part1 · 045-ep45
Episode 45: The Things He Could Now See
Leaving the water, Ren headed for a place thick with plants.
Water was secured. But food was still a worry.
All sorts of unfamiliar plants grew on the third floor. Some of them might even be edible.
"...Let's go looking."
Ren walked on, scanning around him. Before long, a low shrub bearing red fruit caught his eye.
"...A fruit?"
Ren picked one of the berries and used 《Appraisal》.
《Name: Red Berry》
《Type: Plant》
《Status: Good》
Whether it was edible didn't show.
"...Still can't tell, huh."
Ren examined the berry carefully. Smelled it. A sweet fragrance.
Even so, judging by looks alone was dangerous.
Ren nicked the berry and dabbed the juice on his finger to see what happened. He waited a while. Nothing occurred.
Then, he put just a tiny amount in his mouth.
"...It's sweet."
No strange bitterness. No change in his body, either.
After waiting and confirming there was no problem, he took another bite.
That instant—
《Understanding of target has deepened.》
《Skill 《Appraisal》 has grown.》
《《Appraisal Lv.2》→《Appraisal Lv.3》》
"...!"
Ren's eyes went wide. The level had gone up again.
But this time was a little different.
"...In the middle of eating it?"
Ren gazed at the red berry. He hadn't just appraised it. He'd touched it, observed it, put it in his mouth and tested it.
"...So understanding really is part of it?"
Still no certainty. But he felt like the pattern was coming into view, little by little.
Then it occurred to Ren to turn his awareness to himself.
"...Let's take a look at myself, too."
Appraisal's level had gone up. Now, he might see information different from before.
"Appraisal."
《Name: Kurose Ren》
《Age: 16》
《Race: Human》
《Level: 3》
《HP: 108/108》
《MP: 62/70》
《Skills》
《《Infinite Growth》》
《《Survival Adaptation》》
《《Appraisal Lv.3》》
"...Level three?"
Ren stared at the display.
"I... had gone up a level?"
The maximum MP had grown, too. The max MP that should have been 50 was now 70.
And the current value was 62.
"...It went down by all those Appraisals."
He already knew that using Appraisal again and again lowered MP. Now, leveling up had raised the maximum itself.
"When my level goes up... HP and MP go up, too."
Ren checked over his body. There really was a sense of more strength than before.
But—
"When did my level go up?"
Ren thought. Only one thing came to mind.
"...The Bloodwolf."
That fight. A battle with a strong enemy. And right after the kill at the end — that feeling of something welling up from deep inside his body.
"That's when... it went up?"
Probably so. But he still couldn't be sure.
At 《Appraisal Lv.2》, he hadn't been able to see his own level. That was why he hadn't noticed.
"...I see."
Ren gave a small nod.
Level goes up through combat. When level goes up, the maximums of HP and MP grow. And using 《Appraisal》 consumes MP.
Little by little, the workings of this world were coming into view.
◇
Ren looked once more at the red berry in his hand.
"Come to think of it..."
Appraisal's level had gone up, too. He appraised the red berry once more.
《Name: Red Berry》
《Type: Plant》
《Status: Good》
《Edible: Yes》
"...Just as I thought."
With the move to Lv.3, new information was showing. He could tell whether something was edible.
"This'll make finding food a lot easier."
Ren looked around.
"Let's search a little more."
◇
From there, Ren appraised every plant he found, one by one.
《Name: Blue Berry》
《Type: Plant》
《Status: Good》
《Edible: No》
"This one's no good."
The next plant.
《Name: Big-Leaf Grass》
《Type: Plant》
《Status: Good》
《Edible: Yes》
"This one's edible."
Yet another plant.
《Name: Ash-Flower Grass》
《Type: Plant》
《Status: Good》
《Edible: No》
Ren gathered only the edible ones. With Appraisal's level up, the efficiency of his food search had changed completely.
After a while, he'd secured several foods, centered on red berries and big-leaf grass.
"This much should hold out a little while."
Ren bundled the food and decided to head back to the water.
◇
At the water, the load he'd left was still there, untouched.
The Bloodwolf's fangs. Claws. Pelt. And the magic stone.
"...Might as well check these, too."
Appraisal's level had gone up, after all. He'd check the things he'd gathered so far once more.
First, the fangs.
"Appraisal."
《Name: Bloodwolf Fang》
《Type: Material》
《Status: Poor》
《Hardness: High》
"More detail than before."
The claws.
《Name: Bloodwolf Claw》
《Type: Material》
《Status: Poor》
《Hardness: High》
The pelt.
《Name: Bloodwolf Pelt》
《Type: Material》
《Status: Poor》
《Durability: High》
"Just as I thought — more info is showing."
Last, he took the magic stone in hand.
"Appraisal."
《Name: Bloodwolf Magic Stone》
《Type: Magic Stone》
《Status: Poor》
《Magic content: Low》
《Magic purity: Low》
"Magic..."
He understood that the magic stone contained magic. But what that meant, he didn't know yet.
"What's this even used for, I wonder."
Ren gazed at the magic stone. Its value, its uses — he knew neither. To the Ren of right now, it was still a mysterious stone.
He set the magic stone with the other materials.
◇
He set the gathered food down at the water, too. Now this place held water and food, and the materials he'd collected.
"Guess I'll make this my base going forward."
With his load kept here, he could move light while exploring. Run out of food, and he could come back to restock. Need water, and this was the place to return to.
Ren looked around the watering place.
"Little by little... it's turning into a place I can live."
And he recalled his own status.
Level 3. HP 108. MP 64/70.
There was still a lot he didn't know. But little by little, the workings of this world were coming into view.
"Next... I've got to dig deeper."
Ren took up his spear. There were still many unexplored places on the third floor.
What was there? What kinds of monsters?
And—
when his level would go up next.
To find out, Ren resolved to keep exploring.