Here I was, confronted with three ‘Skills’, of which I could only choose two.r


    ‘Spike Attack’r


    ‘Venomous Spikes’r


    ‘Venomous ws’r


    However, with ‘w Attack’ already in my Skill Slot, I only had two spots remaining.r


    “I see…”r


    Mumbling to myself, I contemted which decision to make.r


    Most people would rece my ‘w Attack’ with an obviously more powerful Skill, like ‘Venomous ws’, but that would be a fatal mistake.r


    “I have already maxed out my ‘w Attack’, making it highly efficient andsting inbat.”r


    Even if the ‘Venomous ws’ boasted of a higher power, it wouldn’t be able topare to the duration and cool down of my already existing skill.r


    I had only one (Adult) Demon Core, after all. There was no way to upgrade the ‘Venomous’ skills anytime soon.r


    There was also the option of taking both Venomous skills and leaving the ‘Spike Attack’ skill, but that would also be terrible.r


    Unlike the (Adult) Demon Core, I have a lot of the (Soldier) Demon Cores. This means that I can upgrade the level of the ‘Spike Attack’ skill.r


    I tried merging the skills, but no icon emerged indicating thatbining two skills was possible. I could only assume that I can’t join two skills, for now.r_.


    It should be possibleter on, though. After all, I have seen instances where it was achieved.r


    “That’s it! I’ve made up my mind!”r


    Grinning slightly, I tapped on two of the icons before me.r


    I ended up picking ‘Spike Attack’ and ‘Venomous Spikes’ as my Skills.r


    Adding my ‘w Attack’ skill to the mix, this was the most efficient option.r


    The cores glimmered as I selected the options, and a surge of energy washed through me. Information concerning the Skills entered my head, making me grin in excitement.r


    “Now then, let’s see what we have here…” I mumbled.r


    [SKILLS]r


    -tYou Currently Possess 3 Skill Slotsr


    ?tSlot 1 – <w Attack>r


    ?tSlot 2 – <Spike Attack>r


    ?tSlot 3 – <Venomous Spikes>r


    [Skill Slots Will Be Added As Your Level Increases]r


    Good, the Skills are all present. I wish I knew what Level I need to reach before more Skill Slots will be added.r


    “Now then, let’s know more about these Skills” I beamed, tapping on the skills ordingly.r


    [Skill Information]r


    <Spike Attack>r


    Grade: 1 (Fixed)r


    Level:1 (Upgradable)r


    A skill obtained from the lesser Demon, ‘Hell Kobold’s Spawn (Soldier)’. It is a low leveled skill that generates hardened spikes. These spikes can beunched as projectiles, making them useful in long-rangebat.r


    [Currently Unactivated]r


    Skill Duration: 2 Minutesr


    Skill Cooldown: 30 Minutesr


    [.]r


    Skill Information]r


    <Venomous Spikes>r


    Grade: 1 (Fixed)r


    Level:1 (Upgradable)r


    A skill obtained from the lesser Demon, ‘Hell Kobold’s Spawn (Adult)’. It is a low leveled skill that generates hardened spikes which are poisonous. These spikes can beunched as projectiles. They deal extra damage by poisoning the target, making them useful in long-rangebat and drawn-out fights.r


    [Currently Unactivated]r


    Skill Duration: 3 Minutesr


    Skill Cooldown: 1 Hourr


    [End Of Information]r


    While the duration of these skills are longer than ‘w Attack’ before I upgraded it, their Cool down time was also considerablyrger.r


    Looking at the build I currently possess, having extra long-range abilities is a great bonus. The poison attribute I obtained from the ‘Venomous Spikes’ was indeed useful, but I can’t lessen the cool down without upgrading it.r


    Unfortunately, I have only one Demon Core. To my surprise, however, the (Adult) Core didn’t vanish after I added the skill. It was most likely because of the extra skill within.r


    “I can choose to be patient and learn the skillter, or…” I mumbled, considering the next alternative.r


    I could choose to upgrade the current ‘Venomous Spikes’ skill I possess. I’ll go with thetter.r


    I’m obviously going obtain more Demon Cores in the future and learn better skills. I can’t get fixated on the remaining skill within the core.r


    Instead, I should try strengthening the ones I currently possess. That’s what is most important for my survival.r


    [Moments Later]r


    I was able to upgrade my <Spike Attack> skill to Max Level, and increase the Level of my <Venomous Spikes> skill by one.r


    Currently, the Cool down of the former is one minute, while thetter’s cool down is thirty minutes.r


    Whew. It’s a good thing I didn’t select both of the (Adult) Demon Cores skills. That would have been a big mistake, considering I would only be able to use them once inbat.r


    “Now then, I suppose I’ve gotten considerably stronger. I also have many Demon Cores left.r


    “Paul!” I called out.r


    Instantly jumping to his feet, myckey rushed to me at the sound of my voice.r


    “It’s time to put your Skill to use. We’ll be making more ‘Core-2’ weapons!” I said.r


    He nodded instantly. However, it seemed like he had something to add.r


    “I should hear him out…” I whispered underneath my breath.r


    “What’s on your mind?”r


    Paul appeared startled to hear me ask this. His eyes lit up, and he spoke excitedly.r


    “I-I was thinking… why don’t we make cooler weapons, like guns or canons!”r


    Sigh, not this…r


    There was a time when I also thought like this, but I eventually came to see how inefficient the venture was. As much as I would have loved to imitate one of my favorite Light Novel characters with his prosthetic arm, demon eye, and dual guns… I couldn’t!r


    “Guns have triggers, canons have fuses… In an all-out battle, who will be the one pulling them?” I asked Paul point-nk.r


    Fazed by my question, the idiot made a nk look. Clearly, he hadn’t thought of that.r


    “des are more efficient since I can just fire them at my targets. My hands are too busy tapping on [Subspace] or using my [Skills] to pull the trigger of guns!” I exined.r


    Slowly, he realized the message I was trying to pass across.r


    “Now then, do you have any other questions?” I smiled impatiently.r


    Taking the hint, Paul shook his head vehemently.r


    “Good. Nowmence the ‘Smithing’. We’ll camp here for today. By tomorrow, we’ll proceed to the ground floor. It’s better to be well prepared since we might be leaving this ce by then!” I spoke.r


    “R-really…?!” He asked nervously.r


    He appeared nervous, with a bit of excitement in his eyes.r


    I’m certain that he’s still frightened of the Demons, but after witnessing my proficiency in battle, Paul had grown even more confident of venturing outside.r


    A small smile formed on my face. The more motivated he is, the better it is for me.r


    “Yes. Now begin your work… There’s much to do!”r