Chapter 11: 11 – What’s in a Name?

After taking a day off for my birthday, I felt refreshed.

For my birthday present, Gilda gave me a new cowboy hat to replace the one I left behind on Earth and an updated set of the same clothes I was wearing when she picked me up. It all felt like so long ago, but wearing my old outfit restored the gut feeling that I knew who I was.

Which was a good thing because today would be the day I got my revenge on the horned rabbit. Well, not really. It was all part of a video game-like simulation, so it wasn't even a real fight, but it still hurt my pride badly to get whupped by a bunny rabbit, so I was out for blood.

Before we set off, I looked at my stats for the first time since I got killed.

Species: Human
Name: Willie Jennings

Damage - 0/100
Stamina - 98/100
Mana/Capacity - 92/100

Strength - C
Durability - B
Speed - D
Dexterity - C
Intellect - B

Skills:
Languages (3), DNA Editing (2) Identification (1), Riding 1, Herding 1, Marksmanship 1, Tracking 1, Field Dressing 1, Fire 1, Martial Arts (2)+1, Combat 1

Magic Skills:
Lightning Magic Level 1, Unknown *Chi Attack* Level?, Unknown *Deflect* Level?, Unknown *Impact Absorption* Level?, Unknown *Aura Reading* Level?, Unknown *Mana Synchronization* Level?

Most things looked good. But I immediately picked out a weakness in my training results: Speed.

I hadn't done anything to increase my speed. That was a stupid mistake, considering the horned rabbit was quick. Other than that, my stats had improved a bit. I even got Martial Arts and Combat skills. It seemed the first two levels in martial arts were from the downloaded forms, with the plus one level being the result of my real-world practice.

However, what really mattered to this fight was magic. I was confused by what I saw in the Magic Skills category. The only item that looked normal, with a name and level, was Lightning Magic, at level one. The rest were labeled unknown, next to the tentative skill name I had been using. They also just had a question mark for the level. I hadn't expected to see that, so I asked Gilda about it.

"Hey, Gilda..."

"Yes?"

"... I'm seeing something really odd in my stats."

"What are you seeing? Would you mind sharing access to your stats with me?"

I was quietly shocked that she didn't already have access to my stats screen.

"I don't mind, but how do I do that?"

"Just concentrate on the words 'form party'. You should see a screen where you can choose who to party up with and how much information to share."

I followed her instructions. I hadn't even known this function existed before.

"Got it. I just sent you a party request."

"And I've now accepted. Thank you for letting me join your party."

"I'm surprised we have to form a party. I would've thought you'd have access to this information already. I mean, we can talk using only our minds already."

"Yes, we already have a direct connection. However, stats are a high-level security issue for the AI assist, so safeguards are placed in the system to protect unauthorized access."

"I see... So, have you noticed the Magic Skills section?"

"Yes, I'm looking at them now. So, I assume you are interested in the skills labeled unknown and their level?"

"Yeah. Isn't it strange the way those are listed?"

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"Not exactly. In your case, I think this would be the expected result. The database of magical skills does not have an exact match for your current skills, so it doesn't know what to call them yet, or what level to assign to you."

"But it knows what Lightning Magic is and what level I'm at with that?"

"It seems so."

I got the impression she was unusually evasive about this topic, but I could take a hint, so I moved on.

"Is this going to keep me from being able to use my skills in the simulation?"

"Definitely not. When initializing the simulation, there is a scan and analysis of your memories. So, any skills used within the simulation will match your experiences. Techniques you know to be possible for you are also the capabilities of your avatar."

"Whew, that's a relief. I was worried all that effort to gain magical skills was for nothing. So, out of curiosity, will those ever get an official name and level?"

"Not until we reach our destination. At that time, your information will be compared to other warrior candidates to, among other things, evaluate and assign official names to the skills. However, not having an official name is not necessarily a bad thing at this point. Naming something can help clarify an idea, which could hinder your development."

The last part of what she said didn't sound right to me, but I figured I might've just misunderstood her.

"Now that doesn't make much sense... How could it be a bad thing to give something a name?"

"Names have power, especially when it comes to magic. But more than that, once you apply a label to something, your mind assigns it to a mental category, like putting it into a box. The named item becomes a known value in your mind and cannot be anything else. So, by assigning a name to something, you have restricted the potential possibilities of that thing at a subconscious level."

"Hmm... Okay, I think I get you. So, for instance, my hat is a hat and isn't a boot. But I still ain't getting how exactly that's a bad thing unless you want to walk around confused all the time."

"You are, of course, correct to some degree. Removing confusion is the reason we categorize things via naming. However, given the way our minds work, the lack of confusion created by labeling is not just clarifying. It often becomes functionally the same as absolute certainty. Your mind acts as if you already definitively know that thing and therefore no longer need to continue digging for its truth."

My head was starting to hurt. I might have felt more intelligent these days, but I still wasn't good at fancy pants stuff like this.

"That sounds kinda philosophical. But how does that work in practical everyday reality? And why would I not want to name my skills?"

"In everyday life, simply to function, we all need to rely on the quick mental processing facilitated by labeling. However, when in the process of experimenting or exploring, being too quick to label things may lock you into poorly understood half-truths. Which may hinder your ability to discover things as they truly are, or, more importantly, as they could be."

Gilda sighed, before continuing, "As you have already seen, magic is the means of making the impossible possible. If you prematurely restrict your thinking, you may very well limit your possibilities."

"Ah, I think I get it. So, you're saying naming a magic skill might lock me into not exploring what that magic actually does?"

"Yes, precisely so. If you are to grow to your full potential, I believe it is best to avoid accepting labels too easily."

She seemed to be more worked up about this topic than usual. As if it were a deep conviction for her. I wasn't too sure about it myself, but I trusted Gilda, so I'd just have to take her word for it.

"I'll try to keep that in mind then."

"Yes, please do."

Since I already had a reasonably good idea of what I was capable of, I decided to finish preparations for the fight. I quickly assigned my nanites to prioritize repairing damage and enabled the targeting assist system.

I also found a long straight branch and sharpened one end with my pocketknife to make a simple spear. Then I synchronized my mana with the makeshift spear and poured some into it. But, for some reason, this time, I didn't feel any awareness from the branch. But I figured maybe it was because it was just a simulation.

At any rate, I was ready to fight. So, it was time to find and kill my nemesis, the horned rabbit.

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