English Novel
Chapter 15
Chapter 15
"Keke, quite impressive indeed."
Standing in front of the mirror, I couldn't help but admire.
A uniform under the guise of a school uniform.
The golden threads embroidered at the cuffs and key points made the uniform look even more stylish.
The fit was perfect.
It was tailored to my body, so naturally.
'All of this for free. Is this why it's the top academy in the empire?'
The Annwood Academy, where I enrolled.
It wasn't just the uniform that was provided here.
Everything was free.
'I'm so glad they arranged a place to stay from the first day.'
A one-room dormitory, about 8 pyeong in size.
From now on, I planned to bow three times in gratitude towards Annwood Academy every time I woke up.
'...Has it already been a week?'
A rather long break of one week was given after the entrance exam.
I collapsed into bed as soon as I was assigned a dormitory.
From the first day of possession, understanding the situation, first, second, third exams, followed by a secret test and a written exam.
It was a hectic day, too much for a beginner in possession.
"Hehehe, what's for breakfast today? I'm looking forward to it."
The chefs at Annwood Academy were all top-notch.
I haven't missed a day at the cafeteria for a week.
It was no different on the day classes began.
I leisurely walked toward the cafeteria.
Of course, I hadn't just been playing for a week.
While resting, I organized strategies for hidden pieces and boss monsters, major events in each episode.
A list of members good to recruit in the future and routes to become stronger efficiently.
'As I wrote it in Korean, no one else would understand even if they saw it.'
Meaning, the security was perfect.
I opened the information window to check my current status.
[Zero]
Lv: 11
Strength: 20
Agility: 20
Intelligence: 20
Stamina: 20
Magic Power: 20
Potential: 0
Owned pt: 10
Owned Skills: [Translation S], [Interpretation S], [Mental Defense S], [Information Window S], [Twisted Speech S], [Predation S], [Shop Window S], [Cleaning S], [Ominous Aura B], [Eye Opening F], [Rapid Regeneration F]
Titles Owned: None
The rewards for clearing the first main quest were as follows.
Level up by 2 and 10 gold, plus the [Shop Window S] skill.
[Shop Window] was a skill even I, a veteran, had never seen before.
Surprisingly, the only thing sold there was...
'Just one stat point.'
A special shop where you can gain one stat point for 100 gold.
It doesn't just mean the gold given as a quest completion reward.
It seemed possible to buy stat points with the currency of this world.
'It's certain. Because I could buy items with the gold received as a quest clear reward.'
A street vendor in the academy's fountain square.
There, I bought a newspaper and received 9 silvers and 8 coppers in change.
10 coppers make 1 silver, and 10 silvers make 1 gold.
Meaning, 100 coppers equal 1 gold.
The problem was the newspaper cost only 2 coppers.
'The prices are low, but conversely, it means the value of 1 gold is extremely high.'
But to spend 100 gold for just 1 stat?
An unbelievably inefficient shop.
Yes. To others, the [Shop Window] skill seemed like a trash skill.
But to me.
'It's an overpowered skill.'
I had planned to use most of the stat points in a different way from the beginning.
The hidden piece in the stat window, the 'Potential' stat.
In the game, characters automatically distribute stat points as they level up, and a special skill is unlocked every time the potential reaches a 100-unit mark.
But it's different for a custom-made character.
You can raise stat points however you want.
And that's when I discovered the hidden piece of the potential stat.
Every time you invest 100 points in the Potential stat, a skill is 'randomly' given. Even more.
'It's given as an S grade.'
In this game, S grade signifies the highest proficiency. It truly boasts immense power.
Just look at my [Mental Defense] skill.
Didn't it even block the illusion magic of Elester, the 9th circle Archmage?
'But to give an S grade skill of the same level?'
Words like cheat, broken, overpowered would naturally come out.
Of course, the problem was that the skills were given 'randomly', but there weren't that many bad skills.
'If I get something like Sky Splitter or Absolute Defense...'
I could breeze through until the final boss.
'Veterans called this potential gambling.'
Anyway, by repeating this potential gambling, even the crappiest character could become useful.
It was a playstyle even I, a veteran, preferred.
Since the final boss was my goal.
"..."
Ah, but why do I have only 10 remaining points?
Because I gambled with potential.
I leveled up two more times from the main quest reward, reaching level 11, and accumulated 100 points.
The potential stat, which automatically increased due to leveling up, was 10. I invested 90 points into it and gambled with potential.
So where's the skill I got from potential gambling?
Isn't it down there?
[Cleaning: S]
Sweep and mop cleanly. Swish-swish.
...Yes. That's exactly the skill I got by spending 100 points.
[Cleansing] it is.
Cleaning. Cleaning...
Hahaha.
I can't help but laugh. Of course, it's a hollow laugh.
In some ways, it was even more vicious than [Eye Opening].
'To think I wasted 10 levels' worth of stat points on cleaning... This is madness, really.'
Initially, the hidden piece using the potential stat was meant for veterans.
To obtain overpowered skills for tackling the final boss.
A kind of 'reroll' in the 'Hero of the Academy' category, perhaps?
'I feel like restarting.'
But that was possible because it was a game. This is reality.
Meaning, restarting is impossible.
'Someone save me!!'
If there's a silver lining, it's that I obtained the [Shop Window] skill?
As long as I have money, I can gamble with potential.
Where to earn the money is the problem, but the important thing is that there's a way.
"Keke, shall we first overcome the crisis at hand?"
Solving hunger comes first.
I was just about to take a bite, having found a seat in a corner of the cafeteria.
A blue window appeared before my eyes.
[Main Quest#2]
-Make friends!
Make three friends. The quest is cleared only if they truly consider you a friend.
Make friends (0/3).
Reward: 100exp, 10 gold, [Pocket Space S] skill
Penalty: All stats decrease by 3
Make three friends?
At first glance, an easy quest. But in reality, it wasn't.
My characteristic appearance of slit eyes, [Twisted Speech], [Ominous Aura] skill.
And the look of a typical criminal on this continent.
When most kids run away just by me speaking, there's no way I could make friends.
Isn't it ten times harder than making friends normally?
But.
"Keke, it seems worth a try."
In Korea, I was known as an insider among insiders.
A mere 10 times penalty won't stop me.
Besides, I have already made one slave... ah, no, friend.
The second quest seems easier to clear than I thought.
"What, you were alive?"
Just then, Luna came with a tray of food and sat down in front of me.
The uniform style of clothing and skirt suited her well.
Luna, whom I saw for the first time in a week, was cute as always today.
Is it because she's going to be the victim (?) of my quest?
"Luna."
"What."
"Keke, we're friends, aren't we?"
"...What kind of nonsense is that? Ugh, it ruins the taste of the food."
Luna, carrying her tray, went to sit far away in a corner.
It was then that I realized something was wrong.
Perhaps this quest.
I might never complete it in my lifetime.
* * *
From morning, formal classes began.
All the teachers were passionate in their teaching.
Though it was all about lessons from the first day, no child complained.
Anyone who couldn't even endure this much would have been filtered out in the first exam.
'Hmm, it's moderately interesting.'
A graduate from a prestigious university in South Korea.
I had once breezed through the eye of a needle to enter a major corporation and passed professional and promotion exams in one go.
Even in wealth management, I had a talent.
'It's only possible because I'm a seasoned player.'
Catching the final boss and returning to reality was one of the reasons.
I had a lot accomplished in reality.
'I have to brag about it in the veteran cafe.'
Anyway, apart from subjects that required basic knowledge, the classes were generally worth listening to.
I glanced around with a roll of my eyes.
Currently, I was in the advanced class.
Most of the main and supporting characters, except Luna and Raymon, were here.
Of course, I had no intention of becoming close to them.
They had to fully play their roles as the first party.
'The problem is forming the second party I'll be in charge of...'
Why not just pick them excluding the main and supporting characters?
...It's not that simple.
Characters that influence the story must be excluded, and those belonging to noble factions couldn't be casually taken away.DiiScôver 𝒏𝒆w stori𝒆s on no/𝒗/e()/lbin(.)com
'If I take away those who are like their own limbs... they'll all come together and beat me up.'
The early stage of 'Hero of the Academy' is set in the academy.
Though it's mostly about the students' stories, the content isn't.
'The noble factions are effective here in the academy, just like in the empire.'
Factions of nobles in the empire.
Their children also form sides here and fight.
Of course, it's child's play compared to the adults, but children's fights can become adult's fights.
'Playing as a commoner or a low-born, there were many who picked fights.'
There are good nobles too, but their ratio is probably about 1 to 9.
Anyway, it's hard enough to pick fights among these busy kids, and you want me to take one away?
It's perfect for being branded a devil and getting burned at the stake.
"That's it for today's class. Dismissed."
The classroom became noisy during the break between classes.
Some kids glanced at me occasionally, but showed no special interest.
The synergy created by my [Ominous Aura] and an appearance similar to a typical criminal of the continent.
It was a problem. I had to make friends.
'Quest aside... I need them to catch boss monsters.'
Use friends as human shields.
Use friends as swords.
Use friends as life replacements(?).
What a beautiful friendship.
But no one wanted to be my friend.
It was incomprehensible.
Then, someone caught my eye.
It was none other than Raymon.
The child I fought during the third exam and one of the characters to become a member of the first party.
Many kids talked to him because of his cute appearance and timid personality.
"What, how can this be!"
But perhaps due to his purely evil nature.
One by one, the children who spoke with him left his side, trembling in fear.
Truly a character worthy of being called 'Your Raymon'. (TL Note: It's literally 느그 레이몬 (neugeu reimon), meaning 'Your Raymon'. This makes no sense in English, but in Korean, it's just an endearing way of talking about someone. In this case, it's used in a sarcastic form. The author is basically calling him a piece of shit.)
A swear word used as a replacement for a worse curse among veteran players.
Seeing it firsthand, he really deserved that nickname.
'He may be a first party member, but... wouldn't he be a good friend for quest completion?'
He won't become a friend right away, but I need to work on it a bit.
Even Luna, whom I was somewhat close to, was hard to befriend, let alone others.
"He called me a pretty 30-year-old lady!"
Another girl stormed off from Raymon's side, fuming.
...Hmm. Should I just give up on this quest?
--TL Notes--
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