Ch.296296 – Elysion Doesn’t Work

<296 – Elision Doesn’t Work>

The true value of functional abilities manifests in crisis situations.

[Running], diligently trained to complete as many daily quests as possible and collect collection elements.

[Your Running function experience has exceeded 200.]

[Specialization trait is activating.]

[You forfeit the specialization trait opportunity and choose to unlock a higher function.]

[Higher function <Sprint> is unlocked.]

With the effect of Sprint, which explosively increases running speed in an instant, I quickly closed the distance in a crisis situation where I might have missed the final blow.

[You activate Throwing during Sprint when you can barely control your body.]

[Required Throwing function value for accuracy adjustment – 250]

(×0.1 Adjustment List)

[13.3% Instant Judgment Bonus from Situation Assessment(133) function]

[10.2% Combat Intelligence Bonus from Thinking(102) function]

[7.5% Posture Control Bonus from Concentration(75) function]

[8% Throwing Bonus from Throwing(80) function]

(×0.2 Adjustment List)

[18.4% Difficult Movement Bonus from Acrobatics(92) function]

[13.2% Moving Throw Bonus from Moving Shot(66) function]

[8% Rapid Maneuver Bonus from Quick Maneuver(40) function]

[Total requirement reduction bonus 78.4%]

[Required Throwing ability 54]

[Throwing function is 54 or higher.]

[The dagger hits Professor Layve’s vital point.]

Although the Throwing function value was significantly lower than the original target value, the action succeeded thanks to the adjustment values from linked correction functions.

Function experience truly shines when an action judgment that would normally be left to luck due to lack of ability “luckily succeeds.”

It’s like my daily diligent efforts brought the luck to land the final blow at the right time.

Hehe.

Hardworking me, well done!

[You contributed to killing an Academy professor.]

[Final blow bonus increases acquired function values. (×5)]

[Nemesis bonus increases acquired function values. (×2)]

[You acquire 10 million points.]

[Boldness +30]

[Mana Booster +20]

[…]

[…]

[Strong Enemy Specialization +10]

[Mage’s Bane +5]

[Hyper Focus +1]

Since I didn’t use any functions in the main battle, none of my existing functions benefited much except for Boldness, but I gained plenty of new functions.

Mana Booster for using mana for rapid acceleration, sudden stops, and direction changes; Strong Enemy Specialization which increases at a certain probability when defeating powerful enemies; and Mage’s Bane which provides significant bonuses against mages.

Thanks to these, I can now advance events that would be impossible to even dream of at this point in normal playthroughs.

“I feel stronger.”

Zhang stared at the hand holding the dagger and shuddered slightly.

He must be really happy about gaining function experience!

Since thief-type classes are weak in direct combat, they need to accumulate final blow bonuses or assassination bonuses to increase their acquired function values for easier growth.

Although I stole the final blow, he still contributed with a vital point hit, so he must be happy.

But the real jackpot is yet to come.

The later items in an auction are always more valuable!

“I will now reveal the sixth item of the deserted island auction. Today’s item is <Patron Force of the Hero Party>.”

* *

The Foundation put up the patron force of the hero party as an auction item.

Yufi was confused.

What does this imply?

Are they saying they’ll use the Foundation’s power to remove any sponsors that might appear for us?

Or conversely, is the Foundation offering to become our patron?

Either way, one thing was clear.

The Foundation intends to put a leash on the hero party through this opportunity.

“Ishtar. We have no choice but to participate in the auction.”

“I suppose so.”

Jona declared the start of the auction without avoiding the gaze of the two.

“The starting bid is 100,000 points. Bids will increase by 100,000 points. Is there anyone who wishes to participate?”

Oknodie confidently raised her hand to make the first move.

“Oknodie. 100,000 points.”

“Ishtar. 200,000 points.”

“Zhang. 300,000 points.”

“Yufi. 400,000 points.”

The bid quickly reached a record high.

Oknodie asked with a grin.

“Shall I let you off?”

“If you spend too many points here, you won’t have any left either. If we pretend to be crazy and back out, we’ll take all the remaining items.”

“Then go ahead and try!”

“Oknodie. 500,000 points.”

Yufi’s expression darkened.

“I’m sorry, Ishtar. My points end here.”

“It’s okay. You’ve held out enough already.”

Ishtar raised her hand without hesitation.

“Ishtar. 600,000 points.”

“Zhang. 700,000 points.”

Ishtar glared at Zhang.

“You. How long do you plan to interfere?”

“Today is my last day.”

“What?”

“The Blue Metal Rats have gnawed through the bottom, and major magic has struck several times. Even now, waves are seeping into the island’s cracks and water is rising.”

Zhang’s small feet splashed in the seawater rising around them.

“If I can’t participate in tomorrow’s auction anyway, isn’t it better to pour everything I have and win at least one item?”

Frustratingly, he was right.

This deserted island had already reached its limit.

For now, there was still space to stand thanks to freezing and steel reinforcement, but even these would disappear like bubbles once the magical power dissipates over time.

That means whoever has the most points in this sixth auction will get the auction item, and then the auction will end.

“Ishtar. 1,000,000 points.”

Think you can match that?

Facing Ishtar’s provocative gaze, Zhang frowned slightly and clicked his tongue.

“Oknodie. 1,100,000 points.”

“Ishtar. 1,200,000 points.”

Now only Oknodie and Ishtar remained.

Just the two of them.

* *

Zhang was intimidated by the endlessly rising bids.

‘Where did these two get so many points from?’

It was pure luck that Zhang had enough points to last until the sixth day.

While secretly sneaking around gathering information, Zhang overheard crew members discussing boarding points.

-If we just collect enough boarding points, we can enjoy vacation too, right?

-Idiot. Who cares about vacation? You could become much stronger by consuming just one elixir.

-What’s the point of getting stronger? Better to buy retirement rights. No matter how much money you earn, opportunities to leave the Foundation’s embrace and enjoy your later years peacefully are rare.

With enough points, you can get anything.

Power, freedom, peace.

Just like Academy points.

‘Scary. The Foundation’s points.’

Academy points are more like rewards provided for one’s studies, efforts, and achievements.

The Foundation’s points were different.

Everyone has dreams.

No matter how trivial or desperate.

No matter how grand or small and insignificant.

They were related to someone’s dreams and wishes.

Available points are limited, and everyone strives to find even one more point.

-How nice would it be if we could use what we have.

-Don’t think strange thoughts. If you break the Foundation’s rules, your workplace will be the underground prison starting tomorrow.

Students steal these crew members’ dreams.

They take the points carefully saved in closets, and steal points hidden at workstations.

They freely take others’ points that crew members know about but cannot touch themselves.

-Would you like to try the special menu challenge that awards points upon completion?

-Would you like to challenge a shooting competition bet? Win this many points if you win, pay this many if you lose.

-Thank you for your patronage.

The ways crew members can collect points are through diligent work.

And through “bets” they can legally receive from customers who come by as rarely as hen’s teeth.

-Ahhh!! The points I hid in my underwear suddenly disappeared!!!

-What do we do? The common safe was robbed! Waaah!

Zhang mercilessly plundered those carefully saved points.

Because that was the point acquisition method permitted by the Foundation on this cruise ship stage.

Crew members who earned large points by winning bets against other students, or those who attracted attention through diligent work all caught Zhang’s eye.

The cold-blooded assassin stole everything without exception—cards in pants pockets, point cards hidden in breast pockets, and point cards hidden in common safes.

The points collected this way amounted to 1 million.

Yet it still wasn’t enough to win.

‘Where on earth did these guys earn so many points from?’

To Zhang, who didn’t understand the concept of fair compensation for labor, Oknodie and Ishtar’s mouths looked like treasure pots endlessly spewing points.

“Oknodie. 3,300,000 points.”

Ishtar gave Oknodie a serious look.

“I’m only going to raise the bid once more.”

“Huh. You’re already out of funds? Is it okay to tell me that?”

“If I fail the bid here, I’ll grit my teeth and endure no matter what. I’ll somehow survive 24 hours to reach the seventh day’s auction. Then the weaknesses of the remaining auction participants will come up as auction items.”

Oknodie was unusually surprised.

Her eyes shot a look that said: How can a hero be this smart? Are you really a hero?

Zhang thought.

Even fools become a little smarter when cornered and fighting for survival.

It was a phenomenon assassins often witnessed due to their profession.

The slightly smarter Ishtar boldly proposed.

“Choose. Will you allow us to have our own weaknesses, or are you prepared to lose your weakness while taking ours?”

“But what is my weakness?”

“…Huh?”

“To appear in an auction, there needs to be a weakness, right? Do I have any weaknesses? I’m a completely invincible, overpowered veteran player, so I don’t have any weaknesses to sell, do I?”

With those words, Zhang realized.

Oknodie’s weakness is already too well known.

This fool has a weakness for food.

You don’t need to go to an auction to get that information.

Any Academy student can know it.

She can be easily fooled by food she’s never seen before.

Probably the same with unfamiliar stones.

Perhaps even unfamiliar beauties might work.

Zhang had long ago figured out why Oknodie follows the dolphin pants ladies around every morning.

She’s a child with so many weaknesses if you look for them.

There’s no point in negotiating.

Unless a truly different weakness comes up at auction, there’s no value in exchanging weaknesses for such a high price, so the elision didn’t work.