Volume 1 Chapter 10
Edited by: Kanaa-senpai
After our first mock battle ended, Mana stayed at the edge of the ‘Phase Zero’ dungeon, focused on her martial arts forms.
While she trained, I was busy with… well, something else entirely.
”I’m sure it was… somewhere around here, right?”
I traced my fingers along my spine, pressing down hard. Ngh… there? No. I was trying to see if I could use my [Pressure Point] skill on myself. It sounds simple, but it’s harder than it looks.
”Nothing. It’s not triggering at all… Is this the kind of skill that only works on other people? No, that can’t be it. I’ve got pressure points just like anyone else. Maybe the locations are just slightly different for every person?”
Thinking back to the massage I gave Rin-sensei, I slowly worked my way down to my lower back. A firm press did nothing. A light stroke did nothing. Maybe there’s a trick to it, or maybe I’m just hitting the wrong spots. I didn’t have the answer, but I wasn’t ready to give up yet. I kept at it, kneading the muscles around my waist.
I spent the next twenty minutes shifting my grip and probing. Then, out of nowhere, I felt a jarring sensation—like a plug had been pulled and the Dungeon Energy inside me was suddenly draining away.
”Whoa… Oh! I think I did it!?”
”You ‘did it’?” Mana paused her training to trot over. “Does that mean you successfully used your [Job Skill]?”
”Yeah… I felt my energy take a huge dive. But I wonder what it actually did…?”
I stood up and tried to move.
”Wait… my body feels… light?”
I swung my arms—they moved faster than I’d ever seen. I tried a test hop and practically launched myself into the air. I could feel a surge of power coursing through me, far beyond my normal limits.
”So… it’s a Physical Boost skill?”
”Yeah, looks like it.”
An ability that spikes your physical stats just by hitting a pressure point. Even with a funky name like [Vital Point Master], 1 it’s still a legitimate Dungeon Job—I guess it’s not that weird for the perk to be a massive combat buff. With this effect active, I might actually stand a chance in ‘Phase One’.
The real question was: just how much of a boost are we talking about?
”In that case… why don’t we try another mock battle?” Mana suggested with a smile. “It’ll be the fastest way to see the difference.”
”You’re right… let’s do it!”
I took my stance, facing her once more.
”You’ll need to get used to the feeling of the skill, so I’ll start off easy, okay?”
”Ready when you are!”
The second round of training began. As I dodged and parried Mana’s opening moves, the difference was night and day compared to our first fight. My reflexes were sharper, my movements more fluid. Evading her strikes felt almost… easy.
However…
”It seems like it only boosts my raw physical stats—strength and speed. My dynamic vision hasn’t changed, and getting hit still hurts just as much as before…”
”I see!” Mana chirped, though her pace didn’t slacken. “Still, you’re significantly stronger than you were ten minutes ago! Hah! Tah! Seiya!”
Even while chatting, Mana didn’t stop. In fact, the pressure of her attacks started to climb. It turned out she’d been holding back a lot more than I thought during our first match. This was the real Mana. But thanks to my boosted stats, I could actually keep up with her ferocious assault.
(The effect is definitely the real deal… but…)
Even with a Physical Boost, it didn’t feel like I could actually win against Mana in her base state. And here she was, unleashing this terrifying display of skill, yet she still wasn’t allowed into ‘Phase One’. If I wanted to bridge that gap, I needed more than just a stat bump. I needed something else.
”This is incredible, Kanade-kun! Hah! Fu! Haa!”
Mana seemed to be having the time of her life, but as my fatigue started to pile up, dodging became a struggle. I stopped trying to evade everything and focused on taking her blows on the sturdier parts of my body.
”Ghh! Ack! Damn…!”
”Hehe. You seem like you can take quite a beating now. Your durability has improved wonderfully… Let’s keep this going just a little longer, shall we?”
She might look like the perfect, serious Class President, but I was starting to suspect she had a bit of a sadistic streak. Mana kept the pressure on, looking entirely too happy about it. Eventually, she caught me with a sharp kick I couldn’t block in time, and I went flying.
I scrambled to my feet to avoid a follow-up, but she stopped there.
”That’s enough for today. It’s almost time to wrap up.”
”Yeah… I still couldn’t win, but… I could move so much better… If I keep training like this, eventually…”
It didn’t look like [Vital Point Master] was some kind of “cheat” job that would make me god-tier overnight, but a versatile Physical Boost was a solid foundation. If I could master this ability and keep grinding, I might really make it to ‘Phase One’ someday.
As I was lost in thought, Mana walked up to me. Her expression was more serious than I’d ever seen it.
”Um… Kanade-kun! If you don’t mind… there’s something I’d like to ask of you…”
She looked at me with eyes sparkling with anticipation. The words that came out of her mouth next were exactly what I’d been secretly expecting.
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Summary:
Kanade experiments with his unique skill and discovers he can apply ‘Tenketsu’ to himself to trigger a significant physical enhancement. This self-buff allows him to keep pace with Mana’s serious combat maneuvers, though he realizes it only increases raw power and speed rather than technical perception. The training session reveals Mana’s hidden enjoyment of aggressive dominance in battle. Despite the power-up, Kanade concludes he is still lacking a ‘finishing move’ or additional power to qualify for higher-level dungeon exploration. The chapter concludes with Mana approaching Kanade with a mysterious and highly anticipated request.
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Trivia:
- The 20-minute delay before the skill activates suggests that Kanade’s internal energy channels or ‘Pressure Points’ are non-standard or harder to manipulate.
- The specific drain of ‘Dungeon Energy’ indicates a mana-based resource system that might limit the duration of his buffs in real combat.
- Mana’s ability to easily outpace a ‘buffed’ Job user confirms her as a high-tier combatant, hinting at her own powerful background or Job.
- The mention of ‘dynamic vision’ staying the same foreshadows future skill evolutions where he will need to buff his senses, not just his muscles
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Character Insight:
The dynamic shifts from a standard student-teacher sparring match to a more intense, emotionally charged interaction. Mana’s transition from a polite ‘Class President’ to someone who ‘seems to be having the time of her life’ while pummelling Kanade suggests she is opening up her true personality to him. Kanade’s willingness to act as a ‘punching bag’ to test his limits shows his growing trust in her strength.
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Lore And Worldbuilding Context:
The concept of ‘Dungeon Energy’ is solidified as a fuel source for Job Skills. The distinction between ‘Phase Zero’ and ‘Phase One’ suggests a strictly regulated tier system for delvers, where raw physical ability alone isn’t enough to progress; specific ‘permission’ or a certain threshold of power is required.
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TL Notes:
The term ‘Vital Point Master’ (点穴師) is localized to emphasize the RPG ‘Job’ aspect. The ‘S-ish’ (sadistic) personality trait is a common light novel trope used to add depth to ‘perfect’ female characters by giving them a hidden, aggressive quirk.
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Glossary:
Notes:
• 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.
• 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.
• 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.
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Edited by Kanaa-senpai.
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