《Soul theory》 0. How to blackmail a little goddess Hello everyone! Alex Hearthstone here. Don''t you sometimes feel that the whole world revolves around you? Yes, that feeling when you wake up a minute before an alarm goes off, being completely rejuvenated. That feeling when you go buy a lunch bread and see a fresh batch being packed onto the shelves. That feeling when the last tests are all green and you proceed to prove the theory of your lifetime''s hard work. The feeling of your soul being ripped out. No, I''m sorry sun-sama! I will revolve around you for the rest of my life! I apologize for being cheeky! ¡­ S: Goddamn this Zeus, this kiddo was stoned again... D: How do you expect him not to be? He''s already 20 thousand years old and you can''t count all recommendations he gets from advancing these monkeys from earth. S: They''re called humans! They freakin'' look like us, how can you call them monkeys?! D: I derive from dragonkin, don''t compare me with those vermins.They can''t even live a day without killing off ten of their own people. S: I get where you''re coming from, but no one is perfect... they actually pulled themselves in knowledge so much, their kids can rival a thousand year gods! And all those merits goes to this good-for-nothing Zeus... D: Hey, i''m also pretty jealous... after he got his own planet, he just threw lighting here and there, and got bored. Wait a few millenias and bam! You got a civilisation. Makes me think if all the work we''re doing is making any sense... S: I''m sure it... oh, wait! He''s waking up. A: I was awake for a while already. Who''s this Zeus you''re talking about? S: Ah, who is he I wonder? Hahaha... Before me stands a short woman in her twenties, with long, blue hair. Wait, Blue? What kind of cosplay is that? And what''s up with those rabbit ears!?! Anyway, next to her stands a tall ikemen with black hair reaching his waist. Does he think he''s in a wuxia novel? I guess he does, he even wears a kimono... D: Em... I''ll be at my office... S: Oy, you overgrown lizard! Don''t leave me alone! I''m on internship here! Oy, you hear me bastard?! A: He''s gone. S: He sure is. (-???-???-???__-???-???-???) A: ¡­ S: ... A: So, who are you? S: Ah, an excellent question! I, am the one and only, Goddess Saphira Grimoire! I''m guessing you have a lot of questions, but let me tell you the situation first, ok? A: Umu. S: What''s that suppossed to mean? A: That''s like japanese yes. Sorta went into my language after too much anime. S: Ani-what?.. Aaaah, those things, like Winnie-the-Pooh? A: ...Close enough. Carry on with explanation please. S: Ah, of course. So, as you may have already noticed, you have been temporarily transported into the realm... of gods... where''re those goddamn notes... stupid impotent lizard... Said the goddess as she nervously ramaged through the shelves throwing lots of files around. She curved over one of the shelves and stepped on the ladder next to the humongous bookshelf. Just one rung more... As i was wondering where did i get enough karma for a lucky pervert situation, one of the papers flew at my legs as i grabbed it and gave it a quick look. Then i look back up hoping to find out what my heart desires, but before me stands the goddess looking at me with a ghastly pale face. A: Is this the one you''re looking for? I asked while waving the fastened bunch of papers. S: Yes... I''m... Please don''t tell anyone about iii-it!!! Said the goddess teleporting into a dogeza stance. S: I''m just a poor adult, I don''t want to lose this job, sniff! I have had enough of taking care of those stinking brats at school and there just isn''t any other place that will take me after this! Sob... Um.. what? She just went full prostration mode on me. What can it mean... is it about this paper? Good thing she''s an idiot, i can''t read those hieroglyphes. Well, i don''t really wanna lie, but let''s go with a little angry and domineering face. A: Em... just explain what''s going on here. S: You see... You have been doing those researches for half your life, right? Not to mention being the first to prove the existence of soul, you also managed to partially analise it and even manipulate it a little! A: My research? Now it was my turn to turn pale. I can''t remember a thing. Quickly scanning my memories, i remember all the names i should, high school, studies... yea, but what i''ve been doing in those laboratories? I can only remember going in there and... and... the walls were all grey... damn, can''t remember! So... researching the soul and a little goddess is apologising to me? ...This can only mean... A: ... you deleted my memories? S: Yes, sorry! I promise you, I wasn''t involved in any of this! I''m just a lowly semi-power spirit, i get the notes and read them that''s all! She said peeking at me and immediately kneeling in dogeza deeper than earlier, if it was even possible. A: Explain. S: Yes! You see, normally gods wouldn''t interfere, but that last experiment you did was extremely dangerous! The strongest soul in your universe isn''t even in the novice ranking, yet you go ahead and connect yourself to a freakin'' nuclear reactor! Ah, I remember this. I had to actually sign up for a political party so they push my request for using nuclear power plant. Never liked these two-faced, self-centered bastards, but they fill up over half the population, so you gotta learn to live with them. Rather than arguing, i would rather solve a problem that I actually can, like researching new energy sources. Or looking into the mysteries of the world that still remains unsolved. A: Still, i don''t think i would perform this experiment if it was as stupid as you make it out to be. S: Well, most of your teories were correct, but you only checked the physical plane of matter... The story has been illicitly taken; should you find it on Amazon, report the infringement.A: What? S: Ah, sorry! You got that part wiped after all... You see, a soul is a really misterious thing, it''s basically like a small seed that connects you onto a higher plane. Your plane is called String plane, or the physical plane. The plane here is called Soul plane, and the one above us is the essence plane. Well, we don''t really know anything about it, it''s just that we think it''s there, you know... String plane? What a bullshit nam- ah, the string theory! So it was true... S: Planes are in normal cases totally separated because of different physics, but we still can somehow affect it because of souls being there. Before you ask, you can currently appear in your human form, but that''s only because you got overcharged after your experiment. A: Get to the case. S: Yes! Knowledge and reasearch about the soul is extremely valuable, you see. Just like normal humans are having problems understanding quantuum physics, soul research is currently being coordinated by only three god scientists. And that''s precisely because no one else but them can comprehend it. Yet here you are! A: So, what basically happened is that gods got jealous of a little stupid human and decided to mind-wipe him and steal his research? S: No, no, no! Gods have really advanced society, you know? Such an unfair treatment would never pass... ah, sorry, but I can''t answer much more of your questions, we''re running out of time. Anyway, if you were to ever become a god, you will be more than welcome to continue your research, so please don''t get angry. And just for your knowledge, your little experiment would end up wiping half the lower plane if the old deus didn''t make it in time. A: Oh... by the way, you can stand up now. Though i can''t say i''m not enjoying it, she''s got perfect m attributes after all... S: Yes, thank you... A: So, what was the official version that you were supposed to relay to me? I can see energy come back to her eyes as the goddess takes a deep breath and focuses. S: Congratulations! You have been choosen as a lucky person to be reincarnated into another world as a hero! What''s up with the high tension all of the sudden. Also, is it a reincarnation or a hero summoning? Make up your mind, goddamnit! S: Ekhem, As a being choosen from a mana-less world, your hero''s begginer packet shall include a class selection! I feel like i won at a supermarket lottery... nevermind that, the floor is weird. And as i though that, from the floor around us started emerging various shapes clad in light. Some gave of a myriad of feelings, such as warmth or what i would describe best as ...chivalry? Some crazed around like beyblades on custom lauchers. I miss those times... S: You are granted the choice of one of these holy attributes! They shall complement your soul and aid you in your journey. Now please, choose one according to which one you feel the strongest connection with. Said the goddess reading from her notes. Yosh! Finally something positive. Now then, which one to choose... Saphira said that i''ll be reincarnated, so i''ll start from the beggining. Something that got got potential then, but give me enought power early on to run away if i so desire. -... Or so i said, but nothing matters if I can''t feel a shit! Connection my ass, now I know why she was procrastinating so much. Probably the previous ''heroes'' got mad at her every freakin'' time and she knows how to get through this the fastest. A: Oi, Saphy, how do i tell those apart? S: It''s Saphira! And I ain''t telling! A: I wonder if I should build this soul nuke thingy again... S: No! Saphy is fine, just please don''t let anyone know I told you about it! A: So tell me how to choose my class. S: I''m sorry, bu-but I really can''t! It''s not that I don''t want to, but I myself can''t tell them apart! Every time people come, different ones pops out... Looking at it from our side, we don''t really give those classes to you out of nothing, since you would get one anyway while you live in a world with mana. What we do is forcefully bringing out all the possible variations your soul could possibly achieve using the advanced technology and our mana essence factory. Now, please choose. We don''t have a whole day. Damn this goddess, her expressions don''t hold together! I bet she wasn''t feeling sorry from the beggining. Either that, or she is stupid enough to forget to hold her facial expression for more than half a sentence. Oh, she didn''t realise i can''t read those letters... An idiot after all. Anyway, it seems i will have to choose one of those classes randomly. I would hate to get some weak class from this and get stuck with it for live, but if i refuse, i may just as well get something like a shepherd class because of some housework i would be forced to do by my future parents. And some of them may be rare ones... well, let''s just decide on the impression they give off. I don''t want some hyper-active ball... These ones look weak... This cube looks like... fire? Nah, too mainstream... ¡­ ----------------------------------------------------------------------- song for today ? 1. How to get a cheat After sorting through all the different shapes, I narrowed it down to two most reliable looking ones. First one had a weird, irregular shape that reminded me of a hammer and the only energy it emanated was lightning, or electricity. As i saw it i instantly thought of a certain silver-haired kid''s power ¨C kanmuru. I totally want that. The second one on the other hand didn''t gave off any energy, feeling nor color. It didn''t even look like a class ¨C it was shaped as some multi-layered circuitry and unlike the others, it didn''t levitate around, but stood absolutely still on the ground. I almost missed it. A: Is this one even a class or a part of some machinery? S: Hm? Ah, yes, this one should be a class. Haven''t seen it before. So, basically the choice is between cool-ass OP class or the class that could somehow corespond with my knowledge, because it looks like some kind of circuitry... As i continue to look at the second one, i wonder why it doesn''t give off even the tiniest bit of electrical aura... That''s when i felt that tiniest bit of aura that i was looking for. But it wasn''t electricity. It was the kind of aura i didn''t find at any of the other classes. A: I want this one. S: Well then, give it a touch. As I extended my finger, it comes in contact with a hint of a mysterious energy. The circuit immediately dissapears, or not. It suddenly appeared in my fingernail as small circuits started appearing all over my body ¨C ah, sorry, all over my soul. Just as fast as it started, it ended and all the other classes were nowhere to be found. A: Well, you sure took your sweet time. Now, you can check your status just by thinking about it. If later on you want to, you can also change how it looks. Anyway, you have also been granted basic abilities like observation and dimensional pocket. Can''t be a hero without those now, can ya? As I think in my mind the word ''status'', a retro-looking blue screen appears in front of me. A: Come on, at least give this thing a better resolution... And before I ended my sentence, letters from status window sharpened themselves. A: Oh. S: Pretty handy, isn''t it? A: Yeah. But before that comes what I saw in my status window.
Name-
Age:0
Class:Timemancer
Titles:-
Mana:286325
Strength:2
Vitality:1
Agility:2
Resistance:0
Luck:24
State:
Forced soul bodyA natural soul being bended into god''s shape. Weaker souls shall perish, while strong ones have limited time before doing so. Can only be done and undone by beings from higher planes.
Soul overcharge(medium)Because of soul receiving power over it''s capacity it loses control over some of its mana, resulting in possible mana storms around the target. Wears off with time. Current overcharge: 286325 mp
Abilities
Suicide(lvl. 7)When you die, you do it with a boom!
observation(lvl. 1)Allows the user to receive the observed data in text form.
dimensional pocket(lvl. 1)Allows the user to open a pocket dimension in a shape of a cube with a space of (10*lvl) cm3.
intermediate mana manipulation(lvl. 1)Mana control is a basis for all kind of actions that involves using mana. At intermidiate level, allows user to perceive mana instinctively
time control(lvl. 1)Rare branch of magic that allows the user to manipulate the fabric of time-space. Requires extensive knowledge and mana reserves. Because specific spell casting is neither necessary nor possible, this is the only magic of the time category avaible to the physical plane. Passively increases thinking speed.
See, even status thinks string plane is a stupid name! Wait that''s not it! I got so many contracting thoughts, I don''t even know where to begin... What''s up with this suicide skill! A: Oi, Saphy! S: Yes?! A: My status is all over the place. Why is my age 0? And Vitality is 1? Am I about to die? S: N-no, you are about to be born. Umm, we took your soul as it was on the way from the soul well and into the body of a yet to be born child. By the way, the status is present for all the souls that are able to store mana ¨C in another words, achieve novice level. I won''t be telling you about those levels, it doesn''t really concern you. A: WHY it doesn''t concern me? S: B-be, because! You will need at least several reincarnations to strenghten your soul enough to worry about that! And powering up forcefully won''t work, because there aren''t any gods as lazy as Zeus. They will notice and stop you, so you better not try anything with souls again, ok? A: ... I see... then... what about those cheap ass skills you gave me? TEN FUCKIN'' CUBIC CENTIMETRES! What am I supposed to use it as, a hip flask!?! S: Hiii! I-I''m so-sorry! B-but these will grow as you use them! And evolve later on! A: ...Evolve? Ah, so it''s this. You''re giving me the weakest version of the skill so that i can take my time and level it up, and when it hits enough levels, it changes into something with better multipliers and attributes. S: Exactly! A: You should''ve said so from the beggining... dame-usagi... S: Wha?- I''m sorry... but we''re really running out of time! Please head to the array over there, it will transform your soul back and cancel the magic that keeps you here! A: Ok, ok, i''m going... Though I would really like to stay and get some more info, this ''Forced Soul body'' description gives me goosebumps. Please excuse me from dying before being born. But, as I head over to the array, i begin to wonder... What if by the time i get to my body, my mana will be gone? I will have to work hard for at least few years to get enough for a basic fireball... What if i never get this amount of mana again? What if this super ability that i just gained will end up never being used in the end? As i was stepping into the array, i finally decided: It''s time to use time magic! So, how should I go about this? For starters, let''s try to remember how aura of time felt. Can i reproduce it? No, I can''t. Then, those circuits in my body, can i use them somehow? No, I can''t... Can I even use my mana? As I thought that, the subtle blue mist emerged out of my body. Oh... neat. It moves however i want it to. Well then, the description of time control mentioned that it doesn''t require any casting, but takes tons of mana and... knowledge? Well, my best bet is to pack all of my mana onto those circuits in my soul and see what happens. Since circuits were already in my soul, where the mana is stored, throwing all i had onto them took less then half a second. By this time i felt that the array i stood on started activating, as it revealed to me it''s whole form. More circuits... And as the world around me slowly started to turn white, i finally felt the response from the time circuits. At that moment, the speed that the world around me was turning white slowed down almost to a stop. But it wasn''t a stop. So, with this much mana i can only slow the time to this extent... well, it could be worser, in actual fight even 10% of normal speed can pocket me an easy victory, not to mention a 95% like this one. And i can still move more or less the same. Looking at the goddess, she is organizing the papers that she throwed all around earlier. And she moves extremely slow. I guess time magic works on gods too, ah? I wonder how much longer do i have in the matrix mode... looking at the mana flunctuations in my soul body, i would guess around... two minutes? Not bad at all. Still, the only thing i could do here is to stare at this array''s circuitry. Well, i guess that these ones are made for conducting mana, not electricity... but it looks a whole lot more familiar than the ones on my soul. This one goes to this one, this black ones... are those resistors? Nah, they should be microchips... Oh, a power supply! I thought as a devil whispered in my ear. Surely no one would mind if i siphoned some of this delicious mana... Now then, i bet normal people would think twice about touching an unknown power source and trying to connect their freakin'' soul to it. But again, i already did this with the nuclear power plant and i''m okay. What could possibly go wrong? But I don''t really know how much mana is in there, beside the fact that there is a lot. From the start, i know that it''s the power source because of the powerful and dense mana surrounding it. So, instead of overloading my soul even more, let''s pack more power to my time circuits and try to go time travel! You might be reading a stolen copy. Visit Royal Road for the authentic version. Siphoning the mana from the array i realised just how powerful it is. Enough to explode me a few hundred times over... that was a close one. By the twentith second of packing mana into time circuits, the time aura got noticeably denser and the time slowed down onto the complete stop. I guess that it''s still being slowed down, just so much i can''t really tell. I guess this much is enough. Suprisingly, the power source is still alright. I guess it''s this essence-thingy generator Saphy told me about. Now then, i may only have one shot at this, so let''s focus. As i try to command the time circuits, i found the controls a little bit counter-intuitive. Okay, not just a little. Everything was pretty much manual, with thousands upon thousands of commands. Imagine writing modern software with just a BIOS in your computer. Not impossible, but who would bother? Well, i got a lot of time now, so let''s categorize them at least... ¡­ A long time that felt like a few days flew by and i ended implementing the final part of the system overlay. Now with just a though i can manipulate the circuits to use the mana in a desired way. The good part is that in fact, i can time travel! I can also time slip, travel to alternative universes and all the other things! The bad part is¡­ the mana usage. As i tried to calculate, the cost of over half the things on the list of things i can do, counted up to infinity! You may say that infinity isn''t a number, but even if all the atoms in the universe became nuclear power plants, then power from them wouldn''t be able to even power up a single command needed in a set of the time travel program! Since i won''t bother counting it, i call it infinity. Anyway, it seems that normally i will be able to only slow down and speed up time marginally. That is, without this disgustingly powerful mana generator! As i continued to draw power from it, i finally got enough for a ten minute time slip! Better hurry up, although the time is almost stopped, the whiteness around me is reaching its peak. As i look my right, i see Saphy looking at me with a shocked eyes filled with realisation, as she stands up, mana dense as liquid metal surrounding her. Well, she looks like a statue from my perspective, but i better get out of here. As i rearange the circuits, i send to them a mental image of me standing before the goddess from ten minutes ago. As my thoughts were accepted as a valid anchor point, I could feel all the mana from circuits dissapear, as the fabric of time-space got pulled backwards forcefully. The next moment I know, i stand at the place i started at. But as i knew the commands for the procedure, i knew it wasn''t the end. After all, the goddess before me still stands at the position as she wanted to attack me in the array. Next, the aura of time explodes all around me, pulsating outwards. As the time got forcefully rewinded, it tries to repair itself, and so all i need is to pull back most of the time-space fabric, and it will repair itself by pulling back the parts that are in the future, not the other way around. As the final pulse gets rid of final portion of time aura out of my body, i find myself inclined towards some circuitry on the ground. -Well then, give it a touch. -¡­ Success! Take this, gods! Oh, I''m about to choose a class? Perfect! Timemancer looks nice and all, but it will be useless with normal amounts of mana. I''ll take the one that i can actually use any time of the day. S: What''s up? You doing it or not? A: I changed my mind. I want something flashy so i''m going with the thunder hammer one. I said as i stood up and touched my second favourite class i have choosen earlier. Kanmuru here i come! S: Ah, the young ones... As the light from the class dissapeared, Instead of feeling my soul being complemented somehow like before, what i felt was as if someone put my soul into a blender. As i have fallen to the ground, i can see a shitload of messages that have the form similar to the status menu
Error *5??2*@%91! Soul space elligible for class manipulation is occupied! ?2@?# Attempting an uninvasive class fusion...
Skill fusion success!
Error 23$%%?# ! Subject''s soul pass incompatible! Checking administrator''s authority level...
Critical Error !!4&# ! Subject''s soul body unstable! Attempting using system''s god class ?@?# fusion!
Fusion Success! Timemancer and Thunder god overwritten!
Back to guest mode...
S: Ah, that''s bad! You can''t mantain a soul body any longer! Damn, you should still have a few minutes at least! I''m gonna transport you directly, so don''t move! What i desire is a form! Argev, Sylpho, Mendel, Honto... As the goddess started chanting, I felt some of the sharp pain melt away and the white light from before the time slip started occupying my vison. Moments later i was almost unconcious, and with the last moments of clear-headedness, i opened up my status.
Name-
Age:0
Class:Technomancer
Titles:The one who forges his own destiny
A title given to you for forcefully changing your future in an imposible way. Luck parameter doesn''t concern you.
Mana:0
Strength:2
Vitality:1
Agility:2
Resistance:12
State:
Soul fatigue(medium)As a result of soul being melded forcefuly, your soul became unstable. If the state is stacked up, the soul shall shatter ineluctably.
lightning bodyHigher form of lightning affinity. Completely nullifies lightning damage and allows the user to easily absorb it. Hightens the affinity with fire, air, water and light elements.
Abilities
Suicide(lvl. 7)When you die, you do it with a boom!
Appraisal(lvl. 1)Allows the user to receive the publicly known data about the observed object in text form
dimensional backpack(lvl. 1)Allows the user to open a pocket dimension in a choosen shape with a maximum space of (2^lvl) dm3.
advanced mana manipulation(lvl. 1)Mana control is a basis for all kind of actions that involves using mana. At advanced level mana usage is intuitive and precise.
time control(lvl. 4)Rare branch of magic that allows the user to manipulate the fabric of time-space. Requires extensive knowledge and mana reserves. Because specific spell casting is neither necessary nor possible, this is the only magic of the time category avaible to the physical plane. Passively increases thinking speed.
intermediate lightning magic(lvl. 1)Publicly defined as a higher form of fire magic. Allows the user to cast lightning spells and use mana of lightning nature
----------------------------------------------------------------------- song for today ? 2. First step in world conquest The moment i come to realisation, i''m laying down in a familiar room. A: Oh... And then i start to remember. I have been staying around here for quite some time. These memories... I''m a few months old already? I feel my body and everything feels different yet perfectly normal. I can more or less move my arms around, but individual fingers don''t want to listen. The same with legs. I try to stand up, to no avail. I try again, carefully using every muscle with my full power and success! Good thing i didn''t flip over, but i still can''t relax my muscles. That''s tiring. Better to sit down. I look around the room and see the small bookshelf without books. Only some kind of primitive lamp lays on it. On the other side of the room is a rectangular hole that looks like a door without a door. Next to it hangs a small window-like thing suprisingly made with only wood, just like every other thing in this room. Well, i guess they won''t have internet here... Hmm... everything is so strange, i guess that my mind kinda regressed to that of a baby. For starters, let''s check my status. So i think as before me appears a still awkard looking window.
NameJulius
Age:6 months
Class:Technomancer
Titles:The one who forges his own destiny
A title given to you for forcefully changing your future in an imposible way. Luck parameter doesn''t concern you.
Mana:7
Strength:7
Vitality:12
Agility:8
Resistance:26
State:
Soul fatigue(medium)As a result of soul being melded forcefuly, your soul became unstable. If the state is stacked up, the soul shall shatter ineluctably.
lightning bodyHigher form of lightning affinity. Completely nullifies lightning damage and allows the user to easily absorb it. Hightens the affinity with fire, air, water and light elements.
Abilities
Suicide(lvl. 7)When you die, you do it with a boom!
Appraisal(lvl. 1)Allows the user to receive the publicly known data about the observed object in text form
dimensional backpack(lvl. 1)Allows the user to open a pocket dimension in a choosen shape with a maximum space of (2^lvl) dm3.
advanced mana manipulation(lvl. 1)Mana control is a basis for all kind of actions that involves using mana. At advanced level mana usage is intuitive and precise.
time control(lvl. 4)Rare branch of magic that allows the user to manipulate the fabric of time-space. Requires extensive knowledge and mana reserves. Because specific spell casting is neither necessary nor possible, this is the only magic of the time category avaible to the physical plane. Passively increases thinking speed.
intermediate lightning magic(lvl. 1)Publicly defined as a higher form of fire magic. Allows the user to cast lightning spells and use mana of lightning nature
6 months old, huh? I''m glad that i got my memories relatively early, but i still would prefer not losing myself in the first place. Now that i think about it, it''s kinda scary. If i happened to recover at something like 6 years old, what i would be doing is effectively erasing my other self. Or would it be? Maybe i would just get fused with him, just how i have the memories of the child... god, i''m thinking too much again. I''m in a world of swords and fantasy, with hero cheat, modern knowledge and able to manipulate soul to boot! For starters, world domination! Then harem and pushing the technology forward. I wonder what kind of anime-like races there are here... nonono, i aproach the whole thing wrongly! The first thing on my list should obviously be the legendary childhood friend!(a female one of course). As long as i bring her up correctly, she will be perfect, hehehe... As i divulge in my delusions, slow steps can be heard around the corner of my room. Yes, i deemed it mine already, gotta start the world conquest somewhere, don''t I? As they come closer, the figure of a young and healthy looking woman with long brown hair appear in the door hole. She is wearing black and white skirt that goes to her ankles. It kinda resembles the maid dress, but because of all the tatters, instead of cuteness and sexiness, it gives off a vibe of a hardworking housewife. Looking at her, the feelings of uneasiness and dread that i didn''t realise i was having, suddenly changed 180 degress and i became overjoyed. As i couldn''t hold my emotions at bay, the next second i spoke in a weak and high-pitched voice. J: Mama! S: Julius!? Oh my baby, did you just called me mama? Come here little man, can you say mama again? Hehehe... Said my mother as she grabs me in her arms with that silly overjoyed smile of hers. Damn, were 6 months old children supposed to talk? I... have no idea. That''s what i get for playing single for so long. Well, my throat kinda allows me to speak and my mother looks happy, so i suppose it''s fine? This story is posted elsewhere by the author. Help them out by reading the authentic version. S: Come on, my little genius, you won''t say anything anymore? J: ... Playing genius is fine, but i don''t won''t them to think that a demon has possesed me or something. I''m gonna dosage my brilliance so they won''t freak out. Not a word for the next three days! S: aww. Well, i guess you will speak soon enough. And before i noticed it, i was getting fed milk from her. Damn infant''s body... well, i guess it''s fine. Now that i think about it, the language that i use in my thoughts is definitely not english. Is my primary language now the other world''s language? I guess giving up half a year of laying in bed being bored for language fluency is a good deal. If i were to learn it by myself to this level, i doubt i could do it in less than two years. Yep, definitely a good deal. Few minutes passed by as i finished my meal and a wave of slepiness fallen over me. As my mother puts me down onto my small bed, that now i can see consisted of some white cloth put over a bundle of straw. And so i drift away. To my misery, the next time i woke up mother was already by my side. I got fed again and slept again. And again. And again. I may not know much about childbringing, but i''m pretty fucking sure that staying awake for five minutes just to eat and then going back to sleep again is plenty weird! After two days even mother got worried as she checked my temperature and tried to keep me awake to no success. I don''t think she called a doctor, though i may not have noticed him as i slept, it seemed much more probable that they don''t have doctors around here. Or they don''t have money for them. Well, all that worrying soon ended up dispersed as i woke up one night and, to my suprise, i wasn''t hungry! My best guess is that my brain couldn''t handle all the informations that my soul wanted to store in it, so it had to throw away all the unnecessary tidbits. Hence, lots of sleep was needed for memory agregation. My mother was asleep by my side, so I finally had some time for myself. Starting from another try at walking, i hurriedly gave up that idea after few seconds of standing. Slow crawl worked pretty nice, but if i wanted to get out of the room, i would need it to be daytime, it''s hella dark in the hallway now. And there also wasn''t anything in this room worth crawling to. So... time for some magic! Judging from this room my family is pretty poor, so them being magicians seems pretty doubtful. The chance for them somehow being able to notice it still exist, but isn''t really big and i will risk it. How should i go about it... I look at the cloth underneath me and focus on it. I shout in my mind ?APRAISSAL!¡± trying to make it look as the greatest spell in history, but nothing happens. Then i speak it aloud. J: ?aa-play-sail!¡± Yea, i didn''t shout it, rather i whispered it. Don''t wanna wake up mom. Still, why nothing happens! If i have the skill, it should pop out whenever i shout it''s name, its common sense! How am i supposed to rule over the world if i get stopped here! Uaaaaa! Willpoweeeeeeer!!! I try to focus, do whatever i thought of, bruteforce it, relax, feel my surroundings and finally ¨C feel myself. After half an hour i started to feel something besides movement of my internal smooth muscles and blood flow. Something that felt like the overflowing essence of my vitality. Something between water and ice, maybe some plasma. It gave off a chilly, pleasant feeling and had an electrifying vibe to it. Yea, what i''m saying doesn''t really make much sense, but... that''s mana, isn''t it? I try to take control over miraculous matter and found it suprisingly easy, as it moved at my will with precision down to half a centimeter. I guess advanced mana manipulation isn''t for show. Now then, lets try casting again. As i gather half of the mana i find inside of myself, i am about to say ?appraisal¡± in my head, when a realisation hits me. Information about how to properly use the spell surfaces from deep inside of my head and at once i know what i have to do. I put pressure on the mana in order to concentrate it. As it reaches about 2 times the original density, i make a really ugly noodle out of it, one end of which i slowly push towards the end of my index finger. Now, i begin use the noodle as a pen filler to draw a really simple hexagon with words Metea, Yomu, Sige, Quapo, Teta and Guax on its sides. After that, i take whatever was left of the mana in my finger and dispers it as much as i can, achieving around 0.2 of original density. Finally, i use the dilluted mana to literally bombard the magic formation, as the words begin to shine slightly and the next moment the hexagon dissapears. The only thing left before me is a window showing the very longed-for results of my appraisal.
cloth
J: ... The whole thing took me 5 minutes and half the mana. My plans for world conquest will have to wait for a while... ----------------------------------------------------------- song for today ? 3. A little mistake As i tried using the magic again, i failed and lost my conciousness. Next time i woke up i repeated the whole thing again, and i finally realise that the reason i pass out is because i move that last bit of mana out of my mana channels. Or at least from the place it''s supposed to be in, i don''t think there are actually any channels in my body. Still, for the sake of science i repeated the whole thing five more times and went to confirm my status.
NameJulius
Age:6 months
Class:Technomancer
Titles:The one who forges his own destiny
A title given to you for forcefully changing your future in an imposible way. Luck parameter doesn''t concern you.
Mana:7
Strength:7
Vitality:12
Agility:8
Resistance:26
State:
Soul fatigue(medium)As a result of soul being melded forcefuly, your soul became unstable. If the state is stacked up, the soul shall shatter ineluctably.
lightning bodyHigher form of lightning affinity. Completely nullifies lightning damage and allows the user to easily absorb it. Hightens the affinity with fire, air, water and light elements.
Abilities
Suicide(lvl. 7)When you die, you do it with a boom!
Appraisal(lvl. 1)Allows the user to receive the publicly known data about the observed object in text form
dimensional backpack(lvl. 1)Allows the user to open a pocket dimension in a choosen shape with a maximum space of (2^lvl) dm3.
advanced mana manipulation(lvl. 1)Mana control is a basis for all kind of actions that involves using mana. At advanced level mana usage is intuitive and precise.
time control(lvl. 4)Rare branch of magic that allows the user to manipulate the fabric of time-space. Requires extensive knowledge and mana reserves. Because specific spell casting is neither necessary nor possible, this is the only magic of the time category avaible to the physical plane. Passively increases thinking speed.
intermediate lightning magic(lvl. 1)Publicly defined as a higher form of fire magic. Allows the user to cast lightning spells and use mana of lightning nature
So, mana doesn''t rise from exausting it repeatedly. Damn, i thought that i would become a cheat early on. How am i supposed to do it then? Overloading doesn''t seem to work basing on my past experiences... Or maybe it does? Maybe just my body got destroyed too quickly... and the method would be to gradually overcharge your body so as to stimulate your soul to expand? Well, either that or i will have to work out something like a meditating tehnique. So! My maximum mana is 7. I can''t go lower than 1 and it naturally recovers at 1 per hour. Therefore, to overcharge myself i should put out some of my mana out of my body, hold it for half an hour and then push it back in place? Easy peasy. Thought it would be much faster if there was some mana in the environment. I tried to feel for it, but there''s pretty much nothing, just a single strand of mana every now and then. I will stick to inner mana for now. Or so i would love to do, but my mom has been pretty worried lately. -My poor Julius... please be safe my child... Gods, please, let my child grow healthy, i don''t want anything more... For the past two days mom had a really haggard appearance, and as she spoke to me i could hear the quiet sobs between her sentences as she looked at me with her pure yet watered eyes. Goddamn me, what kind of person am i to worry my poor mother like that. No more drastic experiments for now. Sateto, some time has passed so lets say something, it may brighten her mood. As i was looking for a good moment, i hear loud steps in the distance. L: Sara! S: sob... Luke?! You''re back? Thank god, do you have any injuries? The one who came from around the corner was a 20-something old muscular man that gave off the aura of a honorable and honest man. He towered at 190 centimeters, had short brown hair with a ponytail on the back and a short beard of the same color. His clothes gave me the final confirmation that the technology around here is pretty much non-existent ¨C black, grey and brown pelts somehow joined together in hope that they stop some heat from escaping. Still, his chest and abs were mostly exposed. I guess fashion is always a thing. L: Luckily i''m unharmed, but the troll launched a suprise attack at night. John and Franc are dead. S: John and... dead... L: Worst of all, Blackstone''s arm got torn off. He won''t be able to smith anymore. We were already running low on usable weapons, and now that... And for first time after walking into the room in a clearly exhausted state, Luke looked closely at Sara''s face. L: Sara, what has happened? Were you crying? S: Ah, Luke... that''s about Julius, it seems he''s really sick. I''ve never seen anything like it, he doesn''t have a temperature nor any kind of normal symptoms, he just sleeps the whole day and wakes up only to eat... sob... Once i was asleep when he woke up and he went for almost the whole day without eating because i couldn''t wake him up... L-Luke, what should i do? What am i supposed to do? Did you know this text is from a different site? Read the official version to support the creator. Luke caringly wipes the tears from my mother''s face and looks at me with a careful look. Shouldn''t he hug her strongly instead of that? I don''t really know how the couples acts around here... Well, i guess i should take care of what i brewed. Time for my ultimate weapon! J: Papa! S: ...Eh? L: ... As I spoke with as big of a smile i could muster while still looking natural, Both of them went through all the phases of being dumbfounded, elated, having the pressure put out of them, dumbfonded again and finally their faces went full red. L:Eh, this is... S:J-Julius, you woke up! Nevermind that, come to mama, you need to eat. I can''t let you be hungry again... I would honestly like to signal her to switch out from breastmilk, but as her face is covered in tears, i eat my meal in silence. I guess it would have to wait for a few weeks. But damn, i really screwed up this time. L: ¡­ ah, i''m sorry, should i leave? S: n-no, it''s fine. Luke-san should stay here, since i need your advice on this child... Ah, they went red again. That''s act totally like a teenage couple, not a married one. And he was embarassed cause of seeing naked breast? Is mama-san having an afair? Well, since i haven''t seen my father, for now i will claim this guy as papa. As for the reason, that''s because a wimp like that won''t be able to win with me on physiological warfare. And mama will be mine alone! Buhahaha! L: I have never seen or heard of anything like that... I could ask the mayor about this, but we probably will need to travel to the capital, either for the needed medicine or to call a priest. S: But the capital is- L: It''s twelve moons from here under normal circmstances, and it''s started to snow recently. With the recent loses... no, nevermind. I will try to do something about it. For now, can you tell me when it started? S: Y-yes... eight ¨C no, nine moons ago when i came back from the sewing hut. He was already awake, and when i fed him, he immediately fallen asleep. I didn''t think it was weird at the time, but i felt bad that he woke up when i wasn''t there. So i stayed by his side... and after he woke up and ate for two times... sob... i knew something was wrong... sob... L: Was there anything out of the norm, starting from twelve moons ago? Something like a dead rat by the road or odd tasting water? Luke kept staring at me and i kept making funny faces at him, giggling. Yea, it''s hard to do things logically when you have a brain of a 7 month-old child. By the way, it seems that the status shows age with precision up to a month, because a few minutes ago it changed from 6 months old. I keep spamming the shit out of status in hope that it is something that can level up... can''t give up my dreams that easily. S: No, not really... I ate the same things, went to the same places... Ah! L: What''s up? You remembered something? S: Yes, before the first time Julius went sleep from sickness, he called me mama. That was his first world. L: ¡­ That doesn''t really tell us much about the sickness. S: It doesn''t? You do know that normal children start to talk when they have a year at the earliest? I was amazed and even dreamed that he would become a scholar in the future... L: Year at earliest? Yeah, then it really is unusual... Damn, they''re onto me! And as I think that, i can feel the slight change in the eyes of Luke. They still were brown, but that feeling... L: Sara, this child... he has so much lifeforce in him! It''s as if he was a ten years old already! Fuck. Bastard could see mana! It''s a good thing that he is calling it lifeforce though, the probability of being called a demon falls down by a lot. S: Lifeforce? L: Y-yes, i have never seen a child like this. Most of humans don''t have lifeforce until they start training, but this... it''s on a completely different level. S: Can it have something to do with his sickness? L: It would be weird if it didn''t. Using lifeforce places an enormous strain upon the body, so i can guess that even without actually using it, he is too strong for his own good. Wrong coclusion, but i have to praise him for logical thinking. I don''t think it''s common in place where they don''t even have glass in windows. S: But then, what can we do? L: I believe that Julius should get better with time. Even if it puts a strain on him, once he gets used to it he will be healthier than any of the other kids around. Also, look at him now. Doesn''t look like he''s going to sleep. S: Julius, are you alright? Aren''t you hungry anymore? Honestly, i never felt something like hunger, but i guess that''s because organs of babies are different than adults. I wanna eat some meat... L: I guess he''s had enought. Well, i''m going to mayor''s place to give the report. Wanna come with me? S: Ah, sure. Since we now know that it''s not a sickness, we can take Julius outside. J: at-siaad! L: Hahaha, it seems you don''t have to worry about little guy anymore, he''s beaming with energy. Better take him outside or this time he won''t let you sleep at night! Yosh! Finally a look outside! I also said something in there, but i don''t care, it looks like i got approved pretty easily. The earlier i will be able to ask for some things, the faster i will grow and the world conquest will progress smoother! ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- song for today ?