Chapter: 40: Fort Holding [1]
I pressed my finger against one of the many buttons on the vending machine.
Soon with a stiff noise, a can of orange juice dropped down on the small space near the left mid side of the vending machine.
I extended my arm forward and grabbed the can of juice. The small drops of water around the body of the can; due to condensation, made it cold to the touch.
Then with a turn of my heel, I trailed off.
After I had woke up, I exited the room, and made my way out of the medical facility.
I popped the top of the can and with a fizzy noise from the can, I brought the can close to my mouth and drank from it.
It was night time at this point. The surrounding area was illuminated by the many lamps, which were ten metres away from each other. A soft breeze ran past me, making my hair and clothes flutter slightly.
I felt melancholy emerge from within as I walked around the academy ground.
I think I wanted to just get some fresh air. But the dream of my past memories...
With a pause, I looked up at the starry night sky. Each star shined with a subtle beauty of its own.
But among all of those star, one star shined brighter than the rest.
“What might they be doing right now....Master and Fujimoto?” I said as I kept my gaze on that one star.
My lips curled slightly upwards, as I remembered about Master and Fujimoto.
“I just hope Fujimoto isn’t having a hard time,” I chuckled as I looked away from the stars and pulled my gaze forward.
This time, I swear, I won’t let them die. So I will become strong enough, with the help of this mysterious system and the knowledge from my past life.
‘System,’ I inwardly said. Soon a blue translucent interface came to life in front of me, which displayed my stats.
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NAME: SEO JIWOO (???)
HP: 4899
LEVEL: 33
STRENGTH: 80
STAMINA: 84
AGILITY: 77
VITALITY: 78
INTELLIGENCE: 72
MP: 1010
POINTS: 554
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FATIGUE: 2
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【PASSIVE SKILLS】
PERSEVERANCE lv.2
PROFESSION: Swordsmanship (Lv.1)
[Crescent Moon Style]
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【SKILLS】
[{E} Acausality] (Sealed)
This skill allows the user to tamper with the flow of time. Allowing the user to stop time for a brief moment.
Note: An equivalent amount of the host’s Mana will be drained as long as the skill is active.
Cool down: 2 weeks
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【Returnee’s Privilege】 [Time: ??? ] [Synchronisation 25%]
–MIND’S EYE (Sealed) (Unlocked: 20% )
Allowing the host to slow down the flow of time from their perspective. The host can also see the energy signature of anything with the naked eye... ???.
–LEAP (Sealed)
Cool Down: 3 hours
–????
–????
–????
______________
【????】
–????
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My eyes darted up and down the system interface.
“Wait...,” I said with squinted eyes, as I checked my level.
“When did I level up?”
I thought for a moment before remembering.
“It must have been when I almost defeated that Saber Tiger... but didn’t.”
But wasn’t the one who killed the Saber Tiger, that mysterious Eagle.
‘But what if...,’ I placed my hand over my chin as I contemplated.
‘... I did fight the Saber Tiger till the end, but the one who gave it the finishing blow was that Eagle.’
This realisation was a new for me. “I can receive the experience points, if I just contribute in killing a monster, even if I don’t finish it off myself.
Okay... so like a game exp‐sharing mechanism.
Like for example, a team of four players in a game kill a monster together, then they share the experience points. But in my case, I alone receive the points, even if I don’t finish the monster off.
‘Well this system does resemble a game built system,’ I nodded my head as I saw the other sections on the interface.
‘Still the same question marks,’ I said as I looked at my two skill, I got back from ‘Returnee’s Privilege’.
Rustle—!
I heard a low rustling sound come from the bushes a few steps ahead.
“—es I’ll do it.”
I heard someone talking. But the voice was faint so I couldn’t perfectly make it out.
I stepped forward and made my way towards where the voice had emerged from.
But at the exact moment I reached the bushes, someone came through them and bumped into me.
I steadied my body and almost dropped the can of juice from my hand. But the guy who bumped into me fell down on the ground.
I looked in front of me and saw a youth, who was wearing the black uniform of the first years.
He had dirt-blonde hair, and the features on his face were sharp. In his blue eyes was displayed a mysterious charisma and his physique was also well-built.
But he had a frown over his face.
I recognised that boy immediately. He was the guy who had his ass handed to him by Jiyoung. ‘Felix Blúte’
I extended my arm forward and tried to help him up. But he smacked my hand aside and looked at me with a sharp glare before getting up.
“You okay?” I asked.
As fast as the frown on his face had came, it disappeared and he looked at me with a soft friendly smile on his face.
“O-Oh yes, I’m fine,” he put his hand behind the back of his head and apologised. “I’m sorry if I bumped into you.”
With a turn of his heel he took a step to the side.
“What were you doing here at a time like this?” I asked.
“I think I dropped my phone here, so I was just looking for it,” he quickly replied.
With a raise of my brow I looked at him, before muttering, “ oh, is that so.”
“Then, goodnight,” he said as he turned around and left.
I looked at his departing figure, then turned my gaze from him towards the bushes.
There was definitely something about him.
To be honest, I had a good eye for judging people, and with a single glance I could tell if a person was okay or not, and Felix didn’t give me a good vibe.
It felt like he was putting up a facade. And even that smile was fake.
Well, either way, I don’t want to get involved in his business.
He might have his own reasons. Everyone had their own.
I finished the can of juice and threw it inside a bin nearby.
Afterwards I went back to my room in the square building.
***
The sun was shining more brightly today.
‘Today was the last day of the tournament and following the last main event, the ‘Fort Holding’.’
I made my way towards the fort.
Yeah, the place where the fort holding event is held, is called the ‘Fort’.
Well it was a simple fort in name. You could say it was built on many different kinds of scenario kind of places on the academy ground.
Where a team consisting of five students, enter the stadium and fight against the other group, whilst trying to protect their fort or destroying their enemies’ fort.
“I hope I’m teamed up with some civil people,” I mumbled to myself as I reached the fort.
Just like the battle facility, and the arena, this place looked hella expensive.
Long sturdy walls, with a subtle pale white colour, and glass frames towering around the walls, reflecting the sunlight. There was a beautiful glass arch, in front of the facility’s entrance.
Several trees were aligned outside the facility, and two fountains stood on both sides of the arch.
The facility looked just like a fortress.
“The lock really has shit tone of money,” I mumbled as I stepped inside the fort.
Well they do have the world's best guilds and organisations as their sponsors.
The inside of the facility looked just as breath-taking as the outside.
My eyes landed on the inside and I saw the beautiful hall. The long and wide hall, looked eye-catching.
The floor was adorned with pale brownish-white tiles, and the several wide windows—each a few metres away from the other—, allowing the sunlight to illuminate the inside. There were blood red curtains hung on the windows, which looked beautiful with the sunlight passing through them.
There were several sofas, tables and chairs placed inside the wide hall, and a red carpet laid on the floor which matched the colour of the curtains.
Well I was in awe to see this place, but perfectly hid it.
“Excuse me, could you step aside?” I heard a familiar voice coming from behind me.
I turned my head backwards and saw Jihoon standing behind me.
“Jihoon,” I said. Then turning around I wrapped my arm around him and pulled him into a headlock.
“How are you?” I asked as I ruffled his jet black hair with my other arm.
With a bright smile we replied. “I’m fine!... How are you now?”
I pulled my arm back and replied. “I did feel like shit, but after resting the entire night, here I am.”
With a relieved sigh he looked at me and spoke, “Jiyoung told me about what happened yesterday, because I wasn’t able to make it.”
With a raise of my brow I asked, “you weren’t able to make it? I think I heard Jiyoung say you would be coming?”
“Some stuff came up and I wasn’t able to arrive yesterday.” He said. “And Jiwoo you should have been more careful, you could have been seriously injured.” He spoke, his words laced with worry.
He was trying to make an angry expression, but instead his face looked adorable. Seriously, considering that he is Park Yujin’s son, I was dumbfounded.
That man looked like he wouldn’t even know how to smile, and his son was his polar opposite.
On one side you had the angel like Jihoon, and on the other side the expressionless, ice queen Jiyoung.
I sighed then opened my mouth to speak, “I already received an earful from Jiyoung yesterday.” I placed my hand over Jihoon’s shoulder and looked at him with a mutual look of understanding.
“I now perfectly know why you called her a demon.”
Jihoon burst into a feat of chuckles as he heard me. Then after chuckling for a few more seconds, he wiped the corner of his eye and looked at me. “I told you didn’t I.”
“Either way, let’s go, I’ll take you to your seat, before going to the waiting room.” I shook my head forward and with a nod from Jihoon, both of us stepped forward and made our way to the stadium seats.