Chapter 03 - Planning Ahead

When he saw that, Zack opened his eyes widely, and then Amanda opened the door of the room. She could feel the mana in Zack now, so she could tell that he had awakened his trait.

"You did it, Zack!" Amanda said and then tried to high-five Zack, but he didn't see that and was just looking at his hands.

"I guess so…"

"You look more confused than happy; you also looked angry for a moment there," Amanda said. It looks like your trait isn't easy to understand. Still, you will eventually come to understand it and then master it. For now, you should just feel happy about your graduation. Congratulations."

"Thank you, instructor Amanda, for your encouragement until now," Zack said while looking her in the eye. "I will never forget your help. I am sure you have heard that plenty of times, though.."

"Aww, come on! There's no need to make this so melodramatic," Amanda said while smiling. For now, I am going to bring your certificate and then fill in the papers for you to become a hunter operative. The guilds aren't looking for more members at this time of the year, but I can still recommend you to a few."

"No, it is fine," Zack said. "I still appreciate it, but that won't be necessary."

"... Well, you are smart, so I am sure you won't do anything stupid," Amanda said after studying Zack for a while.

After years of being ignored and dismissed by the guilds, Zack had decided never to join their ranks. The guilds, while powerful and influential, were not charity organizations. They sought out individuals with valuable traits, ones that could be harnessed to combat the monstrous threat. And in the eyes of the guilds, Zack was deemed worthless.

But Zack had no intention of seeking acceptance from organizations that had deemed him unworthy. While he understood that the guilds were not obligated to take him in, he also knew that he wasn't obligated to join them either. He refused to beg for scraps of recognition from those who had written him off.

The idea of starting his own guild had crossed his mind. After all, a guild master held considerable power and influence, not to mention the potential for wealth. But Zack had no desire to follow that path. He wasn't driven by the pursuit of riches or prestige. His desire to become a hunter stemmed from something deeper, a need to prove himself, to protect those he cared about, and to reclaim his sense of agency in a world that seemed determined to deny him that.

Before long, Amanda left and then returned with Zack's certificate. Now, he could hunt monsters outside, but first, he headed home to check his traits and skills. Everyone had access to the system, and they could get stronger, but their skills varied according to their traits.

Auto Aim - Description: Auto Aim is a powerful skill that allows you to automatically target enemies with exceptional precision, enabling you to land hits with unparalleled accuracy and speed. When activated, the user's attacks will home in on targets with minimal effort, making it ideal for swiftly dispatching foes in combat.

Cooldown: 5 minutes

Duration: 10 seconds * (level)

"I never heard of a skill like this, and considering the name of my trait, it is probably something that is considered illegal somehow," Zack thought when he arrived home and checked his status screen.

Cheater: The trait Cheater is a unique and powerful trait that defies the conventional laws of physics and the principles of conservation of mass and energy. When someone possesses the Cheater trait, they gain access to skills and abilities that manipulate reality in ways that seem impossible, bending the rules of the world to their advantage.

 "This definitely isn't something that I should talk with anyone… doing research on some guilds about it will only make me stand out, and I want to avoid these guys no matter what," Zack thought. "My objective is to kill monsters and nothing else."

Zack understood the value of secrecy in a world where knowledge equated to power, and power often translated into wealth. As someone who aimed to distance himself from the guilds' influence, he knew that revealing anything about his skills and traits could make him a target for exploitation or worse.

In a society where guilds held significant sway over the territories outside the city's walls, Zack's decision to keep his abilities hidden was a deliberate choice to maintain his independence. He had seen how the guilds operated, how they sought to recruit individuals with valuable traits to bolster their ranks and increase their influence. Zack wanted no part in their games.

Moreover, Zack probably would take a step further by deliberately getting on the bad side of each guild. By antagonizing them individually, he ensured that none of them would be inclined to pursue him or take an interest in his abilities. It was a risky strategy but one that Zack deemed necessary to maintain his autonomy.

In any case, it was time to check how the skill worked. Zack didn't have much time since that was supposed to be his last day in the dorms. Fortunately, all of these things were already packed. He just grabbed some knives. 

Once he activated the skill and threw the first knife, it hit the door and exactly where he had aimed. Before the skill could enter its cooldown time, Zack used it again and then created a perfect hexagon in the wall.

"Hahaha, this will be fun," Zack smirked from ear to ear.