Chapter 274
Chapter: 274
The LD currently distributed among the gods was a product derived from the initial prototype, upgraded with various features, lightweight in its head-worn form, and classified into grades based on each god’s faith with restrictions on its functions.
Among the added features, there wasn’t one allowing direct interference with the target being observed.
Sure, by paying in faith, you could give a sort of indirect buff, but there wasn’t anything that infringed on the target’s free will. There was simply no way to control them at will.
However, some gods using the LD were a bit disgruntled about this.
They wanted to interact more actively. They wanted to guide things in the way they desired.
The gods’ complaints stemmed from their dissatisfaction with merely observing.
And the result reflecting that feedback was…
“This improved Life Diver.”
“Life Diver? I’ve heard the story but never tried it.”
“Yep. It’s my first time seeing it.”
Sagarmatha and Yggdrasil tilted their heads while looking at the improved LD.
Well, kids hadn’t used LD before. Instead of using such devices for experiences, they typically preferred to create avatars and blend into society.
Of course, those kids were capable of creating avatars.
“But this is just observing from the believer’s perspective, right? What can you actually do with this?”
“In a standard LD, you just observe, but this is improved. I’ve added several features.”
Yet, it’s still not fully tested. QA needs to be thorough, after all.
“What kind of features?”
“Let’s see… I added various things, but what we need right now is this feature.”
It allows the observer to act on the target’s dreams, giving slight direction to their subconscious to vaguely designate a goal and rewarding them for achieving it.
In other words, it could be called a quest. Or a mission.
Of course, it wasn’t free. Using faith was required when setting a quest, and upon completion, the faith spent would be used to reward the target.
If the target failed the quest, there was also a function to recover spent faith.
By the way, the faith consumed when setting the quest is automatically determined by the artificial intelligence loaded in the LD. It automatically calculates the cost and reward based on the difficulty of the quest.
It directs the observer’s free will without major interference while indicating a direction through the goal.
Naturally, it doesn’t explicitly inform the target of that goal. It simply imprints a trace in their subconscious to indicate where they should head.
“Q-quest…?”
“Yeah. Quest. Honestly, if you guys just communicated directly, it could be easily resolved, but since you didn’t want that, we have no choice but to use another method.”
Honestly, I don’t quite understand why you’d take the difficult route instead of the easy one, but I guess I should respect the kids’ choices.
“Using this feature, we can nudge the dreams of influential characters that can affect all the elves and dwarves.”
“Indeed… in my case, I guess I would act upon the dreams of the elf chieftain.”
“For dwarves, the Grandmaster is sufficient.”
Grandmaster…? Oh, right, dwarves didn’t have kings or chieftains.
Everything revolved around the blacksmith’s skills among dwarves. Hence, the blacksmith with the best skills acts as the Dwarf Grandmaster, fulfilling the role of a king for other races.
Truly the pinnacle of meritocracy.
“It’d be great if there’s something to help define that direction more clearly… Hmm. Is there anything that can provoke the dwarves or elves?”
“Provoke them?”
If there was something to provoke the dwarves and elves, it would make things easier. Hmm… Hmmm…
“Yeah, there is.”
“Really?!”
“Yeah. The Dwarf and Elf racial tournament held in Betelgeuse. Three consecutive wins for the dwarves.”
Saying this, Sagarmatha made a V shape with her fingers. Where did she learn that…?
No, more importantly, three in a row?
Let’s see… I recently watched a racial tournament… Was it when I went with Arthur?
I clearly remember it being a victory for the elves back then…
Wait, has it really been about 30 years since then? Already?!
Time really flies faster than you blink. It feels like I haven’t done anything significant during that time!
“One of the dwarves I learned of back when I was with the Sword Sovereign is exceptional in training.”
“The dwarf specialized in combat training. Those dwarven warriors he trained must have given the elf children quite the rough time…”
Sword Sovereign? Is she referring to Arthur? Since he’s the sword-wielding emperor, I guess that title fits… not entirely incorrect, at least. Hmm.
That said, a dwarf trained by Arthur, one of those I saw in Betelgeuse.
But how well did he train that the dwarves achieved three consecutive victories? Usually, the win ratio was pretty even, flip-flopping here and there.
“I’m not sure, but… three consecutive wins should definitely provoke the elves.”
Just losing once would sting, but if they lost three times in a row, they’d normally be furious.
“Is that so?”
Yggdrasil had a look as if it couldn’t comprehend why that would be so infuriating.
Honestly, it is a valid reason to be mad. It’s not like the elves would be happily singing about their happiness.
In a match held every ten years, if they faced three losses, they’d surely be reaching a boiling point for the past 30 years.
“Yeah, but the dwarves will win again.”
Sagarmatha said confidently. Honestly, I’m not sure if she likes or dislikes the dwarves.
From the way she shows some concern, it seems she might like them, but sometimes she seems annoyed too.
It’s like a love-hate relationship, if you will.
“Anyway, if there’s that kind of event, the conversation gets easier. First of all, Yggdrasil. Use this improved LD to enter the dream of the elf chieftain.”
“A dream? What should I do once I’m in there?”
“Hmm. Maybe you can simply convey it? Like… to get the elves out of the Great Forest so they can break the three consecutive losses in the racial tournament?”
By the way, did that elf who was Arthur’s ally…still in Sirius?
Well, they were there when I left. Hmm.
If I spun it as a chance to explore the world and hone skills to prevent a four-time loss, that might stick.
“Mom. What about the dwarves?”
“The dwarves should spread rumors about the elves doing special training and whisper in the Grandmaster’s dream.”
It’s not like only the elves can train. Dwarves can train too.
Among Arthur’s companions, there are elves, but there are also dwarves.
Through their connections, the Romanian knights or human warriors might even be able to receive teachings from Arthur.
Just for reference, Arthur is still maintaining the physique of his peak and his swordsmanship has matured to the point that he can barely match with any opponent.
Yep. Definitely a Sword Sovereign! To compare him would need someone of the ancient heroes’ caliber or someone around Rychlen’s level.
“Is that really going to be enough? Mom?”
“If my thoughts are right, it will be.”
If elves train, so will dwarves. Their rivalry is no joking matter.
If I sprinkle enough bait like this, they’ll surely bite.
— — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — —
My predictions turned out to be spot on.
“If we lose the racial tournament like this, I won’t be able to face my ancestors! Given this situation, we must take exceptional measures!”
Stimulated by the dream of Yggdrasil, the elf chieftain gathered volunteers, commanding them to travel around the world for ten years, come back stronger.
On a normal day, elves wouldn’t want to leave Yggdrasil’s side, but thanks to the chieftain’s stern attitude and the crisis of three consecutive losses… Plenty of elves decided to embark on their travels.
And such news reached the dwarves… Well, it was through Sagarmatha. Regardless.
It was also relayed to the Dwarf Grandmaster, sparking a fire in the dwarves’ hearts with the thought, “We can’t lose! I’ll deliver the humiliation of four consecutive losses to those prideful ear-pickers!”
Among them were dwarves who felt they couldn’t hone their skills adequately just in Sagarmatha and bolted out.
Thus, some elves and dwarves began to venture out into the world from their respective territories… little by little. Just a bit. Elves and dwarves weren’t just stuck at home, but started wandering around a bit.
While roaming, some settled in reasonably nice spots. There were dwarves settling in human villages, and elves who felt enchanted by the lush forests stayed put.
It was a very gradual change, but if such changes continue over several decades… it’d surely lead to significant developments.
Watching many things change, my kids and I could only smile contentedly.
Oh, and just for reference, the upcoming racial tournament quickly turned into a victory for the elves, who trained hard in earnest, seeking teachings from Sword Sovereign Arthur.
That went well. Very well.
