Skill Orb

I’ve raised my level. We did it! Now let’s take a closer look.

Current  Previous

Level  3  1

Race: Human

Strength:   12  12

Stamina:  11  10

Knowledge:  11  8

Mental Strength:  13  13

Agility:  11  10

Luck:  3  3

Helplessness:  123  120

First of all, my Strength went from 12 to 12! What? I haven’t changed at all! I’ve gone up two levels, and now what? Hmmm, well, next. Stamina went up from 10 to 11. Hmmm, only went up by 1 after 2 level up.

My Knowledge went up from 8 to 11. Oh, wow! It went up by 3. Yes, this is what I’ve been waiting! Agility also went up from 10 to 11. My Agility only went up by 1, but that’s okay because it’s up.

Luck 3 remains unchanged at 3. What? Could it be that I have low luck, and the increase in ability values is also low? In such a situation, what’s the point of wasting 3 points to increase as much as my Knowledge…?

(Eh, what’s that? Is it because I’m a commusho trying to conquer a dungeon solo? Hey, tell me! Tell me the truth!)

“Oh my God, hmm~…calm down, I’m calm. If I don’t stay calm at all times, I’ll never survive in the dungeon.”

I took a deep breath and told myself that I was upset.

I defeated monsters, my level went up, and my ability value increased. That is a definite step forward. There was nothing negative about it.

“But why is the growth so uneven…?”

Current  Previous

Level  3  1

Race: Human

Strength:   12  12

Stamina:  11  10

Knowledge:  11  8

Mental Strength:  13  13

Agility:  11  10

Luck:  3  3

Helplessness:  123  120

Once again, I compared the statuses I had displayed with the ability values I had written down in my notebook. I felt that I could see a trend in the ability values that would grow.

“I see…I didn’t use my Strength in the battle with the slime this time, so it didn’t go up. Is that what it means?”

Instead, I won the battle with my brain, making full use of medicines and so on. Maybe that’s why Knowledge rose by 3. The same reason my Stamina and Agility increased. I was moving so hard that I was throwing slime into the trash.

“In other words, the abilities used in this battle were mainly Knowledge, followed by Stamina and Agility. So maybe because I didn’t use Strength and Luck, my Strength and Luck didn’t increase?”

I’m concerned that my Helplessness is up by 3, but I’m sure that’s because I’m a bum. I’m afraid my Helplessness will continue to increase with each level up.

“Oh well. Then I’ll do some muscle training before going up a level, or listen to music that improves my luck while I’m sleeping. If I try different things, I’ll find the best solution sooner or later.”

The stone floor is cold, so I rested in a simple base with just a sheet of cardboard in the front room. I gargle with drinking water to rinse my chemical-affected throat and further quench my thirst.

“Whew, whatever it is, water tastes good after a victory!”

But it tastes delicious and makes me want to drink more water.

“Hmm…wait! Could it be that my sense of taste is becoming more acute?”

I take off my glasses and try looking at things with my naked eye, and I think I can see better than usual.

“Oh! That’s great! I can’t go without my glasses yet. But my vision is improving!”

That makes me happy. I had been depressed because I had been so reluctant to level up, but this kind of physical change lifts my spirits more than anything else.

So I took off all my gear, went back to my room, put on a pair of pants, and did push-ups, sit-ups, and squats. After working out for about an hour, I took a shower and went to a ramen chain restaurant in the neighborhood for lunch.

After a good meal of garlic ramen and leek dumplings, I took a nap. That, of course, while listening to the sacred wave music I downloaded from the internet, which is said to bring good luck.

……….

Then it is one o’clock in the afternoon. After working out, eating a meal that would give me more stamina, and napping to music that would bring me luck, I had no blind spot.

Dashing back into the dungeon, I put on my gear again and became the man who throws slime into the chlorine and goes on a three-hour killing spree. The slimes were helpless to the sudden appearance of this devilish man, and one by one, I pummeled the slimes into the infernal bucket of chlorine.

At 4:00 p.m., my level had already reached 8.

Current  Previous

Level  8  8

Race: Human

Strength:   22  12

Stamina:  18  11

Knowledge:  18  11

Mental Strength:  16  13

Agility:  16  11

Luck:  3  3

Helplessness:  138  122

The results are as expected.

The increase in Strength values is significant due to muscle training. That value is double what it was when I was level 3 at 22. My arms have become thicker as if the muscles had been stretched by muscle training have taken root.

My Stamina has also increased significantly by 7. It seems that the addition of garlic ramen, as well as leek dumplings, had a positive effect. Perhaps the muscle training also had an effect, but whatever the case, it was a good result.

My Knowledge went up by 6, which is a little lower than the others, but it seems that just repeating the same thing over and over again has little effect. It seems that study and brain work is necessary to grow Knowledge.

Mental Strength went up by 3. Perhaps to develop Mental Strength, one has to endure mental pain. I was pounding slime into chlorine for 3 hours straight, but the increase was low, probably because I was moving without thinking much.

Agility went up by 5, which is also a little low for the amount of work I put into it. Maybe I should have done some 3-minute endurance high-speed horizontal jumps along with my muscle training.

My luck remained the same. Taking a short nap for an hour and listening to music that makes me lucky doesn’t work.

So my Helplessness went up by 15, a bit of a bummer. If the maximum increase per level is 3, then it’s like I got a full increase per level, right? That’s fine. I’m depressed.

But I’m not that depressed.

Because now that I’m at level 8, I can see things better without my glasses. Oh, my goodness! I can see well without feeling the shadows of the frames. I now understand why people who have dived into dungeons and improved their level of vision are so excited to talk about it. This is just life-changing.

Incidentally, during my second hunt, which lasted three hours straight, I got a drop of something other than red BB bullets. Two orange-colored pearls the size of walnuts.

I felt a sense of elation the moment I picked up the beads.

I knew right away that this was something amazing. I guess I could call it a feeling of being “jolted” to the soul. There is something powerful hidden in this pearl. As I warmed it in the palm of my hand, I felt some information was being conveyed.

(Nn~ hmm? Three? Acid skill?)

I chewed on the image conveyed by the treasure. This treasure dropped by the slime is a treasure that seals the [Acid] skill… then!

“Oh, Skill Orb…! Grant me the power~~!”

I concentrate my mind on the pearl and try to think like that. I mean, I’m shouting.

I don’t know if this would work, but I had a feeling it would. And even if something happens and the jewel disappears in vain, the peace of mind that I have another one gives me peace of mind.

[“Kyuwah~pawah~!”]

Then gradually the skill orb begins to glow in the palm of my hand.

The light gradually became brighter and brighter, and it changed into something so dazzling that I couldn’t keep my eyes open. And then, Oh, my God, this thing is going to explode! The light finally subsided, and the jewel disappeared as a particle of light.

But it didn’t just glow and disappear.

Because now I am trembling with a sense of fulfillment from the new power I have gained. When I looked at my status, I saw that the skill column had increased, and I saw the [Acid] skill there.

“Woohoo~! I already got a skill on the first day of the dungeon attack!”

I expressed my joy as I stood on the cardboard on which I had been sitting and did a twisting dance with my slippery socks.