Chương 41: Chapter Forty

The 'Illusion' path of Skills, Bob discovered over the coming days, was both varied and wonderfully diverse. Him not even having the chance to level 'Distant Temptation' to its next evolution due to being too busy creating more 'spells' Though, to be fair, they were more like 'cantrips', than anything else. His grip on the process of using mana shaky enough that he hadn't yet created another E-Rank. Not that he had expected even that much when he'd set back out on his journey of Skill creation.

Given that he'd succeeded in creating 'Distant Temptation' only after hours and hours of attempts, he was initially less than optimistic about managing another terribly quickly. A lack of optimism which was quickly cured by his near-instantaneous success. Bob, in hopes of making 'Illusionist' a viable Class, had started by trying to craft a more 'offensive' Illusion Skill. He kept the beginning of the process the same.

Slowly drawing out the energy from within him and condensing it into a 'ball' somewhere near his center. Where he began to change things was with the addition of the emotional component. Not just with what emotions he added, but also how he added them. During repeated use of 'Distant Temptation', Bob learned quite a bit about how the system handled the whole process. The 'Illusion' Skill seeming far easier to follow along with as compared to 'Lifeless Disguise'.

And during that period, he managed to notice something interesting. The entire operation was over in an instant. The emotions artificially manifested, molded within the condensed energy and cast out of him in less than the blink of an eye. Far too quickly for him to pick apart the individual bits and pieces. But not too fast to realize that he'd almost entirely skipped a step. Previously, when he'd been attempting to manually craft his spells, Bob had just sort of 'had' the emotions that the spell required.

Usually by creating a bunch of imaginary scenarios in his head until he'd reached the metal state he was aiming for. The idea of trying to merge either of the two amorphous aspects of himself – the mana and his emotions – felt impossible. But evidentially it wasn't. Given that the system was able to do so in almost less time than he could recognize the act. Which meant Bob should be able to do the same; if perhaps at a slightly slower pace.

Instead of 'Distant Temptation's component of seductive conceit, he attempted to draw on more aggressive emotions. Eventually landing on a sort of gleeful, exuberant, rage. The same kind of sensation he felt just before he was about to make a sneak attack on a target. Something which made the feelings slightly easier to hold on to. Once he felt as though he'd stabilized his emotional state, Bob began to almost… knead his mana. Attempting to 'push' himself and his emotions into the mix.

A project of imagination and willpower which felt impossible to explain and even harder to actually do. Like patting your head and rubbing your stomach while simultaneously trying to describe what the color 'red' looked like without using references. Still, he persevered. Hoping that at some point he would feel his emotions 'catch hold'. For quite some time, nothing occurred. Bob beginning to get lost in a meditative state as he repeated the same strange action within himself.

Only breaking out of it when he felt himself start to lose grip of the emotions he'd worked so hard at creating. Before realizing moments later that he hadn't been losing grip of them. Something else had been taking hold. The distraction of his success unfortunately – and ironically – caused that attempt to fail. But it also allowed him to enter into the next one with far more confidence. The mana forming within him quickly and his emotions manifesting themselves far easier than before.

This time, when his emotions started to drain from him, Bob let them. Continuing to knead his mana until a strange emotional 'deadness' entered him. The same sensation that had also followed his every activation of both 'Distant Temptation' and 'Lifeless Disguise'. If only briefly. Once the energy had finished merging, Bob prepared to cast it out of him. Focusing on a small crab just at the edge of the rooftop. Setting his mind on causing it harm, rather than drawing it closer.

And then, he released his Mana out into the world. To rather unexpected results. Ding! Illusion Path Skill Acquired: Flashing Lights (F) Bob didn't really require the notification of his success; it being made rather apparent by the sudden explosion of underwater fireworks in front of his chosen target. The crab in question immediately jumping before going stiff in surprise. If you spot this tale on Amazon, know that it has been stolen. Report the violation.

Which, unfortunately for it, was probably not the best reaction to have. Given that this resulted in the crustacean immediately beginning its slide to the ground below. Bob turned himself away from its almost comically desperate attempts to cling to safety, however. Focused instead on trying to burn every action deeply into his memory. Not even giving himself a moment of celebration, so set was he on insuring that he could repeat the process. From there, however, it felt like the world was his oyster.

His next attempt – after imbuing his mana with the fear and depression he felt when in the room above the C-Rank – resulted in the Skill 'Unsettling Aura (F)'. And the following – when molding in the emotions he felt during the long, endless days traveling the Dead City – got him 'Uncertain Direction (F)'. A Skill which claimed to cause paranoia and directional dyslexia, but in practice just caused crabs to wander around in circles.

After running out of emotional inspiration for 'offensive' abilities, Bob instead shifted his focus. Trying to see if he could accomplish at least one of his goals by making a replacement for what would otherwise be his next Trait pick. By making a Skill that would allow him to speak. Trying to decern what emotion should be attributed to 'communication' was difficult. Especially since all his memories of human interaction felt a bit… hard to handle. Part of that was due to his desperate loneliness.

The idea of being able to talk with or touch another human being sounding more desirable to him now than at any other point in his life. Something which Bob couldn't help but feel was influencing his attempts. Another part of that was how conflicted he felt about that part of his life in the first place. It was a slightly depressing realization to come to, but Bob – or at least the previous, human Bob – had spent the last decade or so of his life only conversing with a scant, handful of people.

Even doing away with the small talk required by running errands; most purchases being made online and delivered while he was at work. It was basically down to his Boss, the people he was managing, and his wife. The first two were always kept professional, with the occasional, false attempts at personability required when speaking to upper management; and the last was now tainted by a slew of other emotions. Few of them pleasant.

Eventually, he tried using memories of his last conversation with his grandmother before she passed. The attempt gaining him 'Lost Lullaby (F)'. A Skill which would apparently 'deepen someone's slumber' when used upon them. Something which felt almost painfully poignant. Given some of his core childhood memories included her singing away his tears and lulling him to sleep. Usually after whatever horrible bit of B. S. his parents had gotten up to required him and his siblings to stay with them for a few weeks.

Unfortunately, poignant or not, it wasn't a Skill which would be terribly helpful in his present circumstances. Especially considering he himself no longer had the biological need for rest. He struggled for a while after that. Having a hard time finding emotions connected to speech that were also powerful enough to make the system acknowledge them. His attempts to channel the uplifting, inspiring sensation of listening to a charismatic speaker going nowhere.

Though, that could be at least in part due to Bob's general opinion on inspiring, charismatic speakers. Eventually he found success in someplace he, before multiple failures, wouldn't normally have thought to look. Horror movies. Bob did his best to remember the 'chill through your bones' sensation that followed the movie's protagonist hearing a ghostly call. The skin-tingling terror of whispers crawling up the basement stairs.

The horrifying realization that the voice of a friend in the shadows 'just wasn't right'. He'd never been the biggest fan of the genre back when he was on earth, but to some degree, that might have been what made this attempt successful. The feelings he could remember coursing through him during the times he had watched them being visceral. Especially those from when he'd been a teenager. One trying his best to seem unphased throughout the entire movie so as to appear 'manly' in front of his date.

The unsettling, fearful sensation gave him something to cling on to. Something to pull close to him and feed into the churning mana at his center. And, eventually, he succeeded. Ding! Illusion Path Skill Acquired: Haunting Whispers (F) Though, to be fair, he was more or less forced to take the system's word on that. No faint, creepy mutterings echoing down to him from the roof above. Distance and density of water easily smothering what sounds might have existed.

The crab up there did look a bit more confused, though. So that was something. Still, it wasn't like it was hard to verify the claims. Bob quickly subbing out 'Distant Temptation' for his newly created Skill and casting it upon himself. Only to quickly feel grateful that he also lacked the biological need to defecate. Given that he was certain he would have otherwise shat himself when his 'ears' were filled with the most haunting, hateful sounds he had ever heard.

There were no words, just a vile mixture of guttural and shrill vocalizations. Each seeming to wail in pain, or screech in accusation, or grunt and growl like a desperate, depraved beast. The promised 'whispers' being spoken inches away from his 'ears' and at volume. He almost instinctively 'grabbed' at the Skill in an attempt to turn it off, only to stop at the last moment. Just as he felt himself connect with the ability. When he realized that, just like with 'Distant Temptation', he could actually do much more.

With a thought, the noise lessened. The Skill going from drilling the sounds into his ears, to providing something approaching a creepy, Halloween background-track. One which, while no longer feeling all encompassing, was still fairly unpleasant. But not unpleasant enough to distract him from what he was really interested in. Attempting to affect what sounds the Skill was actually producing. It felt almost like trying to tune an old radio. Grasping onto a sound and dragging it through all its frequencies.

He wiggled and played with the whispers. Pulling at them until a quick screech lasted minutes. Until deep, groaning moans became high pitched and airy. Until haunting, childlike sobs became so low that they sounded like the gurgling of an office watercooler. But never during the process did he find a way to insert his own dialog. To actually change the base sound that the Skill was creating. Despite this, Bob didn't find himself that upset.

He'd seen how wildly a Skill could improve when advancing through the Ranks, after all. He just had to grind it to its next evolution. Something which he doubted would be all that hard, considering he already had a few ignored notifications from the system. Well, that and try to influence the Skill in the direction he wanted it to go in. Something he imagined could only be helped by his continued attempts to make it sound out an audible word.

Though, as he slowly managed to turn a short scream into something approaching the letter 'I', Bob couldn't help but hope that the system wouldn't be too stringent in its requirements.