Chapter 31: A New Skill 3
After returning to the Adventurers’ Guild, I handed Reina the report.
“So even Cain recognized your ability.”
“I’m not sure whether he recognized me or simply took a liking to me, but he gave me this magical tool as an additional reward.”
I showed her the necklace around my neck.
“A magical tool? That’s impressive. Cain submits requests like this to many adventurers, but he’s never given one a magical tool before.”
“Really? He more or less forced it on me…”
“That shows how much he liked you. Incidentally, Cain is an adventurer who began at the Fledgling Inn.”
“What?! Really?”
Reina’s words startled a shout out of me.
“He lived there before I did. The inn’s dining hall is so beautiful now, isn’t it? Cain paid for those renovations.”
I never imagined I’d meet one of my seniors from the inn in this way.
“Cain probably doesn’t know you’re staying at the Fledgling Inn either. Why don’t you mention it the next time you meet? I think he’ll treat you even better.”
“Yes. Cain is one of the reasons I can eat in such a comfortable dining hall, so I want to thank him.”
After accepting the request reward, I went to the training grounds.
Ryan hadn’t arrived yet, but I went early and began warming up.
“Oh, you’re already here. Sorry, my work ran a little longer than expected.”
“It’s fine. I only arrived a moment ago. I know you’re busy, Ryan, so there was no need to rush over.”
“I wanted to secure even a little more training time for you, boy!”
“Then… thank you for doing that for me.”
After I thanked him, we immediately began the lesson.
The skill Ryan intended to teach me was called [Body Enhancement].
It strengthened the body using magic.
It was primarily possessed by swordsmen, warriors, and similar fighters.
“It’ll be useful in combat. It’s a good skill to have.”
“It certainly sounds like one I need. What should I do?”
“For now, observe closely while I use it.”
Ryan activated [Body Enhancement].
I could faintly see something like a film of magic covering his body.
Then he ran, jumped, and swung his sword.
Every movement felt tremendously powerful.
“Ryan, I have a question. Does [Body Enhancement] reinforce the entire body with magic?”
“That’s the standard method. However, experts can concentrate it on a single point like this and enhance that area even further.”
As he explained, Ryan flicked a small stone with his finger.
At the instant he released it, he concentrated [Body Enhancement] in his hand to increase its power.
“That’s incredible. It’s only a support skill, yet it seems usable as an attack skill too.”
“In practice, [Throwing] would be better, but it can be useful for a surprise attack. You can also concentrate it in your legs to increase your speed or jumping distance.”
With [Body Enhancement] focused in his legs, Ryan jumped on the spot.
He rose much higher than before, then returned to the ground.
“Well? With your keen eye, Erik, could you see how I was using the skill?”
“…I think I understood most of it. I’ll try now.”
I began putting what I’d just learned into practice.
I focused while imagining magic enveloping my entire body and strengthening it.
â—‡
[Body Enhancement] training completed.
1 EXP acquired.
EXP until skill acquisition: 1/100.
â—‡
“Ah, it appeared.”
After about a minute, the screen updated, and I told Ryan.
“By appeared, do you mean you gained EXP?”
“It increased by one just now, so after gaining the remaining ninety-nine EXP, I think I’ll acquire [Body Enhancement].”
“…No matter how many times I hear about it, that skill is difficult to believe. Still, I’ve confirmed your [Swordsmanship] with my own eyes.”
“I wish it were a more visually obvious skill. In that sense, once I acquire [Body Enhancement], it’ll be easier to demonstrate, won’t it?”
Compared with [Swordsmanship], it was immediately obvious to observers when someone was using [Body Enhancement].
“That’s true. If you acquire [Body Enhancement], Erik, I’ll use one of my connections to introduce you to someone.”
“Introduce me?”
“Yes. The person has retired, but used to teach at the Magic Academy. There’s nobody better to teach you magic.”
“M-Magic?! I’ll work hard and acquire [Body Enhancement]!”
I’d already been motivated, but hearing that he would introduce me to a former Magic Academy teacher made that motivation flare even higher.
[Swordsmanship] was certainly important, but having magic would raise my chances of survival even further.
After that, I continued training while Ryan taught me about [Body Enhancement] in greater detail.
“This really was my limit for the first day…”
Ryan remained with me until sunset.
I returned to the inn, ate dinner, and bathed.
Then I lay on the bed in my room and checked the screen.
â—‡
[Body Enhancement] training completed.
1 EXP acquired.
EXP until skill acquisition: 59/100.
â—‡
I was progressing faster than I had with [Swordsmanship], but I still needed much more training before acquiring the skill.
After confirming it, I closed the screen, pulled the blanket over myself, and fell asleep.