Chapter 9. Unexpected Earnings

Immediately after Lucy activated the trap, the four men were assaulted from all sides by wires with a cutting capacity similar to the scythe worn by the messenger of death. One of them instantly lost his life when his head was severed from his body, while the other three had deep cuts all over their bodies and were missing a hand or a leg.

Lucy had no intention of waiting for any of the three to activate a skill that could protect them, so she immediately appeared behind them and attached five explosive papers to the backs of the two men who were left with one leg, trying to straighten themselves using their swords, and with two kicks, she sent them towards their leader, who had lost a hand and was desperately looking around to find the attacker while trying to stop his bleeding.

"Boom!"

Caught off guard once again by this new attack, the group's leader was thrown to the ground by the blast that turned the last two subordinates into a rain of flesh and blood. His clothes were on fire, and his mouth was filled with dirt and broken teeth.

'Who's the scoundrel who attacked us? Could it be a lionkin assassin? No, I don't think so... It must be a wizard... I have to find a way to escape, I can't die here like...'

Unfortunately for the group's leader, he didn't get the chance to find answers to all these questions, as Lucy immediately appeared above him and, with her black steel kunai infused with wind magic, beheaded him in a single strike, sending him to the afterlife to join his three subordinates and Jacky Dumby, whose death he had laughed at just about two minutes ago.

Looking around at the carnage she had caused, Lucy couldn't help but admit that she might have taken slightly drastic measures, and it would have been advisable to leave at least one alive to gather information about their mission in this forest and the rest of the world. Moreover, the fact that she had just killed four men when she could have avoided it by choosing to flee and avoid confrontation with them couldn't pass without affecting her.

'Did I make the right decision? Can people's lives be taken so easily? No, they weren't people. They were beasts with human faces. If someone weaker had been in my place, these four men would have turned his life into a living hell. And I don't think this was the first time they planned to do something like this. They probably committed such acts dozens of times. Who knows how many suffered because of them. Yes, this world will be a better place without them. Yes, I haven't committed a crime; I've delivered justice...'

But Lucy couldn't continue to ponder whether what she had done was right or not because several notifications from the system interrupted her, redirecting her attention to the present situation.

[You defeated a level 24 Swordman. You gained 945 experience points and 945 Ninja Shop points.]

[You defeated a level 29 Swordman. You gained 1685 experience points and 1685 Ninja Shop points.]

[You defeated a level 27 Arcane Swordman. You gained 1360 experience points and 1360 Ninja Shop points.]

[You defeated a level 34 Berserker. You gained 2680 experience points and 2680 Ninja Shop points.]

[Your level has increased. Your level is now 13.]

'What? So, if you take people's lives, you get experience? Things might be more serious than I thought. If in the world where I lived in my previous life, there were so many criminals, even though they risked spending their whole lives in prison if caught, here it's as if such behavior is encouraged by the laws governing this world. Uff! There are too many things that I don't know. I wish the Ninja Shop had some manuals describing the situation in this world... Anyway, I've earned quite a lot from this battle. Since I've gained 2 levels, I can allocate 4 points to attributes and obtain two new skills. But first, I should get away from here because there might be more groups of people nearby, and I wouldn't want to be disturbed while analyzing which skills to choose...'

After retrieving her backpack that she had left in a tree about 100 meters away, Lucy moved about a kilometer away, and after consuming a cleansing potion to get rid of the bloodstains covering her clothes and skin, she climbed up a tree and sat on a branch with a chocolate-flavored protein bar in her hand, then she opened the status window and began allocating points to the four attributes whose time had come, these being Agility, Dexterity, Magic, and Intelligence.

After completing this operation, Lucy looked again at her parameters and attributes to observe the changes that had occurred.

[Status]

Name: Lucy Everlynn

Race: Catkin

Classes: Magic Powered Ninja

Level: 13 (490/3800)

Titles: Master in increasing attributes

Parameters

Health: 160/160

Mana: 196/230

Stamina: 114/130

Attributes

Strength: 12 (+2)

Defense: 7 (+1)

Vitality: 10 (+2)

Agility: 22 (+4)

Dexterity: 22 (+4)

Magic: 22 (+4)

Intelligence: 14 (+2)

Luck: 11 (+2)

Skills:

Ninja Shop (S)

Nekohoshime (S)

Steps of Light (E)

Strength Increase Level 1 (E)

Defense Increase Level 1 (E)

Vitality Increase Level 1 (E)

Agility Increase Level 1 (E)

Dexterity Increase Level 1 (E)

Magic Increase Level 1 (E)

Intelligence Increase Level 1 (E)

Luck Increase Level 1 (E)

Wind Blessing (D)

[You can select or create two D-rank skills]

'It looks more than good. I believe it's thanks to my passive skills and the title "Master in Increasing Attributes" that I obtained, that my status now has the attribute and parameter values of a person 25 levels higher than me. No wonder I defeated those four villains so quickly. Moreover, considering that my class might be unique in this world, as the system created it specifically for me, I think many won't know how to counter my fighting style. Probably the only ones who might give me trouble in the future are those with excellent defensive abilities, making it difficult for my attacks to hit them. Anyway, that remains to be seen. If I can buy a sword made of black adamantine like the one shown in the advertisement I saw, I don't think opponents' defensive methods will stand a chance against me...'

Seeing that she finished the protein bar, Lucy bought an aloe vera juice from Ninja Shop and started thinking about which skills to create.

'Hmmm, I think one of the essential skills for a ninja that I haven't taken yet is a stealth skill, a skill to help me sneak around without being noticed. So far, I haven't necessarily needed it, and I couldn't create a very efficient skill when I could only make rank E skills. But now the situation is different because my future opponents won't be just simple-minded beasts I can easily distract. From what I understood from the four, there are more people patrolling the surrounding areas in this forest, so a skill that allows me to get closer to them for gathering information would be useful. Let's see what skill I should create... In the game "The Shadow Chronicles," one of my favorite skills for reconnaissance missions was Shadow Cloak, which allowed me to become invisible as long as I stayed hidden in the shadows. But such a skill has its weaknesses, and the fact that it depends on using shadows was the biggest one. If an opponent uses attacks like Fireball or Light Bomb, this skill couldn't be used during the fight. Moreover, using it during the day in an open space could be a real challenge, as I'd have to move from one shadow to another.'

After thinking for five more minutes while finishing her drink, Lucy finally had an idea for a stealth skill that would make her completely invisible in almost any situation.

'Here's what I came up with, system. How about a skill that uses light magic to render me undetectable to the naked eye? Yes, a skill that bends the light around the user, effectively making him invisible. What do you think? Can it be done?'

[Analysis... analysis... skill creation... adapting skill for rank D]

'It seems that this skill will have some limitations in use, just like Steps of Light. Anyway, let's see how it looks, and then I'll decide if I'll accept it...'

[Bending of Light (D): a skill that allows the user to become invisible as long as they do not come into contact with a dynamic object with a volume larger than 5 cubic centimeters. The user cannot use this skill simultaneously with offensive skills, and it consumes 2 mana points every 10 seconds while active.]

'The mana consumption is quite high, but the effect is worth it. Besides, I have access to an inexhaustible supply of mana regeneration potions, so that won't be a problem. Hmm, the skill's limitations don't seem as severe as I expected. As long as I don't touch anyone, I can remain invisible in any environment. Considering that I am now a catgirl, and the flexibility and the ability to move as silently as a cat are some of my main characteristics, using this skill would make me nearly impossible to locate. So, I can select this skill without any worries...'

After selecting the skill "Bending of Light," Lucy started thinking about a skill that would help her capture opponents without inflicting significant injuries, unlike traps that use steel wire. Inspired by a skill proposed by the system, she created a skill that would allow her to create a mobile trap that could catch any opponent off guard.

[Black Vines Substitute (D): this skill allows the creation of an identical substitute of the user, which can maintain its form for up to 1 minute and can be programmed to follow simple instructions. If the substitute can make contact with the target during that time, it will transform into a heap of black vines that will capture the target and have the power to regenerate for 10 minutes. Activating this skill to create a single substitute consumes 40 mana points.]

'It's perfect. If I use this skill together with Steps of Light or Bending of Light, my opponents will be truly confused by such a trap. I'm really curious to see how the substitute looks. I need to test this skill immediately.'

Lucy immediately descended from the tree and activated the skill Black Vines Substitute, creating an exact copy of herself one meter away.

"A true beauty. No wonder I fell in love with her. It's a shame she's a deadly beauty that will capture anyone who comes near her in an embrace they'll hardly escape from."

When nearly a minute had passed, Lucy instructed the substitute to head towards a tree and transform into a pile of black vines, which would trap the tree's trunk.

'It's very effective. I can't imagine how anyone could escape since the vine regenerates as soon as it's broken or cut,' Lucy thought when she saw the skill's effect.

'Now that I've finished everything I had to do, let's make some plans for the future. If what those four were talking about before I attacked them is true, there should be a settlement of lionkins nearby, probably people with characteristics of lions. Considering that humans don't seem to have much respect for catgirls since they immediately assumed I was someone's slave, I think it would be wiser to make contact with a species similar to mine, like the lionkins. But where can I find their settlement? I don't even know which direction to go. I guess the best method would be to spy on the human camp for more information, and depending on what I find there, I'll decide what to do next...'