"Next, Liebert." Our ever reliable Instructor called out.
A lanky, carefree-looking dude stepped out.
He didn't look particularly special—wearing a weathered tee-shirt and some baggy trousers. The patches all around his outfit showed that he was too poor to afford anything decent, and the dude's thin stature wasn't helping his case.
To be honest, he felt like the opposite of Gu—that really buff guy that went first.
Not only was his appearance a sharp contrast, but the vibe he gave off was simply underwhelming.
After watching the heated struggle between the barbarian—whom I was low-key cheering for at some point—and the Goblins, I felt very inspired.
His moves were amazing—not exactly perfect, but quite commendable .
I also liked the fact that he was strategic about saving up that special boost until the perfect moment.
'Though, in my own opinion he practically cut things too close. If I was in his shoes, I would have used it way before I got injured and ran out of too much stamina…'
There were lots of things I could criticize about him, but to sum it all up, he actually impressed me.
'He's passed out now, though. Lol.' I gave a subtle smirk, glancing at his slumped over figure for a moment before returning my focus to the puzzling appearance of the next candidate .
Yep! The newest competitor didn't only lack the proper physical appearance for a warrior, but the energy he radiated seemed inferior, as though he didn't belong here.
'I'm sure he's one of those aspirants who are just going into the Adventurer's business because there is money involved.'
I couldn't blame his desperation, but at the same time, I wasn't in support of it. This dude was most likely a goner the second he became an Adventurer—that is, if he managed to even scale though the tests.
And, yeah, there was no chance of him surprising me as a 'Lowkey OP Background Character.'
I checked his Stats, so I was certain.
'This Liebert guy is the weakest around!'
Ahem, excluding me—of course.
Despite my poor appraisal and terrible opinion of the guy, I was still expecting a decent performance. He would probably lose anyway but…
If I could learn a thing or two from his match, then that would be pretty neat.
'Alright, fella. Show me what you got!'
****************************************
'I'm hungry…'
Liebert could feel his stomach rumbling as he came to this realization.
He was currently caged in, and any second from then, a monster would come to attack him.
Yet… yet…
"I'm so hungry."
… He could not get past the incredible hunger he felt.
Liebert sighed as his stomach growled noisily.
His bones grated one another as he fidgeted, waiting for the opponent to come at him. His deadpan eyes were distant—as though he thought of something else, something besides the monster that would soon be attacking.
'I currently have 4 Points because of the little Mana Crystals I got. If I kill about six of them, that should make 10 Points. That's enough to pass, right?'
Liebert's bony face lit up and he willed his scrawny body to move.
"Just six. If I get six… that's good enough!"
Liebert never deceived himself by setting unrealistic goals.
He never desired to be rich—neither did he dream of becoming powerful or popular. No, his ambitions were a bit more… modest.
'Enough food to eat. Enough water to drink. Something nice to wear. A proper place to sleep. A decent job to do.'
As long as he was comfortable, Liebert didn't need anything else.
Unfortunately, the world was cruel.
He was deprived of even the most basic things he required to live. As a last resort, he was aiming to become an Adventurer.
Hopefully, that would allow him to achieve his desire to live a simple life.
The mortality rate of the job was extremely high unfortunately, especially recently.
'But, what choice do I have?' Liebert steeled himself and readied his weak body.
To survive in this cruel world, he had to resort to whatever means necessary… anything besides dying!
"KRIIIIIIIIIIII!!!" The first Goblin screech rang in Liebert's ears, causing him to stiffen his body as he activated his only Skill.
The green creature lunged at him with its small frame, desiring to rip the human into fine chunks of meat—feasting on the entrails afterward.
Unfortunately for the Goblin, Liebert's will to live was stronger than its desire to kill. As a result…
"Skill: [Mr. Bones]."
… He struck first!
>SQUISH!<
Gooey green blood burst forth from the monster's chest. The pungent liquid didn't stop flowing from the large hole etched on its body—not until the Goblin breathed its last and collapsed in its puddle of blood.
Standing atop the Goblin corpse, looking at the opening gate for more foes, was the emaciated man who licked his cracked lips.
"Alright… one down, five to go."
Protruding out of both his hands were whitish objects, sharp and deadly.
They each protruded from the center of his palms, and they were at least twelve inches long—like long sharp thorns or white javelins.
"A-are those…?!"
"No way!"
"W-whoah!"
Liebert could hear the other candidates exclaim when they saw the effect of his Skill, but he ignored them.
This wouldn't be the first time he had gotten reactions like those. He was used to being underestimated.
Indeed, the whitish weapons he wielded on both hands were bones. They were manufactured from his body—using his nutrients as a base.
Even though he tried to avoid using it, this was the only Skill he had—the only way he could fight.
That was why he needed sufficient food and water—at the very least so he wouldn't die of malnutrition.
The bones formed within him naturally, and he could bring them out of his body using openings—like pores—that stretched anytime they protruded.
His Skill, [Mr. Bones], wasn't simply a Trump Card. It was Liebert's only card.
"Here they come." He whispered, watching more of the green creature's approach.
They were three now—just like when Gu fought earlier.
However, Liebert was too focused on his hunger so he didn't watch the match, thus he was surprised when he saw their numbers.
Still, he had his eyes intently set on his goal, so the young man did not waver.
Tightening his grip on the bony weapons he had in both hands, Liebert let out an inner battle cry and hungrily stared at his targets.
'Just… just a few more…' He reassured himself.