Chapter 101 - What's in Fragment 2?
This is my second Fragment of the Inner God.
[ …
Fragment 1: (Scarf of the Void)
Fragment 2 [???]: Information temporarily unavailable.
]
These words, "information temporarily unavailable"... could they be part of something I need to discover or learn? What exactly do I have to figure out to access this fragment? Are there more concepts that I'm unaware of? The first time was pure luck—are these unavailable details actually a reflection of what I need to learn about my Inner God?
If the Scarf of the Void has already been expanded to such an absurd level of utility, what could this 'Fragment 2' possibly offer me? I also suspect that I'm not even close to unlocking the true potential of the 'Scarf of the Void . What other uses could it have? I used to see it as just two extra fists, but now it has an immense potential with the reinforcement of prana through my Aspect, and I can even grant it more powers through its Skill Tree.
To be able to use the second fragment, I need to learn more about my Inner God and somehow awaken it.
After today's conversation, I should probably let this go before we dive into even bigger philosophical questions… my head still hurts from that whole "chicken and egg" debate. Plus, the two girls are asleep—I'm not about to wake someone up just for this.
Fragment 2 is right there, meaning I skipped that process where I got healed? I wish I had an item that could heal me when I'm all busted up… maybe it's because it was my first fragment. Now that I think about it, they said it's an honor to receive fragments… but I can get up to five… what does that even mean? And it wasn't some grand ceremony orchestrated by my Inner God—I basically had to trick a malicious entity last time and ended up getting stabbed in the chest for it… and now I've got this lingering issue with my heart. It feels like this thing is another limb—I can feel it if I want to… not a pleasant sensation.
Luke drifted off into thoughts about his fragment. Now that he had uncovered a hidden power in the Scarf of the Void, he needed to learn how to better channel prana into his fabric companion. His mind buzzed with the various possibilities that the new forms the scarf could take might offer.
Having set those thoughts aside, he finally surrendered to sleep.
The trio woke up early and went to the beach; the bodies they had left behind had vanished.
"Good thing we took those crystals..." Luke remarked.
Alice nodded in agreement.
"Let me ask you something—will all the crystals we collect here disappear?"
"Anything taken from here stays in this world; it won't transfer to the other side. Unless you have a storage item, things will vanish... except for the items we brought with us that aren't cards. Our bag isn't a card, but it will return with us."
That almost sounds like some kind of protection... or a restriction.
"And what about the animals here—there must be some that aren't corrupted... could they be taken?"
"If you're lucky enough to find one and have a storage item, sure. But you can't store corrupted animals. Some groups have tried—it'll destroy the item... and storage items aren't easy to come by. A card that contains an item with storage capabilities is worth a fortune and is almost never for sale. Whoever finds one isn't going to sell it—they know they can make a ton of money just acting as a middleman."
Luke pondered this and came up with a wild idea.
"Are you saying it's possible to domesticate a giant creature from the depths? If, in this case, it's not corrupted…"
Alice laughed.
"I've never heard of such a crazy idea… but you'd have to dive to the bottom of this ocean, sneak into the parents' nest, and steal the egg right in front of them. Could anyone pull that off? That's if there even is an egg, of course…"
"Absolutely no one could," Luke replied.
"And how would anyone tame a creature that could play ball with a mountain? There's a limit to what can be domesticated…"
"Good to know. I'd hate to think someone could pull off such a madness."
Anna added,
"Don't forget, the smarter the creature, the harder it is to tame. A creature that sees you as less significant than an ant wouldn't follow your orders."
"Now I get it… why the kingdom is so invested in expeditions. The amount of valuable cards, the possibility of taming a powerful creature, treasures that can be stored in items… it's a fortune waiting for anyone bold enough to claim it," Luke said.
"Almost like pirates," Anna said with a laugh.
"You've hit the nail on the head, Luke," Alice said. "It's not just the royal family, but all the nobles with their Houses and all the Deviants. We're explorers in search of treasures, knowledge, cards, and… power. That's the world of Deviants. They say this life is addictive and tempting for anyone who steps into it."
"Now I understand what they meant. It's definitely something addictive when you think about the rewards, but it's equally dangerous…"
She chuckled as they walked back to the dungeon entrance.
"Indeed, but that's what adventures are… at least that's what my mother used to tell me."
If it weren't for the error that led me here, I probably wouldn't have entered the Oblique World… at least not like this. I'd have likely been sent to the academy, completed the mandatory period, and during my graduation, I'd have to make my first obligatory trip, where I'd be sent to a controlled zone and deal with a single enemy at the level of a skeleton before being sent back. I'd never have learned about the other wonders… or their dangers. The nobles have their own way of closing their circle, preventing those they deem inferior from understanding the wonders of the Deviant world. If I managed to return home after the mandatory period with a single new card, it would have been considered an achievement, and I doubt the card would be anywhere near the level of the ones I have now. It would have been something very common.
Thinking about this and the conversation I had with that terrifying woman just before I headed to my Bonfire… What did Evangeline mean by 'don't stick your nose where it doesn't belong'? If she had been more specific, I'd have made sure to follow her advice to the letter. I just hope I never see that terrifying woman again.
"But here's a small detail, Luke. You probably never noticed because we're in a Corrupted Region, but it's only in places like these that you can really earn a card," Alice said.
What? What do you mean? I'm not following.
"Obviously, the Kingdom can produce some cards, but they're nowhere near the quality of a card dropped by a monster in a Corrupted Region. Haven't you noticed that you don't always get a card?" Luke stopped, trying to piece together everything he had faced so far and connect the dots.
"Let me be more specific: only the more 'distorted' monsters have a chance of dropping a card. And guess where these monsters are abundant?" she asked.
"In Corrupted Regions…" he completed.
"Exactly. Expeditions are, as you said, for power and wealth, but now you know that one of the reasons is that the chances of cards appearing are much higher there."
My brain just exploded.
"Imagine if every monster dropped a card, including the non-distorted ones? If the non-distorted creatures also gave cards, humans would have turned them into farms. Because unlike the distorted ones, those with only a corrupted mind still have the ability to reproduce and continue behaving almost like normal animals," Alice explained.
"I… I hadn't even considered the possibility of them trying to create a farm…" Luke murmured.
Anna, who had been listening, realized she hadn't given much thought to card drops before.
"But it doesn't stop there. The rarity of a distorted monster also influences the chances of a card drop," Alice explained.
"Rarity of the monster?" Luke asked, intrigued.
"Imagine there were a thousand distorted wolves like the ones you killed. They would all have a decent chance of dropping the hammer or the cloak, don't you think?"
He sighed, pondering her words.
"If you had asked me five minutes ago, I would have said yes, but now… I'm not so sure."
"If there were a thousand wolves like that in the Corrupted Region, those wolves might not drop anything at all. The rarity tends to increase, and the chance of a card dropping grows as the number of that distorted species decreases. So, those distorted wolves you killed might be the only ones of their kind left there. That's why you got the cloak, and that's why you got the Wendigo's storage canteen. They might be the last remnants of their species' distortion in that region, or they're potential monsters about to rank up."
A wave of ideas flooded Luke's mind as he absorbed this information.
"Now my mind's blown… again. That's why we've killed several monsters without triggering a card drop. Cards only appear when the species in question is nearing extinction at the highest level of corruption in that area, where the creature's appearance has become distorted! Wait… it's almost as if some higher force is encouraging us to eliminate the corruption. We can only get cards by going to a Corrupted Region and reducing the distorted species… or by killing some that might evolve in rank…"
Alice fell silent, watching the two of them.
"What I've just shared with you must be kept secret. Very few people in the Kingdom know about this, and even then, it's not an exact science—just speculation. All we know is that in Corrupted Regions, card drops are more likely, and the creature count in the area has to be low, or the creature has to be undergoing a rank evolution for the rarity chance to increase, but even that's not guaranteed. So, don't talk about this with anyone other than me."
Anna and Luke nodded in agreement.
There's one more thing I haven't tested yet…
Luke summoned a card into his hands.
[Unfortunate Triton's Sword
Description: A Triton had the misfortune of encountering someone more dangerous than they appeared to be. Its misfortune gave birth to a sorrowful sword.
Effects: [Weep]
(Weep): The sword generates a small jet of water that can push your enemies.]
That's pretty interesting… so it's possible to have items with elemental enchantments?
The group knew they were about to enter a dangerous place, one from which they might not return alive. They understood that they might not reach their ultimate goal and could very well die around the next corner. From this point on, it was a one-way journey into a dungeon beneath a lake that had likely flooded the tunnels and corridors. But this was the hope they clung to—otherwise, the only other option was to try and swim across a massive lake guarded by a dangerous creature, or perhaps even more of them.
The trio arrived at the entrance and descended the stairs. None of them spoke another word. Anna summoned her goblin helper, and Alice had her sword ready. Luke strapped the sword to his belt, with his trusty scarf armed and at the ready with its new power.
After preparing their remaining supplies, they filled Alice's canteen, packed away the smoked fish, and took a deep breath. Digging with their hands, they began to clear a path toward the door that led to the interior of the dungeon.
With the opening made, the trio exchanged glances and smiled. Luke went down first. He could've avoided getting dirty by using his intangibility to pass through the gap, but every drop of his prana could be a matter of life or death. Once inside, he drew his sword and stood at the ready.
As they looked at the three corridors before them, it was time to choose their path.
"As far toward the fort as possible," Alice suggested.
I'm counting on that.
"I just hope we don't run into too much trouble in this dungeon," Anna commented.
Gods! Why did she have to say that?