Chapter 9 - Talent 3
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After brushing off the unarmed combat instructor with a claim of ignorance and sending him away, Doyun fell into anguish in the middle of the corridor.
‘Someone other than Hecleus’ disciple using his fist style?’
It was utterly incomprehensible. No matter how much he pondered, he couldn’t fathom the circumstances behind it.
He wanted to find this person named Hwangbojun and ask, but he had already perished on the battlefield.
‘…I need to meet the Fist King.’
He would gather information first, but it likely wouldn’t provide the answer.
He could just shrug it off as a past matter that wouldn’t benefit him even if he knew. However, the thought of Hecleus’ joyful expression upon accepting a disciple kept surfacing in his mind, making it impossible to simply let go.
It was only yesterday in history class that he had learned of the Fist Saint’s death, making it feel even more vivid.
That ruggedly built man beaming like an utter fool, tightly embracing his disciple. That image wouldn’t leave his mind.
‘There’s no telling when it will happen.’
He couldn’t just meet the king of a nation whenever he wanted.
But someday, he would meet the Fist King and ask about what had happened to his friend.
‘And… I must let his name be known.’
The technique the Fist King was currently using – he would widely reveal that its true owner was the Fist Saint Hecleus, and that the fists protecting the alliance belonged to that bastard Hecleus.
As his comrade, he would definitely do that much.
“…”
As Doyun stood lost in thought, someone approached him from behind.
“Umm…”
That’s right, there had been someone trailing him while concealing their presence.
Doyun turned to check their face. Quite an unexpected person was standing behind him, fidgeting their hips.
“Student Han Doyun…?”
The female student who had left a deep impression on all the male students during the mana test – Student Sophie.
“Yes. Um… Student Sophie.”
“Huh? Ah, uh…”
Was she surprised that he knew her name? Sophie’s eyes widened as she flustered.
His gaze was briefly drawn to her pretty pink, mystical eyes, but soon drifted down to her subtly swaying hips. …This time was an accident too. Really.
But this time, he wasn’t distracted by her nether regions.
Her lower body exuded a plump, bouncy femininity while also emanating a subtle healthy allure from rigorous training.
Not just as a man, but as a martial artist, his eyes kept wandering there. The more he looked, the more amazed he was by her innate physique – perfect for mastering kicking techniques.
Doyun used his innate trait [The First Guildmaster].
[Status Window]
Name: Sophie
Race: Half-Human·Unicorn / Mystical Beast
Affiliation: –
Talent: Genius
Stats:
Strength – 2 levels
Agility – 4 levels
Vitality – 1 level
Endurance – 2 levels
Mana – 3 levels
Innate Traits:
[Sacrilege Punishment]
[Vow of Purity]
Acquired Traits:
Skills:
[Kicking Techniques Lv.2 Rate.E]
[Purification Lv.- Rate.B]
[Celestial Bow Phantasmal Flight Lv.- Rate.A]
[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]
He also displayed Dewshy’s status window for comparison.
[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]
Doyun looked at Sophie’s status window with satisfaction.
‘As expected.’
Excellent.
According to the instructor, having even one stat at level 3 from the start meant a talent worthy of being treated well anywhere, and if a stat reached level 4, it essentially guaranteed the top spot at the Cradle.
From what Doyun had observed so far, he shared the same view. Among the students he had seen, Sophie was the only one with a level 4 stat.
Her ability levels were incomparably higher than her peers. And as expected, she had created the [Kicking Techniques] skill, even achieving level 2 – the only one Doyun had seen among the students.
‘Her strengths are prominently centered around agility. Her mana talent, the most crucial aspect, is also excellent. Her growth rate is unparalleled.’
While she showed a vulnerability in vitality, that could be compensated for.
Moreover, the rates of the two skills she originally possessed were also quite high.
According to the lessons, even among heroes, few possessed S-rate skills – practically treated as divine abilities, skills so rare they were hardly ever witnessed.
Just below that was the A-rate. If word spread that the new student Sophie possessed an A-rate skill, countless guilds would drool over recruiting her.
‘I think I can guess what Purification is.’
Doyun displayed the details of the A-rate [Celestial Bow Phantasmal Flight].
[Celestial Bow Phantasmal Flight]
(Lv.- Rate.A)
The innate power of the mystical beast unicorn. You can move to any location in the world where a rainbow is present.
‘…?’
For a moment, Doyun doubted his own eyes.
‘Anywhere in the world…?’
Drawing upon his experience spanning hundreds of years, Doyun quickly calculated and reached a conclusion.
‘…I’ve found a treasure.’
Regardless of any reuse cooldown or cost penalties, the lack of distance limitations alone made this an insane skill.
The timing restriction was certainly a major constraint. If that limitation were slightly lower, it would have undoubtedly received an S-rate.
But even considering that, this was undoubtedly a treasure.
‘I’m taking her no matter what.’
She was already a coveted talent in his eyes, but her value had skyrocketed.
Doyun resolved to definitely recruit and nurture Sophie.
‘But… a unicorn?’
Puzzled by the skill’s description, Doyun raised his gaze to her race information.
[Race: Half-Human·Unicorn / Mystical Beast]
‘Was she a demi-human?’
Not a surprising occurrence.
This world had both true and pseudo demi-humans, and in the case of pseudo demi-humans, they didn’t resemble the commonly imagined appearance but were almost indistinguishable from humans, with only faint manifestations of their subspecies traits.
‘Sophie is likely…’
He looked at her lower body and forehead again, nodding in understanding.
While he didn’t know the exact unicorn race, they were undoubtedly a horse-like species judging by her lower body.
And the small horn protruding from her forehead, wrapped in cloth. He couldn’t pinpoint the specific race, but it seemed to be a horse-shaped species with a horn on the forehead.
Doyun shifted his gaze to Sophie’s traits: [Vow of Purity] and [Sacrilege Punishment]. Just from the names, he couldn’t grasp their meaning at all.
Doyun first displayed the details of [Sacrilege Punishment].
[Sacrilege Punishment]
The innate power of the mystical beast unicorn. Your birth abhors sacrilege. When facing non-virgin females or non-chaste males, all ability stats increase by 10%.
‘…?’
Once again, Doyun doubted his eyes – it was that unexpected an effect.
‘What is this?’
Just what kind of animal was a unicorn to possess such a bizarre ability?
‘But… the effect is quite excellent.’
A conditional 10% increase to all ability stats. Moreover, the condition itself was quite generous. If traits also had ratings, this would have undoubtedly received an A.
‘…I should research unicorns soon.’
Doyun set aside his doubts for now.
And the next trait.
The ominously named [Vow of Purity].
‘…’
After a brief hesitation, Doyun ended up displaying the trait information.