Combat

Chapter 8: Combat

In the early morning, bright sunlight streamed into the bedroom.

Sulu opened his eyes. Even after a full night's sleep, exhaustion still clung to him. His limbs were numb and sore, and he didn't want to move.

Thinking back to last night—the café, the date, Beatrice, Murderous Shadow, Corpse Princess... It all felt like a dream.

"Attribute Panel!"

He silently called it up in his mind, and a screen visible only to him appeared:

Name: [Sulu Portley]

Occupation: [None]

Class: [0]

Title: [None]

Strength: [1.1], Agility: [1.2], Constitution: [0.6], Spirit: [1.6]

Skill: [Corpse Maiden Creation LV1]

Passives: [Universal Hebraic LV3], [Basic Physics LV4], [Demon Hunting Lore LV1], [Ancient Hebraic LV2]

XP: [0]

"My Constitution dropped by a third, but my Spirit increased by 0.1. Is it because I successfully cast a spell last night, and my Spirit was tempered?"

The changes on the Attribute Panel were proof enough that everything that happened last night had been real.

Sulu fell silent for a moment, but ultimately chose to accept reality.

Although I used Black Sorcery to evade the murder charge, the real murderer will definitely catch on...

And then there's Beatrice. I don't know how far she'll carry out yesterday's command. That's another problem...

At this point, I actually hope Rhode gets here soon.

His older brother clearly knew more about demon hunting than he did. He might even have become a genuine Witch Hunter, the very thing capable of dealing with supernatural incidents like this.

I can't pin my hopes on someone else. I need to gain strength of my own.

Sulu stared at the Attribute Panel.

Corpse Maiden Creation was certainly powerful, but his spellcasting last night had proved one thing: he wasn't a true spellcaster yet. If he carelessly used magic, it could very well drain his own life force!

One spell cost 0.3. Two more, and he might be done for!

How do I unlock a mana pool? That's the question. It seems everything comes back to the beginning... How do I advance and become a true professional?

The Portley Family had records on Witch Hunters, but they wouldn't help him in time.

Sulu slowly got up, got dressed, and went to the shared lounge.

"Whoa! Sulu, what happened to you? Why's your face so pale?" Sean, who had been admiring himself in the mirror, jumped in fright.

"Hm?"

Sulu looked in the mirror and saw that his cheeks were gaunt, his eye bags were dark, and his hair was dry. He looked pretty frightening.

"Buddy!" Sean seemed to hesitate before patting Sulu on the shoulder. "It's normal for young guys to overdo it once in a while, but you've got to take care of your health, too."

"Get lost!!!"

Sulu rolled his eyes and began considering his most urgent concerns.

My body's taken too much of a hit. I need to replenish it... And I need to investigate what happened last night. Maybe I can start with Molly, who gave me the note...

That mastermind might attack me again, so I need to build up some strength.

And the strange change that happened during my final spell last night has been bothering me... I'd better look into it.

After thinking it over, Sulu said, "How about I look things up in the library while joining the Combat Club to train?"

University students in the White Eagle Federation had plenty of free time, which they could spend taking all kinds of classes and joining clubs.

But the old Sulu hadn't been interested in much. He'd just spent his time in the library.

Now that he thought about it, joining the Combat Club would let him exercise and improve his constitution. He could also learn some self-defense. He wasn't sure how useful it would be, but at least it might give him some courage.

With that in mind, he stepped forward and punched Sean. "Hey, Sean, I need to ask you a favor! Do you know Molly?"

"You mean the Molly who follows Instructor Catherine around? Molly Apple? Of course I know her!" Sean's eyes shifted, and a lecherous grin tugged at his lips. "Are you into that type? I prefer Catherine myself. Mature, sexy..."

"What are you even talking about?"

Sulu shook his head. "I... Uh... Fine, I like her. I need all the information you can get about her. Can you do that for me?"

"Of course! Who are we? We're brothers!" Sean thumped his chest, flashing his pearly white teeth as his right thumb rubbed against his index finger.

"I get it. You'll be paid. Afterward!"

Sulu felt like his wallet was about to take another heavy hit, but he gritted his teeth and agreed.

The research institute had set his starting date for September, leaving him two months of free time.

Maybe he should look for a way to make some money during that time?

"Deal!"

Sean and Sulu slapped their hands together. Then Sean glanced at the coat rack, a suspicious look suddenly crossing his face. "Did you... wear my suit yesterday? I was saving that for my date with Mary."

"Must've been your imagination!"

After eating a sandwich for breakfast, Sulu headed to the Combat Club at St. George University.

"Hyah!"

"Ha!"

Dozens of young men and women in matching Combat Club uniforms were practicing sparring or drills in the spacious gymnasium. Others were grappling with several exercise machines.

This place looked pretty professional. And at least it was good value for money, much cheaper than classes off campus...

Thinking this, Sulu walked into the gym.

A young woman with a ponytail and tanned skin immediately came over. "Hi there. What can I do for you?"

"I'm Sulu Portley. I'd like to join the Combat Club and train for a while."

Sulu politely explained why he had come.

"Now?" The young woman frowned, then quickly relaxed. "We usually recruit new members at the start of the school year, but some people train during the break. I'm the vice president and one of the coaches here. You can call me Angelia!"

As she spoke, Angelia showed Sulu around the Combat Club. "It's free for students at St. George University. Of course, you'll have to pay for clothes and equipment yourself. We hold three group classes a week. If you want to hire a private coach, there's an extra fee... twenty Toner per session!"

"That's reasonable!"

Sulu had already looked into it. The price was half what other training classes charged, a real student benefit. "I don't have much time. I'd like to hire a coach and learn some basic fighting techniques as quickly as possible."

"No problem!" Angelia readily agreed. "The president's often away, but we have three coaches here. Take your pick! By the way, what year are you in?"

If Sulu picked her as his coach, she'd earn a commission from the private training sessions. Angelia couldn't help feeling a little hopeful.

A faint smile appeared at the corner of Sulu's mouth. "I've already completed all my credits and am getting ready to graduate..."

"Ahem..."

Angelia coughed a few times to hide her embarrassment. "So you're not a junior, you're a senior... Why have you only decided to learn martial arts now?"

"Because it's only now that I've realized fighting is my one true love!"

Sulu answered with a perfectly straight face.