System Change

Chapter 337: Dave II

Luckily, once you passed whatever test the Origin System gave youwhich I assume had to do with that Starfury beastthe system only lingered for a short time longer before disappearing when you left the dungeon. Thus, giving us the opportunity to have a chat, Dave explained.

So how is knowing this supposed to help me? Derek questioned.

Ah, you see. Knowledge is power. As I said before, in the long run, everything will be for the bestat least for you. In the meantime, knowing what has happened to you may allow you to prepare for what may come.

Still, Derek had some things about experience that he wanted to know. The talk of essence had bugged him a bit. Okay, I understand that, but I have some questions. Will you answer them?

Maybe, the man replied. Questions about what has already happened to you I will answer, but other questions well see.

I want to know about experience. You said that experience is essence thats quantified into numbers, which makes it easy to understand? Then why do some classes give fewer stat points per level than the other if our bodies are able to hold the same amount? Derek asked.

Quality, Dave answered. A beast at your own level that you slay tends to give around ten percent of their total unabsorbed essence, that is, for a regular system user with a common class. For rarer classes, which, if you havent guessed yet, are earned from higher affinity, systems help compress the essence into a more compatible form for your higher affinity. Thus, causing higher rarity classes to need more essence to level up.

I see

The same is true for skills, except they absorb the natural essence around you. Naturally, this causes some problems.

What do you mean?

The two skills you received from the Origin System. I am unable to see them, but I imagine they dont have a level? the man asked.

Yes, they say N/A, Derek answered.

That is because the natural essence in this system isnt of high enough quality to support and enhance them. The one that allows you to move freely anywherewhich apparently included in my dungeonswould not work as well in a system with more dense, high-quality essence. But, it would be able to level and reach that stage and more. Its a very interesting skill. Dave nodded.

Void Travel, Derek said. And I was wondering about that. The description says that it may cause harm to things in separate spaceslist storage rings and possible my Time Prison. And Silvi experienced that first hand with her ingredients.

Awful, terrible skill, Silvi chimed in.

How would that affect a person? Derek asked.

I dont know, Dave replied. I know little about the void or its inner workings. That will be something for you to find out. Perhaps when you level the skill, it will allow you to bring others along without harm.

What about Void Storage? Derek asked, remembering that it said N/A, too.

Ah, that was a basic void skill that I had access to. It grows with your affinity and intelligence. The higher quality essence used to level, the better for skills like those.

Which brings me to my other questionskills, Derek said. Why are my skills so utility?

I want to say that utility is the nature of the void, but I cant. Void affinity skills are controlled and not easy to come by. As are time affinity skills, and a few others. The skills you have been awarded are the skills we have. And we pushed it a little with Void Call and Time Prison, he explained.

What do you mean? Derek asked.

Your build has been a very defensive build that is neigh unkillable and uncapturable in this system. There is nothing wrong with that, but as you tend to prefer solo fights or ones with just a companion or two, you need some offensive skills.

Exactly, Derek said. Hed been thinking the same thing.

First, Ill give you this to help round out your current build, then we can discuss other skills. In the mans hand, a skill scroll appeared. This had all the signs of it coming from his storage ring instead of fading into existence out of nowhere. He tossed the scroll to Derek and he caught it.

Derek gave it a cursory look and nodded. It was a Skill Scroll of Mental Resistance. So by round out my current build, he meant in resistances. With this, Ill have all three. Though, this is something I could have gotten eventually by trading with the royal family.

Learn it, the man said. Youre not passing things I give you personally off to others.

He didnt need to be told twice. Derek quickly accept the confirmation and learned the skill.

Resistance skills are lower tier skills, but are rare everywhere, as they work on all levels especially if you have all three.

Derek nodded. I see

Now for the offensive skills. As I said before, time affinity and void affinity skillsespecially so in the form of scrollsare very controlled and limited. That leaves us with the space affinity if you want skills that are compatible with your void affinity. I do have a nice peak space affinity skill scroll for this system, and it is very compatible with your glaive. Another scroll appeared in the mans hand and he tossed it to Derek. What do you think?

Derek raised his eyebrows at the name of the skill. Spatial Rend. Seems violent, he said.

Very much so, the man agreed. But isnt that what offensive skills are for?

What does it do?

Its an unpredictable attack that appears where you direct it. It is very hard to stop by normal defenses, and cuts created contain the attacks properties, which makes the healing process much more complicated, Dave explained.

Ill take it, Derek said with a smile. That was something he was going to need if he had to fight more enemies with high vitality and enduranceor upgrade meditation skills. An ability that hinders regeneration and healing would be perfect for him. He definitely watched the Starfury fight.

Lets see I have some spatial teleportation and storage skillsincluding the spatial skill used to make storage ringsbut you already have skills like those. And no, you are not getting that skill to give it to that little crafter girl. Barrier constriction movement no infusion? no, not as good as Channel Void ah how about Spatial Collapse?

What does it do? Derek asked.

Its the ability to collapse space around a target. The skill starts small, but gets better. It is a skill in combination with the gravity affinity, but it is still mostly space. For some targets, the skill would mean instant death, others may have the strength to withstand it, and it will just hinder their movements with the pressure from the collapse.

Derek thought about it for a bit. They are both ranged skills, arent they?

Yes, that is what you need.

Ill take it, too. Derek agreed, and the man tossed him the other scroll.

Now, what to give your other half?

Silvi looked up from her meal and licked her lips. Recipes! Ingredients! Opposable thumbs!