Chapter 246
Consequences
“Yeah, hopefully no one here is named John Connor.”
Chime.
Just as I say those words, I almost hear a ringing going off around me. I pause, using my heightened Perception to track the enemy movement.
Did an alert go off?
Have I somehow been spotted?
As far as I was able to understand my current situation, I was fine.
I had Confidentiality up, which meant that most of the next three hours would be distorted from viewers, and even then, I could take three minutes of that and make it so it was never admissible. While I haven’t used any of my three minutes yet, I felt that I might need to.
Fortunately, for now, I was able to move around freely and without drawing any real attention to myself or my operations.
That said, I could feel my mental and, on some level, a quasi-spiritual connection to the four advanced mechanoid suits that lay discarded on the warehouse floor.
For now, all four, while clearly alive and active, just maneuvered themselves into a better upright position. The movements they took were slow and subtle that they didn’t even make a sound while moving.
While the four hulking devices seemed to glow with an inordinate amount of radioactive materials, no one seemed to notice.
Which was good, as it meant that either no one else had Angel’s Sight here, or if they did, their Perception was so low that they couldn’t see my actions. Regardless of the reason, I was able to move about freely.
In my mind, I felt a deep spiritual connection to not just the four battle mech suits, but I could also feel a deeper connection to the land here. All thanks to the odd, but extremely powerful Arcane Geomancy.
Now that I have taken a moment to bring these four suits to life, I see a few more golden threads leading from me to the two unoccupied mage only mechanoid suits.
That means that these suits do not have a QiMO measurement panel and are therefor only able to run on mana being provided by mages who are strapped into the cockpit.
While there are clearly resting spots for two of the suits, it seems clear that they use these suits on a rotational basis. Meaning the two that are up and operational now, will likely come back after a certain amount of time has passed.
How do I know there are resting spots for the mechs? Well simple, apparently these suits bleed off residual mana, making a clear silhouette of where the machines are and rest.
While I can only see two machines, I can see where two other machines should be.
Though I have to be somewhat careful with the last two suits, as they are in the section of the warehouse that seems to have some form of guard shack nearby.
For a second I think about knocking out the two dozing guards in the guard shack who are clearly not taking this shift as seriously as possible.
I guess they assume that being here at the heart of the entire mining operation, makes it so they are safer to espionage operations.
Little do they know, that these are the exact types of people I focus on first.
The inattentive people who are several rows deep, that assume if anything happens, other lines of defense will sound off and alert them to my presence.
Poof.
I Teleport into the base, and then seeing that the two are likely elves of some kind. I focus and cast a Specialized Healing spell on the two.
The spell is simple, it will place both people in a deep coma like slumber, while their body is healed at a slow metabolic rate. Effectively making it so they sleep deeply but will wake up feeling completely refreshed and invigorated.
New Spell Created: Soporific Delta Healing [Tier VIII] (A): A spell created by Cassiopeia Spiritlight that slowly heals an individual continuously for twenty-four hours straight. After which they will be completely healed of all forms of damage and wake up exceptionally refreshed. Condition: Must be cast on someone who is unconscious.
Note: This is an enhanced area of effect version of the Superior Sleep Spell.
You know, I like that spell. I also see the difference in that this is both a forced downtime of twenty-four hours and a complete healing of all damage.
While I know I won’t be able to use this on everyone here, for these two, that is quite possibly a perfect spell. This way, I don’t have to hurt them, and they don’t have to be incapacitated. Instead, I get twenty-four hours to do things. From the wording of the spell, I could likely even hit them, or they could suffer further damage, but somehow be cured, even by injuries sustained while the spell was in effect.
Sure, someone could likely undo the spell, but they would have to understand my spell weaves, and how I crafted this spell perfectly for this situation. They would also need to be able to cast a Tier VIII spell. Honestly, I probably could have made it a lot easier in complexity, but then it wouldn’t give me the twenty-four-hour window I had been looking for.
All in all, I am fairly pleased with this spell, and will likely patent an easier version of it. That or teach it as a spell available for mass production in my Harmonious School of Magic classes that I might need to expand to. No wait, this is a terrible idea. The goal is for me to teach fewer and fewer course, not more.
Oh, also, I need to make my noon alibi, meaning I’ve got to step things up here.
When we get back with all of the kids, the real reason that I am here, I will cast this spell on each. This will make it so we both have twenty-four hours to prepare for their arrival. While also making sure that every lingering ailment they face is cured.
For a second, I think about going over and saving the kids right now. Particularly as I can hear their cries coming over the intercom.
“Help us, please. Sniffle*”
Yeah, nothing like psychologically torturing people to motivate the workforce.
“Stay the course Cassie, they will get their just dues, in time.” I say, telling myself to both calm down and stick to the plan. No one has died, if they do, I will see their souls release from their bodies. Once that happens, I will stop everything and Resurrect everyone. Well just the children and the workers, I’m not feeling too kind towards the operators who are in charge here.
Chime.
Once again, I heard the same ringing sound that seemed to echo around the place.
This time I am close enough to the speakers that I almost wonder if it was from there. The only problem was, earlier when I heard that same ringing sound, I was on the opposite end of this indoor material shed.
Now, I am inside the guard shack that is inside the material shed, meaning that the sound should either be higher in energy, or something. Instead, I can hear everything just the same here as I did on the other side.
Also of note, is that the golden threads binding me to the two mage-only mechanoid suits have increased. At their core is still a dark thread, that seems incongruous with the four hybrid mechanoid suits. Suits that are right now rising up and slowly walking forward to provide a protective perimeter around me.
The story has been taken without consent; if you see it on Amazon, report the incident.
Yes, somehow they know I am important and know that their job is to go out, destroy the other mechanoid units as quickly as possible, while saving all the children first, then the miners. Anyone else is fair game to incapacitate with as little force as necessary.
I can also tell from our shared mental link that these mechanoid suits are just as enraged by the actions that are happening.
Well they aren’t really mad, but they seem to be mirroring my consciousness. Meaning they are feeling my anger slowly rising up and all but suffocating my resolve to end things as peacefully as possible.
Once again, I make the mental plan to destroy the mechanoid units, permanently disable the mages, and if there are any Qi users, I will make sure their Qi cores are also shattered, just as I would for any mages I come across.
Fortunately for these two guards, they are not mana users. Otherwise, I would destroy their cores. I’m kind of curious to see if my magical spell could regrow a mana core. I don’t think it would, but that will be a bridge we have to burn once we get to it. For now, I am focusing on bringing the two mage-only mechanoid units to life.
Arcane Geomancy
With the coast clear, the spell is super easy to cast. Better still, I feel even more of the land here come under my control, meaning I have this entire indoor shed basically under my influence. From the back wall, to the front door, to even the little wooden guard shack to the left as you enter. This also means that for the moment, I can convince the radio unit to turn off the sounds of kids crying.
Silence.
Hearing the silence, I know it is only turning a blind eye to the atrocity that is happening around me. But for my own sanity, I need to do it.
Deep seeded agitation.
Upon awakening the mage-only mechanoid units, I instantly notice something is wrong with them.
They are more flustered than the others.
“What is it?” I ask.
Then almost as if it was a command, they share their Psychometric Input with me. These are the psychic impressions of people, and creatures that they interacted with before they were just awoken by me. It takes me a moment to realize that this is part of my bloodline evolution. In particular this is part of my Ancient Psychometry coming to life.
Ancient Psychometry: The ability to view the past lives of spirits who long ago left this world and be able to witness, view, and interact with the world of the past.
Conditions: Must be standing at the final resting place of someone to activate. User cannot move more than fifty meters away from the initial source of death.
Reading the conditions, it means that the spot of death for a number of souls were these two machines. Meaning, the drivers had to reach down, physically lift up the victims and then squeeze. That is the only way to still be within fifty meters of the initial source of death.
Vomit.
Worse, these machines that are now alive and at least semi-sentient are ticked off.
A small part of me wants to empathize with them, as I do, I can feel the two all but itching to bash their way through the flimsy excuse for a door and exact retribution on their former drivers for making them do such actions.
Again, I realize part of this is my influence on them. As they are clearly using my impressions and reactions as their own baselines for how they should feel and act.
I feel that there is a nature versus nurture argument being answered somewhere in the minutia of this, but for the moment this is a liability.
Especially, as I can feel the two strengthening their resolve to do something that they might regret later.
“Stop!” I hiss out.
Poof.
As I Teleport in front of the two three story tall mechanoid units.
“This is not the time, if you go now, all of those kids will suffer. Some of them might even die because we were reckless. Let’s focus on the mission at hand. I need you to wait until these doors are opened. Do you got that?” I ask, zipping between both machines, making sure to make quick eye contact with one, before darting in front of the next one.
Clam rage.
“Good, now wait. I have three more places like this to go. Then you can act.” I state.
Mental acknowledgement.
The two mage-only mechanoid units nod at my comments.
As for the original four QiMO hybrid mechanoids, they are still calm and ready. It is clear that they would not stop their fellow mechanoid units from going, but they wouldn’t help them either. At least not until I gave them the order.
I guess that is the difference between the thick golden cords and the slightly dimmer cords. It is clear that these mage ones have an agenda, and for good reason.
Looking at it from their point of view, I would be ticked off if someone basically mind controlled me, or puppeted my body to do atrocious acts, on behalf of someone else. Then when I finally gained my autonomy, yeah, I likely would look to do something stupid for retribution as well.
Fortunately for me, we all have the thread of protecting the children as our top priority. Though I can tell part of their anger that even therapy probably can’t fix is the fact that these two were used to kill a few kids as well.
Fortunately, I see the remnants of the kids, and realize exactly why I got that bloodline evolution perk to begin with. That is I can Resurrect these kids, based on the residual Psychometric Imprints that have been left on these mechanoid units.
While I need to go about and perform Arcane Geomancy to the other storage places, I can get one of my Simulacrums to help Resurrect these children.
I know they won’t have access to my Ethereal Healer class Trait Resurrection, but my normal amount of mana should be more than enough to perform this task.
With that, I mentally open a rift in space and time, and connect to my Simulacrum on the second floor of the Arcanarus tower.
From there it is a quick data dump of Telepathy, that lets my first Simulacrum, of FS to begin casting multiple Resurrections all at once.
Resurrection X 5.
Drain.
Instantly, I feel the drain of mana from my main core, as I realize this was likely a waste of mana. And something that I completely wouldn’t do, if I had more time. But unfortunately, while I am going about the process of Resurrecting five children, all of whom will be protected in one of the mechanoid units. As each unit is already moving forward to grab one of the children and protect them.
Seeing their unison, I can’t help but smile.
The world might devalue children, but I don’t.
Pausing for a second, I check with my First Simulacrum, who just gives me a head nod, letting me know she’s got this.
Seeing that she is good to go, I quickly Teleport and begin working on the next concealed supply chamber.
Again, the size of these places to house mechanoid units is astronomical. But they are all underground, and those that are in charge apparently expect their wards and resistance modules to prevent, or at least alarm when someone like me enters.
Sad part for them, I can easily feel the wavelengths that these alerting wards are set for and just oscillate my frequency higher or lower. Or if needed, I can make my amplitude so large that it completely bounces down through the earth, that is oddly accommodating to my magical signature and then when the wave bounces up, I end up perfectly within the warehouse.
While this does give me a few ideas for how to better protect my own buildings and areas from similar activities, I shelve those ideas for the current needs.
Arcane Geomancy.
Two more hybrid QiMO mechanoid units come to life. There are enough parts for two more, which I make a note to steal. In fact, I have these two mechanoid units go about and push all the items to my third Simulacrum, the one that is still free floating on the Prankenstein Vessel out in the wilds of the Arcanarus Tower. The idea is to give that ship as many spare parts as possible. As something tells me, I might need them shortly.
With the two Hybrid Mechanoid units at work, I quickly Teleport to the guard shack.
This time only one of the guards is asleep, while the other is just reading a naughty magazine. Fortunately, a quick strike to the Qi point in the neck of the reader, lets me place him in a near coma like state almost immediately.
Snap.
The head of the victim snaps forward and I can tell that death is almost immanent. And likely would be, but I use my new spell Soporific Delta Healing, and instantly I see a magical bubble cover both the injured guard and the sleeping guard all at once.
For a moment, I pause, wondering if the spell will save their life, but a quick glance shows that yes, they are completely safe in this magical cocoon.
With the guards once again taken care of, I pause and wonder if I should awaken the two mage-only mechanoid suits that are lying dormant here, waiting for their next shift.
Just like before, I can see that there are a number of gold threads from me, and darker threads as well. Again, the mage-only ones are the only suits that have these darker threads of fate.
Still, I can’t deny that having the mechanoid units awake and able to share their memories does help with finding the spiritual residue of children and other deceased.
The plan is to eventually Resurrect everyone, but the children first and foremost. The adults we will get to, if we have the time.
Arcane Geomancy.
The moment these mechanoids awaken, they go instant rage, and climb to their feet, all but ready to exact justice.
Then as if reading my mind, they turn their attention to the guard shack and all but light it up with high speed bullets.
Ratta-tatta-tat-tat.
Ratta-tatta-tat-tat.
Ratta-tatta-tat-tat.
Ratta-tatta-tat-tat.
Two machines, four barrels of mana enhanced projectiles fire out and tear into the guard shack. A shack that had been anthropomorphized into life, until they were quickly slain by these two-rage infused mechs.
“Hey!” I shout, then I strike out at both mechanoid units, right at their cores. Not enough to kill them, but enough to severely disable their power creation.
Flying up, I look at the guard shack that is the equivalent of Swiss cheese at this point. Worse, the two guards that had been so terrible that killing them in their sleeps was a preferred method of treatment, just lay there. Yes, they too had a few extra holes. Holes created by magic bullets. Bullets that were even now being washed over and proactively healed by my Tier VIII spell.
I go over, trying to heal the building, but find that I can’t. The building isn’t alive, not truly, nor does it have a spirit. Instead, all I see is the magical life of a building I created, slowly beginning to wither away, due to the actions of creatures I created.
Granted the mechanoid creatures in question were only doing so to target enemies hidden within the building, but still they had no disregard for life at all.
Blue Mechanical Mana Tears.
It turns out that mechanoids can cry, as evident by the fact that these two are now both crying. Though it is clear that they are crying for how weak and powerless they feel.
“Stop that!” I shout, then going over to them and the dying building I cast Arcane Geomancy.
The only problem is that, nothing happens.
I figured as much, but had to try.
As it turns out, this is likely my chance to find or create a new power used to heal creatures created with Arcane Geomancy.
For it seems that while Arcane Geomancy might be able to bring inanimate objects to life. Once they are alive, it requires a completely new form of energy to heal them. One that I have not accounted for at the moment.
Just as I am contemplating this, I feel trouble rising once more.
Tug-tug-pull.
“Shit.” I mentally his, as my Simulacrum that is back at World’s End pulls me back at possibly the worst time ever.
“Hello Cass,” Mallory says, her face held at a slight angle as she looks at me in a questioning way.
“Why hello, Mallory, what can I do to help you on this fine day?” I ask in as overly cheerful of a tone as possible.
“Look, I need you to do something very important.” Mallory began with a very serious tone, and somehow, I wonder if she was still getting intelligence on what I was currently doing.
I know those mechanoid units weren’t all that quiet.
With this, I just raise my eyebrow as if I have no clue she is about to call me out for all but starting a war.
“This is important. Know that it isn’t easy for me to say this, but…” Mallory begins, pauses and then finally continues her thought. “But I need you to stop.”
Also, if she opens up my quest tab, she will clearly see the active quest I am on. Does that mean she wants me to stop saving the children?
Not that I will, but it will add an extra note of trouble to this whole act.
Still, no point in outing myself. Maybe playing dumb for a bit will help.
“Stop what?” I ask, trying to sound as innocent as possible.
“Don’t play dumb, you know exactly what I am talking about.”
“I do?” I ask, still hoping that this is some form of misunderstanding.
“Yes, you do. I need you to stop forcing me to teach your Understanding of Bloodline courses.” Mallory began.
Phew.
Hearing her speech, I can’t help but let out a breath that I didn’t know I had been holding. Fortunately, either my lungs are small, being a Pixie and all, or she was too caught up in my own reactions, but she seemed to miss this, and continue with her well-rehearsed speech.
“I mean it. I’m the guild leader, I do have a lot of things going on here. Things that I can’t always drop, because you want to shirk your responsibilities.” Mallory began.
Hearing that, I realized that I have dodged a bullet, but I just need to find a way to end this quickly, so I can get back to fixing my other problems.
Hopefully my Fourth Simulacrum is currently Resurrecting the kids that were still tethered to the mechanoid suits, otherwise the deep drops of mana I am experiencing right now are signs of an even greater problem.
“Oh, okay.” I say, trying to get this over with as quickly as possible. Future bloodline teaching Cassie is going to hate me, but I am in the middle of a tactical operation here, one that is about to go sideways.