As Loki approached the library's entrance, he couldn't help but admire the futuristic architecture of the building.
The library was a towering structure made of sleek metal and glass, with a large sign that read "Library of the Starfall City" in glowing neon letters.
The entrance was an enormous set of double doors that opened automatically as he approached.
The surrounding area was equally impressive. Tall skyscrapers lined the streets, their surfaces adorned with colorful holographic advertisements.
Flying cars and other high-tech vehicles whizzed past, leaving trails of neon-colored exhaust in their wake. It was a bustling, vibrant city, full of life and energy.
The entrance was guarded by two humanoid NPCs, equipped with advanced weaponry and sensors that scanned the visitors for any potential threats.
As Loki walked up to the entrance of the Library of the Starfall City, and was greeted by a librarian at the door.
The librarian looked at him curiously, noticing the emblem on his chest. He didn't say anything and let Loki enter the library.
However, when someone else tried to imitate Loki, the result was different. "Greetings, sir. Admission fee is ten credits for non-citizens," the librarian said.
Loki smirked and tapped the emblem on his chest. "I don't need to pay. I'm a special citizen," he said, enjoying the benefits of the emblem.
As Loki entered, he was met with a vast space that seemed to stretch endlessly, filled with countless rows of shelves that held various virtual books, scrolls, and tomes.
The shelves were made of a special material that could store an infinite amount of data, allowing them to house an extensive collection of knowledge on science, magic, history, and much more.
The lighting was provided by glowing orbs that floated in the air, emitting a soft blue light that illuminated the space without being too harsh on the eyes.
Rather then sound of pages flipping he saw people scrolling up in the interface, murmurs of virtual librarians, and the tapping of keyboards could be heard throughout the library, creating a serene atmosphere.
Despite its futuristic appearance, the library also contained classic elements that paid homage to traditional libraries, such as wooden desks and chairs, reading lamps, and even a cozy fireplace in the corner.
Without disturbing anyone he sat on a empty sit.
Loki accessed the library's database on his virtual interface and searched for the books he wanted.
He didn't search for any history books or other books. What he was searching was skill manuals.
"It's good thing I changed my appearance before coming here. That unique avtar custom card was really useful." Rain smiled as he remembered how he changed his character with that help of that card; he got as one of the rewards.
At the current moment, [Thanatos] was too popular, some guys might annoy him if he wander around in that getup.
First Rain started searching for low and unranked skills. Although they might be trash, there might be some useful ones.
Soon, a bunch of skills appeared.
1. Useless knowledge
2. Clumsiness
3. Chronic procrastination
4. Awkwardness
5. Poor sense of direction
6. Inability to swim
7. Allergies
8. Slow reflexes
9. Poor memory
10. Nearsightedness
[Scroll down to see more...]
Rain's eyes scanned the list of skills before him, and as he read each one, his face slowly contorted into a wrinkled expression of disdain.
His lips pursed in disapproval, and he let out a low mutter under his breath.
"Trash," he said with a tone of disappointment, as he shook his head in disbelief.
Each skill on the list seemed to be more lackluster than the last, failing to meet his expectations.
"I expected a scenario where like other protagonists I would find some op skill among unranked skills. But looks like I don't have that kind of luck." Rain shrugged his shoulders. Still he quickly scanned list of skills and looked if he could see anything useful.
Eventually, however, he came across two skills that caught his attention.
The first was Jumping, which granted the user the ability to leap great distances or heights, making it useful for athletic competitions or evading obstacles.
Although Rain was initially skeptical of its practicality, he recognized the potential for this skill to be a valuable asset in certain situations. Moreover, it was growth type skill.
The second skill was Trapping, which gave the user the ability to set traps and ensnare enemies, making it useful for hunting or defense.
While it may not have been the most exciting or glamorous skill, Rain saw the potential for its usefulness in his future endeavors.
Rain selected both and attempted to open them. However, he was met with a message from the e-library that read,
[It's detected that the user is attempting to obtain 2 Unranked skill manuals.
2 Free passes for the e-library (Bronze) and 6 Free passes for the e-library (Copper) are required. Would you like to use the passes you have?]
Rain confidently clicked on the "Yes" button, eager to obtain the two skills he had selected.
After a few moments, both skills were stored in his user ID as PDF files, allowing him to access them as long as he remained in the library.
However, he knew that he would need to make use of this time wisely, as the skills would be automatically deleted after a day.
Determined to make the most of his time, Rain quickly resumed his search for new skills.
As he scanned through the list, he couldn't help but notice that the classification system for skills was disappointingly simplistic.
It followed the same ranks as before: D, C, B, A, S, and SS.
While it might be relatively easy to obtain low-level skills, acquiring high-level ones would be a much more challenging task.
The circulation of these skills was strictly controlled by higher-ups, making it difficult for ordinary individuals to access them.
Despite the strict controls on high-level skills, there were still a few ways for individuals to obtain them.
One such method was to assist the association in their efforts to fend off the monsters that had taken over some parts of the land.
Though mankind had successfully reclaimed some areas, there were still portions that remained firmly under the control of the monsters.
There were also other paths to obtaining skills, such as fighting against evil organizations and assisting in emergency situations.
By doing so, individuals could earn credits that could be exchanged for valuable resources.
However, there was a much riskier option: the black market.
While it offered access to rare and powerful skills, the dangers of dealing with criminal organizations were not to be underestimated.
Instead, Rain had chosen to acquire his skills through the virtual world.
The arena was designed to identify and cultivate talented individuals, with those who proved themselves receiving greater access to resources.
While some might rely on anti-tracking measures and privacy protections to keep themselves hidden, Rain knew that these measures were ultimately futile.
The people behind these systems could always find a way to track him down.
Fortunately, Rain had developed his own methods for dealing with troublesome situations.
Of course that method was only known by him and "system".
Most of the guilds in the virtual world were backed by upper tier families. It was one of the way to gain resources and good skills.
But it was too tiring and bothersome for Rain. So he choose arena.
While "analysing bot" fighting with people wasn't that much hard. As he gained more combat experience, the unnecessary movements in his skills started decreasing.
"Still, it was really tiresome to go through all this. I hope the skills from here don't disappoint me." Thinking like this, he started searching for another skills.
***
A few minutes later, Rain was staring at the system display. He had already completed choosing appropriate skills for him.
- Disguise (low) - C grade
A degraded version of changing appearance.
Unlock Price: 2 Silver passes
- Lurking Ambush - B Grade
The skill to ambush the enemy. Specialized for assassination.
Unlock Price: 1 Gold pass
- Elemental Gunplay: A Grade
The art of using a gun that can switch between firing different elemental bullets, such as fire, ice, or lightning, to exploit enemy weaknesses.
Unlock price : 50 Gold passes
- Illusionary Shot: A Grade
The art of using a gun that fires bullets that create illusions, confusing and disorienting enemies.
- Thunder Star and Moon Sword Style: S Grade
The sword style which incorporates power of celestial bodies in sword. But it's hard to find sword which can endure that much power.
Unlock price: 11 Platinum Passes
Although, this skills were quite good. But compared to the last skills Rain chose the paled in comparison.
****
Explaination:
The name "Thunder Star and Moon Sword Style" has symbolic significance within the fictional world where this martial arts style exists. Here is a possible interpretation of the symbolism behind the name:
- Thunder: The name "Thunder" symbolize power, strength, and energy. also represent the sudden and explosive nature of lightning strikes, which reflected in the swift and forceful movements of the sword style.
- Star: Stars are often associated with guidance, navigation, and inspiration. In the context of the sword style, the name "Star" suggest the importance of precision and accuracy in swordsmanship, as well as the need for practitioners to navigate the complexities of combat with skill and finesse.
- Moon: The moon is often associated with mystery, intuition, and feminine energy. In the context of the sword style, the name "Moon" suggest the importance of fluidity, grace, and adaptability in swordsmanship, as well as the need for practitioners to cultivate a deeper awareness of their own bodies and movements.
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