Talent Shop

[Beginner Talent Shop unlocked!]

[Currently available talents:]

[Thought Acceleration (Basic)]: Slightly increases information-processing speed and short-term memory capacity. Cost: 150 points.

[Deep Sleep (Basic)]: Improves sleep quality, restores energy faster, and reduces the amount of sleep needed. Cost: 100 points.

[Dynamic Vision (Fine-Tuned)]: Slightly improves the ability to track fast-moving objects. Cost: 120 points.

[Pain Attenuation (Mild)]: Slightly reduces the sensitivity of the pain nerves. Cost: 80 points.

(More talents can be unlocked by raising the Host's level or investing more Simulation Points)

Toudou Shizuka's heart began to beat a little faster. Though all these talents came with labels like "Basic" and "Mild," each one addressed one of his most pressing needs! [Thought Acceleration], combined with his A-Rank Learning Ability, would be like a turbocharger for absorbing knowledge!

[Deep Sleep] would give him more time to "grind himself to death" in the Virtual Training Ground!

[Dynamic Vision] would be a great help in fighting, sports, and even noticing details!

[Pain Attenuation]... Just thinking about all the agony of dying for real, over and over, in the Virtual Training Ground made this one seem pretty useful, too.

With only 200 points, choosing became incredibly difficult. He instinctively scanned his classmates, his gaze lingering on Ichinose Honami.

Her [Team Cohesion Building A-Rank] and Kanzaki Ryuuji's [Rational Analysis and Decision Making B-Rank] both gleamed temptingly. If he could master those skills, they would be a huge help in establishing himself in Class B—and even influencing the class's direction.

He focused his thoughts on [Team Cohesion Building A-Rank].

[Enter the Virtual Training Ground to simulate learning the target skill: Team Cohesion Building A-Rank?]

[Warning: Target (Ichinose Honami) affinity is insufficient! Current affinity: 20 (Friendly). Affinity of at least 50 (Close) is required to unlock Simulation Privilege for "Team Cohesion Building A-Rank."]

[Tip: Aside from the three free target scans granted when the system was first activated, simulating the learning of target skills requires meeting specific affinity requirements. (Affinity ranges from 1 to 100 and is not fixed; it fluctuates with the Host's behavior.) Different skills have different affinity thresholds.]

It was like having a bucket of cold water dumped over his head!

Toudou Shizuka snapped out of his anticipation of the Talent Shop and his longing for new skills.

So there was another invisible shackle! He only got three free lunches! To "simulate-grind" and learn other people's core skills from now on, he would first have to raise their affinity?

And affinity could fluctuate, too. It wasn't a one-time deal!

He immediately checked the other people he had scanned earlier.

[Target: Kushida Kikyo - Affinity: 15 (Neutral) - Requires affinity of at least 60 (Trust) to unlock her "Expression Management and Emotional Camouflage A-Rank"]

[Target: Horikita Suzune - Affinity: 5 (Distant) - Requires affinity of at least 70 (High Regard) to unlock her "Learning Ability (Theoretical Absorption and Logical Deduction) A-Rank"]

[Target: Ayanokouji Kiyotaka - Affinity: 0 (No Interest) - Requires affinity of at least ??? to unlock any of his skills (System notice: The target is special. Affinity requirements and methods of gaining affinity are unusually complex. Please assess carefully.)]

The requirements just kept getting higher! Especially Ayanokouji's—the question marks made Toudou Shizuka's eyelid twitch.

It seemed that being able to learn Ayanokouji's S-Rank Fighting Style and Kushida's A-Rank Affinity earlier had been purely because he'd gotten in on the "first-time freebie"—a new-user perk.

From now on, getting those top-tier skills would require him to pay the price of "socializing."

Points were important, but connections (affinity) were the key to unlocking the treasure! Toudou Shizuka quickly got his thoughts in order.

He needed to make good use of the Talent Shop, but he couldn't waste points. He had to spend them wisely. At the same time, raising the affinity of key targets had become a strategic task just as important as earning points.

"Hey! You're Toudou, right?"

A cheerful voice interrupted Toudou Shizuka's thoughts. He looked up to see Kobashi Yume, her hair in twin tails, standing beside his desk. Her smile shone like a little sun outside the window, and she held a cute box of treats.

"I'm Kobashi Yume! We're classmates from now on! Want to try some cookies my mom made?

They're suuuuper delicious!" She enthusiastically held out the box.

[Scanning target: Kobashi Yume (refreshed)]

Infectious Vitality: B-Rank (Active)

Topic Creation (Casual): C-Rank (Active)

Social Initiative (Breaking the Ice): C-Rank (Active)

...

[Affinity: 25 (Friendly)] - Requires affinity of at least 40 (Close) to unlock her "Infectious Vitality B-Rank."

"Ah, thanks."

A warm, shy smile immediately appeared on Toudou Shizuka's face, showing just the right amount of surprise and a hint of bashfulness. He casually took a cookie and bit into it, his eyes widening slightly. "Mm! It really is delicious! Your mom's a great baker, Kobashi!" His sincere tone was a natural expression of his A-Rank Affinity.

"Right? Right?" Kobashi Yume's smile grew even brighter at his praise. "I told you! Just let me know whenever you want some! My mom loves making these!" Her energy seemed to fill the air around her.

[Kobashi Yume's affinity +1. Current: 26 (Friendly).]

It was a simple interaction, but his affinity had risen slightly.

Toudou Shizuka understood. A sincere response and a little well-placed praise seemed to be one effective way of raising affinity.

"Toudou, do you like sweets?"

A gentle voice joined them. Toudou Shizuka turned and saw the Class Leader, Ichinose Honami, walking over with her signature, warm smile.

She seemed to be checking how well the new student was fitting in.

[Target: Ichinose Honami (refreshed)]

[Affinity: 20 (Friendly) → 21 (Friendly)] - Requires at least 50 (Close) to unlock "Team Cohesion Building A-Rank."

"Mm, I have some now and then. They're really good."

Toudou Shizuka smiled and nodded, polite and friendly. Then he naturally gestured with the box toward Ichinose. "Would you like one too, Class Leader?"

"Then I'll take one. Thank you, Kobashi—and thank you, Toudou."

Ichinose took a cookie with easy grace, her movements elegant. "We've all just arrived in a new environment, so if we talk to each other a little, we'll soon get to know one another. If there's anything about the school or class you're unsure about, Toudou, you can always come to me or Kanzaki." Her words carried a natural warmth and sense of responsibility.

"Okay. Thank you, Class Leader."

Toudou Shizuka replied with a grateful smile. He could sense Ichinose's affinity rising by an almost imperceptible amount. It was clearly because he'd shown friendliness and a willingness to fit in by offering to share the treats.

"Speaking of which, Toudou," Morita Ken said. He sat diagonally in front of Toudou Shizuka and had seemed rather quiet and reserved, but now he mustered the courage to turn around and push up his glasses. With an earnest, slightly nerdy air, he said, "I think I saw you reading a book just now... um... Introduction to Algorithms? Is it about computers?" His tentative tone suggested he was hoping to find someone with a shared interest.

Toudou Shizuka paused. He'd been a programmer in his previous life, and someone had noticed the habit? It seemed Morita had a sharp eye.