Chapter 7

7. Entrance Exam (4)

Luna took a step back, leaping away.

At the same time, she sheathed her sword and placed her hand on the hilt.

This is known as the drawing stance.

A characteristic of the Lester family's secret sword technique is that this stance is the basic starting position.

The problem is... when I told the transparent slime to use the family's sword technique, it seems to be preparing to use it on me?

“What... what are you doing?”

“Hehe, as you can see, I'm on your side.”

“F*ck off.”

I don't trust anyone. No one trusts me.

No, I can't trust anyone.

Not friends, relatives, blood allies, investigators, or even a homeless person on the street.

Because no one listened to her.

“I'm on your side. If I were your enemy, I would have already reported you and had you arrested. Isn't that right?”

“...I don't know. Maybe you're trying to get something else? Like making me fight and then attacking from behind, or showing the family's sword technique to the instructor to avoid getting my hands dirty?”

At this point, I must be a paranoid patient.

Well, I really do have that condition, so it can't be helped.

“Hehe, trust me. It's just the two of us here.”

“Then why don't you fight?”

“My power is too flashy and will draw attention. Everyone in the academy will know about our existence... Is that okay?”

Luna gritted her teeth.

Drawing attention is not good for her either.

But.

“Get lost.”

That's so like Luna.

A child who couldn't make any allies, even among the old-timers.

Was it really impossible to make such a child an ally?

I fell into deep thought for a moment.

‘Do I have any skills that can help me overcome this situation?’

「Hero of the Academy」is a game with high freedom.

The more hidden pieces you have, or the more skills you possess, the wider the range of choices you have.

If I were to play this situation as a game?

In this case, the choices available to me are:

Talk.

Attack with the sword.

Attack with the club.

Run away.

The goal is to persuade Luna.

So, among these, what should I do now?

After much deliberation, I opened my mouth.

“...I see. I didn't expect you to be this stupid. Your family could have been wiped out.”

“What!?”

“Revenge is out of the question. With your empty head as the only survivor, there's no hope. The Lester family is finished.”

“You, you little...!”

She really seems ready to kill me, exam or no exam.

She was visibly agitated.

This is all according to plan. Luna is angry, so she must have received a -20 penalty to her intelligence.

Now it's time for an adventure, something I've never done in the game.

‘It was strange from the beginning.’

A skill so strange that even I, an old-timer, don't know what to do with it.

The appearance of people who harbored extreme enmity, who once terrorized the continent.

And my appearance, which is identical to theirs.

I can see it.

The many new branches of hidden pieces that have sprouted because of it.

Let's give it a try.

The skill I activated was:

F-Rank Skill, [Open Eyes].

* * *

‘What, what is this!’

When the mysterious boy suddenly opened his eyes, Luna couldn't help but be taken aback.

His eyes glowed ominously, red.

Just looking at them made her shiver all over.

‘His aura has changed...!’

She could sense it intuitively.

The being standing before her now was completely different from the one she had been talking to just a moment ago.

‘If I draw my sword, I'll be the one to die...!’

Her instincts were screaming this.

I thought he was just a weak, talkative trash, but he wasn't.

He was the opposite.

‘An incredibly strong person...!’

His absurd confidence and chilling eyes made it clear.

Yes, it was strange that he knew my identity from the start.

He was hiding his strength, just like me, for some 'purpose'.

Gulp.

Luna unconsciously swallowed.

She realized her hand on the hilt of her sword was drenched in sweat.

Then he spoke.

“Hehe, there's no need to be so wary. As I said before, I'm on your side.”

I can't believe it.

After the family was accused of treason, no one had ever held her hand.

Not only did they not hold her hand, but they didn't even listen to her.

‘I had a perfect cover identity.’

After disguising myself as another body, I went into hiding for five years.

And I started secretly building my strength.

To clear the false accusations on my family one day.

‘I just started to understand the family's sword technique...’

Why did I come out into the world again, even though I wasn't fully prepared?

Because someone was intentionally erasing the traces of the Lester family.

It would be impossible to prove that we didn't plot treason and that our family was innocent.

So I came out. But.

‘There was someone who knew about my existence? No way.’

Moreover, he believes in the innocence of the Lester family and wants to join hands with me.

Everything is so confusing that my head is spinning.

‘What should I do?’

The only survivor of the Lester family.

The heavy burden of restoring the family's honor.

The pressure of having to make all the choices and decisions.

This situation is a difficult trial for Luna, who is only fifteen.

“Phew... I'm sorry. I got a bit carried away. Since time is short, I'll be direct. We need to work together now.”

“...What the hell are you saying?”

“Hehe, what I mean is that our goals are not very different.”

My goal is to restore the family's honor and seek revenge.

Then, is this boy also falsely accused?

If such a strong person became my ally.

‘Wouldn't revenge be much easier?’

Hurry and take his hand.

It feels like the devil is whispering to me.

I always thought that people who fall for the devil's temptation were just stupid.

But now that I'm in such a situation, it feels strange not to take his hand.

‘But why would someone with such skills...?’

Why is he urging me to fight the slime?

It's suspicious. Too suspicious to believe his words.

“Unlike you, my power leaves traces. Your family's technique only has characteristics when used. That's why I'm asking for your help.”

Then, is his power magic? Or a special secret technique of a family?

Which family that was wiped out?

While Luna was deep in thought.

-20 minutes before the end of the first exam!

The instructor's voice echoed through the forest.

To have such a situation and be short on time.

Sweat formed on Luna's forehead.

“If you don't like it, then don't. I can get out of here on my own. Well, you, as a witness... will die here.”

His eyes glowed coldly.

I could feel the sheath at my waist trembling.

Luna soon realized it wasn't the sheath, but her own body that was trembling.

“Do you have the skills for that?”

She tried to hide her trembling hands and voice.

But he only gave a creepy laugh.

“Hehe, do you know why there's no instructor here?”

“What, what do you mean?”

“Because someone took care of them. And who could that someone be...? I don't know. Hahahaha!”

A mad laugh.

Luna's hair stood on end.

‘This guy... killed the instructor!’

To hide a secret, he killed innocent people.

He's a real bad guy.

‘The instructors of Andwood Academy are at least knight-level.’

Then how strong is this boy?

Knight-level and above.

Luna's blood ran cold.

“In fact, the reason I'm keeping you alive is partly because our goals are the same, but also to see your skills.”

“...Skills?”

“To see if you have the value to be kept alive for my purpose... Is that too cruel to say? Hahahaha!!”

Luna bowed her head deeply upon hearing this.

She would rather die than beg for her life.

The proud Lester family. The last survivor of such a family.

It's impossible for Luna to beg for her life.

‘But I made a vow.’

After the execution, her parents' bodies were not even allowed to be buried.

She made a vow in front of their graves, tears streaming down her face.

She must survive. Even if she has to crawl on the ground and roll in the mud, she must survive.

To restore the family's honor and take bloody revenge on those who falsely accused her!

Even if it means.

‘Making a pact with the devil.’

She gripped the hilt of her sword tightly.

It's cold and hard, but it doesn't hurt.

Luna, who has trained to the point of bleeding for the past five years.

The contrast between her youthful appearance and the scars on her hands.

The large and small scars and calluses on her hands prove her efforts.

She must prove that she has value.

The secret sword technique of the Lester family, which she has trained alone for five years without any guidance.

She uses all her strength to perform it.

The first secret technique of the Lester family.

One Flash (一閃).

* * *

Kagakagakagak!

The bushes, trees, and even the dew on them.

Everything was cut in a straight line and floated in the air.

The same was true for the transparent slime's body.

Though invisible, the core of the transparent slime, which was busily absorbing nutrients, was clearly cracked.

“Damn! Too shallow...!”

Luna's exclamation, like a sigh, could be heard.

But this is enough. I was prepared for this situation.

As I jumped off the rock, I struck with the club.

Kwajijik!!

The core and slime of the transparent slime, unable to withstand my weight, gravity, and the force of the club, were driven into the ground.

It's a perfect situation.

Time to show the proven effectiveness of the club.

Kak! Kwajik!

Pak!

After swinging it a couple more times, the core of the transparent slime shattered.

At the same time, the slime stopped moving.

I.

‘My level has increased by two.’

I've reached level 9. Just one more level and I can use the hidden piece in the stat window.

The harvest didn't stop there.

A transparent substance. I don't know how to use it.

I can obtain one of the skills possessed by boss monsters and named monsters.

The obtained skill's rank is changed to F.

‘This is it.’

I put the transparent substance in a small bottle into my pocket.

It will be useful for making items in the distant future, but it has no immediate meaning.

The important thing is the skill and hidden piece [Feast].

‘A god-like skill that can absorb and grow the skills of bosses and named monsters.’

It may seem insignificant now, but it will shine more and more as time goes on.

By the way, named monsters refer to monsters of S-rank or higher.

One of the skills they possess.

It has a strong element of randomness, and it's a bit disappointing to give it an F rank.

‘But there's a way to alleviate that disappointment a little.’

The transparent slime is an S-rank monster.

Since it is classified as a named monster, it meets the conditions to use the [Feast] skill.

The skills the transparent slime possessed were [Regeneration], [Feast], [Hunger], and [Digestion].

The skills I can obtain are [Regeneration], [Hunger], and [Digestion].

A 1/3 chance. Which skill will I get?

‘I hope it's [Hunger]. It can supplement my lacking stats.’

The core of the transparent slime, shattered and lying there.

I placed my hand on it and used the [Feast] skill.