1st Volume, 7th Chapter ăThe Beastkin Parent and Childă
In just one week, he has become considerably strong.
Can our protagonist pa.s.s the promotion exam? (Authorâs note)
ââOne week has pa.s.sed since I first baited the caterpillars.
Fifth month, second week, the day of the Earth. Overcast weather.
In the familiar room # 205 of Feeder Popsâ, I rolled out of the bed after having gotten my eardrums shaken by the sound of 6 bells. (TN: âBig Fat Daddyâsâ changed to âFeeder Popsââ)
ăNow thenââToday is the exam day, huh?ă
Before the exam, I checked my status to have a look at the result of the training (stealing) this past one week.
ă»Physical Abilities Enhancement Lv3 (5/150) (TN: Physical Enhancement has been changed to Physical Abilities Enhancement)
ă»Sword Arts Lv2 (25/50)
ă»Abnormal Status Resistance Lv2 (1/50)
I think I worked hard.
Four days ago, RioâŠâŠThiefâs G.o.dly Skill reached Lv2 which increased the efficiency.
The reason being, the base success rate jumped up to 20%.
However, I expected that the daily usage limit would go upâŠâŠbut it was not the case.
I just wanted to say it.
It was totally against my expectation.
In other words, it decreased.
When I was trying to engage in a battle for the sake of confirmation, a Smagob (same olâ?) appeared in front of my eyes, asking questions. (â»Smabog canât speak; it was an image) (TN: Image was used by the author. Imagination would be more appropriate)
I shut myself in the inn and healed myself with Dario-sanâs cooking. I pa.s.sed the entire day living leisurely life.
The daily usage limit of Thiefâs G.o.dly Skill depends on the skill Lv. Shouldnât it increase then?
But no~.
âDepends on the skill Lvâ means ădecreaseă.
*sigh*
âŠâŠItâs not funny!
Currently, the total success rate is 28% (vs. Smagob).
The daily usage limit decreased butâŠâŠ
At Lv1ââ(0.17Ă10=1.70)
At Lv2ââ(0.28Ă8=2.24)
At Lv3ââ(0.39Ă6=2.34)
At Lv4ââ(0.50Ă4=2.00)
At Lv5ââ(0.61Ă2=1.22)
Iâm not sure if the daily usage limit decreases by 2 every time. The number of successful steals didnât change much on the first day. If Iâm unlucky, it wonât succeed even once. I need tens to hundreds of tries before coming to a conclusion.
Itâs the lowest in case of Lv5. I wonder whether reaching Lv5 is a privilege or not. Seriously.
Now then, if the number of successful steals doesnât increase even after leveling up, wasnât it justified for me to cry?
ââYeah, I did have such a time.
There is a big difference between stealing ăsuccess rateă, which also includes failed attempts, and ăthe number of successful stealsă.
The base success rate did increase, however.
Furthermore, the total success rate will further increase with the increase in the Lv of other skills.
What it implies isââI will only play with small fries. I have decided.
With the low success rate, itâs better to go for opponents that are commonly available. The reason being, there is condition that bars stealing the same skill from the same opponent after having failed once.
When the success rate increases, stealing skills from powerful opponents that are rare will be relatively more efficient.
Besides, if I fail at stealing a rare skill from a one-of-a-kind existence, it will disappear.
In a sense, itâs logical.
After the daily usage limited decreased, I was made to recognize it more conspicuously.
Unless the success rate is high, it is better to use RioâŠâŠâŠâŠt Grasper on Smagob rather than wasting precious ăSword Arts Lv3 (100/150) of a Dragonlord Warrioră.
By the way, itâs just a hypothetical existence. I donât know if such a creature as Dragonlord Warrior exists.
Why did I have to choose dragon, though?âŠâŠ
Even I feel embarra.s.sed.
Oh well, itâs a natural thought pattern of a battle junky.
âPursuing strength is not happinessââŠâŠHow many times have I heard it in movies?
I want to be the ultimate, the supreme, the strongest existence in the world!
âŠâŠJust kidding.
However, I want to rank up in the Adventurerâs guild to establish my status in the society.
And to do that, I need strength.
ăââWhatever, even if I ignore things such as the daily usage limit, my growth rate is still pretty crazy.ă
Take Jig-san for example. Heâs a dwarf who has been smithing for all his life yet heâs only Lv4. I, on the other hand, didnât even know how to swing a sword. In just one week, however, I have reached Lv2.
If someone else were to know, they wouldnât be able to help but shout âf.u.c.kâ.
By the way, the skill effect improves drastically when its Lv increases.
When the skill points increase, the effect improves slightly. However, when Sword Arts Lv increased from 1 to 2, I could feel a great change.
Yes, change.
Thatâs not what I wanted to say.
It felt same as when I acquired Sword Arts for the first time.
In every way, itâs different from learning the skill by training oneâs body and polishing sword technique.
It felt like a strange elation permeating my body.
ââTransmitting from the ground to the legs; surging to the waist; rising along the median line, reaching the shouldersââFinally, culminating in the arms.
It would perhaps not manifest to such a degree if I didnât possess physical abilities to a certain extent.
I was a little confused at the time of Lv up but there was no problem with the movement thanks to Physical Abilities Enhancement. I can now vouch that it complements martial arts.
If Sword Arts ever reached Lv5, wouldnât it be overspec? At that point, there would be nothing impossible with a sword but at the same time, it would be impossible for the skill to level up anymore.
I better level up Physical Abilities Enhancement simultaneously.
Although my body feels more toned than before, compared to muscular adventurersâŠâŠit pales.
Itâs dispiriting.
What if I fight an opponent who has same skill Lv as me? Victory and defeat will be decided by the difference in physical abilities, right?
In that caseâŠâŠI will be at disadvantage.
By the way, I heard about Lv up from Sheena-san. The adventurers seem to call this phenomenon âbreaking through the barrierâ.
The reason being, Lv isnât normally recognizable.
According to her, the battle strength of someone who has broken through the barrier is considerably higher than someone who hasnât.
ââNow then, this much monologue is enough.
Having become rank E+, I completed the number of quests required for the next rank up yesterday.
The rank up exam is conducted collectively. A date is fixed after coordinating with all the adventurers taking the exam. Iâm screwed.
Itâs today.
ăToday, Iâll finally rank up to D-, huh?ă
If you looked at the people who would be taking the examinationâŠâŠtheir builds are not in any way inferior to Bal and Zac.
Thereâs a huge difference in their physique and mine but I have Physical Abilities Enhancement.
âŠâŠIf you looked at them, you might think theyâre rank C or B.
Moreover, I visited Jig-sanâs shop, as per the promise, and had him make a new equipment for me as I earned enough money this past one week.
As for the Baselard, I whetted it yesterday.
ăSoft Leather ArmorăââLeather armor forged from tanned leather. Defensive power varies greatly depending on the material used. â»Gigvorg leather
As to why I bought this, Iâm ashamed of saying it.
Itâs best left unsaid.
It seemed to be made of some sort of wolf skin.
Although it was the armor of the lowest rank at Jig-sanâs shop, it costed one gold coinââ10,000 Dalas, that is.
Still, itâs not something which a commer can afford to wear.
From just a look, you can see itâs an expert-cla.s.s blacksmithâs workâŠâŠHmm? Isnât tanning of leather unrelated to smithing?
Whatever. I donât care.
ăNow thenâŠâŠI should get going.ă
When I completed my preparation and went downstairs to the dining area, it was filled with an appetising aroma.
After I had Dario-sanâs cooking, which I have become addicted to, I left for the guild.
Unfortunately, Dario-san has yet to reach Lv4.
His skill points are still at (145/150).
Is that normal for it to be this difficult?âŠâŠ
Isnât there an easy way?
ăââGood morning.ă
ăAh, Seiji-san. Good morning.ă
Sheena-sanâs smile was as brilliant as ever.
Lately, because I have been using Smagobs to level up my skill, Iâm now also known as Smagob Hunter.
Smagobs 24 hours a day!
Morning, Smagobs!
Afternoon, Smagobs!
Evening, too, Smagobs!
Smagobs! Smagobs! Smagobs!
I donât remember as to how many ears I have presented to Sheena-san by now.
It wouldnât be strange if she hated me.
Because she has professional att.i.tude, however, she remains composed.
By the way, Iâm being reserved with the caterpillars after Abnormal Status Resistance reached Lv2. There has been no opportunity yet to test its effect.
I can drink poison or take a paralysis pill but thereâs no reason for me to do that willingly.
ăAbnormal Status ResistanceăââIncreases resistance to all types of abnormal status.
Now that itâs Lv2, I shouldnât fall into abnormal state that easily. Thatâs a relief. At Lv5, will I be completely immune to abnormal state?
If I ever reached that level, I might muster some courage to pick a bottle of poison off the shelf and chug it down.
ăToday is the exam for promotion to rank D. Iâll pray for your success.ă
ăThank you very much. ErrâŠâŠWhere should I wait?ă
ăThatâs right. Wait there until 7 bells sound.ă
She pointed to the tables and the stools in the rest s.p.a.ce on the first floor. (TN: s.p.a.ce was used by the author. Area would be more appropriate)
âŠWawa, some of the tables were brand new.
There were three adventurers, seemingly men, already there.
They looked a little tense. They seemed to be waiting for the exam just like me.
Disapproved.
âŠâŠ.Un. One of them had no skill; another one had ăGardening Lv1ă; the last one had ăFire Magic Lv1ă.
One of them seems to be well-endowed. The other two better look for another job.
Oh well, that they are rank E+ adventurers, I guess they are able to fight.
Fire Magic is good, no? But itâs only Lv1.
I searched the the guild like a peeping tom and found a few adventurers with magic skills.
Honestly, Iâm envious.
I want it.
If I used it in conjunction with Sword Arts, wouldnât I be able to use ăFlame Slash!ă?
âŠâŠIsnât there a retired mage somewhere with one foot in grave?
Or a monsterâŠâŠcapable of using magic?
When I was entertaining my delusions, I noticed two people coming here.
Are these people examinees, too?
I occasionally saw their kind in the town and the guildââBeastkin, that is.
Beast-like face, br.i.m.m.i.n.g with wild look; pin-ears atop head; a scar on the side; a stereotypical warriorâŠâŠA beastkin old-man.
Name: Arnoldă»Fan
Race: Beastkin (Wolf)
Age: 38
Job: Adventurer (Rank E+)
Skill(s)
ă»Body Arts Lv2 (40/50) (TN: Changed Body Techniques back to Body Arts for consistency)
ă»Sword Arts Lv2 (20/50)
ă»Howling Moon Lv2 (14/50)
ă»Stick Arts Lv1 (5/10) (TN: Cane Arts has been changed to Stick Arts)
Oh, heâs versatile.
WhaâŠâŠt? His rank isnât different from other people.
IndeedâŠâŠthose who are strong try to be adventurers. Those who switch from different jobs to become adventurers, will start off as new adventurers and will take the exam for promotion to rank D. It must be the same caseâŠâŠhuh?
The same case as me.
ăHowling moonăââExclusive to Beastkin (Wolf). Increases spirit and physical abilities under the moonlight.
My heart is bleeding. Is there really such a thing?
Although Iâm interestedâŠâŠI wonât be able to use it even if I steal it.
Also, I canât plunder others on a whim.
Thereâs another personâŠâŠThe only female.
Name: Limă»Fan
Race: Beastkin (Cat)
Age: 16
Job: Adventurer (Rank E+)
Skill(s)
ă»Body Arts Lv2 (16/50)
ă»Cooking Lv1 (7/10)
ă»Magic Power Conversion Lv1 (5/10)
ă»Berserkification Lv1 (3/10)
A cat beastkin?
Fluffy ears and tail look so good.
Dark brown, shoulder-length hair; golden eyes. A personification of cat, indeed.
Because beastkin in this world look close to humans, they seem easy to get along with.
Their surnameâŠâŠis FanâŠâŠ?
Are they by any chanceâŠâŠparent and child?
They donât look alike at all.
ăMagic power conversionăââConverts mana into physical attack power.
ăBerserkificationăââCan acquire the skill a posteriori. The invocation condition may vary depending on the circ.u.mstances of acquisition.
Un, quite a quirky skill.
ManaâŠâŠ? Is it same as magic power?
I thought skills were innate but it doesnât seem to be the case. (TN: Innate or a priori, opposite of a posteriori)
I hope the exam finishes uneventfully.
If I acquired a skill called ăFirst-cla.s.s Flag Raiseră, I wouldnât be surprised.