Ch 196.
Matt was in the midst of strategizing with his two true selves when Randoznaormr's voice cut through their conversation. “It seems that your first enhanced skill is a troublesome one.”
“What do you mean by that?” one of the true Matts asked, brow furrowed in confusion.
“Things rarely go well when two versions of the same person are running around; it can lead to all sorts of misunderstandings. While the puppet skill you've developed allows you to be in multiple places at once, all of those manifestations are essentially drones under your control, even if they seem to act autonomously. They know they aren’t the real you and can never disagree with you because, fundamentally, they are you.”
“We are still both each other,” countered the second true Matt, his voice firm. “Nothing you’ve said contradicts the thoughts we've already had.”
“You’ve only just separated,” Randoznaormr stated, his tone unwavering. “It may take time, but can you honestly say you’ll remain the same person a century from now?”
“Who cares?” the first true Matt retorted, frustration creeping into his voice. “I’m more concerned about surviving the next few weeks than worrying about the distant future. If we grow apart, we can simply go our separate ways and alter our appearances so that neither of us looks like what others expect. Our skill has a built-in mechanism to ensure we don’t eliminate each other and—”
“What about experience?” Randoznaormr interrupted. “Does the skill indicate that you will share the gains from killing when you’re not together?”
“No,” admitted the second true Matt, a sinking feeling settling in his gut as he realized he may have rushed into using the skill. “That actually raises doubts about how beneficial this skill truly is.”
“Yeah, neither of us can just play house while the other faces danger,” the first Matt agreed, a grimace forming on his face. “Still, we should be able to collaborate effectively to level up once we—”
“Absolutely not,” Randoznaormr growled, cutting him off. “You two can’t allow anyone else to see that the other exists. Moreover, unless our plan with the dungeon works, only one of you can ascend to the peak of S rank, or the death toll will be catastrophic, and I doubt the universe can withstand that.”
“Let us worry about that,” the second Matt replied with a weary sigh.
“Honestly, arguing over who gets to climb the ranks after reaching S rank is pointless,” the first Matt concurred. “For all we know, one of us could be dead by the time we reach that point, and the problem will resolve itself.”
“Well, at least I shouldn’t have any concerns about you facing the fool charging toward you with your woman,” Randoznaormr scoffed.
“She’s not my woman,” the second Matt growled, irritation flaring. “To be clear, she belongs to neither of us.”
“You can insist that all you want, but your actions tell a different story,” Randoznaormr commented, a smug satisfaction evident in his tone. “Regardless, I can sense that you’ve gained a new kind of essence, so tell me, what path are you walking now?”
“Confluence of Truth,” the first Matt replied, his voice steady. “As for what we gained, why should we disclose that?”
“Once again, you surprise me—good, good,” Randoznaormr responded, a pleased hum escaping his lips. “As for why you should share anything with me, it’s simple: I’m the one who determines where the portals will spit you out once you finally start using them.”
“Time,” the second Matt stated matter-of-factly. “And no, we didn’t realize that was going to come with the path, as its description was vague. It reads, ‘one who wields the essence of multiple true powers yet knows not what they hold. Yet, through them, things greater than themselves can be created or destroyed.’”
“I see, very good,” Randoznaormr mused, his voice taking on a thoughtful tone. “I expect this is a result of luck, fate, cellular regeneration, and time—all supreme aspects of any path. It’s even a path I’ve never heard of anyone else walking, so you should feel pleased that, in this regard, you truly are a unique existence.”
Both true Matts shook their heads, sharing a knowing glance as they decided to seize the moment to ask a few questions while Randoznaormr appeared to be in a surprisingly good mood. “What kinds of places are you planning to send me to?” inquired the first Matt, curiosity lacing his voice.
“Places that will help you grow stronger in one way or another,” Randoznaormr replied, his tone somewhat evasive, as if he were guarding secrets. “Just know I have no intention of sending you somewhere you would be killed instantly. Though, I suppose subjecting you to that once wouldn’t be the worst idea.”
“Are you worried that now that there are two of me, I’ll become complacent?” the second Matt asked, disappointment creeping into his voice.
“Not just that,” Randoznaormr said, his expression serious. “There are so many nuances to your existence that having only one of you would be far simpler to manage.” He paused, a flicker of frustration crossing his features. “I can’t say more, so don’t press me. Even I am bound by some of the rules imposed by the system.”
Reading on this site? This novel is published elsewhere. Support the author by seeking out the original.
“Alright then, at least tell us what it means that the system is fully unlocked for us,” the first Matt pressed, his brow furrowing with concern.
“Exactly that,” Randoznaormr retorted sharply. “You can now see the descriptions of all your enhanced skills, which are your only true skills. The rest of what you can accomplish will be nothing more than watered-down versions that cost far too much to use. As you’ve likely noticed, there’s a significant jump in stats when you reach B rank, it’s why so very few have ever been able to defeat anything that is B rank while still C rank or below, to my knowledge. Your recent victory over that fool who attempted to kill you, despite his instincts screaming danger, is the latest example, and the special circumstances surrounding that encounter are typical for such events. Do not squander the opportunity to develop your next enhanced skill; it will arise from the system recognizing that you have utilized and refined something to the point that it deems you worthy of a reward. Don't ask me how it decides, as it's random, but one thing is certain: it will derive from what you frequently use.”
“Use as in from this point on, or could my prior actions have already determined what it will be?” the second Matt asked, a hint of anxiety in his voice.
“Who knows?” Randoznaormr chuckled lightly. “For now, focus on enhancing the efficiency of your essences, as you have a brand new one that hasn’t been utilized yet, and two bodies that need to adapt to it.”
Both Matts frowned as they pulled up his stats and focused on his skill sections once more.
Skills: Auto translate, Cellular Regeneration, Injury control, Essence of selflessness, Essence of determination, Luck’s Essence, Adaptive body, Essence of hope, Essence of Fate, Essence of Time.
Looking at them he focused on his first essence skill and a new menu popped up.
Essence of selflessness:
Efficiency rate 45%
Cross adaptations rate 25%
Reliance rate 35%
“What do efficiency, cross adaptation, and reliance rates even mean?” the first Matt asked, furrowing his brow in confusion. “I assume they relate to my ability to wield the essence, but how exactly?”
Randoznaormr let out a resigned sigh, as if the question had become a tedious lecture he had given too many times before. “Efficiency is what enables you to utilize more skills effectively. The scale doesn’t cap at 100, but it’s quite rare for anyone to exceed 75%. Achieving that level means you’re performing 75 times better than the baseline where any essence begins. Cross adaptations indicate your flexibility in using your other essences, though this rate will diminish each time you acquire a new one. So, don’t fret if it appears lower than you'd prefer at this stage.”
He paused, his tone sharpening. “Finally, reliance measures how often you can safely employ a skill that draws from that essence. No one ever achieves a perfect score of 100%, and even I find the calculation methods somewhat perplexing. Generally, the higher any of those rates are, the greater the number of skills you can wield using those essences. This includes enhanced skills as well. One last thing: the higher your spirit stat, the more effectively you can tap into any essence available to you.”
“Why does it seem like you’re not even certain about how essence is measured?” pressed the second Matt, his brow furrowing in skepticism. “Because the system refuses to elaborate on it and even appears to interfere with any experiments aimed at understanding it,” Randoznaormr replied, his voice tinged with frustration. “The best insights I’ve isolated are what I’ve shared with you. Beyond that, it seems there are simply too many variables to account for. Many of us suspect the system favors those it deems significant characters in some way.”
Once again, both Matts felt a wave of unease wash over them. They had assumed everything was straightforward, a simple numbers game based on the data they could access. Now, the realization settled in that there were complexities beyond their grasp, prompting them to wonder if their survival had been due to the system's bias towards them.
“I need to kill something to pass the time,” both Matts declared simultaneously, their expressions grim as they turned away from Randoznaormr’s anchor, dismissing his attempts to continue speaking.
Inside the dungeon, they found themselves alone, relief washing over them as they no longer had to question which one was the original Matt. However, their relief quickly faded as they faced the towering wall of rock that loomed before them—a sheer cliff rising a thousand feet into the air. A collective sigh escaped their lips; it was evident that they would have to scale this obstacle, which seemed to stretch endlessly in both directions. To make matters worse, the presence of lurking monsters was palpable, either concealed within the rocky surface or camouflaged as part of the cliff itself.
Meanwhile, Randoznaormr cursed under his breath as he redirected his focus to Tempormr, relaying Matt’s current status to him. While Matt would likely react poorly upon learning this information, neither Randoznaormr nor Tempormr cared; their plans took precedence over any potential fallout, even if it meant risking their own destruction.
“If he has truly unlocked the time essence, then I fear it will become increasingly difficult to steer him along the path we desire,” Tempormr stated, his voice laced with frustration. “Even now, as I attempt to glimpse his future, all the potential positive outcomes for him seem to have gained momentum.”
“I don’t believe that’s accurate,” Randoznaormr countered, his tone equally exasperated. “My instincts suggest he is on the verge of making some very illogical decisions soon.”
“That’s a common trait among those who wield time essence. Anyone with the ability to foresee the future inevitably finds themselves manipulating events in pursuit of optimal outcomes. However, achieving those best results is often easier said than done. Nothing unfolds as we anticipate; the mere act of having predictions alters the events that involve us,” Tempormr explained, his expression deepening with contemplation.
“You are fortunate that I find this entire situation intriguing,” he added, a hint of sarcasm threading through his words.
Tempormr didn’t feel compelled to address Randoznaormr's complaint; instead, he redirected the conversation to the matter of where to send Matt once he had dealt with Spencer. “What options are you considering for Matt’s training?” he inquired, his voice steady.
“There’s a part of me that thinks throwing him to the wolves and ensuring he is humbled right from the start would be the best approach. I was contemplating sending him to her world,” Randoznaormr replied, his brow furrowing slightly as he imagined the consequences.
“However, he would never agree to enter another one of your portals if you did that, and we want him to enter them five times,” Tempormr countered, a hint of frustration creeping into his tone.
“Which is why I’m trying to set that part of me aside and leaning more towards letting him meet elves instead,” Randoznaormr suggested, his eyes narrowing as he considered the possibilities.
“Once again, you are setting him up to fear the opportunities that using your portals could offer,” Tempormr pointed out.
“Then how about you tell me where he should be sent!” Randoznaormr snapped, irritation lacing his words.
“That is simple,” Tempormr replied with a slight smirk. “We send him somewhere that he is sure to gain much for risking little—let's start him off in a dead world.”
