I Became the Academy’s Hidden Skill Master – Chapter 55

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Translated By Arcane Translations
Translator: Mod7
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The next morning.

The funeral proceeded exactly as it had in the game, without the slightest deviation.

The principal offered prayers and kind words while placing various blessings on the deceased’s coffin.

Protective spells were cast repeatedly to ensure the body would decompose naturally in its original form, undisturbed by others.

They took measures to let it return peacefully to the earth, protected from harm even in death.

Then, as soon as the first cry was heard, everyone began wailing as if they’d been waiting for the signal.

Usually, the first to cry were the deceased’s parents.

“Why! Why only our daughter! Why?!”

Our main task was to silently endure as the parents viewed everyone around them as enemies, scattering their resentment.

For commoner parents who had worked themselves to the bone for their child’s success at the academy, to have their child’s corpse returned to them…

Perhaps these parents had wished their child hadn’t entered the academy at all.

The possibility of success meant embracing equivalent risk, and many parents didn’t want that.

‘They must think they sold their child for success.’

We all bowed our heads as we listened to the deceased’s family history from the parents.

“You’re the one who put those ideas in my innocent child’s head! And you too! Saying she had talent! That magic use was rare! That she would achieve greatness! That you would help her succeed!”

The parents cursed and blamed the professor who had recruited their child.

All the professor could do was bow their head and apologize.

“I’m sorry.”

“Sorry doesn’t fix anything! If it weren’t for you, if it weren’t for someone like you! Our child would be at home right now! In my arms!”

Death shattered the great wall of social status, instantly transforming relationships.

Someone addressed as ‘professor’ and ‘teacher’ became ‘someone like you’ in an instant.

No one found this strange.

“Why you… why only you… how…”

After the professor’s turn, the arrows of blame turned to the team members.

If everyone had died together, at least there would have been others to share the grief.

Only one student had died in the dungeon practice.

1/1528.

That probability entering their minds naturally made it impossible to accept with a sound mind.

Neither head nor heart could accept such a cruel result of bad luck.

“…How can I become stronger?”

As the parents began to lose strength, showing signs of exhaustion from excessive crying and agitation…

Woo Do-hyun quietly approached me.

Asking how to become stronger.

His usual carefree smile was gone, replaced by eyes full of determination.

This wasn’t just Do-hyun.

All of Class S was looking at me, asking the same question.

‘How sad.’

Only then could I understand how truly sad this situation was.

An event that only occurred because someone died.

This resolve and determination that required at least one sacrifice was heartbreaking.

“That…”

I opened my mouth softly.

Paying respects to the one whose death had sparked this light.

Our growth began with someone’s death.

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After the funeral, I headed straight to Acasa.

With all classes cancelled today, training was the only thing I could do right now.

‘The next hidden skill… I need to get it this weekend.’

The plan was to obtain hidden skills every weekend when we could go outside, and train Infinite Track on weekdays.

But the most important part, Infinite Track, wasn’t coming as intended.

Acasa seemed to sense this too, showing clear puzzlement.

“By this point, Infinite Track should normally have taken root in your body…”

You haven’t taken off the bracelets, so what’s the problem?

I silently nodded at Acasa’s words, actively agreeing in my mind.

I was also frustrated to death not knowing what the problem was.

Originally, I should have acquired Infinite Track right after defeating Pertonba.

‘What could possibly be causing this issue.’

Unlike other characters who grew naturally if left alone, Lee Seok-hyun had to find his own growth path.

With even the first step of Infinite Track blocked, anxiety I hadn’t felt before was starting to emerge.

“Given that you defeated two Pertonbas, you must have overcome great hardship and adversity in battle, right?”

“Yes, it was an extremely difficult fight.”

“Indeed, yet Infinite Track still doesn’t acknowledge you… I’m not sure whether to consider this good or bad.”

Acasa scratched her head as if finding a hint in my words, looking at me with a troubled expression.

“Indomitable will overcoming limits—that’s the ideology and pillar of Infinite Track, its omega and alpha, you know that right?”

“Yes.”

I’d heard this so many times my ears were growing calluses.

The will to keep moving forward in extreme situations, the heart that never gives up.

That’s what was supposed to drive Infinite Track.

“It seems Infinite Track thinks your limits are much higher than this.”

“What?”

“In other words, it won’t even react to ordinary situations. Looking at how you haven’t even gotten the skill yet, that’s certain.”

The suggestion that I was too capable, with limits set too high to acquire the skill.

This new Final Destiny-style bad luck was beyond belief.

I’d done well to grow this much with Lee Seok-hyun’s early game, but because of that, the growth threshold was set higher, increasing the acquisition difficulty?

‘Are you serious right now?’

Instead of giving me credit for growing this much with a trash character…

They were blocking easy strengthening by making the conditions more stringent.

“This is my first time seeing such a case, I’m not sure what to do. I got Infinite Track after running for three days without sleep. But you…”

Acasa trailed off, considering how to resolve this situation.

I also started searching for alternative methods using all my knowledge, but Acasa found the solution first.

“I get it! That’s the problem!”

“What?”

“If even Pertonba isn’t recognized as a strong enough enemy! More! More! You just need to fight an even stronger opponent!”

Wait.

This feels dangerous.

‘Why is she warming up?’

Acasa was doing splits, rotating her wrists and ankles, and repeating dozens of high jumps in place.

She slowly turned her neck to face me with a refreshed expression.

“I was planning to do this after you got Infinite Track, but I suppose now works too.”

Let’s spar, my disciple!

Before I could even think about refusing Acasa’s cheerful words, my head moved unconsciously.

Nod.

It was the signal flare for my death to begin.

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“…I’m really going to die.”

The sparring with Acasa continued endlessly.

Since the professors couldn’t properly conduct classes, busy handling calls from parents after news of the student’s death spread worldwide…

Most classes were essentially self-study, and I repeated sparring with Acasa until the weekend.

Ki Ju-seon said he needed to prepare some things and would contact me separately, so I poured all my time into sparring except for sleeping hours.

And as a result…

“Status window.”

I had managed to raise Natural Mana to intermediate level and acquire the framework of Infinite Track.

Though I still couldn’t use it since I hadn’t overcome my limits, just having it was fortunate.

‘I need to deal with the penalty soon.’

I’d forgotten about it because I was so busy, but the penalty requiring honey consumption once a month was starting to send warnings.

If I didn’t resolve this quickly, I might end up having to search for honey at a crucial moment.

Today…

I planned to use this golden weekend to find honey.

‘And not just any honey.’

While any honey would work, it would be a waste of time to settle for ordinary honey.

If I was going out anyway, I should make it worth my while.

Century Gold-Command Honey—one drop gathered per year for a hundred years, worth its weight in gems.

That’s what I intended to get.

‘I need to launder money too while I’m at it.’

A commoner with too much money draws suspicion.

I needed to find a way to handle the excess cash overflowing my inventory.

“Would you like to use the portal? The fee is…”

“Yes, I understand.”

Not just any portal, but a premium one without motion sickness or dizziness.

‘Wonder whose back I’ll have to stab to get honey this time.’

Naturally, such precious honey couldn’t be obtained just by having money.

Only dialogue and backstabbing.

These two methods would lead to honey.

‘The champion of justice sets forth.’

I stepped into the portal.

It was time for the righteous thief to make their move.

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