Chapter 7
Luna leapt backward.
At the same time, she rested her hand on the handle of her sheathed sword.
This was known as the drawing stance.
The secret swordsmanship of the Lester family was based on this stance.
The problem was... she should be preparing to use her family's swordsmanship on a transparent slime, but it looked like she intended to use it on me?
"You... what are you doing?"
"Keke, as you can see, I'm on your side."
"Bullshit."
She doesn't trust me. She doesn't trust anyone.
No, that's not it.
She couldn't trust anyone.
Friends, relatives, allies, investigators, even the vagabonds on the streets.
Because they didn't listen to her.
"I'm on your side. If I were an enemy, I would have already pushed you into a trap and had you captured, wouldn't I?"
"...Maybe. Or are you after something else? Like making me fight and then stabbing me in the back, or having an instructor see my family swordsmanship so you don't have to get your hands dirty?"
That's a high level of paranoia.
Well, she can't help it since she really suffers from that condition.
"Keke, trust me. It's just us here."
"Then why don't you fight?"
"My power is too flashy and will attract attention. Everyone in the academy will know we're here... Are you okay with that?"
Luna gritted her teeth.
Attracting attention was not good for Luna either.
But still.
"Get lost."
That was so Luna.
The girl who veteran players never managed to make an ally of.
Was my plan to make her an ally too ambitious?
I fell into deep thought for a moment.
'Is there a skill I possess that can overcome this situation?'
'Hero of the Academy' is a game with a high degree of freedom.
The more hidden pieces you have, or the more skills you possess, the wider your range of choices becomes.
If I were playing this situation in a game?
The choices available to me right now would be:
Talk.
Attack with a sword.
Attack with a club.
Use the [Information Window].
Use [Eye Opening].
Run away.
The goal is to persuade Luna.
So, among these, the action I need to take now is...
After much deliberation, I spoke up.
"...I see. I didn't realize you could be so foolish. It's no wonder your family is heading towards ruin."
"What did you say!?"
"Revenge is out of the question. The only survivor has an empty head. There's no hope. The Lester family is finished."
"You little...!"
She was about to kill me, exam or not.
She was furious. Noticeably so.
So far, everything was going according to plan. Luna, in her anger, must have received a -20 penalty to her intelligence.
Now was the time for an adventure I had never tried before in the game.
'It was strange from the beginning.'
A weird skill, even a veteran like me couldn't figure out how to use properly.
The appearance of people who were filled with hostility, who had terrorized the continent.
And my face, which looked exactly like theirs.
I could see it.
The many hidden pieces that had branched out because of it.
Yeah, let's give it a try.
The skill I activated was.
The F-grade skill, [Eye Opening].
* * *
'What, what's this!'
As the unidentified boy suddenly opened his eyes, Luna couldn't help but be startled.
His eyes glowed ominously red.
Just looking at them made her skin crawl.
'The aura has changed...!'
She could sense it.
The person standing in front of her now was a completely different entity from the one she had been talking to moments ago.
'If I draw my sword, I'll be the one to die...!'
Her instincts were screaming at her.
She had thought he was nothing but trash who only talked big despite being weak, but it wasn't so.
It was the opposite.
'A formidable opponent...!'
His ridiculous confidence and those chilling eyes said it all.
Yes, it was strange from the start that he knew her identity.
He was hiding his strength. Just like her, to achieve a certain 'purpose'.
Luna swallowed her saliva without realizing it.
It was around the time she realized that her hand holding the sword hilt was sweaty, that he opened his mouth.
"Keke, there's no need to be so cautious. As I said before, I'm on your side."
It's unbelievable.
After her family was accused of treason, no one lent her a hand.
Not only did they not help her, but they also wouldn't even listen to her.
'I thought I had perfectly concealed my identity.'
After disguising another corpse as herself, she had disappeared for five years.
And she began to secretly gather strength.
To one day clear her family's name of the false accusations.
'I was just beginning to understand the family's swordsmanship...'
Why had she emerged again, even though she was not fully prepared?
Because someone was deliberately erasing all traces of the Lester family.
If this continued, it would become impossible to prove that her family was innocent and not involved in the rebellion.
That's why she came out. But still.
'There's someone who knows I exist? That's impossible.'
Moreover, someone who believes in the Lester family's innocence and offers to join hands.
Everything is so confusing that her head is spinning.
'What should I do?'
The sole survivor of the Lester family.
The immense burden of restoring the family's honor.
The pressure that comes from having to make all the decisions and choices.
This situation was too difficult a trial for Luna, who was just fifteen.
"Sigh... I apologize. I got a bit excited. There's not much time, so I'll speak directly. Now is the time for us to join forces."
"...What kind of nonsense is that?"
"Keke, what I mean is that your goal and mine aren't that different."
Her goal was to restore her family's honor and seek revenge.
So, was this boy also falsely accused?
If such a powerful person becomes her ally.
'Wouldn't revenge be much easier?'
She should take the boy's hand quickly.
It felt like a devil whispering in her ear.
She always thought people who fell for the devil's temptations were fools.
But now that she's in such a situation, not taking his hand seemed absurd.
'But why would someone with such skills...?'
Why is he urging her to fight the slime?
It's suspicious. Too suspicious to trust his words.
"Unlike Miss Luna, my powers leave traces. Your family's techniques only have a signature when used. That's why I'm asking for your help."
So, does his power lie in magic? Or some special secret technique of his family?
Which family that had been wiped out had such a technique?
Luna's thoughts were prolonged when suddenly -
20 minutes left until the end of the first exam!
The instructor's shout echoed through the forest.
As if the situation wasn't tense enough, now there was also a time constraint.
Sweat formed on Luna's forehead.
"If you don't like it, refuse. I can escape using my power. But, as for you, a witness... you'll probably die here."
His eyes shone coldly.
She could feel the scabbard at her waist trembling.
Soon, Luna realized that it wasn't the scabbard trembling, but herself.
"Do you really have the skills to do that?"
She tried to hide her trembling hands and voice.
But he just let out an unpleasant laugh.
"Keke, do you know why there's no instructor around here?"
"What, why?"
"Because someone took care of them. And who might that someone be? I'm not quite sure. Hahahaha!"
A laugh filled with madness.
Luna's hair stood on end.
'This guy... he killed the instructor!'
Killing an innocent person just to keep a secret.
He's a real villain.
'The skills of an Annwood Academy instructor are at least of a knight's level.'
Then how strong is this boy?
Above the level of a knight.
Luna felt all the blood drain from her body.
"In fact, keeping you alive serves not only our shared purpose but also... to assess your skills."
"...Skills?"
"To see if you have enough value to be spared for my purpose... Is that too cruel to say? Hahahaha!!"
Hearing this, Luna hung her head low.
Even at the risk of her life, she would not beg to be spared.
The proud Lester family. She was the last survivor of such a family. For Luna, begging for her life was unthinkable.
'But I made a vow.'
The unburied bodies of her parents, executed and denied even a proper burial.
She had sworn in front of them, tears streaming down her face.
She must survive. Even if it means crawling through the dirt and mud, she must live.
To restore the honor of her family and to exact bloody revenge on those who framed them!
Even if it means.
'Joining hands with a devil.'
She clenched the handle of her sword tightly.
It was cold and hard. But it didn't hurt.
After all, Luna had undergone grueling training for the past five years.
Her childlike appearance contrasted with the scars on her hands.
The numerous scars and calluses on her hands testified to her efforts.
She had to prove it. She had to show that she had value.
The secret swordsmanship of her family, practiced alone for five years without anyone's guidance.
She put all her strength into executing it.
The first secret technique of the Lester family style.
One Flash.
* * *
Kagagagagak-!
Bushes and trees, even the dew on them.
Everything was sliced in a straight line and floated in the air.
The transparent slime was no exception.
Though invisible, she could clearly see a large crack in the core of the transparent slime, which had been busily absorbing its nucleus.
"Damn! Too shallow...!"
Luna's exclamation came out almost like a sigh.
But this was enough. I was prepared for such a situation.
I jumped off the rock and swung my club downwards.
Crack!!
The core and the slime of the transparent slime couldn't withstand the combined force of my weight, gravity, and the club, and crashed to the ground.
It was an excellent situation.
Time to show the proven efficacy of the club.
Crack! Crunch!
Crack!
After a couple more swings, the core of the transparent slime shattered.
At the same time, the slime stopped moving.
The [Rapid Regeneration] skill did not activate. She had won.
I had.
‘Leveled up by 2.’
Achieved level 9. Just one more level and I can use the hidden pieces in the stat window.
But the harvest didn't end there.
[‘Transparent Material’ acquired.]
[A special condition has been met.]
[‘Predation’ skill acquired.]
[Transparent Material: S]
A transparent substance. Its use is unknown.
[Predation: S]
You can acquire one of the skills held by boss monsters and named monsters.
The grade of the acquired skill changes to F.
‘This is it.’
I put the small bottle containing the transparent material into my pocket.
It's useless for now but will be needed for crafting items in the distant future.
What’s important is the skill 'Predation', a hidden piece.
‘A cheat-like skill that can absorb and grow skills from bosses and named monsters.’
It's an unimpressive skill now, but its value increases over time.
Named monsters are defined as monsters of S rank and above.
One of the skills they hold.
It's a bit disappointing due to its randomness and the downgrade to F rank.
‘But there is a way to somewhat alleviate that disappointment.’
The transparent slime is an S-ranked monster.
Classified as a named monster, it meets the conditions for using the [Predation] skill.
The skills held by the transparent slime are [Rapid Regeneration], [Predation], [Gluttony], and [Digestion].
Excluding [Predation], which was obtained by meeting the conditions of a hidden piece.
The skills I can acquire are either [Rapid Regeneration], [Gluttony], or [Digestion].
A 1/3 chance. Which skill will I get?
‘Hoping for Gluttony. It would supplement my lacking stats.’
The broken core of the transparent slime lay there.
I placed my hand on it and used the [Predation] skill.
--TL Notes--
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