Chapter 4

Old 7-8.

"To equip items, you can either select the equipment from the item box and choose to equip it, or take it out and change into it normally. There is no basic equipment slot, and there are no restrictions on equipment, but each item has a set weight. If the total weight of your equipment exceeds your own strength, penalties such as reduced movement speed will occur. Additionally, some items may cause penalties or cannot even be held due to racial characteristics, so please be cautious."

I have already confirmed these details during the preparation stage.

For example, if you choose a fire elemental race, you will receive a significant boost to fire-based skills, but certain materials of equipment will burn and degrade upon equipping, and losing books is unacceptable.

For now, I will check the contents of the item box.

Beginner HP Potion ×5

Beginner MP Potion ×5

Beginner Tamer's Whip

Beginner Librarian's Coat

Beginner's Shoes

Librarian's Catalog (Beginner)

The contents feel like those of a beginner, but the performance of the equipment is as follows:

Beginner Tamer's Whip

Durability: ∞

Damage: 5

Weight: 1

Beginner Librarian's Coat

Durability: ∞

Defense: +5

Weight: 1

Beginner's Shoes

Durability: ∞

Agility: +2

Defense: +2

Weight: 1

Librarian's Catalog (Beginner)

Durability: ∞

Weight: 1

As beginner equipment, there is no durability and no need for maintenance, but normally, equipment has a set durability that decreases with use, and you need to repair it with skills corresponding to the equipment.

The Librarian's Catalog literally records the titles and locations of books read in the game. The significance of this is currently unknown.

Here are the stats after equipping:

NAME: Wing

RACE: Human Race Trait: Dextrous Poverty

HP: 100

MP: 100

Strength: 10

Defense: 10 (+7)

Agility: 10 (+2)

Intelligence: 10

Magic: 10

Combat Class: Tamer

Production/Special Class: Librarian

Skills:

"Training Technique LV1", "Stealth LV1", "Dark Magic LV1", "Language LV1", "Reading LV1"

Equipment:

Beginner Tamer's Whip

Beginner Librarian's Coat

Beginner's Shoes

Librarian's Catalog (Beginner)

Total Weight: 4

Somehow, the skill levels are also displayed. Of course, they are all level 1.

"Since you have equipped the items, I will now explain skills and arts."

It seems we are finally getting into the game-like aspects.

"Skills are divided into passive and active skills.

Passive skills provide effects just by being possessed. For example, the 'Strength' skill increases your strength based on its level. Other skills like 'Discovery' can reveal hidden resource points or show the weaknesses of enemies in battle.

Active skills include arts, which increase in number as you level up. There are also arts that can only be learned through specific quests or events.

For example, at level 1 of the 'Swordsmanship' skill, you can use the 'Slash' art.

Arts can be activated by speaking or thinking the command. The effects of arts vary widely, so you will learn them as you use them.

Derived skills and arts are obtained through specific combinations of skills and arts. I will skip the explanation here, but if you have certain skills and arts but do not use them, they will not manifest.

Some skills can belong to both categories, so the classification is somewhat ambiguous.

In the tutorial, you can practice one of the five skills. Which one would you like to practice?"

"Reading!"

"Do, do you really want to practice reading? How about a combat skill?"

The navigator, who had been calmly explaining, showed her first sign of unease.

"Reading (assertively)"

For me, not being able to use it is a matter of life and death, so I want to confirm it first.

"Okay, if you choose reading, you can select the type of book to practice with. What kind of book would you like?"

Well, that's a bit of a problem. I hadn't decided on anything specific. For now, I'll choose a book related to my other profession, the tamer.

"Is there a book about taming monsters?"

"Books related to training and taming cannot be borrowed before guild registration. However, 'Ecology of Monsters Near First' is available."

"Then, that one."

"Let me explain the 'Reading' skill. The 'Reading' skill belongs to both passive and active categories. Currently, there are no arts, so I will explain the passive effects. In this game, skill acquisition and level-up are based on accumulated proficiency from specific actions or uses. Players with the 'Reading' skill can increase their proficiency by reading books. For example, reading a book about swordsmanship will increase both the swordsmanship and reading skills based on the number of characters read. Even without the 'Reading' skill, you can still read books and gain proficiency for reading, but not for swordsmanship. Now, please read a book completely."

I received the book and started reading, but it was quite thick, and reading it normally would take too long. That would probably be unfair to Haruka, who is waiting for the tutorial to end.

I don't usually do this, but I'll try it now.

I started flipping through the pages quickly.

And I closed the book in just a little over a minute.

"I'm done reading."

"What!"

The navigator's voice of shock was accompanied by an information message.

<<Your reading skill proficiency has increased.>>

<<Experience points have been added to the Tamer and Librarian professions.>>

<<You have read a book with a certain number of characters within 5 minutes. The 'Speed Reading' art has been added to the reading skill.>>

<<You have successfully acquired a skill and art during the tutorial. You have obtained the title 'One Who Shows Talent.'>>

"Whaaaaaaat!"

The navigator's scream echoed.