ALL NOVEL Chapter 43
Caeran Hiss.
The place I’ve possessed, favored by the Author, is one of the main characters.
And the source of all evil…
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[Caeran Hiss]
[Status Average]
: 3.6
[Specialization]
Sword Mastery (7)
Circle Magic (4)
[Unique Traits]
Elasticity (Lv.4) (Details not viewable)
Courage (Lv.2) (Details not viewable)
Massacre (Lv.1) (Details not viewable)
Immunity (Lv.1) (Details not viewable)
Fate (Lv.None)(Details not viewable)
Copy (Lv.None)(Details not viewable)
Battle Recovery (Lv.1) (Details not viewable)
Absolute Growth (Lv.1) (Details not viewable)
—————————————————
Elasticity that corrects hit rates and reduces critical damage taken,
Courage, which inflicts additional damage to the weak,
Massacre, which stacks combos and increases stats when defeating enemies,
Immunity, which resists all status ailments,
Battle Recovery, which continuously restores health while in combat,
Fate, which discovers unintended beneficial connections wherever you go,
And finally, the culprit of power inflation, the infamous scam skill, Copy…
While Caeran’s dynamic vision and all those settings are impressive, in the end, it’s the Author’s tool meant to insert their own character.
It’s an absurd ability that allows him to copy and use the skills of enemies he’s fighting against.
The rest of the detailed skills are hard to check, but this is about it.
[Life Achievements]
[Third-rate Provocation! : Obtained 10 Supporting Role Points]
Caeran seemed to have trouble believing that I had cleared the Chamber, so his usual trademark, sly attitude, was nowhere to be seen.
After a while, he approached me as if my situation wasn’t even funny.
“Hey, cut it out, both of you.”
As expected, it was Melissa who butted in.
“Lev Denec! You just had a duel not long ago. Don’t you know it’s forbidden for two weeks after any duel?”
“Aww, that’s unfortunate.”
I feigned disappointment as if I didn’t know, and Caeran’s expression soured, as if questioning “What kind of jerk are you?”
I actually did know.
If I were to duel Caeran now, I would lose immediately.
Yet I still threw myself at it, because,
-Chamber, fight, no way.
First up, Sinatis.
Addressing Caeran’s attitude of disrespecting the professor by calling her a monster, I managed to earn at least a bit of favor from her.
“I see, so that’s how it is.”
Caeran asked with a relaxed demeanor as if he already knew the answer.
“Rank B, you said Lev Denec?”
“What about it?”
“In the rank match, I’m going to target you. I hope you don’t run away then.”
“Do as you wish?”
Next up was this.
According to the original plot, the one he faces first in the rank match should be Edwin.
But no matter how you look at it, with his current abilities, he’s bound to lose.
The problem isn’t just losing.
Caeran would use his unique trait, Copy, to learn Edwin’s exclusive protagonist skill, [Executor’s Blade].
From there, the gap in growth will become overwhelmingly apparent, and Edwin will simply become a lesser version of Caeran until the end.
In contrast, Caeran would start targeting the heroine and related characters in succession to win and set off his harem flag, effectively starting a one-man show.
‘Can’t let that happen.’
If Edwin loses his scam skill and is forced into a Caeran ending, then I must end this on my terms.
After accepting Caeran’s duel challenge, I dragged my exhausted body to the Black House Dormitory.
And when I opened the door,
“…?”
There stood a girl in a black robe with black hair, looking expertly groomed.
It was Liris.
Behind her, Yeriel was standing, looking tense.
“Junior!”
She rushed over to me and then hesitated awkwardly.
Like a puppy welcoming its owner? No, more like a clingy cat.
I asked coldly, “Why are you here?”
“Well, it’s… because you…”
“Hah.”
–swish
“!”
I casually swept aside a lock of Liris’s hair behind her ear and whispered so only she could hear.
“You’ve failed.”
“No! I can do well, so please give me another chance…”
“I don’t need someone who doesn’t listen.”
“S-sorry, Junior! I’ll listen!”
“Didn’t I tell you specifically not to come looking for me?”
“I’m sorry, I’m really sorry…”
Has she fallen into another kind of corruption by holding on with just mental strength without lifting the Curse of Pain?
She truly fell, in a different sense.
“Don’t come looking for me until I call.”
“Y-yes…”
“…”
Did I just see hearts in her eyes…?
“I’ll wait… Junior…”
Must be my imagination?
–clatter
With that, Liris left the Black House.
Still, it’s definitely better than her bringing catastrophic incidents like in the original, leading to disaster; it might be a happy conclusion for her.
And…
“…Is it time for dinner yet?”
Yeriel seemed to force a smile to lighten the uncomfortable atmosphere.
—————————————————
–clatter
The only sound between Yeriel and me was the clanging of utensils.
Since the duel, our relationship had become somewhat distant.
And it was no wonder; I told her to not pay attention to me until she succeeded in Spirit Communion.
However, I can’t casually pursue her either.
She has a curse from a Tarchangel that causes her to darken once she truly realizes her feelings…
Of course, the likelihood of someone like me, a third-rate character, capturing her affection is nearly zero…
But just in case, I’m keeping my distance, as I can’t carelessly get too close.
More importantly, since the plot demands that she gets involved with Edwin to grow stronger, as a supporting character, I can’t intervene in that relationship.
Yeriel was the first to speak up.
“Lev…! Congrats on winning the duel.”
“Thanks.”
“I’m glad you’re not hurt.”
“Yeah.”
I replied flatly.
Even in this situation, her extending a hand makes me think over and over again how kind she is…
“Do you know someone named Edwin in the first year?”
“I do.”
Of course, I know. I’m the one who troubled him…
“He attends the personal training room every single day without missing! Isn’t that impressive?”
“Very impressive.”
Luckily, it seems like I had a proper first encounter with Edwin.
According to the original novel, Yeriel would take a liking to Edwin for his efforts and include him in this dungeon exploration practice.
“And, I succeeded in Spirit Communion with a high-level spirit.”
Already? Isn’t that a bit early…
I wanted to genuinely congratulate her, but I kept my tone steady and said,
“That’s good.”
“Yeah!”
And again, silence ensued.
Yeriel put down her utensils and called my name.
“…Lev.”
“…?”
“When I succeed in Spirit Communion, you said I could show it to you, right?”
Hmm, is that promise still valid…?
Even in this way?
–swish
She extended a piece of paper to me.
[Dungeon Exploration Practice – Party Application Form]
“Would you join me so I can show you…?”
*
After the incident in the Chamber and Yeriel’s party invite, several days went by smoothly.
“Something in her eyes looked like she was about to cry any moment.”
There was no reason to decline Yeriel’s unreasonable request.
After all, a raid-level demon creature would appear in the main event known as the dungeon exploration.
If we succeed in handling it, we could score big.
I decided to prepare thoroughly by spending more time in the personal training room, aside from classes.
“Did Edwin do this every day, I wonder?”
However, the rewards from harsh training soon began to show.
[Agility increases through a contract with the Spirit King!]
[Luck activated! Agility increases!]
[The sense of cutting through the air becomes familiar in your hands.]
[Agility recovery rate increases through a contract with the Spirit King!]
[Maximum wind energy capacity increases through a contract with the Spirit King!]
[Crossbow mastery increases through Diana’s teaching!]
[Luck activated! The increase is even higher!]
As my growth picks up momentum, the crossbow started to feel like an extension of my body.
–clang!
[Crossbow Mastery: 7]
“Finally…”
I finally achieved level 7.
Thanks to the Gamer trait, I was able to get better at the crossbow.
If it were a hard-to-handle bow, raising my mastery this quickly would have been impossible.
Anyway, today Professor Diana asked me to come for the scattered projectiles, so the timing is impeccable.
–whispering
In that moment, I heard the voices of female students chatting behind me in the dormitory.
The noticeable change this time was that there were a few female students glancing at my training.
Of course, if they heard someone say, “Is that Lev Denec?” they would vanish in an instant.
I wonder if I’m getting adapted to this other world.
I felt no particular thrill.
And while in the shooting range, I could occasionally run into Selena, but just like the first time I met her, she would occasionally watch me train and then disappear without saying a word.
“I guess it’s because of my Wind Archery.”
She must be confused.
It seems she even doubts the color of my Wind Archery, as per Professor Diana’s words.
But it’s not like I need to speak up now.
Actions over words.
As long as I keep this distance, there will be plenty of events later to clear up misunderstandings.
“You’re in practice mode, aren’t you?”
Just then, I heard a familiar voice.
It was Aria.
She appeared today in her neatly combed hair and priestess attire, probably having had a major class.
“Thanks.”
Over the past few days, she has been coming to me during training to infuse me with Sacred Power for recovery.
Is it a sense of duty as a healer, like a doctor’s without borders?
“I’ve been visiting often lately.”
“It’s a return favor…”
“Hmm?”
“The chocolates you gave me last time, this is a thank you.”
“Oh, that.”
On the day I dueled Gaelon, we had gone out to eat outside the academy, and I gave her two boxes of chocolate from Rudis Mountain, which she liked.
There wasn’t much meaning in the gift.
I was just curious about how it tasted since I’d only seen it in the setting books.
She really is treating me with this amount of Sacred Power; I wonder if two boxes of chocolate cover that…
It seemed a bit puzzling, but after the recovery was done, I grabbed the crossbow again.
“Looks like you enjoyed it.”
“Yes, it was delicious…”
“?”
“It was delicious.”
It’s the usual blunt tone from Aria, but I could feel her sincerity in the way she averted her gaze and hesitated.
Seeing her like this made me unconsciously murmur.
“I guess I was mean to someone who likes chocolate.”
“…Huh?”
“Oh.”
I accidentally let it slip.
Having lost her parents and being raised by another noble family, she must harbor a dark past about chocolate.
I quickly shifted the conversation.
“Oh, never mind. You didn’t come just for that, right?”
“…What do you mean?”
“You’re going to say you’ll keep an eye on me and want to party with me, right?”
“……”
I merely threw that out there as a joke, but Aria didn’t deny it.
“Here.”
I handed her the party application form I received from Yeriel.
“…What’s this?”
This main event is even more dangerous than when we faced the Rag.
Given the circumstances, we have to form a party with the main characters to assist Edwin.
For that, Aria is essential.
“Sign your name.”
“…….”
As she took the pen, Aria remained silent for a long while.
Does she not want to?
I added a remark.
“I’m not forcing you.”
“Lev, you are.”
“?”
Aria looked up and guided my gaze with her cheong-geum-seong eyes.
Then she murmured softly.
“Are you a good person?”