200. Self Copying and Mobile Storage

“Hm. If it's a golden scroll, then this should be the right encyclopedia for it…”

“I think I've gone through roughly half of it, and it feels like my eyes are burning.”

“Hoho. It's quite a lot, right? But you cannot be surprised with just this. This encyclopedia only contains skills for the magician cla.s.s Protectors after all.”

“Huh? Isn't it this one?”

In the encyclopedia roughly the size of a regular A sheet paper pack, countless pictograms the size of a thumb filled the paper to the brim.

After a long time of searching through the encyclopedia, I found a pictogram that I had seen written on the scroll before.

The pictogram looked like two people that were holding hands.

Dump and I brought the scroll closer and began to check if it was the right one.

“Oh! That's it. Looking at the name… It's the Cloning Jutsu!”

“Cloning Jutsu…”

“Confirming the skill name with my own eyes heightens my surprise even more. You really are amazing. The elite monsters the scroll drops from have to at least be rank 8 or 9. These are elite monsters that most Protectors do not dare face.”

“Guess I got lucky. Thankfully it wasn't an elite monster from the unexplored territories.”

“You're right. But Sir Protector, aren't you a warrior cla.s.s? Unfortunately, seeing your sword and armor, it seems you won't be able to use this scroll. Only a Protector with the cla.s.s of mage can use this skill after all.”

“Is the ability to obtain skills also locked to the different cla.s.ses here as well?”

“Huh? Here? Well, yes. You can learn the skill, but you can't use it. It's because the resource needed to use the skill is different.” 

“Can I tell what and how much of this resource I have numerically?”

“No. That's not the case. However, any Protector can sense the resource they possess. After all, it's important due to its uses in using skills and taking care of one's health. You can say that it's tied to one's survival.”

“I see. If it's an issue of having the wrong cla.s.s, it doesn't matter.”

“Huh?”

“Ah… What I meant to say was that since I can exchange this with a warrior cla.s.s skill of the same rank, it doesn't matter.”

“Of course you can. Since a Cloning Jutsu is quite the high ranking skill, it's pretty much guaranteed that you'll get a warrior cla.s.s skill of similar ranking. Should I bring you the warrior skill encyclopedia as well?”

“No. Let's first learn about the skill. We can sort out the trading afterwards.”

“I understand. I knew you would say that, so I brought it ahead of time. Let's see… It's number 466, so…”

Dump unfurled the scroll that he had brought with the encyclopedia.

The detailed information of the skill that wasn't included in the encyclopedia filled to the brim with pictograms were written in there.

“Here it is. Number 466, Cloning Jutsu.”

I was quite surprised at the method of finding the skill scroll's name and information about it.

The technological skill was far lacking compared to how it was back on Earth, but the systematic, well organized, and detailed encyclopedias and manuals for skills were quite something else.

Only the method of digital and a.n.a.logue information recording was different, and I felt that nothing was lacking.

While it would take a bit longer to pull up the information, there were no other downsides.

The explanation Dump found about the Cloning Jutsu was as follows.

-Cloning Jutsu-

*For mage cla.s.s Protectors.

*Makes a clone equivalent to 50% of the resource of the caster. (Depending on the proficiency, possible up to ??%)

*Per clone per minute, 1% of the mage's maximum resource is used up.

*Depending on the proficiency, the maximum number created can be increased by ??, and a unique ability is given.

“It's good.”

“Of course. However, the drawback is that it's hard to use unless you're in a dire situation. It's obvious that this skill expends a lot of resources.”

“Is that so? Well, it doesn't matter to me…”

“Hoho. Of course. You're going to trade it after all.”

“Then let's search for the remaining one as well.”

“Yes.”

Cloning Jutsu.

This type of skill did not exist back on Earth.

Mana and mastery of one's power affected the skill like before, but this type of skill did not exist.

The closest thing to this was calling forth a summoned creature.

The world that Karupedan made. The skills and abilities that came from her mind.

It made me wonder who she planned on tormenting or saving by making things like these.

However, it didn't take long for my entire focus to be on the Cloning Jutsu.

It's kind of arrogant to say this, but this Cloning Jutsu was a skill perfect for me.

The limitation on both cla.s.s and the drain of resources does not affect me at all.

With the Fragment of Time and s.p.a.ce, I had been able to handle any power.

It didn't matter if the world I was in was Earth, the celestial plane, or even h.e.l.l.

Not only that, but I did not have such a thing called resources bestowed upon Protectors.

Thus, this meant that I was able to use all the skills obtained here with mana.

Since there was no way infinite mana could be divided into a percentage, it wouldn't be a stretch to say that the clone made would have the same strength as I.

I did not know the maximum number of clones I could make.

Since it hasn't been that long since monsters and Protectors have appeared, no one knew just how many clones could be made.

And what would happen when one had obtained the maximum level of mastery of this skill, then used to skill with 100% power of the caster?

It wouldn't be a 1v1 fight, but a ganging up made possible by this skill.

It would be long before I would get this skills' proficiency to the maximum by constantly using it, then test to see what additional benefits there are.

I was curious about the last part that was written regarding the special ability.

Did it mean that the clone would have the same strength as the caster while obtaining another new ability?

If it goes as I hope for and my clone gets 100% of my strength, and then even obtains a unique ability, then one could consider this skill as an insane one.

After all, it would mean that I would be able to control clones stronger than I.

It was obvious that I had to put great effort into raising my mastery of this skill.

“Here it is!”

Before I could calm down my excitement from obtaining the Cloning Jutsu, Dump had found the other remaining scrolls' pattern as well.

It hadn't been that wrong, but Dump really was a helping hand that was worth far more than jewels by the truckload.

I even considered that this relations.h.i.+p could progress into one similar to a family, like Jong Ho and Ho Jin back on Earth.

There was no way to see through a person completely, but his thoughts and character were similar to the people around me after all.

“Have you found it already?”

“Hoho. Compared to the last one, this one was further up in the front.”

“Number 121. Mobile Storage.”

“Even the name alone sounds fancy. Reminds me of Karin's pocket…”

“Hm… Sir Protector seems to say things that make me wonder if you're someone from another world. Well, it's probably because you've lost your memory though, hoho.”

“Is that so? Let's see what the detailed explanation says.”

“Yes, we should.”

-Mobile Storage-

*At the caster's will, summons a storage that can store goods.

*The storage and complete obliteration of items follows the will of the caster.

*The size of the storage increases depending on the mastery.

*Living creatures can also enter, but cannot leave the storage without the permission of the caster.

*When the caster dies, the storage also ceases to exist. (Everything both object and living stored also perishes.)

“I've heard about Mobile Storage before. This is one of the skills that a Protector must obtain. However, the cost of the skill scroll goes beyond one's imagination. After all, you cannot obtain this from a regular monster.”

“Yes. It was quite troublesome to store jewels and artifacts, so I'm glad.”

“If this is a skill you haven't learned yet, then I think you avoid trading it and learn it instead.”

“Yes, I think I should. However…”

“Ah. Is it that you do not know how to use the skill scroll?”

“Yes… It seems that my memories…”

“Hoho. It's quite simple. All you have to do is twist and tear the scroll apart with a bit of force.”

“It's a lot more simple than I thought.”

“Yes. Since the method of obtaining the skill is quite easy, I heard that there are fights that break out during party hunting due to those who lose themselves to greed and try taking the scroll for their own. Then will you try it now?”

“Yes. Let's do so.”

“Whew… I can say for sure that it's not a good feeling.”

“Hoho. Is that so? This is something that a civilian like me would never get the chance to experience… Huh? Sir Guardian!”

“Yes?”

“My goodness… The skill you've just obtained isn't Mobile Storage, but Cloning Jutsu!”

“Ah… Is that so?”

“Oh no. Such a waste, what should we do…”

“Guess I'll have to think of it as a costly lesson.”

“Since it already happened, it can't be helped, but… Ha… Do not worry too much. Both bad luck and fortune coexist, so thinking about it in a positive light like Sir Guardian has said is probably the right thing to do.”

Dump regretted me learning the Cloning Jutsu as if it was his own problem.

His words tried to console me, but it almost seemed as though he was the one who needed consoling instead.

Letting out what seemed like an endless sigh, he even stomped on the ground.

It was to be expected, since he must think that this skill was useless to a warrior cla.s.s Protector he thought I was.

From his point of view, it must've been the same as discarding the scroll on the ground.

Seeing as this was not an act, but a genuine response from him, it was very rea.s.suring for me.

This was the same feeling I was getting when I first met Jong Ho.

I felt a bit remorseful that I was fooling someone like this, but I knew it wouldn't have to for long.

This was an acquaintance that I would part ways with in a 100 days, but I didn't approach him with the goal of using him or causing him harm.

And if the situation did call for it, then I did have the intention to reveal my ident.i.ty.

Of course, I hoped that such a worst case scenario would not come to pa.s.s.

After self rationalizing, I obtained the Mobile Storage skill.

“Oho…”

“So this is the storage spell.”

I called forth the storage using the Mobile Storage skill I had obtained.

The air blew violently as if being sucked into a single point, then a s.p.a.ce both dark and deep blue appeared.

It seemed Dump, who was someone other than the caster, was able to see it.

As seeing it for the first time, he mouth was agape and it seemed that he couldn't hold back his excitement.

I threw a small handful of jewels into the tear in s.p.a.ce.

Almost as if someone had received them and started to organize them right away, the jewels were sorted immediately.

Not only that, but it was accurately being sorted by size and ranking, filling the corner of the storage.

Looking at me with wonder in his eyes, Dump spoke to me.

“The way to raise the proficiency of the Mobile Storage skill is different from other skills.”

“What's different?”

“What I mean is that the skill's proficiency won't increase by constantly using it. Hm… To put it simply, it's like renting a room of an inn.”

“A room of an inn?”

“Yes. You can think of the skill Mobile Storage as the owner of the inn. It grows up by eating. It doesn't care for the jewels you tossed in for storage, but if you toss any items for destruction or as feed, it'll eat it all. And then it'll give you s.p.a.ce worth the items fed.”

“Such an amusing thing. It's almost as if it's alive.”

“Yes. You can feel as though the artifacts you sacrifice to it is a waste, but since Mobile Storage will always play a crucial role, it would be best that you do not hold back investing into it.”

“I see.”

Handing over half the jewels I brought back to Dump, I poured the rest into the storage and spoke.

“Here. Eat. This is your meal.”

-Crunch. Crunch.