In a surprising turn of events, Barbara wasn't bullied in her new dorm. The noble Ladies and the mean rich girls left her mostly alone. I would later learn it was due to Lord Hamilton's interference, but that's a story for another day.
Today the expedition would depart to the Labyrinth and we locked ourselves in her posh dorm room to pick our Perks and prepare our Status sheet for the incoming flood of Exp. As if. Sitting on her too-big bed (for a halfling), Barbara was excited to finally have access to the [Crystallomancer]'s spell list and asked for my input.
"Should I take {Shard Conservation} or {Shard Boost}? What do you think, Nethe?"
* Shard Conservation (ultra-rare): Every third use of a Spell-Crystal drains no charges.
* Shard Boost (ultra-rare): 300% extra effect at the cost of three charges.
"They're expensive," she rolled her eyes as if it was obvious.
"What if I take both, and boost every third spell? I'll get a boosted spell for free."
Ignoring my advice, Barbara selected the two Perks anyway, then tested it with a basic {Light Orb} spell. She conjured two such orbs, and the third had four times the luminosity of the previous ones. "It does!" She cheered. "The third casting is always boosted. And the counter is on the crystal's info, I can leave my offensive spells primed. Even if I use the spells on nothing, it still costs me two charges instead of three."
The first gift was a long sash woven from Living Silk with abstract geometric patterns embroidered with gold and platinum thread. Small cut Core slivers decorated the embroidery, along with a flexible ivory band that went up and down like a wave. The silk was iridescent right now, changing colors depending on the angle one looked at it. As the cloth flexed, it practically seemed to glow.
> [Spell-Crystal Silk Bandolier] - Level 0
>
> Price: ~100 kingmetal coins
>
> Material: Living Silk, gold thread, platinum thread, Core slivers, Pixie Dust, Unicorn Horn.
>
> * This item has 85% lower Resonance.
> * This item shuts down in case of Resonance conflict.
> * Hardness: 47 Durability: 3,400
> * +10 Endurance.
> * Space for 50 Spell-Crystals. Crystals may be triggered without touching while the bandolier is worn.
> * Changes color according to the wearer's wishes.
> * Generates 120 MP/h in normal ambient mana.
> * Stores 60,000 MP. MP can be used only by the bandolier but anyone touching it may donate some.
> * When the MP reservoir is full, it uses 5,000 ~ 15,000 MP to repair 1 use to a random Spell-Shard that's not fully charged.
> * Reacts to attacks aimed at the bandolier with a localized Force shield to block up to 200 base damage for 500 MP.
> * Becomes invisible on command.
> * Attempts to Appraise the bandolier and/or the wearer, or notice the bandolier while invisible are reduced by 450 (not cumulative with other items).
> * Soulbound to Barbara Lynn Ambrose.
>
> - To my favorite [Crystallomancer], the most useful tools I could think of. - Nethe's "Mom".
The second item was a staff worthy of a master [Crystallomancer]. Its shaft was pure transparent diamond with the faintest hues of blue reinforced with strips of white Truesilver. The diamond branched in four like a tree limb would at the top, forming a crown. Upon it, a [Silver Dragon Core] the size of a tennis ball, engraved with thousands of runes, was held by twelve thin squares of flawless ruby framed within a solid band Truesilver that went around the diamond limbs. Right now the Core shed a dim glow, making the diamond shaft and faceted limbs catch the light and send it along the shaft and to the rubies, making the corners of the cut crystals sparkle. The strands of living silk were transparent and ran along the Truesilver and inside the diamond, glimmering at the right angles and making it look like the veins of the crystalline tree limb.
> [The Crystallomancer's Cane] - Level 0
>
> Price: ~500 kingmetal coins
>
> Material: Living Silk, Truesilver, blue diamond, ruby, monster Core, Pixie Dust, Mermaid Tears.
>
> Restriction: Crystallomancer Class only.
>
> * This item has 85% lower Resonance.
> * This item shuts down in case of Resonance conflict.
> * When not in use, it will shrink and become a pendant (with chain).
> * Hardness: 250 Durability: 25,000
> * Restores 50 durability per hour. May use donated MP to recover faster.
> * +20 Mind, Willpower, and Magic.
> * +40 base MP.
> * May appear as an ordinary wooden staff on command.
> * Stores 20 cubic meters. Self-sufficient in MP generation and storage even when full.
> * May emit light upon command, illuminating up to 30 meters away. This light never blinds or obfuscates the user.
> * May store up to 12 spell diagrams on its ruby plates. These diagrams can be cast like a spell-crystal, subtracting from the durability of the staff. Once it reaches 5,000 durability, it needs to repair itself.
> * 4d12+20 base damage.
> * Has a Parry rating of 300%. Will move on its own to deflect attacks to the user.
> * Locks in place upon command. A Strength score of 500 is necessary to move it.
> * Can fly at 32km/h (20 mph) and carry up to 300 kg. Will move to the user's location upon command.
> * Attempts to Appraise the staff and/or the user are reduced by 450 (not cumulative with other items).
> * Soulbound to Barbara Lynn Ambrose.
>
> - To my favorite [Crystallomancer], the most useful tools I could think of. - Nethe's "Mom".
These two tools would grow and gain more Perks as Barbara gained Exp with it.
Barbara took the silk band with pockets and studied it carefully. She instinctively found the pouches along the inside. Then she gasped and covered her mouth as she stared at the glimmering transparent diamond staff. "Nethe… Who made these?"
"I did, but when did she make them?" She sniffled.
"It's made of [Living Silk]. Nethe, I read the sacred litany. I know there's only one who's able to weave [Living Silk]."
"Nethe, is your mom…"
I grew some legs and crawled next to her. Then I extended a few silk ribbons from between my pages and wrapped them around her shoulders, neck, and two to wipe her tears and caress her cheeks.
The look of disbelief on her face was heartbreaking. "Was She trapped in that book?"
Her emotions kept overflowing. She raised a hand and held my back cover, I think the closest a person and a mimic ever got to a hug. We stayed together without a word for a while.
"Why me?" She whimpered between sobs. Barbara had the Perk from her previous life (I didn't know which) but she never understood why. Worse, she was afraid of revealing it to the Church because people with special Perks at birth usually disappeared, and chafed under the burden of the secret she kept from everyone.
She nodded. "Yes. I understand."
"Will you tell me?"
"Why me?" She repeated the question I couldn't answer.
She didn't answer but her grip on my cover tightened a lot. She let herself fall on her side on the bed, dropping me with her. After a few minutes touching each other, she calmed down. Fiddling with my ribbons, Barbara lifted me at eye level. "I'm sorry, Nethe. Listen, let me say everything. When I learned you were a mimic, you sounded hurt. I was afraid but I didn't think of your feelings. Would you forgive me?"
My "toilet paper" joke drew a peal of laughter from her. She scrunched her face in disgust, "Eww, Nethe. That would never happen."
She tickled my spine, "You sound like you're still hurt! What can I do to apologize to you? Would some chocolate-flavored letter paper do the trick?"
"It seems we have a deal then," she grinned but still sobbed here and there as her diaphragm missed the memo saying to stop crying.
Barbara tried the bandolier in front of a mirror. Its color-changing features allowed it to match any outfit she wore. Then we picked the remainder of her Perks.
This tale has been unlawfully lifted without the author's consent. Report any appearances on Amazon.
* Crystallomancy (ultra-rare): You can cast spells from diagrams engraved on crystals, gemstones, or Core shards. Reduce MP costs by 25%. Each use drains the crystal's power, damaging it.
* Shard Conservation (ultra-rare): Every third use of a Spell-Crystal drains no charges.
* Shard Boost (ultra-rare): 300% extra effect at the cost of three charges.
* Novice Channeling (rare): Mana moves through your body 25% faster. Your spells cost 25% less to maintain.
* Unwavering Concentration (rare): Add (Mind/2) to Willpower checks to keep your concentration.
* Earth Magic Affinity (rare): Spells are 50% stronger, 25% cheaper, and 50% harder to dispel.
* Coordinated Aim (uncommon): Add half of either Dexterity or Mind to the other Attribute when aiming spells or ranged attacks, respectively.
* Crystal Magic Specialization (very rare): Crystal spells are 100% stronger and 25% cheaper.
* Force Magic Affinity (rare): Spells are 50% stronger, 25% cheaper, and 50% harder to dispel.
She missed out on three Perks because at base Class she only gained 1 every 3, plus another at level 20. Seven at base Class, then two on the first rank.
*
----------------------------------------
*
Now it was my turn. Mom (my awakened self) had used all the nine second-rank Perks I inherited from Raina the Revenant/Dullahan to unlock four of her combined Perks, leaving me with twelve Perks of my own, which she didn't touch because it was my choice. Even though I was her, she didn't want her broad knowledge to interfere with how I, The Netherbane Syllabus, lived my own life.
These were the Perks she unlocked with Raina's leftover Perks while she was in control of my body.
* Perfect Awareness (1/7): You have the equivalent of normal sight from any point of your integument. Increase all your other senses' precision, range, and accuracy by 10. Your sense of vision does not require light and is not blocked by fine particulates in suspension. Water does not hinder your senses. You can detect infrared and a portion of the ultraviolet spectrum. You can hear any sound frequency up to 100,000 Hertz. Strong sources of stimulation do not hinder or bother you. You are immune to scent-based attacks. You resist 50% of all sonic attacks. You can perceive incorporeal entities. Your senses extend into the Ethereal world at their normal range. You add (Dexterity+20) to your Perception tests. Identify chemicals in fluids around you.
* Heavenly Performer (1/7): Effects created by artistic performances are twice as effective and twice as hard to dispel. Benefits while Performing: Normal environmental effects do not hinder you. 10x performance range. Shift Spectator's reactions by 6 steps. If you take no hostile action, reduce all damage to you by 75%. Gain 10% of spectators' resource regeneration. Creatures not under attack must stop hostilities to watch if they fail a Willpower test, once per minute. Aspects: Only one can be active at a time. Switch cooldown, 5 seconds. – Sacrifice: Allies who perform no hostile actions cannot be targeted. You redirect to yourself 90% of all Area effects that include at least one of them. – Healing: You can wave Healing magic into your performance, targeting every friendly unit as if you were touching them. – Heroism: Allies suffer 50% less and deal 50% more damage. They gain +10 to the three highest Attributes. – Inspiration: Grant a (20+Luck/2)% quality and a +20 bonus to all Technical Proficiencies’, including yours. – Peace: If you and your allies take no hostile action, all enemies must make a (Willpower + Ego) against your (Charisma + Magic + Ego) or they must cease all hostilities. This counts as a diplomacy attempt and may shift reactions.
* Mythic Rancher (1/7): Each level gives 1 point of [Harvester] Proficiency. You have a chance to harvest legendary materials. Conjure grain, nut, seed, or fruit. MP cost varies by rarity. Improve reaction of animals by 2 steps. Plants and livestock under your care take 50% less damage and double resistance against illness. They grow twice as fast and double the yield.
* Homeland Defender (1/7): When fighting in your homeland or up to (50+Soul) hectometers outside its borders, gain 20% to: damage reduction, evasion, accuracy, damage dealt, and increased spell effect. Spells last 100% longer (delays upkeep ticks) and are 50% harder to dispel. You can designate or change your homeland only after you've lived for 10 years in that country.
And here, the notifications from when she leveled up crafting my dust cover. Since then, she's been disabling the Exp awards from crafting.
> You gained 20 Attribute Points.
>
> Ultimate Surpasser Granted you 112 Attribute Points.
>
> You gained 10 Strength, 30 Dexterity, 20 Endurance, 10 Mind, 20 Willpower, 10 Charisma, 30 Magic, 20 Luck,
>
> You gained 10 base Perks.
>
> Merfolk Royalty granted you +5 Strength.
>
> Human Royalty granted you: 2 base Perks.
>
> Centaur Royalty granted you: +5 Strength & +5 Endurance.
>
> Dwarf Royalty granted you: +5 Endurance
>
> King Royalty granted you: +5 Dexterity & Endurance
>
> Imperial Royalty granted you 10 Attribute Points.
>
> Borderland Royalty granted you: +5 Willpower.
One advantage of leveling up with the curse suppressed was automatic (and free) unlock of a few Perks that triggered on a level-up.
* Royalty [Elf, Merfolk, Human, Centaur, Dwarf, Imperial, Kin]: Titles: [Emperor King, Queen, Unicorn Queen, Grand Duchess, Prince, Princess] Gain extra Attributes every 4 levels, check types below. .+3 Reaction from listed groups, +1 from others. Elf: Dexterity. Rituals to bond with Nature. Merfolk: Strength. +100% Resource regen underwater. Human: Always 1 Perk/2 levels, 1 Perk/10 levels. Centaur: Strength & Endurance. Dwarf: Endurance. Kin: Dexterity & Endurance. Imperial: 2 Attribute Points. Borderland: Willpower. Spend at least 3 hours/day managing your realm: Ignore 75% of the penalties for lack of infrastructure. Pay 1,000 MP/s to exude a Royal Aura. All non-royal enemies in Charisma meters lose (Charisma/2) on all Attributes. All in the area know your location. Hide your Royal Status. Contests that automatically fail because of such status will display as "resisted". Pay 10*(Target's Soul) SP to impose a geas with an Ego contest. If the target violates the geas, take (Soul*150) HP of unmitigated damage per second while you pay the base cost. Geas may be non-lethal, causing the target to fall unconscious at 0 HP for 24 hours. Geas must have a condition to end.
* Ultimate Surpasser (unique): You get N Attribute Points every 20 levels, where N is your {Surpasser} level.
> You became a Libromancer/Bibliomimic (1st Rank, 5 slots, unique).
>
> 1 Attribute point at every level.
>
> +1 Strength, Dexterity, Endurance, Willpower, Magic, and Luck at every level.
>
> +1 Dexterity, Endurance, Willpower, and Soul at every even level.
>
> +1 Mind, Charisma, Magic, Ego, and Luck at every odd level.
>
> 16 base HP at every level.
>
> 20 base MP at every level.
>
> 4 base SP at every level.
>
> 1 Perk at every 2 levels.
> You gained 4 Attribute Points.
>
> Ultimate Surpasser Granted you 22 Attribute Points.
>
> You gained 4 Strength, 6 Dexterity, 6 Endurance, 2 Mind, 6 Willpower, 2 Charisma, 6 Magic, 2 Ego, 6 Luck, and 2 Soul.
>
> Merfolk Royalty granted you +1 Strength.
>
> Centaur Royalty granted you: +1 Strength & Endurance.
>
> Dwarf Royalty granted you: +1 Endurance
>
> Kin Royalty granted you: +1 Dexterity & Endurance
>
> Imperial Royalty granted you 2 Attribute Points.
>
> Borderland Royalty granted you: +1 Willpower.
The free Attribute Points were split between Magic and Luck.
* Mimic's Stillness (very rare): If you do not move, add (100+Endurance) to the quality of your mimicry.
* Wisemen's Best Friend (ultra-rare): When willingly helping others in intellectual, scientific, or arcane studies, they receive a (Mind)% bonus to their learning rate.
> Wisemen's Best Friend combined into Eternal Trainee.
* Eternal Trainee (1/7): +20 to all Attributes, +30% lifespan. Title: [Master of Magic]. When you help or teach friendly units, they learn and do their research 75% faster. At midnight of your birthday, gain 1 fast-growth on the following Proficiencies: above 50, Assassination, Spellcaster, Alchemy, Diplomat, Enchanter, Metalsmith, along with the 3 lowest Combat and 5 lowest Technical. You learn all Proficiencies 500% faster. Every 5 levels give 1 point of Proficiency in: Chemist, Silkweaver, Surgeon, Appraise, Jeweler, Metalsmith, Mason, and Sculptor. Each level gives 1 point of Proficiency in: War Technique, Spellcaster, Rune Scriber. You cannot spend a pick on the latter three Proficiencies. When picking a new Technical Proficiency, gain 20+SQRT(highest Technical score) Fast-growth points in it.
* Ambush Predator (rare): When ambushing an unaware target, you deal 200% more damage.
> Mimic's Stillness, Ambush Predator, Death Contract V, Demon Slayer III, Dragon Slayer V, God Slayer, Blurred Afterimage, Vendetta Contract, Scale-Piercer IV, and Mutant-Slayer combined into Avatar of Death.
* Avatar of Death (1/7): +10 Dexterity and Mind, +50% Stealth. Put a {Death Contract} on a target you can either see, declare vengeance on, or know the exact location by paying (100*[Soul]) SP. If the target is killed by you or someone with the {Death Contract} perk without taking an action or noticing the killer, the killer gains 650% more Experience. When under cover of shadows, teleport to another shadow in (10*Magic) meters. Attacks from stealth deal 5x damage. Enemies who lose sight of you allow you to stealth during combat. When attacking mutants, dragons, scaled beings, demons, or divine beings, you deal 4x damage and ignore 60% of their defenses. Divine beings also lose GP as well as MP.
* Potent Adhesive (rare): Add (Strength/2) to the difficulty to break free from your adhesive.
* Spit Adhesive (very rare): Pay 500 MP to spit your mimic adhesive at a target (10+Strength/4) meters away. One random limb becomes stuck to either the body or the closest surface.
* Splash Adhesive (very rare): When you spit adhesive, it splashes on everything in a (1+SQRT(Endurance)/2) meters radius. Creatures in the area become slowed and may also become immobile if ([Strength]+[Dexterity]) is less than half of your adhesive difficulty.
* Adhesive Burst (ultra-rare): Pay 2,000 MP: Your adhesive spit now covers (3+SQRT(Endurance)) meters. Creatures become immobile if ([Strength]+[Dexterity]) is less than your adhesive difficulty.
* Corrosive Adhesive (ultra-rare): Pay an additional 1,000 MP: Your adhesive deals (40+Endurance) corrosive base damage per second to non-magical objects and creatures stuck in it.
> Mimic Adhesive, Potent Adhesive, Spit Adhesive, Splash Adhesive, Adhesive Burst, and Corrosive Adhesive combined into Weaponized Glue
* Weaponized Glue: +2 Physical Attributes. Your surface may secrete a potent adhesive. Anything stuck requires Strength greater than (Endurance+Strength/2+Willpower/4) to break free. Weapons that strike you while coated remain stuck. You can pay 500 MP to spit it (10+Strength/4) meters away. Upon impact, it splashes a (1+SQRT(Endurance)/2) meters radius. Anything struck will be glued to the nearest surface. Creatures fully in the area may become immobile if ([Strength]+[Dexterity]) is less than half of your adhesive difficulty. Pay 2,000 MP to enhance the burst to (3+SQRT(Endurance)) meters and double the immobility threshold.
The acid damage vanished but I gained a minor Attribute boost. A fair trade, I guess.
* Forbidden Words (very rare): Hostile entities attempting to read you must win a ([Willpower+Ego] vs Charisma+Magic+Ego) contest or become stunned for 10 seconds. A critical win for you means they are knocked unconscious.
* Origami Summons (very rare): You can summon an origami version of your summoned monsters. They deal half damage, have a quarter of the HP and armor but cost 50% less.
* Folding Canvas Barrier (very rare): Pay (50*Magic) MP. You can create a paper barrier with up to SQRT(Magic) meters of perimeter and with Hardness equal to SQRT(Endurance) and Durability equal to (Endurance+Willpower). The paper can be painted with any image you wish. The Perception difficulty to discern it's a painting is equal to (Charisma+Magic). Each meter closer than 100 gives the observer a +1 bonus to this test.
* Devour Spells(very rare): You can attempt a bite attack on an incoming spell. If you hit, subtract your bite base damage from the spell's base damage, then resolve it normally. You now have a drawing of the spell's diagram on one of your pages.
> Devour Spells combined with Omni-Sustenance.
* Omni-Sustenance (1/7): You can draw sustenance from anything physical, magical, or spiritual. You need only 1% of the food, water, and sleep a normal member of your species requires. After puberty, you age at a tenth of the normal rate. You no longer need to breathe unless you are in a region with no magic and then require only 1% of the normal air. When resting, you remain conscious and lose only 20% of your Perception score. You don't age or need food, air, or water in places of high ambient magic. Hostile magical effects are reduced by 25% after absorptions, restoring 2% of the avoided damage as Energy. When you eat a spell, you learn its diagram. Each time you eat a new species, you have a (20*[1+(Luck/100)])% chance to gain one of their species Perks. When reduced to 0 HP, all damage is halved and applied to Energy instead.
> Level 24
>
> Strength*: 43+62 (105) / 97 - Dexterity*: 55+82 (137) / 97 - Endurance*: 54+82 (136) / 97
>
> Mind: 26+68 (94) / 97 - Willpower: 35+48 (83) / 97 - Charisma: 26+54 (80) / 97
>
> Magic*: 180+61 (241) / 488 - Faith: 20+35 (55) / 488
>
> Ego: 6+45 (51) / 97 - Luck*: 72+65 (137) / 97 - Soul: 16+65 (81) / 97
>
> HP 373.708 (2.275 HP/s)
>
> Energy 974.085 (2.281 E/min)
The boost in power lowered the time needed to break the Broodmother's curse on my own to just 47 thousand years. The problem was that the System considered the curse (unique), boosting its difficulty to break. Oh, well.
*
----------------------------------------
*
Barbara was standing in front of the huge mirror, with the bandolier strapped along her torso like a girl scout's sash. She held the staff in front of her and was pretending to cast epic magic. My declaration had snapped the halfling out of her reverie.
"I can't walk around with this staff. It's too flashy!" She protested.
Better yet, mom made it display a fake {Appraise} info.
> [Oak Staff]
>
> Price: 40 silver.
>
> Materials: Oak Wood, Iron, Quartz, Stone.
>
> Hardness: 12. Durability: 140.
>
> Enchantment Points: 55.
>
> Damage: 1d12+5
A diamond shaft looking like normal wood aside, the truesilver became iron, the ruby, quartz, and the Core appeared as just some carved stone. An item one could buy at any equipment shop and then attempt to enchant. It wasn't a shoddy item but something a student would use.
Barbara made the bandolier become invisible. Then she made the staff disappear and a miniature carved wooden twig appeared on a silver chain around her neck. She was grinning from ear to ear.
"Come on, Nethe. We have to go or we'll miss the Labyrinth expedition! They won't wait for us!"
She scooped me from the bed as I withdrew the dozens of ribbons back between my pages. with my dust cover's strap slung around her shoulder, I watched as she waved her hand around her pack and sent it to the staff's storage. No need to carry luggage anymore.
I didn't trust her schoolmates. That slimy guy, Lord Hamilton, had some hidden agenda regarding Barbara. It made no sense to just tell the mean girls to leave her alone. In the lawless depths of the Labyrinth, anything could happen.
The only certainty I had was that Barbara wouldn't suffer a single HP of damage. She had the best bodyguard in this world.