My Growth Rate is Strange – Chapter 7

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Translated By Arcane Translations
Translator: bchen3
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The superhuman society strictly operated on meritocracy.

Superhumans were the last bastion protecting order from enemies disrupting the world, such as [Gates], monsters from [Rifts], and evil-tainted [Villains].

Therefore, academies that cultivated superhumans rightfully had to follow the same principle.

At least that’s what Jin Taejin, the instructor in charge of Class A, believed.

That’s why every year during entrance exams, he kept a close eye on promising new talents through his own observations and test scores.

Whenever he discovered fragments of potential from them.

“Cadet Anil, is that right? Step forward.”

He never hesitated to evaluate them.

That was the way of Jin Taejin, known as the ‘Genius of Cultivation.’

“From now on, I will demonstrate how to measure stats and synchronize with the smart watch using Cadet Anil. At the same time, this measurement will substitute for Cadet Anil’s ‘Stat Examination’ scheduled for tomorrow.”

After finishing his explanation, Jin Taejin observed Cadet Anil’s complexion.

Expressionless, indifferent perhaps?

It must have been sudden, but there was absolutely no sign of agitation.

‘……Hmm.’

Was it confidence born of preparation, or had he frozen from tension?

He would find out shortly.

Thinking this, Jin Taejin continued his explanation.

“First, this is the strength stat measurement and training equipment. The equipment and facilities here are measured in levels instead of weight. That is, 1 stat equals 1 level. Now, Cadet Anil?”

“Yes.”

After briefly explaining how to operate the equipment and synchronize with the smart watch.

“Go and measure your strength stat.”

He directed him to take the measurement.

Cadet Anil approached the equipment with the same indifferent demeanor.

He operated the equipment as instructed and completed the measurement.

As a result.

Ding!

-Strength Stat 7 (UP!)

The cadet’s strength stat measurement result appeared on the hologram screen located on the side of the equipment.

Jin Taejin observed the cadet’s expression along with the content on the screen.

A startled expression.

Since he wouldn’t yet know the meaning of the ‘UP!’ next to the stat, it was understandable.

“This is quite timely.”

Jin Taejin spoke with an interested look.

“The ‘UP!’ indication you see here means the level has risen, in other words, the stat has grown.”

Along with the explanation, he manipulated the hologram screen, increased the level, and directed him to measure again.

“Level 8. Try it.”

As a result.

Ding!

-Strength Stat 8

This time, ‘UP!’ didn’t appear.

This meant that Cadet Anil’s current strength was 8 stats.

‘Strength increased by 1 stat. Growth has occurred, but compared to the growth during the entrance exam……’

The figure fell short of expectations.

Just as he was about to revise his evaluation in his mind.

“As you can see, all equipment and facilities can show not only the current stat value but also the growth point. Now, next is the agility stat.”

“Yes.”

The cadet, as if suggesting judgment was premature.

Ding!

-Agility Stat 3 (UP!)

Ding!

-Agility Stat 4 (UP!)

Ding!

-Agility Stat 5 (UP!)

Ding!

-Agility Stat 6 (UP!)

Ding!

-Agility Stat 7

Produced a measurement result showing agility had increased by as much as 4 stats.

The moment he confirmed the growth in agility stat before his eyes, and the growth in strength stat from earlier.

‘Did he deliberately focus on raising agility rather than strength?’

A possibility suddenly flashed through Jin Taejin’s mind.

‘……Could he possibly know that fact?’

Jin Taejin, with a curious look in his eyes, directed the measurement of the next stat, stamina.

As a result.

Ding!

-Stamina Stat 6 (UP!)

Ding!

-Stamina Stat 7 (UP!)

Ding!

-Stamina Stat 8

It showed a 2-stat increase, resulting in a final stamina of 8 stats.

Strength 8 stats, Agility 7 stats, Stamina 8 stats.

The results spoke for themselves.

They revealed that Cadet Anil already knew the importance of ‘stat balance.’

‘Strength, agility, stamina. I didn’t expect him to be conscious of the balance between these three stats already.’

The importance of balance was evident just by looking at the curriculum for the upcoming practical classes.

Starting from the first week’s practical class, they would conduct ‘complex stat operation’ lessons.

‘He obviously wouldn’t know the class content, but he clearly intentionally grew his stats in a balanced way.’

Otherwise, such results would have been difficult to achieve.

Especially.

“You said you never received help from professional facilities during the entrance exam. Has that remained the same since then?”

“Yes. My family circumstances are quite……”

If he had trained alone as a civilian without the help of professional facilities, it was all the more so.

The implication of this fact was clear.

“It seems you’ve trained quite diligently since the entrance exam ended. It couldn’t have been easy.”

Training the stats like a madman.

That was the only way.

‘Even with innate talent, it requires a significant time investment to raise stats without any assistance.’

Especially agility stat, which was quite difficult to train without any support.

Even Jin Taejin, who was typically stingy with praise, couldn’t help but acknowledge it.

In that context, he tried to encourage him.

“No, sir. Actually, I didn’t do that much……”

Instead, Cadet Anil showed yet another quality.

Humility, and an enormous desire to improve.

‘He must not be satisfied with the growth rate. That’s why he thinks his time investment was insufficient.’

That’s why he considered himself lacking.

But Jin Taejin knew.

That the measurement figures that just came out were the best, or close to the best, result a civilian could achieve.

‘The academy is a place for cadets like you. We will give you wings, so don’t be too hasty.’

Jin Taejin, while holding back his words, confirmed his evaluation of Cadet Anil in his mind.

-Excellent qualities and proper character. Pass.

-As he lacks background, there is a need to intensively cultivate weapon skills and mission performance capabilities.

‘The next cadet to observe should be……’

Cha Eun-wol.

She would be good.

*

From the sudden ‘Stat Examination’ that began with an unexpected nomination.

The unexpected growth and measurement results of the stats.

Finally, the reaction of the cold-faced instructor, Jin Taejin, in front of me.

‘What exactly is going on here……?’

I was completely bewildered.

Thanks to that, I didn’t even have time to dwell on questions about my stats.

If there was one piece of good news amidst all this, it was the unexpected examination results.

‘Anyway, with this, I should be able to avoid any disadvantages, right?’

For whatever reason, the stats had grown as a result.

The academy was already tough enough just to maintain cadet status.

If I were to receive disadvantages on top of that……

Just the thought made me choke up.

‘Please let this end here.’

If the stat examination ended here, it would pass without disadvantages and without incident.

That’s why I desperately hoped, but.

“Cadet Anil, next is magical power.”

As if it was far from over, the instruction to measure the magical power stat was given.

‘Oh, I’m doomed.’

I really had no confidence in magical power.

In reality, magical power was different from the previous three stats.

While strength, agility, and stamina showed strange growth during the entrance exam, magical power was only 1 stat even back then.

‘……So I’ll inevitably face disadvantages after all?’

That’s what I thought, but unexpected words flowed from the instructor.

“For reference, the magical power stat will be excluded from the evaluation items for this examination.”

Excluded from the evaluation items.

This meant there would be no disadvantages even if there was no change.

The reason was simple.

It showed recognition that magical power was impossible to train for most people.

‘Phew.’

Thanks to that, I breathed a sigh of relief.

From the beginning, the disadvantage was the problem, not the simple measurement.

Thanks to that, I listened attentively to the instructor’s explanation with a comfortable mind.

“However, it’s just not being evaluated. Everyone should at least get measured. After all, along with other stats, we’ll start covering magical power stat in class from this week.”

He concluded his explanation and turned his head.

His gaze was directed at me.

I moved on my own to measure my magical power stat.

“The magical power stat has separate equipment and facilities for measurement and training. Also, the measurement method is the same as during the entrance exam, using the ‘magical power measuring device.’ Cadet Anil?”

“Yes.”

With my answer, I placed my hand on the sphere of the ‘magical power measuring device,’ the same measurement equipment from the entrance exam.

After a moment, the measurement result came out.

Ding!

-Magical Power Stat 1

It was the expected result.

There was no change in the magical power stat.

‘Well, I knew I had no talent for magical power since the entrance exam.’

So while I was accepting the result without any concern.

“Since you’ve been training alone, you probably haven’t learned ‘Skills’ or ‘Mana Breathing Techniques.’ Am I right?”

The instructor suddenly asked.

Unable to understand his intention, I quietly affirmed.

Hearing my answer, the instructor looked at me for a moment, then.

“Magical power is originally impossible for civilians to train unless they either possess innate talent, which applies to a very small minority, or separately learn ‘Mana Breathing Techniques.'”

He suddenly began lecturing about magical power.

But the nuance felt slightly peculiar.

“But you are no longer a civilian. You’ve become a cadet at the academy. From now on, you will receive lessons on magical power. This means you can learn Mana Breathing Techniques. Moreover.”

The instructor continued.

“You can also use the magical power training room filled with top-grade mana. It will become possible to learn Mana Breathing Techniques. There will be many opportunities ahead.”

Now I understood the instructor’s intention.

He was consoling me.

And it didn’t end there.

“Remember your current frustration as you continue to progress. Magical power, from sensing mana to circulating it within the body, is never an easy learning process. It will take quite some time.”

Now beyond consolation.

“But as long as you don’t forget that feeling, you’ll be able to follow along well.”

Somehow, it felt like he regarded me with admiration.

I just felt bewildered.

‘Frustrated? Me……? No, I wasn’t thinking much about it.’

Far from being frustrated, I was actually closer to feeling good.

It was thanks to the unexpected results of the previous three stats.

But since I couldn’t explain, I quietly bowed my head to express gratitude.

Toward me.

“We’ll give bonus points to Cadet Anil, who helped as a volunteer, which will be reflected in the performance evaluation part of the overall grade. Good job, you may return to your seat.”

The instructor sent me back to my original seat with bonus points.

I hurriedly returned to my place amidst the subtle gazes of my fellow cadets.

Afterwards, the instructor held a brief Q&A session, then.

“This concludes today’s class. We’ll proceed with dormitory assignments when we return to the classroom, that’s all.”

He ended the orientation.

Only then did I recall the question I had temporarily set aside.

‘Why on earth did strength, agility, and stamina grow?’

The measurement results of the three stats.

They had increased again this time, just like during the entrance exam.

But there was a crucial difference from that time.

‘I clearly didn’t prepare at all.’

If the growth rate was strange during the entrance exam, now the very fact that they had grown was strange.

Perhaps that’s why I thought of something truly absurd.

‘Could it be that I have the blessed talent of stats increasing just by breathing……?’

I had heard it somewhere.

A story about the existence of superhumans whose stats grow just by breathing.

However, there was an additional note that it only applied to a very small minority born with tremendous talent in specific stats.

In other words, my case was a bit different.

‘Not just a single stat, but three stats.’

But without that, there was no explanation.

On the other hand, if I applied the ‘blessed talent’ theory, all results could be explained.

So I decided to check for myself.

Fortunately, I had also obtained a method to verify through the recent Q&A session.

I had received a clear answer from the instructor about the criteria for judging talent.

‘Let’s see.’

Whether I was truly born with ‘blessed talent.’

Or if it was due to another reason.

I left the training room slowly with excitement.

…

…

…

At that time, I didn’t know.

The questions about my growth.

What form the answer would take.

Also, how it would transform my academy life.

I couldn’t even begin to imagine.

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