Chapter 38
Chapter 38
6. Tutorial and Status Window -2
Here I was, shouting anti-System rhetoric inside the System itself, and the expressions on Elijah and the four newbies assigned under me were as peculiar as someone who'd just been told by their boss not to use Excel functions.
But there's a reason for all of it. To explain that, there's something I need to address first.
"Based on my analysis so far, the ways we can grow stronger within the System can be broadly divided into two categories."
"Two?"
Yes, two.
First, there are the 『Skills』 you download.
They're the core of the System—external power that can be bestowed by higher-ranked hunters, obtained through the System Shop function, or, most importantly, earned as Stage rewards.
I'd never tried it myself, but I'd heard that high-difficulty Stages sometimes offered Skills as rewards. Apparently around thirty hunters would party up, clear it, and one lucky person among them would get it.
I had no plans to participate, since I didn't want to pick up something useless.
Even more so after learning 『Internalization』. That technique, which massively amplifies a Skill's power at the cost of having part of your body encroached upon, laid bare the danger and instability of Skills.
Next.
Second, there are the 『Martial Arts』 you build up.
Power you can create yourself through training or repetition—internal power that originates from you and is therefore entirely controllable.
Martial Arts, instead of the System's rank structure, have their own independent realm system called 『Tower Ascension (昇塔)』, and each level appears to be structured so that you can level up through its own special rite. In Sergios's case, well⋯⋯
'Then receive it. This is the foundation for becoming a true superhuman—a rite called 『Battle-Demon Ascension (鬪鬼昇格)』, part of the First-Realm Ladder Ascension Method (一界登梯法).'
He had that kind of ascension method.
I'd received a secret manual from Sergios and trained with it, but even without such a manual, I could probably create something of my own. The ascension method itself could also be self-created rather than following an existing one.
Because, according to the story Sergios told me, the grand masters of the 『Tower Ascension (昇塔)』 system had built this entire structure from bare ground with nothing to start from.
The key point is that it's "a highly stable power that can be obtained outside of Skills and grown in the direction I want."
Skills are heavily random. A perfect example is Sky Roamer's 『Azure Wind Wanderer』. That ability to control wind and rain wasn't something I received because I wanted it—it was granted according to the bestower's intent. In other words, I can't choose which aspect of myself to grow.
On the other hand, with Martial Arts through Tower Ascension (昇塔), targeted growth is possible.
"You're saying such a system existed in this universe⋯⋯?"
One of them muttered, half doubtful and half fascinated. Yeah, I understood. I'd done Party Matching dozens of times and gone in and out of Stages solo plenty too. Yet Sergios was the only Martial Arts user I'd ever met. The only one who knew secret methods like ascension.
It seemed like a training system with a substantial framework, yet strangely few people knew about it.
To be more specific, there were quite a few people who'd learned techniques you could call Martial Arts⋯⋯ but they didn't seem to know there was a growth route through it.
None of these newbies seemed to clearly know about the Tower Ascension (昇塔) system either.
When I'd explained up to that point, the monk beside me suddenly cut in.
"You are remarkably knowledgeable. However, I believe there is a part you've missed regarding 『Martial Arts』. Ahem, may I elaborate on that part?"
"⋯⋯⋯⋯?"
Surprised, I turned toward him, and saw that the newbies under the monk had also been listening to my story at some point. Looking around, the other mentors and newbies were doing the same. Even the mentors had stopped their own lectures and were listening in.
"Don't listen to that nonsense and focus, focus!!"
The only one continuing her lecture was the mage from the [Hunter Alliance]. She was raising her voice, as if telling her newbies to focus on her.
The monk scratched his shaved head with his finger and made an awkward expression. He seemed to be reading the room now that my silence had stretched on.
"I-If I'm being rude, I'll withdraw⋯⋯"
"Ah, no. Please."
If he was offering information, it was a gain for me too.
What mattered was whether that information was accurate and useful. And from our first meeting, that somewhat naive-looking monk had given off the scent of 『Martial Arts』.
Also⋯⋯ now that we'd closed the distance like this, I sensed another familiar presence. An aura of rain and wind, similar to 『Azure Wind Wanderer』.
I readily stepped back and made room for him.
The monk stood in the center, pressed his palms together, and bowed several times to the audience. Then, as if that counted as his introduction—he began his explanation without even stating his name.
"It is said that Martial Arts has five paths (五道). Heaven (天上), Asura (修羅), Hell (地獄), Hungry Ghost (餓鬼), and Beast (畜生). To put it in terms easier for people from the future to understand, they are a kind of skill tree."
"⋯⋯Isn't it six?"
"No, I know it to be five. But why would you say six⋯⋯?"
"Never mind. I interrupted you. Please continue."
I knew the moment I heard it. I'd thought the expression sounded familiar—it was the Six Realms of Reincarnation from Buddhism. That's why I'd wondered if the monk had left one out.
First 『Apollo』 last time, and now this. I kept getting the feeling that mythological or religious elements from my world were repeatedly overlapping and appearing. Was this coincidence, or was there some reason for it here too?
Anyway.
The monk's continuing explanation had some quite interesting points.
"Each path follows five great ladders (梯) and performs techniques for them. For example, the Heaven Path (天上道) centers on immortals aiding those who come after them, so they refine arts of spirit summoning, spirit channeling, and receiving heaven's descent."
"What about the Asura Path?"
"For the Asura Path (修羅道), I've heard that reaching higher realms through one-on-one duels is the core, so they perform combat methods for that purpose. In this way, 『Martial Arts』 allows you to walk different paths according to your disposition, so I ask that each of you examine them."
So that's how it was. In that case, Sergios was probably on the Asura Path. The realm-ascension method he'd taught me was also a one-on-one duel, after all.
The monk said he didn't know the other paths in detail and explained them only briefly. The Hell Path was sin, the Hungry Ghost Path was mass slaughter, and the Beast Path was predation. Every single one was dark beyond measure.
Now I understood how Martial Arts worked.
I quietly opened the System window and sent a personal message to Sergios. Asking why he hadn't told me about this.
He must have been looking at the System at that moment, because a reply came immediately.
[Silver-Traced Spear: Didn't you tell me to skip it, you lowly, shameless—]
⋯⋯I quietly closed the chat window before the harsh words could continue. Then I expressed my thanks to the monk.
"Thank you for the explanation."
"Haha, not at all. Rather, I am simply glad to have contributed to such a fine lecture. You truly give wisdom without holding back."
"It's knowledge you'll pick up eventually if you roll around long enough. There's no loss in sharing it. To continue⋯⋯"
I spoke to those gathered around, focused on the discussion.
Skills are convenient. Skills can be obtained instantly, and the method of using them is relatively simple. That's because you grasp the basic applications the moment you receive them, as if they're engraved into your mind.
In this era where everyone faces the apocalypse, it would be a waste not to use a means of immediately increasing your combat power. But.
"Skills have a clear hierarchy. Having a variety of Skills is one approach, but if your weaknesses against all those Skills are exploited, you won't even be able to struggle. So you need to compensate."
In other words, I was suggesting they try 『Martial Arts』 as a supplementary measure.
"Skills are tools. Just as even the best tool can't produce results if the user lacks skill, hunters need to master combat itself. And 『Martial Arts』 helps in that process⋯⋯ That's the advice I wanted to give."
I wrapped up my explanation like that. The three mentors and twenty newbies who'd gathered around to listen gave me applause, big and small. The five newbies held captive by the [Hunter Alliance] mentor pretended not to, but their ears were pointed this way.
Sharing growth know-how was apparently more well-received than I'd expected. In Seoul, if you refused to share and tried to monopolize things, everyone died together, so I'd gotten used to being open about it. Looking back, it seemed like pretty valuable information.
Should I have charged 10 Credits each? No, that kind of pocket change wouldn't pay off my debt. Forget it.
After that, I was planning to spend the remaining time taking simple questions and answers⋯⋯
"KATZ (喝)——!!"
"?"
The [Hunter Alliance] mentor, the gray-haired mage, came at me fuming, picking a fight.
"Don't spout nonsense! Martial Arts or whatever⋯⋯ tempting the sprouts of the future with such heretical power and filling their heads with strange ideas! The 『System』 is absolutely flawless!"
"Excuse me?"
"If they step into some absurd method and end up expelled from the 『System』, are you going to take responsibility, Hunter Noah Won?!"
What was this bastard on about? Expelled?
At first, I thought she was just offended because even her own newbies were distracted by my talk. But the expression on the mage's face as she mentioned System expulsion⋯⋯ there was genuine fear in it. What was this?
As my thoughts tangled and I froze for a moment, the tutorial's first-place finisher assigned to the [Hunter Alliance] mentor—the high school boy "Da"—spoke while fiddling with his round ears.
"I've heard of it. If you betray the 『System』, you're expelled from the System at the same time—and you receive her curse, making your ears abnormally long and pointed. They call those people 『Elves』."
"Right! Just like our Hunter Da said⋯⋯ B-But, Hunter Da. How do you know that?"
"It's only natural to take practice exams before the real college entrance exam. I studied the Community thoroughly the moment I got the 『System』. Well, even with all that effort⋯⋯ it seems I wasn't to Hunter Noah Won's liking."
"Right! Rejecting Hunter Da, who has six Skills, from the very start—that alone shows something's wrong with his judgment! Are you all really going to naively believe what someone like that says?! That man even went around killing innocent hunters!"
While the gray-haired mage bounced around spewing her passionate tirade, I took a moment to organize my thoughts.
Right, I had thought about what would happen if someone abused the 『System』. Say, if some hunter lost their mind and started indiscriminately slaughtering other hunters.
Apparently, there was a countermeasure for such cases. Branding them with a curse and casting them out of the System. But was training in 『Martial Arts』 really enough to offend the System?
No. If it were, Sergios would have become an Elf long ago.
Or I, with my massive debt, would have become an Elf.
More than anything, a warning would have come from the System. This thing clearly had its sloppy aspects, but on decisive matters, hadn't it asked the user's intent? Like when it warned me—are you really going to call an S-rank hunter? You might incur enormous debt.
If Martial Arts were the System's sore spot, it would have warned me—are you really going to learn it? But since I wasn't certain, I'd have to ask a higher-ranked hunter once I got the 『Telescope』.
For now.
If she'd only pointed out the instability of Martial Arts, I would have let it slide. But since she'd gone so far as to slander me by saying I'd killed innocent people, I had to respond. The [Hunter Alliance] bastards, always pulling something.
I crossed my arms, looked down at the gray-haired mage, and spoke calmly. The way to gain the upper hand in this kind of argument is simple: maintain a composed demeanor.
Because the calm one earns the public's trust more easily than the one bouncing around like a firecracker.
"Thank you for the advice. If you're done speaking, how about attending to your own mentees? Instead of spreading baseless slander that I harmed innocent people."
"Baseless slander?! There are victims, and you have the nerve—!"
"They weren't victims; they were perpetrators. I didn't catch innocent hunters. I subdued and expelled [Hunter Alliance] personnel who were threatening novice hunters and extorting Credits from them."
"N-Now you're insulting the Alliance too?!"
The gray-haired mage fumed, her hand trembling as she gripped her staff. If this was acting, she deserved a Best Actress award—wait. It didn't seem like acting. Did she not know about the Hunter Alliance's schemes?
If so, there might be room to resolve this through conversation.
I tried to soften my sharpened mood and calm her down, but at that moment, the high school boy "Da" spoke to the android Elijah. But his voice was loud and clear. Loud enough for everyone to hear.
"Within this 『System』, the one who knows more is stronger, wouldn't you say? What do you think, second place?"
"I suppose so?"
"Then between the two mentors, the one with the more correct information must be stronger. Naturally. Right? Hmm?"
"⋯⋯I can see what you're trying to do, but please leave me out of it. I don't want to get scolded."
Elijah slipped away.
That high school brat was trying to make the two of us fight. When I stood at an angle and glared at him, he went "eep" and shrank back. He wore his intentions on his sleeve. I wasn't going to fall for such an obvious ploy⋯⋯
At that moment, the gray-haired mage spontaneously combusted.
"Ahh, fine! Hunter Noah Won, you and me—let's fight!"
I fell for it.
She wanted to fight. How was it that every single one of these Hunter Alliance bastards led with their fists? I let out a sigh and adjusted my grip on my dagger and shield. Then, the gray-haired mage thought for a moment and spoke.
"A spar⋯⋯ would be a shameful thing to do at a tutorial. Let's settle this with something else instead! Anything works!"
"⋯⋯⋯⋯!"
"Wh-What's with that look⋯⋯?!"
"I thought you were going to fight. Someone named R-11 from the same organization suggested fighting without a moment's hesitation, so I'd assumed the [Hunter Alliance] motto was something like 'beat them down if you don't like them.'"
"That chrome dome's from a different faction than me, so don't lump us together."
So there were factions too. Well, at that size, there'd be all sorts of things.
Hup!
The gray-haired mage put her hands on her hips and declared proudly.
"Right! There were leftover 『Erect Violets』 that the newbies didn't finish hunting. Let's compete to see who can hunt more of them. That way I can also lecture on hunting methods, so it helps everyone while also determining who's superior⋯⋯"
"⋯⋯⋯⋯!!"
No.
Anything but that.
Wiping out the 『Erect Violets』 in the tutorial Stage was the trigger for the Hidden Piece. If things flowed this way, the 『Telescope』 could be snatched away. There was even a possibility the Hunter Alliance could swoop in and grab it⋯⋯ No, honestly, I just wanted it for myself.
I had no intention of letting a fortuitous opportunity that was already halfway in my mouth be stolen. I needed to come up with some excuse.
How do I smooth this over?
I started racking my brain frantically⋯⋯!