"Ping!"
"Do you want to spend 1 skill point to acquire the Skill Identification ability? Yes, No"
At this moment, I immediately chose "Yes."
"You have acquired Skill Identification by spending 1 skill point. Remaining skill points: 137."
Seeing that there was no further explanation, it seemed that Skill Identification didn't have levels.
When I focused on myself, a blue, translucent board appeared with text written on it:
Name: Zenjiro Iwanaga
Occupation: None
Age: 27
Skills: Item Box: LvMax, Stick Fighting: Lv3, Skill Identification
So this is how Skill Identification works.
I should step outside and put it to the test. I might discover some useful information.
Leaving the inn and stepping onto the street, I began identifying passersby.
With Skill Identification, I could see the skills and their levels of those around me, including my own. Unfortunately, when trying to identify others, I could only see their name and age, while the occupation field was empty, indicating that name and age information was exclusive to me. Perhaps they were trying to maintain a bit of privacy?
As I continued identifying people, I realized that almost no ordinary citizen possessed any skills. Among those carrying swords, only about one in ten had Swordsmanship: Lv1, but I didn't spot anyone with Swordsmanship: Lv2 or higher. Even Lv2 seemed to be quite a rare skill.
As for myself, the lack of combat experience is a concern, but having a Level 3 in staff techniques might be an impressive skill level, comparable to the Level 3 swordsmanship of a legendary swordsman.
If enemies were to come to the inn and I had to fight inside, I would struggle to maneuver my staff—it's nearly my height—which would leave me at a significant disadvantage and also cause trouble for the inn. It's better to confront them in a spacious area where I won't inconvenience anyone.
I decided to stop my character appraisal and practice some image training by swinging my staff in a quiet back alley, away from the main road.
After walking for a while, two men approached me. When I checked their abilities, one had Level 2 swordsmanship, and the other Level 1, dressed in black leather suits that screamed trouble.
"Zenjiro Iwanaga," the Level 2 swordsman said solemnly. "Come with us quietly."
The only people who knew my name were the innkeeper and the folks from the facility I escaped. It's clear where these men came from. I sensed two more individuals behind me. I've never been aware of such presences before, but it seems my staff techniques are kicking in as expected at Level 3.
"You're mistaken," I replied. "My name is Son Goku!"
As I spoke, I carefully pulled out a wooden staff from my item box, almost as if I was conjuring it from my ear. From now on, I think I'll call this wooden staff the Nyoi-bo.
As I drew a weapon from seemingly nowhere and assumed a stance, a palpable aura of killing intent surged around me, fueled by my newfound swordsmanship at level 2. It seemed I had become attuned to this presence of menace.
"If you speak what's on your mind, it will be your end. I don't mind. Just hurt him enough that he doesn't die."
The menacing energy of my level 2 swordsmanship could rival any villain from a period drama, compelling the henchmen to act. A smile involuntarily crept across my face—this calmness was surely due to my mastery of staff techniques at level 3.
Following their leader's command, the first henchman drew his sword and lunged at me from above, while two others closed in behind him, looking for any opening. They were ostensibly instructed to avoid killing me, but it was clear they were out to eliminate me regardless.
Putting that aside, I noticed the movements of the henchman before me—and his sword—were painfully slow. I felt almost relaxed, swinging my staff down to lightly strike the wrist of the man charging at me.
With just that gentle tap, he dropped his sword. At the same time, an unusual sensation coursed through my hand holding the staff. A glance at his wrist, bent at an unnatural angle, suggested it was likely broken. So that odd feeling was the result of shattering bone—valuable knowledge gained.
The two henchmen behind me also drew their swords and attempted to swing at me simultaneously. I responded by quickly jabbing the end of my staff backward into each of their chests. The strikes landed solidly, and the force behind them seemed to deliver a significant blow. Both men collapsed onto their backs and lay still, rendered unconscious.
As the Level 2 man observed my sequence of movements and realized his disadvantage, he let out a frustrated grunt, "Guh!" He lowered his stance and took a big step toward me, holding his sheath diagonally with his left hand while drawing his sword with a rising motion from below with his right.
The longsword he wielded, drawn with a single hand, had a decent reach, but it was still just a sword's range. I had the advantage with my Level 3 staff technique, and somehow I sensed his reach instinctively. Without needing to retreat, I merely leaned back to evade his initial strike and then swung my staff down with all my might.
Bam!
An unearthly sound erupted from the man's head, and at that moment, my staff crushed into his skull, embedding itself deeply up to his nose. Despite the tremendous force I had just delivered, my staff remained intact—remarkably sturdy, I mused. When I pulled the staff away, the man collapsed forward onto the ground. His subordinate, who had been standing behind him, seemed to lose his will to fight upon seeing this and fled, leaving his sword on the road.
I didn't know what the fleeing man would report, but at the very least, it would be clear that I was no ordinary opponent.
Approaching the two men who lay on the ground, I crouched down to examine them. Neither of them was breathing. I pressed my hand to their necks to check for a pulse, but there was none. Had they bitten their tongues and perished like in a period drama? It seemed unlikely; there was no reason for them to do something so foolish.
It seems that my last counterattack landed with such force that it nearly stopped his heart. If there had been an AED, he might have been revived, but alas, there's no such device, and even if there were, I have no obligation to use it.
Thinking it might be useful later, I decided to collect their weapons. I stored away four swords in my item box. I also wiped the dirty tip of my staff on the clothing of one of the bodies to clean it off.
Now, what to do with the corpse? It doesn't seem right to leave it here, so I guess I'll have to put it in the item box. I hesitated to stuff away the man whose head had bizarrely twisted into an unnatural shape, but there was no other option.
So here I am, having survived my first direct confrontation. If I get attacked, I'll strike back. I'm not sure how much vengeance is appropriate, but I intend to retaliate—at least to make it clear that if they provoke me again, they won't get off easy.
Now, how should I get my revenge? What if I stuffed explosives into that corpse and tossed it into the estate? Explosives, explosives, gunpowder, dynamite...
*Ding!*
*"Would you like to use 1 skill point to learn Alchemy Level 1? Yes or No?"*
The chime meant I could create bombs or explosives with alchemy. Naturally, I chose "Yes."
"I spent 1 skill point and learned Alchemy Level 1. I now have 136 skill points remaining."
"You can now select the new profession: Alchemist."
"0. Do not select now.
1. Martial Artist (Staff Techniques)
2. Alchemist
Please choose a number from 0 to 2."
Choosing the Alchemist profession seems like a solid choice based on my gaming knowledge. With that in mind, I select 2.
"Due to selecting the Alchemist profession, your related abilities have increased by 50%."
I'm not sure what abilities have improved, but I'll assume they're impressive.
"Would you like to spend 2 skill points to learn Alchemy Level 2? Yes, No."
"Yes."
"I spent 2 skill points and learned Alchemy Level 2. I now have 134 skill points remaining."
…
"Would you like to spend 10 skill points to learn Alchemy Level Max? Yes, No."
"Yes."
"I spent 10 skill points and learned Alchemy Level Max. I now have 82 skill points remaining."
"Alchemy is now Level Max. You can now transmute any alchemical materials just by focusing on them."
"Since both Alchemy and the Item Box are Level Max, the Alchemical Workshop within the Item Box has been unlocked. In the workshop, you can duplicate objects and create alchemical items. To duplicate an item, place it in the duplication box inside the Item Box."
Alchemy items can be relatively easily synthesized in an alchemy workshop if you understand their composition and the alchemical process. In any case, materials from the item box and the surrounding atmosphere or water will be used as ingredients. If the necessary materials are not present in the material box or the atmosphere, the workshop will consume the alchemist's mental energy to create them. However, if there is a significant shortage of materials, the burden on the alchemist increases, so caution is advised.
Moreover, the alchemy workshop automatically remembers the entire process of synthesis, including duplication, so once you've created an alchemical item, you can replicate it simply by focusing on it, bypassing the usual steps. It seems that once something can be created through alchemy, it can be almost automatically produced afterward, and as long as you have the mental energy, you'll always find a way to gather materials. This is quite remarkable!
When I checked my own status, it turned out I had no previous profession, but it finally displayed one. I couldn't see anyone else's profession, but I could discern my own—that makes sense.
**Name:** Zenjiro Iwanaga
**Age:** 27
**Profession:** Alchemist
**Skills:** Alchemy: Max Level, Item Box: Max Level, Staff Techniques: Level 3, Identification
For now, I think I'll try making liquid explosives in the alchemy workshop. I believe to create nitroglycerin, I just need to mix glycerin with concentrated sulfuric acid and then gradually add nitric acid while stirring. My memory of concentrated sulfuric acid is a bit fuzzy, but hopefully, if I just get the essence right, the workshop will handle the rest!
First, concentrated sulfuric acid. I'm pretty sure it's made from hydrogen, oxygen, and sulfur. When I created it, I felt a slight fatigue. Since there were no sulfur-containing gases around me, my vitality must have transformed into sulfur.
Glycerin and nitric acid are compounds of carbon, hydrogen, nitrogen, and oxygen, so they should be possible to synthesize with just Sky energy; the materials already exist in that sense. Glycerin synthesis! Nitric acid synthesis!
In the end, two colorless, transparent liquids were created in the alchemy workshop, just like colorless, transparent glycerin. Glycerin should have some viscosity, and concentrated sulfuric acid should be about as thick as salad oil, but it was hard to tell in the workshop. I was also unsure about the viscosity of nitric acid.
"Nitroglycerin: Synthesize!"
Well, I didn't say it out loud. That would be dangerous, right?
With all the materials ready, I focused on mixing them, and they began to blend together within the workshop. I didn't have any clay to make a bottle, but I still had some scraps from when I escaped the temple, cut from the wall. I decided to move that into the material box to use for the bottle.
And it was done. A bottle of nitroglycerin (provisional). It looked like it contained about a liter. The synthesis process should be recorded, so I'll be able to create "Nitroglycerin" anytime from now on.