[Chapter:2][Dungeons(?) and Monsters!]

(Dungeons. Well, how to explain this…)

I rolled my eyes.

"I know what dungeons are, both in real life and in games. And I figured I'd go to dungeons sometime in the future too, living my life like a game and all. What I want to ask is, what do dungeons have to do with me being a magician?"

(So you're aware of them, good. Then, for now, concentrate on your Mana, and spread it outward while imagining the space within your Mana warping and changing, and turning into a bounded field. A separate dimension.)

I furrowed my brows at that instruction.

It didn't sound easy, especially with my pitiful amount of MP, but it's not like I had a choice. Besides, Dia didn't ask me to do anything I couldn't till now, after all, she knows me best, literally.

Thus, I could only comply.

Sitting back down, I took in a deep breath before closing my eyes and falling into a trance.

Once again, the world changed. Or rather, the way I looked at it and felt it changed.

The Vitality, The Mana, the Ki, I could see and feel it all, flowing within me as well as out in the atmosphere. Again, I felt like something was missing, but I held my temptation of wanting to complete the picture.

Since I had promised not to mess with Souls for now, I was going to stay away from them.

Concentrating as much as I could, I ignore all the other flows, and focus solely on the blue 'cold'.

"Mana."

I unconsciously say it out loud as all other flows disappear from my view. I used what pitiable will I had and tried my best to reach it to the Mana inside me.

To be honest, comparing how much Mana I had to the amount in the atmosphere was…humbling, at best. But since I had a goal, I decided to think of it later.

For now, I only focused on my Mana, the blue flow of 'cold' inside me, and reached out to it.

And then I willed it outside.

"Agh!"

I grunted at the sudden pain, which made me snap out of my focus.

"What happened?"

(You tried to overexert yourself, obviously.)

I felt like Dia rolled her eyes at me. Was I getting good at reading her actions through the tone of her voice alone? Perhaps.

(I only asked you to spread your Mana out, why do you want to control it? Neither your stats nor your skills are anywhere near enough to let you do something like that. Look, you even lost some HP due to the rebound.)

"Ah, oops?"

I scratched my head. Indeed, Dia had only told me to spread my Mana outside, but for some reason, I simply felt like I mustn't let it out of my control.

Shaking my head, I refocus on my goal and repeat the whole thing again.

Of course, having learnt my lesson, especially since my HP had, to my surprise, fallen all the way to 40/130, I didn't try to bend my Mana to my will, but instead, simply guided it.

There is a remarkable difference between guiding and influencing someone or something and controlling them, as was clearly shown when it felt much easier to do the former than the later, which I couldn't even do to begin with.

Regardless, after I had let almost every trace of my Mana out, I tried my best to guide it into spreading it all around the room I was in.

I made sure none of it leaked beyond the room, while also trying to keep my own Mana from being swept away along with the atmospheric flows and waves of Mana. It was pretty hard, but since I was only redirecting the flow of my Mana instead of controlling it, I was able to somehow do it.

(Good job.)

Dia's voice, gentle and soft, probably not to break my concentration, resounded within my mind.

(Now, imagine that Mana locking onto the room and separating it from the outside world. Imagine a field constituting of the entire room being 'cut' off from this reality, and being turned into a 'pocket dimension' so to speak. An independent one, that is entirely unrelated to other similar dimensions.)

(And try to impose that imagination into your Mana. I can't explain how to do so, it's just not possible to rely on others in this step. You'll have to rely on yourself on this one. But with a high enough Mana Manipulation skill, you should succeed.)

I didn't bother responding. Instead, I did exactly as instructed.

I tried to 'communicate' with my Mana. Obviously, that didn't work. Then I tried to push my image into it, but when I felt the slightest rebound, I decided to back off. Then I tried to do the same thing I did to get till here.

Slowly, yet surely, I 'fed' my image to the Mana. Yes, fed it. And my Mana devoured that image.

Of course, I couldn't see this actually happen, but I could feel it, my Mana being influenced by that image. Unfortunately, this caused quite a lot of my Mana to be swept away along with the atmospheric Mana flows, but at the same time, just as I was about to give up,

[[Acquired skill [(ID Create)].]]

'Bingo.'

I grinned.

(Good work, I knew you could do it~~!)

Dia smiled too. I think.

But anyway, I had gotten the skill, so I tried to take my Mana outside back into me…!

I instantly let it go.

"HAA! HAA! HA! HAAAH!"

I jolted upright and and took in deep, long breaths as I felt my body tremble lightly.

"What the hell was that?"

(White? What happened?)

"You…you didn't see that?"

(See what? You were about to reabsorb your Mana back, but then you suddenly stopped and expelled all your Mana and Ki and even some of your Vitality out of your body.)

I frowned. Was that just my hallucination?

No, impossible. Even if I never experienced hallucinations before, I knew that wasn't one.

Simply because it had invoked a new emotion inside me. One that, similar to many others, I knew of, yet never experienced.

Fear.

"Huff…haa…haah…"

Taking deep and long breaths to calm myself, I shake the thought out of my head. Yet that fear I had felt continued to linger inside me.

'What the hell was that…'

What I felt, no, what I 'saw', at that instant…

I didn't know how to describe it. Yet the moment I saw it, I felt my entire body tremble. I felt what I assume to be my instincts scream at me, and I felt every fibre of my being telling me, warning me to close my eyes, to look away, to run.

Yet I couldn't do it. I simply…couldn't. I can't describe why I couldn't. It was not like I couldn't close my eyes, it wasn't like I couldn't turn away, yet I simply…couldn't.

'Is this how Dia felt…about not being to reveal those hidden functions and stuff?'

Coming to no answer, however, I could only sigh.

'Forget it, I'll think about it later.'

(What happened? White? Is everything alright?)

Dia's worried and concerned voice snapped me out of my thoughts.

"Ah? Ah, yeah, I'm okay. Just, nothing. I just felt pain and thought I'd face another rebound or something."

(A rebound? You shouldn't have…ah, maybe a little bit of the ambient Mana mixed in with your own Mana when you tried to absorb it back? But then why did you push out your Vitality and Ki as well? You're HP and SP almost emptied out.)

I tried to come up with some excuse, but couldn't, so I said a half truth.

"Instinct? I don't know, I didn't really think before I just pushed it away."

(Hmm…)

I don't think Dia fully believed that reason, but luckily, she didn't mention it.

(Forget it, we can think about it later.)

(For now, look at your Status.)

I honestly didn't know why I didn't want to tell the truth to Dia, but something, maybe what people call a gut feeling? Made me keep it to myself.

Regardless, I shook my head to shake the thought out of my mind and willed my Status open.

...

(Status)

White

Male 16 years old

Titles : [(The Gamer)] | [(The Fool)] | [(Quest Doer)]

Class : The Gamer Level : 1 (00.00%)

Job : Magician (Lv : 1/100)

HP : 83/130 (13 per min) // HP —> VIT*10 | HP R —> VIT*1 per min //

MP : 4/130 (13 per min) // MP —> INT*10 | MP R —> WIS*1 per min //

SP : 3/120 (12 per min) // SP —> END*10 | SP R —> END*1 per min //

...

Strength : 12 Intelligence : 13

Endurance : 12 Wisdom : 13

Vitality : 13 Perception : 12

Agility : 12 Dexterity : 12

Charm : 11 Luck : 11

Stat Points : 0

...

[(Gamers' Body : Lv-Max)]

[(Gamers' Mind : Lv-Max)]

[(Gamers' Surprise : Lv-Max)]

[(Language Comprehension : Lv-Max)]

[(Mana Manipulation : Lv-13 —> 18)]

[(Magic Shot : Lv-1)]

[(Magic Shield : Lv-1)]

[(Mana Perception : Lv-16 —> 19)]

[(Meditation : Lv-29 —> 30)]

[(Vitality Perception : Lv-16)]

[(Vitality Manipulation : Lv-8)]

[(Ki Perception : Lv-9)]

[(Ki Manipulation : Lv-4)]

[(ID Create : Lv-Max)] (New!)

...

I focused on my new skill, or rather, on most of my new skills which I hadn't examined before.

...

Mana Perception : Lv-19/100 (30.29%)

Description : Allows for direct perception of ambient as well as personal Mana through the six senses. The user can perceive the 'flow' of Mana and, at higher levels of the skill, distinguish between different Mana Signatures.

Effect : Perceive 19% Mana within range of 'Perception'

Increase learning speed of Mana based skills

Increase learning speed of perception skills

Slightly increase learning speed of Soul based skills

...

...

Meditation : Lv-30/100 (00.00%)

Description : The art of relaxing one's body, mind, and soul, bringing them to peace and attempting to unite them. Increases recovery and concentration greatly. At higher levels of the skill, meditation can be carried out even during movement.

Effect : Increase HP R, MP R, and SP R by 30%

Increase learning speed of skills

...

...

Vitality Perception : Lv-16/100 (00.0%)

Description : Allows for direct perception of ambient as well as personal Vitality and Life Force through the six senses. The user can perceive the 'flow' of Life and, at higher levels of the skill, distinguish between different Life Signatures.

Effect : Perceive 16% Vitality / Life Force within range of 'Perception'

Increase learning speed of Vitality / Life Force / HP based skills

Increase learning speed of perception skills

Slightly increase learning speed of Ki / Stamina / Physical Energy based skills

...

...

Vitality Manipulation : Lv-8/100 (00.00%)

Description : Allows for direct manipulation of Vitality / Life Force. Higher skill level allows for more precise and accurate manipulation and more complex control. Also increase efficiency of skills using Vitality / Life Force and decrease cost and cast time.

Effect : Decrease HP cost of skills and spells by 8%

Decrease cast time of skills and spells using HP by 8%

...

...

Ki Perception : Lv-9/100 (00.00%)

Description : Allows for direct perception of ambient as well as personal Ki, Chakra, Natural Ki, Stamina, Physical Energy, etc… through the six senses. The user can perceive the 'flow' of Ki and, at higher levels of the skill, distinguish between different Ki Signatures.

Effect : Perceive 9% Ki within range of 'Perception'

Increase learning speed of Ki / SP based skills

Increase learning speed of perception skills

Slightly increase learning speed of Vitality / Life Force based skills

...

Ki Manipulation : Lv-4/100 (00.00%)

Description : Allows for direct manipulation of Ki, Chakra, Natural Ki, Stamina, Physical Energy, etc… . Higher skill level allows for more precise and accurate manipulation and more complex control. Also increase efficiency of skills using Ki / SP and decrease cost and cast time.

Effect : Decrease SP cost of skills and spells by 4%

Decrease cast time of skills and spells using SP by 4%

...

...

ID Create : Lv-Max (- - . - - %)

Description : Allows for creation of 'Instant Dungeons' using The Gamer's MP as a medium. This skill is unique to The Gamer and hence cannot be taught to others. There exist several kinds of Instant Dungeons, but to unlock these, The Gamer must first come into contact with respective situations. Once The Gamer clears a Dungeon, similar Dungeons but of a greater difficulty which increase EXP acquisition and Drop Rate can be unlocked.

Effect : Create 'Beginner' IDs providing 100% EXP and Drop Rate

Create 'Intermediate' IDs providing 150% EXP and Drop Rate

Create 'Advanced' IDs providing 200% EXP and Drop Rate

Create 'Nightmare' IDs providing 500% EXP and Drop Rate

Create 'Abyss' IDs providing 1,000% EXP and Drop Rate

Due to one of The Gamer's wishes, IDs cannot be intruded upon

...

While there were several skills which I find pretty good, two, in particular, struck me.

'Meditation, looks like I'll have to grind it as much as I can.'

Doubling my regenerations at Max level? I cannot even describe how useful that would be, especially along with other recovery enhancing skills.

And, of course, the skill which is most likely the very reason I picked the Magician Job.

(Yup~~ Dungeons~~! The one thing every Hardcore Gamer or even casual player can't live without~~! You'll get nowhere if you just rely on the enemies you'll find out in the open. In fact, I'd be surprised if you can level up a single Job to max level without relying on Dungeons~~ It's like every Gamers' bread and butter~~)

(Especially the Drop Rates, those things are abysmal outside the Dungeon~~ Sure, you can still get something if you're lucky and have high Luck stat, but if you want to rely on grinding outside for mats, well, good luck~!)

I merely shrugged in response to Dia's jolly words.

The only reason I even knew about Dungeons and Video Games is because they are like a necessity and 'Common sense' in modern society. But if you ask me for something specific? I'd come up with a blank.

Still, I could understand that my most of my time in the future would be spent in Dungeons. Which I didn't particularly mind.

While I was certainly looking forward to exploring and experiencing first hand everything I had knowledge about, like restaurants, parks, cars and busses, bike racing, river rafting, mountain climbing, bungee jumping, dining and dashing, etc…, I wasn't going to complain about working hard to become stronger, especially in a world where perverted high schoolers could possibly become Dragon Gods before they even graduate.

Speaking of, I should probably spend some time everyday spying on the guy. After all, if this reality revolves around him, while he would certainly be something akin to a trouble magnet, I should also be able to get certain benefits by being close to him.

Of course, I wasn't going to actually get close to him. Just spy at him from afar, far enough to run if, as people would say in this situation, 'shit hits the fan', and certainly far enough so I wouldn't be considered a pervert.

I don't know why, but something tells me I shouldn't get close to male perverts. Though I don't seem to have anything against female perverts…is this being Sexist, I wonder?

Well, regardless, those are all thoughts for the future. For now, considering I've been in this world for nearly 24 hours, even though I technically meditated through most of that time, I should probably begin levelling up a little.

(Of course you should~~ And to give you more motivation, you even got a quest~!)

I blinked at Dia's words, just as a new window appears in front of me.

...

Chain Quest : A journey of a thousand miles begins with a single step

Objective : Reach level : 10

Rewards : Random Skill book, next part of quest is unlocked

Penalty : None

...

I looked at the Quest window, and asked a doubt I've been harbouring for a while now.

"What are penalties? I mean, I know what they mean, but what kind of penalties are there for failing quests? Or rather, what kinds of quests have penalties?"

But then I paused.

"Ah, is this a part of those 'Hidden Functions' too?"

(Nope~~ I can tell you that since it's a part of the information released when you finished the tutorial.)

Dia began to say in her soft, melodious voice.

(To begin with, Quests are of three kinds. First are the System issued Quests. These Quests are those that the System has given you in accordance to your desires. So you don't have to be worried about doing something that isn't to your satisfaction.)

(And they serve as sorts of mile stones for yourself that the System itself will reward you based on your performance. So these Quests don't have any sort of penalties.)

I nodded my head as I realised all the Quests, well, the three I had done till now, we're all of that type. Even the Quest I now received is a System Quest.

(The second type of quests are the NPC or Non Player Character Quests. The Game practically considers everyone other than you, The Gamer, as NPCs, so basically Quests issued to or about anyone other than you.)

(If System Quests are about you, your development, your actions, etc… then NPC Quests are about, well, NPCs. They can range from errands that NPCs give you, to killing certain NPCs, saving certain NPCs, etc… . The other two Quests are technically issued by the System, but they are considered NPC Quests since they affect the NPCs.)

(NPC Quests have penalties. But these penalties are the obvious kinds. Like, if you don't do an errand quest given to you by person A, then person A will obviously be displeased by you or will even scold you.)

(If you don't save person B's life, then rather obviously, person B will die. That, or if someone else saves person B, and person B knows you didn't save him / her even though you could, they would obviously be displeased with you.)

(And if you don't kill person C, then all the people who person C would kill or save would die or be alive as a consequence. And anyone who has enmity with person C and knows you didn't kill them even though you could will also be displeased with you.)

(That, and you also won't get the rewards that the System will give, like EXP, or other System specific rewards. And of course, you also won't get any rewards from the NPCs themselves, if there are any rewards, if you fail the quest.)

Well, that was obvious. Unlike a complete game, this is part real life too, where all actions have consequences.

Or rather, by my knowledge, there are plenty of video games where the player has to take choices and bear the consequences of those choices.

To that end, since there aren't any strict penalties from the System, clearly, these NPC Quests are kind of like optional quests, just like System Quests.

Well, since the Quests themselves are issued mostly based on my own desires, I doubt I'd actually give up on any Quest I can finish though.

(The third type of Quests are those with the harshest penalties. Emergency Quests.)

I blinked at how solemn Dia's tone became when she mentioned this.

"So, Quests that can result in things like me dying if I fail?"

(Or that could greatly harm your interests, yes.)

(Emergency Quests range from killing all those that even dare to direct killing intent towards you, which is unacceptable by the System as it would mark all those beings as 'potential threats to the User', and since the System itself is created for the sole purpose of assisting you and giving you the best possible future, those marked one's would be dealt with with extreme prejudice.)

(And Emergency Quests can also include events that have a great impact on you, like the death of someone important to you. While the System itself doesn't care about those close to you, it factors in the possible mental impact you would face if they were to die. So if someone close to you is in danger, regardless of distance, it will automatically issue an Emergency Quest.)

(And the penalties for Emergency Quests are, well, harsh, for a lack of a better word.)

(The laxest penalty would be losing a skill at the Max level, except for certain permanent skills, to the level of one of your maxed out Jobs resetting to 0 along with all the stat gains, to having items in your Inventory discarded, to, of course, death. But if you ever see a death penalty, I recommend dropping everything to do the Quest first.)

"Because I could die if I fail?", I asked, confused, since I'm pretty sure I told her not even a day ago that I didn't particularly fear death.

And even Dia agreed that, other than losing my progress, since she could keep my memory intact, and the System would reincarnate me in another world, death wasn't something permanent to me either.

(Because the System always does things that are in your best interests, and if the penalty is death, then that means the System decided you yourself would prefer death to the consequences of failing that Quest.)

Dia's answer, however, silenced me.

I would prefer death?

In my knowledge, I knew that this was something that many people who have lost their loved ones, their family, would think.

But I couldn't relate to that sentiment. After all, I don't know what it means to love, or to be loved.

But I supposed I could figure it out later. After all it's not like I'd get an Emergency Quest anytime soon. In fact, based on the conditions for being issued an Emergency Quest, I wouldn't get one for days since I don't plan on going out of this nice little room till I at least maxed out the job I had at the moment.

"I guess I'll think about it later. For now…"

I stretched my body, trying to rid myself of the soreness from sitting in the same position for nearly 24 hours, before using my newly acquired skill.

"ID Create."

The moment I thought of using it, the familiar feeling of an invisible muscle appeared. And when I instinctively flexed that muscle, the world…broke?

(Ah, this is what happens when you use a dimensional separation skill which, as the name implies, separate this dimension from this plane of reality. Basically, separating this place from reality temporarily. In fact, time no longer flows in the outside world as this pocket dimension is separated from the original world's flow of time as well.)

I blinked at that answer.

"Wait, then, can't I…"

Before I could ask my question, however, I was interrupted.

(Unfortunately, you can't. This kind of dimension / reality it extremely unstable, and without sky high stats and a maxed out skill, it's impossible to maintain it for more than several seconds to minutes.)

(And even if you get your stats high enough, you still need an appropriate skill for it. After all, 'ID Create' is a skill that creates Instant Dungeons, not a skill that creates a dimension separated from the original reality.)

(So no, you can't take advantage of this to grind your skill levels if you ever find yourself outclassed in a fight.)

In clicked my tongue in what I assumed to be annoyance, my expectations destroyed just as quickly as they had appeared.

"So? What do I do now?"

Before Dia could respond, a window appears before me.

...

(Dungeon List)

Unranked Dungeons

— Dead Night City (Lv-1~10)

Beginner Dungeons

— Dead Night City (Lv-1~100)

— Abandoned Church (Lv-1~100)

...

"Ok? Well, that's convenient, I guess."

I looked at the three entries available to me and ask,

"Aren't the Beginner Dungeons, like, too high level for me?"

(It's because of this Church's significance. From that, you can assume that someone at Level : 100 was once present in this Church, or perhaps will be present in the near future.)

(As for the City Dungeon, with every increase in difficulty, the level range obviously increases too.)

(Besides, it's not like you don't have a chance at all. The lower level limit is the level of the weakest mobs in that Dungeon, while the higher limit is that of the strongest.)

(Well, Dungeon Bosses are an exception, but you know…)

"Hidden stuff, got it. I'll get to know more when I actually encounter a Boss."

(I'm really sorry, but I just can't say it. It's not in my control.)

Dia's sad voice as she apologises makes me chuckle lightly.

"Don't worry about it. I told you didn't I? You're the most important and precious thing or person to me right now, and I'm pretty sure it won't change much in the future either. Besides, you've already helped me enough, and you'll continue to help me, right?"

(Of course~! That's what I'm here for~~)

I smiled as Dia cheered up again. I was honestly confused over why I didn't want to let her continue being sad.

Based on my knowledge, people don't like it when those they care about feel sad.

Does that mean I care about Dia?

Sure, she is important to me, and most precious too, especially considering she is technically all I have with me, but have I truly come to care for her in the short few times we have interacted with each other?

But the 'common sense' in me said people tend to take quite a lot of time to grow feelings for another, or is it only in the world I, or rather, the previous Me is from?

Is it different in this world? Do people in this world grow affectionate quicker than in the previous ME's world? Is living in this world already affecting me?

Or could it be it is because I am currently a blank slate? Because I have no one else, causing Dia's position in my heart to grow stronger quickly?

Well, it was food for thought, but not for now.

*crack!*

And the sound of the world around me cracking even further like brittle glass proved it wasn't the time for me to ponder.

(I would recommend going, like, right now. Trust me, getting crushed by shattering reality is way~~worse than exploding to death.)

"Noted.", I mumbled as I tapped the first entry, and the very next moment, I disappear in a flash of light.

...

…

…

…

...

"Where am I?"

It was the first thought that came to my mind as I opened my eyes, and looked at my unfamiliar surroundings.

Before I could ponder more on the alley I was in, however, a sense of déjà vu filled me, and I quickly glanced down at myself before sighing in relief, seeing as how I wasn't naked.

"I thought I was too late and died and reincarnated again or something."

Raising my body, I looked around and realised that I actually wasn't that unfamiliar with the alley I was in.

"This is where I woke up the first time?"

The two metal rods, the garbage bin, other than those three unfortunate delinquents, everything was the same.

Well, almost everything.

"It's too dark."

I couldn't help but frown as I looked at the alley entrance. While the other end was similarly blocked by a concrete wall, and the top of the alley was also covered by metal, the entrance, which was previously full of light, with several tens of people visibly passing by every minute, was completely dark.

(Well duh, the Dungeon's name is 'Dead Night City', what did you expect, for the sun to still be in the sky all bright and shining?)

Dia's slightly sarcastic voice made me smile, as I felt rather uncomfortable, taken back to where everything had begun yet in different conditions.

'It's also too quiet.', I spoke to her through my thoughts, not liking the fact that my voice was the only one that echoed throughout the alley whenever I spoke.

(Don't worry, this is a safe zone. Every Dungeon has one of these, or rather, several of these. See that line right there?)

An arrow shaped notification window appeared before me, pointing towards the entrance of the alley.

And indeed, there, glowing in the dark, was a thin yet distinct blue line.

And now that I looked at it closely, that line, despite not actually lighting up the surroundings, bordered the entire alley.

Well, on the ground, at least.

(That blue line represents a Save Point. Green lines represent Safe Zones which you haven't entered yet. Once you do they become Save Points, represented by blue borders, from which you can exit the Dungeon. You can also enter the Dungeon from whichever Save Point you want to.)

(No monster or enemy will enter or attack someone inside a save point. So these are places where you can relax and think up strategies while observing the terrain of the Dungeon and what not.)

I nodded as I listened to Dia's voice explaining new stuff to me. Probably part of the info released when I finished the tutorial.

I could probably ask her to tell me everything right nowadays but I don't want to soak up in too much information. Not without at least getting on my feet and settling down a little.

For now, though, I had a clear goal. Reach level : 10, and get that random skill book.

And though I'm almost certain it's not possible, if it is, complete this Dungeon.

Dia, for her record, quietened down the moment the explanations ended, perhaps not wanting to distract me?

Thank you.

(You're welcome.)

I smiled as I took in a deep breath, before crouching down lightly. I reached out to the two metal rods, and put the longer one on my bare back while wrapping the casual T-shirt I had taken off around it and my torso, holding it in place.

The shorter one, I held in my hand as I slowly walked towards the entrance / exit.

I wasn't afraid of death, yes, but that doesn't mean I couldn't be cautious. Making sure the longer rod on my back wouldn't accidentally hit the ground and make a noise, I slow my breathing while carefully walking out of the alley.

'?'

And I blink at the sight before me.

'Are those…people?'

I felt strange as I looked at them.

Calling them 'people' would be stretching it, however, I soon realise when one of the just so happens to turn towards me, revealing beneath the moonlight a face that seemed straight out of a horror film.

'A zombie huh.'

It limped, I noted, walking with seven limbs each merely several inches long. It had three arms, one reaching all the way to his stomach, and a thick rod for penetration that lied on its chest. It had ears attached to the back of two of its seven knees, a tongue emerging from its forehead and a mouth on its neck. It had teeth that replaced its seven feet's toe nails and three hands' finger nails.

'What the hell is that thing?'

Looking around, I found two or three other zombies, yet these actually looked far more, well, less 'unique' compared to the first one.

(Ah! A rare monster. What luck!)

'Rare monster?', I parroted the unfamiliar term.

(Well, since you met one, I'm allowed to explain, so listen closely!)

(Rare monsters are special monsters among its kind, and are, as the name implies, pretty rare to find.)

(These monsters are more often than not unique in terms of appearance. Though they do not look entirely different from others of their race, they don't look that similar either.)

(And most importantly, while Rare monsters have the same strength as others of its kind at the same level, they give out much more EXP and Drops! Like a hundred times more!)

'A hundred times?'

I was rather surprised. As I recalled, defeating or killing a monster the same level as me would net me, what, 1% EXP? With my 'The Fool' title, it'll be 10% instead.

Meaning I'd have to defeat / kill 10 monsters that same level as me to level up. Which would be quite difficult, if I didn't have access to Dungeons.

But a hundred times the EXP…assuming that 'thing' is a level : 1, wouldn't that mean I would, what, level up directly to level : 10?

(Of course not.)

I felt like Dia just rolled her eyes at me again.

(Every time you level up, the amount of EXP needed will double, meaning the stockpiled EXP will be halved. You'd get 1,000% EXP if you kill a rare monster your own level, and if you had 00.00% EXP from the start, you'd be left with 900% EXP and 1 level up. Then that 900% will be halved to 450%, and 100% will be deducted from that, leaving behind 350% EXP, which will turn to 175% EXP, and then to 75% which will finally turn to 37.5% and 3 level ups.)

(Why do you think the EXP acquired doubles or gets halved with each difference in level? It's because of this. You kill something at your level, with that title of yours, you get 10% EXP. Something 1 level higher will give you 20%, while something 1 level lower will give you 5%. And you know what's most incredible?)

(You kill something 10 levels higher than you, and you get 10,240% EXP. Which translates to, 5,070% and 1 level, 2,485% and 2 levels, 1,192.5% and 3 levels, 546.25% and 4 levels, 223.125% and 5 levels, and finally 61.5625% and 6 levels.)

(You kill something 20 levels above you, and you get 10,485,760% EXP. Do the math, and that's 60.00152587890625% EXP and 16 whole levels.)

(And killing something 50 levels above you, will net you 28% EXP and 43 whole levels!)

(Of course, if you kill a Rare Monster 50 levels above you, you'll instantly level up by, like, a hundred levels or more. But Rare Monsters are called Rare Monsters for a reason, after all.)

I nodded my head at that explanation. Though the numbers were a bit far off from me, having next to no practice and merely knowledge alone and all, I could understand that, without 'The Fool' title, I would have missed quite the advantage.

After all, with the title, I could level up 6 times and still have 61.56% EXP left. But if I didn't have the title?

That would be…uh…

(420 levels and 69.69% EXP.)

Right, 420 levels and 69.69%...

'That's not right!'

(Pff! Hahaha.)

'Hey! You can't bully a guy just cause he doesn't know how to calculate that well ok?'

I felt rather annoyed at the soft laughter that continued in my mind.

(Haha, sorry, I just had to.)

'Humph! I don't forgive you!'

I believe my way of acting would be called 'Tsundere'? I don't know that well. Honestly, I didn't really care if Dia makes fun of me. After all, she's literally the only one I have that would even talk to me, let along play around like this.

Though, I also felt rather embarrassed. Guess I'll have to take some time off grinding my levels and read up a little. I only had general knowledge, after all. And compared to those my age, even if my knowledge was quite, how to say, varied, especially in languages, I was also quite ignorant in most things.

(Haha, sorry, sorry, I apologise alright? Anyway, if you didn't have the title, you would only level up 3 times and have 40.5% EXP left. Now compared to 6 levels, that might not sound like much, but when you fight and kill things 20, 30, 50, or even 100 levels above you, the difference will be enormous!)

Nodding my head, I looked back at the Rare Zombie surrounded by five or six normal zombies.

(Right, make some Mana flow into your eyes and focus on them.)

I blinked at the sudden instructions before doing so. And just a few seconds later,

[[Acquired skill [(Observation)].]]

Suddenly, I felt nearly all my Mana disappear as a new window appears before me.

...

Rare Zombie : Yamada Level : 1

Race : Zombie-Undead Abomination (SCP-049-02)

HP : 140 / 140 MP : 0 / 0 SP : 140 / 140

Strength : 19 Intelligence : 0

Endurance : 14 Wisdom : 0

Vitality : 14 Perception : 3

Agility : 5 Dexterity : 9

Charm : -??? Luck : -???

(Skills)

[(Pestilence Immunity : Lv-Max)]

[(Redeemed Golden Mark : Lv-Max)]

...

I couldn't help but widen my eyes at that.

'A random mob, even if it's a Rare Monster, has 2 Max level skills?'

But I couldn't ponder for long as an excited scream resounds in my mind.

(A named monster! Oh my Goddess an actual named monster! And such a weak one! White! Quickly! No matter what, you have to kill it!)

'Wait, Wait, slow down a bit.'

I couldn't help but roll my eyes. Although it's Agility was less than half of mine, and with its Perception, I doubt it could even keep up with me, it's Strength was still nearly twice of mine. A single hit would probably take at least half my HP.

Not to mention, that 'Observation' had just sucked my MP dry! How am I, a Magician, supposed to fight without MP?

(You don't understand! Named Monsters are even rarer than Rare Monsters, and you just found a Rare Named Monster!)

'…sounds legit.'

That is the right meme to say here, right?

(Oh please!)

Dia exclaimed in what I assume is annoyance and mock anger.

(Named Monsters are another type of Monsters, and since they have names, it means they have identities as well, and these Monsters give excellent Drops! Or rather, Unique Drops are practically guaranteed! And Rare Monsters obviously give Rare Drops, even if the chance of it dropping itself is decreased!)

(If you get a good weapon or something similar, you can practically steamroll the first few levels!)

'Alright, alright, I get you, but can you please calm down now? See? I have like 40 MP left. And it's not like those walking corpses are going anywhere, right?'

'Although I have these metal rods with me, I'd much rather use them as a last resort. Especially when there are so many of them.'

I point towards the Named Rare Monster Yamada, who was surrounded by seven, no wait, eight normal zombies.

'Let me just check the stats of all those zombies and if their perception is just as low as that big guy, I can simply stand here, right beyond the Save Point, and keep hitting them with Magic Shots ever few minutes.'

Not only will that be extremely safe, since unless there's an enemy that can kill me before I could even step back, I can always enter the Save Point, I can also use that chance to grin my skill levels. Especially the important ones, like Magic Shot, the only attack skill I had, Mana Manipulation, extremely important as it reduces both cost and cast time, Observation, since looking at the description…

...

Observation : Lv-1/100 (31.09%) Cost : 82 (100) MP

Description : Analyse the target, obtaining its general information, level, stats, skills, etc… . The higher the level of the target, as compared to the user, the lesser the information obtained. Also, usage of the skill could possibly be detected by high levelled targets.

Effect : Obtain detailed analysis of target

Due to Mana Manipulation : 100 —> 82 MP

...

…I was sure I would depend on this skill quite a lot. Especially since the description didn't say the target had to be living, meaning I could also use this on inanimate objects.

And I could also grind the level of Meditation, using it to recover quicker.

(…alright…)

For some reason, Dia sounded depressed, making me raise a brow.

'What happened? Not happy I'm listening not you?'

(No, it's not that…)

I waited patiently, as I sat down, placed those two metal rods to the side, and began to meditate despite not closing my eyes to recover quickly.

(That plan of yours is the best course of actions you could take right now…and I'm the one who's supposed to have helped you come up with plans like that, helping you. Yet, I actually asked you to charge straight in instead…)

A smile appeared on my face when I heard the reason she sounded sad.

'It's fine, isn't it? You were just excited at the Rare Named Monster, and it still sounds weird to say. But anyway, weren't you excited about me getting good loot?'

(Still…I feel like I failed my job…)

Unfortunately, it seemed like just a few encouraging words wouldn't make her cheer up this time. But I supposed she just needed some time.

'It's alright, really. Besides, aren't you the same age as me? Like, a day old? We have all the time in many different worlds to grow up. Don't let it bother you, alright?'

(Mm.)

It didn't seemed to have cheered her up completely, but I didn't know what else to say.

As I had mentioned, I and Dia were barely 24 hours old, mentally anyway, so I wasn't really that good at consoling people.

At that moment, my MP recovered enough for me to look at one of the normal zombies and use 'Observation' on it.

...

Zombie Level : 1

Race : Zombie-Undead

HP : 70 / 70 MP : 0 / 0 SP : 60 / 60

Strength : 9 Intelligence : 0

Endurance : 6 Wisdom : 0

Vitality : 7 Perception : 6

Agility : 6 Dexterity : 5

Charm : -20 Luck : 0

(Skills)

None

...

It's Perception is higher than the big guy, but it's other stats were much lower.

Meditating for another few minutes, I once again regenerated enough MP to use 'Observation' on another Zombie.

The results were the same, and I repeated this another six times.

'Looks like the enemies are standardised.'

I asked Dia to not spring up any notifications as I stood up and looked at the zombies.

I couldn't help but take a deep, long breath as I prepared for what would be my very first fight where I could potentially die.

After all, I had the element of surprise when I knocked out those delinquents, and even if I had failed, I doubt they would have killed me. Perhaps they might break a few bones, which Gamer's Body would prevent, or maybe even run away, considering a naked man was running to hit them with his rod like he was possessed or something.

…somehow I have the feeling that came out rather wrong…

*cough*

Anyway, while I wouldn't say I am nervous, I was certainly a little excited.

I didn't bother to do stuff like closing my eyes or calming my breath, since what kind of idiot closes their eyes in a potentially dangerous area just because they were about to use a powerful attack?

Instead, I raised my arm, making my palm face the big guy, and pulled that invisible muscle which represented my only attack skill.

'Magic Shot.'

Reflexively chanting the name in my mind, I watch as my Mana, leisurely flowing through my body, jolts to action, flowing through my body, through my arm, and seep our of my palm.

'Beautiful…'

I couldn't help but look at the scene in a daze.

The blue 'cold' flow of Mana emerged from within my hand, before it began to swirl around at the centre of my outstretched palm. Within mere seconds, as I watched in fascination, the flows became closer and closer to one another, yet not once intersecting.

The Mana compressed till it became a single sphere, yet while it looked solid from the outside, as though a sky blue coloured sphere of energy, only those that can perceive the flow of Mana can see the beauty hidden within.

Lines, nodes, Mana flowing like water through streams and rivers. The Mana never stilled, constantly flowing around, yet not one line of the flow touched another. There were some parts I couldn't see, but I could tell it was because my 'Mana Perception' wasn't high levelled enough.

And even without being able to see it fully, it didn't stop me from appreciating the beauty and complexity of what I assume to be the most basic spell in a magician's repertoire.

(White!)

Dia's shout snapped me out of my daze, and I reflexively jumped back, and just in time too, as an arm grazed past my face, nearly scratching me, before I crossed the save point's border.

"Huh? What?"

I blinked in confusion at the sight of one of the zombies looking around right behind the save point, the other seven regular zombies similarly looking around although not as close by.

But from their position, it was clear they were headed to where I was previously standing.

"What happened?"

(What happened was that you decided it was a good idea to stand there like a dolt and admire your own attack in the middle of a battle.)

I blinked at the scolding tone Dia spoke to me with.

(Just because they have a perception of '6' or even '3' doesn't mean they can't see at all. And in a completely dark world with only the source of light being the moon, of course they would see a blue light seemingly appearing out of nowhere.)

"But aren't they, like, dumb? 0 intelligence and all?"

(They can't think, sure, but they still have their instincts. And their instincts led them to investigate the source of the blue light.)

(And when they were close enough to you, they saw you or maybe even smelled the living aura around you and rushed forward to attack you.)

"Is that so…"

I looked at the aimlessly shuffling zombies and sighed.

At the end, after all those words about us remaining cautious, I still let my guard down.

(Well, it's fine I guess. After all, nothing happened. It's technically your first time using that skill or even fighting head on, so it's ok to make mistakes.)

I smiled at how Dia gave those words back to me, before looking at the zombies before me that couldn't see me or even smell that 'living aura' around me.

And positioning my arm, I take another glance at the sphere of compressed Mana which was becoming clearer and clearer the longer I stare at it, and pull that invisible muscle once again.

"Magic Shot."

Saying it out loud this time, I notice to my joy that the zombie, despite being mere feet away from me, didn't respond.

And my smile turned into what I assume is a grin, not sure since I couldn't see it myself, at the sight of the zombies jolting back to me when the sphere of compressed Mana shot past the save point's barrier and…

*bang!*

Without giving much time for them to react, the sphere of Mana hit the closest zombie right on the side of its head which it was still in the middle of turning.

Hard to miss when the target is barely half a foot away from your arm.

*critical damage!*

I grin at the words in red which appeared next to the zombie's head, showing I dealt more damage than I usually would.

Then I see it's HP bar fall by nearly half, and yet the zombie only falls on its back before shakily getting up, its head half gone, as it looked around and growled for a moment before it once again stood there watching who knows what in a daze.

I quickly sit down and close my eyes before meditating, taking the chance to grind the skill as I regenerate my MP faster.

Minutes later, my Mp was once again full, and this time, even without getting up, I raise my arm, position it properly, before using the skill.

'Magic Shot.'

In mere seconds, everything, from the Mana responding to my call, to it flowing through my arm, seeping out of my palm, being compressed into a sphere at the centre of my palm, and shooting towards the half-un-dead zombie's face, once more impacting it with a muffled 'bang', took place, clearly faster than the first time.

*bang!*

And this time, the zombie didn't get up.

Instead, my EXP increased by 10%.

'Bingo.'

Closing my eyes again, I notice that the rate at which my MP recovered was clearly faster, an obvious sign of 'Meditation' levelling up.

And the cast time for Magic Shot becoming shorter must be because of both 'Magic Shot' and 'Mana Manipulation' levelling up.

With that thought, I continue to repeat the process of meditating to regenerate MP, shooting Magic Shots at the zombies, and meditating once again.

Somewhere along the line, each zombie began to fall with just a single head shot, which I attributed to 'Magic Shot' levelling up quite fast due to 'The fool' title.

Really, when all is said and done, I am happy you were a fool, previous Me.

After all, let along the advantage I have, I wouldn't even exist if you didn't leave your memories behind.

Don't worry though, even if I'm not you, you are still me, so I'll make sure to look after myself well and become strong enough to match that Dragon God guy in the future. And maybe even surpass him.

*bang!*

The final regular zombie falling interrupted my thoughts as I looked at the eight zombie corpses that remained on the ground, unlike in other video games where they disappear according to my knowledge, and then at my Status which showed a 70% increase in EXP.

'Now only the big guy's left.'

I look at said big guy in question, and notice that, perhaps thanks to his extremely poor perception, he was still standing where I had last seen him, looking at the distance in a daze.

"Can I reach him?", I wondered out loud as I aimed at the big guy several tens of feet away from me.

Still sitting, I concentrate on the Named Rare Monster's figure as I pulled that invisible muscle with familiarity, and watch as Mana flows through my body and arm, compressing into a sphere of beautiful flowing Mana at the centre of my palm.

'Magic Shot.'

It became something of a habit, even though I had done it less than fifteen times, to chant the name of the skill in my mind as I use it. Well, I don't think it's that bad, especially since Gamer's Mind nullifies Mind Reading and the like.

Regardless, I watch as the Magic Shot rips through the air, flying towards the big guy…

…

…

…

…and misses excellently.

'Well, I figured as much.'

It was technically the first time I actually tried attacking from range, which is rather weird considering I'm a magician and all.

But regardless, my only reaction was to close my eyes again, after seeing that the stray shot hit a building and made a den in the concrete yet the big guy didn't even react, and focus on regenerating my MP faster.

*bang!*

The second shot, a miss.

*bang!*

The third shot, somehow grazed one of its seven legs. Well, it's still a miss.

*bang!*

The fourth shot, a spectacular miss. It was nearly two feet off the mark.

*bang!*

The fifth shot…it hit!

Even though it only hit the big guy on his left shoulder, a hit was a hit, causing it to stagger and growl as its HP dipped.

As for me? I was only looking at it with a smile from within the save point's safety.

*bang!*

*bang!*

*bang!*

The ninth shot…a head shot!

*critical damage!*

'Did I get a skill for aiming?', I wondered as I continued to hit the big guy with a near perfect accuracy, and an occasional head shot or two.

And in around twenty minutes,

*thud!*

The big guy fell to the floor, Dead, his entire body missing chunks and pieces and bleeding black blood all over the place.

And before I could even smile from satisfaction,

[[Level up!]]

The Game's notifications which Dia finally unmuted silenced me.

[[Level up!]]

[[Level Up!]]

…

…

…

[[Skill 'Meditation' Level up!]]

[[Skill 'Meditation' Level up!]]

[[Skill 'Meditation' Level up!]]

[[Skill 'Meditation' Level up!]]

…

…

…

[[Skill 'Mana Manipulation' Level up!]]

[[Skill 'Mana Manipulation' Level up!]]

[[Skill 'Mana Manipulation' Level up!]]

[[Skill 'Mana Manipulation' Level up!]]

…

…

…

[[Skill 'Mana Perception' Level up!]]

[[Skill 'Mana Perception' Level up!]]

[[Skill 'Mana Perception' Level up!]]

…

…

…

[[Skill 'Magic Shot' Level up!]]

[[Skill 'Magic Shot' Level up!]]

[[Skill 'Magic Shot' Level up!]]

…

…

…

[[Acquired skill [(Marksmanship)].]]

[[Skill 'Marksmanship' Level up!]]

[[Skill 'Marksmanship' Level up!]]

[[Skill 'Marksmanship' Level up!]]

…

…

…

Too many!

(Well yeah, what do you expect? You spammed your skills for almost half an hour with a permanent 10x EXP boost 'and' using a Named Rare Monster as a target.)

Indeed, it was something I realised when I accidentally missed a shot towards one of the normal zombies and hit the big guy instead.

I noticed his HP drop, and he, like the rest of them, looked around while growling, but a few seconds later, he unexpectedly began to recover!

Well, turns out, the big guy's race grants him a high HP Regeneration modifier, meaning even if his Vitality isn't that high, he recovers unexpectedly fast!

And of course, Dia, who had calmed down already, brought up a pretty good idea.

Grinding my skills using a Named Rare Monster!

Apparently, it isn't something that anyone even dreams of, since Named Monsters are almost always at least twice as strong as their level implies, and Rare Monsters, even if not twice, are still way stronger than normal Monsters of their own kind and level.

And a Named Rare Monster is nearly four times as strong!

And, along with the bountiful EXP and Drop Rate, it also gives much higher skill EXP when used as a grinding stone!

The result?

(Damn~~! You're probably one of the most OP Level : 4 Gamer in all worlds and realities combined.)

Even without knowledge of other Gamers, I somehow felt like I must agree.

...

(Status)

White

Male 16 years old

Titles : [(The Gamer)] | [(The Fool)] | [(Quest Doer)] | [(Skill Maniac)] (New!)

Class : The Gamer Level : 4 (46.25%)

Job : Magician (Lv : 4/100)

HP : 220/220 (22 per min)

MP : 220/220 (22 per min)

SP : 180/180 (18 per min)

...

Strength : 12 —> 18 Intelligence : 13 —> 22

Endurance : 12 —> 18 Wisdom : 13 —> 22

Vitality : 13 —> 22 Perception : 12 —> 18

Agility : 12 —> 18 Dexterity : 12 —> 18

Charm : 11 —> 14 Luck : 11 —> 14

Stat Points : 0 —> 15 —> 0

...

[(Gamers' Body : Lv-Max)]

[(Gamers' Mind : Lv-Max)]

[(Gamers' Surprise : Lv-Max)]

[(Language Comprehension : Lv-Max)]

[(Mana Manipulation : Lv-18 —> Max)]

[(Magic Shot : Lv-1 —> Max)]

[(Magic Shield : Lv-1)]

[(Mana Perception : Lv-19 —> Max)]

[(Meditation : Lv-30 —> Max)]

[(Vitality Perception : Lv-16)]

[(Vitality Manipulation : Lv-8)]

[(Ki Perception : Lv-9)]

[(Ki Manipulation : Lv-4)]

[(ID Create : Lv-Max)]

[(Observation : Lv-Max)]

[(Marksmanship : Lv-Max)] (New!)

...

"Mm!"

I couldn't help but grunt in pleasure as the feeling of all my stats rising flows throughout my body.

I wonder if this is how it feels to experience a relaxing Tull body massage right after a dip in the hot springs? I should check it out, cause if it does, then it would probably be my most favourite activity whenever I'm not busy.

*sigh*

I sigh in disappointment when the feeling disappears a mere instant after it appears, making Dia chuckle.

(Hey now, don't get too addicted to it alright~~?)

'Yeah yeah whatever.'

I rolled my eyes in exasperation. Sure, it was nice, but my 'Gamers' Mind : Lv-Max' negated things like addiction, remember?

(As long as you remember~~)

I shook my head as I looked at the new additions to my Status, other than the obvious and rather ridiculous rise in skill levels, of course.

...

Mana Manipulation : Lv-Max (- - . - - %)

Description : Complete Mastery over your own Mana. Dramatically decrease cost and cast time of any skills and spells that use Mana.

Effect : Decrease MP cost by 99.99%

Decrease cast time by 99.99%

...

'Oh, it doesn't decrease the cost and cast time by 100%? Well that's unfortunate.'

(Yeah, this isn't nearly OP enough for you, is it?)

Dia exclaimed sarcastically as she rolled her eyes at me.

Yes, I didn't need to pick up her rolling her eyes through her tone, as a notification window appeared before me all of a sudden, and a smiley face appeared on this window, which promptly rolled its eyes at me.

'Whatever.'

I shrugged my shoulders as I pushed the thought to the back of my head. Though a 100% reduction would have been better, I suppose 99.99% reduction was quite enough for me already.

'Wait, what about the other skills?'

I looked at the description of 'Magic Shot' and indeed…

...

Magic Shot : Lv-Max (- - . - - %) Cost : 0.000001 (0.01) MP

Description : Compress your Mana into a sphere and shoot it towards your target. INT increases attack speed and damage while WIS increases cast speed.

Effect : Cause damage equal to (INT)*(Skill Level)

Effect of 'Mana Manipulation : Lv-Max' Cost : 0.01 —> 0.000001 MP

...

'Well, it isn't 0, but it's not that far from it.'

I then looked at the other skills as well.

...

Mana Perception : Lv-Max (- - . - - %)

Description : Perceive all Mana through your six senses, perceiving the flow of Mana as well as individual Mana signatures.

Effect : Perceive 100% Mana within range of 'Perception'

Increase learning speed of Mana based skills

Increase learning speed of perception skills

Slightly increase learning speed of Soul based skills

...

...

Meditation : Lv-Max (- - . - - %)

Description : The art of uniting one's body, mind, and soul. Greatly increase recovery and concentration.

Effect : Increase HP R, MP R, and SP R by 100%

Increase learning speed of skills

...

...

Observation : Lv-Max (- - . - - %) Cost : 0.000001 (0.01) MP

Description : Analyse a target, obtaining its general information, level, stats, skills, etc… . The usage of the skill cannot be detected by any being.

Effect : Obtain detailed analysis of target

Effect of 'Mana Manipulation' : 0.01 —> 0.0000001 MP

...

...

Marksmanship : Lv-Max (- - . - - %)

Description : Never miss as long as the target is within the maximum range. Also, greatly increase attack speed and damage of long range attacks.

Effect : Increase accuracy to 100%

Increase hit rate to 100%

Increase long range attack speed by 100%

Increase long range attack damage by 100%

...

'Indeed, looks like the description will change when the skill hits the level cap.', I noted as I glanced through all the new and improved skills I had.

Then I looked at the final new addition to my Status.

A title.

...

Skill Maniac; A Title given to one who has levelled up a skill to 100 in less than a day after acquiring it. Removes skill acquisition restrictions.

...

I blinked at the Title's effect.

'Wait, there are restrictions to acquiring skills?'

(Of course there are~~)

Dia's jolly voice gave my question a reply.

(Racial restrictions, skills that are specific to certain races, blessing or curse restrictions, skills that can only be obtained when you obtain certain blessings or curses from certain beings, Title restrictions, skills that can only be obtained when you have specific Titles, Weapon restrictions, skills that can only be obtained when you have or are acknowledged by certain unique weapons, and loads of other restrictions.)

(To that end, you should rejoice since you just became even more broken.)

'Broken?'

I titled my head in confusion.

'Why would I become broken? I don't remember breaking?'

(…)

Dia sighed softly.

(Right, forgot you won't get that reference…)

I could only scratch my head at that, but decided to ignore it for now.

'Still, I know I said it already, but thanks you, previous Me, for being a Fool. I don't think I could have maxed out a skill I got less than thirty minutes ago without that bonus, even if I spam it at a Named Rare Monster.'

(You be you won't~~)

I got up from my seated posture and stretched my back as I felt the effect of 'Meditation' continue even as I walk out of the Save Point's border.

'Unfortunately, with this, I cant multitask and my emotions are even more suppressed.'

Compared to doubling my regenerations, though, it was a small price to pay. Especially since concentrating fully on fighting is better in a dangerous place like a Dungeon anyway.

*growl*

'Oh? I found one so quickly?'

I smiled as I looked at the sight of another zombie, a regular one, limping around.

'I guess I should make new skills to grind?'

I wondered for a moment if I should have let that big guy live, especially since I knew a major part of me being able to take four skills to level : 100 is due to spamming them on it, but the thought quickly went out of my head as 'Meditation' forced me to focus on the matter at hand.

'Create new skills…'

I looked at the zombie that still hadn't managed to detect me, thanks to its low Perception, and Dia practically read my thoughts from my head.

(Create skills that will hide your presence and allow you to increase the effect of your senses. And maybe hide you usage of Mana or your large MP reserves too.)

I nodded my head, having thought exactly that, as I look around and, seeing that there was only a single zombie near me, I slowly walked near it, all the while trying to make as little noise as possible while simultaneously perceiving the flow of my Mana, trying my best to slow it down.

I even had to deactivate 'Meditation' since it didn't let me do different things at the same time. Have to work on that later on, maybe a Skill evolution?

'Hiding it outright won't work, or rather, it would only make it more odd…'

While these low level undead might not perceive it, I'm sure higher levelled enemies would actually be more wary of someone who looks like he doesn't even exist, especially those that I wouldn't go for the kill immediately like those outside.

Indeed, though I was currently in the Dungeon, I can't forget that I have a world outside too, one where there might be Gods and Dragons and more roaming about in high schools.

And I was sure attacking them wouldn't be the only interaction I would have with them. Perhaps with some, but surely not with all.

With that in mind, rather than disappearing as though I didn't even exist…

'Fade away…naturally…camouflage, no, even better…resonate with the surroundings…follow the flow…'

Slowly, yet surely, I made my Mana imitate the flow in the atmosphere. Though my 'Vitality Manipulation' and 'Ki Manipulation' were far below my 'Mana Manipulation' Level, I still did my best to influence them into imitating the flow as well.

And I did the same, or at least tried to do the same, with my presence. Since I didn't really have a starting point for influencing my presence, it was hard, trying to control my presence, but in the end…

[[Acquired Skill [(Fade)].]]

…I guess all those EXP and learning boosts managed to stack up.