After being teleported out, I landed on the couch in the living room with a spear, an ancient-looking scroll and a colorful orb about the size of a baby head.
[Level up! You are now Level 1]
[You received the first-stage skill `Appraise´ as a race-specific skill]
"I guess Appraise should be pretty straightforward?
[Appraise 1-Stage]
[Appraise Monsters and Items (As first-stage skill it can only appraise monsters up to Level 5 and common Items)]
[To raise it to Stage 2: 0/1000 or find a skill scroll with a higher-stage 'Appraise' Skill]
"So I need to use it a thousand times or find a better skill scroll... But where is Damien? I was playing F*FA with him.."
Suddenly I saw a giant cockroach lying in a corner.
*aaaahh*
"Oh.. It´s already dead *phew*"
"He must have already finished then.. It´s not really surprising when you think of how much sleep I got in the Trials. But first I need to call Lily, I have to make sure she is fine."
But after finding my phone almost broken in half under the couch but still working and trying to call her, I realized that nothing was working anymore! The lights were out though they should be on, the TV was black, I was checking if I could turn the lights on in the kitchen when I heard a knock.
*knock* *knock* *knock* *knock*
But it was only after I heard that they sounded too consistent and got louder and louder I realized that what I was hearing wasn´t someone knocking, but footsteps.
"Is it Damien or another one of the giant cockroaches? And what is that giant cockroach?"
[All sentient existences that meet a certain standard of intelligence were sent to the Tower of Trials and the rest turned into monsters like the giant cockroach]
[But even non-sentient existences can sometimes be awakened and become monsters]
"I see... But now I hope that it´s Damien, because I left my spear on the couch in...
Before I could end my sentence, a giant cockroach burst through the only door out of the kitchen
*crash*
"Fuck!"
I backed away when the cockroach approached me, I jumped on its carapace and ran through the door towards the couch, but not before using 'Appraise' on it.
[Giant Cockroach]
[Lvl. 1]
[HP: 20]
[Strength: 9]
[Agility: 12]
I quickly ran to the couch and took my spear and ran back, hoping to get a critical and very shameless hit. After arriving at the bursted door, it was as I hoped. The cockroach still couldn't really turn in the small kitchen and:
*scrreaaach*
[-16! Critical Hit!]
After stabbing another time, the cockroach died.
[-4]
As for how I scored the critical hit? I went for the anus.
*phew*
"I really hope that its the only giant cockroach here. They are fucking disgusting! And the Spirit said that the monsters weren't magically spawned but are actually mutated animals or inanimate objects turned into monsters, so I doubt I will find any monster except coakroaches, spiders and other disgusting creatures here."
[You received 5 EXP and Bread (Common)]
"What does a Common Bread do? And where are my copper coins?!"
I used analyse on the bread while walking back to the couch.
[Bread (Common)]
[Restores 5 HP]
"That is great to have! Or is it? Of course it´s never bad, but Spirit, do I have a passive HP Recovery and if yes, how much?"
[Your passive HP Recovery (while out of combat) is 1 HP/Minute]
"Oh, so it will save me 5 minutes, or can I use it in combat too?"
[The consumable Bread (Common) is usable at any time]
"Then it´s even more handy! Great! But before I forget it, I should use my `Mana Awakening Orb´? and my first-stage skill scroll!"
(Author´s Note: I implanted the knowledge about the stages of skills in his head, those who don't know what that means, read the auxiliary chapter 'Skill System')
I let myself fall on the couch besides the two treasures and picked up the Orb.
"What exactly does it do?"
[Do you want the scientific or the general information?]
"General will do, thanks."
I still remembered the lecture the Spirit held about the smoke...
[It awakens your mana and enables you to use it. It also assesses your affinities]
"So there are affinities... I do hope I will get some death affinity or something like that!"
"Mana Awakening Orb, activate!"
[You could have just thought about it]
"But that wouldn´t be so fun..."
But it seemed like it would indeed have been better not to shout, as suddenly I heard the same *knock* *knock* *knock* *knock* from before, when another giant cockroach burst the second door that was leading to this room.
"WHY THE FUCK DO YOU LITTLE SHITS LIKE TO DESTROY THE DOORS SO MUCH!! I PAID FOR THEM!!"
But in my anger I didn´t hear the *sss* sound behind me. I shoved my spear in the face the cockroach and then gave it an uppercut kick.
[-15! Critical Hit!]
[-3]
"It´s still not dead?!"
I started stabbing it with my spear.
*stab* *stab* *stab*
But just as I was about to relax, I felt a hairy leg slapping my back head.
[-4]
When I turned around, I saw a massive spider standing in front of me.
*aaaaaahhh*
Although I never showed it, I had severe Arachnophobia. And just as I opened my mouth to scream, I saw it shooting its web at my face. And even worse, at my mouth! AND EVEN WORSE, IT HAD TERRIFYING ACCURACY!
*ummph*
I tried getting the web out of my mouth, but in the meanwhile the spider slapped me in the face.
[-6]
But my fear reached a new high when I saw it approaching me while opening its chelicerae (jaws) and it was obvious to me that it tried to bite me, and I somehow managed to ignore the web in my mouth and stab it in one of its eight disgusting eyes.
[-23! Critical Hit!]
And again!
[-24! Critical Hit!]
And again!
[-3]
[You received 15 EXP and a first-stage skill scroll]
[You leveled up!]
In my frenzy I didn´t realize that it was dead and stabbed it again and again and again... Until after around 15 extra stabs I realized that it was dead and I tried taking the web ball out of my mouth and after a few attempts I succeded!
*phew*
"That was nearly my death if I wouldn´t have stabbed it... My Arachnophobia is really a curse.. But why did I receive a first-stage skill scroll from the spider?"
[Because the Spider was 3 Levels above your Level]
"It was Level 4?! Then it was really a fucking close call! But now I have only 5 HP left.. Should I eat the Bread? Ah no, I will just hope that no monster comes in here in the next 10 minutes."
I took the two first-stage skill scrolls and ripped them apart.
"Wait.. that´s the right way to use them, right?"