Days before First Day In NOMA
As I checked my mana reserves, I was dismayed to find that only 160 mana remained out of my usual 960. It seemed that activating the relic had consumed far more mana than I had anticipated.
With a sigh, I realized that this item wasn't as suitable for beginners as I had initially thought. It required a significant amount of mana to use effectively.
Feeling frustrated, I acknowledged that I could only rely on this relic in dire situations from now on. The thought of navigating my way out of this forest with such low mana was daunting.
Fortunately, I remembered packing some mana replenishment potions. I rummaged through my bag and retrieved two bottles. Downing them quickly, I felt a surge of energy as my mana reserves increased to 360.
Feeling slightly relieved, I decided it was time to leave before nightfall. I set off, eager to escape the forest before darkness descended.
***
I unlatched the windows of my apartment, allowing the warm sunlight to flood the room.
It had been a tranquil nine days since I acquired the Mythical grade relic.
However, I couldn't afford to rest on my laurels.
Remembering Owen's extraordinary abilities, I knew I needed to sharpen my combat and magical skills. If anyone noticed any gaps in my knowledge of combats and magic, it could raise suspicions.
So, I resolved to dedicate myself to rigorous training to avoid drawing unwanted attention.
Luckily, Owen's apartment had a huge library, which turned out to be a real lifesaver for me. At first, I was worried that I wouldn't understand a thing in those books.
But to my surprise, I found myself reading them like a pro as if I had read them before.
This strange ease made me wonder if it had something to do with being in Owen's body. Maybe somehow I could soak up knowledge just like he could.
It was definitely a curious situation, but I wasn't complaining. Having access to all that information was a major advantage, and I was eager to make the most of it.
I was thrilled to find that I had learned four basic spells. With the date for my enrollment at the academy fast approaching, I wasted no time in putting my newfound skills to the test.
My penthouse came equipped with its own personal training room, so I wasted no time heading there to practice. It was crucial to hone my abilities before starting at the academy.
Living in the vibrant city of Reddison, I was fortunate to have such luxurious accommodations. My status as the heir to a prominent family granted me access to a life of privilege that few could imagine.
One of the most impressive features of my penthouse was the state-of-the-art training room. These rooms were known for their extravagant costs, but luckily, I had one at my disposal.
It was equipped with all the latest technology, making it the perfect place to perfect my skills.
As I practised my spells in the comfort of my penthouse, I couldn't help but feel grateful for the opportunities that had come my way.
In fact, the price of this training room alone was equivalent to the entire cost of the penthouse, highlighting the sheer luxury and exclusivity of my accommodations.
With this personal training room readily available to me, I had no need to venture to common training centres outside. The convenience and opulence that came with being wealthy certainly had its advantages.
"Status"
______
Name : Owen Regulus
Age : 17
Race : Human
Rank : E+
Strength : 110
Defence : 96
Agility : 114
Stamina : 107
Intelligence : 354
Charm : 388
Mana Capacity : 960/960
Mana Quality : F+
Affinity : Fire, Lightning, Darkness
Profession : Swordsman Lvl. 1, Archer Lvl. 1
Spells :
• Fire
1. Fireball
2. Explosion
• Lightning
1. Electric Bolt
2. Electric Surge
• Darkness
N/A
Techniques :
• Sword Art
1. Luminous Edge [★★★★★] {Proficiency -> Low Novice}
Skills :
1. Sense Alteration {C-}
- Inborn Skill
______
Upon acquiring the spells, a new section popped up on my status screen.
I had successfully acquired knowledge of two fire spells and two lightning spells. While I regretted not being able to master spells of darkness, my progress was still commendable.
Typically, an average person could hope to grasp a maximum of two spells independently, without any guidance or assistance. In my case, I had acquired knowledge of four spells in a mere eight days.
Although my progress in learning spells had been promising, there was one aspect where I still struggled – mastering my sword technique. My initial attempts at using the technique had not gone as smoothly as I had hoped.
***
A few days before.
Stepping into the training room, I was greeted by a simple yet well-equipped space.
High-quality wooden swords were neatly arranged, alongside a set of bows and arrows.
This room was designed to cater to the diverse combat interests of its users – serving both as a training ground for swordsmanship and archery.
The room was stark white, devoid of any unnecessary distractions. In this controlled environment, an AI voice emerged to offer its assistance. It was a helpful AI that could materialize whatever I required during my training sessions.
Today, my focus was on perfecting my sword technique, an aspect that didn't rely on knowledge like spells but instead, was ingrained within my body.
It was something I could execute on instinct. For this training session, I requested a dummy to practice my sword technique and put it to the test.
Clutching a wooden sword, I positioned myself squarely before the practice dummy.
With the sword resting at my waist, I assumed a prepared stance, my focus entirely fixed on the inanimate target. I willed myself to cut the dummy's head, and something remarkable occurred.
In an instant, it felt as though my body moved autonomously, drawing the sword and returning it to its sheath in the span of a mere second. What I saw next left me in disbelief.
Within another second, the practice dummy had been cleanly cleaved into three distinct pieces.
Baffled by the extraordinary speed and precision of my sword technique, I urgently requested the AI to replay the sequence in slow motion, a hundred times slower. As the video playback commenced, I watched with rapt attention.
As I watched the slowed-down footage, I finally began to comprehend the mechanics of what had transpired.
My own movements were now visible, and it was nothing short of astounding. The speed at which I had cut the dummy into three pieces was beyond anything I had ever imagined
Even the sword art described in the novel, which was known for its swiftness, paled in comparison to what I had just demonstrated. T
he sheer velocity of my actions was so extreme that I couldn't even perceive my own movements, especially when my proficiency with the technique was at its lowest.
Realizing the immense potential of this technique, I decided that it was best to keep it hidden from the outside world until I had full control and mastery over it. Revealing it prematurely could lead to unintended consequences.
The world at large recognized Owen as a prodigy in magic, but only the members of the Regulus Family were privy to the knowledge that I possessed the "Luminous Edge Technique." It seemed prudent to keep this information hidden from the public eye for the time being.
After that, I decided to focus on honing my sword skills the old-fashioned way. I challenged myself by fighting simulated monsters of varying ranks, from F- to F+.
At first, I worried that without my lightning-fast technique, I'd struggle against these powerful foes. But to my surprise, I defeated them with ease, slicing through them.
It felt like I was swatting bugs with how effortlessly I took them down.
It got me thinking that perhaps my body itself was perfectly suited for wielding a sword. The way I moved and fought felt natural like I was born for it.
***
I couldn't test out my new skill, Sense Alteration, right away because it only works on living creatures. This skill lets me mess with someone else's physical senses, like making them see things or hear things that aren't there.
The thing about this skill is that I don't need to practice it like magic or sword fighting. Once you've got the skill, you can use it whenever you want without needing any extra energy or strength. So there was no rush for me to try it out.
The only downside is that the skill's power depends on your rank. If your rank is low and your skill is high, you can only use a small part of its full strength. That's the case with me—I'm only E+ rank, and my skill is C+. So, without any test subjects, I'm not sure how much I can really do with it. But I think I'll have plenty of chances to try it out at the academy.
Beep beep
A beeping noise jolted me from my thoughts as my smartwatch chimed.
It was time to bid farewell to the comfort of my big ol, lavish apartment and head to the academy.
With my bag packed and preparations complete, I stood before the mirror, taking one final moment to appreciate my appearance.
Satisfied, I turned away and exited the apartment.