Chapter 4 of 100

Chapter 4

8 min read1,943 words

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As the cherry blossoms danced in the wind, Misaki opened the old diary and read the words of the promise written there.

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"Ah, oh?"

After confirming that there was no blood on the blade, I sheathed it almost simultaneously. At that moment, I heard a voice with the same resonance as the AI I had heard during character creation. It seemed to be a system message, but I had no idea what to do. It might be because I skipped the tutorial, but I should probably ask Himato for advice.

"Hey, Himato. I was told that my level went up or something, what should I do?"

"...Why did your level go up before you even took a single step in the game, sir... Anyway, let's move. I'll explain while we walk."

"Ah, right, thanks."

Somehow, the gazes of the people around me were too focused. I didn't mind standing out, but it was uncomfortable to continue a conversation in the middle of a crowd. When I started walking away from the square with the stone monument, guided by Himato, the people around me didn't follow in a group. Well, some were following out of curiosity, but it wasn't a big deal. I glared in their direction to let them know I was aware, and quickly left the area. It was a bit more relaxed now.

"Haha, quite a grand debut, huh?"

"Really... and how did you beat an opponent with a level difference of over 15?"

"Actually, I should ask you. Did you think I would lose to someone like that?"

"...Well, that's true."

Himato sighed with a dry laugh, perhaps remembering my real-world abilities. But he quickly regained his composure, shook his head, and spoke with his usual expression.

"Anyway, let's start with character levels. Open the status menu."

"Got it, opening menu... and status."

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■Avatar Name: Kwon

■Gender: Male

■Race: Human

■Level: 2

■Status (Remaining Status Points: 2)

STR: 10

VIT: 10

INT: 10

MND: 10

AGI: 10

DEX: 10

■Skills

Weapon Skill: 《Sword: Lv.2》

Magic Skill: 《Enhancement Magic: Lv.1》

Set Skill: 《Critical Strike: Lv.2》

《HP Auto Recovery: Lv.1》

《MP Auto Recovery: Lv.1》

《Plundering Blade: Lv.1》

《Mining: Lv.1》

Sub Skill: None

■Current SP: 2

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"Hmm, a lot has changed."

"Um?"

Himato peered at the screen, looking puzzled. The changes were the level increase, the appearance of remaining status points, the skill level increases, and the addition of current SP. I turned to Himato, asking for an explanation, but for some reason, he was holding his head in his hands.

"Hey, what's with that reaction?"

"...There's a lot I want to say, but I'll explain in order."

"Okay."

Despite being intimidated by Himato's unusually irritable tone, I nodded. Himato, seemingly aware of my reaction, pointed to the remaining status points.

"Very basic, but in this game, you gain experience points by defeating enemies, and when you level up, you get 2 status points and 2 skill points."

"This one at the bottom is the skill point, right? What about the status points?"

"You can increase any of the six statuses. STR is strength, VIT is endurance, INT is intelligence, MND is spirit, AGI is speed, and DEX is dexterity."

"...I'm not sure which ones to increase."

"It's best to prioritize a few and gradually increase the others. While it's strong to max out one, you still need a certain level in all of them."

After hearing the detailed explanation, I learned the following properties:

- STR affects attack power and is necessary for equipping heavy gear.

- VIT affects defense and increases total HP.

- INT affects magic attack power and is a requirement for some magic skills.

- MND affects magic defense and increases total MP.

- AGI affects speed and is a requirement for some evasion skills.

- DEX affects production success rates and affects the accuracy of ranged weapons.

"Well, increasing AGI doesn't significantly boost your action speed. You didn't feel any difference when you moved, right?"

"True, now that you mention it."

"There are many theories, but the consensus is that human limits can't be exceeded. If you increase it, you might move as fast as an Olympic athlete, but it doesn't restrict the movement of those who can already move quickly."

"Hmm... maybe I don't need to increase the bottom two too much. INT is also a bit iffy."

"Normally, you should increase INT. Magic power depends on it."

Indeed, if INT increases, magic power does too. So, the enhancement of 《Enhancement Magic》 might also increase. I'll increase it just in case. For defense, I can probably manage by dodging—

"STR and INT first, then defense, and finally the rest. A ratio of 3:2:1, maybe?"

"Sounds reasonable. To allocate points, tap the status you want to increase."

I nodded at Himato's words and increased my STR and INT. This should complete the level-up status allocation.

"Alright, next, skills?"

"Yes, skills. But... what skills did you choose, sir!?"

"Whoa!?"

Suddenly, Himato confronted me, and I instinctively recoiled. Ignoring my reaction, Himato leaned in even closer, almost pressing against me, and started shouting.

"《Sword》 is understandable, I thought you'd choose it. But why 《Enhancement Magic》!?"

"Well, I didn't want to use magic combat techniques, so I chose something that would have an effect without using them."

"Not using MT... Why are you suddenly challenging the game's system, sir?"

"Being controlled by the game is worse than enhancing myself and cutting with my own hands."

"...Oh, right, you can do MT-like things in real life."

Himato took a step back, sighing slightly, as if calming down. But he still seemed unsatisfied and stared at my sword before speaking.

"Sir, try using 《Enhancement Magic》 once."

"Okay? Is it safe to use in the city?"

"As long as it's not an attack, there shouldn't be any complaints. I think there's a spell to increase the defense of armor."

"Right..."

I tapped 《Enhancement Magic》 in the skill list, and two spell names appeared below.

■《Enhancement Magic》Sharp Edge

Increases the attack power of weapons.

The enhancement ratio depends on the skill level and INT value.

■《Enhancement Magic》Hard Skin

Increases the defense and magic defense of torso armor.

The enhancement ratio depends on the skill level and INT value.

"Got it, but how do I use it?"

"Try to focus on using it. If a gauge appears in the corner of your vision, it's successful."

"Hmm, let's try it."

I decided to try 《Hard Skin》. I focused on using the spell, and as Himato said, a blue gauge appeared in the upper right corner of my vision. However, the gauge quickly drained and disappeared, leaving only a black frame. Seemingly timing it, Himato gave the next instruction.

"When the gauge disappears, try saying the spell's name out loud."

"Got it... 《Hard Skin》!"

As I declared it, my clothes glowed blue and remained in a faintly glowing state. It seemed the spell had been successfully cast.

"Now, check the equipment menu. The torso armor should have the spell's effect."

"Right, the equipment menu."

I had never checked it before, but I did so now. The equipment was divided into right hand, left hand, head armor, torso armor, waist armor, arm armor, leg armor, and accessories. My current equipment was all labeled as 《Beginner's XX》, indicating they were all initial gear. Checking the torso armor as instructed, I saw the spell's effect.

■《Armor: Torso》Beginner's Leather Armor

Defense: 5(+1)

Magic Defense: 0(+1)

Weight: 5

Durability: 100%

Additional Effects: None

Crafter: -

"...The spell's effect is in the parentheses, right?"

"Yes... As you can see, the effect of 《Enhancement Magic》 is quite subtle."

I couldn't argue with that and involuntarily grimaced. It might get better with growth, but for now, it was negligible. Still, I wouldn't have used the other one anyway, so it didn't matter.

"Without constant long-term damage, MT is also unnecessary, but honestly, the lack of a 'powerful ultimate skill' is a disadvantage."

"...Well, it's fine. Cutting the neck or heart will kill them."

"True, considering that, having 《Critical Strike》 was a stroke of luck. It's usually considered a useless skill, but you can hit it."

It seems I got lucky with that one. Well, it's only useful for me, apparently. Targeting weak points should be easy if you can disrupt the opponent's stance, but is it really that difficult?

"Well, I understand. You can still make use of it... but why do you have automatic recovery skills!?"

"Hmm? I thought it would be good to have a recovery method."

"...Listen, recovery can be handled with recovery items. You can buy them from NPC shops, and crafters can make better ones. So, filling skill slots with recovery methods is unnecessary until you have spare slots! Especially automatic recovery, which only heals a tiny amount... It's a waste to use valuable initial skill slots!"

True, initial skill slots are only five. It's understandable that using them for weak skills is wasteful. But—honestly, I was satisfied because there were hardly any useful initial skills.

"Well, it's fine. If I find better skills, I can replace them. I won't use most skills anyway, so I'll have spare points. After all, I only chose two randomly at the start."

"Randomly...! Ah, no! You should have thought about the machine more!"

Seeing Himato clutch his head, I couldn't help but chuckle. He seems too bound by fixed ideas. As a swordsman, it's a talent to ignore common sense and not read the room. He usually does well, but here, he seems too concerned with theory. Hmm... maybe I need to retrain him.

"Hey, sir, are you thinking something strange!?"

"Ah, good intuition. Don't lose that feeling."

"You're not answering my question!"

"Anyway, what about this 《Plundering Blade》? Isn't this a good one?"

Trying to calm Himato, I pointed to the last skill, 《Plundering Blade》, and asked. I haven't tried it yet, but it should be a very convenient skill. However, Himato's expression darkened slightly as he tilted his head.

"...Indeed, it's a strong skill. But, I've never seen that skill before."

"What? You're a top player in this game, right?"

"Yes, but I've never even heard of that skill. Even if it's random, if it's an initial skill, it should be obtainable in this area..."

"Hmm... I guess I got lucky."

"Typical, sir. Indeed, that skill is quite powerful, so it's best to train it properly."

Despite his earlier criticism, Himato nodded, guaranteeing that much. There are some uncertainties, but... well, things will work out. It would be a waste to remake a rare skill.

"Is there anything else to explain? If not, lead me to where there are enemies."

"Ah, yes. But before that... sir, you got a lot of money from defeating Fried, right?"

"Ah, yes, there's a significant amount in the item list."

The amount was 537,643Z. I don't know the market value, but it's not something a beginner should have. Does winning a duel mean you can take the opponent's money? It's unexpected income, but Himato smiled slyly when he heard it.

"Then, let's start by getting better equipment."

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