Ugh.
I feel like I've made a terrible mistake.
Who knows what kind of traps are lurking in these absurd Skills?
Just picking them up shouldn't be enough to earn Titles — that's gotta be wrong no matter how you look at it.
And one of those Titles is obviously dangerous.
The Taboo one looks like it's gonna get nasty as my Level goes up, too.
Hmm.
The fact that there's no immediately obvious downside is what makes it scary, honestly.
The Taboo hasn't had any effect so far, and Pride hasn't done anything yet either.
I just hope I don't end up slowly strangled without even realizing it.
Well, on the flip side, it's not like anything's going to happen right away.
There's nothing I can do about it anyway, so I'll just panic when the time comes — if I even have the composure to panic then...
For now, I'll save my remaining Skill Points.
I learned an amazing magic and I'd love to try it out, but I feel like I can't make progress unless I do something about Detection first.
I'll probably need Magic Power Operation as well, which means I'd need two Skills — one to handle Detection and Magic Power Operation.
With only 100 points left, I can only afford one.
I'll hold off for now and wait until I hit 200 points.
Anyway, I've finished off the monkeys, so there's no reason to stay here.
Time to move on.
I started moving along the wall again.
...It's quiet, though.
Normally I'd be able to hear the sounds of Monsters from a distance, but right now there's barely anything.
No Monsters in sight either. This level of silence is rare.
Is this because of the monkeys?
Well, when a massive horde like that migrates, the other Monsters would flee. That's probably it.
「Proficiency has reached a set value. Acquired Skill『Prediction LV1』」
Hm?
Skill acquired?
Let's see.
「Prediction: When making predictions, applies a positive correction to thinking ability.」
Huh.
Well, it's not a bad Skill to have, though it's also fine without one.
The key point is that it doesn't actually let you know results or answers.
It just speeds up your thinking a little, and it only works in limited situations.
Actually, this was on the list of Skills available for 100 Points.
It costs the same as Pride... Yeah, that's definitely weird.
But seriously, there really isn't a single Monster around.
I don't feel any danger, and it doesn't seem like some nasty creature is roaming around scaring the others off, either.
I strain my eyes and scan the surroundings, but there's nothing.
「Proficiency has reached a set value. Acquired Skill『Vision Enhancement LV1』」
Oh?
Another Skill acquired?
Let's see.
「Vision Enhancement: Enhances vision.」
Well, that's exactly what it says on the tin!
Yeah, figures.
But it's not really needed... My spider eyes seem to be pretty good already.
In my previous life, I was so nearsighted I couldn't survive without glasses, but now I can see clearly over great distances.
Come to think of it, this Skill was also on the 100-Point list.
Oh right — there were similar Skills that enhance the other senses too.
If the condition for getting Vision Enhancement was "straining my eyes," maybe I'd rack up Proficiency on the others if I focused on each sense deliberately?
Time to give it a try.
First up — the ears.
What are a spider's ears even like?
Even I don't know.
「Proficiency has reached a set value. Acquired Skill『Hearing Enhancement LV1』」
Got exactly the Skill I was aiming for.
Alright, let's try the rest.
「Proficiency has reached a set value. Acquired Skill『Smell Enhancement LV1』」
「Proficiency has reached a set value. Acquired Skill『Touch Enhancement LV1』」
I'll do taste next time I eat something.
Still, Skills are this easy to get, huh?
My spider senses really are exceptional, so I've never had to consciously focus on them before.
Maybe I do need to concentrate deliberately in order to build up Proficiency?
Otherwise I'd have gotten these ages ago.
「Proficiency has reached a set value. Skill『Prediction LV1』has become『Prediction LV2』」
That was fast!?
I just got it moments ago!
How is it already Leveling up?
Well, whatever.
Leveling up is nothing but good news.
「Proficiency has reached a set value. Acquired Skill『Parallel Thinking LV1』」
What, another one!?
And this is exactly the Skill I was thinking could help with Detection!
「Parallel Thinking: Enables simultaneous thought on multiple subjects.」
I think the reason I can't use Detection properly is that the sheer flood of information overwhelms my ability to process it.
So I figured I needed a Skill to assist my thinking.
And Parallel Thinking is one such Skill.
Nice!
But why did I get it?
I wasn't exactly thinking about multiple things at once...
Oh — it must be Appraisal.
I keep Appraisal running constantly.
Appraisal results for everything around me are perpetually streaming into my mind.
I've gotten so used to ignoring it that I barely notice it anymore, but you could say that counts as processing multiple things simultaneously.
There's no other explanation, so that's probably it.
But still — isn't this getting ridiculous?
I've picked up way too many Skills.
It doesn't matter how you slice it — suddenly gaining Skills left and right like this is abnormal, right?
Well, I know the reason.
Pride.
It massively increases the Proficiency you can earn.
Yeah.
That's it.
Actually, is the Proficiency boost ridiculously high?
I don't have exact numbers, so I can't say for certain, but it sure seems like a huge increase.
「Proficiency has reached a set value. Skill『Prediction LV2』has become『Prediction LV3』」
See?