Chapter 82: Numbers 10 and 24, please come to the first dojo! An exhibition match will be held in five minutes!

"Before coming here I trained Aura Speeder in the third dojo, but it doesn’t look like I’ll obtain it anytime soon."

Speaking with a disappointed look, Kazui played with a lock of his wavy hair with his left hand.

"I see. But you did reach level 4. Your level is steadily rising, so if you keep at it without giving up, you’ll manage somehow."

Looking down at the black number "10" marked on the back of his right hand, Kazui muttered.

"...I hope so."

He had told Rolo that his level had risen to 4.

But he had not talked about learning Replication’s activation condition, or about copying Leonization.

Lumia had advised him that it would be better to keep the activation condition and Leonization as secret as possible.

That said, both Replication’s activation condition and Leonization involved sex, so even without Lumia’s advice Kazui would probably have kept them as secret as possible.

"Once you can use Aura Speeder, you’ll also be able to take part in outdoor exercises against mid-sized or larger monsters."

The Adventurer Guild held outdoor exercises outside Aquila’s walls.

Among them were exercises meant to simulate real combat against mid-sized or larger monsters.

Of course they were not done against real monsters.

Golems operated by magic were modified, dressed up as monster stand-ins, and used for the exercises.

The golems’ appearance was changed into that of existing monsters by illusion-type magic.

Monster abilities were reproduced with magic and martial arts, so fairly realistic combat exercises were possible.

Reproducing powerful monsters was impossible, but they could reproduce monsters of a suitable strength for lower-rank and trainee adventurers and put them through exercises close to real combat.

Not only martial artists. Adventurers of every class took part, formed temporary parties, and carried out the exercises.

Outdoor exercises specified a minimum required level and required owned skills depending on class.

Even if it was not against real monsters, if adventurers without the minimum strength took part there was a risk of death or injury.

For martial artists, owning a defensive skill like Aura Mail and a movement-enhancing skill like Aura Speeder was required.

In other words, Kazui, who did not own a single movement-enhancing skill, still could not take part in outdoor exercises.

With jumping power no better than an ordinary human’s, it was impossible for him to fight mid-sized or larger monsters properly.

Just as Rolo said, he could not attack vital points and could only hurt their feet.

A high-level martial artist could deal damage even to mid-sized or larger monsters with the power of Aura Shot.

But Aura Shot fired by a low-level martial artist did not have that kind of power.

(I want Aura Speeder, but even if I keep training it doesn’t look like I’ll obtain it anytime soon.)

Playing with his wavy hair, Kazui muttered in his heart.

(Lumia-san seems likely to let me copy skills again, so it would be good if I could copy it from her...)

Thinking about copying a skill from Lumia made him accidentally recall the memory of sex with her.

But he thought that was not something to think about during training, immediately pulled himself together, and stopped remembering Lumia.

"Numbers 10 and 24, please come to the first dojo! An exhibition match will be held in five minutes!"

A woman’s voice was emitted into the second dojo from a speaking tube installed in the ceiling.

Same as on Terrestrial Ships, large buildings had speaking tubes running through them, used with a sense similar to in-building communication and broadcasts.

The message from the speaking tube was repeated twice and then ended.

"That’s me..."

Checking the number "10" marked on the back of his right hand, Kazui muttered.

This number was a lottery number stamp pressed by a staff member at the counter when he checked in at the unarmed combat gym, and actually a small date was marked under the "10" as well.

At the unarmed combat gym, in the first dojo also called the exercise hall, practical training called exhibition matches was held, assuming combat against humanoid monsters or people.

In short it was like a match between adventurers, and the matches where Kazui got beaten up by the Fallon sisters were these exhibition matches.

When called through the speaking tube, an adventurer had to go to the first dojo and take part in the exhibition match.

Unless a Guild staff member serving as referee erased it after the exhibition match, the stamp pressed on the back of the right hand would not fade for a month.

From the day after the date onward, an adventurer with the stamp still remaining could not enter the unarmed combat gym.

In other words, running from an exhibition match carried the penalty of being unable to use the unarmed combat gym for a month.

The reason Kazui could not run from exhibition matches even when beaten up by the Fallon sisters and all kinds of other opponents was this penalty.

That said, even without the penalty he probably would not have run from exhibition matches that helped him get stronger all that much.

"Your level went up a little too. Go give it your best!"

Rolo slapped Kazui’s back to fire him up.

"In an exhibition match, whether you win or lose... no, the losing side can actually learn more about what they’re lacking! Even if you lose, just think of it as gaining experience that will become part of you!"

"Thanks for the advice!"

Kazui thanked Rolo.

"Then I’m going!"

He stood up and started walking toward the entrance of the second dojo.

Nimbly weaving between adventurers training in martial arts uniforms and combat clothes for magic-classes, he went out the entrance and disappeared.