Cane stared at the new words within the skill descriptions.
[Full Rank Divine Treasure Eyes]
Eyes which can determine the value of a selected object or living being with an IQ lower than 40, based on how brightly it glows. One may select up to 6 objects/living beings. Objects with a value of less than 10 points will not glow. Objects with a value of more than 360,000 points will not glow. If the object is further than 180 metres away, it will not glow.
Cane's eyes widened at the revelation. This upgrade... Firstly, it multiplied all the stats of his skill by 3. Second, it began to work on living beings??? Previously, Divine Treasure Eyes could only work on objects or body parts. But now, it could directly focus on an entire animal.
And the next one was also shocking.
[Full Rank Steal]
Creates a clone of the object or body part you wish to steal. You must be within 18 metres of your target to clone it. After cloning the object, you may - at any time or distance - swap the clone with the original, before dispelling the clone. You may Steal 6 objects/body parts simultaneously.
Cane immediately realised that this little "support" skill had suddenly become deadly. If I can steal body parts, then doesn't that mean I could steal someone's heart?
Cane's mouth salivated at the idea of killing with such ease. This upgrade opened so many opportunities, he could only laugh. Then, he stopped.
No, that's not right. An organ is invaluable to the person who has it... which means...
Cane sighed. It'll take a long time to Steal an organ.
Maybe when he became an Apprentice Warrior, he'd be able to Steal organs with greater ease. But for now, it'd only be useful for assassination, provided the target didn't leave Cane's range.
Cane didn't bother to check Innate Luck, since that particular skill never showed any differences between ranks. So, he went straight to his last skill, Hidden Strength.
[Full Rank Hidden Strength]
Pick up to 2 targets within 150 metres of your location. Whenever each target can't see you, your physique doubles for whichever target it is, giving you twice the strength, speed and durability than you normally would.
Unlike with the other skills, Hidden Strength didn't incorporate any new things into the mix. However, the number of targets Cane could choose had doubled. Furthermore, this could be a potential 4x multiplier!
Cane was already 2 times stronger than an Apprentice Warrior. If he picked one more target and blinded them, wouldn't that mean he could be 4 times stronger? That was as strong as a full rank Warrior!
Well of course, he couldn't very well go and blind someone in the eyes now. How terrible and inhumane and whatever. Plus, the current situation wasn't optimal for finding victims to blind.
He could do it later.
"Are you okay?" Jeremy walked up to Cane, staring at the crushed Poison-Skin in disbelief. In fact, everyone else stared in disbelief too. What had they just seen??
Obviously, he just ranked up. But what the f*ck is that strength??? How could he be twice as fast as an Apprentice Warrior? Is this guy even human? Jeremy's mind was racing with thoughts. He hid them as he continued to speak. "Your hand... do we need to get Susie to help heal it?"
Cane shrugged. "Nah, it's alright. Poison of this level can't hurt me anymore." He snapped his head up to the rest of the group. "Well guys! Why don't we get ourselves out of The Hunting Grounds, huh? It's been ages since I've had a proper shower."
Indeed, the fundamental to society. More than money, more than law & order. It was plumbing. Good plumbing was what society functioned off of. The other stuff? Decorations in a house.
Hearing his words, the others also remembered the... unpleasant state of their bodies. Cane jumped off the Poison-Skin's carcass, collecting some of the poison as he went. The group then went on their way to the edge of the invisible barrier, where Instructor Lucian was waiting for them.
"Who... WHO'S THIS?" Instructor Lucien immediately pulled out his sabre, activating a button which made it vibrate at high speeds.
"Wait, hold on!" Frytz spoke up to stop him. "This... this is Thief. He accidently made his way into The Hunting Grounds. He's a good person!"
Cassidy spoke up as well. "It's true. He taught us how to hunt monsters, and even helped us to hunt a rank 3 Water-Claw."
Hearing this, Instructor Lucian's face softened for a moment. He looked at Cane. "Do you have any identifications on you? I can let you through, but we'll need to record it on the system."
Cane shuffled awkwardly. "Well, that's the thing... I'm an orphan. Technically, I'm not a citizen within the Cities, because I missed the registration when I was born. I was wondering... since you guys are a Combat School you must be pretty high up, right? Could you guys maybe help me in getting a legal identity?"
Instructor Lucian was silent for a moment. Then, he stepped back, allowing the group through. "I'll talk to the higher ups and see what I can do. For now, you guys can pass through. I expect the head of the Water-Claw to be submitted to the Office, alongside a report of your experiences."
Cane and the others entered the passageway, traveling to the other side.
It was Cane's first steps into... the Inner City.
For real this time.
...
Umm... you do realise that we'll need to see your face if you want a legal identity, right? We'll help, but only if you take on the title of a student at our school."
That was the voice of the lady at the Office. In the Combat Schools' Office, they handled everything from mechanical salvage, student and teacher complaints, student registration, monster part salvage, and many other things. The only way they could help Cane was if they gave him a student ID, which would then be his legal identity until he could get something else.
Cane hesitated. Then, he lifted off his mask.
The others peered curiously. Despite himself, he'd found himself enjoying the time he spent with the 5. They could perhaps be called friends. And now, his friends were curious to see if he looked the way they thought he did.
Everyone stared in shock. Dark brown hair, olive skin, and deep, dark eyes. His face gave off a youthful and refreshing feel, much dissimilar to his previous attitude, which made him feel world-weary and experienced. He looked straightforward and innocent, though his eyes betrayed a glimpse of something else.
But no one noticed.
"Wow, you look so different to what I thought!" Gabriel muttered, utterly stunned.
"At this point, you might as well give us your name too, right?" Susie asked un curiosity. Everyone's eyes gleamed as they thought of the idea.
Cane pondered for a moment. "Well, my name is Cane. I don't have a last name, but that's neither here nor there."
The lady at the desk nodded. "Alright, then I'll put your name down as Cane. How do you spell it?"
Cane wasn't too keen on spelling. He thought for a few seconds. "C - A - N - E, I think."
"Alright then. Finally, since you don't have a surname, would you mind picking one?"
At this, Jeremy spoke up. He was impressed by Cane's actions when facing the Poison-Skin, and spoke with a hint of respect. "Why not choose Hunter? Considering that it's what you are."
Cane liked the idea. Cane... Hunter. "Alright then. My name will be... Cane Hunter!"
Cane Hunter. I think it fits.
"Hey Cane! It's your first time to the Inner Cities, yeah? Let us show you around!" Susie and Gabriel both grabbed and arm and pulled him out through the school gates, where Frytz, Cassidy and Jeremy were waiting.
Cane shrugged and smiled.
"Alright."
...
"Huff huff, pant." The Wanderer groaned as he finally found his way to the place where Cane had presumably dropped from. The moment he did, he noticed the invisible barrier.
"Hmm... an invisible barrier, eh? Sounds like Cane might be inside. After all, with Innate Luck, he'd definitely have great opportunities."
Wanderer decided to wander around the border of the barrier. As he continued to trace his way around the dome, he met eyes with Instructor Lucian, who was still on guard at the passageway between The Hunting Grounds and the Combat School.
Instructor Lucian immediately noticed the man's thuggish, suspicious look. He also noticed the crocodile-skin armour.
Armour is only worn when one expects battles. This guy is clearly suspicious - no need to talk it out. With this decided in Instructor Lucian's mind, he unsheathed his sabre and turned on the vibration mode.
He also activated his ability.
"Photon Beam!" A ray of light struck The Wanderer in the face, sending his head reeling and blinding him. With that, Instructor Lucian zoomed forward with his Master-rank speed, constantly cutting and stabbing at Wanderer's body.
"Sh*t, stop attacking me!" The Wanderer split up into a bunch of clones, each sporting different attires and abilities. He activated Frost Energy as well, slowing the adversary down. After that, all the clones moved in.
Thud, thud! Whop!
The clones surrounded the poor Instructor like a gang of thugs. Like they were dissecting fantasy plots, they began to deploy group-fighting tactics as well, making him curse. He was put through the washing machine many times, as well as restrained and beaten like a training dummy.
"F*ck, you fight like a coward! Face me one on one if you have the ability!" Instructor Lucian spat at Wanderer's face. With that, the clones stopped for a moment.
"Well, I do have the ability, but why should I use it? It's clearly much more fun to fight someone as a group." With a laugh, The Wanderer continuously began to beat him once more. Well, anyways. Cane clearly isn't here. I should check somewhere else later.
It was a most delightful misunderstanding.