a little.
Anyway, time to discipline these delinquents.
I drew up my mana and enhanced my body.
Their pupils quaked in unison.
“—!!”
These bastards…
You thought I was powerless, didn't you?
The time has come to pay the price for underestimating me.
As I took a bold step forward, they all stumbled back.
“Now, come at me. The heir of the Crodain family shall pass judgment upon you.”
“…”
They were frozen, unable to even move their lips.
I'll ride this momentum and beat one of them to a pulp.