"How long are you gonna comfortably lay there?"
"Our hospitality isnt free, you know. We ain't running a damn charity here".
The huge bear like man said—and when I said huge, I meant HUGE, he was quite literally at the same size as the 'horned demon bear' that tried to kill me back then. The speaker was a very large man wearing your traditional hanfu with the logo of the 'heavenly tempest sword school' on the upper right side of his top, he strapped a large sword around his waist. The sword, to him at least, was a long sword but to most other people it would be as heavy as a great sword.
The man possessed very sharp features, capable of rivaling that of even the martial practicioner Lucas who was treating me just a few hours ago if he was just a few decades younger. He had grey hair which also spoke volumes about his age.
"Oh come on old man. Did you really have to do something like this?"
The man named Lucas walked in.
"Don't gimme that, you damn disciple. The only people who are meant to have access to this infirmary are those who have sworn to become practicioners of the heavenly tempest sword art".
"Seriously, you're still saying that even after you saw the state he was in when we rescued him".
The old man was silent for some time before muttering
"Still........ I think the sanctity of our school should be preserved".
"What? Are you still calling this washed up place with only a single student and teacher a school?" Lucas retorted.
"Watch your mouth".
The old man raised his aura. He was emmiting an insane amount of blood thirst that even I could fell.
A single drop of sweat strode down Lucas'face and dropped down to the floor. He was scared.
"H-hey, calm down".
It seemed the old man was uncomfortable, having me here in his school so I decided to no longer be a bother to them.
I got up from the bed.
"H-hey, you shouldn't be getting up yet". The man seemed to care dearly for his patients.
"It's fine". I reassured him.
"I am actually completely healed". This wasn't a lie.
"You escaped death in that situation through sheer luck, ain't no way you are already fully healed".
It was apparently quite difficult to believe but it was true. I couldn't fell even a hint of fatigue or any sort of disharmony within my body.
'maybe, was due to a skill of mine?'
["Correct"].
["Your accelerated healing process is a bonus effect of the passive skill; Adapt"]. Rem explained.
Adapt—a skill that allows it's user to automatically adjust to any unnatural conditions with time. It also provides a bonus healing effect upon activation. At least that was what the description said.
It was a very useful skill. Almost as good as assistant. Almost.
I looked directly into the old man's blue eyes before saying
"It seems my presence made you uncomfortable.
I bowed before continuing.
I will be taking my leave now".
Before I could even take two steps towards the door.
The old man grunted and hurriedly exclaimed.
"W—wait!"
I stopped and looked at him. He continued
"Uh.....I didn't expect you to be so submissive. Listen, I just didn't want you to be under the impression that the great 'Heavenly tempest sword school' was giving free service to someone who wasn't even a student. It will be very bad for our image as it will make us look desperate".
"I see". I replied. There was a long silence as I thought for some time. My mind drifted to my stats, how I was easily overwhelmed by those beasts and what I could do to deal with that. The answer was right in front of my face.
I opened my mouth
"If that's the case, then how about I become a student of the school".
"H-huh!"
They were both shocked at my decision.
That's right, this was the best and quickest answer to my problems. Learn martial arts techniques which I would use to survive in this
"I am sorry, but we are no longer accepting students".
Huh?!
'What, why?? How could they reject a student who came knocking at their...........'
I finally realized why I was rejected, it was for the sake of saving their face.
'That's right. The old man said he didn't want to seem desperate so I guess the response was natural. Still.......'
"Isn't there any way I can enroll. A special exam or something".
"H-hey. Becoming a martial artist isn't tha—".
Lucas was cut off in the middle of speaking by the old man whose name I still didn't know.
"Let me see".
I thought he meant to think about a solution to the problem, but instead he meant that I should let him see. Literally.
A skill was activated and his eyes shone a bright azure colour which seemed to permeate within me. It was like he was looking beyond my external features and into my very soul, it was disturbing. But I had to go through with it if I wanted to survive this new world.
He fixed his gaze on me for about 30 more seconds, before turning the skill off and heaving a great sigh.
*Sighs*
"Hmm.. listen, I am afraid we can't accept you". He said with a firm look on his face.
"What. Why not?" I became desperate.
"The skill I used just now is called the
He bluntly said. It wasn't like I didn't expect this though. My stats were this low as a result of my weak physical. If I had known this would happen, I would have undergone routine workout sessions.
"....!!" I had nothing to say.
"This school is preparing for a competition in the next month, so we don't have time to train a weakling from scratch. Assuming you just had a bit of talent, then maybe I could have considered allowing you to control".
"......!!"
"We will let you stay here for a week longer as a sign of our hospitality, when that time elapses please leave the school grounds".
The old man said before walking away. I still didn't even know his name.
"Tch...."
"Hey don't beat yourself up, that's just how the old man is. He doesn't know this but he had quite the sharp tongue".
".....!"
"It wasn't calling me a weakling or talentless that hurt. It was because he just jumped to such conclusions without even giving me a chance to prove myself". I said to Lucas who was standing beside me.
There was a brief silence before the martial artist opened his mouth.
"There is still a way to make him reconsider".
Immediately as my ears picked up on this, I asked
"How?!"
"By learning the
"Huh? What are those" I asked out if curiosity.
Lucas smiled before answering
"What is that you ask? Simple, it is the must now technique for anyone who wants to become a heavenly tempest sword art practicioner"
He paused, studying my expressions. And when he discovered that I was listening with rapt attention, he finished up saying
"And I am going to teach it to you".
.
.
.
.