Chapter-01 · EP-008

Episode 8: Skill Board

Our class left the school building, crossed a covered walkway, and arrived at the large building next door.

This was the Dungeon Building, the structure housing the dungeon entrance.

Proceeding past the lobby on the first floor of the Dungeon Building, there was a staircase leading underground.

Following our homeroom teacher, all of the classmates descended the stairs.

The atmosphere changed completely as we went down. It was a spacious area surrounded by rock walls.

In the center of the room, on a pedestal, rested a stone slab. That was the Skill Board.

Straight ahead was the entrance leading to the first floor of the dungeon.

This was the dungeon entrance, a safe zone where no monsters appeared.

The teacher began his explanation.

"Today, we won't be going to the first floor. We'll just stay here and confirm the skills of those who have them. Here, there's no danger of monsters appearing, and you can use skills that normally can't be used outside the dungeon. Well then, let's have everyone check their skills on the Skill Board."

My classmates took turns touching the Skill Board.

Murasakimura was the first to touch it, and his explorer information appeared on the board.

Kyoya Murasakimura: LV1
Skill: Lightning Magic LV1
Party Members: None

The information displayed on the Skill Board was limited. Only four things: name, explorer level, possessed skill, and party members.

The name displayed seemed to be the registered legal name. No one knew the mechanism, but that was apparently part of the dungeon's system.

Explorer level, as explained in class, increases when you defeat monsters and accumulate experience, and your physical abilities improve with each level up.

Regarding possessed skills, some people had them from the start, while others didn't; skills could also be obtained later by using a Skill Orb.

Party members: apparently, once you formed a party, the members' names would be displayed. Forming a party allowed experience points to be distributed, supposedly making leveling up more efficient than solo activities. That would probably be taught in class later.

Following Murasakimura, my classmates confirmed their skills one by one.

It seemed we were going in order of test scores again. That meant I would be last.

Since everyone had already come here once before enrollment to check their skills on the Skill Board, there was basically no new information beyond what they already knew.

The purpose was likely to familiarize us with using the Skill Board for when we formed parties or checked our level progress.

Tetsuya Akaishi: LV1
Skill: None
Party Members: None

Akaishi, who was just before me, finished.

Finally, it was my turn.

I stood in front of the Skill Board and held my right hand over it.

Shirou Ichinose: LV1
Skill: None
Party Members: None

My information appeared. Just like when I checked during the entrance exam, the skill field was blank. How was I supposed to get a skill to show up?

I traced my finger across the surface of the Skill Board.

"What are you doing, Ichinose?"

The teacher asked.

"Oh, I was just wondering how to make a skill appear."

I tried swiping and double-tapping on the Skill Board, like I was operating a tablet.

"Ichinose, the Skill Board is just a display device; touching it won't do anything."

As the teacher said, no matter how much I poked at it with my finger, the display didn't change.

Seeing me, my classmates started laughing.

"Ichinose, I understand you're frustrated about not having a skill, but no matter how hard you try, you can't make something appear that isn't there. Give it up."

The teacher's words made my classmates laugh even harder.

This was strange…

Could it be that my memory of obtaining a Skill Orb when I was five was mistaken? I really didn't remember much else from that age. I didn't even remember my kindergarten teacher's face. Maybe, since it was ten years ago and I was so young, the memory had gotten mixed up with something else.

I tried a few more things, but the Skill Board display didn't change at all.

In other words, the skill I had hoped to have acquired later did not exist.

It was disappointing, but it couldn't be helped. Childhood memories were like that. I must have been mistaken about something. I felt deeply let down. Still, I told myself I'd just work hard and obtain a Skill Orb someday.

I took my hand away from the Skill Board.

If there was one good thing, it was that I hadn't told anyone that I had a skill. If I had, I would have made a huge fool of myself.

I had made a small fool of myself, though.

After that, the skills of those who possessed them were confirmed.