"I've got these skills now. Of course I need to try them out. If things get any dangerous, I can just go back to my apartment!"
A black, watery surface connects the dungeon to my apartment room.
The entrance is still there.
That means I can go back and forth anytime I want. If it gets dangerous, I'll just head home.
This is the first room of the dungeon, right after entering. A single path leads from here.
There are no other paths, so I don't have to worry about being attacked from behind. And I won't get lost on the way back.
In stories where people get sent to other worlds, they usually can't return.
But in my case, I can move freely between Japan and this dungeon. Knowing I have a way out makes a big difference. You can only enjoy a trip when you know you can go home safely.
I know this place is dangerous. In manga and anime, people defeat monsters easily. Even if they get hurt, they recover quickly, and sometimes even come back from death.
But I can't count on that kind of imaginary luck. I'll have to face the danger at some point, but during that, I'll try to reduce the risks as much as possible.
I don't plan to wander around carelessly. I'll explore safely and make sure I can return alive. Ideally, without getting hurt.
First, I need to understand how dangerous this place really is.
To do that, I need to explore. If I don't investigate, I won't feel safe.
What lies ahead in this dungeon? What kinds of monsters will appear?
What exactly are my status and skills? How useful are they?
"Alright, time to start exploring!"
I leave the first room and proceed forward. Holding a simple metal bat, I move cautiously through the cave.
Thanks to glowing mushrooms and moss, there's enough light to walk safely.
The path isn't straight, it twists and turns, with dips and bumps all around.
I activate the [Silence] skill from [Stealth].
To activate a skill, I just have to think about it in my mind. That's pretty easy. I don't need to say anything out loud or press any buttons.
With [Silence], my footsteps become quieter. Quiet enough that you wouldn't notice unless you were paying close attention. But still, it doesn't make me completely silent.
"…Hmm. Loks like something's coming."
A goblin is approaching from down the path. Just one. It hasn't noticed me yet. It looks relaxed, wandering around with no caution at all.
This is a good chance to test [Stealth].
I hide in the shadows, holding my breath. I duck behind a rock outcrop.
Next I activate [Shadow Art], another [Stealth] skill.
As soon as I activate the skill, I realized that there is no change in how I look… at least not from my point of view. My hands haven't turned invisible or anything.
…Is this really working? I hope it is.
*Trr!Trr!*
The goblin comes closer.
Even though I'm hiding, it's not the best cover to hide. Without the skill, I'm sure it would see me.
I'm counting on you, [Stealth]. I believe you're a strong skill.
I stay quiet and wait for the goblin to pass by.
Even while hiding, my heart is pounding. It's so loud I'm afraid it might give me away.
Even if I know I could win in a fight, hiding like this is thrilling. The rush of adrenaline is intense.
The goblin glances in my direction for a moment. But it doesn't notice me. It walks by without a problem.
Maybe goblins just have poor senses. But if I didn't get caught, I'll take it.
Both [Shadow Art] and [Silence] worked. The goblin didn't notice me.
Now it's time to attack. I quietly sneak up behind the goblin while it shows me its defenseless back.
Let's see how strong [Assassination] and [Critical Strike] really are.
Both give bonuses to surprise attacks. In a situation like this, where the enemy hasn't noticed me, they should activate and give me a upperhand.
*Swish!*
I swing the metal bat down on the goblin's back.
There's a dull impact. I can tell that [Assassination] and [Critical Strike] both activated.
The goblin dies instantly, without making a sound. It also pitifully turns into dust before even crashing at the ground.
The first goblin I fought a while ago, didn't die instantly like this one, so surely this has to be the skill's effect.
This was a clean kill. No noise at all, not even the sound of it falling.
The goblin turns to dust. A magic stone appears in the air, and I grab it as it falls.
That move was pretty cool and stylish. I like it. It must be thanks to my Agility stat, I'm getting more nimble.
I felt both skills activate. But I can't tell which one did the real damage there.
Maybe both worked. Maybe only one did. If this were a game, I could see the damage numbers and tell which one would have been a better choice. But there's nothing like that here.
"Alright! [Stealth] and [Assassination] make a really powerful combo! No doubt about it at all!"
There really are skills and stats here, just like in games. They work, and they're strong.
But this isn't a game. There's no strategy guide or wiki. At least, there shouldn't be.
I'll have to test everything myself, step by step, breathing my life into it.
This is my reality. A life-or-death adventure. If I want to survive, I need to understand and master my skills.
How I use them depends on me. Figuring things out on my own isn't bad.
I like that kind of thing.
I'll start testing the skills I already have. First, I make sure there are no enemies nearby.
The dungeon hallway is wide enough, and the ceiling is high. A good place to try [Wall Running Technique].
"Oh! I can run on the wall! That's so amazing!"
It feels like I'm ignoring the laws of physics. I can run on walls as if they were the floor.
What's going on with gravity?
After some testing, I find that if I run toward a wall, my feet stick to it and I can run on it like I normally do on a floor. The effect lasts for about ten steps.
But wall-running isn't easy.
"Just getting the skill doesn't mean I can use it perfectly right away. I need to practice it more."
My feet stick to the wall, but gravity is still pulling me down. It makes it hard to keep my balance both physically and mentally.
On flat ground, it feels like I'm running while carrying a weight on one side. My legs get tangled.
"Hmm… maybe the [Footwork] skill would help?"
Earlier, I saw a movement-related skill in the list.
If it improves how I move or shift my weight, [Footwork] might help.
I use my remaining points to get the [Footwork] skill. Now I have no points left.
"Oh, it's much smoother now! I get how to move my body better!"
It's a strange feeling. The way I move my legs and shift my weight is easier to control now even though I've done nothing special in particular. It's like I've learned the technique.
Some skills break the rules of physics, while others seem to teach you knowledge or instincts directly.
These skills are deeper than I thought.
Now let's check my status after getting the new skill:
---
Name: Vian Irekki
Level: 2
Strength: C
Stamina: B
Agility: B
Intelligence: C
Magic: C
Vitality: C
Job: Ninja
Skills:
[Ninjutsu]
- [Wall-Running Technique]
- [Clone Technique]
- [Concealment Technique]
- [Scent Masking Technique]
- [Sound Suppression Technique]
- [Poison Technique]
- [Medicine Technique]
[Stealth]
- [Shadow Art]
- [Silence]
- [Critical Strike]
[Assassination]
[Throwing]
[Footwork]
-------------
"Alright! I'm starting to feel like a real ninja now!"
These skills are definitely useful!
But I wonder, can I use these skills as many times as I want? I don't see anything like a Magic Points stat in my status...