"Create a new skill!"
A new system window appeared in front of Nathan.
[Create a New Skill]
[Please describe the general idea of the skill you want to create.]
[____]
[Select Tier: _]
[Cost: _]
[Create the Skill!]
Nathan furrowed his brow, confused. "Huh?"
Luna floated closer to the virtual window and pointed to several spots in the system window. "You can create a skill using this interface, Master," she explained. "All you have to do is type in an idea for the skill you want to create, select the desired tier, and the price will be automatically calculated here."
"Then," she continued, "the System will take several considerations into account when adjusting the final skill." She finished her explanation and smiled.
Nathan was still confused. "Wait, what kind of considerations will the System use?" he asked.
"It's like this," Luna began. "Let me see if I can explain it in simpler terms... It'll consider the user's state, the tier of the skill, and the balance between benefits and drawbacks. The higher the benefit, the greater the drawback."
Nathan nodded slowly, understanding. "Okay, okay," he said. Crossing his arms, he asked, "So, if the skill I'm creating has an effect that surpasses its tier, then the system will impose a downside to counterbalance its value, correct?"
"Correct!" Luna replied, her face brightening with joy. "I hope I didn't confuse you too much with the explanation."
"Hold on a sec. Could you please explain to me the basics of the route quests first?" Nathan interjected.
"Of course. Haven't gotten to that part yet. Can you bring up the route quests window, Master?"
"Sure, Route Quests. Got it."
[Skill Creation Route Quests]
[Barbarian Champion 1/10]
[Barbarians have insurmountable bravery and an almost inhuman set of abilities derived from rites of passage and special training. Fight fearlessly, face anyone who stands in your way, and make those who see your presence run in fear.]
[Create 2 skills related to this Class.]
[Rewards:]
[-> 50,000 Skill Points]
[-> 1 New Skill Slot]
[-]
[Treasure Hunter 1/10]
[Treasure hunter, someone who specializes in finding and recovering valuable treasures and artifacts. They possess the skills and abilities required to find a treasure of all kinds and exhibit many qualities such as bravery, tracking skills, and extreme luck.]
[Create 2 skills related to this Class.]
[Rewards:]
[-> 50,000 Skill Points]
[-> 1 New Skill Slot]
Nathan was slightly surprised by the amount of information suddenly appearing in front of him.
"That sounds great!" Nathan said, nodding in agreement. "So, the route quest is like a sequence of quests that I can do to get rewards, including skill slots? That's really interesting!"
"Yes, that's correct. You'll be able to unlock many different route quests in the future. All of them will be fun and exciting to do. All you have to do is complete all the quests and you will be rewarded with a lot of great things."
"Okay, Luna." Nathan smiled at Luna's lengthy explanation.
He tried to re-analyze all of the descriptions from the quest.
"It takes two skill slots to complete the first quest that only rewards one skill slot? I guess the next quest will no longer ask me to do the same because if it did, I would run out of skill slots before I could complete all the quests."
"Correct! You could create any skill you want, but it will be better if you follow the given quests. Because it will be more profitable in the long run."
Nathan nodded. "Do you know why it had to be the Barbarian Champion and Treasure Hunter for two first routes, Luna? And do you know how to unlock other routes?"
Luna adjusted the position of the glasses on her face. "The way to open another route is, you only need to create any skills, and if the skill is related to one route, then that route will be unlocked. And why Barbarian and Treasure Hunter… Hmmm," Luna stopped and tapped her lips with her index finger.
"Hmmm... Again, I don't think I have the answer to your question," Luna said, her expression thoughtful.
"That's fine," Nathan replied with a smile. Standing up, he began to walk to the center of the room. He seemed to be deep in thought as he stood still.
He knew that if he wanted to maximize the resources he had, he needed to follow the system's instructions. He wanted to have more freedom to create skills, but he also couldn't be too careless. In addition, he only had a certain number of skill slots available at the moment.
The tier of the skill was evident, as it showed its importance. Until he could reach level 50 and use tier 2 skills, he was only able to use tier 1 skills at his current level.
Nathan needed strength to make him able to level up quickly. He had to fight against monsters, and he also had to optimize the abilities he already had up to now.
Nathan had learned some skills with swords, arrows, and basic body combat. He needed skills that could sharpen and increase his fighting potential.
'What do I want in this world?'
Nathan recalled the memory of his mother that he had just gotten. He clenched his fists, and the emotion of anger re-emerged in his heart.
'I have to restrain myself.'
Nathan turned to Luna, "Okay. How do I write in this system, Luna-Sensei?"
"Hmmm. Press here." Luna pointed to a small button on the transparent window.
Nathan followed Luna's orders, and a digital keyboard appeared in front of him. "Huh? Interesting. Why doesn't this system support a voice-to-text feature? Isn't this too traditional?"
"The system seeks to make the entire process as clear as possible," Luna said with a reassuring smile, "so there won't be any misunderstandings or confusion. But if there's an emergency, Master, don't worry. You can always ask me for help and I can develop the skills for you. The process remains the same, regardless."
"Okay, then."
Nathan reached for the digital keyboard in front of him and started to type a few words. He repeatedly erased what he had written. After several tries, he finally stopped and looked back at Luna.
"Is this enough?"
[I want a skill that can increase my fighting potential, giving me a burst of strength, agility, and stamina. Make the increase as a percentage.]
[Select Tier: 1]
[Cost: 25]
Luna was astonished at Nathan's comprehension of the system. "You were able to grasp this system so quickly and effortlessly,"
Nathan thought for a moment before responding. "I'm attempting to link this ability to the Barbarian Champion. Moreover, I'm aiming to attain the most satisfactory result with just the tier 1 abilities I can use at the present. This is the conclusion I've come to."
"You can press this button here, and the skill will be generated shortly," she continued.
Nathan immediately followed Luna's instructions.
[25 Skill Points spent to create a Tier 1 Skill]
[Analysis in progress...]
[Progress.. 1%]
[Progress.. 45%]
[Progress.. 100%]
[Analysis successful...]
[Route Quests Match: Barbarian Champion]
[You've got 2 Skill Points cashback]
[Skill created successfully]
[Berserker Form Tier 1 - Lv. 1]
[Possess a berserker form, a ferocious and perilous state, become a raging and monstrous creature that embodies rage and bloodlust—nullifying rational restraints. This form will increase one's combat ability by a specific amount.]
[Level 1: Increase Strength by 10%]
[_]
[New Barbarian Champion Skill created]
[Barbarian Champion 1/10 progress: 1/2 Skills]
Nathan paid attention to the information about the skill he had just created. He nodded and smiled.
Nathan exclaimed, "This is really what I expected!"
He was amazed by the 10% increase in Strength for a tier 1 skill. "And the potential of this skill will increase as my total stats increase too," he added.
Luna nodded.
Nathan continued, "But look at this part. I will lose consciousness if I activate this skill and I don't know what kind of physical changes I might get in return."
He found it too risky if he couldn't control the changes that would happen to him. "Can I directly increase the level of this skill, or do I have to wait for it?"
Luna smiled. "The system gives you the freedom to update the level whenever you want," she explained.
"Awesome," Nathan said. "Raise the level to the max."
"All right," Luna replied.
[Berserker Form Tier 1 leveled up to Level 2]
[Level 2: Increase Strength and Agility by 10%]
[50 Skill Points spent]
[Berserker Form Tier 1 leveled up to Level 3]
[Level 3: Increase Strength and Agility by 15%]
[100 Skill Points spent]
[Berserker Form Tier 1 leveled up to Level 4]
[Level 4: Increase Strength, Agility, and Stamina by 15%]
[200 Skill Points spent]
[Berserker Form Tier 1 leveled up to Level 5]
[Level 5: Increase Strength, Agility, and Stamina by 20%]
[400 Skill Points spent]
Luna gazed at the description of the skill with her eyes widening in awe. "Twenty percent increase in three types of stats - this skill is equivalent to a tier two!" She exclaimed before turning to Nathan with a questioning look. "But do you have any idea how to manage the downside of this skill, Master?"
Nathan smiled at Luna's inquiry. "I have an idea for it," he answered.
"Okay, Luna, create a new skill."
He then started to re-type the other skill description he wanted to make. After a few moments of typing, he finally finished and pressed the button to execute the skill creation.
[25 Skill Points spent to create a Tier 1 Skill]
[…]
[Skill created successfully]
[...]