Chapter 97

Standing at the classroom door, I took a deep breath and firmly gripped the letter containing the secret that my mother had given me.

If it were said that I was lured by the reward, I couldn't honestly deny it. In the end, I ended up cooperating with the professor.

That said, it wasn't as if there was a huge amount of work.

The skill orb I activated displayed a large list of skills, which had a proper sorting function.

Moreover, the skills that could only be obtained with platinum were also sortable, so it wasn't too difficult to find the information the professor needed.

As I displayed the skills one by one as he requested, I remembered that I had obtained another new skill.

It was a special title called a "two-name title," just like Himari's.

(...I have a bad feeling about this.)

Recalling the flavor text from Himari's title, I couldn't help but twitch my cheeks.

Still, there was nothing to be done about what I had obtained. I couldn't just leave it unchecked.

With a small sigh, I displayed the new title skill.

■《Sword Demon Rasha》

He is a sword demon who wields a sharp blade and charges across the battlefield.

Trampling over mountains of corpses and rivers of blood, the blood-soaked demon laughs mockingly.

Increases attack and defense by 1% for each enemy within a 20-meter radius centered on the user.

...I won't comment on the flavor text.

In any case, this effect means that the more enemies there are, the more my attack and defense will increase.

I probably won't feel the effect much when there are few enemies, but in a situation like this event, it's a different story.

Surrounded by so many enemies, my attack power will increase significantly.

"Hmm... I'll set it for now."

The effect of 《One Thousand Men》 is quite useful, but I'm not really lacking in HP recovery methods.

To be honest, HP feels more like a gauge for using 《Sword of Life》 rather than a measure of health.

Since it fluctuates so much, I don't really have a sense of needing to keep it high.

For now, this skill should have some effect.

"Oh, is that... the title skill you obtained just now?"

"Yeah... Do you need the information on this one too?"

"Hmm, I'm interested, but the information value of a two-name title isn't that high."

"It's a rare skill, but..."

"That's right. However, it's a unique skill that only has meaning for that player. Even if there were information, there's no way for others to obtain the same skill."

Well, that's true.

The skill effect of a two-name title only has meaning for that player.

Since other players can't obtain it, the information doesn't have much value beyond curiosity.

Of course, if there were player killers targeting the holder of the two-name title, it would be a different story.

In any case, if it's not needed, there's no reason to share it. With a slight shrug, I closed the title skill screen.

"By the way, are you done checking the skills?"

"Yeah, thank you. I've obtained some very interesting information."

"Good to hear. So, did you find any skills that might be useful to you?"

"Hmm... First, I think this skill would be the most useful for you."

He pointed to one skill.

After confirming its name, I furrowed my brow.

"...《Magic Skill Ensemble》? This is supposed to be useful for me?"

"Read the description. Among the platinum-only skills, I think this is the most suitable."

I had doubts about the skill whose effect couldn't be guessed from its name, but I tapped it.

Immediately, the skill's effect was displayed, and I opened my eyes wide in understanding.

■《Magic Skill Ensemble》: Support/Passive Skill

Activates two single-target attack/active skills simultaneously.

The effects of the activated skills are reduced compared to when activated individually.

The reduction in effect depends on the skill level.

Patterns can be registered with shortcut words.

"To put it simply, this skill allows you to activate two skills like 《Sword of Life》 and 《Sword of Deprivation》 simultaneously. Depending on the combination, it can be quite versatile... but building your skill set around this rare skill is a bit challenging."

"But it is indeed useful for me. The effect reduction is a concern, but it should be mitigated as the level increases."

For example, what about 《Sword of Life》 and 《Sword of Deprivation》?

When 《Sword of Life》 is activated, HP decreases, but the increased damage can lead to more absorption from 《Sword of Deprivation》.

It's a convenient combination that allows immediate recovery of the lost HP.

Additionally, 《Sword of Demon Slaying》, which sometimes suffers from low damage, can be more effective when combined with 《Sword of Life》.

...Still, my HP will decrease, but it's better than taking direct magical damage.

The combination of 《Sword of Demon Slaying》 and 《Sword of Deprivation》—this probably doesn't have much meaning.

"Other than that... there are short-term boost skills with drawbacks, but I don't think you'd like those, right?"

"...That's correct, but why do you think so?"

"Your skill setup is specialized for sustained combat. Skills with drawbacks that limit your movement for a short time are difficult to handle."

Indeed, I don't really like skills that make me move slower after a certain time, but it's impressive that you could read that much.

It might be useful as a trump card, but a significant difference in feel can create a slight gap in timing.

Against experts, this gap would likely be easily exploited.

For us, even a slight gap in timing can be fatal.

"If there are any other useful skills... well, there's this somewhat special skill called 《Oath》."

"《Oath》? What kind of skill is that?"

"A skill that you only confirmed the name of during a church-related quest. It seems to be held by high-ranking clergy, but its effects are a mystery... No, even after checking, it remains quite mysterious."

I couldn't help but frown at the professor's vague explanation.

Still, considering the example of Oaks, skills held by locals are not to be underestimated.

If it's a skill held by a high-ranking clergy, it's likely to be quite powerful.

With that in mind, I displayed the skill's effect, but—

■《Oath》: Special/Passive Skill

When the skill is obtained, a vow is made to the goddess Adminastia.

As long as the vow is kept, the user receives effects based on the content of the vow.

The more difficult the vow, the higher the effect.

If the vow is broken, a penalty is incurred.

"...This is really mysterious."

"Yes. The only confirmed effect of 《Oath》 is used by a church knight called 《Holy Shield》. By vowing to 'be a shield for all,' they receive a significant damage reduction effect."

"Ah... So, you get effects based on the vow."

It's not clear who makes the judgment, but it does seem to provide effective benefits.

The issue is that you need to impose a restriction on yourself.

If the restriction doesn't hinder my actions, it might be fine, but it's unclear if I would get the desired effect.

It's a high-risk, high-reward effect.

If that's the case—

"Alright, then I'll choose 《Magic Skill Ensemble》."

"Hehe, I thought so. It's easier to handle."

"Frankly, I didn't feel like gambling with a valuable item."

While 《Oath》 was a somewhat intriguing skill, it was better to choose the clear and beneficial 《Magic Skill Ensemble》.

Platinum skill orbs are not easy to come by, and using one on a skill with uncertain effects would be a waste.

Moreover, imposing a restriction on myself is a difficult task.

"Platinum-limited skills are 15... If you need information in the future, I'll provide up to 15 for free. Thank you, Quon."

"No, I found it helpful too."

"Hehe, it's mutual. Let's exchange friends. If you need information, feel free to contact me—ah, you can also sell information."

"That could be a good way to make money."

Given the amount of money he was willing to pay, I hadn't really cared much about money before, but carrying that much money around is a bit daunting.

Is there a bank-like facility somewhere? Just as I was thinking about that, the clan department's awards ceremony ended, and Altarius disappeared from the stage.

At the same time, two operation avatars spoke up.

"Thus, the awards ceremony for the top winners is concluded. And—"

"—we will now explain the grand quest 《Great War of Humans and Demons》 to all the newcomers."

With that, an image appeared on the central screen.

It was an unfamiliar shape, but it was likely a map of the game world.

A large continent was divided into several countries, each colored differently.

"Currently, in the Mesania continent, a conflict between humans and demons continues."

"This map shows the current power balance. Countries with colors closer to white are dominated by humans, while those with colors closer to black are dominated by demons."

At this, the players around me murmured.

The professor's expression, who had leaned forward, became extremely serious.

It was no wonder—almost all the countries were dyed gray to black.

The place where we were, the Kingdom of Alphasia, was a light gray, indicating that we had won the current world quest.

In contrast, the neighboring Kingdom of Bedinjia was a medium gray, and the Federal Republic of Milis to the east was a slightly lighter gray.

The worst was the Holy Kingdom of Admis to the north of Bedinjia, which was almost black.

The small countries further north were also gray, and the Empire of Shendran to the west of the Holy Kingdom was a light gray.

Undoubtedly, humanity was in a critical situation.

"Your mission is to exterminate the demons."

"Destroy the demons and reclaim the human territories."

"Retrieve the Tower of Holy Fire and weaken the demons' power."

"Fight the demons and destroy the noble demons who lead them."

"Then, you can secure the future of this world."

At these words, the players were momentarily stunned into silence—then, a wave of excitement began to spread.

It turned into cheers, quickly filling the square.

Amid the noise, I heard a sigh from the side.

Looking over, I saw Eleanora staring at me with slightly narrowed eyes.

"It seems like it's going to be a big event... What do you plan to do?"

"What else? I'll do as I'm told. Go to the Tower of Holy