Chapter 252 - A Duel
His lack of skill wasn't anything unusual, he was just shocked by how reliant he was on his stats, mana, and runes. As soon as those were out of the equation, he would be an amateur that relied on his instincts to fight.
He had a good battle sense, his judgments were always on point, he simply lacked the technique to go beyond the simplest of moves.
As he left the capsule, Arthur looked around and saw that Emma was still playing. He stood up and left the virtual realm before heading toward the library.
He was new to the world of awakeners, that didn't mean he couldn't learn. It was the opposite; he had the infinity of the runic spectrum to help him.
As he entered the library that all the runic knowledgeable accessible to him, he found someone he knew. Well, know wasn't an accurate word. He had only met the man twice before.
"Studying even if it's not your minor field day?" The man, who he had seen with Julia before, was sitting on a desk and reading a book. "You sure are diligent."
"Hello sir," Arthur greeted. "It's a lucrative business, and I need the money."
"Not lucrative for you yet." The man smiled as he closed his book. "Do you need any help to leave the logistic department?"
"I would like to leave it through my efforts." Arthur lied with a smile. The man, however, didn't look convinced. "Can I know your name, sir?"
"Yuvan." The man smiled. "Yuvan Perli." The last name sounded familiar to Arthur. As he tried to remember, his eyes widened.
"You mean you're related to the general..." There was only one man with the last name of Perli.
"You have met my brother?" Yuvan nodded. "Ilia Perli is my brother, although we don't have a lot in common other than that name."
"I can see the resemblance," Arthur said in courtesy. "General Ilia is a great man."
"No need to compliment him, I hate Ilia and he hates me too." Yuvan smiled. "He tried to push toward the path of strength and ranks. I preferred runes; he didn't like that." Arthur felt uncomfortable hearing such personal matters.
"Brothers are there to annoy us." Arthur raffled his hair. "That's just how it is."
"Do you have one?"
"Half-brothers, in Vernia." His answer was enough to end the topic. Yuvan thought for a moment.
"What's your secret, Alexie?" He said with a smile. "You're in The Exploring Department, set to be humanity's eyes beyond the gates. Yet here you are, preferring to study runes than to train. You refused my help, so it's not really about the money."
Arthur could see the interest in his eyes. An interest enough that he knew his name. That means he looked him up after he had met him the other day. The interest was troubling for him.
"I'm simply interested in runes, just like you."
"That doesn't explain why you refuse my help. As a grandmaster, people line up for me to teach them."
"A grandmaster?" Arthur became apprehensive. He was young, probably the youngest grandmaster he had met. "I have trouble accepting help that I don't know the reason for."
"It's your eyes when you look at runes. We have the same eyes, curiosity. The urge to learn everything in front of you. To recreate the world, to be in control." Yuvan's eyes were deep. He was being sincere.
"Thank you, Grandmaster." Arthur bowed. "Can you give me time to learn the basics before accepting your help? At least, I'll be able to make use of your guidance."
"Alright, then..."
"But I do have a question." Arthur interrupted. "Is there a rune that makes you memorize books?" He asked with an embarrassed smile.
Yuvan Perli was an interesting person, but his curiosity was infinite. He took three hours of his time to explain to Arthur about the effect runes had on the mind.
To sum up his answer, there were some runes like that. No genuine runes, but experimental runes that have been created by grandmasters.
Arthur's world turned upside down when he heard this concept. He hurriedly asked what he meant by experimental runes, only to receive an answer that changed his opinion about the Runes Research Department.
"Runes, even the basic ones, consist of runic lines that are designed to achieve smaller functions. The natural phenomena can be direct for runes, but what turns mana into these phenomena?"
This was the first idea he discussed.
"The research we do in this department involves breaking down these runic lines, understanding them, and then recombining them to create other phenomena. That's why there are a lot of runes that aren't safe to use, as they contain side effects."
This was the second point he made.
"That's why the Memorize rune that you spoke of was ongoing research for years. However, the amount of information, that is transcribed to mana and then to electrical impulses of the brain, sends the brain into an overdrive mode. Whoever would use that rune will either lose their short-term memory or simply become a vegetable."
The more that Yuvan explained, the more that Arthur was hooked by this idea. To break down runes and recreate them. To understand how these runes worked and recombine them to work differently.
"Is that why the explosions are common here?" Arthur remembered the first day he was here and asked. Yuvan laughed and nodded.
"Runic lines are a delicate thing. If you use the wrong one, the mana doesn't turn into a phenomenon and it tends to turn into free energy, hence an explosion." Yuvan explained. "Are you sure you want me to explain these concepts to you? We can start with something easier, like how to inscribe and use your mana well."
"Grandmaster Yuvan, I wouldn't dare waste time on this." Arthur stood up and bowed. "Talking to you made me realize how valuable your knowledge is. I'll ask for your guidance once I've learned enough."
"Alright." Yuvan smiled in satisfaction. "Asking about this topic rather than things like how much the artifacts sell for is proof that my judgment was right."
Arthur simply smiled and excused himself. He had gone to the library to look for a rune that memorizes books, hoping it would help with his lack of skill.
Knowing that it wasn't like that, he decided to head toward the general library for an Art. After browsing through the available ones, free of charge, he didn't find any that helped him.
Arts were techniques that used mana and body movements to achieve the maximum impact. They were either weapon-oriented, shields oriented, or simply a barehanded art.
There arts that improved the usage of mana and replenishing it, like the one that Arthur used. That's why he no longer used the breathing technique that Master Ronin taught him.
'Still-Defense Art fortifies the skin using mana but reduces mobility. That sounds like something masochists would prefer, who uses this?'
He flipped through the Arts and sighed when he found no flawless one. Everything gave him an advantage over a disadvantage. Arts aimed for specialty.
He tried to look for some Daggers Arts but they compromised defense and strength for nimbleness and flexibility. As he was reading one, someone stood beside his table.
"I see you're living leisurely." Trevor smiled coldly at him. "How about we talk outside?"
"Trevor, my brother from another mother." Arthur raised his hand in surprise. "I thought you were on a vacation. Did you have fun?"
"Outside, now." Trevor didn't respond to his taunts and started heading out. Arthur ignored him and returned to his book. "If you care about your commoner friend, that is."
Arthur paused. He turned his head toward the departing Trevor. There was only one commoner friend that Arthur had associated himself with until now: Jonah.
With a sigh, Arthur returned his book and went outside. As he walked through the gardens, he found Trevor standing beside the fountain.
"Alexie, you've chosen the wrong person to humiliate. I don't care about you outpowering me, strength is absolute even if you were a bastard. Yet time and time again, you were disrespectful."
"3/10 for the villainy speech, a bit too emotional for me." Arthur shrugged. "You can't touch Jonah."
"That's true, I can't." Trevor nodded. "I can't hurt him if he's in the academy. Do you know who isn't in the academy, though?" Trevor's smile was cold.
"..." Arthur glared at him. "Are you threatening me with his family?"
"For my Orlan country to touch a nobility from Vernia, that would induce a war. However, for a commoner, a knife in the dark is enough. Did you know that Jonah has a single family member, a little sister?"
"What do you want, Trevor?" Arthur spat. "Is it that you seek an apology?"
"No, but to humiliate you." With that being said, Trevor threw out his arm as a hologram appeared in front of him. Arthur's bracelet buzzed. "Accept the duel and nothing will happen to his family."
Arthur looked at the notification with a frown. Without hesitation, he accepted it. However, Trevor was able to see through his thoughts.
"If you withdraw, my threat becomes a reality."