ALL NOVEL Chapter 8 - Talent 2
[Status Window]
Name: Dewshy (Debussy)
Race: Vampire
Affiliation: –
Talent: Gifted
Stats:
Strength – 1 level
Agility – 1 level
Vitality – 2 levels
Endurance – 3 levels
Mana – 2 levels
Innate Traits:
[Vulnerability Exposure – Silver]
[Vulnerability Exposure – Holy]
Acquired Traits:
Skills:
[Javelin Arts Lv.1 Rate.F]
[Javelin Throwing Lv.1 Rate.F]
[Blood Sucking Lv.1 Rate.C]
[Status Window]
Name: Han Doyun
Race: Human / Divine Beast
Affiliation: –
Talent: Genius
Stats:
Strength – 5 levels
Agility – 2 levels
Vitality – 7 levels
Endurance – 4 levels
Mana – 1 level
Innate Traits:
[Trauma (Gluttony Compulsion)]
[Divine Beast]
[Acquired Genius]
[The First Ruszvolnik (Războinic)]
[The First Guildmaster]
Acquired Traits:
Skills:
[Războlnic’s Flow Mana Cultivation Method Lv.1 Rate.D]
[Hecleus’ Fist Style – Straight Punch Lv.1 Rate.S]
[Javelin Throwing Lv.1 Rate.B]
Compared to Doyun, Dewshy’s abilities were abysmally dismal. But it was nonsensical to compare a fledgling student to him in the first place.
As his status window indicated, Dewshy was gifted, the talent level below genius and ordinary.
And when Doyun compared him to other students, this was quite a usable level. Having a stat at 3 levels right from the start was proof of being an exceptional seedling. He was a fitting description of ‘gifted’.
‘Not bad. But not worth nurturing.’
Still, this was someone who had consistently shown perseverance in classes. With talent, perseverance, and the ultimate blessing of the System, he had all the conditions to grow stronger.
Hoping they might stand on the same battlefield someday, Doyun closed the status window.
Then, the javelin instructor who had been watching Doyun from the side approached him.
“Ahem! …As I said before.”
Doyun inwardly sighed as he organized the javelins. Here we go again.
“Student Han Doyun. How about properly learning javelin arts?”
“…As I’ve also said before, I have no reason to.”
“I acknowledge your skill in fist styles. But the javelin is the king of all weapons, far superior to other armaments…”
A long-winded speech began. Even Dewshy, who had hovered nearby Doyun, shook his head and left the area.
This instructor had been constantly pestering him recently, to the point of hindering his training.
‘Should I change classes?’
He had been missing the feel of a sword anyway. With the Javelin Throwing skill created, it might be good to relieve some stress in the swordsmanship class.
‘And scout for talented swordsmen while I’m at it.’
The javelin class students were subpar. Of course, there were gifted ones like Dewshy who were talented due to their races, but none met Doyun’s standards.
‘He did tell me to find him if I needed help.’
It wasn’t uncommon for students to change positions after being assigned if they didn’t suit the role. Doyun could easily change as well.
Doyun tuned out the javelin instructor’s ramblings, waiting for the class to end while lost in his own thoughts.
+++
After the javelin class ended, Doyun headed to the swordsmanship instructor.
Having separated from the group moving to the next class, the corridor was empty except for him.
‘…No, two following me.’
There were two people trailing him.
One was concealing their presence, but their amateur skill suggested a student.
And the other, boldly following Doyun, approached him.
“Student Han Doyun.”
Expecting the encounter, Doyun turned around.
“May I have a word with you?”
It was the unarmed combat instructor.
An expected meeting, causing Doyun to inwardly sigh. Perhaps like the javelin instructor, he had come to pester him because of the fist style he had demonstrated during the mana test.
‘…But I need to see the swordsmanship instructor.’
Still, this much was better. Other instructors, not even in unarmed combat, had stubbornly clung to him and harassed him for the past week.
Doyun decided to spare him a brief moment.
“Yes, speak.”
However, the topic he raised was completely different from what Doyun had expected.
“Student Doyun, what is your relationship with the Fist King?”
“…Pardon?”
Unable to grasp the meaning or intention behind the unexpected question, Doyun reflexively asked back.
“Who is the Fist King?”
“Ah… My, my apologies. That was a foolish question on my part.”
The unarmed combat instructor realized his haphazard question had been foolish.
The Fist King (聖王). Like the countless heroes throughout history, he had various titles following him.
King of the Labyrinth Kingdom. 3rd Generation Fist Saint. One of the alliance’s strongest duo. Father of the Labyrinth. The Wisest King. Skill Master.
Regarded as one of the alliance’s strongest along with the Lion King, the Fist King was a grandmaster of fist styles, the only one in the alliance to achieve skill level 10.
On the day of the mana test, the unarmed combat instructor had seen the Fist King in Doyun’s fist. His fist had been uncannily similar to the Fist King’s fist that the instructor had witnessed only once on the battlefield long ago.
He had wanted to immediately approach Doyun and ask about their connection, but never found the opportunity.
Doyun had been confined to the dorms for an entire week, and after that, he was always surrounded by other instructors, making it difficult to bring up the topic.
Finally seizing the chance today, the instructor had hastily called out to Doyun and asked the question, but…
‘The Fist King is a native of this world. There’s no way the newly arrived dimensional immigrant Student Han Doyun could have a connection with him…’
Soon, he trailed off, at a loss for words. Then what was going on? What was that fist Doyun had demonstrated that day?
After a moment’s hesitation, he decided to simply lay it all out honestly. Since he had no idea what else to ask, this was the only way to progress the conversation.
“…Student Doyun’s fist style. There is someone in this world’s great figures who uses the same style.”
“Pardon?”
Doyun’s eyes widened. The instructor felt his choice had been the right one.
“Do you perhaps have any inkling of a connection?”
“…”
Doyun fell into contemplation. But his surprise and delight jumbled his thoughts.
The instructor only knew Doyun as an Earthling, so he must have assumed Doyun’s fist style also originated from Earth. No, he would naturally think so.
So he was utterly bewildered. How could someone who had just arrived from another dimension use the same technique as a native of this world?
But as the owner of that fist style, Doyun had a rough idea. So he was overjoyed.
Someone using the same fist. The implication was clear.
‘Hecleus, that bastard… he finally found a disciple!’
Hecleus was around the same age as Enoch.
In each of Doyun’s previous regressions, the age he died varied, and in some, he had seen their 70-year-old appearances.
The Fist Saint, always thirsty for a disciple, had failed to find a suitable candidate until then.
Regardless of whether the Fist Saint met Doyun in each regression or not, there was never a single instance where he succeeded in taking on a disciple.
It was because of the reckless recoil of Hecleus’ Fist Style.
In the generation of Enoch and the Fist Saint, no one except the Fist Saint himself had the talent to endure that recoil. Only the Fist Saint and Enoch could use Hecleus’ Style.
Of course, even Enoch could only mimic it using a kind of workaround that only he could employ.
The Fist Saint knew this, yet he had persistently clung to Enoch, begging him to teach Hecleus’ Style. That’s how desperately he craved a disciple.
But it seemed that after Enoch’s death, he had finally succeeded in finding a disciple.
‘In the 18th regression where I defeated the Demon Lord, I died at 30 years old. In other regressions, he failed to find a disciple even until 70. It was clear there were no suitable talents in our generation. Then…’
The variable that only appeared in the 18th regression – the System, the Cradle, dimensional immigrants.
It seemed a talent had arrived from another dimension after Enoch’s death.
‘And inherited that monstrous fist style.’
Doyun’s heart pounded. Just what kind of monster were they?
‘I must meet them someday.’
But he couldn’t simply reveal such personal details to the instructor. After contemplating how to respond, Doyun spoke.
“Was the instructor the only one who felt that way?”
“Hmm… Perhaps. I happened to witness the Fist King’s straight punch on the battlefield long ago. It’s rare for us to go fight on foreign frontlines, so the other instructors likely didn’t notice. Otherwise, the Cradle would have been turned upside down already.”
Then it was fine. There was no need to painstakingly package an explanation. Who would believe a Cradle student was using the same fist style as the Fist King?
He would just deflect it casually.
“I’m not sure.”
“Pardon?”
The instructor let out a bewildered sound at the completely unexpected response.
“Well, think carefully about it. There must be some connection…”
“Even if you tell me to think about it… logically, it doesn’t make sense. For me to know a martial art used by someone from another dimension.”
“Ah, ah…”
“You must have been mistaken.”
The instructor could only gape, unable to say anything, because Doyun’s words were so reasonable. This was something that couldn’t happen.
Had he really been mistaken? No, that couldn’t be, could it?
The instructor clutched his head, lost in thought. But no matter how much he pondered, he couldn’t reach a conclusion.
Doyun checked the remaining break time. Although he couldn’t meet the swordsmanship instructor, it had been a satisfying conversation where he gained valuable information. The time hadn’t been wasted at all.
“Then I’ll be going. I need to attend the next class.”
“Yes… My, my apologies for keeping you.”
He had shared good information, wasn’t stubborn, and had proper manners too. Quite a likable lad.
Doyun bowed slightly to him and turned away.
But then…
“Wait!”
As if finally remembering, the instructor called out to Doyun again with a bright expression.
“Then! Do you perhaps know of someone named Hwangbojun?”
Doyun furrowed his brows. What was he talking about now?
“Hwangbojun was a dimensional immigrant like you, Student Doyun, and one of only two boss monster killers in history, as well as the teacher of the Fist King!”
“…Pardon?”
Hwangbo, what?
The Fist King wasn’t Hecleus’ disciple?
‘What is he talking about now?’
Doyun frowned.