It was time to take stock of the changes brought about by recent events. In a confident tone of voice, I uttered the magic words "feature window".
Before me, a blue window materialized, displaying all the changes that had occurred.
[Information
Name: Chokan Bun
Age: 26
Home Dome: Tokyo
Floor 4
- XP: 2204/2462
+ Physical strength: Level 3
+ Agility: Level 9
+ Magic energy: Level 7
+ Toughness: Level 8
Spotlight: ...
Maestria: Reflection - Lvl.88 | Combat - Niv.5 | Cooking - Lvl.5 | Compassion - Lvl.6 | Ancient History - Lvl.2 | Communication - Lvl.4 | Understanding Nature - Lvl.2
NFT Card: None
Inventory: Chalice of United Souls | Ephemeral Dust of the Golden Dawn
Coins: 6 600
Diary:
+ You can access your health bar
! The 'Maestria of Reflective' cannot be upgraded with coins!
! Your reward for solving Puzzle n°3: -Invulnerable Beings- will be given to you at the end of it!]
I noticed that I was now on floor 4, an ascent that testified to my progress in this divine epic. What's more, new maestrias had been unlocked. It was obvious that this was due to the Demeter mission I'd completed in the secondary puzzle.
My attention then turned to one maestria in particular: "mastery in reflection". Intrigued, I read the description carefully, noticing that it specified that this maestria could not be increased through the use of coins. This information aroused my curiosity and prompted me to ponder the meaning of this particularity.
Just as I was about to ask my question, Saé beat me to it as if she'd read my mind. In a curious tone, she asked.
"Do you too have this strange maestria in blocked thinking?"
We all confirmed having encountered this one.
"I confess to being a little lost with this concept of mastery etc.". Saé shared her bewilderment over the management of these maestrias, which prompted my intention to provide an explanation.
"Well...", I began, "Maestrias are essentially skills or areas of mastery that we need to unlock first. To give you an illustration of this, let's take my case. I've unlocked the mastery of ancient history. This mastery acts as a kind of assessment of my knowledge in this field. I think I unlocked it when we were at the first stage of the secondary puzzle, and as we've seen, I wasn't necessarily very good at it... That's why, once evaluated, if my mastery is too low, I can increase it by investing coins."
I was careful to detail the process, explaining how each maestria represented a specific skill or area of knowledge, and how it could be improved through the acquisition of parts. It was a complex but fascinating system, an additional aspect of our adventure that deserved to be explored in depth.
After explaining how the maestrias worked, Saé asked me to confirm his words.
"So, first you have to unlock a maestria in a specific area before you can upgrade it!"
I nodded, confirming to her that she had understood correctly. I then mentioned this new information that we'd plane them
"However, for the master's degree in reflection it's an exception. We couldn't improve it with parts, so it will surely improve based on our skills. In fact, it was probably calculated after our first three puzzles."
Saé seemed to grasp this nuance and concluded.
"I see... So it's necessary to invest our coins in upgrading the other maestrias, as that would allow us to go up in experience."
I laughed at his logic. "Ahaha, it's more complicated than that. In fact, it's a bit like in video games. You have to know how to manage your resources wisely to improve your skills."
The comparison with a video game was ironically appropriate, given the context in which we found ourselves.
Saé then threw me a little tantrum, sulking at me because I seemed to be taking her for a fool. In truth, it was a relief to see her like this, despite the heavy situation we were in. I knew that Saé was different from me, and that she would probably find it harder to adapt to this new world. For my part, I found I was adapting quite well, strangely enough I was like... Very confident.
While I was lost in thought, I didn't notice Saé patting me on the arm. She then asked me if I'd also unlocked the mastery in communication.
"Have you unlocked this mastery too?"
I then turned to Saé, a hint of confusion in my eyes. "Why are you suddenly interested in my newly unlocked skills?" I asked, curious as to what was bothering her.
She replied in a more serious tone. "Because it concerns our group. It's about you and Edano," she said calmly, her voice imbued with a certain gravity.
Intrigued by her words, I decided to activate the new maestria she was talking about.
"Maestria in communication!"
A notification appeared immediately, bringing welcome clarity to the situation.
[Your "maestria in communication!" allows you to communicate telepathically to solver Sae Kiryū as well as Edano Takehiro. This ability is based on the deep connection and mutual understanding shared between you].
[! As your maestria is low-level, communication can only last 1min30 every 24hrs!]
She revealed that thanks to the ordeals I'd been through with Edano and Saé, I'd developed the ability to communicate with them telepathically. It was a surprising revelation, although limited by the fact that our mastery was only at level 2, which meant that communication couldn't last long.
I then turned to Edano, telling him that this new ability could be extremely useful for us.
Edano seemed preoccupied with the new equipment he had obtained. He examined it with intense concentration, as if trying to understand its every detail.
Saé watched the scene with admiration, noticing that Edano's equipment almost resembled that of Ryo Kanjo.
"You'd almost think he'd unlocked the same reward as Ryo Kanjo with that big black coat."
Edano proudly replied that his equipment was rank C.
"My equipment is rank C. I'm not sure he had equipment like that."
However, I broke his arrogance by revealing that Ryo's equipment was rank SSS, far superior to his own.
"He's a central character. You can imagine that this bastard is going to have something pretty high..."
At this news, Edano's expression decomposed, his confidence wavering under the weight of reality.
So as not to further dent Edano's already fragile morale, I decided not to reveal to him that I had also obtained an A-rank skill.
We agreed that it was now time to return to the cave, having achieved all we had to do.
As we walked back to the cave, we were surprised to come across a mysterious figure emerging from the shadows of the forest.
The mysterious figure revealed himself to us theatrically, as if straight out of a fantasy tale. His presence was imposing, his eyes concealed by a wisp of hair adding an aura of mystery to his silhouette.
As he stood before us, his gaze seemed to capture every detail of our person, as if he had already anticipated everything. Then, in a calm but confident voice, he spoke my name, making me flinch with astonishment.
"Chokan Bun, I've been looking for you!"
"Who are you?"
"My name is Ike Juichi!"
Ike informed us that he had unlocked the third possible sequel to the clue.
"You had unlocked the second. I hope your mission went well Chokan Bun. In my case, my reward for the third was a revealing prophecy of the future."
His words were tinged with gravity, as if he understood the significance of what he was offering us.
"And what do you want from us?"
"I want to help you."
His offer of help echoed in the air, laden with promise and possibility. We were faced with a crucial decision: accept his assistance and embrace the unknown, or continue on our way alone, without the insights this prophecy might bring.
The tension was palpable as we contemplated this stranger, aware of the importance of this moment in our quest.
"You seem to know a lot about us," I said, trying to pierce the veil of mystery that enveloped him.
Ike Juichi smiled in response, but his eyes remained hidden. "I came because I felt you needed help. The prophecy I unlocked could be the key to understanding the trials to come."
Saé used mastery in communication to address his thoughts directly to us. It was both strange and fascinating to be able to converse without opening her mouth.
She shared her discoveries with us,
{Saé: I tried to use my mastery of observation to get information about this Ike Juichi. However, I encountered an unexpected obstacle. It indicated to me a personality disorder that made information vague and unreliable}
{Bun: You can do that, it's incredible! }
{Edano: This guy is so shady!}
It was a disturbing revelation. Doubt crept into our minds as we wondered what this enigmatic character was really hiding. If even Saé, with a skill like his, was having trouble getting to the bottom of his secret, then what could we expect?
The heavy silence that followed our telepathic exchanges reflected our growing uncertainty about Ike Juichi's proposal. Our eyes met, expressing both the curiosity and mistrust growing within us.
Ike inclined his head slightly. "I see, you didn't believe me."
I was suddenly interrupted by a flashing notification on my interface.
[! An external magical energy is making contact with you!]
Unable to move or react, I felt trapped, powerless in the face of this mysterious intrusion.
Meanwhile, Ike Juichi took leave of us in an enigmatic manner, leaving an aura of mystery and suspicion hanging in the air. His words, imbued with an ominous undertone, still echoed in our minds, fueling our doubts and worries.
"You've got some interesting skills Chokan Bun. Let's see how you do."
As we stood there, confused by this encounter and the strange events that had unfolded, a new notification appeared on our interfaces.
[The Hint We must defuse the bomb has been completed!
Please proceed to the Nippara limestone cave for the reward].
As we made our way back to the cave, Saé broke the silence by asking me if I regretted not trying to solve the clue, but I assured her that everything would be fine.
"Don't worry, I'm confident on this one!"
Arriving at the cave, we were greeted by the usual bustle and look of anticipation from the other participants. Among them, Kaishō Suzuki wore an enigmatic smile that boded ill.
Seeing his mischievous grin, I immediately understood who had completed the clue. I let out an exasperated sigh.
"As if it was a surprise..."