NOVEL SIMPLE 199 – Immersion Room
Genji spent the next few days fusing the four basic inspirations into his fighting style. He managed everything from the piercing strikes of fire to the crushing force of the earth to the relentless nature of water. With these additions, all of his attacks experienced a huge boost in power.
His basic attacks now have the same power as his dagger arts before the fusion, and his dagger arts surpassed the power achieved during his Berserk state. This was a significant increase in power since the dagger arts were considered active skills with moderate stamina consumption.
However, the highlight of this fusion was Wind Inspiration, which gave his flashstep newfound agility. Now, he could traverse in a curved trajectory instead of the straight path from before. This flexibility would only grow as Genji improved his control and became more proficient with it.
This meant fewer instances of him abruptly changing direction mid-movement, greatly reducing the burden on his body. This indirectly improved his overall speed and made him that much more menacing.
He also created another dagger art based on the force dispersion principles of Water Inspiration. Genji named it Water Parry in honor of its origins. This technique redirects the incoming force and borrows some for his next strike. Due to his high mastery of the art, Genji has a small window when the impact doesn't affect him.
He lets the force flow through his body rather than bluntly resisting it. This is a dangerous technique because a single mistake would result in significantly worse injuries than if he had endured the strike normally. It is a double-edged sword that demands the utmost control from its wielder.
However, its payoffs are equally rewarding as a proper chaining of Water Parry would generate enough force to surpass even his peak state. He could become a cyclone of death on the battlefield if his opponents gave him time to set it up. Due to this trait, Genji made sure to become proficient with his saber as well. [Jaguar] is heavier than his daggers, so it can output much more force.
Due to these changes, Genji also unlocked two other masteries for his arsenal: Swift Steps and Parrying, both at the early stages of Master rank. For now, Genji left them alone because he hadn't confirmed his income yet.
Genji made sure to fully excavate the inspirations' potential because he wanted to make the most of Zarasu's Legacy. His target was the barbarian's nature arts because he hadn't fully mastered them yet.
It was the centerpiece of his Lighting Inspiration, so it couldn't be lacking in any way. All the other techniques could be discarded, but he needed to comprehend the remaining parts of Nature's Harmony. The martial art wouldn't reach its full potential otherwise.
So Genji prepared as much as possible and digested every application of the arts. Then he mentally reviewed the harmony arts and tranquilized his emotions. He even had his legacy spirits help him by clearing his mind. Once all of this was complete, Genji took out the legacy and activated its inheritance.
The item dissipated into motes of light that seeped into his head, filling his brain with foreign memories. Countless experiences flashed through his consciousness, but Genji ignored the irrelevant ones and tunneled onto his target. Time passed and his muscles began subconsciously twitching, doing everything to remember the depicted movements.
His understanding rose with his muscle tremors before harmony finally reached perfection. Genji realized there was still some time left and delved into the application of the five arts. After a few more minutes, the process ended, and the immense pile of memories began fading from his mind. This was a protective measure set by EverRealm so the user doesn't become consumed by the overwhelming experience.
Genji breathed out, stood up, and put everything into practice. He started with his body as it was the most compatible form of expression. Only after he fully understood the nuances did he begin incorporating it into his weapons. The end result was a powerful slash that rivaled his dagger arts in Berserk form. His overall power had increased again by another level.
This was not the limit because EverRealm was an urban environment. Nature's Harmony draws its power from the excess plant vitality in the environment.
The livelier the vegetation, the greater the boost. Its base power might be impressive, but its peak abilities are mind-blowing. Genji estimates that in optimal conditions, his power could rival even a legacy liberation - that was how insane this art was.
Best of all, this is a passive ability that requires nothing on his end! He can maintain this strength until the environment is destroyed, or the energy runs out, whichever comes first in a battle.
Basically, Genji's optimal fighting terrain is a densely packed area of robust plants - something like the world's center back in Primordial Echoes. In such places, Genji has the confidence to rival multiple champions like before.
The martial arts also granted Genji an acute sense of nature. He could now easily determine how lively a world was simply by measuring the available energy in the air.
If there's a copious amount of energy to fuel this art, then the area has a lot of biodiversity and a flourishing ecosystem. In contrast, if he couldn't gather any energy, essentially rendering the art useless, then the area is a death zone. That's the only way he doesn't gain a buff.
'Too bad it can't forcibly drain lifeforce like those demons back in the Barren Wasteland,' Genji whimsically thought. 'That would truly bring this to the next level.'
However, this thought was merely that. Genji knew he was being greedy and that wasn't possible. It was because Nature's Harmony emphasized balance that this was possible.
If it had focused on plundering vitality instead, he would have had a harder time gathering this much power without conducting a genocide every time. But that's too much of a reliance on outside factors for Genji's liking. In the end, this was the ideal result for Genji.
Genji finished his training and headed back to his room. Cake, with Astros on her lap, greeted him on his return. Genji nodded back and headed upstairs to check out the modified room. Sensing an upcoming event, Astros hopped off his spot and followed Genji. Cake shrugged and also joined the entourage.
They made their way up and Genji unlocked the room for the first time in days. As they stepped inside, Cake couldn't help but comment, "This doesn't look any different than before. Are you sure it was modified?"
"We'll just have to see," Genji replied, pulling up the instruction manual for the machine.
Step 1: Activate in Manage function
Step 2: Select the device to use (in cases where multiple devices are in range)
Step 3: Select an application to immerse the room. (Note: This feature will not work if the app does not have a 3-D model.)
It was nice and simple. Even the most technologically awkward person could figure it out.
Genji selected a random video and a loading circle appeared on screen. It spun for a few seconds before blots of light formed on the surface walls. These areas expanded to cover the room and took on different colors from the video. In a matter of seconds, the entire room transformed into a rocky field accented by the setting sun in the background.
The distant trees began swaying gently, casting long shadows, and the musical sounds of wind through hollow reeds echoed in the room. It was as if they'd been transported into the world in the video, basking in all its scenery.
However, Genji knew this was not the case. The machine had taken the room as a blueprint and applied a dynamic coating over it. The scene might look wide, but he still needed to mind the physical objects in the room.
Otherwise, he would walk into the furniture and fumble painfully. The best comparison would be a virtual reality headset but with the room as the display rather than a small gear strapped to one's head.
"Wow," Cake said breathlessly, marveling at the realistic display. She approached the walls and traced her hand over it, admiring how the projection remained indifferent to the interference.
"It's pretty cool. This can be our gaming room from now on," Genji said, swapping to the forums. The scenery slowly faded and sheets of paper lined the walls. Each of these sheets represented a different thread on the home page and could be clicked on to view. At the center of the room was a holographic keyboard and a search bar.
Genji typed some broad topics into this engine and the papers began shifting to fit his requests. The most prevalent ones were highlighted in different colors around the room, allowing him to easily distinguish the results.
"They did a good job making this," he commented and swapped to the Marketplace. The same transition effect applied and Genji soon found himself among the streets, flanked by stalls on both sides and their wares. Avatars of other users could be seen walking around and bargaining with the vendors.
There were also a few blank mannequins teleporting around and communicating with text messages. These represented the users that connected to the Marketplace without using the hologram machine. Genji took a step and the scenery shifted a few blocks forward. The search bar was still at the center of the room, but Genji wasn't looking for anything particular right now.
He waved his hand to adjust the step size and began strolling around. After a few minutes, Genji sensed a particular gaze on him and turned around. At the side, Genji spotted a familiar man with a sheathed katana behind a stall.
"Oh hello there," Genji greeted Xue Fe, an opponent from SanguineRealm. "I believe this is the fourth time we've met?"
Xue Fe didn't answer, but his gaze parsed over Astros and lingered on Cake. He glanced at her neck, chest, and stomach as if evaluating all the ways to kill her. This feeling unnerved Cake and made her subconsciously take a step back. Before this could last any longer, Genji stepped between them and cut off Xue Fe's view.
"Now now," Genji said, "No need to stare like that. You won't meet her on the battlefield."
Xue Fe restrained his gaze and asked, "Will you be buying anything?"
"No, but I have some things I want to sell," Genji said, placing some potions on his stall. "How about it? I can give you a small discount if you place an order right now. Acquaintance's price."
Xue Fe identified these potions as the same ones Genji used after their last battle and thought back to his rapid recovery. He had expected it to take a few days, but Genji had shaken it off like they were normal injuries. That was the part that left the deepest impression on Xue Fe.
"How much?" Xue Fe asked after a few moments.
"5,000 realm coins," Genji quoted. "I'll give you two kits worth of this stuff."
Xue Fe determined this price was acceptable and agreed to the purchase. Genji smiled, took out two crates, packed them in front of Xue Fe, and initiated a trade request. Xue Fe accepted, and Genji received 4,500 coins after tax.
Genji exited the Marketplace and noticed Cake giving him a bewildered stare.
"What was that?" she asked. "Why was that exchange so tense?"
"Because we tried to kill each other before," Genji nonchalantly said, causing her eyes to widen further.
"Excuse me?! Then isn't it risky to sell potions to him? What happens if he uses it against you?"
"Not really. Income is income. Plus, what harm can some healing consumables cause?"
"Yeah, you're right. I'm being overly cautious." Cake relaxed with a hand on her chest.
However, what Cake didn't realize was that Genji's last question had been a rhetorical one. The real answer was 'a lot of damage.' After all, he'd killed a champion before with just a "healing potion." And this case wouldn't be any different. Genji knew at least three viable methods to trigger a deadly reaction in the people who used his products, and this number would only increase if he put his mind to it.
"Okay, have fun," Genji said, disconnecting his device and walking toward the door. "I'm going to work in my lab now."
A few more days passed, and Genji sold all the loot from the previous world. In total, he had 37 epics, 2 semi-legendaries, and an uncountable number of rares. That was the result of him sweeping a whole world.
He earned 48,000 realm coins from selling all of this. The price was lower than expected because most of these items had high-stat requirements and couldn't be used for long in the 2nd step before Obsoletion kicked in.
The ones sold in the Marketplace hardly affected the price because of the 10% tax and the fact that people in the 3rd step had a lower reliance on equipment. Everyone preferred to spend their coins on masteries since it was more conducive to their strength, and they already had a full set of equipment.
Adding this amount to his earnings from selling potions and the passive income from the Brewer's Alliance, Genji's total reached 61,000 coins. Out of these, he spent 10,000 to buy the Fundamental Explorer's Pack from the newly upgraded skill shop. This pack consists of all the skills one would need when exploring an unknown world.
Examples include cartography (the art of making maps), astronavigation (the practice of using stars to determine one's position), a basic knowledge of safe-to-eat foods, an increased affinity for learning foreign languages, basic archaeology techniques, various methods of tracking, knowledge of ancient scripts, ways of evaluating danger zones, managing personal relationships, and many more.
It was an expansive set of knowledge that surpassed its initial cost and prepared Genji for anything the upcoming worlds might throw at him. Genji's head ached from all this information because this was equivalent to gaining decades worth of experience at once.
He soothed his headache with a light massage and headed to the strengthening hall to upgrade his masteries. Today's main focuses were Hand-to-Hand Combat at 81% Grandmaster after using Zarasu's legacy, Swift Steps at 12% Master, and Parrying at 7% Master.
First, he spent 19,000 coins to upgrade Hand-to-Hand Combat to Supreme.
[Achieving Supreme. Please select a bonus effect for Hand-to-Hand Combat]
- A Flash Enlightenment: Increase the power of all your martial arts by 25%. During this strengthening, ignore any limits that you might encounter.
- Beastly Instincts: Make you more aware of your surroundings and greatly increase your premonition to unfavorable situations.
- Piercing Arts: All punches and kicks will ignore 15% of your target's defense.
There were three options, but none of them were as defining as cutting intent or his hyper dodge. Genji attributed this to how he broke through. In the first two cases, Genji achieved Supreme through countless battles and comprehended the optimal abilities for his situation. As a result, he'd fully excavated the potential of those masteries and made them his own.
However, in this case, he broke through with EverRealm's help. The process was much simpler, but the options might not suit him. To address this drawback, EverRealm gave him three options and stated their effects.
Genji immediately ruled out the third option because it didn't fit his combat style. This left an all-around increase in his martial arts or a passive that enhanced his senses. They were both decent options, but Genji eventually settled on Beastly Instincts. Although boosting his offensive powers was tempting, it was more important to increase his survivability.
Supreme Dodging helps detect and avoid incoming threats, but it doesn't do much against setups that affect him in the future. It is a very "at the moment" ability. However, Beastly Instincts would fill that gap since it is a preventative warning. If someone tries to scheme against him, he would have a higher chance of detecting it and breaking out of it.
Next, he spent 18,100 coins to upgrade Swift Steps and Parrying to Grandmaster, leaving him with 13,900 coins. Swift Steps had the biggest effect on him because this mastery denoted his skill in agile movements. With this upgrade, he began adapting to his new flashstep at a higher pace.
Parry, however, only affected the success rate of Water Parry. This was the only technique in this category, so the benefits were marginal. Nonetheless, it gave him the foundation for future improvements.
Out of the remaining coins, Genji reserved 5,000 for potions and other necessities before putting the remaining 8,900 into stealth, his next highest mastery. From lowest to highest, this is what his masteries looked like after everything:
- Swift Steps (Grandmaster - 0%)
- Parrying (Grandmaster - 0%)
- Firearms (Grandmaster - 24.2%)
- Total Weapon Mastery (Grandmaster - 27%)
- Stealth (Grandmaster - 53.9%, +8.9%)
- Hand-to-Hand Combat (Supreme - 0%)
- Dodging Supreme (5.8%)
- Dagger Mastery (Supreme - 41%)
Meanwhile, back in Genji's room, Astros gleefully hopped up the stairs toward the virtual immersion room. He was alone today because Cake had gone grocery shopping, and Bruce was enjoying his time in the food area. They both offered to bring him along, but Astros had refused. He wanted to explore the new technology like a curious child with a new toy, and this was the perfect opportunity to do so.
Once he reached the top of the stairs, he walked over to the virtual immersion room and lightly pushed open the door. Then he linked up the device according to his memories and began pressing buttons to see their results. Astros was illiterate in the language displayed, so this was the only way he could figure things out.
Incidentally, one of these buttons was "record." A blinking red light appeared on the ceiling and filmed Astros's every action. From his head scratches to interactions with the hologram to his excited squeaks when he understood something, it captured it all. Astros was having the time of his life and energetically paraded around the room.
This lasted for another 30 minutes before Cake returned from her trip. After putting away all the food items, she made a light snack for Astros and called for him. When she realized Astros wasn't coming, she put the snack on a plate and began searching for him.
"Astros, where are you?" she called as she walked around the house.
After clearing the first floor, she headed upstairs and heard sounds through the small gap in the doorway. The room was fitted with optimal noise-canceling technology, so these sounds were rather quiet from afar. If Astros hadn't forgotten to close it, it would have taken Cake much longer to find him.
'He must be having fun,' she thought, smiling to herself and approaching the colorful lights leaking out from the gap.
"Hey Astros, I bought some snacks," she announced, knocking on the open door before entering.
Astros turned around, waved at her with his tiny paws, and cheerfully pointed at the blinking light on the ceiling. It was as if he wanted to introduce her to a friend he'd made.
Cake's smile widened, and she approached the control center to stop the recording. "That's not a friend," she explained to him. "It's an indication that you're being recorded."
Astros tilted his head in confusion, not understanding why the friendly red dot disappeared, but he didn't think too deeply about it. His fluffy tail waved back and forth in contentment, and he reached for the plate. However, what neither of them realized was that as Astros leaned forward, his tail inadvertently swabbed over "upload," making the entire recording public...