CH 37

37. Comparing with Others



I arrived at the home center.

But first I keep myself hidden and watch.



“There are fewer guards out here compared to yesterday…”



…There were two at the entrance.

And one of the guards wasn’t a student. He looked kind of old and had different clothing.

He was likely a refugee.

I wonder if he was one of the people who had fought the monsters alongside the other students.

This meant that his level went up, he got some skills, and was now recognized as one of their members.



“I think I’ll try to get a little closer…”



‘Scouting’ had gained a level, so I would be able to tell how many people were inside if I was close enough to the wall.

And thanks to ‘Presence Block’ and ‘Silent Movement,’ neither of the guards noticed my presence.

Just like yesterday, I was easily able to reach the window which I had used to get in.



“…There is hardly anyone in there.”



I could only sense 5 to 6 people inside there with ‘Scouting.’

That was considerably fewer people than yesterday.

Had they broadened their scouting range now that they were nearly out of supplies?

Nishino was saying something about that yesterday.



Speaking of which, I can’t detect Nishino’s presence either…

Had he gone out too?



He didn’t really look like the type to go out and explore…



“What should I do…”



This was an incredibly advantageous situation for me.

All I would have to do is steal their supplies and run away…



“But after what happened yesterday, they were bound to be more cautious…”



While listening to them talk the other day, it was clear that Nishino was wary of a certain person–me, in fact, who was ‘taking their supplies.’

And he had suggested that there was a high likelihood that I would appear here again.

He had said this in front of the others. The students, specifically.

Would it really be smart to walk in under these conditions?

There was also a possibility that several of them had gained detection skills after yesterday’s fight.



Hmmm, but I came all the way here. I can’t leave empty-handed…

Though I did gain a lot of items from the construction site, so I wasn’t desperate.

And the newly acquired ‘Preservation Feature’ meant that I wouldn’t run out of food for a while.

There was no reason to make unnecessary risks out of greed…



I could just steal a little so that they wouldn’t notice?

Like the gardening materials and poles and bricks.

There was plenty laying around here. No one would notice if some of them disappeared.



“–kkk…skill–…”



“…Hmm?”



I could hear a voice coming from a short distance away.

The words ‘skill’ and ‘job’ were clearly audible.



“Was it towards the shop counters?”



I carefully make my way closer against the walls. I could tell that several people were gathered together in a corner near the counters.

I make sure that there is no one else around me just in case …All clear.

Then I put my ear to the wall and activated the ‘Listening’ skill.



“–Well then, let’s check it again. All of you, open you status plates. It will come out if you think ‘status.'”



“Woah! It really did come out!”

“What, are you crazy? …Oh, it did!?”

“This is a strange looking board… But how does it work?”



“Yes, we call them status plates. Your status plates are not visible to other people. But be careful.”



…Hmm.

Was this a lecture on skill use for those who gained a level?

The person who was instructing them sounded like that punk-ish student from yesterday.

I swear that there was someone with a similar voice guarding the entrance.



“I will explain each category later. First, look at your level, SP and JP. Do all of you see a 1 displayed by your level?”



The student asks the refugees.

There is no answer, which probably meant they were nodding.



“I think that Nishino told you all yesterday, but anyone who kills at least one monster will become level 1. And once that happens, you will be able to see your status. Were you able to hear that voice in your head? Saying ‘You have gained experience points.’?”



“Ah, yes… But what does that mean?”



“This is the important part, old man. Underneath that there are categories called SP and JP. These allow you to choose skills and jobs. In short, they allow you to gain the power to fight monsters.”



“The…power to fight…?”



“Exactly. You should all have 2 points of SP and 1 point of JP. Am I right?”



“Ah, yes, I have them.”

“Me too…”

“I as well.”



“With this, you can choose one job and two skills. Try clicking them. It will display the abilities and jobs that you can acquire.”



The student continues.

…Hm? Wait a second.

Just 2 SP and 1 JP?

But my initial points were 10 SP and 10 JP.



What did this difference mean?

The way he just said it, it sounded like there was no difference between individuals, and they all had the same number of initial points.

So why did I alone have so much more?

The only thing I could think of was…



“—was it because of ‘Rapid Development’…?”



Extra experience points(speculation) and an increase of acquired points.

If that was the effect of ‘Rapid Development’ then—.



“What-what one am I supposed to choose?”

“Um, mine has different ones, like ‘Company Employee’, ‘Citizen’, ‘Adventurer’, ‘Golfer’…?”

“I, I…there are too many in mine and I can’t decide…”



“Umm, alright. You will have to write them down on a paper. And you better not lie about it. Nishino will be back soon, so you should discuss it with him and decide. He will know the best decision in order for us all to survive. In any case, don’t choose any skills or jobs until then.”



The refugees started to talk with the student about their skills and jobs.

From what I could hear, none of them had any unusual jobs or skills.

None of them had an Item Box.

Maybe it was an incredibly rare skill?



I had no one to compare myself with until now, but maybe I just happened to be one of the very lucky ones?

‘Rapid Development’ and ‘Item Box.

I was able to get these two skills from the beginning.



“…Hmm?”



‘Scouting’ found something.

This presence…It was Nishino and the others.

It seems that they had returned.



I was able to get some important information. But it was now time to leave.

I moved away and borrowed a few gardening supplies that no one would miss.



Then I left the area before the students caught sight of me.