Akemi's lips were touching my cheek.
Beyond my hazy vision, the boys were frantically gathering mushrooms.
They looked like worker ants tirelessly serving their queen.
"Akemi-san! Look, we picked so many!"
"No, no, I picked the bigger mushrooms!"
The moment they looked up, the mushrooms in their hands dropped to the ground one after another.
"No... This can't be real...?"
"Why is Akemi-san kissing a garbage guy...!?"
"We haven't even held her hand yet!?"
"Ah, that's an illusion! The mushrooms are making us see things!"
The boys clutched their heads and started shouting.
Akemi finally pulled away from me.
"Hehe, it's said that a kiss from someone in my family brings good luck.
May fortune smile upon you, Leopin-kun... See you later."
She flashed a mischievous smile, turned her back, and walked away.
Her entourage chased after her, clutching mushrooms and calling out, "Wait for us, Akemi-saaan!"
Still not quite sure what had just happened, I pressed a hand to my cheek, which still held her warmth.
That's when I noticed my body was wrapped in light.
--------------------------------------------------
**Leopin**
**Occupation:** Appraiser
**LV:** 4 → 5
**HP:** 2010
**MP:** 2010
**Status**
**Vitality:** 201
**Endurance:** 201
**Toughness:** 1
**Spirit:** 1
**Resistance:** 1
**Agility:** 201
**Focus:** 201
**Strength:** 201
**Magic Power:** 1
**Divine Power:** 1
**Intelligence:** 1
**Education:** 201
**Five Senses:** 201
**Sixth Sense:** 1
**Charm:** 1
**Luck:** 1 → 2
**Dexterity:** 900 → 1000
**Available Jobs**
**Production**
Woodcutter
Appraiser
Carpenter
**NEW!** Stonecrafter
**Exploration**
Ranger
**Combat**
Axe Battler
Ninja
--------------------------------------------------
"I can't believe I leveled up from getting kissed...
Maybe it really was a lucky kiss, just like she said..."
◆ ◇ ◆ ◇ ◆
After that, I returned home and decided to cook the mushrooms I had gathered.
Since I had the chance, I figured I would build a cooking area next to the house.
I switched to the newly unlocked job.
--------------------------------------------------
**Occupation:** Stonecrafter
**Job Skills**
**Stone Carving**
Allows detailed work on stone.
**Stone Crafting**
Creates tools using stone.
**Stone Statue**
Creates statues using stone.
--------------------------------------------------
Before starting stone crafting, I first made some basic tools for the job.
Using Gisu wood and a fairly large stone near the house, I created two items.
--------------------------------------------------
**Gisu Wooden Mallet**
**Quantity:** 1
**Quality Level:** 24 (Material Level 9 + Dexterity Bonus 10 + Job Bonus 5)
A mallet made from high-quality Gisu wood.
Thanks to various bonuses, the force can be adjusted with perfect precision.
**Forest Stone Chisel**
**Quantity:** 1
**Quality Level:** 16 (Material Level 1 + Dexterity Bonus 10 + Job Bonus 5)
A chisel made from forest stone.
Thanks to various bonuses, it can carve even high-hardness stone.
--------------------------------------------------
I compared the two finished items and noticed something.
"The material levels are completely different.
This place is a forest, so the wood is high quality, but the stone seems pretty mediocre.
I might need to source stone from somewhere else..."
A new goal for future exploration had just been added.
For today, I would make do with the "forest stone" available here.
I used the fresh tools to carve a rock sitting near the house into cooking equipment.
--------------------------------------------------
**Forest Stone Stove**
**Quantity:** 1
**Quality Level:** 16 (Material Level 1 + Dexterity Bonus 10 + Job Bonus 5)
A cooking stove made from forest stone.
Thanks to various bonuses, the fire lasts longer.
--------------------------------------------------
"All right, now I can make some delicious 'grilled mushrooms.'"
I stuffed dry leaves and branches I had picked up into the stove and lit a fire.
Once it was burning nicely, I skewered the mushrooms on branches and roasted them over the flames.
They sizzled as they took on a nice color. I sprinkled a quick dash of the salt Akemi had given me.
The distinctive savory aroma of the mushrooms spread all around.
My stomach finally rumbled loudly, and I could not hold back any longer. I bit into a freshly grilled mushroom.
"Hah...! Hafu! Hofu! Mmm... So goooood~~~!
Freshly picked mushrooms taste this amazing!? I could eat these every day!"
I polished off all the mushrooms I had gathered in no time.
It had been a while since I felt this happily full.
I rubbed my swollen belly and savored the satisfied feeling when...
I spotted the principal and vice principal running toward me from across the forest, their faces twisted in panic.
"Ga... Garbage...! I mean, Leopin-kun!"
"Is it true that you found a 'Tatsumake'!?"
I asked back with a dazed look on my face.
"How do you know about that?"
"I told you at the entrance ceremony!
The academy life is being broadcast to the entire world through magic devices!"
"Sponsors saw you eating the 'Tatsumake' on the broadcast and have been flooding us with inquiries!"
"If it's true, hand over the 'Tatsumake' right now!"
"Then, just this once, we'll use our authority to move you out of the 'Special Development Class' and into another class!"
"Yes! It's a once-in-a-lifetime chance to escape the garbage dump!"
"If you miss this, you'll be stuck living in the garbage dump for the rest of your life!"
"Huh. But I already ate all of it."
"Ki... Kyeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeee!!!"