End Tutorial

Possibly due to Calm Mind or maybe because the ruins are not actually a maze, I find the stairs rather quickly and leave the dungeon. Then I walk out of Dungeon Creation all together.

I'm feeling tired, but I can't stop now. I head over to Inventory to see if all my loot is there. "Wouldn't it be funny if there was some gimmick to collect stuff no one thought to tell me and all this was a waste of time," I muse aloud.

Once I reach the Inventory, I am more than a little relieved to see my musing was just pessimistic paranoia. Scattered around the once empty chamber is an assortment of copper coins, gray scraps of cloth, large metal hooks, and the two mystery items. I proceed to go around the room and try using Observe on the various items - also trying to straighten them up a bit.

[Copper Coin]

A small copper coin that acts as a form of currency within Nexus. When withdrawn from Nexus - Inventory, it can be converted into any form of currency. Estimated value: one dollar.

[Shade Cloth (material)]

A scrap of cloth cut from the robes of a Shade. Used to fashion cloth attire and accessories. Items made or augmented with Shade Cloth will have increased stealth properties.

[Iron Hook (item)]

A large metal hook that functions as a Shade's hand. Could be used as a weapon or a replacement if your hand is lost. It is recommended to be melted down in the Blacksmith Forge into Iron Ingots (material) for use in creating armor.

[Stat Orb]

An orb containing great power. Crush this in your hand to absorb the power and increase chosen stat.

[Shade Spirit Crystal]

A rare item that contains the spirit of a defeated enemy. These have a variety of uses within the Nexus. You can use them in alchemy or enchanting to bestow special or empowering properties, infuse the spirit into an item so to have it possess the item, or absorb the spirit and gain the power to summon the spirit to fight by your side.

Alright, so, taking inventory of everything, I have five Shade Cloths and Iron Hooks, about twenty-four dollars worth of copper coins, and two good items.

I immediately use the Stat Orb to boost by stats - gaining three vitality.

[James Harlem]

[Age: 16]

[Race: Human (M)]

[Class: Monk (Beginner)]

[STR: 10 +5]

[VIT: 13 +5]

[DEX: 10]

[INT: 21]

[WIS: 23]

[SPT: 2000 +5]

[LUK: 10]

[CHM: 9]

[Skills: Body Control, Rest & Relaxation, Calm Mind, Mental Immunity, Observe, Nexus, Power Bank (Japanese Language (Expert))]

I then collect the Shade Cloths and leave the Inventory for the Tailor Parlor. Once inside, I find it to also be a concrete chamber but with a series of shelves to one side with various sewing instruments and a desk with a sewing machine in the center. A screen then appeared before me.

Welcome to Nexus - Tailor Parlor!

It is here that you become a tailor capable of weaving, sewing, knitting, etc. various forms of cloth into accessories, clothing, or armor. While in this room, you gain the profession Tailor (Beginner). As you engage in tailoring, your proficiency will increase. This will in turn improve the quality and power of your crafted items while reducing the cost.

Tailoring requires cloth materials. You can obtain these materials by bringing them in from the outside world or via loot from dungeon enemies. Not, that your ability to tailor these materials is dependent on your proficiency. The higher the quality of materials, the greater the chance of failure if your proficiency is not at an adequate level.

Nodding to myself, I walk over to the desk and drop the Shade Cloths onto it. My main priorities are to make something I can stuff Japanese Language into and fix my shirt.

As I intend to get started, I pause. My temporary status as a tailor seems to come with a base instinct on what to do, and the first thing I need is to set up the sewing machine. Demonstrating seemingly practiced movements, I prepare the machine and walk over to the wall to get some thread. It is here I see the limit of a Beginner tailor. I know all the steps of what to do, but any application and I'm lost.

I could just not care and haphazardly whip something up. However, I don' think that will improve my proficiency. Also, I'm a bit of a perfectionist. Calling it a mild case of OCD, I don't want to do something so half-assed - even if I don't give a shit about what I wear.

Okay, my instincts say the patch job to my shirt will take one-and-a-half pieces of Shade Cloth. It seems excessive but I assume it's because I'm only a Beginner tailor. Anyway, that will leave me with three-and-a-half pieces I can use to make an accessory or something.

I grab some black thread, set up the sewing machine, and take a seat. I then strip off my shirt and realize something - the large blood stain running down it. It's a little hard to see because the shirt's black but still. I suppose secret-objective-I'm-trying-not-to-think-about-to-avoid-panic items number five and six - shower and washer - need a little more urgency.

I can ignore the dried blood on myself and my injuries have almost fully healed since leaving the dungeon. But I'm going to need wearable clothes and maintain my hygiene at the bare minimum.

Worrying about the shower later, I suppose I could just keep diving into the Shade dungeon to collect Shade Cloths to make new clothes. I have the impression that at my current skill level it will take…twenty clothes to make a shirt and at least as many to make some shorts. Okay, that'll work in the short term, but I still need stuff to wear now, so I proceed with trying to patch my shirt.

My first try was…not good. I also partly damage the Shade Cloth and need to use another one. Fortunately, all I needed to do was grab some scissors from a shelf to cut the thread and try again. My second try was okay but not good enough. It was my third attempt where I managed to get something acceptable. It was obviously a patch job with how the Shade Cloth's grey stands out against the shirt's black and the stitching was too noticeable to pass off as intentional, but oh well.

I have two-and-a-half Shade Cloths left. Originally, I had thought to make an arm band or something, but now I'm not so sure. Thinking smaller, I think a choker would work. I walk over to the shelves to see if they have what I need. I'm thinking an elastic band, some velcro… Low and behold, I got it.

I proceed to try making the choker. As I expected, I had trouble and used up the rest of my Shade Cloth, but in the end I got the item.

"Observe."

[Shade Cloth Choker (accessory, neck)]

A choker made from Shade Cloth. Suppresses any vocal noises you make.

…Okay, maybe I didn't think this through. To give it a try, I put it on and found that it was exactly as it said. Any noise I made was dampened. I was virtually silent when muttering or trying to be quiet, my normal voice was very soft and basically a whisper, and yelling only reached about as loud as normal speaking volume.

Oh well, I guess.

I leave the Parlor and head back to the Inventory. Once there, I focus on trying to liquidate my Japanese Language skill. I can actively feel myself forgetting how to speak Japanese and when I open my eyes I see a odd, square block on the ground.

"Observe."

[Skill Orb: Japanese Language]

This is an orb containing the skill for Japanese Language. It is a passive skill that imbues people with the ability to comprehend the Japanese language.

One thing that I notice is that the skill no longer says 'Expert'. It's possible that liquidating a skill comes at the cost of its proficiency. That could be an issue.

Still, I can't stop now and head over to the Enchantment Study. There, I remove my Shade Choker and try to think on how I can imbue the skill into it. It's actually not that hard. It seems I can use my internal energy as a substitute for mana here to activate an enchanter skill.

The skill is called Bestowal and it specifically uses mana to break down a skill orb and channel it and the mana into the item. The amount of mana required depends on the skill. Additionally, the item needs to be of a certain quality to contain the skill. Since I'm working with such a low-grade skill, there is no issue.

Holding the skill orb in one hand, I focus my internal energy toward it and can feel it change into what I assume is mana as it flows into the orb. The orb seems to dissolve into a black and white dust mixed with the mana. I bring the choker and dust together and the mana absorbs into it - carrying the dust along with it.

Once all the dust has been absorbed I can tell it's finished. The gray choker is now covered in tiny black and white sparkles resembling glitter…I choose to ignore this and Observe.

[Shade Cloth Choker (accessory, neck)]

A choker made from Shade Cloth. Suppresses any vocal noises you make.

[Bestowed Skill: Japanese Language (Beginner, passive)]

The person wearing this item will be imbued with a basic comprehension of the Japanese Language.

It seems to have worked, but I go ahead and put it back on to test it out.

Immediately I can tell the difference. At Expert, I was fluent in Japanese to the point I could say I was born and raised here and people would believe me. Now, Beginner seems to be an elementary level of understanding. I can speak, read, and write it fine but I lake higher level understanding. I was never that good at foreign languages but I know how different words are put together can change their meaning and there' an issue of accents and such. I have the words and structure but not the understanding someone fluent would have.

Fortunately I'm obviously a foreigner, so I'd like to think I'd get some slack. Maybe a cliche 'Oh, my and you speak Japanese so well'.

Thoughts for later. At least Power Bank is empty.

Right now, I think it's time I check around to see if I can find out where in cannon I am. Hopefully I'm early and can use my knowledge to manipulate events. If not…I'll have to figure something out. I also need to try and buy the necessities. I worked retail, some basics and a cheep meal should be within my range, and then I can grind in the Shade dungeon to get some cloths to make new clothes and money.

After that…I'll see if I can create mana. Maybe if I use the experience of having my internal energy converted into mana as a base, I can develop the skill to do it on my own.

So, how do I leave?…Maybe, "Nexus?"

XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX

…And I'm back in the alleyway where I first entered the Nexus.

Entry and exit points are the same. Good to know.

It also seems like time in the Nexus does not stop as - based on the position of the sun - it's either noon or past noon.

Leaving the alley, I hope the blood on my clothes is not too conspicuous as I begin walking deeper into town. I pass various people and continue to use Observe to see if there's anything interesting. But, eventually, I realize that aimlessly wandering around will not miraculously lead me to where I want to go.

I've passed various signs and can read them fine, but directions don't help if I don't understand the names being used. Like, 'from X is so many Y to Z'; who makes signs like that? Is it so hard to say 'connivence store this way'? Also, aren't convenience stores usually around most street corners? I think I should have spotted one by now.

"Guess I'll ask for directions," I say. However, continuing to spam Observe, I see something.

[Rayner]

[Age: 276 (23)]

[Race: Fallen Angel (F)]

[STR: 68]

[VIT: 64]

[DEX: 76]

[INT: 54]

[WIS: 54]

[SPT: 72]

[LUK: 16]

[CHM: 64]

[Skills: Longevity, All Language, Retractable Fallen Wings, Winged Flight, Power of Light, Power of Light Mastery (Intermediate), Fallen Angel Magic (Intermediate), Basic Education (Expert), Acting (Expert)]

Pausing in my steps, I focus more intently and see a young girl with violet eyes, long black hair, and abundant chest hugged by her pink top with a black skirt and white shoes. If I didn't have Observe, I'd have walked right by without noticing it, but this is definitely Rayner in her Yuuma disguise.

That confirms one thing. I am either just before or near the start of canon.

Also, are those stats accurate? Aren't supernaturals suppose to be superhuman? Then again Rayner is the opening, mook boss. Plus, an average adult seems around twenty and is ten points higher than an unathletic teen. Each stat point might be worth more than I think. Thinking about that way, if ten or fifteen is the difference between a grown man and a child, then…Not to mention magic and laser spears.

The smart thing to do would be to pretend I saw nothing and keep moving…On the other hand though, I might be able to use this. Besides, she has no reason to want to kill me since I don't have a Sacred Gear and shouldn't have much power. Sure, she may be a sadistic bitch, but I don't think she's a compulsive killer.

No matter what I say, this is the world of DxD and I've been given a second chance at life. May as well try and enjoy myself.

"Can I help you," an irritated voice asks me.

I refocus and catch Rayner glaring at me. Right…I've been staring this whole time. Any normal girl would be uncomfortable or upset. This girl? She's definitely planning to kill me I bet.