Volume 1 Chapter 8
Edited by: Kanaa-senpai
I headed toward the Class President’s seat and called out to her as she sat there looking down.
”Class President.”
”……Kanade-kun?” She slowly raised her head and looked at me. “Is that you?”
Her face lacked its former brightness, but—perhaps as a result of me reaching out to her these past few days—she gave me a faint, fragile smile.
”Thank you for always checking on me… but you don’t really need to spend your precious time on someone like me, you know?”
”Someone like you? Just being able to talk to you makes me happy…”
”No, I’m just… I ended up with a [Dud Job1]. I’m less than a house centipede… You’d be better off studying your Job and Skills like everyone else instead of talking to me.”
I wasn’t sure why she chose a house centipede as a comparison, but…
”Like I said yesterday, I got a [Unique Job]. Unlike the others, there’s nothing I can really look up outside of a dungeon. My Dungeon Energy is tapped out, too, so there’s nothing I can do until we enter ‘Phase Zero’ today.”
”I suppose… that might be true, but…”
”It is! More importantly, did you think about what I asked yesterday?”
”You mean… about being partners for the ‘Phase Zero’ practical training?”
”Yeah!”
Since everyone in class had received a [Dungeon Job], the ‘Phase Zero’ training starting today was going to be handled differently than before.
Those with [Common Jobs] would learn how to move their bodies according to their roles and how to use their (Job Skills). Once they built up enough combat ability for the instructors to approve, they would be allowed to enter ‘Phase One’ dungeons.
As for those who didn’t get [Common Jobs]… it varied. Those who landed “winning” [Rare Jobs] would likely move on to ‘Phase One’ dungeons even faster than the common tiers.
In my case, having a [Unique Job], everything depended on whether I could master it. I needed to put all my effort into figuring out exactly what this Job and its Skills were.
For someone like the Class President who ended up with a [Dud Job]… they were allowed to continue basic training in ‘Phase Zero,’ but the reality was that there wasn’t much else for them to do.
Anyway, back to the point…
”So, Youta has to find a partner with a [Common Job] for his training, which leaves me all alone. It would really help me out if you’d at least do the basic training with me.”
I acted like it was no big deal, but my heart was pounding. If she agreed to this… I’d get to do those stretches I’d been so jealous of with the Class President herself.
Using that as a foot in the door… we’d get closer and closer… and eventually, her and me……… hehehe…
”Kosaka-kun seems to be partnering up with Izumi-san now…” Her voice snapped me back to reality. “And since he’s already dumped me, I suppose there’s no problem on my end, but…”
It turned out that the “handsome jerk” Kosaka had already moved on and partnered with Izumi Haruka-san, one of the “Four Heavenly Kings,” right after dumping the Class President. The fact that he went after my second-favorite girl immediately after dumping my first-favorite really irritated me.
”Wait, that guy… they just broke up and he’s already dating Haruka-san?”
”No, I haven’t heard that they’re dating… I just saw them together, and he had a rather unseemly look on his face…”
I could still see a lingering attachment in her expression. Even after such a cold breakup, it seemed she hadn’t completely cut her feelings for him. If possible, I wanted her to forget him entirely and start looking my way.
”I see… but that means there’s no problem with us partnering up, right? Come on, just for today, as a trial run—can we do the basic training together?”
”……Yes. If you’re okay with that, Kanade-kun… I’d actually like to ask the same of you.”
”Awesome! Thanks, Class President!”
When I flashed a wide grin, she looked at me and offered a small, gentle smile of her own.
”……It’s Mana.”
”…Huh?”
”I mean, since we’re going to be training partners… please call me by my name instead of ‘Class President’…”
”Wait, really? …O-okay! …Mana-san?”
”Just Mana is fine.”
”…G-got it… Mana!”
”Yes, Kanade-kun… I look forward to working with you today.”
And so, I successfully became partners for ‘Phase Zero’ with the Class President… or rather, with Mana.
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Summary:
Kanade approaches the despondent Class President, Mana, who is struggling with the social stigma of receiving a useless job. Despite her self-deprecation, Kanade successfully convinces her to become his training partner for the upcoming ‘Phase Zero’ session. Their conversation reveals that Mana was recently dumped by the class’s popular student, Kosaka, who has already moved on to a high-ranking classmate. The interaction ends on a positive note as Mana invites Kanade to call her by her first name. This marks a significant shift in their relationship from formal classmates to personal partners.
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Trivia:
- The ‘House Centipede’ comparison suggests a severe lack of self-worth in Mana that might hinder her future skill awakening.
- Kanade’s ‘Unique Job’ is emphasized as having no external data, suggesting its true power is completely unprecedented and likely tied to the title’s ‘Vital Point’ theme.
- Kosaka’s move to Izumi Haruka establishes a potential antagonist dynamic or a future conflict between the two training pairs.
- The transition from ‘Class President’ to ‘Mana’ serves as a flag for character-driven progression over system-driven progression
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Character Insight:
The dynamic shifts from a hierarchy of ‘Class President and Student’ to an ‘Equal Partnership.’ This is evidenced by Mana’s request, ‘Please call me by my name instead of Class President,’ signaling her trust in Kanade as her emotional anchor.
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Lore And Worldbuilding Context:
The chapter introduces the hierarchy of [Dungeon Jobs]: Common, Rare, Unique, and Dud. It also explains the ‘Phase’ system of training, where Phase Zero is a safe prep area for basic training before being allowed into Phase One combat zones.
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TL Notes:
The term ‘Hazure Shokugyou’ (translated here as Dud Job) is a common trope in the ‘Narou’ genre, usually indicating a job that is perceived as weak but has a hidden ‘cheat’ mechanism.
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Glossary:
Notes:
• Kanade – Small‑statured academy student with a Unique Job—Vital Point Master/Pressure Point—who’s analytical, determined to reach Phase One, and supportive of the Class President despite doubts about his skill. He admires the President, has a crush on Mana, and feels competitive with Kosaka, while cynically viewing the government’s National Citizenry classes and his peers.
• Rin – Voluptuous‑figured teacher in a crisp white lab coat, high Dungeon Infiltration Degree, serves as academy staff in the Appraisal Room and mentors students. She was the first to feel Kanade’s skill’s effects.
• Youta – Kanade’s energetic classmate and friend, an upbeat student who believes in her potential, recently earned a Dungeon Job (Heavy Warrior) and leads dungeon explorations. He’s the first to sense Kanade’s awakening, supportive and enthusiastic about her growth.
• Izumi Haruka – One of the Four Heavenly Kings. A handsome, ‘Prince’ type girl who uses ‘boku’ to refer to herself. She has a large bust size, second only to Higuchi.
• Mana – Class President, a serious, neat beauty with long hair, glasses, and a black ponytail, refined and disciplined, high agility, elite close‑quarters combat skill. She practices martial arts, shows a sadistic competitive side, and is currently dating soccer ace Kosaka, though recently dumped and depressed, feeling worthless like a house centipede.
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Edited by Kanaa-senpai.
Thanks for reading.
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