That Unique Monster Who Just Got the 'Consciousness' Passive Skill

"…To answer that, since I mainly fight with eastern swords, I can be considered a Samurai. And that's what my—no, our guild teaches disciples, so there you have it."

"...Oh."

"Hehe," he rubbed his nose. "Aren't I the best guild master you could land. Your fighting style—I recognize it's the royal style from the Reinred Empire, isn't it—also happens to belong to the samurai class… but you must already know that."

Explanations were over and he kept telling me about the skill, as well as performing it, for five long minutes.

"Now then, you should be able to start practicing the foundation of the spell on your own, boy. After a week of intense daily practice, you should be able to obtain the skill. …Only if you try hard enough and are as good as I think you are, that is…"

"...Uh?"

"...What is it, boy?"

"Uh? I… I mean, one week? Like, one entire week? You must be kidding… right, sir?"

"Uh… no? One week it is. In the first place, I'm giving you a week because I've got real high expectations for you, boy. Truth is, it usually takes up to a few months of training and stuff when it comes to middle-tier spells. …Wait, what were you expecting, boy?"

After the swordsman laid it out to me like this, I might have sounded like the most arrogant brat ever, but I seriously didn't think people could be weak and incompetent to this point.

I had the chance to observe the swordsman demonstrate that "middle-tier" spell of his more than ten times, already. As we weren't fighting while he did so, I had the luxury to be able to fully focus all my intellect onto observing and scrutinizing him while he performed the technique, with as big eyes as plates, like an eagle passively devouring its prey with its eyes before diving in for the kill… and I was good at it.

Over ten times, everything played out the same: As I hit the man's sword, it gently followed my push as it gently drew away, shone bright blue as if a veil of aura was placed on the blade, then found the shortest way back to me, unleashing all the absorbed power attack against my blade.

Deeply staring at the swordsman, I said it. "I mean, you give me a week, but I'll give myself only about a minute." My head was tilted to the side, and before the instructor could think of telling me how stupid what I just said was, in his eyes, I saw that he understood how serious I was.

My expression was blank and undisguised. It was the same expression I first harbored when I massacred all the humans at the restaurant on my first day. It was the monster's expression.

"How… How will you do that, you…?"

I wasn't a "boy," now. I was "you." Or "he." I was "that thing" people could never understand and see through. I was myself.

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For a second, I was genuinely confused. How would I do it, the man asked? I mean, I'd just do it, right? What else was there to it? But then, I remembered that other people's experience wasn't quite like mine. They weren't "you," they weren't "he," and they weren't "that thing."

The freaky swordsman gulped and took a step back. Was I radiating so much aura? Well, even if I was, the freaky swordsman was someone powerful and freaky enough so that I could be myself around him, so did he just back away out of awe? He said it himself—he had great expectations for me. Well, let me blow those expectations for him.

I jumped up, visualized how it was done in my head, and took position.

"Th-That's exactly why it has to be him…" the swordsman murmured, taking a step back.

Drawing my sword up, I practiced the spell on my own.

"I-It's just like what the ancient legends say…" he continued, taking another step back.

Demonstrating the skill, easily enough, I managed to summon the same blue veil of mana around myself.

"He's… basically 'greed' itself… He can… No… He will steal everything!" the swordsman said, with a rapturous look on his face.

Letting my sword dance, I just perfected the foundation of the spell I was just taught.

"...Can you see it… Sana!? HA-HA-HA-HA-HA!" the freak concluded, basically going mad.

…Ring! ❮ The new Passive Skill [Skill School — Sword Style +3] has been obtained. ❯

Ring! ❮ The new Active Skill <Blade Protection> has been obtained. ❯

And then again, just like I expected would happen: Ring! ❮ (2) Be notified that a command has yet to be registered for interactive use of the "Skill Interface" menu.

❮ — To open the "Skill Interface" the Player must register the Vocal Command first: Register a command? Y/N – 5

❮ Register a command? Y/N — 4 ❯

I obviously went for "yes."

❮ Register: Once you have elected the vocal command, pronounce it. (The following operation has to be conducted presently.) ❯

"...? What?"

❮ "What." To confirm, repeat the same vocal command. ❯

"...? Well, okay, then. What—"

❮ Failure to proceed— ❯ After the System gave me a report on that, I understood it was my mistake. I supposedly chose "What" as a vocal command, which was supposed to allow me, the Player, to summon the System Menu or whatever, so I had to repeat just that—"What."

Now, I was asked to choose a vocal command again. Basically, a word I'd use to call forth the Menu whenever I needed. Well. Now I understood how inappropriate it had been for me to ignore the System when it asked me to do that back in the forest after I created my Character. It made sense that, right as I started the Game, I'd need to have the Game Menu around in order to fully "play" the Game, right?

After some time, I decided to go for something very basic.

"System."

I was asked for confirmation.

"...System."

And that part was done. But boy, I wasn't done with the System yet. After all, the System wasn't just some useless fancy feature following me everywhere just for kicks—it was the real thing. A complex thing. At last, the stupid ass me who really should have taken the time to try and understand my ancient, mystical power's origin, was about to power up due to uncovering something as basic as the System Menu. Or Skill Tab, for now. Power up by a lot. Really.

❮ The Player may speak the elected command at any time, whilst registered as "Player, Character: Skill," to summon forth the System Menu. From there, the Player may operate and interact with the Tab(s). ❯

"No doubt," I mumbled.

Isolated in a corner of the empty dojo, I let the swordsman know I was busy with something right now and couldn't be disturbed. Talking to myself, or rather to the System, I was excited to see what was there to discover for me.

"...And so…" I scratched my head with hesitation, "System."

❮ Skill Interface. ❯

A bluish floating AR display was produced in front of me. It appeared from thin air, forming itself out of nothing. This phenomenon I had witnessed many times already; I wasn't put off.

The blue panel was flat, large, and long, floating right in front of my eyes. When I turned to look to my right, it followed me and stayed glued to my field of vision.

Yeah, I thought, that thing's definitely coming from me. It always has. The old man said it was my own power, after all… Still though, now that I have enough common sense to know I can say the thing's pretty weird. Not that I mind it.

When I asked the System to read, the System read.

❮ Name: Skill ❯

❮ Race: Demonic Unclassified(?) ❯

❮ Title: Unique Monster, Fratricide, Evolver, Humanoid, Friend of the Orcs, Ultimate Scarecrow ❯

❮ Level: 45 ❯

❮ Status ❯

❮ HP: 1450/1450 ❯

❮ MP: 400/400 ❯

❮ Vit. 83 ❯

❮ Strength 83 ❯

❮ Agility 83 ❯

❮ Intelligence 83 ❯

❮ Sense 83 ❯

❮ Fatigue: 35 ❯

❮ Unique Skills: [Mana's Benediction ] [Dwelling] [Grand Devourer] [Skill Copy] [Advanced Evolving] ❯

❮ Passive Skills: [Jelly-like Shapelessness] [Resistant Body] [Consciousness] [Mana Perception] [Reinred School — Sword Style +7] [Resistance to Poison +3] [Resistance to Pain +1] [Resistance to Cold] [Enhanced Flair] [Night Vision] [Resistance to Ailment] [Sharp Ear] [Skill School — Sword Style +3] ❯

❮ Active Skills: <Quick Pace> <Intimidation> <Chain Attack> <Steel Claw> <Knit Cobweb> <Blade Shield> ❯