37 The Sneeze :0

Lying on her bed, Kumi was in deep thought with her eyes closed.

'Ways to defeat someone a lot faster than me... If I could make Items or Skills it would be helpful but right now all I can do is strategize.'

Kumi opened her eyes and stared at the ceiling.

'Since my only option is strategy... Hmm. If I was fighting someone super fast and could barely react to their movements, I'd probably have to wait until they attack me before attacking them back.

Trading blows so to say.

Though I don't know if that one attack could be enough to kill me or not. My reaction speed should be good enough though, with the Caution Skill I should be able to react and attack back even if they appear behind me. So the best thing to do in that situation is to trade blows when dealing with some super speed character.

If I'm dealing with some other type of ability or something that isn't related to pure physical speed then the situation gets a lot more difficult.

Hmmm.

Ah. What about some wires? If I place them around while I fight, I should be able to catch them off guard if they are moving and not just teleporting.

But what could I use as thin thread that would be hard to see... I have hair... And it is pretty long.'

Thinking about it for a while longer, Kumi couldn't come up with anything better.

And so she stood up and went around the room picking up any and all loose hairs she could find.

Since she couldn't find many, she ended up plucking a few from her head. Luckily it didn't hurt much.

So she tied them together and made a thin thread of hair.

'Even if it is easy to break, my enemy isn't guaranteed to have massive strength and speed.

Not counting the force generated from speed.'

And so, she had about 3 one-metre long pieces of thread.

Hiding them by carefully tying them around her thigh, Kumi went back to bed to continue thinking and strategizing.

'Next. What if it isn't speed and they can just stop time? What should I do then? Maybe...'

And time passed, Kumi didn't even fully realize how cautious she had become due to her personality choice. If she were the exact same as before, she would just be sleeping since she would have nothing better to do.

Thankfully, the Cautious Trait didn't change her core personality that much, it just slightly changed her way of thinking when it came to fights and dangerous situations.

...

It was the next day.

Kumi had spent a large majority of her time thinking about what abilities people might have and how to counter them if possible.

For example, elemental attacks, if someone could copy or steal Skills, if someone couldn't be dealt direct damage to, if someone could one hit kill you and so on until she was thinking about increasingly obscure and overpowered powers like the manipulation of all matter and similar abilities.

Nevertheless, she was a bit more prepared than she would have been if she had been sleeping the entire night.

Not that she didn't sleep at all, she actually got a good 6 or so hours in.

It was now sunrise.

Kumi had woken up.

'I'm hungry...'

Walking to the door, she suddenly had a thought.

'Wait. I'm probably going to get trained by these assassin people. What is one of my tests is to see how long I can go on without food. A test about starving but continuing to fight. That's scary.

Though since I am pretty new to this world, I'll probably get one or two meals. I should hide a few bits and pieces just to be safe. After I check them for poison of course. They might try to get me resistant to toxins and all that after all.'

Yes. You could say she was the tiniest bit overly Cautious. You can say that.

Anyway, as Kumi was at the door and slightly thinking about what if the door was boobytrapped as a test, she heard some steps reaching her room.

Jumping up to the same place she was at before, just in case it was an enemy assassin, Kumi waited.

As the door opened, Kumi heard a voice speak.

"Get down from there."

After hearing a sigh moments after the woman spoke, Kumi jumped to the side and near her bed.

'How could she find me like that? Some sensing Skill or something? Maybe a similar Skill to my Caution.'

Kumi speed walked to the other side of the bed and sat behind it, looking in the direction of the door. Only the top of her head could be seen.

'Weak but effective protection just in case.'

As the woman entered the room and Kumi finally laid her eyes on her, she noticed that it was Hilde, the Boss.

'Oh. It's boss lady.'

"Why are you hiding? I'm not going to kill you or anything."

Kumi slightly ducked downward.

'A strange thing to say to a kid.'

Seeing how Kumi was eying her suspiciously, Hilde sighed and muttered.

"I knew we should have done more research on Angel and Devil kids."

Clapping her hands, a maid brought a chair into the room.

Sitting down, Hilde stared at Kumi.

"Hello."

Kumi didn't move an inch.

"My name is Hilde. Do you know your name?"

Kumi didn't move an inch.

'I don't trust her but the way she phrased that question means she already knows what my name is.

As far as I know, saying your name to someone won't have any adverse effects. She did say her name after all.'

After pondering over it for a second, Kumi answered quietly.

"kumi."

'She can speak already? She also already probably knows about the existence of the System since that is the only way she could have learned her name.'

After a second of silence, when Hilde was in her own thoughts, Kumi dived into her own.

'Did it actually mean something? She is quiet. That's ominous as all hell.'

As she was about to continue her inner monologue about how she doesn't trust this Hilde person, she stopped.

Taking a small breath in, followed by another, Kumi quietly sneezed.

*Achew*

As her head bobbed downward, she refuses to raise it upward. Now only the top of her head and her cowlick were visible.

'A sneeze? And why isn't she even looking at me anymore.'

Hilde was ready to throw a tantrum because of Kumi's behaviour.

'It's just a sneeze! Why aren't you even looking at me anymore?!'

Hilde let out a sigh after a few seconds.

'Though it was cute.'

She pouted.

'I hope she isn't sick. I doubt neither Angels nor Devils get sick easily. Though she did get hit by a strong and cold wind just yesterday... did she sneak out at night?'

'I hope boss woman doesn't figure out I was up for a long after dark.'

Kumi slightly peeked out from behind the bed only to see Hilde resting her head on her hand.

'Hmmm. She looks slightly disappointed. Either that or she is tired. Whichever it is, it isn't bad for me.'

Hilde then straightened herself and looked at Kumi.

"Do you know what the System is?"

'There could be quite a few reasons for her to ask that... I don't have much to be wary of for now I think. She does still think of me as a little girl so I'll just shortly answer the questions she has for now.'

"yes."

"How did you find out about it?"

"I heard."

"You heard?"

"yes."

"From who?"

"maids."

"The maids?"

"yes."

"They told you?"

"no. I heard."

"Okay. This makes it slightly easier."

Hilde muttered before continuing.

"You have seen your Attribute panel, right?"

"yes."

"Do you have any Skills?"

"..."

'Well, I definitely don't want to answer that.'

"I guess you don't?"

'Eh. A little white lie wouldn't hurt.'

"no."

"Okay. How do you know how to talk?"

"smart."

"You're smart?"

Hilde slightly giggled.

"yes."

'I did learn on my own after all.'

Kumi thought before Hilde continued.

"Do you have a Personality?"

"..."

'Don't really want to answer this either. It's unknown if certain Personality Traits are treated better than others.'

"It should be the final line on your Attribute Panel."

"..."

Kumi looked at her Attributes.

'She did ask if I had A Personality. Maybe people normally only have 1? I can probably just say Inscrutable and it won't reveal much.'

Kumi peeked at Hilde.

'It should be fine. If she reacts poorly, I can just smash through the window, I should be able to survive the fall.'

"inscrutable."

"Inscrutable?"

Hilde giggled.

'Ominous...'

Kumi stared at the window.

"Of course, you would have that type of Personality. Anyway, are you hungry?"

Kumi looked back at Hilde.

Hilde looked where Kumi was looking toward.

"Do you want to eat outside?"

'That should be fine. I can scout out the area around here.'

"okay."

Hilde stood up and clapped her hands, a maid came into the room and removed the chair.

Kumi was staring at the maid as she came and left without a word.

"Do you want to keep the chair?"

"no."

It might have some hidden microphone or camera.

"Alright, well let's go."

Hilde showed the way to the door.

Kumi warily stood up but didn't move much, basically telling Hilde to 'go first'.

Hilde sighed with a small smile before exiting the room.

"It's safe. No big scary guy is going to attack you."

The words didn't make Kumi feel any better but a few seconds later, she followed after Hilde.

Looking both ways after leaving the room, she saw Hilde waiting a few metres away to her left and followed.

'I hope I don't get poisoned.'

Kumi thought as she slowly followed Hilde from behind.