----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Student cafeteria.
Libre asked.
“Davian! Is it true that Professor Camilla made ice spikes in the air and threw them at the students?”
“The rumors are already spreading. Well, she didn’t exactly make them in the air. She made steam and spread it, then used that.”
“Does that matter? The academy is in chaos! Someone got their stomach pierced! I heard that Teacher Medium was really angry? Asking what kind of class that is.”
Luna asked, startled.
“Stomach, stomach pierced?”
“That’s what I heard.”
“Is there something like that in 4-element magic? You can make ice with water element magic, but I've never heard of thin ice spikes suddenly appearing and pouring down from the air.”
Latia replied.
“It was amazing. Something... I’d say it’s a new realm of 4-element magic.”
Karin also nodded.
“The same goes for the falling snowflakes. I could at least imitate it roughly because I saw it, but if I hadn't seen it, I would never have thought of creating something like that.”
“Should I have chosen 4-element magic as my minor? It sounds fun! Professor Camilla's class.”
Bellum shook his head.
“Hey, Libre. Didn't you hear that kids got holes in their stomachs? If you had taken the 4-element magic class, you would definitely be in the infirmary right now. Besides, the professor scolded the kids bleeding, saying they couldn't even block ice spikes of this level.”
“Ah… Is that so?”
“It’s crazy as soon as the second year starts. I wonder what the other classes will be like.”
Nubes asked.
“Bellum, didn’t you ask your sister what the second-year swordsmanship class is like?”
“I asked. I asked, but she doesn’t know well because Head Instructor Leo is teaching the second-year class for the first time.”
“Hearing about the magic department students makes me nervous. It’s really brutal.”
“Well, what big deal could there be? At most, we’ll spar with each other from the first class like we did in the first year. We didn't know anything back then, but now we roughly know each other's skills, right?”
“Yeah. Since the grades are all out, they'll probably match us up with similar opponents for sparring.”
The next day, the first swordsmanship class.
Having heard the rumors about the magic department's class the day before, the swordsmanship students stood in two rows in the swordsmanship training ground with stiff expressions.
If the first-year training ground had a square arena on the sand...
The second-year swordsmanship training ground was entirely stone.
The once smooth stones were scratched and worn in places, showing the passage of time.
The effort and sweat of the seniors are soaked into it.
“Once again. Congratulations on becoming second-year students. You’ve worked hard, everyone.”
Head Instructor Leo Martian’s gentle greeting slightly melted the students’ stiff hearts.
“Now, who is the top of the second-year swordsmanship class?”
Leo Martian was asking even though he already knew.
Aside from Davian winning against Bonita in sparring.
There is only one 5-star swordsman among the second-year students.
There's no need to ask who it is.
Davian raised his hand.
“Come forward.”
Davian stepped forward and stood in front of Leo Martian.
“Draw your sword.”
“Pardon?”
“I said, draw your sword. Let’s see your skills.”
Right away?
Sparring with the head instructor?
'He's probably trying to test my skills appropriately.'
Davian drew his sword.
Leo Martian also drew a large sword.
The tip of Leo’s sword pointed precisely at Davian's philtrum.
A sense of unease began to creep in.
“Then, let’s see your skills.”
Swish.
The middle-aged swordsman Leo Martian disappeared from Davian's sight.
‘What!’
Thwack!
A shock that felt like his back would break.
Leo struck Davian's back with the side of his sword.
He barely managed to regain his balance after almost rolling on the floor.
“Your reaction is slower than I thought. The rumors about the monster freshman that spread across the continent must be exaggerated.”
Davian narrowed his eyes and stared at Head Instructor Leo.
'He's serious. This man.'
An 8-star advanced swordsman was attacking with all his might.
If it had been the blade and not the side of the sword...
Davian's body would already be split in two.
‘It’s different from the faceless assassin, Knox Lewis.’
It was the same situation as before, meeting a wall he couldn’t overcome, but it was different from Knox, who had lost three-quarters of his inner strength and was only using swordsmanship to fight Davian.
This time, the opponent was attacking by mobilizing all of his 8-star inner strength.
He thought his skill level for 'Eyes that See the Sword Path' had improved quite a bit, but he couldn't even see the first attack.
“I’m coming again.”
Swish.
The same thing happened this time.
Leo disappeared from Davian's sight in an instant.
Crack!
Along with the sound of bones breaking.
A shock that almost dislocated his shoulder.
As expected, he had the skills of the head instructor of Elton Academy's swordsmanship department.
Davian straightened his stance again.
Head Instructor Leo tilted his head.
“I did hit you gently at first, but…”
Hit me gently?
His back almost broke?
“I clearly hit you hard enough to break your right shoulder bone this time. And yet, you’re raising your sword again with that shoulder. Your movements are slow, but your durability is amazing.”
Davian wasn't interested in what Leo was saying.
All of Davian's senses were focused on Leo's fingertips and toes.
Davian's mind was filled with thoughts of how to block the next attack.
He was so busy recalling the past two attacks that he couldn't even properly assess the condition of his shoulder.
There was a strong impact, but it doesn't matter since there's no problem moving yet.
On the other hand.
Medicalium Frill, the school nurse who had come out to one side of the training ground at the request of the head instructor, had a very interested expression on her face.
'He asked me to come to the training ground because someone might get seriously injured, so this is what it was.'
Head Instructor Leo Martian intended to treat Davian roughly from the start.
That's why he had the school nurse on standby.
But contrary to his intentions.
Medicalium Frill was able to reap an unexpected reward.
'That was definitely the sound of a shoulder bone breaking.'
Not just the sound.
Davian's movements from being hit to regaining his stance.
It was certain that his shoulder bone was broken.
She didn't know how long he had been training his endurance against external forces, but it wasn't a major break, but it was still broken.
‘It’s effective!’
The long-titled paper, 'Report on the Production Method and Clinical Trials of Human Body Transformation Drugs Based on Troll Regenerative Cell Research.'
She made the potion according to the paper and fed it to Davian.
And after researching for over half a year to reduce the dosage period, she developed an improved potion.
Now he can take one every month.
Of course, there are some side effects.
Anyway.
Including the two times she called him to the academy during the vacation, she fed him a total of six times.
And now.
Medicalium Frill is directly witnessing the effects of the potion.
His shoulder bone was definitely broken.
However.
It was healing so quickly that neither the people around him nor even himself noticed it was broken.
At that rate.
It already far exceeded human healing abilities.
'It's a great success. I finally succeeded in changing the human constitution! Of course, only for Davian...'
After being hit four or five more times by Leo Martian.
Davian gritted his teeth.
‘Damn it. I can't do anything like this.’
Davian had always said that real-life combat was the best training.
He knew how great an opportunity it was to have an 8-star advanced swordsman sincerely engage in sparring, but.
He can't do anything like this.
He needs to be able to see something in order to react.
Not only that.
Even if he was lucky enough to predict the trajectory and try to block the attack.
His movements couldn’t keep up this time.
Even if he barely predicted the direction of the attack, he couldn't keep up with Leo Martian's speed.
1 year.
He thought he had grown a lot during the 4th playthrough year.
He thought he could crush any quest and graduate like this.
In just a few months, he had met two unbelievable walls.
Knox Lewis.
Leo Martian.
Since they are swordsmen aiming for the pinnacle of swordsmanship, he could accept not being able to beat them yet.
But he wouldn't allow himself to be this helpless.
The road ahead.
Is still far.
‘Damn it. This won't do.’
Davian glared at Leo Martian and silently shouted 'Point Status'.
=====
[Mana Points: 100K]
―Magic Power: 512K
―Inner Power: 170K
―Outer Power: 116K
―Points Remaining Until Absorption of the Archmage's Heart: 1,102K
=====
But he can't transfer points right now.
If he moved his eyes even a little, Leo Martian, who would discover the opening, would immediately rush in.
"Professor."
"What is it? Surely you're not going to say you want to give up sparring."
No.
He just needs a moment.
“No, I just needed a moment to catch my breath. I’m just dumbfounded by the head instructor’s sincere attacks.”
Only then did Leo Martian lower his sword and straighten his back.
“You’re an honest fellow. Yes. You have every right to be dumbfounded. But that doesn’t mean the sparring is over. And if my attack was sincere, I wouldn’t have swung the side of the sword, but the blade. I’m just curious about your skills.”
During the short conversation.
Davian moved his eyes here and there, pretending to do eye stretching.
In the process, he succeeded in transferring 100K mana points to inner power.
=====
[Mana Points: 0K]
―Magic Power: 512K
―Inner Power: 270K
―Outer Power: 116K
―Points Remaining Until Absorption of the Archmage's Heart: 1,102K
=====
Inner Power 270K.
He exceeded 256K, the standard for 6-star.
It's still a far cry from Leo Martian, who is aiming for 9-star beyond 8-star, but.
There was another reason for raising his inner strength.
=====
[Current Skills]
―Blessing of the Hydra Lv.43
―Eyes that See the Sword Path Lv.42
―<Advanced> Festival of Fire Lv.8
―<Advanced> Shadow Move Lv.10
=====
The level of the skill 'Eyes that See the Sword Path' increased by 3 levels to 42.
The skill 'Shadow Walk' instantly surpassed level 20 and was changed to the advanced skill 'Shadow Move' and became level 10.
Ting.
=====
[Skill Evolution]
―The skill 'Shadow Walk' has become level 20 and will evolve into the advanced skill 'Shadow Move.'
=====
=====
[Shadow Move Lv.10]
―Active Skill
―Cooldown Time: 24 hours
―Duration: (25→)39 minutes
―If you are inside a shadow, you can move without being noticed by people.
―Movement speed is doubled compared to normal.
―Duration increases according to skill level.
―Warning: Even if you are in a shadow, you may be detected by an opponent with higher inner power than the caster.
―Raising inner power while possessing the skill will increase the skill level
―Upon reaching skill level 20, evolve into the rare skill 'Shadow Creation'
=====
When it was a normal skill, it only concealed your appearance when walking under the shadow.
Now that it has evolved into an advanced skill.
An attribute has been added that doubles movement speed when the skill is activated.
The duration is 39 minutes.
“Are you a little more prepared now?”
Davian slowly nodded.
‘Shadow Move.’
The skill was activated.
“Then let's start again.”
Swish.
Leo Martian’s left foot slid gently diagonally forward.
Davian's gaze was fixed on the tip of his sword.
'I can see it!'
Davian's toes also began to move.
Leo Martian's eyebrows twitched as he watched Davian's movements.
'What, this guy. He's changed?'
Comments
Post a Comment