You understand now that I can affect the worlds by accepting and declining jobs, and also how I go about completing my jobs. That’s not the only way! Sometimes, I catch wind of people’s troubles in one of the many worlds. If I sympathize with them, I can use some of my mana to influence their fates.
Don’t get the wrong idea. These worlds don’t have fixed fates. It’s less like something is destined to happen, and more like the coin is a little more likely to land heads. A little bit of help can go a surprisingly long way. Naturally, I can do the opposite, too. But, the catch is, if I decide to interfere, I will know exactly what I have caused to be different, and it’s usually unmistakable whether what I’ve done is something I can be proud of. You learn entirely too much about the people you helped or harmed, and make no mistake, these are people, not angels.
I try not to do this very much. It’s irresponsible to do something so heavy-handed with such limited knowledge of their circumstances. And who am I to impose my values on their world and play favorites? At the same time, I have these abilities for a reason, and there may come a time when I have to use them.
*
Incoming Request
World: X-002
Spell Level: 1
Duration: 4 hours
Mana offered: XX
Karma: +X
Not a chance! This is clearly a spell to conjure a floating ball of light. I can’t imagine something more boring than doing nothing for 4 hours! I know this sounds strange right after I talked about taking easy jobs, but a ball of light has no sensory organs. You have no autonomy, either; you just get dragged along by your client like a balloon.
Request Declined
*
Incoming Request
World: A-220
Unauthorized reproduction: this story has been taken without approval. Report sightings.
Spell Level: 4
Duration: 10 minutes
Mana offered: XX
Karma: -XX
There’s something to understand here. Despite this being a 4th-level spell and offering only XX mana, because it’s only 10 minutes long, it is a very strong spell. The flame that burns twice as bright burns half as long, as they say. This is, without a doubt, intense combat. There is a high likelihood that my client will be the aggressor, too.
Request Accepted
Select your form.
Choice: EX Shadowcat
Select spawn location.
A vibrant splash! And a rapid sinking sensation as color splatters onto the firmament. I land onto a thick tree trunk and jump down to the forest floor without making a sound. It’s nighttime. My client is the summoner in this party of 4. They are decked out in impressive gear, and stealth is clearly a priority in their kit. This is either a night raid or an assassination.
We are hiding in the forest just past the fence of a military encampment. Military encampment is an understatement, this might be more like a moving city. Getting this far wasn’t easy.
My client hands me a noose, and points at a tree limbs above. He wants me to climb and drop the noose over a thick limb they can climb onto. I jump up a few limbs until I can see a sea of tents over the fence. I stalk along a thick limb and drop the noose over the other side. A party member collects the noose, threads the standing end of the rope through it, and starts to pull it through. The rope tightens around the limb, and the noose tightens around the rope. They start to climb.
What is an EX Shadowcat? I explained that this spell is very strong on account of its short duration. That strength takes the form of upgrading the forms. This form is like the Night Panther I controlled before, but stronger, faster, more agile, stealthier, has heat vision, and can momentarily turn invisible. It’s an absolute killing machine. It pays for this by being exactly as durable as a night panther. It’s a killer, but not a tank. This means I have to commit to an assassin playstyle, because enemies will prioritize attacking me!
I adjust and find a good spot to land past the fence, and jump. I break my fall beautifully without a sound, and turn invisible to find a dark spot to lurk. A subtle flash of mana envelops the party: feather fall. They run and jump over the fence after me, landing softly and hiding.
Another option in the forms menu was EX Bearzerker. This one is an absolute tank, and it can dish it out, too. The catch is that it attracts more attention than an air raid siren. Had I picked that form, this party would probably direct me to assault the main gate while they infiltrate the camp. They would probably have been content with either choice, but I don’t like to attract that sort of unnecessary attention.
The party speaks in hand signals. A second caster casts a spell to dim lights. It’s a much subtler variation on creating a cloud of darkness. My client finds me, gestures to me to accompany him, primes his mana, and stretches out his hand. He leads the way forward while the others follow behind, and I peek out ahead of him to spot any lookouts.
We pass many tents with warm horizontal bodies inside. It seems the watchers were concentrated at the gates. We reach a clearing with a very large tent. Heavily armored guards surround the entryway, and additional guards stand at its four corners. There are a few warm standing bodies inside. My client nods at me. I turn invisible and stalk my way past the door guards and into the tent. Shit!
Inside are some humanoids, and a summoned Wise Owl. Owl-like creatures are, as a rule, extremely perceptive. Had this been an ordinary owl, I’d still have been spotted. Worse, this is a summoned creature. As you understand, summoning a creature means a being like me gets involved. Behind that owl form is another of my kind.