Collect the World (A LitRPG Adventure, Book 2), page 10
Ska’dur froze. “Well, I suppose the System did with the skill creation function. I tried combining them myself and could never find the right balance.”
“Are you teasing me?” Keith’s expression dropped. Although Ska’dur had revealed a powerful new type of energy, he didn’t know how to find or combine it. In that case, Keith would rather remain unaware of its existence!
“No.” Ska’dur coughed. “My intention wasn’t to teach you my legacy skill.”
“Oh.” Keith’s mood soured.
Ska’dur hastily explained. “I wanted you to recognize that stats, something everyone takes for granted, have a much greater depth. A depth so great that I used them to create a transcendent grade skill. And if something as simple as stats could do that, who knows what else we’re missing?”
The room fell silent, and when Ska’dur saw Keith seriously contemplating the meaning behind his words, he felt gratified. Growing solemn, he asked, “Keith, do you know my greatest fear?”
“What?” Keith was intrigued.
Ska’dur stared into the young man’s eyes. “I fear we rely too much on the System. For example, even though everybody uses skills, hardly anyone cares about learning how they function. Or consider my innate gift. I simply have no idea how it works. It’s so complex that it boggles my mind. And it bothers me. It bothers me greatly that I use a skill I cannot begin to comprehend.”
“What’s wrong with relying on the System? It gives us the means to grow stronger, so it has to be benevolent toward us,” Keith countered.
Ska’dur shook his head. “The System has already given us a hint. What happens when a skill reaches level five hundred?”
“Repetition no longer levels it up, and you need to start figuring out how…” Keith’s voice trailed off when he realized what Ska’dur was alluding to.
“When I was your age,” Ska’dur recalled, “kids played with a particular toy. It was a hollow doll, hiding another doll inside. And in that doll was another doll. For years, I and everyone else thought the Innate Dimension was the whole world, and then I learned about the Grandsky Realm. Have you ever considered what’ll happen when someone combines all four Dimension Cores? Will it reveal another doll?”
Keith shuddered at the implications, excited by the prospect.
Ska’dur chuckled. “Of course, though I’m only speculating, what if? What if there’s a path beyond level one thousand, and the System takes another crutch away from us? Like removing the interface or the inspect skill?”
Ska’dur paused for a moment. “I’ve looked at some data collected by the government, and people in general struggle with leveling skills past five hundred. They’ve grown too complacent with relying on the System, and their reliance has become a crutch that holds them back.”
When Ska’dur finished, Keith felt the mana and skill arrays inside him, muttering, “Only power you understand is power you control.”
Ska’dur’s expression lit up, and he slapped Keith on the shoulder, roaring with laughter. “Hahaha, I couldn’t have said it better myself. Only power you understand is power you control! What a great phrase!”
Keith rubbed his shoulder to alleviate the pain and looked up at Ska’dur. “I didn’t know you were so insightful.”
Ska’dur grinned. “The Innate Dimension imprisoned me for five hundred years. Five hundred long years. Besides leveling skills, it left me a lot of time to think. I’m not all muscle and brawn, you know.”
“Although you do have a lot of muscle,” Keith quipped.
“True.” Ska’dur chuckled.
After a brief silence, Ska’dur looked at the time and said, “Okay, now that I’ve acquired Mana Manipulation, I’ll enter a time-accelerated Pocket Dimension and level it up. I don’t have time to waste.”
A moment later, Ska’dur left, and Keith was wondering if he should head to Mandara Desert to hunt monsters when a beep came from his magic tablet. Walking over, he opened his messages.
Frisk: I want to show you something.
I’m popular today, Keith thought as he walked out the door.
Chapter 19
When Keith entered the time-accelerated Pocket Dimension used by Frisk it looked like a natural disaster had swept through it, and Keith held back his urge to clean it all up. Moving through the mess, he found Frisk slumped in a swiveling chair, his gaze unfocused and his arms hanging limply over the armrests. Frisk’s consciousness was currently inside his simulation innate gift, no doubt testing something.
Not wanting to disturb Frisk, Keith followed a foul odor to a pile of leftover meals and began to make the area a little more presentable. After filling five trash bags, he went around, occasionally using the Cleanliness Ring to eliminate the smell. Finally, he approached Frisk for one last usage of the ring.
At that moment, Frisk blinked, a sign his consciousness had returned.
“What are you doing?” Frisk jolted from his seat, surprised by Keith’s sudden appearance.
Keith deliberately held up the Cleanliness Ring on his finger and activated it to show Frisk, explaining, “You stink.”
Frisk waved his hand in annoyance. “No need to make myself nice and pretty when I never see anyone.”
“Don’t I count?” Keith grumbled.
“Meh.” Frisk scoffed. “If my parents couldn’t fix my habits, no one can. You’d best give up trying.”
Keith stared at Frisk silently to shame him into action, yet the man was like an emotionless rock. What social conventions? What grooming yourself? He didn’t give a slimeball.
In the end, Keith’s curiosity overcame his desire to reform Frisk. He asked, “What did you call me over for?”
Frisk raised a hand, and his mana started to emerge. “I unlocked Mana Manipulation.”
“Congratulations!” Keith felt happy for him.
“Yeah, well.” Frisk shook his head. “It took me months of effort and a few divine grade potions before I could acquire it. I’m certain my affinity for mana is at the bottom of the barrel.”
“At least now you can better understand it for your simulations,” Keith said, trying to keep things positive.
“Indeed.” Frisk slowly formed the skill array for Fireball. He pointed at it with his other hand. “Have you ever tried to activate an externalized skill array?”
“Yes.” Keith nodded. “It worked like normal.”
“While doing some testing, I wondered if it was possible to modify the externalized Fireball skill array and artificially boost its level,” Frisk revealed as the externalized Fireball skill array underwent significant changes.
Without waiting for Keith to respond, Frisk angled the customized skill array to face a nearby target dummy. The mana he funneled into it underwent subtle transformations with every rune it passed, and it turned into a Fireball when it shot out the other end, where it hit the target dummy with a small bang.
“Wow!” Keith was astonished by the sight. This was a revolutionary breakthrough!
Frisk explained. “That Fireball had destructive power equivalent to a level three hundred Fireball. And if I add more runes to raise the heat, concentration, speed, et cetera, then I can increase its power to something above level nine hundred.”
This time, beads of sweat formed on Frisk’s face when he made further changes to the custom Fireball skill array. He then channeled mana through the array, and a blue Fireball with white around its edges shot out and blasted the training dummy to pieces.
“What…” Keith had no words. How long would it take someone to train their Fireball skill to level 900? Frisk had circumvented the whole leveling process!
Frisk wiped the sweat off his forehead. “Fireball is one of the most common skills, and its potential is limited. I have no interest in pushing its limits. Recently, I’ve spent most of my time creating a weapon capable of killing a level one thousand. Half of its power comes from materials and half from arrays.”
Keith sucked in a breath. “Are you saying…?”
“Yes.” Frisk smiled, then sighed. “Unfortunately, I can’t form the array with my current Mana Manipulation level and poor affinity.”
Keith was enlightened. “So that’s why you called me over. Okay. Let’s start!”
Frisk raised a hand and conjured a partial array. “Here is a quarter of the Laegur Beam array.”
Keith entered studying mode, curious to see Frisk’s Laegur Beam in action. At first, he tried to grasp the rune syntax of the array only to realize they involved several scientific principles he couldn’t understand—things like chemical reactions, mathematical formulas, and energy focusing. Keith couldn’t make heads or tails of it, so he focused on copying and memorizing.
After an hour, Frisk ran out of mental energy and had to take a short break. It took several more breaks before Keith memorized the partial array and even more until he memorized the whole thing.
When Keith counted the number of runes, he found that the Laegur Beam consisted of over two thousand. By comparison, the custom Fireball array Frisk made had under two hundred. In reality, the number of runes didn’t equate to capabilities; it was just a measure of difficulty. Frisk himself felt the Laegur Beam array had bloat and inefficiencies, but with his current knowledge, it was the best he could do.
Once Keith memorized the Laegur Beam array, Frisk withdrew a gray metal block several feet thick from his inventory, explaining, “This here is a divine grade material with defensive properties equivalent to a level six hundred divine grade chest piece.”
Standing up, Frisk walked up to a pole, clamped the metal block to the top, then returned to Keith’s side. He said, “The Laegur Beam array should consume about one hundred thousand mana per shot. Go ahead.”
Keith activated Mind Division and Mind Enhancement, using four minds to conjure the Laegur Beam array. Using Mana Manipulation, he funneled mana into the array, where it went through complex transformations. The array hummed and vibrated as he did, on the verge of breaking apart.
A moment later, a flash of light blinded Keith, and when his vision recovered, he saw a fist-sized hole that almost pierced through the entire metal block. Liquid metal dripped to the ground, but what drew Keith’s attention was a thin black crack connecting the array to the metal block that quickly disappeared.
“What was that?” Keith gasped, unsure.
Frisk rubbed the stubble on his chin. “The Laegur Beam was so destructive it damaged space.”
“That’s possible?” Keith’s scalp tingled.
“Seeing is believing,” Frisk replied as he approached the metal block. He examined the hole and analyzed. “Judging by the fact your average chest plate is around one to three inches thick, and the Laegur Beam nearly penetrated through three feet of divine grade metal, it’s clear it surpasses a divine grade skill in power. I just don’t know if it’s reached the transcendent grade threshold. There’s not enough data to reference.”
Keith appeared next to Frisk, holding a sword conjured from Arsenal of the Desert. “I happen to have a celestial grade skill. Do you mind if I try a small test?”
Frisk looked over in surprise, though he quickly understood that Keith’s Mana Body was boosting a divine grade skill by one grade. Stepping to the side, he gestured for Keith to make his move.
Holding the summoned sword in his hand, Keith widened his stance and, in one swift motion, chopped at a corner of the metal block.
CLANG!
The sword cut through almost a foot of metal before shattering into pieces, staying true to the skill’s description that it was exceptionally brittle. Frisk examined the damage as Keith elaborated. “That sword had seventy percent of a celestial grade weapon’s stats.”
Frisk folded his arms, saying, “In that case, the Laegur Beam array should have power equivalent to a peak celestial grade skill.”
“Wait.” Keith suddenly remembered something. “You said that half of the power of that weapon you were working on came from the Laegur Beam array. If you included the half that came from materials, wouldn’t it have the firepower of a transcendent grade skill?”
Frisk nodded. “Sounds about right.”
Keith was amazed. While everyone was fighting monsters with their lives on the line to get stronger skills, Frisk had locked himself away and used his knowledge to walk another path. Keith was overwhelmed with emotion, commenting, “You’re a genius!”
“Everyone says that.” Frisk shrugged.
Keith laughed at Frisk’s nonchalance, suddenly finding his flaws more tolerable. No wonder Yara spoiled Frisk rotten. He deserved it!
Chapter 20
Keith rubbed his hands together and smiled cheekily. “So, did you create other customized arrays? Like a barrier? Or how about an enhanced meteor array? Oh, maybe chain lightning?!”
“You wish,” Frisk scoffed. “I’m busy putting the finishing touches on the Laegur Beam Cannon. After that, I have other projects to work on. Besides, how many people can even use externalized skill arrays right now? It’d be a waste of my time to create something for only a handful of people.”
Keith’s eyes lit up. “I can wait. Waiting is good. How long? A month?”
Frisk was annoyed by Keith’s persistence. “If you want them so bad, make them yourself.”
“Hehe.” Keith wasn’t fooled. “Your skill arrays would be way better than anything I could create.”
Frisk waved Keith away. “Then study, study, and study some more!”
Keith’s excitement deflated like a balloon. How long would it take to attain even half of Frisk’s knowledge? Decades? Honestly, Keith didn’t mind learning arrays—he enjoyed it. If it weren’t for the imminent arrival of Torg Igneo, he’d lock himself away with Frisk and bury his nose in a book for who knows how long.
However, reality was just like that.
Sometimes, you had to do things you didn’t prefer.
Keith glanced at Frisk, who had returned to his desk. “All right, I’ll head out. Good luck with your Laegur Beam Cannon. Cool name, by the way.”
Frisk merely raised a hand without turning his head to say goodbye. Keith didn’t mind. It was an improvement compared to being outright ignored like in the past.
Stretching his arms, Keith roused his spirit, left the Pocket Dimension, and traveled toward Myriad Reefs. Around five days remained until Torg Igneo knocked on their door, and he wanted to power up as much as he could before that happened.
Keith wasn’t alone in that regard.
All of the Innate Nation’s military were like locusts as they spread out from the center of Serenity Canyon, sweeping through all the monsters in their way. They sent the resources they acquired back to New Hope, where hordes of artisans toiled away, producing equipment, potions, and tools.
Scientists were hard at work, too.
Frisk partnered with several blacksmiths to put the finishing touches on the Laegur Beam Cannon, while another team of array masters made significant improvements to War Arrays. There were other ongoing projects as well.
Meanwhile, inside one of the three time-accelerated Pocket Dimensions sat Ska’dur, surrounded by a noise-canceling array. A quarter of this Pocket Dimension was for his use alone, with the rest used by researchers.
As Ska’dur focused, mana violently rippled across the surface of his body. Unlike Keith, who required an emotionless state to control his mana, Ska’dur needed to be agitated.
Thankfully, when he spent years researching the embryonic form of Life Energy, Ska’dur learned to secrete adrenaline through his brain, heightening his senses and reaction time.
Being the strongest fighter in the Innate Nation, it fell upon Ska’dur’s shoulders to tie down Torg Igneo, and the pressure he felt was suffocating. After all, the difference between them was immense. Torg had roamed the Grandsky Realm for over two thousand years, while Ska’dur had just arrived.
To have a chance against Torg, Ska’dur desperately needed to acquire the transcendent grade Mana Body. Fortunately, he didn’t need to learn about arrays, as he’d done that centuries ago. The one obstacle remaining was his Mana Manipulation skill, and he was making great strides toward leveling it due to his experience with Life Energy.
While Ska’dur trained, intrusive thoughts constantly hindered his progress. Rhea. His daughter had fallen into a depression, unable to find any satisfaction from growing stronger when she depended on other people.
Ska’dur blamed himself.
Since Rhea’s birth, he had instilled in her the belief that she should rely solely on herself to develop. For Ska’dur, living as a barbarian was a hobby, a way to pass the time. For Rhea, it was her way of life. It was easy for Ska’dur to switch back, but not for Rhea. It was the sole thing she knew.
Although Ska’dur felt saddened by Rhea’s predicament, facing Torg Igneo was more pressing, so he returned his attention to his mana.
Finally, a month later, Ska’dur’s Mana Manipulation skill reached level 500, and he began familiarizing himself with the transcendent grade Mana Body’s countless arrays. It didn’t take him long to memorize everything required.
Soon after, Ska’dur left the time-accelerated Pocket Dimension and went to the military base inside the cliff behind New Hope to use the few Tranquility arrays prepared for people to create their Mana Body.
