My System Doesn't Give Power

"Shit."

"Mimir, right? I think you and I should have this conversation somewhere else." Before he could say anything more, Zac grabbed the old man and practically dragged him away under the suspicious gazes of Matilda, Sabrina, and Ravena.

Once they were far enough away, Zac turned to him. "Sir, you shouldn’t have said that in front of them."

Mimir blinked innocently, apparently oblivious to the problem. "Said what?"

"You know. The stuff about my father." Zac lowered his voice. "I’m keeping my identity secret. I don’t need unwanted attention just because he’s my father, especially when I’m only getting started in my career."

"Oh, right, right. I almost forgot." Recognition slowly dawned on Mimir’s face. "Armani did mention something about that."

He gave Zac an apologetic smile. "Forgive me, kiddo. This old brain isn’t what it used to be."

"Easy for you to say. Now I have to figure out how to explain that."

"Oh, that’s simple. I’ll just go back and tell them I mistook you for someone else."

"Please don’t."

"I can make it convincing."

"No. I’ll handle it myself. Please, just don’t say anything else about it."

"Fine, fine. Your loss."

Zac hesitated for a moment before asking, "But what you said earlier about my father... You mentioned something about the world waiting for me, right?"

Mimir’s expression shifted slightly. "Oh, that?" His tone became noticeably more guarded. "Sorry, kiddo. Armani specifically told me not to tell you anything about your father."

Zac stared at him. "So you remember that, but you forgot my identity is supposed to be a secret?"

Mimir nodded solemnly. "Selective amnesia. Comes with age."

Zac gave him a long, deeply unimpressed look.

[I’m starting to like this guy.]

"Of course you would."

The two eventually returned to the others.

Mimir clapped his hands together. "Anyway, you came here looking for skills, right? The archive is yours. Go ahead and choose whatever suits you."

He pointed vaguely toward the endless shelves. "Just don’t wander into any restricted sections without proper clearance. Some places in here can be rather unpleasant. Potentially lethal, even."

Sabrina looked toward the countless shelves. "Are there any restrictions on what skills we can choose?"

"Not particularly." Mimir yawned as he settled back into his chair. "There aren’t any S-rank skills available in the sections you can access, and naturally, the restricted areas are off-limits. Other than that, you’re permitted to browse freely."

"You can choose any skill up to A-rank. So take your time, look around properly, and choose carefully. Opportunities like this don’t come often."

"And if you’ll excuse me, I have a very important appointment with my nap." With that, Mimir closed his eyes and promptly returned to sleep.

Once he slept, Matilda immediately turned toward Zac. "What was that about?"

"What was what about?" Zac asked innocently.

Matilda stared at him for several seconds before sighing. "Forget it."

She then looked at the three of them. "I’ll leave you to it. Once you’ve chosen your skills, tell Mimir. He’ll send you back to the academy grounds." With that, she turned and left the archive.

Zac looked between Sabrina and Ravena. "So... are we picking together?"

"hm"

"hm"

The two girls made nearly identical dismissive sounds before turning in opposite directions and walking toward separate sections of the archive.

Zac watched them leave. "Right. Guess it’s just me."

"Abandoned by both my wives. Tragic.]

"Shut up."

Zac turned toward the archive and began reading the signs above the different sections. "Combat, Mage, Arrays, Potions, Medical... bla bla bla..."

He stared at the seemingly endless choices. "There are way too many."

Zac scratched his head. "Let’s start with the warrior section for now." He entered the warrior section and began browsing through the books one by one.

More than two hours passed, yet he still hadn’t found anything he truly needed. "Ah, this is killing me. Just how big is this place?"

[Big enough for you to grow old before reading everything.]

"Hey, you’re an information system, right? Why can’t you just scan all this and put it directly into my brain?"

[I’m a System, not a magician. If you want something, you have to work hard for it.]

"Okay, don’t start with your philosophy again."

"Mhmm mhmm" A sudden sound came from behind him.

Zac spun around instantly and saw Armani standing there. "Do you really have nothing better to do than stalk me?"

"Mind your words, will you?"

"I didn’t mean to insult you, but it genuinely feels like you stalk me."

"Is it really that bad for me to look after you?"

"I didn’t ask for it, but anyway... thank you."

Zac closed the book in his hand. "So why are you actually here? Did you come to make fun of me or humiliate me?"

[I think those are the same thing.]

Armani raised an eyebrow. "And why would I do either?"

"For one, I lost the tournament. Second, I lost to a fellow student."

[Once again, I think those are the same thing.]

Armani folded her arms. "Actually, I’m here for neither. I simply wanted to see how you were handling your first defeat."

Zac frowned slightly, though a faint smile appeared on his face. "This isn’t my first defeat. I’ve lost plenty of times in my life."

"Are you talking about that girl from your old school?"

Zac’s head snapped toward her. For the briefest instant, a faint red glint flickered through his eyes.

Armani’s expression shifted. "All right, all right. Your mother told me about it. Don’t look at me like that. I’m not here to drag you into some emotional drama either."

"Then what are you here for?"

"Like I said, I wanted to make sure you were fine. And judging by the look of you, it seems you are."

"Great. Then you may leave. Unlike you, I have things to do." Zac turned around and resumed searching through the shelves.

Armani watched him silently for a few seconds. "Well, if you don’t mind, I can help you choose the right skill."

Zac didn’t answer and continued browsing.

"You know, this doesn’t have to be considered a favor. Think of it as the vice-principal helping a student of her academy."

Zac finally turned around. "Thank you."

"I watched your fight against that ice girl, so I have a fairly good idea of what you’re lacking. But if you genuinely want my advice, I need you to answer one thing honestly. Is that acceptable?"

Zac considered it for a moment.

[Are you an idiot? Just say yes.]

Zac looked at Armani. "Please."

"Good. Then tell me. Why did you lose?"

Zac blinked in confusion. "What do you mean? You watched the fight. I lost because she was stronger."

Armani stared at him. "I said no lying."

Zac fell silent.

"You had more than enough capability to beat her, yet you deliberately held yourself back. Why?"

"I don’t know what you’re talking about."

"Do you seriously think I’m one of those children you can fool?" Armani’s eyes narrowed. "Your gravity bracelet. The one you dramatically threw onto the stage like some shonen protagonist."

[Shonen? I’m surprised that word survived the apocalypse.]

"That bracelet was bronze when Simon originally gave it to you, correct? It only turns completely black once the wearer has adapted to ten-times gravity."

Zac’s expression remained unchanged.

"Which means you’ve already been training under ten-times gravity. But during the match, even after removing it, your physical output was only around three or four times what you had previously shown."

Armani crossed her arms. "So tell me. Why were you holding back?"

"Sigh...Fine. Yes, I was holding back. But not for whatever reason you’re currently imagining."

"I wasn’t imagining anything."

"You might’ve been. You know... because Sabrina is a girl and everything."

"Just get to the point."

"Right." Zac leaned slightly against the shelf. "I don’t want too much attention on me."

Armani stared at him. "You think you don’t have attention on you now?"

"Maybe I do, but it would’ve been worse if I had actually won."

"Sabrina is a publicly recognized prodigy of this generation. She’s known even among the other academies. If word got out that some unknown newcomer defeated her in combat, it would’ve placed me under far more scrutiny."

"And attracting that kind of attention is exactly what I’m trying to avoid. You already know that, don’t you? Why are you still asking?"

"Just confirming." Armani turned toward the surrounding shelves. "Now, let’s talk about why you truly lost, aside from deliberately restraining yourself."

"When it comes to swordsmanship, your foundation is excellent. Almost flawless, especially for someone your age."

"But that is exactly what it is. A foundation. There’s nothing built on top of it."

"You know how to swing, parry, defend, counter, position yourself, and read an opponent. Your fundamentals are exceptionally refined, but you don’t possess a proper sword technique."

"That’s why you struggled when Sabrina used her swordsmanship against you. You could adapt because your instincts are superior, and you could overpower her through your freakish physical ability and strength."

She paused. "But that will only take you so far."

"So, what should I do?"

"I suggest choosing your first proper swordsmanship technique now."

"Not merely because it will make you more efficient in combat. It can also become the foundation for developing sword intent."

"Sword intent?"

"Eventually, yes. That’s why you shouldn’t choose a technique simply because it looks powerful or gives you a significant advantage in the early stages."

"Look at where the technique can take you."

"More importantly, consider what kind of sword intent could eventually emerge from it."

Even though he only partially understood what she meant, he still nodded.

"As for your second skill, that choice is less obvious, and I have a few options for it."

"First, you could choose a movement skill."

"Your speed is excellent because of your physical attributes. But without an actual movement technique, you’re essentially just running around very fast. That’s it."

"My second option is your lightning element, yet you still don’t have a proper lightning skill or technique."

"A movement technique would improve your speed, maneuverability, evasion, and your ability to escape dangerous situations."

"On the other hand, choosing a lightning skill or technique would allow you to utilize your element properly and expand your overall combat capabilities."

She looked directly at him. "The choice is entirely yours."

Zac started thinking about it seriously.

"Anyway, that’s enough free advice for now. I still have duties to attend to as vice-principal." And with that, Armani vanished just as abruptly as she had appeared, leaving no trace behind.