'Open the divine system functions tab.'
[Shop (Rank: Divine)
Category: Divine System Functions
-Random Hidden Stat Unlock (1000 points)
-Skill Deletion (150 points)
-Emotional State Detection (600 points)
-…
-Techniques Detection (500 points)
-Mana Affinity Detection (500 points)
-…]
'Buy technique detection!'
[Divine System Function: Technique Detection has been unlocked]
[Remaining Balance: 1840]
'I'll just save up the rest for now… open techniques tab!'
[Name: Ray Celestia
Footwork: Resistance Negation (A)-(1-star)
Sword Styles: First Form (S)-(2-star)
Spear Style: Celestial Imperial Style (B)-(1-star)
Bow Style: Celestial Imperial Style (B)-(1-star)
Shield Style: …
…]
'Here it is! Now I can properly know and feel if my techniques are improving!'
The rank beside a style showed its strength, and the stars beside it showed how proficient the host was.
Each technique went from 1-star to 5-star proficiency, with 5-star being the highest which meant it was completely mastered with no room for improvement.
Ray's 'First Form' was the only S ranked battle style he had, since it combined three extremely strong styles in one. This style would grow when his physical stats increased.
'With all my physical stats at A-rank, the skill can output S-ranked power… then if all my physical stats reach SSS, this might become a Divine ranked battle style!'
'And if I keep perfecting the style, adding more moves, feints and integrating skills, and finally reach 5-star proficiency, I'm pretty no one can fight me more than a minute!'
However, as easy upgrading and using skills was due to his system being broken, perfecting his battle techniques was a whole different matter.
For this reason, Ray was waiting for his coronation.
'If I'm not wrong, the person who has the skill that helps in learning techniques will be there at the ceremony…'
His eyes moved to the rest of the things in the section.
'Footwork huh…'
Ray had a specific footwork he wanted to learn, but he couldn't do it yet.
All his physical stats had to be S ranked, otherwise he couldn't use it at all.
That's why he had laid the foundation required for later learning the footwork… the resistance negation steps.
'Just this foundation was more difficult than most actual footwork styles…'
This style made his speed, movement and steps stable and quick in most environments.
For example, if a person running on solid ground suddenly teleported to a sandy territory, or a place where half his feet was submerged in water, he would lose balance and stumble, slow down or just fall down altogether.
The original way to overcome this was a B ranked footwork named 'Stable Footsteps' which was an extremely common footwork used by most warriors.
Ray had used this same technique as the base and improved a few concepts to create this new footwork. Stable footsteps tried to create an equal and opposite force to external forces to ultimately remain static.
Ray however went a step further. Instead of trying to balance himself after encountering a force, which could essentially make him lose concentration for a few moments and break his first form's precise combo, he directly negated every resistance that his foot met.
This was where the various magic circles in the training room came to play. He had replicated various environments and practiced moving smoothly on each one… solid ground, swamps, sand dunes, rainforests with large grass, snow and even slippery ice.
Finally, he had combined all his experiences, and created the 'Resistance Negation' footstep.
Now he would have to practice this footstep under heavy gravity slowly to increase its proficiency to 2-star, and to reach 3-star, it would take a long time.
'But my foundation is set! I just needed to learn the step, 1-star is enough… now I can start learning the real battle oriented footsteps…'
'However… I'll wait till I get the skill that speeds up learning and my stats reach the S class…'
Ray could already feel that his coronation ceremony would be extreme chaos. He counted his mind and sighed.
'Too many things will happen on that one day… well, isn't this great…the start of my reign will forever be remembered!'
Ray had decided his course of action for the next few days.
'First, I'll observe the so called meeting through Claire tonight…'
'Then I'll stay completely hidden, let the rats have their sense of safety, place pawns everywhere, keep dueling people from the palace to gain points, upgrade skills and slowly integrate skills into my battle style.'
And when his coronation day arrives…
"I'll start making moves myself, can't stay completely hidden after all!"
'Anyway, it's enough training for today, it's almost night and I have an uninvited meeting to attend…'
***********************************
Fifteen people in masks and cloaks were sitting around a table, in a dimly lit room.
"So this is the new number 15?"
"But she's a slave of number 1 right? Does she even qualify as a number?"
The people kept murmuring, as just a few moments they had seen number 14 bring a new person to the meeting who was revealed as a slave, and in front of everyone's eyes released and enslaved under number 1.
Then Number 1 revealed that was the new Number 15 he had assigned.
The other members didn't know what to do. After all, they were all supposed to be of the same rank, but one of them being a slave of another gave one person more power. But they couldn't go against it because Number 1 was the oldest and above all, the vice leader had asked him to select a new member as he pleased, and only the vice leader could make the final decision.
As such, they kept talking among themselves, waiting for the communication device to connect.
Meanwhile the new Number 15, Claire was listening to everyone talking with keen attention.
At this moment her senses were connected to Ray and she knew everything she saw, heard or felt was directly being transferred to her master.
She didn't mind.
She had decided to just follow orders. At least that way she could put the burden of her actions on the other person. She didn't want to make decisions, for she hated herself the most.
Claire didn't know if these feelings and thoughts were being transferred back to her master, but she didn't care.
At this moment the communication crystal lit up and a holographic image appeared before everyone in the room.
As the face of a red haired handsome man appeared, the room immediately plunged into silence.
"Greetings vice-leader!"
"Yeah, yeah, get onto the main topic…"
The vice-leader turned his head to look at Number 1 sitting at one end of the table.
"I hope you succeeded…"
Number 1 immediately got up and walked to Claire before placing a hand on her shoulders.
"Yes sir, this is the new Number 15…"
The vice-leader looked at the new person in the room for a few seconds before he turned to look at Number 1.
"Is that slave enslaved to you now?"
"Yes sir."
"So you got the slave to be a new number huh…"
"I apologize if I have made a mistake."
"It's alright. We don't need another new member now anyways, and a slave is much easier to control. Not like the other useless people before her…"
He moved his eyes and looked at everyone one by one before he continued.
"So did you tell her what to do?"
"Not yet. I was waiting for your permission…"
"No matter, I'll tell her myself… and the others keep your ears open. The plan is perfect; anything that goes wrong will be your fault."
Suddenly, one person among the group raised their hand.
The vice-leader looked at the person who interrupted him.
"Yes, Number 14?"
"Uh… I think the information about the slave was somehow leaked…"
Immediately the temperature in the room dropped a few degrees, as a cold glint crossed the vice leader's eyes.
"Do you know what you are saying?"
As the red haired man raised his voice, everyone felt an indescribable pressure mounting on them.
Claire felt the pressure too, but Ray who was sharing her senses frowned slightly.
Number 14 trembled before he kept speaking…
"My team members were intercepted…"
He conveyed the entire thing that had happened and waited for the vice leader's judgment.
The humongous pressure in the room disappeared and the vice leader turned to look at Number 1.
"Did you send the purple squad to the East?"
"Yes sir…"
"Without finding any conclusive evidence about the Duke's involvement?"
"S-Sir… Number 14 launched an investigation… and the assassination attempt…"
"Silence."
Immediately Number 1 felt his mouth close without his control. He couldn't talk no matter how hard he tried.
"And Number 14… can you not do a single thing properly? Everything was arranged. The only thing you had to do was retrieve the slave and you failed to do such a simple thing…"
"S-Sir…"
Without letting either of them continue, the huge pressure once again covered the room making it difficult for everyone to breathe.
"Both of you… repent!"
*Bam*
Before anyone could get the meaning behind the sentence, both Number 1 and 14 were swept away at massive speeds as they hit the wall, making loud crashing sounds.
"Ughk…"
Under everyone's trembling eyes, they fell on their knees and started coughing out blood.
Meanwhile Ray's frown deepened.
No one knew what he was thinking…