When I chose <Enhanced Recovery>.
I spent 550 Skill Points to raise it to Level 3. Since it accelerated my natural healing, it made me more resilient in a war of attrition. However, it was ultimately meaningless against the Puppeteer; against an opponent that could kill me in a single blow, faster recovery changed nothing.
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When I chose <Stealth>.
I was able to raise this skill to Level 3 by spending another 550 Skill Points. It made the trek through the dungeon much easier, as I could move without being detected by the monsters along the way. However, Holy Knight Kanaria saw right through it as if I weren't hiding at all. It was another dead end.
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When I chose <Physical Enhancement>.
I paid 220 Skill Points to reach Level 3. Unlike the previous skills, this one was remarkably cheap. I suspect that the lower the rarity of the skill, the fewer Skill Points are required to Level Up.
"Huh. This is surprisingly easy to fight with."
The observation struck me while I was clearing out the monsters in my path. When I had used <Acceleration>, I could defeat enemies with bursts of speed, but the drain on my Vitality was so intense that I couldn't use it repeatedly.
In contrast, <Physical Enhancement> seemed to provide a balanced boost to all my physical abilities across the board. It made combat feel incredibly fluid. I still lost to Holy Knight Kanaria in the end, but discovering how effective this enhancement was turned out to be a significant gain.
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When I chose <Strength Enhancement>.
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Synthesis conditions have been met.
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The moment I selected <Strength Enhancement> in front of the Treasure Chest, an unexpected message flashed before my eyes, catching me off guard.
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<Swordsmanship> + <Strength> ▶ <Swordsman>
Skill Points required for Synthesis: 610 points
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As I stared at the prompt, I finally understood the purpose of Synthesis. It allowed me to fuse two skills into one.
What were the advantages? For one, since a person is limited to holding a maximum of five skills, synthesis would allow me to free up slots for new abilities. There didn't seem to be any downsides, so I decided to give it a try. I immediately paid the required points and acquired the new skill, <Swordsman>.
"Wait... the difference is night and day."
That was the sensation I felt when I tested the skill against the Bugbears. Compared to every other skill I had experimented with, combat felt overwhelmingly smoother. It was as if my base <Swordsmanship> had received a massive, permanent power-up.
I still lost to Holy Knight Kanaria afterward, though.
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When I chose <Endurance Enhancement>.
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Synthesis conditions have been met.
<Swordsmanship> + <Provocation> + <Endurance> ▶ <Knight>
Skill Points required for Synthesis: 1010 points
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It seemed that choosing <Endurance Enhancement> resulted in a different synthesis called <Knight>. It sounded more powerful than <Swordsman>, and I thought it might be the optimal solution I was looking for.
"Wait... this is much harder to use than I expected."
The feeling hit me as I faced the Bugbears. I paused to analyze why and quickly arrived at the answer. My movements were sluggish.
The archetype of a Knight was someone clad in heavy full-body armor, which naturally suggested a cumbersome way of moving. Even though I wasn't wearing any actual armor, my body felt strangely heavy. My entire combat style revolved around agility and evading enemy attacks, mostly because I lacked any defense and a single hit was usually fatal.
The <Knight> skill forced me into a fighting style that was the polar opposite of my strengths. It wasn't that the skill was weak, but it was fundamentally ill-suited to me. Under those conditions, I stood no chance of winning; I lost to Holy Knight Kanaria as if it were a foregone conclusion.
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When I chose <Agility Enhancement>.
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Synthesis conditions have been met.
<Swordsmanship> + <Provocation> + <Agility Enhancement> ▶ <Thief>
Skill Points required for Synthesis: 1010 points
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Another synthesis. <Thief>, huh? It didn't sound particularly strong, but I was committed to the trial-and-error process. I fused the skills to obtain <Thief> and turned to face the swarm of Bugbears that emerged from the Treasure Chest.
The change was instantaneous.
The first major difference was that the <Sword of Raging Flames> felt heavy. The <Thief> class likely specialized in short-range weapons like daggers, meaning it had poor compatibility with a full-sized sword. However, while it restricted my movements slightly, it wasn't enough to make me incompetent.
The second change became clear the moment the Bugbears lunged at me.
"I can see everything."
I had never experienced anything like it. I could read the trajectories of the Bugbears' attacks and predict their next moves as if I were holding their lives in the palm of my hand. I slipped through their reaches with ease, driving my blade into their vitals with precision.
Before I knew it, I had cut down every last one of them.
"Yeah. This is the best lead I've had yet."
With this, I might finally have what it takes to kill Holy Knight Kanaria.