NOVEL NEXT Chapter 12: Growth
I may have underestimated the true strength of the connection between Sixth Sense and Observe.
My focus was solely on tracking down individuals with Medium Combat Prowess, neglecting the potential of these skills for a while.
The [Observe] skill, initially designed to reveal details easily overlooked, evolved significantly after reaching level 5.
The enhancement was remarkable—I could notice intricate aspects of a person's body language as long as I focused on them.
Yet, the real marvel emerged when coupled with [Sixth Sense], creating what I'd label an [Absolute Area], where nothing could elude my perception.
Admittedly, my current weakness was that I couldn't seamlessly react to threats within this zone, as I had to possibly split my focus in two, which was not something I could do. Also, the need for my concentration to be entirely on my surroundings translated to high mental exhaustion.
Still, it will be incredibly useful against an Assassin like Yor, whose strong point was supposed to be the ability to kill someone without being noticed...
Yet, their utility extends beyond combat scenarios. The synergy of Intuition, Wisdom, Sixth Sense, and Observe provides a powerful tool for discerning lies as the accuracy of this "ability" is pretty high. There was only one person I couldn't use this ability with so far, and that is my Father.
[Your Father, Fern, has [Low] Combat Prowess]
The prompt struck me with disbelief initially, but as the synergy of Sixth Sense, Intuition, and Observe kicked in, the prompt began to make sense.
My father harbored a strength far beyond the ordinary, an almost unnatural Prowess that I couldn't quantify.
I was sure this was the next stage I had to reach.
Despite this newfound awareness, I opted to stay silent. There was no reason for me to question him at the moment.
---
Reflecting on my timer, I noted that today marked the 10th day since my return. Progress on the Muscle SpeedRun II remained steady—no rushing, but no slowing down either.
[Quest Progress]
[Muscle SpeedRun II - 60%]
Curiously, I attempted to make a different choice to trigger another quest related to knowledge, but it seemed that option wasn't currently available.
No matter what I did, the System would not give me any Personal Quest.
I called them like this because I needed to differentiate them from the normal quests I was still doing everyday to get more levels.
I soon concluded that, as long as the Class Quest was active, the System refrained from offering additional Personal Quests.
Now, the challenge was how to reach Low Combat Prowess.
Strengthening the bridge between Intuition and Wisdom seemed a logical approach, but I quickly dismissed the idea. My body's current failure to react promptly, even with the existing level of Sixth Sense, made it clear that widening that gap was not a wise choice.
The optimal approach at this juncture was to enhance my physical strength. While another Medium-level Body Purification would contribute, it wouldn't suffice.
To make the most of the few skill points I'd amassed from these days of farming, I needed a reliable method to achieve a significant strength boost: create another bridge.
Another point to discuss would be the fact I am receiving less and less quests related to this identity, so it seems I will soon stop receiving them altogether.
---
After thorough contemplation and a few days of research, I amalgamated my desired attributes into a single skill.
I managed to do so in such a short time thanks to my [Photographic Memory] skill
[Photographic Memory]
[Description: You will be able to remember everything you see down to the smallest detail]
Issuing the Skill Ticket, I waited for just a moment as the familiar Skill Shop materialized in front of me
[Skill Shop]
[Orc Body]
[Sky Footwork] (New!)
[Sky Footwork]
[Description: A Footwork style personalized for Akira Bashira's body structure, with the aim of reaching the skies owned by the strong. Taking into account the use of [Movement], [Wisdom], [Intuition], [Sixth Sense], [Observe], and many books, Akira Bashira used the Karate footwork as a base and reconstructed it for himself]
[Effect: When you execute the Sky Footwork, your mind will be more synchronized with your body]
[Limitations: Your body will feel more fatigue the more you execute this footwork]
[Skill Point Cost: 10]
With just 13 Skill Points to spare, I was more than content to invest in this newfound skill as prompts began raining down soon after.
[Your Skill [Run] and your Skill [Sky Footwork] have begun resonating]
[Your Skill [Run] has leveled up]
[Your Skill [Sky Footwork] has leveled up]
[Your Skill [Jump] and your Skill [Sky Footwork] have begun resonating]
[Your Skill [Jump] has leveled up]
[Your Skill [Sky Footwork] has leveled up]
[Your Talent [Movement] and Your Passive Skill [Sky Footwork] have begun resonating]
[Your Skill [Sky Footwork] has leveled up]
[Your Talent [Movement] and Your Active Skill [Adaptive Evasion] have begun resonating]
[Your Skill [Adaptive Evasion] has leveled up]
[Your Skill [Sky Footwork] has created a bridge between the Talents [Wisdom], [Intuition], and [Movement]]
[Your Talent [Movement] will benefit greatly from the bridge]
[Your Talent [Movement] has leveled up]
[Your Talent [Movement] has leveled up]
[Your Talent [Movement] has leveled up]
[You have found a new way to use your [Wisdom]. The next time, the effect of such a method will be greatly decreased. Find new ways to stimulate your talent]
[Your Talent [Wisdom] has leveled up]
[Your Talent [Wisdom] has leveled up]
[Your Talent [Wisdom] has leveled up]
.
.
.
[As an effect of your elevated [Wisdom], your skill [Photographic Memory] has leveled up]
[Your mind has been elevated past a certain threshold. The cost to level up the [Karate] Martial Art has been reduced to 12]
[The Sword recognizes your intelligence. The Talent [Sword] will level up]
As always, I waited until all the changes were quantified as instead of looking at them all prompt by prompt, I invoked my status.
[Status: Healthy
Level: 63
Combat Prowess: Weak
Martial Arts: Karate(Lv.1)
Active Skills: Cooking(Lv. 8), Slash(Lv.3), Adaptive Evasion(Lv.6), Turtle Shell(Lv.1), Mirage Veil(Lv.1)
Passive Skills: Run(Lv.3), Jump(Lv.3), Photographic Memory(Lv.2), Sixth Sense(Lv.5), Observe(Lv. 5), Sky Footwork(Lv. 4)
Talent: Sword(Lv.5), Movement(Lv.5), Wisdom(Lv.8), Intuition(Lv.5)
You have 3 unused Skill Points]
I could see with a glance that I am significantly stronger. While I might not yet match up against someone with [Low] Combat Prowess, I can confidently place myself within the upper echelons of Weak Combat Prowess.
Given the lowering of quests to farm levels and the diminishing returns from spending additional question tickets on the System, I reckon it's best to redirect my focus. Completing the Muscle SpeedRun II quest takes precedence, and concurrently, I should put my plan to search for a target with [Medium] Combat Prowess in action.
Reaching Low within this life might be a stretch, but laying the groundwork is undoubtedly a step in the right direction.