novelraw Chapter 138: Knowing One’s Limits
Chapter 138: Knowing One’s Limits
After dispatching another pack of gnolls, we filled the required number of kills and soon completed the scenario.
You have fulfilled the main quota of exterminating gnolls.
Congratulations.
You have cleared Scenario #8 [Gnoll Infestation].
Basic Rewards: 5,000 Soul Coins
Your Stamina has increased by 1.
Your Magic Power has increased by 1.
The reward was quite underwhelming since I had completed the extra conditions before, but it was better than nothing. And five thousand soul coins were nothing to scoff at since if I gathered enough of them, I could buy another epic-grade skill, though I wasn’t in particular need of anything at the moment.
What piqued my curiosity was how the others were spending their growing stockpile of soul coins. Considering how often we cleared scenarios now, Boris and Michelle had to be sitting on a hefty amount. I’d already told them about the skill bookstore’s existence as well as the various profession guilds long ago. Although I’d noticed subtle changes in their fighting styles, there wasn’t any new skill that was particularly eye-catching.
A white flash engulfed us, and the next moment we were back in Fantasia. As we headed toward District D, I glanced at Boris and Michelle walking just behind Tuilë and Lucian.
“By the way,” I asked casually, “have either of you picked up any noteworthy new skills lately?”
Boris smirked. “Heh. I’ve got a few newZ tricks, but I haven’t had the chance to show ’em off yet.”
“Oh?” I raised an eyebrow. “What kind of tricks?”
“It’s a skill called ‘Inner Ki Manipulation,’ he said proudly. “Learned it from the Martial Artist’s Guild—cost me a few thousand soul coins. Haven’t mastered it yet, but once I do, I’ll be able to reinforce my body even further, maybe even project force.”
“That’s… actually impressive.” And dangerous. A Boris who could already turn his body into steel, now adding ki manipulation? A walking calamity in human form.
Michelle chimed in with a small smile. “As for me… I learnt a skill that lets me shoot from over a kilometer away called ‘Farshot Focus.’
“Ah, that one,” Boris added knowingly.
She nodded. “Mm. It stabilizes trajectory and increases accuracy over long distances. I haven’t used it much because most scenarios force close-range combat, but it helped a few times in the ninth scenario.”
“Cool.” I could already imagine how broken and useful it would be in the tenth scenario, and how it would help us a lot against faraway enemies. Michelle really was turning into a walking artillery piece, though that title also fit Tuilë in a different way.
“What are you three talkin’ about?” Tuilë turned her head back toward us with curious eyes.
“We’re talking about Boris’s and Michelle’s new skills. Boris said he’s learning how to manipulate ki—”
“Ki manipulation? You mean something like this?” She raised her large hand casually, palm facing upward.
A faint bzzt vibrated in the air, followed by a sudden flare of pale-blue energy condensing above her palm. It swirled into a tight orb the size of an apple, crackling like compressed lightning. This sight froze all of us.
“Whoa… Since when are you able to do that?” I asked, dumbfounded.
Tuilë puffed out her chest proudly. “Since quite a long time ago! Got a skill book from a scenario—it was called ‘Outer Ki Projection.’ Not super useful though, since my hand cannon blows stuff up way better.”
The sphere in her hand flared for a brief instant before she casually dispersed it with a flick. The ki orb shattered into harmless motes of pale light drifting on the breeze.
“Useless?” Lucian frowned. “The power contained in that sphere can bypass conventional armor—”
“Gahaha! You know, that’s basically the next step after what I’m trying to do,” Boris said, eyes gleaming. “To master a skill like that—even with a skill book—means you’re a real martial artist. So? Up for a spar?”
Yup, here we go again… the usual Boris. Still… was Tuilë actually good at close-quarters? I wasn’t trying to belittle her, but she was a Magic Engineer. Her physique did suggest she could probably punch someone unconscious, though…
“Hey! Are you ignoring me?!” Lucian snapped.
Tuilë seemed to catch my doubtful glance and immediately jabbed a thumb at herself. “Oi, don’t underestimate me, Maxxy. I may not be fighting at close distance much, but I’m great at barehanded combat.”
“Really?” I tilted my head. Well, she had jumped over that wall in the seventh scenario with absurd ease compared to the others.
“Mm-hm!” She nodded vigorously. “My race is a hunter race, remember? We used to live on the back of a titanic beast—a whole town built on its spine. We had to climb down and back up fast so we wouldn’t get left behind. And monsters crawled up all the time. Lots of fighting involved.”
“I see… That’s impressive.”
Boris beamed like he’d found a new toy. “Perfect. Then you and I are sparring later.”
Tuilë punched her palm with a confident grin. “Bring it on.”
Seeing that their spar was unavoidable, I figured I might as well join in if the chance presented itself. My unarmed combat could still use improvement, and with the duel against Kaela looming tomorrow, every ounce of strength and familiarity with my boosted stats mattered. Holding back on strengthening myself would be reckless; someone stronger than Graham wasn’t an opponent I could underestimate.
Before going to train, however, we made our way to the main plaza’s trading post. This place was always the most efficient spot to unload loot in bulk. We approached the counter, laying out piles of gnoll weapons, monster parts, and assorted drops gathered from the scenario on the empty ground. The clerk was surprised to see so much loot.
Of course, I didn’t forget to negotiate for a better price. By the end of it, my share alone totaled more than three thousand soul coins. Not bad at all.
Without wasting time, I headed straight for the training hall and slipped into my usual routine. Just like yesterday, Erika was already inside, practicing diligently with her blades, but today wasn’t the day for another spar with her.
The very first thing I needed to do was simple: invest a large portion of my remaining free attribute points. If I wanted my body to properly adjust to the upcoming duel—and to face the tenth scenario—I needed my stats boosted now, not later. Tomorrow was the day of my duel with Kaela, and it would be foolish if I didn’t do this.
So, I opened my status screen and began allocating points one stat at a time.
Strength: 400 → 430
Dexterity: 403 → 440
Stamina: 373 → 410
Mind: 321 → 340
Magic Power: 365 → 400
Luck: 400 → 420
Maximillian Anderson Lv. 60/60 (EXP 1,069)
HP: 100%
MP: 1,103/1,103
Rank: Gimmel [3]
Patron God: Istellia (Goddess of Imagination)
Class: Paradox Incarnate
Title: One Who Conquered the Impossible (7)
Status: Normal
Strength: 430 + 47 + 43 | Dexterity: 440 + 24 + 44 | Stamina: 410 + 35 + 41
Mind: 340 + 5 + 34 | Magic Power: 400 + 20 + 40 | Luck: 420 + 42
Plausibility: 540
Free Attributes: 69
I could feel a drastic surge of power erupt inside my body—like a dam breaking open and flooding every muscle, tendon, and even my mana core.
With my current stats, I was easily comparable to a newly-advanced Daleth-rank divine warrior with an average class. And if I included the bonus stats from my equipment and title, then in terms of total combat capability, I was no longer inferior to Graham when I fought him. In fact, I was stronger.
To confirm it, I headed straight for the weight area. I grabbed one of the larger enchanted barbells, with its base weight already a few tons, and infused mana into the runes. The weight indicator immediately climbed: six tons… eight tons… ten tons. My fingers tightened around the bar, and I settled into a firm stance.
“Hup!” The barbell rose cleanly, without me needing to exert my full strength.
Amazing. With this level of power, lifting a car—or even an African elephant—would feel almost trivial. I was already far beyond anything a normal human body could hope to achieve. And yet, in the grand scheme of things, this was still insignificant. There were monsters out there capable of flattening cities in moments and higher beings who could erase entire regions with a single thought.
Compared to that… this strength was merely an ant’s.
But then… how about my speed?
I walked over to the magic treadmill—one of the most dangerous pieces of equipment in the entire training center. This thing was capable of pushing the user to inhuman velocities. I’d once seen a divine warrior use it to surpass the speed of a sports car. Well, now it was my turn.
I stepped on and activated the magic treadmill. It began with 50 kilometers per hour before I sped it up fifty at a time—100, then 150. Wind resistance started brushing against my skin as I reached 200 kilometers per hour.
“Heh. Let’s go higher.”
Soon, the speed hit 250 kilometers per hour, and my footfalls began to blur as it crossed 300. A shockwave of wind burst behind me as the air was displaced violently. My vision sharpened; the world narrowed into a single forward tunnel. At this speed, even a slight misstep would turn anyone else into a smear across the wall.
Still, I pushed it further. As I crossed 420 kilometers per hour, the treadmill began to tremble under the strain. Air whipped violently against my face, sharp enough to sting. My muscles burned under the mounting pressure, and a subtle wobble crept into my steps—my body fighting to maintain balance at such absurd velocity. I felt like I could squeeze out a little more speed, but without reducing wind drag, I’d be blasted off the machine in seconds.
“Tch… guess this is my limit.”
At this speed, I wasn’t even close to touching the sound barrier. The difference between 400 kilometers per hour and 1,200 kilometers per hour was astronomical. I had a long way to go before I could even dream of reaching that threshold.
Still, the fact that I could casually break past 400 kilometers per hour was already insane. Back on Earth, this kind of speed would put me solidly in the “cape-wearing superhero” category. Yeah, just imagining the look on people’s faces if I sprinted down a highway like this was almost amusing.
In regard to my stamina, however, I could already tell that maintaining that kind of top speed for long periods was impossible. It was no different from how a person sprinting at full power would burn out in minutes—or even seconds. My body simply wasn’t built to sustain maximum output endlessly. But if I held myself to half that speed, I could last much longer—and depending on how much I lowered the pace, I might even be able to run indefinitely.
Even so… I was sure that Kaela would be even more monstrous than what I was currently capable of.
With that in mind, I started training and getting my body used to the sudden jump in stats. Afterward, I joined Boris for martial arts training. His method was perhaps the best at making someone understand the limits of their own physique. Naturally, I didn’t forget to consume my last Elixir of Mana Concentrate before doing all of this. I should probably concoct more later tonight once I buy the ingredients.