=o=o=o=o=
The Gods are not gods, and therefore the child is not a child.
He's an infinite being.
Now, who would believe that?
=o=o=o=o=
Seen above is the epiphany that Athelei earned himself as he cowered under his bed. He could simply hide behind the close-mindedness of humanity whenever he did something risky. Of course, this had limits, but at the same time, it had so many uses.
Arrows, blood, and heads flew in the chaos outside of his tent. Warcries and pained howls resounded throughout the battlefield as the Harmonic Knight Camp was torn asunder.
And subtle mystical arts were being put to use in the darkness of the night.
With all these bathing in the chaos, an eye was watching each drop of blood that splattered and reflected moonlight.
[ +0.5 Exp to Analysis Skill: Appraisal (Current Exp: 1/1000) ]
[ +0.5 Exp to Analysis Skill: Appraisal (Current Exp: 1.5/1000) ]
[ +0.5 Exp to Analysis Skill: Appraisal (Current Exp: 2/1000) ]
[ +0.5 Exp to Analysis Skill: Judgement (Current Exp: 4/1000) ]
[ +0.5 Exp to Analysis Skill: Judgement (Current Exp: 4.5/1000) ]
[ +0.5 Exp to Analysis Skill: Judgement (Current Exp: 5/1000) ]
[ +0.5 Exp to Analysis Skill: Examine (Current Exp: 33/1000) ]
[ +0.5 Exp to Analysis Skill: Examine (Current Exp: 33.5/1000) ]
[ +0.5 Exp to Analysis Skill: Examine (Current Exp: 34/1000) ]
Athelei was wrapped in his mattress as he gazed out of a hole in his tent. A few arrows had already found themselves embedded in the mattress armour he wore. The eye he used to execute his Analysis Skills was bloodshot as it sought to see as much it could despite the darkness.
He was filled with exhilaration as he realised the plan he crafted on the fly.
It had been a whim; a mere impulse wrought by his panic.
And yet the gains were great.
His experience rose as he watched people feel chills from his repeated Analysis Skill triggering. He could cast endlessly yet no one took notice of him. To them, it was natural for any bearer of the Cosmic Interface to constantly cast their Analysis Skills in such a large scale battle.
War was the best place for growth, and this was but a small skirmish in the eyes of those in command.
[ +3 Exp to Analysis Skill: Appraisal (Current Exp: 38/1000) ]
[ +0.5 Exp to Analysis Skill: Examine (Current Exp: 46/1000) ]
[ +1 Exp to Analysis Skill: Judgement (Current Exp: 29/1000) ]
Soon, Athelei realised another difference between Analysis Skills. Examine's growth had slowed without it being able to thoroughly analyse the designated targets. Judgement looked to be the most regular in growth, giving a flat amount each time without being affected by different variables.
And Appraisal seemed to keep growing as Athelei learned more and more about what he was looking at. Every cast of Appraisal brought fresh data into his mind to be used to help the next cast. It was a beautiful cycle that felt miles different from Examine.
At some point in time, Athelei learned of the different names for the armour the knights were wearing as well as what materials their clothes were made of.
Then it was even followed by the weapons they wielded and their levels of exhaustion.
[ +6 Exp to Analysis Skill: Appraisal (Current Exp: 83/1000) ]
When Athelei was earning six experience points per cast, he realised that the Cosmic Interface was no longer displaying any new additional information. He had hit the limits of his screens and he no longer gleamed additional knowledge.
Though, Athelei's military vocabulary had grown and the Illyasian language was becoming clearer to him. It was a welcome improvement for a child who hadn't been educated on the intricacies of such topics.
In the midst of that, the Cosmic Interface's ability to switch to whichever language was the most convenient for the User was an enigma to Athelei as well. He had a few guesses of course, but nothing concrete.
Time passed as Athelei kept to himself while the battle raged on. He remained motionless to attract as little attention as possible and made no sounds no matter how close certain weapons had flown in his direction.
"Heh, I'm a genius." Athelei praised himself in good fun as he tried to stop the bleeding from a wound on his arm.
The mattress armour hadn't been a perfect piece of protection, especially against fire. Athelei had to move into a vulnerable spot just to snuff out the sudden flames. This short yet inevitable action had earned him a good wound.
On the other hand;
[ +6 Exp to Analysis Skill: Appraisal (Current Exp: 188/1000) ]
Athelei knew just how much he had benefitted from this battle when he simply glanced at Appraisal's experience bar. It would've been a daunting task for him to use Appraisal on people who were not in the midst of a battle at night. It might have exposed his tri-coloured interface at a moment's notice.
Here, he had been hiding beneath a mattress inside his now half-ruined tent. No one could really spot his interface while keeping themselves alive. If in the rare moment, they met Athelei's peeping eye, all they would see is a faint light from behind the cream fabric of the tent.
Of course, other than risking to use Analysis Skills on people, Athelei could have spent his time on objects. The only problem was how the Cosmic Interface supplied points.
The young child observed that simple objects provided lesser amounts, while complex existences provided more and more. Humans were very complex, and Athelei had fantasized about seeing an information screen that was as tall as himself when he used a high-level Analysis Skill in the future.
'Hmmm,' Athelei noticed the growing silence. 'The battle is ending. I hope the Harmonic Knights are winning. I don't like the idea of being with those Exiled people when I had been baptised in Libra's church.'
The arrows that used to whizz by him had died down somewhat, making Athelei feel safe.
Nonetheless, he dragged the mattress over his head as he snuck out of his tent to look around. It was better safe than sorry.
'Urgh, that smells disgusting,' Athelei's stomach lurched when he inhaled the thick, bloody air. It was a different scent from smoke and burning bodies. This smell made him feel queasy while the latter choked the air out of his lungs and brought tears to his eyes.
Athelei looked down to the few bodies near him. He could barely see the details on their corpses but he knew they were all dead. The bright moonlight and surrounding torchlight were enough for him.
[]-[]-[]-[]-[]-[]
Iron Illyasian Shortsword.
- Recently Crafted
- Chipped. (Slightly Damaged.)
[ +3 Exp to Analysis Skill: Appraisal (Current Exp: 191/1000) ]
[]-[]-[]-[]-[]-[]
Curiously, Athelei tried to lift the sword. He kept the mattress resting on his head and shoulders as he put his back into the lifting.
"Uuuuu!"
Athelei could lift the blade, even if just barely. If he were to use it, he'd have to drag it around and swing it slowly yet dangerously.
Athelei used a few curses that Thallium Yan taught him as he dropped the sword back down, "How about a dirk or a dagger?"
Carefully, Athelei vied for a weapon of his own. The bodies stank of blood and death, yet any trauma was not too much of a problem. He found the guts, brains, and organs absolutely disgusting, but nothing more than that.
Throwing up isn't too much of an issue, after all.
In the end, Athelei found something he could use just in case.
"Hehe, this so cool..."
[]-[]-[]-[]-[]-[]
Mystical Stiletto Dagger
Lethality: 8
Durability: 9/10
- Possibly has special characteristics.
- Usable by the User.
- Dipped in poison.
- Crafted by an Exiled.
- Made of unfamiliar, special material.
[ +6 Exp to Analysis Skill: Appraisal (Current Exp: 197/1000) ]
[ +3 Exp to Analysis Skill: Examine (Current Exp: 88/1000) ]
[ +2 Exp to Analysis Skill: Judgement (Current Exp: 114/1000) ]
[]-[]-[]-[]-[]-[]
"Mom taught me hurting others is not good, and Dad said we only kill for survival..." Athelei murmured as he looked around the now-silent battlefield.
"But these people don't look to have killed their kin for survival. Someone even burned my hometown..." Athelei looked up at the bright moon as he thought, 'Look at all these people who have met their ends...'
And then he realised,
"...Isn't this battle my fault?" Athelei couldn't help but ask himself as he recalled those five words.
=o=o=o=o=
The Gods are not gods.
=o=o=o=o=
Athelei felt a bout of excitement explode within him as he took another look around him, "Oh wow~"
'So this is how a battle ends? It feels lonely and... empty, doesn't it?' Athelei chuckled at the thought when he saw a few lights in the distance. 'Where have the survivors gone, by the way?'
Athelei clearly knew that the bodies that surrounded him weren't... complete. There were many who had been able to emerge alive. He also couldn't spot that many civilian corpses. 'They most likely escaped...' he thought.
As for the battle itself,
'Is there no victor?' Athelei asked as he strapped his stiletto dagger's sheath around his small waist as he ditched his mattress armour and walked around. 'Could human wars simply be about who loses less?'
Athelei somewhat felt that was the case.
After all, the two sides likely fought for that Manifestation of Spirit. One side seemed to be desperate while the other seemed keen on figuring out why they had been attacked. It started out as a more quiet scuffle between assassins and the leader of the camp, but then it had escalated into the confrontation of their large squads.
The information in that green shard should have really been important for people to give their lives for it...
And now, who has the information from it?
Athelei. He himself.
That thought earned another giggle from Athelei as he thought,
'I guess I have to go look for the survivors now... Libra, please guide my footsteps and lead me to your followers. Don't lead me into a horrid end.'
With this short prayer, Athelei moved towards the lights he saw dancing in the distance.