Chapter 004
"Onii-chan, if you don't hurry, you'll be late!"
"You don't have to be in such a hurry."
Time has passed since then, and today I'm in my second year of middle school. Mai and I go to elementary school on the same path, so it's become normal for us to leave the house together.
"Onii-chan, you'll get a skill this year. You'll surely get a great skill."
"I am definitely going to go into the dungeon, so it would be great if I got something that would give me an advantage in battle. But it's all down to luck."
Because of Hercules syndrome, I'm stronger than most people, and by putting my strength into it, my sturdiness increases dramatically. This has the same effect as having the superior skill [Physical Strengthening] which combines [Strength Up] , [Defense Up] and [Speed Up].
In other words, I already have a high-level combat skill, so it's certain that I can fight well in the dungeon. There are many people who go into dungeons even without combat skills, so I can't choose to not go in this favorable situation.
"Good morning Mai-chan. Good morning to you too, Onii-san."
"Good morning. Please take care of Mai today."
Mai's classmates join them and start chatting. Even though they are elementary school students, they are women, so I don't interrupt the conversation and walk while listening to the two of them. In my previous life, I learned that if I interrupt a woman's conversation, I will end up in a bad situation.
"Mai, I'm going over here. Be careful."
I say goodbye to the two who are engrossed in their conversation and head to middle school. There is no reply, but there is no need to interrupt their fun conversation.
"Look, it's Takimoto-san. He's looking cute today too."
"Tch, why do girls gather around such a girly guy?"
"It can't be helped. His grades are always within the top three in his grade, and he has a physical ability equivalent to [Physical Strengthening], so he is a sure winner."
I can hear the girls' squeals and the boys' resentful voices, but I ignore them. If I had to deal with each one, there would be no end to it.
"Damn, my skill is [Reducing damage caused by hitting your pinky on the corner of a dresser]."
"Don't tell me, I have [Instantly distinguish male from female bumblebees]."
That's probably a senior who got the skill, or someone born before March who was born early. In this world, the new semester starts in April, just like in my previous life, but the entrance criteria are in January.
You decide on your career path with the skills you get in your second year and work hard towards it in your third year, so if the April criteria are used, people born early in the year have less time to decide on their career path, which puts them at a disadvantage.
In that respect, it has already been decided that I will go to an explorer training school, no matter what happens. I am not resting on my laurels with my current strength and I am doing muscle training every day to ensure I am in preparation.
I should also clarify that I'm doing muscle training in preparation for the upcoming dungeons, and not because I'm thin and still get mistaken for a girl.