When Alex opened his eyes the next morning, Efa was no longer by his side.
All he saw was a letter, which he assumed she had left behind on the table.
"I’m not really good at saying goodbyes, and it’s not like we’ll never see each other again. I’ll come and find you during the school break, so make sure to study hard and get even stronger the next time we meet!
P.S. I’m rooting for you to make those Queens of yours fall for you. If you need help, I’ll definitely be your best wingman!"
The young man read the letter a second time before carefully storing it inside his storage ring.
They had given each other a year to sort out their feelings, so he was certain they would meet again during the school break.
’Starting today, we will be staying at the academy dorms,’ Alex thought as he opened the window of his room. ’I didn’t expect I’d be going back to school. Though Frieden Academy will definitely be different from the academies on Earth.’
There were already many dangers lurking within the walls of the learning institution, yet he also had to watch out for challenges from his fellow students too.
Most of the students were nobles or members of the royal family.
Needless to say, some of them look down on commoners, especially the scholarship students.
Upon remembering the events that would soon befall Renard and Nessia, the young man couldn’t help but smirk.
’I’m sure they will be able to manage it,’ Alex thought before the images of Charles and Eris popped up inside his head.
Charles had enrolled to Frieden Academy for one reason and one reason only—to find the cure for his sister’s sickness.
Fortunately or unfortunately, the pill that would cure the Child Bane’s disease could only be exchanged from the academy’s treasury.
Not only that, but it also required a hundred thousand academy merit points, something that Charles wouldn’t be able to collect easily.
’Eris should be five years old right now,’ Alex thought. ’At most, she only has three to five more years to live. Within that time frame, Charles must get the pill that will cure her.’
Alex then opened his Arcana Shop and checked the consumable area.
Just as he expected, the cure for Eris was there.
"A single tear to mend what fate has broken."
Type: Consumable / Cure
Cost: 40,000 Arcana Points
Effect: Instantly cures the affliction known as Child’s Bane (Scarlet Grief). Restores 80% of maximum health and permanently strengthens the immune system against soulbound diseases. Usable only once in a lifetime.
Alex closed his eyes before heaving a deep sigh.
As much as he wanted to help Eris, he also needed Arcana Points to get stronger for the time being.
Besides, it was Charles’ main quest, and all the decisions he would make in the academy would revolve in this matter.
’I’ll just come with him for some quests to help him gather merit points,’ Alex decided as he glanced at the notification window that had popped up beside him.
It was none other than the rewards he had gotten from completing his main quest.
[Main Story Quest Completed!]
[Enroll at Frieden Academy]
— Frieden Academy is the Academy where the most talented teenagers on the continent gather to become exceptional Warriors and Magicians. The Majority of the students here are members of the Nobility and other powerful families.
— Windrazor Harpy Matron Monster Core
— Hellmaw Basilisk Core
— Hexwing Empress Core
— 4 Middle Grade Magic Crystals
— 10,000 Arcana Points
[In light of your outstanding performance against all odds in the Dungeon of Beginnings and the second trial of Frieden Academy, you will receive a bonus reward!]
— Oathbound Armor Set
Alex was quite happy with the rewards he had gotten from his main quest. But after seeing the bonus reward, he couldn’t help but immediately check the information of his new armor set.
< Oathbound Armor Set >
"For those who swear with blood and shield, whose strength lies not in power—but in promise."
Set Grade: Super Rare
"May your eyes stay clear—even as the world turns grey."
Stats: Constitution +5, Intelligence +5, Damage Reduction +5%
Effect: Reflects incoming physical damage by 5%
< Heartwarden Plate >
"Let blades strike, so others need not bleed."
Stats: Constitution +10, Strength +10, Damage Reduction +20%
Effect: Reflects incoming physical damage by 5%
< Gauntlets of Silent Resolve >
"The hand that lifts others bears the heaviest weight."
Stats: Strength +5, Dexterity +10, Damage Reduction +5%
Effect: Reflects incoming physical damage by 5%
< Blade of the Bound Vow >
"A blade that sings only when the heart stays true."
Type: One-Handed Sword
Stats: Attack +140, Strength +10, Constitution +10
Effect: Deals 30% bonus damage to enemies targeting allies.
Passive: While fighting to protect a party member below 50% HP, gain +10% Attack Speed.
< Mantle of the Last Oath >
"Even should you fall—the promise lingers on the wind."
Stats: Constitution +10, Agility +5, Damage Reduction +5%
Effect: Reflects incoming physical damage by 5%
< Set Bonus Effects >
Oathkeeper’s Step – Movement speed +10% when moving toward an endangered ally (below 50% HP).
Sacrificial Stand – While blocking or intercepting attacks for an ally, gain 15% reduced damage.
Sworn Justice – Critical hits against enemies who attack your allies deal 25% more damage.
Final Vow – Heart Unbroken
— If Alex receives fatal damage, he will instead survive with 1 HP and become invulnerable for 10 seconds. This passive skill has a cooldown of 48 hours.
— Reflects incoming physical damage by 10%
"Holy sh*t..." Alex muttered after seeing the stats of his armor set.
The young man’s eyes were still wide with shock even after he had reread the information to make sure he wasn’t dreaming.
Not only did his armor set reduce all incoming damage—whether it be physical or magical—by 35%, it also had a physical damage reflection of 30%!
The Set Bonus also allowed Alex to gain more abilities. In other words, this set was the perfect match for his job class.
’I will treat this as my trump card and only wear it when needed,’ Alex thought.
The stats and bonuses of the armor set were undoubtedly incredible, but it was the skill, Final Vow, that made Alex grin from ear to ear.
Ten seconds of invulnerability was a big deal as it would certainly be enough to save his life under any circumstances.
Also, the 10,000 Arcana Points made him giddy with excitement as it would allow him to buy a few things from the arcana shop.
Before this, he hadn’t touched his Arcana Points—not that he didn’t want to, but he simply hadn’t accumulated enough points to afford anything.
Now that he was rich in points, he was itching to shop. But in the end, he managed to calm down and stop himself from acting impulsively. The points could be used for more important things in the future.
Instead, Alex took out the four middle-grade magic crystals and consumed them.
This act gave him 42 magic points, increasing his Magic Stat to 201.
He then took out the rare skill book he still hadn’t used and activated it.
Thanks to his recent experiences, Alex could finally confirm which skill he needed the most.
The only reason he had put off learning this skill in the first place was because he had been restricted by his limited mana pool, which made it impossible for him to cast more powerful skills to assist him in battle.
Although 201 Mana Points was still quite little compared to natural-born mages, it was still decent enough to allow Alex do something that would push him closer to the power of a Shield Savant.
Alex had been able to become the top 69 Ranker in the Global Rankings not only because of his Job Class was a tanker.
It was because the Shield Savant was a Job Class that was similar to G*lgamesh in Fate St*y Knight.
Instead of summoning countless weapons to hurl at his enemies, Alex could summon countless shields and make them attack without mercy.
Imagine hundreds of magical shields imbued with different elements, attacking autonomously like satellites, while Alex calmly enjoyed a cup of tea.
That was how disgustingly strong the Shield Savant was, and it was just one of its many offensive abilities.
Alex was now planning to imitate that battle prowess with his meager mana.
So without any hesitation, he chose the skill that would bring him closer to his ideal build.
And that skill was none other than...
"One thought, countless echoes. One motion, infinite force."
A pinnacle-tier casting technique that allows the user to simultaneously manifest multiple instances of any skill. Whether it’s projectiles, barriers, or movements.
Multicast [EX] manifests a single intent into a storm of action.
This is a passive skill that can be toggled on or off at will, granting its wielder full control over when to unleash overwhelming force or conserve power. It does not merely replicate skills, it amplifies will, shaping mana into a harmonious barrage.
Only those with absolute control over mana threads can wield this skill without losing themselves to chaos.
"Finally, I can now use this skill," Alex muttered.
With this skill, he could summon a few magical shields and enchant them with flame or holy magic before hurtling them at his enemies.
’I just need to buy the Multitask Skill Book from the Arcana Shop and this build will be complete,’ Alex thought. ’Unfortunately, I don’t have enough points right now.’
Alex only had 16,440 Arcana Points right now, and the Multitask skill book cost 20,000 Arcana Points.
Since he had chosen this path, he needed to save up more points to finalize his build.
Once he obtained the multitask skill, he would be able to autonomously control his magical shields and allow them to attack his enemies as if they had a will of their own.
And just like his Oathbound Armor Set, he would keep it as his trump card until the right time came.
Just as he was feeling good about himself, he noticed that there was a white, little bun staring at him from the window ledge of his room.
The young man was so occupied with his thoughts that he failed to notice that Dim Dim had come to wake him up.
"Good morning, Dim Dim," Alex said. "Did you sleep well with Elaine?"
"Dim Dim~" Dim Dim smiled and greeted Alex a good morning as well.
"We’re heading to the academy later. Are you ready for another adventure?"
Dim Dim nodded. "Dim!"
"That’s good to hear," Alex lightly patted his little partner’s head, making Dim Dim’s smile widen.
After admiring the view of the Capital City of Harmonia from his window for a few more minutes, Alex and Dim Dim left the room to meet up with the others.
He wanted to bid a proper goodbye to Elaine, Ramza, and his Master, Cairo, who would continue his journey in the Kingdom of Avalon.
The young man was very thankful for everything that they had done for him, and truth be told, he was going to miss his master, who always supported him with everything he had.
[E/N: I’m gonna miss my catboy too...]
A/N: Only one Chapter today. Regular Chapters will resume tomorrow.