I continue to sprint with all my speed, by my calculations it will take me about twenty five minutes to get there, assuming I don't use any wind magic to propel myself - something I definitely don't prepare to do. I have already used a great deal of my magical energy during the rank evaluation, I probably only have about a third of my potential left, I can't waste any on mere transportation.
[Oh, how I wish I could still fly! This journey would take only a few minutes, a short jump away. All journeys, in fact, would be that simple. By the time you are able to do it, the amount of magical energy that flight takes in comparison with your maximum is entirely negligible. Truly a convenient ability, and yet another thing that Lector is responsible for taking from me!
[I must look into a name change procedure tomorrow, it is almost certain that a city this big has someone capable of performing it. The question lies in whether this person is trustworthy, and powerful enough to remove Lector's naming; for all of his flaws, Lector was an amazingly powerful mage, the number of mages out there capable of removing the name he 'gifted' me is truly limited.
[Still, if I am to find anyone capable of such a feat, this is the nation. While its respect towards personal strength is not quite so fanatical as I had imagined, this place really does have some of the world's most powerful mages. The ultimate question is really just how much their services would cost me…]
Once I begin to draw near to my destination, I decide to take a quick glance over my skills; surely fighting all of those strong monsters earlier must have given me some benefits.
Name: Anetor
Level: 32
Race: Human
Class/Job: Adventurer
Skills: Moderate Pain Resistance Lvl. 4, Grandmaster Madness Lvl. 9, Moderate Sight Enhancement Lvl. 1, Lesser Hearing Enhancement Lvl. 8, Moderate Resistance Lvl. 2, Lesser Heat Resistance Lvl. 2, Lesser Cold Resistance Lvl. 2, Moderate Thirst Nullification Lvl. 2, Moderate Hunger Nullification Lvl. 4, Lesser Sleep Nullification Lvl. 2, Greater Swordsmanship Lvl. 9, Lesser Melee Magic Conduction Lvl. 7, Moderate Magic Sensory Lvl. 3, Moderate Elemental Manipulation Lvl. 8, Greater Chaos Lvl. 4, Lesser Analysis Lvl. 2, Greater Wrath Lvl. 9, Moderate Strength Lvl. 5, Moderate Speed Lvl. 1, Lesser Magical Exhaustion Resistance Lvl. 9, Master Madness Resistance Lvl. 3, Moderate Alchemy Lvl. 7, {Special} Eye Laser
Well, for the most part, these stats are very unimpressive. A few small level increases, a couple transitions from lesser to moderate, a handful of levels higher. Oh, how I miss my proficiencies…
However! I have something new, a skill with no level, only denoted as 'special.' "Eye laser…" I say aloud, reading the name of my new skill. [This must have come from the blue star with the eye laser… but I didn't even kill the star, how could I have obtained its skill?]
The concept of a special skill is not new to me; I had learned of skills of such a variety while under Lector's tutelage. And not only 'special' skills, there are also 'unique' skills and 'ultimate' skills. These skills lie outside the lesser to dietylike system, with no levels or grouping level. They tend to have very weird conditions for attainment, conditions that have only been researched to any extent for 'special' skills as 'unique' and 'ultimate' skills are, as their names may suggest, unique.
As for the effects, they are as varied as ordinary skills, if not even more so. This skill seems somewhat obvious in its effect, being titled 'eye laser' and all, but I will still need to test it before any application.
Power wise, these skills vary wildly. Special and unique skills range in power from anywhere between being comparable with lesser skills to being comparable to transcendental skills, with the only difference between special and and unique seeming to be that unique skills can only be acquired by a single being in all the world at a time, a strict limitation indeed. Ultimate skills are always at least equivalent in power to a lesser dietylike level skill, though the degree to which humanity has studied them is quite limited, it's certainly possible that this information could be incorrect.
As for why these skills even exist, the only feasible answer is that the gods who created the skill system wanted to spice things up a bit, the normal skills that everyone could obtain just weren't cool enough or something. At least that's my theory, and a simplified version of what is apparently the prevailing belief regarding the matter.
Honestly, until I test it, I have no way of gauging this new skill's power. However, considering the strength of the beast I presumably obtained it from, I am hopeful it will be powerful. Of course, I didn't actually kill that star-like creature, perhaps what I obtained merely from witnessing the attack is far weaker than what the blue star employed.
I briefly consider testing it now, but I decide against it. With unknown skills, there may be unexpected effects, for all I know the lasers may render me blind. Or, considering the state of the star after its full-power attack, maybe it will leave me unconscious. Either way, it is not something appropriate for testing when only a few minutes away from a mission.
Putting that aside, the only other thing I note is that the status of my madness resistance skill is at master level three. This may lead others to perhaps assume that my… 'special' manner of interacting with others as of late is primarily done by my own free will and is not the arbitrary mandate of some skill.
I have two responses to such an ignorant idea: my grandmaster-level madness is an order of magnitude higher than my master-level resist madness, there is likely to be a good amount of extra madness influencing me that is not blocked by my madness resistance skill.
And secondly, even if this is how I willingly choose to carry myself, so what? I have already asserted my right to live in whichever way most benefits myself, I am merely trading long-term benefits of relationships for the short-term benefits of entertainment! Perhaps shortsighted, but certainly not mad!
Besides, carrying myself as an arrogant prick has already brought me great advantages. If I had not talked to Toril in such a way, we wouldn't have had our duel. Without that duel, I wouldn't have gotten my cash inflow, I wouldn't have even been able to afford to get into the guild!
Now, some may argue that, had Toril been stronger than I, I would have lost severely from that interaction. However… um… it was a calculated risk! Yes, calculated! Those who have true power need not carry themselves in such a haughty manner, it was far more likely that Toril was a prideful fool than one of the powerful of the world. Or at least that's what I'll choose to believe… besides, even if I had lost, the interaction was quite fun, would it not be worth fifty gold in the end? No? Well, that's your silly opinion.