578 Daruun, Spirit Scientis (1/2)
”Like?” Jack asked, eager to hear more of Daruun's opinion.
”Obtaining new skills should be the last of your priorities. For now, you'll need to focus on leveling yourself and your guild. You've already taken advantage of your system's sentience to create your first skill, so that should be enough for now.”
”My system's sentience? What--”
”For a system as complex as yours, it would be impossible for it to not gain sentience as you grow stronger,” reasoned Daruun. ”It's only just begun to gain its own intelligence but it's still one-hundred percent dependent on you to exist. The system and you are practically one and the same on a technical level, so think of it as your literal conscience gradually coming into existence until there's a literal voice in your head.”
”Still… isn't that--”
”Necessary for what you'll be doing in the near future,” Daruun finished Jack's thought with his own. ”Its sentience allows your system to adapt outside of Kartonia and will allow you to do more than you currently know to be possible.”
”Like what?”
Smiling and chuckling, Daruun replied, ”You'll see shortly. Already, the minor sentience of your system will start opening new doors of opportunity. That's why you should focus on leveling and the leveling of your guild or party members. They can become a substantial force for you to use while trying to climb the ranks of the district, so long as you allow them to do so.”
”Which reminds me, why don't the gods just come and clear out Earthen Keep for EXP? I'm sure it would give them a few levels of EXP, right?” Jack asked.
Daruun shook his head. ”Gods are unable to enter Earthen Keep. That's something that I made sure was impossible.”
”But--”
”The ninety-ninth floor is different. That restriction was placed over the final floor due to the spatial gate. However, should a god have attempted to directly arrive on the ninety-ninth and challenged Duorda, I would be summoned to accept the challenge in Duorda's place, something that Halmut experienced first hand.”
”Then… what happened to Kori and Lorwynn?”
”They managed to level up, but once they attempted to enter the next floor, they were transported outside of the keep.” Daruun explained, ”I fully agree with using Earthen Keep to help the others ascend. But they'll have to do so without the direct aid of gods and won't be able to use Earthen Keep as anything more than a doorway to meet me, so long as you open the door for them.”
”Then how have the gods leveled up?” questioned Jack.