Chapter 9
Thus, with the kitchen knife in one hand, I head outside again.
"All right, you can do it, me."
I psych myself up and head outside once more.
Clatter, clatter!
Damn, the door is just as sluggish as ever! Crappy apartment!
I go down to the second floor.
Perhaps because 'Stealth' has leveled up, my presence feels even fainter than before.
Combined with the effects of 'Sneak,' I feel just like a ninja.
No, with a kitchen knife in one hand, I'm more like a burglar.
"Hm...?"
Several doors have been left open.
'Hostility Detection' and 'Danger Sense' react.
A goblin appears from one of the open doors.
All right, you're up, washing machine.
...No, wait a second.
There wasn't just one goblin.
Two... Three, four... Whoa, there are four of them in all? That's a lot.
I hide behind the wall and watch the goblins.
"Gigi."
"Gii, gigii."
"Gya-gya."
The goblins are discussing something.
Actually, goblins are pretty amazing.
I've been completely freaking out ever since the world turned into this, but they've already adapted.
From their perspective, is it just a matter of their hunting grounds changing?
I can't say for sure since I don't know how intelligent they are.
One of the goblins points upward.
The other goblins nod for some reason.
...Could the goblin that was alone upstairs have been one of their companions?
Was it scouting upstairs? And now that it hasn't returned, are they suspicious...?
Or did they hear the sound of me crushing one of their companions with the washing machine earlier?
Yeah, that was a pretty loud noise.
Of course they'd be suspicious.
You idiot, me! Damn it!
What else could I do? It was my first battle, and I was seriously freaking out!
―――Wait, crap.
One of the goblins is coming this way.
What should I do?
Fight or run?
No, wait.
This is a chance.
A chance to gain a huge amount of experience all at once.
More importantly, unlike the one earlier, those goblins are unarmed.
My stats are higher than before, and I have both the weapon and the terrain advantage.
...Should I do it?
Running away is an option, too.
Even if I ran away here, I'd probably encounter another situation just like this one.
Can I keep running forever? The answer is no.
Then, both to get used to this world and to raise my level, I should defeat these goblins here.
"..."
One of the goblins approaches me.
It's all right. It hasn't noticed me.
A little more... Just a little more... Now!
The moment the goblin turns the corner in the hallway, I cover its mouth and plunge the kitchen knife into its heart.
"—Gii!?"
The goblin must have let its guard down.
The knife sinks easily into its chest.
Stab swiftly, and twist.
The goblin collapses where it stands.
Perhaps it died from that single blow, because a blue pebble rolls across the floor.
≪You gained experience.≫
≪Your Skill proficiency has reached a certain threshold.≫
≪Stress Resistance has risen from Level 1 to Level 2.≫
A voice echoes inside my head.
At the same time, the indescribable discomfort and guilt I'd felt until just moments ago began to fade.
"Gii!?"
"Gigii!"
"Gii, giiii!"
The other goblins notice me.
The three goblins let out fierce cries and charge toward me.
All right, just as I expected.
Stay calm. Look carefully. Observe.
The door to the room at the very end is—good, it's closed.
The doors to the other rooms are the same.
Then I'm fine.
I run straight "forward" with all my might.
"Item Box, open."
I take out a refrigerator.
It has casters, and among the appliances I own, it's as large and heavy as the washing machine.
Using the stats enhanced by Body Enhancement, I shove it forward with all my might!
"Giiii!?"
The goblins cry out in shock.
A huge object has suddenly appeared right in front of them and is hurtling toward them at tremendous speed.
The goblins are slammed into the wall, helpless to resist.
Thud! A dull sound echoes through the hall.
"Phew..."
I store the refrigerator.
All the goblins are unconscious.
They must have been slammed into the wall with tremendous force, because some of them have their arms or legs bent at unnatural angles.
Thank goodness. It worked.
Home appliances really are amazing. Exploiting them like this is so convenient.
"Now, time to finish them off..."
Since no pebbles have appeared, these goblins aren't dead yet.
I plunge the kitchen knife into each goblin's chest.
Yeah, don't think about it. Just do it mechanically.
Stab swiftly, and twist.
The goblins die without a fuss.
I pick up the blue pebbles.
≪You gained experience.≫
≪You reached the required amount of experience.≫
≪Kudou Kazuto, your Level has increased from 2 to 3.≫
≪You gained experience.≫
≪You reached the required amount of experience.≫
≪Kudou Kazuto, your Level has increased from 3 to 4.≫
I leveled up.
And I gained two levels at once. That's quite a jump.
As I thought, 'Early Bloomer' must be a Skill that modifies experience gain.
"Phew..."
I'm tired.
Still, the fact that 'Stress Resistance' leveled up means I must have been feeling a tremendous amount of stress.
But I should be able to handle things better next time.
I learned that from my first surprise attack.
If I maneuver properly, I can kill goblins without them noticing me.
"I should probably check my status while I have the chance..."
I'll get it over with quickly.
After confirming that there were no monsters nearby, I enter the room the goblins had been in.
Status Open.
Kudou Kazuto
Level 4
HP: 18/18→22/22
MP: 2/2→4/4
Strength: 20→23
Endurance: 18→21
Agility: 30→35
Dexterity: 30→34
Magic: 0
Magic Resistance: 0
SP: 2→42
JP: 5→25
Job
Spy Lv. 5
Unique Skill
Early Bloomer
Skills
Sneak Lv. 2, Observation Lv. 2, Keen Ears Lv. 2, Stealth Lv. 4
Body Enhancement Lv. 3, Stress Resistance Lv. 2, Fear Resistance Lv. 1, Hostility Detection Lv. 2, Danger Sense Lv. 3, Item Box Lv. 3
Since I gained two levels, I received a substantial amount of both SP and JP.
As I thought, I can assume that I receive 20 SP and 10 JP every time I gain a level.
I have 25 JP.
All right, I can raise it all the way to Level 8.
I raise Spy's Level straight to 8.
As expected, 'Sneak,' 'Observation,' 'Keen Ears,' and 'Stealth' each level up by one as well.
Apparently, the Skills acquired alongside a Job gain a level every time the Job gains three levels. Nice.
Next up is distributing my SP.
Forty-two points.
All right, I've decided.
I'll raise Body Enhancement and Item Box to Level 6.
I'll also raise 'Hostility Detection' to Level 3 and 'Danger Sense' to Level 4.
And I'll acquire 'Swordsmanship' and 'Hide.' They each cost one point.
A kitchen knife is still a blade, so the 'Swordsmanship' Skill should be useful.
'Hide' was a Skill I'd intended to acquire from the beginning, so I'll get it now.
I'll save the remaining three points.
Kudou Kazuto
Level 4
HP: 22/22
MP: 4/4
Strength: 23→38
Endurance: 21→36
Agility: 35→59
Dexterity: 34→58
Magic: 0
Magic Resistance: 0
SP: 3
JP: 4
Job
Spy Lv. 8
Unique Skill
Early Bloomer
Skills
Sneak Lv. 3, Observation Lv. 3, Keen Ears Lv. 3, Stealth Lv. 5
Body Enhancement Lv. 6, Swordsmanship Lv. 1, Stress Resistance Lv. 2, Fear Resistance Lv. 2, Hostility Detection Lv. 3, Danger Sense Lv. 4, Hide Lv. 1, Item Box Lv. 6
Yeah, the increases to Agility and Dexterity are especially significant.
I can feel my body becoming incredibly energized.
But no matter how much stronger I've become, challenging enemies head-on like an idiot would still be a mistake.
I'll stick to ambushes and sneak attacks, and center my fighting style around cheap tricks.
Given my personality, that seems to suit me best.
And I have powerful allies in the washing machine and refrigerator.
Next, I should check how Item Box is performing.
It's leveled up, so maybe it has some new functions... Hm? What's this feeling...?
Somehow, the way to use it is coming to me.
Whoa, two things came out at once!
An apple and a ballpoint pen appear in my hands at the same time. Apple pen.
Apparently, thanks to leveling up, I can now take multiple items in and out simultaneously.
I can take out or put away up to four items at once.
Seriously convenient. Is this thing a god?
This greatly broadens the range of tactics available to me.
After trying various things, I found that Item Box's expanded functions are as follows.
1. Storage capacity has increased.
2. I can now move different items in and out simultaneously. (Up to four.)
3. The range in which I can store and retrieve items has expanded. (Up to five meters.)
Ah, if only I could freeze time for the items I've stored, this would be perfect.
Well, there's no point being greedy.
Maybe I'll be able to do it once it levels up.
All right, time to head down to the first floor.
While I'm at it, I'll borrow a few useful things from this room.
It's all right. I'll return them when I meet their owner. Assuming they're still alive.