NOVEL NEXT Ch. 3
Chapter 03 - Beyond Ten Thousand Deaths (3)
Before using that ‘trump card’, I first checked my own condition. It could also be described as the result of everything I had built up until now.
《 Stats 》
[ Strength : D- ]
[ Agility : C+ ]
[ Stamina : D- ]
[ Intellect : B ]
[ Mana : F+ ]
[ Dexterity : B+ ]
Trait Details>>
Skill Details>>
Proficiency Details>>
Aptitude Details>>
Looking at my stats……. Strength and Stamina were slightly below average for the academy, Agility had reached the upper-middle ranks, and I could confidently say my Dexterity was in the top ranks.
A noteworthy point was that my Intellect had inexplicably jumped to B, but I didn't know the cause. There was no harm in it increasing, though.
Anyway, honestly, the fact that my Strength and Stamina were D- after training through 200 deaths was painful.
But what could I do? There was one thing I keenly felt about this part while experiencing 200 regressions.
“Rain Enlight, this body's performance is truly the worst……”
My agility was quite excellent, but my strength and stamina were literally at a despairing level.
Not just bad, but utter trash. They didn't increase properly even with effort.
Still, it was a relief that I seemed to have some talent for swordsmanship and agility.
“……But is it possible for agility and swordsmanship to be excellent while only strength and stamina are garbage? Does that even make sense anatomically? Swordsmanship is in the realm of sense, but……”
Such thoughts crossed my mind……. but that was the reality. A reality that had traded away any sense of realism.
“Damn it.”
I cursed for no reason and quickly scrolled down.
《 Trait List 》
Iron Will[B+]
: You are the owner of a strong mentality.
: You receive a bonus to resisting mental abnormalities and enduring pain.
Combat Sense[B+]
: You possess the combat sense of a seasoned veteran.
: You receive an advantage in combat actions according to the rank.
The mental enhancement skill ‘Iron Will[B+]’ and the combat proficiency indicator ‘Combat Sense[B+]’. The traits were quite impressive.
As for Combat Sense…… since this wasn't a game, I didn't receive any advantages, but I could definitely feel that I had become accustomed to combat.
As for the skill slot, well.
《 Skill List 》
Overcoming Ten Thousand Deaths (Unique)
: Upon death, you will return to a point before dying. The number of uses is limited to 10,000.
: You have overcome deaths.
: Remaining uses :
: Upon regressing, all statuses will be carried over.
: Current Checkpoint : Episode 1
“Sigh.”
The love-hate regression trait, ‘Overcoming Ten Thousand Deaths[Unique]’.
If this were a game, I would have welcomed it with open arms. But since this was reality, I couldn't be entirely happy about it. Although, if I didn't have this, I would have just been dead.
With a heavy heart, I scrolled down again.
《 Proficiency List 》
Swordsmanship Proficiency[A]
: The degree to which your swordsmanship is mastered.
: Currently at the level of a [Senior Knight].
Finally, I checked my Swordsmanship Proficiency. As for aptitude, I didn't need to worry about it for now. I couldn't see it at the moment anyway.
Overall, except for the stats, my specs were quite solid. Two B+ traits from the start and a main proficiency at A, that said it all.
Besides, a unique skill? If this were a game, it would have been a smooth sailing playthrough.
Anyway……. now it was time to make an overall judgment.
Could I win against the attackers with my current specs? The answer to that was, of course-.
…….
Impossible.
After clashing swords with them nearly 200 times, I had a rough idea. On average, their skills ranged from C-rank quasi-knight to B-rank Regular Knight, and there was even one guy who barely reached the next level, A-rank, Senior Knight.
In comparison, my current overall skill was at the upper level among Regular Knights
I had the advantage of two B+ traits, an A-rank proficiency, and knowing their patterns of action, but……. I wouldn't be able to take down the ‘strongest one’ who would be left at the end.
The reason I could only remain at the Regular Knight level despite such proficiency and traits was simple. My physical abilities were too lacking.
Yes, there was no comparison. Even setting aside the Regular Knight level assassins, I could never defeat the Senior Knight level one.
It was still impossible.
I had to grow stronger.
However-.
I had definitely thought this at the end of the previous regression.
‘The end of this dreadful death is coming into view.’
Yes, the things I mentioned before were all based on not using the trump card.
Well then, shall we go get that trump card?
***
In
But if you think about this in another way, a different conclusion can be drawn.
There are few ways to get stronger in an instant, but they are not nonexistent.
Yes, that was the trump card.
Using one of the few ways to get stronger in an instant.
“……Although it’s a method only possible in my situation.”
I muttered so, keeping my voice as low as possible.
Ah, if you're wondering why I'm lowering my voice, I'll answer.
It was because I was currently sneaking in. Into a secluded corner of the Enlight mansion's basement.
Why?
To get to the warehouse where the Enlight family's secret scrolls were stored.
***
The Enlight family's mansion appears as a mid-boss stage in the final chapter of Part 4, the latter half of
That meant that there was a boss reward in this mansion. Of course, I couldn't touch things like magic swords or staffs because it would be obvious if I took them, but……. it was a different story for something that wouldn't leave a trace even if used.
Secret scrolls—or by their system name, Scrolls—were not consumed upon use. Does it make sense for a book to disappear just because you read it? In the first place, even if left behind, since it was a single-player game, you couldn't copy the techniques.
Of course, it wasn't like you could just learn the corresponding techniques by looking at the scrolls. There was a minimum requirement to learn the technique.
And the Enlight mansion was a late-game stage. Naturally, the cutoff was steep.
But among them, there was one. A useful technique with a moderately low cutoff. Today's goal was precisely that.
And I know the secret route to the room where the scrolls are piled up.
It was an element that could be missed in the game if you didn't know about it, but since I had played
Anyway, I left my room first thing in the morning and headed to the basement, avoiding the eyes of the servants.
Of course, there was the fact that I knew the structure of the mansion inside out through my game knowledge and 200 regression experiences, but……. even considering that, it was excessively easy.
In fact, that might have been only natural. Because Rain Enlight was practically a non-entity in the Enlight mansion.
Except for the meals that came at set times, and the occasional secret sneers as I passed by……. the interest towards Rain, that is, me, converged to near zero.
That's how little I encountered the servants. Maybe I was used as a topic of their gossip sometimes.
Yes, Rain Enlight's life was riddled with indifference and contempt.
For some reason, my heart felt heavy. Before, it was a story in a game, but now it was a complete reality.
I let out a deep sigh and blew away such feelings. What good would thinking about that do now? I looked around the numerous rooms that lined the basement.
I saw a laboratory that gave off a somewhat eerie atmosphere, and a repository of old books that smelled of dust, but……. of course, I didn't enter the wrong room.
“It’s around here…… Ah!”
And after about 30 seconds of searching the basement, I was able to find it right away.
A door with luxurious decorations and a security jewel embedded in it.
I raised the corners of my mouth into a grin.
Found it.
In the game, this place, the Enlight family's treasury, is where the boss reward is, as I said before. You can discover it before clearing it, but you can only open the door with an item dropped by the boss.
That item is the ‘Blood-stained Brooch’. The owner of the blood is the head of the Enlight family.
Yes. As you might have guessed from that, Enlight blood was needed to enter the treasury.
To be precise, it would be a system that detects the blood of the Enlight family.
And, I am Rain Enlight.
Even without defeating any boss, the blood of Enlight flowed in me.
***
Click.
Hard to believe for a late-game boss reward room, the Enlight family's treasury opened its door easily. Just by touching it.
Creak-.
And inside, items that would make your eyes pop were displayed in abundance.
All sorts of goods were neatly displayed in the warehouse. From high-grade armaments enchanted with magic……. to all sorts of magic books, artifacts, and skill scrolls.
In the game, the quantity was nerfed for balance reasons, but seeing it in reality, it was a treasure vault itself.
“If I had my way, I'd like to take everything…….”
Realistically, I couldn't do that. If I were to plunder the treasury here, it would be like giving the Enlight family an official opportunity to sanction me.
“Tsk, it's a pity, but……. let's see. It was on the fourth bookshelf, fifth shelf.”
Barely suppressing my greed, I bent down and searched the bookshelf above the cupboard. Soon, a scroll came into view.
“That's it.”
And as if to prove it, a screen appeared before my eyes.
[ Scroll - 『Moment of Decisive Battle[A]』 ]
: Skill Acquisition Conditions
Strength D-
Agility D-
Stamina D-
Dexterity D-
: Use? [Y/N]
The scroll for the A-rank skill, ‘Moment of Decisive Battle’.
For a late-game stage, the requirement of all physical stats being D- was very low. Although I had only barely met it…….
Anyway, the answer was set.
[System : You have learned the skill, ‘Moment of Decisive Battle[A]’!]
Now, even the trump card was ready.
All that was left was to escape from this death.
But before that, there was one last thing to do.
Should I call it something to do, or things I had been doing.
It was to go to the training ground and train.
***
Even if it was the last training session, there was nothing special about it.
Swinging the sword as usual, having my shortcomings pointed out and correcting them.
It was just a repetition of what I had always done.
As they were ordinary things, the practice passed in the blink of an eye.
I swing the sword.
My posture or combinations are pointed out.
I correct my posture.
I swing the sword again.
I swing.
The practice ends.
I'm roughly told to work hard at Archenia Academy.
And…….
“Young Lord.”
In the midst of that ‘as usual’ cycle, Jeduin spoke to me. Even after the training was over.
It wasn't something that had never happened, but it was quite rare. His reasons were different each time, so I wondered what it was this time.
“Forgive my impertinence, but have you by any chance received swordsmanship training from me before?”
…….
I was silent for a moment at those words. I needed a moment to think about what to answer here.
And at my silence, Jeduin laughed awkwardly.
“Haha, please forget what I just said. I knew it couldn't be…….”
He won't remember……. but he was still my master, so I was thinking maybe I made him feel awkward for no reason when-.
“Would you accept this.”
Jeduin took out the sword he wore at his waist and handed it to me.
“Yes……?”
“Well, it’s a gift for a promising future knight.”
I, who had been maintaining a poker face, could not hide my bewilderment at that action.
And for good reason, because this had never happened in nearly 200 regressions.
“And…… somehow, it feels familiar. If I were to properly teach someone swordsmanship, I feel that the completed form would be like the Young Lord right now…… so I just.”
Jeduin said so and laughed good-naturedly. He probably had no memory of it, but it seemed his insight could not be deceived.
“……Thank you.”
There was no need to kick away a blessing that rolled in. I bowed my head to express my gratitude and accepted the sword.
[System : You have acquired the epic item, ‘Spellbinder’!]
Jeduin's sword, ‘Spellbinder’, was a sword that could be looted from Jeduin's corpse if one took the route where Jeduin dies in the late game.
The effect was simple, it had the ability to deflect an enemy's magic without consuming mana…….
Honestly, it was a weapon that wasn't used in the late game due to power inflation, but right now was the early game. It was clear that it would definitely be useful in the future.
“…….”
I stared blankly at the sword, then shifted my gaze back to Jeduin. With a somewhat serious expression.
“……Thank you, truly.”
And, I expressed my gratitude once more.
I didn't express my gratitude simply because he gave me an item.
What I was truly grateful for was that he was almost the only one in this mansion who treated me like a human being.
If things go well in the future and I get a chance to repay him……. I will surely repay this kindness. I made that vow.
……To do that, I must first escape this damn regression.