The Academy’s Deceased Ate It All

Chapter 15

 There were several ways to acquire skills from ‘Clouds on the Horizon’.

The first way of acquiring skills was by acquiring tools, objects, like Henir’s Shadow, or by fulfilling certain conditions, like when I obtained branch of the World Tree.

However, the aforementioned two were very rare cases, and most people were taught by someone through known methods, such as skillbooks, or naturally obtained through repeated training and hard work.

And the academy here encouraged students to obtain such skills, and even prepared ways to obtain them.

However, if there was a problem… .

“It’s just useless things.”

Of course, the skillbooks provided in the common learning room that all students could use were all low-grade ones.

But I looked through them one by one just in case.

[Hawk’s Eye ― Enhances vision for a certain amount of time. Temporarily increases your kinetic vision.]

[Static Electricity ― Can cause a weak electric current to flow through tools or equipment. Its power is so weak that it can only work on small-sized opponents.]

[Quick footwork ― Can move quickly in an instant. Cannot use skills in succession.]

“It’s a spectacle, a spectacle… .”

I said this, but in fact, even these were hard to find outside.

If it was a high-ranking skill book, the number of times it could be used was limited, so it was difficult to come across it unless it were some famous clan or noble family.

Even though I already knew everything, I couldn’t hide my disappointment.

However, I was disappointed that I had to sell my feet to the end.

Playing Clouds on the Horizon, you often got a lot more useless skills than I had just skimmed through, but that was rather the element that brought me more enjoyment in playing Clouds on the Horizon.

Because it was possible to mix and combine skills, so-called skill enhancement.

‘Of course, the two legendary skills cannot be strengthened or combined, and there is no need to do so… .’

I didn’t have to worry about materials, since low-ranking skills that could be used almost unlimitedly were spread out in front of me.

But, the only problem was that the skill combination I remembered was quite vague.

No matter how many times I played the game, there was no way I could remember all the combinations of dozens of skills.

If anything, I was now even more burdened because I couldn’t use the game’s method of recalling save data again if I made a mistake.

‘If I had known it would be like this, I would have memorized it in detail.’

The skill obtained through reinforcement was a function only allowed to the player.

And just in case, I was rummaging through my phone and found a window that said [Skill Enhancement], and headed straight for it.

‘The most useful skills in my current situation are… .’

At least six.

No, was it seven?

Anyway, one skill that only came out by mixing and combining that number of skills came to mind clearly.

Fortunately, I remembered more than half of the skills used for materials.

It meant that the other half had to be guessed by random intuition.

But it didn’t matter.

‘I have a lot of material, and enough time anyway.’

With that in mind, I slowly started picking out the skillbooks.

* * *

“Finally, I succeeded… .”

I was so caught up in the relief and sense of accomplishment that I let out a sigh and mumbled to myself without realizing it.

I didn’t think it would take that long, but after two hours of staying after all my classes for the day were over, not to mention my lunch break, I finally succeeded.

Perhaps because it was the first time I had used my patience and brain since I came to this world, an indescribable sense of lethargy enveloped my whole body.

Still, I smiled and fiddled with the screen of my cell phone.

Hunter’s Mark (Combination / Rare)

― Each successful attack will leave a mark on the opponent’s body.

― The density of the mark changes depending on the number of attacks and the power.

― The effect can be activated when more than a certain number of marks are accumulated.

― If no attacks are made for a certain amount of time after adding marks, all marks will disappear.

[Effect][Active]

― Gives the opponent an effect based on the nature of your mana.

― In this case, all marks accumulated so far will be removed.

― Depending on the density of the mark, additional impact can be applied to the opponent.

― In this case, all marks accumulated so far will be removed.

― By removing the marks, you can check the approximate location of the opponent for a very short time.

“…Good.”

It would be okay to use it as the main force.

Above all, it was especially true in that it was compatible with Nidhogg’s Fang I had.

Nidhogg’s Fang (Bonded / Legendary)

A dagger forged with the teeth of the mythical monster, Nidhogg.

Although it has no blade and only the tip of a sword, the danger of this will be flagged by anyone who knows its true worth.

It’s also very sharp, so even if it’s an armor that a Dwarf has carved out, it can easily penetrate it.

The poisonous fangs that dried up and made the World Tree wither will be an effective means of attack against spirits and mortals.

― Increases owner’s resistance to poison significantly.

― It can attack formless beings, such as ghosts, fluids, spirits.

― There is a high probability of being poisoned when stabbed by this dagger.

― The owner will have absolute resistance to the poison of this dagger.

― Can be hidden in the owner’s body.

‘I think it can be used in a way to add additional attacks or additional effects into a poisoned opponent.’

Of course, there was a condition that the opponent had to be stabbed with Nidhogg’s fang, but as Choi Hyun-Woo had said before, if I used the branches of the World Tree or Henir’s shadow to swing it in a surprise attack, nine out of ten attacks would be successful.

‘It was worth the trouble.’

With that in mind, I stood up.

Of course, there were far more powerful skills than the ‘Hunter’s Mark’ I had just acquired, but unfortunately I couldn’t remember how to combine them at all.

Besides, even if by some miracle I could create them, I doubted that they would be this compatible.

‘Well, I should be satisfied with this.’

There was nothing left to do right now.

If I had to say, there were things like finding a useful dagger that I could take out in front of others, or having to establish a relationship with important characters in the original story.….

‘It’s not all right.’

There was nothing I could do right now.

I thought I should act a little more slowly and calmly for a while.

‘Oh, yeah.’

Then, a word suddenly crossed my mind.

Money.

I needed money.

Students attending the academy are given a certain amount of money every month in the name of dignity maintenance rather than tuition.

And the amount was not only enough for the maintenance of dignity, but could be used for living expenses if you saved a little more.

In addition, there were also opportunities to earn more money by receiving additional allowances through future practices.

It was not for nothing that people without money struggled to become heroes or even academy students.

The problem was that even if I made money by doing so, it would be far short.

‘… What to do?’

Simply put, there were plenty of things that require money, such as expenses that would be required for future actions, money to purchase various items, and episodes that can only be progressed with huge sums of money.

But the problem was that I didn’t have a single penny.

It was clear that even if I continued to save and save money from now on, it would end up as a drop in a bucket.

‘Selling Mandragora would be enough… .’

Mandragora is a legendary herb in this world, so it would have been a price to call.

But on the other hand, it meant that just because there is money to be made did not mean that it could be purchased.

So I didn’t want to sell it if possible.

It is said that even if a person with basic alchemy or pharmaceutical skills uses it, it is the thing that can create something comparable to the elixir.

‘Hold on, come to think of it, it’s weird, isn’t it?’

It was said that Mandragora, which was used to kill Lee Myung-Joon, was a failure, and soon after killing Lee Myung-Joon, it withered and died.

So, even though the hero, one of the top ten, died, the association was distracted by the Mandragora collected at the site and fought, but eventually couldn’t find anything.

‘Crazy, how did I forget about this?’

A withered Mandragora loses all its benefits and becomes nothing but ordinary grassroots.

How did I not remember this back then?

“No, wait… .”

But is the Mandragora in my room still alive and well?

Anyone can tell whether mandragora has withered or not.

When the pinkish fruit-like thing hanging from the tip of the root loses its color and turns black, it means that the mandragora has withered.

And that guy’s fruit in my room was so pink that it turned red.

Perhaps it was my imagination, but sometimes when I entered the room, I even felt that a part of a person’s face was staring at me.

‘No.’

Let’s think about that issue later.

‘Then what should I do… .’

The easiest way to make money in the Clouds on the Horizon is to catch high-risk, so-called high-ranking monsters and sell their by-products.

Otherwise, there is a way to carry out high-rank quests, or to auction off all kinds of treasures or relics sleeping in hidden dungeons or unexplored ruins.

‘But the problem is that they are all far from me.’

Although I caught the Nidhogg, a monster that can’t be given a danger level, it was only possible because of various special circumstances.

High-ranking monsters were too much in their abilities to go hunting at my level now.

If I made a mistake, I might end up as their meal.

That said, there was no way that a freshman in the academy could receive high-ranking quests, and even if I obtained treasures and relics that were hidden in hidden dungeons or unexplored ruins, I was in a situation where I should use them right away, rather than auction them off.

‘Stocks… ?’

But I quickly shook my head.

Even if I bought stocks in this world, there was no way I could do well as I had never touched it even in the original world.

I didn’t have enough capital to invest in stocks, and more importantly, there were too many things I was concerned about to even pay attention to stocks.

In addition, although some famous companies appeared in ‘Clouds on the Horizon’, there was almost no information related to them because parts such as stocks were not implemented.

‘It’s also a little weird for me to have more worries than this.’

No matter how much I thought about it, I couldn’t afford it.

I sighed.

“I’m hungry.”

When I said it out loud, my hunger got worse.

First of all, it was late today, and I had a lot of work to do today, so I should eat and get a good night’s sleep in the dorm.

With that in mind, I headed out to the already darkened street.

* * *

“I don’t think anything has changed on the surface.”

A man muttered in front of the main gate of the academy as if he missed it.

originally, strict preliminary investigation and verification were required for an outsider to enter the academy, but this man was an exception.

The fact that the academy’s security guards, who had noticed his unusual appearance early on and were ready to open the academy’s gates was proof enough of that.

The left eyelid, where the dent was visible, and the eyepatch covering it.

Conversely, the golden eyes that sparkled excessively and were torn straight like snakes.

And a trident with a hidden blade hanging from the back.

He was none other than Lee Myung-Joon.

“It’s been a really long time. Academy.”

He murmured and slowly walked into the academy.