He thought indulging himself in training would be enough to forget that memory.
But he couldn't be more wrong.
It was more complex than he realized... It was an extremely complex feeling.
He felt guilty and not guilty at the same time.
He still couldn't sleep well at night.
But he didn't feel the guilt as much as he thought he would.
Sometimes he thought, Am I actually cold-hearted?
But in the end, when he asked himself if he would do the same thing, if he was in a similar situation again in future, with no other choice; the answer was always yes.
That realization bothered him more than the incident itself.
He wiped the sweat from his forehead and leaned forward, resting his hands on his knees as he caught his breath.
His body was exhausted; but his mind wasn’t. It never really was these days.
All of that aside, the training he did showed its results.
Jimin opened his status window to check his status.
Status Window.
—--------------------------------------------------
【STATUS WINDOW】
Name: Sam Jimin
Age: 16
Rank: E
Level: 3
HP: 375/375????STA: 147/215
MP: 200/200???? PE: 315/315
STATS:
STR: 11?AGI: 11?END: 13 (+1)
INT: 15?WIS: 13?VIT: 11
CHA: 4?PSY: 22?LUK: 10
FREE STATPOINTS: None
UNIQUE SKILL: Skillmaster
SKILLS →
-
Telekinesis (Lv. 6)
-
Telekinetic spin (Lv. 6)
-
Telekinetic barrier (Lv. 6)
-
Meditation (Lv. 6)
-
Growth (Lv. 5)
-
Dash (Lv. 5)
-
Appraisal (Lv. 8)
—--------------
—---------------
—------------------------------------------------------------
Then, he opened the skill section.
A table window appeared.
---------------------------------------------------
Skills:
-----------------------------------------
“Not bad…” he muttered.
During the last five days, all his combat-related stats had increased.
Every skill had leveled up at least once. Some had leveled-up even faster than what he expected.
He had even created a new skill from the drafts in the meantime.
Fireshot.
And even managed to level it up to level-3
He opened the skill creation window.
—----------------------------
[Current LP: 980]
—----------------------------
So close… Just a bit more and I can create the ‘Overtime’ skill.
After closing the window, Jimin gathered his things and left the old factory.
—---
The training hall buzzed with low chatter as students gathered in an assembly formation.
At the front stood Ryu Seong-ho with his arms crossed.
While, his sharp eyes swept across the hall.
“Today was the last day of your systematic training,” Seong-ho said.
The chatter died instantly.
“You students have done a remarkable job following instructions and learning the techniques. Your basic form and abilities have definitely improved.”
He paused, then pointed at a random student. “You… What do you think about the training’s effects? Was it worth it?”
The boy straightened, clearly startled.
“Y-Yes, Sir. My attacks have definitely improved. They have more power behind them now… and they’re more efficient.”
“Good.” Seong-ho nodded once. “Is that the case for all of you?”
“Yes, Sir,” the students replied in unison.
“Very well. But remember; this is just the basics. Keep this in mind and grow further.”
“Yes, Sir.”
Seong-ho let the words settle before continuing. “Okay then. On Sunday, we will visit an F-Rank Rift for your first real practical combat against monsters.”
The hall erupted into whispers.
“N-No way…”
“Already?”
“Yeah… Finally.”
Jimin felt his heart race.
He thought, Finally… I get to enter a Rift… A chance to level up again.
“Silence,” Seong-ho said sharply.
The whispers vanished.
“There’s no need to worry. The monsters are weak, and you will be under supervision. The main purpose is to give you practical combat experience and get you used to party formations.”
He glanced across the room. “Just think of it as a special field trip.”
The tension eased slightly.
It’s gonna be a fun trip for me, Jimin thought as his lips twitched.
“You still have two days to prepare,” Seong-ho continued. “You may bring your own gear. But the academy will still provide equipment for students who don’t have their own gear.”
A hand shot up.
“But Sir,” a student said hesitantly, “Isn’t that unfair? The rich students will definitely bring way better gear. We can’t keep up with them.”
Seong-ho tilted his head slightly. “Unfair?”
The student swallowed.
“Why would it be unfair?” Seong-ho asked calmly. “This isn’t a competition. It’s a demonstration of your strength. And as I said in my first lecture; gear is part of a Rifter’s strength.”
His gaze hardened just a bit. “You don’t need to keep up with others. You just need to show your own strength. So, don’t bother yourself with keeping up with others.”
His eyes swept over all the students as he asked loudly, “Understood?”
“Yes, Sir,” the students uniformly.
“Good.”
Seong-ho straightened and said, “Now, I’ll just teach you a basic function for now.”
The students leaned in.
“Think about ‘Party Window’ in your mind.”
Jimin did so instinctively.
Party Window.
A new window appeared.
—------------------------------------------
Party Window
[Create]????[Join]
—------------------------------------------
“Woah…” Jimin muttered under his breath.
All around him, whispers broke out again.
“That’s new…”
“So that’s how parties are formed?”
Seong-ho raised his hand and said, “That’s all for today. I’ll explain it in detail on the day of the Rift visit... Class dismissed.”
Alright. I will just explore this on that day.
The student spread within the training hall and started chattering.
Seong-ho discussed with students that came up to him, advised those who needed some improvements and appreciated those who were doing well.
Seong-ho found Jimin and said, “Student Sam Jimin.”
Jimin said, “Yes, Sir.”
Seong continued, “You have improved remarkably. Though I know, you will stick to your fighting style. I believe it will aid in improving your basics, just in case you need to fight close range. Keep it up… And best of luck for the Rift combat training. I believe that you will do well.”
“Thank you, Sir. I will try.”
The training hall started to quiet down as students started leaving, with a mixed reaction of excitement and anxiety.
Yuna caught up to Jimin near the exit.
“So…” she said, walking beside him. “We’re finally entering a Rift, huh?”
“Yeah,” Jimin replied. “I’m excited for that.”
“Well, I feel a bit nervous,” Yuna admitted. “But it doesn’t matter. I have to push through if I want to become a Rifter.”
“That’s good thinking.”
She smiled faintly. “Thanks. Let’s kick some monster asses after the weekend.”
Jimin snorted. “Yeah. But the question is… Will the monsters even have asses?”
“I hope so.”
They both laughed, the tension easing naturally.
Suddenly, Yuna said, “By the way, you heard that Dae-ho transferred to another school?”
“Really? No wonder I didn’t see that bastard around.”
“Well, he had been quiet for a while. Maybe the outcome of that fight was really giving him a hard time.”
“Maybe… Who cares? He had it coming. Let’s not talk about him,” Jimin snickered.
“Yeah… You’re right.”
Yuna tried to change the topic.
“So,” Yuna said, “What are you doing this weekend? Working overtime again?”
“Y-Yeah. Gotta save some money to move out.”
“Oh… Good luck with that.”
“Thanks.”
They parted ways soon after, and Jimin headed toward The Appraiser Federation.
—---
The Federation building was quieter than usual. Jimin took his seat and began his work.
One appraisal after another.
After a while, a notification popped up.
—--------------------------------------
‘Appraisal’ has reached Lv. 9
—--------------------------------------
Jimin blinked, “Finally…”
His ‘Appraisal’ skill had finally hit level-9.
It’s still far from level-10. I can’t reach level-10 today like this. This is the day I get my license… And as a D-rank on top that.
Read Chapters (46 - 48) early on my patreon.
Thank you everyone