Mesmerized, I continued walking, feeling drawn to a piece of rusty metal that stood like a forgotten reliquary in the middle of nowhere. Its shape, resembling a dilapidated leaf, seemed to float in the air. Without thinking, I moved my hand towards it, as if something was guiding me. At that instant, a flash enveloped everything around me in a light that seemed to come from nowhere itself.
A strange pressure ran down my back, followed by an intense tingling, as if a warning was being activated in my body. But it was too late. Sliding like a sharp blade through my flesh, leaving a trail of burning pain, the metal fragment had already embedded itself in my chest.
Argh...
I fell to my knees, the pain still piercing me with an indescribable intensity. A muffled scream escaped my mouth, a barely perceptible sound I hear
Shit! I thought, is this how I'm going to die? The thought shot through me like a bolt of lightning, but I didn't let fear or despair take over me completely. I took a deep breath, trying to stay calm, even though my body was about to collapse. I quickly looked around, searching for someone, something to help me, but I was completely alone. The feeling of emptiness was overwhelming, as if the air itself had become thick, heavy, impossible to breathe.
I felt something strange inside me, as if something was consuming me from deep within. It was a pain that affected not only my body, but something more intangible, something that touched my consciousness. My mind grew cloudy, as if the clarity of my thoughts were fading. With each passing second, I felt more distant, more disconnected from everything I knew, as if I was about to disappear completely.
The feeling of agony in my chest intensified, but then something reacted, a spark of energy ignited deep within me. The Resilience skill was forcibly activated, preventing me from losing consciousness in the face of pain. At the same time, the Thousand Weapons Master skill came to life, with relentless force, as Kaizen responded in the same rhythm, seeking to find a way out, a solution.
A nearly imperceptible glow surrounded me, and in that instant, I heard an internal warning:
「The **** opposes your will.」
A chill ran down my spine, as if something dark and powerful was fighting within me. The pressure was mounting, but the skills began to synchronize, merging into a single impulse.
[Synchronizing... 1%... 10%... 30%...]
My mind was lost in a flash of knowledge, as the skills converged at a terrifying speed.
[Synchronization complete.]
A wave of energy ran through my body, and reality itself seemed to change.
[Congratulations! [You have acquired the trait: Mastery (S+) 0%]
The unfamiliar yet familiar power that I didn't yet fully understand, but that gave me a sense of control, settled in. As if all of a sudden all the pain and agony were meaningless. Now, with this new ability, I moved my hands with determination. I gripped the blade stuck in my chest tightly, the rusty metal hot to the touch. The sharp pain was bearable. I closed my eyes for a moment, concentrating, and pulled with all my strength. The metal resisted at first, but with a dull creak, it finally gave way. Relief didn't come immediately, a strong ripple came through. When I looked back, the piece of metal in my hand had lost its rust, reflecting the silhouette of a jet-black sword with violet hues.
「The Cloudy Sky Sword has recognized you as its master!」
When I came to, a mixture of astonishment and confusion filled me as I looked at the weapon in my hands.
[The sword's skill [Will of Orochi] has been unlocked. 〕
[Congratulations, you have become the master of the Snake Sword, the system rewards you with 15,000 points]
Wow!
_______________
[Cloudy Sky Sword (SS)]
A sword bathed in the blood of the eight-headed demon Orochi. Legend has it that part of its soul resides within it.
– Skill "Will of Orochi"
– ???
– ???
– ???
– ???
______________
The sword's information appeared in the system, but only one of its skills was visible: "Will of Orochi." I had no idea why this was there, it wasn't even mentioned in the novel, but at least it was lucky that I had gotten it. I was in a world where the myths and legends I once read about came to life; gods, demons, spirits... they exist.
With that, "Murakumo-No-Tsurugi", the sword born from the serpent, was now mine. According to the myth, each of its abilities granted great strength to the wielder, but it was also an evil weapon that only brought death and despair to its surroundings.
If it weren't for my skills, I would have probably died or, worse, lost control of my body. The pressure of the sword was so strong that I felt as if my will was fading away. Fortunately, I managed to stand firm and resist, controlling the sword just at the last minute.
Still, I knew that this weapon was dangerous, and I had never learned to handle a sword. That's why I decided to store it in the system inventory and move on. After all, you can only carry one weapon, and that was one of the sacred laws that governed the tomb of Nazareth. Any attempt to break those rules would be punished with death.
***
After the weapon selection was over, the instructor led us to our seats
I laid my head on the desk and closed my eyes, taking a break for a moment, remembering the exhausting experience, a cold sweat breaking out on my forehead
"I almost died" I muttered. If it weren't for the ability he awakened, he really would be three meters underground.
Now that I think about it, I haven't checked his information, I went straight to the characteristics.
● [Babel(B+)](Passive)
..
..
● [Mastery(S+)0%] (passive)
*Indomitable will.
–〔He has total control of emotions, the ability to overcome situations of adversity, physical and mental pain without giving in〕
–〔He has an unwavering determination that allows him to temporarily overcome limitations, increasing strength and resistance for a short period〕
*Perception.
–〔He receives, interprets and analyzes information through the environment〕.
*Specialist.
–〔Unconditional competence over any type of weapon〕.
–〔Maximizes attack speed with all weapons and Minimizes fatigue〕.
–〔Increases efficiency with each weapon, improving accuracy, attack speed, and associated special techniques〕.
[Available Weapons (2) Techniques (0)]
『Pistol: 4%』
『Sword: 1%』
...
As expected from a High Class trait, it exceeded all expectations. Not only does it grant me immunity, but it's also a growth-oriented trait, meaning its performance probably surpasses even S+ rank.
I could see from my seat some long faces and suspicious glances sent my way, but I ignored them.
There were those who got weapons with surprising ease, but most failed to find a decent one or just decided to wait. At least for now, they thought, maybe later they'd get another chance. After all, the weapon you choose will not only be an extension of your strength, but will push you to the limit, growing and adapting with you every step of the way.
– Hey. Did you get anything good?
– Heh, heh, heh… almost, I got a D
– You're proud of a mere D, look, open your eyes wide, I'm a B
– Really? You're crazy! Well, I'm glad it's not my main weapon.
Some of them were chatting happily, between laughter and flirting
– Hello, Cyan Vesper? Right.
A soft voice called out to me. Slightly raising my head, I was met with green eyes and blonde hair greeting me. Looking at him more closely, I noticed that he was surprisingly attractive, and his posture emanated an almost heroic grace, as if his very presence had a hint of grandeur.
Erwing Guthrie.
The Chosen One.
The one who carries on his shoulders the weight of the future and the expectations of the world, the prodigy of the century, who is loved by the lady of destiny.
And also the protagonist whom I call "main character"
– Ah? Yes
–I was actually curious about you, the person who got first place.
His eyes showed a subtle glow, as if containing a burning desire.
I was scared for a moment and the alarms went off inside me, on impulse I threw a punch at him and prepared to run
–Wait, I just want to be friends.
–Ufff, that was it man. You should have started there
–So, but it seems that you are also sensitive, seeing you release aura.
"... ... ...?"
aura?
What the hell is he talking about, I... ah
His words made me remember something, then a thought quickly passed through my mind.
I wanted to test the effect of the "Will of Orochi" earlier, which seemed to be a skill that put great pressure on the opponent and affected their mind. I thought that by keeping the sword in my inventory its effect would be nullified, but it seemed to only weaken a little.
It's annoying to always have it active. "How do I turn it off?" I wondered. With that in mind, I started to think of a possible explanation. "It seemed to be a skill influenced by my emotions." It had been activated by sensing a slight disturbance, so if I could calm down, I might be able to turn it off.
With a calmer mind, I looked at the system for a moment.
[Orochi's will disappears]
The atmosphere began to relax a bit, and I slowly noticed the students getting closer, some curious and others wary.
"Heh... it's kind of fun," I thought to myself, seeing the tension dissipate.
Erwing looked at me weirdly for a moment, but quickly composed his expression. Without saying much else, he waved goodbye and walked away.
The next time on the schedule.
"Alchemy"...