BCST 52

chapter 52

Finally unable to hold back, Kin spoke up.

“Wizard, does this really work? I don’t feel any stronger.”

The place we were at now was a newly secured lodging.

Like the Pixel Dream Motel I used to stay at, this was also an AI-operated hotel.

The advantage here was the security system—almost military-grade.

Even ordinary lodgings leave records, and since human operators can introduce unexpected leaks, I had chosen this place.

There, Kin was reading the “braille books” I had brought while keeping his eyes closed.

To be precise, he was reading the braille through his cyberware while holding a pen in the other hand, reproducing it exactly.

“Of course. This is exactly what you need right now.”

What Kin needed at the moment was to increase his synchronization rate with legendary-grade cyberware.

And that kind of synchronization doesn’t rise violently.

In fact, precise training like this was the first step in increasing it.

“Ugh… Really?”

Kin muttered quietly, still skeptical.

He spoke as if to himself, but clearly so I could hear.

He should just do as instructed, right?

…That thought crossed my mind, but high motivation alone wouldn’t help if he didn’t perceive the effect of the training.

I felt the need to explain somewhat and opened my mouth.

“To get stronger with cyberware, you need to understand that it’s different from training like other physical or magic users. Do you think physical training will help you now?”

Kin kept his eyes closed, continuing his braille transcription, and quietly replied.

“…Isn’t that right? The user has to be strong to get high sync, not the weapon. A strong weapon alone doesn’t help—you need to be able to handle it well.”

This was the common misconception.

Naturally, it was an unavoidable mistake.

This is why having someone guide you is important.

Until now, he probably worked from a normal human level to become first- and second-tier.

And he had become stronger, seeing the synchronization rise as he improved.

There must have been no obstacles.

Talent helps.

So that method had likely solidified as an inner truth for him.

If you try to get stronger, rewards come, and sync rises—so you become even stronger.

But once physical training surpasses a certain point, that reasoning becomes wrong.

“Even if you get stronger, it doesn’t mean you’ll handle what’s on your arms better. It’s like doing strength training to build endurance. You may get endurance, but compared to actual stamina exercises, what do you think will happen?”

Kin hesitated, then sighed quietly.

“Hmm…”

It seemed my words had some effect.

When someone who hasn’t exercised at all starts, they feel benefits across the board.

Because their overall level is low, one improvement raises other areas as well.

But only up to a point.

There’s a difference between the effort really needed and approximate effort.

I spoke in a slightly firmer tone to Kin, still immersed in thought.

“You’re trapped in a one-dimensional idea: get stronger to increase sync because your goal is ‘strength.’ It looks like you can catch two rabbits at once.”

Indeed, getting stronger raises sync.

Like doing superhuman strength training raises the minimum endurance required to perform.

But who says they’ll become a bodybuilder to run long distances?

No one trains that way.

Is it possible? Yes.

But you’d take a very long detour.

Even if you dig vertically, digging almost horizontally eventually reaches the goal.

Though you might have to carve around the Earth’s mantle along the surface.

Honestly, it’s foolish.

Effort must be accurately aimed at the goal.

“What’s important now is ‘synchronization.’ Strength is already in your arms. The key is your ability to draw it out. That itself becomes your strength. Never confuse the two.”

“I… understand, Wizard. I’ll trust you.”

If he truly understood, he wouldn’t say “I’ll trust you.”

True understanding breeds confidence in oneself.

Still, it meant he grasped the concept, so I encouraged him silently.

“…This training lets your sensory receptors keenly pick up the subtle artificial sensations of the cyberware while ensuring that information translates seamlessly into physical movement—a feedback loop.”

I swallowed dryly and continued.

“This reduces delay between cyberware, cognition, and movement, raising neural adaptability and sensitivity, embodying the cyberware as part of your body. You haven’t developed this yet, so your sync will rise dramatically until your neuroplasticity opens. Got it?”

Kin answered boldly.

“No.”

I had expected that.

But soon he smiled and said:

“But even if I don’t understand, the fact you speak so confidently about it is enough for me. That’s all I need.”

“…Alright. Then trust and keep going.”

If he can trust, ignorance in action doesn’t matter.

I felt like I learned something too.

Scratch-scratch.

As Kin focused entirely on training, I turned to John Scouzy, sitting in a corner and working.

“Is it difficult to make?”

John put down the needle in his hand and looked up at me.

“Y-Yeah… It’s going well, no distractions.”

On the table in front of him were objects made from thread—all for Kin’s next training.

The quality seemed fine.

I examined them briefly and then spoke softly to John.

I’d considered this for a long time but hadn’t dared ask… Given the situation, I had to make the proposal.

“You know our pursuers are the Sicario Bros, right?”

John’s face darkened, and he answered gloomily.

“Y-Yeah… I thought there was a high possibility, but I didn’t expect them to be active in Zone 56 corporate conflicts, so I didn’t think the recovery team would be assigned to me…”

Even in places I wasn’t aware of, Arkham City was still noisy.

No need to worry too much since I wasn’t participating.

I shook off the thought and asked John another question.

“What about the recovery team’s capabilities?”

John seemed puzzled at first but then answered even more gloomily.

“…Three brothers: eldest Dex, second Max, youngest Rex. Notorious. Eldest is 4th-tier, the others 3rd-tier…”

“Strong.”

“Y-Yes…”

Talking reminded John of the gap between our team and theirs, making him more gloomy.

Right.

We currently had one 3rd-tier and one 2nd-tier member.

“…W-We must… be careful. Avoid being caught and get to the border safely.”

John believed our only way out was to reach the border undetected.

True, to some extent.

But I had a feeling it wouldn’t go that way.

Subtle warnings from my [senses] and my intuition from many battles indicated we would clash with them.

I trusted my judgment and gently opened the conversation with John.

“If… there’s a way to be safer, would you do it?”

Blink.

John’s eyes twitched, asking urgently.

“What… what do you mean?”

Like seeing a sudden light in fading darkness.

I suppressed a smile and spoke seriously.

Slightly dazed, John slouched in his chair.

I left the room with Kin and John behind, carrying the reward for this mission: Parametrus.

Luckily, negotiations went well.

Of course.

Our pursuers were confirmed as the Sicario Bros, and from a client’s view, we were underpowered.

So I suggested subtly that taking the Parametrus potion could help survive the danger.

If we hid and reached the border before receiving the reward, great.

If caught before that, our team’s power needed to increase to survive.

Even better, if my level increased, we could reduce the chances of detection.

John, trusting my previous guidance, willingly provided the Parametrus.

“Hmm.”

I sat in another borrowed room, staring at the Parametrus in my hand.

Yes.

It had finally arrived.

I had intentionally saved the 10 mid-reward ability points for this moment.

“….”

But the thought of consuming it made me uneasy.

Normally, Parametrus awakens potential.

For players, it does not act as a potential awakening potion.

Another name for it: Trait Enhancement Potion.

Taking it triggers first-level awakening of a character’s core traits.

I had trained all jobs and traits in the game, so I roughly knew its effect.

Roughly.

“Hmm…”

Some anxiety rose, naturally.

But I couldn’t avoid taking it.

Nothing progresses without first-level trait awakening in the game.

Especially considering high-tier named entities like Sonia in the celestial realm above.

Splash.

I looked at the golden liquid in the crystal bottle, then—

Pop!

I opened the bottle and drank it in one gulp.