RLRD Chapter 10

Chapter 10 What’s Your Skills?

The screen materialized in front of him, slightly translucent with a glowing green border. Kyro could still see Shira clearly through it, even while reading the floating words on the system screen.

The interface itself was simple, exactly as Alex had described earlier. It only showed available skills and a prominent logout button.

[Skill: Harden Rank F]  

[The individual's body can harden temporarily, absorbing the impact of attacks.]

[Skill: Strong Charge Rank F]  

[The user channels energy and adrenaline through their body to deliver a powerful strike. This skill can also be used while holding a weapon.]

[Skill: Lightning Charge Rank F]  

[The individual's body is temporarily infused with lightning energy.]

‘I guess I shouldn't have expected much. All my skills are only Rank F. It makes sense since this is my first time playing the game…but still, I thought there’d be something more impressive,’ Kyro thought.

‘You believed you might have become a Purger, correct?’ Slith's voice echoed in his mind.

Kyro stayed silent, but Slith was right. Ever since their recent encounter, he had occasionally experimented with his new abilities. His body definitely felt unique now, thanks to Slith’s presence, and he'd quietly hoped he might receive some kind of special advantage.

“Come on then, what are your two skills?” Alex eagerly asked.

“Two skills?” Kyro repeated, confused. He glanced back at the system, wondering if he'd misread it, but there were definitely three listed.

‘Let’s not shock our new friend right away until we have more information,’ Slith advised calmly. ‘Just mention the top two.’

Listening to Slith’s advice, Kyro nodded slightly.

“Um, Harden, Rank F, and Strong Charge, Rank F,” Kyro replied, watching Alex’s reaction carefully.

“Hey, those aren't bad skills at all,” Alex said encouragingly. “And don't worry about them being Rank F—it's completely normal. Only a few rare players start with Rank D skills or higher. Even my skills were Rank F when I started. Besides, yours are balanced—one defensive and one offensive.”

Alex continued enthusiastically talking about himself, and while Kyro wasn't entirely following, he was curious about something Alex had mentioned.

“So, does everyone get two skills then? And you said they're different for everyone, but what about the Purgers we see in the real world?” Kyro asked.

The question stopped Alex's rambling, but judging by his expression, he was clearly excited to share more about Shira’s world and rules.

“Good question,” Alex began. “Yes, everyone who enters this world is given two basic skills to start. Those basic skills can be upgraded, but how exactly that works isn't entirely clear. It might happen from battling, hunting monsters, or just general experience in Shira. There are tons of theories about it, especially related to the level of monsters you hunt. Monsters are ranked just like skills, from Rank F to Rank S. Shira Online typically assigns these ranks as guidelines to help players gauge which monsters they can defeat with their current abilities.”

He paused briefly, then continued with renewed excitement. “When your skills upgrade, they can sometimes branch out, creating new skills linked to your original ones. These first two skills are your foundation, and they're permanent—tied to your identity for life. You can’t create a new character or reset your skills, so the fact that you got both a defensive and offensive skill right from the start is pretty impressive.”

It was intriguing to discover that not only could skills be upgraded, but they also allowed players to branch out into entirely new abilities. However, there was a downside—Kyro realized that if he ever wanted to learn something like fire-based powers, it would essentially be impossible. Everything was predetermined by the game when a player first logged in.

“As I mentioned before, people often hit bottlenecks when upgrading their skills or acquiring new ones. That’s part of the mystery of the game—one of its greatest draws, actually,” Alex explained enthusiastically. “But Purgers are different. They break the conventional rules, using their skills even outside the game. They have access to a huge variety of skills and practically unlock the entire skill tree.”

Kyro’s mind flashed back to Arlet battling the beast. She had effortlessly wielded a diverse set of ice-based abilities. Maybe when she had become a Purger, her skills were already at S rank.

“So, has there ever been someone who isn’t a Purger who ended up with more than two skills? Like three?” Kyro asked cautiously.

‘Could you be any more obvious?’ Slith chided.

“Or four...or five?” Kyro quickly amended.

“Honestly, I can't say I’ve ever heard of that,” Alex replied thoughtfully. “If something like that happened, it would've blown up in forums or videos by now. Sure, Purgers logging in might see multiple skills right from the start, but that's expected. As for someone completely new starting out with more than two? I don’t think I’ve ever seen or heard of that.”

Hearing that, Kyro felt relieved that he'd kept his third skill secret. Revealing it would undoubtedly attract attention. Although the attention might help his situation in the short term, it wasn't wise to stand out until he was stronger or had a better handle on Slith's powers.

‘Besides, plenty of people get famous for, what, a month? If I’m going to do this, I need to do it right. Plus, I don’t even know if I'm actually a Purger. This extra skill could just be because Slith is with me.’

“I guess we should start with Shira Online itself!” Alex exclaimed, rubbing his hands together eagerly as if he'd reached the best part of the conversation. “You should know that Shira Online is just a small piece of the puzzle, maybe even one of the least important aspects of the entire game.”

“Wait… it is?” Kyro felt his understanding of the world shift suddenly. Everything he'd seen so far in the news and online had focused heavily on Shira—the battles, the monsters, the adventures. He wondered what Alex could possibly mean.

“Did you live in another world and get transported to this one or something?” Alex joked.

“No… I was just really sick for a long time,” Kyro admitted quietly. It wasn't a lie; most of his knowledge was from watching online videos during those times when he felt strong enough.

Alex didn’t want to pry and continued with his explanation.“Right, so Shira Online is actually made up of three main components. The first is where we are right now—the world of Shira itself. Here is where players learn new skills, fight beasts, collect weapons, and steadily grow stronger. Every player starts here, but honestly, calling this part a game feels strange,” Alex explained passionately.

“There aren't any quests or random NPCs here. It’s just players exploring and fighting monsters. So you might wonder, why even bother playing, aside from the thrill of using powers and hunting beasts? Well, that’s where the other two parts of the game come in.

“The second aspect is the Single Shira Rankings. This takes your character from Shira and places you in one-on-one battles against other players. You don't need to log into Shira itself for this—the strength you gain here transfers directly to those duels. Even some famous Purgers have competed against top players in these matches.

“Then there's the third and most popular aspect—the group fights. Teams of five players face off against other teams in specialized battlefields. Schools have tournaments, universities build teams, and there are even professional-level competitions. Honestly, it’s my dream that one day our school could compete on that stage.”

Kyro noticed Alex's eyes brighten more than ever as he spoke, and suddenly, things began to make sense. Not all Shira Online players were Purgers. Even regular players who weren't Purgers could become famous by excelling in single battles or team competitions.

Finally, Kyro saw a path forward. He might still be able to earn money and fame even if he never officially became a Purger.

‘The grand legacy of Purgers, the history of Shira, and even Earth itself—now reduced to mere entertainment. This world has lost its way. Bring back the old days!’ Slith grumbled dramatically inside Kyro's mind.

"Anyway, the best way for you to get the full Shira Online experience is to jump right in," Alex continued excitedly. "Head to the forest just south of the city. There are plenty of Rank F beasts there to practice against. Test out your skills and see what it's really like. Go on, enjoy your first hunt!" Alex encouraged, flashing a wide smile.