Chapter 73: Debut Match
The waiting room was small, cold, and reeked of sweat and dried blood.
Lucen sat alone on a splintered bench, elbows resting on his knees, coat folded beside him. Somewhere outside, the crowd roared. Another fight had begun, or ended. There was no other person in the waiting room except him.
He closed his eyes for a moment. It was quiet here. Just a single mana lamp on the wall, the distant chants of gamblers, and his own breathing.
He flexed his fingers slowly. He started thinking about which character he could remember who was good at unarmed combat. It must be a character that he knew well enough that he would be able to perform his techniques.
’Still, I need to be careful, the last time I was too into it that I was almost consumed by the character’s personality.’
Lucen remembered the feeling of being overwritten. When he gave speeches using Acting Adept, it felt like he was simply wearing a role. But fighting, especially with someone else’s instincts, someone with real presence, was different. There, it was easy to lose track of who he was.
’As long as I keep myself steady, Acting Adept won’t overwrite me. I just need to be careful,
He smiled faintly.
’And in a way... Gaining pieces of cool personalities isn’t the worst thing. I did have a chuuni phase back in high school, after all.’
The thought made him chuckle under his breath.
Lucen exhaled, rolled his shoulders, and thought of the one persona that matched what this moment needed. Flashy. Fearless. Fights like a devil-may-care showman who treats battle like a stage.
Acting Adept was now in use.