Chapter 4 Create A New Skill Now!
Nathan got out of his wheelchair slowly.
He first placed his body's weight on his right foot gingerly. There was no sense of weakness, no shooting pain in his muscles! He took a deep breath to calm himself down and then decisively executed an action that was completely normal but one which had been tragically out of reach for him.
He stood up in one fluid motion!
"Oh my, oh my, this is real! I actually got back to being able to use my legs!"
Luna, the AI girl, immediately floated and circled around him. She clapped her hand with a cheerful face.
"Congratulations, Master, congratulations. I am very happy to see this."
Nathan exploded forward in a burst of speed and ran to the center of the room to try out his newly returned ability. He paused and looked back at his feet, which were entirely back to normal.
Unable to contain his enthusiasm, he jumped up and pumped his fists in the air.
"I didn't think this would actually happen. I never thought this day would actually come!"
Luna chuckled with her eyes closed. "This is something you've wanted for a long time, isn't it, Master Nathan? Now you can do whatever you've always wished."
Nathan then spent some time admiring his feet.
Yes, his feet.
His body, which was originally already in good shape, now feels even more energetic.
Nathan ran to the corner of the room, where a mirror was attached. He checked himself out and was pleased to notice that he was actually quite tall. He never did realize how much he had grown simply due to the fact that he had been wheelchair-bound. It felt good to finally see himself standing upright.
His face, which had always looked stiff and flat, also looked more cheerful.
"I can feel it. Boundless energy rushed through my body. I can feel it!"
Luna then floated up to Nathan and gave him a big smile and a round of applause.
"This Blessing of Sloth really gives you a boost in both your physical abilities and your ability to adjust to different activities. You'll get a real sense for how much it helps as you start to use your whole body. Why don't we head out? Let's take a stroll around town and enjoy the night." Luna said, suppressing a giggle.
Nathan turned to Luna and nodded firmly.
"Yes, I also want to do that immediately. Running, fighting, and many other things." He said cheerfully.
He glanced at the door where he knew Edna would be. 'I want to share this joyful news with Edna. But… I think I will put it off for now.'
Nathan wanted to understand everything related to the system and the power he had just received.
Luna floated up to him and leisurely stayed in front of the young man.
Nathan looked at Luna. "But, before that, there are a few things I need to confirm first. Many things, to be precise."
The look in his eyes that had always dimmed and tired that night was sharper.
"Was it about the System explanation that you previously asked?"
Nathan nodded. "Yes, can we start our class right away, Luna-Sensei?"
"Of course, let's go!"
A digital whiteboard reappeared behind Luna's small body. "To keep the class short, I invite Master Nathan to ask anything to me. I will try to answer it with all my heart."
Nathan sat back down in his wheelchair. It felt good to sit on it not out of necessity but for leisure. He leaned back, then looked at Luna with a more serious face.
"Okay, so many things happened tonight. One, I suddenly got a system that was too extraordinary. And two, a memory that suddenly changed everything I knew so far."
"Yes, yes." Luna nodded at Nathan's words.
"The Blessing of the Sins is no small feat; only seven people are granted the honor at any given time, and it is exclusive to the natives of Yunatea. Yet here I am, suddenly in possession of two of them. I have to wonder—are these Blessings real? How can I be sure? And who gave them to me?"
"Hmm…" Luna put her index finger to her lips. The AI girl looked up at the ceiling, looking thoughtful.
"Does AI-Sensei need more time to think?"
"Hmm…" Luna then leaped forward, still hovering in the air. "More precisely, I'm thinking of the simplest answer that you might understand."
"Really? Just tell me if you don't have an answer to that question."
Luna smiled with a slightly sad face. "Actually…"
"Yes?" Nathan crossed his arms, watching Luna's behavior.
"I'm sorry, but I don't currently have the authority to provide you with this information. However, I promise to let you know as soon as I am able to obtain it."
"Uh… Okay." Nathan nodded with a slight sense of disappointment.
It was one of the most basic questions he had, and not having an answer for it caused a massive question mark to linger in his mind. But that's life. You won't get everything you want.
The Blessing of Sloth, as he knew beforehand, was a blessing that gave the user the power to break through the natural limits someone had, such as physical limit break, elemental limit break, and so on. A person undergoing a limit break will exhibit strength above and beyond what nature had originally endowed him, and this is the most direct way to achieve power.
However, it didn't just allow him to transcend. It also solidified his foundations. And in his case, he even regained his prime body. It was certainly not something an awakened person could achieve as an ordinary hunter.
Nathan gave a solemn nod. "For now, I'm going to keep this a secret. I need to make sure I'm safe first." He contemplated the potential risks he would face if too many people knew about this before he was ready and involuntarily shuddered. "Yes, I need to make sure nobody else finds out about this."
"All right! Next question, Master Nathan?"
Nathan nodded. "Okay, next topic. Explain to me how to use this skill creation thing."
"All right. Can you again summon the Skill Creation Page, please?"
Nathan nodded, then muttered, "Skill Creation Page."
The digital screen reappeared in front of him.
[Skill Creation System]
[Skill Points: 400,000]
[Available Skill Slots: 10/10]
[Available Skill Tiers: 1, 2, 3, and 4]
[Available Skill Classes]
[Barbarian Champion: None]
[Treasure Hunter: None]
[Route Quests][+]
"Okay. First, skill Points. Skill points are needed to create new skills and also increase the levels of those skills. In short, this is the currency that you will really need in the system."
"Okay. That's simple enough." Nathan nodded. "Then, what can I do with the skill points I currently have, and how much value do I have right now?"
Luna corrected the position of the glasses she was wearing. "Skill slots are the total number of skills you can create for now. Skill tiers are the tiers of the skills available. The higher the tier, the more expensive it is."
Nathan nodded at Luna's explanation. Then he also remembered the differences between the New Earth and Yunatea, one of which was that humans in this world could only use up to tier 2 skills, and they had to go to Yunatea if they wanted to use higher tier skills.
"I will tell you about the price of each skill. But I will say something else first."
"Okay..."
"Skill Classes, such as Barbarian Champion and Treasure Hunter, will be unlocked along with Route Quests. In other words, Master Nathan has to do special quests to get more Skill Points. And if you make a skill that can be placed under those Skill Classes, then you will get 10% cashback from the Skill Points used in the skill creation process."
Nathan was silent for a moment, trying to understand all the information he was getting. "So, I can create any skill I want? And if that skill exhibits effects that fall under the Skill Classes, I will even get… cashback? Skill-Point-Back, you mean."
"Wait, wait!" Luna immediately cut Nathan's words.
"Because of the complexity of the rules regarding skills. Master Nathan will still have certain limitations on the skills that can be created. In short, these skills must be within the range of your power. The simplest thing, for example, is related to an affinity for elements."
Nathan nodded again. "Fair enough, I think. Because if I really can make any skill I want, I will make a skill that instantly makes me the strongest human in this world. Isn't that right, Luna?"
"All right!" Luna clapped her hands. "I'm fantastic at explaining, am I not?" She grinned.
"You are so fantastic, Luna." Nathan nodded. "Okay." Nathan then thought about what skill he was trying to create for the first time.
He looked at the two categories available to him. "Barbarian Champion and Treasure Hunter."
"Yes, yes, yes… Do you want to create your first skill right away? I'm very curious about it." She chuckled.
"How about the cost, Luna?" Nathan ignored Luna's many questions and continued to ask his own with a laser-sharp focus.
"Ouch!" Luna looked surprised, then floated to the side, letting the digital whiteboard behind her be clearly visible to Nathan's eyes.
[Tier 1 Skills]
[-> Initial Cost: 25 SP]
[-> Upgrade to level 2: 50 SP]
[-> Upgrade to level 3: 100 SP]
[-> Upgrade to level 4: 200 SP]
[-> Upgrade to level 5: 400 SP]
[-]
[Tier 2 Skills]
[-> Initial Cost: 250 SP]
[-> Upgrade to level 2: 500 SP]
[-> Upgrade to level 3: 1,000 SP]
[-> Upgrade to level 4: 2,000 SP]
[-> Upgrade to level 5: 4,000 SP]
[…]
A table containing skill tiers and prices then appeared. Nathan leaned closer to study the prices.
"The initial cost for a tier 1 skill is 25 skill points. And then multiply by two to upgrade until level 5. 50, 100, 200, and 400 skill points to upgrade to level 5." Nathan was silent for a moment, then thought.
"And, for a tier 2 skill, the price is 10 times that of the previous tier, and so on."
"Yes… Yes… Very easy to understand, isn't it, Master Nathan?"
"So I can make 10 tier 1 skills or only 1 tier 2 skill for the same price. However, because the number of skills I can make is limited, I have to take advantage of all the limitations and resources I have to make the most optimal combination out of it."
"All right…"
Luna continued to hover near Nathan. She stared enthusiastically at the young man in front of her.
"I need a little research to determine what is the most optimal skill combination I could get. But I want to try first to see how efficient this feature creation skill is." He frowned while seemingly in thought.
"Yes, yes." Luna was still floating with enthusiasm.
"The first skill I want to create. And even though this is just an experiment, I don't want to waste every slot I have. So…"
"Yes, yes, yes?"
"Show me how to use this skill creation feature, Luna."
Luna jumped up and screamed hysterically. "Say create a new Skill… Say that magic word, Master Nathan!"
Nathan nodded, "Okay, now, create a new Skill!"
A digital window appeared in front of him again.