Skills (2)

--- Shiraori's POV ---

"Currently, communicating must be your biggest problem, won't it? So I recommend you get Universal Affinity first."

Turns out, the admin came to my room to teach me about this stuff...

"Universal Affinity will let you adapt to any kind of energy, just like how every world has its own concept of magic, you will no longer need to convert them to mana as how you would use them. Frankly speaking, it helps you when you're inside a space with foreign powers"

Ah, so what he meant would be the fact that I am currently in another world, if I am not able to understand the concept of this world I wouldn't be able to use magic, but If I have universal Affinity, I may adapt and use magic once more?

Also, it turns out you can use Universal Energy as some kind of sensor.

He told me we had 360° viewpoints and were better at perceiving sound and lights.

Sounds safe.

[You currently have: 70 Compendium Points]

*Ding*

[You have acquired 『Universal Affinity』]

[You have acquired 『Body Armor』]

[You have acquired 『Poison Breath』]

[You have acquired 『Paralysis Breath』]

[You have acquired 『steel thread』]

Other than the first two skills, the others are E ranks! Therefore they only cost 1 Point each.

So why not buy them? I got nothing to lose.

[You currently have: 34 Compendium Points]

Fufu, this is nice!

The administrator sat on the tatami floor and plays with his phone whilst chatting with me.

He seems to be managing his skills also.

It was quite a fun time.

I'd boldly say he is one of a few I can freely talk to without stuttering.

Well, I haven't figured out how he was able to translate my screeches into words, but I feel like I am chatting with him.

So it's pretty fine.

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--- Sung Jin Woo's POV ---

"Shun-san! Onii-sama is out so I'm bored, let's have a walk!" The admin's little sister stated those words before we bumped into her brother.

I was actually playing with my phone and looking at Akihito-nim's Compendium.

But the little sister went and drag me out.

A few minutes later and here we are...

"Hmph... Onii-sama sure is busy" she stated those words with somewhat a pouty face.

What the hell exactly happened?

Why did you drag me here in the first place?

Sigh oh well,

"That being said, have you bought any new skills from the compendium?" I asked her to change the topic.

We're walking down the street with food in our hands, might as well talk when we're doing so.

"Eh? Ah... I haven't checked it..." She sheepishly said.

I brought up my phone.

"Your brother told me to buy one of his skills first, it seems like it's a skill that he deemed essential for everyone to have."

"Essential?" (Hiromi)

"Universal Affinity, he said will be one of the requirements to join quests in the future."

He told me to buy it right after he told me to acquire "Magic sensing", well I wasn't able to grasp it in the end, so I'd probably buy the skill.

To my words, Hiromi-san brought up her phone. She taps the screen a few times and...

*Ding*

"What are you doing?" (Jin Woo)

"Buying that Skill, if Onii-sama says it's necessary, then I might as well do it." (Hiromi)

Very trusting, I see.

Oh well...

[A third party has interfered]

[You have gained 『Universal Affinity』]

*Ding*

[MP stat has now converted to EP]

[EP is increasing vastly]

The system in Infront of me responded when I pressed buy on my smartphone.

I felt it too... This energy certainly isn't Mana, yet it can also be used like the same thing.

I spread out my energy as how Akihito-nim told me before.

Now I understand what he means...

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--- Okamura Akihito's POV ---

I already told Jin Woo and Shiraori to acquire the skill, maybe I should've told Hiromi too but in this case I can still tell her later.

Now then,

Chatting with Shiraori was... Unique.

While she can only make a sound of a monster, I can still understand her.

That is the wonders of Universal Affinity.

It is an upgraded version of Magic Sensing and Mana Affinity after all.

"And I have no choice but to eat them even if they taste bad..." The spider sitting next to me made a sour face when she told me about her story.

At this point, I can decipher her words without needing to pay attention to the screeches.

"Uwa... That should be tough, I'll try to see if I could do something with the chat group, but maybe you can take a few things from here." I already know about it, but I need to pretend in this kind of situations.

"Nice Idea, Admin-kun!"

"Like I said, you can just call me Akihito..."

She stopped stuttering, but she still wasn't able to remember people's names...

Well, that just shows how her antisocial disorder is...

We ended our chat by evening.

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An hour later.

[Training grounds]

*Slash*

I know I was bored, but I just can't help but think.

How did I end up in this situation?

"Surely you have to abandon your habit of using your eyes, but you still need to hone your senses"

Those words were spoken by the mentor of the goblin squad.

Hakurou, the white-haired Kijin who was touted as the Sword Oni.

Here I might want to explain with a quick flashback, but--

"Kuh-!?"

*SLASH* *SLASH* *SLASH*

I might want to dodge all these attacks that bypass Universal Affinity's perception first!

*CLANG*

I dodges two swings of the sword Oni's Shikamazue, and parried one attack when the Oni disappeared once more.

(A/N:  Shikamazue is a straight sword, however, unlike the ninjato, it doesn't have a shuba (hand guard). It literally means "prepared cane" meaning it's a blade mounted inside a cane to walk as concealment)

A straight sword is inferior to a curved blade, but when an expert uses such a terrifying weapon would be the exact definition of who I am currently up against.

"How the hell did he disappear from my perception!?"

My clothes were tattered.

I was glad I didn't use my midnight coat.

This Oni can freely appear and disappears from my 360° view perception.

I was busy trying to figure it out that I don't realize the others has came to watch.

*Shiver*

Again, that's it... I can feel something!

I turned my attention above my head.

There it is, the straight one-sided blade made its way to my face.

*CLANG*

It chipped the one-handed sword that I use to guard myself.

Even with the hand guard on my sword, I feel like it could've sliced through my hand.

"Hoo? It seems like you're catching up?" The swordman in white revealed himself in front of me.

He retreated with an after-effect when I tried to kick him.

"Let's hear it then, shall we?" He asked me with a smile on his face.

He meant to say he wants to hear what I have learned.

Well... "Is it... Intent?"

"Congratulations, you are one of a few who understood that very quickly, Akihito-dono." Hakurou stated thus.

Intent, when you know how to control your ambition, you'll be able to bypass even the strongest perception ability.

That, and a boost of strength. If the "intention" was clear and powerful, so are the attacks you will produce.

"I understand it now..." Can I learn that though?

«Answer. Extra Skill『Haki』can be acquired currently.»

«Inquiry. Would you like to execute Skill Replication? Y/N»

Hoo? That's quite easy, well... Not really...

Yes!

«Report. Extra Skill, 『Haki』has been acquired.»

Intent, what is my intent?

Getting stronger?

Is that enough?

If I was to think about it then...

«Report. Extra Skill, 『Haki』is active»

It wasn't like any kind of energy, it was simply my will: I want more power.

I would, make a reference about wanting to be a pirate king if it wasn't for this situation though.

"You are a fast learner." Suddenly the white-haired Oni muttered.

My eyes went wide, I guess he noticed.

"So are you ready to continue, Akihito-dono?"

With a messy stance, I brought up my sword to activate the pre-motion of Horizontal-arc.

The sword that illuminates blue light points at the Sword Oni arrogantly.

I grinned, "Please drop the formalities, and..."

"That was just a warming up for you wasn't it, Shisou?"

"Hohoho, I guess then I am having yet another disciple!" With a heart old man laugh, he noted my words before readying his stance.

"That's it..." Huh? An unfamiliar voice has suddenly spoken.

"Keep on fighting..." As I turned around to see someone in the audience, a certain round-faced goblin on the verge of his tears looks at me with a hopeful look.

That goblin is Gobta.

"KEEP FIGHTING AND KICK THAT OLD MAN'S ASS, AKIHITO -SAMAAAAAA !!!!"

With a touching(?) Expression, the goblin exclaimed those words dramatically.

As if the dubbed "old man" was the demon lord who had terrorized him for his whole life, as well as his past lives.

I swore I could see a vein pop on Hakurou's forehead before the huge amount of killing intent leaked out from his body.

"Old man, I see?" (Hakurou)

A gasp came out from the goblin as he closed his mouth with both green hands.

I guess someone is dying tonight...

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And I was right.

I was bruised with cuts all over my body but nothing major happened.

I stood against the sword Oni for an hour, after that...

A smiling Hakurou.

Right, a Hakurou that no one has ever seen before when he gets angry.

He smiles at me.

Yet, when he turned to the goblin,

"Hiiik!?"

His smile changes.

He is still smiling, but his eyes and leaking killing intent definitely did not.

He placed his hands on Gobta's shoulder gently.

"Come to the training grounds tomorrow"

It was different from how a normal Hakurou would've acted.

After he left, all I could see from Gobta is a lifeless body that loses its weight to gravity.

His comrades in arms seem to be concerned about him too and I gave Gobta my words...

"I'll pick up the bones."

That night, a long echo of a certain goblin can be heard, as if he was having the worst nightmare of his life.

Rest in peace, Gobta... I hope I can still meet you tomorrow by afternoon.

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To be continued.