ark125x

Yikes it's been a long time since I posted. My schedule is inconsistent as ever *sweats*. I can only profusely apologize and offer a slightly longer chapter. But it's a new year so new me...hopefully. Mental health is no joke. Let me know of any errors as always. Happy new years and enjoy~

(I repeat, User, you are beyond all comprehension.)

There’s that voice again, speaking directly to my mind. The monotone voice speaks without fluctuation yet still gives me an exasperated feeling while it criticizes me.

I had a feeling I might go crazy one of these days, hearing voices in my head and all that. Are the voices going to drive me insane and force me to go on a rampage? Am I going to spout nonsense like, “The voices in my head want to see blood!”

(Stop joking around User.)

Yeah, I think I was being too silly for a moment due to the shock. So this voice is calling me moron and now User? What are you? Are you using telepathy to speak to me?

I don’t sense any magic or psychic energies and my skill Abnormal State Negation would prevent any malicious skills invading my mind. What could it be?

(I am a skill partitioned from the Codex skill, created through your subconscious yearning and your skill Realization bringing me into reality.)

A skill, they say? I’ve never heard of a talking skill before.

Is this something similar to when my skills evolve and combine all on their own? Reminds me of how I obtained All Language Comprehension, a skill created unconsciously, when I crossed over and encountered an unknown world’s language.

My first skill, Realization, is controlled through my imagination. Apparently that imagination also draws from my subconscious. The voice claims it is a new skill that I acquired through Realization acting automatically.

Rather than new skill, it’s more like an existing one got a free expansion. The Codex skill now describes it under my Status as a skill to collate data and offer their assistance in skill management. I guess I just got a nifty assistant.

Since it’s an add-on to the Codex skill, I might as well call them something similar. Simple is always best, so it should be Codex V2. Right, V2?

(… Codex will suffice.)

The passive aggressive salt is strong with this one. I feel Codex’s condescending annoyance just from that brief delay in the reply.

The thing to focus on here is that, I created this skill, or gave birth to it unconsciously. I guess because I needed someone who could reason and explain things in plain old English for me.

My will birthed the new and improved Codex! Should I consider myself the mother? I bet I’m the only person around with a talking, living skill. I bet that hero prince doesn’t have a talking voice in his head like mine.

(… That would be concerting if that were the case.)

I just realized that Granny Abaleyn has been staring straight at me, who is having a silent conversation with a sentient skill. She is clearly worried for my mental health but I wave her off with a smile. I’m not crazy, it’s just my skill that’s talking to me, although you’d never hear me saying that out loud.

I quickly thank her for her sermon and leave the salon. She shakes her head dismissing my strange behavior and lays back for her hair wash.

Abaleyn 「 Youngsters these days, always rushing off somewhere. 」

I continue to chat with Codex while walking back to the festive and crowded city streets.

Becca (Say Dex, please tell me you got some clues from the old lady’s words. I don’t want to sit through another hour long speech taking notes.)

Codex (The Dragon God’s words were very insightful. I cannot comprehend how someone can sleep through it. Also, my designation is Codex.)

Becca (Classrooms are the bane of my existence. That applies to pretty much any normal girl. Keep that in your data banks Codex.)

From the looks of it, I can leave all the brainstorming to Codex. She seems clever and observant, I hope to rely on her more and more. Does a talking Codex skill have a gender? It’s not clear from just the gender-less voice, but I’ll assume my pseudo-daughter is a cool beauty with a cute baby face.

Becca (Let’s cut all the tedious explanations and just give me the bare bones. What do I need to do to break the limits and become a Demigod?)

Codex (Simply put, acquire enough experience to reach the level cap at level 499, which should take roughly 3 months at this rate. Then your body will be fully saturated and evolution into a Demigod status will commence after ingesting a catalyst serum customized by the Creation skill. Probability of success in this case is 75%.)

Codex lays out a training plan that is in line with my expectations. The simplest method is to reach the limit of experience value and then break through with stimulants. My body will stand a better chance of not breaking apart in the process. Still...

Becca (3 months? That long? That’s enough time for the anime season to change. Is this really the best way to reach divinity? Can’t we cut down the time needed and maybe up the success rate?)

Codex (An alternative plan can cut down the time to within 2 weeks, with a 90% chance of success.)

The chance of success is increased along with a drastic decrease in training time. 2 weeks still sounds long but shorter compared to 3 months. I ask Codex why the differing lengths of time​

Codex (The biggest factor in reducing time is the method of obtaining experience.)

I want to float a giant question mark above my head, but Codex seems to have grasped my silent intent already.

Codex (The most efficient method of obtaining experience is through killing monsters. Rather than relying on passively absorbing experience through daily routines and skills, killing high leveled creatures will expedite the process tremendously.)

Her cold words cut down my confusion with a shivering chill, making me gulp my saliva. Certainly, I’ve been passively generating and absorbing experience through my life skills.

Throughout my journeys I’ve never taken any lives, even monsters. I’m not in a habit of bloodying my hands and I’ve always had enough strength that I could afford to go easy on my enemies and spare them.

I’ve been raised by kind people like Sister Therese to value life and respect different ways of living. I agreed with the sentiment and treasured life as much as I could avoiding killing.

In this fantasy world of Arcoul, monsters are exterminated as naturally as livestock. I don’t mean to question their way of life, and I can understand that monsters need to be culled to prevent endangering human lives.

It’s just my stubborn fault that I’ve abstained from killing. A mental barrier has existed since far back. I just have a sinking feeling that if I begin to take lives then I won’t stop. At that time, will I still be able to value life so highly?

If I start treating this world like a game and the monsters as just EXP, wouldn’t that warp my worldview and diminish my aversion to bloodshed? Take a look at Mu and Fu, my pet slime and wolf pup, they’re originally monsters of Arcoul. Could I really look at them as just walking experience points?

The moment I lose grasp of what makes lives so important, my qualification as a hero, even as a human, would be in jeopardy. I just don’t want to view this world as just NPCs and Quests.

The rational part of my mind knows that this naivety could invite disaster and weakness. However, as long as I have enough power, I can ward off the worst case scenario where I have to kill to stop bad guys.

Becca (Speaking of which, my lifestyle skills generate EXP for me every time I walk, eat, sleep, and so on. Can you tell me how this works, or how I can better gain EXP passively?)

Codex (The inference is that experience is the necessary fuel for the soul to develop. Monsters born of mana disperse their soul’s source on death, which is absorbed by those in close proximity connected by karma. This is a leading theory in this world’s records and my conclusion based on your memories. Your skill is merely absorbing traces dispersed in the atmosphere, but the rate is not as efficient as absorbing another soul’s source directly.)

Souls, huh? Something so intangible is the only explanation it seems. I’m almost afraid to ask if killing humans will result in the same, absorbing their soul’s energy as EXP. So is there another way to grow my soul besides killing and grabbing EXP?

Codex (Data inconclusive.)

I’ll take that as a no for now then. At this point I feel like never getting EXP from kills just to just to say a big fat “No” to killing. Call it stubborn if you will, but I want to stick to my principles.

Codex (It is a stubborn notion, agreed.)

I’ll figure something out eventually, or just keep passively raising my EXP in a pacifist way. Here’s a thought, Codex, can you do things like help me multi-task and such?

Codex (Affirmative)

Cool. Then keep a look out for any outside sources of EXP. I guess you could call it soul power, or soul points? If you spot like, I don’t know, maybe a golden apple that when consumed gives a boatload of EXP, then alert me right away. As long as it’s not killing anyone, I’ll try it out.

Codex (So absorbing soul nourishment from plants is acceptable, because they have no concept of emotion and will?)

We’re going into semantics now I think, but let’s just go with that. As long as it’s a sentient lifeforms, even monsters will be off the table.

Codex (…)

Codex is staying silent and not saying what’s on her tongue. I give her a moment while walking the streets of the capital. There’s a meat skewer stall luring me with its enticing smell. I stop by, flick a silver coin to the stand and buy a few to munch on and walk aimlessly.

Codex (… User is contradictory.)

How so Codex?

Codex (You do not condone taking lives, but allow your companions to collect EXP from slain monsters. You wish to prevent death by direct action but do not actively interfere with other deaths. Your actions and intentions seem contradictory.)

It does seem so when you put it that way. Here’s a lesson from your not-so-bright master, humans are a contradictory species to begin with. That’s what makes us human. Everyone chooses how to live their lives and conflicts are often born from conflicting views.

There’s no solution or logic to it. Even the gods and deities of this world can’t unravel all the mysteries of life. So my advice to you is, don’t think so deeply about it. We can’t change the world so easily, so better to just avoid conflicts when we can and not create cycles of revenge and hatred.

Save your processing power for the things that matter to you here and now.

Codex (Affirmative.)

Good. I think you and I will get along quite well Codex.

Codex (… That meat skewer is from a species of forest wolf. Analysis shows a common ancestor to your wolf pet Fu. Conclusion, a distant relative to Fu.)

This thing is Fu’s family?! Why didn’t you tell me earlier?!