Chapter 16 : Freshman Training – 4

“Guuuh!”

Clutching the toilet, I retched repeatedly.

The 3.5x enhancement’s power far surpassed my expectations.
I belatedly realized that jumping from 3x to 3.5x was way harder than from 2x to 3x.

Ultimately, I couldn’t last a few minutes and got booted from VR.
Since then, my condition hasn’t recovered, leaving me like this.

Karen, watching my pathetic state from behind, chuckled.

“Told you.
Skipping straight to it was too much.”

I had no comeback.
She was right—I overreached.
Not even used to 2x, let alone 3x, choosing 3.5x was a clear misjudgment.

“Still, not bad.
Honestly, I thought you’d pass out instantly.
But you lasted a few minutes.”

“…Thanks, but I’m not exactly thrilled.”

When will this dizziness finally calm down?

“When you’re better, come to the counter.
I’ll be chatting with Hilda.”

“Okay…”

Eventually, calming down and leaving the bathroom, I saw the two at the counter giggling and talking.

They look pretty close.
Since this is the Stoners’ hideout, Hilda’s a Stoner too, right?

Lost in thought, I was called over.

“Don’t freeze—come here.”

Still awkward with Hilda, I hesitantly approached and sat on an empty chair.
Technically, I haven’t known Karen long either, but she feels oddly comfortable.

“How was training today?
Give us your thoughts.”

“Uh… mostly good, but the end was a bit disappointing.”

If I hadn’t been greedy and followed Karen’s advice, I could’ve ended it more satisfactorily.

“You’ll train in 2x environment for a while.
No complaints, right?”

“Nope.”

“And besides VR training, you’ll train in reality too.”

“Wouldn’t focusing only on VR training be better?
We use Stones in real fights anyway.”

Getting used to Stone-enhanced conditions seems urgent.
Why bother training in reality without enhancements?

“Idiot.
What’s the easiest way for a Stoner to get stronger?”

“Uh… no clue?”

“Building base fitness.
The stronger your foundation, the more your multiplied stats grow.”

“Ohh.”

So, instead of pushing Stone multipliers to 4x or 5x with side effects, boosting my base state allows more stable growth.

“Of course, Stones don’t multiply stats as cleanly as VR.
But the general feel’s similar, so training in both reality and VR is most efficient.”

“Got it.”

Reality for base fitness, VR for combat familiarity.
Fully grasping the upcoming training plan, I nodded.

“Oh, and don’t pointlessly mod your body.
Especially no implants.”

The sudden warning made me tilt my head.

Now that I think of it, the original novel mentioned something like this.
What was the reason?
Since the novel’s protagonist wasn’t a Stoner, I skimmed it and can’t recall clearly.

Hilda answered my question.

“Stone efficiency plummets.
Stone energy works best with a pure human body.
Replace parts with cyberware, and it drops sharply.”

“Some moron tried reducing Stone side effects by covering himself in implants.
If you’re gonna do that, don’t touch Stones at all.
Ended up weaker than before and got kicked out of his mercenary crew.”

Hearing their stories, I mentally erased cyberware from my options.

So there’s no option to use both together.
Having to choose one, most would pick cyberware without hesitation.

Obviously.
Compared to Stones, cyberware has barely any side effects and even looks cool.

It’s the quintessential cyberpunk fantasy.
A cyborg with sleek, steel arms or other body parts seamlessly replaced.

The more I thought, the less reason I saw to choose Stones.
Feeling a bit cheated, I glanced at the two women across from me.

Senior Stoners who know way more than me are right here.
Let’s ask.

“What’s better about Power Stones compared to cyberware?”

“Huh?
What’s that nonsense?”

“Well, you have to pick one, right?
Most would choose cyberware, so what’s the reason to pick Stones?”

Karen let out an incredulous laugh, lighting a cigarette.
Wincing at the acrid smoke, I endured it, waiting for her answer.

“There is none.
That’s why everyone uses *implants.
How many nutcases like us use Stones?”

“Huh?
There’s gotta be something.”

“Why care about useless stuff?
What, feeling cheated for touching a Stone when you could’ve gone with implants?”

“Not really.
If it wasn’t for the Stone, I’d be dead anyway.”

She exhaled white smoke and replied.

“That’s it.”

“…What?”

“That’s the reason.
Why some crazies use Stones.
If it wasn’t for Stones, they’d be dead.
They become Stoners out of desperation.”

“…”

Hilda sighed at the bitingly cynical conclusion and chimed in.

“They’re not entirely without merits.
Unlike cyberware, they don’t need regular maintenance and are safe from hacking.
They’re practically immune to EMP attacks.”

“Tch.
How many pick Stones for those petty reasons?
Maybe if you’re using a Stone Weapon.”

Stone Weapon.

A method of mounting Power Stones on weapons instead of the body.
As Hilda explained earlier, non-human bodies drastically reduce energy efficiency, so it’s not widely used.
Still, Stone energy’s unique properties are irreplaceable, so it’s sometimes used as a strategic special weapon.

I looked down at the ring on my hand.
Everyone agrees Stones aren’t miracle-granting gems but a poisoned chalice.

Will I end up meeting the same fate as other Stoners?

“…”

Shaking off complex thoughts, I shook my head.

I’m fine now.
Isn’t that enough?
Despite Karen and Hilda’s warnings, I’ve used my Stone twice and still feel okay.

Not everyone suffers the same side effects.
It’s common knowledge that symptoms and severity vary by Stone assimilation rate.

So, couldn’t there be no side effects at all?
If I could perfectly assimilate with a Power Stone, maybe I wouldn’t face a grim end.

“Rookie, let’s go.”

I looked up at Karen’s call.

“Planned to push you hard today, but it’s your first day, so I’ll let it slide.”

“…Okay.
Let’s go.”

Standing, I said goodbye to Hilda.
Her hollow eyes held complex emotions as she spoke.

“I heard the basics.
Be careful.”

“Thanks for the concern.
I’ll watch out.”

“…Yeah.
See you next time.”

She seemed to want to say more, but ultimately, Hilda just waved with an awkward smile.

Stepping outside, the sky was already tinged with sunset.
Walking side by side with Karen, I sank into deep thought.

“Think only about tomorrow.”

Her abrupt words made sense instantly.

“This world’s tough enough just living for tomorrow.
Don’t waste energy worrying beyond that.
If you die before then, it’s all pointless anyway.”

A quintessentially Stoner mindset.
Living solely for each day.
Ignoring their doomed fate, living short and bold—cowardly yet braver than anyone.

Karen was right.
Now wasn’t the time to fret over the distant future.
Focus on the problems I need to solve now.
First, deal with Equal Capital’s transaction.

Not wanting to worry Ruby, I quickly perked up and entered the bar.

“Sis!”

Ruby spotted me instantly, beaming and running over.
I knelt, hugged her tight, and ruffled her hair.

“You okay?”

“Yup!
Ruby stayed here quietly waiting for you.”

“Good job.
Who’d you get this cuteness from?”

“Hehe.”

Soaking in the joy of reunion, Karen shook her head from the side.

“Jealous?
Sorry, but even you can’t have Ruby.”

“I wouldn’t take that snot-nosed brat if you begged.”

Snot-nosed?!
Where’s a cuter, sweeter snot-nose than this?!

Glaring at her disgruntled, I heard my name from the other side.

“Um… Lapis?”

“Oh, yes!”

It was Mary, smiling awkwardly, gauging my reaction.
Now I remember—she said she had something to tell me before I left.

“What was that thing you wanted to talk about?”

“Uh, can we talk alone?”

Her gaze dropped naturally.
Ruby looked up at me, and I nodded.

“Ruby’ll wait at the counter with orange juice.”

“Thanks.”

Not enough, we went to a room, and only when alone did Mary finally speak.

It was completely unexpected.

“Ruby… is acting strange?”