"He was right. With 30 gold coins, that's enough for me. So… at least, I'll feel my pain ease a little."
Hector sighed in boredom, falling onto his warm mattress. Slowly, he closed his heavy eyelids, drifting into a pleasant dream.
Finally, after enduring so many tense situations, he managed to rest.
…
Several hours passed.
…
"Get up…"
…
"Get up~~~"
As time went on, Hector gradually opened his eyes.
He struggled to rise from the cozy surface, blinking as he tried to make sense of his surroundings. Still, his mind felt foggy since he hadn't gotten enough rest earlier.
"You!..."
Out of instinct, Hector recoiled, only to bang his back against the wall of his room.
"What the hell are you doing here?"
His heart thudded wildly as he recognized the familiar face.
"Tsk! You're like a scaredy-cat!" Michael clicked his tongue in amusement.
"Honestly, I feel like… I'm a babysitter."
…
"It's already 4 p.m. You don't need to attend the academy anymore."
He glanced at Hector, who looked sluggish after waking. Then, without another word, he stepped outside and said in a calm, even tone:
"Follow me."
In the large yard, broken bricks lay scattered everywhere except for a few clear spots. Surrounding the area were some old, tall, and broad trees, which surprisingly matched the archaic atmosphere.
"As promised, I'll teach you one of my perks," Michael said.
"But first, I want to ask a question… You already have a skill coin, right?"
Michael walked around the yard, his gaze drifting as he spoke.
Hector nodded and answered, "Yep! My skill is shooting coins."
Upon hearing that, Michael stopped and looked at Hector with curiosity.
"Show me," he said.
Without hesitation, Hector flicked a coin toward Michael using his fingers.
Honestly, he was proud of his ability. Before, he thought it was rather useless, but ever since gaining mana, it had become incredibly powerful. It could be compared to a shotgun—this was a deadly skill.
However, half a second later, his face froze as Michael casually caught the coin.
"What are you doing? Activate your skill," Michael sighed, still expecting more from Hector.
Hector just stared at him with boredom and irritation. Narrowing his eyes, he replied in a low, annoyed tone, "That's all."
"Of course, I know that," Michael said with a grin. Then he added, "It's really a weak, unnecessary skill. I guess your coin is just a basic one."
"Anyone can do that with enough practice."
After saying that, he flicked a single coin toward a ruined wall not far away.
Bam!
The old, crumbling wall cracked instantly as the coin plunged deep into it.
Watching this, Hector could only grit his teeth in frustration and sigh in disappointment.
But what else could he do? This was all he had.
"Don't worry," Michael reassured him. "It's a skill coin, so it must behave differently from trained skills.
"Look—I can do that too, but hitting the target precisely is really difficult."
Click.
Click.
This time, coins shot from Michael's hand at an unseen speed, flying straight toward Hector.
"W-What the hell?!" Hector shouted in alarm as he saw the coins coming his way.
Everything happened too fast. Instinctively, he raised his arms to shield himself.
A cold chill ran down his spine, making him shiver, but after several seconds, nothing happened.
"W-What's going on?"
Hector slowly lowered his arms, his hands still trembling as he scanned his surroundings. Sweat trickled down his body.
The last thing he remembered was the sound of two coins colliding midair.
"I thought I was done for..." Hector muttered to himself, then glanced at Michael with questioning eyes.
…
"This is another way to use the coin," Michael explained. "I changed the first coin's direction using the second one, but I can't fully control its movement."
"Who knows? Maybe you can." Michael looked at Hector knowingly, then shifted his gaze toward a large tree in the distance.
"Try it like I did!"
…
"That's a great idea. Why didn't I think of that before?" Hector thought, taking two copper coins from his space system.
He focused intently on his target—a tall tree far away—and pictured the impact between the two coins, predicting how they would react.
Then, he swiftly launched both coins with moderate force simultaneously.
The first coin shot through the air, spinning rapidly and warping slightly, yet still keeping its shape. It flew toward the tall tree but seemed to veer off course, missing its mark.
However, just as the first coin came within a meter of the tree, the second coin struck its first coin's edge, redirecting its path.
Finally, the first coin lodged deep into the tree, sinking in by about two-thirds of its length.
"Wow! That's incredible!" Hector exclaimed, his excitement growing as he realized he had executed the move flawlessly.
"It's pretty good," Michael nodded quietly, then added, "Now, try experimenting with different shooting methods."
And just like that, two hours flew by.
Hector had tested various ways to activate his skill, and fortunately for him, all of them worked effectively.
No matter which direction he sent the coin, it always struck the target precisely.
This would become his next hidden trump card.
Although it still had a few weaknesses, none were serious.
By combining his special eyes with this ability, he could develop a unique technique no one else could imitate.
Thinking about this, Hector sincerely wanted to thank Michael. He had helped him with everything, from training to even waking him up.
He had truly taught him like a real instructor.
However, Hector couldn't afford to let his guard down around Michael if he wanted to survive.
After all, Michael was still a member of that crazy Order.
"Aah!" Hector groaned as he collapsed onto the floor in pain, having just been punched by Michael.
He clenched his teeth and furrowed his brows, struggling to get up with great difficulty.
"C-Can you... attack more slowly?" Hector gasped for breath, barely able to speak.
Michael let out a small sigh.
"Your combat skills are awful… You've never trained in hand-to-hand fighting, have you? Beginning tomorrow, I'll teach you all the basics."
…
"For now… keep fighting."
"Huh?"
At that moment, a woman's voice suddenly echoed through the air, catching their attention.
"Hmmm… So this is where you are, Michael!"
…
"Wren? What are you doing here?" Michael frowned, his expression uneasy as he looked at the stunning young woman before him.
She wore a revealing, seductive dress so thin that any man would blush at the sight.
"T-This… this is what a true beauty looks like," Hector stammered, his face burning.