For me, climbing into the trees is a simple matter. I do not know why, but when I move around I feel as though everything is dust before my jumping skills. Nothing can catch me, or at least that is what I think.

I prepared for the apparent “S-Rank Threat” army to approach me. As I saw the cloud trail get larger and larger, I also noticed it slowing down. I am standing up in a random branch in the tree, getting ready to activate my [Concealment] skill.

When I catch a glimpse of the monster, I quickly and quietly turn conceal on.

According to my stats, I can keep it on for a total of 3 minutes and 43 seconds. However, if I do keep it on that long, I can use none other of my skills. I just hope they pass by.

Wait... are they… looking up at me??!! What the heck?! Is it possible that… I underestimated their abilities?!

“Hmm. It seems this human is capable of enacting optic camouflage. It’s a good thing we don’t use our eyes to see otherwise this would be a threat to us.”

The blue monster who spoke that looked to have a humanoid figure, but one eye was big, grotesque and looking towards some faraway distant galaxy. It’s little eye is staring straight at me while he lifts his hand. It’s hand is covered in scar wounds and his other is tucked behind his back.

What is really creepy though is all of the monsters in front of me have black empty eye sockets and white flickering small eye flames. You can tell just by their posture they are extremely intelligent, unlike the monsters that attacked before.

After he said what he said, I immediately cancelled my camouflage to preserve my remaining MP.

“When I sensed you earlier from deep in the forest I saw an ominously miniscule power approaching. However, the miniscule power is also completely stable, giving me the impression as though our reading methods are completely inaccurate. I can tell that it is you, so jump down here and fight us already. That is what you want, right? I can’t tell how powerful you are from up in that tree.” Said the monster in front.

As he said that, I jumped down. While in free-fall, I had to adjust my plans one more time. I had just over 20,000 MP left.

“I can sense the power I need to defeat these guys. It’s a faint signal, but I can see it clearly in the skill of the monster in the front.” I say while falling.

“[Redescription Stage 1: Unlock Skill Mastery!!]” Immediately after that, an announcement showed up.

“[Redescription Stage 1 is about to be unlocked. This will consume 10,000 MP. Once the action is complete, your body will be upgraded to the first stage in combat mastery, known as “Skill Mastery.” Feel free to feel out your abilities once it is unlocked.]” It states.

Then, a log popped up showing me something important.

Log of Caal - Year ??? Day ???, Page 1/1 Marked “Skill Mastery”

Skill mastery, is it? What is this strange new ability?

Well, after some experimentation, Skill Mastery arts gives you several advantages that most species on this planet do not have. To acquire this stage, you require not only the appropriate mutation levels but also a glimpse of another power of equivalent value.

This ridiculously overpowered racial unique skill is capable of allowing free-flowing movement on the battlefield, ignoring many laws of physics in the process.

I heard upon further research that you need to be at least a C-Rank mutation to achieve this stage. On par with beings like the demon king and more rare top-tier creatures on this planet.

To use it…

As it rattled on, I deemed the rest irrelevant as I already felt I could easily make it work.

Well, it is fine. I am sure I can figure it out. It is not like I had time to read most of it anyways.

Once my fall was almost at its limit, I searched for a way to activate it, then came across a blue light that appeared at my landing spot. What is this?

I imagine it moving behind the enemies almost out of instinct and an arc is drawn into the air, looking as though it bounces multiple times off of the ground. Once the light lands near the enemy, it abruptly stops bouncing and arcs on the ground completely around to it’s back.

What the heck?!

After my head approached the ground, my body abruptly flipped right-side up and my feet started glowing.

What the heck?!!!

I started following the glowing trail I made abruptly out of nowhere!! Yes, my feet are making the movements, I am not just floating in the air… But still!!

What in the actual heck???!!!! It is also going very quickly!!

“Wait… what the?!” The monster only had this much time to talk before I basically moved as fast as a speeding car, bouncing up and down following the light path. Once I landed near it, I stopped bouncing, and I too arced right around him, instinctually punching his neck from behind!!

“GAAHHH!!!” The monster tumbled forward while the others looked at me in panic.

Does this mean my Assassination skill will not be used?! This racial ability does not use any MP!! I might as well try it anyways since my MP is not low.

“[Assassination!!]” As I shout that, time seems to slow down. I walk forward, punching the other monsters in the stomach one by one.

I have no need for special technique as this one seems to slow time down for me. Of course, my body is also moving in slow motion, but I can easily dodge their high-velocity attacks if I try to predict them in slow motion.

I see a few monsters staring at me with especially bright flickering blue eyes.

“Hmm. [Assassination], huh? Coupled with a colossal increase in power just now, it seems this monster isn’t human.”

How is it reading my abilities?! Am I not the only one who can see the status screen?

Is it possible that they have some appraisal, but can only feel the names?? How weak of an ability is that?!

“[Analytical Appraisal]” I state.

“NGhh…” The monster shrieks.

Spoiler

Name: N/A

Race: Protector [D] Level: ?? (??%)

Jobs / Titles:

• Prestige Reader (ΘΘ)
• Mantis Claws (Θ)
• Knight (Θ)
• Pillar’s Might (ΘΘΘΘΘΘΘΘΘΘ)

HP: 227 / 227            MP: 521,000 / 521,000 (+1,250)

Racial Unique Skills: Deciphering Eyes (ΘΘ)

Skills (2):

• Slice (Θ)
• Devour (ΘΘ)
• Read Prestige (ΘΘ)

[collapse]

Huh? My Analytical Appraisal is not telling me anything passed the uniqueness levels of the abilities? Could it be… the “Pillar’s Might” job?

Strange. I wonder what Prestige is?

At first, “[Analytical Appraisal. Appraise “Pillar’s Might”.]” I thought to myself.

“[Appraisal Failed.]”

AGAIN?!

For the love of…

“[Appraisal Inspect Error.]”

Appraisal Log

16:21:59.889 - Appraisal Started using skill “Analytical Appraisal”...

16:21:59.889 - Symbology analyzed.

16:21:59.975 - ERROR: Symbols unexpectedly simple. Appears to be concealed. The only information obtainable appears to be the outer ring of the magic, further inspection seems blocked by outside interference.

16:22:00.010 - ERROR: Unknown spell structure found. Intelligence incapable of analyzing further.

16:22:00.010 - Appraisal Failed.

16:22:00.015 - Estimated cause of error: Magic in vicinity blocked by cluster of cancelling magic waves going by the name of “Pillar’s Might.” Host failed to negate, uniqueness of skill is equivalent to counteracting ability.

WHAT?! Do other beings of this world have the same level of powers I do?! This is really worrying.

“What the heck are you doing looking away from your target?” The monster I knocked down got up again and quickly assaulted my back. I landed on the floor after being mercilessly knocked down.

“I will make you pay for your recklessness.” Another monster from the group came up to me and its hand started to glow red. However, this monster did not seem to be a Monk, as the power was flowing from its eyes.

“I have no idea how you suddenly changed your powers like that, but I will surely make you regret messing with us today.” Said the leading monster once again.

As it spoke that, the monster quickly activated the first stage ability “Skill Mastery.”

“It appears you can use Skill Mastery as well. It’s not a problem. You having the ability is of no concern to me. You cannot see my other stages of mastery so your skill cannot improve further.”

Huh? There are more stages?

As soon as I asked that, “Of course there are. In fact, Skill Mastery is the weakest mastery, you just caught me off guard.” Said the leading monster.

Then it continued, “Well, it seems it is time to get serious. [Activate Stage 2: Ability Release!!]”

Heh? Another mastery that goes by that name? I wonder what it-

All of a sudden, the power around the leading monster starts to visibly flare a shade of white. All of the monsters had a race called Protector [D], however this monster’s race name changed to True Protector [B] right after.

A B-rank species? I wonder how powerful it-

I immediately get sent flying in the air by a kick upwards to my chin. Gahh! It hurts!!

I check my health… HP: 2,330 / 2,330… Uhhh… is my health meant to stay the same? I am definitely hurting.

“Why is my health remaining static on the status screen?” I silently spoke.

I saw one of the monsters turn to the side and whisper into the ear of the leader.

It prepared to launch of the floor once again, then jumped and matched my velocity in the air.

“Your status screen? What’s a screen?” Said the leader.

“Uhh… Were you able to hear me?” I asked.

“No. My subordinate has super hearing. I was relayed what you said.”

Then we landed on the floor once again. I smashed into the floor, but the leader stayed stood up, simply making cracks in the grass dirt.

From what I can tell, my status screen has been pretty unreliable as of late. The abilities I got from it are also equally unreliable. I am able to inspect errors as well as modify the spell structure and combine spells, but none of that is noted in my Skills section.

It is absolutely strange that I have not noticed this up until now, but as I was used to programming in my previous life I suppose it just never occured to me that these abilities were not on my status screen.

Now I wonder, what does it mean? Could it be that my status screen is just interpreting things as I see it? That is a scary proposition. That means my HP and MP are completely subjective as well as all of the information I have received thus far.

Just how much of it is deception? When I ended up combining abilities, I did not use my Redescription ability or sacrifice my hair for it.

Could it be that my programming abilities are mutually exclusive to my adventuring abilities?

Might as well try.

“[Open spell developer tools.]” I try to cast.

…

“Uhm… [Open spell developer tools… please?]” Why is it not working? Can I only change abilities subconsciously?

“Why do you keep blathering on about tools and screens? Did you not come to fight me?” Said the leader, confused and tilting its head.

“I did I did, I’m just going through a crisis here about my abilities not being entirely accurate.” I said, without hesitation.

“Are you mocking me?!” It said, then approaching me and punching me more times.

I noticed that I do not bleed. I noticed that punches hurt but do not ultimately decrease my HP. Nothing is listed on my Skills list to help me decipher this conundrum. Why is this happening to me?

“Alright, let’s try doing something completely impossible. I don’t even know its name, but I will try it anyways. [Unlock Stage 3.]” I said.

Radio silence.

“Didn’t it work when you unlocked Skill Mastery before? Why doesn’t it work this time?” Said the monster, confused.

This is a really awkward scene. We are supposed to be fighting but it seems the monster lost all interest. Could it be that I do not need to worry about them attacking me much more? Are they bored of using me as a punching bag?

“Hmm… I can only attack somebody so much before I get bored. If you don’t have the purpose of attacking the pillar, I will be on my way.” Said the leader.

It turned around, and walked away.

As it got a little bit of distance from me, I noticed that I started to glow.

Huh? No notifications or anything this time? Why is it that this time it does not tell me any information about what is going on?

As I started to glow more and more, the leader and all the monsters turned around, with a look of horror in their faces.

“Wha- What the heck did you do?!” Said the panic-stricken monster.

It was slowly backing away from me as though it has seen a ghost. Is this glowing effective on them? I suppose I should try to use it.

“Uhh… [Activate Stage 3.]” I tried to state once more but in another wording.

“[Ignoring MP cost. Force-acquiring Stage 3: Skill Absorption. Skill Absorption stage allows the user to manage which skills any living creature has. Stage only works while active, and only works on creatures without an equivalent or higher stage of mastery.]”

“[Ignoring MP limitations. MP fully restored through unknown power.]”

I think I have nearly hit my limit of reactions to unpredictable changes in the atmosphere.

I need to double-take once again. Some malevolent power is now proactively not only preventing damage (interfering with the fight,) but also starting procedures to heal my mental state all on its own.

“[Restarting Seque-]” After the voice spoke this, I lost all memory of its changes, and the monsters were the same.

“Huh? What am I doing here?” I asked.

The monsters then all collectively gasped.

“L- Lord?!” Spoke the leader of the monsters.

“Who are you?” I ask.

All of the monsters got on their knees and kneeled.

“I welcome you to the domain of One, my lord. It has been over five hundred centuries since your last visit. With all due respect, how have you come back so suddenly?” Asked the leader once again, looking down.

With all of the monsters kneeling down in front of me, I felt a sense of nostalgia wash over me.

At this point, the test is of no consequence to me. All I can think of is why they decided to subordinate themselves to me.