Chapter 128: Appraisal Sense
“Oh wow, they’re really going at it!”
We arrived at the Training Ground located behind the Guild, accompanied by two people and one creature. We weren’t here to train; our purpose was solely to appraise the other Adventurers. After securing a somewhat vacant spot, I took a moment to survey the area.
“What do you think?”
Rio’s voice called out immediately, but I needed her to hold on a second. It wasn’t that easy to connect appraisal results with the skill levels of the Adventurers right away.
“Hmm… It seems like there isn’t anyone here with a Status higher than the Guild Staff we first met.”
“Is that so?”
After finishing my appraisals on everyone present, I turned back to Rio. By the way, there was a boy who had approached us at the Guild, so I pointed him out.
“The boy rolling around over there has a Status of around 100.”
“Wow. I think he was a twelve-year-old F-rank Adventurer, right? If he’s a fresh recruit, he probably doesn’t differ much from an ordinary person.”
As I agreed with Rio’s observation, I suddenly felt a sharp prick in the back of my mind. Looking around, I couldn’t see anyone taking action towards us. It wasn’t something I sensed from the surroundings.
Curious about the source, I turned my gaze to Rio, who was staring intently at me. It had to be her, after all…
“…What’s wrong?”
She asked as I tilted my head in confusion.
“Well, it’s just that…”
As I explained the discomfort I felt earlier, another sharp sensation came from Rio. So it really was her doing something to me?
“Ah, could it be that you’re sensing the appraisals?”
“Huh?”
“I tried appraising you a few times just now.”
“Is that so?”
“Yeah. So let me try appraising you again.”
“Alright.”
I braced myself, and sure enough, I felt that prickling sensation again.
“Here it comes.”
“It really is the appraisal causing this… right?”
As I remained skeptical, the prickling sensation returned once more.
“Wait, stop!”
“Hehe, did I go a bit overboard?”
“Ah, yeah, it’s fine.”
I couldn’t help but voice my discomfort as the sensations continued. Yet, despite that, I found it hard to suppress a grin.
“So, I must have acquired a skill that lets me sense appraisals!”
“Haha.”
Rio chuckled at my exclamation. It’s not every day that one realizes they’ve gained a new skill. Since I can’t see skills through appraisal, I can only experience it through tangible sensations. Recently, while playing with Nil, I discovered I could perform a double jump by kicking off the air. Yeah, that was surprisingly recent.
“However, it’s clear that higher Status means greater strength.”
As I observed the Adventurers around us, I couldn’t shake that feeling.
“That’s definitely true… But do you think there are any exceptions among them?”
“Well, um, that spear-wielding guy over there might be one. His opponent has about 1.5 times the Status, yet he’s managing quite well.”
The spear user’s average Strength, Vitality, and Agility as a frontliner hovered around 500, while his opponent, a swordsman, was around 800. Perhaps he possesses some kind of enhancement skill. He wasn’t completely overwhelming the swordsman, but he was handling the situation without any trouble.
“Shall we head out soon?”
After observing the Adventurers for a while, I called out to Rio.
“Are we done already?”
“Yeah. I have a feeling something troublesome might happen, so I think we should leave quickly.”
Just then, I noticed the boy who had been getting schooled by a caring Adventurer slowly walking towards us, as if his training had concluded.
“That’s true.”
Realizing this, Rio turned on her heel and began to leave the Training Ground. I thought I heard someone calling out to us from behind, but I decided to ignore it. We quickly exited the Guild and began walking aimlessly.
Even though I had just acquired a new skill, I didn’t feel any discomfort while wandering around. According to my mentor, it’s not that rare for people to have appraisal abilities. This means that there aren’t many who constantly appraise everyone they encounter.
In any case, I decided to make the most of my appraisal skill. I wanted to see skills as soon as possible. Oh, and I should appraise Rio a lot too. Who knows, I might eventually be able to sense her appraisals as well.
“Shall we look for an inn soon?”
I realized we had spent more time at the Training Ground than I expected. Before I knew it, it was already evening. Since arriving in the city, I had scouted a few inns, and I stumbled upon a quaint little one, so I decided to check it out.
“Welcome!”
A girl, about Rio’s age, greeted us from behind the counter while holding a baby in a carrier. At first glance, she looked like she was the same age as Rio.
“Um, there are two of us. Is that alright?”
“Yes, that’s perfectly fine.”
The baby had round, chubby cheeks and big, sparkling eyes that darted between me and Rio.
“Wow… she’s adorable.”
“Ahaha, thank you!”
“Is she your sister?”
Rio asked the girl, who was happily stroking the baby’s head.
“Huh? Oh, um, she’s my daughter.”
““Huh?””
Caught off guard by the unexpected answer, both Rio and I froze in surprise.