Weapons of Mass Destruction

Chapter 531: Questions

“What is your name?”

“Nathaniel Gwyn.”

“Do you have family and what are their names?”

“Sister Victoria and mother Thalia.”

“Your father?”

“His name was Robert. He’s dead.”

“I just noticed your mood shift and your body tense when you spoke about him just now. Did you have a bad relationship with him? Also, you can refuse to answer these questions.”

“There’s no need. And yes, our relationship was bad most of the time.”

“Do you hate him?”

“What did you come to understand?”

“He and my mother were both minors when they had my sister. They were in love back then and decided to keep her instead of going for another option. It’s crazy to think they were younger than me, actually younger than some of the others in my group .”

“Do you blame them?”

“Not really. Watching my group has taught me that people can be illogical from time to time, and even the best of intentions can end terribly. One of the people in my group killed one of her friends by mistake back on the 1st floor. She still hasn’t forgiven herself, and I’ve noticed how it holds her back from taking full advantage of her skill.”

“Any other examples you’ve noticed?”

“There’s another member who could have gotten our group killed because she was desperate to improve our group’s bond. Another one would have sacrificed all the others just to keep her sister safe. And the brothers would have done the same, all because they felt like they could only rely on each other. I saw another one who bullied others, and I could sense his satisfaction whenever he felt he’d proven that he was stronger than the others around him. Then there’s the young girl who killed real people, attendees just like us, on the third floor when her sister manipulated her mind and walled off her fear.”

“I’ll count that as five answers.”

“Thank you.”

“You’ve opened up a lot and answered my questions without a lot of complaint. Is that because of the vow I made?”

“Yes. I also find it surprisingly calming to tell you this, knowing that you don’t care about me personally—only about my behavior as a human being and my answers.”

“That makes me sound like a really cold person.”

“You never said I was wrong.”

“No, you’re not wrong. When you reach a certain age, it starts to get… harder to truly feel sympathy for another person. At least in my case. Now, let me ask: How did all that experience change how you see your parents?”

“I think my father really did love us and my mother at first, but he was very young. The ‘best’ years of his life passed away while he was forced to look after kids. He lost multiple jobs. His parents died. Our first apartment burned down. I think all of that broke him, leading him to seek relief in alcohol and someone to blame.”

“And your mother?”

“I think she got stuck in the past. Like me or you she is also the main character of her own story, and in her story, she was deeply in love with my father. She… she’s the kind of person who can’t help but be faithful to anyone she’s loved, even once, even when they change and hurt her. It was tough on her, too. Her mother disowned her and bad things just kept happening. I believe she wanted to live in the past and that led her to try and take everything on herself, if only to keep us safe.”

“But she failed?”

“She did.”

“Do you hate her?”

“No. I love her.”

“Even after all that happened to you and your sister?”

“Yes.”

“Don’t you find it fascinating how, no matter the race, our thoughts and actions can so thoroughly lack logic?”

“I do. That was your hundredth question.”

“It was. Please ask yours.”

“Tell me about yourself.”

“That doesn’t even sound like a question, but I’ll humor you and answer. I was born a long, long time ago. It was so long ago that I wasn’t even an Absolute when Lissandra Hawthorne and her disciple Ruby raged through the system, killing Absolutes and Rulers in their path. I belong to a bloodline that carries the Parallax Eyes, and ever since I was young, it was expected that they’d awaken in me once my father died. I hated my father and that responsibility, but I also understood it. Sometime later, I even welcomed it. Now, after all these millennia, I’m thankful for that trait, though I had to survive so many attempts in my life. So many people eager to claim my Eyes for themselves: The Last Elf, the Magi himself, the Ruler of Envy, and more besides. I’ve had my fair share of adventures.”

“Do you like supplying me with answers that only make me want to ask more questions?”

“That itself could be considered a question, but I’ll let it pass. And yes, I find it satisfying to see that frustration and curiosity in people, the same curiosity I’ve dealt with my entire life.”

“On Earth, we call people like that assholes.”

“Please keep such thoughts in your mind unless you want to be thrown out of the tower.”

“I’ll keep that in mind.”

“As for me... What else is there to say? I fought. I was betrayed. I made friends, and I lost them. I outlived the rest of my bloodline. I was hunted. I walked on planets you could only dream of. I fought wars that laid waste to entire worlds. I spoke with Rulers and beings older than even them. I witnessed artifacts I still can’t fully comprehend. I lived a beautiful life.”

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“That sounds... nice.”

“Indeed. So, once again, here we are at question number one out of the next set of hundred. Up to this point, you’ve only asked questions that would satisfy your base curiosity. Most of the attendees before you didn’t care, all they wanted were ways to improve their abilities and accumulate riches, things like that.”

“I know that’s probably what I should be asking for, but I can’t help myself. Besides, I can get stronger even without your help.”

“Ah, to see such pride in a mere Champion candidate. Did you ever come close to dying before finding yourself in the tutorial?”

“I don’t think so. I almost got hit by a car a few times, and when I was younger I fell from a tree I’d climbed, that might have killed me if I’d hit my head.”

“So how are you dealing with the constant threat of death inside the tutorial?”

“At first, I used a skill to help me handle it, to cut off my emotions so I could think more logically.”

“You don’t do that anymore?”

“No, I don’t.”

“Why not?”

“If I had stayed on that path, I would have never changed. But I want to grow, to keep moving forward. One day, I want to look back and see how far I’ve come.”

“Do you dislike who you used to be?”

“No.”

“Are your answers so brief to get me to ask more questions?”

“Yes.”

“Smart. Do you have a problem with being asked so many questions?”

“They’re all pretty simple, and it can be fun to think about the answers. So I wouldn’t say I dislike it, but I do find it draining, and the more time goes on, the more I feel myself getting frustrated.”

“I see. So, do you want to change because you dislike your past self? Please don’t answer yes or no.”

“Maybe.”

“Haha. I guess I deserved that. So what is the real answer? I’ll count it as two questions this time.”

"I've done things that could make someone want to punish me or even kill me. But for now, I'll keep going as I am and face the consequences when they come."

“Wouldn’t you rather avoid putting yourself in those circumstances?”

“Nothing is ever perfect, and there’s always a price to pay. It’s the struggles that make happiness meaningful.”

“Did you come up with that yourself?”

“I read it somewhere.”

“I see. What is your favorite color?”

“I’d say gray or black.”

“If you could have spent a day doing anything you wanted before the tutorial, what would it have been?”

“I’d sleep in as long as I could, take a morning shower, and start the day with a good breakfast. Then I’d go for a run or get some exercise. After that, I’d take another shower, maybe stop to pet a few cute animals on the way home, then eat something good while watching a movie. I’d spend hours online, getting lost in an endless stream of fascinating but useless facts. Finally, I’d stay up late while everyone else is asleep, enjoying the quiet, and maybe even take a short walk through the sleeping city.”

“What would you do if you became an Absolute?”

“That’s pretty random.”

“Yes, it is.”

“I have no idea. I'm not even sure what the title really means. It’s probably different for everyone. I'll need to learn and experience more before I can understand it.”

“Would you stop if you ever did reach that title?”

“I don’t know. Probably not.”

“Why?”

“On Earth, things don’t tend to be very fair. You can try your hardest and still watch someone else claim the reward. People with better looks often have advantages. Someone might be born with a stronger body, or into a wealthy family. Sometimes, no matter how hard you try, someone else beats you because they have better information or resources. Even the country or city you’re born into, or the color of your skin can affect your entire life.”

“That’s true.”

“But with the system, those things matter less.”

“The First Generation is getting a huge advantage, something no one else from Earth will ever experience.”

“Yes.”

“And it’s the same with skills. Some people are always going to be better at handling them, or they may even awaken more powerful variants.”

“That’s true. But I don’t think there will ever be a truly fair system. You’d need everyone to be identical.”

“There was an elf who said something very similar.”

“You’re making me curious again. Anyway, the point is that I don’t consider myself the most talented. I’ve seen plenty of people who need only a fraction of the time I do to learn something. And yeah, a person trained by Champions and Absolutes will have an advantage. Much like the system we have on Earth, but I still think that if you put in the effort, you will reap the rewards. You can see the results of that effort in your stats and skill levels. And the system is something nobody can truly control or exploit. Though, maybe the Rulers can influence it a bit... and I imagine there are others?”

“You can try to ask that next time you get to ask a question, but I won’t answer it. So what does all of that have to do with your choice to continue beyond the rank of Absolute?”

“Why would I stop halfway?”

“...”

“Don’t call me weird. Enough people have done that already.”

“I won’t, Nathaniel. Another question: What’s your favorite food?”

“Pizza.”

“Oh, you mean the round flat bread with toppings. I see. Are there people you would die for?”

“Probably. I’d need to be in the situation to know for sure. You seem to enjoy switching between silly and serious questions.”

“Do I? Does death scare you?”

"Dying itself doesn't bother me, but the thought of my life ending does. I feel sad knowing I won’t get to live longer or experience everything the world has to offer. There’s so much I still want to see."

“You said Earth has four seasons. Which is your favorite?”

“Either the end of summer or autumn.”

“If you could steal my Spatial Cache storage and face no consequences for it—neither to you nor anyone you care about—would you do it?”

“No.”

“Why not?”

“You’ve treated me well thus far and haven’t shown me any ill will. I have no reason to betray your trust.”

“Do you dislike betrayal?”

“I think it’s disgusting, probably one of the worst things you can do.”

“Have you ever betrayed someone?”

“Yes.”

“Do you hate betrayal because of the way you grew up, because of your father?”

“It’s likely.”

"If you were told you would die unless you betrayed someone, what would you do?"

"I see where you're going with this. I guess there are levels to it, and I'd only know in that situation."

"What if you had a strong bond with someone who had only ever shown you goodwill, and your only choices were to kill them, cause them terrible harm, or die?"

"I would die."

“Do you really hate the idea that much? Imagine all the things you would miss. All your friends and family would have to live without you.”

“My answer doesn’t change.”