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After somehow wrapping up the Brynhild incident, Gilbert felt the need to check his status before diving into the main scenario.

Having delayed reviewing the rewards and stats gained from perfectly clearing the Sigurd tribe invasion scenario, he hadn’t yet objectively seen his growth.

While he felt he had made a significant leap in progress, Gilbert, who relied on the game system’s assistance, needed numerical confirmation.

Even with system support, since this was reality, he couldn’t grow his character like in a game. However, not utilizing the excellent guides of the status and skill windows would be foolish.

Gilbert first opened the status window to check his growth.

<Status Window>

Name: Gilbert Lion Heart

Gender: Male (20)

Title: Hero of the Academy (+)

5th Grade Knight

Singer of Sagas (+)

Fame: 20K

Possessions: Medal of Honor (2)+

5th Grade Knight

Stats

[Strength]: [85]

[Physical]: [93]

[Control]: [100]

[Magic]: [50]

[Authority]: [60](+20)

[Leadership]: [70](+30)

The stats, reviewed after a long time, were more impressive than he had felt. Thanks to the steep rise in Winter Sword achievements, his strength had increased by 5, and his magic had risen by a whopping 20 due to consistent training.

The control skill stat had already hit the theoretical limit of 100, so there was no change. However, what surprised him the most was his physical ability stat, which he thought wouldn’t rise further, had increased by 3, reaching a monstrous 93.

A physical ability stat over 90 was rare enough to count on one hand among all named characters in Tactical Combat.

From what he remembered, the only characters in Demia Academy with a pure physical ability stat over 90 were Academy Head Lucas, Swordmaster Briana, and Brynhild, who had inherited Sigurd’s blood thickly.

Even Seraphina, who was difficult to face now, didn’t have a physical ability stat over 90. Gilbert’s 93 was no exaggeration to say it had crossed into the realm of superhumans.

Closing the status window, Gilbert pondered why his physical ability stat had increased. Various hypotheses flashed through his mind, but the most plausible was one.

With some certainty, he opened the skill window.

<Skill Window>

1. Three-Dimensional Maneuvering (+)

2. Hundred Beasts (+)

3. Winter Sword (+)

5. Limit Break (+)

6. Limit Break (+)

Though the skill window might seem modest, Gilbert’s feelings were the opposite. The skill list was rich enough to make his heart swell.

He admired the skill list for a moment before opening the detailed description of the newly acquired Hundred Beasts skill.

<Hundred Beasts>

Grade: Legendary (Growth Type)

Description: The lion’s heart nurtures a sturdy body, and the dragon’s magic builds a strong spirit. This is the king of all beasts passed down through legend. It heralds the beginning of the Hundred Beasts.

Effects:

– Greatly increases body durability.

– Greatly increases body stamina.

– Greatly increases mana recovery speed.

– Mana within the body is highly compressed, blooming the mana core.

– Momentary mana output greatly increases.

– Regeneration ability blooms.

– Growth-type skill.

The Hundred Beasts skill, born from the fusion of Lion Heart and Nemea skills, was obtainable when Lion Heart’s hidden abilities were unlocked.

Unlocking Lion Heart required several conditions, including acquiring the Nemea skill and entering the hidden route “Singer of Sagas,” using Limit Break to obtain this hidden skill.

Moreover, successful fusion required a certain level of growth in both Lion Heart and Nemea skills, making it a skill even veterans often skipped due to its hassle.

But as always, the difficulty of acquisition was proportional to performance. The Hundred Beasts skill, hard to obtain, outperformed any other skill.

Being a legendary-grade growth-type skill, fully mastering Hundred Beasts could lead to acquiring a mythical skill, rare even in Tactical Combat.

Of course, raising proficiency wasn’t possible through normal means. As it was fused with saga power, accumulating saga power was essential for growth.

Ultimately, myths are built through accumulated legends, designed so that proficiency couldn’t be raised through ordinary methods.

Though accumulating saga power was difficult now, having achieved the “Singer of Sagas” accomplishment meant it wasn’t impossible to gather saga power when the opportunity arose.

Moreover, even without proficiency, it was already a legendary-grade skill. The effects, significantly enhanced from when Lion Heart and Nemea were separate, were undeniably powerful.

However, what caught Gilbert’s eye were the new effects: the blooming of the mana core and regeneration ability.

Obtaining the mana core, created upon mastering the Mana Core Technique to a certain level, and the regeneration ability, capable of recovering permanent stat losses from using Limit Break, was highly encouraging.

Especially regeneration, in this non-game world, was the most efficient and useful skill.

Even with severe injuries, as long as one was alive, the body could recover, akin to carrying extra lives.

Having achieved more than he imagined, Gilbert confirmed that Limit Break was as he knew and closed the skill window.

The saying “feeling full without eating” probably referred to situations like this.

Satisfied with his growth, he lay on the bed, grinning, then suddenly opened the scenario window.

The already cleared main and sub-scenarios were grayed out.

But among them, one sub-scenario remained un-grayed.

The Seeker of the Sword…

This sub-scenario, forcibly accepted after visiting Briana and Gwendolyn’s forge, was one Gilbert, who had achieved all Tactical Combat accomplishments, had never seen before.

Since there was an achievement for clearing all main and sub-scenarios, the existence of a hidden achievement he didn’t know about didn’t add up.

Of course, he wasn’t complacently thinking this world was a game, but since the larger framework followed Tactical Combat’s flow, it raised questions.

Was it a singularity caused by the game becoming reality?

Thinking about it, Briana, who was supposed to die, being alive was already a singularity.

This was also evidence that this wasn’t a game with fixed scripts and unchangeable endings.

Rationally, the Seeker of the Sword sub-scenario was clearly related to Briana.

After all, the Seeker of the Sword scenario seemed related to Briana at a glance.

She was, after all, the Empire’s Swordmaster.

And there were clues to clearing the Seeker of the Sword.

With the exchange meeting and the succession of the Four Seasons’ weapon techniques happening, the Seeker of the Sword could also progress simultaneously.

Though it was just Gilbert’s speculation, the Seeker of the Sword might be determined by the level of Winter Sword’s achievement when clearing the Four Seasons’ weapon techniques.

Speaking of which, how was Winter Sword’s achievement?

The Four Seasons’ weapon techniques were registered as skills but differed from other skills with displayed grades.

This vicious game, despite being a mecha-themed work, stubbornly insisted on determining grades based on the user’s proficiency in the Four Seasons’ weapon techniques.

It wasn’t just about repeating moves to increase the number of techniques.

Deep understanding of swordsmanship and Winter Sword was necessary to advance to the next level.

When the Four Seasons’ weapon techniques were first discovered, users complained heavily about such a skill existing.

In modern society, weapon techniques had long been relegated to sports or hobbies.

How many people would learn and practice them just to use a game skill?

Of course, with so many people in the world, such crazies occasionally existed.

And Gilbert was one of those crazies.

His insane obsession with achieving all accomplishments led to results beyond imagination.

The result was the current Gilbert himself.

***

During Demia Academy’s break, Ian had a very busy schedule.

Having obtained the artificial spirit’s guide during the academy’s attack, by chance or, as he put it, inevitable fate, he had to diligently travel across the Empire.

There was no time to relax, but it allowed for rapid growth.

With this, defeating him won’t be difficult…!

Ian clenched his fist.

Pure mana filled his body, and overflowing vitality was hard to control.

If Gilbert from the competition were before him, he felt he could knock him down before taking a breath.

No, it wasn’t a hypothesis.

He had undoubtedly surpassed Gilbert.

Of course, not everything during this schedule was good. While he was focusing on growth, Gilbert had once again made his name known throughout the Empire.

Rumors said he had made peace with the Sigurd clan?

If it were him, he would have swept them all away and conquered them. How weak.

Perhaps the protagonist was fundamentally different from him.

Or maybe it was a sign that it was his turn to step into the world.

With rumors of the exchange meeting starting, that stage would be the moment the true protagonist appeared.

Ian grinned and called his soul partner.

“Fressia. This is our chance.”

[It’s our turn to step up, right? Don’t worry. With me here, Ian has nothing to worry about.]

He smiled brightly at the glowing artificial spirit Fressia.

 

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