Choosing Skills

So, next I'll raise my Skills' levels.

I acquired four in all.

'Sneak,' 'Observation,' 'Keen Ears,' and 'Stealth.'

Thanks to raising my Job's level, they've all reached Level 2.

Hmm, which one should I raise...?

It's hard to decide...

Oh, come to think of it, I was able to click the Job field. Could I click the Skill field too?

With growing excitement, I clicked the Skill field.

≪Multiple Skills can be acquired. Would you like to acquire them?≫

Whoa! Seriously?!

A list of Skills with dimmed text appeared on the status screen, separate from the Skills I'd already acquired.

There were twenty in all.

'Initially Available Skills'

Body Enhancement, Swordsmanship, Riding, Stress Resistance, Fear Resistance, Poison Resistance, Paralysis Resistance, Virus Resistance, Heat Resistance, Provocation Resistance, Negotiation, HP Auto-Recovery, Hostility Detection, Danger Sense, Hide, Cooking, Document Preparation, Packing, Carrying, Writing, Item Box.

There are a lot.

So these are Skills I can acquire in addition to the ones I got from my Job?

Is the large number of Resistance Skills because I used to be a corporate slave?

How depressing.

The Skills probably have exactly the effects their names suggest.

This is straight out of a web novel.

I used to imagine things like this all the time.

Choosing Skills is kind of exciting, isn't it?

Now, I have 10 SP.

How should I use it?

Whether to acquire new Skills or raise the levels of the Skills I already have...

It's a tough choice, but if I'm thinking about surviving in this world, there are certain Skills I need to choose.

When I clicked every Skill, I found that each one required just 1 point to acquire.

That's convenient.

No matter which one I choose, it's only 1 point.

In other words, if I don't spend any on raising the levels of my current Skills, I can acquire up to ten Skills.

"Hmm, which ones should I choose?"

After agonizing over it, I decided to acquire the following Skills.

'Body Enhancement'

'Stress Resistance'

'Fear Resistance'

'Hostility Detection'

'Danger Sense'

'Item Box'

That's all.

With monsters flooding the outside world, Hostility Detection and Danger Sense are essential.

Along with Stealth, having those two should greatly improve my chances of survival.

In fact, the moment I acquired those two Skills, I felt like my instincts had sharpened.

Something like, "Hmm, what's this presence...?"

This is getting me seriously fired up.

I want to try saying, "Heh, you there... Why don't you come out instead of hiding?"

That's pretty cool, isn't it?

I definitely want to try it!

Of course, if it turned out to be a monster, I'd run away afterward.

Next, in case I got into a fight, I acquired Body Enhancement.

My base stats are low, so I'd feel pretty helpless without it.

I checked my status immediately after acquiring Body Enhancement.

HP, Strength, Endurance, Agility, and Dexterity had each increased by 5.

Wow, the increase is bigger than my original stats.

Getting carried away, I raised Body Enhancement to Level 2.

The added value is +10.

I'll test just how much stronger I've become later.

Next were Stress Resistance and Fear Resistance, to lessen my fear of fighting and hurting my opponents.

I've never even had a proper fight, let alone been in a life-or-death struggle.

These two Resistances are essential for maintaining my mental balance.

In fact, the fear I'd felt toward the monsters outside faded the moment I acquired them.

And, well, that indescribable unease—or whatever it was—disappeared too.

Skills really are amazing.

And finally, Item Box.

I figured it would simply be a convenient Skill to have.

I tried using it right away.

This thing was seriously amazing.

The ballpoint pen in my hand vanished in an instant.

When I willed it back, it appeared in front of me.

I guess it's stored in some sort of alternate dimension, like in a game.

Talk about fantasy.

Man, this really made it sink in that the world had gone haywire.

This is awesome.

As an avid web novel reader, my heart is practically throbbing with excitement.

Sure, this is probably an incredibly dangerous world where death is always just around the corner.

In that case, I might as well stay positive.

Now, I have 2 SP left.

I'll save it for now.

If something comes up, I can use it to acquire a new Skill or strengthen one I already have.

This is what my status looks like now.

Kudou Kazuto

Level 1

HP: 15/15

MP: 1/1

Strength: 3→13

Endurance: 2→12

Agility: 9→19

Dexterity: 9→19

Magic: 0

Magic Resistance: 0

SP: 2

JP: 0

Job

Spy Lv. 4

Unique Skill

Early Bloomer

Skills

Sneak Lv. 2, Observation Lv. 2, Keen Ears Lv. 2, Stealth Lv. 2

Body Enhancement Lv. 2, Stress Resistance Lv. 1, Fear Resistance Lv. 1, Hostility Detection Lv. 1, Danger Sense Lv. 1, Item Box Lv. 1

All right, next I'll test the Skills I've acquired.