Skill Plunderer

~ Omniscient Pov, A few days later ~

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Yohan lay flat on the forest floor, his chest heaving as he stared up at the patchy sky peeking through the leaves above. The sunlight flickered gently, shifting with the breeze, but all he could think about was how sore his arms felt—and how much he hated handstand push-ups right now.

Every inch of him ached, but it was the kind of ache that felt good. It meant he was getting stronger, making progress. His physical Talent helped speed things along, but it didn't make the effort any less exhausting.

"Man, that was rough," he mumbled, wiping the sweat off his face with the back of his hand. He rolled onto his side, groaning as his muscles protested the movement.

For a moment, he just lay there, letting the cool forest air soothe him, at least he thought it was cool. It was quiet though, apart from the occasional rustle of leaves and the chirping of distant birds. He closed his eyes, soaking in the calm.

'Still a long way to go,' he thought, flexing his fingers. His goals were relatively big, almost overwhelming at times, but moments like these reminded him why he kept going.

With a heavy sigh, Yohan forced himself to sit up, his body stiff but already recovering. 'Alright buddy, that's enough lying around,' he though tot himself, brushing dirt and leaves off his shirt.

'Status...

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Name: [Yohan Newman] Age: [16] Height: [172.5 cm] Race: Human

Health (HP): [End*10 = 109 / 109]

Energy (EP): [Int*5*3 = 1576.4] / 1576.4]

Stamina (SP): [End*10 = 109 * 5.7 = 621.3 / 621.3]

Energy Cores (EC): 3/3

-Physique; 

Strong: Provides an additional +50% growth rate for physical attributes.

Sword King: You are blessed with the gift of the sword king... All sword-related learning, understanding, and comprehension will be boosted by +1000%. This also increases the energy gained by the user by +50%.

-Physical Growth Rate: {A-}

-Mental Growth Rate: {B-}

Attributes; (Each stat point has a 20% multiplicative difference between itself... Can only be increased through suitable training.)

Strength: 8.9 → 11 * 29 = 29.3

Agility: 9 → 11.1 * 3.2 = 18.1

Endurance: 8.8 → 10.9 * 12.6 = 24.9

Intelligence: 8 → 9.1

Control: 9.3 → 10.1

Perception: 9.1 → 11.3 * 3.6 = 16.6

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Yohan's lips curled into a small grin. His progress wasn't bad. In fact, it was better than he had anticipated, considering how far he'd come since he started. Still, moderate was the best word to describe it. He knew the real gains were yet to come if he stayed consistent.

But there was one glaring problem he couldn't ignore.

'Yeah, I can't keep doing this forever,' glancing down at his calloused hands. Bodyweight exercises had served him well so far, but they were only going to take him so far. Without proper equipment—or at least better tools to train with—his progress would hit a wall sooner or later.

He got to his feet, dusting himself off one final time. "Guess I'll have to figure out that equipment problem soon." His voice was calm but determined. If he wanted to keep growing, he needed a plan.

And knowing Yohan, he wouldn't rest until he had one.

~ The Next Day... ~

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Yohan walked to school with his hands shoved deep into his pockets, head down as he tried to blend into the flow of students. Today, more than usual, he wanted to keep to himself.

'Just let me get through this in peace...' he thought, his pace steady but unhurried, 'I just hope Ciest doesn't come to—'

"Yohan!"

The familiar voice rang out, loud and unmistakable. Yohan froze mid-step, his shoulders slumping as he let out a long, resigned sigh...

'Speak of the devil…' he muttered internally, turning to face the inevitable.

Yohan hesitated for a moment, debating whether to pretend he hadn't heard her and just keep walking. The last thing he wanted was to run into Ciest—and by extension, Johnathon. Wherever she was, he was always close by.

And Johnathon? Well, the two of them weren't exactly on friendly terms.

Ever since their duel, things had been tense. Yohan had made it a point to avoid both of them, figuring it would make his life less complicated. But as much as he wanted to pin all the blame on Johnathon, he couldn't entirely. From Johnathon's perspective, Yohan had been a nobody—a tagalong leeching off Ciest's kindness.

But that was then.

Now, Yohan had reached a point where he could easily outmatch him, skill for skill. He knew if their roles were reversed, he'd probably feel just as bitter.

Taking a deep breath, Yohan steeled himself and turned around, plastering on a neutral expression as he prepared to deal with whatever Ciest—or Johnathon—had in store for him today.

However, to his surprise, Johnathon wasn't with her... 'That's... Odd...' He noted to himself.

"Hey~ Ciest, how's it going?"

Ciest approached him with her usual bright smile, completely unaware of the internal storm brewing in Yohan's mind. "Oh, you know, same old, same old. Just thought I'd check in on you. You've been kind of hard to find lately."

Yohan chuckled awkwardly, rubbing the back of his neck. "Yeah, I've just been… busy with stuff."

She tilted her head, clearly unconvinced. "Busy? With what?"

Think fast, he thought. "Oh, you know, schoolwork. Trying to stay on top of things."

Ciest raised an eyebrow. "Uh-huh. You, staying on top of schoolwork? That's new."

"Hey, I can be responsible!" Yohan protested with a mock scowl, but his mind was still stuck on one thing—where was Johnathon?

"Anyways." she continued, brushing past his weak defense, "are you free after school? I was thinking we could spar again. It's been ages, and you're probably rusty."

Yohan blinked, caught off guard. "Spar? You sure about that? I'm not exactly the same guy I was the last time we trained." Which was a few months ago by now.

"That's exactly why I want to," she said, her smile widening gently. "I want to see how much you've improved."

Her enthusiasm was contagious, but Yohan couldn't shake the uneasy feeling creeping into his chest. Something was off. Ciest rarely did anything without Johnathon's input. Was this her idea, or was there something else going on behind the scenes?

Still, he couldn't exactly back out now. "Alright," he said with a shrug, "but don't blame me if you regret it."

Ciest laughed. "We'll see about that."

As they walked to class together, Yohan tried to keep the conversation light, but the whole time, a single thought lingered in the back of his mind: 'What's your game, Ciest?'

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"So… do you think you're ready?" Ciest teased, a playful smirk tugging at her lips.

"I guess so," Yohan shot back, trying to sound confident. His tone was smug, but inside, he was hyping himself up. He had seen firsthand what Ciest was capable of, and it wasn't something anyone could take lightly.

Energy manipulation in this world was no joke. It was raw, destructive, and feared for a reason. Ciest had the skill and power to back it up—enough energy and precision to level an entire town in the blink of an eye. Yohan couldn't forget the time he witnessed her in action, her control so refined it felt like she was wielding a force of nature itself.

And now, she wanted to spar.

Yohan couldn't help but laugh a little under his breath, part nerves, part determination. "I just hope you don't break me before I get a hit in."

Ciest grinned wider, folding her arms. "Don't worry, I'll go easy on you... Maybe."

"Gee, thanks." he muttered sarcastically, though a small grin of his own slipped through. As much as he felt the pressure of going against someone like her, part of him was excited. It wasn't every day you got to test your limits against a powerhouse.

But deep down, he knew this wasn't going to be a friendly spar. Ciest always had a reason for what she did, and Yohan had a feeling this was more than just a casual training session. Considering the fact what happened with her boy friend, this definitely wasn't a coincidence...

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END