PVCNC 14

Chapter – 14

She really is a strange woman.

“Hey, you haven’t found a team yet, right?”

Suddenly popping up and taking it upon herself to rearrange my spot.

“Could you hit me a bit?”

A bewildering, incomprehensible request.

I thought it was just the kind of demand you could ignore and forget.

“You’re strong, so you probably have no idea what I feel.”

But the way she was looking at me with determination, I couldn’t just brush it off.

“Approaching like that without any warning—how is anyone supposed to react!”

Clueless enough to not even sense a monstrous presence right behind her, her mouth gaping wide.

“So stop hesitating and come at me, dummy!”

I felt I couldn’t ignore the will to survive burning in those eyes.

“Team, huh.”

For someone like me, who had spent more time alone than with others, the concept felt strange—but it had a pleasant resonance in my heart.

“So that’s the deal, then.”

If we were a team, I’d have to struggle to survive together, at least for now.

It was as if color was finally being added to the previously gray, lifeless pages.

Zenon, sword in hand, stared at me for a moment before mumbling to himself, barely audible.

“What’re you doing? Not gonna?”

Watching him, I tilted my head and prodded him.

‘I’m already nervous as it is…’

Surely he isn’t…

…thinking about which angle would hurt more when hitting me.

Just waiting tensely made my muscles stiffen.

When my blood had almost gone cold from the tension, I finally heard his voice.

“It’ll hurt.”

Zenon tossed the words casually.

The veins in my temples tensed.

“Who doesn’t know that? I know….”

“Don’t get hurt.”

“Huh?”

“I said don’t get hurt.”

I was stunned. Someone like him wouldn’t normally say something like that, would he?

“Hey! If you’re going to hold back, don’t even do it! This skill only works at full power!”

I thought he would just hit me mercilessly without any mercy.

If he didn’t hit fully, it would just hurt and have no effect.

“Don’t worry.”

Zenon answered calmly, crouching with his sword, all tension coiled like a drawn bowstring with an arrow ready to fly.

For a brief moment, a faint gray aura rippled around him.

“I don’t know how to control my strength anyway.”

My tension snapped back immediately.

Damn it, I knew he’d do that.

Fine, I’ll endure and make sure I use this skill properly.

I braced myself firmly with my guard up.

And then.

‘He’s gone…?’

Zenon had vanished from my sight.

‘Bwaaah!’

Soon after, a dull impact hit my left arm.

“Ah!”

What on earth… am I flying?

I stretched my arm, struggling to comprehend it.

Wind brushed my open palm.

This sensation—the floating feeling—was real.

I’m really flying!

‘No, but still…’

How could someone be sent flying by just a sword strike?

The world slowed around me as my body floated through the air.

The dizzying sensation sharpened my senses.

Crash!

Of course, it was brief. Gravity quickly proved its point, and I tumbled across the dirt.

“…What is this?”

It seemed like I flew at least five meters.

‘Not too bad on the pain, actually.’

Compared to the impact, the pain wasn’t severe—just dull and throbbing.

With this much force, my arm could’ve broken easily.

‘Still intact…?’

I lay there in shock, massaging my arm, as Zenon looked down at me and muttered.

“That was a blunt sword.”

“Blunt sword?”

He explained as if reading my confusion.

“A blunt sword hits and pushes. It’s good for defending yourself.”

Ah, so it’s a sort of self-defense technique.

It seemed to lack lethal force, which was why it wasn’t too dangerous.

Perhaps noticing my disappointed expression, he added:

“There are other swords, but if you tried to block them barehanded, your arm would be in pieces. Just be satisfied with this one.”

Other swords? He must have already received skills from the Star Seat, and now he has three variations?

Just as I was pondering, a notification chimed.

[Sword Technique: Blunt Sword (A) proficiency increased by 5%.]
[Dragon’s Song (S) proficiency increased by 3%.]

Perfect timing.

“Other swords… we’ll think about that when you get stronger.”

He held out his hand to help me up from the ground.

“You’re supposed to be stronger, right?”

He was right. You can’t expect everything at once.

Let’s not rush. I’ll do what I can, step by step.

Grabbing the sword with both hands, I stood up with his help.

“All right! I’ll soak up this much in a flash.”

Zenon’s lips twitched slightly.

‘Is he… smiling?’

“No, fix your stance.”

His lips returned to a neutral expression as he raised his sword.

“All right, come at me again.”

This is it—the only way I can get stronger.

Feeling the blood surge through me, I was ready to survive in this wretched world.

“Hit harder!”

Thwack!

“Is that all?”

Thwack!

“Hit me harder, I said!”

The scene may have looked a bit ridiculous, but…

[Sword Technique: Blunt Sword (A) proficiency increased by 10%.]
[Dragon’s Song (S) proficiency increased by 6%.]

[Sword Technique: Blunt Sword (A) proficiency increased by 15%.]
[Dragon’s Song (S) proficiency increased by 9%.]

The effect was immediate.

The skill notifications chimed in real time, and I could feel myself getting stronger instantly.

Perhaps because of this, I didn’t notice someone anxiously watching us.

“Ha… hoo… the first day… whew, I think… I’ve done it…”

I wiped sweat from my forehead and looked at the man before me.

“…Seems that’s necessary.”

Unlike me, disheveled and exhausted, Zenon looked perfectly fine as he sheathed his sword.

“Did you acquire the skill?”

Shaking off the leaves clinging to his hair, he approached my limp, exhausted form.

‘Oh, right. The skill.’

I was like a flabby squid, staring blankly into the air.

[Ding!]

Right then, I acquired the skill.

[Sword Technique: Blunt Sword (A) proficiency increased by 100%.]
[Congratulations! You have acquired the skill Blunt Sword (A).]
[Saved ‘Blunt Sword (A)’ to your Big Data.]

[Dragon’s Song (S) proficiency increased by 60%.]

‘Finally!’

I’d struggled so hard just to get this skill.

‘Each hit gives 5%.’

To reach 100%, I’d have to take twenty hits.

Luckily, I got a few critical hits along the way, or else I’d have been in the arms of Eriel… or maybe Ellestin.

In any case, I didn’t even take ten real hits.

‘Well done, me.’

But then.

[Big Data]
Mimics and copies opponent’s techniques.
<Currently usable skills: 1>

• Sword Technique: Blunt Sword (D)

‘Why is the rank like this?’

Just then, another notification chimed.

[Acquired skills automatically adjust to the user’s maximum stats.]

The message explained everything, and I frowned.

So the low rank meant my body was too weak.

All that effort, and I only got a D-ranked self-defense skill.

A bit disappointing, but the note also meant that as I get stronger, the skill’s effectiveness would increase.

‘This is enough for now.’

The bigger problem was the comment window, buzzing non-stop.

With hundreds of comments stacked up, I slowly scrolled through them, reading one by one.