.........I'm bored.

Also, I'm on the Dungeon's 3rd floor, having escaped the roach-infested tunnel/pipe floor below a good while ago.

This floor's an open area such as the 9th and 7th floors, but most of the space is used up by large rivers which are connected to big pools of water. Some of the pools seem to be connected to the rivers through underground channels. And some massive trees are growing up from the middle of these pools. Plus the standard selection of strange-tasting plants and veggies. I even found a pumpkin-looking one that tastes like shrimps!

If there's something I gotta point out, then it's that these trees seem to work like water filtering plant, pun not intended. Some rivers that lead to the pools have dirtier water compared to the rivers that go out of them, and even the Kigal-Note is saying those trees have cleansing powers, so I think I'm not wrong here.

As for me, I've made a base here on this floor. Just a sweet spider apartment on a big ledge on one of the walls, just high enough to escape the attention (and jaws) of the monsters lurking in the neighborhood.

When you throw in the tropical-looking filter trees and if I could have a fancy drink with a slice of pineapple and a parasol in it, it would be like living in a resort! Without any internet, I doubt I could call it such even if I did have that drink.

As for the monsters here, there are only those rats and frogs from the floor below, plus some blue, raptor-looking dinosaurs. The Kigal-Note didn't have any info about them, so they must be similar to the tortoises and snakes from the 9th floor, as well as those blue spiders I saw on the 4th floor. The guys who flushed themselves away by crushing the wall I weakened, remember?

Anyway, this place is FANTASTIC for me to live in. Temporarily. I still wanna get outta here.

And for why this place's so great, it's because none of the creatures here are trying to kill me! The dinos don't seem to be that hungry for demon flesh, or it's simply that I'm too good at hiding from them. The rats get scared the second I release some [Aura of Darkness] as intimidation. And the frogs? They're too busy trying to get those strange fruits from the trees. I tried one. It tasted like the inside of a vacuum cleaner. Crazy amphibians...

Long story short, I got the perfect environment for training Scout-related skills! The dinos are making lots of tracks that I can follow..., from a safe distance. The place's so dark that [Nightvision] gets a good exercise, and so on. I've already passed Lv.40 with the class during these days...I think.

And by that, I mean: being inside these caves all day and night long is messing with my sense of time. I don't know if I've been in here for days, for weeks, or even months. It's at least not years...I hope.

The new skills I've gotten from Scout are [Ambush], but I've not been in any, so its effects haven't been proven yet. Then there's [Camoflage]. It may have helped me escape the eyes of the dinos. And [Vital Point Knowledge] is in the same boat as [Ambush]. Haven't used it yet.

So yeah, I'm soon ready to start some killing. The second I graduate from the Scout class. I wonder what K-N's got planned for me? Maybe something cool and dangerous like an assassin or a ninja? If it's a girl scout, then I'm gonna drown that book until its pages get turned to mush.

...did I just hear a "squeak"?

Uh-oh. Turns out the rats I've been scaring off have banded together and formed a mob. Right below my nest. Greeaaaat..., aura-time!

And just like that, accompanied with a "squeak" that's most likely rat-ish for "retreat!!!!", the mob of rat mobs fled for the hills..., or, if there were hills down here. You get what I mean.

SYSTEM MESSAGE:

You have acquired the title: [Fearbringer].

Acquired skill: [Fear Reinforcement Lv.1].

You have acquired the title: [Darkness Technique User].

Acquired skill: [Lesser Darkness Element Lv.1].

Acquired skill: [Darkness Resistance Lv.1].

Karma Value has fallen.

HEY!! There's no need to be calling names! And my Karma dropped again... Let's switch gears. What are these titles anyway?

I grabbed the Kigal-Note from my shadow and looked into the two titles. These are my results:

Title: Fearbringer Acquisition condition: Inflict a certain amount of Fear-ailment on various targets. Effects: Slightly increases the duration of the Fear ailment on other targets. Rewards: [Fear Reinforcement Lv.1] Description:

A title granted to those who put fear into anyone. A proper boogeyman's most common title.

Title: Darkness Technique User Acquisition condition: Have 3 different skills of the Darkness attribute at Lv.10 or higher at the same time. Effects: Improves usage of Darkness attribute abilities. Reduces the cost for Darkness attribute abilities. Rewards: [Lesser Darkness Element Lv.1] [Darkness Resistance Lv.1] Description:

One of the "Technique User" titles, is a set of titles that are crucial to own for any creature on Terra Sol with self-respect.

Out of the three possible "Technique User"-titles you could have obtained..., why did you choose the one related to the worst goddess of them all!? You madman!!

...okaaaaay? Now the titles are being mean to me. That's new. Hey, K-N? Mind explaining about this?

Question. Just what do you refer to as "this"?

All of it! But start with this "Technique User"-title talk.

Affirmative. The "Technique User"-titles are a set of titles one obtains when reaching certain stages with skills related to one of the attributes recorded into the World System.

Meaning, there's 1 title for each attribute?

Affirmative. Every title grants an element skill that passively improves the growth of any abilities related to the corresponding attribute, and a resistance-type skill that grants extra resistance points to the skill's corresponding attribute.

And the title itself boosts those same abilities even further... What are these "resistance points"? Are they different from the RES stat?

Correct. Resistance points are referring to how well an individual can resist the various attribute in the World System. These values are connected to the RES stat, but the resistance-type skills will further improve these individual attribute values.

Oh, okay. Good to know I'm better against Darkness then. Even if I'm not sure if many will take an attribute that comes with such a rude title...

Continuation. It is wise to decide what combination of "Technique User"-titles owner Garami should invest in beforehand.

They're that important? Sure, if what the Darkness title says, I guess you can only take three of these titles, but I still don't see the need...

Answer. "Technique User"-titles unlock resistance-type skills to attributes related to the title. In addition, racial evolutions and classes are also greatly influenced by these titles. Finally, the "Technique User"-titles improve all skills of the corresponding attribute, including reinforcement-type skills.

Oh...ooooh. Now I get it. It's essentially impossible for an attribute you don't have a "Technique User"-title to overperform an attribute that does have one. Everything's getting a free boost from the title itself. Even the other enhancements.

Correct.

Now I'm on the notes. And the "related attributes"? What are those skills?

Answer. The resistance-type attributes unlocked are based on the attribute of the "Technique User"-title.

A primary attribute title will grant resistance-type skills to composition attributes that include the primary attribute.

A composition attribute title will unlock resistance-type skills of primary attributes that make up the composition attribute. Do note that there exist no resistance-type skills for the Order- and Chaos attributes, as there are no normal skills of these attributes.

Huh. If most evil stuff is in the world includes the Darkness attribute (I'm only guessing based on the goddess of the stuff), then I could potentially resist all of that stuff?

Correct. Yet incorrect. Owner Garami is not the type that can withstand attacks to improve her resistance-type skills.

Ouch. That's right, you gotta take damage to improve the skills that reduce damage. What a catch-22. Guess I should rely on dodging attacks..., or simply not get into fights from the start. In any case, I'm not in a need to think "resistance" when picking out my attributes.

And because of that, I've already decided. In addition to the Poison attribute that K-N suggested, I'll also go with the Light attribute. The reason for the latter is sorta a secret, or perhaps a small glimmer of hope regarding a certain something, but being able to shoot laser bullets or something similar would be damn awesome even if my idea turns out wrong.

Besides, I've read that rarer attributes like Magma and Gravity come with certain risks. Getting their element skills could give certain side-effects if you're not compatible with them. Like, you could end up suddenly combusting or getting crushed to mush because your weight got multiplied when you got the Gravity element skill. You need an inborn talent for those, or else you're as good as dead.

...that's what K-N told me when I asked about the different attributes before. Damn...

As part of a celebration for having set out my course in life (sorta), I went down from my nest and looked for some of the sweet-tasting fruits I once discovered. They're a rare breed that all the monsters here love, so...found them!

Hehehe~. Lady Luck's loving me today~. Not that I shouldn't be careless. I've stayed on this floor for...quite a while now. Maybe I should start thinking of moving onward?

...let's evolve my class first. Just to be safe-

SYSTEM MESSAGE:

Main Class: Scout has reached Lv.50.

You have earned 0.1 Aether Points.

Due to "Champion of Alvatria", an additional 0.1 Aether Points were earned.

Through reaching Lv.50 in the Scout class, you have acquired the skill: [Detect Monster Lv.1].

It is now possible to evolve the Scout class.

HEY! Who timed that message!? Tch. A promise is a promise.

After taking some fruit back to my nest, I had K-N show me its recommended classes I could evolve Scout into... Hey! I can't take either of these! They ask for way more stats than I have!

Correction. The evolution of beginner-tier classes negates the status-related requirements for obtaining the intermediate-tier classes.

Problem solved! Or should I say "negated"?

In any case, I returned to looking at the two suggestions that K-N gave me. Hmm..., both are good. The first one is nice since it's not reliant on a specific style, but the other feels like it's better in what it does due to its specialization. Also, #2 looks sorta cool.

Decisions, decisions..., not that I need to hurry or anything~. What could go wrong? A bunch of adventurers coming here on a monster/demon hunt? Hah!

---

Meanwhile, at the Adventurers' Union hall in the city of Velantas, a distance away from the Water-Knot of Glavars:

"Hello, gang. I've got our new assignment ready. We're taking a look at the Forgotten Mountain." - Swordsman

"The Forgotten Mountain? The one supposed to be the source of the drought?" - Hobgoblin

"Yup, that one." - Swordsman

"......it's supposedly nothing there..." - Orc

"Terd is right. Many people, even the gods, have tried to look at the Forgotten Mountain, but with no results." - Priestess

"That is correct. In addition, there is this strange, mirage-like abnormality there that could disrupt our search, if not kill us if monsters are hiding inside it. " - Elf

"You're all right, but relax. I'm not aiming to be the hero that stopped the drought, and the quest isn't even about that." - Swordsman

"It's not?" - Elf

"Not at all. We're just supposed to look for treasures that could have been unearthed due to the drought in that area. The Union's been doing that all over the region while looking into the drought, and they want someone to take another look by the Mountain to be extra sure. And we're getting a bonus for any valuables we return with!" - Swordsman

"That's awesome! Good job wrestling yourself to that quest, leader!" - Hobgoblin

"Thank you, thank you." - Swordsman

"Will it be enough with just the five of us?" - Elf

"Probably not. It's a dangerous region over there. That is why I've gotten a supporter to help us this time around. And believe me, she's a godsend." - Swordsman

"How 'godly' is this person?" - Priestess

"Just the best swordswoman you could find from the demon country!" - Swordsman

"...oh, from Solomar." - Hobgoblin

"They are one of the leading countries when it comes to educating their warriors..., when you ignore Avalar." - Elf

"Please do not talk about those people." - Priestess

"You heard the lady. Now, pack your stuff. We've got a long journey ahead of us." - Swordsman

"Relax, we've got lots of time. What's the worst thing that could happen? Some monster taking care of all the monsters living there or something? Hah!" - Hobgoblin