[Chapter:4][Scholars are OP(2).]
"…"
After ten days of hard work, Echo realised a fact.
Warriors, Assassins, Magicians, Warlocks, etc… all have splendid and well earned fame. They are worthy of their titles and each and every accomplished one holds unfathomable power.
But in reality, Scholars are freaking OP.
. . . . . .
Echo Howers
Level : 92 (40.20%)
Job : [Scholar(Lv-92/100)]
HP : 110/110 (11 per min)
MP : 5,680/5,680 (3,680 per min) (9,680-6,000 MP per min)
[Stats]
Strength : 13
Endurance : 14
Vitality : 11
Agility : 13
Intelligence : 284
Wisdom : 1,201
Senses : 11
Charm : 19
Stat Points : 0
[Skills]
[Observe(Lv-Max)] (!)
[Void Fade(Lv-Max)] (!)
[Focus(Lv-Max)] (!)
[Scholar's Knowledge(Lv-57)] (!)
[Research(Lv-1)] (!)
[Analysis(Lv-3)] (!)
[Premonition(Lv-2)] (!)
[Perks]
[Eidetic Memory(50 INT)] (!)
[Budding Mage(100 INT)] (!)
[Genius(50 WIS)] (!)
[Mana Generator(100 WIS)] (!)
[Wiseman(500 WIS)] (!)
[Magic Reactor(1,000 WIS)] (!)
. . . . . .
That was the result of Echo's ten days of hard work.
Spending nearly eighteen hours a day reading non-stop, the rest of the six hours spent with his family while also constantly using 'Void Fade' to conceal his large MP reserves and even using 'Observe' every chance he gets, using 'Void Fade' to hide his usage of mana…
Even right then, he had the max level 'Void Fade' which used a whopping 100 MP per second, meaning 6,000 MP per minute, active, since he was sure his reserves of MP, while he had no real comparison, would nonetheless act as a beacon to every being capable of sensing it from miles away.
Speaking of, it seemed that only few special skills would have their cost increase with their level. Echo's 'Observe' skill used 100 MP at level 1, and it still used 100 MP at level Max. Unlike the 'Void Fade' skill, the MP Cost of which increased proportionally to its level.
The increase in his Intelligence was purely from natural Stat gain from reading. After 'Focus' reached level Max, he started getting 1 Point every thirty minutes, and when he got the 'Genius' perk from reaching 50 Wisdom, it further decreased to 20 minutes per point.
Speaking of perks, he had gained all of them for reaching 50 and 100 in Intelligence, as well as 50, 100, 500, and 1,000 in Wisdom.
. . . . . .
[Eidetic Memory]
Type : Perk / Stat
Description : Perk gained from reaching 50 Intelligence. Allows the owner to recall everything that had seen, heard, smelt, tasted, or felt for however much time whenever they wish to.
. . . . . .
. . . . . .
[Budding Mage]
Type : Perk / Stat
Description : Perk gained from reaching 100 Intelligence. Increases MP in proportion to Intelligence by x2.
. . . . . .
. . . . . .
[Genius]
Type : Perk / Stat
Description : Perk gained from reaching 50 Wisdom. Increases EXP gained by 50%.
. . . . . .
. . . . . .
[Mana Generator]
Type : Perk / Stat
Description : Perk gained from reaching 100 Wisdom. Increase MP Recovery in proportion to Wisdom by x2.
. . . . . .
. . . . . .
[Wiseman]
Type : Perk / Stat
Description : Perk gained from reaching 500 Wisdom. Once every 30 days, allows owner to gain a random skill from selected target.
. . . . . .
. . . . . .
[Magic Reactor]
Type : Perk / Stat
Description : Perk gained from reaching 1,000 Wisdom. Increase MP Recovery in proportion to Wisdom by x4.
. . . . . .
"As expected, although some are different, Perks are still just as important to me as skills are just like in the original…"
With pure Stats alone, Echo wouldn't have achieved a tenth of what he managed to even if he was given a month.
After all, even just using 'Void Fade' indefinitely would have been impossible without the x8 increase of his MP Recovery. His normal MP Recovery was merely 1,201 MP per minute. Granted, it was incomparable to when he had just started, but considering that the MP usage of 'Void Fade' at level 20 alone was 20 MP per second, meaning 1,200 MP per minute, it was pretty low.
With his perks, however, not only had his MP reserves doubled, his MP Recovery even with 'Void Fade' active indefinitely was 3,680 MP per minute, or roughly 61 MP per second.
"Unfortunately, I don't think I can use the full capabilities of 'Void Fade' yet…"
Fading away into the Void.
While Echo had no idea what it truly entailed, he was sure those tracking spells, danger sensing spells, and protective spells that his mom and big sis had cast on him, still not knowing the other did the same as them, would be erased the moment he fully 'faded away', so to speak.
While he was sure it wouldn't matter much, he didn't want to worry them, not to mention,
"I doubt they'd want to discover each other's identity in that way…"
If they believed something happened to him, regardless of where they might be, Echo knew they would not waste a single second trying to reach him. Meaning they would reveal themselves to each other not in their hurry.
"I have this strange feeling that would be a very bad idea…"
((Skill [Premonition] levelled up!))
"Well, what do you know…"
He learned the 'Premonition' skill when he had the feeling that saving Stat Points and not using them to raise his Wisdom and hide his ever increasing mana pool was a bad idea. And it's level increased when he had the feeling using 'Void Fade' at Max level completely would be a bad idea too.
And now, the skill had levelled up once more.
"So does that mean it will level up once every time I get a right premonition? So it will only give me 100 premonitions in total?"
Echo assumed the skill would level up again, but since it didn't, it was clear his 'theory' isn't true.
And as for the other skills…
. . . . . .
[Scholar's Knowledge(Lv-57)]
Type : Skill / Passive
Description : Allows the owner of the skill to have instinctive knowledge related to all fields of studies in existence, be they mundane, supernatural, or otherwise. The knowledge would 'appear' in the owner's mind when they need it. The amount of knowledge depends on the skill level.
Note : While the owner can have knowledge pertaining to all skills in existence, he can't learn them using this knowledge alone and must apply the knowledge in practice in order to learn said skills.
. . . . . .
Echo had chosen this skill when he gained another choice at selecting one among three available skills when his 'Scholar' Job reached level 25. And unsurprisingly, it hadn't failed him.
In just two days rather than the thirteen he was given, he finished the optional quest of gaining all knowledge of all years of school before the classes begin.
. . . . . .
[Research(Lv-1)]
Type : Skill / Active
Description : Allows the owner of the skill to 'Research' any skill they possess, letting them derive a new skill. The new skill could either be an advanced version of the 'researched' skill, or a lesser but more specialised version of it. Duration of research depends on level of 'Research' skill as well as the level of the skill being researched.
Current Research : [Observe(Lv-Max)]
Research Duration : 96 days
. . . . . .
This was the next skill Echo chose, when he levelled up the 'Scholar' Job to level 50. That was 4 days ago, that is, six days after he received the [Game]. The initial duration was 100 days, and since he couldn't use the skill being researched during the research itself, he chose the least valuable skill to him at the time.
. . . . . .
[Analysis(Lv-3)]
Type : Skill / Active
Description : Allows the owner of the skill to 'analyse' any object, item, image, etc… in question, cross referencing all of the details obtained from the 'analysis' with the database within 'Scholar's Knowledge' and arriving at it's most plausible history. The amount of initial information / details required to begin analysis depends on skill level.
. . . . . .
This, to Echo, appeared to be a lesser version of 'Psychometry'. Rather than the said superpower which allowed one to personally 'experience' the history of anything they touch, 'Analysis' allowed Echo to 'read' the history of anything he touches.
For instance, when he touched the bed he had been sleeping on, he was able to 'read' everything about it, from what kind of wood it was made out of, the age of the wood, where the tree grew, the climate of the place, at what age it was cut down, when it was processed, how and when it was used to make the bed, when and where it was sold, the number of people who had slept on it, sat on it, jumped on it, even wet it in their sleep, literally everything.
He didn't get things like names of the users, not that he needed as Echo already knew who the bed belonged to, but the skill itself proved to be beyond miraculous.
If 'Observe' let him know the 'Present' of a target, 'Analysis' gave him the 'Past', and while it wasn't nearly as useful, 'Premonition' stood for the future.
'Past, Present, and Future. Heh.'
Echo hold have chuckled at the thought if he could. Unfortunately, the last time he chuckled…
Well, let's not talk about it.
*knock* *knock*
"Yes?", Echo asked as he was brought out if his thoughts.
The door opened as Aya entered.
"It's time for the exam."
Echo nodded as he got up. He didn't need to bring anything else other than a pen and a water bottle.
As he walked to the door, Aya asked again,
"Are you sure about this? You don't have to…"
He shook his head before she could finish her sentence.
"It's the first thing she ever asked me.", came his response in his usual cold and indifferent tone of voice, "I'd kill if that's what she had asked me, let alone attend high school."
Aya sighed before smiling, raising her hand to ruffle his hair, completely ignoring how serious he was when he, a seemingly ordinary teenage human boy, said he was willing to murder someone in cold blood as long as his little sister asked him to.
Echo was different. To him, all life excluding those close to him, namely herself, and her two daughters, were irrelevant, even his own. Aya had known this since she saw him strangle the men that tried to harass Rhianna when he was but fifteen even as his head split open and bled from the brick they managed to hit him with before he took them down.
Recalling that incident, she looked at the place where the scar from his wound remained, but was surprised when she didn't find it.
'It healed?'
She hadn't used her magic to heal him completely as her daughter was a witness to the blood that covered his entire face and she didn't want to tamper with the memories of her children, she'd rather reveal herself and hope they would accept her than do so. That, and despite all the blood, it wasn't anything fatal or long lasting.
The stitches did leave a scar, though, but finding it gone made her surprised.
'Maybe it's his magic?'
Indeed, she had already known that Echo's magic had started growing. It was nothing unusual considering he lived with two extremely powerful beings, though Aya thought it was only herself as she didn't know the truth about her eldest daughter. She found out ten days ago, and every day after that, his mana reserves began to grow exponentially, before it suddenly started becoming less and less till it reached the normal values of a human.
She had found it strange back then, but assumed it was just a growth spurt. Though, his reserves decreasing was surprising to her. She found nothing wrong with his body, however, so she could only hope it was nothing harmful.
'The overflowing mana should have healed him, along with any other hidden injuries.'
Well, to be fair, there were no such things as hidden injuries in his body. Aya made sure of it, scanning his entire body with a diagnosis spell every morning, like she did a moment ago, and using her best healing spells to heal them the moment a single one appeared.
And unknown to her, a certain reincarnated Angel did the same, only difference being she usually did this whenever she found herself alone with him during the evening.
"Let's go then."
Echo nodded as Aya held his hand and led him downstairs with a smile, to where Leah and Rhianna were waiting.
. . . . . .
. . . . . .
"Are you ready? No need to be nervous, alright?"
"You two will do just fine, you hear me? You prepared so hard for this day."
"That's right, don't panic ok? Even if there's some question you don't know, just write some BS. Trust me, is works."
"…"
Rhianna and Echo looked at the two women who were more nervous then they themselves were blankly.
"We're fine. I prepared enough for this, and even Onii-chan looks…well…confident?"
Her words turned slightly doubtful as Rhianna looked at her big brother who still had the same blank expression in his face.
Echo turned to look at her, his hollow eyes boring into hers making her instinctively straighten her back.
"Answer what you know, ignore what you don't, don't second guess yourself, and you'll just be fine."
It was advise that worked for him all his life. Then again, it might also be because of how indifferent he was to, well, everything in general.
Regardless, Rhianna nodded her pretty blue head seriously, determined to keep the first advice she had received from her big brother close to her heart.
…this would later become her motto, slightly changed to 'Do what you can, ignore what you can't, don't doubt yourself, and you'll be just fine', but that's a story for another day.
*ding* *dong*
Just as Aya and Leah were about to continue their preaching, the school bell rang, and the gates opened, letting the examinees in.
"Go."
Echo raised his hand to rub her head lightly before walking in.
Rhianna, on the other hand, froze from the unexpected close contact from her big brother.
"He really cares for you, you know.", she turned her head when she heard her big sister speak.
"He loves you. More than you'd think. He…just can't show it clearly."
Aya gently caressed her youngest child's head and looked at the back of her son lovingly.
Rhianna nodded her head, slightly unsure, but her determination burned brighter than ever.
'Big brother loves me…big brother cares for me…I have to, no, I WILL get close to him! So what if he can't show his love for me, I'll just show him twice the love to make up for what he can't!'
The two had no idea what went on in the blue head's head, and they also missed the flash of 'something' that disappeared in her eyes just as quickly as it appeared.
Looking back at her mother and big sister, Rhianna smiled at them before entering the campus. Her back straight, a light smile on her face, and her eyes shining with determination.
And a little something that could be called the starting stages of unhealthy levels of obsession.