Chapter 87 - First day (1/2)
I spent my whole day, mostly stretching and learning to control my breathing. Although simple in essence, this process took quite a lot of time and willpower.
In terms of stretching, the techniques to make your body more flexible are not complicated. All you need to do is to strain your muscles and tendons while suffering some pain in the process. The only danger is to overdo and get yourself some nasty injury, but, for a creature like me, capable of ”looking” into the body, that isn't a problem. Plus, even if my body gets injured, I can always control it and localize healing, thus removing any chance of possible negative consequences.
As for the breathing control, that in itself is a complicated matter. But why is it important? Well, breathing properly is good and all, but what I really needed to do is to automate the process of breathing switch. You see, breathing is the beginning and an end of every activity. Fighting, eating, sleeping, resisting cold or hot temperatures and so much more. All of these activities have their own perfect breathing tempo. Controlling every is a pain on its own, but switching it up depending on the situation is eternal mental torture. Of course, it's impossible to teach the human body to shift breathing based on all of these situations, because it goes much further than a simple ”Neural pathway” problem. However, that's where the System comes in. It will either find an existing ability, that fits my needs in the Framework or create it.
With ability maxed, it should potentially reduce the amount of micromanagement I do for this body. This, in turn, gives me more free time for other fun activities.
So, in short, I spent the whole day in various stances, that will allow simultaneous stretching of multiple parts in the body, all the while controlling my breathing.
In the process, I gained 2 things. New attribute ”Dexterity” and a new skill ”Breath Control”.
By the way, as you might have noticed, the System went through massive changes, which I mentioned previously. Actually, it wouldn't be an exaggeration to say that 50% of it, has been remade. First of all, now System doesn't have any limiters and can request any skills, abilities, attributes, bloodlines, domains and etc. The only precondition is to have good reasons for these ”Stats” to be requested. For example, I wholeheartedly practiced breathing techniques for a prolonged amount of time, so System found and uploaded a new ”Stat” fitting this activity. However, if multiple ”Stats” are responsible for the same activity, then the most encompassing is picked. So, in the case of stretching activity, a lot of things are responsible for it. Ability - ”Stretching”, Skill - ”Flexibility”, and etc., but Attribute - ”Dexterity” was deemed the most encompassing.
So, all in all, System v2.0 became a lot better than what it initially was. Of course, ”better” doesn't mean ”best”. No matter what, I have limited knowledge and abilities to make/improve Systems. For example, I once heard of a hidden System to turn everything into a Card form. With enough energy, it could even transform a small Universe into a card. Now imagine me, who has open access to Framework, which is, by the way, a source of Unlimited Energy, with that System.
Or there was a rumor about a System that was capable of analyzing any knowledge and perfecting it into an impeccable manuscript.
In short, I wanted them all. But scouring Universe for some specific Systems with my current knowledge is impossible. Maybe later after I will have a library of knowledge on a dozen or so Universes.
Back to now, evening already overtook the day and I just finished my dinner. Because I lost quite some energy today, I asked to triple my portion. Aunt Pol looked very strangely at me, but it's understandable. After all, I got a triple portion during dinner as well. What can I say, I'm a growing organism. I need nutrients.
[You have 2 'Quests' completed. Ready to take your reward?]
'Yeah. Let's see how much I got.'
['Quest' - Unlock any 'Attribute' : Completed...]
[10 Energy Points retrieved]
['Quest' - Unlock any 'Attribute' : Completed...]
[10 Energy Points retrieved]
[Currently 20 Energy Points available. What would you like to acquire?]
With Framework Energy in tow, anything is possible with the only limitation being the System itself. Even with improvements to it, the most I could acquire are 'Stats', such as 'Attributes', 'Skills', 'Abilities' and etc.
If I can get my hands on Itemized Systems, then I could turn the energy into artifacts, armor, and weaponry. But for now, simple 'Stats' would suffice. Currently, I have no real need to upgrade any of my 'Stats', so I would save it in the System.
'Save it, for now. I'll use it later.'
She looked at me, quietly analyzing me before she came closer and sat at the end of his bed. They were looking at each other, for quite some time, before she said:
”That was a fast escape, you did after dinner, Garion.”, her words quiet, bearing seriousness in them.
'Hm... She started doubting me because of the activities I did today? Let's try something simple...', so I answered:
”Well, I was tired, so I decided to go to sleep.”
”Is that so, Garion?”
*Sigh* I rose from my lying position and sat on the bed.
”What is it that you want to say, Aunt Pol?”
She frowned.
”You are not my Garion.”
'Well, playtime is over. '
”He was never yours in the first place.”
She rose her hands up in the air as if planning to do something, but what?
[Based on the readings in the air, the woman is preparing to gather energy for the attack.]
'Aha, so she wasn't a simple a woman after all. My initial guess was right then. She is somebody else entirely.'
”Who are you and where is Garion!?” she nearly hissed, from all the rage and... was it despair?
'Hm, I've never had a character with a ton of destiny, but then I've also never had a physical form. Let's play a hero, he-he.'
”I am Garion, or to be precise, I am the one who he is destined to be, woman.”
[Deceiving 1 ➔ 2]
Seems like that wasn't an answer she expected.
”What?”
Nice, I broke her tempo.
”You were utterly failing at your job of preparing this vessel for what's coming. I am illiterate, weak, simply incapable of surviving. Don't you know what I was destined to do? Or are you seriously considering your activities so far were sufficient?”
”I-I...”
”This is no mere child. It has to be ready for what's coming, thus I had to intervene and do your job. I will train him in all of the skills and trades, he'll need. You can help, but that's how far you are allowed to interfere. Are we clear?”
[Deceiving 2 ➔ 3]
After a few seconds, she collected herself and asked: