On the way to the canteen, I distributed the 15 stat points I had gained from leveling up from level 2 to 5, putting all of them into Perception. My Perception stat was now at 30.
When I arrived at the canteen, I immediately spotted a guy with a tray of food, looking around as if he was searching for someone. I approached and greeted him politely.
"We haven't even exchanged names yet," he said with a smile.
That opening line sounded... oddly flirtatious. Still, I had no friends in this world yet, and he seemed approachable, so I decided to go along with it.
"My name is Lutz," I said."Nice to meet you."
He introduced himself as Yukinotard, and we shook hands before sitting down at a nearby empty table. The smell of tender meat and rich pepper sauce rising from his plate hit me instantly.
He noticed I wasn't eating and asked why.
"I'm not really hungry right now," I answered vaguely.
We chatted for a while—he talked about his first day at school and how he wasn't sure if he had picked the right combat subjects. But the topic shifted quickly, and he suddenly invited me to a mystery gathering later that evening.
His expression turned strange—nervous, almost anxious. I asked what kind of gathering it was, if it was dangerous, and what he really wanted from me.
From the way he answered my questions, I concluded he was involved with some kind of hidden assassin guild. I accepted anyway—I didn't have any other plans, and curiosity was stronger than caution.
But before I could ask more, three girls sat down beside us. I recognized one of them instantly: Lucy. Another was my seat neighbor from class, and the last one I hadn't seen before. They asked politely if they could sit down, as the canteen seemed to be full.
"Sure," I replied.
My seat neighbor took the spot next to me, Lucy sat down beside Yukinotard, and the third girl sat on the other side. It was a bit awkward until the girl next to me turned and smiled nervously.
"Hello... Apparently, I didn't get the chance to introduce myself in class," she said."My name is Nya. It's a pleasure to meet you."
I noticed the blush on her cheeks and the slight trembling in her voice. But then... something strange happened.
Time slowed down, like the world froze for just a moment, and a system message appeared before my eyes:
You have obtained the skill: Intention Reader.
I immediately read the description. It was apparently a precursor to Mind Reading. The skill cost 10 mana points and allowed me to sense the true intention behind a statement. For example, if someone said, "I like your shirt," I'd be able to tell whether they were being sarcastic or genuine.
"It's a pleasure to meet you too. I'm Lutz," I replied politely.
Suddenly, she asked:
"Which combat subjects did you choose?"
It was a random question—and her flustered behavior didn't quite match the casual tone. So, out of curiosity, I activated the new skill.
Another system message appeared:
Intention: She wants to become your girlfriend.
I stared blankly at her for a moment.
She looked like a princess out of a fairytale—elegant, kind, and beautiful—but hell no! I was ten years old. What kind of messed-up romance subplot was this?
I quickly responded:
"We can talk about that later. I don't have time right now, right, Yukinotard?"
I threw him a sharp look. He nodded quickly, catching on.
"Yeah—exactly," he said, clearly relieved to change the subject.