Chapter 30 - Bow Down to the Neon God! - The Unforgettables: A ZeroYear litRPG (end of 1st volume)

Before Adarian had a chance to rise, Frank leaped over him, delivering a powerful blow that was utterly mitigated by Adarian's potent energy dome. The aura seemed to crack under Frank's brutal onslaught—powerful enough to cleave mountains in half—but it survived, still offering some protection. Frank fell back to the ground upon the monolithic vein, circling Adarian and delivering another precise lateral blow as fast as he could, this time completely shattering the remaining aura around his foe but still without reaching him.

Immediately after perceiving his protection being breached, an aware Adarian, still on his knees but slightly faster than Frank, raised another energy aura with a subtle hand gesture and calmly stood up, taking the time and tranquility to brush the snow and dust from his already heavily injured body. He pressed his hands together, forming a triangle with his fingers while closing his eyes and concentrating. Frank and Petra felt a static energy rising in the environment. Adarian smiled, secure within his protective halo, saying, "So, are you tired? Is that all you have to show me?"

Frank realized Adarian was buying time to recover his energy despite his powers being almost imperceptible to any senses. Frank concentrated on delivering powerful blows as quickly as possible with his weapon, maintaining simplicity to achieve a paired cadence. The moment a blow managed to break Adarian's energy aura, Frank spun his body, using the momentum of the first blow to deliver another accurate strike. However, Adarian was attentive, and as soon as his aura fell, he raised another to replace it, canceling the second blow and demonstrating that unless Frank could be faster, he wouldn't get an opening in his defenses alone, no matter how strong his blows were.

Petra perceived Adarian's defensive strategy and tried to hit him from behind with her Flexoclava; however, the protective aura enveloped him completely. There were no weak points on his back, and Petra's strength wasn't enough for her to penetrate her opponent's defenses. Adarian didn't attack but concentrated on restoring his energy and used a technology device on his waist to heal some of his injuries. After the attack attempts slowed down, Adarian renewed his protective aura even before it was broken by Frank while saying in a threatening tone, "Don't worry; this combat won't last long!" Adarian was interrupted by a flash of light that was also deflected by his aura.

Silas landed a direct hit with one of his energy rays; however, Adarian's protective aura not only canceled the ray but prevented its target from being thrown away. Adarian completely ignored Silas and Petra with a contemptuous side smile; without turning, he continued talking to Frank, "What is there in the North that interests you so much that you risk your lives?" He tilted his head toward Liora, completely paralyzed, and continued, "And especially, why do you need my new weapon over there so much?"

Frank thought quickly and responded, "We don't leave anyone behind," looking at Petra. He continued, "Warden, let's do it like in the King's arena." Frank then spun his Flexoclava rhythmically; Petra perceived the synchronization and prepared herself. Frank delivered two blows against Adarian—the first to weaken the aura and the second to bring it down. Immediately, along with the second blow, Petra advanced and grabbed Adarian by the neck, already in stone form, immobilizing him before he could raise another aura.

Frank wasted no time and took advantage of his opponent's surprise to deliver a blow that hit him squarely, with Petra holding him from behind. The blow brought Adarian to death's door again, and Petra's defenses were more than sufficient to cancel any collateral damage that Frank's brutal movement might cause her. But Adarian also thought quickly and raised an energy aura around Frank, but in the opposite direction, causing Frank to be confined within an energy cell.

Petra tried to suffocate her already heavily injured opponent while Frank spent precious time freeing himself from his cell with two blows at maximum power. Adarian resisted Petra´s choke but remained stone-grappled; he whispered to the wind, "Kill them!"

Liora, who had until then been paralyzed, merely observing, took her weapon and entered the maximum timeframe. She said with great difficulty to Silas, "I can't control myself!"

Silas shook his head and said, "Do as he ordered, using your best weapon, Stardust!" Then, he sent a message to Petra via comlink: "When the missiles arrive, distance yourself from Adarian and position yourself between him and Liora!"

Liora fired almost a dozen missiles toward Petra. When the weapon's trigger was activated, Silas reacted, "Now!"

While the missiles traveled the short trajectory toward Petra, she released Adarian, who raised his energy aura almost reflexively. Petra jumped back, and all the missiles that had her as a target deflected at the last moment, hitting everything around except Petra and Frank, who emerged unscathed from this massive attack.

Amidst the curtain of dust and smoke that had risen throughout the region, Silas realized that Liora was still under mental domination and immediately warned via comlink, "This isn't over; let's take advantage of this and escape with a portal!"

Frank jumped toward Petra to carry her near Silas and Liora; however, as soon as he left the ground, he realized his movement was suddenly interrupted; he was hanging in the air and felt pressure around his neck as if he were being strangled, the enemy senses pierced the fog somehow.

Suddenly, all the smoke in the air dissipated as if it were being pushed away radially. Adarian was floating with one arm raised toward Frank as if holding him from a distance. Adarian's eyes emanated a grayish energy; this same energy also emanated from the various wounds spread across his body. With his other arm, Adarian pointed to his cloak, lying nearby on the ground, as if he was dragging something, and took a small staff via telekinesis, which flew toward him. As soon as he grasped the staff, it transformed into his deceased master's shadow energy blade. The weapon´s energy also pierced the wielder's hands when turned on, causing him to bleed violently and painting the snow around him with dark red droplets. He said in a deep voice, facing his blade, "Everything in the world has a price, except for dreams. And yours has come to an end!"

Frank choked out, "That little stick didn't save your master; it won't save you either!" Petra, meanwhile, began to work on a magic spell.

Adarian couldn't hide his laughter. "That's something I would have said years ago!" After pausing to tighten his grip, he continued, "Stardust, you know so much about me and my master. Tell me what you're after."

Liora, unable to control her speech devices, struggled unsuccessfully for a few seconds and then said, "Seneca."

Adarian looked surprised and shook his head. Turning back to Frank, who was being choked, he said, "That doesn't matter to me. How unfortunate! You could have left instead of dying. Regarding that weapon, let's see how long you survive her bite."

Adarian retracted his raised arm and brandished his blade with both hands, pointing it at Frank. Frank's clung body was pulled toward the blade's point. Seizing the distraction, Petra created and activated a new portal stone, opening a two-way portal in front of her and another one between Frank and Adarian. She stepped through her portal to intercept Adarian's telekinetic pull against his blade, allowing Frank to pass through the other side and immediately free himself from his phantom grasp.

Petra's Flexoclava completely nullified Adarian's blade, pulling him forward when his telekinetic target unexpectedly changed. Both weapons crossed as Petra remained in the air, above her opponent, pressing down with her weight. The shadow blade slowly began to penetrate Petra´s Flexoclava. Noticing this, she used her stone body mass to gain momentum to one side before landing. Her Flexoclava remained functional, but the cut made by the blade on the weapon remained.

Adarian also regained his balance, standing near Petra and saying with a smile, "Well, well! Do you also know how to use magic? What a coincidence! I inherited the extermination tomes my master stole and just started learning myself." A furious Frank wasted no time listening and jumped into the fray again, unleashing a flurry of blows with his Flexoclava. Adarian changed tactics, dodging Frank's attacks. He kept his eyes on Petra, slowing down his time frame and drawing his blade backward, holding it horizontally with both hands. He focused, dodging Frank's attacks at the limit of his abilities, while Petra studied him, trying to decipher his new combat strategy. Adarian shouted at Petra, "Begone!" moments after unleashed a powerful strike as if unsheathing his blade.

Petra, attentive and prepared, managed a perfect block, but not enough to cancel the blow, merely deflecting it upward. The shadow blade tore a deep wound in her left shoulder, even in stone form; she recoiled, experiencing excruciating pain; to her growing despair, her new wound did not regenerate.

Seeing this, Frank realized his frantic attacks were ineffective and went to Petra. "Get out of here; I'll hold him!"

Adarian retorted, "Don't be ridiculous!" But he turned his gaze to Petra, who was groaning in pain. "A human who survived the Shadow Omen's bite? Most impressive! Perhaps I made a mistake thinking about inviting the wrong human to be my apprentice; it's a shame I spoiled you; this wound will never heal, and now you're useless! So, Goodbye!"

Adarian immediately increased his timeframe a bit and raised his weapon diagonally. Frank used his willpower to land a perfect blow, but no matter how hard the hit, it was only able to break the protective aura, not injuring its target. Adarian wasted no time delivering two precise blows against Petra's sides, which she partially blocked again. Those lethal bites were sufficient, however, to wound her until she fell to her knees, nearly unconscious and completely exhausted. The pain was so intense that she could no longer lift her Flexoclava, dropping it and lowering her head.

Despairing, furious, and with berserking tears, Frank missed several Flexoclava strikes but landed a powerful, accurate kick to Adarian's abdomen before Adarian changed to a full defensive posture and raised its protective aura again. Nearby, realizing the critical situation, Silas flew with his ray toward the ship, which was still floating above.

Adarian turned to Petra, kneeling, gently nudging her head sideways toward the snow as he spoke. "Don't worry; I'll be merciful to those who provide me good training. When I put you in the freezer, the pain will cease." Frank didn't give up the fight, realizing he could land some kicks if his opponent depended solely on dodging. Frank paused the attacks, trying to calm down, noticing Adarian wasn't reacting to Silas; he circled his opponent carefully, silently waiting for a final chance to achieve victory.

Adarian retrieved his weapon and transformed it into a staff. He said, "Finally realized you never had a chance? Or not? It seems your friend just betrayed you."

Frank raised his Flexoclava. "He didn't take me this, at least!"

Adarian grew enraged, continuing the dialogue. "You want to die so badly? Thinking of staying behind to protect that slave's escape? He was never your friend! If you knew what I saw…"

Frank smiled. "Lies? Is that your pitch for an apprentice? The problem is, you believe everyone’s as rotten as you are—that no decent people exist anymore."

Adarian smiled back. "How I wish I were lying," Adarian made a pained expression that didn't seem feigned. "I once thought like you, but that young Bo full of dreams died a long time ago; I don't care about anything anymore. If you had a little more strength right now, I would have fallen dead in this fight; I never cared." Adarian looked at Frank, pausing briefly before continuing, "Is it different for you? You're not afraid of dying? Or worse, of ending up in eternal suffering like your friend lying beside you in the snow?"

Frank looked at Petra, terrified. She was now unconscious, breathing with difficulty, her face lying on its side, half dug in the snow, bearing a mask of indescribable pain. Frank struggled to look back into Adarian's eyes without showing his inner fear; Frank tried to seek help in reason. "I lost hope in the world once, and in myself too, but I didn't choose to make other people's lives as miserable as mine."

Adarian laughed loudly and spoke in an aggressive tone, "You're weak! This childish thinking will lead you to the same fate as your friend. Come with me, and I'll train you to become something extraordinary. If you want to keep that inconsequential dream, I don't care; if you don't want to follow the fast path to power that I chose," Adarian said, showing his sheathed weapon and bleeding arms. He continued, "I also don't care; the only rule is to obey me when we're on a mission."

Frank perceived the proposal and noticed the ship maneuvering. Slowly, it moved away to the South, moving backward as if seeking a vector of aim. He continued the conversation, "Okay, Adarian. And what would that make us? Two happy puppets for Biggus to play?"

Adarian continued, now stopping laughing, "No, my dear, I intend to kill Biggus and take his place. And you can be sure I'm not lying to you." He paused, noticing Frank thinking, "What should I call you?"

Frank paused and walked around Adarian as if in conflict. Finally, he turned to Adarian and said, "Firebreaker! Remember this name, Adarian." Frank waved one arm while firmly holding his Flexoclava with the other. Two colossal lightning balls emerged from the ship's lower tower. Frank continued speaking when he realized there was no way for Adarian to escape: "Because it will be the last thing you hear!"

Prepared as always, Adarian let his protective aura absorb the first blast while raising his left arm toward the ship using his telekinesis. At a tremendous speed, he grasped the ship and threw it to the ground with ease. However, the second blast scorched him brutally. Frank used his willpower to take advantage of the opening in Adarian's energy aura and deliver his final blow with his Flexoclava. Frank jumped and made a short, precise, and lethal vertical arc.

The schrogae ship fell to the ground, onto a slope aside to a vein, and partially exploded. The light of the explosion illuminated the scene further ahead on the monolithic vein; two warriors stood still, with their weapons raised, drawing a picture of their final blow; time seemed to stop. Adarian didn't turn around; with his back to Frank, he activated his blade, pointing backward, while Frank raised his Flexoclava above his head with both hands and advanced.

Frank looked at his abdomen; the shadow blade pierced him while his Flexoclava flew toward Adarian. But it was too late; his strength was exhausted, and his weapon slipped from his hands. Victorious and furious, Adarian, almost scorched to death, said, "I told you I was once like you, and I still keep some of my willpower for moments like this; you would have been my only apprentice! Why? From what Stardust said a while ago, we would walk together on the same path that Seneca's son forged to become perfect Jufeis; that's what you were seeking, right? But your glorious future isn't going to happen; you were also wasted, consumed by the Shadow Omen, and while she exists, you two will be useless." Adarian let a tear escape, unsure if it was for having lost a potential apprentice or for having lost some hope that his past dreams might somehow be resurrected.

Adarian retrieved the shadow blade and let Frank fall to the ground; he continued talking, unsure if Frank was still hearing anything. "Firebreaker, I expected your attack; your hopeful eyes revealed that to me when you saw the ship. I didn't expect that slave to really sacrifice himself. Now I'm going to see if he's really dead, and then I'll be back there to put you two in the freezer."

Adarian moved away from Frank, lying unconscious in the snow, calmly walking toward the burning ship, noticing lots of scattered debris while the ship slowly tried to regenerate itself. He ignored what was happening around him and searched for signs of life with his virtual monocular; when he found Silas amidst the debris, he lifted him with his telekinesis, squeezing his neck to prevent him from speaking but trying to avoid killing him since he already seemed mortally wounded.

Adarian brought Silas within inches of his face, looking intently at him in the eyes. He said, "I didn't understand anything about you, but I'm not even going to ask you; I sense the smell of the Lady of Tempus on you; you are her property, and I don't want to interfere any further with that."

Silas shook his head in denial, trying to think with his remaining strength about what his executioner was saying. It made no sense, and he realized that Adarian might already be delirious, like Dukliasse.

Adarian continued, "I'm going to do the following. This is going to take a while and will give me some work, but I will not bring you with me." Adarian landed himself on the ground. He then concentrated a ball of dark blue energy in the palm of his other hand while speaking, "I'm going to freeze you in time because you only have a few minutes to live now, so technically, I'm saving your life."

Silas continued to shake his head in denial, but he began to concentrate to avoid falling unconscious.

Adarian noticed Silas's faltering eyes; he manipulated his body via telekinesis, jolting him awake briefly, then releasing the pressure and positioning him on the ground facing South, next to a long vein near where the ship had fallen. While continuing to concentrate energy in his other hand, he said, "I just need you not to die for a few more seconds. Time will start passing slowly for you, almost stopping, to the point that you'll have difficulty perceiving what's happening around you soon; your mind will become lethargic, and the pain you feel now will lessen. But I think you'll perceive the Golems of your mistress when they arrive from the South—in a few years for me and a few seconds for you. I also ended up gaining one of these Golems on my tail; it should still be behind me, but at least I didn't make a pact with that thing. I only hope it was worth it for you."

Adarian touched Silas with his deep blue energized hand, and Silas became rigid as a statue as time stopped flowing for him. Adarian left Silas alone, slowly walking back to grab his mantle while he ordered Liora, "Stardust! Bring the two to my ship and place them carefully in my cryogenic device; be careful not to injure them. After that, remove all your energy cells and enter dormancy inside my ship until further orders." Liora, furious, perceived her body compelled to obey Adarian's orders; in despair, she created a new, extremely simplified copy of herself, placing it inside her comlink's memory cache and loading only two video-to-text and audio-to-text models, with orders to record everything the comlink captured in text and maintain the record also inside the cache. The last thing Liora remembered was turning herself off, already inside Adarian's small ship, after having put Petra and Frank into cryogenic sleep.

Meanwhile, far away in the South, Laetilia finished repairing the airbike with the speed-up devices and took a break from a day of work that had absorbed her entirely. She still had the active telepathy enchantment as if nothing had happened, but she hadn't noticed the others for some time. She tried to open a communication channel and managed to enter into Petra's universe's network but noticed that nobody was there and that the ship was incommunicable. She even sent a message to Mosh that same day asking if he knew anything, but the response didn't arrive.

Laetilia remembered Liora making her promise that if she weren't cursed with the Golems, she would return to Rocatrista and help from there because, according to Liora, her destiny would be much better. She kicked her modded airbike into gear, the bad feeling in her chest burning like fuel. Whatever mess was going down, she’d pretend to find it out soon enough.

After a few minutes of flying South, still far from Rocatrista, it became clear to Laetilia that the silence in all communication meant trouble. She thought to herself, "Well, now I'm the one who decides my destiny. Technically, when I promised, I was another person. Sorry, Mom, but I'm going to disappoint you already."

Laetilia skidded her airbike to a halt, flipped it around, and gunned for a higher altitude. Ignoring the risks, she pushed the throttle to the max, tearing northward. “Alright, show me what you’ve got!” She said with a wicked grin while reaching top speed and heading to the distant tower.

----------------------------------------

Name: Silas "Archon" Cade Species: Ebex XP: 110+7 / 10 Powers Super-Life Magnitude 1 Super-Energy Magnitude 7 Super-Resistance (ebex) Magnitude 1 Super-Technique Magnitude 50 Unknowledge (ebex) Magnitude 3 Superior Technology: Architect Magnitude 45 Natural Combined Armor (ebex) - Know it all (party) - Skills Traditional Dancing (Dex) +2 Mathematics (Int) +4 Computer Engineering (Tech) +4 Kung fu (Res) +4 (fixed - know it all) - - Essence: Reality +4 Days: 9242(0) Equipment Superior safety clothes (AC 3) Northern Valley Shielded Bracers (1 parry), resized Silas´ Flexoclava, Damage: d12, melee, Hit: Dex, consumes 1TP / successful hit, produces 1TP / turn (quirk: Silas got +3 hit bonus when using it) Other 3 credits on Paradiso account 3375 spirit credits on PCU City of the Dead revival service insurance 1x Survival kit (food cube, shelter cube) Speed Flight Surveillance drones (1x, suma superior tech, +7 speed modified) Airbike, speed +4 (boosted), flight (normal tech): Following 4 Golens (*modified, with Laetilia) Aircar, perception +4 (boosted), flight (normal tech) Suma gravity engine, speed +6 (x3) Pocket aethernet connectors, backup (x2) City of Spirits cloud service ("The Unforgettables" technology repositories hub project) (total paid: 400.000.000 cloud credits, consumption: 0,3 cloud credits/day) City of Spirits material marketplace (net income: 3,2 SC$/day, operational costs: 0,3 SC$/day, buy/sell: bare suma components/metal from Petra's Heavy Metal Universe) City of Spirits energy marketplace (net income: 19,8 SC$/day, operational costs: 19,7 SC$/day, buy/sell: suma battery components/charged suma batteries)

Schrogae 5-engine cargo airship: life support +4, capacity +7, maneuver +7, speed up +7, flight (.05c superior suma tech 50/50), space flight (.5c sub-light, superior suma tech 500/500), stealth +3(superior tech 1000/1000), inertial stabilizer +4, gravity engine +7, Energy cells battery x10 (superior tech, 10 TP charge, 100/100), Advanced Auto-Repair (superior tech, prototype bonus+, 20/20, consume 2 TP to regen 20 HP, or make 2 rolls to repair devices except for berserker mode+), Double-layered full armor (superior tech, AC 4, 200/200), 2x Energy positional shields (superior tech, 2 parry, 500/500), Structures (superior tech, 2000/2000 HP, 2000/2000), long-range scan +2 (superior tech, 1000/1000), short-range communicators +2(superior tech, 100/100),

2x turret 9th sentinel artillery/ranged (2/2) (superior tech, 120 fixed, Art.Rng., Hit: Dex/Tech, infinite ammo, 5000/5000),

Main gun - plasma cannon 5th generation shooter x4 (1/4) (superior tech, 10, Rng., Hit: Dex, infinite ammo, 6400/6400),

*berserker mode[*non-newtonian liquid atmosphere +4 (1600/10000), *tech meld interface 4x Tech/Dex/Str/Res (160000/160000), *8th circle retro-plasma saber x4 (2d12+1, Mle., Hit: Dex, infinite ammo, 10000/10000), *Avatar AI (superior tech, all Atts+4, 90000/90000)]

Name: Liora “Stardust” Gorgath Species: Oioioi XP: 109+7 / 10 Powers Super-Life Magnitude 4 Super-Energy Magnitude 10 Super-Dexterity Magnitude 90 Shardify (oioioi) Magnitude 2 / 1 Superior Technology Network (oioioi) - Structural (oioioi) - Know it all (party) - Skills Aerolito´s Dojo Training (Dex) +4 Informatics (Wis) +4 Streetwise (Cha) +4 Kung fu (Res) +4 (fixed - know it all) - - Essence: Reality +4 Days: 8687 (0) Equipment Double-trouble (5), ranged, hit: Dex, 2TP/turn, prototype (quirk: +3 hit when shooting twice a turn) The Pentagon (6), ranged, hit: Dex, 5TP/turn, prototype (quirk: no chance of friendly fire when used on any range) Other Secure private network nano-connector Mk1: enables connection with Mag1 safety 2 credits on Paradiso account 1000 spirit credits on PCU City of the Dead revival service insurance 1x Survival kit (fuel cube, shelter cube)

Name: Petra "Warden" Somerson Species: Human XP: 108+7 / 10 Powers Super-Life Magnitude 19 Super-Mana Magnitude 7 Super-Strength Magnitude 5 Super-Resistance Magnitude 50 Super-Wisdom Magnitude 7 Super-Constitution Magnitude 10 Spellcasting Magnitude 7 Skills Aerolito´s Dojo Training (Res) +4 Shooting (Dex) +4 Military Discipline (Mor) +4 Tang Soo Do (Str) +4 (fixed - know it all) School of Transport(v_) (Wis) +2 53/100 - Essence: Balance +4 Days: 5356 (0) Equipment 4375 spirit credits on PCU City of the Dead revival service insurance 1x Flexoclava, Damage: d12, melee, Hit: Dex, consumes 1TP / successful hit, produce 1TP / turn Sci-lab jacket (AC 3), regen, prototype (quirk: AC 2 to magical defense) Northern Valley Shielded Bracers (1 parry) Stone Bastion Flexoclava +5Fire: d12+1, melee, Hit: Dex, consumes 1TP / successful hit, produce 3TP / turn, prototype (quirk: +1 free action for parry each turn) Other Survival kit (food cube, shelter cube) Trained Magic (vo) The Door of Returning: Enchant a stone to serve as an anchor; a mage can have up to Mag stones enchanted at the same time. After being enchanted, at any time, the mage can open or close a flat circular immobile portal of up to Mag Km in radius at a distance of ~10 meters from this stone; the mage chooses, for each portal entry, if the portal is one-way, two-ways, one-side, or both-sides at will, need 1 action to change those parameters. When the portal near the stone opens, at the same time, this spell also opens an identical-sized portal at a distance of ~10 meters from the mage who cast this; those portals are spatial distortions and connect the two places; this effect ignores everything. The portal takes approximately 1 minute to open or close entirely for each Km in radius (minimum of 5 seconds or 1 action); the spell consumes mana (Mag MP) only to enchant the stone, and only actions are spent to open or close each of the portals. For 1 MP cost, the mage can make the stone ethereal and meld it with any inanimate object or terrain, permanently placing the stone anchor on its melded target. Each portal pair can have different colors, chosen by the mage at the casting time. If the mage tries to force a closing door upon an object/target crossing the portals to damage it (the mage can always bring some stones already enchanted and open/close local portal pairs at will, both at ~10 meters from the mage, on melee range), it must roll Wis(or Tech) vs. Dex to hit the target; on a successful hit, the portal grapples the target (Str vs. Wis roll to break free, grappled targets must expend one action for each try to fight the portal). The portal does Mag+Wis, crushing magical damage each turn until it breaks the grappled target and closes. If the mage uses any number of portals at the same time, puts one portal inside another, opens portals crossing entry and exit points, or makes any creative combination of portals to split or smash targets, the result may change, but hit rolls and damage totals caused solely by the portals apply the same way and do not stack. Range: You must touch the stone to enchant it; after that, ~10 meters to open/close portals. The distance between paired portals is infinite (the distance between the mage and the anchor). Target: One stone, or at an extra 1MP cost, any inanimate object or location melding the stone into it. Duration: Infinite on every instance, even in extreme cases where the mage dies, the portals remain in the last state forever since no mana is needed to maintain those (the portals may remain opened forever), but only the mage can modify them (including opening/closing). Tags: Enchantment, Disenchant (Mag MP, must touch the stone or place)

(va) Fiat Lux: Every time this magic spell is cast, one pocket universe is accessed by the mage over an infinite range of options. One and only one mage may first access each of those pocket universes using this spell, and any other power could not first access those universes in any other way nor even gather any information about them. Still, after the link is made, other forms of contact could be implemented using any other power or tool available for such things, but only after the first contact (after the spell is cast successfully). All rational beings, dead or alive, that ever existed in that pocket universe are linked to Gate and Umbra after the first contact and could be brought back to life as usual. This means that if the pocket universe once supported rational life, access to this pocket universe could leak in spite of the mage that first opens a portal to it. To define the overall parameters of each universe, 3 rolls will be made: the first roll is entirely random, a chaos roll (d20) that modifies the rolled entry every time this spell is cast. The second roll is a Luck roll for control (the mage's overall intention with that spell), and usually, this is the most crucial roll for this spell. The third and last roll is another chaos roll (d20) that modifies the entry when it is cast, but this time, it improves or modifies the universe parameters based on Magnitude. As this magic nature is a mix of balance and chaos essences, the effects could never be controlled the way most of the other spells are. A mage can only open such portals up to Wisdom's different universes, and once the connection is made the first time, it is perpetual and permanent; this effect ignores everything, so if the mage wants to open portals to new universes and is already at its limits, the mage needs to train Wisdom before doing so. To open a single portal, the mage needs to spend the total mana cost (Mag) at the casting start, and it takes at least 8 hours to finish casting it. During all this time, the mage can do nothing else and must always be touching the portal; failing to do so makes the spell fail, and the mage must restart it all over again; the mage may need a Constitution roll vs. Mag to not fall unconscious after each casting. The portal is a perfect circle of (Magnitude + Wisdom) Kilometers radius that the mage positions at the start of the casting (usually, the mage sits on a wide-open area, and the portal starts to grow in size upwards, it reaches maximum size in minutes, shortly afterward wild magic effects and visuals start to react with the portal during the entire process making an ominous view, giving faint hints of what the results may be when it is finished). It is always a one-side portal (hot face always facing the mage to open, and the cold face to close) and a two-way (mage universe and pocket universe in-out connection). Besides the fantastic visual effects, the portal does not interact with reality in both universes until the casting ends. The cold side of the portal is inert on both openings (mages universe and new universe openings). Suppose a strong force starts to do significant damage to the cold side (more than 10 x Mag damage). In that case, it starts to bend the portal, making bubbles of space that, when collapsed, lead to the other side of the portal, but inside the same universe, any universe travel may be done only through the hot side. When the spellcasting finishes, it opens on both universes on an explosion of magic (and maybe an explosion of something else). If the mage remains conscious, it has 1 turn (5~6 seconds) after the casting ends to do something before it takes effect and the portal opens on an explosion. The mage has only this time to figure out what happens (Wis roll vs. Mag) and react somehow, but the mage may not undo this spell at that point. To close the portal, the mage must spend mana and time and do the same ritual, touching the portal from the other inactive side to close it. While this spell is being cast to close the portal (at least 8 hours), the portal remains fully open, connecting the two universes; even after closing the portal, the Umbra and any other kind of interaction cannot be undone. Every time the mage casts this magic, it needs to choose to open the portal to any previous universe he opened before or open it to a new universe, if it is possible. The minimum space size of each universe accessed with this spell is ~(Mag + Wis) Light-Gate-Years. Range: Melee, the mage must touch the portal all the time. Duration: Infinite (can be closed and opened again to the same universe). Tags: Permanent effect, chaos magic, ignore all.

The tale has been taken without authorization; if you see it on Amazon, report the incident.

Spell Complements

(vo) Light Green - Space observatory near the Tempus King´s Mountain.

(vo) Fire-red - Heavy Metal Infinity Universe, near the entry point.

(vo) Pinky-red - with Petra

(vo) Deep-blue - cargo door of The Unforgettables schrogae ship.

(vo) Pale-white - Ellipsoid Dojo Universe, Petra's luxury room.

(vo) Light-yellow - with Petra.

(vo) Dark-grey - with Petra.

(va) Heavy Metal Infinity, Magnitude 1: An utterly inhabitable universe with tilted physics and very weak gravity force, it is filled with an infinite quantity of heavy metal(primarily liquid and vapor steel, but very rich in Tungsten, Osmiun, and Iridium) lava and vapor at 2100K..4200K temperature range. When the portal is open, a constant flow of hot lava jets out of the portal in a dozen-kilometers-long gush until it eventually jams, which may take years and may make the process of closing it complex because the jam could disrupt the other side if the mage remains near the ground. The lava deals (1d12+1)x3 physical damage on everything it touches in a wide area, raising the damage dice by "1" every turn up to the maximum damage (39 damage every turn). Anyone caught by the lava needs to roll Str vs. 3 to take any physical action (swimming is possible for Str 6+, if solidified digging is possible at Str 21+). 1st roll: "6": Fire, heat and metal, wild elemental universe, thermodynamics, and gravity may differ. 2nd roll: "roll result -17": (double critical failure, a mage could not control anything, the effect is dangerous, extra dangerous side effects at first time casting). 3rd roll: "19" The universe is infinite in size. Any effects related to this universe cause +1(Mag) base damage (weapons done with this metal have this extraordinary bonus and the weapon uses heat to cause damage). And any physical, earth, fire, or heat effects deal an additional +30 Damage only when inside the Heavy Metal Infinity universe (base: 30 x Mag damage).

(va) Ellipsoid Dojo, Magnitude 2: An ellipsoid with 42 light-years primary diameter (x 35 x 35 light-years minor diameters) composed of solid stone and air, temperatures near water freezing, and a respirable air atmosphere rich in Oxygen. The gravity varies between ~30g at the central axis and near zero at the extreme borders. The universe is closed and has expelling walls, which means that anything that causes 2 or more damage at its borders is expelled to the outside of the universe at a random location near the last entry point. The floor is made of a solid granite layer over solid compressed graffiti, with a solid structural lower border under the stone that supports up to 20.000 damage to expel things like the surface air border. 1st roll: 12: "Stone, simple shapes and solid universe." 2nd roll result: +4 "single success, no extraordinary effect." 3rd roll: 11 "Universe is larger than usual, has a few security improvements and only small quirks."

(va) -

(va) -

(va) -

(va) -

(va) -

Name: Frank "Firebreaker" Summers Species: Human XP: 108+6 / 10 Powers Super-Life Magnitude 6 Super-Mana Magnitude 2 Super-Willpower Magnitude 2 Super-Strength Magnitude 68 Super-Dexterity Magnitude 17 Super-Intelligence Magnitude 5 Super-Charisma Magnitude 1 Super-Constitution Magnitude 2 Spellcasting Magnitude 2 Skills Aerolito´s Dojo Training (Dex) +4 Bar Politics (Int) +4 Power Drinking (Res) +4 Drunken Fighting (Str) +4 (fixed - know it all) School of Communication (l_) (Int) +2 75/100 - Essence: Balance +4 Days: 5071 (0) Equipment 4375 spirit credits on PCU City of the Dead revival service insurance 1x Dual-ray trigger happy riffle (5), ranged, hit: Dex, 2TP\turn Ebexian Flexoclava (d12), melee, hit: Dex, consumes 1TP / successful hit, produce 1TP / turn Flametongue Flexoclava +5Fire: (2d6+1), melee, hit: Dex, consumes 1TP / successful hit, produce 3TP / turn, prototype (quirk: +9 fire damage when using mana wildly) Other Survival kit (food cube, shelter cube) Vabala, complete, open Northern Valley Shielded Bracers (1 parry) 2x Northern Valley Guard Armor (AC 2) 2x Northern Valley Stun Rifle (2), hit: Dex, dam: Dex, ranged, non-lethal option, unlimited ammo 4x Trained Magic

(lu) Unforgettables, Assemble! Enchant with telepathy and sharing perception up to Int targets (Int+1 for the Unforgettables party only) simultaneously, enchanted beings opt to turn on and off this power at will at no cost or to filter it as desired. Grants a circumstantial bonus of +Mag on mobility rolls and can share skills to make rolls using the highest within the group. Targets: Mag targets each casting. Range: Indirect perception (only for enchanting or disenchanting; after that, the range is infinite and ignores all). Duration: infinite. Tags: Enchantment, Disenchant (no cost, at will)

(lo) Pub Proxy Projection: Enchant one location so that you can hear/see/taste and speak/be seen as if you were present. You can keep enchanted up to Mag locations simultaneously. You make an Int roll for accuracy (with a +3 bonus for any pub). Range: Knowledge. Targets: A point in relative space and maximum radius of (Int + Mag) meters, expend mana to cast and expand radius if needed. Duration: infinite Tags: Enchantment, Disenchant (no cost, at will) Spell Complements (lu) Self (Frank): Str +4, Res + 4, Dex + 4, Int +4

(lu) Liora: Wis +4, Cha +4

(lu) Silas: Tech +4

(lu) Petra: Mor +4

(lu) Laetilia:

(lu) Amanda: ???

(lo) Rokatrista Bar "Taco´Bout Trouble Tavern" aka "Triple Ts," Gate, Northern Edge Region

(lo) Petra´s Heat Cliffs, still have no Bars, Gate, North region of the Kings Mountain

Name: Laetilia "DestinyTILT" Gorgath (out) Species: Oioioi XP: 81+7 / 27 Powers Super-Life Magnitude 7 Super-Willpower Magnitude 1 Super-Energy Magnitude 5 Super-Strength Magnitude 5 Super-Resistance Magnitude 2 Super-Dexterity Magnitude 2 Super-Intelligence Magnitude 1 Super-Wisdom Magnitude 1 Super-Technique Magnitude 3 Super-Charisma Magnitude 1 Super-Beauty Magnitude 1 Super-Morale Magnitude 1 Super-Constitution Magnitude 1 Super-Luck Magnitude 27 Shardify (oioioi) Magnitude 1 Superior Technology Network (oioioi) - Structural (oioioi) - Know it all (party) - Superior Technology (architect) Magnitude 3 Skills Videogaming (Dex) +2 Piloting (Tech) +2 - Survival (Wis) +4 (fixed - know it all) - - Essence: Reality +3 Days: 126(0) Equipment Bare hands Other Secure private network nano-connector Mk1: enables connection with Mag1 safety 2375 spirit credits on PCU City of Spirits revival service insurance 1x Survival kit (suma fuel cube, suma shelter cube) Access to "The Unforgettables" technology repositories hub Personal aethernet connector (embedded on suma-oioi parts) Suma superior body parts (+27 bonus on any rolls to be raised from the dead, prototype (???) quirk: +3 temporary MMP when in Umbra) Superior airbike, space flight, +9 speed, +9 scanning, +9 dodge, +9 stealth, +9 communication, +3 hacking, pocket servo-droids (x2), +12 survival, embedded suma-oioi hypercube (shelter/fuel/cultural), +12 security, tech-meld interface (1000/1000), stat: +100 HP (base 10) Advanced seeker drone, +13 speed, +12 scanning, +12 stealth, umbral-shift (consumes 1 TP each shift), stat: +100 HP (Base 1), +2 MP, +2 TP (seeking the Golems)

Superior Technology projects People on development Silas, Laetilia 48 research/day People on prototyping (creative mod, may use Tech) Silas, Laetilia 101 research/day People on production (creative mod, may use Tech) Silas, Laetilia, Liora copy (1x), Laetilia copy (1x) 103 research/day Repair rate 1030 / day Blueprints Flexoclava Foundation melee weapon + 1x internal energy generator 20 / 20 Research Sci-lab jacket Foundation main protector + regeneration 20 / 20 Research Dual-ray trigger happy riffle Foundation ranged weapon + energy(2) 30 / 30 Research Mister Snoop-Sentry, the 1st Network sentinel of 1st anti-horror 10 / 10 Research Mister Snoop-Sentry, the 2nd Network sentinel of 2nd anti-horror 20 / 20 Research 1st modified Flexoclava +5Fire Melee weapon of 1st circle, +3x internal energy generator 30 / 30 Research (+20 research for batteries on production) 2nd modified Flexoclava +5Fire Melee weapon of 2nd circle, +3x internal energy generator 50 / 50 Research (+20 research for batteries on production) Penta-gun 1st Missile Massacre Shoot weapon of 1st gen, + 5x internal energy generator 110 / 110 Research (+40 research for batteries on production) Prototype Silas´ Flexoclava Damage: d12, melee, Hit: Dex, consumes 1TP / successful hit, produce 1TP / turn (quirk: Silas got +3 hit bonus when using it) 20 / 20 Research Sci-lab jacket of disbelief AC:3, regenerate (quirk: AC:2 for magical defense) 20 / 20 Research Double-trouble Damage: 5, ranged, Hit: Dex, consumes 1TP / successful hit, produces 2TP\turn (quirk: +3 hit when shooting twice a turn) 30 / 30 Research Mister Snoop-Sentry, the 1st Nullify: hacking mag 1, bonus roll: +3 (quirk: on single failure, delay hacking in 1 turn and warns on comlink) 10 / 10 Research Mister Snoop-Sentry, the 2nd Nullify: hacking mag 2, bonus roll: +6 (quirk: on single failure, delay hacking in 1 turn and warns on comlink) 20 / 20 Research Stone Bastion Flexoclava +5Fire Damage: d12+1, melee, Hit: Dex, consumes 1TP / successful hit, produces 3TP / turn (quirk: Petra can free-parry one extra blow against herself every turn, totaling 2 free parries for attacks against her, and one parry against any target committing her action as usual) 30 / 30 Research Flametongue Flexoclava +5Fire Damage: 2d6+1, melee, Hit: Dex, consumes 1TP / successful hit, produces 3TP / turn (quirk: Frank has a +9 fix damage modifier if he ignites it using mana wildly) 50 / 50 Research The Pentagon Damage: 6, ranged, Hit:Dex, consumes 1TP / successful hit, produces 5TP / turn (quirk: up to 10 safe targets, identified with a network key device, that could not be mistarget by friendly fire, the shoots completely bypass those targets ignoring any cover as if they does not exist, adding a +17 surprise hit bonus for all attacks and mobility rolls for one turn, but only in the first time it was used against an antagonist) 110 / 110 Research Production Flexoclava (complete: 2x) Damage: d12, melee, Hit: Dex, consumes 1TP / successful hit, produce 1TP / turn 40 / 20 Research Dual-ray trigger happy riffle (complete: 1x) Damage: 5, ranged, Hit: Dex, consumes 1TP / successful hit, produce 2TP\turn 30 / 30 Research Superior Technology Factory It does not need a blueprint; it requires a material source and 1TP energy for each other's projects. It allows mass production projects. 10 / 10 Research Mass-produced structure (complete: 120 = 1200 HP) It needs no blueprint, protects other structures or devices, and has 10 HP each. (plugged: all on training dojo) 120 / 1 Research Mass-produced auto repair system (complete: 8 = regen 80/t) It needs no blueprints, regenerates a structure at 10HP/turn, and consumes 1TP/turn. (plugged: all on training dojo) 80 / 10 Research Mass-produced energy cell (complete: 38/40x) Need no blueprint, 1 act. = 1TP one-shot, recharge as repair 40 / 1 Research Mass-produced energy battery (complete:12x ) Need no blueprint, 1TP/turn on a plugged device (plugged: 4 for Liora, 2 for Frank, 2 for Petra, 4 for the factory) 120 / 10 Research

The Unforgettables Assembly (Milestones 7/7) Maneuver: 68+6 (condition: Firebreaker on vanguard) Perception: 7+4 (condition: Warden on perception range) Tactical Insight: 5+4 (condition: Firebreaker on perception range) Hacking defense: 50+10 Feats of strength: Use a colossal Flexoclava to finally play snooker using planet Mercury as the white ball (condition: Firebreaker and a solid anchor point to apply the force) Vanguard: Firebreaker, Warden Ranged: Stardust Artillery: Archon Combat Totals Char-action life aural hit dam def mdef dodge TP cost extra Warden 190 / 190

Umbra: -100 MP 7/7 150 10 0+4 regen 10/t War - melee 0+4 5(d12+1)+5 War - parry 45+4 50(d12+2)+5 X-3 X hit/t, 1TF free Exausted Flexoclava

(d12+1) to (d6+1)

(d12+2) to (d6+2)

Change damage dice to d6 Firebreaker 60 / 60

Umbra: -20 WP 2/2

MP 2/2 0 0 17+4 regen 2/t Fir - melee 17+4 68(2d6+1)+5 X-3 X hit/t, 9 fire Fir - melee TF2 7+4 68(2d6+1)+5 X-3 X hit/t, 9 fire Fir - brawl 68+4 68(d4) bare hands Fir - brawl TF2 58+4 68(d4) bare hands Fir - ranged 17+4 85 X-3 X hit/t Fir - ranged TF2 7+4 85 X-3 X hit/t Exausted Flexoclava (2d6+1) to (d6+1) Change damage dice to d6 Stardust 40 / 40

Umbra: -1 TP 10/10 0 0 90+4 Stardust (self) +10X X reaction Star - ranged 90+4 540 X-5 X hit/t Star - ranged TF2 80+4 540 X-5 X hit/t Star - ranged TF3 70+4 540 X-5 X hit/t Star - ranged TF4 60+4 540 X-5 X hit/t Star - ranged TF5 50+4 540 X-5 X hit/t Star - ranged TF6 40+4 540 X-5 X hit/t Star - ranged TF7 30+4 540 X-5 X hit/t Star - ranged TF8 20+4 540 X-5 X hit/t Star - ranged TF9 10+4 540 X-5 X hit/t Star - Blast (rng) 90+4 X(d6) X push Archon 10 / 10

Umbra: -1 TP 7/7 5 0 0+4 Arch - melee 0+7 1 X-1 X hit/t Arch - parry 1+7 1(d12+1) X-1 X hit/t Arch - Blast(art) 50+4 X(d6) X push Arch - Nova(mle) 50+4 2X X all targets