Tutorial [10]

[Why is this even here?]

A paragraph comment I've seen numerous times in the novels I've read online.

[Is the author writing these just to add to word count?]

An accusation that was sometimes justified and most times just a reader's complaint.

[Tsk! Another filler!]

Even my favorite novel, Tower Ascendance, which I saw as nothing short of perfect, didn't escape from these remarks.

While I could not deny there were times I myself wondered why some particular sentences were even in a chapter, as they did not particularly contribute to the story or even that chapter, I still enjoyed every detail.

Unlike other readers who preferred every aspect of the novel to revolve around the main character, I found joy in moments where the focus shifted elsewhere.

Even minor characters who appeared only once captivated my attention, and I cherished those moments.

Now, I'm grateful for that.

As I gazed at the purple pond ahead, a wide smile spread across my face.

In the novel, the original storyline depicted Lionel navigating through most of the tutorial floor alone, seizing occasional opportunities that contributed to his growth.

As a reader, I was aware of those opportunities, and if I wanted to seize them for myself, I could.

However, it wasn't just Lionel who encountered opportunities on the tutorial floor in the novel; other characters did too, even those with seemingly insignificant roles.

As for how I knew about the opportunities for even the minor characters, I could only attribute it to the author of Tower Ascendance, who gradually revealed them in his chapters.

This 'purple pond' was one such opportunity for a certain 'insignificant' character who had a brief interaction with Lionel on the first floor.

As the main character, it was almost a given that most of Lionel's opportunities would be unique, and this proved to be true.

Some of them were even fraught with great danger, which didn't sit well with me.

Being currently weak and preferring a cautious approach, I gravitated towards opportunities that involved minimal risk.

The purple pond had been my goal from the outset, which is why I steered Lionel away from entering the forest, aside from the dangers lurking within.

As for my feelings about seizing opportunities from others? I felt nothing.

I never got to know the characters in the novel and was even less bothered to know them now.

I had to survive, and I was willing to do almost anything for that, even if it meant depriving others of their chances of survival.

It sounds bad, but what choice did I have? I had to prioritize my own survival.

These thoughts might make me seem like a hypocrite searching for justification, but I was truly prepared to do whatever it took for my own benefit, much like most people would do.

Denying that would be hypocritical.

"Why is this pond purple?" Lionel inquired with interest beside me.

"I don't know," I replied.

It was only now, as Lionel spoke about it, that I wondered how I was going to convince him to enter the pond with me.

After all, a purple pond was more than suspicious, and any mentally stable person would not have the thought of getting too close to it, let alone jumping into it.

In the original narrative, the character found himself inside the pond as a result of escaping from a pack of wolves.

To hide himself, he had no choice but to jump into the suspicious-looking pond, which ended up being a blessing in disguise for him.

I knew there was no danger in the pond. There were only benefits, but Lionel had no idea about it.

The purple pond in front of us was called mana water in the tower. Basically, it's liquid imbued with mana, turning it into a precious resource.

It could be used in the making of potions and other things like magic ink used for scrolls.

Since it could mostly only be naturally formed, it was a very rare magical resource, which further increased its value.

If a pond this big was filled with mana water up in the tower, it could lead to conflict.

Aside from being used to make things, mana water could also enhance one's stats if soaked in. With how precious mana water was, this was undoubtedly the most wasteful way one could use it.

But that was none of my business.

Even if I knew the value of the pond, it wasn't like I could take its liquid up the tower.

It was better to use it to enhance myself and make myself stronger, regardless of how wasteful it was.

As I pondered how I was going to get Lionel into the pond with me without raising suspicion or appearing weird, a thought flashed through my mind, nearly prompting me to raise my hand to smack my forehead in realisation.

'The identification skill!'

It was a skill given by the tower to everyone residing in it.

Since it was more like an inherent skill that almost every living being in the tower possessed, it didn't show up in the status panel. It was akin to an ability like feeling with one's skin, not considered special enough to take notice of.

I turned to look at the shield in my hands.

[Heavy Steel Shield]

A very durable shield.

Since I had this skill, Lionel must have it too.

So instead of explaining why the pond in front of us was precious, why not let him see it for himself?