NOVEL WEB Chapter 12 - Ono Yoko
Looking at the Charisma +1 prompt, Kitahara Hideji felt speechless – why would Sword Technique increase charisma? His charisma was already high enough to annoy people, and now it was increasing even more?
The mobile game he brought with him was called “Dragons, Swords, and Magic,” a domestically made semi-idle game that could be played casually or in a more hardcore manner.
In the game, acquiring skills was relatively easy; as long as you obtained a skill book or received teachings from someone, you could learn it. Also, the early levels required relatively low experience points for leveling up. Reaching the Initial Rank was easily achievable with a little patience. However, as the skill level increased, the required experience points grew exponentially, making it harder to level up.
Sometimes, completing special tasks related to skill advancement was necessary.
For example, the previously acquired [Japanese] skill. Improving proficiency primarily reflected in the fluency of speaking and writing. At level 1, it was almost like gibberish, level 3 was barely any better, level 5 allowed for smooth daily conversations, level 10 might make people feel very comfortable when talking to you, gaining a favorable impression. By level 15, it might even be possible to inspire people, exerting some psychological influence solely through speaking… Who knew what level 20 would be like.
Kitahara Hideji had been playing “Dragons, Swords, and Magic” for almost a year and had encountered numerous players, but he had never seen anyone reach level 20 in a skill. The required experience became increasingly larger, while the gained experience diminished. Casting a level 1 fireball casually would give +1 experience, but when trying to level up from level 19 to 20, casting fireballs at dragons for half a day might not even grant 1 point of experience.
However, higher skill levels also came with significant benefits. Skills were divided into five stages: First Step, Initial Rank, Middle Rank, High Rank, and Apex, totaling twenty levels. After reaching each stage, the character’s level would increase, and they would gain corresponding attribute points and skill-related passive attributes.
The higher the skill’s rank, the more attribute points were gained, the stronger the passive attributes, and the larger the increase in character level – generally speaking.
Because of this, leveling up in the game was relatively easier. For instance, one could learn ten languages to the Initial Rank, easily reaching level 10, but their combat capabilities would be minimal, still inferior to someone who had mastered both Fireball and Ice Lance to the High Rank – both in terms of character attributes and combat abilities.
As [Ancient Swordsmanship] reached LV5, not only was his stomach growling with hunger, but his arms also felt sore and weak. He set the Shinai down and opened the character panel –
Character Name: Kitahara Hideji
Occupation: High School Student
Title: None
Level: [4]
Energy Value: 19/150
Strength: [11] Agility: [10] Stamina: [15] Intelligence: [19] Charisma: [25]
Skills: [Japanese LV7], [English LV5], [Ancient Swordsmanship LV5]
Currently In Effect Passive: [Neat Handwriting], [Sword Specialization]
Idle Passives: [British Accent], [Dual-Wield Mastery]
Enabled Skill: [Meditative Battle]
Equipment: [Simple Casual Clothing], [Bamboo Cutting Sword]
Asset: [¥88,945]
Kitahara Hideji looked at his character information and scratched his head. He wondered if he still qualified as a human being strictly speaking, but right now, he could only focus on having a meal. Eating was a necessity for staying alive, and having a full stomach also improved the recovery speed of Energy Value – fortunately, he didn’t need to spend real money to buy energy potions or wait five minutes to recover two points of energy. Otherwise, it would have been really frustrating.
Energy Value was essential because without it, practicing skills wouldn’t yield experience points.
He lifted a tatami mat, took out some banknotes from beneath, and put them into his wallet. Glancing at the meager amount of money left – 88,945 yen sounded like a lot, but it wasn’t enough to last long. Considering he had become quite familiar with the surroundings and had been able to imitate others’ speech and behavior, it was time to find a part-time job to earn some money and improve his life.
While pondering over what kind of job to look for, he put on his shoes and stepped outside. It was only then that he realized he had been engrossed in practicing, and now it was already evening. The place he lived could be considered a rundown area, far from the bustling atmosphere of a big city. The surroundings were quiet and pitch dark, with only intermittent lights from street lamps.
The sound of opening and closing the door seemed to disturb something, and there were faint movements at the end of the corridor. The apartment building was in a state of disrepair, and the hallway lights had been broken for who knows how long. Kitahara Hideji glanced down the hallway but couldn’t see anything. After a moment of consideration, he tentatively asked, “Yoko, is that you over there?”
“Yes, Onii-san!” Ono Yoko stood up, and under the dim light of the street lamp, Kitahara Hideji could see half of her head.
“Can’t you get into the apartment?” Kitahara Hideji asked.
Ono Yoko’s voice came from the darkness, sounding a bit dejected. “I accidentally lost my key.”
“I see… Do you need me to contact your parents for you?”
“I have a cellphone, Onii-san, and I already called my mom, but she might be busy and didn’t answer… Um, Onii-san, you don’t need to worry about me. I’ll wait here.”
Kitahara Hideji thought for a moment and realized there wasn’t much he could do. After all, they were only acquaintances, so he said, “Alright then, I’ll be going.”
“Please take care, Onii-san.”
Kitahara Hideji went downstairs and glanced back at the stairwell. Ono Yoko had disappeared again, probably sitting down and hiding in the darkness. This reminded him of his past experiences, which made him feel uncomfortable.
He had experienced something similar before when relatives took him in after his parents passed away but refused to give him a key to the house. Sometimes, he had to sit at the doorstep and wait for them to come back.
However, he quickly chuckled and shook his head. He was different from Ono Yoko. She had parents, but she had just forgotten her key. There was no need to overthink it!
He chuckled at his self-ridicule and walked for ten minutes to a convenience store. After carefully selecting for a while, he bought a discounted ready-made meal. These discounted meals couldn’t be kept until the next day, so they were typically marked down after dinnertime. It was past 8 pm now, and they were discounted by 60%, which made Kitahara Hideji quite satisfied.
Save where you can, right?
After paying for the meal, a friendly female store clerk helped him heat it in the microwave. He thanked her and prepared to go back. However, at the store’s entrance, he hesitated for a moment, thought about it, and went back to buy another meal.
People often have a hidden charitable side; it’s called benevolence. Let’s consider it a good deed!
He returned to the apartment without entering and walked straight to the end of the hallway. In the darkness, Ono Yoko stood up and approached him, tightly holding her phone. She asked, somewhat anxiously, “U-um… Onii-san, do you need something?”
Her voice sounded uneasy, so Kitahara Hideji didn’t get too close. He placed the bento box on the ground a few steps away and spoke gently, “Are you hungry? Have something to eat first.”
“I’m not hungry!” Ono Yoko instinctively replied, but her stomach betrayed her by letting out a growl. Her face turned red with embarrassment, and she had to change her tune, whispering, “I don’t have any money.”
“It’s okay, I’ll treat you,” Kitahara Hideji smiled. After hesitating for a moment, he asked, “Would you like to wait in my apartment?”
Ono Yoko immediately became wary, shaking her head repeatedly. But then she realized she was hiding in the darkness, and Kitahara Hideji couldn’t see her expression, so she quickly put on a sweet smile and said, “No, Onii-san, I’ll wait here.”
Kitahara Hideji didn’t insist and said, “If you need any help, don’t hesitate to call me.”
“Thank you, Onii-san!” Ono Yoko thanked him repeatedly, and Kitahara Hideji smiled again before returning to his apartment. He closed the door and chuckled as he thought about Ono Yoko’s reaction. But soon, he dismissed the thought and went about his own business.