[ Mission Subject Status Window(Possessed):

Name: Iris Platina (Damian Tray)

Age: 21 (24)

Level: 1 (FP: 9)

Class: Basic Aura Knight

Title: Failure of The Renowned Knight Family

Strength: 12 [33%]

Constitution: 11 [28%]

Agility: 13 [90%]

Wisdom: 10 (33)

Aura: 11

Skills: Swordsmanship Lv.2, Spearmanship Lv.1, Blunt Mastery Lv.1, Shield Arts Lv.1, Aura Nurturing Lv.1

Passives: Combat Instincts (A+), Resource Devouring Genius (S-)

Abilities: Platinum Aura Nurturing [Tier-1] (B) ]

‘Stuck at 9, tsk.’

This wasn’t the reason why Damian had called out the Status Window, but his eyes couldn’t help falling on the current Fate Points that he had accumulated.

After going through this bloody battle, he earned the grand sum of 8 points. However, it was practically the same as if he earned nothing.

‘Couldn’t there have been just one more Goblin?’

Just like Damian had personally experienced with Aura, major changes only happened at counts of 10 or higher.

Although he wasn’t sure which options would open up, Damian felt like he would have achieved something if he had obtained just one more Fate Point!

Of course, Damian was only ranting to himself as usual, a habit that he built up from playing too much Fate’s Guide. If there actually had been one more Goblin, he might have had to die a dozen more times before he could clear this Den.

“Iris… How are Aura Knights usually classified?”

Naturally, the second thing that Damian settled on was Iris’ class. While only one word had changed, this was already a testament to him making a change.

{Uh- Incompetents like me who have yet to condense their Aura are still considered Apprentices, but once that is achieved, everyone is considered an Official Aura Knight. Above that would be the Experts and the Masters, but even just imagining that level is far out of reach…}

While Iris was at first shaking with anticipation to hear Damian’s answer, his question was like a bucket of cold water that brought her back to reality. Her excitement was dying more and more the further she explained.

“Great. In that case, you no longer have the right to call yourself incompetent.”

{Eh?}

Iris was confused at being interrupted by Damian. She wondered if she had missed something like last time, but couldn’t find any.

Thankfully, her mind did give her the chance to consider the thought that she had thrown to the deepest corner of it.

{You- You- You- Can’t… You couldn’t be meaning to say that I have become an Official Aura Knight?!}

The narrative has been taken without authorization; if you see it on Amazon, report the incident.

“Correct. If by condensing Aura, you mean creating that little platinum ring around the heart, then congratulations, Iris Platina. You can now disregard the stigma of being your family’s disgrace.”

In addition to some other small changes, the glaring part was still the Aura Stat which had almost doubled in number.

Most importantly, Platinum Aura Nurturing’s increase in Tier conformed to this change as well. Although the System Window had a different name for this stage, it was unmistakable referring to Official Aura Knights!

{This is a joke, right? I know that I truly have no say in this, but don’t you think a joke like this is a bit overboard? Have you considered-}

Despite bringing out the possibility herself, Iris just couldn’t believe a word of what she had heard.

Even when she imagined using a pile of Magic Stones, Iris’ only dream was skipping what was usually a few years’ process of Aura Accumulation. Skipping all of that directly to becoming an Actual Aura Knight was… Impossible!

“Let’s prove it then.”

Unlike before, Leo didn’t choose the tough approach to solve Iris’ doubt. Her lack of self-confidence was the result of over a decade of trauma, forcing her to believe without seeing was really no different from a cruel joke.

‘Here goes.’

Calling out to the Aura in the ring, Damian held the turned back to the Hobgoblin’s corpse. There was no better testing dummy than this hateful monster!

Not only was the response quicker, but Damian also felt a stronger surge of energy passing through. Once it emerged, it fascinated him a bit more.

‘This is… Cool.’

Although the luster itself hadn’t changed, the Aura’s platinum color felt more surreal as if it was made of real metal!

Before the Aura could run out for nothing, Damian struck the Hobgoblin's chest which was still mostly intact.

Shik!

{This is…}

The shortsword didn’t penetrate too deeply, but the fact that it passed through the Hobgoblin’s thick skin and muscles was impressive on its own.

If Damian was to disregard the effect of the weapon itself, then just this advanced platinum Aura was twice as sharp as the old one!

“I told you, you should stop selling yourself short.”

While Iris was still floating speechlessly, Damian kept trying to call the Aura back again and again, in hope that it could finally be linked, but to no avail.

Nonetheless, what actually resulted from this was no less exciting. This time, it had only taken Damian about 30 seconds to use a second Aura Blade!

{I… I’m really an Official Aura Knight.}

The state that Iris ended up in as she watched Damian confirm all her doubt wasn’t exploding excitement. Rather, it was total emptiness.

For a second, she didn’t know what was wrong and what was right, but she quickly came back to her senses and acknowledged that she had broken the huge wall which she believed she would never cross.

Well, she wasn’t truly the one to do it, but it was still achieved using her incompetent… Supposedly incompetent body.

‘Was the problem in me and my weak mentality, or…’

“You don’t need to try and understand how it happened. Now that I confirmed it, I will explain it all to you soon, but for now, try to come to terms with your new reality.”

Seeing Iris’ lost face, Damian used his most common trick. Giving it time!

Whether it was being stuck on a level or the game or a task at the company, giving things time always produced a fresh perspective that solved most of his problems!

In any case, while his depleted Aura reserves had been recovered by this session of Nurturing and Advancement, Damian’s stamina was still at an all-time low.

He still had to sort out the rest of the Den, and he wasn’t going to wait for Iris to go along with him for that.

Aside from the mutilated corpses on the ground, the Den itself wasn’t that messy, but that itself was an urgent matter that needed immediate attention.

If the smell of blood ended up attracting more monsters, Damian was bound to run out of his breath even if he didn’t run out of Aura.

‘Let’s do this, this… And this.’

Quickly pushing his brain to come out with a solution, Damian didn’t hesitate as he immediately applied it with the last of his strength.

“There we go. It’s settled.”

Finally, he went to the torches that were hanging at each end of the Den and put them away into his Inventory.

‘Save.’

Only when darkness reigned once again, did Damian create a new Save Point.

With the result of his effort now consolidated, Damian finally lied on the ground and let himself pass out. It was time to get his long-deserved sleep!