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Translator: Ryuma
Chapter: 3
Chapter Title: The First Reward
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"Huh? Team Leader Yoo, you're already here? Didn't you take half a day off?"
"Yeah, I finished up what I needed to do quicker than expected, but then I remembered some urgent stuff to sort out, so I came in. Just keep doing what you were working on. I didn't clock in, so no worries~"
"Sure thing~"
He drew the gazes of the employees still working as he headed to his desk in the office and began hurriedly searching through the files.
A ninth-year employee at Academia. He had more than enough clearance to access training materials and equipment lists for most Awakener Hunters' classes.
With just a bit of an excuse, he could shut down some simulator facilities for "maintenance" and use them himself. Finding knowledge and data posed no problem at all.
'The only thing I can't do here is actual combat, huh? But that's like worrying about a guy who can't walk trying to run. Sigh~ Still, the penalty for this Trait—Path of the Great Knight—is way bigger than I thought.'
[Trait Skill - Path of the Great Knight]
Penalty: Unable to use magic, unable to equip ranged weapons, unable to equip poison or hidden weapons
'In other words, I'm forced into close-quarters combat no matter what.'
He'd prefer to avoid risky fights if possible, but if his Trait demanded it, there was no helping that.
It was an unbelievable penalty for an SSS-grade Trait, but Traits like this usually came with merits that matched the drawbacks in scale.
'But all it says is, "Rewards are given each time you uphold justice, exterminate evil, and protect the weak. You can also acquire all 'knight' skills." That's it! It's way too vague!'
He had no idea what standards were used to judge and apply "upholding justice, exterminating evil, and protecting the weak."
Exterminating evil and protecting the weak at least made sense—fighting monsters, forces of Constellations trying to destroy humanity, Ma-in, or Scavengers. But upholding justice? That didn't resonate at all.
'Justice can go freeze in a ditch...'
Justice in this world had long since fallen to the ground and been tossed in the trash.
It was nothing more than flowery rhetoric to make wielding power and crushing dissenters seem legitimate. He couldn't relate to it at all.
Since it didn't resonate and he had no desire to uphold it anyway, he'd just ignore it.
'Simplifying it? Rewards come from subjugating monsters, Scavengers, Ma-in, or evil-aligned Constellation forces. And I can clearly learn every knight-class skill...'
He immediately pulled up data on knight-class skills registered in Academia's database, copied them, then checked and copied close-combat training materials.
That was all he needed for now. He wanted more data and knowledge, but taking only what he could process was key.
'Got everything I need. Time to head out?'
After transferring the data to his phone, he left the office to go home.
Since he'd taken half a day off, he decided to take a quiet route out of Academia to avoid running into other faculty or staff.
"I told you no a million times already!"
"Why are you rejecting our offer? We said we'd hire you straight into Avalon Guild right after graduation. That's not a bad deal, is it?"
"Bad deal or not, if the person involved says no, that's it, right? I'm leaving now."
"Hey, hold up! We're not done talking~"
"Of all days, this had to happen today... Sigh~"
As he descended a staircase in a building few people used, he heard voices arguing from a corner.
And there it was—one of Academia's daily occurrences.
Several Awakener students had one girl surrounded, pressuring her to join their group or guild.
'Probably big guild faction students trying to lock her down after seeing her Trait or skills.'
It was common.
Academia, which trained Awakeners and Hunters, was rife with guild-affiliated factions. Competition to recruit promising students or those with rare skills ahead of time was fierce, all to build power and prestige.
'Those kinds of jerks are always around.'
Normally, guilds should compete fairly and sign contracts afterward, but as profit-driven organizations like any corporation, they often created direct factions within Academia for cheaper, more efficient recruitment—using shady tactics.
'They just don't want to offer fair pay to the kids, so they resort to this crap. Real scumbags...'
"I said no. I can get better terms after leveling up more and unlocking my Trait. You think I'm an idiot? Who do you take me for?"
"Oh~ Looks like words won't cut it. You really don't know how the real world works, do you...?"
'You guys are students too, you know? And you're basically admitting you want to screw her over. Sigh~'
It was an unpleasant scene anyway.
Plus, Avalon Guild was a well-known mid-tier guild in Seoul. Everyone knew they pursued aggressive policies and talent acquisition to catch up to Korea's top three guilds.
'Still, ignoring it would leave a bad taste, so should I help?'
Not by swooping in like some prince charming to take them down—that would just earn Avalon Guild's ire and jeopardize his job.
But he hadn't worked at Academia for nine years for nothing.
"Yes, hello? Yeah~ This is Jeyang Guild, right? Avalon Guild students are trying to force a contract on some girl here. Location~ Yes. It's in the alley between the stairs behind B-2 Building. Yes. Hurry over."
Click.
Super-sized top guilds with the best perks didn't need to worry about talent—they flocked naturally.
But mid-tier and below guilds fought tooth and nail for recruits.
Avalon wasn't the only mid-tier. Rivals lurked above and below, and none welcomed competitors snagging good prospects.
"What the hell are you doing here? Don't you know Academia students can't sign guild contracts?"
"Sh-shit! Run...!"
"You! Jang Yunseok! Your club's been warned by the Student Guidance Committee already, hasn't it?"
"The Guidance Committee are all B-rank Awakeners or higher! We can't take them! Guys, run!"
"As expected of the ace from a rival guild's Guidance Committee team."
Not even a minute after his call, a boy in a crisp white Academia uniform appeared like a knight, taking control of the scene.
Most Guidance Committee students were Awakeners, needed to handle violent outbursts. While external guild security was on hand, it wasn't enough, so top student talents were recruited too.
"Th-thank you."
"No problem. If something like this happens again, contact the Guidance Committee immediately..."
"Um, more than that, Senior~ Could I get your contact info...?"
'Anyway, it's resolved, so that's good. But does she know? That guild's no better than Avalon in reputation.'
It looked like a happy ending on the surface, but the truth was harsher.
He'd just handed a lamb from the fox's jaws to a wolf pretending to be more refined.
Still better than dragging her to the slaughterhouse by force, he thought, turning to leave—when a status window popped up before his eyes.
[Congratulations for mustering the courage to help the lady under coercion.]
[The Path of the Great Knight bestows a reward upon you!]
"...A reward for this? No way."
Even for an SSS-grade Trait, getting a reward for something like this was unheard of.
He'd seen and heard plenty about skills, Traits, and special abilities while working at Academia, but nothing like this.
[Choose!]
[Skill Point +1 or Knight Summon or Equipment Selection.]
He thought it absurd to get rewarded for just one phone call, but it was offered, and from his Trait Skill, so he'd take it.
'Anyway, this is a huge breakthrough. I finally learned something about how this unknown SSS-grade Trait Skill works.'
With a lead grasped, he focused on the reward.
The options were the three on the menu. The first needed no thought.
"Skill Point +1, obviously."
No debate there.
Skills! Always skills! Unless he died, they couldn't be stolen, and only his own capacity limited them. Refusing Skill Points was idiotic.
'And I'll pick skills later.'
With Path of the Great Knight, he could select any knight-class skill, and he had Academia's database lists.
High freedom meant he could research and deliberate before choosing—no need to rush.
"Having the data really pays off."
Awakeners and Constellations had appeared before he was born.
Records, skill data, and preferences were abundant.
"Data's power is unreal. This is like swimming where it's shallow. Huh?"
Skill preferences and rankings shifted across eras and Awakener generations, but commonsense picks would do.
Then, he hit an unexpected snag.
[Acquirable Skill List]
(Unique) Sky's Blessing
(Unique) Mark of Death
(Unique) Storm Ruler
(Unique) Dragon-Human Unity
....
....
....
"...Unique skills? Never even considered that. Let's see—Sky's Blessing is Unique, Mark of Death from a Death Knight, Storm Ruler from a Storm Sword Knight..."
The word "all" knights' skills resurfaced, and yeah, that fit.
Including Unique skills exclusive to special classes was beyond expectation, and data on them was scarce, so he had to check each one's details.
"Wow, this is insane. Any skill with 'Knight' in the name shows up? Even alien race racial Traits?"
Hard to imagine knights like that existing, but Unique skills presumed for Lizard Knights or Orc Knights suggested such monsters existed.
After checking dozens for tens of minutes, he uncovered something even more shocking.
(Unique) Zikvalt von Engral's Swordsmanship
(Unique) White Silver Lance Knight Ryuho's Spearmanship
(Unique) Desert Knight Captain Lasioel's Fist Art
"Th-this is..."
Seeing skills named after people—not classes—sent indescribable chills through him.
Skills typically meant specific abilities or techniques.
But names attached meant those techniques had reached realms unique to their wielders.
"Uwaaa... No way."
Awakener systems and powers held mysteries, but the consensus was miracles manifested by godlike Constellations.
Viewed that way, these named skills were mortals' miracles—abilities even Constellations admired.
"In the world..."
And now, he could claim those legendary "knights'" "unique" abilities—lost to history and Constellations—with just a Skill Point.
This was definitely not normal.
The Awakeners, skills, and Constellation blessings he knew weren't like this...
He had no clue how it was possible, but he'd scour those knights' legacies for the skill he wanted—and finally found it.
"Finally found it."