‘Hold up. I have to eat people to get their skills? And animals or monsters?’

[Correct. {Quick Tier 1 Evolution}, {Compression}, {Body Regeneration}, and {Energy Storage} were all skill acquired after user ate the being known as Eater.]

I had almost forgotten about that. My stomach turned again, forcing me to hold down the water I drank earlier. I wasn’t confident enough to eat without hurting myself, much less throw up.

For the rest of the day, I did my best to understand the skills properly. Mainly, I wanted to understand how I could recover Energy without the {Energy Storage} skill. First, I used the {Body Regeneration} one more time, focusing on my stomach and the area that should’ve been damaged during the fight against the Eater. More specifically, where I was impaled by one of its tentacles. According to the system, in order to target a place with the skill all I had to do was think about where I wanted the skill to be applied. Just like how I could call for my status screen, or how I could change the size of the pole with {Compression}.

It was a surprisingly easy and intuitive process. Even when the skill was actively working, I still could change the location where it was placed. Either this was much easier than I thought, or I was a genius when it came to controlling a skill. Then again, anything I did placed me aggressively in the classification of ‘average.’ Yay for being the first human user of the system, I guess.

While testing things, my thoughts ran wild.

Fine, I had this tool, this system, but what it actually meant? I was stronger. But that was still untested. I was more resilient, sure, and harder to kill than a roach, or well.. An Eater. But so far, that was about it. Skills were a thing. Even if I wanted to say that {Body Regeneration}, {Quick Tier 1 Evolution} and {Energy Storage} were all bullshit and something in my head, {Compression} sure as hell wasn’t. I made that pole grow and shrink. With my mind. Wait.. Was it with my mind? I don’t know, with some part of me. The system also saved my life, there were no two ways about it. And I’m not dead or dying, this is too real, the pain and discomfort I’m feeling is too real for it to be a hallucination before death. If I’m wrong about that, well. What’s the point of worrying? Everyone dies one day or another, even if I consider that I might be dead, that doesn’t change the fact that I feel alive and want to keep it that way. Then again, isn’t that life? Aren’t we all already dead and just trying to defy our ultimate fate with every step?

Bad idea, Cassandra. Let’s not spiral into a morbid philosophical debate right now. Back to the system. Do they skills have some sort of classification, like tier 0 and tier 1 as I have?

‘Hey, system. Do skills have rarity? Or some sort of classification of power level?’

[Skills do possess a classification. Basic skills like {Energy Storage} and {Compression} are tier 1 skills. {Quick Tier 1 Evolution} is considered a tier 2 skill and {Body Regeneration} is considered a tier 3 skill.]

‘What’s the max tier?’

[Current information indicates the max tier of a skill is 10. System reminds user that a tier 2 skill means the skill itself is considered as perfuming actions that only tier 2 particles would be able to perform, not that the user is at tier 2.]

‘Wait, so skills have their own tiers separate from my tier?’

[Correct.]

‘Ok that’s just confusing. Can we change the tier term? Instead of using a number, call it, I don’t know. Novice or something,’ why did the system insist on using repeated words for various things? Maybe it had to do with it being close to a computer, something about the name being just a label and not the actual way it used to search for things. I can’t remember what Pops used to say about making computer programs.

[Acknowledge. Skill tier level will change from 1 to 10 to the following: Fledgling(1), Aspirant(2), Adept(3), Skilled(4), Veteran(5), Champion(6), Master(7), Ascendant(8), Paragon(9), Myth(10). In addition, unranked skills also exist. Those would be considered tier 0 in the previous classification.]

‘That sounds better. I never liked the idea of just saying its rank A B or S. But what are the unranked skills? Just weak skills or something different?’

[Neither. Unranked skills are basic skills that need to be properly analyzed before evolving into a new skill. The being known as Eater had an unranked skill called {Movement} that assisted with its movement. However, the skill was still in what is considered an experimental stage. That does not mean said skill was weak, only that its function was limited by a lack of understanding of both the being known as Eater and its System.]

‘Ok. I’m not sure I understand that properly, but I guess it’s better to wait for me to get one of those. But the skills I do have, can you tell me their ranks in the new classification?’

[Acknowledged. {Energy Storage} and {Compression} are of the Fledgling rank. {Quick Tier 1 Evolution} is of the Aspirant rank. Lastly, {Body Regeneration} is of the Adept rank.]

‘Right,’ I stared at the rank of the {Body Regeneration} skill, ‘Is it normal for someone at level 5 to have a skill on the Adept rank?’

[System does not have enough data to answer that question. However, it is likely that such event should not be a regular occurrence. Skill tier does not indicate simply power, but the complexity of actions taken by system particles during the use of the skill. Basic SP should not be able to perform actions as complex as what {Body Regeneration} requires properly. Still, the skill is able to work at a reduced effectiveness. To correct this issue, user must reach Tier 3 as it’s the tier of the skill itself.]

I froze, ‘Hold up. This is the weaker version of the skill? What will happen when it gets its fixed? Will I be able to regrow my arm if it falls off?’

[System does not have enough information to confirm that hypothesis. However, considering the name of the skill, it is a likely possibility.]

‘How did that Eater get a skill like that, then? Was it a high tier?’

[Incorrect. Being known as Eater that was killed by user Cassandra was only a tier 1 being. There are only two possibilities for being known as Eater to have acquired the skill {Body Regeneration}. First, it was able to kill and devour a creature that possessed said skill. Second, it was given the skill by someone who had it.]

‘So did the, I’m assuming Eater, that gave that one the skill lost the skill?’

[No. A user can share a skill with another user in a similar way as sharing System itself. However, the progression requirements are reduced to 10% per skill.]

I nodded, and ate a bit more, night was starting and I had no light, in addition, I was also tired even if I didn’t move around all that much today. Maybe the constant use of the {Body Regeneration} skill was similar to physical work. After eating a bit more and drinking some water, I decided to sleep. I wasn’t about to risk myself by walking in the middle of the night without being able to see a thing. Maybe I could find a bat, or a wildcat that would give me a night vision skill. But that would be a problem for future me. Present me was tired and wanted a bed. But, present me would have to be satisfied with a blanket placed on top of a bunch of rocks. However, sleep didn't came easy as the sound of grinding metal rang on the forest below once more. I was far from being safe and the monsters made sure to not let me forget.