It was still early when I woke up, my mind a little muddled by the events of the previous day. Transmigrating into a novel? It still seemed insane, like a dream that should've faded upon waking, but the reality was clear, and I was indeed in this new world. The surprise lingered, mixed with a strange sense of excitement.
Once in the kitchen, I set about making myself a coffee. The technology here was impressive, more advanced than anything I'd known. I pressed a button, and the machine automatically selected the beans, ground them, and began brewing the coffee in a matter of seconds. The different options displayed on the holographic screen almost distracted me from my own drink; I could adjust the temperature, concentration, and even add exotic flavors with a simple gesture.
Once my coffee was ready, I settled in comfortably and started browsing the internet. Discovering this world through the screen was fascinating, like deciphering the pages of a manual about a fictional universe. The websites, forums, even social media – everything was familiar, yet slightly different.
The night before, I had managed to get in touch with Camila, a potentially valuable acquaintance here. Through her, I might be able to speed up the repair of my mana core, which would be essential for the rest of the story.
However, the real challenge lay in the ingredients required: the horn of a Gornak, ten milliliters of liquid mana, and the most complex of all, a celestial gem.
I'd deal with that later. For now, I need to acquire a mid-level martial art to get by at the academy.
Even though Noah was considered a wasted talent, he was skilled and often praised for his abilities. But no matter how great of a genius you are, if your limits are clear and defined, you won't get far: sooner or later, others will catch up and surpass you.
And now that I was Noah, I'd be naive to think I wouldn't end up in the middle of events. After all, Noah and Liam's fates were closely tied, and the novel [The Fall of the Hero] primarily told their two stories.
'At the beginning of the novel, there were actually far more chapters from Liam's point of view, with Noah staying relatively in the background.'
As I took a sip of coffee, I started thinking about how to acquire the mid-level martial art I had in mind.
In this world, martial arts and weapon arts exist in the form of infused scrolls: special scrolls written with unique ink imbued with mana. By touching the scroll, the user instantly receives the knowledge it contains. Once used, the scroll loses its power and can no longer be reused. Needless to say, they're extremely expensive, even for low-level arts. As for very high-level arts, their prices reach astronomical heights, and even the wealthiest people think twice before purchasing them, not to mention the destructive arts...
Low-level arts are easy to find, even online. However, the higher the level of the art, the less likely it is to be found on the internet. To obtain them, one often has to resort to more complex means.
These means include, for example, joining cults or sects dedicated to fighting arts, where certain arts are available to initiates. There's also merit: actions like exterminating monsters of various ranks are rewarded with rare scrolls or teachings, as these creatures pose a great danger to all. The master-disciple relationship is another avenue, where a master can pass down their art to their disciple.
Additionally, it's possible to learn arts naturally, without the use of infused scrolls, by undergoing intense training. However, this path is much more difficult and requires a tremendous amount of time and perseverance. That said, every art originally came from this way, forged by masters who transcended their own limits.
It should also be noted that the number of arts a person can master depends on their rank. For example, at the Novice rank, a person can learn a maximum of two arts. As one progresses through the ranks, their ability to assimilate and master more arts increases as well.
Anyway, the martial art I'm looking to acquire is called [Silent Flow]. This art focuses on unpredictability, flexibility, and speed. It's an excellent mid-level martial art. In the original story, Noah was the one who eventually obtained it, but by then, he already possessed a very high-level weapon art, which I'll also need to acquire soon.
"Well, I guess it's time to go get what's rightfully mine."
Noah's plan to obtain the [Silent Flow] is actually quite simple, but it requires reading the novel. To get what he wants, he has to meet a certain Darius, a martial art collector based in Grelin City. He runs a store specializing in low to mid-level arts, and he's easily recognized by a large horizontal scar across his forehead.
What few people know is that Darius is much more than a simple seller: he collects martial arts from the black market, illegal sources, and has a hidden fortune built on discreet transactions.
The real challenge for Noah, however, isn't finding the store. No, his goal is to convince Darius of his long-term value. Darius possesses a rare trait that, of course, no one knows about except Noah and Darius himself. He can distinguish lies from the truth. This power, although exhausting, is undeniably useful, and Noah intends to use it to his advantage.
It was almost noon when, in a store, a young man with black hair and almost unreal amethyst eyes stood there, observing the different infused scrolls. His gaze seemed curious, but also a bit frustrated.
'Damn, it took me hours to find this damn shop! All I knew was that it was located in Grelin City, near the Cirrus station...'
The Cirrus station is well known for hosting ultra-fast trains like the Linea 7, a futuristic model capable of supersonic speeds.
I took a deep breath and threw one last glance toward the counter, where Darius was talking with some customers. I felt ready to take action, but I was waiting for them to leave; I needed to take my time.
Once everyone was gone, I approached him. Upon seeing me, he smiled, as if ready to hear my request.
'Uh… I should probably take it slow, right?'
I took a deep breath and returned his smile.
"Hello, Darius. I'd like to have a friendly conversation about your collection of martial arts that you keep hidden, though, coming from you, I'd understand why… haha."
'I think I handled that well.'
Suddenly, a shiver ran down my spine. A murderous intent of Advanced- rank emanated from Darius, who fixed me with a cold stare.
'...Fuck.'