473 473: Of Course, It’d Be Something Like This
Chapter 473: Of Course, It'd Be Something Like This
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Another month passed, though this one was not wasted by idleness. Neji trained under Lady Life, who taught him how to access his [Tale]. It all started with a talk.
"Fables, Stories, Records— it's known by many names, but the most popular term for it is Tale. A portion of individuals call it Record too, as it's an overall 'record' of an individual's history and existence. A castle of power built upon your past actions and accomplishments, your achievements that are engraved in the bare flesh of existence." Lady Life explained, and Neji was starting to have a good idea of what it was.
This concept appeared in various media and novels he had read in the past. It was kind of a unique power system, at least rarely used.
They were currently submerged in a natural outdoor hot spring located in the forest surrounding the God Tree. Beneath the starry cosmos, they faced each other, backs against opposite walls, enveloped in the hot steam.
"Mortals, in particular, who rise to divinity, are lucky with this. If you have earned outstanding achievements during your mortal life, they often grow and become an exceptional [Tale] once you achieve Divinity." she fixed her hair, putting a towel to make a bun, as she continued. "However, most mortals who rise to the divine never grow enough to put their Tales to use, as they remain weak in the grand scheme of things. You can't access your tales if you're merely a planetary deity, and even as a ruler of a Universe, you'd often only have access to mere portions of your Tales."
She added, "As the embodiment of Life, my Tale is decently powerful even amongst other Class 1 entities. In fact, we are our Tales. That's why we are Abstracts. I am far from the strongest, however. The strongest of Class 1 is naturally The Buddha, and then Maestro Myth. I think I tie with Lord Limitless and my little sister Death."
She shrugged, raising her palm skyward. A green aura began to emanate from it. "Look here carefully. Every speck of this green aura can grow into a universe if I let it wander. This is my natural power. But now,"
She focused, and a swirl of green text, small and a gazillion in number, leaked out of her. They narrated different stories about herself, about life, its beginning, its end, all the in-between, everything. Life wasn't just the beginning, life was everything that was not dead, that has yet to meet its end.
Myths, stories, and real lives – not just the general idea of life, but also every event that unfolded between the beginning and the end, aka death. The concept of 'life' encompassed all these, and everything that was not forgotten.
As people say, 'True death is when your name is remembered for the last time' and it couldn't be more true for Lady Life's case. Lady Life was connected to everything that hadn't been forgotten, everything that was still considered 'alive', which then worked as a source of power for her.
In those texts, Neji witnessed the story of a child being born, living a fulfilling life, raising seven kingdoms, and destroying a dozen others: all of these were facets of his life. Before he ultimately met his demise.
Likewise, an endless amount of stories floated behind her in green texts written in an uncountable language. This was… Life. This was what defined Lady Life.
The texts spread behind her like pairs of butterfly wings, both beautiful and vibrant. The presence of these wings caused the green aura emanating from her hand to intensify significantly. "If I draw a little power from my Tale, the specks of aura can produce multiverses, and beyond. I am Life, I am all that exists in between. I represent most of reality and existence."
[You have observed the Fable: 'The Fuel of Existence'! INT has risen by 1000!]
That was insane. Just seeing it gave him 1k INT?
In the last two months, although he had done not much other than recovering, he had peeked into different realms within the Archverse. This allowed his Jogan to level up several times. That must be the reason why he was able to perceive those texts at all since he hadn't noticed something like this during the battle with the Abstracts.
[Your Tale is insanely powerful.] he admitted to her with cloud texts over his head.
"My, thank you."
'Yet somehow she's not the most powerful Abstract Entity even with a Tale like this. There are two above, and two tying with her. There are also those beyond Class 1… This is big.' Neji pondered with a growing frown.
She noticed it and smiled sheepishly. "If you were expecting me to be all-powerful, sorry to put you down. My Tale is useful though. Other than creating universes, it also lets me peek into the life of entities. I tried that on you, and truthfully," she looked a little ashamed. "One other reason I've been so interested in you until now is because I can't see your life so far. It's not supposed to happen. Even if you're from the Prime, you shouldn't be able to hide it from me. Even the Primordial God's life can be seen by me, albeit in mere flashes. Yet, here you are…"
Neji looked away, as her eyes narrowed. "Well, it's not as if you're the first. There have been two before you. In the distant past, two odd entities came to our place, claiming to be Beyond Omnipotence, and also claiming to be the creator of the Cube, technically. We didn't trust them at first, but we had no choice but to accept soon. I couldn't see anything from them," she said and stared at him. "Are you… related to them?"
He wasn't related to them in the way she thought he probably was, but it was true that SBOP sent him here. Plus, he held their System.
Seeing his silence, she smiled, "It's fine, I don't expect you to trust me yet to share such sensitive information. Perhaps it's not something you can even say, was it them who cursed you? That's why you can't talk, right?" He didn't respond and she nodded. "Anyways, forget it. We should begin the training now."
Neji felt relieved and nodded.
* * *
Two months later, Neji finally succeeded in touching a Tale. He had been doing rigorous mental and spiritual training, practices that were far beyond the realms of typical meditation and willpower exercises, and they finally paid off.
In addition to his daily meditation, which involved hours of deep, uninterrupted focus, he practiced advanced visualization techniques. He would visualize complex, ever-shifting geometric patterns, training his mind to maintain clarity and precision despite the increasing complexity. This exercise enhanced his cognitive flexibility and concentration, essential for harnessing the nuanced power of his Tale.
Willpower training was intensified through controlled exposure to various elemental forces within the Archverse. Neji would sit at the heart of raging storms or on the edge of searing volcanic eruptions, remaining perfectly still and composed. These trials not only fortified his mental resilience but also attuned his spirit to the raw energies of the universe, the Omniverse.
Another aspect of his training involved astral projection, where Neji would separate his consciousness from his physical form and traverse different planes of existence. He could do that with easy enough difficulty since he was used to Abstract Projection back from the Hero Academia world. This practice expanded his spiritual awareness and allowed him to perceive and interact with subtle energies and entities beyond the physical realm. It was an exercise that pushed the limits of his mental fortitude, as he navigated the unknown terrains of the astral world.
Additionally, Neji engaged in mnemonic training, where he would recall complex sequences of ancient runes or the intricate details of long-forgotten mythologies. This not only sharpened his memory but also connected him more deeply with the vast lore and history of the Omniverse, he enjoyed that.
Lastly, he also had to exercise extreme restraint, especially as Lady Life would often tease him. Despite the distractions, he maintained a disciplined distance, reinforcing his self-control. This aspect of the training was particularly challenging as it involved mastering his physical desires and aligning them with spiritual and mental objectives.
Through these multifaceted training methods, Neji honed his mental acuity, spiritual perception, and inner strength, as he finally got access to one of the Tales that he had earned in the past.
One did not merely have only one Tale, and the stronger a Tale was, the harder it was to access. So he suspected that the first Tale he'd unlock probably wasn't the strongest, and he was right. Still, he was very happy that his training was paying off, though he felt a little… complicated about the Tale he unlocked.
[Ding! You have touched your first Fable!]
[Fable: Cursed Manwhore has revealed itself.]
[Access to 1 out of 8 of your Fables has been earned. A new Status Page for the Fables has opened up. For now, it only holds details of your first Fable. Would you like to view it?]
Neji nodded, and a huge page unfolded in front of him.
===
Fable Title: Cursed Manwhore
Fable Rank: Legendary
Background: This Fable is a culmination of Neji Hado's complex and stormy sexual past, particularly focusing on his experiences in his first life and the early stages of his journey in his 2nd.
Throughout his life, Neji was thrust into a life of servitude and exploitation, where he was forced to use his charm and body to manipulate and survive in a world rife with deceit and power struggles. Down to this very moment when he slept with the Abstract Entity of Life to earn her favor.
His uncanny ability to adapt and thrive in such adverse conditions, while using his charming and seductive nature as both a weapon and a shield, has been the cornerstone of this Fable's emergence.
# Granted Powers:
[0] When used [Actively] during sexual encounters, your skills and everything else that matters are highly enhanced.
The list below are [Passive] effects that can be turned off or be used actively as well to enhance the effects.
1. Enhanced Charm and Persuasion: Ability to influence others easily, swaying their emotions and decisions subtly, almost supernaturally.
2. Cursed Resilience: An increased resistance to mental and emotional manipulation, as well as enhanced recovery from psychological traumas.
3. Aura of Seduction: A passive aura that makes you more appealing and attractive to those around you, aiding in negotiations and deceptions.
4. Manipulative Insight: An intuitive understanding of others' desires and weaknesses, allowing for effective manipulation in various social and combative situations.
5. Life Force Absorption: Through intimate encounters, you can absorb small amounts of life energy, enhancing your vitality and healing minor wounds.
6. Cursed Knowledge: Access to forbidden knowledge and secrets, often revealed through intimate conversations or encounters, providing strategic advantages.
7. Emotional Empathy: Ability to sense and understand the emotions of others, aiding in empathetic manipulation or deeper emotional connections.
# Limitations:
1. The Fable's powers are more effective in scenarios involving personal interactions and less in large-scale combats or against entities immune to emotional or psychological influences.
2. Overreliance on the Fable's powers can lead to a gradual loss of genuine emotional connections, risking a descent into apathy or moral ambiguity. — But the existence of [Gamer's Mind] negates this limitation.
Note: The Fable "Cursed Manwhore" is a double-edged sword, offering significant advantages in manipulation and control but at the cost of personal emotional stability and moral integrity.
===
"...." He unlocked it during a sex session with Lady Life.
When he suddenly stopped thrusting into her, she looked back at him with a messy expression from her doggy position. "Hey, quit teasing~ I'll get mad at this rate~"
[I unlocked my first Tale,] he said and met eyes with her. She stared at him in silence before covering her mouth to not laugh.
"Tell me the name," she demanded. "It's something funny, isn't it? Your expression says so. What is it? Tell me, tell me~"
[....It's called Cursed Manwhore.] He said and she slipped out of his cock, laughing like a maniac as she rolled on the bed.
"T-that-" she laughed, tears forming in the corner of her eyes. "That's really unique~ ahaha- I can see why!"
He had told her a bit about his first life, so she could indeed guess why. He hadn't given her explicit details, to maintain the future timeline when she would meet Neji as the Second Gamer. She shouldn't recognize the First and Second as the same.
With a tick growing on his forehead, he yanked her back toward him and slammed into her again. Her laughter was interrupted by a soul-shivering moan as Neji began to test out his Tale's effects first-hand.
Needless to say, the Active side of the Fable worked great.
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