Ostein didn't just walk back to the academy; he swaggered.With the violet glow of the system screen pulsing in his vision, he felt like the protagonist of a legend.
He had the "Outer God" on his side. He had a trait called 'Yours Mine.' In his head, he was already imagining the look on Haisel's face when he stripped him of his S-Rank power and left him crying on the floor.
I'll be merciful, Ostein thought, dusting off his patched trousers as he reached the academy training grounds. I'll only take his Berserker trait. Maybe I'll leave him his lunch money.
He found Haisel in the center of the sparring ring, surrounded by a circle of sycophants. Haisel was currently demonstrating his [Berserker] rank, his arms glowing a violent red as he punched a training dummy made of reinforced iron.
With one strike, the dummy didn't just bend—it exploded into shrapnel.
"Look at that," Haisel laughed, wiping sweat from his brow. "That's what real power looks like. Not that we have to worry about 'Nulls' anymore. I hear the trash finally threw itself out at the ravine."
"Actually," Ostein shouted, stepping into the torchlight. "The trash decided it liked the view too much to leave."
The training ground went silent. Haisel turned, his eyes widening in a mixture of confusion and annoyance. "Ostein? How the hell are you still breathing? And why are you smiling like you just won the lottery?"
Ostein ignored the insults. He stepped right up to the edge of the ring, his heart hammering against his ribs—not with fear, but with anticipation. "I came back to give you a piece of advice, Haisel. Don't get too attached to that red glow of yours. Because what's yours..."
Ostein reached out a hand, his fingers trembling with dramatic flair. "...is now mine."
System! Ostein screamed in his head.
Activate 'Yours Mine'! Take it all!
A chime rang in his ears.
[Target: Haisel Valerius]
[Analyzing Ability: 'Berserker' (Rank S)]
[Comparison in progress...]
[User Level: 1]
[Target Power Level: ERROR]
A massive red warning box flashed in front of Ostein's eyes, obscuring his vision.
A massive red warning box flashed in front of Ostein's eyes, obscuring his vision.
[CANNOT COMPLY. TARGET IS BEYOND REACH.]
[Reason: Your current Level is too low to contain an S-Rank Soul. Attempting to copy will result in User's brain turning into lukewarm porridge.]
[Advice: Try bullying a squirrel first.]
Ostein's hand stayed frozen in the air. The dramatic silence stretched from "cool" into "deeply awkward."
Haisel blinked. "What was mine is what now?"
"Uh," Ostein's voice jumped an octave. "I... I meant... what's yours is... fine? Your ability is fine? Very red. Good job."
Haisel's expression shifted from confusion to pure, unadulterated rage. "You came back... to mock my color?"
The red aura of the [Berserker] flared.
"Wait, wait, wait!" Ostein held up his hands. "The Outer God said—!"
The first punch landed in Ostein's stomach. It didn't feel like a punch; it felt like being hit by a runaway carriage. Ostein flew backward, skipping across the stone floor like a flat pebble on a pond.
"Outer God?" Haisel spat, walking toward him as Ostein tried to remember how to breathe. "The only god here is me. And I think I missed a spot during the ceremony."
For the next ten minutes, Ostein learned a very valuable lesson about "System Requirements." He was kicked, tossed, and at one point, Haisel used him as a human weight-lifting bar. The crowd roared with laughter.
Even Stella watched from the balcony, a faint, disgusted smirk on her face.
Eventually, bored of hitting a human punching bag that couldn't even fight back, Haisel left him face-down in the dirt.
"Don't show your face again, Null. Next time, I won't be so 'fine'."
Ostein lay in the mud, spitting out a mouthful of blood and grass. His ribs felt like a jigsaw puzzle put together by a drunk, but as he groaned, a small violet notification appeared in the corner of his eye.
[Achievement Unlocked: 'The World's Most Resilient Punching Bag']
[Experience Gained: 50 XP]
[Level Up! Level 1 -> Level 2]
[New Information Unlocked: 'Yours Mine' requires Level 5 for C-Rank, Level 20 for B-Rank... Level 100 for S-Rank.]
Ostein let out a pained, wheezing laugh.
"Leveling up through getting beaten up?" he whispered, clutching his side. "Fine. If I have to be a punching bag to become a God, then Haisel better start practicing his cardio. Because I'm coming back tomorrow."
[Current Goal: Find someone with a 'trash' ability and steal it.]
Chapter ended....