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Translator: Vine
Chapter: 23
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The morning sun poured warmly into the room.
...and I don't just mean metaphorically; the truly scorching sunlight was what woke Cheon-seong.
"..."
Even as he pushed himself upright, his entire body ached. It felt as though he was covered head to toe in heavy sandbags.
He swept back his messy hair and then stretched widely.
Pop, crack!
The chorus of popping and cracking bones made him wince involuntarily.
'Damn, that hurts.'
Every small movement sent muscle aches through him, as if his entire body was bruised.
"If I sparred twice, I'd probably die, wouldn't I?"
He said it as a joke, but then he re-examined his condition. He'd trained like a madman for two months, so he thought he'd grown accustomed to muscle soreness. But it seemed the after-effects of yesterday's spar hadn't faded. The muscle pain he felt now was an entirely new kind of agony. It felt as if his body was testing how much more pain it could endure.
Still, a smile soon touched his lips. Waking up in a rather clean dormitory, rather than a shabby inn, didn't feel bad at all.
"It's truly fortunate to have a private room."
Private rooms in the dormitory were only provided from C-class upwards. D-class students lived in two-person rooms in a different dormitory building. For someone who preferred solitude, this was the most satisfying aspect.
As he stretched to shake off the last vestiges of sleep, he subtly gazed into the air.
*
—–
Name: Han Cheon-seong
Gender: Male (20)
Title: None
Height · Weight: 178cm · 67kg
Current Continental Influence: 172
*Stats.
[Strength 12]
[Agility 21]
[Stamina 19]
[Magic 10]
[Luck 5]
*Possessed Traits [1]
[Spearmanship Lv.4]
*Skills [0]
—–
*
"Ah…"
An exclamation of admiration escaped him unbidden. A deep sense of fulfillment welled up within him. The numbers flickering brightly on his status window had completely changed. All his stats, except for the fixed Luck stat, had entered double digits. Among them, the increase in his Magic stat from 2 to 10 was particularly satisfying.
"…I was genuinely worried my mana wouldn't increase much, so this is a relief."
Feeling anew how crucial an increase in his trait level was, his gaze lingered blankly on 'Spearmanship Lv.4'. He had estimated it would take at least half a year to reach Level 4. But he had achieved it… in a single day. Even now, he couldn't believe he had grown at such an unbelievable pace. It was like gaining a fabled 'fortunate encounter'—the kind only protagonists in wuxia novels experience.
"You know, it wouldn't be wrong to call it a true fortunate encounter."
For him, who had no special privileges or cheats, and whose granted trait was merely 'Common,' the evolution of a trait level was the most valuable thing he could acquire in this world. Of course, there were special items that could be obtained during practical training, but for him right now, that was just a pipe dream.
…
After waking, he washed up in the private room's attached bathroom and changed into his student uniform. Then, as he habitually slung his iron spear onto his back, a faint smile played on his lips.
Click.
When he left his private room, it was a little past 8 AM. True to a novel's world-building, the convenient 9 AM start time for lectures was also something he found agreeable now.
Step.
Step.
As he descended the stairs of the high-rise dormitory, he saw various students. Students, one by one, were leaving their rooms and heading towards the academy. The C-class student uniforms, just like his own, were striking. Perhaps because this dormitory building housed C1 to C5, everyone seemed brimming with determination on this first day.
'Now that I think about it, this is different from D-class too.'
On the day the entrance exam results came out, he had hoped for B-class, but a part of him also worried he might be assigned to D-class. If he had to assume the worst, he would have been in D-class. And D-class students had a completely different level of determination. While some, fueled by the joy of passing, burned with resolve like the current C-class students, nearly half the remaining students showed little such ambition. The majority possessed Common traits, leading them to strongly believe it would be difficult to advance to a higher class. In the worst-case scenario, he might have had to leave the dormitory among them. Spearmanship was, after all, a trait so taboo in this world.
'It's strange when you think about it.'
After reaching Spearmanship Level 4, he began to wonder why spearmanship was so undervalued in this world. Though its rank was Common, his direct experience of spearmanship suggested there was something more to it than its mere grade. The more he wielded the spear, the more he felt its superiority. To him, it clearly felt like an incredibly powerful trait. Furthermore, just looking at his close fight with Leonhardt yesterday, spearmanship was by no means a bad trait. It had led to a sparring outcome that would have been utterly impossible without a spear.
But then why was swordsmanship, a similar close-combat style, well-regarded, while spearmanship, which could even defeat swords, was so undervalued?
As he pondered absently on his way to the academy, the answer came to him surprisingly easily.
Step.
He blinked and a hollow laugh escaped him.
'There are no higher-tier versions of Spearmanship…'
The reason was simple.
—There were no other ranked spearmanship traits above Common Spearmanship.
In this world called 'Groa,' strangely, there were no higher-tier versions of spearmanship traits. Even for the Common trait 'Swordsmanship,' it was known that dozens, even hundreds, of higher-tier versions existed. This meant that even if it was the same swordsmanship, it differed depending on the person who was granted the trait. A simple example was Leonhardt's Legendary trait, 'Azure Heavens Sword.' A sword that held the blue sky. A swordsmanship with an absurd imagery, where, in the distant future, as its trait level increased, one could truly imbue the sword with even the heavens themselves.
But spearmanship…
"That's strange. Why isn't there any for spearmanship?"
The more he thought about it, the stronger his sense of regret became. If there were higher-ranked spearmanship traits, he could have aimed for them and further developed his own spearmanship. Because that would mean there were guides or pioneers for him to follow.
How long did he walk, lost in thought? He found himself entering the academy.
—The Grand Royal Academy.
As the largest facility, its sophisticated exterior felt new to him, even though he had seen it just yesterday as he entered.
'Maybe it's because things are going well, but everything looks different.'
He truly could see everything in a positive light.
[C1 Class]
When he reached the classroom where he would likely spend the next half a year, its door was already open.
"…"
Before entering, he took a calm, deep breath. Then he stepped confidently into the classroom.
Step.
"Oh?"
"He's here!"
"That's Han Cheon-seong, right?"
Immediately, strange murmurs arose. As soon as he entered the classroom, he could feel gazes overtly fixed on him. Yet, he wasn't particularly flustered by their stares. He had, after all, anticipated that the outcome of yesterday's spar and its repercussions would surely spread throughout the academy. Under their many gazes, he calmly looked around.
'He must be here.'
He searched for David, who he knew would be in the classroom, and soon found him. David, who was smiling lightly as he looked at him.
"Yo, Han Cheon-seong."
As David called out to him, he naturally headed towards him. He then settled into the empty seat beside him.
"David. I'm really sorry about yesterday."
"Nah, it's fine. What are you sorry for? An A-class student came looking for you; how was I supposed to stop you? Anyway, tell me. What exactly happened? What's all this about you sparring with Leonhardt, the top student this year…? Honestly, I've heard so many things, but I still can't quite grasp it."
As soon as he sat down, David barraged him with questions, his eyes full of curiosity. He considered how to answer, then decided to keep it simple. With the rumors already spread, it would be awkward to try to gloss over it, and it would be ridiculous to feign modesty.
"Well… somehow, I ended up sparring with Leonhardt. And it turned out pretty well. Everything concluded amicably. By the way, David, did the rumors about yesterday's spar really spread that far?"
"Farther than you think. A student from our class saw you disappear with the A-class yesterday. Plus, I heard the sparring results are already quite the topic among the instructors?"
"Among the instructors?"
"Yeah, before you arrived, a few instructors dropped by our classroom and left. Just to see you."
As David chuckled and spoke, he paused for a moment.
'Am I really that big of a deal?'
He certainly thought yesterday's spar would have a significant impact. So, the attention from students in the same classroom was expected, but it was surprising that even several instructors had dropped by this classroom just to see him. That kind of attention was originally meant for Leonhardt. It should have been directed at him. The top student in the entrance exam. A Legendary trait. And with various other rumors circulating about Leonhardt, it was natural for instructors to show great interest in him. That wouldn't have changed even after yesterday's spar… But that attention, which should have been solely poured onto the protagonist, was now also directed at him. He felt somewhat bewildered.
Honestly, after reaching Trait Level 4, he certainly felt confident. Confident enough to remain unperturbed by the attention and even consider it natural.
'It's true that I'm strong, but…'
That didn't mean it applied to everyone. Students' traits varied wildly, and there were, in fact, countless traits that put him at a disadvantage in terms of compatibility. It even meant there were times he might lose to another C-class student.
"Han Cheon-seong. Even just yesterday, I expected you to be strong based on what you said. But to think you'd be able to contend with Leonhardt…"
"Calling it 'contending' sounds a bit grand…"
"No, but if yesterday's spar was true, then you're clearly not C-class level anymore, are you? Anyway, the examiners who saw you in the entrance exam must have been blind to assign someone like you to C-class."
As David genuinely praised him, he could only offer an awkward laugh.
"When you put it like that, it's a bit embarrassing."
Their idle chatter lasted only a moment.
Click-clack.
Suddenly, a completely different set of footsteps echoed. He turned his head and saw a woman entering the classroom. Hair as red as a blazing flame. A face made even more beautiful by a faint smile. Most notably, she wasn't wearing a student uniform, but the academy instructor's distinctive black suit.
"Is it because it's the first day? Everyone seems absolutely brimming with determination?"
Following her confident, alluring voice… he couldn't help but stare blankly.
'Why…?'
Why was that woman in the C-class classroom? It was a truly unexpected situation.
—Kali Ishtar.
An instructor with a Unique trait, yet one said to be close to Legendary. A renowned figure, originally even called 'Crimson Dawn.' She was also the examiner who had left quite a good impression on him during the entrance exam.
And now, she…
had entered the C-class classroom.