Chapter 45 9.1 Skill Tree?

[CHIME!]

[Main Quest: A Disturbance? COMPLETE]

As soon as Shizu and I reached the arch, I practically mashed through the dialogue in such a way that even the princess was laughing by the time we were finished. I mean, I just spammed my head left and right or up and down just so she wouldn't even so much as pause for a breath!

"So? What did you get?"

"I'm still waiting on them, Shizu," I chuckled. "Be patient."

[REWARDS: 500 [EXP] 80 Kattleynan Leafs [Wolf Glove X1]]

[LEVEL UP!]

I couldn't help but grin as I heard the sweet fanfare of Guidance's level-up sound. To think that after all this time, I finally managed to get some semblance of progress in this world.

"Woah... What is that over your head?" Shizu asked, her eyes bugging out at the halo currently floating above me. "Is it something the [Eld God] Guidance granted you?"

"In a sense," I waved her off. "It means I just got stronger."

[Moriya: Level 3]

[EXP TO NEXT LEVEL: 450/600]

[HP: 110/110]

[MP: 110/110]

[2 STAT POINTS AVAILABLE FOR ALLOCATION]

[QUIRK AVAILABLE]

Looking at my stats... Huh... I guess the [EXP] requirement for each level doubled with every iteration. Too bad killing a level 10 monster didn't count for squat, but it was still a sizeable jump that placed me just within the range of another level up. Base stats went up by five as usual, and... Oh?

"Quirks available, huh..."

"What is it?" Shizu butted in, her head now hovering over my shoulder. "Are you seeing something?"

"I think I just unlocked something helpful," I postulated. "Let me see... [SS1]."

[CHIME!]

[STATS SCREEN 1][SS2][SS3]

[Somatic: Moriya]

[Level 3/99]

[HP: 110]

[MP: 110]

[STR: 5]

[AGI: 7]

[DEX: 7]

[VIT: 5]

[INT: 8]

[LUK: 5]

[AVAILABLE STATS: 2]

"Hmm... I sensed the world change, but I'm still not seeing anything," Shizu pouted. "Should I use my [Code Watcher]?"

"I'd prefer if you didn't," I let out a small smile as I waved her off. "Besides, you wouldn't even understand what I'm seeing in the first place."

After all, how could someone native to this world interpret a stat screen like this? Would she even be able to comprehend-

"[Code Watcher]"

Eh?

I could only blink as Shizu's eyes turned into a greenish shade of black again. A smile spread across her face, an excitable wonder oozing off of her as she now visibly tried to interact with my windows.

"Ooh! So this is what you're seeing all the time?" she cooed, her hands phasing through the stat window as she hummed. "What do these numbers mean?"

I let out a sigh, "Can I please just get some bit of privacy? You can watch while I do this, okay?"

Shizu gave me a bit of a wink before her eyes returned to their golden hue once more. "Fine. I'm still expecting an explanation later though."

Rolling my eyes, I let the princess hover beside me as I focused on the task at hand. I've got two stats to put in, and I needed to lock in my build as soon as possible. Seeing as [HP] was currently a huge problem for me back at that fight, I guess I should dump these two stats onto it? How much health would it even add?

[VIT: 5+2]

Letting out a breath, I confirmed my new additions, a funny feeling washing over me as the stats reset my entire being.

[HP: 114/114]

...

...Well, that was kind of pitiful. Two points on [VIT] just for four extra health? I couldn't even see what my exact regen rate was.

"You look disappointed."

"That's because I am."

I was almost tempted to yell at Guidance for some kind of respecc item. I mean, seriously? Four heaping health for two points? Well, now that I thought about it, I guess it did make sense from a balance standpoint. This wasn't taking into account items and equipment yet. Not to mention these new quirks that I apparently have available. And speaking of which...

"But you still got stronger, right?" Shizu chimed in from behind, her eyes black once more as she peered into my open windows. "Having these numbers be higher should be good enough."

"Well, there's this thing we call efficiency," I sagely explained. "I have a limited amount of points to sped. Ergo, I have to spend them wisely."

"You're starting to sound like one of the stuffy nobles in court, Stranger."

I couldn't help but scoff at the comparison. I guess I did talk like someone obsessed with profit margins sometimes... "[SS3]"

[CHIME!]

[SS1][SS2][STAT SCREEN 3]

[QUIRKS AVAILABLE: SELECT ONE]

[Strong Willed: +3 VIT]

[Strong Mind: +3 INT]

[Strong Aim: +3 DEX]

"Another set of numbers, Stranger?"

"No, it's something different."

I let out a small hum as I read out the so-called quirks available for me to choose from. In a vacuum, all of these looked pretty appealing depending on the person's build. Kind of generic in terms of flavor, but I wouldn't mind free stats every once in a while.

"I guess I'll choose the first one..."

[SS1][SS2][STAT SCREEN 3]

[QUIRKS]

[Strong Willed: +3 VIT]

Feeling the new addition surge through my body, the increased health was pretty minuscule in terms of overall totals, but I could only hope that the added [VIT] boosted my health regen somewhat. Either way, max health wouldn't even help with my combat problems as much as health regen would actually fix it.

"You done yet?"

"One more," I called out. "[INV1]"

[CHIME!]

[INVENTORY 1][INV2][INV3]

[Wolf Glove iLvL: 5]

Looking at my new item, I guess it only made sense that it was an equipable item. Clicking at it, it was a... singular glove?

"Amazing... The power of the [Eld] at your fingertips..."

Ignoring Shizu's apparent wonder, I pulled the glove out from my inventory and put it on. A part of me waited for something to happen, but I guess it was stupid of me to expect some kind of esoteric effect from an early game drop.