Chapter 14
Chapter 14
3. The System's Anchor -3
The place the villagers called the “Forest of Darkness” was at contamination level 2.
It didn't seem to be the kind of contamination that spread through toxic spores. The air in the Forest of Darkness was clear, and the plants' forms and leaf colors all looked perfectly normal.
But strangely—it was dark. As if sunlight simply didn't reach this forest as much. As if someone had cranked the brightness way down in Photoshop. Contaminated forests were like that—they often produced inexplicable anomalies.
"Hmph."
"........"
Sergios snorted as he looked at the forest, like he had some idea of what was going on. I considered asking if he knew something, but that guy was the type who wouldn't answer if you asked.
He'd probably start yapping on his own once it became necessary. No point wasting energy—I'd just wait.
Set aside what I didn't know and start with what I did.
From contamination level 2 onward, multiple commander entities appeared in a single forest, along with a boss entity that led them. The boss was viciously strong, and according to research, it possessed about the intelligence of a seven-year-old animal.
The boss entity's grade was S-rank by Earth standards. That meant it was at a level where Max Owen, Earth's strongest hunter, would have to assemble a team just for a stable clear.
[Target: Hunt the D-rank elite Monster Tree 『Dandelion』]
My mission was only to eliminate an elite-stage monster... but even so, if I ended up running into the boss entity while poking around the outskirts, my life could be in danger.
For me—A-rank by Earth standards, with all sorts of annoying charge-up time required to bring out my full power—it was a bit much. And since I was exploring alone, the danger rose even further.
If I'd been dropped here alone, I would have seriously considered abandoning the mission and returning.
[Do you really wish to abandon the mission? (A penalty of half the success reward will be imposed as a fine).]
[If negative Credits are maintained long-term, penalties may increase.]
Even if it meant paying the fine.
But right now, next to me was... a man on par with Max Owen—no. A man who might be even stronger. Sergios of Mount Moria.
If we could get even ten shots of the 『Whirlwind Thrust (旋風扎)』 he kept firing, breaking through this forest would be nothing.
Sergios pulled out his spear at the forest entrance and spoke.
"I don't expect you to keep up with my speed, so I'll advance with some leeway. I'll clear the path using only magic power at your level. Follow without falling behind."
"Don't worry about that."
Ha.
Endurance and speed were the fundamentals of a tank. You had to sprint to the right position to cover your allies. So even in my regular workouts, I put a lot of focus on that.
I raised the corner of my mouth and tossed out a half-joking, half-serious remark.
"Maybe you'll be the one falling behind me?"
No matter how much weaker I was than him, he said he'd match my magic power level—there was no way I couldn't at least keep up. Honestly, under the same conditions, I could probably outpace—
"........"
"........"
I couldn't. I got completely wrecked.
The Forest of Darkness was packed with plant bastards, and every ten steps, one of them would pop out and attack, each a different type. The ankle-mine "Erect Violet" I'd seen in the tutorial showed up whenever it felt like it.
"Wind Sever."
Sergios sprinted forward, cutting down the entire area ahead with his spear. Yes, cut—with a spear. Because the wind coiled around his spear tip formed a blade about three meters long.
Thanks to him cutting down most of the plant bastards, there wasn’t much pressure on me. Only scattered survivors remained.
Following behind him, I deflected the remaining monsters' attacks, threw in counters, stabbed with my dagger. I ran forward without a single break, like someone doing an obstacle course... but.
Strangely, the distance between me and that Sergios bastard kept growing, and by the ten-minute mark, I couldn't even see his back anymore. I suspected that damn spear-wielder had forgotten our agreement and gone full sprint, but that didn't seem to be the case.
The magic power flowing through Sergios's body was exactly at the level I could use.
Then, another ten minutes later, Sergios—who had gotten impossibly far ahead—turned around and came running back. I absolutely could not meet his eyes. That bastard didn’t say a single word.
If he'd at least thrown some personal attack like "As expected, you're slow because you're a lazy bum," that would've been one thing. But no—that bastard just stood there in silence with an expression that went beyond "pathetic" and looked more like he was staring at someone who'd had a leg amputated.
"........"
My pride was so wounded I felt like I might die.
Sergios crossed his arms and muttered, lost in thought.
"...Strange."
"...What's so strange? Was there some kind of movement-slowing spore in this forest? Something like that?"
“No, there was nothing like that. The fact that you’re slow is entirely your own ability, with no external cause, so reflect on that. But⋯⋯ no matter how many times I think it over, it’s strange. There shouldn’t be any reason for you to hide your strength in this situation. If you aren’t hiding it, are you really this pathetically weak?”
"Are you picking a fight right now?"
The spear-wielder, who’d been puzzling over something as if trying to gauge it, finally seemed to find the answer to what had been bothering him. He looked at me and spoke.
"...Right. Those who fell here dressed like you—they had no martial arts, or if they did, they remained at the level of primitive martial arts that don't use magic power. Are you and your world the same?"
"Excuse me?"
"I'm asking whether you possess knowledge of how to move magic power, how to imbue it into weapons, and the complex applications that follow."
"...No?"
Was he talking about martial arts like something out of a novel?
Earth had nothing like that.
Before the Gates opened and the plant bastards came crawling through, Earth hadn’t even had the concept of magic power. Naturally, there had been no such thing as magic-powered boxing or magic-powered taekwondo.
There had been a time when renowned scholars tried to uncover the principles of magic power and research its applications, but...
It lost steam when the government started regulating hunters, flickered again when the Hunter Monarchy was established, and then got completely cut down around the time of the coup. Now there was nothing left.
As a result, what the hunters who'd survived to this day used was nothing more than a collection of techniques they'd personally internalized.
“Self-taught, then. Your shield technique and eye technique (眼法) are at a master’s level, so naturally I assumed you’d already set foot on the martial path. I thought you were hiding your true martial art because you were wary of me.”
"........"
“So because there was no martial art for you to learn in the first place, you’ve survived by relying on 『God’s Blessing (Skill)』. Those who train in martial arts tend to grow quickly once they make contact with the System. Seen that way, even your snail-paced growth makes sense. Now I understand. That power of wind and clouds I saw before—you downloaded it without knowing anything, didn’t you?”
Wait a second.
So, he'd been under a misconception. He thought I had some martial art—like something out of a wuxia novel, some Heavenly Demon Divine Art—but was slacking off without training. That I was only relying on cheap tricks like skills.
No wonder he'd been giving me shit when I fought R-11, asking if it was fun to toy with the weak.
The spear-wielding bastard had been under the impression that I was a much stronger hunter!
I genuinely gathered up every ounce of my pent-up resentment and glared at the spear-wielder. It was to send a message: if he had any conscience, he should at least apologize.
The spear-wielder's expression remained its usual rude blankness, but he must have had a shred of conscience, because he avoided my eyes. He gazed off at a distant mountain and spoke.
"...Then I shall teach you."
"Teach me what."
"Not power received from the heavens, but power built up from the ground. I speak of 'Tower Ascension.' Of course, you haven't even learned the basics, so proper instruction will come after you've taken your first steps."
Tower Ascension, huh. Read literally, it meant climbing a tower.
I rolled that strangely familiar name around in my mouth, then bowed a full ninety degrees to Sergios with perfect courtesy.
"I will serve you as my master."
Nice.
I cheered inwardly. I was proud of myself for having maintained half-polite speech no matter what kind of chaos that lunatic caused. If I'd gone fully hostile, I never would've gotten this opportunity.
Of course, I had no idea whether this counted as a Hidden Piece-level stroke of fortune, so it wasn’t as though I could suddenly see a way to pay off my massive negative Credits. Still, it should at least serve as a solid foundation.
Indeed, the world is harmonious when people show each other sincerity. Sergios of Mount Moria, bestowing secret teachings upon a stranger—truly a hero.
"...You are not my disciple."
"Then what, shall we just be party members?"
"Get ready. Since we have time to spare, we'll combine your training with breaking through the forest. I'll engrave the basics into your body before we leave this place."
"Yes."
And I was starting to get a sense of that bastard too.
Whether I cursed at him or spoke politely, his attitude never changed. He was completely off his rocker, but he was a lunatic who acted according to some kind of⋯⋯ conviction or code.
Which meant if I could figure out that code of conduct, I could expect smoother communication than I'd thought. Going further, I might even be able to steer his behavior to my liking.
Sergios began moving toward the depths of the Forest of Darkness once more.
“Let us move. And don’t use 『God’s Blessing (Skill)』 or 『Hero’s Armament (Item)』 in front of me. A true hero does not rely on things outside himself.”
"Fortunately, I don't have a single artifact except my shield. So if I just avoid using this shield that Korean scholars spent three years making..."
“You may use that piece of junk as much as you like. In fact, you should use better equipment. I said don’t rely on things outside yourself; I didn’t say you shouldn’t pay attention to basic equipment.”
"........"
No matter how much benefit Sergios brought me.
He was, without question, an irritating bastard.
I should have known that a guy who'd suddenly throw a spear at me wouldn't teach with words.
"You've roughly learned the essentials of Body Hardening Art, so you'll master the rest in live combat."
Whoosh—!
Sergios abruptly threw me into a spot with about five "Erect Violets." If it had been the outskirts, I could've fought them one by one, but it was dead center where the plants' attack ranges overlapped.
And... I was completely surrounded, getting pummeled by attacks raining down like a storm.
Thwack—! Thud—! Clang—!
"Hngh!"
Tree roots flying at me from all directions left me reeling. I deflected them as best I could with my shield, but a couple still hit my body. I endured the blows with Body Hardening Art—reinforcing my skin with magic power.
I could see the trajectories clearly, but my body couldn't keep up, so I got hit. It wasn't enough to break bones, but I'd definitely have bruises. Was I supposed to learn by getting beaten like this?
Then Sergios tossed out a piece of advice.
"Use your body. Don't just stand there taking hits."
"...Then what am I using right now? Tentacles?"
"That's not what I meant. You... use your body like a citizen. Pathetic. A newborn born under a hero's star would move better than you."
"A minute ago you said my shield techniques and eyes were master-level!"
As I was getting pounded by plant roots one after another, Sergios clicked his tongue as if frustrated and spoke.
"You are not a human. You are a hero."
"...So heroes are supposed to break through this kind of thing alone, is that it?"
"No, what I mean is—you possess the body of a hero. Magic power flows through the blood vessels and muscles in your body, so you can produce great power that citizens cannot. But you use your body like a citizen."
"........?"
"...I'll show you directly. I won't show you twice, so figure it out yourself."
Was he going to demonstrate something?
Sergios put away his spear and clenched both fists. Then he stomped down with a heavy step and rushed at me fast. Yes—at me, not the plant bastards.
"Oh shit...!!"
I read the trajectory with my eyes and raised my shield. This wasn't the time to block roots. I had to block that spear-wielding bastard's attack first.
Then he spun about seven times in the air and unleashed a 2520-degree spinning kick. I was momentarily stunned by a move that looked like it belonged in a wuxia novel.
Boom—!
"Guh...!!"
My body slid back. I steadied my center of gravity and tried to prepare for his next move, but I couldn't see him. I rolled my eyes and quickly scanned my surroundings. Then I was horrified.
Sergios was "running" while lying almost completely flat on the ground.
He was moving with his body nearly horizontal to the ground, propelling himself with just the tips of his toes. It was, how should I put it, a bizarre sight. It was so unreal it was almost funny.
Tap—!
Then he launched himself vertically as if ejected and threw an upward kick. This movement, too, was an exaggerated motion no human could perform.
"...Ah!"
After getting hit enough, I understood what he was trying to say. I shouted urgently.
"I get it. I get what you're saying, so stop interfering and go on ahead!"
"I'll be watching."
Tap. Sergios retreated far away with a single leap. I wiped the sweat running down my chin and thought.
A hunter's body was vastly superior in performance compared to an ordinary person's. Honestly, it was safe to say they were a different species with only a similar outer shell.
So what Sergios meant was that I had to stop being trapped by everything I’d considered normal until now—and learn how to move like something beyond an ordinary human.
Right.
In a world where plant monsters from another dimension were invading and people were awakening skills—why had I only done conventional things for training?
Maybe I still hadn't adapted to this strange land.
Realizing it didn’t mean I could fix all my movements right away. I had habits built over an entire lifetime. How could I shatter that inertia in an instant?
But I roughly understood. Against the charging plants, I gradually, slowly changed my movements. From the way an ordinary human moved, to the way a superhuman moved.
Outside the bounds of common sense. I stepped into territory where my body might fail to keep up and get hurt. A little more⋯⋯ freedom in my movements.
Crack—
"Ah, shit..."
"Are you trying to break your shoulder?"
Sometimes I overdid it, though.
Shhk—! Thwack—!
Soon, I succeeded in killing all five "Erect Violets."
After finishing what was, in the grand scheme, a short training session, we advanced toward the depths of the forest once more. I massaged my still-tingling shoulder joint and asked Sergios.
"By the way. Why do you hate skills so much?"
"'God's Blessing (Skill)' is a power that cannot grow. No matter how many hundreds of times you use it, it remains in place—a mere 'tool.' It is different from the path of climbing the tower (Tower Ascension)."
"I know that."
Hmm.
The System classified my "Download -2" as a skill. If Earth-born hunters' awakened abilities were called skills—then yes. Skills don't grow. Proficiency might rise, but power doesn't.
You could argue that "Azure Wind Wanderer" was a growth-type skill that got stronger by gathering clouds... but ultimately, even this skill didn't grow through repeated use, and its limit was fixed.
Once the progress reached 100%, it would become a B-rank skill and never change after that.
Thinking about it that way, the spear-wielder's words weren't entirely without merit.
With an extreme efficiency-obsessed mindset, you could argue that rather than a skill whose power doesn't increase with repeated use—it's better to use your body, which at least accumulates experience when you use it. But that was all just theory.
Humans can work without tools. But what reason is there to deliberately not use them?
When I looked at him with eyes that said "that's your only reason?", Sergios frowned and gave one more reason.
"If you know that 'God's Blessing (Skill)' does not grow, then you should also know the critical flaw that accompanies it."
"Ah, you mean the hierarchy."
"Correct."
There was a clear "hierarchy" between hunters' awakened abilities. Seeing Sergios agree, it seemed the same law applied to skills as well.
(By Earth standards) a D-rank "Flame Arrow" ability could not hold any advantage over a C-rank "Flame." Because a higher-ranked ability could completely dominate a lower-ranked ability of the same lineage.
A D-rank's flame arrows scattered the moment they were fired. The same went for a D-rank "Flame Orb" or "Flame Lasso." Before a C-rank "Flame," control over any fire they created was completely stolen.
Conversely, a C-rank "Flame" could use every power a D-rank flame user could wield. They could freely change its form into arrows, lassos, or anything else.
So, in effect—unless a higher-rank hunter was literally snoring asleep, lower-ranks of the same lineage could never win.
They get devoured by their superior counterparts.
"But what we're dealing with right now are monsters. Not people."
"...Have you still not seen one? Right, if your world had no martial arts, then the 'World Devourers (Monsters)' would have had no fragments to consume."
Again, I heard overlapping voices. Sergios apparently called those plant bastards World Devourers.
He spoke with his gaze fixed far away, as if looking beyond the dark forest.
"They take root and devour the world, so naturally they also harbor fragments of the world. Just as they sprout leaves from the nutrients they've absorbed, they also know how to use what they've eaten."
"........?"
Rustle.
Shrrrrrr. Charrrk.
Something—a slightly hard but thin material—made a sound as it collided and scraped against itself. It was a sound I felt like I'd heard before. Not exactly everyday, but more often than you'd think.
This was, yeah.
In a ruined city, when clearing away the debris of shattered windows—it was similar to the sound of sweeping up glass shards with a dustpan.
And then I saw it.
[D-rank boss monster variant: "Monstera deliciosa" has appeared—]
Hundreds of large glass leaves undulating, making that charrrk sound every time the wind brushed against them. Like looking at an intricately and delicately crafted glass artwork.
Shrrrk—
A monster whose species I couldn't even begin to guess.
But I could feel it clearly. I could tell. My "Download -2" was reacting. Something was slowly flowing in from that plant made of glass.
[-> Download Slot 1: "Glass Magnifying Glass" (Downloading... 0.01%)]
The Status Window drove a wedge into my suspicion.
So, in other words,
"What that devourer is displaying appears to be 'Glass Shards.' If heroes with similar 'God's Blessing (Skill)' had stood here, they would have died without being able to do anything. Do you understand now?"
"Fuck."
...So now, on top of everything else, the plant bastards could use skills too.