In this Second Chance at Life, where I can see skills as clear as day, everything feels like a breeze. And to make it even better, I’m spending my days joyfully with my First Love. - Chapter 40

The guy challenging me, who seemed to be the leader of the group struggling to keep up with classes, didn’t exactly hold much sway within the special class. Instead, he often hung around other classes, throwing his weight around and trying to act important.

I had no interest in what profession he had, nor did I bother remembering it. To avoid accidentally triggering my Intimidation skill, I didn’t even look in his direction. Instead, I leaned toward Kanahebi and whispered:

(Hey, I’ve got to do a mock battle with this guy, but it’s such a hassle. Would you mind stepping in for me? I mean, I did explain that a Tamer’s strength lies in their summoned creature, so it should be allowed.)

(If that is your command, I will comply. But you must know, one breath from me would reduce that brat to nothing.)

…And therein lay the problem.

When I used my Appraisal skill to check this guy out, it turned out his profession was Berserker. It came with a stat adjustment that dropped his mana to zero in exchange for multiplying his strength and stamina by five. As a result, he had strength and stamina stats of about 1200 each—a decent amount for someone at level 1, which he constantly bragged about.

But…

(He’s way too weak.)

Even with his impressive stats, the gap between him and either me or Kanahebi was laughably vast—over a trillion times, to be exact. But the real issue wasn’t his lack of strength. It was his mana.

Mana in this world also functions as magic resistance, so having zero mana made him incredibly vulnerable.

To make matters worse, his profession granted him the Berserker Mode skill. While it amplified his strength and stamina further, it also provided an unintended side effect—something akin to Complete Mental Resistance. This rendered him entirely immune to my Intimidation.

As a result, I’d have to rely on direct attacks to deal with him. But with zero mana, even the slightest magical contact could likely kill him. That terrified me.

Using physical attacks wasn’t a viable solution either. My stats, boosted by my mana, were so absurdly high that I couldn’t properly control them without magical dampening. Striking him with raw strength would almost certainly obliterate him.

Even if I adjusted my strength to match his 1200, the added magic from my attacks would likely be fatal.

The way I’d trained to manage my mana and strength wasn’t designed for complex combat. It was more suited for simple actions like running or opening doors. Attempting to fight someone in a controlled manner felt like a disaster waiting to happen.

And as for summoning other monsters to fight on my behalf? Unfortunately, my dungeon’s creatures below level 100 weren’t strong enough to make a difference. Even the weakest goblin I could summon, with my Tamer buffs and raw stats, would have a strength stat exceeding two million.

No matter how much I tried to hold back, I could only envision this guy ending up in pieces. Sure, Ichika-chan could probably revive him if it came to that, but revealing her ability to use resurrection magic would undoubtedly attract unwanted attention.

I’d rather deal with this guy being turned to ashes than put Ichika-chan at risk.

Still, I’d prefer not to kill anyone if I can avoid it.

Wait… I’ve got it!

An idea popped into my head.

After the teacher finished explaining the rules and purpose of the mock battle, our match began.

◇

A mock battle is a match where participants use their professions and skills to compete.

The mock battle appeared to be designed with two possible scenarios in mind: dungeon exploration or combating criminals who misuse their skills and professions.

Even if someone isn’t particularly interested in combat, possessing a powerful profession or skill makes it likely they’ll end up involved in trouble at some point. That’s why these mock battles, conducted under the supervision of instructors, served as training in self-defense.

“Sajima! So, you’re the world’s first to get a profession, huh? Feeling all high and mighty, messing around with the Ice Witch? Was it fun? Huh?”

The guy—whose name I still didn’t bother to remember—swaggered toward me, carrying an oversized blunt wooden axe on his shoulder, his grin full of aggression and smugness.

I replied honestly, “Yeah, it’s been great.”

I mean, of course it’s fun spending time with a beautiful girl like Ichika-chan. How could it not be?

“Well, I’m not having fun! I’m stuck in a cramped dorm room with three other guys while you get your own place, just because of some special treatment! You’re a weakling with nothing to offer except being the first to get a profession. Everyone’s fed up with it!

“That’s why I’m going to take you down today and put an end to your special treatment!”

Special treatment? Was he talking about the small house Ichika and I lived in? Sure, it’s a perk, but it also comes with its own problems—like having to give public speeches, constantly standing out in a bad way, and dealing with annoying challengers like him.

“Look, I have my reasons. Besides, I’m not giving up my life with Ichika-chan. Enough talk—bring it on.”

I taunted him, and he activated his Berserker Mode skill. With all his strength, he swung the axe straight at me.

Even though the axe was blunt and wooden, the power behind it was enough to kill most combat professionals in one hit.

But…

I didn’t dodge.

Thunk. Crack.

A dull, awkward sound echoed as the axe shattered at its base from the impact.

I glanced at my status screen. Zero damage. Not a scratch.

When there’s more than a hundredfold gap in strength, it’s almost impossible to inflict any damage. Even with only a tenfold difference, an attack might barely scratch me. With the difference between us being in the trillions, his attacks had absolutely no effect.

“Huh?”

“Yeah, that didn’t do anything. I’m not going to fight back, so you can keep hitting me if you want. If you can leave so much as a scratch on me, I’ll call it your win.”

“Y-you’ve got to be kidding me! My name is—”

“Not interested. Quit talking and get on with it.”

Furious, he began punching me with all his strength. But his blows were so ineffective that they only made me feel bored. Honestly, I almost yawned.

With his low stats, zero mana, and immunity to Intimidation, this guy was incredibly weak. The best way to deal with this situation without causing him any harm was simple:

Don’t fight back.

If I didn’t retaliate, he wouldn’t die. His stamina would eventually run out, and the match would end on its own.

While he continued his futile assault, I decided to direct all my Intimidation toward him.

I started with mild pressure and gradually escalated it to an overwhelming aura that screamed, “I’m going to kill you.”

To avoid affecting the other students or bystanders in the school, I carefully focused the Intimidation solely on him. I didn’t look at anyone else—doing so might accidentally spread the effect—but I was fairly confident in my control.

Seconds later:

“Why… Why am I losing to someone like you…? A-ah… AAAAAAHHH!”

His face twisted in sheer terror. Despite his Berserker Mode granting him what should have been Complete Mental Resistance, he crumbled. Overwhelmed by fear, he wet himself and collapsed unconscious.

…Could it be that an extreme difference in stats allows Intimidation to bypass mental resistance? Or was it because his mana was zero?

Once I confirmed he was out cold, I deactivated my Intimidation.

When I glanced around, I noticed that about half the special class students had fainted, while the other half were trembling in fear.

Koumei looked intrigued, while Ichika-chan seemed slightly exasperated.

Well, I suppose my Intimidation control still needs some improvement.

On a side note, Koumei’s nerves are seriously impressive. Smart, good-looking, composed—what kind of perfect superhuman is he?

Later that day, Ichika-chan gave me a long lecture.

I did feel guilty about intentionally letting my Intimidation spill over, and I reflected on it. But honestly, Ichika-chan looked so cute when she was angry that I couldn’t stop grinning, which only made the lecture drag on longer.