How To Survive A Calamity

"I could still receive the reward later whenever i want, right?" I absentmindedly said as i blinked at the system tab before me.

Honestly, i still wasn't sure what was up with Meta suddenly recently beginning to ask me if i wished to collect my rewards. I mean, i understood the part about me being indisposed for the last couple of weeks, and too occupied by other matters to consider the rewards from the quest at that time. But this was still a little weird, especially considering everything that had just happened recently.

Well, it's not like it's a bad thing I'm asked if i wanted the reward or not. A kind of foolish question, i guess, but it was suddenly strangely uncomfortable that my opinion seemed to matter now? That was the way I saw it.

[Of course.] Meta's reply was dry and simple, seemingly indifferent of my choice.

"Then no, I'll receive it later."

I was deeply interested in the third and final reward. A location to a fragment of Goliath was almost like literally handing it out to me on a silver platter. The God-slaying spear is one of the three artifacts i received over a year ago, but due to its overwhelming nature and impossible will, i couldn't confidently weild such a domineering and powerful weapon.

The God-slaying spear was a special type of Artifact, even amongst others. The system called it a Soul Artifact, aside from it's Rank being God Slayer. I still didn't know much about a Soul weapon or soul artifact yet, since I've been unable to properly inspect the God-slaying spear ever since.

All i did know, though, was that it was incredibly powerful and bonded to my soul. This allowed me to seamlessly and conveniently store the Spear inside my body — my soul, and i could just as easily summon it back it. Not like I'd tried.

Summoning the Spear was dangerous, that thing was incomplete and damned hard to control. The system called it an incomplete replica, but even in such an allegedly half baked state, the crazy spear was damned intimidating to hold.

Just how much more powerful would it be if i gathered all fragments of Goliath then? The thought would make my heartbeat race and my blood boil with almost childish excitement.

If i could find the fragments and fuse them with the whole, maybe I'd finally be able to get my hand on and control an actual God-slaying rank Artifact.

So of course, out of all three rewards, the fragment of Goliath was probably the one i looked forward to the most.

And now it was finally right here before me, spread out on a blue illusionary interface that hovered while still and calm.

But...

"Then, no. I'll have the reward later."

With a flick of my wrist, the reward tab flashed and vanished from before my eyes. Like i said, the reward was finally here and mine, and it would also always be until I'm ready. For now my mind was absentmindedly occupied with some other thoughts.

And besides, i didn't think the Location of a fragment of Goliath would be that easy and straightforward. This was a fragment of a God slaying rank Artifact after all.

The system could release the location, but it never said anything about handing the Fragment itself over to me. That was left all up to me to do with that information.

It wasn't like, as soon as i receive the location of the fragment at the moment, that i could immediately set of to go and retrieve it from wherever. My intuition, which has only been tempered through everything I've faced over the years, told me that some serious preparations needed to be in order first.

Meta didn't seem to question me about my unexpected reaction to denying the reward for the meantime, and remained silent, indifferent. Usually, i was the kind who would have jumped up and through the roof at a Quest reward like this, but i had just solemnly refused.

But this indifference was well appreciated at the moment. Since Meta wasn't going to probe my reason, i had no need to explain myself just as the same.

A nervous bead of sweat trickled down my brow.

There was a sudden daring idea i felt the impulse to try and test out concerning the System... concerning Meta, actually.

There was a small but clear distinction between Meta, as a function, and the System, as an entity or something perhaps. This made them seem both one and the same, but were actually distinguished and different from the other when i thought about it closely

If i had to make relatable comparison, it would be a phone device from earth and an ai companion guide.

The ai was clearly provided for convenience, and it could perform nearly, if not all at times, functions of the device. It was make getting used to phone much easier and comfortable.

It was a guide.

Didn't Meta also call itself a Guide? Meta also had similar functions like a phone's ai; she could directly interact with the system and influence it however it liked. This made it seem like the both were one and the same, when actually they were set apart and different.

If you took out Meta from the System, it would still function, albeit maybe not as widely as it did now, i don't know. But i was confident this was true, because Meta only revealed itself the moment after i gained access to the System's full functions and abilities. Whereas, the System was already present and with me right at the exact moment i first opened my eyes in Aethoria.

All of that was the basis of my belief that Meta and the System were two different aspects interconnecting and influencing each other one way or another. But separate still.

Yes, but why does any of this seem to matter? What was the point of knowing this, and how does it correlate to the current circumstances right at the moment?

It didn't and it did. That was because i finally found a way for me to uncover more about the System. If i used the Eyes of Discerning on the system right now, wouldn't i be able to uncover something about it's secrets?

Since Meta was like an ai, she was kind of like a concept without an actual existing physical form, or any visual representation at all, aside from vibrations in my head. This meant, even if i wanted to, i couldn't see her. And as such, i couldn't peer into her true nature with the Eyes of Discerning that actually required me to look with my eyes.

But the System was different. It wasn't entirely physical, but the notifications and panels were a visual representation of it. I think that counted enough as seeing, although.

The Eyes of Discerning allowed me to see through the veil of things and laid their secrets and truth bare for me. I still didn't know how to use the skill well since I just got it, and it was a bit more complicated than Appraisal or Inspect was this time.

But still, i was deeply curious to see what the Eyes of Discerning would show me about the system.

I knew what i was thinking was daring and dangerous — i still didn't know anything about the existence or will behind Meta or the System, nor whatever measures were set in place for whatever. Wasn't it also ironic that I'd be using a Skill the system gave me to try to peer into its secrets, if not also foolish?

'Enough banter, Bright. Let's just do this.'

Whatever.

I shook the unnecessary thoughts out of my head. Even if i wanted to stop what i was about to do at this point, i couldn't. The idea of what i could possibly find was now seared deeply in my mind. I didn't think I'd be able to go to bed peacefully if i didn't get this out of my system.

I separated all of my thoughts to an isolated corner of my mind to prevent Meta from hearing them or guessing my intentions. Then i summoned the System screen.

"Status."

...

__________________

___________________

[Name: Victor Bright

Level: 49

Rank: Eta

Race: Human

Class: Spearman

Familiar: Hamlet the Silver Slime

Hp: ???

________

________

<STATS>

Strength:- ???

Speed:- ???

Agility:- ???

Constitution:- ???

Luck:- ???

Ether:- 25/50(+??)

Intelligence:- ???

Charm:- ???

______

______

<SKILLS>

>>>>>

[ACTIVE SKILLS]

{Eyes of Discerning}

Level 3

Rank-: ???

...

{Lock On}

Level 2

Rank: Rare

...

{Immersion}

Level???

Rank-:???

...

{Impulse}

Level: 1

Rank: Rare

>>>>>

[PASSIVE]

{Danger Sense}

Level: 3

Rank: Common

...

>>>>>

[EXTRA SKILLS]

[Partial Mimic]

[Partial Slime Body]

[Link]

.

.

____

____

<ATTRIBUTES>

{Ether Blessing}

<Description: You have received the rare abundant grace and favour of Higher Aether: Ether. Increases control and sensitivity of Ether and all related aspects passively.>

_____

_____

<ARTS>

{Ether Art; Armament} (incomplete)

<Description: A commendable achievement. This is a unique Ether art that weaponizes the human body...>

-Proficiency level: Intermediate Mastery (Higher tier)

_____

_____

<SUMMARY>

???

____

___]

__________________

__________________

...

A long string of familiar characters appeared before me on a blue screen and interface, with a few changes here and there since the last time, but i didn't spend too much time on them.

I summoned my stats screen first for a reason, focusing mostly on my hidden stats.

Then clasping my hands together at my chin, i leaned forward a bit and inhaled deeplly as i stared intently at the motionless screen.

Exhaling a cold breath, i slowly utterd aloud.

"Eyes of Discerning."

The world flipped...

And everything went red.