NOVEL NEXT CHAPTER 35: Blessings – Jupiter & the Goddess of Harmony
[Eye of Verity]
[Rank: Unique
Classification: Active Skill
Lvl: 1
Proficiency: 0%
Your inherent distrust of people and desire for transparency have culminated in this power bestowed through Alchemy.
Skill Effect:
▪︎ Endows the wielder with the ability to discern truth from falsehood, analyze target Stats, and glimpse beyond the boundaries of reality.
Stamina Cost: 0.7% ⅌ Second
Skill Cooldown: None]
Daisuke skimmed through the details of the skill once more before uttering the words: “Eye of Verity.”
DING!
[The Eyes of Verity illuminates beyond what you can see.]
The moment he evoked the words, the world transformed, adopting a monochromatic palette reminiscent of an antique television show from the 19th century.
As Daisuke surveyed the landscape, he marveled at the way highlights, midtones, and shadows painted the scenery in exquisite detail.
His eyes widened as he turned his gaze to where the Hidden Dungeon had been. Instead of the grayscale surroundings, Daisuke noted a pulsating purple aura where the outcrop had previously stood.
“This is…” Is that the residual energy from the Hidden Dungeon? Mmm… I’m sure there’s more to it, but I don’t think I’ll be able to figure it out right now.
[Alchemy]
[Rank: Unique
Classification: Active Skill
Lvl: 1
Proficiency: 0%
An ancient and arcane fusion between science and magic, carefully honed to perfection over time by the greatest chemists. Centuries ago, following its completion, the art was sealed away out of fear that its power would fall into the wrong hands.
Skill Effect:
▪︎ By using mana as a catalyst to tap into the Aether Field, Alchemy allows the user to endlessly harness the secrets of nature to transmute, combine, and manipulate matter.
Mana Cost: N/A
Skill Cooldown: N/A]
The next skill was Alchemy, but Daisuke wasn’t particularly interested. The description was convoluted and difficult to understand, and what he did comprehend about the discipline simply triggered memories of Reginald and the tragedies that took place at the manor.
He didn’t want to remember any of that.
However, he deduced that he had stumbled upon the skill when he opened the grimoire discovered in the secret chamber. The moment he acquired both skills—the Eye of Verity and Alchemy—was punctuated by his bleeding eyes and the book missing its text.
[Αφινίτη’s Blessing]
[Rank: N/A
Classification: Passive Skill
A blessing given in recompense by The Goddess of Harmony.
Skill Effect:
▪︎ Bestows longevity and total immunity to negative status conditions, including diseases, poisons, curses, and other abnormalities. Given sufficient rest, the body will also regenerate lost limbs and recover from other disabilities.]
“Goddess?” Daisuke murmured, his curiosity piqued as he assessed the next skill that was clearly a passive. “How do you even pronounce the name? What language is that? And why isn’t there even a rating for it?”
He had a hunch that the skill’s description hinted at a direct connection between this so-called Goddess and the mystery enveloping his virtual life.
Yet, his intuition urged him to focus on advancing rather than dwelling on hypothetical answers. Whatever the case, this Goddess’s blessing was undeniably a game-breaking cheat that completely undermined the balance of the game.
Many players and monsters relied on «debuff» and «crowd control» skills to gain an advantage in battle. Debuff and CC skills were quite similar, as they both inflicted status ailments and other conditions on a target, hindering their ability to function properly.
Negative statuses like paralysis, poison, and blindness were just a few, and complete immunity meant none of them would affect Daisuke. In addition to the benefit of always being levels above his peers, he now didn’t need to fear losing that advantage by an annoying skill.
Longevity was much appreciated, but Daisuke suspected that didn’t mean he was invulnerable to death.
ţæţ @%&¿]
[Rank: &^$@%#
Classification: @#$&%*
Lvl: X‽
Proficiency: $%?
@⊗ηΨωᴓΦЅϞ⊖ΩΛυϟμ√ς⊗ᴓΨΦ∞Ωϟ⊖ΣΨΩ∏ϟЅΦΦΩᴓΨᴓΩςΦΦᴓΨΦΩᴓΨϟ⊕∞Σ∏ς⊗ϟΦΦΩᴓΨᴓΩΦΨΦΦᴓΨΦΩςΩ⊗Σ∞⊗ςΨςΩΩ∏ᴓΨЅΦΩᴓΨϟ⊕ΩΩΩΩᴓΦΩ
Skill Effect:
$ %$#@*% <>*& %&#$ #@**$&%#^*@ @#$# $&@ +*&%@$$#@#@%*&% @#$%r #@&/ @#%& ¿s ‐#@.
Mana Cost: Ŋoŋę
Skill Cooldown: #$$ &%$#@<%&]
“Aughh,” Daisuke sighed, palming his face.
MMORPGs were known for having few bugs, and Sehreneti Online was celebrated as a flawless game in this regard, leaving only one speculation: Jupiter.
Hacking the game didn’t go as intended, but it appeared that a lone script had managed to slip through the robust firewall and become entwined with his own source code.
As he watched the fragmented information on the skill window flicker and phase in and out like a digital seizure, he couldn’t help but swallow that theory.
Then again, it could be something entirely different, as Sehreneti, in and of itself, was an enigma. This was further evidenced by the fact that he had acquired polearm and archery mastery simply by wielding the makeshift weapons he had crafted from bamboo and wood.
“Now... about these 70 Stat Points,” murmured Daisuke, his hand cupping his chin in thought. While the game did follow the conventional method of allowing users to create their player at the character creation screen, acquiring skills was a whole different ball game.
To accentuate the scope of freedom in the game, instead of choosing from a generic list of skills for a specific class, players could acquire new skills and abilities in a variety of different ways.
Similar to the real world, skills could be acquired through various means, including instruction from a teacher or coach, self-study, observation, or even by sheer coincidence through repeated actions.
Titles, «Skill Books», and equipment also had the potential to grant skills. The System closely monitored players and facilitated their growth by providing abilities that complemented their innate characteristics.
As for me, Daisuke contemplated, I’ve always been the confrontational type in video games, so I’m leaning towards a melee build. But definitely not a tank. Tanks might focus on defense, but their role is to draw aggro and keep the monsters occupied while the DPS—Damage Dealers—chip away at their health.
Tanks basically live in the danger zone, and as a result, they die all the time. But I’m not sure what awaits me after death, so I’d rather opt for a build with a higher survivability rate.
With that in mind, I think Speed, Dexterity, Strength, and Stamina should be my main focus. Sure, my build wouldn’t be solely focused on strength and defense, but with explosive speed, I could evade attacks and continue dealing damage safely until the enemy’s down.
“A battle of attrition.”
HP: 204/270 | MP: 15/15
Strength: 3 (+15) | Stamina: 3 (+12) | Agility: 12 (+25) | Intelligence: 1 | Dexterity: 10 (+35) | Composure: 5 | Indomitable: 3
Stat Points: 70]
DING!
[Investing 20 Stat Points into Strength. Is this correct?]
“Yes.”
[Once Stat Points are allocated, it cannot be reversed. Do you still wish to proceed?]
“Yes.”
[Investing 20 Stat Points into Stamina. Is this correct?]
“Yes.”
[Investing 20 Stat Points into Agility. Is this correct?]
[Investing 10 Stat Points into Intelligence. Is this correct?]
“I’ve been playing games long enough to know that I’ll be needing MP for skills soon,” he said as he clenched and unclenched his fingers, testing his strength. “So, I figured I would at least invest 10 Stat Points into it.”
Now he was jogging in place, a smile spreading across his lips. “I feel much lighter than I did a few minutes ago. It may have only been 70 Stat Points, but I can definitely feel the difference.”
HP: 301/465 | MP: 15/65
Strength: 23 (+15) | Stamina: 23 (+12) | Agility: 32 (+25) | Intelligence: 11 | Dexterity: 10 (+35) | Composure: 5 | Indomitable: 3
Stat Points: 0]
“Inventory.”
At his command, a blue window boasting an aesthetically pleasing design materialized. It displayed dozens of slots organized into different categories—Items, Equipment, Consumables, Materials, and more.
Slipping his hand into the thumbnail depicting the items slot felt akin to dipping his hand into a reservoir of room temperature water. But, in fact, it was a different dimension.
After stowing the shards of Mana Crystals and other items he had in his pockets, Daisuke found that simply reaching into the right category and envisioning what he wanted to retrieve was enough to summon the item to his hand.
“Now that that’s all figured out,” he said nervously, “it’s time for the moment of truth.”
Daisuke dreaded what he would find if he looked, but after conditioning his mind, he dismissed the inventory window and tried searching for the logout button.
There was none.
“Figures.”
While he could access the Leaderboard and the like in the «Main Menu», he was completely barred from accessing the internet, troubleshooting, or even customer service.
For a fleeting moment, he entertained the idea of reaching out to a player and utilizing them as an intermediary to make contact with the GMs, also known as the «Game Masters». Yet, a creeping suspicion told him that perhaps it wasn’t the wisest course of action. Contacting the game’s developers might not be the right approach either.
Was his mind merely uploaded onto the game as a copy? If so, did his original self know about this duplicate? If he did, wouldn’t he have already scoured the entire game searching for his doppelganger by now?
Alternatively, if his mind was cut and pasted like a piece of text into a host body, doesn’t that mean his original body was already long eaten by worms and rendered to bones by now?
Setting aside the depressing thought, Daisuke summoned the Status Window to inspect the weapon he had acquired from the Elemental King raid. Yet, as his gaze traversed the interface, he couldn’t help but notice a particular section adjacent to the character screen—the companion menu.
Daisuke’s lips quivered. “…It can’t be!”
His heart raced, torn between anticipation and trepidation. Doing his best to still his nerves, he steered towards the screen, and in the next moment, his eyes widened with sheer shock.
[Name: Zephyr]