“Okay, so…good news and bad news.” Amy said. “I’d ask you what you want to hear first, but it doesn’t really make sense without the good news, so we’ll start to that. The good news is that, as far as I can tell, you’re safe to go about your business for the time being. I have literally been doing nothing else but work on this for the last twenty-four hours, and while you were asleep, I got Jerry, the Administrator who invented systems, to look over you and confirm that I was right.”
“You can trust her on this.” Fortune added, squeezing Tess’s hand gently. “I know you’re still new to the scene and aren’t quite as familiar with their reputations, but if both of them can’t see anything wrong, then there either isn’t anything wrong, or it’s something we just aren’t physically capable of seeing.”
Tess nodded. “I’ll take your word for it, I don’t have any reason to doubt you.” She said.
Amy smiled guiltily. “Well, you do, since I’ve said Monster Breeder was fine before and we ended up in this situation anyway, but I appreciate the vote of confidence. Still, that does lead into the bad news. The bad news is that, clearly, something is very odd here, and we don’t know what. As far as Jerry and I could tell, the…code comprising Monster Breeder, for lack of a better term, has always been built to work this way, and we all know that simply isn’t true. I have a snapshot of the ‘code’ from when I was working on it before, and it still shows it working like it used to.”
Tess frowned. “What does that mean, though?” She asked. “Like…does it mean that someone was messing with the system?”
“That’s the thing.” Amy said, beginning to pace back and forth. “That was baked into the Class, you can’t just modify that willy-nilly unless you do that in the middle of creating the Class, not without spending a good chunk of Worship. If someone changed the Class while it was being worked on, Fortune and I would have noticed, and if that much Worship was spent to modify the system afterwards, the alarms built into the system would have tripped and we would have known.
“Still, we believe you’re right; some entity has changed the Class, it’s the only logical explanation. What that entity could be, I don’t know. The only verifiable entities that could do so without triggering any alarms are the Outer Gods, but they have absolutely no reason to be messing around with you or the Class. Plus, they tend to make their presence known in ways that cause chaos, not something that removes an inconvenience for one person. Still, they’re a possibility, they think in ways entirely alien to us.
“Aside from them, we enter the realm of speculative entities. Some people posit that it’s ‘Administrators all the way down’, that there is some other category of being greater than an Administrator, that functions as one for all existence, and just like most people are unaware of the existence of Administrators, we, too, are unaware of this category of being. Some people posit that existence itself has a will and makes certain events happen…there are other, similar, theories, but you get the point. Essentially, it would be something that we just currently aren’t able to understand.”
Amy sighed. “I know it’s unsatisfying to leave you with this, but that’s just what we have. I’ve set some monitors on you, and every time you absorb or interact with cores, that data is going to be beamed back to me directly. You should be in the clear to go about your life as normal, and I’ll be periodically checking the logs to make sure everything is in the clear. The only caveat is that I would like you to be with me next time you make a…what are you calling them, attendants? The things like Silky and Isabella.”
Tess nodded. “Yeah, I’m calling them attendants for now, though I have considered changing it if I find something more suitable.”
Amy gave a nod in return. “Right. Just consult with me before you do so I can monitor the process myself and make sure it’s okay. I’ll be sending you back to your wives now, but I’m going to keep going over this for the next couple of days, and Jerry will be as well. I won’t lie, this is a bit of an unprecedented situation, but our foremost interest is in making sure everything is still safe to use, and that there is no threat to you or anyone else from this. Um…any questions?”
Tess shook her head. “I don’t think so. Just don’t try anything crazy and everything will be fine, right?”
“Exactly.” Amy replied. “Now, before I officially ‘discharge’ you, would you do me the favor of absorbing those cores The Rumors got you? I’d like to make sure everything goes well with a ‘live’ core instead of the dummy ones I’ve been using.”
“Will both at once be fine?” Tess asked. “Are you sure we shouldn’t do one at a time?”
“It’s exactly the same if you do one or two.” Amy replied. “It’s just a difference in the amount of stuff coming in, and even though those are some decently nice cores, it’s not enough to get anywhere close to overwhelming you now.”
You have absorbed a Totem of Draining Core!
Slots filled: 29/50?
You have gained 2,530? EXP in Monster Breeder!
You have absorbed a Totem of Weakness Core!
Slots filled: 30/50?
You have gained 2,530? EXP in Monster Breeder!
^(#%*^
Degradation-Proof:
Rarity: Phantasmal
Type: Passive
Description:
Skills obtained via Monster Breeder no longer degrade. All previously degraded Skills are returned to their original states.
^#($!@)
New cores absorbed! Scanning for abilities…
New Skills detected!
You have gained the Skill Aura of Draining and Restoration!
You have gained the Skill Targeted Aura!
You have gained the Skill Aura Amplification!
You have gained the Skill Aura of Weakness and Strength!
Aura of Draining and Restoration
Rarity: Mythical
Type: Passive
Description:
Your presence alone saps the resources of your enemies. Every enemy within 20 meters has 1% of their HP, Mana, and Stamina drained per second. The total amount drained is then divided and redistributed to every ally within 20 meters.
What’s yours is ours.
Targeted Aura
Rarity: Legendary
Type: Active
Description:
You may spend Mana and Stamina to limit the number of targets of any “Aura of” Skill, intensifying the effect based on the number of targets excluded, capped at 10x base strength. For instance, cutting the number of targets in half would double the intensity of the aura on remaining targets. This costs the number of targets excluded squared in Mana and Stamina per second, and cost is calculated independently for each aura. Allies and enemies are treated as separate auras for auras that affect both allies and enemies, such as Aura of Draining and Restoration. For auras that divide a total amongst allies, such as Aura of Draining and Restoration, the total amount split is not boosted when an ally is excluded, instead the remainder receive a bigger share of the total.
Perhaps your enemies should have just come alone?
Aura Amplification
Rarity: Legendary
Type: Active
Description:
You may spend Mana and Stamina to multiply the effects of any “Aura of” Skill by a whole number. Doubling the effect of the aura costs 25 Mana and Stamina per second, and the cost is multiplied by 5 for each number higher than 2 (125 for 3, 625 for 4, and so on). This cost is calculated independently for each aura, and aura that affect both allies and enemies are treated as one aura for the purpose of calculation.
Kick it into auverdrive!
Aura of Weakness and Strength
You might be reading a stolen copy. Visit Royal Road for the authentic version.
Rarity: Epic
Type: Passive
Description:
Your presence alone weakens your enemies. Every enemy within 20 meters has their non-resource stats reduced by 10% while they are within the aura. The total amount reduced is then divided and redistributed to every ally within 20 meters for as long as they are in the aura.
The bigger they are, the bigger your friends become.
Core information truncated. Focus to expand.
New Attributes Discovered!
Auric Hub:
All positive effects applied by the creature’s “Aura of” Skills are duplicated and applied to the creature.
Immovable:
Grants the creature immunity to any outside effects that would move it.
Amy sighed. “That Skill was…not what I expected.”
“What? Nothing bad, right” Tess asked. She felt a little funny, but it wasn’t a bad sort of funny. Or a good sort of funny, for that matter, it was an almost…empty feeling, vaguely like the kind she got when she was low on Mana.
“You seem to have unconsciously used all of your Worship there to make that new Skill.” Amy replied. “That wasn’t in the system ten minutes ago. That’s why there’s no flavor text and the description is not quite in the format we would usually use, it’s fresh and made by someone who isn’t familiar with the process.”
“I…what? Is that why I’m feeling weird?” Seeing her mother’s face grow increasingly concerned, Tess hurried to clarify. “Like, in an empty way, not in a bad or even uncomfortable way.”
“Yeah, you’re empty on Worship now.” Amy confirmed. “Honestly, I’m impressed, not everyone takes to Worship as well as you seem to have. Still, the other changes to the normal window, those question marks in particular are…huh?”
“What?” Fortune asked worriedly. “What’s wrong?”
“She’s got a nascent Domain.” Amy replied. “It seems to have almost entirely encompassed Monster Breeder.”
“That’s a thing?” Fortune asked.
“Yeah, but it’s extremely uncommon nowadays. New Higher Beings that are particularly attuned to Worship sometimes accidentally make one in a subject they’re highly proficient in while they’re training. Nowadays, new Higher Beings are relatively rare, and they usually already have Domains in anything they’re highly proficient in. More experienced Higher Beings have more control and don’t accidentally form Domains like this.
“I think this is the first time this has happened in…tens of thousands of years? At least, the first time in our faction, I imagine it’s much more common in other factions where they’re not necessarily as good to their Higher Beings as us.” As she spoke, Amy sagged, an air of palpable relief about her. “This all but solves the mystery, too; it’s almost certain that all the strangeness is just a result of this Domain forming and you unconsciously upgrading Monster Breeder with it. The changes are all beneficial to you, and stuff you likely wished for on some level, which lines up with how these Domains usually shake out.
“So, with that in mind, I’m officially pronouncing you safe. I’ll be letting your Domain form on its own, it’s safer and the resulting Domain is usually more effective at gathering Worship, if more limited, than if it’s forced to completion immediately. Your Descent is highly nonstandard, so I don’t think this will cause issues with Descent like I’m worried about for the other Appointed. I’ll be keeping a close eye on it to ensure absolutely nothing goes wrong anyway, but…congratulations, you’re a prodigy!”
Fortune beamed, hugging Tess close. “That’s great!” She said enthusiastically. “Fantastic, even!”
“I…I don’t know about the whole prodigy thing.” Tess admitted. “I don’t feel like I understand how any of this works or like I made that Skill or this Domain. Are you sure I’m doing this?”
“All the traces left in the system and in the Domains of this universe trace back to you.” Amy confirmed. “And you may not think you’re doing it, but Worship is different than what you’re used to; while we have developed techniques and structured ways of using it, at its core Worship is power generated by the collective unconscious, and works based on feeling, wishing, and even just vibes. It’s pretty common for beginners to use it without knowing it, especially if they’re as in tune with it as you clearly are.”
Amy paused, tapping her chin thoughtfully. “You know what, after your honeymoon, why don’t we have you and your wives come in once a month and I can teach you some of the basics of Worship manipulation and being a Higher Being? It’ll prevent further incidents like this, and it’ll really accelerate your growth.”
“And the question marks in the window I got? What are those about?” Tess asked.
“Likely the result of the modifications you’re making being incomplete and not standard with how we do things. Looking at it them, my guess is that you’re just increasing the number of slots you have for things; that’s an incredibly simple change to make, and as a Higher Being you have more room in your soul for that sort of thing, so it’s an easy outlet for you to be improving things. When everything seems to have settled down, I’ll iron out any kinks so the system can display things properly.”
“This…won’t affect the balance of power, will it?” Tess asked cautiously. “That’d be a problem, right?”
“What?” Amy asked, giving Tess a puzzled look.
“The balance of power.” Tess said. “You know, the whole reason you put a stat limit on Mom and her most powerful Blessing.”
Amy frowned deeply. “I did do that, didn’t I?” She said. “But, for the life of me, I can’t remember why, what with the battles for planes being what they are, and anyone who would get that Blessing liable to be Fortune’s Appointed…I must have forgotten to say it was fine for her Appointed to have any statline? Regardless, you’re a Higher Being now; concerns about the balance of power don’t apply to you. Feel free to make that Class as strong as you can, as things are, it’s your exclusive Class, no one else can get it.”
“That makes a lot more sense.” Fortune said. “Plus, the restriction didn’t actually affect my decision-making in any meaningful capacity and all but ensured I got this wonderful daughter, so I’m rather happy with how it turned out.”
“As am I, to tell you the truth. I don’t think you could have picked a better candidate for the position, and not just because she’s a prodigy with Worship.” Amy replied, smiling at Tess.
Tess blushed, looking away in embarrassment. “Again, it doesn’t really feel like I’m a prodigy, but I guess I’ll have to take your word for it. Um…anything else, or can I go tell everyone the good news?”
“By all means, you have a honeymoon to be on and I’ve kept you for too long as it is.” Amy said. “Would you like to be teleported back to your room?”
Tess nodded. “I would, thanks.” She turned, hugging her mom tighter. “Bye Mom, I love you.”
“I love you too, sweetie.” Fortune replied, giving Tess a kiss on the forehead. “You have a great time, alright?”
And, just like that, Tess found herself back on her bed. Her wives didn’t seem to be in the room, so she immediately opened up their group chat and began to message everyone.
Tess: Hey everyone, Amy just finished looking into everything, and good news, I’m perfectly safe.
Ellie: Oh thank goodness. What happened???
Tess: So, according to Amy, I’m apparently some sort of prodigy with Worship and began making Monster Breeder into a Domain. She thinks everything that’s happening is a result of me unconsciously upgrading the Class to be more convenient. I don’t really feel like I’m some sort of prodigy, but apparently Worship can be used without consciously thinking about it or being aware that you used it.
Life: That is correct. It is the power of belief and the collective unconscious, it operates in a way unlike anything else. It’s highly impressive for you to be making your own Domain when you’re so new to being a Higher Being, I don’t think any of the gods could have managed such a thing.
Maven: Wow! So…what does this mean for your future?
Dungeons: It means her growth is going to accelerate significantly. Having Monster Breeder as a Domain isn’t exactly going to be lucrative for the purposes of gathering Worship, but…no, actually, it might include any sort of monster taming or ranching, which wouldn’t be that bad for gathering Worship. Uh, anyway, if she’s modifying the Class with Worship, it’s going to get a lot stronger than it was, and it was already easily the strongest.
Death: Wasn’t it made with a lot of Worship anyway? Will it be that much of a buff? Regardless, big congratulations, that’s super impressive!
Fortune: She gained over twenty core slots, and looking at it now, the same number of Attribute slots, and Five User Fundamental and attendant slots, and we’re guessing that number is only going to continue to climb.
Tess: Wait, that many? I haven’t looked yet.
Fortune: Yeah. Like Amy said, they’re easy changes to make, so it’s not surprising you could make them.
Ellie: Sounds like you have a lot of theorycrafting to be doing, then. When will you be back?
Tess: I’m in our room now, and theorycrafting will wait until after the honeymoon. I want to be entirely focused on you and Maven during it.
Maven: Perfect. Ellie and I are downstairs, we’ll leave whenever you’re ready, then.
Tess: On my way.
Tess got up and made her way downstairs, where she was ambushed with hugs from both of her wives.
“I’m so glad you’re okay.” Ellie whispered. “I was terrified for a bit there.”
“Me too.” Maven added. “I don’t want to imagine what it would be like if something happened to you.”
“Well, you don’t have to.” Tess replied, giving each of her wives a kiss in turn. “You’re not getting rid of me that easy. Now, why don’t we get going? We’ve got two weeks of luxury and time together to look forward to!”