Chapter 5
Chapter 5
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Translator: Vine
Chapter: 5
Chapter Title: The Attack (2)
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Perhaps it was because I had already endured the wolf pack’s attack.
My senses were sharper than ever before.
And so.
I could now swing my sword at people without hesitation.
These guys were worse than ruffians—they were trash.
There was no need to dredge up any sense of justice.
Jace’s body expressed its fury.
It screamed at me to punish the vile traitors.
*Calm down. I’ll handle this myself!*
First, I needed to boost my physical stats.
[Current Points: 14,200]
[Strength Enhancement I]
[Required Achievement Points: 5,000]
[Agility Enhancement I]
[Required Achievement Points: 5,000]
I quickly enhanced my strength and agility.
There was no major change, but I could definitely feel the difference.
“H-How is he using mana…?”
“His dantian was definitely broken…”
Denial.
They still couldn’t break free from their panic.
I guessed they were remembering Jace in his prime.
The refined, princely swordsman.
One of the most renowned geniuses at the Hero Academy.
From their perspective, he was in a league of his own.
In other words, it was no surprise they were terrified.
I would surely lose in a straight fight, but I was confident of victory.
*Our mindsets are fundamentally different.*
Their reason for coming here was obvious.
They had only intended to bully someone weaker than them.
They hadn't factored even the slightest risk into their calculations.
I, on the other hand, felt like a general with his back against the wall.
I will not retreat.
If I die, I die here.
Let’s see this through to the end, no matter who falls.
“I-It’s a bluff. It has to be a bluff!”
one of them shrieked, as if having a fit.
I turned my head toward him and gave a faint smile.
*Yep. Congratulations, you’re the lucky winner.*
*I was just wondering who to pick. I’ll start by wrecking you!*
* * *
“—!”
Matthew was in utter chaos.
The guys he’d come with had already been taken down.
And now.
Jace was striding toward him.
Bloodshot eyes.
He was smiling silently, as if enjoying the pain from the sword wound.
“…”
This was no genius, no ruffian.
This was something that exuded a wild aura.
He had mocked Jace for his beggar-like appearance.
But now, he looked like a warrior who had overcome harsh trials.
Had he poked a sleeping lion?
Matthew’s will to fight completely evaporated.
*If I clash with him, I’ll die.*
*I have to get away, now.*
“Stop.”
*Thud.*
His feet stopped moving against his will.
He clenched his teeth, trying to resist, but…
“If I catch you, I will truly finish you.”
“…”
It was a warning he dared not defy.
In the end, Matthew gave up on escaping.
His spirit had been broken, but it was also the logical choice.
Jace was the heir to a great family.
He didn’t know how it happened.
But now that Jace could wield mana again, there was no way he would be disowned.
Matthew quickly pieced things together.
He couldn't let the situation get any worse.
“Please, spare me… I admit we were wrong!”
He begged abjectly, clinging to a sliver of hope.
The original Jace was known to be quite merciful, so maybe, just maybe…
“Kneel.”
His response was surprisingly harsh.
It seemed he’d grown colder than before.
Well, kneeling wasn’t a big deal.
This seemed to be the part where he’d be forgiven if he did as he was told.
For now, he just had to get through this.
After his knees touched the ground, he tried to read the situation.
Matthew cautiously looked up at Jace. It was then…
“This is your eye level and mine. Etch it into your mind forever.”
“—!”
A terrifying shiver ran through his body.
Though spoken softly, the words boomed like thunder from a clear sky.
He finally felt the difference in their class.
It had been there before, but it was even more distinct now.
*Damn it! I messed with someone I never should have touched!*
He had to change his thinking, and fast.
This wasn't going to be the end of it.
Matthew let his inner thug show without reservation.
“They put me up to it! I was just standing there when they dragged me along—*Keok!*”
Before he could finish his sentence.
His head was slammed into the ground.
Jace’s foot was pressing down on his head.
As he felt the dirt and dust invade his mouth.
A seething rage poured into Matthew’s ears.
“Betrayal… is the one thing I hate most.”
A merciless beating followed.
Matthew eventually lost consciousness.
* * *
My stamina was depleted.
“…”
Wow, I thought I was going to die.
That was a really close call.
In terms of pure stats.
My strength didn't measure up to theirs, but…
*They had no coordination at all.*
It was just as I’d expected.
They were just a group of delinquents who committed misdeeds together.
In a real fight, their ability to cooperate was bound to be abysmal.
The deciding factor was their panic and hesitation after failing to gauge my level.
“…”
Still, it wasn’t easy.
I’d been stabbed in the arm and leg.
They weren’t deep cuts, but they hurt like hell.
*Those bastards…*
A leopard can’t change its spots.
He sold out his half-dead friends.
That pissed me off even more.
He should have just taken the beating.
He was young, his bones were probably strong; I don’t know what he was so worried about.
Anyway.
I gave him a good stomping.
After he passed out, I forced him awake and ordered him to take his friends away.
Though he was covered in blood, had a broken tooth, and likely a few cracked ribs.
He grit his teeth against the pain and disappeared with haste, as if terrified of me.
That should be enough of a lesson.
Forget retaliation, he probably wouldn’t even be able to meet my eyes now.
Aside from the fear that was now deeply ingrained in him.
He must have been reminded of my social standing as the heir to a great family.
“Hoo…”
That settles that.
As my excitement subsided, the pain intensified.
As if to console me for my suffering.
The system window once again showered me with rewards.
[Spontaneous Quest Complete]
[Reward: +5,000 Achievement Points]
Hmm, so this counts as a spontaneous quest too.
Whatever, I was satisfied and nodded my head.
[Achievement Unlocked: A Quote for the History Books]
[Reward: +10,000 Achievement Points]
What, what’s this now?
Don’t tell me that whole ‘Kneel’ thing actually worked?
“…”
My head was spinning.
I got more points for one cheesy line than I did for a difficult battle.
Was there even a point in struggling so hard?
Maybe studying one-liners would be more efficient than training…
No. One-liners have their limits.
Eventually, I’d run out of material.
Be it money or power, it ought to be earned through blood, sweat, and tears.
It seemed like everything was over, but.
I didn’t let my guard down just yet.
“How long are you going to watch? Show yourself.”
There was no particular presence, but.
There was a chance the Student Council was monitoring me.
I counted to ten in my head, but my surroundings remained silent.
*Is no one there? If not, fine.*
I should hurry back to the cave and rest.
What about my wounds?
Would they get better if I licked them?
As I managed to turn my heavy body.
“—??”
As if claiming she had been standing there from the very beginning.
A female student stood opposite me.
Ah, you scared me!
If you were there, you should have shown yourself sooner!
Anyway, this was good.
I’d have her handle the cleanup.
* * *
Chloe had carved out some time to head to the forest where Jace was staying.
It had been about two weeks since the trial.
Her plan was to assess him and, if something had changed, invest.
She didn’t have high hopes.
The chances of Jace’s recovery were slim.
*Well, it doesn’t hurt to check on him for a bit.*
A walk to clear her head.
That was all the girl thought it would be.
But by chance, she happened to witness that scene.
The troublemakers who were notorious nuisances at the academy.
They had ganged up to persecute Jace.
*Interesting…*
It wasn’t difficult to grasp the situation.
The actions of kids drowning in their inferiority complexes were always predictable.
They were probably trying to get their licks in before Jace was expelled.
Should she intervene or not?
Chloe made her decision in an instant.
How could she let such a good opportunity pass?
If she just stayed put, she would achieve her goal.
A situation had presented itself where she could make a clear judgment without doing anything.
A fight seemed imminent, which meant she could observe Jace thoroughly.
*Their skills are pathetic, but…*
Jace’s dantian was broken.
Even one of them would be enough to give him a hard time.
And there were three of them.
He was sure to be beaten down mercilessly.
*I’ll watch for a bit and intervene before it’s too late.*
Technically speaking, Jace was still a student.
If they assaulted him as a group, the delinquents would be sent straight to a tribunal.
Since she caught them in the act, they wouldn't be able to deny it.
*It’s best to get rid of that trash quickly.*
She’d found a good opportunity after a long time.
All that was left was to watch at her leisure.
But the flow of events was strange.
As if he had an ace up his sleeve.
Jace confidently drew his sword. And…
“—??”
Chloe doubted her own eyes.
*Huh? What did I just see?*
*Did he just draw out mana to enhance his body?*
No matter how many times she checked, she hadn’t seen it wrong.
The girl felt a thrill at that fact.
*My intuition was right after all!*
This changed the story completely.
She had to open her eyes wide and watch with focus.
The genius, one of the few candidates for the title of Hero.
It was as if the Prince of the Sword was declaring his return.
*Still, he’s at a disadvantage.*
He was at a level where he was just taking his first steps.
It was impossible to face three opponents with such meager skill.
But Jace brilliantly exploited his opponents’ openings.
Even Chloe, a third-party observer, was taken aback; one could only imagine how the participants felt.
By picking them off one by one.
He had easily overcome his numerical disadvantage.
The process itself was nothing spectacular.
Jace’s power was still insignificant, but what captivated Chloe’s gaze was his aura.
“…”
Rough.
It was like watching a wolf.
This was a complete departure from his original style.
The girl was profoundly shocked by the sight.
*A change… no, perhaps an evolution…*
She sensed that he had been reborn.
It was impossible to think of him as the man who used to act like a ruffian.
To be honest, Jace hadn't been Chloe’s type.
He was too perfect, which made him feel distant.
But now, he was completely different.
He had transformed into a man who suited her.
“…”
There were plenty of rough men in the world.
But they were usually muscle-bound idiots, so she wasn't interested.
In Jace’s case, his princely style blended fantastically with this new roughness, making him overflow with charm.
The girl gulped.
Until now, she had been treating this lightly.
But it seemed she would have to seriously aim for the position of mistress of the Crodain family.
*Hmm, what are my chances?*
She was confident, but not certain.
She would have to engage with him directly to gauge her odds.
*Thwack, thwack-thwack. Stomp!*
Dull sounds of impact.
Even though they had already lost their will to fight.
He was mercilessly stomping on the enemies who had targeted him.
*He’s so cool.*
Chloe liked his ruthlessness.
Just watching him was satisfying.
The old him would have let things slide.
The girl’s heart began to pound as if it were love at first sight.
She couldn't approach this half-heartedly.
This was a target worth investing her all in.
Just what should she do?
As Chloe carefully pondered her options.
An undeniable voice pierced her ears.
“How long are you going to watch? Show yourself.”
“—!”
The impossible had happened.
*He sensed my presence? How?*
That would have been difficult even for the old Jace…
Could it be that he had been intentionally hiding his power?
Chloe instinctively realized Jace’s scheme.
*A ploy to make his rivals lower their guard… that must be it.*
His methods had changed a bit.
But Jace was still aiming for the top.
“…”
She had to admit it now.
It seemed she had fallen in love with a man she couldn’t handle.
Even so…
No, it was precisely for that reason that she couldn't give up.
The girl's resolve became firmer than ever before.