While I wait to wake up, I’ll tell you a little bit about my design philosophy for the abilities I gave the characters in this world. Perhaps one of the more important challenges an author faces when writing a power fantasy is ‘designing powers’. There are a few different approaches that we can take, each with a different goal in mind.

The first approach is to make the main character OP in a classic way that is easy to comprehend. Critics will usually call these characters ‘cliché’ and complain about how generic and boring they are. These characters are best written with minimal personality such that just about any average reader could pick up the book and self-insert since the character never makes controversial decisions.

Another approach is to make all the characters as unique as possible. This is the artistic method, and it doesn’t scale well. Carefully architecting the power set of four or five characters might take anywhere from an hour to a few days.

But what about all the characters in a web novel with five hundred chapters? A thousand chapters? Two thousand chapters? It’s an exponential growth problem since the rules, mechanics, and powers established earlier don’t just vanish into nothing.

My novel ranged anywhere from a hundred to four-hundred chapters, depending on which draft I’m talking about. When designing the skills and abilities used by characters in this world, my design philosophy had a few key restrictions:

First, important characters get cool powers while mob characters get the leftovers.

Second, important characters get powers that either reflect their inner qualities or are the antithesis of their inner qualities. There must always be a connection between the two.

Third, the powers of important characters must be ridiculously strong but have room for growth and improvement based on technique, experience, and development. Specifically, I made it so that powers are a means of fully automating the use of a skill such that a person can use and control an ability without knowledge of the operative process behind it.

Princess Diana’s Sacrificial Nexus was an ability I designed with all three criteria in mind. In my opinion, it’s a cool power. More importantly, it was a reflection of her inner self. I’ll let you extrapolate what that means on your own.

Sacrificial Nexus was a really strong ability with terrible consequences for its usage. Due to the dangerous nature of the spell, Diana keeps it a closely guarded secret, only letting a very select handful of people know about it. She believes that revealing her ability to others could lead to unpredictable consequences, both for herself and for the people she fights with.

It was a cheat-like skill suitable for a protagonist in a lot of ways. If the protagonist doesn’t collapse at the end of a battle, did they really give it their all?

Luxjo has his Berserk power, which would be boring on its own, but I found it very appealing when combined with his qualities as a Gebnir. Eden has her special magic skill ‘Ruin’, which she used to kill all the gnome sorcerers.

My notable skills were Retcon, Rule of Cool, and Ability Thief. They were much harder to use actively than any of the aforementioned skills, but they were also significantly more broken in the scope of this world. I was playing around at being an ‘Explosion Mage’, but my actual skillset lay elsewhere.

That was my honest takeaway from this last battle—I’m too weak for the royal class. My skills were all passive effects that had little effect on my day-to-day life, and they were unreliable in battle. Granted, I had effectively only been training for about a week while the rest of my teammates each had at least a decade of training behind them.

But that wasn’t an excuse.

Monsters don’t care whether their victim is a newborn baby, a Hero, or a demon with centuries of battle experience. A fresh Hero with no experience may wake up one day and find themself facing a dragon. Some people call it fate, destiny, luck, or something along those lines. In the context of this universe, I suppose it could be called ‘the plot’.

The plot waits for no one. Characters who can’t keep up get left behind, and a power fantasy universe is a terrible place to be a mob character. Whether I’m behind by a decade, a century, or a millennium, I have no choice but to catch up.

To do that, I need to make use of my unique abilities and my knowledge as the author.

That’s right. It was time to steal another skill.

My eyes fluttered open, a groggy haze clouding my vision. As my senses returned, I realized I was lying on a soft, comfortable bed, the gentle warmth of the blanket enveloping me. Faint chatter reached my ears but it was distant enough that I couldn’t make out the contents.

I attempted to sit up, wincing as a dull ache throbbed in my head. Mana depletion had a few common side effects, and one of them was terrible headaches. My body felt weak, and it took everything I had to reach a sitting position. With a deep, steadying breath, I managed to push myself up, maneuvering so that my back was supported by plush pillows.

“You’re awake,” a familiar voice said.

“Brilliant observation,” I groaned sarcastically. “Absolutely astounding.”

Lilith shrugged. “Well, that answers my second and third questions.”

“Happy to help.”

She held up her tablet and tapped the screen a few times. “I’m here to give you your score, and to talk about what happens next.”

I raised a palm. “Can we back that up for a sec? Where are we? And what happened after I passed out?”

“We’re back at Horizon Academy, in the medical center. Shortly after you defeated the Gnomonculus, Professor Lincoln arrived with Team 1. Thaddeus carried you back here. I believe the reporters took several pictures of your triumphant return.”

“Oh no…” I groaned.

If it was Thaddeus…

“Does that mean all those news sites will be filled with pictures of me being fireman-carried out of a dungeon?”

“Probably.”

I closed my eyes and took a deep, steadying breath. “Alright, what else?”

“It’s been about six hours since you passed out. Professor Lincoln and I used that time to evaluate each of you and determine your grades.”

“Hit me. How bad is it?”

“Each score is on a ten-point scale. For ‘clear time’, you received ten points, as you were not expected to be able to clear the dungeon. For ‘teamwork’, you get four points. ‘Quality and safety of your methods’ gets a solid zero points, and your ‘kill count’ gets eight points since you dealt with the Soviet Bomber Gnomes and dealt the killing blow to the Gnomonculus. For being late to the exercise, you were docked two points, and your team was docked five points for failing to retreat when you should have. Out of forty possible points, you received fifteen.”

“Fifteen out of forty…”

A complete failure by every metric. Thaddeus received thirty points in the original work, placing him as one of the highest performers in the history of the academy. The test criteria were situationally dependent, though, so it wasn’t strictly fair to compare one year to another.

“Based on your results,” Lilith continued. “You will need to perform exceedingly well on the midterm to keep your place in the Alpha class.”

Well, that was only to be expected. But practicing every day wasn’t nearly enough to get me to the level I needed to reach. I needed something more.

‘How much SRP do I need to get to buy another charge of Retcon?’

The next usage of Retcon will cost 1000 SRP.

Well damn. I had 300 stored up, but it wasn’t nearly enough. Then again, I hadn’t exactly accomplished all that much yet.

‘What can I buy with SRP?’

Retcon* or Extra Life*: 1000 SRP.

Ability Creation Ticket*: 2000 SRP.

A case of content theft: this narrative is not rightfully on Amazon; if you spot it, report the violation.

Guidance from the Editor: 150 SRP

Temporary Enhancement: 100 SRP = +1 to any stat for five minutes.

*The cost of Retcon increases with every Retcon and Extra Life purchase. The cost of Extra Life increases with every Retcon and Extra Life purchase. The cost of Ability Creation Ticket increases with every Ability Creation Ticket, Retcon, and Extra Life purchase.

There were five options and an annoyingly reasonable restriction on three of them. I decided right here and now to seal the ‘Guidance from the Editor’ feature. I wanted to avoid interacting with that seemingly all-powerful entity as much as possible.

Assuming that Extra Lives referred to when Gramma resurrected me after I accidentally exploded myself… well, those would definitely be useful, though whether they were better than Retcon or not was situationally dependent. The Temporary Enhancement feature may see some usage in the future, but the detail that caught my attention the most was the restriction on Ability Creation Tickets.

‘If I buy charges of Retcon or Extra Life, the cost of the tickets goes up, but buying a ticket only increases the cost of the next ticket.’

The most optimal route forward would be to seal Retcon and Extra Life until I couldn’t realistically purchase Ability Creation Tickets anymore. But there was no guarantee that I could ignore those abilities for however long that would take.

Either way, there was already a path forward for me. I had the foresight to create a skill that gave me the potential to obtain infinite unique abilities.

Ability Thief.

It was time to steal my next ability. I already had a target in mind. He just so happened to be connected to the smuggling operation that I promised Thaddeus I would investigate.

“Brick?” Lilith asked, her tone carrying a hint of annoyance. “Is zoning out a habit of yours? If you don’t put in at least the minimal effort of ‘listening’, then I won’t bother repeating myself.”

“That’s fine,” I said with a shrug. “I actually wanted to talk about something else.”

She raised an eyebrow curiously. “Oh?”

I checked to make sure there was no one else in the room. There was a camera on the wall, but that was fine. Nobody checks security cameras unless you give them a reason to.

Still, I leaned a bit closer and lowered my voice because it felt like that was the correct way to proceed.

“Let’s talk about your monster research,” I whispered.

She met my gaze calmly, appearing unfazed. “Monster research?” she asked.

I glanced at her black leather wristband. Her eyes followed my gaze and widened ever so slightly.

“The feds know about your operation,” I revealed. “They’re investigating everything right now, and I’m nominally part of the team coming after you.”

“Is that so?” she replied, feigning disinterest. She twirled her finger in her hair, which was one of the nervous ticks I gave her character.

“I’m going to contact Jake. Sometime in the near future, he’s going to contact you to arrange a meeting between us. When that happens, I’ll need you to pretend you don’t know me, and I want you to trust me and follow my lead.”

She scoffed. “You’re one hell of a strange kid.” The edges of her lips tilted upward. “I don’t hate it, though.” She rose to her feet and offered me a handshake. “I won’t make any promises. When the time comes, I’ll check the situation myself and make a decision based on what I see.”

I accepted the gesture and shook her hand. “That’s fine. I’ll see you in class tomorrow.”

After she left, a nurse came in and checked on me. It took her a few minutes to run through everything before she gave me the okay to leave.

Instead of going back to my dorm, I decided to visit the counseling center to lay the groundwork for my plan. Nobody would ask why I went there since I did just come out of a life-or-death battle, and there was no time to start like the present.

The counseling center was located in a separate building on the edge of the school grounds, surrounded by beautifully landscaped gardens and a small tranquil pond. The exterior featured an elegant combination of stone and wood, giving it a warm and welcoming appearance.

As I walked inside, I was greeted by soft lighting, plush seating, and walls adorned with soothing artwork and tapestries.

“Can I help you?” a receptionist asked.

The female receptionist behind the front desk had shoulder-length, wavy auburn hair that framed her round, cheerful face. Her bright, cheery eyes were accentuated by a pair of stylish, round glasses, which seemed to emphasize her friendly countenance, and her face was adorned with a charming smattering of freckles across her nose and cheeks.

She had a radiant smile that exuded confidence and instantly put visitors at ease and a bigger build framed by comfortable, yet professional attire. Her hair was adorned with a barrette shaped like a butterfly that had intricate detailing and a few, small colorful gemstones that caught the light.

“My name is Brick Layer. I’d like to meet with Jacob Richards, if possible.”

“Of course! I’ll let him know you’re here.”

Before stepping away, I checked her desk for a nameplate.

Emily Perkins.

A character I’d never heard of.

As a true self-insert power fantasy writer, I never really considered the mental health of the main character. Thaddeus just kind of rolled with the punches and got back up without any issues. I didn’t spend much time killing important characters or having characters deal with any kind of meaningful trauma since that would mean I had to waste time writing about some guy whining all the time.

Ironic, I know. But we authors don’t self-insert to accept our flaws, we use it to run away from them. In that sense, my being in this world is a bit different from writing my story. I don’t have the option to run away anymore.

“Brick?” Emily called out. “Mr. Richards will see you now. His office is down the hall, first door on the left.”

“Thanks,” I replied before following her instructions.

I quickly arrived at the door she mentioned and knocked.

A deep, velvety voice answered. “Enter,” he said. There was a slightly raspy undertone to his voice, something I added as a little narrative wave at his dual nature.

His office stood out in contrast to the rest of the counseling center. It was darker and more somber, with heavy curtains that blocked out most of the natural light. The walls were lined floor-to-ceiling with bookshelves, filled with an assortment of obscure tomes and artifacts. The furnishings were a mix of elegant and functional, with a large, imposing desk made of dark wood and a high-backed, leather chair that further emphasized his authority.

“Please, have a seat,” Jake said, gesturing to the armchairs in front of his desk.

As I sat down in one of the plush armchairs, a few framed diplomas and certificates hanging on the wall caught my eye, but I only spared them a single glance since I knew they were all fake. They attested to his supposed qualifications and expertise, but this man was an entirely different kind of counselor than they indicated.

“I’ve been having some trouble dealing with stress lately,” I began. “I heard that you’re the best person to talk to about it.”

Jake leaned back in his chair, adopting a sympathetic expression. “Stress is a common issue, especially for students here at Horizon Academy. Tell me more about what’s been troubling you.”

I paused for a moment, choosing my words carefully. “Well, it’s not the normal stuff like exams, assignments, and fighting monsters. I’ve heard tell of some interesting happenings on campus, and it’s hard for me to concentrate with things as they are.”

He raised an eyebrow. “‘Interesting happenings’, you say? What sort of things?”

“You know,” I said, lowering my voice conspiratorially, “It’s hard to focus on my studies when I know there’s something fun going on without me.”

Jake maintained his composure, but his eyes betrayed a hint of concern. “It’s natural to have a fear of missing out, but, as a counselor, I advise you not to get involved in things that could be dangerous.”

I leaned in slightly, looking directly into his eyes. “Oh, I understand that. It’s just that I just so happen to like that sort of thing. I have certain skills and knowledge, and I like to apply myself when I can.”

He hesitated, wavering. “It’s good for students to apply themselves, but I must stress the importance of your own safety. Could you elaborate on these ‘certain skills and knowledge’ you mentioned?”

I smiled. “Well, for starters, I’m resourceful and have connections that could prove valuable in certain… situations. As for ‘knowledge’? Well, I heard a story about an extraordinary ability recently. It’s called Essence Mimicry. It’s fascinating, really.”

His eyes narrowed. “I wouldn’t recommend paying too much attention to rumors, especially when it comes to gossip about others. However, I appreciate your willingness to share your concerns with me. Perhaps there’s a way we can come to an understanding… some sort of ‘mutually beneficial arrangement’?”

There it was. I nodded, trying to hold back a sigh of relief. “Of course. I believe that working together is the best way for people to make an impact and achieve their goals.”

I stood up, ready to leave the office. Before heading out, I retrieved my phone from my pocket. “Since we’re going to be working together, it’s probably best if we have a more direct way to communicate.”

Jake nodded slowly and retrieved his own cell phone. We exchanged numbers and I saved him as ‘Scam Likely’ in the contacts so no one would get suspicious if they happened to see the caller-id.

“I put you under ‘Scam Likely’, so phrase any texts or calls like scams to throw off any wandering eyes or ears,” I instructed.

“I can do that,” Jake said with a hint of a frown on his lips. “Don’t hesitate to reach out if you have any concerns or information that might be helpful to our… arrangement.”

I pocketed my phone and nodded. “I’ll be in touch. I’m looking forward to what we can achieve together.”

With those parting words, I left the office. Giving a small half-wave to Emily as I walked by. When I was a short distance away from the counseling center, I couldn’t help but let out a sigh of relief. Then I started laughing.

“I did it…” I muttered.

There were several phases to this plan, and this was one of the easiest parts, but I still couldn’t help but be excited by my success.

I pulled out my phone and stared at the new contact for several seconds, a wide, shit-eating grin plastered on my face.

Essence Mimicry.

It was only a matter of time before I stole Jake’s unique ability.