Chapter 116 : Chapter 116
Chapter 116. Why Are You Here? (1)
"I cannot just keep moping like this forever."
It was true that my heart ached from the recent loss of points, but I could not grieve indefinitely. Time was always limited, and my to-do list was a mountain.
So, I wiped away my inner tears and moved on to the next task. I was currently in the dormitory, so I could not exactly test out my newly acquired talent here, could I?
"Next would be my physical stats."
Those physical stats had been a source of frustration, showing no signs of improvement every time I checked. Anticipating how much they might have risen, I checked the status window.
[Physical Stats]
[Vitality: B-]
[Strength: C-]
[Agility: B]
[Mana Affinity: D+]
[Remaining Points: 2]
"F-finally...!"
The information in the status window was laid out clearly before my eyes. Seeing it, I was overcome with emotion rather than any other feeling. Why? Is that not an obvious question?
"The day has finally come where a B appears in my stats...!"
In the past, only despair-inducing stats had filled my vision. Even when I devoted myself to training like a beast, the results were always pathetic. Now that a usable value like B was finally recorded, how could I not be moved?
"And on top of that, I have become the owner of remaining points."
Remaining points are awarded when a physical stat reaches B-rank. If I used those points, I could unconditionally raise a physical stat by one sub-grade. For example, from B to B+, or from A to A+.
"Even though only a maximum of four points can be awarded since there are four stats in total..."
That was more than enough. I could use them to break through when I hit a limit in stat growth, or use them to pull up a lacking physical stat in an emergency.
"Well, I do not intend to use the points right this second."
As I just mentioned, I had to use remaining points as sparingly as possible. It was a point I definitely should not use right now. Therefore, I swallowed my joy for a moment and examined the overall balance of my physical stats. While having a B-rank stat was a great result, balance was still important.
"Agility and Mana Affinity rose the most."
Vitality rose by one rank, and Strength did not budge, but Agility and Mana Affinity showed quite significant increases. That must be why I did not notice the jump in my physical abilities right away. After all, Agility and Mana Affinity are stats that are difficult to feel unless you are in the middle of a battle.
"It likely reflects my performance during the battle against Baek Ha-seong."
The mana I wielded while frantically draining the Blue Nightmare, and the desperate movements I made to react to Baek Ha-seong's attacks, seemed to have been accounted for. That was probably why my Strength did not increase as well.
"Still, this is more than enough."
My fighting style is based on speed. Since I did not rely on swinging around massive power in a single blow, this much was sufficient. Honestly, anyone who would be unhappy about their stats rising, regardless of the circumstances, would be a lunatic.
"At this rate, I can accept getting beaten up by Baek Ha-seong even more."
It was true that experiencing real combat once is more helpful than training for a hundred days. While I did not have that kind of preference, I felt like I could take a lot more beatings if this kind of reward was waiting for me. However, if I said that out loud anywhere, I would surely receive strange looks. Thus, I hid my unspeakable inner thoughts and turned my attention to the next reward.
"Next is the talent."
There was the Swordsmanship talent, which served as my most basic foundation, and the Persistence talent I obtained after being harshly beaten by Yu-hyeon. First, the Persistence talent had not changed much. Perhaps I could hold out a bit more stubbornly than before? It probably meant my physical endurance improved after being hit by Baek Ha-seong's strike. Because of that, I examined the Swordsmanship talent more closely than the Persistence talent.
[Swordsmanship - All-or-Nothing (B-)]
A swordsmanship performed by risking all success or failure on a single opportunity. However, due to a somewhat clumsy posture, side effects follow afterward.
Ability 1: Understanding and ability regarding swords increase significantly, limited to one-handed swordsmanship.
Ability 2: By unifying the sword and mind, one can produce a perfect strike. However, tremors occur in the arm after the attack.
"Hmm..."
How should I put this? It certainly became better, but...
"It is a bit ambiguous to be unconditionally happy about it."
Overall, it was far superior to the Swordsmanship - Persistence from before the growth. Just reading the ability itself, it had changed from "concentration increases" to "understanding and ability increase significantly." However, the active part, rather than the passive part, was quite ambiguous.
"A perfect strike. And then tremors follow in the arm, huh...?"
Without knowing how efficient that perfect strike was or how severe the tremors in the arm would be, it was difficult to conclude that it was simply good. This part would likely require testing.
"By the way, a somewhat clumsy posture? That is a bit much."
I am well aware that there are deficiencies in my swordsmanship. But there was no need to reflect that in the talent itself, was there? I could not help but feel a bit slighted.
"Sigh. I suppose this is it for now."
I had checked all the "delayed rewards" the system mentioned. Every single one was a gem. But there was still one thing left. Something that the system did not mention as a reward, but had clearly changed nonetheless. To check it, I pulled out the red-glowing sword I had stored in the spatial storage.
"I would not have known if I did not check closely."
The appearance had not changed. The artifact had not grown, either. It was a minute change that even I, the owner of the sword, would not have noticed without a thorough inspection. I immediately scrutinized the sword's information.
[Blood Wish Sword]
Info: One of the swords cherished by the 'Ghoul,' the boss of a Gate. It is a sword that craves the master's blood, but it does not simply crave anyone's blood. It seems clear that there is a deep, hidden story behind it.
"The description really only changed slightly."
I looked the sword over again and examined its abilities closely, but nothing had changed. Literally only the description had changed, and even then, only slightly.
"What on earth could it mean?"
Waryong's Dungeon was a device mentioned in the novel, but it was never actually used. Therefore, I did not know much about this part myself.
"...It is no use."
There is too little information. I would need at least a baseline of information to make an inference, but for now, it was impossible to figure out why it was like this. If that was the case, there was only one thing for me to do.
"Let's put this aside for now."
One must know when to give up. This might be indicating the growth potential of the Blood Wish Sword artifact. However, I had many things more important than this right now. Would it not be foolish to look toward the distant future while failing to do what needed to be done immediately?
"Then, for now, should I head to the training room?"
The only thing I decided to postpone was the Blood Wish Sword. It did not mean I was putting everything else off. I had to personally feel how much my new physical stats had risen, and I needed to test the Cohesion I obtained this time along with the Swordsmanship talent that had risen by a rank.
"I still have plenty of time."
It was midnight. Considering I had to go to school tomorrow, it was a fairly reasonable time. Well, it was a shame I would have to pull an all-nighter, but...
"I have the energy to endure that much."
Perhaps because I had been unconscious for several days, my body was in quite good condition despite the ordeal I had been through. It felt like I had just woken up from a long, deep sleep. In truth, it would be better even for a Player's body to get some sleep. But you know how it is.
"Presents are best opened immediately."
It was the same logic as needing to use a newly acquired skill in a game right away.
"And I do not plan on overdoing it."
I was visiting the training room purely to test things out, not to sincerely push myself to my limits. So, there should not be any major issues. With that, I changed into comfortable clothes and headed out.
***
"...Huh?"
Before long, I realized how naive my thoughts had been.
"Yuseong! You came too?"
Even though I was not walking in a well-lit area, Kim Su-hyeok spotted me accurately and waved his hand. And besides him, everyone else was gathered there as well.
'...Why?'
Why on earth? It was the middle of the night, past twelve o'clock. Judging by what Kim Su-hyeok said, it did not seem like they had promised to meet here in advance. Yet, out of all the training rooms, and at this specific hour, they all met here? Not just the training fanatics, but even Ju Ha-yeon and Ha Eun-ha? However, my confusion did not last long.
"Yuseong. Are you okay, though? Are you already pushing yourself too hard?"
As if he would not even give me time to think, Kim Su-hyeok asked how I was doing. I replied with a hesitant voice.
"Huh? Oh. I do not have any particular problems. I feel quite refreshed, maybe because I rested for so long."
"Really? That is a relief! Then are you in good enough shape to do high-intensity training?"
"Yeah. More than enough. But why do you ask all of a sudden...?"
I answered instinctively because our protagonist asked, but why was he asking that so suddenly? Hearing him ask if I was okay for high-intensity training right after checking on my well-being made a sense of unease rise within me. Having spent a lot of time in training rooms with Kim Su-hyeok, I knew what words would come next...
'He will probably ask me to train with them. And a high-intensity session at that.'
"Then you can train with us, Yuseong! I was going to tell you to just go back if you hadn't recovered yet, but I am glad to hear there is no problem."
My prediction was spot on. Damn it, I should have said I was not fully recovered yet. But it was too late for regrets; I could not take back the words I had already spoken.
"Sure... let's do that."
In the end, I had no choice but to accept Kim Su-hyeok's suggestion. Thinking positively, it was not all bad. Unlike usual training, Ju Ha-yeon and Ha Eun-ha were there, so I could see their growth, and...
'The others are worried about me, too.'
Even Ryu Jin-oh told me not to act up and end up back in a hospital bed, which was as much worry as I could expect from him. So, even though they threatened me with high-intensity training, they probably would not go that far. Considering the schedule at the auditorium tomorrow, even Kim Su-hyeok would not train to the point of exhaustion.
However, one hour later...
"Gaaaaah...!"
"Yuseong! Just a little more! Hang in there!!"
I had to admit that I had underestimated Kim Su-hyeok and the others. Contrary to my lighthearted expectations, Kim Su-hyeok was driving me ruthlessly. Yet, he frequently showed consideration by checking if I was okay, so I could not even voice any complaints.
'I should have just come tomorrow...'
Yuseong of the past. Why did you spout that nonsense about opening presents immediately...? If I had just come tomorrow at a leisurely pace, I would not have had to deal with this.
'Everyone is working so hard that I cannot even say I want to leave.'
The look in their eyes was so fierce it seemed like they had come here with grim determination. It was good news that the mindset of the heroes was growing faster than in the original story. But regardless of that, I felt like I was going to die from the effort. No matter how much I thought about it, I deeply regretted my past self for deciding to come here today.
"You can do it! Choi Yu-seong!!"
Ah... Come to think of it, someone once said that regret is always late.
Truly, those words were absolutely correct.