"I'm home."
Alistair opened the door and walked into the house.
"Welcome back, Alistair-kun. Please wait a moment, lunch will be ready soon."
Hearing the door open, Lilliana quickly walked over to greet Alistair and said.
"Lilliana, have you and Ms. Annette worked everything out?"
Alistair bent down to take off his shoes, got out his slippers, and asked casually.
"Yes, we've discussed it. I can pack up my things and move to her place tonight."
Lilliana nodded and replied.
"Good. I trust your character. I believe you and Ms. Annette will get along very well."
Alistair finished putting on his indoor slippers, put away his shoes, and walked toward the living room.
Alistair wasn't worried about Lilliana and Annette getting along. Their appearances were practically identical, with only minor differences in details. If someone told Alistair they were twins, he would believe it. In the world before his reincarnation, the artists who drew them were nine out of ten the same person, so there should be no problem with their relationship.
"Hah~"
Alistair lay on the soft sofa, staring blankly at the ceiling.
It had been several months since he arrived here. The useful items Alistair had gained using the [Acquisition] skill were few and far between. Whether they were items or skills, most were incomplete, had low caps, or were heavily restricted. Strictly speaking, Alistair could only bully ordinary people; he had to avoid confrontation with anyone who had abilities beyond the physical realm.
Although it was frustrating, that was the reality. Furthermore, Alistair still didn't understand the purpose of his attribute values. For example, his Soul value was a significant seventy, yet it seemed ineffective against mental influences.
He could rationalize the Hachishaku-sama incident by saying she was a monster of unknown age, but Yuria Komiya's ability—which shielded and delayed his senses, and also contained a degree of charm—also seemed to affect him significantly. However, it didn't seem to be an instantaneous effect but a continuous ability that influenced him gradually. Therefore, Alistair wasn't afraid to face her for a short time, but he was afraid of being around her for extended periods.
He didn't know if the attribute value was useful or how it was judged. If a high Soul value grants immunity against abilities and items from those with a lower mental value, Alistair would find a way to boost his Soul value and become a stat-monster.
A stat-monster would show you what it means to break ten thousand spells with a single force. Fancy tricks are useless; a set of moves looks fierce, but it's nothing compared to my single calculated punch that leaves you still owing me half a health bar.
Unfortunately, this only works against ordinary people. Still, it's fine. As long as he stays away from the demi-human district, he won't encounter those strange things often. If worst comes to worst, he can use the [Pocket Watch] to stop time and run away.
Alistair injected all the "Desire" he had acquired today into the [Pocket Watch], gaining approximately three seconds of "time." Although he didn't know the principle or conversion rate, as long as it worked, he decided to save up the "time" until he had a full minute before enhancing himself, just to be safe.
Moreover, it would be best to enhance himself using Strange Artifacts, but they were rare. That's why the current fusion method requires only eleven Strange Artifacts as nodes, with progress measured in "Desire." If he could sublimate himself entirely using Strange Artifacts, his abilities would be stronger and more diverse.
Right, let me check my status panel again.
Character: Naoto Komiya
Race: Human (Abyssal Demon), Male Age: 18
Constitution: 82 (Average adult male human value is 60) Soul: 70 (Average adult male human value is 60)
Mortal Grade: 13% (Will sublimate into a Transcendental Being upon reaching 100%) Charm: 90 (Average adult human value is 60)
Vitality: 134 (Average healthy human value is 100, decreasing by one point annually)
Abilities: Acquisition (0), Ox Talisman, Horse Talisman (Fixed), Partial properties of Twelve Labors, Golden Rule, Vampiric Healing, Pheromone...
Items: [Sakuya Izayoi's Pocket Watch], [Skeleton Key], [Membership Restaurant Invitation]...
(Note: Due to the influence of [Pheromone], the Charm value's effect rating on a member of the opposite sex will increase based on proximity and duration. Example: After being in close physical contact with an opposite-sex individual for ten minutes, the Charm value's effect rating on them is judged as ninety-five.)
The panel is different from before... When did this change happen?
"Strength," "Endurance," and "Agility" were consolidated into "Constitution." "Spirit" had also changed to "Soul," and even the items were now displayed.
Wait, is there an item space? Let me try.
Alistair took out the [Pocket Watch] that he always kept on him, mentally repeating words like "retrieve," "put in backpack," and "store," but nothing happened. It seemed he likely didn't have one.
Alistair sighed, put the [Pocket Watch] back into his pocket, but his hand suddenly felt empty. The [Pocket Watch] was simply gone.
Alistair froze for a moment, then suddenly understood. He mentally commanded "take out," and the [Pocket Watch] indeed reappeared in his hand. He put it back into his pants pocket, and it could be retracted and taken out again.
It seemed a storage space did exist, but it required a medium, such as a clothing pocket or pants pocket. This was much more convenient. If the item he drew was large, or if he accumulated many items later, carrying them would be a hassle. With this feature, the portability of items was no longer an issue.
Alistair then experimented with other objects, but nothing happened. It seemed that only items he had drawn could be stored.
Why are everyone else's cheat systems so comprehensive, while mine is something I have to figure out all by myself? This is so frustrating.
The most frustrating thing was not knowing the range of the items he drew or if there was a guaranteed minimum for certain types of abilities. Otherwise, drawing abilities in the areas he wanted would truly require praying to the heavens and relying on luck.
"Alistair-kun, lunch is ready!"
Lilliana walked out of the kitchen and addressed Alistair, who was lounging on the sofa.
"What's wrong? Is something troubling you, Alistair-kun?"
Lilliana asked, looking at Alistair's expression of utter defeat.
"Ah, something like that. I ran into some trouble, and it's difficult to solve..."
Alistair spoke vaguely. He couldn't reveal anything about his cheat system; it was a secret he would take to his grave. He could only vaguely complain to Lilliana.
"Then come here for a hug. Even though I don't know what's bothering you, I can give you a comforting hug."
Lilliana opened her arms, lowered herself, and hugged Alistair.
"I will always be by your side."
Lilliana whispered.
"Mmm, I know."
Alistair hugged Lilliana back in response.