NOVEL WEB Chapter 8: Music
"Greetings again, outer disciple Jin," Elder Qin said. He nodded shortly at the woman by his side.
"This is Elder Flower and next to her is Elder Lung, they will be my co-examiners today. They are both highly skilled illusion Room cultivators who I have sought out to test you due to the suggested innovativity of your approach."
Elder Flower stepped forward. "I specialise in combat systems and will be the one testing the usefulness of your creation," she said in a clear and pleasant voice before stepping back.
Elder Lung didn't bother moving and twirled one point of his long moustache between two fingers while looking at Jin disdainfully. He looked like he was one bad day away from executing a servant for bringing him the wrong tea. "Well," he started in a loud and nasal voice. "Let's see first if you even get to that point. Being novel is something usually reserved for people who have mastered the basics. I have yet to see a novice innovate anything, other than a fascinatingly stupid way to fail an exam." He looked Jin up and down, before barking. "Well? Explain your methodology."
The disciple blinked, not having expected the exam to be so informal. Orally defending himself out in the open like this. He saw some inner disciples gather at the other side of the gate and look at him curiously, some of them sneering at his confused expression. However, James had been through enough tough situations where he had to sell himself and quickly regain his footing.
"From my understanding, as comparable as it is to that of a frog sitting at the bottom of a well, I looked for my project at the fact that the sect focuses on scenarios of heavenly beasts and other already researched dangers as a vital opportunity to try something else. After all, one does not begin branching out into new ideas, without first having a solid base." He bowed. "I was only able to attempt what I did because of the strong and reliable fundaments of all illusion Room creators that came before me."
Elder Lung motioned him to go on impatiently but was obviously pleased with the brown-nosery.
Elder Flower meanwhile had to hide a smile behind a raised fist.
"I saw an opportunity in the relatively little focus there was being put on the demons of the other half, who are as we know always completely individual. An opportunity to create a game that is not focused on training for a specific scenario, but rather to teach the experiencer how to deal with the unexpected. In the end, while it is perhaps presumptuous of me to create something so non-normative, I hope that it can be seen simply as putting forth an experiment, which wiser heads will judge the validity of."
"So dedicated was outer disciple Jin to his experiment that he refrained from visiting the library too much, to not pollute his originality with already perceived combat styles and creatures present there," Elder Qin commented.
It was here that Elder Lung had a derogatory comment to add, although, for all intents and purposes, it had been Elder Qin who had so treacherously elicited it.
"What did you come up with through your hard-working non-usage of library resources specifically put forth to help outer disciples in your situation?" the man asked sarcastically.
Jin didn't falter, knowing for a fact that the critique was very valid. He would have gone to the library more as well if the previous owner of this body hadn't fucked him over so hard with his non-preparation.
"I focused my design concept of the enemy, of which there is one, on the material reality and context of the world we live in. Through this focus I invented a weapon, armour and combat style of which I have not heard of, and which should, by the laws of our world, not exist." He tapped his chin wondering how to best explain.
"Can you be more specific?" Elder Flower asked while Elder Lung nodded in understanding.
Jin struggled for a second before starting.
"Well, due to the suffusion of heavenly energies into organic matter, metallic materials have naturally been relatively unused in the creation of armour. However, due to the consistency, the feel the material gives when being struck… Fighting someone in metal armour should be a completely different experience than fighting someone wearing either the traditional robe or the leather set that is so popular amongst warrior sects. I used the fact that scenarios do not have to conform completely to reality and made the metal armour my enemy is wearing as sturdy as any enchanted counterpart.
"And you think that the novelty of such an armour transcends the usefulness of a warrior training against something they might at some point in their lives actually see and fight against?" Elder Lung asked.
"I am not trying to give definitive answers, but simply propositions to be mixed into the current dialectic of the subject matter. I'm trying to refrain from claiming knowledge until I at least see Mount Tai," Jin said respectfully.
"The weapon?" Elder Flower asked. "I assume you're making a human-type enemy. Which is fair, considering most demons are in some way shaped after us."
"For the weapon, I considered the fact that the best weapons are made out of a single material, for ease of enchantment, and thus have been historically relatively small to save on costs. If one truly considers it, it would also be possible for a human figure to wield something as tall as themselves. It is just wasteful, however, considering the costs."
Elder Flower crossed her arms at this point and tilted her head doubtfully. "Several sects use staves."
Jin helplessly shrugged. "I created a combination of two materials, wood and metal. probably something impossible to channel anything through, however something that should not have been seen before. It most resembles a spear, but even to that the design is quite different. Two-thirds of the weapon consist of wood, while one-third consists of a longer blade with a cross guard."
"You would have had to design an entirely new combat system. Build something that takes generations of heritage tradition and learning, from scratch." Elder Qin concluded softly.
"I did my best," Jin said.
"Curious," Elder Flower stated.
"Yes, but we're not done yet," Elder Lung interjected, turning to Jin from where he had been watching the interplay between him and the female Elder. "What about the surroundings? Using a template with an enemy so "novel" would ruin parts of the immersion which the skill transfer relies on," he said, somewhat triumphantly.
"I created an architectural surrounding myself. Something that I considered to fit the aesthetic choices made for the enemy. In addition to everything I also made music, an art form which will hopefully elevate the emotional state of the experiencer," Jin replied. Some inner disciples listening in from beyond the gate laughed and looked at each other incredulously.
"Music!" Elder Lung exclaimed.
"As you have deduced," Jin said. "I needed to experiment to raise the level of immersion lost by creating a never before seen enemy and combat style."
Elder Lung didn't say anything to that and simply frowned.
"I must admit," Elder Qin once again chimed in. "I can generally imagine what kind of illusion I will be entering from the theoretical discourse held at the beginning of the exam session. However, in your case, I cannot truly imagine anything, really. Which, I guess is the point. Nevertheless, I think it might be time to start looking at the scenario. Elder Lung, Elder Flower, which one of you would like to begin. The underpinning theory, or the combat system?"