As Hilda tears one of her two remaining coupons, she gets sent back to the same white room which she''s getting sick of seeing.


    Oi, guide where are you?


    I''m here, I see you made good use of the potion.


    The guide glances at Shila who has still not gotten back up.


    Yea, I need help.


    Obviously, why else would you be here?


    I came here to win the event the other time.


    Hilda notices the guide''s face somehow twitch a bit angrily or annoyed, but can''t tell the difference due to a lack of any facial features except a mouth.


    So, are you gonna help or not?


    Fine, the skills you want will be 1300 in total.


    Fine, what are they?


    First is sword qi.


    Are you kidding me?


    Yea, I took the name from your world, so what?


    Fine, but I can''t find it in the shop.


    That''s cause your sword mastery needs to be higher, second, I would suggest spatial skills.


    Huh?


    It''s basically teleportation.


    That''s great, but won''t other people also have it?


    Nope, it sucks, takes tons of mana.


    Then why suggest it? Hilda gets a bit annoyed but continues smiling.


    If you increase the skill level, it takes less mana, so for future use or emergencies.


    Fine, do I get all 3?


    Yes.


    Hilda goes to the shop and buys all 3 low level spatial related skills.


    Low level spatial attunement skill


    It lets you detect if anybody is about to teleport to the location, or if there''s an object there.


    Cost:100


    Low level spatial transference skill


    Transference of any form of matter, mana usage is affected by size, number, range and level of skill


    Cost:100


    Low level spatial resistance skill


    Helps resist being forcefully affected by spatial skills.


    Cost:100


    What do they do?


    Read the description you lazy brat.


    Yea, but I don''t understand the need for the attunement skill.


    If you teleport where somebody is teleporting or there''s an object there already, your body will fuse into them, and most likely due.


    Oh.


    It''s also not a pretty sight.


    I kind of guessed it.


    Oh by the way, the spatial magic will merge too.


    Huh?


    Low level spatial magic(level 1)


    Allows the user to use low level spatial magic.


    (Cost:total:300)


    Oh nice, but question.


    Yea?


    I thought the resistance skill and attunement was passive, isn''t it basically leveling them up?


    Oh yea, leveling up the general skill only affects the active skills, also, you only need skills that help you manipulate that type of magic if you want to merge them. resistance skills only get merged into general skill but don''t contribute nor benefit from it. Your mental resistance skill is also part of your mental magic(level 8).


    Oh, why didn''t it merge immediately? Hilda says while checking and noticing that it actually did merge.


    Because I just changed it not too long ago.


    Huh?


    I already said before, you guys are the first 10 users, so expect changes, small ones mostly.The author''s tale has been misappropriated; report any instances of this story on Amazon.


    Oh okay, but hey does mental skills have 4 in total including resistance skill but not spatial?


    Because there are different types of magic, and mental magic is special with illusion magic, and I''m too lazy to answer more questions, so bye.


    Hilda watches as she gets sent back to her original position with the half finished cake.


    So I gotta practice spatial magic and my sword huh?


    Shila goes around attacking anything in sight while practicing spatial magic only in open areas.


    Wow, spatial magic gives me a headache to use.


    It''s just because you''re not used to it. Shila says while eating her cake in her hands, having gotten up at some point.


    Through the next few days, all Hilda''s routine has been reduced to, wake up, hunting, eating and drinking, sleeping, with showing not needed due to being able to buy a “full body cleaning” in the shop which works amazingly, eventually getting spatial magic to level 4, and buying sword qi(level 1) having gotten her mastery sufficient somewhere through her hunting, and leveling up 2 times.


    Sword qi(level 1)


    Allows you to use willpower to materialise a layer of energy which improves attacking abilities, along with sending it out as a ranged attack.


    I tried the range attack, but it''s still pretty weak sadly, so I''ll have to depend fully on melee.


    Notification.


    Aiden(rank 1) requests a council meeting.


    What''s this?


    What do you think?


    Sure I''ll accept It I guess, but can you just disappear?


    Why?


    Cause you look nearly identical to me and I''m wearing a mask not because I like how it looks, or feels.


    I can''t, but I can wear a mask too.


    But you''re clearly female…


    Then buy me a mental mask instead of being a cheapskate.


    Fine… but won''t they be able to potentially see through due to your lack of mental abilities?


    Well… you could just enable a function to hide my face and appearance, which includes my gender.


    So why the hell did you tell me to buy you a mask?


    I like it.


    …


    Hide yourself and accept the meeting already.


    Fine.


    As Shila accepts the notification, they get sent to a room with a big rounded table in the center and 10 chairs around it with a speaker on the top of each, each with different colours with her being behind the black coloured one.


    Oh, now that I think about it, why do I still have my trail? Hilda thinks knowing that Shila can read her mind.


    How would I know?


    Useless.


    Hilda goes and sits in the black seat, which is most likely for her, not that she cares if it is or not as she notices the person in the white seat opposite her, staring at her along with the other seats already filled with mostly familiar but not friendly faces, along with white and red both having a younger system version of them too.


    Well this is going to be fun.


    Black, you sure took your time huh? The person in the green seat asks, followed by the person in the yellow seat.


    Do you think we should just wait for you?


    Didn''t I cause those two to die?


    Hilda thinks as a robotic voice sounds out her thoughts.


    Hilda, everybody''s thoughts are sounded out loud here unless you say it outloud, also attacking isn''t allowed. Shila whispers with her whole body now a blur of blue due to hiding her appearance.


    Everybody, I have requested this meeting to request your cooperation to kill the boss. White interrupts before anyone else tries arguing with Hilda.


    What boss? Blue says, making Hilda mentally insult him causing the robotic voice to sound out her thoughts making everyone stare at her again, causing the speakers from most of the other users to start blocking out almost nothing but vulgarities at her.


    Everybody, for the people who do not know, if you reach the side of the tower, apparently a notification will appear asking if you would like to fight the boss.


    Where did you get this information? Blue asks, this time glaring at Hilda, daring her to insult him again, despite being significantly weaker.


    I got the information from my system.


    How can that be? My system tells me that I''m not authorized to know, so unless you can prove it or I''m not agreeing.


    Our systems are upgraded, due to the event, just look at black there with hers in her dam lap.


    Not like I wanted it. Hilda thinks, making the speaker speak her thoughts out loud again due to her not personally saying it.


    It''s more comfortable than standing like the two idiots by white and red''s side. Shila says out loud with a robotic voice, probably due to hiding her appearance completely., making the systems by red and white side glare at her.


    Wow black, your systems just as rude as you ain''t it? Red says, with red and yellow joining in and insulting Hilda a bit but as much as blue who can''t seem to shut up.


    Everybody, can we get back to the main topic? White says, clearly slowly getting irritated, making the three stop insulting her and focus on him instead.


    Everybody, let''s meet in three days to discuss the plan and fight the boss, is that okay with everyone here?


    Most of the stronger players agree immediately as the weaker players hesitate before agreeing.


    Alright black, everybody but you has agreed, let me just inform you that if you do not participate, you will not be able to go to the second floor unless you kill the boss again, which will have to be by yourself.


    How can I trust you all not to backstab me? Hilda thinks, letting the speaker help voice out her thoughts, causing blue to start cussing at her again before white intervenes again.


    Fine black, when discussing the plan in three days if you agree to cooperate, I''ll try letting you be further from others.


    Fine.


    Alright everybody, if there are no more objections I would appreciate if everybody could use the remaining three days to get stronger.


    As everybody leaves, with Hilda preparing to leave the council from her system screen, white stops her.


    Black.


    What?


    Why do you refuse to talk using your voice and instead use the speaker?


    Why do you care?


    Curiosity, but I have a request.


    What?


    Answer three of my questions or requests limited to information and this room and I''ll reciprocate.


    Why should I do so?


    Because I''m helping you by placing you away from the others.


    How can I trust you then?


    About the placement or the questions and requests?


    The latter.


    We''re sitting on seats that voice our real thoughts, I feel that that is sufficient.


    Fine, but no taking off my masks or unblurring my system and I''m starting first.


    Sure.


    What''s the skill you used on me?


    It''s called water manipulation.


    Not lower water magic?


    It simply lets me control the moisture and store it. It''s also the equivalent of intermediate magic, so it''s just water manipulation, not lower or higher, my turn.


    Show me your trait.


    That''s allowed?


    I also specified requests, and I won''t tell anyone else.


    Why my trait?


    The guide said you were his favourite for the reason you''re in the tower, so since trait is related to personality, it''s two birds with one stone.


    Traits are related to personality? Didn''t know.


    Now you do, so are you going to show me or not?


    Fine, but if I hear any unnecessary comments I''m attacking you.


    Trait: sis con (Max)


    How… unique.


    My turn, show me your trait in return.


    Sure.


    Trait: one with water(level 6)


    How old are you?


    17.


    A year younger than me.


    My turn.


    Hilda tries to think of a question or request but suddenly gets interrupted by Shila.


    Tell your shitty system to stop glaring at me for insulting it early.


    Black, would you like to make that your request?


    … Sure.


    Then for my last one I''ll let my system ask it too.


    Sure.


    What''s your gender?


    …


    System, why did you ask that? White asks with a confused tone but a straight face probably due to Hildas mental mask, hiding her face and hair.


    Why do you ask?


    Because there are 5 male, and 4 female with you being unknown, and the guide seems to have balanced out the age groups with the genders with people of different genders having at least one person of the opposite gender being around the same age group.


    This good enough?


    Hilda asks without using the speaker, making White''s system grin slightly that it got it right, pissing Shila off a bit and white himself having no visible reaction.


    Now that we''re done, I''m going off.


    Why do you hide your gender?


    Do I need to answer that?


    No, but I would appreciate it.


    To surprise someone.


    Your sister?


    Nice guess.


    Not hard when your trait is so unique and high leveled.


    I do hope you''ll keep your promise to keep what we said here a secret or I''ll make sure to find a way to kill you.


    Don''t worry.


    Oh and your Aiden right? Just making sure.


    Yes, I thought it was rather obvious.


    Hence the just making sure bit.


    Hilda leaves the area, and sighs a bit before going back to hunting to level up her skills and level up.