Clank!
As Sonny stepped into the vault, the heavy door closed behind him with a deep thud, sealing off the outside world. Silence immediately settled over the room.
Looking up, his eyes widened at the sight of towering, sturdy bookshelves lined the walls, their colorful rows marching in perfect order across the floor and stretching far into the distance. At the far end of the chamber, a staircase spiraled upward, leading to a second level.
The sheer number of skills displayed left Sonny momentarily stunned. In the G-Rank section alone, there had to be at least a thousand books.
'It really does look like a normal library...'
Skills, once converted from gemstones, took the form of books. That explained why this place had the familiar look of a grand library, even though what it held was anything but ordinary.
His gaze drifted over the shelves as curiosity flickered in his mind. How exactly were gemstones turned into Skill Tomes? He made a mental note to look into that later.
From his observations, each book shimmered with distinct colors, signaling the elemental affinity within; crimson for fire, blue for water, green for earth, and yellow for wind. But Sonny knew there were more than just elemental skills here. Scattered among them were also tomes of utility and support abilities.
Thanks to the thorough research he had done on online platforms, Sonny was well-informed about Hunters.
Grinning, a strange thought flashed through his mind, but a voice quickly dragged him back to reality.
– Remember, you only have access to this floor. Please refrain from stepping beyond it and climbing up.
The familiar voice echoed from the speakers. Was the Association monitoring even this place?
'No privacy, huh? But I get it. Still… do I really look like a thief?' This thought was funny, coming from someone who had swapped between two possible realities for his own selfish gains.
He shrugged it off.
Refocusing, Sonny turned his attention to the G and E-rank sections.
With the overwhelming number of skills available, he immediately decided to narrow down his options. First order of business: discard all attack-type skills.The reason was simple. Since his level was locked at zero, and even with his SSS-rank spirit power, the raw power of any skill he acquired would remain fixed. In other words, there was no point in wasting resources on attack skills that couldn't scale.
What he needed the most was either sensory-type skills or escape skills.
Sonny figured it would be ideal to sense his enemies before they struck. But then again, if he ended up on floors where the enemies completely outclassed him in raw power, what was the point? Sensing an attack meant nothing if he couldn't dodge it and that's assuming he could even preserve foes that strong to begin with.
This was the devastating drawback of being unable to level up. All his attributes would forever be trapped at Level 0.
Sure, he could manipulate reality with his ability, but what good would that be if someone could easily take him out before he could even reach for or use his smartphone?
With this uncomfortable truth in mind, Sonny knew escape skills were the key. If he ever found himself surrounded, unable to afford wasting his precious reality points on something so trivial, he could simply use an escape skill to slip away. A prime example: Teleport!
Teleportation wasn't bound by the rules of three-dimensional space; anyone with the skill could freely move through and within space.
But that didn't make it omnipotent. It came with a dangerous flaw: you couldn't just warp around as you pleased without consequence. Moving beyond three dimensions meant the user had to first calculate their current spatial coordinates across eleven dimensions and then compute their movement vector from there.
The commands required for this skill were on a whole different level from those of ordinary Hunters, who could trigger abilities with simple thoughts like "create fire" or "summon lightning."
Why was this so dangerous, though? Some people, unaware of dimensional boundaries, might dismiss the question. But imagine teleporting inside a wall simply because you failed to calculate your spatial coordinates correctly. Needless to say, the result wouldn't be pretty — not for the wall, and certainly not for the poor soul who ended up in that nightmare.
More importantly, the skill Teleport belonged to an exceptionally rare category, even more elusive than standard skills.
In fact, Sonny suspected that even the Association didn't have Teleport in their Skill Archive, given that it was a Tier S skill. At best, the highest grade they could offer was Tier A. Of course, this was just speculation. But in his hands was a device that made uncovering such information feel like a trivial matter.
'Hey, Warp… can you help me out here?'
Since smartphones were prohibited in the Skill Archive, as per the Hunting Guild Association's guidelines, Sonny sent a mental message to SnapWarp through their 'special link.'
Moments later, Warp responded, her tone laced with a pout.
[And why should I help Master? Aren't you the one who heartlessly muted me? I was just teasing y'know, but now I feel wronged.]
Ah, right. He had, indeed, muted her. She'd been far too noisy at the time, so he was left with no choice.
Naturally, anyone would be pissed if they were abruptly silenced in such a harsh manner.
Sonny scratched his cheek as he spoke through their mental link.
'Look, I'm sorry, okay? I promise I won't mute you again. Just help me find the skills in this Skill Archive that I'd be compatible with.'
[Hmph!]
Warp huffed, then relented.
[Fine, I'll help you... just this once.]
A moment later, his smartphone vibrated in his pocket. It stopped almost instantly, and Warp's voice echoed in his mind again.
[I'm done.]
"What? Already? That fast?"
A little surprised, Sonny quickly regained his composure.
"Show them to me."
[Okay~ I'll transfer the data straight to your head. Might make you a little dizzy though... but who knows?]
'A little dizzy, huh? Is that the transfer... or is she up to something again?'
Judging by that cheeky tone, she probably was, maybe a little petty revenge for being muted.
Grimacing, Sonny braced himself for whatever trick his mischievous digital assistant had in store. Fortunately, his worries were unfounded. The information about the particular skills he was highly compatible with flowed smoothly into his mind.
†
Skill Name: [Telekinesis]
Skill Rank: G
Skill Description: [Grants the user the ability to manipulate physical objects by applying force through space without direct contact. Limited to small or lightweight items at this rank.]
†
Skill Name: [Silent Draining]
Skill Rank: E
Skill Description: [A subtle curse that causes uncontrollable diarrhea in the target. The victim suffers from severe intestinal distress, reducing movement speed and stamina while weakening their focus.]
†
Skill Name: [Perseverance]
Skill Rank: G
Skill Description: [Grants the user resilience against physical and mental strain. It allows the user to endure pain, fatigue, and stress longer than normal, delaying the onset of exhaustion or collapse.]
'Hmm... What an interesting list.'
Sonny carefully examined the skill list that Warp had transferred to his mind. The options were intriguing, but each came with its limitations and potential drawbacks. He had to be cautious in his selection, considering only two out of his three skill slots were free.
His mind sifted with possibilities.
Telekinesis — Certainly useful, but the G-rank limit on item weight made it a situational choice. It could move small objects but would struggle with anything more substantial. He could maybe use it for small distractions or to grab items from a distance, but in terms of combat, its utility seemed limited. Still, it was something he could experiment with.
Silent Draining — A more unusual skill, but one that could be absolutely devastating in the right scenario. The idea of debilitating an enemy with uncontrollable diarrhea was oddly satisfying in a dark way. However, it had its risks. The E-rank version only caused temporary distress, and it likely wouldn't do much to tougher or more resilient enemies. Still, the potential to weaken an enemy's focus and stamina could give him a crucial edge in prolonged encounters.
...But why was this kind of skill ranked higher than Telekinesis though? He didn't get that part.
And lastly,
Perseverance — This was the one that caught his eye the most. It was simple and practical, allowing him to endure longer than most. Given that his level was locked at zero and his physical attributes were stuck, he couldn't rely on raw power. But with this skill, he could outlast those who would otherwise overwhelm him. It didn't increase his power, but it was vital for survival, especially when dealing with enemies who could push him to his limits.
Looking through the skills one by one, Sonny's frown deepened. A creeping sense of unease stirred inside him. Finally, he addressed Warp through their mental link.
'...Is this really all? That can't be right, can it?'
Warp's voice came back, quieter than usual, tinged with something close to guilt.
[I'm sorry, Master. These are the only skills you're able to learn here. And I don't just mean on this floor. I scanned the skills on the upper levels too... It's the same. None of them are compatible with you.]
Sonny stiffened, his thoughts grinding to a halt.
'Wait. Are you telling me... I can't learn any other skills in the entire Association?'
His mind reeled.
'What kind of sick joke is that?'
If someone else old him such a thing, he would think they were joking. However, and much to his misfortune, the problem was that it was Warp that had told him such information.
Why would his own skill lie to him? In other ones...
'Goddamn it!'
He clicked his tongue.
Realizing the implications of Warp's words, Sonny's spirit sank even deeper into the bottomless abyss. Thinking back, it made sense; the power to manipulate reality would naturally come with its own heavy drawbacks. Maybe this was just one more, stacked on top of the shackles he already carried.
But as his thoughts reached that point, something strange happened. An invisible weight lifted from his shoulders. A quiet clarity washed over him, leaving him feeling lighter and freer.
It was like a veteran swordsman suddenly realizing they'd been swinging with their weak hand all along.
'I see. In that case… there's nothing I can do.'
Why waste energy stressing over something beyond his control?
Besides, didn't he already possess the god-like power to alter reality? No skill in the world could surpass that, no matter how hard he searched.
With his mind made up, Sonny headed toward the shelves where the Telekinesis, Silent Draining, and Perseverance skill tomes were displayed, deciding to purchase all three.
Satisfied, he made his way to the exit of the Skill Archive, knocked twice, and waited patiently. A few seconds later, the door creaked open, and he stepped through without much thought.
"...."
But then, he stopped in his tracks.
'Huh? What's going on?'
Sonny tilted his head, sweeping his gaze between Thomas and one of the guards repeatedly.
It wasn't just his imagination — the two were locked in a silent glare, almost like they were having some kind of staring contest.
Had he missed something while he was busy exploring the Skill Archive? Sonny wondered.
Noticing his confused look, the formally dressed guard who had opened the door for him could only let out a quiet sigh.