I had deleted so many scenes and villains in an attempt to appeal to the audience seeking an overpowered character.
So if all they came back, my protagonist and hero cast wouldn't be able to easily win against the demon king, let alone some simple boss fights.
Rubbing my head, I hopped on the train, hiding my backpack behind me, and took out a notebook.
Not letting my memory deteriorate a moment more, I scribbled down every deleted scene, event, or character that I could remember, filling countless pages of the notebook.
"New Spartan City Train Station #4"
Only after a familiar name sounded was I awoken from my trance, finally gazing upward from my lined notebook with an exhausted expression.
...what have I done?
What was past me thinking adding these characters!?
Taking a deep breath, I exited the train and returned to my apartment within a few minutes, immediately taking the metal keychain out of my pocket.
Easily finding a free space on the plain, undecorated walls of my room, I cocked my hand back and threw the keychain forward.
Mid-air, the keychain enlarged to its original painting size and landed on the wall, sticking to it.
Gazing at the familiar lily-pond painting before me, I simply sighed, turning to the side and filling my backpack with every textbook in sight.
"Sword Strikes for Beginners!"
"Philosophy of the Blade: Discipline and Combat."
"The Eight Cuts: Foundation of the Blade."
"The Duelist's Handbook, Vol. 1."
"Demonic Beast Dictionary!"
With my backpack filled to the brim with countless books and sword guides, I took one last glance at my empty room and jumped into the painting.
*SPLASH*
Embracing the water, allowing my body to recover, I sank to the bottom of the pond before eventually rising back up.
Climbing atop a lilypad, I lay down under the permanent bright-yellow sun, like someone tanning on the beach.
A week.
I had a week.
Raising the first of many books above me, I examined the illustrations and carefully read each word, just as if I were studying for a test back on Earth.
...
...
...
"Hah—hah—I… can't."
Sweat dripping down my face, I jabbed my sword forward, instantly stepping to the side and horizontally slashing my surroundings, imitating the illustration visible in the textbook.
*CLANG*
Dropping my sword onto the lilypad, I free-fell backward into the water, instantly feeling my tightened muscles loosen and recover.
Read. Train. Water. Read Train. Water.
That was all I had been doing.
With the water to heal my brain and muscles, there was no need for sleep.
I could feel my knowledge of swordsmanship slowly increasing, as new moves and counterattacks not mentioned in the textbook came to mind.
My jabs and slashes had noticeably increased in speed, and I could now simultaneously integrate parts of my footwork into attacks with the sword.
Most importantly, though, I now felt comfortable wielding the sword.
Previously, all I had was muscle memory to lead me, no input from my mind.
It was like having the answer key to an exam and acing it despite not actually knowing anything.
However, what would someone who cheated their way through college do once they got a job?
They would be severely lacking and most likely way behind all of their colleagues, leading to them getting fired.
The same would happen to me once I engaged in an actual sword-to-sword fight.
Passively floating in the water, I recalled my negative bank balance with a groan.
I really need a personal AI training dummy.
Currently, I just had to imagine a person before me and their possible attacks, but with an AI dummy, I'd actually be able to face something concrete and learn faster..
Unfortunately, due to their being mana-powered and made of a hard metal, they went for, at the very least, fifty thousand gold coins.
Rubbing my face, I simply thought of the words, "Leave."
In the next instant, I found my still-drenched body, dripping water all over the carpet, standing before the pond painting back in my room.
Raising my hand to the painting, I watched as it shrank and transformed into a keychain before falling right into my open palm.
As I walked to the bathroom, turning on the shower and sitting down while the water fell onto my head, I finally gathered the courage to summon a purple holographic menu.
My hopes weren't high.
I had quantity, but no quality.
---Stats---
[User: Athen Dee]
[Rank: G+]
---> [Strength: G]
---> [Stamina: F]
---> [Speed: G+]
---> [Perception: F-]
---> [Vitality: G-]
---> [Magic Power: G]
---> [Luck: E / S]
---> [Intelligence: E]
---> [Perseverance: C-]
Gift: [Swordsmanship] / [Novice] [Level 2] [EXP 31%]
Innate Ability: [Calm Tide]
Innate Ability Description: [Your eyes possess a serene vision that can read the rhythm of all motion. You can read and predict the trajectory, speed, and endpoint of any object in motion. The calmer your mind, the clearer and more precise your foresight becomes.]
Gifted Ability: [N/A]
Martial Arts:
---> ***** [Dance of Ten Thousand Stream] (1/5)
Rooted in ancient Taoist philosophy, this art transforms combat into a flowing dance, where every step evades danger and turns defense into seamless counterattack. With movements as fluid and unpredictable as water, the user seems untouchable.
-----------
Alright...still no gifted ability.
Of course, I wasn't pleased with the menu.
I was still far below the average student, only in the 90th percentile with my art and innate ability, possibly.
My goal was to destroy all the overpowered characters and the horrid scenes I had deleted...yet I was basically an ant in front of them.
But there was nothing more I could do besides accept it.
A slight bit of hope had emerged, though.
If deleted scenes and characters are coming back...then shouldn't items as well?
Perhaps...a potential pill.
Shaking my head, I dismissed the menu and stood up, dressing myself in a new white collared shirt and red blazer.
Taking shortcuts would only stunt long-term growth.
At the moment, I already had more than enough overpowered items in my arsenal.
Now was the time to make money and train.