As the days ticked by, the date for our mission grew closer. Only three days remained until the operation would begin. My training with William proved to be highly valuable. The sparring sessions were much more intense than in the beginning, and at times I felt like I was being beaten instead of trained. But as the days went on, I gradually improved and became more proficient in combat. Thanks to the skill, I was able to read William's movements and counter effectively. Although he complimented me on my talent, I knew it was my skill that was in play and not actual talent. Overall, I felt much more confident.
I headed to the archives, determined to gather any intelligence that if I played my cards right, I could sell for information quite a bit. Although I didn't have a concrete plan for what to do once I got there, I was determined to gather any information that could be valuable, potentially even selling it. With no cameras in the archive room, I decided to take the risk and bring in my phone to photograph any important data I could find. I knew it wasn't a foolproof plan, but it was a low risk with the potential for high reward.
Despite my worries, I still proceeded to the archive room. To my surprise, there was no one guarding the room and the door was unlocked. I was relieved to find that there were no top-of-the-line security measures in place, such as guards patrolling the area. Instead, there were only a few metal detectors and an unlocked door. It seemed like my worries were for nothing.
I cautiously made my way around the metal detectors and opened the door. To my relief, the room appeared to be abandoned. Without hesitation, I quickly began photographing all possible data. Aware of the limited time I had, I set myself a ten-minute time limit.
As I gathered information, I made sure to prioritize the most important data, but I also captured anything that could be of use. To cover my tracks, I created a folder on my phone that would seem inconspicuous in case anyone checked my device.
As the minutes ticked by, I felt the pressure mounting. With each passing second, I feared that someone would enter the room and catch me. Eventually, I collected all the necessary data I could and made my way toward the exit.
Taking a deep breath, I cautiously opened the door and peered out. There was still no one there, and I made my escape. As I walked away, I couldn't help but feel relieved and satisfied with my success.
[Congratulations you've gained 2010 EXP]
I had just gained an impressive 2010 EXP, the most I had ever received. It felt almost too easy to acquire, as all I had done was open a door and take some information. Despite this, I knew that every bit of experience counted towards my growth and development, so I welcomed it with open arms.
Excitement coursed through me as I hurried back to my room, eager to check my interface and see how much closer I was to leveling up. I practically ran the whole way, unable to contain my anticipation any longer. As soon as I reached my room, I eagerly opened the interface and felt a rush of satisfaction as I saw the numbers indicating my progress.
[Current EXP: 4190]
With the abundant amount of exp I had accumulated, I decided to invest a significant portion of it towards upgrading my Combat Sense skill to level 4. Although it cost me over a quarter of my exp pool, the results were immediately noticeable as a sudden surge of strength coursed through my body. I couldn't resist the temptation to check the skill interface to see the new changes.
[Combat Sense Level 4]:
[Strength: +8 points
Agility: +7 points
Endurance: +4 points
Explanation: Your combat instincts have reached an even higher level, allowing you to tap into greater reserves of physical strength, agility, and endurance. You can sense danger before it happens with even greater accuracy, and your reflexes are lightning-fast. Your mastery of most forms of combat allows you to instinctively fight and wield weapons with skill and finesse, and you gain a solid understanding of combat techniques.
When in Combat, you gain a +4% increase in all physical attributes (Strength, Agility, Endurance) and a +15% increase in accuracy with most weapons.]
After reading through the updated information, I was hit with a sudden headache. The new knowledge seemed to embed itself deep within my mind as if I was being force-fed information. It was a strange sensation, not quite like traditional learning. However, the headache soon subsided and I found myself equipped with a wealth of new combat techniques and strategies, making the investment of 1,600 exp well worth it.
Although I was itching to put my upgraded combat skills to the test, I took a moment to think about my next move. Upgrading the ability again would cost a staggering 6,400 exp, which was four times more than what I had just spent. Realizing that it was out of my reach for now, I decided to focus on leveling up my civilian class instead. It only cost me 100 exp, which was a small price to pay for the potential benefits it could bring.
Upgrading it once got me a notification.
[Congratulations! Your civilian class has leveled up to 2.
You have gained: 2 attribute points.]
Initially, I had assumed that the civilian class awarded attribute points based on the level achieved. However, I was surprised to discover that it provided a fixed 2 attribute points. At my current level, every attribute point felt valuable. Hence, I decided to focus on leveling up my civilian class instead of the officer class. Officer class upgrades were more expensive and likely offered fixed stats as well, so in the end I would probably fewer stats. Therefore, I leveled up my civilian class to level 6.
[Congratulations! Your civilian class has leveled up from 2 to 6.
You have gained: 8 attribute points.]
After reaching level 6 in the civilian class, which cost me 1,978 exp, I was left with 512 exp points. Since I didn't have anything urgent to upgrade, I decided to allocate my 10 attribute points. Initially, I considered investing in luck for a potential advantage in combat, but I quickly realized that increasing my intelligence, strength, and agility would be more beneficial in taking out enemies efficiently and improving my strategic thinking. Upgrading these attributes would also provide a significant edge in battle, allowing me to move quickly and make better decisions in combat which improved my chances of surviving.
And that was what I did:
[Attributes]
[Strength:25 (+3 +1[1])] [Agility:27 (+5 +2[1])] [Intelligence:19 (+2)] [Charisma:20] [Physique:19 (+1[1])] [Luck: 10]
[Attribute points:0 (-10)]
(Note: all attributes are already applied
[1] The increase from skill [Combat Sence])
Investing in attribute points gave me an exhilarating feeling of power that I had never experienced before. I immediately felt stronger, more agile, and faster, and I even sensed an increase in my intelligence. However, I couldn't quite put my finger on how it had changed. I had no clear explanation for what this increase in intelligence would do for me, but I knew that it would provide me with a significant advantage, allowing me to think more strategically and respond to challenges more effectively.
Now that most of the preparations were done I felt nervous about the mission, the only thing I had to do was to start drafting a plan to fake my death. Just in case.