Chapter 26
“A Warrior?”
Seol nodded his head at Agnes’s question . Just as he had been ordered to, he informed her of his class as soon as it was bestowed to him .
“I see . ” Agnes nodded back while inwardly breathing a wistful sigh .
If one were to rate the values of different classes, then the ‘Magician’ class possessed an unmatched brilliance that no others could hope to match . Not only did this class boast incredible firepower, but it also came with the inherent advantage of cheat-like flexibility, allowing for the rapid adaptation to the situation at hand .
On top of that, it was a rare class too . It would be difficult to find even one out of 100 candidates . In order to become a ‘Magician’, one’s Mana stat had to be ‘Low-Intermediate’ at a bare minimum . Not to mention, one’s personality trait and the talent had to be suitable as well .
In reality, the average Mana value of the survivors entering the Neutral Zone was only at ‘Low-Low’ . It was only par for the course that their Mana stat would be that low since they had been living on Earth with its advanced technology .
So, it was only natural that finding a Magician among them would be difficult . And it was definitely not an exaggeration to say survivors with the Magician class would be treated as a nobility regardless of where they showed up .
It was a similar story for Priests as well . The basic requirements were for one to possess Mana stat of at least ‘Intermediate-Low’ and Luck stat of ‘Low-Intermediate’ .
Priests were well-recognized as an important class as they had supportive abilities such as healing, detoxification, and removal of curses . Since such abilities were in high demand, the presence of a Priest was welcomed by pretty much everyone .
‘If he was at least an Archer…’
Archers also formed an important and necessary fighting force in an expedition . After all, the ability to track, scout, and sense the enemy’s movements was indispensable .
Of course, this didn’t mean that ‘Warriors’ didn’t play an important role . The issue had to do with the abundant supply – there were just too many of them . Taking one look at the class distribution among the March’s Neutral Zone entrants told everything one needed to know in that regard .
86 people entered the Neutral Zone on the first day, and currently 78 still remained . Among them, there were four Priests, one Magician, and 22 Archers . The remaining 51 were Warriors .
Some even joked that all Warriors had to do was be a meat shield . This wasn’t entirely a joke as a Contracted who didn’t show any redeeming qualities often ended up as a meat shield .
‘Regardless, all I have to do is train him well . ’
Agnes carefully fixed her expression so as to not reveal her thoughts . Then, she handed Seol a piece of paper .
“I understand . Let us begin with training your mana first . ”
[Reacting to Mana (remaining number of attempts: ꝏ/ꝏ)]
Sense your Mana!
Difficulty: Basic
When successful: N/A
When unsuccessful: N/A
*Cooperation possible (up to 6 people)
The parchment contained one of the new missions that appeared on the noticeboard after the Awakening was completed . Although he took the parchment since Agnes was giving it to him, he was feeling a bit skeptical as well .
‘Sense my mana, is it?’
A firm, heavy energy had taken root inside his body . This thing didn’t feel alien to him anymore . Not only could he sense it very clearly, but he also thought that he’d be able to circulate this energy inside his body as long as he concentrated .
“Okay . I’m off . ”
While remaining not wholly convinced, Seol ripped the parchment in half and disappeared from the spot .
Agnes looked on . The space Seol teleported to was an artificially created space where the density of mana was thicker than usual and helped one’s training by stimulating the energy hidden within . Even if one was a Warrior, one would still be able to sense mana coursing through their body .
Agnes became slightly worried, wondering how should she go about guiding him after the mana training came to an end . She was about to turn around to leave, but then her movements came to an abrupt halt .
Seol had reappeared on the same spot .
“I succeeded . ”
Agnes blinked several times as she stared at the relaxed youth .
“You… succeeded already?”
“Yes . It was easier than I thought . As soon as I got there, I… . ”
“What did you say?!”
Agnes’s brows angrily shot up .
“I told you not to buy the Application method from the store, haven’t I?”
Her misunderstanding made sense . Since she had an errand to run in the morning and couldn’t be at the Awakening, Agnes had mistakenly thought that Seol’s mana was somewhere around ‘Extreme-Low’ or ‘Low-Low’ .
Seol stared back at her confused before raising his own voice in denial .
“I didn’t do that!”
“And what didn’t you do?”
“I never went to the store . ”
“I find that hard to believe . If you feel confident, can you show me your Status Window? Just show me your class-related abilities . ”
“Ah, that’s right, we can do that . ”
Seol readily agreed and revealed the relevant portion of his Status Window . Agnes, who remained suspicious even when he strongly denied it, could only be dumbfounded after reading the information .
[4 . Abilities]
2 . Class-related abilities (0)
If Seol had bought ‘Mana Application’, then the ‘0’ would have changed to ‘1’ . No matter how many times she looked, it was still a resolute ‘0’ .
“… . Oh . ”
“I told you, I didn’t . ”
Seeing her flustered and not knowing what to do, a smile of satisfaction crept on Seol’s face . For the first time in a while, he got himself a good opportunity here .
“… . I beg your pardon . I seem to have made a mistake . ”
“No, it’s fine . So, what should we do next?”
Agnes nodded her head . She was about to pull out another mission parchment before hesitating slightly .
“Can you circulate your mana?”
“You mean, right here?”
“Yes . ”
She was thinking of teaching him about the fundamentals of using mana, but decided to keep her mouth shut for now . Although she confirmed the truth with her own two eyes, she still couldn’t bring herself to believe it . If this was happening for real, then there was something she needed to confirm first .
Seol corrected his posture and closed his eyes .
Wiggle .
The energy inside him twisted and quivered . Immediately, it began to course through his body according to his will . It circulated freely by following the unseen pathways of his body – to the tips of every finger, to the ends of every toe, all the way up to the crown of his head .
Seol enjoyed this smooth gliding sensation . He was also slightly amazed by this development . It hadn’t been that long since the Awakening, yet he couldn’t feel one iota of resistance . No, he only felt a sense of intimate familiarity .
It was as if this energy was a best friend he grew up with since his childhood .
Seol circulated this energy around him a few more times and opened his eyes as messages suddenly began popping up .
[The Class Ability, ‘Mana Application’, has been created . ]
[Your Innate Ability, ‘Future Vision’, is responding to the creation of the new ability!]
[The Class Ability, ‘Mana Application (Lowest)’, has evolved to ‘Mana Application (Intermediate)’]
[Please confirm through your Status Window . ]
“Ohh?”
Agnes was half in doubt, but as soon as she saw Seol’s reaction, her suspicion was confirmed .
“Has Mana Application been created?”
“Yes . ”
Agnes began massaging her temples . She hoped that this wouldn’t be the case . She prayed, even . Unfortunately, there was only one reason why a situation like this could occur .
“You… refused the Magician class, didn’t you?”
“Well, I didn’t really refuse it, per se… . ”
“You didn’t?”
“The gods were debating between the Warrior and the Magician classes . They voted, and the end result was ‘Warrior’ . Well, I did say I wanted to use a spear before that though . ”
Hearing that, Agnes’s expression became frozen . Seol’s words had forced her to recall a certain person’s face .
Sung Shihyun . Another Irregular from Area 1 .
‘How could they be so similar to each other?’
She didn’t mean to, yet she ended up comparing the two . The road they walked on and the direction they were walking towards were just too similar .
No, there were some differences . Many knew about the famous tale of Sung Shihyun refusing to become a Magician and stubbornly choosing the life of a Warrior . However, Seol said that the gods had to take a vote to choose his class .
‘…This is… . This isn’t a matter I can interfere with . ’
Agnes decided to give up on worrying about it . But, one thing was for sure – she’d have to change the plan she had in mind in its entirety .
She initially envisioned the mana training to last around a week, yet it was completed in less than 5 minutes .
So what was next?
“We will begin your class-related training right away . ”
But, before that, she added a condition .
“You are not allowed to use your mana . ”
*
[Stabbing (remaining number of attempts: ꝏ/ꝏ)]
Learn the Thrust!
Difficulty: Basic
When successful: N/A
When unsuccessful: N/A
*Cooperation possible (up to 6 people)
Seol surveyed his new surroundings . There were only two things visible on the flat plain he was standing on – a scarecrow with a target draped over it, and a spear lying next to it on the ground .
Seeing that weapon, Seol suddenly felt quite happy . He felt like he had missed it . His heart even began beating faster .
The spear was around 1 . 5 metres long, making it a short spear . Seol joyfully studied the weapon’s sleek and smoothly flowing shaft and its pointy tip reflecting the bright sunlight in an X . He then carefully picked it up .
Every hair on his body stood up; his shoulders tightened .
‘Learn to thrust, huh . ’
Seol got into a suitable spot in front of the scarecrow and while standing a bit awkwardly, grasped the spear’s shaft with both of his hands . Then, he thrust forward with some power .
The spear tip pierced the target and sunk in deeply .
“… . ”
He missed the bullseye by a little bit . Seol pulled the spear out and tilted his head this way and that, his expression showing the level of dissatisfaction he was feeling at the moment .
Next, he held the spear with only the right hand and attempted to stab the target . He tried this three times, but the results were all bad . Not only was the depth of penetration shallower than before, his aim each time was off by a lot .
‘This isn’t right . ’
Seol desperately combed through his memories .
Normally, a person would start forgetting the dream he had as soon as one woke up . Only some parts of the dream would remain etched in memory . However, a scene so shocking or a scene that kept on repeating itself would not be forgotten and be firmly imprinted into one’s brain .
More importantly, he wasn’t merely a spectator watching those events happen . He had experienced it personally .
There was a reason he chose the Thrust as his first training mission – he was drawn to it .
The Seol of the dream always carried around a spear, and he utilized the Thrust the most . The number of enemies that fell from a single stab piercing into their exposed gaps was too numerous to count . So, his body should be able to remember it .
‘I’m not supposed to rely only on my arm strength… I need to move my entire body . ’
He changed his posture . He strengthened his right hand and grasped the lower part of the spear tighter . The spear shaft came to rest on his left palm . He grasped it without using too much strength . The spear tip seemed to waver a little . In this state, Seol took aim at the target .
‘… . Not yet . ’
Something didn’t feel right . He looked down and found his right foot slightly out in front, pointing to his flanks . He repositioned the foot by pulling it back and glared at the scarecrow .
After a moment of silence that was neither too long or too short, he kicked the ground hard .
His left foot shot out first . His right foot followed next as he stretched out his left arm . Accompanying the sensation of his right arm shoving away, Seol thrust his spear forward .
Swish!
A crisp sound cut through the air .
Just before the spear struck the target, the back of his left hand facing the ground spun half way up and pointed towards the sky . The spear tip spun as well, and it accurately struck the middle of the target .
A satisfyingly heavy feeling was transmitted through his hands . Confirming that the spear had penetrated much deeper than before, an equally deep smile formed on Seol’s face as well .
[Class Ability, ‘Basic Spearmanship – Thrust (Lowest)’ has been generated . ]
[Your Innate Ability, ‘Future Vision’, is responding to the creation of the new ability!]
[Class Ability, ‘Basic Spearmanship – Thrust (Lowest)’, has evolved into ‘Basic Spearmanship – Thrust (High-Intermediate)’!]
[Please confirm your Status Window . ]
As the message cascaded down, the surrounding scenery changed . The scarecrow disappeared, and the spear in his hands also dissipated away .
“… . Huh?”
‘Damn it,’ Seol mused wistfully and took a look at the plaza of the Neutral Zone . He wanted to feel that sensation for a bit longer .
‘I’ve barely done anything…’
Seol opened and clenched his fists several times, still left wanting for more before falling deeply into thought .
What if he used that thrust against the skeleton that attacked him by jumping in the air?
At that time, Seol chose to defend himself . No matter how many times he dissected his choice of action, he was far too carefree . The skeleton simply knocked Seol’s steel bar away and left him defenseless .
‘If I stabbed back at that time… . ’
Eventually, Seol shook his head . Since the monster was airborne, it wouldn’t have been able to dodge the thrust, but he still had to consider the possibility that he might miss his target as well .
Also, even if he succeeded in landing a blow with the thrust, what would happen if the ax swinging down didn’t sway and continued on the trajectory to split his head open?
‘Relying only on a simple thrust isn’t the answer . ’
The basics of spearmanship was to prey on the opponent’s openings . And if there were none, he would simply have to make one .
So, back in that situation against the skeleton, how should he go about creating an opening?
The answer was obvious; the monster had shown him what to do already .
‘I have to do the same thing . I’ll knock his axe away first and then stab the skeleton . ’
Reorganizing his thoughts as so, Seol swept his gaze across the noticeboard . His slow-moving eyes found the parchment he was looking for .
[Swatting (remaining number of attempts: ꝏ/ꝏ)]
Learn the Strike!
Difficulty: Basic
When successful: N/A
When unsuccessful: N/A
*Cooperation possible (up to 6 people)
Seol ripped that paper up right away .
*
Even though his class had been decided Seol’s daily life hadn’t changed . He got addicted to the joy that his new training regime brought him and concentrated on it like a madman .
Seol’s morning routine looked like this:
As soon as he opened his eyes, he drank a vial of the Special Competence . After breakfast, he ran on the track as a light after-meal exercise .
Most of the time, he ran alone, but there were times when he ran together with Yi Seol-Ah .
Yi Seol-Ah couldn’t hide her shock . She was able to run past Seol like it was nothing the first time they ran together, but from some time onwards, he stopped lagging behind . And today, he even managed to overtake her .
‘T, That’s impossible!’
They must have run 10 laps or so already . No matter how hard she pushed, the distance between the two was widening instead of diminishing .
In the end, she reached her physical limit .
“O, Orabeo-nim!!”
Hearing her pitiful cry, Seol turned his body around to face her .
“A, aren’t you tired yet?”
“Hm, don’t know . Maybe? If it’s too much, why don’t you rest for a bit?”
He replied to her with a nonplussed expression while lightly running on the spot . He was obviously implying he had energy left in the tank and that he’d simply been matching her pace .
Yi Seol-Ah bit her lower lips .
She managed to finish the laps but only after a considerable amount of time . She panted heavily for a while, before asking him with a disbelieving expression .
“H, how did you do it?”
“Mm?”
“It, it’s only been two months… but you’re faster than me… . ”
“Oh, that?”
Seol told her about Competence . Since he heard that it could also be purchased from the regular store, he figured that Yi Seol-Ah should also be able to enjoy its effects . Of course, the regular one wasn’t as good as the VIP store’s .
After hearing the explanation, Yi Seol-Ah’s expression was frozen in a daze . It seemed that she didn’t even know of Competence’s existence until now .
When he advised her to buy one even if she didn’t want to spend her Survival Points, she squeezed her eyes shut . Her cheeks reddened gradually, then, out of the blue, she lifted her clenched fists up high towards the sky and shouted out .
“No doping!! Absolutely not!”
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