Chapter 7: Until the Academy Opens

“It seemed like the skill of someone who has wielded a sword for a long time. Are you perhaps affiliated to a particular school?”

“School? I don’t belong to any.”

It was true that I’d handled a sword quite a bit during my Hunter life.

I did have some instruction during that time, but I didn’t belong to any swordsmanship school.

“Then… are you saying you’re self-taught?”

“I did receive training for about a month on grip and the basics.”

Three weeks, to be exact. That was how long I had spent learning about Gates and basic weapon handling after awakening my Supernatural Ability and joining the Hunter Association.

However, it seemed my answer wasn’t satisfactory to Ichinose.

“A month is too short a time to call oneself trained in swordsmanship, especially if it was just the basics.”

“Well, I think if you swing it enough, only the ingrained posture remains.”

I couldn’t explain it any further than this.

After all, my greatest teacher was actual combat.

“That’s not wrong, but…”

Ichinose trailed off, seemingly lost in thought, chewing on her lip.

Seeing the girl so serious about the sword, a thought suddenly occurred to me.

Does that mean my swordsmanship was decent?

Her intention might have been different, but I could vaguely feel like I received a compliment.

It made me happy that my hardships during my time as a Hunter were acknowledged.

Well, if I couldn’t handle a blade properly, I would have died in my first year.

My Supernatural Ability during my Hunter days was Enhanced Cutting Power.

A simple power that made the sword I swung sharper.

It was a practical ability specialized for combat, but the unfortunate part was that my aptitude for it was the lowest, F-rank.

Unlike Mana in fantasy or Internal Power in martial arts, a Supernatural Ability was determined for each individual from the start, and this remained unchanged no matter what.

So, no matter how hard I trained, only my physical abilities improved.

However, even that didn’t transcend human limitations and thus, the output of my Supernatural Ability remained low.

As a result, even if I moved quickly and exploited openings well, I couldn’t inflict any damage on Monsters above a certain rank, which was rather frustrating.

Even with all the experience I accumulated, that remained the same.

When facing high-ranked Monsters, I was forced to use expensive consumables and live in the red.

However!

Perhaps those frustrating times as a Hunter were now over.

I guess I’ll feel less frustrated now.

Abyss City was different. The mere fact that I could increase my Mana capacity made it a new world for me.

If I just set my efforts in the right direction, the path ahead would be wider than in my past life.

“Alright. I won’t pry any further.”

The girl nodded, seemingly finished with her thoughts, and wrapped her coat around herself tightly.

I simply replied amiably.

“Unfortunately, there’s nothing more I can tell you.”

“Thank you. I’m sorry for taking your time.”

“It’s okay. I wasn’t busy.”

From Ichinose’s perspective, I was just someone who gagged after drinking cucumber milk.

“Then, I’ll be going…”

“Ah, Ichinose!”

“Yes?”

I called out to Ichinose Yui, who was about to turn away after bowing, and made her glance back.

I thought this might be a good opportunity to resolve a crucial question.

“It’s rather strange to ask after already calling you this, but is it okay if I call you Ichinose?”

“Yes. Is that all?”

“No. There’s something I need to ask you.”

“Do you have something you’re curious about?”

Ichinose waited patiently for my words, seemingly accepting that since she asked questions, it was only fair to answer some.

“There are cadets I’m looking for at Orion Academy.”

“What do you mean by looking for cadets? Are you asking for their current location?”

“No. Just knowing if they exist is enough. I heard they would be enrolling this time, but I don’t know if they actually did.”

“···？”

Perhaps sensing the strangeness of the question, the girl tilted her head slightly in confusion.

Seeing her reaction, I added more to my explanation.

“I heard they were skilled, so I was looking forward to seeing them, but I don’t think I saw them during the exam today.”

“Ah… If you know their names, there’s no reason I can’t answer.”

Ichinose seemed to have understood and accepted my explanation.

I immediately continued the conversation.

“There are two people I’m looking for.”

“Do you know their names? Or do you only know their appearance?”

“A male Cadet named Lambert. Brown hair, handsome.”

Ichinose pressed her lips together and fell into deep thought.

A brief silence.

Then, she shook her head slightly.

“I’ve never heard of him.”

“Then, Cynthia. A female Cadet. She also has brown hair and is pretty.”

Both were the names of the Protagonist of Abyss City.

If male, they were called Lambert, and if female, it was Cynthia. Both had brown hair and were described as handsome or beautiful by those around them.

“I haven’t heard that name either.”

The girl shook her head again, saying she hadn’t heard of her.

At her confirmation, I got goosebumps all over for some strange reason and bit my lower lip.

This is strange…?

When you first met Ichinose Yui in the game, the conversation started with her saying she had heard rumors about you.

This situation itself felt somewhat off.

“Do you know where they are from?”

“The Sepia Archipelago, I think.”

Academy City was operated by the combined forces of three major powers.

The Three Kingdoms Union, to which Ichinose Yui belonged; Tigrova, the home country of Noa Frozenheart; and the Sepia Archipelago, to which the Protagonist and several other key characters came from.

“If they are skilled cadets from the Sepia Archipelago, it’s rare that I wouldn’t have heard of them.”

“Is that so? I see…”

“There’s also the possibility that I simply don’t know them, so checking Orion Circle might be faster.”

“!”

I widened my eyes on hearing the name Ichinose mentioned.

Because I hadn’t even thought about the existence of that app.

Orion Circle!

One of the apps in Abyss City, a Community used only by Orion Academy cadets.

In the game, students posted their worries or rumors, and you could solve them as side Quests.

I pulled out the Smartphone in my pocket and immediately installed Orion Circle.

This might be a new path, just like the Achievements.

While I was stuck at the part where it asked me to verify my Orion Academy student ID, I could easily resolve that once I got back to the Dormitory.

“Thanks. I’ll look it up myself now.”

“Was that helpful?”

“Incredibly.”

“I’m glad.”

Ichinose said goodbye once again, saying she had to go now.

I also left the dark alley to return to the Dormitory.

I watched Ichinose Yui walk away, and then,

Seeing the direction in which she was heading, I called out urgently and approached her.

“…Wait a minute!”

“What is it?”

It might have been unnecessary meddling, but remembering that Ichinose had a poor sense of direction, I couldn’t just let her go that way.

“You’ll end up in the 10th District if you go that way. Where are you going?”

“···.”

“You’re returning to the Dormitory, right?”

The girl hesitated, then bit her lip and nodded slightly.

Would she think I overheard her conversation with Noa during the practical exam? I didn’t say anything more and took out my phone, opening the Academy guide.

The girls’ Dormitory was over there, right?

After confirming the location on the map, I walked half a step ahead.

“I don’t usually do this, but I haven’t had a snack yet…”

“That can happen.”

I simply know what correlation there was between snacks and getting lost.

I simply nodded in agreement beside her and guided her towards the girl’s dormitory.

··

··

From the very next day,

I started exercising at dawn because I didn’t like this frail body.

First, I’ll have to expand the vessel of my body.

In Abyss City, the body was the foundation used to hold Mana. A stronger body could hold more Mana.

While innate talent played a significant role in this world, there were aspects that could be overcome with effort.

I really liked that.

“Huff! Huff! Huff!”

First, I ran like crazy to improve my stamina.

I was annoyed at my weak stamina, something I couldn’t have imagined during my Hunter days.

My lungs screamed as if they were dying, but I remained stubborn and didn’t slow down in the slightest.

Just before my breath hitched and I was about to collapse, the heaviness in my legs disappeared, and a notification window popped up.

Right. There was this.

You could get this Achievement in the game by continuing to dash even after your stamina was depleted.

I didn’t know it would be translated this way.

More! More! More!

Back at the Dormitory, I repeated bodyweight exercises like crazy.

“Ugh──!!!”

I plan to use the Physical Training Room inside the Academy once classes start, but first, I need to get used to the muscle soreness and fatigue.

After finishing my workout, I took a shower, then buried my head in my pillow for a short nap.

A perfect routine.

My body is so weak that the fatigue just doesn’t go away.

After two hours of deep sleep, I left the Dormitory and headed out to complete the Achievements I could remember.

Browsing Orion Circle, which Ichinose had told me about, while moving around was a bonus.

Scrolling with my finger, I could get a sense of the atmosphere just by looking at the titles.

It’s just a normal Community.

Unlike the game, Orion Circle was full of truly free content.

With that fresh impression, I stopped by a convenience store and bought the cheapest lottery ticket, scratching it off.

It was a loss, but not a complete loss.

I need some money, too.

Ultimately, Achievements related to watching Movies or reading comics, or eating certain foods, required money.

In other words, I needed to earn some capital to avoid wasting Points and satisfy my hunger on days I didn’t go to the Academy.

“Hmm…”

Opening the app on my Smartphone, I saw my card balance was 24 coins and 60 tokens.

Roughly calculated, that was 246,000 won in Korean currency.

I wouldn’t starve to death immediately, but it was a rather ambiguous amount.

I need to find a Part-time job as soon as classes start.

A cadet needed permission from the Academy to have a Part-time job, so I couldn’t start one right away, but it was the most definite answer.

It was also related to Achievements, and since I had only lived as a Hunter, I wanted to try various jobs.

I’ll work my butt off, no matter what.

I was excited thinking about the future. It had been a while since I felt this way.

Maybe it was even the first time.

Just like that.

From the moment I set my goals, my daily life was simple.

I exercised from dawn and focused on accumulating Achievements by wandering around Academy City in the remaining time.

As time melted away, and the end of February arrived, followed by the beginning of March…

The opening day of Orion Academy dawned.