24: Skills

Mellaine’s view

“Smitt, why is this world so weak?” 

“Lane, what do you mean the world is weak?”

“I cut space while practicing with a sabre.” 

“... as impressive as that is, I’ve learned not to expect anything less than world changing revelations from you.”

“Well, that should normally require at least a little divinity to do. I’ve not even formed my core yet, much less awakened my divine sense. Yet when I practiced my sabre arts, it was as if the world itself cooperated with what I did.”

“According to the old legends, simple comprehension is enough to become godly. The great masters of old were famous for their skills. There is a legend of a swordsman who ascended by cutting open a path to the higher realm, and a smith who’d built a tower that led there.”

“Where is that tower now?”

“Oh, it got destroyed in the wars fought over ownership of it.”

“Tsk, foolish.” 

“Indeed. That’s one common theme of humanity. Sadly, cultivators seem no less prone to it than common mortals are.”

“Bad memories?”

“I’ve lost a lot of friends over the years. Staying out of most of the fighting is why I’m still alive. Though many of my friends called me a coward, I’m still alive, and they aren’t.”

“Not exactly a happy ending.” 

“It really isn’t.”

…

“Lanie, when did you add a garden to this room?”

“I didn’t, Mel, I just painted one.”

“There’s a deer clearly eating grass, and butterflies flying around, and I can feel the wind blowing. I’m pretty sure that’s a real garden, or maybe even a portal to a nice grassy field near the woods?”

“Nope, it’s a painting. Since I was able to cut space with a sabre, I thought I’d investigate other skills. This is a painting.”

“I can wander around and explore the place. It’s very nice.”

“Still a painting. I’d advise not staying in it too long, time often doesn’t flow right in paintings, and without divine sense, I can’t properly investigate exactly what the laws of that garden are.”

“So… did you paint the entire wall?”

“Yes. I could’ve just done a doorway, but I wanted to be excessive.”

“... if you sculpted a statue, would it come to life?”

“Perhaps.”

“Are you sure you’re not a deity?”

“Quite. Though this sort of thing required divine sense in my previous life. Feels strange for it to be so much easier in this world.”

“Perhaps you’re mistaken, and it doesn’t require divine sense?”

“I’d relied upon my divine sense in the past. To actually do this without it would mean I was still getting all those exact details right despite not being able to see what I’m doing. At least half of what I’m doing isn’t even properly visible without divine sense.”

“That isn’t a denial of the possibility.”

“That would be absurd. To think I could just get it right on instinct without seeing what I was doing is absurd. I might be an expert, but there’s limits to expertise.”

“Yet you’ve clearly succeeded.”

“And I’m telling you it must be due to a difference in the dao. It’s the only explanation that makes sense! … you don’t believe me do you.”

“I think you being absurdly skilled is the most believable explanation, even if you deny it.”