Volume 1 Chapter 13 Skill Selection
Edited by: Kanaa-senpai
”Wow, this is amazing. Just from a little over an hour of mingling, I’ve got enough magic power to fill 2 bathtubs!”
On his way back from the monastery, Kian clenched his fists and muttered to himself.
Esther had a surprising amount of magic power for an ordinary person, but Aliona was on a whole different level.
She was literally beyond human comprehension.
(In my case, the magic power I naturally emit is less than most people’s. Even the magic power I’ve stolen from others takes a while to fade away.)
So that means he could use all that magic power from the bathtubs without holding back.
He didn’t need to worry about conserving energy or being stingy anymore.
He could waste it freely.
’As expected of a high elf. And it seems like she’s been around for quite a while. The quality and quantity of the magic power she can draw out is just different. This one has seen some of the strongest magic power in their life, and Aliona ranks among the top 5.’
”With this, I should be able to use basic techniques other than ‘impact.’ For example──’Leap’.”
Kian channeled magic power into his legs and kicked off the ground, launching himself forward.
The brown earth beneath him was gouged out as he moved an impossible distance in an instant.
It was risky to use alone when it was raining, but it was a handy basic technique for closing the gap or making a quick escape.
’You can use techniques other than ‘impact’ too!’
”Yeah. I learned a bunch at the monastery. I spent the whole day practicing ‘impact,’ but honestly, I shouldn’t need to practice that much just to use basic techniques. …I mean, it’s because my public persona is so meticulous and cautious that my fundamentals are rock solid.”
’Usually, you’re ridiculously meticulous and cautious. If you combined the two of you, it’d be just the right balance.’
”Now that I’ve figured out how to consistently gather magic power, the next question is what kind of warrior I’m gonna grow into.”
He had just gained some magic power, and the glasses said, ‘Should you just go for a healer class for now? That’s gotta be a money-maker’.
”That’s not really the point. My combat class is what you’d call an ‘Azrael Warrior Monk.’ I can heal, swing a sword, and even do some assassination──pretty much a jack-of-all-trades special class. What I’m trying to figure out is what type of ‘Azrael Warrior Monk’ I wanna be.”
’What do you mean?’
”As you know, ‘Azrael’s Dance Swordsmanship’ has 4 basic techniques.”
Namely:.
’Impact’… skills that enhance weapons.
’Leap’… skills that boost speed.
’Shot’… skills that improve range.
’Wall’… skills that strengthen the body for defense and healing.
”Well, this extra knowledge isn’t really necessary to remember, but…
most Azrael Warrior Monks can handle the basics pretty well. But when it comes to the advanced or derived skills beyond the basics, it’s not guaranteed they can do all of them. In fact, they usually can’t. It’s super tough to master everything. So, everyone tends to focus on honing their own preferred skill set.
For example, if someone masters ‘Impact,’ they’ll likely become a type that excels in direct combat with weapons.
If they master ‘Wall,’ they might become a barrier master who protects important people or even a healer capable of restoring lost limbs, known as divine works”.
’What happens if you master ‘Leap’?’
”You’d become a close-combat type.”
’So it’s kinda the same as mastering ‘Impact’?’
”Not quite. For instance, if you polish ‘Impact,’ you’ll be able to destroy your opponent’s weapon in a clash or deal damage directly to their insides, ignoring tough scales or armor. But if you have a magic sword or holy sword that cuts through any tough scales or armor like hot butter, that technique becomes kinda unnecessary, right? In that case, mastering ‘Leap’ would be a more efficient way to get stronger. However, if that magic or holy sword gets taken away, your power would drop like a rock.
A warrior who has mastered ‘impact’ is a jack-of-all-trades, a universal swordsman who can handle any situation.
But the one who’s mastered ‘Leap’ is super strong under specific conditions, but not so much otherwise──a real peak type.
It’s like they’re filling in the gaps with alchemy skills using poison and explosives”.
’”Leap” doesn’t sound that strong, does it?’
”Not at all! There are plenty of folks who excel in one thing, and after mastering their techniques, they get taught this ultimate move called ‘Secret Swordsmanship’ from the previous generation. I’ve heard that the ‘Secret Swordsmanship’ from the ‘Leap’ line has some insane power. The details are kept secret, so I don’t know.”
’Oh, “Secret Swordsmanship”, huh? That’s an exciting word!’
”Right now, that technique feels way out of my league.”
He shrugged as he said that.
’By the way, I never asked what happens if you master “Shot”.’
”‘Shot’ is… special. The basic technique is pretty simple──just channeling magic power and shooting it out. But the derived skills are all over the place. You’d be better off calling it a magician than a swordsman. If you master ‘Shot’, eventually you won’t even need a weapon. With just a finger, just by thinking, you can overpower your opponent.”
’That sounds pretty strong. It’s always been said that when it comes to firepower, magicians are the real deal.’
”But… getting to that level is tough. For example, if you blast your magic power at someone and send them flying, what do you do next? Do you rush in and stab them before they get back up? It’s way easier to just train in ‘impact’ and swing a sword around. It’s barbaric, but it works.”
’Hmm.’
”To seriously master ‘Shot’, you need special talent and training, plus the blood and flesh of high-level spirits or monsters. You have to modify your body to get stronger. But if you just throw money and time at it and end up failing, there’s no coming back from that. It’s pretty risky.”
’So, which path do you want to master? The universal swordsman “impact”?’
”Well, if you’re going to self-study, ‘impact’ is the safest bet. But you know what? I absolutely hate the word ‘safe.’ I’m always living on the edge, you know? If I can, I wanna take the risky path. High risk, high reward. Specifically──’shot.’ The reason is, like I said, it’s got the most firepower, and if I master it, it seems like it’d be incredibly strong. …The problem is, I don’t have enough of my tachyonian cells to really master it. If I always have to steal from others, that’s gonna be tough. I need to find some kind of solution, or it’ll be hard to strengthen my ‘shot’ skills.”
Just then, he steps out onto the main street.
If he keeps going straight, he’ll hit ‘The Boar’s Trot Inn’ where Esther works.
Yesterday──after they had s*x, she asked him with that lovesick look, “Are you coming back tomorrow?” Kian replied, “Of course.” He never thought he’d actually get magic power from Aliona, so he kept that option open just in case his pick-up game didn’t go well.
”I promised I’d show my face. She’s probably asleep by now, but if that’s the case, I’ll just check out the room I’m planning to borrow and head back.”
’Playing with the heart of an innocent girl, huh?’
”Hey, it’s necessary for survival. Well… it’s not like a peaceful relationship can last between me and this sadistic Esther. Eventually, we’ll probably end up parting ways with some cash compensation.”
’You’re the worst when you’re wearing that outfit, to put it mildly.’
”Esther probably just has a fleeting crush on me. There’s no way she’s really thinking about dedicating her life to me. She’s just using me to satisfy her curiosity about s*x, like any teenage girl would.”
’Let’s hope that’s the case…’
When Kian arrives in front of Esther’s tavern, he checks to see that all the lights are off.
There’s no one left on the main street, and in the narrow alley, a few drunken patrons are mumbling in their sleep.
He uses his basic technique, ‘Leap,’ to leap up to the roof in an instant.
With a little push, he lifts himself up and lands silently on the rooftop.
”My room was the one all the way on the right.”
’Speaking of which… if you are going master ‘shooting,’ this one know a place where some useful tools are buried.’
”What’s that?”
’Want to know?’
Kian furrowed his brows at the glasses, who was acting all mysterious.
”Spit it out already.”
’You remember that request you got about treasure hunting in the “Labyrinth of Roses,” right?’
”Yeah. So, is there some other treasure lying around besides what I was asked to find?”
’Well, I only heard about it from other travelers while we were on the journey. What should I do, should I tell you?’
As Kian placed his hand on the window, he clicked his tongue softly.
”If you don’t hurry up, I’ll toss you into the sewer. You’ll be eaten by giant rats and spend your life stinking in the mud.”
’Deep inside that labyrinth, there”s a mansion where you can get the legacy of ancient warriors. But you must defeat the monsters guarding it to break the seal.’
”What?!”
Kian frowned.
’It’s equipment that has the ability to absorb magic power from slain creatures. The ancient warriors used this to gain magic power. The downside is, just like with the absorption technique, if the user has too many tachyonian cells, the absorbed magic power might clash and dissipate. It’s equipment that only someone like you can use.’
”…So all that info is just stuff you eavesdropped from travelers?”
’Hey, hey, what are you doubting me for?’
The laughter from the glasses was exaggeratedly cheerful.
Kian clearly showed his distrust on his face.
”With that absorption technique and all, what exactly are you? I can’t just see you as some useless glasses anymore──.”
Just as Kian was about to press for more answers, the window of the room he was borrowing suddenly swung open without warning.
He instinctively jumped to the roof to dodge, but when he saw a brown-haired girl peeking in, he called out suspiciously.
”Esther?”
”Eh…? Kya! M-Mr. Kian? What are you doing up on this roof?”
”Oh, uh…”
Kian stood up and smiled.
”I thought I’d stop by to check out the room after work. Also, I came to keep the promise we made last night. I said I’d come see you again tomorrow.”
”Is that so…? I’m so happy! I was starting to think you wouldn’t come anymore.”
Esther’s face twisted into a crinkly smile.
”You’ve been up this late?”
”Yeah. I was waiting for Mr. Kian, and look at the time. I was actually waiting in my room, but I couldn’t settle down, so I started cleaning the room Mr. Kian said he’d borrow.”
”That’s gotta be annoying for the other guests.”
”Haha, right? Sorry about that!”
She said that with a laugh and then let down her ponytail that she had been tying up.
”I’ll stop cleaning now. Please, come on in. I’ll get the water ready right away!”
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Edited by Kanaa-senpai.
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