Pick Me Up!

A total of twelve skills.

Three related to weapon skills. Three related to mental abilities. Two resistances. Three auxiliary skills. And one extra.

‘It’s not good.’

Skills that could synergize were leveling up independently.

Choosing a great sword over a shield wasn’t just for show.

A one-strike sword technique focused on destructive power. I had decided on my concept early on and developed myself accordingly.

‘Heavenly Sword Spirit and Power Strike.’

Both skills were about adding destructive power onto sword attacks.

However, they didn’t combine.

‘Composure and Frenzy.’

Since the 5th floor, it has been the same.

They had powerful effects, but the downside was a weakening of weapon skills.

‘Insight and Invincible go without saying.’

When two skills perfectly combine, the effect improvement doesn’t end at double.

It will be at least triple the original effect. If more synergy is created, it could go up to ten times or more.

This is called breaking the limit.

Limit breaking is an essential process that lower-tier heroes must undergo to surpass the domain of higher-tier heroes. It was the part I paid the most attention to when training heroes. If done correctly, it could overpower the difference in stats.

‘There’s no problem with the calculations…’

Long ago, the blueprint for ‘Han Israt’ was completed.

Although several problematic issues were overcome with the help of Niflheimr, the most crucial awakening had not occurred. Initially, I thought time would solve it, but…

Bang!

I swung my sword again.

The water split violently to the sides, creating waves across the entire swimming pool.

‘As expected, it can’t be done like this.’

At this rate, I’d just be a slightly more talented 1-star Hero.

There was no way I could reach the five from Niflheimr.

“…”

After countless battles and training, if there was still something lacking…

I swung my sword tirelessly.

“Ah, Oppa? Eek!”

Jenna stumbled.

She had entered the training ground entrance and got hit by a splash of water.

“Why are you scooping water out of the pool with your sword?”

“It’s late. Aren’t you going to sleep?”

I smirked and threw a towel to her side.

Jenna caught the towel and started drying her wet hair.

“I couldn’t sleep, so I thought I’d practice a bit more. What about you?”

“As you can see. I’m training.”

“Isn’t that enough? You’re already at the level of a human weapon.”

“A human weapon, you say.”

Jenna continued.

“Swinging a sword to deflect ballistas, slicing through thick iron, and scooping pool water with a swing, if that’s not a weapon, what is?”

“This isn’t enough.”

I shook my head.

To survive, I’m far from the goals I’ve set for myself.

“How much stronger do you intend to become? Consider our feelings man, we’re trying to keep up.”

“That’s for you to handle.”

I straightened my sword.

The practice wasn’t over yet.

To clear my complicated thoughts, I planned to swing my sword throughout the night.

“Hmm.”

Jenna seemed to ponder something, then swiftly jumped to my side.

“It seems like you’re troubled. Tell me.”

“It’s because I’m weak. Satisfied?”

“Wow, such deceit… I can understand how Aaron felt.”

Jenna sat down next to me, pressing her hip against mine.

Then she grinned and looked up at me, settling in as if she planned to stay.

“…”

I decided to stop for a bit.

Perhaps Jenna could provide a clue to break through the wall.

Jenna had exceptional insight and understanding. And,

‘More importantly…’

This little had already combined skills.

Jenna had acquired the special skill Side Winder, a combination of Weak Point Detection and Rapid Fire.

And she was aware of my skill situation.

….

“Ah, so you think the conditions are right, but the skills aren’t combining.”

After listening to my explanation, Jenna clapped her hands.

“The synergy just isn’t there.”

“Maybe because you’re not in the same situation as when you obtained the skills?”

“When I obtained them?”

“Yeah, like, that time on the 5th floor?”

I narrowed my eyes.

The situation when I obtained Frenzy.

The 5th floor.

It was a mission to survive against thousands of goblins.

I barely survived, fighting to the brink of death.

“At that time, Oppa, you were, how should I say, extremely…”

“Extremely, what?”

“Filled with madness? It was like a do-or-die situation.”

“That’s right.”

“But now, I don’t really get that feeling watching you. You seem more calm?”

“Well, I’m more experienced now, and I’ve mastered a lot of other skills.”

After the 5th floor.

Precisely, after the 15th floor, there weren’t any critical crises.

The 20th, 25th, and up to the 30th floor. All were missions I could clear without much difficulty with my power.

“The Oppa from before fought more fiercely, but now you feel more like a strategy machine. No matter what situation arises, you handle it coolly! Since it’s a mental skill, maybe that aspect is affecting it?”

“That’s a tall order.”

I gave a bitter smile.

Jenna’s advice wasn’t much different from my analysis.

Thinking back to the 317 cases of limit breaking in Niflheimr, 245 were during battles, 55 during training, and 17 were other cases.

‘Force a crisis situation, is that what you’re saying?’

It was an option I hadn’t considered even when I was a master.

Regardless of how talented a hero was, I didn’t want to push a party to the brink of extinction just to focus on one person. Now that I’m a hero, even more so.

Jenna’s advice, though new to me, who had only thought of training from a master’s perspective, was just that, nothing more.

Analyze the hero’s talent and traits, then train the appropriate type of skills.

That was the extent of my involvement in training as a master.

Whether the flower blooms or withers away is up to them.

‘…’

There must be another way.

I decided to think about it gradually.

‘Does the environment when first obtaining the skill influence later awakenings?’

It was time to verify if Jenna’s words were correct.

A fresh theory. If I had still been a master, I would have prepared for experiments immediately.

“So, was it helpful?”

Jenna tilted her head.contemporary romance

“It’s not that it’s not helpful. Though it’s hard to say if it will be helpful.”

“Eh, what’s that? So vague.”

“We are already fighting fiercely. What more can we do?”

I said with a laugh.

Being calm meant being efficient.

It meant looking at the situation broadly.

This was the optimal survival method I had developed through missions.

There was no intention to change my combat style now.

Bang!

The third sword strike.

The column of water shot up high.

I'm currently Translating the following novels: Pick Me Up! | A Frontline Soldier Awakened as a Gamer In The War! | The 100th Regression of the Max-Level Player. If you want to support me and read more chapters please subscribe to my Patreon!

done.co