Skill Manuals

The second door opened into a library. The door itself was a bookshelf, swinging into the room. Each of the four walls was absolutely packed with books. in the center was a reading lectern, the kind libraries used to display big reference books like dictionaries. Glancing at it, Eyes saw a list of beginner skills and a diagram showing the first tier skill tree for four classes. The first class was martial artist. Its first tier skills were mana circulation, physical strengthening, and beginner Kata. The second class was Mage. The first tier skills were basic elemental attacks and a shield spell. The third class was Smith. The first tier skills were all titled "apprentice level" and seemed to be useful for crafting. The fourth and final class was "Psychic." Its 1st tier skills were telekinesis and telepathy, both with a grade of 0.1 appended to the end.

Eyes picked a spot just to the left of the door and pulled down one of the books. The title was "zero energy barrier" Of course it wasn't written in English, but in the runes of Ikasi's Etherial guardians. Had Eyes not spent the last few months practicing by creating a custom font and using it to write puzzles for a labyrinth guarding one of the more famous entrances to the Etherial plane, he wouldn't have been able to understand a word of it. Asbit was, the knowledge just sort of clicked into place as he read the theory of constructing a barrier that absorbed the energy of kinetic, manna-based, and even etherial atracks to keep itself energized. As he read the final page, Eyes realized this was probably the strongest barrier technique in Ikasi. Setting the book back in its shelf, but turned with the spine up so that he wouldn't lose track of it, Eyes took the book next to it and began reading. A line of text blinked in the corner of his vision, then disappeared without him noticing.

[Zero energy barrier acquired]

#

Rose woke to find herself alone.

[Zero energy barrier acquired] flashed across her vision. She understood the words, but not what they meant. Why?

That question was answered with a blinking line of text.

<Entity designated "Rose" exists because entity "Eyes" introduced new code to the body manufacturing system. While extracting "Rose" from the system, legacy code was executed, initiating consciousness within "Rose" by copying basic engrams from entity Eyes. further memory acquisition from entity Eyes requires application of a protocol not yet loaded into entity Rose's executable list.>

So this "Eyes" was responsible for her current state. Where was he?

<protocols to acquire that information not currently available.>

Whatever this glowing text was, it didn't seem like it was going to tell her. Rose clambered to her feet. The wings made her a little awkward, but she soon adjusted. Walking seemed to be within her capabilities, so she walked to the door, which for som reason had toiletpaper tied around the handle. opening it, Rose found a hallway. One of the doors was ajar, so she went to it.

Inside, she found Eyes, sitting with his back to a bookshelf near one of the corners. He finished reading the skill book and looked up.

"Hello there," Eyes said, his eyebrpws shooting up.

"General Kenobi," Rose replied, because it just felt, right? why?

<engrams from Eyes form basis for your language skills>

"Whom may I have the privilege of addressing?" Eyes asked.

"I am Rose," she replied, then cocked her head ro one side. "I think? I just woke up, and I can't seem to remember anything."

"Amnesia?"

"Maybe? I don't know. Its not as though I've forgotten, uts as though there isn't anything to remember."

"Well, you did just start existing, at least in this form. Can you read this? Eyes handed her the book he was holding.

"zoology of Ikasi"

"Cool. So you can read Etherial. Do you want to start somewhere in particular? I was figuring on reading as many of these as I can in an hour, then checking out the last door. if you need the bathroom, it should be just past the room you woke up in.

"thanks for the info"

Eyes moved onto the next skill book, and Rose picked one from a shelf at random.

<gambler's fortune acquired> blinked in her vision, as she opened up the titleless book to reveal a manual on gow to cheat at cards, dice, and numerous other games. As Rose finished the book, a notification <acquired: Lucky hand> appeared to both of them.

Eyes finally noticed the glowing text.

"I wonder what that is. Am I halucinating?" he thought to himself.

<mental state: denial> appeared in glowing text. Eyes laighed.

"display status" Eyes thought-spoke, and two frames of glowing text appeared in front of him.

[Species:human]

Status: self-possession

[Gender:Male]

[age:22]

[height:6ft]

[weight:160 lbs]

[pigmentation: Caucasian, brown hair, blue eyes]

[body shape: slim]

[Biomechanical weapons: teeth]

[Strength: lv1]

[speed: lv1]

[Intelligence:N/A]

[manna:N/A]

[Etherial durability: N/A]

[Species: Wraith]

[Gender:N/A]

[Age:N/A]

[Dimensions: variable]

[weight:N/A, Inertia variable, Density N/A]

[pigmentation:N/A]

[body shape: formless. A presence which cannot be touched, but which can inhabit and puppeteer both inanimate and living matter.]

[Biological weapons:N/A]

[Strength: telekinesis of up to five tons, pinpoint precision. Maximum focus of ten points/planes.]

[Speed: 100mph]

[Intelligence: level 10]

[Manna: 9999]

[Etherial durability: immortal]

"display skill list" Eyes thought, and a list of actions he'd unlocked by reading skill manuals was displayed.

"appraisal" Eyes thought.

<skill not learned>

Eyes frowned. Maybe appraisal was in one of rhe other manuals. He went back to reading.

Eyes and Rose spent many hours in the skill library, systematically reading every book they could lay hands on except the one on the central lectern. they occasionally took breaks to use the bathroom, drinking from the faucet with cupped hands. Eyes stomach started to growl at one point, but Rose found a plant summoning skill that let them summon fruit and nuts. Neither of them opened the next door until they'd read every book in the skill library.

When they were sure they hadn't missed any books, they carefully prepared to investigate the next chamber.