Consciously thinking about not thinking is of course a contradiction. Nevertheless not thinking is a state that is central to quite a lot of human cultures. Having issues with that while accepting aliens, magic and souls would be absurd. That does not make it easy. Nor do I know how good I need to become. I should have recorded a base line earlier, but if one session is so effective, it does not matter what I record here either.
Gun: [Tools of the Magister] Special Ability Iron 0 (86%) [Joy of Sustained Fire] Blood Special Attack Iron 0 (91%) [This is my Gun] Myriad Special Attack/Conjuration
Iron 0 (45%)
(unused)
0%
(unused) 0% Vast: [Giant Form of the Ancestors] Special Ability Iron 0 (26%) [Immortality] Tree Special Ability Iron 0 (6%) (unused) 0% (unused) 0% (unused) 0% Dimension: [Teleport] Special Ability Iron 0 (15%) [Dance by my Will] Dance Aura Ability Iron 0 (90%) [Eternal Moment] Reach Special Ability Iron 0 (5%) (unused) 0% (unused) 0% Battlefield: [Equip the Army] Special Ability Iron 1 (7%) [Robotic Servant of War] Magotech Special Attack/Conjuration Iron 0 (0%) (unused) 0% (unused) 0% (unused) 0%
T: So you are saying the usage of cores versus the other methods is a global variable and irreversible?
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P: Yes, so it appears.
T: Then using cores means making yourself depend on finding and entering intrusions. While otherwise you could for example play batman.
P: That is true, but we are still left with the question of how to get more Awakening Stones.
T: Would you care? What is the consequences of empty slots? Going hungry for power?
P: I am not sure. More navel gazing will be required.
T: But you can rank up powers while you have empty slots?
P: Yes, I have direct experimental evidence for that. Well, at least for the Special Ability type.
T: We need a way to measure the effect of that.
P: A lot of work
T: True. It may not be feasible if we need to teach at the same time. But it is odd.
P: Yes, they cannot possibly expect us to finish within the time they promise to finish this crisis.
T: You are thinking it is just propaganda?
P: Then why are we specifically teaching? They have other wizards.
T: So they are contemplating needing ritualists.
P: You think we are a contingency plan and they traded the detection device away for something else?
T: I wish we positively knew things.
P: Do you want to go back to your old life?
T: Rather than teaching school girls? Yes. If I could do science on magic? No. You?
P: I wanted to change my old life. But certain things I wanted are not available to a single man.
T: That is not helpful. And, I hesitate to mention it, but how good has that potion been? We were exposed to a lot of radiation.
P: You are thinking cancer?
T: No, or rather, we are too valuable for that now, even as contingencies. I talked to my doctors, when we were tested.
P: So did I. What are you referring to?
T: You sounded like you were talking about marriage and children.
P: Fuck ...
T: Indeed.
That hurt unexpectedly hard.
P: Another option, we do not have to stay in this country. I would have thought that they wouldn't let us go, but if they are serious about that constitution thing, we could emigrate.
T: The grass is not greener on the other side. That is an illusion.
I am kidding myself. There is a time bomb in my storage space.
P: True. I just do not trust the promised peace.
T: You are thinking about who is behind the intrusions? That they'll come themselves? Or who is behind the superheros?
P: The former.
T: Chewing the unknowable. If they come with irresistable force, nobody will ask us whether mankind should surrender. It would be up to the nuclear powers.