26. A: challenge

Choosing to stop the video, I sit down on the chair and start thinking.

It’s clear that whoever made the skill matrix was a very careful person, that he made all the effort possible, in hiding its content.

And so, trying to uncover the contents of it would be meaningless, for it’s clearly going to be an impossible-to-achieve feat.

And with things the way they are, I am just going to give up trying.

“I may be a person that likes new things and challenges, but I am not one to pursue the impossible, especially when I have nothing to gain from it.”

Though, I am still curious. Is it really necessary to lock the information of the matrix?

“or maybe to stop the leakage of the skills’ information, they had such a memory lock placed on?”

Though it may be a little too strict of a choice, it is still a logical one.

“Actually, it may be the normal choice to do, if you don’t want people knowing all the skills in there, especially when no one has discovered them yet.”

For example, someone that has barely played the game, will just sit down, and start recording the skill’s name, and information, then just like a cheater, he will use them to his advantage.

It will just be like publishing all the secrets of a game before even having the game starting its main event.

“ So I guess it’s indeed better to not know. At least I don’t want to be spoiled, which is my personal opinion, not talking about what the other will think.”

But be that as it may, I don’t really have a skill that I want to choose as of now.

Not because I don’t know them, as I can still remember most of my impressions, even if I can’t remember the skill itself, but because the ones within my points range were not that impressive.

“the only things that were impressing were expensive if this word is right.

But some extra skills for sure were tempting, especially with the fact that they are clearly cheaper than most original skill.”

Hmmm? I didn’t say it before? well, apparently extra skills are easier to acquire than original skills. Not all of them, but the majority are on the lower cost side.

“But I don’t guarantee their usefulness, and so, no thanks.”

Though it’s not like I didn’t find anything interesting, it’s actually the opposite.

I had found a lot of interesting ones, or at the very least, I think I did, from the excitement that I recall feeling.

“Nevertheless, it’s indeed weird to judge my though, by my feelings, not by my memories.”

But that wasn’t the only problem. Yeah, not remembering is a problem, but the main problem was the price or the needed amount of skill points.

It was high. Like really high.

“is it simply because of my incompatibility with them ? or is it because of something else? like, maybe I simply lack some conditions? maybe the more needed conditions for a skill’s acquisition, the more it will cost ?”

But if that is the case, then what is it? the things that make all skills this expensive? is it my level being low ? or is it something else?

“Not like I can find an answer now, anyway.”

Sigh.

It seems that I should simply focus on my already acquired skills for the time being, instead of trying to acquire more.

Thinking so, I check the last skill that I had acquired.

-Thoughts Acceleration: is a skill that increases one’s thinking speed, granting its user the illusion of slowed time.-

“is not this more useful than I thought? if I can think faster, doesn’t this give a big boost when fighting against a group of enemies? with this skill, things like being overwhelmed by numbers won’t happen again.”

And the only advantage those rats have against me will disappear.

“if it’s for acquiring this skill, then all the trouble of the matrix was worth it.”

Smiling, and thinking of my new skill, I try doing a simulated battle in my head.

Imagining my fight with the rats, and how easier it will be, if though acceleration was added to the mix in my last battle, though the fact that I can do simulated battles with high focus and precision is really another good point of having my thoughts processing speed increased.

“but just to what degree does it accelerate my thinking? even when I am moving, I don’t think I can estimate. Is it double speed or are five times ?”

Well, it’s not important. What’s important is that with a skill like this, I can fight better, even though the feeling of fast thoughts with a slow body is weird.

Having reached this conclusion, I stand from my place, planning to test myself.

And so, I move to the weapon storage room.

Getting inside, I look around for some suitable weapons to get a responding skill for them.

“but honestly, this may be have being harder, if I didn’t have years of training through VR games, and real life.”

But for me of now, it is just a matter of time.

And with such self-confidence, I made a decision.

And that is choosing the weapon that I will try to acquire their mastery skills.

Beginning with the daggers that I had before, a mace, a halberd, and a whip.

If it’s these ones I may acquire skills faster, or at least this is what I am thinking.

Though I would have loved to try a bow, I don’t think I have enough space to do so here.

Still, getting satisfied with just these weapons, I get out of this room, and back to the table, where I put down the weapons.

“even if I want to acquire new skills, I should first level up my physical mastery to the advanced level.”

Like that, I move to the middle of the room and take a stance.

With my right leg ahead of my left, and my daggers in my hand.

Hmm ? what again? ho, you think that it is weird of me to have my daggers if I am trying to level up my physical mastery? well, now THAT’s stupid. If I am training to acquire dagger mastery, are not I also using my body?

Hmph, look and behold, this is what they call multitasking. Or is it multi-leveling in this case? whatever.

But then getting serious, I think back to my battle with the mad puppet of before, once again running a simulation in my mind, and moving my body with it to make it feel real.

Clearing my mind, I remember the fight of before. The inability to attack the enemy, the disgrace of not even succeeding at defense, and more importantly, the satisfaction when I broke his neck.

Remembering my moves, and the puppet's. remembering how my weapon and his claws clashed, and how it could always use the difference in agility to escape my attacks.

Remembering how my attacks would always be a step behind, and the course of his when avoiding them, I kept that in my head. Trying to push myself to the exact path, a path where even that difference in agility won’t help it.

Using though acceleration, I kept that state. A state of complete focus trying to find the right path, a state where the weapons and my body were both the same, both of them were but tools to use. To use and create a better chance for attack.

An opening where I don’t need to receive a stab to the heart, or even a scratch to win. Of course, I failed at the beginning, with no new result, I failed for the second time, simply reaching another double suicide, but even so, I didn’t give up and instead kept pushing my limits. In a room that grants endless stamina and health, with the only variable being the mental state of its user, I kept fighting my mental image of the puppet. It was faster than me, it was stronger than me, and it was a challenge I had to breakthrough.