Acquired the Scam Rune in the Academy

In this world, the measure of strength is determined by runes.

And it is not only limited to corresponding Holders.

But also monsters.

From F-grade monsters, which regular people can defeat with guns, to E~A-grade monsters that Holders hunt the most.

S-grade monsters, which only a few can hunt, or even monsters of higher grades are considered legendary.

Powerful monsters all possess their own runes.

For example, the B-grade monster Centaurus possesses the Epic Rune, [Ruthless Charge].

During a fight, it ignores all non-magical attacks and can strike the opponent with a force nearly twice their strength, making it a special rune.

All Centauruses display this effect when charging, and considering that they follow a certain pattern during its usage, it was a research result that confirmed, ‘Monsters also possess runes’.

It can handle fire and also has many other abilities that enhance its physical attributes.

But I heard I could replicate its runes as a [Rune Hunter].

As our intense battle with it was recognized as a ‘duel,’ I was told this.

“This makes no sense…”

I blankly stared at the information window.

The golden information window still shimmered and emitted light, as if it was giving me choices.

In other words, whenever I hunted monsters, I could obtain the runes they possessed.

So, there was no need to choose opponents among the Holders and duel.

Since I could just hunt monsters to acquire runes.

“These are real scam runes…”

Of course, not all monsters possess runes.

You have to reach a certain grade to encounter monsters with runes, and even then, useful runes can only be gained by hunting higher-grade monsters.

Sizzling Salamander was a strong B-grade monster, which was why it had three runes.

It was an unexpected stroke of luck and a rare opportunity.

‘What should I choose?’

Three runes in total.

[Fiery Flame], [Quadruped Combat] or [Lizard’s Scales]

Among them, [Quadruped Combat] can be excluded immediately.

It was the reason why it fiercely charged at me with its immense strength.

A rune that supports a monster’s duel skills, by enabling them to use their legs better.

But for a Holder like me, it was utterly useless.

I am a bipedal human, so it has no meaning for me even if I have it.

Besides, I already have the [Combat] rune.

‘Then one of these two…’

[Fiery Flame] and [Lizard’s Scales]

After much consideration, I finally decided on the latter.

The reason was quite simple.

[Fiery Flame] is a kind of magic rune that allows the manipulation of fire.

Such runes can be gained anytime in the future.

You can get them by dueling with Holders who are magic users in the fire element or by hunting monsters that specialize in fire manipulation.

Fire is the most common element in the field of magic, so opportunities to gain it are plentiful.

On the other hand, [Lizard’s Scales] is a rune that can only be gained from lizard-type monsters.

Moreover, this monster was a B-grade monster, so it had runes, but other lizard-type monsters might not have runes at all.

That’s why my choice ended up being the last rune.

[You have chosen [Lizard Scales]. As it is a level 11 rare rune, it will be downgraded to level 6 upon registration.]

[You have gained a new rune.]

[You gain 6 Toughness from the rune’s attribute.]

<Rune Information>

◎Name: Lizard Scales

◎Grade: Rare (Level 6)

◎Engraved Location: Back

◎Special Effects: –

:Once a month, you can lightly shed your skin, and when you do, all minor scars and blemishes disappear, leaving behind clean and clear skin.

: Toughness +6

◎Derived Skill: –

◎ [Hardening]

◎Detailed Information: A sharp and tough scale that only lizards possess. Unless the attack contains magic, it will be impossible to pierce through this scale.

<Skill Information>

◎Name: Hardening

◎Derived Rune: Lizard Scales

◎Cooldown: 1 hour

◎Effect: –

: Doubles toughness for 5 seconds, making you sturdier. Additionally, while Hardened, you gain 10 resistance to all elemental attacks. The effect of Hardening wears off after 5 seconds.

“This is for Hardening…”

I was amazed at the remarkably clever skill name.

It must have been created by the original author, right?

Despite the trashy name, the effect was remarkable.

You could strengthen your toughness for 5 seconds to prepare for a deadly strike and temporarily increase resistance to all elemental attacks, including magic.

Though the cooldown was a bit long, the effect was considerable for such a short duration.

‘The rune is quite decent too.’

A rune derived from the previous skill.

[Lizard’s Scales].

After much consideration, I was quite satisfied with my choice.

If there was one ability I needed most these days, it was ‘Toughness’.

Compared to other duel attributes, my toughness was quite low, and I had been troubled by the lack of ways to improve it even through training.

Just when I needed it, a rune that increased my toughness appeared, and I couldn’t be happier.

Moreover, it was a high-level rune, so the increase in toughness was up to 6.

Thanks to it, my toughness had reached 14, just like my highest attribute, strength.

‘Rune level decreases… Does it vary depending on the rune level?’

I also learned new information.

The level decrease indicated on [Rune Hunter] varied depending on the level of the rune in question.

From level 11 to level 6.

When I obtained other runes, they were all level 1 runes.

That’s why they were registered as level 0 and I didn’t know.

But when I gained a high-level rune, the decrease was quite significant.

Even for a scam rune like [Rune Hunter], there seemed to be some conscience in this matter.

“Holder Do jae-hyun. Are you okay?”

As I gained the new rune and let out a relieved smile, one of the professors approached me from the bustling crowd.

At first glance, he seemed to be a professor who taught recovery magic.

I replied with my body, which was scorched and bruised.

“No… As you can see, I’m a complete wreck. Could you please heal me?”

“It goes without saying. Just lie down right where you are. I’ll start the treatment right away.”

“Thank you.”

The internal monster incident at the academy was an important event in the early stages.

Although the direction was slightly different…

Somehow, the incident had come to a close.

***

ippotranslations

***

A B-grade monster appeared at the academy.

This became a huge topic not only within the academy but throughout South Korea.

There had been instances of monsters appearing in urban areas or among people, but B-grade monsters were rarely seen as they were high-grade monsters.

Especially within the academy, it was even more unusual. Regardless of the grade, it was almost impossible for any monster to penetrate the academy’s magical barrier, which was designed to prevent monster appearances.

“Is it the first time a B-grade monster appeared at the academy?”

“Of course. The academy has a magical barrier to prevent monsters.”

The Seoul Holder Academy had many high-grade Holders with expertise in magic among its professors and staff. As an institution responsible for nurturing future talents, it was natural for high-grade Holders to prioritize safety. Hence, magical devices were always prepared for the safety of student Holders.

When the [Magic Control] rune reached its maximum level, Holders could finally obtain the derived skill, [Magic Barrier]. This skill could be modified for various purposes, and the [Magic Barrier] installed at the academy mainly served as a defensive barrier to prevent monster appearances. However, the sudden appearance of a monster at the academy could only be interpreted as the [Magic Barrier] being breached.

“I heard there’s a rumor that a member of the <Villain> Clan intentionally destroyed the barrier.”

“What? Is that true?”

“Shh. It’s just a rumor, a rumor. It could be possible, though.”

Because of this incident, all sorts of rumors circulated.

The destruction of the [Magic Barrier] by a member of the <Villain> Clan…

The manager of the [Magic Barrier] was negligent…

The principal’s incompetence led to the incident….

Endless rumors spread among people as they passed by, and Professor Tak Won-ho, a warrior in the academy, could not hide his anger. As soon as he returned to his office, he roughly threw a pile of documents.

“Damn it! What a disgrace….”

Tak Won-ho was a professor specializing in destructive and aggressive swordsmanship, renowned among the educators in the academy. Some even regarded him as the best among all the swordsmanship professors. However, his external position was tied to the fact that he was the son of the academy chairman, Tak Yun-jae, and the heir of the famous swordsmanship family, the Tak Clan.

The Tak Clan was one of the two most distinguished swordsmanship families in Korea. As they had maintained an honorable reputation for a long time, they had accumulated considerable wealth and prestige, and their social status within Korea was not to be underestimated.

The comprehensive operation of the Seoul Holder Academy was also part of the role of the foundation the Tak Clan belonged to, making Tak Won-ho a part of that social position as well. Thus, any disgrace to the academy was, in essence, a humiliation to Tak Won-ho and the Tak Clan.

In this sense, the recent incident of the monster’s appearance at the academy was an irreparable dishonor for Tak Won-ho.

“How on earth did a monster appear at the academy….”

The academy should have been protected by the [Magic Barrier], making the appearance of a monster implausible. It was an incident that couldn’t be understood logically.

Of course, it wasn’t the first time a monster had appeared at the academy. A long time ago, when the theory about the [Magic Barrier] was not sufficient and its practical use wasn’t widespread, monsters used to appear at the academy quite frequently.

Even after the installation was completed, the barrier wasn’t 100% perfect, and monsters occasionally broke through it. However, that was a thing of the past. With the consistent construction and management of the [Magic Barrier], it was practically impossible for a monster to appear by breaking through it now.

Perhaps, it might have been true that the <Villain> Clan was involved, just like people speculated.

“Did you call me Professor Tak?”

An academy staff member entered the office and bowed his head.

Tak Won-ho raised his hand, gesturing for the staff member to wait.

“Please call that student who fought against the B-grade monster yesterday. I need to have a private meeting with him. It seems necessary to find some clues about the incident.”

The student who had practically handled the Sizzling Salamander from the beginning to the end was Kang Juyeon from the advanced class, along with Moon Ga-eun. However, it was the Holder from the intermediate class, Do Jae-hyun, who had encountered and fought against the monster for a long time.

Tak Won-ho thought that meeting him might lead to some clues about the incident.

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