Chapter 1: Part 4

Name : Tsukuru Sumeragi

Job : Chef, Level 1

Skills : [Cooking] [Ignition] [Dismantling] [Detailed Appraisal] [Material Storage]

The list hadn't changed at all. I didn't expect it to, but still. What I really wanted to know about were the current skills.

The first one was [Detailed Appraisal]. I think it's like the [Appraisal] trope you see in typical light novels. Because it's specified as being Detailed, I expect it might be a superior version.

I tried using [Detailed Appraisal] on the big tree in front of me.

Big Tree ⇒ A tree that has been growing for thousands of years in the Great Forest of Borf, an unexplored magical area.

"I know it's a big tree!"

I touched the explanation that appeared in front of me, and it expanded with even more information.

Giant Bez Tree ⇒ A tree that has been growing for thousands of years in the Great Forest of Borf, an unexplored magical area.

So it's a Bez tree. If I touch the appraisal, it will give extra information, eh? So that's why it's [Detailed Appraisal]? I have to test this out some more.

I brought up my status again to try something.

Name : Tsukuru Sumeragi

Job : Chef, Level 1

Skills : [Cooking] [Ignition] [Dismantling] [Detailed Appraisal] [Material Storage]

Attributes : HP [G] | MP [G] | STR [G] | INT [C] | AGI [G] | DEX [EX] | LUK [EX]

I tried to appraise myself with [Detailed Appraisal] and… the amount of data had increased, now there was a fourth line for Abilities. Among them, the most eye-catching was DEX [EX] and LUK [EX].

"What's this [EX] for? Hmm, it's certainly not entrance, exterior… maybe extra?"

In light novels, [EX] is better than  [A] and  [S], isn't it? But I don't think [DEX] or [LUK] would be useful in battle, even if it's [EX]. No wait, [LUK] may be useful, but the trouble is, how do I know what it's doing?

"But this is just… all of them suck except [DEX] and [LUK]. Somehow [INT] is [C], but everything else is [G]."

I think [G] is probably the lowest. I'm going to be depressed now.

"Come to think of it, what happens if I appraise [Detailed Appraisal] with [Detailed Appraisal]?"

Detailed Appraisal ⇒ A superior level of appraisal! It will tell you anything!

"What's up with this explanation!?"

I threw the status plate on the ground.

"N-not good, not good. Calm down!"

Murmuring that myself, I pick up the status plate and cleaned the dirt off of it. Then, I tried it on the other skills.

Cooking ⇒ You can cook anything to eat! You don't always need to use a knife, but when you do, your knife skills will be amazing! Your control of open flames will be perfect, and you can even detoxify poison! Ahhem!

Ignition ⇒ You can set things on fire!

Dismantling ⇒ You can take apart anything you touch!

Material Storage ⇒ You can store anything and take it back out exactly like it was before!

I threw the status plate down again. I was satisfied with the effectiveness and ability of my skills, but the explanations were pissing me off.

Why isn't it describing things normally like with the giant Bez tree? Is it making fun of me?

No, no, calm down, me!

I picked up the status plate again and cleaned it off.

Now that I knew the effects and properties of my skills, I tried storing the status plate in my hand into [Material Storage].

"Storage."

The status plate disappeared, and a message appeared in front of me.

The status plate was stored in [Material Storage].

I was able to store it without any problem. I also stored the cash and sword I got from that shitty old man.

The leather bag (small) and copper one-handed sword were stored in [Material Storage].

A copper sword, isn't that like newbie equipment in a game? Well, there was no way they'd give me some kind of national treasure if they were just going to throw me out here like trash.

"Now that I know my status and abilities… there's nothing left but to get started, right? So… what exactly am I supposed to do first? Do I need to find food, water, and a bed?"

Finding water would come first, it was much more important than food. I picked up a straight branch about one meter long, stood it up on one end, and let it fall over.

My [LUK] is [EX] so it should work in my favor. I started walking in the direction the branch pointed when it fell.

I didn't know how long I'd have to walk, so I took the branch along as a cane. Reusing it.

I walked for a while. The grass was overgrown and made things more difficult, and sometimes I tripped and fell on the roots of a large tree, but the stick was a big help.

I think I already walked like thirty minutes. Assuming a speed of four kilometers per hour, that's two kilometers. I'm so tired. It hasn't even been that long, but to think this is what my future looks like…

I missed the paved roads of Japan, and started to feel grateful that I'd been able to live there.

I think it's been about an hour since I started walking.

The grass obscures the uneven ground, and the cane always supports me when I trip on something. I'd realized in that hour just how useful a cane really was.

I was tired, so I sat down on a log. I was thirsty, too, but I didn't have any water. If I didn't find a river or pond soon, I'd start to get sick.

"I give up, my throat is parched."

I had been abandoned in a place known as the Great Borf Forest. Now I'm in a state of being too dehydrated to speak. For three hours I've been walking, and the scenery hasn't changed. Fortunately, I'm still alive, because I haven't encountered any monsters yet, but I know such creatures are around, and are very dangerous.

The biggest problem is lack of water. I instinctively feel that I'm in a tight spot. I have no confidence in my physical strength. I'm only slightly above the minimum standard in Phys Ed class, so walking in the forest for so long has been really difficult without any equipment to boost my strength.