Chapter 45: 41. Tenacity

I open my eyes slowly, and blink a few times as I stare at one of the walls.

Haah, do I really have to go out today? Can't I just stay in? I mean, what reason do I have to go out there? Let me just stay in here. I'm too tired to even leave.

I have nothing to do in here anyways. So I might as well start scrolling through the skill menu. This kind of reminds me of the times where I would stay on my phone in bed. Heh, I must've gotten super hearing just from trying to hear my parents' footsteps to not get caught.

Nostalgic...

Ah right, the menu.

I immediately get a headache from opening it as the list of available skills expand.

Close it! Close it!

... why bother? I'm just going to lay here, I don't want to do anything anyways.

I started shifting my playing position, until I completely stopped into one position.

The sounds of the cave rumbling seemed so far away now. The smell of fungus and metal was in my nose, as I could feel a small amount of mold under me.

Yeah... why continue on anymore? Isn't it better to just give up and not feel any more pain or fear?

...

Seriously?

Am I going to just give up and die here? Am I just going to stop fighting because of a little pain or fear? Am I going to make everything up until now pointless?!

No.

I am not going to give up. Give up and feel no fear or pain anymore? like hell I will! Even if my limbs are cut off, even if I fall into the most hopeless of situations, even if I go through hell itself! I will survive.

Mom, dad, Liam. I'm sorry for not appreciating you, but I know you don't want me to give up, so I'll fight tooth and nail for you, and maybe. I'll be able to talk to you all once more.

I promise you all, I won't lock myself in again.

I feel my heart beat increasing in speed, my breathing had also started to quicken.

In an instant, I remove all the walls surrounding me before I could start having second thoughts, and after the dust cleared. I saw dozens of crystals lined up in front of me, glittering and shining with a slight blue color, looking like a forest made of gems.

Y'know, this sight is actually quite amazing. I guess a sight like this is a reason to not shut myself away. It's so beautiful that I could actually look at this for hours...

Then, I started smelling the smell of slightly aged crab.

Eugh, I guess even a rose has its thorns eh?

... I'm just gonna deal with that smell later.

Well, first off, let's actually open the skill list and get some new skills, I've been saving an extremely large number of skill points, so I can at least get an awesome skill or two.

Well, uh. Open the skill menu. For only skills that I can afford!

I started getting a headache, but it was way less than the other headache I felt earlier. So this was completely manageable.

Okay, so let me see what skills I find interesting. Hmm, [Unarmed combat]? Well, I do wonder how that skill will work for me. I mean I don't have anything close to a human skeleton, I can walk on two legs, but I don't think that is enough. That is assuming this skill is meant for humans after all.

I mean it costs about 8 points, so I can keep it in mind but let me continue to search.

Well, there are electric techniques, wind techniques, light, space-time, and gravity. Woah, they got a bit unexpected at the last two, but the last three must be powerful. I mean, space-time, gravity and light each cost 40 points.

Well, expanding my arsenal is good, but I think I should also improve what I have. Or get skills that will cover up my weak spots.

What weak points do I have? Minus being emotionally unstable, I guess I am not very defensive. I mostly depend on mobility. So I guess it'll be useful to get a skill that will boost defense.

Show me skills that help with defense.

Woah, a bunch of skills have shown up, [energy resistance] 7 points, [Radiation resistance] 20 points. [Fire resistance] 7 points, [Electric resistance] 12 points, [Electromagnetic resistance] 21 points.

Okay, I don't really need any technique resistance skills for now, since y'know? No monster has ever used any techniques. I think I jinxed it now but no taking back that statement. And also, these skills are starting to be kinda crazy. What the hell would electromagnetic resistance even do?

Well, let's keep looking, ah. There is an interesting skill.

[Solidification]

[A skill that allows the user to solidify, harden or strengthen substances, it allows them to become more dense. EP may be solidified.]

Well, that sounds awesome. It costs 13 points, but it sounds pretty damn useful, so I'll get it.

[Would you like to obtain the skill "Solidification" for 13 points?]

Yeah.

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[Conditions fulfilled. Skill "Solidification lv. 1" was added]

Ok, I'll try it out later, because for now I'll look for more skills.

Ah you know what, let me just take unarmed combat while I can, spoil myself a little y'know?

[Would you like to obtain the skill "Unarmed combat" for 8 points?]

Yep.

[Conditions fulfilled. Skill "Unarmed combat lv. 1" was added]

Woah, I feel a lot more concious of my body now. Not like self consciousness, but as in I think I can now move it a little better.

Oh another useful resistance skill is immunity strengthening. Improving my immune system could be useful, thankfully I never got sick, but there could be some super disease out there that could kill me. So I'll get as something like a vaccine y'know?

[Would you like to obtain the skill "Immunity strengthening" for 10 points]

Yeah.

[Conditions fulfilled. Skill "Immunity strengthening lv. 1" was added]

Ok, I have 83 points remaining. What could I need, hm, let me think now. I covered up my weak spots pretty, so maybe I can get something like a super weapon?

Well, hey, show me the most expensive till the least expensive fighting skills that I can afford.

Oh! It actually did that, I thought that it would be too complex for the system. Neat, it's kind of like having an AI assistant.

Hm, now what skills are there. Well, gravity, space-time and light are still the most expensive ones, and a lot of them I don't care about, I don't care about any skill that is just weapon mastery. Wait, did I just see a pistol skill? Oh my god there is one, and a rifle one too?! You mean to tell me that someone out there practiced gun-fu till mastery?! Now that is patriotic.

Ahem, let's get back to looking at skills, oh? I found an interesting one.

[Body manipulation]

It costs 16 points, but I need a more thorough explanation before I make my decision.

[Body manipulation]

[Allows the user to be able to manipulate their body. The user is able to transform the color, shape, matter, density, size, elasticity, smell, and conductivity of their body if they are at a sufficient level.]

Woah! That is a large range of abilities, I mean, isn't a skill like that extremely powerful? It sounds a little grotesque, but I'm sure it's not too bad. Plus, it's not that expensive.

If I take this I can only get one from either gravity, space-time or light, so do I really need to take it? Hm, if I focus on only one technique skill then I can get it to a higher level, and also, I'd be able to get more skills after that. Ok, I'm just gonna get it.

[Would you like to obtain the skill "body manipulation" for 16 points?]

Mhm.

[Conditions fulfilled. Skill "Body manipulation lv. 1" was added]

Neat, but now which one should I pick from the three? Well, isn't gravity the most powerful force in the universe? So wouldn't it be the best? Eh, depends on how the physics work in this world.

Well, whatever, I'll get them all one day. But for now, I want gravity techniques.

[Would you like to obtain the skill "Gravity techniques" for 40 points?]

This is gonna hurt, but yea.

[Conditions fulfilled. Skill "Gravity techniques lv. 1" was added]

Well, only 27 points remain, I might as well spend them to get wind. Then I can become the master of all four elements. Or maybe electric techniques. Well, wind is 10 points while electricity is 20. So I can only pick one.

Hm, screw it, I just need one level up to get the other one. So I'll just take wind techniques for now. Since that allows me to get an emergency skill if I ever need one.

[Would you like to obtain the skill "Wind techniques" for 10 points?]

Yeah yeah.

[Conditions fulfilled. Skill "Wind techniques lv. 1 was added]

Phew. That was tiring. My head is pumping because of that skill menu, I'm this exhausted just from going through a menu? Well, to be honest. IT work is a nightmare... I'm never gonna forget the time when I downloaded a pirated version of a game and got a virus... yeah let's not think about that.

Well, I guess I'm gonna go back to slee-

...

No, I'm just gonna clean up these crabs and then I'll continue exploring.