The Banished Villainous Noble Son Who Was Used as a Stepping Stone in the Original Work Awakens to Combat and Destroys the Laws of the World - Episode 14: Finishing the Skill

Episode 14: Finishing the Skill

Morning came—the cold air, as always, filled my lungs.

I should’ve still felt fatigue from yesterday’s training. But my body was light.

In fact, the heat welling up from within me only fueled my excitement for today’s session.

(I’ll finish it today.)

I was on the verge of acquiring the “Constant Activity” skill.

Both my “Poison Resistance” and “Physical Resistance” had nearly reached Lv.6.

Once I reached that point, I could finally challenge the Miasma Plain.

And waiting beyond that—was the kind of battle that would earn me the “Constant Activity” skill.

(There’s still more ahead. I won’t be satisfied with just this.)

I exhaled lightly, accepted another Miasma Rat request from the guild, and turned toward the drainage channel.

The receptionist’s surprised face no longer felt like anything unusual to me.

“Another Miasma Rat…?”

“Yes. Please.”

I gave a slight nod to the woman as she shrugged and stepped into the drainage channel once more.

◆

The usual space filled with miasma.

The damp scent, the heavy, muffled air—but this environment was the perfect training ground.

Before long, a group of them appeared ahead.

They bared their sharp fangs. They were lunging at me all at once. Among them was a unique variant again.

For the second day in a row—and honestly, I was beginning to feel a strange fondness for them.

These creatures brought me to a place where I could satisfy my “thirst” for more.

《Status: Poisoned》

《HP: 99%》

Each time their fangs sank into my arm, poison crept into my body.

But “Poison Resistance: Lv.4” kicked in immediately. It suppressed the rate of infection.

There was numbness for sure—a slow spreading tremor in my fingertips—but even that was proof of my training.

(Pain is information. It tells me how much strain I’m under.)

The same went for impact.

When their fangs struck my shoulder, trying to tear through my skin, “Physical Resistance: Lv.4” softened the shock. It turned potentially fatal attacks into mere scratches.

(Compared to how things were before I had any skills, it’s a huge difference.)

At Lv.4, this level of poison and attack barely registered as more than being pinched.

Of course, it still hurt.

But that was the point. I didn’t see pain as the enemy—I measured it.

Which angle made the blow rattle my bones, how deep the poison had to go before the numbness intensified—

All throughout battle, my mind ran continuous damage simulations.

(Stack it higher—)

The group’s fangs grazed my stomach. And the poison-induced numbness gradually deepened.

…Then, it happened.

《Skill Level-Up Confirmed》

《Skill: Poison Resistance Lv.4 → Lv.5》

《Skill: Physical Resistance Lv.4 → Lv.5》

(Good. First milestone reached.)

Poison crept in more slowly now.

The pressure of their blows lightened a bit.

But—this wasn’t the end. There was still more ahead.

Another group of regular rats joined in, doubling the strain.

Poison stacked layer by layer. And impacts piled up.

But even so—

《Status: Poisoned》

《HP: 84%》

“Haha.”

I laughed without meaning to.

Up until now, I hadn’t used even a single beginner-grade potion—and yet my HP had only dropped slowly.

Back in the beginning, I had to carefully time my potion use just to survive long enough to level my resistances.

That was only a few days ago. And yet, it felt strangely nostalgic.

(So this is what “Physical Resistance Lv. 5” feels like… I had a hunch, but this is strong.)

Of course, “Poison Resistance” was working too—but poison caused damage with each step.

That meant the damage mitigation I felt now was purely thanks to “Physical Resistance”.

There weren’t just five this time—several groups had merged.

Rough count: fifteen rats.

Even while taking their combined attacks, my HP was still holding strong.

And when the unique variant’s fangs dug into me again—

A pleasant chime echoed in my mind.

《Skill Level-Up Confirmed》

《Skill: Poison Resistance Lv.5 → Lv.6》

《Skill: Physical Resistance Lv.5 → Lv.6》

(I made it.)

A solidness settled deep in my body, like I had gained new armor at my core.

Poison seeped in even slower. And the pain from impacts faded further.

(This is the stopping point.)

At the end, I slashed into the now sluggish unique variant.

My sword pierced clean through its core.

With the leader dead, the swarm panicked and scattered.

I only hunted the bare minimum and secured enough materials.

(That’s enough.)

The poison-induced numbness still lingered. But I drank a single status recovery potion and forcibly cleared it out.

I still had plenty of potions left in reserve.

All that was left was to collect my reward and purchase the remaining necessary items.

(Now I can challenge the Miasma Plain!)

Both resistances had reached Lv.6.

That meant I had earned the right to step into that place.

Inside were monsters that would allow me to earn the “Constant Activity” skill—just thinking about it made me want to rush there immediately.

But that would’ve been foolish.

I had to finish gathering all the necessary items and be fully prepared.

Even so, my body itched for it.

Back on the day I was condemned, I swore to make “Constant Activity” my top priority.

Now, I could finally see it within reach.

◆

When I exited the drainage channel, the faint sunlight shining through felt blinding.

The breeze cooled my sweat-soaked skin—it felt oddly refreshing. It was like a reward for having come this far.

I returned to the guild and handed the gathered materials to the usual receptionist.

“So many again… Please wait just a moment.”

“Yes, thank you.”

A short exchange, tinged with slight respect and curiosity.

But I didn’t allow it to go any deeper.

(Keep interactions to a minimum. I’m here to fight, nothing more.)

I received the reward from the receptionist and returned to the inn.

(With the unique variant included, I earned more than enough. Now I can stock up on potions. All that remains is to step into the Miasma Plain.)

I opened the inn’s door, and a warm glow and the smell of food greeted me.

It felt like a new battle was waiting for me tomorrow.

—Tomorrow. At last, it begins.

Original Author’s Comment:

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Thank you so much for reading to the end!

[Postscript Update]

Thank you to everyone who pointed out formatting errors—I’ve corrected them!

I’ll continue to build this series carefully and gratefully, so I hope you’ll stay with me going forward!

(Here’s the link if you want to support the Author: https://kakuyomu.jp/works/16818622176303375188.)