"Streetwise," Julien answered.
It was the only logical choice for now.
He was a level 2 merchant with the physical capability of a wet towel. Being able to slash a sword with 10% more power wouldn't help him when his arm was already useless. There was no way he could fight with this.
He tapped on the screen.
[Skill Selected: Streetwise (Passive) - Rank F]
'Rank F? It's my fault I chose it because it sounded cool.'
[Integrating Experience...]
It didn't feel like something was installing. Rather, the experience felt like someone had plugged a charger directly into his brain.
"Gah!"
Julien grabbed his head, squeezing his eyes shut as a sharp, high-pitched sound rang in his ears.
For a second, the smell of the dirty alleyway, rotting garbage, and everything else intensified tenfold, making him feel like vomiting.
Then, just as quickly as the pain arrived, it disappeared.
Julien slowly opened his eyes.
The world looked... weird.
The alley was the same, but the shadows seemed less like random darkness and more like data. He looked at a puddle of dirty water near his foot. A small, semi-transparent tag floated over it.
[Hazard: Slippery Surface. Traction reduced by 40%.]
He looked up at the fire escape.
[Escape Route A: Rusted Bolts. 85% chance of structural failure.]
"Whoa," Julien breathed. It was like having a tactical Heads-Up Display, but specifically designed for a coward. "This is incredible."
He looked at the mouth of the alley where the crowd was still buzzing about the miracle potion. The skill didn't just show him physical things; it showed intent.
The crowd wasn't just a mass of people anymore. It was a sea of colored mana emitting from their body.
Most were grey (Neutral/Bored). The healer he had embarrassed was glowing a soft, resentful red (Hostile).
But then, the skill pinged. A sharp, jarring sound like a broken violin string echoed in his mind.
[Alert: Killing Intent Detected.]
Julien froze.
He quickly followed the instinct, his eyes locking onto two men pushing their way out of the crowd. They weren't looking at the injured man on the ground. They were scanning the alleyways.
One was big, bald, and wearing a leather vest that looked too tight on his body. The other was wiry, with a face that looked like it had been drawn by a kid.
[Target Analysis:]
Thug A (The Muscle): Strength 12. Intelligence 3. Threat Level: High.
Thug B (The Rat): Agility 14. Hidden Weapon (Right Boot). Threat Level: Moderate.
Objective: Robbery / Bodily Harm.
"They saw the potion," Julien realised, his stomach dropping. "And they know I'm crippled."
The wiry man pointed directly at Julien's dumpster. "There. He is standing behind the bin. That's his hoodie."
"Get him," the big one grunted, cracking his knuckles.
Julien's heart slammed against his chest. He turned to run, but his legs felt like rock. Panic clawed in; the old familiar friend tried to stop him from moving.
Run, you idiot! His brain commanded.
But the [Streetwise] skill didn't panic.
[Scenario: Pursuit.]
[Enemy Speed: 25 km/h.]
[User Speed: 12 km/h (Pathetic).]
[Conclusion: You will be caught in eight seconds.]
"Thanks for the confidence boost!" Julien replied in the air.
[Recommendation: Utilise the environment. Try to disrupt their movements.]
A thin green line appeared on the ground, making a path through the corner of the alley. It didn't point away from the thugs; it pointed toward a stack of wooden crates filled with decayed vegetables, stacked against the wall.
"You want me to fight with cabbages?"
The thugs were closing in fast.
'What should I do?'
"Hey, kid!" The ugly one pulled a sharp knife from his boot. "Hand over the blade and the stash, and maybe we'll only break one leg."
'How kind of you.'
"Do it!" the skill seemed to scream in his mind.
Julien stopped thinking.
He trusted the green line, a way to evade. He lunged forward, not running away anymore, but diving toward the wall. He grabbed the bottom box with his working hand and yanked it with every ounce of strength he had.
"Have a salad!"
The stack collapsed.
Hundreds of yeast-filled, fermented cabbages and heavy wooden crates fell down like a landslide.
"What the-"
The big thug looked up just in time to take a wooden crate to the face.
CRACK.
He stumbled back, blinded. The ugly thug tried to dodge, but he stepped squarely into the water puddle, which Julien had seen earlier, the one marked [Hazard: Slippery].
His feet went out from under him. He hit the ground with a wet thud, sliding face-first into a pile of rotting vegetable soup.
[Obstruction Successful. Enemy speed reduced by 90%.]
[New Path Calculated.]
The green line shifted, pointing toward a narrow gap in the fence that Julien hadn't even noticed.
It was a hole barely big enough for a dog, obscured by an old movie poster.
"You little rat!" the big thug roared, wiping cabbage paste from his eyes. "I'm gonna peel you!"
Julien didn't stick around to trade insults. He scrambled on all fours, squeezing through the hole in the fence. A nail tore his jacket, but he popped out on the other side into a busy marketplace street.
He stood up, brushing slime off his knees, and blended instantly into the flow of people.
[Pursuit Evaded.]
[Skill Proficiency Increased.]