kscans

Chapter 599 - The Inciter of the Silver Screen

"—Ugh, oh...!"

The visual effect was extremely minor.

But for a single moment, a violet effect certainly streaked across the surface of my body (avatar), and at the same time... the change that occurred within was so immense that I couldn't help but cry out.

I pride myself on being far more accustomed than others to sudden fluctuations in my status values for various reasons. That, in turn, meant the degree of 'swing' that still managed to catch me off guard was truly 'off the charts'.

"...Well, as expected of the [Sword Saint]'s disciple. This 'march' doesn't seem to affect you much."

"No, um, it is affecting me...!"

My 'Status' has been inflated to a level that feels... like it's easily more than doubled. `Screen` says something absurd, looking somewhat bored by my reaction, but honestly, I'm afraid to even move.

Of course, if it were just a massive status boost, I could handle it out of sheer habit, thanks not only to my partner's 《Scareless》 but also to the various buffing methods I have myself.

However,

"I... see. There's no way to deal with this on a first encounter... It's an impossible game...!"

When another anomaly is simultaneously robbing my avatar of its 'power,' it's a different story.

[Invertia]—a body-integrated type, already rare, but this one is the only one in its own ultra-rare category... popularly known as the 'Magic Tongue,' a strange Fourth Tier Anima.

Its hidden authority is the setting of rules.

The effective range is every single person who is aware of the user, `Screen`.

The effect is indiscriminate and mandatory, affecting friend and foe alike.

—In other words, it's a strategic-level map weapon that affects the entire battlefield where Yurayura-shi is present.

This is, without a doubt, the reason they have consistently abstained—or rather, refrained—from participating in the Four Pillar War. An extremely bizarre and lawless power.

The rule-setting affects the three types of 'power' granted to players by the system: 'Status,' 'Skills,' and 'Magic.' While 'Magic' could broadly be categorized as a type of skill, pointing that out now would just be nitpicking, so I'll let it slide.

The authority of [Invertia] is to seal two of these three and strengthen the remaining one. Stated simply, it sounds straightforward, but the influence of that change, combined with its 'entire battlefield' range, can only be described as catastrophic.

For example, what would happen with the currently active 《Zel Celeste Zeatese》—Law Number One, which boosts 'Status' values by more than double in exchange for sealing the other two, 'Skills' and 'Magic'?

The answer is simple.

Mages, whose entire toolkit would be wiped out, would be dead in the water. But beyond that, if you take away the miraculous power of skills, which are ingrained into the very core of combat in this game, the vast majority of players would be rendered effectively combat-ineffective.

Furthermore, even the handful of players like the [Sword Saint] who can achieve monstrous combat maneuvers with their Status alone are assaulted by this change to their bodies in the form of a super-enhancement. One can only imagine how difficult it would be to respond in the heat of the moment.

And that holds true for me as well.

My 《Legalias》, which I've managed to tame in its own wild way; my 《Goma Soten》, the key to controlling my inhumanly fast movements; and my 《Trickster of Zenith》, whose subtly excellent passive effects have been an unsung pillar of my build—

If all of those were sealed and only my status values were forcibly jacked up, there's no way in hell I could control it on the fly.

...And so,

"W-Wait a second, senpai. This is way tougher than I imagined, seriously bad, wait, time, time out, I can't move, this is terrifying...!"

"Is that so? Get used to it—alright, switching it up. Next is skills."

"I'm telling you to wait!?!"

And two more patterns of this exist. The difficulty of dealing with them is only going to increase.

And so, a few seconds later.

With all its authorities super-enhanced and sent into a state of rampaging, explosive fury, my 《Legalias》 caused me to lose all control of my avatar, needless to say.

Since my status was sealed, I didn't go flying off at the speed of sound, but... that was its own kind of tragedy.

My figure, endlessly thrashing and struggling on the floor, was undoubtedly 'a pathetic sight not meant for public viewing'.

It was a very good thing I didn't bring Sora-san along.

◇◆◇◆◇

"—This is just too lawless..."

"Yeah, it's a boring power, isn't it?"

Thus, thirty minutes later.

My body was dead on its feet after desperately trying to 'memorize' the three types of 'rules' as they were cycled through. When I muttered my thoughts while sprawled on the training room floor, `Screen` spat back a reply with a laugh, looking every bit as bored as their words suggested.

It was painfully obvious that their comment wasn't directed at me.

However, in Yurayura-shi's case, it didn't seem like the disappointment of having an unwanted power, but more like they were dismissing something they had no interest in as simply 'boring,' as if it had nothing to do with them.

My prior information that they had no interest in fighting appeared to be completely true.

I won't say, "But you're in the combat-focused Eastern Faction..." If I did, the same could be said for Tetra, another ranker. My own master, the [Sword Saint], is also indifferent to fighting itself—and most of all, so is my partner.

Sora-san may dash across the battlefield with vigor now, but she doesn't 'want to fight'; she simply 'enjoys moving her body to the fullest'.

As a result, she's been motivated to fight ever since we met, and beyond that, she's just been swept along from one battlefield to the next by me, the person she happened to meet.

The 'Blessing of Conflict' granted by choosing Istia... in truth, the main benefit it contains isn't the 'upward correction to the effects of combat skills'.

What's considered more important is the 'Early Bloom' that aids in endless growth.

In traditional games, especially the kind where you pursue strength, skills like this are destined to be avoided or deemed unnecessary by hardcore players.

Why? Because they eventually become useless decorations that serve no purpose.

In many... or rather, most games, there is a limit to a character's growth. There is a line—represented by levels or stats—where God (the system) declares, "You can grow no further."

And that's what it comes down to. If it's something that will become unnecessary in the not-so-distant future... especially if it's something you can't re-select, players will not willingly reach for it.

But what about in this world, Arcadia?

In what is likely a dream world with no limits on personal growth, where you can endlessly push for the blue sky as long as you don't stop...—that blessing will never become 'unnecessary'.

It took me nearly half a year immersed in Arcadia to belatedly realize it, but.

Istia's proud, contradictory blessing of 'endless early blooming' could be said to have, in a sense, the most broken performance of all four factions.

For players like Yurayura-shi and Tetra, who want to travel the virtual world solo and at their own pace, it might even be considered a blessing on the level of a human right.

Increased growth speed is, after all, often a cheat skill in isekai stories.

"Huh? What is it?"

"Oh, nothing at all."

So, if anything, they are very much like Istians. It means there are quite a few Istians who are not battle junkies and have little interest in fighting.

"Well, I'm leaving now. You'd better think up some countermeasures—... though, from the looks of it, you seem like you could come up with something right now."

"You're overestimating me."

"Hah, everyone in the East is a monster."

You're one to talk— I managed to hold back from saying it, having declared thirty minutes ago that I wouldn't be cheeky anymore. Pestering this type of person too much is a surefire way to be disliked.

The user is, without exception, also swallowed by the rules of [Invertia]. But their skill in maneuvering so perfectly on that stage, user or not, was truly that of a 'monster'.

"See ya."

"Right. Later."

My greeting implying we'd meet again, and my waving hand, were once again met with a dead-serious silent treatment...—or so I thought. Just as they were manipulating the system window to activate their teleport.

They unnaturally shook their raised hand, offered a clumsy response, and left without another word. Watching `Screen` depart... I formed a single conclusion, not about their ability, but about them as a person.

"Yep, a tsundere."

Once again, I thought they seemed like someone who would be fun to be friends with.