6 Workplace

[El's POV: ]

A skill is comparable to a magic spell that can be created through [Workplace] or acquired from a variety of sources.

This was also a part of the Worldline because I built it with the central world system as its foundation.

One entered this place as a spirit body or mental body.

You can develop talents or practice skills. You can do anything in this limitless, unbreakable, white space.

Creating a skill wasn't so simple; for average individuals, it was practically impossible.

As ONE, though, we were anything but normal.

This moron of mine perfected a single sword motion by practicing it countless times in order for the system to recognize it as a skill.

I dismantled or sketched the thing called 'skill' as I already had expert knowledge of the fundamentals and functioning of the world.

We both understood that developing new skills was difficult and that we couldn't immediately use all of our knowledge to create the best skills. Real life had considerably more constraints and bounds than virtual reality.

And... creating a skill was an achievement within this Worldline.

You get rewards according to what you create from 'Voice of the world' and they can be anything from (Oz), scrolls, or skill points.

The central world's system classified the skills into many ranks.

After meeting specific requirements, anyone can acquire [Grade-1] skills, which are common skills. For example, having a Mana heart grants {Mana Breathing}.

Skills in [Grade-2] have more than one function, and a small majority of individuals possess them. They have a physical function like a parallel mind or a magical function like prism space.

[Grade-3] skills that a select few people possess. They not only have multiple functions, but they are also powerful in many ways.

They also serve as a reflection of the owner.

Lucy's {Perseverance} was something that reflected him perfectly.

He was already a single-minded person when he had to complete a task.

Never in my life had I encountered someone who worked as hard as he did.

For our happiness, he did everything he could, possibly even more.

He might have accomplished considerably far more than what we did if he had used that single-mindedness in another situation.

Yet... I am aware.

Such an idea had never even entered his little head.

He had me. What more can he ask for?

He was also someone with a tough mentality. When it came to matters regarding the mind, there was only one person who could break him: me.

Hence, the {Six Walls} also reflected that characteristic of his perfectly as well.

As for me, I knew how to read.

How to read languages that I have seen for a few hours, reading rooms with silent activities, and how to read people—even those who are experts in their field.

The majority of the characters, enemies, and artifacts in this game were also familiar to me, and everything was recorded in my photographic memory.

So, the {White Eyes} skill reflected most of me.

[Grade-4]skills. Some things which are not permitted under Worldline guidelines can nevertheless be used under very severe restrictions.

These abilities enable the use of stuff that the fundamental worldline normally prohibits.

The most priceless gifts that [Angles] or [Demons] may provide are these kinds of abilities.

And lastly, the most powerful type of skill that I designed.

[Zero Skill]

A skill that stayed at (Level-0) but can even grow outside the bounds of the Worldline.

These were abilities that all MCs possessed or would eventually acquire.

Our skills {Red Crown} and {Blue Crown} are also some of those cheat skills.

I invested a great deal of my time creating the algorithms for creating and granting these {Zero skills} in the system's core, so when I saw the skill window for the first time, I knew my efforts had been worthwhile.

We were back inside the big, good-looking orphanage.

Baron Terin Knot, the proprietor of this establishment, was the game's villain and a minor character who was just killed by the main characters in a genocide.

I had no limitations back there, so I created every scene and every drop of blood as realistically as possible.

With the painful cries and crashing of dead bodies, I had put some of the greatest efforts into making them.

Then that fucked up thing happened, and the game was wiped out, ruining all my excitement.

I might even have considered releasing that game if I ever completed it. It was that much good.

But now that we're inside that game, I'm able to accomplish things that I couldn't in my previous world.

This place was already the best starting point we could ask for.

And, the making of skills will start from tomorrow as we would unlock the workplace by night.

"El? What is that?" Lucy pulled the end of my dress and pointed at the front.

We had snaked out by the window as usual and returned at the scheduled hour.

Normally, there shouldn't be anything out of place.

Then... what was that piece of paper in our room?

I responded, "Looks like it's from Miss Evaline," as there was only one possible option.

Walking closer to the small table, I picked up the piece of paper.

{ "Happy birthday, El and Lucy. I know you are playing outside again, so I will just leave this note.

I don't know your actual birthday but for me, the day we met will always be your birthday.

Don't hurt yourself and come back safely~." }

"She's the same as always." He mumbled beside me.

"Hu..." Folding the paper, I put it inside the drawer. This was hurting my cold heart.

[ "El, I really want to kill that bastard." ] He uttered such words in my head before cursing at that son of a bitch. His eyes were wet as he thought of the kind lady.

[ "We will. Definitely." ] I never wrote something like that, but... this bastard did 'things' to this sweet lady who took care of many children like us.

And I... we can't forgive that piece of shit.

We won't kill him instantly with some simple cutting off the throat, and I'll make sure even his soul screams in agony when the time comes!

-Hugs.

I gave Lucy a long, tight hug before putting on my stoic look.

I wasn't merciful when it came to torture and I also wasn't lazy enough to not describe every single drop of blood that escaped from their body.

***

Night came as we set on the bed in the dimly lit room.

[Ding!]

"It's here~," I shouted joyfully and jumped from the bed as the barrage of messages started.

[You have met the conditions!]

[Updating world line interface.]

[Updating status window.]

[Collecting data.]

[…]

[Complete.]

[Congratulations! You have unlocked the function: Workplace!]

[<Voice of world> have recognized an achievement.]

[Congratulations! You're the youngest being among the average human species to unlock this function.]

[Granting first achievement reward.]

[Increasing the rank of (Gift) to match the achievement.]

[Achievement recorded in personal <Records>.]

With this blast of system notifications, we were ready to start the first phase of our plans.