enjoyebooks Chapter 138 : Chapter 138
Chapter 138 : Chapter 138
Chapter 138 : Proficiency
"How is it?"
Divinity held out the bow she was holding to Sal.
There was no need to appraise it.
One could tell at a glance that Uncommon rank was the maximum.
Just looking at her smile, it was clear she had already finished the conversation in her head.
Sal gave up on going through unnecessary procedures and just admitted it straight away.
"What do you want me to make? Before or after making the Thorn Crown?"
Perhaps because of the tired tone in Sal's voice, Divinity's smile faded away and she frowned.
"Are you okay? The bow was just a joke. I was trying to boost your ego by appraising it and showing that your stuff is much better."
Hearing the worry in Divinity's voice, Sal felt pathetic for always thinking the worst.
Since the conversation in the room that day, the two had been constantly out of sync.
Sal didn't even know what to say anymore, so he shook his head and forced a smile.
"Barry asked me to make something on the way down... so I was immersed in crafting. Sorry."
However, Divinity's worried expression only deepened.
Taking the bow from her hand, Sal thought it was fortunate to finally have an excuse to escape the awkward conversation.
"Alright, then let's see what the problem is."
[Name: Training Yew Bow]
[Source: Crafted Item]
[Age: 12 Years]
[Rank: Uncommon (Low)]
[Size: 60 Inches]
[Materials: Hardened Yew | Composite Fiber | Black Gloss Paint]
[Attribute: Boost - Adds propulsion to fired arrows, increasing impact and range.]
[Ability: Boost]
[Energy Source: External Essence]
[Evolution: None]
[Quality: Average]
[Condition: 63%]
[Value: Estimated $250.00 ~ $400.00]
Sal turned the bow this way and that, examining it.
Although there was no bowstring, it didn't hinder the appraisal at all.
"It's decent for beginners. Durability isn't bad, and thanks to the Boost ability, range and impact are increased. It's a bit old so the value drops, but it's usable."
Most of what caught his eye were signs of wear and tear, but a shallow engraving near the grip was granting the bow the Boost ability.
Even if the workmanship wasn't particularly outstanding, the more he looked, the more he felt a strangely refined taste.
As a result, he realized he had been obsessed only with stats or ranks when looking at equipment.
He had failed to properly evaluate the inherent functionality of the item itself.
Sal wondered how many of these training bows he could make while crafting one Epic rank equipment.
He also imagined what the result would be if he applied this bow's blueprint as is with his Mythos Crafter ability this time.
Then, as if summoned by that thought, the blueprint of the bow unfolded before his eyes.
That sight also caught Divinity's eyes.
"Uh, eyes! You're not trying to make me a bow again, are you? This is enough. Even if you can fix everything, I don't want to see you collapse from exhaustion first. Got it?"
Her expression was gentle, but her voice was firm.
Sal closed the blueprint floating in front of him and looked at her with a troubled expression.
"Sorry. I was just curious how it was made... and the ability activated on its own."
He scratched the back of his head and returned the bow to her.
But a doubtful look still remained on Divinity's face.
"Reminds me of what the Boss said. That Crafters always chase their own masterpieces rather than achievable goals."
When Divinity raised an eyebrow slightly, Sal took it as a signal to continue speaking.
"If I use the original blueprint of this bow as is, how many could I make? Is mass production possible with my ability? Or could I make a set of higher rank bows with the same resources? Until now, I only clung to making the highest rank equipment, but maybe making low-rank equipment properly would be better? That might actually help more people."
Divinity's expression softened as she smiled gently at Sal.
"Sal, can you do me a favor?"
Sal didn't know what she was going to say, but he nodded.
Divinity sighed and placed a finger on his chest.
"Take care of yourself before worrying about others. The solutions you talk about are good, but they will eventually make you more exhausted. You can say you're getting along well with Upgrade and the Boss. But I know you're not sleeping. I don't know what's going on in your head, but forget about that and take care of yourself first."
Sal was about to tell her not to worry but stopped with a sigh.
He couldn't dismiss her concern lightly.
Thinking of how he must look in her eyes these days, he felt sorry for no reason.
Sal turned his head and looked around.
Other students were browsing the armory displays or testing weapons in the training area.
He bit his lip and turned his gaze back to Divinity.
She was staring piercingly at the back of his head without moving.
"I'm sorry, Divinity. I've been consoling myself all along that I deserve to be a hero and my place is at the Academy. With Ms. Vanessa's help, I opened half of my Essence Gates... but in the process, my body was completely broken, and I painfully realized how weak I had been all this time. After that, I set up a training routine every morning and started exercising... but honestly, progress is just slow."
Divinity's eyebrow twitched as if in a spasm.
Sal noticed she was struggling to hide her disbelief.
He tapped his temple and laughed bitterly.
"No matter how much I train my body and pull up my condition, I can't fool my mind. Upgrade and the Boss took me to a dungeon to face my fears... but that scene comes back like a nightmare every night. I wake up screaming with blood-sucking vines choking my neck. I poured a hundred Q-Credits into the coffee machine just last week, but it's no use at all. The issue with Hannah too... I haven't been able to say a single word since we argued that day. In the end, it feels like I'm just avoiding problems. I really don't know what to do anymore."
Sal looked up at the ceiling and took a deep breath.
Even trying to explain his feelings now seemed like it would sound overly dramatic.
Eventually failing to find an appropriate expression, he laughed bitterly and substituted with exaggerated words.
"I feel like a time bomb that doesn't know when it will explode. Whether it's a mental breakdown or something more terrible. What I can definitely do well and control... is only crafting. So I'm putting everything else aside and holding onto just that. The monocle I gave you suppressed the anxiety for a moment, but in the end, it didn't solve the problem, just postponed it. I didn't even have the strength to handle it, and it's much better in your hands."
Divinity thought for a moment, and then her face brightened.
"How about getting some medication? You can get a prescription from the infirmary. It's more common than you think. Half the students here are probably taking medicine to maintain their condition. If you keep being tired, you can't display your skills properly. Besides, there's an expedition training coming up soon where we have to camp outdoors... shouldn't you catch the nightmares before that?"
Divinity's eyes went wide realizing what she had just blurted out.
But Sal waved his hand and laughed it off as if it were nothing.
"It's okay. I just need to increase my Mentality. Doing fun things, not getting tied up in trivial matters, that should do it."
Sal tried to pass it off lightly, but Divinity still looked doubtful.
Seeing Divinity looking at him with expectant eyes, Sal could guess what she was trying to say.
"Ah, Mentality, right. Someone used an analysis ability on me in the dungeon. He said some of my stats changed after going through the dungeon. Agility, Mentality, and Resilience. He said Mentality recovers if you rest or have fun and hang out with friends. But my Mentality stat had dropped, and according to him, it absolutely shouldn't go any lower in my current state."
Divinity's expression softened considerably as she gently pushed Sal with her hand.
"Then we just have to play with you until your Mentality fills up again. Let's form a team properly among ourselves so you don't feel burdened even in the expedition training."
She hesitated for a moment before continuing, then sighed in frustration and finally spoke her mind.
"Meditation is good for dealing with nightmares. You can refine your Essence Gates and organize your mind healthily. I always do that whenever I suffer from visions."
Sal didn't find those words very reliable, but he could tell Divinity was sincere.
Since he had nothing to lose, he nodded.
"I'll give it a try. But don't expect too much. I'm the type to overthink everything excessively... I've always been like that. I don't really expect to be able to enter a meditative state like in skill class."
Just as Divinity was about to answer, Barry approached holding a knife.
"How about this? Looks pretty plausible, right?"
When Barry raised the knife, Sal smacked his arm away without delay.
Barry looked down at Sal's hand with surprised eyes.
"What are you doing?"
Sal shook his head.
"Just checking if it's really you or an illusion."
He took the knife from Barry and examined it, rolling it around in his hand.
Divinity made eye contact with Barry and added an explanation.
"Sal is having trouble sleeping because of nightmares these days."
Barry grinned and was about to make a joke, but stopped seeing Divinity's serious expression.
He looked at Sal once, then snatched the knife back from his hand.
"Forget about this and make me a usable knife. Then let's say I solve your nightmare problem. How about that?"
His smile didn't have the usual sarcastic tint. It seemed sincere.
Sal chuckled and tried to pick up the knife again.
"I'm going to put down crafting for a while and clear my head first. But don't worry, Barry. It's no big deal. Just haven't slept for a few days. I'm fine."
Sal saw Divinity shake her head slightly, and Barry immediately understood the meaning.
"Alright, no more arguing. We'll sort this out. Divinity has a bow, you're going to make me a knife, and you already have a gun. There are two days left until the weapon selection period ends and we move on to team selection. We'll restore you quickly, so don't worry."
Sal laughed and tried to retort, but Divinity raised her hand to cut him off.
"You said it yourself. You need to spend time with friends. So just go along with us and see if we can help. Even at worst, you just waste a few hours, not like the world is ending."
Barry nodded and pointed to the freight elevator they had come in on.
Hundreds of students were still flocking to the armory, and those who entered first were struggling to get out.
A few staff members in white uniforms tried to answer questions, but the scene was utter chaos.
Sal wanted to turn their attention away from himself.
He was grateful for their desire to help, and spending time together was good too.
But he didn't want them obsessing over trivial issues like his sleep pattern.
Looking at the big picture, it was such a minor matter not even worth worrying about.
"You know, I'm really grateful you care. But honestly, I just need to think more leisurely and solve the problems in my head step by step. There's no instant cure for good sleep."
Barry grinned as he waited for Sal to call the freight elevator.
"That's just what you think."