Whatever will I do with 5 skill points? I could wait until the tower and hope for the best, but there’s no guarantee any magic will instantly appear on my skill forest, nor any guarantee of getting to see it in action at all; so I think it’s time to brave the skill tree as soon as we set camp for the evening.

Kiku is currently pressing C to chop a corpse, Stone-Soup style. Well... not really, she is prying the two central most fangs from the least damaged body whilst wrinkling her nose at the stink. They shift free with a plink. I might be the 'hero', but her and Aria’s ability to adapt to a situation like this so quick seems like real heroism to me.

"We best move quickly for a while. The stench of pygmies dying brings along all kinds of carrion feeders; some of those really dangerous." Aria tells me.

"Um... yes... I would rather not have to deal with a Crawler, at least... um... not without a mage." Kiku agrees.

We make haste for a while after that. I advise the girls I will gain some skills shortly, and make small talk with them on the way. Kiku is rather interested to learn about Earths fruits so I describe all the ones I remember, and get her to do the same for the fruits here, besides the lemon-like Mizris.

Ionia is a long thin red one with crisp mellow sweetness, a bit apple-ish but with the looks of a chilli pepper. The Histsmunch is basically grapes except they grow in pods of six. And Jara is a banana that grows in the ground and has a deep brown skin. Finally there is the albino Ghostfruit that grows at night, shielding itself with giant tropical leaves on its tree from the light. It glows purple in the dark and is the principal ingredient of prana enhancing potions.

She seems most excited about melons. I guess I could crack a joke about her chest, but I think it would fall flat. Haha.

"Green fruits! That's fucking amazing!" Rowdy Kiku talks to herself again as we are setting up camp.

"Elijah? You... you're good at putting up tents?" Aria asks.

Apparently so. I was just applying my knowledge I had from my occasional camping trips as a child, but in an instant, the pegs are hammered and the ropes are set. It’s those improved stats again, surely.

I shrug, and put a second one up just as fast. The plan for the night is me and the supplies in one, one girl in the other, and they take turns with night watch. I offer to do a watch, but it is pointedly refused. I guess they're better at it... or I’m not trusted. Probably the latter, which is unfortunate. I'm still a gentleman with standards, Aria, even if I have deviant interest. In fact... the thought of protecting the two of them would keep me super alert! Ah well.

Kiku makes a sauce by mashing and boiling the Mizris we obtained. It does indeed make the dried meat rations real nice, just like a stringy lemon chicken.

"Where did you learn to cook, Kiku?" I ask at the fire that Aria made.

"Oh! Um... well..." She fidgets a bit and looks confused.

"D-dad is a domestic disaster... and uh... so is Kako... she thinks cooking is something you do with explosive magic I’m sure... hehe...s-so I had to learn...was forced to... it was… very hard…"

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She looks happy remembering this though.

"Sounds like they should be the ones learning from you, Kiku."

"Eh what? Huh... um... no-no way... t-that couldn't be true... I... wot? Y-you fucking moron, they're both way stronger and more awesome than me!"

"I think you're plenty strong, and full of awesome. They couldn't make this sauce." Rowdy Kiku doesn't deter me from hitting her with the truth.

"Eh wot? I... but... errm..." Apparently she is unable to refute that. Good. Girl needs more confidence; if anything, given her earlier exemplary combat skill, this is the thing holding her back more than anything, perhaps?

She is blushing and looking under her eyes at me whilst fidgeting. So cute.

"He does that." Aria suddenly ninjas behind Kiku in her moment of weakness, sending a shiver up Kiku's spine. Un, Aria is a quick study at bullying techniques used on her.

"I don't know how such crap can pour from his mouth, but it makes you feel good right?" Aria grins.

"Uuuu... umm..." Kiku is on the spot, not sure what to say.

"I've thinked it for a while. We're both from a place where we hear nothing but complaints and lying praise as the par-de-course. So this idiot; sincerely coming out with this stuff like a child, is weird." Aria muses.

"You'll find I'm fun to play with, too." Had to do it, she fell into that one, haha.

"Y-you pervert." Aria blushes as well.

Kiku hangs her head down and starts shaking again. Ready to burst? Yep.

"Hehe... hahahaha... oh gods I can't... hahaha...fuck me!" Kiku is rowdy and splitting her sides.

"Gladly! Your tent or mine?"

"Wah! Wahahaha! Oh... I can't stop. Hahahaha..."

Actually, that wasn't a joke, Kiku, you're so cute I could eat you up right now; but never mind, let’s not spoil the atmosphere. She laughs for a good minute and then...

"Um... thanks Elijah." She says quietly, with a beaming smile.

Aria rolls her eyes; as if to say, holy moly another victim; but the rest of the night, it’s easy to notice that Kiku's shyness around me has been shot and dragged off to the mortuary.

Damn fine success if I may say so myself. I want to do a guts pose with the fist pump.

But enough of that, I guess now I’m sat in the tent, I should give some real thought to my skills. What would be immediately useful? Some kind of staff handling? I could get another weapon; maybe borrow a sword from Kiku, and go the generic sword using hero with my spear using sidekick Aria. Heh, fun as that sounds, if anything, I’m the third wheel to Aria and Kiku right now.

I... I totally didn't just imagine that as a secret bonus route.

Ahem. Maybe I’m thinking too narrowly.

For shits and giggles, I enter 'blade summoning' into my skill trees search engine.

3 results found.

Not to copy Kiku, but... Um... you what?