"Munching Result! Farming skill increased!"
I ate bandits, so why...? Well, I suppose it wasn't strange for bandits to have a side gig as farmers. Even I worked as both an adventurer and an alchemist.
"Uo, uo, uo... Gaining skills by devouring people... You really are a pure panic-horror monster, dao. The kind that adapts and becomes a total nightmare to face, dao~"
"Hey, don't flatter me while saying such scandalous things. I'm starting to blush."
"Predation is such a great skill, uo~"
Even if it went up, it was only by a minuscule amount. It wasn't exactly a game-breaking skill. It had leveled up significantly during the Research Institute mission, but that was mostly because I was still in the early stages of development.
Think of it like this: if eating something allowed you to learn your multiplication tables, eating ten more wouldn't teach you anything beyond that.
Similarly, duplicate techniques were a waste of effort; there was almost no growth. Besides, using the Predation skill didn't mean I'd automatically inherit every single skill the target possessed.
It just provided a small boost of experience. In terms of sheer efficiency, training manually was far superior to going on a cannibalistic rampage.
That said, it wasn't just an early-game crutch. Because of its restorative properties, it was undeniably a top-tier utility skill that remained useful well into the mid-game and beyond.
Munch, heal! Still ready to rumble! That was the standard rotation.
"I definitely couldn't let my girl learn that, uo. Not a chance. Maybe a new character, but not her."
"It's a great skill to have starting out, but eating humans is a bit much unless you're a Slime or something. Visually speaking, I mean."
"Wouldn't it be fine if she just ate monsters, ssu?"
"Monsters don't usually have decent skills, do they, uo? If any of them have techniques, it'd be high-ranking Goblins or Red Caps... but those are just more humanoid monsters I'd hesitate to eat, uo."
Either way, the visual was pure ghoul. Straight out of a horror flick.
Come to think of it, I hadn't really tried eating those types of monsters yet. I'd have to track some down and give it a shot.
With the bandits' corpses dealt with, it was time to move on.
Once again, Miti-chan took her place on the driver's seat while the rest of us climbed into the back. We set off as if the ambush had never even happened.
"I wonder how much longer until we get there..."
"Isn't there a scene skip yet, uo? I'm getting tired of this bumpy carriage, uo."
"Well, let's just take it slow, ssu. Oh, I'm going AFK for a bit, ssu."
Penpen logged out, leaving Gin-chan behind.
"I think I'll go take care of some real-world chores, too. Time for a bath."
"Oh, then me too~ Alto-chan, I'm leaving you in charge if we get hit, dao~ If you see any cute girls, make sure to capture them."
We switched to Auto Mode and logged out.
Being able to rely on Auto Mode for ambushes was incredibly convenient. Though, it would still be terrifying if a boss-level enemy showed up while we were gone!
＊ ＊ ＊
I deactivated VR Mode and hopped in the shower.
While drying my hair, I picked up my phone to jump back in—but before that, I decided to check my email. I opened the mailer for my personal account, which usually stayed untouched.
It was mostly just promotional mail or credit card notifications, so I only checked it a few times a month, but...
"Hmm? What's this? An email from an unknown address... My work stuff is supposed to be forwarded to a different account..."
I thought it might be spam, but the subject line caught my eye: "From Kite a Lise Management."
Right, I’d used this address when I purchased the game. The sender's address was definitely the official one.
The email had arrived yesterday.
I opened it up to find a thank-you message for playing, followed by a serial code for a bonus item.
"Bonus item... 'Restriction Release Code_v1.0'? What kind of restriction is it supposed to release?"
More to the point, what kind of reward is just another code? The email didn't explain a single thing.
I wondered if anyone else had received this, so I checked the Wiki. I didn't expect much, though.
Given how the VR Display function worked, there was a high chance this was another "perk that can't be discussed online." I'd be lucky to find even a mention of other people getting it.
Still, if others were receiving it and posting safely after using it, it probably wasn't anything harmful. I could afford to wait and see before redeeming it.
"Oh, there it is."
It seemed like the code was being sent to a select group of players. As expected, nobody wrote down the details of what it actually did. However, every post recommended it, saying, "You'll understand once you use it."
Yeah. It had to be something incredible that couldn't be talked about, just like the VR Display.
I'd check if Alto and Penpen got theirs, then I'd give it a try.
Wait... could "Restriction Release" mean an Ethics Code Release? If it did, things were definitely about to get wild. It would explain why no one could talk about it on the Wiki.
Now I'm getting fired up...!