The place we arrived at shortly after was the faculty training room.
Its structure was similar to that of the training center.
The difference, perhaps, was that it was built far sturdier, considering that its users were much more powerful.
Before long, the principal positioned himself across from and began deactivating his skills one by one.
They were various enhancent spells he usually carried around as if they were part of his body.
Next, he stored all the equipnt he had been discreetly wearing into his inventory.
Bracelets, watches, tie pins, even the pen in his front pocket…
Then, he looked at and spoke.
“Only my traits are left. Satisfied?”
“Yes, I’m satisfied.”
The reason I had insisted on the condition of “no skills or items” was simple. It was to focus on his traits.
Traits are hard to notice.
It’s not easy to determine whether a trait has been activated, and gauging its exact rank is even trickier.
If skills and item abilities were mixed in, it would beco even more confusing, so I had excluded both of them right from the start.
Once I figured out the principal’s trait and its rank,
I’ll copy it.
▷ Copy – Trait [1/2]
1. (Empty)
2. The Sovereign’s Crown
Originally, the first slot had been occupied by [Poison Resistance], but after fixing it with a fixed pin and completing Poison Immunity, an empty slot had opened up.
My goal was to register a new trait here.
I wanted a defensive trait, which is why I had declared that I’d be hitting him one-sidedly.
While we were facing each other, the vice principal stood by the wall and assud the position of a bystander.
She’s not just here to watch idly.
It was likely that she intended to assess my skills and intervene if necessary.
The condition of not using skills or items only applied to the principal, so the vice principal could use them as much as she wanted.
It might seem like a loophole, but I had no reason to complain.
I need to leave at least one safety net.
That way, I could hit him without worrying.
[Activated ‘Amplification’.]
[The rank of ‘Inferno Fist’ has increased. (B → S)]
To deal aningful damage, I needed to raise my own rank as well.
Considering the principal’s level as a forr hero, his resistance traits were likely top-notch.
Just the elental resistance alone would be at least B-rank, maybe A-rank or higher.
At least, that had been the case with the heroes I had trained.
“I’ll begin now.”
“Co at whenever you’re ready.”
The principal gave a casual nod as if it were no big deal.
I clenched my fist tightly, and dark red flas like blood began to blaze from within.
As I thrust it forward with all my strength,
Whoooooooooosh—!
A fiery storm roared fiercely, swallowing the principal whole in an instant.
One side of the training room was engulfed in flas, and a dark silhouette flickered faintly within the fire.
Seeing that, I thought to myself,
It didn’t work.
As expected, the principal erged monts later and was completely unscathed.
Not only was he not burned, but there wasn’t even a single scorch mark on him.
As solid as ever.
If you looked closely, he was surrounded by a faint light, as if he was wearing it like armor. It was his defensive trait.
That alone had been enough to endure the S-rank Inferno Fist.
The principal looked at and gave a sly smile.
“I heard you’d learned it, but I didn’t expect it to be true. Inferno Fist.”
This was sothing Lee Soo-Dok and Seo Cheong-Yong must have already reported, so I didn’t bother denying it.
“My opponents have been tough, so I’ve needed stronger skills.”
“Even so, you should manage the penalties when you use them. Look at your hand; it’s completely burned.”
“This much is fine.”
Just as he said, one of my hands had turned completely black, charred like a lump of coal.
Since the penalty was S-rank, even my S-rank elental resistance hadn’t been enough to fully negate it.
Of course, I anticipated this outco when I activated the amplification and had already prepared a counterasure.
I still have the elixir.
It was a basic elixir I received from Kim Gap-Doo. The Gap-doo Elixir
I had used so of it while facing the Witch of Corruption, leaving with about one and a half bottles.
After taking a sip and pouring so on my hand, the burn gradually disappeared, leaving my skin completely healed.
The principal watched this and nodded his head.
“As expected, you know how to take care of yourself. Seems like I don’t need to worry.”
“I won’t push myself too far.”
“Good, good. Then, here’s the first question.”
The principal’s gaze suddenly sharpened and his deanor shifted from that of the neighborhood fool to soone deadly serious.
“Are you… a Monarch?”
“Yes, I’m a Monarch.”
“…You admit it so easily.”
“I figured you already knew.”
He probably realized I was a Monarch the first ti we t.
At S-rank, one’s perspective broadens to the point where they can see what’s invisible to others.
This question must have been to confirm his suspicion.
The principal’s expression turned slightly disappointed.
“Well, now it feels like I wasted a question… Oh well, there’s plenty more to go.”
“Yes, let’s move on to the next one.”
As soon as the principal returned to his original position, I cast a second Inferno Fist.
For the second ti, a storm of flas engulfed him.
Whooooooooooooosh—!
This ti, it hit.
However, when the flas subsided, the principal stood there just as before with not a single hair burned.
But I noticed sothing.
The light that had surrounded him was now gone.
Armor of Valor.
It was an S-rank trait exclusively for warriors.
Its defense was powerful enough to withstand two Inferno Fists, and its recharge ti was incredibly short.
If it were sothing I could copy, I would have taken it in a heartbeat. Unfortunately, it was a unique trait, like the [Weaving] ability of the Crow Tailor.
Still, I broke through his first line of defense.
With my next attack, I would be able to identify another defensive trait.
While the principal used a protection elixir to treat his burns, his next question ca flying at .
“Next question. What’s a Monarch doing enrolling here?”
“I ca for the sa reason as everyone else. To learn.”
“Don’t ss around. You promised to answer honestly.”
“I am answering honestly.”
For a while, we stared at each other in silence.
Then the principal furrowed his brow and asked again.
“…Really?”
“Yes, really.”
“That doesn’t make sense. Sothing doesn’t add up here.”
From his perspective, it was probably hard to believe that a being as extraordinary as a Monarch would be studying among first-year students.
Of course, this was because I wasn’t just any Monarch. I was a young Monarch. But unless he specifically asked about that, I had no reason to reveal it first.
If he was curious, he could ask after taking another hit.
“Let’s continue.”
I had to keep attacking before his Armor of Valor recharged.
I clenched my fist again and thrust it forward as if I was throwing a blazing fist.
Whooooooooosh—!
“Kuaagh!!”
The principal’s scream echoed from beyond the flas.
This ti, it seed like the attack had definitely landed.
I would see the extent of the damage soon enough, but there was a way to check a bit earlier.
I’ll just watch the vice principal’s reaction.
Considering how long they had worked together, I figured they would know each other’s skills and traits fairly well.
If the damage was significant, the vice principal would surely show so concern.
So I subtly shifted my gaze to the side.
“……”
The vice principal stood exactly as she had at the beginning while maintaining her cold and strict expression.
However, I had beco a master at reading tiny facial expressions through my experience with the sloth, so I was able to pick up on the subtlest changes in her face.
She’s extrely pleased.
It was as if she had been eating nothing but dry sweet potatoes and had just downed a can of soda in one shot.
As if she had been satisfied by doing what she had wanted to do all along.
Even so, the fact that the vice principal didn’t intervene ant that the situation hadn’t yet escalated to a truly serious level.
This ability might turn out to be a dud.
As I shifted my gaze back to the front, the principal staggered out of the flas at just the right mont.
“Urgh… Maybe I should’ve gone with a different request. This is a bit spicy.”
His entire body was blackened, and faint burn marks were visible here and there.
But in the blink of an eye, all of his injuries healed completely.
On the outside, I maintained a calm and indifferent expression, but inside, I was genuinely impressed.
This is crazy.
I had expected him to have several overpowered abilities, given that he was an S-rank hero and all, but I never imagined he would have that trait.
This was sothing I absolutely had to acquire, no matter what.
Without hesitation, I activated my copy ability.
[Activated ‘Copy-Trait’.]
[Registering the target’s trait, ‘Retrocovery (S)’, in the slot.]
▷ Copy-Trait [2/2]
1. Retrocovery (S)
2. The Sovereign’s Crown
[Retrocovery (S)]
▷ Automatically activates when taking damage.
▷ Restores health to 100% when triggered.
▷ Cooldown: 3 days
The activation condition was both an advantage and a disadvantage. It would trigger even from minor injuries, such as a light scratch or a pinprick, and the three-day cooldown would still apply.
Of course, it would also activate and fully heal you even if your body was split in two or your forehead was pierced by a sniper’s bullet.
Additionally, Retrocovery was categorized as a “ti” skill.
Because it was classified as a “reversal” effect rather than a “healing” effect, it could easily bypass various debuffs that interfered with recovery.
There was a reason why the cooldown was as long as three days.
[‘Retrocovery’ has been activated.]
[Cooldown: 2 days, 23:59:58.]
As expected, Retrocovery activated imdiately after I copied it and started healing the burns caused by the Inferno Fist penalty.
To avoid suspicion, I sprayed the elixir on my hand.
While I looked down at my rapidly regenerating hand, the principal’s question ca flying at .
“Continuing from earlier. Are you really here to study? No other objectives?”
“I do have other objectives. Like helping my friends grow alongside .”
“…Friends?”
“Yes, as you know, this year’s first-year students are exceptionally talented.”
“Well, that’s true, but what’s in it for you?”
“That’s what I enjoy doing.”
The principal’s curiosity seed to deepen even further.
“You’re more and more peculiar the more I hear. Anyway, let’s continue.”
However, contrary to his expectations, I released the strength from my hand.
“This will be it for today. Thank you for your efforts.”
“…What? You’re not going to hit anymore?”
“No, I think ten hits would be a bit too much.”
Even just copying Retrocovery was already a sufficient achievent.
I could copy one more and overwrite it in the [Sovereign’s Crown] slot, but—
It’s not cost-effective.
A faint glow was beginning to reappear around the principal’s body.
This ant that his [Armor of Valor] had recharged.
To break through that, I would need to unleash Inferno Fist twice more. But Retrocovery was already on cooldown, and I only had one elixir left.
I needed to keep that last one as an ergency reserve.
I can’t afford to make him ask too many questions too.
From the beginning, I never intended to hit him ten tis or give him ten opportunities.
Doing so would an I’d have to reveal too many of my hidden cards.
Until now, he had been focused on as the Monarch, but soon, he would start asking questions that would hit closer to the core.
For several reasons, it was better to step back now.
On the other hand, the principal who was perhaps expecting things to go all the way seed noticeably flustered.
“Wait, that’s it? You’re just stopping here? You should keep going. After all the trouble I went through to ask you for this. I still have plenty of questions to ask.”
“I’ve co to realize my lack of skill. I think it would be better to continue the Q&A another ti. Thank you.”
I bowed politely, and while the two of them seed a bit taken aback, they didn’t try to stop .
As I walked away, I could hear the principal muttering in an uneasy tone behind .
“Feels like I’ve been robbed of sothing…”
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