The feeling was unlike anything I could have described. It was a tearing and joining of my existence that happened simultaneously, with my mind a passenger of the strange developments. The world swam as Sam started heading for the Embassy, shouting my name the whole while. I hadn't exactly been making a whole lot of sense in my exsanguinated, fevered state but apparently I'd managed to tell him it had worked. When he finally laid me down beside Hec and Fievil, my body clicked into place. My Status bloomed before my eyes and I stared mutely at it for several seconds. It had grown into quite the wall of text.
Subject: Ronan Terrigan
Health: 100% (Corporeal Malaise)
Mana: 100%
Metier Quotient: 7 (00%)
Dreg Accumulation: 0%
LPS: Ocalan Embassy, FL
Communications
Party
Skills - (1) Selection Available
Traits - (0% Banked)
Attributes - Growth Quantified
Skills:
Offensive Freeform
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Defensive Freeform
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Miscellaneous
-
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-
-
-
Traits:
Limestone Skin (Striated Dermis)
>The surface of your body has taken on some of the strength properties of compacted sediment.
>Trait Overbanked. Impact forces are minutely dissipated when making contact with soil interfaces.
>Corporeal Threshold. Compress the surface of your skin with an effort of will. Mild enhancement to Slurry Ichor.
Quake Osseum (Tremor Frame)
>Your skeletal system has taken on some of the strength properties of consolidated aggregates.
>Trait Overbanked. Minor enhancement to Innate Earth Vibratory Organ.
>Corporeal Threshold. Part of impact force is returned on contact. Moderate enhancement to Harmonic Sinews.
Slurry Ichor (Geocardium)
>Your circulatory system has taken on some of the viscous properties of suspended particles.
>Trait Overbanked. When exposed to air, blood hardens enhancing clotting.
>Corporeal Threshold. Your blood dances through the states of matter to the beat of your heart.
>Corporeal Tribulation. Ichor retains adaptive healing properties and can be used as a curative substance with benevolent application. Malignant application yields the reverse effect.
Harmonic Sinew (Diffracting Tissue)
>Your tendons have taken on new seismologically sensitive properties while being nourished by your Ichor and bonded to your Osseum.
>Corporeal Threshold. The ringing of the world answers to the song of your musculoskeletal instruments.
>Corporeal Tribulation. Retained potential energy can be unleashed as sound energy at a minor cost.
Attributes:
Strength: 2.62 > 3.10
Mobility: 1.78 > 2.07
Perception: 2.66 > 2.97
Refinement: 1.91 > 2.30
Containment: 2.74 > 3.16
"Ron!" Sam's voice cracked as he shouted aloud and through the comm-plant to try to reach me. Thankfully, it looked like whatever 'realignment' had happened pushed my subconscious preferences for the Implants away and his messages flashed before my very eyes.
"Gah!" I said, flinching in surprise at the words that assaulted me. My body felt like it was moving through molasses, while at the same time responding exactly how I would have if startled. That, in and of itself, caused me to flinch again. I squirmed on the ground in the greatest-hits version of the worm as I reacted and over-reacted to my own actions. Thankfully, my brain seemed to be getting the message and everything fell into line after a few embarrassing seconds. Not that laying on the ground like a dead fish was reassuring for anyone, but Samuel was quick to check me after my spasms passed.
"Oh thank god," Sam said, slumping. The blonde was panting, thick rivers of sweat leaving his hair matted to his face and his shirt no better. There was a glazed look fighting to take over his senses, and I knew the man had drawn deep from his mana, if not the environment's. Probably why we had to move while the Tribulation happened. Note to note to self, there's a reason it takes so long to assimilate things.
"Were you successful?" April asked, the demoness hovering over me as if she were evaluating a particularly fascinating science experiment.
"Yes," I said, face half smushed against the ground. "We got the ding."
"I am going to kill you for making me do this," Sam said. The blonde released a heavy breath as he and every one of his vines laid flat on the ground beside me.
"Just wait until our enemies get a chance to do so. However, even outside of assimilating, we've got huge news regarding levels to discuss," I said, causing Sam to crack an eye to glance at me.
"Well, go on. I'm not moving from here for at least another hour or ten."
"That would impair our plans for dinner, Samuel," April said evenly.
The blonde healer, the Druid of Wildwood, sputtered for a second. He coughed to clear his throat and give him enough time to regather himself. "Right, of course. I was just exaggerating, April. Once my mana has time to tick into place things will be better."
Stolen from its original source, this story is not meant to be on Amazon; report any sightings.
I chuckled, slopping onto my back. With a nudge of will my fully recovered mana formed
"Oh yeah, I like this," I said, closing my hand and grinning in my best rendition of a cartoon villain with ultimate power.
Unfortunately, I had seen yet a higher level than my own, but I felt the gap close in a tangible way even as I understood just how large it was. The first few levels were fast and loose, where pretty much anything you absorbed would affect your growth, be it spellwise or Trait-wise. The second set of three slowed this without removing it all together, however they set the foundation for power. Number of Traits, how many were Overbanked, even elementization. Then came Q6, which was the wall of progression. However, each step within that meant your body was in tune with your soul. If you took risks... those steps became their own exponential factors.
The Entities hadn't spoken about Tribulations, but then again they hadn't laid out the step by step process for progressing beyond the Corporeal Limit. Getting any bit of information, even about the shackles that our Entity-granted Skills created, had been like pulling teeth. It was clear that they all answered to some higher geas of their existence. While it was frustrating to have information be withheld... I couldn't deny that wrestling opportunity and progression led to stronger discoveries. And more satisfying ones.
"Is he going to explain, or is he going to sit there looking smug for much longer?" April asked Samuel.
"Give him a minute. He's having a moment," Sam said, though the annoyance in his voice was poorly concealed even without Harmonic Sinew's read of his voice.
"I could hit him with
"No! No, I'm good," I said, waving my hands frantically as if that would do anything against the demoness magic had she thrown it my way. Actually... with how much magic is now part of my body thanks to my Traits... No, I'll test it when I am inevitably hit by some asshole's magic. "It's just a lot to process right now."
"Well, we just spent the last five hours torturing you. We'd like to know it was worth it," Sam said, mustering up the energy to reform his own vines into a seat. April glanced between my stone one and Sam's plant one and just dropped to the ground to sit cross-legged without a single flinch of pain. That's scary bendy. I don't think even my improved Mobility would let me get away with that one scott free.
"Oh, it was more than worth it," I said, diving into the changes. Some were blatant, like the Skill Point to spend and the fact that I had another Trait at the Corporeal Threshold. However, the rest were more nuanced. My Attributes had increased, but it had been by a factor of 0.3 to the 0.1 that came from levels before the Corporeal Limit. Even April seemed surprised by that huge jump in physical power. No one in Ocala had gotten to Q7 in years and those who had had been wiped out or destroyed themselves in their bids to avoid elementization. Sargon was the notable exception, and many people assumed it was his willingness to embrace the change that allowed him to retain himself. No one asked the Dreg Appendages what they did.
That tracks. While the Ocalans didn't have access to the Implants, intent and guidance while assimilating Traits was paramount. If I'd been feeding my potential to all my Traits evenly subconsciously I would have had a harder time crossing the final threshold with each of them. They were building blocks, even if I rushed some of the façade myself. Hell, my best guess is that overfeeding a Trait is what triggers the elementization in the first place. A failed, or successful I suppose, Tribulation but with a compatible Attunement energy perhaps? There were many many things yet to consider and learn.
Additionally, there was the density and quality improvement for mana. The density improvement was an expected factor, but the quality of the connection, the feeling of your own body aiding you in the channeling of your mana instead of suffering from its presence, was a huge bonus. Of course, it wasn't a total removal of the strain of casting as far as I could tell but if the trend continued it meant the side effects might be entirely gone for anything but monumental arcane efforts. In line with this was the fact that Tribulations could be purposefully triggered and aimed to a degree.
Both healer and detective were more than excited to test out the boundaries of my Geocardium Corporeal Tribulation. April had even said that the effort was like knowing that I'd taken a part of their soul permanently into myself. And... I wasn't going to dismiss it off hand. Perhaps not parts of their souls but it definitely felt like an imprint of their power much like how Diffracting Tissue was now a permanent reminder of my fight against Eurus. Well...
"So you healed, but not these?" Sam asked, staring at my arms and legs intently. The Lichtenberg scars from the elemental lightning, as well as the two pinkie sized holes the thorn needles had left on my right arm from the magic dialysis, were set on my skin. It didn't look damaged, and my movements weren't restrained even after Sam evaluated me, but they were stamped on my person.
"Could be they were too ingrained for the level up to heal them, but I am more leaning towards them being imprinted on my soul. What else could I call them but the mark of my two Tribulations?" I said, chuckling at the frown on Sam's face. "It's alright, Sam. I am not worried about what they look like. Plus!"
With a clenching of my fist, Striated Dermis rippled up my arm. The scars became veins upon the darkened stone-like flesh before fading away. It was a point for my 'hard chiseled badass' column rather than my 'punching bag survivor' one.
Sam sighed, shaking his head before relaxing back in his vine lounge chair. "Too damn late now. Just... I can't even be mad. This is important. If I can select an extra benefit for my Reed Muscles and Iron Gut Traits... I could shore up some of my weaknesses."
"Could I temper my Darkvision with Life?" April contemplated, running one of her sharpened nails on her chin as she contemplated. "The ways of entangling existence upon my own are certainly tantalizing."
When I sent Samuel a confused look the man just shrugged. The sheepish grin on his face told me he was just as lost as I was when it came to April, except it sounded like he wanted to get more entangled too. With a huff, I eventually waved the two away. The Conference felt like a huge hourglass just waiting for someone to shatter the glass and throw the ticking sand into total chaos. When peace was in the here and now, who was I to take up even more of their time when they'd already helped me survive my own crackpot plan?
There was one more discovery, of course, but it wasn't too surprising and it didn't affect the other Bunker Busters too much.
It was a concern for the future that Fievil's physical form seemed to remain stuck at Q4, but I didn't feel comfortable dismantling the axe hammer without a clear plan while the rest of the surface plotted against us. The other Mana Shard in my possession was a different story, but I still lacked materials to elevate her.
Then again... Amelia spends most of her time possessing my Hummingbird Charm. I'll keep an eye on it, just because of that Trait, but I don't think this Item is a proper Infused Item. If I had to guess it's a piece of wood that survived getting a Mana Shard incorporated into it. To a detrimental future, too. I haven't seen a Brittle Trait before, but I can't imagine it’s a good feature to have.
There wasn't much I could do about my Items, so I opted not to worry too much about it. It wasn't like there weren't a hundred other things to worry about already.
The Corporeal Malaise Affliction hadn't gone away quite yet. I wasn't sure if it came from either leveling or juicing my body with so much Life and Death magic. While I could move more or less normally, it took an undue amount of concentration. After spending several days bleeding and strained by the injuries I was preventing myself from healing properly it felt good to actually recover. So, with that, I lazed the rest of the day away and didn't feel a twinge of guilt about it.
Except for feeding mana to the Totems. I wasn't going to waste my hard-earned, perfectly functional Q7 mana regen just because I was finally giving my body a proper rest.