Reno was lying down on the ground while doing his best to make it seem like he was unconscious.
He listened to the nonchalant remarks of the two girls while doing his best to gather information about who was after him this time.
“Sadly, we have to let the other club members share the rewards."
"Even if we did all the work due to the [Pact] skill we agreed to.”
“Yeah, but there’s nothing we can do. Something shared is better than nothing though sister.”
“Alright, you carry Reno, I’ll see to it that we can get him back to the club room safely.”
Hearing that, Reno realized he would not learn anything else from their conversation.
Reno got up off the ground and proceeded to brush off some of the dirt that had landed on his black tank top that he usually used for training.
Seeing Reno get up like nothing happened startled the two sisters. The one that was closest to Reno dashed back in an instant.
Reno observed the two girls that had intruded into his dorm room.
Both of them had brown hair and green eyes. They were both in the usual academy uniform, a white shirt and skirt along with a blue tie.
The only thing differentiating the two was that one of them had their hair tied up in a bun and the other had pigtails.
Their ties had three marks, indicating that they were both in their third year at the academy.
The one with the bun then spoke. “ You said that one hit of your mace would take knock him out, Kori! Why is he all fine and dandy!?”
The lady with pigtails responded. “I don’t know why he’s not down Koa.”
“I held back a bit but wasn’t he supposed to be around the level of G - H rank!?”
“His defense was also terrible from what his profile showed.”
“The hit I gave him was supposed to heavily injure him if anything."
"He must have gotten stronger or something, the profile was given by a teacher after all.”
Hearing this, Reno was shocked.
‘The worst has come about it seems.'
Even a teacher is interfering now, so much for the almighty student council.’
Reno then put his hand on his sword’s sheath. ‘If you want to do something then it’s better you take care of it yourself.’
He was inside the academy with a bounty on his head. Even if he were to put two students inside the infirmary he would most likely not be blamed.
The biggest problem was if he would get his ass handed to him or not.
If he didn’t try in the first place then he wouldn’t know.
Reno did his best to relax his mind and analyze the situation.
‘Kori seems to be a melee mace combatant while her sister is most likely a psychic or mage seeing how she doesn’t have any weapons on her.’
Upon seeing Reno touch his sword sheath.
Kori held the mace that was in her dominant hand and stood on guard, doing her best to protect her sister Koa.
Koa also wasn’t idle and seemed to start preparing a spell as her green eyes started to glow showing that she was readying an attack.
Reno wasn’t sure of what it could be so he had to stop her at all costs.
Reno unsheathed his ‘Grieving Maiden’ and charged at Kori.
Kori was dumbfounded. ‘He’s trying to fight me, a third year? He must be crazy.’
Kori swung her mace at Reno, thinking that he would be easy to knock back.
What surprised her, however, was that she was the one who was launched back instead.
Although not far, it was at least some meters away from Koa. What surprised her was that he didn’t follow up with that momentum.
‘Fuck! He must be after Koa!’
Kori tried rushing back to stop Reno’s advance but was too late.
Koa stopped what she was casting and activated a skill.
[Energy Barrier]
It was a simple mage skill but for stopping someone that was supposed to be weak like Reno.
It should have been enough.
[Stab]
Taking a hit from Reno’s stab skill broke Koa’s barrier.
She didn’t expect it to happen but it was still within the realm of possibility so she wasn’t too surprised.
His sword went through her shoulder causing some blood to fall.
Reno was weirded out by the fact she didn’t try dodging but his question was answered right after.
Kori rushed back.
[Temple’s Mystic Technique: Automaton’s Fury]
Before Reno could try dodging she attacked him.
[Never-ending sorrow] [Parry]
Reno parried the strike which caused him to slide back some meters.
Due to the damage reduction of Never-ending sorrow combined with his Parry skill.
He was able to walk away with pretty minimal damage.
Seeing that Reno seemed to be right, she figured that he didn’t take much damage from her strike.
‘What the hell! I’m almost at the level of a D-rank combatant but he’s still holding on.’
‘Automaton’s Fury at proficiency III not only increases my defense by 20% but also increases my attack by 15%’
‘Along with my mace, that’s a C-rank weapon.'
'The strike I gave him should have been on the level of D- rank at the least but he’s still going strong!’
‘He should be fucking dead!’
‘His profile is an absolute lie, We only joined the club for an easy meal.’
‘Not to risk dying to some nobody who angered an original family.’
“Now Koa!”
Reno stood on guard, not knowing what the mage was about to hit him with.
[Ivy’s Occult Technique: Slumber Wisps]
Reno tried to block it but still ended up inhaling some.
‘Dammit. I thought using debuff spells like sleep was considered cowardly.’
‘As someone with no Vital core, defending against attacks like these is completely out of my ballpark.’
Reno soon fell onto the ground.
Seeing that Reno was down, Kori sighed before releasing her combat technique.
Koa dropped onto the ground in a mixture of fear and relief.
Kori saw this and rushed to her sister's side.
She then took out a potion and poured it on Koa’s wound.
“You saved me there Koa. I was about to suggest giving up and retreating but it looks like the fact that he has no vital core is true.”
Koa nodded. ‘The fact he can do this all without a core is already terrifying enough.’
Some seconds later, Koa was all good to go.
She was second-guessing some things at this point.
‘To be this strong without a vital core or background.'
'Could Imogen be trying to get rid of him before he grows using Lena as a forefront.’
Koa soon shook her head dismissing these thoughts. ‘It’s best if I don’t try figuring out anything, as long as we can join the Imogens then I shouldn’t care.’
‘No matter if I have to use cowardly techniques or backstab others to do it.’
Kori then went over to pick up Reno and get out of the crime scene.
[In Reno’s Mind]
Due to the effects of the spell that Koa cast, Reno was stuck in his mind.
He wouldn’t be able to wake up unless the sleep spell wore off or was deactivated by the caster themselves.
‘Fuck! I need to make sure to find a way to counteract this in the future. Is there anything I can do now though?’
‘If I get handed in for my bounty then it’s game over for me with no respawns, saves, or second chances.
Reno felt powerless, it was like he was in the opposite of his focus skill. He felt restricted.
‘Wait! I’m not fully unconscious seeing as how I’m still self-aware. It’s worth a shot.’
Reno tried to activate his focus skills.
[Focus skill: Assign a task]
‘YESSS! It’s working! Looks like I might not be dead yet
‘Focus, take out my two attackers that are in the training room for the remaining time available’
[Error! The task is too complex, and attackers are not specified…. Training Room unknown… Not able to gather enough data from the mind…]
Reno ground his teeth. ‘The focus skill can only work based on non-complex simple instructions huh, I see’
Thinking of anything that might work, Reno got an idea. He then reactivated the focus skill.
[Focus skill: Assign a task]
‘Engage in battle with anyone who comes in a 10-meter radius of me for the remaining time available.’
[Task starting: Engage in battle with anyone who comes within a 5-meter radius of me for the remaining time available]
Seeing that his focus skill worked this time, Relief washed over Reno.
‘I’ve never used the focus skill to fight before now that I think about it, I wonder how it will do.’
As soon as the focus skill started.
The eyelids of Reno’s body flipped open and he saw that Kori was closer than 5 meters to Reno.
Following the instruction, Reno’s body got up and then lunged at Kori.
Kori was not expecting this but still managed to block in time.
[Cut]
The blade of Grieving Maiden went through the handle of the mace that Kori was using and even cut a vertical line from her chest to her abdomen.
Blood flowed out of Kori's wound and started to dye the ground under Kori red.
‘The hell!? How did he wake up from Koa’s sleep spell.’
Koa was baffled. She felt the traces of her energy all over Reno which meant her spell was still in effect but he was still moving.
‘This guy!? He’s breaking the laws of magic theory! What I’m seeing should not be possible!’
Remembering what Reno previously pulled, Kori pulled back some distance to protect Koa.
Reno’s body sensing that there was no attacker within 5 meters, stopped and waited.
Kori and Koa were wondering what Reno was doing.
Kori still made sure to stand on guard.