141 Chapter 140
(A/N: This chapter is brought to you by Forgotten Krazy. Never forget.)
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Catching the crystal ball thrown her way, the somewhat feral-looking girl, Alissa, revealed her sharp, angular teeth in the form of a smile as she remarked, "It's just a piece of glass. Anyone with a bit of strength should be able to break it to pieces."
In an attempt to prove her point, Alissa began tightening her hold on the crystal ball, causing its interior to glow. The muscles of her arms bulged visibly beneath the sleeves of her maid uniform, but even when she began to exert herself seriously, the sphere didn't give. Instead, it gained a faint green hue before a window appeared before her, revealing a carbon copy of her Status Board, visible to all who had one of their own.
"Excellent," said Henry. "You're only Level 27, but your power is nearly more than what the crystal can endure. Your Mana also possesses the Wind Attribute. Be sure to keep that in mind as you train and delve into the breaches."
Clicking her tongue, clearly dissatisfied, Alissa handed the crystal ball to Roman before he, in turn, handed it to another of his subordinates. He had already had his Status evaluated at home, but even if he hadn't, he would never reveal such sensitive information before others.
As Henry brought out more crystal balls to speed up the process, those who completed the evaluation were split into one of three groups. Those below Level 30 were allowed to leave but told to return at 10 AM, while those 30 and above were further split into groups based on whether they already possessed a Status Board.
Though Izuku and Momo should have been placed with the students who lacked Status Boards, they were an exception as it was assumed they had one. However, as they were from a foreign nation, they weren't required to reveal them since, due to their backgrounds, their Statuses were regarded as a state secret.
"It appears there are only seven of us in this group," said Historia, looking over everyone present with slightly glowing eyes. Four of their members were Izuku, Momo, Rebecca, and herself, while the remaining three were a nervous-looking Dae-Jung, a visibly annoyed Alissa, and the bodyguard of one of Roman's lackeys, a youth who, despite being 17, had a pointed goatee, sharp eyes, angular eyebrows, an athletic build, and wild, slicked-back black hair.
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Name: [Cain Marcus]
Title: Copycat Chimera(Vit+50)
Quirk: Beast Change
Bond Level: 41
Current Level: 31
Effective Level: 62
[Attributes]
Strength: 72
Agility: 51
Vitality: 235
Intelligence: 80
Dexterity: 88
Luck: 99
Free Attributes: 145
[Perks]
[Beast Tongue], [Cellular Regeneration], [Keen Senses]
[Skills]
[Presence Concealment], [Scent Tracking], [Lock Jaw]
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"Don't go lumping us together," said Alissa, exhibiting none of the 'class' the other students of the Knight Course wore to conceal their true nature. Instead, she had more in common with a firecracker as she crossed her arms and asserted, "It's no secret that you've been using your status as the daughter of Britain's No. 1 Hero to enter breaches and give yourself a head start. But it won't last. The breaches are bastions for those willing to work hard and risk their lives. A nepotism baby like you can't stay on top forever...!"
"Says the girl that works for a nepotism baby..." Izuku remarked, causing Alissa's brow to twitch as she stared daggers at him. Instead of telling him off, however, she eventually turned away, a hint of red coloring her cheeks as she muttered, "I'm no one's servant..." in a tone not meant for anyone to hear.
"Anyways, if Legion asks us to enter the same breach, you can expect the three of us to split up and do our own thing," said Cain, his expression and tone devoid of enthusiasm as he lazily dug into his ear with his right pinky. He also felt that people like Historia didn't 'deserve' their positions, but he had long since given up voicing such thoughts aloud. After all, unless you were prepared to throw your life away and become a villain by committing murder, trying to resist or spite the 'upper class' was an open invitation for them to torment you further. A sentiment he had the scars to prove...
Not taking Alissa's words to heart, Historia maintained her usual smile as she returned a nod, responding, "Very well. Though it is safer to travel in a group, I understand we're not entering the breaches in search of safety. If you wish to travel separately, I will not trouble you by insisting otherwise."
Clicking her tongue, Alissa muttered something else under her breath, but Izuku missed it as the nearby heliplanes had started up, producing quite a bit of sound as they did so.
Approaching Izuku's group, a Henry clone with the number seven on his chest gestured to the nearest heliplane and shouted, "Go ahead and get on! We're already behind schedule, so we'll be departing the moment the rotors are warmed up, and the pilot has completed his checklist!"
Doing as they were told, Izuku lagged behind the group as they boarded the osprey-like aircraft. The interior was surprisingly spacious, having six standard-sized seats that folded down on each side and four 'harnesses' that could accommodate larger individuals, so Izuku attempted to make himself comfortable near the entrance hatch before Momo whispered to him, "You should sit next to Historia..."
Looking to where Historia was seated at the far end of the cabin, smiling back at him, Izuku returned a smile and did as Momo suggested, making his way over to sit next to the gold-haired heiress. His actions earned him a disproving look from Alissa and a fleeting glance from Dae-Jung, but he didn't pay them any mind as Momo sat to his left, completing a sandwich valued in the tens of billions...
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After roughly an hour and a half in the air, the heliplane touched down in a clearing next to a large, narrow, particularly scenic lake characterized by lush hills, verdant forests, and the remains of many limestone structures, some fairly modern, others well over a thousand years old.
Recognizing the location almost immediately, Historia's eyes lit up as she clapped her hands and exclaimed, "Well, that explains why our flight was so long! This is Loch Ness, one of the most famous lakes in the Highlands of Scotland~!"
"That's right~!" echoed the voice of Henry, a version of himself wearing the number three descending from the cockpit of the heliplane. He was both the pilot and co-pilot, so while his counterpart placed the heliplane into idle, he merrily explained, "Scotland has an above-average number of breaches, presumed to be the result of their rich history. Since this group is filled with exceptional students, I'll be splitting you into three groups to close three separate breaches. You know what they say. Too many cooks in the kitchen spoils the broth."
As he spoke, the number three Henry split into two more, their chests bearing the numbers fourteen and fifteen, respectively. His Quirk allowed him to divide into as many as a hundred nearly identical copies of himself, and thanks to his costume having tiny microlenses sewn into the panel on the chest, it automatically updated to show how many he had activated at any given time. At least when he had the function active.
"As you've probably guessed, a version of me will be accompanying each of your groups into the breach," explained Henry. "B-Rank breaches allow anyone below Level 100 to enter, but the monsters within typically range from 45~60. The real dangers are the so-called Boss monsters that guard the core of each breach, but you won't have to worry about that today as we have already hunted all the Bosses in the breaches you'll be entering."
Noticing the dissatisfied look on Alissa's face, the three Henry(s) laughed in concert before number three explained, "Don't worry. Today is more of a 'proof of concept' operation. Once you've proven yourselves, you'll have access to other breaches the Academy has made bids on. Most have had their valuable resources stripped away, but not all of them."
Though he was similarly annoyed to learn they would be entering mostly cleared breaches, Izuku didn't show it. He would effectively have free rein once he returned to Japan, and as long as he was friends with Historia, Izuku was fairly certain he would eventually be able to gain access to a few 'off-the-books' breaches. If not, well, he always had the cheat named Nezu-sensei to fall back on...
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After separating from the other groups, Izuku and Momo followed Henry to the edge of a ruined village, likely destroyed during the Quirk Wars, as moss, vines, and other plants had swallowed up the area, covering every surface. More importantly, there were several armed soldiers and military vehicles present, forming a perimeter around a watery portal surrounded by crackling energy.
"This is where we part ways," said Henry, stopping outside the portal after proving his identity and getting the soldiers to permit him and Momo into the area.
Before Izuku could ask, Henry shrugged and explained, "I'm only here because All Might is busy in Washington. I'm not paid enough to know the details, but I was instructed by the Headmaster in no uncertain terms that Izuku Midoriya and anyone attending him is to be permitted entry into the breaches without oversight. Thus, until you're finished with whatever you intend to do inside, I'll be waiting out here."
'This is definitely Nezu-sensei's doing,' thought Izuku, a smile adorning his face as he extended a hand to Henry and said, "Thank you, and thank the Headmaster for his understanding. We'll do our best not to keep you waiting too long."
Accepting Izuku's handshake, Henry joked, "No worries. I'm on the clock 24/7 and receive bonus pay for each version of myself I keep in operation. Feel free to take as much time as you need."
"Then I'll see you when I see you," replied Izuku, extracting his hand from Henry's vice-like grasp and stepping into the breach, prompting Momo to do the same. Doing so felt like passing through cool gelatin, but there was a metallic taste in his mouth when he emerged from the opposite side and found himself in the middle of a forest not unlike the one outside.
Though she entered right after him, it took several seconds for Momo to emerge behind Izuku, brows furrowed as she licked her lips and ran her tongue against the top of her mouth, commenting, "I held my breath, but it tastes like there's a battery in my mouth..."
"Maybe that's what raw Mana tastes like...?" supposed Izuku, but he was just making conversation, not trying to form a hypothesis. The old Momo would have taken such a remark at face, but since she had gotten used to being around him, her response was to smile before materializing a glass cup from her hand and filling it with apple juice. It tasted significantly less sweet than processed apple juice, but Izuku preferred it that way as there was such a thing as 'too sweet.'
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After clearing the taste of ionization from their mouths and sharing a kiss to confirm it was gone, Izuku and Momo donned their Hero Costumes and made their way deeper into the breach. The ground had noticeable signs of foot traffic for them to follow, so it wasn't difficult to reach the location of the breach's core, a very familiar-looking crystal sphere situated atop a stone podium.
"Well, this explains why they're so common..." muttered Izuku, staring into the glowing orb that perfectly corresponded to a [Beginner's Crystal Ball]. The size and shape were identical, but as Izuku and Momo approached it, and as Izuku and Momo approached it, a familiar blue window appeared before them with the words 'Congratulations on reaching the end of [The Gnoll's Stomping Grounds]! Destroy or remove the core before you and all participants, irrespective of their conditions, will be transported outside to receive completion and contribution rewards!' Then, below that, it had the text, 'There are 308 monsters remaining before the [Full Completion Prize Box] can be acquired.'
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(A/N: We do a bit of grinding...)
