Flick.
Flick.
Flick.
The three coins flew into the air, colliding mid-flight before sinking into the deep crevices of the decayed wall.
"Unbelievable. Wren is in love with Michael?"
Hector let out a heavy sigh, wiping the sweat from his forehead before slowly lowering himself onto the floor as if he barely noticed the result that he had just witnessed
Perceiving the cold from the floor running over his tired back while he looked up at the dark sky, his thoughts spun with questions.
"Maybe… I'm just overthinking again."
"What kind of person is Michael, anyway?"
Hector scratched his head as he replayed everything that had just unfolded.
"Keep practicing until 8 p.m..… You should work harder."
With those final words, both vanished without a trace.
But Hector had caught Michael's slightly panicked look. That alone revealed something.
They were clearly hiding things from each other, like lovers playfully keeping secrets.
"That's really amusing."
Hector slowly stood, brushing off his pants as he tried to steady his breath.
"Yet… he genuinely cares about me. I've lived long enough to tell when something is sincere."
"Maybe… he really is a good guy."
"Huh?"
For a moment, a chilling thought crept into his mind.
"Or maybe… he's gay…"
Now, it all started to click.
Michael had shown him unconditional kindness. He'd even turned away from a beautiful, sexy girl like Wren.
Just thinking about it, Hector felt a sharp pain in his rear.
He instantly glanced around in panic.
Somehow, the place had grown bleak and empty.
He'd been practicing so intensely that he'd completely lost track of time.
"I need to get back to my room right now."
…
"No… I need a different room."
…
Just like that, another day slipped by in the blink of an eye.
And today carried a certain significance.
The students were about to select a few minor subjects.
First up was pharmacy—a field centered on crafting capsules from natural herbs, among other practical uses.
Unlike in his previous world, pharmacy here was far more advanced, often eclipsing other disciplines.
After all, everything had been transformed by mana.
The herbs remained the same, and the Keith Grass Hector had discovered during the first challenge was a prime example.
It was a true elixir.
Capable of healing any injury or illness, no matter how serious or small.
If such miraculous herbs had existed on Earth, a global crisis would have been inevitable.
Human evolution was another factor. As people climbed the ranks, their reliance on capsules diminished.
Eventually, they gained both longevity and strength—
That was the Mythic Rank.
But that was still far beyond Hector's reach. For now, it was better to stay grounded.
His only dream, really, was to marry an ordinary girl and live a peaceful life.
Second, mechanical engineering was another subject worth noting, even though he wasn't enrolled in it.
Besides that, there were numerous other electives.
"Hey! Want a skill coin?" a young man with a cunning grin called out to Hector.
"Huh? What're you talking about?" Hector yawned, stretching his back against the chair.
Around him sat several other students, all part of the pharmacy class. The one next to him was a wiry youth with a shifty expression.
He'd been peddling his skill coins to anyone willing to buy. Naturally, his customers were lower-tier humans like Hector.
They all shared one trait: commoner.
People like them were always short on money, unable to afford basic things.
Skill coins, of course, were absurdly overpriced.
A basic coin was valued at around 3,000 gold pieces.
An enhanced one might cost anywhere from 10,000 to 100,000, depending on its rarity.
Naturally, a legendary coin was beyond price.
He was still on the lookout for a buyer willing to offer an outrageous sum.
Most importantly, he knew that skill coins were incredibly difficult to create.
They were relics from a bygone era, handed down through the ages.
"How much?" Hector sighed as he asked.
He wanted to check it out—this particular coin hadn't been mentioned anywhere in the novel's plot.
Upon hearing the question, the thin youth curled his cracked lips into a grin.
"Ah… uhm… I'll lower the price just for you."
"50 gold coins."
…
"Seriously?" Hector slowly grimaced.
"One silver coin."
"Deal!" The scrawny teen grinned slyly and handed over the coin.
Hector narrowed his brows, suspicious at how easily the guy gave up the coin, especially after supposedly haggling.
"Ridiculous. I think I've been duped."
Which meant the coin probably had little to no value.
But curiosity got the better of him—he wanted to inspect it anyway.
In his palm sat an old copper coin to be worn, on which the carvings were barely visible. Still, it emitted the vague, unstable energy common to all skill coins.
"System!" Hector called out silently in his mind.
—--------------------------------------------------
Name: Hector Lyder
Sex: Male
Bloodline: The eyes were enhanced by mana
Age: 15 years
Level: Novice
Coin: Lysander
Skill free: Shoot coins
Skill 1: Mana Attribute (closed) - Request: Overcome the threshold of the life-and-death line. (Progress: 0.00%)
—---------------------------------------------------
Storage unit: xxx
''Connect with the skill coin!'' Hector thought.
—---------------------------------------------------
Rank: Enhanced
Name: Yakhi coin (Do you want powerful? I'll give it to you )
Activate condition: Free
First skill: Mana of Mythic.
—---------------------------------------------------
"Fuck you! Only a child would fall for such a cheap trick."
Hector cursed silently, then tossed the coin into his space system with a sigh.
After all, he could only use one skill coin in his entire life—and once chosen, it couldn't be replaced.
So, he'd keep this one as a sad little reminder of his own stupidity.
Several minutes ticked by.
The sounds of footsteps rang out outside the hallway, slowly coming to the entrance of the classroom.
From the front door, a middle-aged man slowly made his entrance.
He was dressed in traditional formal wear that didn't quite fit him—his short, stocky build clashed with the refined tailoring. He looked like a rugged dwarf trying—and failing—to appear sophisticated.
Climbing onto the podium, he paused and surveyed the room, adjusting his old glasses with an oddly elegant motion.
"I'm Derek Curtis, your instructor!"