CONGRATULATIONS, YOU HAVE ACQUIRED THE SKILL (ANALYSIS)
CONGRATULATIONS, YOU HAVE ACQUIRED THE SKILL (COMBAT ANALYSIS)
CONGRATULATIONS, YOU HAVE ACQUIRED THE SKILL (PROJECTION)
These were the other three skills I acquired throughout the day while hunting monsters with Ana's help. However, that wasn't all. I was interested in exploring the possibilities of combining skills, so I decided to merge almost all the skills I gained, turning them into new abilities.
DO YOU WISH TO MERGE SKILLS (ANALYSIS) AND (COMBAT ANALYSIS)?
Giving my consent mentally, the voice echoed again, bringing with it my new ability.
CONGRATULATIONS, YOU HAVE ACQUIRED THE SKILL (PRECOGNITION)
Without wasting time, I proceeded to the other two skills I planned to merge.
DO YOU WISH TO MERGE SKILLS (PROJECTION) AND (CLONING)?
Just like before, I mentally consented, and the voice reverberated in my mind once more.
CONGRATULATIONS, YOU HAVE ACQUIRED THE SKILL (REPLICATION)
Overall, these were the skills I acquired. I also tested them in a friendly fight with Ana. In simple terms, both skills work as follows, Precognition, as the name suggests, allows me to visualize the future when it's somehow related to combat.
I must say, this is a skill I can't control, probably that's one reason it's a passive ability. Somehow, whenever I'm fighting, I have visions of how the opponent will attack next, giving me enough time to react. Moreover, with this ability, I can somehow perceive the powers of the enemy I'm fighting.
The next skill I acquired by combining Cloning and Projection is quite similar to Cloning, with a significant difference: I can create only one clone instead of three. However, unlike last time, this clone possesses all the power of my original body. Additionally, I can transfer my consciousness to the clone. In the end, I decided to consider this skill as an enhancement of Cloning, some sort of a "buff".
Anyway, when we finished, the sun was already setting. Ana and I decided to head back to Anima. Inside the city, we stopped a few times to buy something to eat before heading to the inn. Obviously, I couldn't take the monsters to the guild since I had devoured them.
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I didn't really mind it since the punishment for not completing the mission was basically returning half the mission value to the guild. I decided I would simply accept the penalty and pay the money the next day.
After that day, the following days went on similarly, with one exception: I took a break from monster hunting. Instead, I started focusing on training the two new skills I acquired. I also noticed that Fujiwara's outings became more frequent. I really didn't know what the reason was, as whenever I asked, she would just say it was nothing important.
Today was just another one of those days. Early in the morning, Fujiwara bid us goodbye, mentioning she had something to do for the rest of the day. Aoi and Saemi also left, and Ana said she would visit some restaurants around the town.
I, on the other hand, stayed back at our inn, exploring my newfound ability. My focus was currently on the clone in front of me. Although the clone originated from me, I had set it with white hair and blue eyes. As you can imagine, I could now change the appearance of the clone as I pleased, which was incredibly useful for investigations and other tasks.
After setting this up, I transferred my consciousness into the clone and carefully made my way out of the inn window, silently descending into the alley. After leaving the alley behind, I began following Fujiwara at a discreet distance. We walked for a few minutes before I realized we were in a relatively less privileged area of Anima. However, when I say “poor” I don't mean the place was necessarily lacking in resources.
Nevertheless, compared to the area where we were currently staying, this place definitely seemed geared towards people with fewer financial resources. Anyway, following Fujiwara led me to a building with a lawn in front, where some kids were playing joyfully. As soon as they spotted Fujiwara, they started running toward her, their faces lit up with warm smiles.
After that, I observed the situation for a few more minutes. I didn't exactly know what Fujiwara was doing at that orphanage or why she was playing with the kids. However, something really remarkable happened a few minutes after Fujiwara's arrival.
A jaguar girl, whom I knew very well, approached Fujiwara with a smile on her face, and they both started playing with the children. I don't need to tell you that I was surprised to find out that Leona and Fujiwara somehow knew each other. More precisely, how the heck did the two of them meet? While pondering about it, both of them entered the orphanage, leaving the kids to continue playing outside.
Seeing this, a dark mist quickly began to envelop my body, transforming me into the size of a small bird. As the mist cleared, I had turned into a silent-flying bat. Besides changing my clone's appearance, I could also assume more basic forms like small insects and birds, along with a bat, of course.
Unlike the Clone, when I do this, my mana is abnormally drained, although I don't know the reason. Anyway, after turning into a bat, I flew to the church and then sneaked in through one of the open windows. I had no idea where exactly Fujiwara and Leona were, so I had to fly through the orphanage to find them.
In the end, both of them were in a room that seemed to be the director's office, talking to a relatively old woman wearing a nun's habit. As I approached, I started overhearing their conversation, although I knew it was wrong since I was listening to something that didn't concern me. I couldn't help it, though, as it seemed to directly involve Fujiwara and Leona.