Became a Student at the Academy (2)
After parting ways with Asami, I used the teleportation device again to return to the entrance of the F-rank Mirror World.
The reason was the Ring of Growth, a random drop from this specific dungeon. It's an "opener" item that doubles the number of points acquired in the game—a feature designed for players who want a smoother experience. Since the game starts at the academy, it can be acquired early in the F-rank Mirror World.
In my previous life, I only acquired it to clear a challenge but never actually used it. The condition to obtain the ring is to complete the F-rank Mirror World ten times in a row.
I went straight into action.
Feeling that familiar, light dizziness, I stepped into the forest once more.
[Rating: F-] > [Goblins: 20/20]
Nine more to go.
[Rating: F-] > [Goblins: 15/15]
. . .
[Rating: Special F-] > [Goblins: 50/50] > [?: 1/1]
"Ugh… I think I'm going to vomit."
Even if the dizziness is light, doing it ten times in a row made my stomach churn.
'Status Window.'
Name: Sora
Race: Incubus
Contractor: Asami Sato
Strength: 5 | Agility: 4 | Stamina: 6 | Endurance: 2 | Mana: 1 | Vitality: 10
Points: 0 | Essence: 9,052
Skills: X
Abilities: Drain (Lv6), Eye of Incubus (Lv1), Intercourse (Lv5)
Special Ability: Incubus Contract (S)
After calming my stomach, I began to think about how to utilize my energy. I had already discussed the general direction of my growth with Asami.
'I need offensive skills to handle these goblins.'
Now, after defeating fifty goblins alone, I have to face the "?"—the Hobgoblin that appears at the end. A Hobgoblin is rated F+, making it equal to or stronger than Asami is right now.
'I'll create an attack skill first.'
[Do you want to create Magic Missile (Lv1)? Cost: 200 Essence] > [YES]
Immediately, Magic Missile (Lv1) appeared in my skill slot. Now that I had magic, I needed to increase my Mana to actually use it. I began using my Essence to generate and balance new abilities as efficiently as possible.
The final result:
Name: Sora
Race: Incubus
Contractor: Asami Sato
Strength: 5 | Agility: 4 | Stamina: 6 | Endurance: 2 | Mana: 1 | Vitality: 10
Points: 0 | Essence: 2,252
Skills: Magic Missile (Lv1), Search (Lv1), Heal (Lv1), Blessing (100 BP)
Abilities: Drain (Lv6), Intercourse (Lv5), Eye of Incubus (Lv1)
Special Ability: Incubus Contract (S)
The new skills were: Magic Missile (200 Essence), Search (100 Essence), Heal (300 Essence), and Blessing, which cost 6,000 Essence and 100 Points.
The Blessing mechanism was exactly the same as in the game. You gain 1 Blessing Point (BP) for every 60 Essence. You can increase a stat by 1 per BP, or a skill level per 10 BP. In the early game, using Essence this way is technically "inefficient," but since stat costs double every 10 points later on, a Buffer becomes incredibly valuable in the long run.
In this world, people who awaken Buff abilities are rare, so while the demand is high, the supply is small. Most Buffers lack growth because they aren't much help in combat at the start. Fortunately, I had a massive head start thanks to my stored Essence. Even if I invested all 100 BP into stats right now, I'd be in the middle ranks of the academy.
'Everything is ready.'
Now it was time to hunt. Goblins? They didn't stand a chance. I was invincible, and my Essence was my god.
Mana +40
Agility +15
Strength +25
Magic Missile Lv Up
Search Lv Up
The distribution was finished. The me who struggled with a single goblin was gone. I moved toward the center of the forest with confidence.
∴
"That's fifty."
I checked the dungeon window after blowing the head off a goblin with a Magic Missile.
[Rating: F-] > [Goblins: 0/50] > [Hobgoblin: 1/1]
I could clearly feel the difference. My movement and reaction speeds were higher; I didn't get tired. The 40 BP invested in Mana was enormous—a single Magic Missile hit like a cannonball. One shot, one kill.
"Now for the Hobgoblin."
I activated Search. I felt a concentrated energy in the center of the forest. If I defeated him, I'd get the ring. I moved quickly, carving marks as I went. I was a little nervous about facing an F+ rank monster, but my confidence outweighed the fear.
"Keruk…"
Unlike the others, the Hobgoblin held a polished iron sword and sat on a flat stone like a king. I felt a sense of dignity from him, but I didn't shrink back.
'First, a preemptive strike.'
White light gathered in my hand, forming a sphere of mana. In this world, using magic usually requires a deep understanding of techniques, but for some reason, I could cast it instinctively. The Magic Missile streaked across the clearing, tearing a massive hole through the Hobgoblin's chest.
"Wait… really?"
I was stunned. It was a one-shot kill. The Hobgoblin looked down at his hollow chest with bewildered eyes before collapsing into dust.
"That was too easy."
I walked over to the stone where he had been sitting.
[Cleared the Special F-rank Mirror World!] > [Reward: Ring of Growth, 20 Points]
An F+ magic stone and the Ring of Growth sat on the stone. I checked my window—20 points richer. A total of 50 F-rank stones, one F+ stone, the ring, and 20 points. Not a bad haul.
I followed my marks back to the exit and returned to the real world. From there, I headed straight to the Magic Stone Exchange.
"Welcome," a female employee greeted me from behind the counter.
"I'd like to exchange these stones."
"Certainly. Please provide your student ID and the stones."
I pulled up my ID on the Cube Watch and handed over a pouch with 51 stones.
"Let's see… Sora, Class F-2. Fifty F-rank and one F+ stone. That comes to 53 GP. One moment, please."
Vrrr. My watch buzzed as the 53 GP was deposited.
"You've collected quite a few for an F-rank student," she noted, looking impressed. "You must have a great party."
"No, I did this solo."
Her eyes widened. "Solo? That's amazing."
"Haha… thank you."
Since this world was based on an adult game, almost every woman was beautiful, including her. I smiled shyly and headed back to the Building F dormitory. I took the elevator to room 506, washed up, and collapsed onto the bed.
I spent some time looking at Asami's status window, debating how to help her grow. Then, I pulled the ring from my pocket and held it up to the light. It was a simple design with a clear, transparent red gem.
'I wonder what kind of face she'll make when I give this to her.'
She'd be happy, surely. Or maybe embarrassed?
'Well, I guess I'll find out tomorrow.'
I browsed "MewTube" for a while before drifting off to sleep.