So I'm a Snake, So What? (Kumodesu x OC)

23 - Uneventful Stroll (1)

Continuing on my way through the forest, no destination in mind, I found myself taking the time to take another look at my new skills.

'『Tyranny』. Even without the description, the name and the skills it absorbed is enough to tell that it's a leadership skill at heart. It's a Skill without a level, and it gave me a title, like『Sloth』and『Greed』, so they've gotta be related.'

Sloth and Greed are both part of the Seven Deadly Sins; and I remember seeing『Wrath』in the shop; so obviously they're part of some set of Skills. But then there was『Perseverance』. It didn't give me a title, but if I remember correctly, isn't Perseverance a virtue? So I guess it's related to the『Mercy』and『Chastity』Skills I saw.

'The Seven Deadly Sins and the Seven Heavenly(?) Virtues... From what I can tell, they all give a title like『Ruler of Whatever』. So to make things simpler, and because Tyranny isn't actually a sin, I've decided to start referring to these sorts of skills as Ruler Skills.'

All that aside, what I didn't get a while ago was why it absorbed『Appraisal』. Through application, I found that the activation of the Skill is the same as 『Appraisal』, and it produces about the same kind of information for objects like trees and plants; that being a name and a basic explanation of it. 

But as far as living creatures are concerned; such as Ryoshi, who I used as my initial guinea pig, I found that it provides a MUCH more detailed analysis of the target.

1: A rundown of their abilities, such as their physical and magical strengths and weaknesses; for example, Ryoshi's strongest point of offense is his claws and his weakest is his tail, his strongest point of defense is his abdomen and his weakest is his back. In terms of magic, he's proficient in Heretic, Dark and, surprisingly, Healing Magic. Although, apparently he's inept in terms of Spatial, Heavy and Light Magic.

The same applied when I Appraised myself. My strongest point of attack is my new bladed tail, and the blade itself is surprisingly durable, however my wings and underbelly may as well be made of paper when compared to the rest of me...

2: I'm able to see how much EXP I need to raise my own level and the level of skills.

And, finally, 3: I'm able to tell the current status of my subordinates through a screen I found when I tried Appraising the "Invoking my will over others" part of『Tyranny』. This particular screen was one that apparently displayed my "Active Subordinates".

Now of course, there was Ryoshi; Ruined Knight, LV11. That was expected just about as soon as I saw the text at the top of the screen, but what was unexpected was there being a second monster listed on it.

「Active Subordinates

▸【Ruined Knight     LV11    Ryoshi】
▸【Elroe Gunerave    LV7    Unnamed】」

That actually caught me by surprise. I had to go back in my memory to something that I had long forgotten about. 'Oh yeah, that seahorse from the Middle Stratum.'

Honestly, it had come to mind once or twice, but after a while I had just written it off, thinking that it had gone and died to that Fire Wyrm. But I guess Heat Nullification would be helpful in surviving a flame bath...

'Now that I think about it... How come I didn't get Fire Resistance or anything while I was down there? I killed that catfish and a couple other things, didn't I?'

Possibility of Greed deciding to stop working at the most inopportune time possible aside, back to the apparently now-not-seahorse.

【Elroe Gunerave    LV7    Unnamed (Subordinate)】

Status

【HP: 1,590/1,590+400】

【MP: 762/762+400】

【SP: 1,404/1,404】

【SP: 1,894/1,894+400】

【Average Offensive Ability: 1,215】

【Average Defensive Ability: 916】

【Average Magic Ability: 509】

【Average Resistance Ability: 1,003】

【Average Speed Ability: 994】

Skills

『HP Auto-Recovery LV5』『SP Recovery Speed LV6』『MP Lessened Consumption LV1』『SP Lessened Consumption LV3』『Life LV8』『Instantaneous LV4』『Persistent LV4』『Herculean Strength LV3』『Sturdy LV3』『Fire Wyrm LV5』『Heretic Attack LV3』『Stealth LV3』『Silence LV2』『Presence Perception LV2』『Danger Perception LV4』『Motion Perception LV2』『Magic Hoard LV1』『Wyrm Power LV5』『Wyrm Barrier LV2』『Shadow Magic LV1』『Heresy Magic LV1』『High-Speed Swim LV3』『Dragon Scales LV7』『Fire Attack LV5』『Fire Enhancement LV7』『Hit LV10』『Evasion LV10』『Probability Correction LV4』『Intimidation LV7』『Satiation LV2』『Running LV6』『Anger LV9』『Impact Resistance LV6』『Pain Nullification』『Pain Mitigation LV8』『Earth Resistance LV4』『Shock Resistance LV5』『Destruction Resistance LV8』『Faint Resistance LV5』『Fear Resistance LV8』『Heresy Resistance LV1』『Heat Nullification』

Titles

『Merciless』『Assassin』『Monster Slayer』『Monster Slaughterer』『Wyrm Slayer』『Wyrm Slaughterer』『Fearbringer』

Skill Points: 6,410

'Forty, forty-one, forty-two, forty-three... Damn, it almost has as many skills as me. I'm only ahead by three, just what the heck has it been up to while I was gone...?'

Looking at what it's become, a small part of me wanted to go back to the Labyrinth, for one reason or another. However, that part was quickly drowned out by the reminder that I would have to find a way back into the Labyrinth to begin with.

'The only entrance I know of is the one that had that weird castle or guardhouse or whatever built around it, and I get the feeling going back there would be more trouble than it's worth.'

Ah, well, I'll worry about that later. For now, I wanna see what the outside world has going on. Even if what it's got going on right now includes literally nothing...

'I'm so bored though. Not that I mind having some time off from fighting for my life, but after spending months, maybe even a couple years, doing nothing but that, the times when I'm left to do my own thing and wind down feel more stressful...'

...Is this what trauma feels like? Huh. Man, I've got a lot of people to apologize to.

'Oh wait, but I can't apologize to them since I died and they're not in this world... Guess I'll just have to forget about them and look at the present instead of the past!'

After all, what better way to deal with consequences is there than to pretend they never existed in the first place? Deferral is a wonderful thing, isn't it?

'Seriously, though. Somehow I really wish something even mildly interesting would happen right about now...'

.

.

.

《Proficiency threshold has been reached.『Heresy Resistance』has risen to LV6.》

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