"Meoooowwwww."
"You mean it was decent? Did you see how I was flipping over and sliding around? It was awesome."
"Meeeooooww."
"Are you saying you could have done it better?"
"Meow."
"You know, you're awfully cocky for someone who claims they can't prove it for my benefit."
"Meow, meowww."
"Oh, you wouldn't have gotten hurt? Oowwwww." The pain from the hit he had taken in the shoulder burst into his awareness. He walked to where his pack was to grab his water bottle. "You couldn't just have said nothing about that, could you? My adrenaline was blocking the pain until you pointed it out." The cat just tilted its head and looked at him as he drank from the water bottle.
Zane gritted his teeth as the healing started to take effect, the pain from the mending of his cut flesh was in some ways worse than the hit itself. He looked down at where the wound had been after it was healed and had to shake his head at the damaged leather. "This is apparently magical armor and that tail went right through it like it was paper. Glad it didn't hit me anywhere else."
He went back over to where he had killed the night and picked up the loot that had dropped. There were three of the bigger coins on the ground, as well as two skill stones. He put the three coins in his inventory and then crushed the first skill stone.
[Congratulations! You have gained 25% To your martial arts skill.]
"Nice, nice." Zane nodded and then crushed the other skill stone.
[Congratulations! Your weapon training has been upgraded to intermediate level. The weapons skill tree has been unlocked.]
A skill tree? Zane smiled, wondering what sort of things would be on this thing. "Skills."
Skills
Martial arts (basic) 77%, Weapon training (Intermediate)+ 0%, Parkour (Intermediate) 10%, Cooking (basic) 26%, Monster Identification (basic) 25%, Life sense (basic) 10%, Summon Truck-Kun (Basic, restricted) 1%, Identify Item (basic) 10%.
He concentrated on Weapon training and the words shifted to the left as the other words faded into the background. New words appeared under Weapon training.
Weapon Training (Intermediate)- 0%
One-handed Weapon Skills+ Shield Skills+ Additional Skills+(Locked)
"System, why are the additional skills locked?"
[Those skills will have to be unlocked with skill points. You will earn skill points when you level up and when you complete certain tasks and quests. The number of skill points you earn at level up is 10. A number of skill points you will earn from tasks or quests will be assigned either when you accept the quest or complete it.]
He expanded the One-handed Weapon Skills and the Shield Skills.
One-handed Weapon Skills- Shield Skills-
Piercing Strike 0% Bash 0%
"System, how does the progress in the sub skills affect the progress of the main skill?"
[In order to improve the main skill to advanced, you must max out four sub skills. Four sub skills are all you are able to have with intermediate proficiency.]
"So, I need two more skills unlocked. I get skill points with level up and quests. How will I know when I get a quest?"
[It will be in your quest menu.]
"Hhhmmmm, I don't have a quest menu."
[It has not yet been unlocked. You must first complete this dungeon to gain access to the quest menu.]
"How many more menus will I get when I complete this dungeon?"
[I am unable to give you that information at this time.]
"Of course. Do I get any skill points for the levels I've already gained?"
[You will receive all accumulated skill points after this dungeon has been completed.]
Zane shook his head. Everything was pushing him to complete this dungeon. Luckily, he only had one more floor to go. The two skills that he got with this upgrade would come in handy and clearing out the next floor. It was sure to be the hardest floor of the dungeon. He looked at each of the sub-skills he had.
Piercing Strike
Next attack has +2 piercing and +50% damage. Cost: 30 mana Cooldown: 10 seconds
Bash
Shield required. Bash opponent with your shield, stunning them for 2 seconds and dealing 25% more damage. Cost: 25 mana Cooldown: 8 Seconds
Zane was sure that piercing strike would be very handy. He was sure that he would encounter a few regular knights in the main areas of the level and their heavy armor would be tough to get through without the skill.
"System, my parkour ability is at an intermediate level. Why doesn't it have any sub skills?"
[Not all abilities require sub skills. The weapon training skill encompasses many different types of weapons. Separating them into sub skills helps those who wish to concentrate on one weapon in particular without having to Wade through the abilities of other weapons.]
"I find it hard to believe that there are no sub skills for the parkour skill. There are many things about parkour that could be separated into subcategories."
[There is also that the factor that the parkour skill is not native to this world. That skill was brought from your world by you and therefore, no one has been able to experiment and create the sub skills necessary.]
"Interesting. Are you saying that I will be able to create sub skills for my parkouring?"
[I would say that there is a good chance of that.]
"That would be awesome. I'd be able to choose awesome names for them as well. Some of the names I see around are lacking. Would that mean that I might be able to do that with the Summon the Truck-kun skill?"
[There is a strong possibility of that.]
He stared at the menus for a few minutes more before closing them. "I can't do a lot until I complete this dungeon. That needs to be my main focus right now."
Zane grabbed his bag and the cat, moving down to the next level, stopping to rest at the fountain.