[Skill Shop]
[Available Skills:
[Observe] - Cost: 7 Skill Points (New!)
[Orc Body] - Cost: 3 Skill Points (New!)
[Sixth Sense] - Cost: 10 Skill Points (New!)]
Checking the Skill Shop, I weighed my options. The inability to preview skill descriptions before buying them always made spending skill points a cautious affair.
At present, I had exactly 17 skill points, allowing me to acquire both [Observe] and [Sixth Sense]. After contemplating the value they could add, I decided to address my immediate need.
[Sixth Sense]
[Effect: Develop a sense of foreboding. It instinctively warns you of impending danger]
The acquisition of this passive skill brought me immense joy, filling a crucial gap I'd been missing. However, before I could ponder on the potential benefits of [Observe], another wave of prompts inundated me.
[Your Talent [Intuition] and Your Passive Skill [Sixth Sense] have begun resonating]
[Your skill [Sixth Sense] has leveled up]
[Your Talent [Wisdom] and Your Passive Skill [Sixth Sense] have begun resonating]
[Your skill [Sixth Sense] has leveled up]
[Your Talents [Wisdom] and [Intuition] have found a pathway to connect]
[Your Talent [Wisdom] will level up]
[Your Talent [Intuition] will level up]
This development exceeded my expectations. Not only could skills resonate with talents, but talents could also connect and level up independently, provided there was a skill acting as a bridge between them.
Satisfied with this revelation, I couldn't avoid purchasing [Observe] as well.
[Observe]
[Effect: You will possess a heightened sensitivity to small details you might otherwise overlook]
With the acquisition of this skill, another cascade of prompts ensued.
[Your Talent [Intuition] and Your Passive Skill [Observe] have begun resonating]
[Your skill [Observe] has leveled up]
[Your skill [Sixth Sense] and your skill [Observe] have begun resonating]
[Your skill [Sixth Sense] has leveled up]
[Your skill [Observe] has leveled up]
[The bridge between the Talents [Wisdom] and [Intuition] is strengthened]
[Your Talent [Wisdom] has leveled up]
[Your Talent [Intuition] has leveled up]
.
.
.
Skills resonating with skills... I struggled to absorb the overwhelming wave of prompts flooding my consciousness as I was in disbelief.
I just couldn't believe the Skill Shop had recommended me skills that sparkled such a huge reaction.
Is there something hidden within this as well?
To be honest, now was not the time to think about that.
---
I waited for a few seconds until things calmed down as I directly checked my status
[Status: Healthy
Level: 50
Combat Prowess: Weakest ➔ Weak
Martial Arts: Karate(Lv.1)
Active Skills: Cooking(Lv. 8), Slash(Lv.3), Adaptive Evasion(Lv.3), Turtle Shell(Lv.1), Mirage Veil(Lv.1)
Passive Skills: Run(Lv.1), Jump(Lv.1), Photographic Memory(Lv.1), Sixth Sense(Lv.5), Observe(Lv. 5)
Talent: Sword(Lv.4), Movement(Lv.1), Wisdom(Lv.3), Intuition(Lv.3)]
I picked up on something crucial.
Finally, I wasn't labeled as Weakest in Combat Prowess anymore!
Frankly, it struck me as odd. If I were genuinely still in the Weakest Combat Prowess, how long would it take to climb to Low? Could I manage that within a mere 60 days? More importantly, did I stand a chance against someone with Medium Combat Prowess?
It wouldn't be accurate to say this filled me with hope, but there was a sense of happiness in acknowledging progress.
I comprehended that connecting skills and talents would likely become my primary focus in the near future.
After all, I earned only one skill point per level so far, yet the costs for everything were steadily increasing.
When the skills I needed would likely demand hundreds of skill points, it made no sense to waste time leveling for a minor increase in combat power.
No, I needed to collect skills relevant to my path rather than spreading myself thin across various fields. If the concept of bridges could extend to more than two talents at a time, there was potential to become significantly stronger, much faster.
However, a curious issue arose.
"Question: Why did my [Sword] Talent not resonate with my Skill [Slash], then create a bridge with [Movement]? That seems fair to me."
Common sense dictated that [Slash] should resonate with the [Sword] Talent, or [Slash] to resonate with the [Movement] Talent...
[Answer: The [Sword] Talent is special. It will not level up unless-]
The response hung in the air for a moment, and then, as if the Sword itself couldn't tolerate it, a resounding clash echoed through my mind.
[The Sword has cut through the conversation]
In that instant, the window changed color into a deep crimson hue as it was sliced in twain before my eyes, the prompt completely destroyed.
"So you can truly interfere with the System"
A crooked smile escaped my lips, marking one of the happiest moments since I embarked on these Trials.
The test validated my suspicion – a Class was never something simple; there had to be more to it.
Yet, I was content to wait until I could obtain the proper answers. For now, my focus shifted to the pending Class Quest. The implications of possibly losing my class had risen to the top of my concerns.
Losing this class could mean forfeiting the only means of fighting back in the future – something I couldn't allow.
"I must get stronger, faster," I mumbled to myself, determining my first course of action.
---
[Your maid, Anna, has [Weakest] Combat Prowess]
[Your Mother, Belle, has [Weakest] Combat Prowess]
[Your sister, Lily, has [Weakest] Combat Prowess]
[Stranger A has [Weakest] Combat Prowess]
.
.
.
[Stranger X has [Weak] Combat Prowess]
.
.
.
My goal was to exploit the perks granted by the Class Quest to discern the number of tiers that separated my Weak Combat Prowess from the Medium Combat Prowess. Unsurprisingly, nearly 99% of the individuals I scanned exhibited nothing more than the Weakest Combat Prowess—a fact that, upon reflection, seemed reasonable.
I've exerted myself considerably, acquiring a plethora of skills and talents that should make me a "formidable" opponent in combat against a normal human being. Yet, despite my efforts, I have consistently remained within the realm of Weakest.
In the eyes of the people in this world, achieving Weak Combat Prowess could be a significant achievement. The prospect of wandering around in search of someone with a higher Combat Prowess level appeared futile at this point.
It was apparent that approaching members of Garden or the Loid Family was the most practical route.
I pondered about Loid Forger's Combat Prowess. His strength remains an enigma, and my only hint is his ability to "contend" with Yor Forger. If that holds true, challenging him in a few days was useless.
In addition, I lacked a reasonable excuse to meet with him.
It was then that the revelation struck me: the Trial's conditions allowed me to share my thoughts with Anya Forger. Was this the System's subtle suggestion?
In fact, I could force an encounter with her using my enrollment to Eden Academy, but...
I smirked at the notion.
No, I won't tread that path.
"Nightfall. I must find her."
If there was someone likely to possess the Combat Prowess I sought, it was her.