Chereads / Cosmic Curtaincall / Chapter 56 - Tier I User: Sneaky Shopper

Chapter 56 - Tier I User: Sneaky Shopper

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- Detected new Interface Authority Level: 1.15

- All the requirements for [Promotion] have been met.

- Releasing energy...

- User, Athelei is undergoing [Promotion] to Tier I.

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Athelei felt a mysterious energy sprout from the Trinity Gem inside his body. Explaining how it spread through his veins and arteries would require the phrase, paradoxical. It was as if it had taken a page of Athelei's past life.

He could feel it coursing through him, but at the same time, it was flowing backwards like time was rewinding its movement.

This lasted for a solid minute as a new screen appeared before Athelei's eyes.

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- Promotion completed.

- Congratulations on levelling up to Tier I!

- Please select a Tier I Skill from the options below.

=o=o=o=o=

=} Tier I Skill: Boost {=

- [Active Effect] Boost sharply increases a specific attribute for a few seconds. Potency and duration increase per level. Cooldown decreases per level.

- [Passive Effect] Boost gains extra potency every three successful uses. Bonus increases per level.

- Extra Effect] Upon Skill acquisition, gain one chance to choose one (1) available Skill from the generic Skill Trees.

=} Tier I Skill: Picky Eater {=

- [Active Effect] Picky Eater allows User to choose the effects of food or drink when consumed. Number of effects increases per level. Cooldown decreases per level.

- [Passive Effect] Picky Eater informs User of the effects of food or drink when consumed. Effect details become clearer per level.

- Extra Effect] Upon Skill acquisition, gain one chance to choose one (1) available Skill from the generic Skill Trees.

=} Tier I Skill: Sneaky {=

- [Active Effect] Sneaky allows User to disrupt any incoming Analysis Skills for a duration. Duration increases per level. Cooldown decreases per level.

- [Passive Effect] Sneaky allows User to set the Cosmic Interface into [Invisible] mode. When [Invisible], the Cosmic Interface is visible only to the User.

- [Extra Effect] Upon Skill acquisition, gain one chance to choose one (1) available Skill from the generic Skill Trees.

=o=o=o=o=

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Athelei's eyes shone in interest and excitement as he repeatedly read through the different Skill descriptions. Boost was a beautiful and versatile ability that would aid his everyday life by leaps and bounds. Picky Eater was quirky, but from the stories he had read of Adventurers dying because of poisonous food, he could see its applications.

As for Sneaky, well, Athelei was desperate for ways to hide. Such a Skill was something he would love to have.

'I wonder what others would see when I disrupt their Analysis Skills? An empty screen? Would they fail their execution?' Athelei wondered as he excitedly selected Sneaky.

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- Tier I Skill: Sneaky selected.

- Sneaky's [Extra Effect] has been triggered.

- Please select a colour to select from.

=o=o=o=o=

=} Cyan {=

=} Purple {=

=} Orange {=

=o=o=o=o=

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Seeing this screen, Athelei had to think more about what he wanted. The most attractive Skill from the purple Skill Tree to him was Archive. It was essentially a pocket dimension for any books he might have.

He had previously looked for information on the cyan Skill Tree, so he knew about Flexible, Snack, and Bide. Snack would work wonderfully if he went Adventuring, given its effects of being a replacement for both food and water through grabbing Mystic Cookies out of thin air.

In the end though, he recalled the fact that Thallium Yan knew he was an orange User. That, and those people who call themselves [The Careless of Aquarius] were an interesting bunch.

If he could further his connections with other orange Users, he could do a lot of things.

As such,

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- Selected the orange colour.

- Displaying the orange colour's Skill Tree and available Skills.

=o=o=o=o=

=} Tier I Skill: Shop {=

- [Active Effect] Shop allows User to sell and buy items from the Information Network regardless of location. Item discounts increase per level.

- [Passive Effect] Shop materializes or dematerializes items bought or sold on the Information Network. Speed of phase change increases per level.

=} Tier I Skill: Campfire {=

- [Active Effect] Campfire allows User to summon a Mystic Campfire. Campfire variety increases exponentially per level. Cooldown decreases per level.

- [Passive Effect] Campfire enhances User's recovery while within range of a Mystic Campfiire. Potency increases per level.

- [Extra Effect: Outdoor Chef] Food cooked over a Mystic Campfire grants random positive effects. Variety and potency increase per level.

=} Tier I Skill: Record {=

- [Active Effect] Record allows User to immortalise an ongoing event within range of User's senses. Quality increases per level. Cooldown decreases per level.

- [Passive Effect] Record heightens User's senses. Potency increases per level.

- [Extra Effect: Sharer] Record allows User to share their immortalised events onto the Information Network or to other Users.

=o=o=o=o=

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More intriguing Skill descriptions flooded Athelei's thoughts, but he already knew which Skill he wanted from the orange Skill Tree.

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- Tier I Skill: Shop selected.

- Requirements for a [Name] has been met.

- Please input a [Name] to be used on the Information Network. Note: your [Name] is bound to your Nebula Gem and Cosmic Interface.

- ...

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"Hmmmm," Athelei hummed to himself.

In the past, he had already imagined naming himself on the Information Network. He had thought of a few names already, but he suddenly felt hesitant about each one. The threat of being unable to change his name unless he got a new Nebula Gem was the cause of his doubt.

He would have to collect another purple and cyan Nebula Gem if he wanted to do so. It wasn't that hard, but the human ideas behind a change of name bore quite a lot of weight.

Seeing the blank space where he was to input his name, Athelei thought about how they were supposed to translate names from his abstract writing. He had previously read about this, and he knew that the Information Network did not really translate names unless they were written with an existing word in mind.

Some Users simply drew symbols for their names, and it made for rather wacky scenarios.

'Wait a minute,' A thought struck Athelei, 'Bound to my Nebula Gem and Cosmic Interface?'

He took out his old orange Nebula Gem which was the size of a grain and an orange screen appeared beside his tri-coloured screen.

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- Requirements for a [Name] has been met.

- Please input a [Name] to be used on the Information Network. Note: your [Name] is bound to your Nebula Gem and Cosmic Interface.

- ...

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'Curious,' Athelei began to consider how he might use this special feature. 'I wonder if I can easily level up Shop by using two different [Name]s to buy and sell with myself?'

After staring at the two screens in front of him for several seconds, Athelei shook his head to get rid of his distracted state.

He rolled around his bed as he thought about things some more.

In the end, what he set for his tri-coloured Cosmic Interface was,

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- [Name] "Seeker" acknowledged.

- Detected meaning behind the [Name]...

- Allow translations? (Y/N)

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Athelei selected the affirmative on the prompt before inputting his other name,

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- [Name] "Morning" acknowledged.

- Detected meaning behind the [Name]...

- Allow translations? (Y/N)

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When Athelei selected the affirmative once more, he shifted his language into the Illyasian tongue and checked his name on the Information Network. There, he saw the name his parents had given him.

Orien.

It elicited a satisfied nod from him as he broke out into a fit of giggles.

'I'm a Tier I User!' He inwardly celebrated as he stood up and threw his fist into the air. This promotion had been way more satisfying than his leapfrogging into Rank 1 Dictator. He had to work twenty-four hours a day for several weeks before he made the achievement.

All that mortal suffering and grinding was worth it. But, as with anything mortal, things did not end there.

'I have two new Skills, and the way Tier I Skills level up is special. It is no longer based on experience points but instead, they each have their own unique requirements.' Athelei began to dive back into his thoughts as he prepared to go back to sleep. His body was still a child's, after all. Sleep was important for his growth, even with the fact that he was experiencing an Unnamed Mutation.

As Athelei's body began to slumber and a grey fog leaked out of him, he recalled what he had gleaned from the Information Network,

'For Shop, it should be making a variety of purchases, starting from small purchases to large purchases. One would also have to sell items in a similar fashion. When I make enough unique trades or complete a set of achievements, I would level up... As for Sneaky, I have to experiment with things as I go.' Athelei then prepared to look at his new and improved Status screen.

"Status," He commanded as he mingled with the fluffy clouds and a much larger expanse of cyan, purple, and orange consumed his vision.

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=} User: Athelei (Tier 1 User) {=

=} Interface Authority Level: 1.15 {=

Age: 4

=o=o=o=o=

=} Physical Attributes {=

Health: 7/7

Strength: 3

Dexterity: 6

Defense: 2

=o=o=o=o=

=} Mental Attributes {=

Mana: 13/13

Intelligence: 28

Will: 21

Psychic: 18 (Unique)

=o=o=o=o=

=} Other Attributes {=

Energy: 8/8

Charisma: 22

Luck: Questionable

=o=o=o=o=

=} Skills {=

- Cyan Analysis Skill: Examine (Level 5/10)

- Purple Analysis Skill: Appraisal (Level 5/10)

- Orange Analysis Skill: Judgement (Level 5/10)

- Trinity Analysis Skill: Inspect (Level 5/10)

- Orange Tier I Skill: Shop (Level 1/10)

- Trinity Tier I Skill: Sneaky (Level 1/10)

=o=o=o=o=

- [Invisible] mode is currently inactive.

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