"Eiko, what if we substitute some scenes with text screens like in old films? This could clear up minor doubts for the audience and help them feel more included in the scene itself."
"Mmh... true. Since we don't have professional actors or even anyone with much experience, the scenes wouldn't focus too much on them, and—"
Eiko pointed out the possible pros and cons until she accepted my reasoning.
"...But I'm curious... today you're happier than usual. Did something happen to change your mood that much?"
"Yes, today I'm on fire!"
Since my first dungeon expedition yesterday, which brought me to level 4 and leveled up some of my skills, I've distributed my points to Intelligence, Wisdom, and Luck, and I can already feel the difference.
Leveling up my skills doesn't feel the same; it's more of a straightforward upgrade to a specific capability, and the improvements aren't immediately noticeable. That's also why many people stop going to the gym or playing sports—they don't see noticeable changes because the progress is too gradual.
For instance, someone might finally notice a difference after three months in the gym, but many lack the patience for long-term commitment since they desire quick and visible results.
It's the same for me, but with one key difference: I know how much I've improved because of the levels associated with each skill. As long as I level up, it means I've gotten better at something, and there's no debating that.
There's also this aspect of being The Gamer that might enhance my skill development rate, but that's beside the point. Unlike skill improvements, I can feel the changes when I use free points.
Yes, I can enhance a single stat through training alone, and that gives me a similar feeling to improving a skill. This means I could become a training fanatic and still develop without reaching a fixed ceiling, though I don't plan to go down that route.
Today, however, I felt different; those 6 points added to Intelligence and Wisdom made me feel... 'more' than I was yesterday.
Not only that, but there's also a synergy between my stats and skills. For example, I possess a skill called [Cold Reading], which involves a set of techniques for analyzing and gathering a wealth of information from someone by observing their body language, clothing, age, fashion, and various other factors. This morning, I could deduce what my roommate Kyoya had done the night before. While analyzing him—he's the only early riser—I figured out that he spent the night studying before reading some manga.
Nothing different from before, but it took me less time to gather that information, and before ending my analysis, I began to narrow down the possible manga he read by considering his collection, tastes, and previous deductions. I whittled down the list from 5 series to just 2.
This wasn't something I could do before, and I realized it was thanks to my added points in Intelligence and Wisdom.
Intelligence relates to my mana pool and processing power. It's amusing that more intelligence doesn't necessarily make me smarter, but as a great sage (read: meme) once said, "I'm stupid faster." This directly connects to my ability to gather/process information quickly.
On one hand, there's Intelligence; on the other, there's Wisdom. If Intelligence gives me increased processing power, then Wisdom helps me exploit that power effectively. It's like knowing where I need to apply it and where I don't.
So yes, increasing my Wisdom makes me smarter. I don't know if there are additional benefits, like a skill improvement rate for affiliated skills, but even without them, I'm satisfied. After all, everything I have means I will become strong someday, and a slower rate of improvement isn't a problem. I will inevitably change; too much power isn't always a good thing.
After all, they say that power corrupts. Not that I dislike power, but there's no rush to reach the top.
"Well then, why don't we try registering those scenes for a trial run? We're alone, but we can see if there's anything we want to change before the final run."
Eiko smirked and stood up. "I'll take the camera while you memorize everyone else's lines."
"Yes, but don't take too long!"
After all, those lines are etched in my memory.
---
I was inside the Zombie Dungeon and was ready to kill another one with a [Mana Arrow].
//
You have defeated Zombie Lv.4
+19 EXP
You've obtained 1 Shard
Level up! Lvl 4->lvl 5
+5 free stat points
Mana Arrow Lv.3->4
//
Since I was almost out of mana, it was the perfect time to leave. With the time dilation set to 1:4, I had enough time before going to bed.
I booted up my laptop and visited the most popular web novel publishing site. It isn't affiliated with any publishing company, making it the ideal platform to publish my work. However, it's not an original piece of mine; rather, it's a copy I obtained from a setting I created previously—specifically, a version of my past life's setting. This version of Earth is perfect for engaging in copyright infringement without any repercussions in my actual world.
It even has a new company called Project: Old, which holds the rights to various works from my past life that have been altered, creating potential issues for me. For instance, Dragon Ball doesn't exist in Shonen Jump in my world because of a similar series called Drag-So-Balls. The same goes for our infamous Two-Piece.
Putting that aside, I took a pen drive containing all the text files of my copied work and opened the one I needed to upload. I checked for grammar issues and made corrections until I was satisfied with the text. After that, I copy-pasted it into the site's text editor and published it. As a result, my work gained another chapter titled "Lord of the Mysteries/Chapter 32: Spirit Vision."
The first work of my life as an aspiring Japanese novelist is actually a Chinese novel. My friend read "Lord of the Mysteries" and was absolutely smitten with it. It was on my to-read list, but I died before I could start it. Since I wanted to kickstart my career and bring prosperity to my future company, I decided to use this particular work.
I haven't finished it and am nowhere near the epilogue; I'm currently at chapter 100 of over 1300. As a novel, it has all the qualities needed to be considered one of the best in this world. The only 'defects,' if you can call them that, are that it starts off a bit slowly and may not be a story everyone would gravitate toward, especially since the current market favors action-packed narratives. This isn't a concern for me right now; my focus is on the future.
Also, it might be worth a visit later on, but I need to read to the end to resolve my doubts. After all, while my friend and I made a list of "worlds you'd like to be isekai'd to," he mentioned that, despite it being his favorite novel, he wouldn't touch that world with a ten-dimensional stick. It's a shame because I thought its power system would synergize well with mine.
I spent some time looking at reviews and comments on my work, answering some and reporting others, until it felt late enough. That night, I dreamed of death, madness, and spirituality.