IT-Tsuchiya thought he was making his debut as a forest boy, but an even bigger problem arose.

First, calm down.

1. The current location is not Japan.
2. Food supplies are limited to three days' worth, and water is only enough for half a day.
3. Given the size of this forest, large wild animals may be present.
4. There are no weapons or protective gear (maybe just a large cutter?).
5. No signs of settlements are visible nearby.

"Ugh... We're in trouble..."

Crawling on all fours, I lament the situation.

"Hmm. IT-Tsuchiya making his debut as a forest boy? That's impossible. An old man like me could survive, though."

Since wallowing in despair won't solve anything, I'll set a plan.

"First, secure water and food. If the vegetation is similar to Japan, edible things should be similar too."

Gradually regaining my composure, I start thinking about how to survive.

"Water sources: river water might be risky, so look for spring water... Food: trap small animals and birds, then fish."

Thanks to my grandfather's teachings, I know a bit about making small traps and handling prey.

"After that, securing tonight's resting place would be ideal. It's currently 10:30 AM. First priority is securing water. If worse comes to worst, boil river water."

While thinking this through, I hear a faint noise behind me. The sound seems to come from a lower position, likely a small animal.

I hold my two-pronged staff and cautiously open the bushes where the noise came from.

"Is it a forest rat snake?"

The snake wriggles at the end of my staff, about 150 cm long. However, its color is reddish-brown, so I can't be sure it's a forest rat snake.

"Hmm? The pupils aren't round. But the head shape seems similar."

Confused because the snake I recognize has an unfamiliar appearance, it suddenly opens its mouth wide and sprays liquid around its fangs.

"Whoa! Is it venomous? Wait, forest rat snakes don't have venom, right?"

Not wanting to take unnecessary risks, I pull out a punch knife from my tool set and stab it through the head. It convulses, wraps around the staff, but gradually loses strength and hangs limply.

Just as I think it's completely dead, a familiar electronic voice echoes in my head.

<Skill Acquisition Notice: The condition for skill Acquisition has been fulfilled. The target's skill 'Stealth' 0.03 has been transferred to you.>

"What?!"

Completely unexpected, my mind goes blank.

"What is this? Acquisition? Skill transfer?"

I mutter my confusion without making much sense.

<Skill 'Sage' Notice: Hello, Unnamed One. I am 'Sage.' I spoke to you because you desired dialogue.>

Another electronic voice sounds, and this time it feels like a conversation is possible.

"Are you Sage-san? The interface granted skills, right?"

Not knowing its true nature, I end up speaking politely.

<That is correct. Skill 'Sage' is meant for those with knowledge. It has been granted to Unnamed One by the Interface.>

Ah, so it's Sage. But what is an "Unnamed One"?

"What does 'Unnamed One' mean?"

<Skill 'Sage' cannot identify Unnamed One due to lack of means. Hence, it refers to you as Unnamed One.>

Oh, so it's because my name isn't known.

"My name is Maekawa Akihito (前川彰浩). Please call me Akihito."

<Understood. From now on, Unnamed One will be referred to as Akihito. It has been a pleasure.>

Communication is possible. This is different from the Interface. Now, back to my initial confusion.

"The Acquisition skill mentioned transferring a skill. What exactly does that mean?"

<Skill 'Sage' Notice: Akihito has been granted three skills by the Interface. One of them is Acquisition.'>
<Akihito requested all information and experiences, so this skill was granted.>
<The ability of this skill allows you to digest experienced events into skills and incorporate them into yourself.>

I didn't ask for such a powerful ability, yet I ended up with something grandiose.

Or rather, what exactly are skills?

"What are skills? And what was the 'Stealth' mentioned earlier?"

<Skill 'Sage' Notice: There are two types of skills. The first is tied to the soul and represents one's way of being. The three skills granted by the Interface fall into this category.>
<The second type is tied to the body and represents abilities gained through training. These manifest after practice.>
<'Stealth' is a skill that allows you to hide from others' visual recognition, developed through training to conceal oneself.>

This seems like a significant ability, but my head spins at the thought.

Focusing on survival for now, it's fortunate, but I'm vaguely worried about how this will affect life back in Japan.
Plus, 'Stealth' sounds useful, but without knowing how to use it, it'll just be useless.

"Sage-san, how do I use 'Stealth'?"

<Skill 'Sage' Notice: Generally, skills need a level of at least 1 to have noticeable effects. Akihito currently has only 0.03, so the effect is minimal.>

Oh wow. It'll take time. For now, I'll ignore it. Anyway, the snake-like creature didn't seem invisible.

Alright, with that confusion cleared up, let's get back to the main task of survival... Let's try our best...