After his accusation and an extra moment to silently stare at me, Castor opens his mouth to speak. "As promised, I will fulfill one of your wishes, as long as it is within the scope of my power. In addition to one little bit of extra advice; explosive versions of this particular Spell could use some direction."
What? What directions? What does that even mean, giving me more questions instead of an answer—ignoring the rule stuff for now, "what wish?" I ask Castor, interrupting my own thought as the entirety of his sentence dawned on me.
"The prize of winning this challenge—I shall personally grant you a wish." He smiles grandfatherly, making it work somehow even with a young handsome face that will make the most attractive man jealous. Not that it is entirely possible to identify his features, it's more of a hunch, like how you just know it is so.
"Oh." Know the feeling of being required to speak up during a group presentation you did not help prepare? Yeap…
Honestly, I cannot think of anything right at this moment. But our assumed reason for why this event is even run in the first place comes to mind after a while. "Well, I'm wondering if you can assist my home planet when our protection period runs out?"
"Ah yes… That would depend upon what exactly is expected of us, but the notion itself is entirely possible." I take it Castor agrees to help, up until a certain point that is still up for discussion. "Another thing before you go… Mind giving me access to one of the two Spell you had just composed"
"Which one?" I cast both on each hand—the sheathe one over a simple Light spell—while slightly and as subtly as possible, tweaking them to give myself a backdoor of sorts. An imprint of my mana signature that I may use to grant myself control over the Spells. If Castor noticed, he gave off nary a hint.
"The left one please," which turned out to be Latent Eruption. Hmm, what should I name the other?
"Ah, well. Sure I guess." Triggering my updates, and ignoring everything else but the part about putting up Latent Eruption for sale, I refused to do so for now, instead, I gift the Spell to Castor.
"I will be more than happy to purchase the Spell from you." He said.
"Consider it a gift." I grin, then in a fit of inspired mischief, I decided a little bit of self promotion wouldn't hurt. Still grinning, trying to make it as innocent and as humanly possible, teeth-wise. "Rather, I am hoping you can tell me about the rule I had broken. And~, if I may bring your attention to knowing that I own a brand in The System Store; Made in Mana. Maybe a god of magic like you will be interested in my wares." Castor—caster. Making a game out of analyzing Spells, and being darn good at it too. Looking through the layers of Subspace as if he's just watching TV. What else could he be? Well, maybe a god of educational guesses and glasseses or something, but I'll take my guess.
"I might, yes." His reply came a tad bit later than expected, after about a fraction of a second of delay. I'll make the educational guess this time and assume he checked The Store. Not a single mention about any rule, his left hand rises up sporting a familiar mass of mana—all of a sudden, Rascarna appeared beside me.
"What's the meaning of this?" He asks Castor. My Latent Eruption imploded right where it had been above his open palm, leaving behind a tiny patch of extreme darkness.
"Nothing… An experiment." Castor replies, both pairs of divine eyes never left the darkness. Mine too, it looks to me as if the patch is absorbing everything within half a meter of itself, my Mana Sense confirmed this by allowing me to Sense the ambient mana. "This had only cost me 1000 mana…" he said, kinda dreamily; his eyes staring out into the horizon.
After a mere moment, said dark patch fades as space restored itself and Rascarna visibly relaxes—grinning even. "I know right!"
"I would appreciate it if someone is kind enough to explain to me what is going on!" I say to both present divine companies. They made eye contact, Rascarna wiggled his eyebrows while Castor rolled his eyes in response.
"Congratulations, my friend!" The former started dragging me off stage. I barely managed to wave the latter goodbye.
—
Slain Quagxyte lv 1 x 15,289
15,289 syscred and 1,972 exp awarded
Slain Water Elemental lv 25 x 4
100 syscred and 323 exp awarded
Strength + 36
Constitution + 44
Dexterity + 40
Intelligence + 68
Wisdom + 16
Will + 28
Charisma + 8
Skill level up, Teach 36 > 42
Skill level up, Visualization 57 > 59
Skill level up, Mana Sense 42 > 44
Skill level up, Scrimshaw 33 > 41
A case of theft: this story is not rightfully on Amazon; if you spot it, report the violation.
Skill level up, Mana Manipulation 63 > 64
Skill level up, Interpret Design Plans 14 > 19
Level 15 threshold breached
Skill level up, Spatial Intuition 12 > 15
Skill level up, Mental Resistance 15 > 19 Skill level up, Intimidate 59 > 62
Skill level up, Flowing Art 66 > 67
Skill level up, SYMPHONY 33 > 34
Skill level up, Lapidary 17 > 19
Skill level up, Pain Resistance 38 > 44
Congratulations. You have created a new Journeyman rank spell. As its creator, the spell will grow with you as your understanding of it grows
Latent Eruption, Spell logged
Would you like to make Latent Eruption available on the CredStore?
Congratulations. You have created a new Master rank spell. As its creator, the spell will grow with you as your understanding of it grows
Please name the spell
'Thank you.' One part of my Parallel Thought got busy as the others interact with Rascarna, monitor Mana Sense, day dream, and take in numerous external stimuli. Now, these Updates are about a week old. And the Devour update is from Sunday—that is, yesterday. While the next 30 days, well, about 28 now, are currently frozen on a Monday by The System.
So, the usual Skill updates from making our uncompleted vehicle and, well~... I am not quite sure when exactly I experienced enough mental attacks to level the Skill up so much, or intimidated people, or used Flowing Art to move around. It has been peaceful since this doors event started... Aside from, yeap, I know now! Must have been during the moment of time I lost control. And the final 3 must have been something that happened during the crafting and equipping of my Rib-Bangle, not that I remember. Not a trace of memory of any kind of pain that increased my resistance by 4 whole levels! Who the heck was that Earthling guy?
Anyhow, Latent Eruption is as such. Now in regards to the other's name… Concept of time and space… Temporal and spatial; though in this case the spatial part is used as a case of sorts where an active Spell may lay for a temporary rest… 'Temporal Recess, please.'
Temporal Recess, Spell logged
Would you like to make {item} available on the CredStore?
Title awarded [Spell Author]
Title lost [Spell Dilettante]
Spell Author. Amateur no more, by choice ye of extraordinary measure, through a whole lot of labor you have augmented your treasure through grasping within your own grasps; power, fame and wealth, now utterly aware that they are great effort—never mere leisure. Purchasing more for less shall be your present pleasure.
Well, that description is as abstract as the one for dilettante. I read it for a second time and chuckle. Buying more for less… Cost? I check The System store and did my best impression of a happy jig. Make 12 orginal spells made for a 25% discount on Spells, awesome! 'No to both for now, thank you.'
"So, can you tell me why exploring more Subspace is a good idea, and what rule I broke, or what was that dark patch that only costs 1000 mana and made you come on stage, and are you something of a very supportive senior to me now?" I start questioning Rascarna the moment I got my chance.
"Well~, there are various unique spaces with unusual effects, the rule that one Spell should only be capable of one major thing, that darkness was the void, to protect you, and yes!"
Okay, maybe one thing at a time. "Can you first tell me why there is such a rule and who made it?" I ask as we proceed to settle down in a nearby café and resto. "I'll have 1 latte less sugar, one roast rabbit skewered in its own horn, two portions of bovine sandwich and a bowl of your perpetual mystery stew. Thank you!"
"The rule was not set by any individual, it is more of a natural law." He answers after placing his order, "there is no known way of making a Spell contain two different functions. You cannot make a fireball Spell heal, a target that does not—by either natural or external cause—heal from fire damage."
"Oh—"
"Of course there are always exceptions to a rule, divine individuals for instance, may slightly skirt around the corner of said rule. A meteor strike that brings forth both destruction and creation, for example." He added before I get to ask the next question. "Even then, the effects happen in turn."
As it turned out the moment he got access to Magico Disk and my various Spells, he knew. Maybe not for certain, but still somewhere in the 98% range. Which is the reason he was confident that Castor is bound to lose. And the Void is the Void, he insisted that the only thing I would gain from knowing more is death… "So, got a gift for you new junior?" And~ he's gone! He calls himself a god but still have the shamelessness to dine and dash!! I ended up paying 300 Creds for the both of us.
—
Days pass by, each more boring than the previous. Besides Castor and Rascarna; one a small—if powerful faction and the other an equally powerful individual. The hundreds of other factions or organizations we managed to reach out towards either outright refused to assist or demanded incredibly unfavorable conditions. Even ones with local representatives like the Vampires or Parthenon Al'Ethos; which is what Parthenon Avantgard should belong to, whereas the superheroes happen to be in line with people who call themselves Genesis Scale—I believe that meant they judge your sins or something… They do look like heroes, all suited up and colorful, even if they are kinda not in name, only they are a lot more realistic about it. That happens to mean less giving mercy and more inflicting harsh justice.
"There is something fishing going on around here." Jennifer exclaims during one of our get-togethers. At first, it kinda feels like there are less people. Now, even a distracted Mini could tell the changes. And what people may be seen lurking within our Planet's assigned building are mostly mysteriously cloaked individuals—hiding your features behind articles of clothing had been getting increasingly common since the change, but they were always visibly Humans. Masked men with visible ears, cloaked people eating as a human should—and Mana Sense could penetrate their cover if I focused… But now, it's all darkness behind their hood.
"I feel like it has been days since I saw one of the heroes, or the Greek gods wannabe." My father pointed at the elephant in the room.
"And I, the Vampires." Ardi added. "Or my brother for that matter."
And there were neither heads nor tails of them for the following days—5 of which have now come to pass. Castor and I met, he had agreed that he will take as many people as we want into his faction when we want him to, within this half or so year before the situation escalates—because he is sure they will. He refused to say how. There, besides being provided with the bare necessities of life for their first year, they will need to fend for themselves like every other new member and put in the effort to improve themselves. Which is much better a fate than our numerous predecessors—fellow integrated individuals.
I have plans to meet a representative of the this minor group of enthusiast spellcasters that claimed they have something important to discuss with me. Plenty representatives of groups of people who identify themselves as mages, wizards, sages, casters, and every such words in the urban and official dictionary have been approaching me since I won Castor's challenge… Stepping out of the teleportation pad, the first thing I noticed from inspecting the surrounding individuals is the increased number of Vampires in this area. I even made eye contact with the missing Polina while taking in the view… She's in a queue for some kinda blood cheese hotdogs. Ew!
Polina?! Turning back to find her, I instead see her running down the road. Away from me.