[Skill Class Level Up!]
[Your Manaheart skill level has risen to the rank of <High-Level Sword Expert>.]
Eh...?
Lloyd's eyes widened at the unexpected message.
What is this? What the heck?
Lloyd was lost for words, and more so as he never expected this turn of events. But more messages continued to appear one after, unaware of Lloyd's astonishment.
Ding Dong!
[Your manaheart has gone through countless events thus far. However, you have intentionally limited its activity as of recently. But today, you have loosened your restraint and employed its powers in full force.]
[In the process, the small amount of experience points you earned created a ripple effect.]
[You have finally achieved the extraordinary feat of becoming a high-level sword expert.]
[For this special experience, you have been awarded with a new optional skill.]
[Skill Option 5: Swordmaster Syndrome - All your senses will be heightened to an extreme level. This hyper- sensitivity of your senses is close to that of a fully developed swordmaster. This optional skill is activated for 24 hours a day and cannot be shut off.]
[Current RP: 8,755]
What?
Lloyd was shell-shocked. Once when he read the messages. Then again when his heightened senses overwhelmed him.
"Hey! What's wrong?"
WHAT'S WRONG? WHAT'S WRONG? WHAT'S WRONG?
Ack!
Lloyd frantically covered his ears at the booming voice of Dragon King Verkis that was supposed to sound normal.
Wh-What the heck?!
Lloyd gulped in sheer dismay. And this time, another noise assaulted him: The sound of saliva sliding down his throat came like a clap of thunder. Furthermore, he could even feel the saliva slide down every cell in his throat!
What's going on...
Lloyd rolled his eyes and sharply felt that movement as well. Shaking up terribly, Lloyd stared at Verkis.
Since when was this world so vivid? Or is there something wrong with my eyes? My sight is just... How did I see things back then?
Verkis appeared so vividly in front of him that Lloyd could even see the pores on the former's cheeks. He could probably give a high-five to the mites living inside his skin. Simply put, his eyesight had drastically improved to the point of it being excessive.
Ugh. Hold on. Hold on a second!
A pang of dizziness suddenly hit him, and his feet ached. He had never felt this way before. The sensation of his weight pressing down his two feet felt overwhelming.
"Hey!" called out Verkis. "Are you okay?"
YOU OKAY?! YOU OKAY?! YOU OKAY?!
Ack!
Lloyd was afraid that his ears might burst. Collecting himself, he managed to say, "I am all right..."
"Then what's with you all of a sudden?"
"Um, the thing is... I think I've become a sword expert..."
"Expert?"
"High-level," muttered Lloyd in agony.
"What? Just now? You?"
"Yes."
Lloyd managed to nod, which gave him another pang of shock because of the movement in his neck muscles and bones. But it looked like Dragon King Verkis was completely unaware of or disinterested in Lloyd's pain and disquietude.
"Oh, really?" congratulated Dragon King Verkis nonchalantly. "Good for you."
This is all because of you, you lazy dragon! Lloyd smothered the burning rage inside him. Then he began to somewhat grasp what had happened to him.
So, this is the swordmaster syndrome...
The message from a while ago informed him that he had become a high-level sword expert and was equipped with a new optional skill. Swordmaster syndrome.
Unbelievable. Lloyd was flustered by the hyper-sensitivity of his senses. Barely suppressing his dizziness, he struggled to adjust to his excessively heightened senses.
Wait, does this mean that Javier has been enduring all of this?
Lloyd pictured Javier from his past memories. From the moment he first met to the queen's assassination attempt. It was only now that Lloyd fully recognized the monstrous ability of the knight.
Haah. No wonder he has insomnia.
So, this was why Javier couldn't sleep. Heck, Lloyd even wondered if it was possible to carry on his daily life. Javier and Scheherazade. Sir Blanc of the White Cavalry. They endured this kind of condition like it was nothing and never missed a single training for swordfighting?
Lloyd used to be nonchalant about this fact, but now that he suffered from the swordmaster syndrome, it became clear to him how impressive they were. More than just impressed, he respected them.
Ah... This is exactly the reason why I put a lot of effort into not becoming a high-level sword expert.
The swordmaster syndrome was a great obstacle any high-level sword expert faced. It was the final challenge that came before becoming a glorious swordmaster. Lloyd, to be honest, didn't wish for any of it. Not a single iota of his heart desired to become a swordmaster. There was no need for it, and that was the same now.
"Well then, I will be going now... Ack," groaned Lloyd.
"Sure, no problem."
Lloyd staggered out of the room after a brief greeting. An impulse to lay a punch to the dragon's face interrupted him on his way out. But he managed to suppress it and walked out to the corridor. When he came outside, his senses became with the chaos outside.
CHIRP! CHIRP! CHIRP! CHIRP!
SWISH! SWISH! SWISH!
FWOOSH! FWOOSH! FWOOSH!
Lloyd didn't realize how many birds his fiefdom had until then. And the drifting breeze! It sounded like a storm. The grass frantically banged sideways against the wind. Amid the unfamiliar and new stimulations around him, Lloyd thought to himself....
This won't do. No.
He decided that he couldn't live like this. Impulsively, he opened the system window and checked his RP.
[Current RP: 8,755]
He didn't have enough. It wasn't even close. He thought he had accumulated quite a bit of RP. But that turned out to be untrue.
I'll need at least 2,000 RP more just to level up my manaheart skill. That's why this isn't enough.
Lloyd rashly wondered if he could earn enough RP with his construction work to become a swordmaster. But he quickly shook his head.
No. That would be impossible.
Lloyd reiterated several times in his head that he couldn't give in to his impulsive thoughts.
Sure, if I work hard to earn more RP, I might be successful. But what about the dam and the Jewel of Truth? The construction of the dam and the Jewel of Truth will take a few months to a year to complete. That will be the case without a doubt if things go according to plan. What about after the jewel is constructed? Who knows. I might find myself needing a lot of RP.
Such a thought crossed his mind. He was only a few months away before constructing the Jewel of Truth and asking for a solution to stop the restoration of destiny.
I can't even predict what answer it'll give. What if... the jewel demands a large sum of RP to answer my question?
Yet, if he had no RP left after spending it all to level up his manaheart to the level of a swordmaster and overcome his swordmaster syndrome?
That would be the end of everything.
This sort of disastrous and laughable situation seemed possible wherein he couldn't ask the question to the Jewel of Truth because he had used all his RP.
Of course, I might not need any RP to ask the jewel a question. But life is full of surprises. I don't know what's ahead of me... So, I should endure for a few months.
Upon consideration, it was obvious what course of action he should take. Even though he hated to admit it, there was nothing else he could do.
I can adjust to my heightened senses and bear through my insomnia for a bit. It'll only be a few months at most. During that time, I can quickly build the dam and the Jewel of Truth and then learn how to stop the restoration of destiny.
That should do it. If the solution did not require him to use his RP, he could easily buckle down and earn more until he became a swordmaster. That was the safest course of action he could take at this point in time.
Haah. But seriously, this is terrible.
Lloyd sucked in his breath in determination. In all seriousness, this situation was truly terrible. He had merely taken a few steps, but every sensation he felt was devastatingly overwhelming. As he moved forward, the sensation of the rays of sunlight against his skin as well as the weight of his steps, were painfully vivid. His head constantly ached from the sensations he felt. But he continued to walk, telling himself he'd adjust and adapt to the change. It would be similar to when he learned how to walk when he was a child. Every step he took was slow, careful, and measured.
Just like that, he strove to get used to the drastic changes in his senses. It wasn't easy. But eventually, by the time he arrived at the construction site, he managed to considerably recover from his nausea. However, it wasn't enough to fool Javier's sharp senses.
"Master Lloyd," called Javier.
"Yeah?"
"Are you all right?" asked Javier, studying the length of Lloyd from head to toe.
"Could it be..." Lloyd frowned. "You noticed?"
"Yes. Congratulations, Master Lloyd."
"Tsk. I don't know."
Javier was Javier. Lloyd had believed that he did a good job of not showing any signs of his change to Javier. But in less than three minutes of Lloyd's arrival, Javier sent a knowing gaze toward him, which indicated that he realized what happened.
Feeling the strong desire to clap his ears because of Javier's voice, the nearby shouting, and shoveling noises around him, Lloyd spoke, "Is that how it's like for everyone else?"
"If you are inquiring about the swordmaster syndrome, yes. That is how it is."
"How did you cope with this?" groaned Lloyd.
"I regarded it as a form of training to gain control over my senses."
"Training?"
"Yes," affirmed Javier. "Train to flatten the sharpness of my senses, accept them as they are, and take the reins on them. I wanted to keep them at a level where my senses wouldn't cause any disturbance but wouldn't miss anything happening around me. I considered it as a key part of my path to becoming a swordmaster." "Argh..."
"What is wrong?" replied Javier with a soft smug on his face.
"Um, please, could you keep your words short?"
Javier crossed his arms. "Do you feel dizzy when someone speaks at length?"
"Yeah." Lloyd pressed his temple. "It makes me feel sick."
"Hmm," observed Javier, "I suppose you have not reached the stage of being able to filter your auditory senses. Well, that only makes sense, given that you have just been inflicted with swordmaster syndrome. It was the same for me too. This conversation takes me back to my first day of having swordmaster syndrome. At that time, in the training hall-"
"Hey," Lloyd said in an annoyed voice.
"Yes, Young Master."
"You're doing this on purpose, aren't you?" Lloyd shot a look at Javier.
"Do what?"
"You're doing it on purpose because I told you to speak less."
"That's right." Javier gently lifted his brow.
"Wow. You won't even deny my accusation."
"This will all be nothing but beneficial for you later on."
"Are you sure it's not for your personal revenge and satisfaction?"
Javier suppressed his smile. "Not at all."
"I'm right."
"So, on the first night I experienced my swordmaster syndrome-"
"You're not listening to me at all," interrupted Lloyd again.
"I do not have to listen to you. Anyway, on that first night, I thought that the hardship that came from my senses would nurture my growth. I believe I would become a proud swordmaster the day I overcame these hardships. So, even when a storm of sensations shook me up and pierced through my entire body like thousands of thorns, I did not give up." Lloyd's words, however, fell on deaf ears.
"Can you please stop talking...?" Lloyd was almost begging by now.
"I cannot. This is truly a rare opportunity."
"For you to harass me?"
"Who do you think I am?" huffed Javier as if he didn't like being falsely accused. "I am sharing how my fierce efforts allowed me to overcome my swordmaster syndrome."
"Oh, sure, sure," drawled Lloyd, "I'm sure you are. Damn it."
"By the way, why are you crying?" inquired Javier.
"Do you need to ask?"
"Personally, I never cried," remarked Javier proudly. "And I did not miss a single day of training. Although, I eventually fell for your trick in the end."
"Hold on," Lloyd raised his finger. "What do you mean? What trick of mine?"
"Your lullaby, Young Master."
"I thought you liked it. You said it was satisfactory."
"Yes, but it had an addictive effect on me similar to a drug."
"Aha," remarked Lloyd. "You were happy on the outside, but deep down, you developed a grudge?"
"Speaking of, do you need my help?"
"Help? For what?"
"Won't you have to overcome this?"
"Tsk. I should." Lloyd grimaced. His ears loudly buzzed as he conversed with Javier, and it was making him lose his mind. The strange thing, however, was that his ears started to feel better throughout the conversation.
It's almost like I'm undergoing an intense training.
Or as if he was being forced to adjust.
Whatever it is, I can't continue on like this.
Lloyd figured that he had to overcome it one way or another. Otherwise, his everyday life would be affected. No, it would also impact his construction projects. Still, he obviously couldn't use all his RP.
I have to make an effort.
This marked the beginning of Lloyd's special training to overcome his swordmaster syndrome.
