Chapter 74 Volume II – Chapter 40: Interview

I looked at the awards and sighed deeply.

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1-) Active Skill: Platform (C–>A)

2-) Active Skill: Heavy Strike (D–>A)

3-) Active Skill: Mana Barrier (E–>A)

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Instead of sixty-six to one hundred and twenty-seven students, I only get nineteen students to die, but the rewards stay the same huh…

Anyway, let’s take a look at the skills.

Platform is a skill that allows me to sort of double jump. Basically, I can create a platform that flies through the air and only stays there for a few seconds. As the level of the skill increases, the number of platforms I can create in a row and the cooldown of the skill decreases.

Heavy Strike is simply an attack skill. When I use this skill with my sword or any weapon in my hand, including my fist, the thing I am applying the skill to is not only mana-laden but also several times heavier. Of course, the user only feels a small part of this heaviness, which is the real plus of the skill.

Mana Barrier, as the name suggests, allows me to create a barrier of mana. Even though I can control mana with the Mana Expert mastery, solidifying it is something else entirely, so this skill is quite a lifesaver.

So… that’s the thing about the skills in a nutshell.

I thought for a short while and then sighed deeply.

I’m not weak offensively, so I should ignore Heavy Strike outright. After that, I’m left with Mana Barrier and Platform.

Platform… Given my mastery of wind magic and the bonuses I get, I don’t really need it either. So, even though it’s a very nice skill, I’m going to discard it as well.

If I think about it logically, I don’t really have any defensive skills, so it would be best for me to choose Mana Barrier.

It’s a skill that can solidify mana, and even though the difficulty alone is next to impossible, it’s a skill that can help me unlock a new mastery on the Mana Expert side. It’s nice this way too.

Okay, I’ve made my choice.

“Write your name on the paper and circle the reward of your choice, and the academy will bring you your reward.”

Without a second thought, I wrote my name on the paper and marked the Mana Barrier, and then the attendant who handed out the papers took them back from us, along with the pens, and that was the end of that.

The prince smiled and thanked us again after the prize distribution and then went over to where Rector Melany was waiting.

I focused on them as the two of them suddenly started talking to each other, ignoring the ceremony and the noise.

They were very much talking amongst themselves, so I couldn’t hear anything, but I didn’t mind too much. They were probably talking about something or other.

After the prince presented us with the awards, the ceremony finally entered its final stage and we left the stage.

Now it was time for the interviews, so we were all seated in separate chairs, and then one reporter, specially selected by the academy, was put in front of us.

The reporter in front of me was a middle-aged man. He looked ordinary, but he had a curious air about him.

“One question everyone is curious about is, did you disguise yourself in the first measurement the academy took? If so, how did you do it?”

“I had no intention of disguising myself. There was an error in the machine that took the measurement, but it was a one-time thing. I didn’t mention it because it suited me, that’s all.”

After that first measurement, there must not have been any more measurements. So I am comfortable with this, I can lie freely.

“It was a one-time mistake… Are you saying that the academy’s devices are not working properly?”

“No, the devices are working properly. There was a student-induced malfunction in the last measurement of the device that corresponded to me, but this malfunction was corrected after I took the measurement because the device emptied the mana in it.”

Anyone who knows how the device works know that this is quite possible if the cause of the malfunction is mana-related.

Even though the odds of it happening are as low as one in a million, it is very possible. After all, not everything is ‘perfect’.

“Well, then, that skill you showed at the preliminary… An ascension skill, I presume, what kind of skill exactly?”

Ah, he means the fusion of Sith with my mana.

I was already prepared for this question, I was prepared, but… When I remembered Sith, I suddenly felt a pang.

Although I could still feel his presence inside me, I was worried that I wasn’t sure when he would wake up. Fortunately, the Absolute Mind came to my rescue quickly.

I couldn’t help sighing deeply as my mind cleared and relaxed.

I… I’ve been using this skill too much lately, relying on it too much. I hope I don’t get addicted to it.

“It’s not very nice to be interested in people’s personal skills.”

The reporter smiled after hearing this.

It’s not a matter of me being selfish. Anyone in my shoes would say the same thing, so it’s not like I’m hiding myself. After all, knowing one’s skills means knowing one’s weaknesses.

“You’re right…”

In this way, he asked me a few more questions.

They were mostly about the incident, my leadership, my composure, and so on. So the interview didn’t last long. The reporter asked my permission to make the questions and answers public, and once I gave my permission, my work in this ceremony was over.

Actually, it might be nicer not to make the information public, but then I might draw too much attention to myself. I already have enough eyes on me… I don’t want to add to them by hiding the interview from the public.

Whatever…

After the interviews were over, they gathered all six of us back together. Before leaving, they thanked us one last time for our cooperation and told us we could go back to our dorm rooms.

And that’s exactly what we did. Even though we didn’t talk to each other much and the dormitory buildings were far apart, we walked side by side because they were in the same place.

When we finally reached the place where we were to leave, I was standing in front of Adrian and Julian.

Julian looked into my eyes with twinkling eyes.

“Classes start again tomorrow, so we’ll keep gathering to study, right?”

Even though the previous summers are over, he still cares about his studies. A good thing, I guess.

“I’m fine with it.”

Adrian was the first to answer, and then the two of them turned to me and I smiled.

“Sure, we’ll get together.”

That was my goal anyway, to get together.

And not only with them but also with other people.

“We’ll keep in touch on the messenger group then… I’m so tired, I’m going to go to bed and sleep until morning. See you tomorrow in class!”

Julian smiled and turned towards his building. He took quick steps.

As he disappeared, I turned to Adrian, who was still standing where he was.

“What are you going to do?”

“I… I think I’m going to train more.”

I’m seriously starting to wonder how many hours a day he spends in the training room.

He probably doesn’t even train this much during the time jumps in the game. I wonder if Lithoa is pushing him too hard…

I mean, I know he’s preparing for the future, but why keep pushing Adrian when his progress is already so scary?

“You’re already D grade, you know that, right? You shouldn’t push yourself too hard.”

“I… I just like to train.”

He smiled slightly and averted his eyes.

“Does that mean you like swinging spears expressionlessly?”

He couldn’t say anything this time either, he thought for a while and finally gave up.

“Well… I have nothing else to do and time goes fast when I’m training, that’s all.”

Okay… I didn’t expect him to just blurt out the truth about a crazy old man screaming in my head, but at least he’s not outright lying.

“Very well… I’ll get to that sometime then.”

I said this in a whisper and Adrian didn’t understand what I was saying, he raised his eyebrows.

“Excuse me?”

I smiled slightly at his curious face and turned away.

“Nothing, I’m tired so I’m going to go to my room. Bye!”

This is not just an excuse. If I don’t count my passing outs, I wonder when was the last time I slept… I really can’t remember.

I really want to sleep.

“See you…?”

Adrian waved slightly behind me, still trying to figure out what was going on.

In this way, we both scattered in different directions. When I finally entered my room and let myself into my bed, I felt my whole body relax.

I started thinking, going through the events of the last few days.

It was crazy, hard to believe. And yet here I am, I’ve really lived it all and I’m lying in my bed.

First I let some stupid jelly get inside me and became a wiera, I had to sacrifice Sith to save myself, even temporarily, I faced myself and lost half my soul in the process, I gained an idiot passive skill and lost part of my emotions because of it, I told the truth to Clara and it broke us both, I went mad and killed more than twenty students, I met Sue and helped her, I talked to Melany Quie and signed a contract with her, even though I had the intention of talking to her anyway when the time came…

And I did it all without sleeping in between, only passing out for a few hours.

When I think about it now… a lot has really happened. And now, after all that, all I want is a long, relaxing sleep.

Without even changing my clothes, I closed my eyes and let myself fall into my soft, cozy bed.

And then… I heard a knock on my door.

Fuck…

I got out of bed in a huff and went to the door.

Who could have come to my room when I had just entered my house?

I was planning not to open the door to whoever was at my door. Even if it was Adrian or Julian, I was going to tell them that I passed out as soon as I laid myself on the bed or something because I really want to sleep. But when I looked through the peephole at what was outside, I just stood there for a moment.

Ah…

The anger on my face gave way to a slight smile. I straightened the collar of my outfit and reached for the door handle.

I was already expecting them to come, I just didn’t expect it to be so soon.

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