New Skills

Let's test out the new Skills I acquired.

There are nine new Skills in all.

Silent Movement LV 3

Night Vision LV 1

Vital Point Strike LV 1

Presence Concealment LV 4

Appraisal Interference LV 1

Enemy Search LV 1

Telescope LV 1

Agility Enhancement LV 1

Dexterity Enhancement LV 1

That's a lot all at once...

As for 'Agility Enhancement' and 'Dexterity Enhancement,' their effects are already known.

They each grant a +10 bonus to 'Agility' and 'Dexterity,' respectively, every time their level increases by one.

Considering my initial Agility was 1, that's an insane effect. Ten times as much—ten times.

My body feels incredibly light.

Next, 'Appraisal Interference.'

This probably has exactly the effect you'd expect.

At LV 1, it probably interferes with LV 1 Appraisal, or something like that.

I tested 'Silent Movement' by walking around indoors.

This is incredible.

I make absolutely no sound.

Not even the footsteps or rustling of clothes that usually occur whenever I walk.

Of course, it doesn't work for everything.

For example, smell.

Apparently, I can't hide my scent, so it didn't work on Momo.

I'll have to watch out for monsters with a keen sense of smell.

But combined with 'Presence Concealment,' which prevents others from sensing my presence, it'll be incredibly useful for launching surprise attacks.

I guess I can't test 'Vital Point Strike' without using it in actual combat.

I can't exactly try it on Momo. No abusing Momo. Absolutely not.

Well, if I take this Skill literally, it probably makes it easier to hit an opponent's vital points. It's a Skill Assassins often have, after all.

'Night Vision,' 'Enemy Search,' and 'Telescope' are all pretty useful Skills, too.

Night Vision is literally a Skill that lets me see clearly even in the dark.

It's like the footage you see on TV—the kind of images visible through night-vision scopes or cameras.

It looks more or less like that.

Telescope is likewise a Skill that lets me see things far away.

As far as distance goes, I can see things a few dozen meters away with the same clarity as if I were looking at them up close.

Enemy Search seems to be a Skill that lets me sense the presence of living things nearby.

For now, its effective range seems to be about a ten-meter radius.

I had Momo move away from me to test it, and it seemed to cover about that much space.

All three of these are level-dependent Skills.

Their effects probably grow stronger with each level.

They're all practical, useful Skills.

"Well, how should I distribute my points...?"

I have 22 points left.

Oh, but I want to pick up a few new Skills, too.

For now, should I acquire 'Defensive Instinct,' which I put on hold last time?

This costs 2 points.

Next, from among the Initial Skills Available:

Poison Resistance, Paralysis Resistance, Virus Resistance, Heat Resistance, Taunt Resistance, and HP Auto-Recovery

I'll learn all six of them.

You can never have too many Resistance Skills.

Taunt Resistance is... well, just in case.

Besides, HP recovery Skills should be essential for exploring.

All the Initial Skills cost 1 point each.

So that costs 6 points in total.

I'll use the remaining 14 points to level up my existing Skills.

Raise Enemy Search to LV 3, Dexterity Enhancement to LV 2, Agility Enhancement to LV 3, and Paralysis Resistance to LV 2.

All right, that should do it.

Kudo Kazuto

Level 6

HP: 30/30

MP: 6/6

Strength: 50

Durability: 47

Agility: 92 → 112

Dexterity: 90 → 100

Magic: 0

Magic Resistance: 0

SP: 22 → 0

JP: 0

Job

Assassin LV 1

Hunter LV 1

Unique Skills

Early Bloomer

Skills

Silent Movement LV 3, Night Vision LV 1, Vital Point Strike LV 1, Presence Concealment LV 4, Appraisal Interference LV 1

Enemy Search LV 3, Telescope LV 1, Agility Enhancement LV 3, Dexterity Enhancement LV 2

Observation LV 4, Keen Hearing LV 4,

Physical Enhancement LV 7, Swordsmanship LV 3, Stress Resistance LV 5, Fear Resistance LV 5, Poison Resistance LV 1, Paralysis Resistance LV 2, Virus Resistance LV 1, Heat Resistance LV 1, Taunt Resistance LV 1, HP Auto-Recovery LV 1, Hostility Detection LV 4, Danger Sense LV 5, Hide LV 2, Escape LV 1, Defensive Instinct LV 1, Item Box LV 7

Party Members

Momo

Shiba Inu LV 3

Agility and Dexterity have finally broken 100.

Compared to my initial stats, this is frightening growth.

Heh, I'm not afraid of anything anymore.

...That was a lie. I'm really scared.

No matter how much my stats increase, deep down, I'm still me...

Safety first. Self-preservation above all.

"Oh, is it already this late?"

When I looked at the clock, it was already past eleven.

Apparently, I'd spent more time than expected choosing Jobs and Skills.

"Momo, want to have lunch? It's a little early, though."

"Woof!"

I boiled some water in the kitchen and made cup ramen.

I had lunch with the rice balls and canned food I'd gotten at the convenience store.

Momo got dog food and water.

After lunch, Momo and I had a brief strategy meeting.

So we'd be able to coordinate using simple hand signals and cues.

As expected—or perhaps I should say, naturally—Momo learned them immediately. That's our Momo.

After taking a short break to let our food settle, we went outside.

Next, we'd test the new Skills in actual combat.

I wanted to level up as quickly as possible, too.

After walking through the city for a while, a co-op came into view.

The elderly locals around here used it often.

I used it from time to time, too.

Even though only a few days had passed, it somehow felt like a long time since I'd been here.

"Oh...?"

'Enemy Search,' 'Hostility Detection,' and 'Danger Sense' had picked up something.

There was a monster nearby.

I hid along the wall and watched. Through the shattered window, I could see a group of goblins inside.

Now that I had 'Telescope,' I could clearly see what was happening inside even from quite a distance away.

This Skill really is incredibly useful.

I could see four goblins, at least. ...That's a lot.

The goblins were breaking whatever they pleased inside and stuffing their faces with fruit and vegetables.

I found myself thinking, bizarrely, that goblins got hungry too.

"...Hm?"

I narrowed my eyes.

Behind the four goblins.

There was a distinctive-looking goblin there.

It was huge.

One of them was unusually large, with much finer ornaments and equipment than the other goblins.

"A hobgoblin..."

The word came to mind.

An advanced goblin species.

So orcs had higher-level beings like that High Orc, too.

It wouldn't be strange if goblins had something similar.

What should I do?

Should I back off?

No, the 'Danger Sense' response was weak.

Besides, I wasn't getting that 'abnormally intense sense of danger' I'd felt from the High Orc.

Momo's new Skills had been revealed, and I'd grown stronger myself.

Could Momo and I handle it now?

"..."

My body trembled.

"...Momo."

"Woof."

"Will you come with me?"

"Woof!"

Momo rubbed against me as if to say, 'What are you waiting for?'

Haha, Momo had more guts than I did...

As I petted Momo, the trembling in my body subsided.

Well, if things got dangerous, we'd run away immediately.

"All right. Then let's go."

"Woof!"

Steeling ourselves, Momo and I decided to head for the co-op.