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In a dimly lit room, illuminated only by the light filtering through the gaps in the curtains, I lay on my bed, staring at the ceiling in silence. The soft sound of water bubbling inside the kettle broke the stillness, while the aroma of freshly brewed tea spread through the air, making everything absurdly comfortable.
At the moment, all I wanted was to go back to sleep. Unfortunately, I had class in a little while.
=== Statistics ===
Name: Kazehara Yuto
Rank: E-
Strength: F
Agility: E
Vigor: D+
Intelligence: D
Mana Capacity: NULL
Luck: F+
Charm: S
→ Profession (Swordsman Lv.5)
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[★★★★★★ Progenitor of Breathing Styles] – Minor Realm of Mastery
Techniques based on concentrated breathing, capable of elevating human attributes to absurd levels for short periods of time. As the Progenitor of Breathing Styles, you possess the potential to master all 14 known styles, and perhaps even create your own. The stars indicate the difficulty of mastering each breathing style, ranging from one to five.
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Passive Skills:
[Muscle Density] Despite your small body, your muscles possess a density ten times greater than that of a normal human, compressed into a compact structure.
[Mana Leakage Syndrome] You were born with a defective mana core, incapable of storing energy. Mana flows through your body, but dissipates before it can be used externally.
[Reverse Sensitivity] Taking advantage of a trait of your syndrome, you developed the ability to identify mana gaps, becoming capable of locating cores or general irregularities involving mana.
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I had gotten a little stronger.
After nearly dying against Everblood, I had finally broken through to Rank E. It was exhausting, but incredibly satisfying to see my progress reflected so clearly.
What caught my attention the most was how high my vigor was compared to my other attributes. Probably a direct effect of the breathing techniques. They constantly pushed my lungs and blood vessels to their limits. That might be why I could now stay active for much longer periods without collapsing.
I also noticed that the skill I had created myself now appeared officially in my status.
I didn't know that was possible. But if it was… then it opened up some very interesting possibilities for the future.
Still, it was different from ready-made skills. With those, all you had to do was learn them, and the knowledge was transferred instantly. Reverse Sensitivity, on the other hand, required adaptation, testing, trial and error. In fact, I couldn't even say I had fully mastered it yet.
— Those guys were really generous to offer a skill…
Even so, I chose to take the money instead.
It wasn't that I didn't want a skill, but the breathing styles already covered most of what Rank G or F skills could offer.
Besides that, I later went through the center of Ashton to sell my loot, and the results were better than I expected.
All the treasures from Drokan's throne amounted to around 2.5 million U. The Crown of Athena alone was worth another 2.5 million.
Adding that to the 5 million I received as compensation for refusing the skill, I now had a little over 10 million U in my account.
It was good money. But it would grow even more.
…
Ring.
Ring.
I picked up my phone and dialed a certain person's number. After a few seconds, the call was answered.
— Hello. How have you been?
Smallsnake's voice sounded professional, though there was a faint trace of anxiety in it.
— All good. I called because I wanted to talk to you about something.
— Go ahead…
— I secured the investment money. I wanted to set up a meeting so we can settle everything properly.
— Oh! That's great.
Now he sounded genuinely surprised. He probably hadn't expected me to actually go through with such a… questionable investment.
— How about that café in eastern Ashton? I can be there tomorrow afternoon.
— Works for me!
I replied casually, standing up to place a cup of tea on the table.
— By the way… I don't know how you found out, but there was someone else who wanted to pull the same kind of madness you did. Am I the weird one here?
Smallsnake was clearly talking about Ren. Out of professionalism, he wouldn't reveal names, but it was obvious.
In the end, that was great. It meant the events of the story were still on track… at least for now.
— Your words, not mine!
I joked as I blew on the cup, spreading warm steam through the room along with a comforting aroma.
— Anyway, that's it. See you tomorrow.
— Of course… see you!
Click.
Ending the call, I savored the silence and the cozy atmosphere of the room while sipping my tea and sinking into the chair.
…
— I should go to class.
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It had been about two weeks since I officially enrolled at Lock, and I couldn't say I was particularly excited about the classes.
Don't get me wrong, the content was genuinely interesting. Some subjects covered technologies and concepts that simply didn't exist in my original world. Still, there was a small problem.
When you understand everything too quickly, it loses its appeal.
Yuto's intellectual capacity was abnormal. Most theoretical subjects became trivial after one or two exercises. In the end, all I had to do was complete the assignments, take the exams, and I'd probably do just fine.
I imagine that's how geniuses like Melissa feel.
It was… convenient, honestly. Not much to complain about. Because of that, I spent most classes just sleeping.
Which probably irritated the students who were frying their brains trying to keep up, while watching me drool on the desk through the entire lecture.
Melissa, seated beside me, still maintained her impeccable intellectual posture. She continued to shoot me looks of disdain most of the time, but now she seemed less bothered than before. After all, I barely spoke.
— Alright, everyone. That concludes today's class. I hope you enjoy the elective fair.
Donna announced from the front of the room, organizing a few papers on her desk.
"Oh, right… there was something like that."
The elective fair was an event involving the entire academy, where second- and third-year students tried to recruit new members for their electives.
In short: clubs.
In practice? Pretty much small factions.
Each elective had its own resources, reputation, and influence, which made the competition among students… intense, to say the least.
It was a pain.
Depending on your choice, you could end up becoming the target of unbearable groups simply for belonging to another "faction."
But whatever. I'd think about that later.
— Hm?
As I reflected, my gaze drifted toward the left side of the classroom.
Ren was standing there, staring fixedly at Donna, his face slightly flushed. His eyes looked… distant. Almost hypnotized.
Bam!
It was only when he heard the sound of the door closing that he seemed to snap back to reality. He tried to regain his composure, but before he could do anything, a mocking voice rang out beside him.
— Look at this idiot drooling over Professor Longbern.
— Hahaha, how pathetic.
— I know she's beautiful, but how does a low-rank like you think you're worthy of that?
Three individuals surrounded Ren's desk, making him frown. I watched the scene unfold from a distance.
"Ah… right. I had forgotten about this."
Turning my head slightly, I could see Arnold sitting with his arms crossed, watching Ren out of the corner of his eye. Beside him, Troy looked just as irritated.
Looks like Ren and I were already on Jin's goons' radar.
I probably hadn't been approached yet thanks to Melissa's silent protection beside me.
— What is it? Cat got your tongue?
Shoving Ren's left shoulder, a slender boy, clearly the leader of the group, provoked him.
— Why were you looking at Professor Longbern with those disgusting eyes?
…
— Hey, are you deaf? Say something.
Since fighting was forbidden at the academy, Ren could simply ignore them and move on with his day. Depending on the severity, any physical confrontation could even lead to expulsion.
— Hey! I'm talking to you, idiot!
The situation began to escalate when I noticed someone standing up.
Kevin.
He had risen and was walking toward the group. One thing about him was clear: Kevin couldn't stand injustice. He found it pathetic to see stronger people harassing the weak.
Maybe it would be better to let the scene play out normally.
Kevin would arrive, intimidate the bullies, and everyone would leave the classroom as if nothing had happened.
But…
I kind of felt like testing my aim.
I picked up a ballpoint pen from the desk and removed the ink cartridge, leaving only the plastic tube. I tore off a small piece of paper and lightly dampened it with saliva, forming an improvised projectile.
I placed it at the tip of the pen, creating a classic school blowgun.
Everyone's done that at least once, right?
Melissa shot me a sideways glance before sighing, clearly judging the childishness of the situation.
— Tsk… brat.
Normally, this would only annoy the target.
But…
What could a pair of lungs trained like mine do?
I smiled faintly, imagining the result.
I drew in a massive amount of air, inflating my chest like a balloon. I almost used a breathing technique, but instead…
I released it all at once. Explosively.
— You think you can just pass without my permi— OUCH!
The impact was sharp.
The sound echoed through the classroom, abruptly breaking the silence. The shot was dead-on. On the back of the boy's neck was an intense red mark, almost smoking.
"Damn… that must've hurt!"
It was far stronger than I expected.
A simple paper pellet had caused an impact comparable to an airsoft shot straight to the neck. The boy grabbed the spot, yelling in pain.
— FUCK! WHO WAS THE BASTA—
But as he turned around, he was met with a pair of red eyes staring down at him. There was a certain authority in that gaze.
— How about we leave it at that?
Recognizing the voice, the trio froze.
In a society where status meant everything, fear spread instantly. The three began trembling as soon as they realized who was standing before them.
— U-uh… um…
Overwhelmed by Kevin's presence, the boy completely lost his composure. Kevin placed a hand on his shoulder and gave a few light pats.
— Let's end this here, alright?
Richard and his group nodded frantically and fled the classroom without looking back.
Incredibly, no one besides Melissa, me, and obviously the kid who got hit had noticed the projectile. It had been fired with such speed and force, and was so small, that it was practically invisible.
In the end, everything turned out fine.
And apparently, I had also managed to avoid being harassed… for now. I still noticed Troy watching me from time to time, his hatred barely concealed. Probably waiting for an opportunity.
But thanks to my shield of good looks and questionable personality, I was safe. Mentally, I thanked Melissa for sparing me that headache.
Without thinking much about it, I rested my head on the desk.
I think I'll sleep through the next class too…
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