episode_0318

After experiencing several significant incidents, Daphne had been constantly lost in thought.

How could she not just protect herself, but stand shoulder to shoulder with her friend?

After repeatedly going through major events that would be difficult for an ordinary academy student, constantly being guarded from the rear and only watching the backs of others began to feel somewhat shameful.

Furthermore, as long as she was by the side of a girl like Violet, danger could strike at any moment.

‘Instructor Frederick said it. There’s no such thing as a complete rear. I need at least some combat ability.’

Moreover, her friend lived by overcoming hundreds, thousands of injuries and brushes with death.

Daphne wanted to be of greater help to such a friend.

However, despite her desire to help, she was able to view her own situation objectively.

If she did nothing, she would remain a non-combatant for life.

Always relying solely on Violet’s help, barely able to hunt low-level demonic beasts without the protection of her other friends.

Despite her frustration, Daphne shook her head.

It was better to do what she could immediately rather than despair.

What she was most confident in was studying.

‘First, let’s look at the cases of other hunters.’

On the desk where she sat, numerous self-help books were piled up.

[100-Day Special Lecture: Best Jaeger Operation]

[I Can Be a Hero Too – Surviving on the Front Line]

On the monitor screen, lecture videos by successful hunters from renowned clans were playing.

“Don’t be scared! You can’t be scared. Demonic beasts are just animals after all. If you glare at them and say, ‘You! Demonic beast, don’t mess around! If you mess around, you’ll die by my hand!’ they’ll get intimidated, I tell you. Back in my day…”

Daphne pondered deeply over what she should do, examining various videos and books. It wasn’t of great help, but it at least helped her organize her own situation.

Soon, the objective data of a woman named ‘Daphne Grace’ formed in her mind.

Swallowing her complex and stifling feelings, she faced her reality.

‘I’m very lacking.’

Daphne Grace’s biggest weakness was undoubtedly her physical ability.

While every Awakener possessed superhuman strength incomparable to ordinary people, clear differences in individual abilities existed even among Awakeners.

This varied greatly depending on their individual tendencies, family environment, and genetic background.

Those with Awakened parents or relatives generally tended to be born with superior talent, and the various big and small events experienced during their growth also significantly influenced the manifestation of their abilities.

‘Just looking at Chairman Adela or Kalia, they’re incredibly agile, and Irene is quite sturdy even by Awakener standards.’

All these elements combined to form different potentials for each Awakener.

‘Then what about me?’

She objectively thought about what she could do with her bare hands.

If it were an ordinary person like Mr. Pereira, who lived in Violet’s house, she could easily knock them down or break their limbs like chopsticks.

‘But that’s all. Against a demonic beast, it’s not enough.’

If the person in question could have overheard her thoughts, they would have been frustrated at the level of being defeated even by a kind and delicate-looking young lady, but Daphne was serious.

Demonic beasts were fundamentally far more resilient and threatening beings than humans.

To contend with such enemies, her current self was insufficient.

Moreover, the demonic beasts and Awakeners Violet had previously faced were terrifying beings ranking among the top.

But there was hope.

‘Strength alone isn’t enough.’

Humans are thinking beings. Lacking stamina and agility can be compensated for with cleverness.

Furthermore, didn’t she possess a unique ability that even leading clans and massive corporations would covet?

Daphne judged rationally.

First, she could overcome her weaknesses through consistent training and practical experience.

Second, she could transcend physical limitations with an exoskeleton and unarmed combat techniques.

Third, she could utilize her own unique ability more actively and aggressively.

In short, if she developed her skills and potential, she would one day be able to fight on the front lines.

Although her combat ability was currently insufficient, she had the potential for change.

The path forward became clear.

The chosen path was unhesitating advancement.

Daphne took her foot off the mental brake and pressed the accelerator firmly.

“…I’ve researched more about how to use the barrier. However, how to use my other abilities is still vague.”

She calmly and softly poured out her concerns from that period.

The sight of astonishment slowly spreading across Violet’s face was captured in Daphne’s clear, sapphire-blue eyes.

“D-Daphne! Your healing ability has a minimal effect on yourself. You said that! You said the recovery speed was slow and the efficacy weak…”

“That’s why I’m practicing.”

“Eek? What did you say?”

“We don’t know if that’s truly the limit, or if I can increase my capabilities with training, do we? Even if there is a limit, I just have to do my best within that range.”

Her friend’s face, frozen in shock, was a sight rarely seen.

Watching her roommate, speechless and plunged into silence, Daphne felt a strange thrill welling up.

Why? Because Violet’s reaction was so familiar.

“First, I plan to try the most basic things. I can already stop bleeding from arteries or major blood vessels. If needed, I can also use my healing ability to alleviate muscle pain. If combined with recovery boosters, I could continue fighting while sustaining injuries in real-time. After all, I can even perform precise nerve regeneration.”

Ah, now she understood. Violet’s current expression must resemble the face she used to make when dealing with Violet.

Every time Violet used a self-destructing weapon, she must have reacted in that very way.

“The first line of defense will be a protective barrier, and the second defense will be equipment like a shield. Even if my body’s etheric protection is breached and I’m injured, I can instantly regenerate tissue. Isn’t that quite efficient?”

The moment she uttered the word ‘efficient,’ Daphne herself felt a chill run down her spine.

She herself wondered how on earth she had arrived at such a way of thinking.

‘Have I been tainted, like Irene?’

The successor of Helios Frontier Service no longer denied Violet’s outlandish self-consumption.

Rather, she wanted to actively advise her.

Behind this, there was likely the influence of her best friend, who had shaped her own body into a means of demonstrating instrumental rationality, intertwined with the complex family affairs surrounding the clan, but no one could know which factor was greater.

And at this moment, the seed of a transformation that would further astonish the scholarship student in the future began to sprout.

Though there might be differences in degree, it seemed clear that Violet’s self-destructive rationality had made Daphne, who was kind and altruistic, compromise with military realism.

“And really, in the slim chance, I might even be able to handle severe injuries like limb severance. To do that, I’ll need to get far more accustomed to trauma than I am now, won’t I?”

“Gasp! No!”

“Why not?”

Violet was instantly dumbfounded.

This psychological change, detected in her once-innocent friend, felt chilling, regardless of its logic and reasonableness.

*「Gasp! Daphne has become a totalitarian!」*

According to Violet’s perception, this was an anti-democratic shift in thinking on par with Machiavelli and Kissinger joining forces to beat up Schweitzer and Mother Teresa before locking them in Guantanamo.

But the tide seemed to have already turned.

“D-Daphne! Isn’t that a bit of a dangerous practice? I think an exoskeleton and a shotgun would be enough. Isn’t it too extreme to resort to self-harm? What if you get an infection? Like tetanus!”

“Oh dear, Violet. Have you forgotten the lesson content again? We’re Awakeners. There’s no need to worry about bacterial or viral infections in the first place.”

“W-well, that’s true, but… if there’s anything dangerous, I can protect you. Why bother with self-harm practice…”

Daphne smiled faintly. She already held the absolute argument in her hand that could dismiss all objections and dissuasions. The vitality suddenly vanished from her blue eyes.

“Then, stop self-destructing from now on. You told me not to self-destruct, and now what?”

“…Ugh.”

In front of Daphne, who was smiling with eyes like frozen fish, Violet lost her words and shut her mouth.

She had won.

Daphne’s thrilling satisfaction didn’t last long. It was because of Violet, who, despite being convinced, had bowed her head with a somewhat gloomy expression.

‘I was a bit too harsh…’

A thought flashed through Daphne’s mind amidst her guilt.

‘It’s a good thing I didn’t mention using drugs…‘

**

Horrifically, our Violet had no way to refute Daphne’s words. Refuting the arguments of a friend smarter than us was not easy, even with collective intelligence.

*「No! No clear alternative comes to mind!」*

*「Will we ultimately have to compromise!」*

She couldn’t give up self-destruction, nor could she unconditionally oppose her friend who was so vehemently asserting the legitimacy of ‘training.’

“Ooh… alright. But don’t do anything too dangerous, okay?”

It seemed the future of being a kind and good saint of salvation, who helped others through medical volunteering, was completely out of reach.

Although still considerate and good-natured, the girl before us seemed intent on changing her profession from a healing maiden with a healer’s staff to a battle maiden with a shield and a combat staff.

In short, it was like becoming an alternate character in a mobile game. Only the appearance was the same; she had transformed into a different class.

*「It feels like a butterfly effect triggered by our existence.」*

*「Perhaps. But isn’t it good?」*

No, on second thought, Daphne in an exoskeleton would look cool too.

And whether it’s the front line or the rear, our support and protection would be the same, so there wouldn’t be any particular problem.

“Alright! In return, I’ll help with your training! I’ll be your close-combat sparring partner, so go ahead and shoot me with that gun! Try hitting me with your staff too. Got it?”

“Wait, that’s… Ah, I understand…”

Watching Daphne’s expression of ‘Oh no!’, we in the network chuckled.

To be hoist by her own petard. According to the logic of ‘healing training,’ she should accept using us as a target.

Of course, we would only poke Daphne with a practice sword, without magic.

“Alright, ready?”

“Y-yes!”

Bang bang bang!

A shriek!

And so, we had a bloody, yet beneficial and healthy training session.