[Author’s Note: Last Chapter has been updated with the correct content. If you can’t see the correct Chapter, clear your app cache.]
Isaac thought about it and answered. “Her actual stats were higher than the ones shown on her status screen.”
Professor Catherine smiled slightly. “Good job noticing that. It must be because something similar is happening with your own stats, so you recognized the pattern.”
Emily glanced at Isaac, a bit surprised.
Then Professor Catherine’s gaze shifted to Emily. “Do you know why there’s a difference between actual performance stats and system-shown stats?”
Emily shook her head. “No, auntie.”
“Professor.” Professor Catherine corrected her. “We are in class right now, Emily.”
“Yes, sorry, professor. I don’t know the answer,” Emily said, a bit embarrassed.
“That’s alright,” Professor Catherine said gently. “Our curriculum hasn’t reached that point yet. It’s not something most first-year students would know.”
She continued, “Stats are relative to your race. Normally, the base stats vary slightly between species, but not by a lot. The difference is barely noticeable.
“However, for high-rank species and above—those who awaken their Physique—the base stats evolve significantly.”
Emily blinked. “Physique?”
“Yes. It’s an aspect unique to high-rank species and above. Once a high-rank species awakens their Physique, the value of their stats increases. On average, one stat point for someone with a Physique is equal to three stat points for someone without one.”
Emily’s eyes widened slightly.
“And that’s not all,” Professor Catherine added. “Some high-rank species go even further. Their one stat point could equal four of someone from a low-rank or mid-rank species.”
Isaac nodded. This was something he had suspected when he noticed that he was stronger than the stats shown on his status screen.
“So stats on the screen don’t mean much in actual battle?”
“They still matter,” Professor Catherine said. “But only if you understand what’s behind them.”
She turned back toward Alice.
“Take Drakes, for example. They are a high-rank species. Their one point in Strength is worth four points for others, but their Agility is worth only two stat points. Stats scale differently depending on the race and what they’re optimized for.”
Alice listened carefully, so did Isaac and Emily.
Professor Catherine continued. “This is why knowing your opponent’s race and what areas they excel at matters. You can’t just charge in with a good class and Talent and expect to win. Strategy and preparation matters.”
“What about dragons?” Emily questioned.
“Dragons are believed to be all-rounders. All their stats are similarly high. As for how their stats compare to common races… There’s no official record. But based on what Alice showed, the minimum estimate is five to one.”
Isaac’s brows furrowed. “So Alice’s actual Strength… is five times what it says?”
“At least five times,” Catherine confirmed. “It could be easily more. We will only know when she has adjusted to her stats, and can fight properly.”
Emily turned toward Alice, blinking in a mixture of awe and disbelief.
Professor Catherine noticed her gaze.
“You will evolve your species and awaken a Physique too if you keep training like you do, Emily,” she said.
Alice’s looked at her, surprised, and Emily was no different. The professor raised her hand casually, as if to wave away their surprise.
“Emily’s situation is a bit unique,” Professor Catherine added. “Normally, it’s impossible to evolve someone’s species to a higher rank without Bloodline Upgrade Potion.”
Her gaze drifted to Isaac for a moment. Only he knew the real reason behind Emily’s potential for evolution.
“Alright,” Professor Catherine clapped once, shifting the tone of the conversation. “The theory part is over. It’s time to train.”
She turned to Emily and Alice. “Each of you will fight a combat dummy. Alice, I don’t want you to focus on defeating it. You need to work on adjusting to your own body, focus on coordination, and try to actively adjust how much strength and other stats you are using. You won’t be able to handle the Body Tempering potion unless your body and mind are in sync with your current stats.”
She didn’t wait for a reply. “If you don’t adjust properly before taking the potion, the rapid stat growth could mess up your coordination permanently. In the worst case, you might never be able to bring out the full power of your stats again.”
Professor Catherine had already informed Alice she would be given a Body Tempering Potion.
However, she needed to put in effort for it.
Alice and Emily moved toward the training area.
Alice seemed focused. Emily was a little nervous and excited at the same time by the news of her possible evolution. Both took their places in front of the dummies, ready to start.
Professor Catherine finally turned to Isaac, who was still standing a short distance away.
“Well then,” she said with a smile, “I hope you don’t get tired too easily during our training. Without enough stamina, you would not be satisfy me.”
“Do you really have to make everything sound so suggestive, Professor?” Isaac gave her a look.
“What are you talking about? I spoke normally.”
The slight curve of her lips told a different story. She wasn’t even pretending to hide the amusement.
Isaac sighed. “Let’s just start.”
They moved to a quieter part of the training grounds, a bit away from the backyard area. There were no dummies here, or obstacles. Just flat land, and silence.
“Now that your Sovereign of Land skill is at Level 8 it’s going to get much harder to level it up. Even people with S-rank talents take years to reach max level in a skill. You might have an SSS+ talent, but don’t expect miracles. It’ll still take you weeks, maybe months.”
Isaac didn’t say anything.
He knew she wasn’t exaggerating.
The exponential growth curve of high-level skills was no joke.
“So, we’ll need to increase the intensity of your training.”
“How exactly?” Isaac asked.
“You’re going to summon roots on land that isn’t within your current range.”
Isaac tilted his head. “You mean beyond the area I can temporarily claim using the skill?”
Professor Catherine nodded. “Exactly. The passive description of Sovereign of Land says, ’All lands you have cultivated become an extension of you.’ That means any plot of land—no matter how small—where you’ve successfully grown something becomes your territory. Even a palm-sized flowerbed.”
Professor Catherine had spent days building training plans for Isaac and planning the best method to level up his skills.
What she was telling him was one of those methods.
“Once you grow something on a land, the land is marked as yours. From that point on, you can sense when someone steps on it. And…”
“If it’s mine,” Isaac continued, starting to think it through, “then I should be able to summon roots there too. I’ve only ever summoned roots on temporarily claimed land. But if this works, I can use roots from long distances. Even across city sectors.”
Professor Catherine smiled. “Exactly.”
The training began immediately.
The farmland they had cultivated in front of the house was now their target.
But they weren’t standing in it.
They were at the far end of the backyard, which completely out of visual and sensory range.
“Try to sense it first. Don’t try to summon anything yet. Just feel for it. It’s your land. That’s what the skill says.”
Isaac closed his eyes, and focused.
His senses flared as he tried to locate the farmland.