The Second Coming of Avarice Chapter 26

"A Warrior?" (Agnes)

At the third floor gym.

Hearing Agnes's question, Seol nodded his head as a reply. Just as he was ordered to, he informed her of his Job as soon as it was bestowed to him.

"So, that's how it is," said Agnes, while inwardly breathing a wistful sigh.

If one were to rate the values of different Jobs, then the 'Sorcerer' class possessed an unmatched brilliance that no others could ever hope to match. Not only this class boasted incredible firepower, it also came with the inherent advantage of the cheat-like flexibility, allowing for the rapid adaptation to the situation at hand.

Also, it was rare class, too - it'd be difficult to find even one out of 100 candidates. In order to become a 'Sorcerer', one's Magic Power stat had to be at least 'Mid - Low' at a bare minimum. Not to forget, one's personality trait and the talent had to be suitable as well.

The reality was, the average Magic Power value of the survivors entering the Neutral Zone would only be at 'Low - Low'. It was only par for the course that their Magic Power would be that low, seeing that they had been living on Earth with its advanced technology until now.

So, it was only natural that finding a Sorcerer among them would be difficult. And it was definitely not an exaggeration to say the survivor with the Job of Sorcerer would be treated as a nobility regardless of where he'd show up.

It was a similar story for Priests, as well. The basic requirements were for one to possess Magic Power stats of at least 'Low - Mid' or higher, and Luck of 'Mid - Low' or higher. A Priest played a crucial role as this class could heal various wounds, but also performed other important support roles such as detoxification and removal of curses. Since such abilities were in high demand, the presence of a Priest was welcomed by pretty much everyone.

'And it's not even an Archer…' (Agnes)

Archers also formed an important and necessary fighting force in a military expedition. After all, Archers were skilled in tracking and scouting, as well as their abilities to sense enemies' approach would be indispensable, as well.

Of course, this didn't mean that 'Warriors' didn't play an important at all. The issue was to do with the abundant supply - there were just too many of them around. Taking one look at the Job distribution among the March's Neutral Zone entrants told everything one needed to know in that regard.

86 people entered the Zone on the first day, and currently, 78 still remained. Among them, one Sorcerer, four Priests, 22 Archers and the rest, 51, were Warriors.

Some even joked that Warriors only had to perform their 'job as a meat shield' well. If a Contracted didn't show any redeeming qualities, then that person would most likely end up as a meat shield for sure.

'Regardless, all I have to do is train him well.' (Agnes)

Agnes carefully fixed her expression, lest it showed what she was thinking about, and handed over a piece of paper to Seol.

"I understand. Let us begin with training your Magic Power first." (Agnes)

[Reacting to Magic Power (remaining number of attempts: ꝏ/ꝏ)]

Sense your Magic Power!

Difficulty: Basic

When successful: N/A

When unsuccessful: N/A

*Cooperation possible (up to 6 people)

The parchment contained one of the new missions that appeared on the noticeboard after the Awakening was completed. Although he received the parchment since she was giving it to him, he was feeling a bit skeptical as well.

'Sense my Magic Power, is it?' (Seol)

Well, there was this heavy, firm energy that had taken root inside his body. This thing didn't feel alien to him anymore. Not only could he sense it very clearly, he even thought that, as long as he concentrated, he'd be able to circulate this energy inside his body.

"Okay. I'm off." (Seol)

While remaining not wholly convinced, Seol ripped the parchment in half and disappeared from the spot.

Agnes looked on. The space Seol teleported to was an artificially created space where the density of Magic Power was thicker than usual and helped one's training by stimulating the energy hidden within. Even if one was a Warrior, one would still be able to sense the Magic Power coursing through the body there. Eventually.

Agnes became slightly worried, wondering how should she go about guiding him after the Magic Power training came to an end. She was about to turn around to leave, but then, her movements came to an abrupt halt. Because, Seol reappeared on the same spot.

"I succeeded." (Seol)

Agnes blinked several times as she stared at the relaxed youth.

"You… succeeded already?" (Agnes)

"Yes. It was easier than I thought. As soon as I got there, I…." (Seol)

"What did you say?!" (Agnes)

Agnes's brows angrily shot up.

"I have told you to not to buy the Applications from the stores, haven't I?" (Agnes)

Indeed, it was a possibility that he'd commit such a blunder, at least once. Since she had an errand to run in the morning and couldn't be at the Awakening, Agnes had mistakenly thought that Seol's Magic Power was somewhere around 'Low - Extreme' or 'Low - Low'.

Seol stared back at her confused, before raising his own voice in denial.

"I didn't do that!" (Seol)

"And what didn't you do?" (Agnes)

"I never went to the stores." (Seol)

"I find that hard to believe. If you feel confident, can you show me your Status Window? Just show me your Job related abilities." (Agnes)

"Ah, that's right, we can do that." (Seol)

Seol thought that this would be a good idea and revealed the relevant Status Window. Agnes, who remained suspicious even when he strongly denied it, could only be dumbfounded after reading the information.

[4. Abilities] Job related abilities (0)

If Seol had bought 'Magic Power Application', then the '0' would've been '1', instead. No matter how many times she looked, it was still a resolute '0'.

"….Oh." (Agnes)

"I told you, I didn't." (Seol)

Seeing her flustered and not knowing what to do, a smile of satisfaction crept on Seol's face. For the first time in a while, he got himself a good opportunity here.

"….I beg your pardon. I made a mistake." (Agnes)

"Nah, it's fine. So, what should we do next?" (Seol)

Agnes nodded her head. She was about to pull out another mission parchment before hesitating slightly, and then, stayed her hand.

"Can you circulate your Magic Power?" (Agnes)

"You mean, right here?" (Seol)

"Yes." (Agnes)

She was thinking of teaching him about the fundamentals of using Magic Power, but decided to keep her mouth shut for now. Although she confirmed the truth with her own two eyes, she still couldn't bring herself to believe it. If this was happening for real, then there was something she needed to confirm first.

Seol corrected his posture and closed his eyes.

Wiggle.

The energy within him twisted and quivered. And right away, it began coursing through his body according to his will. It circulated freely by following the unseen pathways of his body - to the tips of every finger, to the ends of every toe, and all the way up to the crown of his head.

Seol really enjoyed this smooth gliding sensation. He was also slightly amazed by this development, as well. It hadn't been that long since the Awakening, yet he couldn't feel one iota of resistance. No, he only felt a sense of intimate familiarity.

It was as if this energy was a best friend he grew up with since his childhood.

Seol circulated this energy around him a few more times and opened his eyes as messages suddenly began popping up.

[The Job related ability, 'Magic Power Application' has been created.] [Your Innate ability, 'Future Vision', is responding to the creation of the new ability!] [The Job related ability, 'Magic Power Application (lowest)' has evolved to 'Magic Power Application (intermediate)'] [Please confirm through your Status Window.]

"Ohh?" (Seol)

Agnes was half in doubt, but as soon as she saw Seol's reaction, her suspicion was confirmed.

"Has Magic Power Application been created?" (Agnes)

"Yes, it has." (Seol)

Agnes began massaging her temples. She hoped that this wouldn't be the case. She prayed, even. Unfortunately, there was only one reason why a situation like this could occur.

"You… refused the Job of 'Sorcerer', didn't you?" (Agnes)

"Well, I didn't really refuse it, though…." (Seol)

"You didn't?" (Agnes)

"The gods were debating between the Warrior and the Sorcerer classes. They voted, and the end result was 'Warrior'. Well, I did say I wanted to use a spear before that, though." (Seol)

Hearing that, Agnes's expression froze still. Seol's words had forced her to recall a certain person's face.

Seong Shi-Hyun. Another Irregular from Area 1.

'How could they be so similar to each other?' (Agnes)

She didn't mean to, yet she ended up comparing the two. The road they walked on, and the direction they were walking towards, were just too similar.

No, there were some differences. Many knew about the famous tale of Seong Shi-Hyun refusing to become a Sorcerer and stubbornly choosing the life of a Warrior. However, Seol said that the gods had to take a vote to choose his class.

'…This is…. This isn't a matter I can interfere with.'

Agnes decided to give up on worrying about it. But, one thing was for sure - she'd have to change the plan she had in mind in its entirety.

She initially envisioned the Magic Power training to last around a week, yet it was completed in less than 5 minutes.

So, then. What next?

"We shall go straight to your Job related training, next." (Agnes)

But, before that, she added a condition.

"You are not allowed to use your Magic Power." (Agnes)

[Stabbing (remaining number of attempts: ꝏ/ꝏ)]

Learn the Thrust!

Difficulty: Basic

When successful: N/A

When unsuccessful: N/A

*Cooperation possible (up to 6 people)

Seol surveyed his new surroundings. There were only two things visible on the flat plain he was standing on - a scarecrow with a target draped over it, and a spear lying next to it on the ground.

Seeing that weapon, Seol suddenly felt quite happy. He felt like he had missed it. His heart even began beating faster.

The spear was around 1.5 metres long, making it a short spear. Seol joyfully studied the weapon's sleek and smoothly flowing shaft and its pointy tip reflecting the bright sunlight in an X. He then carefully picked it up.

Every hair on his body stood up; his shoulders tightened.

'Learn to thrust, huh.' (Seol)

Seol got into a suitable spot in front of the scarecrow and while standing a bit awkwardly, grasped the spear's shaft with both of his hands. Then, he thrust forward with some power.

The spear tip pierced the target and sunk in deeply.

He missed the bullseye by a little bit. Seol pulled the spear out and tilted his head this way and that, his expression showing the level of dissatisfaction he was feeling at the moment.

Next, he held the spear with only the right hand and attempted to stab the target. He tried this three times, but the results were all bad. Not only was the depth of penetration shallower than before, his aim each time was off by a lot.

'This isn't right.' (Seol)

Seol desperately combed through his memories.

Normally, a person would start forgetting the dream he had as soon as waking up in the morning. But, there would be some parts that remained stuck in the memory. A scene so shocking, or a scene that kept on repeating itself, would not be forgotten and be firmly imprinted into one's brain.

More importantly, though, didn't he experience those things? He wasn't simply a spectator watching those events happen. In the dream, that was.

There was also a reason why he chose this training mission first - he was drawn to it.

The Seol of the dream always carried around a spear, and he utilised stabbing the most. The number of enemies that fell from a single stab piercing into their exposed gaps was too numerous to count. So, his body should be able to remember it.

'Don't just rely on my arm strength, but…. That feeling, it was of me moving my entire body.' (Seol)

He changed his posture. He strengthened his right hand and grasped the lower part of the spear tighter. The spear shaft came to rest ever so slightly on the palm of his left hand, before he lightly grasped it without much strength. The spear tip seemed to waver a little. In this state, Seol took aim at the target.

'….Not yet.' (Seol)

Something didn't feel right. He looked down, and found his right foot slightly out in front, pointing to his flanks. He repositioned the foot by pulling it back and glared at the scarecrow.

After a bout of silence that was neither long or short, he kicked the ground, hard.

His left foot shot out first. And then, the right arm followed next and stuck close by, stretching the left arm forward. Accompanying the sensation of his right arm shoving away, Seol thrusted his spear forward.

Swish!

The whistle cutting through the air sounded crisp and clear.

Just before the spear struck the target, the back of his left hand facing the ground spun half way up and pointed towards the sky. The spear tip spun as well, and it accurately struck the middle of the target.

A satisfyingly heavy feeling was transmitted through his hands. Confirming that the spear had penetrated much deeper than before, an equally deep smile formed on Seol's face as well.

[Job related ability, 'Basic Spearmanship - Thrust (lowest)' has been generated.] [Your Innate ability, 'Future Vision' is responding to the creation of the new ability!] [Job related ability 'Basic Spearmanship - Thrust (lowest)' has evolved into 'Basic Spearmanship - Thrust (upper intermediate)'!] [Please confirm through the Status Window.]

As the message cascaded down, the surroundings changed. The scarecrow disappeared, and the spear in his hands also dissipated away.

"….Huh?"

D*mn it, Seol mused wistfully and took a look at the plaza of the Neutral Zone. He wanted to feel that sensation for a bit longer, actually.

'And I haven't done anything yet, too….' (Seol)

Seol opened and clenched his fists several times, still left wanting for more, before falling deeply into a thought.

What if he used that thrust against the skeleton that attacked him by jumping in the air?

At that time, Seol chose to defend himself. No matter how many times he dissected his choice of action, he was far too lackadaisical. The skeleton simply knocked Seol's steel bar away and left him defenseless.

'If I stabbed back at that time….' (Seol)

Eventually, though, Seol shook his head. Since the monster was airborne, it wouldn't have been able to dodge the thrust, but he still had to consider the possibility that he might miss his target as well.

Also, even if he succeeded in landing a blow with the thrust, what would happen if the axe swinging down didn't sway and continued on the trajectory to split his head open?

'Relying only on the simple thrust isn't the answer.' (Seol)

The basics of spearmanship was to prey on the opponent's openings in defense. But if there were none, then he'd have to make one.

So, back in that situation against the skeleton, how should he go about making that opening?

The answer was obvious; the monster had shown him what to do already.

'I gotta do the same. Knock the axe away first and then stab the skeleton.' (Seol)

Reorganising his thoughts as thus, Seol swept his gaze across the noticeboard. And indeed, his slow-moving eyes found the parchment he was looking for.

[Swatting (remaining number of attempts: ꝏ/ꝏ)]

Learn the Strike!

Difficulty: Basic

When successful: N/A

When unsuccessful: N/A

*Cooperation possible (up to 6 people)

Seol ripped that paper up in half right away.

Even though his Job had been set, Seol's daily life hadn't changed. He got addicted to the joy that the new training regime provided him with, and concentrated on that like a madman.

Seol's morning routine looked like this:

As soon as he opened his eyes, he drank a vial of the special Competence. After breakfast, he ran on the track as the light after-meal exercise.

Most of the time, he ran alone, but there were times when he ran together with Yi Surl-Ah as well.

She couldn't hide her shock, though. She was able to run past Seol like it was nothing the first time they ran together, but from some time onwards, he didn't fall behind her. And eventually, he even managed to overtake her today.

'T, that's impossible!' (Yi Surl-Ah)

They must've done 10 laps or so already. No matter how hard she pushed, the distance between the two was widening instead of diminishing.

In the end, her physical limits arrived first.

"O, orabeo-nim!!" (Yi Surl-Ah)

Hearing her pitiful cry, Seol turned his body around to face her.

"A, aren't you tired yet?" (Yi Surl-Ah)

"Hmm, dunno. Maybe? If it's too much, why don't you rest for a bit?" (Seol)

He replied to her with a nonplussed expression on his face while lightly running on the spot. He was obviously implying that he had lots of leeway here, and that he'd been simply matching her pace. Yi Surl-Ah bit her lower lips.

She managed to finish the laps, but only after a considerable time later. She panted heavily for a while, before asking him with an disbelieving expression.

"H, how did you do it?" (Yi Surl-Ah)

"Mm?" (Seol)

"It, it has only been two months…. But, you're faster than me…." (Yi Surl-Ah)

"Oh, that?" (Seol)

Seol told her about the Competence. Since he heard that it could also be purchased from the regular stores, he figured that Yi Surl-Ah should also be able to enjoy its effects. Not as good as the VIP store's version, but still.

After hearing the explanation, Yi Surl-Ah's expression was frozen in a daze. It seemed that she didn't even know of Competence's existence until now.

When he advised her to buy one even if she didn't want to spend her Survival Points, she squeezed her eyes shut. Her cheeks reddened gradually, then, out of the blue, she lifted her clenched fists up high towards the sky and shouted out.

"No doping!! Absolutely not!"

< 26. The Hidden Potential Revealing Itself (3) > Fin.

Chapter end