The Synthesis Magician

After everything settled, Aida-san returned to the Talent Dispatch Agency.

In the end, I told her that the Goblin General's death was a fluke—I'd managed to land a lucky blow when it stumbled. She didn't seem entirely convinced, but I couldn't think of a better excuse.

My sister, Mikoto, left shortly after as well, saying she needed to head home and prepare dinner.

And me?

"Well... one night of observation to rest up," I muttered, staring at the unfamiliar hospital ceiling.

Stretching out my hand, I clenched my fist tightly.

This strength... it had to be from Swordsman.

Before I lost consciousness, I saw the system window. At the time, I thought it was a hallucination. But now, I couldn't deny it. I had acquired the lowest-tier Gift of Mizutani Yuri, the Sword Saint who saved my life.

Combat-oriented Gifts were considered jackpots. Simply possessing one could guarantee a stable life.

For instance, Warrior Gifts enhance strength and endurance, while Swordsman focuses on strength and speed. What made them even more extraordinary was their permanent effects.

In other words, I now had a combat Gift—a true game-changer, even if I was starting late.

"Inquiry, huh..."

Why did my Gift activate when it did?

Thinking back to that moment when the Goblin General nearly killed me, I realized something. I'd seen flashes of my entire life—like a vivid reel of memories.

That heightened state of focus must have been the key.

"And then there's Concentration."

I'd heard rumors that monsters had their own Gifts, but I never imagined the Goblin General's Gift would be Concentration.

It must have triggered something in my own Gift, Inquiry.

The prolonged focus and synergy between the Goblin General's Gift and my own accelerated the process, pushing my concentration to evolve into Super Concentration.

"If this hypothesis is correct..."

Sitting up, I activated Super Concentration and focused on the higher-tier Gift of Swordsman—Swordmaster.

"Activating Inquiry. Acquiring target's Gift..."

"It's working!"

Progress: 8% analysis of Gift: Swordsman.

"Yes! If I keep this up, I'll—"

Error. Insufficient technical resources. Analysis halted at 13%.

"Figures... it's not going to be that easy."

I sighed.

Technical resources? If I wanted to understand what that meant, I'd have to learn through experience—likely in real combat.

The Next Morning

Discharged from the hospital, I stopped home briefly before heading to the Talent Dispatch Agency.

"Oh, Date-kun! Good morning!" Aida-san greeted with a smile.

"Good morning, Aida-san. Thank you for everything yesterday," I said, bowing my head.

Her eyes drifted to my back, and she frowned slightly.

"Date-kun... is that a sword?"

"Oh, this?" I shifted to show her the training blade strapped to my back. "It's a dull-edged practice sword. I was hoping to use the training grounds today."

"Really? That's unusual. Normally, you go through your daily routine first."

By "daily routine," she meant the morning exercises I did without fail.

Even as a so-called "genius," physical conditioning was essential. Running, strength training, pushing my limits—these were necessary to ensure I could handle tasks like carrying heavy loads for Udota's team.

I'd grown used to life's unfairness, but that didn't mean I'd surrendered to it. If I failed, I wanted to know I'd done everything in my power to fight back.

"Haha, the discharge process took longer than I expected," I replied with a sheepish grin.

"Got it. By the way, I've secured a cleaning job for you at the East Dorm later today," she said, handing me the details.

"Thanks. I'll take a look after training," I said before heading toward the training grounds.

The agency's training grounds were a great perk—freely accessible to all registered members. Premium rooms for specialized training required additional fees, but even the basic facilities were excellent.

For someone like me, however, even 500 yen—the cost of the lowest-grade premium room—was a fortune. That single coin could feed my household for a day, maybe even two if Mikoto stretched it with her budgeting wizardry.

"Alright..."

I set my belongings down in a corner of the field and began a light warm-up.

Jogging, stretching, rotating my arms and neck—I tested my body's condition.

There was still a dull ache from the previous day's injuries, but it wasn't enough to hinder light training.

"But... wow," I murmured as I moved.

The power flowing through me was extraordinary. Every step felt lighter, my movements effortless. Even running at full speed didn't strain my body.

"Is this... normal?"

Even support-type Gifted had physical abilities that surpassed ordinary humans. A Healer or Strategist could easily outpace professional athletes.

Thinking back, Tanaka—the Healer on Udota's team—must've been severely out of shape.

Satisfied with my warm-up, I unsheathed the dull-edged practice sword.

Activating Super Concentration, I held the blade steady and swung.

"Activating Inquiry. Acquiring target's Gift..."

The system message popped up immediately.

"Bingo."