Chapter 195: Treasury
“Huff…,” I panted, trying to keep my breath steady as my legs burned with fatigue.
Every muscle ached, and the temptation to slow down was strong.
I called this a casual jog, but really, who was I kidding?
“We should do three more laps, Riley!” Kagami’s voice came from up ahead, as chipper and intense as always.
‘Fuck…!’ I muttered under my breath, barely managing to keep pace.
I knew Kagami was a gym rat, but I didn’t expect him to be a marathon runner on top of that.
He was already several strides ahead, his bulky frame moving with a dangerous grace that belied his size.
Despite recently cutting his hair into a sharp buzz cut, which gave him a slightly fresher, less intimidating vibe, Kagami’s presence still screamed danger. The guy was built like a tank, yet his stamina was unreal.
We were on our 27th lap around Greenwood Forest—a park near the northern section of the commercial district—and Kagami hadn’t slowed down once.
He was a machine, keeping a steady, relentless pace from the start. Meanwhile, I was feeling like I might pass out any second.
“Man, it’s been a long time since I’ve run with someone like this. Feels refreshing!” Kagami’s voice was oddly cheerful for someone who should be just as exhausted, if not more.
I glanced at him, still powering forward, his face barely betraying any sign of exertion.
How was he not tired? And the worst part—he wasn’t even using mana.
This was pure physical stamina. If he’d been channeling any magic to help him, I could’ve at least justified my own suffering.
But no, he was just naturally this insane.
I had thought my endurance stat was already high enough, but clearly, compared to Kagami, it was laughable.
No wonder this guy became best friends with Lucas in the game—both of them had insane stamina reserves that made regular people look like they were running on fumes.
My feet were killing me, and it was tempting to use mana to keep up with him.
But that would have ruined the whole point of this morning’s training session.
So, gritting my teeth and ignoring the pain, I pushed myself to keep pace with the man.
“Hahaha, that was fun! We should do this more often,” Kagami said, sounding way too cheerful for someone who had just completed 27 laps at a grueling pace.
“Sure…” I muttered, my breath still coming out in ragged gasps as we finally sat down on an empty bench.
We drank slowly from our canteens, both taking a moment to cool down.
I wiped the sweat off my face with a towel, feeling like I had just run a marathon.
Kagami, on the other hand, barely broke a sweat.
It was almost insulting how composed he looked, like we had just gone for a casual walk instead of a punishing workout.
As we sat there, people began walking and jogging past us, mostly students out for their own morning routines.
Every now and then, they glanced our way, their eyes inevitably landing on Kagami.
With his towering frame and stoic expression, it was impossible not to notice him. His presence alone seemed to intimidate anyone who got too close.
“You should stop scaring the other students,” I said, half-joking as I watched a group of girls veer slightly away after spotting Kagami.
“Fuck off, man,” he shot back with a grunt, though there was a trace of amusement in his voice.
I laughed lightly, though it still felt like my lungs were on fire.
Despite Kagami’s tough exterior, he wasn’t bad company, and this morning’s run—while painful—was productive.
If I kept this up, I might even be able to match his insane stamina one day.
[Status Info:]
[Riley Hell]
[Race: Human]
[Level: 87]
[Strength: B [0/80]]
[Agility: D [0/50]]
[Endurance: C [0/60]]
[Luck: 0] [????]]
[Power: C [0/60]]
[Available Status Points: 59]
[Skills Info:]
[Intermediate Swordsmanship (Proficiency 98%)]
[Piercing Strike!] [Proficiency (97%)]
[Mana Amplification] [Proficiency (97%)]
[Time Dilation] [Proficiency (99%)]
[Dash] [Proficiency (85%)]
[Heavy Strike] [Proficiency (85%)]
[Thought Acceleration] [Proficiency (40%)]
[Flash Step] [Proficiency (55%)]
[Blood Rampage (Rare)] [Proficiency (18%)]
[Raging Storms] [Proficiency (15%)]
[Golden Lightning] [Proficiency (15%)]
[Passive Skills:]
[Monarch’s Will (Locked)]
[Passive Effect: Charisma + EX]
[Current proficiency: 45%]
[Influence: 90]
[Presence: 90]
[Soul Archive:]
[Extra skills:]
[Skill: Archive (S)] [Proficiency (10%)]
[Skill: Pain Nullifier (A)] [Proficiency (10%)]
[Skill: Hero’s Will (Unique)] [Proficiency (0%)]
[New Skill: Hero’s Aura (Unique)] [Proficiency (0%)]
My overall progress didn’t remain stagnant, though, thanks to the incident with Dorothy.
I was so focused on my goal of dealing with her that I completely forgot just how much of an EXP goldmine her event actually was.
Those creatures of darkness she summoned weren’t just for show—they were high-class monsters, ranging from low B-rank to high A-rank depending on their size and strength.
I ended up gaining four levels in total during that short period of chaos, though it came at the cost of mowing down what felt like an endless tide of monsters.
It was a brutal grind, but the results spoke for themselves.
Since Lucas and Janica had been battling even more creatures for a longer time than I had, it’s safe to say their stats had skyrocketed as well.
Lucas, in particular, had been growing stronger at an impressive rate, which was a good thing in the long run.
Though I hadn’t had the time to focus too much on him, I could already tell that the quality of his aura had sharpened considerably since our last fight at the Grand Festival.
Back then, his aura had been raw and unstable—powerful, but not fully controlled.
Now, it felt more refined, more concentrated, like a blade that had been meticulously honed.
It was encouraging to see, especially since Lucas was destined to become one of the main pillars of strength in the future.
The faster he grew, the better.
Even if I was altering the course of events slightly, having him at full power sooner than expected could only be a good thing.
[Available Status Points: 59]
With the sufficient points acquired, it was finally time to handle this long-overdue status upgrade.
I opened my stats menu, feeling the anticipation build as I focused on the agility stat that had been lagging behind for a while now.
[Agility: D [50/50]] → [Agility: C [0/60]]
[Available Status Points: 9]
As I confirmed the upgrade, a subtle surge of energy coursed through my body.
It wasn’t as overt or flashy as when my strength increased—no sudden bulking up or anything like that—but I could feel the difference in a more refined way.
My senses seemed sharper, more attuned to the world around me.
Movements felt lighter, like there was less resistance in my muscles and joints, though it wasn’t enough to gauge the full extent of the change just yet.
Agility was tricky like that. It didn’t scream its presence the way raw power did, but in a real battle, reflexes and speed made all the difference.
I’d have to test my new agility stat in combat to see just how much it impacted my reaction time and overall speed.
‘I should train with Seo later,’ I mused, thinking back to the last time we sparred.
It had been a while since we trained together, and with my new boost in agility, it’d be interesting to see how I fared against her in a duel.
Seo was quick—her speed and stealth made her a tough opponent, so it’d be a good way to push my limits.
“But about what you said earlier, do you really want me to join?”
“Yes.”
Kagami’s brows furrowed, and his usual stoic expression wavered as if he was mildly dissatisfied with the response.
“It’s a bit lacking… but if that’s what you want.”
He wasn’t thrilled, but he wasn’t going to argue either.
Kagami knew he owed me, so despite his dissatisfaction, he accepted my request.
I had asked him to join the student council, though it wasn’t exactly my idea.
It was more of a favor passed on from Snow.
She wanted me to join her in the council as well, but thankfully, she understood my reluctance to draw any more attention than I was already getting.
Three weeks had passed since the incident with Dorothy, and while the academy had been shaken in the immediate aftermath, things quickly returned to normal.
The daily routines resumed, classes continued, and even the student council elections proceeded as usual.
Snow won, but it was much closer than anyone expected.
After the heroics of the incident, Rose had gained a significant following, and she almost managed to snatch the position away from Snow by a hair’s breadth.
It wasn’t a landslide victory like most had predicted.
In fact, Snow’s narrow win had caught some people off guard.
Still, the principal’s plan of using us to redirect attention from the incident worked.
The academy didn’t crumble under the weight of public scrutiny as many feared it would, and while whispers and rumors about the event persisted, they were subdued, buried under the newfound hero narrative that Lucas, Rose, and I had unwittingly become part of.
