Chapter 14 : Chapter 14
Chapter 14 : Visitor
Sal learned that after losing consciousness, he received treatment in the Academy infirmary and was then transferred to his room.
For some reason, it was emphasized that Upgrade had fixed the door broken in that process.
“Sal, I’m really sorry. My colleagues and I committed a discourtesy to you. I’ll apologize formally again later. With my friends.”
After finishing the short meeting, Quest and Upgrade left, telling Sal to rest.
It was already evening time, but Sal wasn't tired at all.
Upgrade’s expression kept lingering in his mind.
Her expression was truly a mix of fear and awe, and seeing that reaction, Sal wondered if the new ability he possessed was really something amazing.
A smile naturally spread across Sal’s face as he got out of bed.
Although the entire day’s schedule was blown due to the skill registration incident, he had plenty of Q-Credits, and the Academy had secured one remaining spot in every module for him out of consideration.
Sal saw Quest glancing at Upgrade when mentioning the conditions for that.
One of the conditions was that Sal would receive direct supervision from Upgrade when taking workshop classes.
She apologized for her previous team members and her own behavior, and Sal also apologized for overreacting and repairing the core.
Another condition was special contracts that could be triggered intermittently.
Upgrade explained that Sal’s performance in the relevant projects would have a significant impact on his academic progress, and Quest hinted that success in those projects could be an excellent opportunity for entry into the Savior Program.
Sal got out of bed and turned on the screen to check the next day’s schedule.
Seeing a small notification speech bubble floating next to his profile icon, he clicked it.
Name: Salvatore Argento
Code Name: [Unregistered]
Occupation: Student
Starting Class: Supporter
Rank (Student): 1st Year - 19th / Silver Cohort - 2nd
Abilities
• Skill Master (Rank: High) (Class: Replication Type)
• Mythos Crafter (Rank: Master) (Class: Creation Type)
Essence
• Essence Control - 77%
• Essence Refinement - 2%
• Essence Calibration - 21%
Academic Report
Required Subjects (M = Mandatory)
• (M) Skills: Unevaluated
• (M) Survival: Unevaluated
• (M) Combat: Unevaluated
• (M) Crafting: Unevaluated
Electives
• Unselected
Reputation
• Quest Academy: [Unregistered]
• Guild Alliance: [Unregistered]
• Hunter Bureau: [Unregistered]
Affiliation
• Argento Auction House (Sponsorship Tier: Tier 3)
• Reavers Guild (Silver Token Holder)
Scout Status: N/A
Official Certification: N/A
Threat Level: [Unidentified]
Assets: 594 Q-Credits
System Remarks: [Unidentified]
Sal raised an eyebrow looking at his essence and ability items.
Although he had absolutely no idea what exactly each figure meant and by what criteria the classifications were divided, he pressed down his curiosity and turned his gaze back to the module selection screen.
What was important right now was making the right choice.
Quest had designated Crafting as Sal’s mandatory module.
Although Sal wasn't certain, he guessed the Crafting course meant the workshop where Upgrade and her team were.
Anyway, just having one clear direction gave him a sense of relief.
One elective module remained.
He absolutely didn't want to do Field Practice.
On the other hand, Analysis seemed like he could easily get a high score thanks to his eye skill.
Since there was about a month left until classes started, he could focus on other subjects.
“The last selectable module was Administration but….”
Judging by the number of seats, it looked the least popular.
There was no reason to overexert himself by taking one more subject, but a small voice whispered somewhere in his head.
‘If there are few people, wouldn't the professor in charge give bonus points or something?’
After pondering, Sal scanned the options once again and nodded.
Academic Report
Required Subjects (M = Mandatory)
• (M) Skills: Unevaluated
• (M) Survival: Unevaluated
• (M) Combat: Unevaluated
• (M) Crafting: Unevaluated
Electives
• Analysis: Unevaluated
• Administration: Unevaluated
Sal thought it would be really great if he could change just the Survival class, but there was no way since it was a mandatory module.
Just as he shrugged and was about to close the screen, the list of abilities caught his eye.
Skill Master and Mythos Crafter, the names alone sounded amazing.
Sal smiled without realizing it.
Even if he got kicked out of the Academy and had to return to his parents' house, he felt he could consider it a complete success if he went back with just these abilities.
Even if he didn't know how to utilize the abilities properly yet, it was certain that it would be a great help to the family's auction house.
Taking a step back to organize the screen, Sal tripped over his suitcase and stumbled.
It occurred to him that it was almost the second day, but he hadn't unpacked a single bag yet.
"Let's just finish it while I'm at it."
Sal muttered softly and started opening the suitcases one by one.
The task itself felt like a small adventure.
He discovered for the first time that a washing machine and dryer were provided, and also found out that the storage space in the room was more ample than expected.
Filling the closet shelves took longer than expected.
Because Sal kept changing the position of t-shirts, contemplating what was better.
The moment Sal reached out to change the position of the t-shirts again, Sal’s two eyes shone silver and the most optimal organizing method floated above his vision.
"…What is this again?”
Sal turned his body toward the remaining luggage.
It was the same this time too.
Information on how to stack to use space most efficiently, how to organize to finish quickly, all came into view at a glance.
Keeping the ability on, Sal moved following it exactly.
“…Done?”
Without time to worry, moving as the ability told him, organizing finished in an instant.
Just as he was about to wrap up unpacking, a faint knock was heard from the door.
Walking around the bed to the door, Sal stopped for a moment.
Because the door, which was originally a normal hinge type, had changed into a sliding door that opened with a single button.
He recalled Upgrade saying she fixed the door.
Her ability was ‘Upgrade’, not restoration or repair, and it turned out exactly as the word said.
Sal pressed the button, and the door slid smoothly into the wall and disappeared.
Sal, who was staring in admiration at that sight, met eyes with Hannah standing in the hallway.
She was also admiring the appearance of the door.
"Ah, right."
The promise to meet in the evening suddenly came to mind.
To Sal, it felt like something from days ago already.
Hannah gave a thumbs up over her shoulder and said.
"Should I just go?"
Sal shook his head.
"Want to come in? Or should we go out somewhere? Where’s Kane?"
Hannah raised one eyebrow and answered.
"He probably doesn't want to see anyone after the combat assessment today."
Just as Sal was about to answer, Hannah looked into the room over his shoulder.
"Wait a minute, I think your room is bigger than mine?"
Then without a word, she strode past Sal into the room.
Sal followed her in, and she walked counting her steps toward the glass wall.
And upon arriving, she frowned slightly.
"It just looks big, it's the same as my room. What did you put in your workroom?"
Hannah peeked her head toward the room with the workbench, and seeing only basic options placed there, she said as if disappointed.
"Didn't you apply for the professional package from the Administration Bureau?"
“Wait a minute.”
Sal raised both hands to stop Hannah.
“I’m really out of it right now. I fainted during the registration ceremony and just woke up here. So I have absolutely no idea what I missed, whether it's an Administration Bureau package or whatever, and I don't know what happened to Kane either.”
Hannah’s eyes grew round.
“The kid who fried the machine was you? They said it was because the core malfunctioned, but nobody believed that.”
Sal shrugged.
“I don’t really… maybe?”
Hannah snorted as if satisfied, flopped onto his bed, and stretched her legs.
“Sit comfortably. You have a mountain of information to catch up on from now on.”
Sal laughed and took out a chair from the workroom side to sit.
Hannah looked at him with a serious expression.
“First, starting with the stimulating stuff, this Academy is a monsters' den. Combat assessment? That was just… a disaster! Kane got his leg smashed by some tiny girl, she used a skill where power accumulates the more she runs. She just blew Kane away in one shot.”
Hannah shook her head left and right, then continued speaking exaggeratedly.
“The girl tried to help Kane stand up, but maybe her legs gave out while standing up, she collapsed right away. Everyone laughed. She’s probably hiding in her room now and will get expelled.”
Sal made a pitiful expression thinking of Kane, but Hannah continued. Like an excited child.
“And there was a kid throwing lightning. It was really cool. Moving as if teleporting, he won like four or five times. Ah, right. The combat assessment was a wheel battle. If one person challenges, the winner stays and the loser is eliminated. If you win five times, you automatically drop out, and the next person starts. You had to keep fighting until you won five games in a row or lost. Thanks to that, the number of people decreased really fast.”
Sal hated the combat assessment even more at Hannah’s explanation.
A wheel battle was a test where both endurance and safety were important, and he considered himself lacking in such aspects.
“But what happened after was even more amazing. They made the winners fight again. That speed skill girl dropped out first. Ended right away by Lightning Man’s sliding tackle. There was also a kid who made all the boys surrender with a Charm skill, but was helpless against a female student controlling body size in the end.”
Hannah pretended to pick something up from the floor and then threw it straight down.
“It was really awesome! The Charm skill didn't work on the same gender. Anyway, I thought the giant girl would win. But… there was some Superman there? Superhuman strength plus ridiculously good jumping power. He jumped right under that giant girl’s chin and headbutted her, and she was down just like that. Anyone could see it was a KO. She must have fallen on a few spectators, that was kinda funny. So is he 1st place? No! As soon as a fire attribute user came out, his weakness was caught immediately. Must have been weak to fire.”
Sal didn't even think of stopping her.
Every single skill she told him about was interesting.
Hannah paused for a moment, then started counting competitors one by one with her fingers.
Then suddenly her eyes sparkled.
“Ah! Did you see the 1st place by any chance? First of all, her beauty is no joke. So I kinda dislike her. Her ability is scary too. It was a mind control ability. I mentioned the Charm skill, right? She just made them surrender, but this 1st place made them self-harm. Making them hit their own face with their fist, or strangle their neck to faint… it was totally dark and creepy. Ah! And there was a guy summoning ghosts too. The ghosts were super weak and destroyed immediately, but seems like high utility in other areas than combat. It was a really unique ability so it was kinda cool.”
Sal looked at Hannah carefully, but saved his words fearing she wasn't finished yet.
But Hannah put both hands neatly on her knees, sighed, and shook her head.
“Would have been really good if you saw it yourself. Students here are really strong.”
“Then what about you? How was your combat?”
Hannah’s face brightened up.
“Are you trying to dig up my ability now?”
Sal burst into laughter.
“I’d be lying if I said I wasn’t curious.”
Hannah straightened her posture, set two fingers of her right hand like a gun, and aimed outside the bed.
After aiming with one eye closed, she clicked her thumb down, and a blue sphere of light popped out from her fingertips and floated exactly at the position she aimed.
Four times like that, creating spheres of light floating at each of the four corners of the bed.
Hannah put her finger gun to her lips and blew on it like blowing breath, whoo-.
The blue spheres started shooting beams toward each other, and soon fired downwards as well.
By the time Hannah pretended to holster her finger at her waist, a barrier centered on her was completed.
Sal carefully touched the transparent wall.
It was solid.
Even pressing with his whole body weight, it didn't shake or react at all.
Hannah showed her hand.
“Like this, I can block people out.”
Instantly resistance disappeared, and Sal lost his balance and planted his face straight into the bed mattress.
Hannah couldn't hold it back and burst into laughter.
“Puhaha! Ha, sorry. But that just now was really too funny.”
She pulled her knees to organize her legs, making space for Sal to get up.
“As you can see, I can also let people in. It’s a typical defensive ability, and in combat I lured the opponent into my zone to create a stalemate. I lasted up to three rounds like that, but eventually had to surrender due to essence depletion.”
Hannah deactivated the barrier and looked at Sal with expectant eyes.
“Now, it’s your turn. What’s your ability?”
Lying on his back on the mattress, Sal pondered for a moment.
‘Is there a need to hide?’
Although it hadn't been long since they met, Hannah showed a consistent honest appearance.
Sal stared blankly at Hannah who told him all the information she didn't hide and didn't need to tell.
‘More allies the better.’
Sal confessed everything that happened during the day to Hannah.
He talked about everything without omission, up to the awkward meeting at the workshop.
When he explained finding out the skill through conversation with Divinity in the future, Hannah’s expression was shock itself.
Still, Sal didn't stop and continued the story.
He liked that Hannah was listening attentively to his story.
He explained how his ability worked, and that usually essence was the biggest limiting factor.
“Whoa! So that’s why the core shattered into pieces. Goodness, just how much power did you draw and use?”
Sal laughed and raised one hand.
“I was just about to tell that story too.”
He explained what happened during registration.
The story about pulling up all abilities he got his hands on to the maximum because he wanted the best result.
“But there was no space in my body to hold all of that. So I fused them… and then they said a new skill was created.”
Sal clapped his hands with the last words, and Hannah flinched in surprise at that sound.
Sal groaned briefly, got up, went in front of the screen, and operated the terminal.
And pointing to his registered abilities, he smiled toward Hannah.
“Here, this is the proof. There are two skills. One is Skill Master, which is replicating or creating skills. And another is Mythos Crafter! It’s a combination of Upgrade, Restoration, and Appraisal. Don’t know well yet, but the Headmaster was super excited.”
Hannah stared piercingly at the screen, then said to Sal with a completely dumbfounded face.
“You… you can craft Myth rank items now!”
Sal looked at Hannah blankly.
“Ah... so that’s why the Headmaster was so excited.”