[Extract Fiction]
I used my ability to extract the ability of Veiraki. However, I noticed that something was odd about the extraction. I couldn't feel as much energy being extracted into my heart. I wasn't able to feel much energy compared to the extraction from the homeless.
There's a variable here that's different from last night's extraction. I was not sure what the variable is but I don't have much leisure to think about it. I need to hurry and extract as many abilities I can from the monsters here before the guard comes back.
I walked around the museum laying my hand on every possible monster I can get my hands on to extract as many abilities as I can. Every extraction ended in the same result, I wasn't able to feel much energy coming into my hands. It wasn't unsatisfactory since I managed to get my hands on a few abilities but without the ecstatic feeling, I just couldn't shake off a weird sensation of emptiness.
'Is this what they call addiction? What a hassle'
After an hour going around the whole museum extracting abilities from monsters, I finally decided to leave since I've pretty much already got everything I can get my hands on. Most of the monsters in the museum where encased in a glass box so I couldn't really get as much of a result I expected. I only managed to get 5 abilities from roaming around the whole museum for an hour. Although it's not as much as I expected, being able to acquire 5 abilities at once is definitely a win for me. I entered my car and drove back home.
All that is left for me to do is to check for the ability's effect and condition, and fulfil an experiment of mine. I need to check whether or not I could "dismantle" an ability and combine it with others.
If I dismantle and ability, would I be able to create a custom ability using the properties of other abilities? What would it look like in it's dismantled form? How does the fusion of abilities work?
I got many questions and a single experiment can help me solve all of them. However, I can only do this once in my current situation. Although I got a lot of abilities, Experiments lead to more questions and that requires further experimentation. I need to be careful how I handle this one-time experiment.
I entered my apartment and made sure to lock the door behind me. It's just for safety measures since my ability is just that precious and all the more dangerous. I sat down on the dinner table and called my status window.
[Ability: Body Crystallisation
Grade: D
Effect: a part of the user's body becomes crystallised
Conditions: the crystallised body becomes immobile]
[Ability: Gold Detection
Grade: E
Effect: Determine whether a designated object contains gold
Condition: the object must be in a 10 meter radius]
[Ability: Voice Changer
Grade: E
Effect: Able to change user's voice
Conditions: User must be accustomed to the voice]
[Ability: Fast Thinking
Grade: E
Effect: Boost user's thought process 5 times faster for 3 seconds
Conditions: One hour cool-down between each activation]
There's not a single S-rank ability?! I extracted these ability from Calamity Veikar, Gold Digger Hussen, Mimic Beirock and Mantis Assassin Joema yet there's not at least a single C-rank ability at all. They're all named monsters A-rank and above yet these are the abilities I get?
As I thought, there's a variable to the extraction. Is it the time of death? It's the biggest variable I can think of since they're all at least 6 months dead. If it's about the condition of the corpse, I'm sure that's not a problem since the museum takes good care of the monster corpses to put on display.
"It must be the time of death then. However, it could be related to the fact that it wasn't me that slain these monsters. I'll need to find out more about this soon. For now, let's look over the abilities"
All the abilities I obtained are absolutely horrible except for the body Crystallisation. [Gold Detection] is useless, [Voice changer] sounds tempting but I need to practice the voice first so there's no use for an ability in the first place and [Fast Thinking] is just too inefficient. Now I understand why E-rank ability users, the lowest rank of ability, chose to not be a hero.
"Then, I can gladly scrap out these E-rank abilities. First test, {Dismantling abilities}"
[System Factory]
Light began to emit from my right palm as usual and I could feel an object being placed on my hand. It's most likely the ability dismantled into materials. However, things did not go as planned as I heard a glass breaking sound reverberating in my ears. The light from [System Factory] disappeared instantly and I unconsciously covered my ears in an attempt to drown out the sound.
The material which I felt materialising in my hand had also disappeared along with the light. My hand felt hot and a burning sensation filled my palm. I was left baffled at what just happened. The compensation is more than enough yet it still failed.
Are skills unable to be dismantled? No, that's not possible since I felt it materialising on my hand.
Was the compensation insufficient? Incorrect since it could just take away from the other two abilities I set as subsidiary resources.
I thought hard about it and found the solution of the problem, at least in theory. I recast the ability but this time I visualised in detail of the material I'm creating. Visualisation and detail are needed in order to create the item which I figured from comparing what I did different from the time I created the ability pill.
Small black 1cm cubes began to materialise on my hand emerging itself from the light on my hand. I couldn't say for certain that these cubes are exactly 1 cm since there are subtle differences when observed closely but beggars can't be choosers. I should be glad enough that the test worked as intended.
This visualisation wasn't included in the condition segment of the ability [System Factory] yet it's required in order to properly create an item. It seems to me that whoever is managing abilities aren't kind enough to leave in every little detail. Now that I think about it, that being should be equivalent or stronger than god since she can create her own specialised space and drag out the souls on her will.
I pushed away such information to the back of my head as to not think too deep into it. It might attract the attention of that being and chose to meet me again. My body shivered and my face became pale just from thinking of meeting that being again.
. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
I looked at the black cubes in my palm and thought of ways to use it. Considering that an E-rank ability is able to produce three of these cubes, does that mean a D-rank ability is able to create twice the amount? Or will only increase by just one or two? It might also be possible for it to create just the same amount as an E-rank ability
I'll need to test that soon when I acquire more high-grade abilities. For now, I should focus on whether or not I can create something out of these black cubes. However there is something strange about these black cubes.
Looking at it closely, the cubes seem to have some sort of pattern on their surface which is only noticed when observed closely. The pattern inscriptions are so small and subtle that it couldn't even be felt to touch. The patterns are similar to the lines on a motherboard. I couldn't help but give a light laugh at the childish futuristic design of these cubes. Since it wasn't me who imagined it to such detail, it must be [System Factory] then.
I had in mind to upgrade [Voice Changer] since it'll surely be useful when I become Crow. Voices are the most essential to recognising masked people after all. If I can change my voice, I wouldn't only lessen the chance of being discovered but I could also be a lot more diverse in creating my identities.
There's also the option to upgrade [Subterfuge] entirely and I'll eventually get the voice changing effect soon enough but 'just hoping for it to happen' doesn't exactly sound reassuring to me. [Fast Thinking] is also an option since the effect is great but the cool-down doesn't just disappear just because I upgraded it. At most, it would just increase the speed of my thoughts by ten times instead of five times. There's just too much inconveniences in the ability to be considered at least interesting.
"Then, it's decided that I would use the black cubes to upgrade [Voice changer]. Since I'm the one who discovered these black cubes, then I get to name it"
I paused for a moment and thought about a good name that will describe the characteristics of the material without giving off too much. If possible, a shady and mysterious name would fit the deal perfectly. After a brief moment, I finally thought of a name that suits the black cubes.
"I'll name it
I put aside the Nerved Carbons for now and focused on producing an ability pill for [Voice Changer]. I need to materials in order to combine them with [System Factory]. The ability pill of [Voice Changer] is different than all the ability pills I've seen until now.
It was a lot more darker in colour compared to [Control] and it only had a single colour rather than mixed dual colours. I put the pill beside the three Nerved Carbons and placed my hand over them. I haven't tried any upgrading since I got [System Factory] or have I ever tried using outside materials to create something. I'm betting it all on the fact that not every condition is written on the ability tab.
Light began to seep out from the gaps between my fingers that covered the Nerved Carbon and Ability Pill. It was bright but soon dimmed most likely due to completion. I could feel fatigue building up inside me for the first time since using [System Factory].
My vision became blurry for a moment and my body felt heavy. Sweat dripped down from my forehead and my surroundings looked as if they're moving with my body being out of balance. I lowered my head and massaged my temples to ease my condition. This must be the aftereffects of using [System Factory] with outside resources. Getting this much backlash , I can see myself fainting after using it three more times. With four uses a day as my limit, I need to consider what to upgrade more carefully.
After a short rest and massaging, I regained my vision and my body didn't feel out of balance like it did before. I took the [Voice Changer] ability pill and examined the effects to see how much had increased from the upgrade using [System Factory]. It's unfortunate that I can't examine items that I didn't create, if not I would have went on a shopping spree at the market for items.
[Ability: Voice Changer
Grade: D
Effect Changes the user's voice
Conditions: Vocal range within human capabilities]
The condition of the ability is as good as gone now that I've upgraded. Since the condition were loose already in the first place, upgrading it must've been too much. It said that the vocal range needs to be within human capabilities must mean that I can imitate the voice of anyone that is human. I consumed the pill and instantly gained the ability.
This is a good enough ability that will help perfect my disguise. The first matter is to think of what voice do I allocate to Crow. Considering the concept for Crow is a polite and high class plague doctor, should I use a butler's voice? That does seem to fit the personality that I intend to use for Crow.
"It is in my greatest honour to be able to serve the Herald"
I spoke using an old butler's voice while imagining myself as Crow. It seems to fit him well as Crow is just serving me, The Herald. A butler of the Herald sounds like something that came out of a fantasy novel. It has a nice ring to it.
"Then, Crow, your first duty is to infiltrate the Monster Corpse Factory at the edge of Geysha City. Can you accomplish it?"
I stood up and used my ability [Subterfuge] to change my clothing. Particles appeared at my feet and climbing up all the way to the top of my head. From the particles, clothes began to appear. My attire was a butler's suit and a plague doctor mask with the metal punk fantasy aesthetic. It was just as cool as I imagined it to be. I activated [Voice Changer] and spoke in Crow's butler voice.
"Your wish is my command, Oh great Herald"