Chapter 77 Volume II - 43: Ambiguous Flow

Chapter 77 Volume II - Chapter 43: Ambiguous Flow

After leaving Sue's side, I ran straight to the usual training room. And when I finally entered the room, Professor Calvin was looking at me, slightly annoyed.

"You're late! By seven minutes!"

The first thing I did when I saw his attitude was to take a deep breath.

As I had expected, it looks like it won't be a problem...

He doesn't remember what happened.

He seems a little more preoccupied than usual, though. And he doesn't seem to have slept much... Maybe because of the incident?

"I'm sorry... I had an urgent matter."

"Urgent matter, huh? Like hiding how strong you are even from your personal instructor?"

Uh... Right, there's that matter, but I didn't expect him to be so angry.

"I didn't hide it...? You didn't ask, so I didn't tell you."

I didn't really hide myself, but... Now the whole world thinks I did. So there's nothing I can do. If I say I didn't hide it, I'll have to deal with much bigger problems because of the speed of my development.

The professor made a disappointed face.

"I am your instructor, Aiden... You can tell me anything without keeping secrets. My only goal is to make you stronger and for that, I need to prepare the most appropriate program... I don't need to tell you what's needed for that, do I? Up until now, I've been training you like you're an F, but it turns out you're an E."

Ah... So that hell was for an 'F' grade person... Is that so...?

"So I'm going to intensify your training a bit and we're going to pick a sword style for you."

The first sentence was what I expected to hear but didn't want to hear. The second sentence, on the contrary, was something I wanted to hear but didn't expect because it was too early. Therefore, I was surprised.

"Isn't it too early for the sword style?"

I'm serious about this. Even though sword styles are a lot of fun, I still feel like it's too early.

"Your basics are good enough. As I told you before, even if you don't learn extremely fast, you're still very thorough in correcting your mistakes and now is a good time to start learning a style. Especially considering you're at 'E' grade."

"Ah..."

I used to have the best of the worst general level, F grade... Of course, this was thanks to magic power and mana efficiency.

When I first came to this world, my strength, agility, and endurance stats - in short, three of my four physical stats - were F-, the worst standard in this world.

Of course, it is important to note that these grades are proportional to age. The strength of an adult's F- grade is not the same as a child's F- grade, but since even the 'normal' of this world is F grade, I was really weak.

So much so that in order to have worse statistics than this, I had to be physically disabled from birth or something, but with the developing technology, such things have disappeared...

There are still people who get injured, but they are usually extreme cases and they don't even show up in the stats... So I don't even need to count them.

Anyway... Basically, my body evolved after I became a wiera, or half wiera to be more precise, and my stats suddenly went up to a level that is almost close to the geniuses of this world.

So from the academy's point of view, I need to start learning a style.

"I see..."

"Then let's talk about the styles you can use! I've watched your every move since we started training and made a diagram, but now I need to be sure again. So tell me what grade your swordsmanship and wind magic is."

"My swordsmanship is E- grade and my wind magic is E grade."

The professor raised his eyebrows skeptically.

He doesn't trust me... I guess it's normal since he has a record of what I did in the preliminary.

"In terms of mastery, my wind magic is really E grade. The ascension skill I have is only focused on wind magic, and I was able to make such an attack because I have a passive skill that directly boosts my wind magic."

When the professor heard the word 'ascension' from my mouth, he sighed deeply but did not make any comment.

Ascension skills were such rare, powerful things.

"I see, then look at this list and pick one."

The professor tapped his watch and sent me a message. I quickly checked my own watch and looked at the message curiously.

<<------------------------------

1-) Uarin Style - Copy (E+-->B+)

2-) Leiyin Style - Copy (E-->B+)

3-) Silent Wind Style (E-->B)

------------------------------>>

Despite what I saw, I could not help but be amazed.

I was especially struck by the sword styles that the two swordsmen had created with their own hands.

Uarin was a swordsman who is still alive today. His style was based on constant, non-stop, subtle attacks to force the opponent and expose his weaknesses.

Unlike Uarin, Leiyin sadly did not live. His style was based on heavy attacks, but as fast as they were heavy. Because the attacks were heavy, there was a certain amount of time between them, but this time could be ignored by the speed of the attack and the damage it dealt.

Of course, both of these styles are copies, not originals, and as such can only be improved to B+. Still, that doesn't change the fact that they are great styles to start with.

Silent Wind... that's definitely a good style too. It's very intertwined with wind magic and it really shines especially when used with it.

It definitely suits me, but it's not very glamorous compared to the other two styles. That's why it's in last place, the professor must have put it there just because it suits me.

"Which one do you choose? If you need to think about it, you can. It's an important choice."

He's right, the academy only allows us to choose two styles while we study here.

So I have to choose my starting style well.

"Professor..."

Nevertheless...

"Have you chosen? Uarin or Leiyin?"

His eyes sparkled with excitement, even more than mine.

"Well... I'm not going to choose any of these."

The professor raised his eyebrows in surprise and looked at me meaninglessly.

"Excuse me?"

"I'm not going to choose any of these."

"These are the ones that the academy approved and put in front of you, you know?"

He looks really puzzled. He might even think I'm stupid. After all, these are choices that were made by analyzing my 'everything'.

"Yes, I know, but I'm still not going to choose these."

"Then what will you choose?"

"Nothing you can't give me. I want a style called Ambiguous Flow."

The professor looked at me in shock, his eyes widened in surprise.

"What the fuck is that?"

Well... It's quite normal that he didn't know, but being a sword freak, I guess it was a shock to him to be confronted with something he didn't know.

"If you look at the academy records you can see..."

After what I said, the professor quickly entered his watch.

Unlike ours, professors' watches had direct access to the academy archives. So the professor could look up what I said, and he did.

"A style in which the image is refracted and distorted by the reverse intensification of the mana stream and projected onto the sword, allowing for ambiguous attacks. While theoretically quite functional, due to the difficulty of practicing the technique and the lack of knowledge, it has been given a grade of F. However, due to the amount of mana spent and the weight of the style, it is estimated to have a maximum potential of level C, even with sufficient knowledge."

As the professor read the description of the style, his expression fell a little more with each word.

"Aiden, let's ignore this style."

"Professor..."

"There are much better ones, I don't want you to choose something obscure as your starting style."

"I know what I've chosen, professor. Can you please trust me?"

"Aiden... I can't teach you a style I don't know, and there's no guide to 'learn' it from. You will have made a futile choice."

Why is he being so stubborn...

I mean, I know he's trying for me, but I wish he would give up more easily.

"Professor, I don't know how much you will believe me, but the potential of that style is not limited to a C grade. It's almost an A, maybe even a little higher."

I said this without losing any of my seriousness, keeping my composure, and the professor, instead of being surprised by what I said, became serious for the first time.

"Do you know something about this style, Aiden?"

"Yes, I do. That's why I want you to trust me."

We looked into each other's eyes, both determined. I wanted the style, but the professor didn't.

But I wasn't going to give up easily. I have to learn that style no matter what because what I just said... that's a lie.

A grade or slightly above? I can only describe the potential of that style as 'terrifying'.

I'm not stupid enough to sit idly by while such a gift is freely available to me. n0velusb.c0m

Although, Ambiguous Flow is like a copy of the style. It's lacking in many points, but I can make up for that with what I know. Then, when I get my hands on the original style, I'll already have the foundation.

Why should I ignore such a cheat when I can get my hands on it for free?

"Aiden... Are you sure? I want you to make a choice you won't regret."

"I will regret it if I don't choose this, Professor. You and me, we'll both regret it."

The professor took a deep breath after my words and then nervously pressed a few keys on his watch.

"You will get the style in our next training..."

I smiled the best I could and bowed my head respectfully.

"Thank you, professor."

"Okay, okay! Raise your head... Now I'm going to put you in hell as punishment for being late and lying to me."

The smile on my face disappeared, replaced by a twitching expression and I swallowed.

Oh shit... I forgot.

*******

With all my muscles writhing in pain, I entered my room and, despite my sweaty state, I left myself on my bed without taking a shower. I was so tired that I couldn't move a muscle.

I take back all my thanks to you, professor.

You're a dishonorable person.

~beep!

My thoughts were interrupted by the beeping of my watch. Sighing, I looked at the person who called me, and then I couldn't help but be surprised because it was Professor Ulka.

Ah... Because of what I sent him on the road?

Before I went to Professor Calvin, I had sent him part of the theory that solved the five to twenty percent impurity in whatever potions were produced...

It was revolutionary, so he might have been excited. It might even have raised my value in his eyes... but I can't be sure of anything.

Let's see what he has to say.

"Hello? What's up, Ulka, you didn't like the theory I sent you?"

I entered the conversation as sarcastically and calmly as I could, it was one of the things I could do to make the difference between us clear after what had happened last time.

Ulka waited in silence for a while, then spoke with a deep sigh.

"My nephew Justin, do you know where he is?"

Oh... It seems they finally realized that Justin was missing. Justin's mother must have contacted Ulka directly the moment she realized...

I don't know if he called someone else before me, but the fact that he called me shows that he suspects me even a little bit.

Not that I need to worry. Melany and I have edited all the CCTV footage and they won't find anything on me or Sue. So I don't have to think about it too much.

"No, I didn't. Why do you ask?"

I asked without stammering, adding a curious tone to my voice. I wanted him to think I was surprised and wondering what was going on.

"Justin... disappeared. I last heard him arguing with you, but it seems you don't know anything."

"Oh? So he disappeared... Now that's interesting."

I made my voice more distinct, I waited for a moment as if I was thinking, and then I sighed slightly, returning my voice to what it was before.

"Anyway... I'm a bit curious, but I don't really care. I hope you find him soon."

Actually, I can tell him straight away that I killed him. Ulka... he wouldn't do anything to me, he wouldn't expose me. I'm pretty sure of that, but after what happened last time, I don't want to take even the slightest risk.

"By the way, good luck solving the theory! Don't forget to send me my money when the time comes. In fact... my wallet has been at the bottom of the barrel lately. Send me five million. You can cut my share when you complete the theories."

I spoke not as if I wanted to, but as if I was giving orders. I didn't care that he was senior to me, that he was older.

Ulka didn't care either.

"I'll send it soon."

"Great! Well, good luck again."

I didn't wait a second, I closed the call directly, without receiving a response. Finally, I found myself back in the silence of my room and sighed deeply.

I'm just going to watch what happens for a while, I'm going to keep moving from behind, and when the time comes, I'm going to pop the balloon, that's all.

Yes... There is nothing else I can do.

I closed my eyes with these thoughts. After all, I had to go back to school tomorrow and thanks to the professor, I was in a frenzy.

So it wouldn't be bad if I took a short nap...

What would it matter if I slept until morning though?

After all, there's a lot more waiting for me, isn't there?

~beep!

Why the hell do they always find times like this?!

Who the f-

I swallowed my words along with the ones I saw on my watch. It was as if the world froze, time stopped flowing, and I was paralyzed where I was with it.

~beep!

My watch kept ringing. The pleasant-sounding chime echoed and echoed in the room, but I couldn't move a muscle.

Am I dreaming...?

I ruthlessly dug my fingernails into my arm, but when I felt the pain quite sharply, I realized I was still in the real world.

At first, my whole body trembled.

Excitement, nervousness, fear... These emotions swept through my whole body, but then they faded as slowly as they came.

Absolute Mind was working as usual, but I didn't even think about it.

Because the person calling me was Clara.