The exchange between Tsubasa and Utaha soon passed, and the latter immediately moved away from the former with her head down, hiding her red face with her black bangs.
After hesitating for a while, Hayato finally couldn't help but approach Tsubasa and ask the confusion in his heart: "Shiraha-san, the lightning arrow you just released was... what was that?"
Everyone had clearly seen the scene where a lightning arrow suddenly appeared in Tsubasa's palm. That was a supernatural ability!
Who among those present wasn't curious... But since Tsubasa hadn't brought it up himself, no one dared to ask further. Now that Hayato was acting as the vanguard, everyone pretended not to care but secretly strained their ears.
"That is power granted by a Skill Scroll." Tsubasa glanced at Hayato and said calmly, "This kind of item drops randomly when you kill monsters—those zombies in this case. Of course... even if you are lucky enough to get an item drop, it belongs to me."
"That goes without saying." Hayato gave a wry smile and scratched his head.
Hayato didn't mind at all. Without Tsubasa, how could they still be standing here? They would have been wiped out by the Hunter long ago! People should know how to be grateful!
If he really got an item drop, Hayato would not hesitate to offer it to Tsubasa.
Tsubasa glanced at the group. Anyone could say flattering words. But he didn't care; he didn't need them as much as they needed him.
"Rest for a while. We'll leave the classroom in ten minutes!"
Leaving time for everyone to rest, Tsubasa walked to a corner alone and opened his [Cheat Panel] and [Player Panel] again.
The previous zombies-farming had earned him considerable points, and at the same time, it allowed [Elite Swordsmanship] to level up.
[Elite Marksmanship (46/50)]
[Elite Swordsmanship (50/50) → Master Swordsmanship (0/200)]
∙∙∙
[Player Name: Tsubasa Shiraha
Player Title: -
Constitution: 1.1 → 3.1
Strength: 1.1 → 2.1
Dexterity: 1.1 → 2.1
Perception: 1.1 → 2.1
Mind: 1.5 → 2.5
Skill: Magic ∙ Electro Arrow
Equipment: -
Free Stats Points: 621]
Originally, his [Strength], [Dexterity], [Constitution], and [Perception] had increased by 0.1 when [Swordsmanship] and [Marksmanship] were upgraded from [Basic] to [Elite]. But after upgrading [Swordsmanship] from [Elite] to [Master], all of his stats increased. [Constitution] increased the most, rising by two points in one go. [Strength], [Dexterity], [Perception], and [Mind], on the other hand, each increased by one point.
Tsubasa felt as if he had undergone a profound, transformative evolution. The sensation of an invisible power surging through his entire body was far more real than the mere numerical changes on the panel.
He subconsciously clenched his fist, his knuckles continuously emitting a sharp 'click.' The explosive power emanating from his hand made him clearly feel that even without weapons, he could easily slaughter ordinary zombies with just his bare fists.
His previously fragile skin now felt harder yet still maintained the elasticity of normal skin; his resistance to damage had increased several times over, and the bite of an ordinary infected zombie probably wouldn't even break his skin.
His body felt light. The intuitive feeling of increased [Dexterity] made even his movements—turning around or raising his hand—incredibly fluid, without any trace of sluggishness.
Furthermore, what surprised Tsubasa the most was the improvement in [Perception] and [Mind].
Where he could previously only vaguely hear movement within ten meters, now the shuffling sound of a zombie dragging its limbs at the end of the corridor, the rustling of leaves outside the window... everything clearly entered his ears. This feeling was marvelous and difficult to describe in words. It was as if the details of the entire world had been magnified several times over.
Previously, when facing the Hunter, Tsubasa could easily follow and even predict its movements. This is why he was calm, collected, and effortless when facing it.
This was the effect of the increase in his [Perception].
The increase in his [Mind], meanwhile, made his thoughts clearer than ever before. Even if he had to face dozens of zombies simultaneously, he could calmly plan the optimal way to kill them.
In addition to that...
"I should test the new ability gained from [Master Swordsmanship]..."
Suppressing the joy in his heart, his gaze swept over a metal water pipe bent by a zombie on the floor, and he casually picked it up. The moment the cold pipe touched his hand, an inexplicable insight instantly flooded his mind.
It was no longer the rote memory of "moves" he had at the level of [Elite Swordsmanship]. Instead, it was the complete mastery of the concept of "Blade."
With a slight twist of his wrist, the pipe spun into a blurred afterimage in his hand, precisely slicing across the edge of the desk in front of him. With a soft 'swoosh,' the solid wood desktop split smoothly, as if cut by a sharp blade, the incision as clean and uniform as if cut by a machine.
This was the terror of [Master Swordsmanship].
It no longer relied on the sharpness of the weapon itself. Instead, it allowed the integration of his own [Strength], [Dexterity], [Perception], [Mind], and understanding of "blade." He could simulate a sword attack with blunt weapons or his bare hands. Just as he had shown, even an ordinary water pipe in his hand could unleash power comparable to a sharp blade.
Tsubasa named this secondary ability [Blade Intent].
More importantly, the skill upgrade brought not just the mastery of "blade" and [Blade Intent] but also the ultimate optimization of physical coordination. He could clearly feel that every swing of his arm and every strike precisely avoided the dead zones of muscle exertion. The efficiency of force transmission had increased greatly; the arm that used to ache after ten swings now only felt slightly warm even after a hundred continuous strikes.
This feeling was somewhat similar to the state he entered when achieving flow previously, yet it was different.
"Shiraha-san... what was that!?"
Hayato, who was nearby, inadvertently glimpsed this scene, and his eyes widened in shock. He clearly saw that Tsubasa had swung the metal pipe casually, yet it cut through the wooden desktop cleanly as if it was a sharp sword.
And Tsubasa's aura when doing so was even more oppressive than when he killed the Hunter just moments ago!
Hayato felt a chill and terror spread from his spine to the top of his head. At this moment, he finally understood that Tsubasa's strength was far more than just his terrifying marksmanship and the mysterious lightning magic. This bizarre sword technique alone was enough to crush everyone present.
"..." Tsubasa said nothing, put away the water pipe, and revealed a sharp smirk.
Previously, [Elite Swordsmanship] ensured Tsubasa wasn't disadvantaged in close combat. But [Master Swordsmanship] outright gave him the capability to "sweep through" a tide of zombies. Coupled with his stats and the powerful Electro Arrow, in this instance dungeon, borrowing one of Aizen Sousuke's famous quotes in Bleach, "There shall be no enemy that can stand before us!"
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Before long, the ten-minute rest period was over.
"Rest time is up." Tsubasa turned to look at the crowd, his voice not loud, but carrying an undeniable authority, "Pack your things, we depart immediately! From now on, all zombies encountered on the road will be prioritized for me to kill; you only need to protect yourselves and transport the supplies!"
Of course, Tsubasa wouldn't easily give the monster kills to others. The final blow on every zombie must be reserved for himself.
"""YES, SHIRAHA-KUN/SAN/SAMA!!!"""
Everyone quickly responded, and in their eyes, looking at Tsubasa, reverence was mixed with a touch of fanaticism.
✱✱✱
Translator's Corner:
This chapter has 1297 Words. Other than the word count report, I have nothing else to share! Thanks for reading!