"So, what's your name, boy?"
The old man's voice was low, gravelly, and carried the unmistakable weight of command. He didn't lower his hand; the [Fire Element] dancing on his palm hissed with every breath he took. "You didn't just 'stumble' into the third-largest library in the world during an apocalypse. You've played the game, haven't you?"
I didn't move. My Perception was screaming at me. At Level 1, facing a Level 5 Fire Mage with military instincts was a suicidal gamble. I had my +3 stat boost and a couple of Rank-D trinkets in my inventory, but I lacked a "Class" and any heavy-hitting offensive skills. In a straight fight, he'd turn me into a charcoal briquette before I could close the distance.
So, I did what a corporate employee does best: I pivoted.
"The name is Arthur Tempest," I said, keeping my hands visible and my tone respectful. My upbringing didn't allow for being rude to elders, even if they were threatening to incinerate me. "And you're right. I played Nexus. I was just looking for some familiar ground when the world went to hell."
I kept my cards close to my chest. Information was the only currency that mattered now. If I blurted out that I'd cleared Floor 100, I wouldn't be a survivor; I'd be a target. He'd either kill me to eliminate the competition or torture me until I spilled every secret about the upper floors.
"Arthur, hm? I'm Felix Brian," he replied, his gaze flickering over me, measuring my worth. After a tense silence, the flames in his hand dimmed, though they didn't disappear. "Alright, Mr. Tempest. You defeated the trash I left at the door, and you were skilled enough to dodge my opening bolt. I'm a busy man. Why don't we go our separate ways and avoid any unnecessary blood?"
I let out a breath I didn't know I was holding. "Sounds like a plan to me, Mr. Brian."
As Mr. Brian turned to leave, I noticed the object tucked under his arm. It was a thick, leather-bound volume with charred edges and glowing embers etched into the spine. My eyes narrowed. I recognized that design. It was a Skill-Book: 'Tales of the Inferno'. It was a Rank-B item, an incredibly rare find for a Tutorial zone. The old man hadn't just been cleaning; he'd been looting the high-tier magical archives.
Once the sound of his footsteps faded, I moved. I didn't have much time.
I began skimming the shelves, my fingers trailing over the spines of books that now hummed with mana. Most were junk, but a few glowed with the blue light of the System. I worked quickly, "consuming" the knowledge as I went.
"[Notice: You have learned the D-Rank Skill: 'Magic Sense' (Lvl 1)]"
"[Notice: You have learned the D-Rank Skill: 'Mark' (Lvl 1)]"
"[Notice: You have learned the D-Rank Skill: 'Navigation' (Lvl 1)]"
"[Notice: You have learned the D-Rank Skill: 'Magic Novice' (Lvl 1)]"
"[Notice: You have learned the D-Rank Skill: 'Martial Arts' (Lvl 1)]"
"[Notice: You have learned the C-Rank Skill: 'Mind and Body' (Lvl 1)]"
My Skill Slots began to fill up rapidly. To anyone else, this would look like a waste, filling precious slots with common, low-tier garbage that barely did anything. But I wasn't anyone else. I had a vision that went beyond "common" sense.
Finally, I reached the very back of the hall, standing before a heavy oak door marked 'Religious Literature.'
This was the place. The room everyone else had ignored because "Religion" didn't give you fireballs or swords. But inside this room lay the final piece of the puzzle I had been building since I stepped into the museum.
I moved past the rows of C and D-Rank Skill-Books. To a normal player, a [Lesser Heal] or [Holy Smite] would be a godsend right now, but I had a much tastier goal in mind. I reached for a small, dusty decorative item perched precariously on top of the highest bookshelf.
"[Notice: You have obtained 'Eve's Four-leaf Clover'!]"
It was a D-Rank trinket that did nothing but slightly nudge the user's 'Luck' stat. Right next to it sat a tarnished, silver-plated cup.
"[Notice: You have obtained the 'Holy Chalice' (Replica)!]"
Another D-Rank "useless" item. Every artifact found outside the Towers was a 'Replica', a pale shadow of the true Relics found in the upper floors. To the greedy fighters downstairs, these were trash. To me, they were the final ingredients for the ultimate heist of reality.
I sat on the floor, breathing heavily as I opened my [Inventory]. I pulled out the 'Right Eye of Horus' and the 'Seal of Solomon', placing them on the ground alongside 'Eve's Four-leaf Clover'.
As soon as the three items touched, the room was blinded by a sudden, violent surge of sapphire light. The items didn't just break; they melted, their molecular structures fusing into a swirling vortex of raw data.
"[Congratulations! You are the first to discover the Hidden and Exclusive Skill: 'Copy'!]"
"[Rank: ∞ (Immeasurable)]"
"[Rarity: Unique (One of a Kind)]"
The screen pulsated with a gold-and-black border I loved looking at during the VR days.
"[Description: You are able to copy skills from others by fulfilling specific Copy Conditions. The level of the copied skill will depend on your own Rank and Level.]"
"[Notice: 1,000 Coins have been rewarded for finding the Hidden Skill!]"
But the System wasn't done. The sapphire light bled into my chest, a warm sensation blooming in my core as another notification flooded my vision.
"[Notice: A Passive Skill has been generated: 'Memories of the World'.]'
"[Effect: All your skills (learned and copied) will be stored inside this space. You now have Unlimited Skill Slots.]"
"Unlimited space..." I whispered. My heart was racing so hard it felt like it might burst. It really was like during the VR days. But this is just the start.
Then, the final chime, the loudest of them all, rang out like a cathedral bell. The notification that I was waiting for.
"[Congratulations! As a result of successfully combining specific items and requirements, you have obtained the Unique Skill: 'Fusion'.]"
"[Effect: You are now able to Fuse Items and Skills to create entities from higher dimensions!]"
"[Notice: Your amazing feat will be recorded in the History of the 'Tower of Trials' permanently!]"
"[Notice: You have obtained 2,000 Coins as a reward!]"
I leaned my head back against the bookshelf and laughed. It was broken. It was absolutely, beautifully broken. This was exactly how I had conquered the ghost-servers, but having the physical weight of that power sitting in my soul was a thousand times more intoxicating.
I now had the two pillars of my existence: [Copy] and [Fusion].