Chapter 304

  Joys of Reading

  Magic swirled and swooped around both Zero and I, as we worked in tandem.

  We were musicians with magic, orchestrating a complex dance of precision, grace, and movement. His steadying form, his unwavering grace lent itself to my slightly more chaotic magic in ways that I never thought possible.

  These were uncharted lands.

  In all, I had done each of the individual steps independently of each other.

  I have healed.

  I have Resurrected.

  I have even found ways to heal creations brought to life with Arcane Geomancy.

  But to this point I have never Resurrected an individual that I brought to life via Arcane Geomancy.

  It was a small step, and likely one that I shouldn’t be so nervous about, but I was. I knew that Resurrection was a rare and sacred art.

  While my daughter managed to get my old class that was capable of Resurrecting on its own, the act of Resurrection was still no less captivating.

  In fact, the idea that my daughter could also Resurrect others proved to me at least, how inspiring the act itself was.

  It meant that Resurrection was not something that only I could do, but something others could do if they pushed themselves and had the right advantages or personality quirks to work.

  With this act, well these acts, both the Healing and now hopefully the Resurrecting of these Libre, one of the first species I brought to life.

  Mentally, I knew that with the rise of both the Libre and the Teleiotís that soon others would need to be able to both Heal these great species and hopefully also Resurrect them as well.

  I was more than a little invested in this, for the Libre they had arguably one of the best advantages to this world, in that they could create fusion skills.

  Yes, some of the fusion skills if not done correctly could be terrible and a waste, but they would still be new forms of knowledge that could be added to this world.

  There was also the idea going through the back of my mind. One that told me of a potential cheat method with these skills, particularly the fusion skills.

  Namely, if I used Perfect Resurrection on a skill, I could theoretically get that skill to go beyond even my understanding of the skill in the first place, and have it go to its natural limit.

  This way, I could do many things.

  First, I could see what the level limit for skills were in this world.

  Also, I could see just how much further I could climb up in my understanding of each skill the system tracked.

  Then best of all, I could cheat.

  Yes, I am not afraid to say that part of my motivation for this little experimentation here is to take one of these baby fused-skills, which there are two. They look like cute little pocket dictionaries right now, but I know that is due to them being baby skill books.

  Not skill books for babies, but skill books that are just newly fused skills. Cute little skills that are so ready to be learned and played with.

  Focus.

  Yes, getting a little too far ahead of yourself there Cass.

  Can’t count the skills before they are Resurrected then Read.

  Though I do wonder if spirit skill books will change the premise of the skill entirely? Maybe a new off-branch of skills, like Ghost specific skills?

  Again, I quickly dismiss that train of thought, as I know the system would likely do something dumb, like force me to be in one of my spirit avatars to use those modified skills.

  Nope, best to Resurrect these skill books before they fade entirely, and also best to learn them while they are living, as that means I could likely use them while I was also in my natural state.

  Still, this process was long and taxing.

  Not as exhausting as it was the first time I Resurrected a Blighted patient on my table. That was a marathon of healing, cleansing, and finally Resurrecting.

  But this being my first time bringing back to life a Libre, or at least attempting to bring back a member of the species I created, I want to take my time.

  There can be no errors in this, which is why I am going through crossing every I and dotting every T. No wait, again that is wrong.

  Yet, I know part of my problem is that I am distracted.

  No, distracted is not the right word.

  I am nervous.

  Yes, nervous about healing, about making this moment right.

  There is a lot of tension, as I need to get this right.

  The idea of plumped up skill books roaming around float through my mind, as I wonder what a Perfect Resurrection will do, or improve in these living Skill books, these Libre.

  Gentle caress.

  While I am so busy focusing, I fail to recognize stimuli from the outside world. That is, until I feel Zero’s reassuring clawed hand landing and resting on my shoulder.

  Feeling his touch, I realize what he is trying to tell me without any words needing to be spoken.

  Get out of your own head.

  Those are his words, or at least what I interpret his gesture to mean.

  Feeling his comforting embrace, I take a deep breath and then exhale.

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  “We’ve got this,” I state, giving my work one last look over.

  By now we are doing the magical equivalent of just pouring more energy over the task at hand, and letting the excess cascade down like a waterfall where it then gets absorbed into the floor.

  Fortunately, this level of energy isn’t toxic to the living building we are in. Or at least, I hope it isn’t toxic?

  But yes, it is clear we have done everything, provided enough power and guidance to this process. As such we just need to trust the process, trust that we did all we could do, and hope that this worked.

  Exhale.

  I breathe out violently, then cut off all my streams of energy, and dispel Zero’s relentless stream of Perfect Resurrection energy, take a half step back and wait.

  “Okay, that is all we can do,” I state.

  Even now, I can feel little beads of energy infused sweat pooling on my forehead.

  There is a long pause.

  Or what feels like a long time to my over clocked senses, but is really just a matter of seconds.

  I know it is only a matter of seconds as the world is moving slowly. It almost feels like the world is glitching around me, as if it is trying to add more processing power to comprehend what I just did. It is also clear that parts of the system are looking for any flaws possible to explain why this act should not have been performed.

  Having experienced the world shutting down once, has seemingly made me more aware of these processes.

  Also, being re-immersed within this world after being gone for so long has also made me more aware of these odd idiosyncrasies that seem to pop up from time to time.

  “The math is perfect,” I exclaim to the system that even now is slowing down and nearly looking for any reason to cancel this action.

  At my words, I can feel the four watchers behind me all shift in their place for a moment, but then they stop and seem to let me focus on this moment right now.

  Hushed whispers.

  Behind me there are words being spoken, but I tune them out, as I can all but see the line of code reaching out and trying to undo some of my work on bringing this book back to life.

  With horror I look on and see that one tendril of corruption seems to materialize out of nowhere and go straight towards the core of the Libre I am trying to Resurrect.

  It is a faint tendril, but it all but stares out to me and my senses as it is not natural.

  Well it is, but not real natural.

  Grr.

  It is hard to explain why this one thread of the world seems so off, but it isn’t until it goes to the core, and is about to strike that I realize what is happening.

  Disaster Foresight

  In a moment, I see a vision of the future where I am just standing here, watching and waiting. No one else can see or sense the vile tendril moving, one that seems to be filled with righteous fury. A tendril that seems to be focused on keeping the status quo, or of keeping the world in check. It has so many motivations, all vile and repulsive, but I see it move.

  Slithering closer like a snake, and then with horror, I see it strike out. Lunging right towards the brightly burning core of the Libre. This core is the Libre’s spark, its essence.

  Seeing the tendril I watch as it strikes and immediately destroys the spark, causing the complex pattern of tapestry and magic that are binding the Libre to life, to a new physical body to fizzle out from existence.

  Rage.

  I don’t know what happens next, as I feel anger flood through my body, as my mind forcefully resists and breaks free of the frozen moment in time.

  Shatter.

  The mental image of the future changes, and once again, I am back to just a half step back and watching for the results of my efforts to be tried and judged.

  Then I feel it.

  It isn’t the same as it was in my Vision, not as clearly pronounced, but it is still there, lurking and slithering forward, like a malevolent serpent of forced stagnation.

  I feel it, and that is what I use to guide me and my movements.

  I move forward, pretending to check over my patient, but really having my third-eye open, hoping to see this infiltrator.

  That’s when I see it, or rather I see the negative of where it should be.

  There is a dark slithering corruption that moves forward, closer to my patient.

  I can see it, because it appears as a shadow in what is otherwise an intensely woven cocoon of magical threads and energy.

  I pause, pretending not to be able to see the entity.

  I know that mana clearly won’t touch this thing as it easily goes through the protective mana barrier and pools of mana that lay all around.

  With mana out of the way, I realize I need to get creative with my dealings.

  Qi, maybe Qi, but I disregard that source of energy as well. Though I do use Qi to infuse my frail bones and body, just enough to give me the strength to fight back against a force that is as yet unknown.

  Exhale.

  I can’t see it, not fully, and I can barely feel it with my senses. Yet, every part of me tells me that I can stop this creature of destruction, if I but focus.

  And that’s what I do.

  Clearing my mind, I let my instincts take over.

  I feel my body use strands of both negative and positive karma, Arcane Geomancy, Qi, and yes a touch of mana to keep everything contained.

  Then there is a moment when I feel the serpentine creature is about to strike out.

  Celerity.

  The world naturally slows down around me, as I force my will on the world and let my body move faster than it ever has before.

  Strike.

  Fizzle.

  Pop.

  Simple, like grabbing a pesky fly from the air. I lunge out, grab the hidden tendril of energy, and then wait.

  End Celerity.

  The entire thing took only a matter of seconds with Celerity, so I can only imagine what it looked like from the outside world’s perspective.

  But right at that time, I feel the world slowly get out of its odd over processing funk, and finally make a decision.

  Relief.

  With that system acknowledged, I let out a breath that I did not know I had been holding.

  For a moment, I pause, waiting for the notification of a quest being completed, or something. But nothing happens.

  I almost want to call shenanigans on that, but wonder if part of the system is mad at me for ruining its attempt to sabotage my work.

  Regardless, I feel justified in the fact that the spell, well spell-formula worked.

  Also with the new spell-formula being acknowledged by the system, Resurrecting these other books should be a breeze.

  But first, I look at the new skill book and can’t help but think it looks far more impressive than it had before.

  “My my, how you’ve grown there, little Danger Sense,” I say, as I reach out to lift up the now much heavier and bulkier tome.

  Just feeling its weight, and size in my hands fills me with delight, as it worked. I know for a fact that it has worked, as I am just so excited to hold the big guy.

  For a moment I just pick him up and smother him into my chest, and breathe in the scent of pages. Pages to a text I have not read, and contain knowledge and words that I have not yet read.

  It is perfect.

  This moment, right here. Holding this book. A book I brought to life, then Resurrected, and could now feel and cherish, this was what life was about.

  “Mind if I take a look to make sure you are fully intact?” I ask the Libre.

  I almost feel like a creepy monster, but I can barely help myself at the moment as I know there is hidden knowledge inside.

  The Libre: Danger Sense, looks at me with a somewhat nervous look on its cover, but then quickly regains its composure before opening itself up, and showing page after beautiful page of words, thoughts, and ideas.

  We are going through the pages, and make it to about halfway, when I feel a slight discomfort in my mind.

  Once again, I can feel the more malevolent factors of the system working again, telling me that I am at my current maximum for learning this skill. That is why I am suddenly suffering from a severe headache.

  However, there are other elements of the system around me at play, as I feel something release in my mind. While this release isn’t Carte Blanche to do everything, I realize it is the first step to being able to do something.

  That is when I get the new system message.

  Seeing the system message, my heart began to beat ever so quickly, as I could feel the joy of what was going to happen filling me with nervous tension as I realized this would be an improvement to my skill levels that wouldn’t require me to become more of a genetic freak than I already was.

  Also, and probably the best part about this process was that, immediately upon completing this quest, I would be rewarded with a number of skills that I could get up to their maximum rating by reading. By literally doing the best thing possible in the world.

  I paused, blinked, and did a quick diagnostic test to prove that I was alive and that this was not my dream come to life. Then finally I spoke and accepted this questline.

  “Challenge accepted,” I say excitedly, as I realize this system prompt is likely exactly what I need and want.

  My excitement is however short lived, as the peanut gallery in the back begin to talk at almost that exact moment.

  “Did she just say challenge accepted to herself?” My Apprentice asks, a note of concern in her tone.

  Fortunately, Jhonny is there to speak on my behalf.

  “Yes, she just did that. Don’t worry though, when she is like this, she is generally fine. It’s when she gets into an argument with herself and loses that you need to be worried,” Jhonny explained.

  Hearing that I almost wanted to but in, but my Apprentice beat me to the punch, with probably the most disrespectful thing she could say.

  “Oh, because it shows she is losing it? Well, losing more of it?” The traitor asks.

  “No, it’s because when she does lose, she is often in a tiff for the rest of the day, and almost impossible to work with,” Jhonny concluded.

  “Hey!” I snap back, finally unable to keep my comments to myself.

  At that Jhonny, Penelope, and Gwen all smile with various forms of relief.

  Seeing them like this, I realize.

  “Wait, was that a trick?” I ask.

  “Yeah, you’ve been kind of in a funk since you got back,” Gwen responds.

  At that, I look around somewhat confusedly, “that was an hour or so ago.”

  “I know, we already have the next thing we need to shuffle you off too, but we knew you might need a moment to readjust,” Gwen states as a matter of fact.

  Hearing her, I pause, then realize what they have next might be big, if all four of them are sent here to shepherd me onto my next task. Seeing them, and their odd form of nervous tension that surrounds them, I take in a deep breath, realizing whatever they are waiting for is likely big.

  “I take it, what you want me to do next is really important?” I ask.

  “Yes, extremely,” Penelope adds.

  Pausing, I hear their words and realize that there are only a few scenarios that this could be, and then realize that I might be called upon for possibly a greater purpose than what I have been doing to this point.

  “Okay, I take it, that this is diplomatic in nature?” I ask, realizing that with my being gone for a month there have been a lot of things that could not be attended to. Most importantly, the entire Deolarian senior leadership would have been missing with my ability to allow others to impersonate the King, and Princess both missing since the last battle with the Legrand Empire.

  “Yes, in fact, we might need you to do one of your best acting jobs yet.” Penelope stated.

  Hearing her, I could all but feel my ears perking up, as I already liked the idea of where this was going. Acting, is the very art of losing yourself and finding another person to present yourself as, which is perfect for me right now, as I desperately want to forget about almost everything that happened to me.

  Hearing their response, and seeing the tension that still grips them, I let a smile crest my lips.

  I mean the smile as a gesture that I am more than willing to help with this, though apparently my smile seems to have an opposite effect, as everyone just cringes at the sight of a colossal pixie smiling mischievously at them, their loss.

  Still, I don’t want to lose this moment, so I press them to go further.

  “Go on, I’m listening,” I reply, trying to tone down some of my excitement at being asked to play a part that only I could possibly pull off.

  “Well, you see, we need you to…” Gwen began to say, and as she spoke, I felt my mind coming alive with how epic this next part would be.