’It really is a Skill Book...’
’This kid... he was holding out on me...’
A few seconds later, Lu Wei looked up, the wariness on his face completely gone, replaced by a brilliant smile.
"Thanks, bro!"
"Er... you’re welcome."
Across from him, Furen was taken aback. He felt like something wasn’t quite right.
’It felt like something was missing.’
’According to common etiquette, aren’t you supposed to politely refuse a gift before accepting it?’
’"I can’t accept this!"’
’"No, no, you must take it!"’
’"But it’s too valuable!"’
’"But we’re friends, and friendship is priceless!"’
’Yeah, stuff like that.’
’So why did Lu Wei just accept it directly?’
’I didn’t even get to say all the heartfelt things I had prepared...’
Staring at the little black booklet that had already changed hands, Furen felt a bit dejected.
But Lu Wei had no time to worry about Furen’s "user experience." He immediately asked with excitement:
"So, how do you use this thing?"
"Oh, first, try to see if you can open it to the first page."
Furen composed himself and explained earnestly, "Before a Skill Book can be used, it performs a default Attribute Test. If you can open it to the first page, it means you’ve passed the test."
"I remember the requirement for the Stealth test is that both Agility and Perception have to be at least 8."
"It’s a bit high, but it’s okay if you don’t meet it now. With some specialized training, if you’re quick, you should be able to do it in about a year or so, er..."
Suddenly, Furen’s voice trailed off.
Because before he could finish, Lu Wei had already opened the book’s cover.
’Huh?’
’He opened it?’
’His Agility and Perception are actually that high?’
His mouth agape, Furen’s expression became one of utter shock. He never imagined Lu Wei would be able to meet the test’s requirement.
After all, the Attributes of an Ordinary human male were typically around 5 points, with fluctuations generally not exceeding 1 point.
But having both Agility and Perception at 8 was the level of an experienced old Hunter, or even a professional killer.
But Lu Wei was clearly not a killer; he was just a freelance merchant whose career was just getting started.
’This doesn’t make much sense...’
Staring dumbfounded at Lu Wei, Furen murmured, "How were you able to open it..."
"I don’t know either. I guess it’s just Talent."
Tossing out a reason that made Furen’s heart ache, Lu Wei impatiently asked again:
"What’s next? What do I do now?"
"...*Sigh*. Next, you just have to read the book."
Furen took a deep breath and quietly replied, "As you read, the information will be poured into your mind, and the content you’ve read will disappear."
"Once you finish reading it all, you’ll gain proficiency in this skill."
"But that doesn’t mean you’ve mastered it. You’ll still need some practice afterward."
’Got it. It’s just like in a game.’
’You increase proficiency through study and repeated use, which in turn enhances the Skill Level.’
"Understood."
Lu Wei nodded, calmed himself slightly, and then looked down at the first page of the little booklet.
[True Stealth is not disappearing into the environment, but becoming the environment itself. —Lankri Ensi]
The first thing that caught his eye was what seemed to be the "author’s note"—a sentence that sounded incredibly profound but was, in reality, completely useless bullshit.
Following that was the extended "introduction."
[Many people think Stealth is about walking on tiptoes or stuffing your body into a dark corner. They squirm along the base of walls like maggots, thinking that’s enough to deceive others...]
[But in truth, Stealth is not about hiding, but about not existing...]
[Fear is your enemy, your breath is your instrument, your patience is your blade...]
[You must always remember, what you need to hide is not your body, but the very concept of your existence...]
[Alright, actually, I copied all that from a novel.]
[If it weren’t for the association’s requirements, I couldn’t be bothered to make this damn Skill Book.]
[If you ask me, Stealth is just not getting fucking seen!]
[So hurry up and turn the page, you idiot!]
Lu Wei: "..."
’Wait, who the hell are you calling an idiot??’
...
...
"How magical."
"Is this what it feels like to buy Einstein’s brain online..."
Half an hour later, Lu Wei sat on his bed. The Skill Book in his hands was now completely blank, and the pleasant sensation of a "brain massage" was gradually fading.
Unlike the memory fusion from when he transmigrated, the information transfer from the Skill Book was more like an "Enlightenment."
It was like the feeling of doing something many times and then suddenly having an epiphany about its true nature.
Normally, this kind of Enlightenment would naturally require countless repetitions as a foundation.
Take Furen’s [Jump Slash], for example; he had practiced for three years before he truly learned it.
But the Skill Book seemed to skip this "quantitative change" process and went straight to the "qualitative change."
’No wonder it’s so expensive.’
[Skills: Universal Skills—Stealth Level 0 (0/10)]
On the profession panel, the Skills section had changed.
However, its Level was surprisingly Level 0, meaning Lu Wei couldn’t use this skill reliably yet.
He would need some practical training next; he probably wouldn’t have truly mastered it until it reached Level 1.
[Stealth: Requires a certain preparation time to cast. After entering the Stealth state, consumes 1 point of Magic Power every ten minutes. Can greatly shield you from the Perception of all creatures within its effective range, as well as some sensory functions other than sight.]
[The Stealth state can be interrupted at any time. Re-entering Stealth within one minute waives the preparation time.]
[Environmental factors are closely related to the effectiveness of both "Perception Shielding" and "Sensory Shielding."]
[The Perception Attribute is closely related to the effectiveness of "Perception Shielding."]
[The Agility Attribute is closely related to the effectiveness of "Sensory Shielding."]
[Skill Level Enhancement can reduce preparation time, Magic Power Consumption, and improve the Stealth effect.]
After mastering a skill, you could view its details directly on the panel.
’It looked complicated, but it could be summed up in one sentence—’
’As long as you’re not seen, you basically won’t be detected.’
’So it’s not very effective in open spaces; I’ll need a lot of cover.’
’But if I’m only targeting one specific individual, it should be easy.’
’Like for assassinations and Theft.’
’Or for evading pursuit. It’d be good for escaping, too.’
A few minutes later, Lu Wei closed the panel and gave some serious thought to the uses of Stealth.
Although it didn’t seem terribly helpful to him at the moment, it never hurt to have another trick up his sleeve. It would surely come in handy in the future.
At the very least, it greatly increased his survivability in dangerous environments.
And so, it was time for the practical application.
"Hah!"
He took a deep breath and, following the techniques now etched into his mind, silently felt for the surrounding Magic Net. Then he guided it to produce a strange vibration, trying to bring the Magic Power fluctuations into perfect sync with the rhythm of his breathing... Dammit!
The corner of Lu Wei’s mouth twitched. His first attempt had, without a doubt, failed.
But this was a perfectly normal occurrence, so he wasn’t discouraged and quickly made a second attempt.
Then a third, a fourth, and a fifth.
"Hm?"
Suddenly, Lu Wei’s eyes lit up. He had successfully adjusted the Magic Power fluctuations to match the rhythm of his breathing.
Immediately after, he felt as if he had entered a miraculous state of "becoming one with the environment."
’Is this it?’
Standing up, Lu Wei looked around, unsure if he had actually succeeded.
But it wouldn’t be hard to verify.
He tiptoed out of the room, crossed the pitch-black living room, and arrived outside the open door of the small bedroom.
Seeing Furen lying on his back on the bed, staring blankly at the ceiling, Lu Wei was now certain he had succeeded.
After all, they were only two or three steps apart. If he wasn’t in a Stealth state, even an Ordinary person with a Perception of just 5 would have definitely noticed his presence.
’That was a lot easier than I thought.’
Feeling secretly pleased with himself, Lu Wei prepared to go back and practice a few more times, aiming to raise the skill to Level 1 tonight.
But just then, he suddenly heard Furen mutter to himself:
"Lu Wei is so amazing. He’s practically a natural-born Ranger."
"And he’s also kind, and incredibly smart..."
’Whoa...’
’So this is what it feels like to be praised behind your back?’
’It feels amazing!’
’But don’t feel too bad about yourself, bro!’
’After all, I’m basically a cheater. Compared to other people, you’re still pretty strong!’
Lu Wei was gloating internally. He immediately decided he would never take advantage of this landlord’s silly son again.
However, before the smile could fade from his lips, another sentence reached his ears—
"Compared to him, besides being more handsome, I’m completely useless..."
"..."
’Handsome my *&%￥#!!!’