Arena

Chapter 47 Special Skill (Part 1)

I come home and everyone is out.

This is actually better. I needed the time to quietly calm myself down.

I take out this and that for side dishes and eat when suddenly my phone rings. I’ve gotten a text from someone I don’t know.

[Among the assist skills, there is a special skill, get that first. From the pretty Ji-soo noona *<3*]

(TN: It’s a heart emoticon if you didn’t know.)

It’s Yoo Ji-soo. Contacting me to give my advice, I am thankful. I’m not sure about the pretty part though.

‘Now that I think about it, I haven’t checked to see how much karma I got.’

I summon my board.

-Name: Kim Hyun-ho

-Class: 7

-Karma: +1300

-Mission: rest until the next exam.

-Time limit: 19 days 16 hours

-You may receive your karma prize. To receive the prize, summon your board and say ‘karma prize.’

I’m completely surprised. I’ve jumped two classes and earned an incredible 1300 karma.

I earned 900 karma on the 2nd turn, and even then that was the highest grade for that turn.

But this time, it’s 400 more than that.

‘Then again, I did play a big role.’

I eliminated 12 lycanthropes and personally threatened the village leader to win over the villagers. The one who led the results was definitely me.

‘I basically killed all my teammates...’

I laugh bitterly.

What a superb score for a team leader that obliterated his whole team.

Anyway, I decided to retrieve my karma prize.

‘She said to get the special skill.’

Since it is the advice of a 19th, no, 20th, turn veteran examinee, Yoo Ji-soo, I think that she has a point.

But for now, I decided to first get the opinion of Cha Ji-hye.

I don’t know how my future with the Korean Arena research center will be going forward, but as of now I am still contracted. By contract, Cha Ji-hye is my manager and I cannot just use my karma without consulting her beforehand.

I send a text to Cha Ji-hye.

[Me: I am intending to choose my karma prize. I heard that I should first get the special skill, is this true?]

Ring.

A reply comes quickly. She is indeed diligent.

[Cha Ji-hye: How much karma did you receive?]

[Me: 1100]

I lower it a little. I don’t think I should reveal it all since I don’t know how my relationship with them will be going forward.

[Cha Ji-hye: You really received a lot. Then getting the special skill first is correct. Please get your special skill first and then contact me again.]

[Me: Okay.]

I speak to my board.

“Karma prize.”

-Please select a prize.

- Skill: gain a capability.

- Item: gain a weapon, shield, or other item.

- Other: turn an object from the world into an item. Something that has been turned into an item can be carried into the exam.

-Remaining karma: 1300

“Skill.”

-Please select a skill.

- Main skill: a basic capability needed for performing the exam. As the most important skill in determining an examinee’s competence, only one selection is possible.

- Assist skill: a skill that aids the examinee in addition to the main skill, according to conditions, can be selected.

-Remaining karma: 1300

“Assist skill.”

Then a whole list of assist skills I can learn appears.

There are all kinds of assist skills, and I keep flipping through them when I discover the special skill.

-??? (Special skill): The special skill is determined by the examinee’s constitution and propensity. Only one special skill may be selected. It is unknown what skill will manifest and it cannot be cancelled or changed. (-300)

I don’t know what the skill will be.

So, I can get a good skill or I can get a completely useless one.

I hesitate a moment but Yoo Ji-soo and Cha Ji-hye both said to get this first, so I decide to follow their advice.

“Select special skill.”

Pat!

A light shone from the board and seeps into me.

Then, some words appear on the board.

-You have acquired the ‘skill synthesis’ special skill.

-Skill synthesis (special skill): A ‘skill’ and ‘skill’ or ‘skill’ and ‘item’ that you possess can be joined to create a new skill. Retrieve the board and say ‘skill select.’

*An item that is used for the synthesis will be consumed.

*A skill that is created through the skill synthesis cannot be used for synthesis.

-Remaining karma: 1000

‘Skill synthesis?’

I think it’s a skill where I can put together skills I already have to make a new skill.

‘So in other words, it means I can gain a new skill without using karma?’

Acquiring a new assist skill costs at least 100 karma. But a skill made through the skill synthesis is free.

This is actually a great benefit!

‘What a great skill! So this is why they said to get this first.’

Seeing is believing.

I decide to try out this skill synthesis.

I speak to the board.

“Skill synthesis.”

And the words on the board change.

-Select the skill or item for synthesis.

- Possible skills for synthesis: spirit summons (Sylph), physical buffer, direction GPS

- Possible items for synthesis: Mosin-Nagant, item bag

Using an item for synthesis gets rid of it so I must not use those. I should synthesize skill and skill.

There’s no need to think this one through. I’ll synthesize them together in order.

“Synthesize spirit summons and physical buffer.”

-Spirit summons (Sylph) and physical buffer are being synthesized.

Pat!

A white light twinkles from the board and then it gets sucked into my body. It’s a sight similar to when I acquire a skill with a karma prize.

-Synthesis successful. You have acquired the divine protection of wind (synthesis skill).

-Divine protection of wind (synthesis skill): stir up wind with your body. It is influenced by the user’s concentration and skill level along with the spirit’s skill level.

*Entry level 1: time duration 15 minutes. Cool time 1 hour.

‘Whoa...’

I can’t stifle my surprise.

I can’t believe I got such a great skill for free. I can gather what an impressive special skill I just got.

‘Let’s keep synthesizing.’

“Synthesize spirit summons and direction GPS.”

-Spirit summons (Sylph) and direction GPS have been synthesized.

-Synthesis failed.

‘A fail...’

I guess not everything can get synthesized together.

I continue and try to synthesize the physical buffer with direction GPS.

Pat!

This time, a success.

-Synthesis successful. You have acquired athleticism (synthesis skill).

-Athleticism (synthesis skill): improved reflexes and movement.

*Entry level 1

As it states, reflexes. Turning physical condition and direction into reflexes, this is fun. Does it tell me where and how to move my body?

I’ve been told I am clumsy since I was young so this is a particularly good skill for me. In addition, this skill isn’t used but is a skill that is permanent and continuous like the physical strength buff.

‘With the wind protection and reflexes, I should be okay fighting in close range now.’

I am a physical buffer entry level 4. It’s a strong body like that of a marine.

But I am that much of a klutz that even with this good of a body I got one-sidedly beat the shit out of by Cha Ji-hye in sparring. Even though there is the point of her being trained.

But this new athleticism covers that weakness of mine.

I can use the divine protection of the wind so while Sylph does the long distance shooting with the gun, I can fight in close combat.

I am deep in thought like so when I get a phone call from Cha Ji-hye.

‘Oh right. Didn’t she say to call after getting the special skill?’

I pick up the phone.

“Hello?”

-How is the special skill?

After a quick pause, I decide to lie.

“I received a skill called the divine protection of spirit. I think the skill, it’s like getting strength from the spirit.

-Really? That’s neither here nor there. It would have been good to get something better.

Cha Ji-hye is disappointed.

“I thought this much would be good, is there a special skill that’s better?”

-Special skills are all special to each examinee so there is no repetition of skills. Another examinee I know had a most special skill, and it was a revival.

“Re, revival?”

-It was a skill for reviving at the cost of 300 karma. That’s why I am disappointed. I wanted you to gain a special skill just as powerful to overcome your obstacles.

“...well. It is what it is. Isn’t this pretty good, though? When Sylph’s summons time is up, I can still call the wind to help.”

-I did not say that was bad. Then we should think about spending your karma prize around your special skill. You have 800 karma left, correct?

“Yes.”

-Then first, we should invest in your main skill, your spirit.

“The spirit? Didn’t you say there’s not much point in increasing the main skill level in the beginning?”

-We are not raising the level.

Cha Ji-hye cuts in.

-I have heard that you can work with two spirits, Sylph and Kasa, Is that correct?

“Oh, yeah.”

-Acquire the fire spirit, Kasa. Then in an emergency you can call summon both spirits, Sylph and Kasa, into the fight, and the option for your spirit divine protection special skill will increase as well. How about it?

Sounds like a good idea.

If I get Kasa and use it as an ingredient for the skill synthesis, would I get the divine protection of fire like I did for wind?

“That sounds like a good idea. I’ll do that.”

-And we have to use your remaining 400 karma to reinforce your close combat ability. Hmm, for now, increase your physical buffer to entry level 5 with 300 karma, and the remaining 100 karma to gain another assist skill would be good.

“Which assist skill?”

-The combat and acceleration are good. Whatever it is, we have to use it to train you in a martial arts and overcome your clumsiness.

“...well, then, yeah, let’s do that.”

This woman too thinks I am clumsy. Meh, it’s an accurate observation.

Even though I don’t need those because I acquired the athleticism skill.

-And I am still in discussions with upper management at the research center regarding your situation. I am doing my best so please do not despair too much and wait.

“Yes, thank you.”

-No need. Well then...

“Yes.”

I end the call and as she said, I raised my physical buffer to entry level 5. I used 300 karma to increase my level and my body gets even harder.

All around my body the detailed muscles grow harder and seeing it, I can’t help but be awed.

Would it be believable if I stood on my finger?

My physique is incredible enough to do those cartoonish acts.

It really is true that entry level 5 is the limit for the human body.

I continued and spoke to the board.

“Show me main skills.”

-Examinee Kim Hyun-ho currently has spirit summons entry level 1.

-Spirit summons (main skill): summon the lower level wind spirit. You may summon by saying ‘Sylph.’

*Entry level 1: summons time 2 hours. Time counts down when Sylph’s power is used.

*Entry level 2: summons time 2 hours and 15 minutes. (-500)

Raising the level to entry level 2 costs 500 karma and even at that, the summons time only increases by 15 minutes. It’s too inefficient.

Like Cha Ji-hye said, raising the main skill level in the beginning is a waste of karma.

It is definitely better to get the fire spirit, Kasa, than it is to increase a level.

“I will make a contract with Kasa.”