As I finished reading, I pondered over what I just learned.
Overall, the System seems more like a thing that defines reality, rather than a thing to guide it. The most obvious sign of this is the word description of stats instead of numbers.
But that would also mean that skills are somehow natural and should exist irrelevant of the Systems presence. Which doesn’t explain why nobody on Earth could perform superhuman feats.
“Hey, Croce?” I interrupt her from her fourth book. Seriously, that skill is too fast.
“I’ve got questions on the System that this book doesn’t even touch upon.”
She holds up a finger, signalling me to wait. Not even a minute later she turns the page and looks up at me expectantly.
“Right, so, there are a couple things. You already told me about traits this morning, but the book doesn’t cover them at all. Aren’t they part of the basic System?”
“No, the part everyone has access to are just name, age, level, stats and skills. It’s theorized that if someone never performed an action in their life, even the skills would be hidden. The System sort of only shows you relevant information.
And before you ask, traits are indeed different from skills. Other than being much more static, as I’m sure you’ve noticed, they also seem to be a more basic part of you. Sort of like, instead of adding pages to a book, you colour the existing pages, or the cover, a different colour.”
“Oh, is that why they’re so hard to change? Because there’s a need to recolour the whole book, so a person with more skills would need more effort?”
“Probably. At least, it’s one of the leading theories. Not like many people are investing much time into researching this with the apocalypse and all.”
Hmm, if that’s the case, then I should try to get as many traits I can while I’m still new to the System. But it’s not going to be easy. Not like I know exactly what I’m aiming for. And what would I even want to have as a trait?
“Anything else? We do have a lot to get through after all.”
I feel like she doesn’t like this wasting of time. Better not anger her. Maybe just one more question should be fine. Oh, but which one? I did notice that a description for levels was missing from the book and yet Croce said they are a basic part of the System. On the other hand, I’d really like some more elaboration on the apparent limits of skills.
“Just one more thing. Skills. Or rather, could you elaborate on the limits?”
“Hmm, limits?” she questions in response.
“Uh, there’s a mention at the end about a maximum number of skills and something about tiers limiting them. Mostly, I just want to know why I’d want to chase after higher tier skills?” Oh, she’s even quirking her eyebrow at this. Am I really that ignorant?
“Well, the limit, as you call it, on the number of skills only applies to base ones, or tier one. And, at the same time, it isn’t a static limit, nor the same for everyone.
So, you want higher tiers because they don’t slow down your levelling. Sure, you won’t be able to progress most of the skills you advance, but over all it’s a good trade off. Not only because after a certain point, skills advance at a snail’s pace, but also to expand your arsenal. Or make it more specialized.
But that isn’t the only reason. It is generally accepted that the higher tier a skill is, the more powerful and or esoteric its effect is. Eventually they become not too dissimilar to magic.”
“Oh, wow. Just one last thing, please!” Yes, yes. I know I said just one thing last time, no need to give me that face. “I know you said that the limit on fluid isn’t determined, but what should I expect it to be?”
“Like I said, it depends. Some people hit it at only as few as five skills, some more extreme cases upwards of twenty. Most of the population hovers at around ten though. And besides, it usually increases over time.”
Yes! I definitely don’t have one of those low limits. And, if higher tiers truly don’t count, then I have exactly ten of them. That’s right one the average! I’m sure I could risk one or two more.
I look to Croce, hoping to ask some more questions, but she’s already immersed herself in another book. She’s completely ignoring me! I suppose I do sort of deserve that.
Anyway, I’m done with this book and haven’t received more to do, so I’m off to explore!
Of course, I make sure to keep a part of me purely focused on memorising the path I took so that I wouldn’t get lost. The stone tunnels already taught me that lesson and something tells me these library shelves form a similar maze. Once again, who designed this?
If you spot this story on Amazon, know that it has been stolen. Report the violation.
I find various book. Biology, mathematics, some more sociological ones. And I’m sure all of those would be interesting to read, but now’s not exactly the time. I’m looking for something more immediately useful to me.
Magic, for one, would be awesome to find. But based on what the stone giant, Orok’Kove, told me, I find it doubtful that books on magic are freely available here.
Which leaves me with more or less two options. Either I find a general compendium of skills, or a study of transportation, transportation and spacetime.
It goes without question why I’d want he latter. And the former, well, I think a couple more skills won’t hurt me. On the contrary, they’d help me fill out my lopsided arsenal. The problem is I don’t know what kind of skill I’d need right now. Or in the future.
In the end, I don’t find anything. The library is much bigger than I expected. I’m in a section with book about some obscure myths when Croce find me and leads me out to lunch.
On the way there, she informs me about what she’s learned so far. Which isn’t much. Apparently, most stuff that could be considered a Cognito-hazard also contains power or knowledge of power. And pretty much all things like that are taken by mages for safekeeping.
Yeah, I know. Sounds like a typical scheme where those in power get more powerful. Thankfully, at least the artifact we are concerned about won’t be much use for them without my trait.
Actually, while I was thinking about what skills to get, I realized something. My new skill, pressure resistance, is the same thing as the trait we’re trying to figure out. They’re both resistance things.
“I just realized something. I have a different, unrelated skill, that’s also a resistance. Why do we need to figure out the conditions for the trait if you could get a skill? Aren’t skill much easier to get?”
Croce winces at this. “Yes, they are and yes, we could. The issue is that the power of skills is in their growth. They start of weaker than traits and only become stronger than them once of sufficiently high level.” She takes a deep breath, fully in lecture mode. “And, there’s still the issue of getting the skill to that high level. Other than the time investment, you also need appropriate training. You wouldn’t learn how to write a book before knowing the language. Similarly, we have no way to safely level the skill when the only option to do so are the invaders. And those leave everyone in a catatonic state or insane.”
“That, makes sense, I suppose.”
“Of course, it does. I’m the most knowledgeable person in the world!” she beams a bit, before wilting right after, “Not like there are many people in the world right now.”
“Hmm, what about magic then?” I inquire. Yes, I’m going to ignore her comment.
“What about it? There are too few mages to do anything.” I can practically smell the distaste in her words.
“Wait, wait, wait! I though your city survived because it had the most mages? How can there be too few of them?”
“We do. Mages are just that rare. Even before the collapse of civilization, there were at most around a hundred known mages in all the lands. It’s not an easy power to attain.”
“Huh, really?” Now that’s a fascinating bit of news. To me it seemed pretty straightforward. Just meditate for a bit and you’re there. Actually, no. That only triggered the pseudo-trial. But maybe that’s the standard? No, there must be a way to train casting spells before plunging into the deep like I did.
“So,” I try to reopen the conversation, “does that mean that a mage will be joining us in this endeavour?”
“Ha, of course not! More like take over and leave us in the dark. Leave me in the dark. Maybe even you, tough they will need you for experimentation, so you’ll still be in the loop more than me.”
Aha, so that’s how it is. Croce is a proper seeker of knowledge and doesn’t like when it’s kept from her.
“That’s also why I won’t be seeking their help anytime soon. I’ll keep researching for at least a week before even considering turning this project over to them!”
Ah, that’s good. Is it?
Sure, Croce seems much better than these other mages, but she’s heavily biased. On the other hand, this will prolong my stay here if she doesn’t find anything useful.
Should I teach her how to do magic? Would that even fix anything? I’m not sure. I’ll keep it in the same emergency folder as sharing the existence of the Void summoning ritual.
Time passes and soon it’s already a week later.
Most of that time was spent researching tons upon tons of heavy books. Interspersed between all that were a couple lessons. She taught me Aztifikian and I gave her some basics on English. I did also train pressure resistance, though I couldn’t just do that nonstop. My training method is quite destructive and I have to let my body recover. Maybe I could get a healing skill.
Over the week, as we went through more and more books, it steadily took Croce longer and longer to retrieve newer ones. At one point it became obvious to me that we’re scraping the bottom of the barrel and won’t find much more useful stuff.
And honestly, Croce grew on me. Sure, she isn’t the kindly old grandma, but I don’t want someone else to take over this project.
That’s why, as we’re finishing another batch of book, I ask her, “Can you get us out of the city?”
“That depends. Why?”
“I’ll first need a couple questions answered.”
She narrows her eyes a bit at me, suspicious, but in the end gestures for me to go on. Seems that, like I gained trust in her, she also gained some measure of trust in me.
“I need to know whether you can get us out of the city, just the two of us. Also, for how long. And whether or not the city’s been moving this past week.”
“The city doesn’t move that often, usually in sporadic spurts so that we don’t get too close to those monstrosities. And I could get us out, though not that long.”
Hmm, how long would we need. If I remember correctly, the city was about a day’s distance away, when counting with my increased speed thanks to silent step. Then another two days to get to the ritual site.
“How about six days? A week, just to be sure.”
She thinks about this for a moment, then nods.
“Ok, one last thing. I need you to promise me that this secret stays a secret. Or at least the source, me, of the secret stays a secret.”
For whatever reason Croce barely even pauses, “I, Keeper of Knowledge Croce, swear upon all my current and future knowledge that I shall keep you a secret as the source of shared knowledge.”
That’s, unexpected. But good.
“I know of a place with a weaker source of an eldritch aura.”