Setting Out Again

Now, before I head outside, I should check my status.

I didn't have time to check it yesterday.

I open the status screen.

Kudo Kazuto

Level 5

HP: 27/27

MP: 5/5

Strength: 46

Durability: 43

Agility: 68

Dexterity: 67

Magic: 0

Magic Resistance: 0

SP: 2

JP: 5

Job

Spy LV 9

Unique Skills

Early Bloomer

Skills

Sneak LV 4, Observation LV 4, Keen Hearing LV 4, Stealth LV 6

Physical Enhancement LV 7, Swordsmanship LV 3, Stress Resistance LV 5, Fear Resistance LV 5, Hostility Detection LV 4, Danger Sense LV 5, Hide LV 2, Item Box LV 7

Party Members

Momo

Shiba Inu LV 2

Stress Resistance, Fear Resistance, Hostility Detection, and Danger Sense have all gone up a level.

I didn't have time to worry about that yesterday, but looking at it now, quite a few of my Skills have leveled up.

I faced death, but I got some payoff out of it.

The scales weren't remotely balanced, though.

Come to think of it, it also said I could acquire new Skills.

I click the Skills tab.

Then, under 'Initial Skills Available,' a new item called 'Additional Skills Available' had appeared.

When I click it, new Skills are displayed.

'Additional Skills Available'

Escape, Defensive Instinct

'Escape' and 'Defensive Instinct'...

The voice from heaven had said, 'You have met certain conditions.'

"Certain conditions..."

Could my actions and circumstances in the real world—or perhaps my desires—have created new Skills?

The circumstances in which I acquired them match their names a little too perfectly.

In other words, the more situations I faced, the more Skills I might be able to acquire.

I don't want to take unnecessary risks, but it might be worth trying.

But before that, there are these two newly acquired Skills.

I click the 'Escape' Skill.

≪Spend 2 SP to acquire the Skill 'Escape'?≫

Huh? Two points?

Not one?

To confirm, I clicked the Initial Skills section, and apparently the Initial Skills cost one point, while both Additional Skills cost two.

Two points...

Both Skills are appealing, so there shouldn't be any harm in acquiring one now.

I can get the other one when I level up next.

For now, I'll acquire 'Escape.'

≪Spend 2 SP to acquire the Skill 'Escape'?≫

Yes.

≪You acquired the Skill 'Escape'≫

All right. This should give me a bonus when I'm running away from monsters.

It's a shame that I can't verify this Skill until I'm actually in that situation, but I think that's probably its effect.

Actually, acquired Skills level up along with my Job level and proficiency even without spending SP, so it might be better to acquire Skills aggressively at first and raise their proficiency later.

That should let me conserve SP, too.

Investing early is important. Except in stocks. You always lose money on those.

When I level up next, I might as well acquire all the Skills, including the Initial ones.

"Hm?"

When I happened to glance over at Momo, I found it sitting and staring at one particular spot.

There was nothing in the direction of its gaze. Just a wall.

Then Momo began lightly tapping the floor.

What is Momo doing?

"...Momo? What's wrong?"

When I spoke to Momo, it suddenly snapped to attention and looked at me.

"Woof!"

Momo replied energetically.

"Was something bothering you?"

"Woof! Woof!"

Momo rubbed against me, looking incredibly happy.

Hm? What could be wrong?

It was acting like it wanted me to praise it.

And then there was that strange behavior just now. Could it be...

"...Hey, Momo. Did you happen to acquire a 'Skill' too?"

"Woof!"

Momo wagged its tail furiously, as if to say I'd guessed correctly.

Seriously? I said it as a joke, but did Momo really acquire some kind of Skill?

Could Momo hear something like that 'voice from heaven' too?

"R-Really? What kind of Skill is it?"

"Woof!"

Momo ran around me in circles, then hopped a little way away.

Finally, Momo looked at me with a smug expression.

"...Um, what does that mean?"

"Wuff!"

Momo repeated the same sequence of movements.

Huh? What? What kind of Skill is that supposed to be?

Is it a Skill for spinning around and jumping?

Spinning and jumping... No way, could it be that super-famous doggy's special move―――

"Woof! Wuff!"

Momo vigorously denied it.

Apparently not.

Then what kind of Skill was it?

Momo repeated the same movements again and again, but I still couldn't quite figure it out.

Momo grew terribly dejected because I couldn't understand.

"......Whiiine..."

Sorry, Momo.

After that, I kept petting Momo for a while and somehow managed to cheer it up.

"Then, shall we get going?"

"Woof."

I put away all the furniture I'd set out as a barricade, and Momo and I went outside.

The rain had stopped.

The morning sun is dazzling.

"The smoke that had been rising here and there has disappeared..."

The rain yesterday must have put out a lot of the fires.

I have a much clearer view of the city.

And I can see yesterday's shopping mall in the direction I'm looking, too.

"I wonder if that High Orc is still there?"

Or it may have already moved on after hunting humans.

I need to level up soon.

"...Hm?"

Hostility Detection has already picked up a response.

But it doesn't feel like anything major.

Rather than the 'bad feeling' I sensed yesterday, it's more like 'I should be a little careful.'

"It's not on this floor... The first floor, then."

Because I leveled up, the range at which I can sense 'hostility' seems to have expanded.

Using 'Stealth' and 'Sneak,' I quickly descend the stairs.

By the way, I'm carrying Momo in my arms.

It's faster this way when going down the stairs, too.

"Wuff!"

Momo seems quite happy to be carried in my arms.

Stop it. Don't look at me like that.

You're going to make it hard to let you go!

I reach the first floor.

I steel myself and let Momo go. Guh...

The response from Hostility Detection came from a little way ahead.

Looking over, I see a monster near the parking lot.

"A zombie..."

A lone zombie was wandering near the parking lot.

I don't see any other monsters.

This is a good target.

I pull a dumbbell out of the Item Box and close in at once.

I crush its head.

≪You acquired experience points≫

The zombie disappears, leaving a magic stone rolling on the ground.

All right, this is a promising start.

For now, I'll make zombies and goblins my main targets and hunt them.

Of course, I'll go in the opposite direction from that shopping mall. Safety first.