The Bloodforged Kin

Chapter 235 - 229: Zavier - A Lesson in Growth and Power

"I am, quite frankly, unsure how you were even able to obtain it."

"By being awesome."

"Doubtful. At any rate, your physical attacks are predictable and ineffectual against any but the lowest-leveled creatures."

"I don't know, it seemed pretty effective against everything so far."

The voice actually scoffed. "Your first run through the trial was set to the easiest level I was capable of creating, and even so you often found yourself in grave danger."

"Oh yeah, speaking of that - why was everything so familiar? It felt like it was straight out of a Dungeons and Dragons campaign."

The voice delivered the answer with all the flatness of a DMV employee. "When you entered the trial I was able to fully assess your skills and abilities, and determined that you would not survive the first encounter for a normal trial taker. I had no creatures in my vast library of programs that were weak enough to allow you to survive until the end, so I had to take the blueprints from your mind. This 'Dungeons and Dragons' is a children's game in your world, correct? I recreated the game to give you a fighting chance."

"Adults like it too, asshole," Zavier mumbled.

"Continuing on, you were tested in melee against groups and individuals. You were tested in seeking out creatures that were faster than you, fighting creatures that were stronger, and finding solutions to problems. The results are that you are a weak fighter, although highly imaginative and adaptable. You were able to craft unique skills to solve your problems and used your items as more than just weapons. You are intelligent, creative, and adaptable, which makes sense based on your personality and intelligence. Unfortunately, you are relying on pre-System experience and knowledge rather than fully exploring what The System can offer."

"I mean, thanks, I guess - but I think I did a pretty good job of picking up a lot of new tricks from The System."

"You did, but those were all within the bounds of what you already knew. You need a paradigm shift, Zavier. You need to consider avenues and solutions that would never have been possible in your old world. I'm not fully versed in what your world can do, as my experience is limited to you, but you seem to be a moderately physical race that relies on intelligence over physical strength. You don't have any abilities you'd consider 'magical,' and all of your skills seem to be focused around outthinking a situation."

"Well yeah, we evolved from tribal creatures. We are basically slow walking bags of meat without claws or fangs. We survived by banding together and being the smartest creatures on the planet."

"Interesting. You are not the apex predators of your world?"

"We are now, but that's pretty recent in our evolution. Most of our history we were primates that lived in the trees as much as on the ground. Everything around us could kill us, so we survived by out thinking and out-breeding. A lone predator is no match for a tribe of primates that have the biological imperative to protect our young and each other at all costs, even over our own lives. Is that so strange out there?"

"Interesting. I am updating your model accordingly. No, it is not wholly unique, but it is rare to see it to this extreme. The vast majority of evolved species are either the apex predators or water-based creatures who have the ability to think in multiple dimensions. There is an exception for hive-minded species, but they are rare and often culled before they grow too numerous."

"Yeah, we killed most of those off." Zavier chuckled ruefully.

"Thank you, that is good information. Your species seems to exist in a constant state of predation - always feeling like prey, always in danger - so when violence is required you exhibit it to extreme degrees, to ensure the survival of the whole, not an individual."

"Yep, that about sums it up. We're pretty Machiavellian in that way."

"I don't know what that means."

"It means that we're peace-loving until we're not, and then we can seriously fuck some shit up and not care about it after. Many consider it our divine right to do whatever the hell we want to any species we consider inferior to us - even others of our own race."

"That is a relief."

"What?" Zavier shouted. "I was being facetious - well, not really, that's how we are - but you're relieved at that?"

"The universe is wider than you know, Zavier, and it is inhabited by the most vicious, powerful apex predators imaginable. There is little room for softness, and it is often stamped out - quite literally. If your species, and you specifically, are to survive what is to come you must become stronger and deadlier than all of them."

"I doubt that will be an issue."

"We shall see. Anyway, on to the last point. Your System-provided abilities, which we'll call 'magical' to better fit into your world's narrative, are severely lacking. Am I seeing correctly that you don't have a path?"

Zavier sighed. He'd known this was coming. "No, and that's a story…" He related the beginning of his trial, his family's rewards at the first kills, and his meeting with The Architect. He explained the deal he'd made and the limitations it had. The voice listened with rapt attention.

After a long silence it responded. "That is truly unique. System rewards for first kills are common, as is the meeting to gain additional skills. That drives competition and is normal. But your choice… I've never heard of anything like that before. It's truly impressive."

Zavier whooped. "Yes! I knew I'd get you to compliment me at some point!"

"Stop that. You set yourself up for a very powerful, if difficult, path. It is an opportunity that you seem to have been wasting, as you've only managed to create low-level skills that are, quite frankly, ineffectual."

"I'm getting real sick of hearing you call me that."

"So stop being ineffectual then. You have set yourself up for unlimited potential but haven't exploited it much. What are your limitations?"

"Well, it's not a free ride. I can't just create anything I want. I have to fully understand the skill I'm trying to create. I can model it off of things I've seen, or what The System allows me to see when I dive into the code, but even that is limited. I can generally see one branch further than what I have, but the patterns and code aren't clear. Plus, I don't have unlimited energy to just create anything."

"Ah, that is the limiter. It makes sense. First, you need to understand how The System grants skills. Each skill is empowered by System energy and thus has a cost. Hold on, let me search your memories…"

The narrative has been taken without permission. Report any sightings.

Zavier thought he could feel a tingling sensation but was pretty sure it was psychosomatic.

"There. Imagine that you are filling one of your 'balloons.' You are able to fill it with as much air as your lungs can hold. You can train your lungs to hold more air, but even so it is unlikely you would ever be able to fill a…" there was a pause and Zavier could swear he could hear tapping, "a hot air balloon, or a weather balloon. Your capacity is limited by what your body can endure. The air, in this example, is System energy and the skills are the balloons. Eventually you will grow in power enough to fill any size balloon you like, but not until you have expanded your lungs to greater capacity. Your skills right now are party balloons, you can't reach beyond them without first growing."

"That explanation was a bit tedious and pedantic."

"It was appropriate. This is why you can only create lower level skills. You need to have the knowledge to write your own code, without The System's guidance it seems, and the ability to hold enough energy to empower them. The limiter The System placed by not allowing you to automatically gain skills will place you at a disadvantage in the beginning, but will give you near-infinite amounts of freedom as you grow. As I see it, you need to become more familiar with how The System works, independent of the preset skills, as well as increase your ability to absorb and retain System energy."

"Grow stronger, grow smarter. Got it. That was the plan the whole time, buddy."

"Please don't call me 'buddy.'"

"What do I call you then? I can't just keep calling you The Voice. I think that's copyrighted anyway."

"I don't know what that means, but you are correct." There was a longer pause than any before, and Zavier got the distinct impression that it was considering how much to tell him. Why would that matter?

The voice returned and Zavier knew he heard hesitation. "I will reveal my full name in time, if you survive long enough to earn it. Until then, you may call me Shatter."

"Woah, buddy - going a little grandiose there, aren't you?"

"I have asked you not to call me that, and no - it is not grandiose. That is my name - all of it I am willing to share at least."

"If that's all you're willing to share then I can't wait to hear the rest. Okay, so what do we do now?"

Shatter was all business again, a note of excitement creeping into his voice.

"Based on our conversation I have restructured the trial to shore up your next weakness. Your reliance on your chains has become a crutch that has prevented your other skills from growing. I am, quite frankly, shocked that you only have one skill worth anything, and that you have completely neglected it."

"Rude," Zavier said just as the skill appeared in his vision.

Skill Name: Jack of all Blades

Type: Melee Combat

Level: 1

Description: This skill allows someone to use any item as a weapon with great proficiency. This skill works in reverse from most skills, though, as it allows the person to use a weapon at the highest level their current level and skills allow the first time using a new item but has diminishing returns the longer they use it. The more often that item is used the less proficient the person becomes in it until they reach the base level of an untrained person.

"This skill is truly unique and very rarely, if ever, chosen. I wasn't aware this path even existed, which is saying something considering my vast knowledge of The System."

"Meh, it was mostly something that helped me in the beginning when I didn't know what, if any, weapons would be available. It provides a pretty good boost in ability but, as you've mentioned numerous times, it limits me to the highest level I could use it at, which is pretty low, honestly. I'm much better with my chains now."

Shatter sighed. Zavier knew he didn't have to do that through the connection, which meant it was intentional. "This is what I was referring to earlier, Zavier. You are thinking as if you are pre-System. Why is this skill a poor option?"

Zavier waved his hands in the air, not sure if Shatter could even see it. "I mean, look at it! Look at me! It doesn't matter how many pushups I do or how many trees I swing through, I'm never going to get strong enough to use it fully. The max I could do will still be nothing compared to what is out there. Give me a bat and sure, I can swing it harder and faster than I ever did in my life, but it'll never be earth-shattering."

Shatter chuckled at something Zavier couldn't guess at, then continued. "We need to fix your assumptions. Why is that the limit of the skill?"

"I don't know man! I didn't create the damned thing."

"Zavier, pause for a moment before answering. Think through the answer. Why is it a poor skill?"

Zavier clenched his fists in frustration. Why? Because it was! Jesus, how stubborn… he took a deep breath and released it. This was actually familiar territory to him, he was just so far removed from it that he'd forgotten. This was the exact kind of exercise he'd put himself through countless times, put his people through. He cleared his mind and remembered his lessons to the many frustrated, irritated employees he'd trained to think critically.

Ignore what you assume, it's limiting. Instead, assume that there are answers you don't know yet. Get rid of your ego, your assumptions, and the need to be right. Assume you know nothing, then work the problem through. Let your mind go places it hadn't considered before - that's the only way to solve a problem that seems unsolvable.

He began to pace, muttering to himself. Shatter remained blessedly silent while he worked through his mental processes.

"Why is it weak? Because it's limiting. Why is it limiting? Because it caps out at my abilities. No, that's not the correct answer. Why is it weak? Because it's level one. But what about…" He stopped pacing and smacked himself on the forehead.

"What did you determine?" Shatter asked.

"That I'm an idiot."

"On that, we can agree. Explain."

"I was thinking like before - pre-System. I was looking at what was in front of me, not considering its potential. Of COURSE it's weak, it's a level one ability! It only makes sense that at the early stages it would limit itself to what I'm capable of. But what about future levels? When it hits level five does it allow me to go double what I'm capable of? At level 10 does it let me wield it like the most adept person who has ever wielded it? What about 20? 50? Will I be able to pick up any item and use it to its fullest potential? At its highest levels who is to say that it won't take on all the effects of every other item like it, magical or not, and function as the most powerful version of it that has ever existed - or could exist?"

"Who is to say?"

Zavier ignored Shatter's smug tone. "And if that's the case with weapons…"

There was a pregnant pause before Shatter replied. "If that's the case with weapons, then what? Continue."

"Then why stop there? Why stop with weapons? Why not any object?"

"Or any person?"

Zavier rocked back on his heels. "Wait, what are you saying?"

"You tell me, Zavier."

Zavier rubbed his palm against his forehead, trying to force the idea into reality. "I… I don't know. I feel like I'm at the edge of an understanding but it's just out of reach. What is it?"

Zavier could swear he could hear Shatter shaking his head. "In due time you'll understand. For now it is enough that you stand on the precipice of understanding. You will learn more through experience. In the universe you now find yourself understanding and growth is found at the bottom of deep wells of blood. That being said, it is time to start the next phase of your trial."

Zavier pumped his fist in the air. "Woot! Sorry, Tess hates when I say that. But hell, it's about time! I love a good learning session, but this was getting old. Anything I need to know?"

"Only one thing - you are not to use your chains in this iteration. Use only what you find. This is more than a trial of expanding your skill, you must understand. Although you are to push your skill to its limits, that will happen automatically. You need to understand why skills work and how to advance them. The System does not grant you skills, so you must take them for yourself."

"Or better yet, don't take them - make my own damned skills."

Shatter's voice held a hungry agreement. "Indeed. The System is a tool, but it is also a crutch that holds the weak back. You must take its power and make it your own. Don't play by its rules, Zavier. Find the power you desire and grab it - consume it. Make it your own and you can remake the world."

"Shatter?"

"Yes, Zavier?"

"How did you get your name?"

The only response was a light appearing around the door and the soft click of it opening.