…
Peter examined the artifact on the table. At first glance, it looked like nothing more than a plain, unassuming square box.
A slot for inserting pages. Another for printed paper to come out. An antenna, likely for wireless transmission. A small hole for a needle, just like the one Aunt Amelia had used moments ago. And finally, a compartment for a magic stone.
‘A glorified wireless printer,’ Peter mused, staring at the magical instrument. Despite not being an artifact expert, he could piece together its function with just a glance. After all, he had been a software engineer in his previous life.
The magic stone was the power source. The runes were probably etched along the inner walls, handling all the processing. One output stream printed data onto paper. The other? It transmitted information through mana, probably linking to a distant device.
The part that intrigued him most was the blood requirement. How did it authenticate someone’s status through a mere drop of blood? For now, it was beyond him until he had the chance to study it properly. Using runic script to imitate a skill like Identify {Status}, the device was requesting personal information from a person’s Status Screen.
Peter had studied Identify {Status} while working on Status Camouflage. If he wanted to protect himself from certain skills, he first had to understand how they worked. Many low-tier and high-tier information skills, besides just Identify {Status}
To put it simply, the Status Screen functioned like a well-structured application, complete with various APIs for retrieving and sharing data. That was how it communicated with the main Cloud Server System, granting a person new skill when they met the requirements.
A skill like Identify {Status} utilises those same APIs to request information from the Status Screen. How much data it received depended on several factors, including the skill’s level and the target’s resistance. Actors such as the level of the Identifying Skill, whether blood was used as a medium, and the presence of skills like Status Cloaking all influenced the results.
But how did a skill like Status Camouflage protect someone from an Identifying Skill?
By deploying fake API endpoints that fed misleading information to the Identifying Skill.
That was the simple explanation, of course. The actual process was far more intricate, which was why it had taken Peter over a year just to develop a slightly modified version of the skill.
‘As expected,’ Peter thought as the artifact printed out his fake Status Screen. He was successful and could sigh in relief.
"Here," Amelia said, handing the printed page to Mariah, acting all professional.
Peter’s parents examined the page closely before nodding in satisfaction, smiles on their faces. It contained the same information that they had heard from their son in the early morning.
"Thank you," Joseph said as he carefully folded the paper and tucked it into his pocket.
The parchment looked just as Peter had expected, rough, slightly uneven, typical of medieval-era paper. Handled with care, and it might last for a few good years.
“I’ll be here for a few more hours," Amelia said as she stored the needle in its case. "If you three don’t have any plans, you could visit Mother at home. She asked me to let you know she’d like to see you.”
Peter noticed no trace of blood on the needle, as she extracted it from the magical device, making him curious. Did it evaporate?
“We already celebrated in the morning. We’ll stop by to see her before heading home,” Mariah agreed with a nod as Joseph opened the door, willing to share some time with the elderly woman in her final days.
Amelia watched her for a moment, finding her unusually cheerful before stepping forward. "Oh… you were worried he’d be taken," she murmured, closing the distance to embrace Mariah, to offer comfort.
"You don’t have to worry now. He’s yours to keep," she murmured in her ear, rubbing her back in a soothing motion. Mariah let out a shaky breath before breaking into quiet sobs. She had already lost two of her children. And when her third turned out to be exceptionally bright and mature for his age, anxiety had crept in.
Dreading the day of his first advancement, she feared the possibility that he might be born with a skill too special to go unnoticed. She did not want to lose her boy.
Amelia held her close, offering silent comfort. Then, catching Peter and Joseph’s eyes, she gave them a small, knowing look, one that wordlessly asked them to step out and give Mariah a moment.
Faces filled with worry, as they left her under the care of the priestess.
About fifteen minutes later, Mariah stepped out of the room. Smiling with puffy red eyes. Her smile looked much more authentic.
As she approached, Peter wrapped his arms around her in a tight hug, and she smiled, the tension in her shoulders easing. It felt like a weight had finally been lifted.
“Come on, let’s visit the village elder,” she enthusiastically announced, taking Peter’s hand in hers.
…
“Come, come. Make yourselves comfortable,” Minerva joyfully smiled, stepping aside from the wooden doorframe.Support the author by searching for the original publication of this novel.
Joseph and Peter entered first, making their way to the dining room. Mariah followed last, gently helping Minerva along with smaller steps. She pulled out a cushioned chair, guiding the elder into it before taking a seat beside her.
“Children grow up so fast. Each time I see you, you’re a little taller,” Minerva mused with a smile as she observed Peter, resting her walking cane beside her.
“Don’t be so stiff now. You can have as many honey cookies as you like today.” She said, encouraging him with a grandmotherly smile.
Peter respectfully nodded at the kind lady and quickly grabbed five cookies from the ceramic bowl. A single disciplinary glance from Mariah was enough to make him put three back, spine tingling with fear.
“Let him be, dear. It’s his birthday,” Minerva chuckled, patting Mariah’s hand.
“Greed isn’t good for him. Two are plenty,” Mariah sighed, then relented slightly. “But… he can have one more if he behaves.”
“You heard her, boy,” Minerva laughed again, enjoying their company and feeling much better.
For a few moments, the room was quiet as Peter enjoyed his cookies. Then, Mariah broke the silence. “How are you doing, Elder?”
Minerva’s smile faded a tiny bit. “Not well, my dear. I’m sure Joseph already has an idea.”
Minerva sighed, rubbing her old, saggy palms against each other. “I lost two stat points in Spirit five days ago. You know what that means.”
Mariah’s eyes widened in horror. “Degradation of the soul…”
“Don’t look so stricken, dear. It was bound to happen eventually,” Minerva said gently, shaking her head slowly with eyes full of resignation and acceptance. “It’s been years since I started losing points from my physical stats.”
She gave a small, wistful smile. “I’ve come close to the end of my mortal life. My time is short now. But at least I wasn’t taken by an untimely death.”
Mariah looked down, her hands tightening into fists in helplessness.
Minerva reached over, squeezing her hand. “I didn’t summon you here on your child’s birthday to grieve for me. I have a responsibility to pass on, if you’re willing to take it.”
She let out a soft chuckle. “I’ve tried time and again to convince Joseph to take my place as village elder. I thought entrusting the role to someone both trustworthy and martially capable would put the village in good hands.”
Her smile faded slightly. “But alas, he refuses. Amalia, too, has no interest in the role.”
Mariah’s breath hitched. “You mean…?”
“Yes, I’ve spoken to plenty of people, and they agree,” Minerva said, seriously nodding at her shocked face.
Mariah shook her head. “But I don’t think I’m qualified, Elder.”
“You are,” Minerva assured her. “You may not be as skilled in combat as your husband, but where you lack martial strength, you make up for it with management skills. No need to worry, I’ll teach you everything I can. You won’t have to take the title immediately.”
Mariah sighed. “Let’s say you’re right. What about Peter?”, glancing at him.
Minerva chuckled. “What about him? He’s completed his first advancement. He’s not such a small child that he needs you watching over him every moment.”
Mariah still looked uncertain, so Minerva continued. “Most of the time, he’s out playing with other kids. And now that he’s old enough, he’ll be studying as well. Besides, he’s not just your son. His father should take some responsibility, too. Let Joseph train him for a few hours each day.” She gave Joseph a stern look, causing him to nod at her.
Mariah exhaled, glancing at her husband. “Alright, I’ll think about it. But I haven’t said yes yet.”
“Take a few days,” Minerva said, handing Peter another cookie.
The conversation shifted to lighter topics, like the upcoming harvest festival, the travelling merchants, and village happenings.
An hour later, they said their goodbyes to Minerva and made their way home. Once inside, Mariah patted the seat beside her. “Come, sit with me for a bit,” she said, motioning them both to join them.
Peter climbed onto the seat. “Okay,” quickly getting comfortable.
Mariah took a deep breath and warned, “I want to remind you again not to accept any Skills without telling us first.”
Peter tilted his head. “Why?”
“This is for your good, love. You just turned five. At this age, we don’t always know what we truly want,” She patiently explained, pulling him on her and caressing his hair.
She gave him a gentle look before continuing, “Today, you might want to be a swordsman like your father. Tomorrow, a mage. The day after that, maybe an alchemist.”
Peter furrowed his brows, thinking it over.
“Right now, your soul can only hold one more Skill,” Mariah explained. “We have to be careful with it. Since your Spirit is at 28, with enough hard work, you might be able to raise it to 30 in a year.”
Joseph crossed his arms. “Raising stats naturally isn’t easy, son. You’ll likely only gain room for two more Skills before you acquire a class.”
Peter looked between them. “Does that mean I can’t learn swordsmanship from Dad?” He glanced at Joseph, waiting for an answer.
Joseph chuckled before putting his worries aside. “Of course, you can. You just won’t be accepting any Skills for now. Give yourself a year before making that decision.”
He leaned forward, resting his palms on his knees. “Skills aren’t everything, Peter. They offer advantages, sure, but that doesn’t mean you can’t become proficient with a sword without one.”
Peter listened intently as Joseph continued, “Every adult in the village knows some form of self-defence, even if they don’t take the specific Skill for it. Skill slots are limited, and most people only choose Skills they know they’ll use regularly.”
“You’ll do the same when the time comes,” He softly added at the end, leaning away.
Mariah took over, her tone gentle but firm. “For today, you can play as much as you want. But starting tomorrow, your routine will change.” There was wisdom in the elder’s advice, it was time he started to learn things. Peter perked up at that.
“In the morning, you’ll train with your father,” she explained. “After that, we’ll have breakfast. Then, you’ll spend time learning to read and write, studying mathematics, and understanding the moral code of conduct.”
She met his gaze, ensuring he was paying attention. “We’ll have lunch after that, and only then will you be free to play for the rest of the day. Is that understood?”
Peter swallowed, nodding. “Yes, Mom!” Peter gave a playful salute.
Mariah chuckled, ruffling his hair. “Good.”
She leaned back with a satisfied smile. “Now, go on and do whatever you like until dinner.”
Peter didn’t need to be told twice. He quickly dashed toward his room. The sun was still high in the sky, making it too hot to play outside. His friends were probably busy with their own tasks at home.
…



IDE....



Weapon handling: Common
Martial Combat: Uncommon
Weapons Mastery: Rare
Weapons Prodigy: Epic
Omni-Weapons Master, Limitless Arsenal: Legendary
Perfect Weapons Synchronisation: Fabled
Divine Arsenal: Divine




 
Peter studied his options carefully. The reason he was considering the highest-tier generalized weapon skills was that he might not suffer from the same experience-gaining limitations as others.
Divine Arsenal was a no-go. It didn’t use mana as fuel but instead required Aether, a higher-tier energy source. No way to access that. He discarded the skill without hesitation.
Perfect Weapons Synchronisation was his next choice, but unfortunately, he didn’t meet the necessary qualifications. The same went for Legendary-tier skills.
Weapons Prodigy was within reach, but the time investment to acquire it might be too great. Any skill above Rare rarity was too complex and expensive for him to copy and modify with his current stats in less than two years.
He couldn’t afford that. Weapons Mastery it is, then. He nodded to himself. It had the same rarity as Status Camouflage, but unlike that, it was a level-based skill.