Chapter 28 - Skill Card
The night was very cold, and Luke suffered a bit despite being covered. The first few times he had slept on the ground, he had narrowly escaped death and felt an exhaustion beyond normal. He suspected this might be related to prana, as both times he had been completely drained to the point of collapsing and falling asleep. With the sun's rays creeping in, he got up.
"Good morning, Luke," said Alice, tending to the fire as he emerged from the cave.
The trio had established a watch system so someone was always on guard while the others slept. The small forest might be considered a safe place, but other creatures could pass through.
After breakfast, which again consisted of meat, each of them returned to training with their respective weapons. Luke sighed deeply as he stared at his hammer. He was grateful for it, as it had saved him several times, but its lack of a sharp edge bothered him. Luke preferred blades and felt the need for one.
Setting the hammer aside, he sat down, reflecting on what he had learned about prana. He noticed that sometimes he could swear he saw sparks around Alice's body as she trained with her sword.
Is that the 'Thunder Cloak'? Her cloak complements her Segment, but she mentioned skills, and I have the 'Puppet Master'... so it's possible to expand the skill set... somehow.
Waiting for each of them to finish training, he handed them his canteen, and they drank. Luke had some questions about skills, especially something they had mentioned.
A Dissident is deficient because their prana is used primarily for their skill... then they have the chance to awaken an Aspect to help deal with their deficiency. But what exactly are the skills of a Dissident?
"I have a question," Luke said.
Actually, many, but I don't want to bother...
"Go ahead," the Dissident girl replied.
The quiet Alice also confirmed that she would answer, but Luke understood that sometimes she avoided certain topics.
"As a Dissident, my prana only serves to activate my skill, but Alice mentioned she has the Thunder Cloak. Isn't that the same thing I do?"
"No, it's different. My case shouldn't be considered..." Alice said.
Anna waited for her to finish speaking.
"We're different, Luke. Our deficiency is greater than you think. A person with common elements can expand their skill set. They can gain more ways to use their power. Let's say a person with the fire element only knows how to make a fireball; they have the chance to expand that by learning more skills. They can learn to shoot fire arrows, fire beams, multi-fireballs... we can't. That's why we're deficient; we don't have the means to learn," the small redhead explained.
We don't have the means to learn? What does she mean by that? So it's possible to learn to use skills? Hmm... but I learned that 'Puppet Master,' and that came from that strange event. I'll have to keep that skill a secret.
"What do you mean they learn?" Luke asked.
"With Skill Cards," Alice replied.
Seeing the confusion on Luke's face, she decided to explain further.
"I forget about your situation sometimes. It's exactly as Anna said; the other Segments are free to expand their skill set with Skill Cards. But you Dissidents are hindered by your deficiency."
Skill Cards?
"There are Skill Cards that can be acquired, containing a scroll that can be absorbed by a person with the corresponding element. Of course, the kingdom holds some special cards with more powerful skills. They're not left lying around for just anyone to acquire. In short, someone capable of conjuring a fireball can obtain a Fire Element Skill Card, like 'Fire Bolts.' By absorbing the scroll contained in the card, they incorporate this new fire power into themselves. However, the process isn't simple and involves learning complications, plus it's tied to the corresponding Segment or Aspect. Generally, people enhance their elemental powers this way. Though Segment and Aspect are equally important, Skill Cards provide a way to further strengthen one's abilities."
Wow! Now everything makes sense! This is incredible in a way, so it's possible to gain more elemental powers? This is something... something powerful.
"Where does our deficiency as Dissidents come in? I still don't get it," he pondered.
"Our Element, Luke. What are the chances of finding a card with our Element? We're Dissidents; our Element is completely abnormal and sometimes unique, with the person being the only one ever to have a particular element."
Luke finally understood the barrier.
Now I get it. Dissidents truly do have a deficiency... we're unique, but it puts a ceiling on our advancement. There are advantages to being a Dissident, like Anna's power... but my Element... it makes me useless for progressing. Anna, despite being a Dissident, has an Element that can be found in others in society, but I don't. I imagine that the ancient humanity's society in this world certainly dealt with Dissidents with healing powers, so there's a real chance of finding Skill Cards of that Element. Now I truly understand the nature of a Dissident's deficiency. This explains why I can't use the 'Master of Puppets' skill even though I have it. I'm not compatible with the Element of that skill.
"In that case, I'm in a bad situation. Not that I want to follow the path of a Deviant, but knowing I can't improve... it's a bit frustrating," he murmured.
"Don't worry, Luke. Gaining skills through cards is powerful and perhaps easier, but you can improve and gain more," Alice reassured him.
Luke was surprised.
"How?" he asked.
She placed her finger on her chin, thinking.
"I don't know if I can say... it's just something that... evolves. I'll just say that," the girl said.
She really avoids certain topics. I don't know if it's because I'm not a Deviant or maybe because I'm not a citizen... so she's a citizen of that world? Is she from the society of people from Earth who migrated? Or is she from Earth? How does this society behave knowing there's a technological world? What is this society like? After all, they live in a medieval era powered by prana. What's it like to live in such an environment?
"Generally, people who have an Element awaken their power with a basic skill common to everyone. Let's say it's a Deviant with the Wind Element, they awaken with the skill 'Generate Wind.' If it's a Deviant with the Fire Element, it will be 'Generate Fire.' This way, they can control their prana when they personify it with their element, working in conjunction with their Segment."
Luke was deeply understanding how a Deviant's abilities worked. With this information, he could see how humans could challenge these corrupted monsters and survive.
Segment, Aspect, and Element... it all really makes combat increasingly unpredictable, and adding Skill Cards changes the game. Plus, there are the equipment cards that can be enchanted. If a Deviant faces another Deviant, I think it would be impossible to determine who would win right away with so many factors like this.
Anna, listening, added to what Alice had said:
"The basic power of someone with an initial skill can never surpass that of someone with a specific skill. Tricks can be done with Emitter and Transmitter powers, but they don't compare. Having an initial skill means you have the foundation, but developing beyond that requires learning and expanding through Skill Cards or other means. This is where we, as Dissidents, face a unique challenge and opportunity. An Emitter can manipulate their prana by launching it in the form of a ball and generating fire within that prana, transforming it into a fireball. However, it will be inferior to someone who, for example, acquired the 'Fireball' power from a skill card or awakened it through other means."
Luke listened and could only think of one thing to say:
"Anna, you just made things more complicated," he said, laughing.