Iro reached into her pouch and tossed a small object toward Merun. He snatched it out of the air—a dark, sleek scouter with a matte finish and dim, smoked glass.
"That's the latest model," Iro said, leaning back against the wall. "Specifically designed for high-level agents. It can scan power levels up to 5,000,000. Beyond that, the hardware might run into stability issues, but for now, it's more than you'll ever need. it WILL blow up if you try to scan something like Sages."
She reached up and tapped her wrist against the side sensor of Merun's new device. A soft chime echoed in his ear, and a new notification flashed across the lens.
"Now, you have access to the Beggar Sect's central martial archives," she added. "Everything at the Apprentice level is unlocked for you."
Merun's jaw dropped. "What? Has technology in this world reached this point already?"
Iro laughed, shaking her head. "No, actually, it's all because of your ship. Our analysts were able to bridge the interface, and we had some help from the experts."
Merun raised an eyebrow. "Who? The Esoterist himself?"
Iro froze, her casual demeanor snapping into a moment of rigid tension. "...You even know about him?"
"I can read minds," Merun joked, flashing a grin.
Iro squinted at him in deep suspicion, her eyes searching for a lie, but eventually, she just sighed. Merun shifted the scouter, feeling the weight of the information behind the glass. "Wait, how high up are you in the Sect that you're allowed to just hand me the keys to the kingdom?"
She winked. "That's a secret, little prince. Anyway, I'll leave you to it; I have more tasks to do today. For now, skim through the techniques and tell me what you decide on tomorrow. I must warn you, it can get quite overwhelming."
Merun laughed. "I'm overwhelming."
———
"What the fuck... this is overwhelming."
Merun sat on the edge of his bed, his hand hovering over the side sensor as he swiped down. The list was a blur of icons and data packets that seemed to go on forever.
...[Flame Fist] [Evil Eye] [Iron Shutter] [Thunder-Clap Step] [Serpent's Coil] [Stone Skin] [Void Palm] [Ghost-Walk] [Dragon's Breath] [Needle-Point Strike] [Frost-Vein Heart] [Golden Bell] [Shadow-Stitch] [Whirlwind Kick] [Steel-Breaking Grip] [Third-Eye Focus] [Blood-Tide Surge] [Gravity Well] [Sun-Slayer Arc] [Silent-Scream Trance]...
"Let's see, let's see..." Merun muttered, his eyes darting as fast as the scroll speed. "Actually, this reminds me of those RPG games I used to play. I have so much customization! I just have to change my mindset."
He leaned back, a nostalgic spark hitting him. "I used to love theory-crafting new builds in Diablo and Path of Exile. Min-maxing stats, finding the perfect synergy... this is exactly like that, isn't it? I'm building a character."
He tapped a random technique just to see the depth of the data. A window expanded:
[FLAME BODY]
[MARTIAL APPRENTICE]
[DIFFICULTY: GRADE 8 / EFFECTIVENESS: HIGH-GRADE]
[TECHNIQUE CATEGORY: THERMAL DEFENSE (TYPE III)]
[TEACHER AVAILABLE: Y]
[TECHNIQUE DETAILS] This technique is an advanced application of the Internal Furnace principle, designed to weaponize the body's metabolic heat as a deterrent. Rather than allowing the body's natural thermal energy to dissipate, the user recirculates it through the dermal layers, creating a localized heat field that can char incoming projectiles or burn opponents on contact.
[TRAINING PROCESS] Stoking the Core-Forge: The practitioner must master Whirlpool Breathing, expanding the lungs to their absolute capacity to draw in the vast amounts of air required to feed the internal metabolic fire. This creates a "pressure-cooker" effect within the chest... [See more]
Merun's head began to spin. "This is... too much info. How the fuck am I supposed to find the ones I want?"
He fumbled with the interface for a moment until he found the filter icon.
[Sort by: Name | Difficulty | Effectiveness | Category | Teacher Availability]
"Okay," Merun said, cracking his knuckles. "If I'm going for a 'Saiyan' build, I need to focus on structure, pressure, and defense. I don't need a hundred flashy tricks. I need the core pillars."
He started slowly typing into the search bar: DENSITY. IMPACT. MENTAL. This reminded him of trying to type on your TV's YouTube using your remote. On the plus side, he now could give a review the next time he meets Iro: 'add a bluetooth keyboard thanx'.
"Let's see what the meta looks like for an unstoppable monster."
———
The next day, Iro returned to the hut. She was humming to herself—lots of good news from the Sect! When she opened the door, she jolted back in genuine fear.
There was a creature in the corner.
On the floor were thick sheets of paper scribbled with unrecognizable text. The wooden walls of the hut hadn't been spared; they were covered in carved formulas, lists, and frantic diagrams. The "creature" looked back at her—it was Merun, but his eyes were baggy, pitch-black, and looked completely soulless from lack of sleep.
"AAAAAAAAAAAAAAH!!" Iro yelped, clutching her chest.
———
A little while later, the two were sitting at the beach. Merun was currently consoling a still-shaken Iro, who sat with her face buried in her knees.
"I'm sorry. Hehe, I stayed up all night," Merun said sheepishly.
Iro looked up, finally calming down. "I wasn't rushing you!"
Merun scratched the back of his head. "Yeah, but I had fun! The thing is, there are so many options and webs of synergistic moves that I can't choose! I might need another week. No... two weeks."
Iro placed her hand on Merun's shoulder, a hint of mock sadness in her eyes. "This... this is the price of knowledge." She feigned a sob. "Merun has become an addict."
Merun rolled his eyes, and they both broke out into a laugh.
"You know..." Iro said, her tone shifting. "Our combat analysts have already studied your profile and recommended one really suited for you."
"I dunno," Merun replied, looking out at the waves. "I like to discover the meta myself."
"Meta?" Iro shook her head, used to his weird terms by now.
She leaned in and whispered the name of the technique. "Look it up, okay?"
"Okay, sure. For now... I think... I'll sleep."
Merun flopped back and fell asleep on the sand instantly.
SNORE.
Iro let out a long, weary sigh. You can fall sleep just like that?!