After gaining so much experience from his kills, Sasaki pondered over what to level up. There were many options: his class, his skills, his inventory, and more.
"Let's calm down, one step at a time. Let's focus on what I need at this moment," he told himself.
Sasaki calmed his mind and started to consider what would benefit him the most right now. He remembered how it took him an hour to kill the four hobgoblins and how he had to run away to the level 1 forest to stay safe. He knew that higher-level creatures had more skills and could detect enemies more easily.
"As my 'Magic Decode' will be on cooldown for a week, I can only rely on my current skills, so... hmm...," he mused. "Let's level up the 'Epidemic Bullet'."
Sasaki thought about how his 'Epidemic Bullet' had many advantages over his other two active skills. With this skill, he could snipe enemies from afar.
Using the 'Share Sense' and 'Scavenger Gaze' of Shadow, he could perfectly aim at still opponents and see clearly even at night, and can measure the distance between him and his enemies.
Opening the System interface, Sasaki clicked on the plus icon three times beside the 'Epidemic Bullet' skill.
[1,80,000 EXP required to level 'Magic Bullet' to level 4]
[You do not have sufficient EXP]
"What?" Sasaki's brow furrowed as he saw how much EXP it required to level up 'Epidemic Bullet' to level 4.
He was bewildered and shocked by the amount of EXP needed. He put his hand on his head and slid it from his forehead to the back of his head, disappointment clear on his face.
With a sigh, he clicked the plus icon two more times.
"At least it's better than nothing," he muttered.
[45,000 EXP required to level 'Magic Bullet' to level 3]
[Do you wish to continue Y/N?]
"Yes, "
['Magic Bullet' Level Up 1->3]
[Level 3 Effects:]
[15% DMG HP per minutes]
[Contiguous Radius: 15 meter]
Sasaki then decided to use the remaining EXP to level up his raven summon skill.
[30,000 EXP required to level 'Raven Summon' to level 2]
[Do you wish to continue Y/N?]
"Yes, "
['Raven Summon' Level Up 1->2]
[Level 2 Effects:]
[Stats increase: 2%]
[Active Skill DMG: 2%]
He realized that the minimum EXP required to raise a skill level was different for each skill and that the amount increased significantly as the skill level got higher.
Sasaki's brow furrowed as he pondered over the complexities of leveling up skills, gaining EXP, and acquiring new abilities. His mind buzzed with calculations and worries.
"How much EXP will I need? How many enemies do I have to kill? It feels like endless killing and grinding," he thought, feeling overwhelmed.
He raised his fist, determination flickering in his eyes. "I have to balance all my skills," he resolved. But the thought of continuously gaining new skills, killing enemies to gain EXP, and then leveling up those new skills made him feel tired and frustrated.
Sasaki sighed deeply, running a hand through his head. "It's exhausting just thinking about it," he muttered to himself. "But I can't let this worry consume me. The future Sasaki will handle this. For now, I'll focus on leveling up enough so I don't have to fear anyone."
His eyes hardened with resolve. Unlike his past life, where social status dictated everything and he had to kneel to those with money and power, here he could rise in status and become stronger with the help of the system.
This new world gave him a chance to change his fate. He would seize it with both hands and never look back.
With this new resolve, Sasaki decided to head back to the level 2 forest. However, he realized it was morning, and the sun had risen.
Daylight would make it difficult for him to hide and snipe his enemies. The hobgoblins would be alert and could easily dodge his 'Epidemic Bullets' from a distance.
Many hobgoblins were now in their hideouts, some guarding the place and others scouting the area. They lived like a civilization with a proper hierarchy.
Using Shadow, Sasaki observed that the hobgoblins had become very active due to the mysterious deaths of their comrades.
They had found the bodies in the morning and were on high alert. Even if he managed to sneak in, once he started to run, he could be outnumbered quickly.
The hobgoblins included rangers and mages who could detect and shoot down enemies from a long distance.
Realizing the danger, Sasaki decided to move back to the previous goblin den to rest for the morning.
He planned to wait until nightfall when most of the hobgoblins would go to sleep, leaving only a few to scout the area.
However, Sasaki felt frustrated. Waiting all day felt like a waste of time. His class allowed him to forgo sleep, and he wanted to utilize every moment to level up. But at the moment, he had no other choice.
Sasaki pondered his situation. Resting now seemed like his only option, even though it felt like wasting time. He needed to find a way to make better use of his daylight hours in the future. For now, he would bide his time, gather his strength, and prepare for the night's hunt.
As Sasaki settled into the goblin den to rest, a sudden revelation struck him.
He could use this time not just to rest but to relax and visit his mind palace. There, he could view the rest of the memories and gain more knowledge about this world.
He realized this was an opportunity to learn about the basic classes, hierarchy, and how people earned money.
He could uncover how society worked, what the current levels of people are, and what the maximum level anyone had reached. He was also curious to find out if others leveled up their classes and skills in the same way he did - by killing creatures and gaining experience.