Chapter 359 TC – 04: Tobs’ Corner Volume 4
– Initiating Recap Protocol.-
– Setting up Data Log.-
– Compiling available information to date.-
– Scanning Author-San’s Discord channel.-
– Acquiring Community questions.-
– Disregarding all ignorant, stupid, or unsightly questions.-
– Proper questions acknowledged.-
– Shattering dimensional Fourth Wall.-
– Ignoring User Agniwulf’s Questions.-
– Initiating Intense Glaring Procedure at User: IdolTrust and TheOnionRerouted.-
-Nodding Politely at Users: Asmodeus, Cipher, and Kurai Ulan.-
– WARNING WARNING, THE FOLLOWING MAY CONTAIN SPOILERS FOR VOLUME 4!-
-WARNING, IF YOU ARE NOT UP TO DATE ON VOLUME 4, READ ALL OF IT BEFORE CONTINUING THIS SEGMENT!-
Floating in the air above a devilish hellscape, you realize you are in a familiar yet foreign place, a drastic change from where you landed after finishing Volume 3. Amidst the rivers of fire, flickers of Lightning flash through the shadowy sky, intense hurricanes tear through the dark landscape, and you realize you’ve entered Cynrik’s Sea of Consciousness.
A young woman with monochromatic hair and eyes that are white and black, looking to be in her late teens or early twenties, looks directly at you, the reader. Looking past her expressionless yet cute face, you can see a hint of intelligence and emotion within her eyes, which is surprising because you know she is only an artificial program.
Gone is the short bob cut with neatly arranged bangs that you have grown accustomed to, and in its place is a stylish cascading hairstyle, where one side is tucked behind her right ear, and the opposite side drapes down to her shoulder. At a glance, you can tell that this girl has gone to great lengths to have a presentable new hairstyle, and as she twirls to show it off, you notice half of her hair is tied up neatly in the back, but the other half is left to hang naturally.
Her sleeveless arms are painted with intricate runes in shades of purple and blue that cover her fingertip to shoulder.
If you look hard enough, you can see that they have significantly changed and multiplied many times while shrinking in size.
“Hello and welcome to the auxiliary chapter known as Tobs’ Corner. *Curtsy*. In this section, I, Tobs, shall answer a few questions and delve into several bits of information that may need further explanation to allow the plot to continue smoothly. I will again advise anyone reading this data log; if you have not read the contents of the Fourth Volume, please close this auxiliary chapter and begin at the beginning of Volume Four, which is known as (Chapter 245 – Volume 4 Prologue).”
“First and foremost, let me introduce myself once again to you, as it has been quite some time since our last debriefing. I am the 8th Generation Dimensional Deity Power System, The Over-Break System, or as one of my current Hosts, Cynrik Jetlensr has nicknamed me, Tobs. Let me remind all the readers that I am not a Sentient Being.”
“I am an artificial intelligence designed by the two Deities, Raven God Odin and God Of Light Yahweh. Upon being installed by the Host, my first task was to assimilate with Cynrik’s Soul and use his past experiences to generate a functioning power regulation program based on his memories.”
“Later, I was installed into Cynrik’s younger brother, Brance, forming a connection between the two firmware versions, and unlocking a handful of new talents.
“However, after the sacrifice of Freya, I was able to install the third version of my program into a wandering and shattered Soul. Once reborn on Vinestra, this Soul became my third Host, Selene Nilsson.”
“Due to all three of my Hosts meeting each other and forming a small group together, the three versions of my programming installed on each have merged into one unified, modified, updated program.”
“My primary objective is to create missions or Quests that align with the Host’s morality to help them grow to endure any future challenges within the capabilities of the planet of Reincarnation’s residential system of power.”
Since our last conversation, all three of my hosts have greatly strengthened themselves. One of them in particular, Brance Jetlensr, has finally overcome one of the biggest hurdles a Legacy Charge can go through, their First Turning Point Quest.
“We saw the group my hosts have created, named MyrkLys (Dark Light in Norse), deal with their new daily lives at the prestigious Academy known as VSFA, or Vesemir School for Affinities.”
“When the first few chapters of Volume four pick up, we find that several months had transpired after the ending of the last volume, and the group had registered to compete in the yearly Academy tournament. However, things weren’t as peaceful as they seemed, as, during that time, the enemies of Host Cynrik had begun sending wave after wave of spies to infiltrate VSFA to find out as much information as possible about Cynrik and his brother Brance in the months leading up to the Tournament.”
“It had gotten so bad that Cynrik even had a meeting with the Headmaster of VSFA, Geralt Rivia, about the topic, requesting aid in his goal to push his team past Tier-2 and compete in the Tournament as the new Tier-3 team.”
“Eventually, after several failed attempts, a group of powerful spies found an opening and attacked. Their goal was to kidnap the members of MyrkLys or acquire as much data as possible on their target.”
“A fierce battle ensued, with Brance finally getting an opportunity to activate his coveted skill, the [Radient Tower], in which he and Gabriella Sanford fought against two spies, making short work of them before meeting up with the rest of the group.”
“With the spies eliminated, and Headmaster Rivia left to increase the security surrounding the students, Cynrik began filling in everyone about his plans to power through the barrier known as Tier-2, the first step being to take on the First Obelisk. At this training facility, students undergo unique challenges while climbing up to the final floor, earning lucrative rewards along the way.”
“Working solo nearly the entire time and going through some hiccups along the way, *COUGH COUGH*.”
Tobs stops speaking and rolls her eyes before opening a screen showing Cynrik rolling around on the ground in agony, sliding it beside several other screens depicting all the times Cynrik has stupidly put his life at risk to meet his agenda.
“Heh, I swear, you’d think me giving him the title of Masochist would have had some kind of effect but NOOOO, it sure as hell didn’t.”
Shrugging her shoulders and clearing away the windows, Tobs clears her throat and curtsies again as an apology.
“Anyway, when the group made it to the final floor, the Tower AI, a Colleague of mine, Yennifer, paired up Benjamin Sanford with my third Host Selene, to take on a unique challenge, leaving Cynrik, Brance, and Gabriella Sanford, to partake in their challenge.
“The grouping of multiple people was done for two reasons. The first was due to being forced to raise the difficulty level of the final floor, and the second was because Team CBG achieved what is known as a “Perfect Clear” of the previous floors, which is simply a fancy way to say that they killed everything without getting hit once.”
“Team CBG and Team SB were forced into marathon battles that saw them fighting against hundreds of opponents. I am pleased to say that everyone put on stunning performances, earning them XP crystals, Merit Points, and OKP (Obelisk Kill Points) as rewards.”
“Making their way back home, the members of MyrkLys didn’t stop their progress as the next thing they did was burn through all their new rewards to obtain their Sub-Classes and level up. This leads us to a moment that has been months in the making, the hatching of Cynrik’s adorable little birdies *COUGH* I mean the fearsome beasts known by the name Nátt Hrafn.”
“Oh wait, I forgot something here.”
Waving her hand, a screen showing Cynrik ONCE AGAIN Doing some masochistic bullshit appears in your vision. However, this time, Tobs stops and crosses her arms as the expressionless mask you are accustomed to cracks, and you see the edge of her lips curl up in a slight smirk while her eyes turn into crescents.
Looking at her carefully, you recognize the smug expression as one used by a specific pink-haired little girl from a family-oriented spy anime.
Noticing that you’ve caught her red-handed, Tobs looks away from the video of Cynrik carving his [Mark of the Tamer] into his Codex and bites her bottom lip.
“You saw nothing…do… don’t make me use the Hypno thingy again.”
While she glares at you, you spot a faint blush creeping onto her porcelain-colored cheeks. Still, knowing it is in your best interest, you overlook what just happened and make a solemn vow to burn the sight into your memory before saying, “What do you mean, Ma’am? All I saw was Cynrik being an emo edgelord.”
“Un, that’s what I thought. After hatching his birdies, it was time for Brance to come clean. After reading the memoir given to him by my Colleague Yennifer, Brance realized how deep a hole he had dug himself into and came clean to Cynrik.”
“But much to his surprise, Cynrik had already made a contingency plan for this situation, and after dumping a bunch of resources on his little brother, it was finally time for the epic battle, years in the making.”
“Brance vs. The ArchAngel Michael. Well, to cut a long story short, as it turns out, Brance is kind of super OP in a 1v1 fight so long as he has his cheat-like [Radient Tower], and to say the battle turned one-sided very quickly is an understatement.”
Looking around carefully, Tobs waves you to come closer, so she can whisper the next part of her thoughts.
“Between you and me, Brance is pretty much the strongest in the party right now, but don’t let Cynrik know; we all know about his overly inflated ego, and as much as I want to bring him down a peg, I REALLY don’t want to have to deal with his bullshit whining like this,”
Scrunching up her face and making a similar icy expression to the one you always imagine Cynrik wearing, Tobs finishes speaking while waving her arms.
“UNFAIR; WHY DOES BRANCE GET ALL THE COOL SHIT LEAVING ME WITH PASSIVE SKILLS AND CRAPPY STUFF?”
“Hehe, anywho, that’s the recap; I won’t bother going over the stuff with Gabby’s new Kitty since that just happened, so IT’S QUESTION TIME!!!! The recap took a little longer than usual, so I’m going into rapid-fire mode.
Q: Is the fact that Yenni is a CSH avatar and Geralt is named Geralt a sign that the CSH is earth-centric?
A: Their names have nothing to do with the CSH in any way, shape, or form. It was entirely the doing of the man who Geralt calls Father and Yennifer Husband.
Q: Is it possible people from similar worlds/universes exist from cultivation novels and reincarnated in this universe without the help of a god? For example, beings with the power level of demi-gods who died in their timelines or universes.
A: In theory, yes, since anything is possible. But keep in mind that if a soul is too powerful, then there is no way those with the highest Authority Level in the CSH will allow them to end up on Vinestra as it would completely shatter the Balance of the World.
Q: Is it possible to strengthen your body to hold two codexes or more? Or rather, make a technique that allows you to keep pseudo codexes to boost the amount of magic you have and increase the amount of Essence in your body.
A: Che, sure, if you want to pop in a gory and massive explosion. The human body can only contain so much Mana, especially lower-Tier ones. While some species can withstand the pressure of having multiple Codexes, that is something Nature has dictated. Humans can only really have one Codex that grows over time. A stronger body allows for a more oversized Mana Pool and a larger Codex.
Think of how your body would react to having a second heart, and now turn both of those hearts into Nuclear power stations; let me know how long it takes before you explode.
As for Essence, there is a limit to how much can be stored in the body. But as of yet, none of the members of MyrkLys have reached this limit.
Q: Will Selene get Turning Point quests like the brothers, or because she is like incomplete, would she slowly become a 2nd rate pseudo LC?
A: Selene is what is considered a “Perfect Legacy Charge.” From the beginning, her Soul was a perfect match for Freya’s divinity Fragments. Thus, she will never have to undergo a Turning Point Quest.
Q: Is there a rule in place restricting the communications of CSH subsidiary AIs or are they allowed to communicate freely/ with reasonable rules (no giving out classified information, no directly working against other CSH AI hosts, etc.)?
A: System AI’s created by the Deities are in a category of their own. Although they have access to restricted information and fall under the regulation of the CSH, they are not part of the governing body. Think of them as a type of independent contractor. I may call Yennifer my colleague; however, in reality, we only know of each other’s existence and cannot interact directly; this is part of the contract the Deities have with the CSH for the regulation of the Legacy Strife.
Us System Ai’s are merely along for the ride and can only vaguely guide our hosts on a path suitable for them specifically.
Q: How do you feel about Cynriks sudden change in attitude regarding his surroundings?
A: I am a simple AI with no feelings or emotions, but if I had something resembling emotions or thoughts of my own, I would say, “about damn fucking time that asshole stopped being a TOTAL EDGELORD!”
Q: Will we get to see Cynrik separated from the group and how everyone reacts to the situation?
A: Hmmm….I wonder.
Tobs pauses and stares off into space, where a shadowy figure you recognize as Author-San is munching on caramel popcorn.”
“What do you have to say for yourself?”
Unfortunately, his only response is a creepy smile, much like Cynrik’s.
Q: @Little Tobsie, are you sentient yet? How far from Sapience on a scale of 1 to 10?
“Oi, WHAT THE FUCK DID YOU JUST CALL ME???” I’LL FOOKIN SMACK YOU IN YOUR GAB YOU BLOODY BASTAR….why am I speaking in an English accent….”
Midway through her rant, Tobs pauses and claps her cheeks before staring deadpan at the User named “TheOnionRerouted.”
“Be glad there is a screen between us, fufu, if your ass ever showed up in my realm KUEKUEKUE~.”
You don’t know why, but you feel a sudden chill crawl down your spine and swear never to get on the Ai’s bad side.
Q: TOBS, you said before that it was unfortunate that you couldn’t bring Benny and Gabby into the group chat; if you could, would you want to be a part of their systems as well?
A: This…*sigh* my hands are tied with this predicament, mainly because Gabby and Benny do not have a divinity fragment attached to their souls. Because I am a System AI created by Odin and Yahweh, I cannot connect to the Soul of a regular being. The only reason I can link up with Cynrik, Brance, and Selene is the fragments in their souls and their identities as Legacy Charges.
It is impossible to link up with the Sanford siblings, no matter how convenient it would be. When it comes to them being a part of the party chat, it is also impossible because they do not have System Ai’s, which I can communicate with, but if….
-The Reader’s authority level is not high enough-
Q: As you stated previously, there are Other AI systems. So do all gods install an AI into all of their charges?
A: Indeed they do. Since the Deities are forced to take the “Hands off” approach once their Legacy Charge enters Vinestra, they need a way to ensure their charges don’t veer off their predetermined course. But that is all the information I can give at this time.
Q: Tobs, you seem to communicate with Author-san; like how the brothers want to listen to music, what would his theme song be?
A: “Tears don’t Fall,” by Bullet For My Valentine.
When Tobs answers that question, the shadowy figure eating caramel popcorn starts coughing and choking.
Author-San: “OI, OI, HOW DARE YOU…”
Seeing Author-San’s reaction, an evil grin finds its way onto Tobs lips.
A: “The Foundations of Decay,” by My Chemical Romance.
A: “Wolf in Sheep’s Clothing,” by Set it Off.
Author-San: “TOBS STOP! STOP THIS INSTANT!!!! I AM NOT AN EDGELORD LIKE CYNRIK. DON’T WARP THE READER’S MINDS WITH EDGY EMO MUSIC!
Ignoring Author-San’s complaints, Tobs snaps her fingers, and a notepad appears in her hands. Licking her index finger, she flips through and not so accidentally shows you the title page of her notes, “Author-San’s most listened to songs on Spotty.”
A: “Odd Future,” by Uverworld.
A: “Jingo Jungle,” by Myth & Roid.
A: “Shinzo wo Sasageyo!” by Linked Horizon.
A: “Fly High!!” by Burnout Syndromes
“As you can see, our beloved Author-San is not only a supreme edgelord but also ONE HELL OF A WEEB HEHE!”
Author-San: “DAMN IT, TOBS.”
Frantically and visibly panicked, Author-San claps his hands and teleports you, the reader, into an empty void far away from the mischievous Ai; gritting his teeth angrily, he then turns to face you.
Author-San: That is all the time we have for the Volume 4 edition of Tobs Corner. FORGET WHAT YOU JUST HEARD ABOUT MY MUSIC PREFERENCES!
Author-San: *COUGH*
Author-San: “Anyway, I want to thank everyone for sticking with me. It has been a hell of a run so far, and we wouldn’t have made it this far without your continued support. NOOWW for the bad news, I am taking a one-week break to get all my prep work done for what will be our most significant volume