Chapter 321

  Too Much Of A Good Thing

  (Gabriellaz)

  The last twenty-four hours had been a whirlwind of activity for Gabriellaz.

  First, she had to reapply for and do a few last-minute competitions to earn the right to be Valeria’s personal guard.

  Who was Valeria? Why did everyone care about her?

  Well, she was a nobody, a convert from the Legrand Empire. There were thousands of such people now working to find a position within the Midnight Hunters, especially as the main empire of the Legrand Empire had many such people.

  Yet, Gabriellaz was no fool.

  She had done her homework.

  While everyone knew that Dr. Spiritlight was back, the link between Dr. Spiritlight and the recently opened position for a personal guard for one Valeria Spray-Healer were not known by many the name was fairly unique. The last name that is, the first name not so much.

  Some members of royalty, at least that is what a lot of the uniformed guard candidates thought.

  Added to this was that there was also a call for not one but two groups of two male guards to assist a Robi’dob’dob Spiritlight and it was easy to see that the guild was placing a priority on guarding certain VIP candidates.

  With the return of Dr. Spiritlight, and the sudden increased need for guards, four specifically for a male Spiritlight and it was clear, at least in Gabriellaz’s eyes that the second guard was someone also important to Dr. Spiritlight.

  Coming to this realization on her own, Gabriellaz thought that the selection process to become Valeria’s guard would be simple, it wasn’t.

  There was a nonsensical quiz, several odd exercises, then the final round all but proved it was for Dr. Spiritlight as that is when Jhonny appeared to give his final thoughts on the potential guard candidates.

  In the end Gabriellaz had won.

  Part of her success no doubt dealt with the fact that of all the remaining female candidates left, Gabriellaz was the only one who would not flirt with Jhonny, despite the position.

  Not that she would have minded flirting with the tall muscular hunk that all but reeked of arcane power and secret knowledge. Things that would no doubt come to anyone just hanging around in Dr. Spiritlight’s vicinity.

  No, it was clear that whatever changes had, or were happening to Jhonny were relatively new. So new that he failed to see or even understand how much attention he was now seeing was based on his changes.

  Honestly, Gabriellaz would have at least attempted to give him extra attention, but that only seemed to make him even more awkward around everyone.

  Only once She saw Penelope the Tailor as the final interview and the way Jhonny couldn’t help but blush and have his voice slightly crack the few times he spoke to her did it become clear why Gabriellaz was the only one that Jhonny personally recommended.

  That was how she got her chance to bypass the line and automatically get accepted to attend SVC.

  At first, the contract she signed was clear.

  She would audit the class, due to her personal connection with Valeria Spray-Healer, where her job for the next twenty-four hours was to make sure Valeria never left Dr. Spiritlight’s side.

  Details of why this connection were offered, but Gabriellaz did not care. The directions on her contract were very clear.

  That was it, her contract, signed by Mallory of all people.

  Seeing the guild leader in all her glory was a shock, as she like the Doctor always seemed to be unfathomable presences that were more mystery than reality.

  Yet, there she was, taller than life. Well, she was at least taller than Gabriellaz was, which was quite tall all things considered.

  By comparison, the tiny Doctor seemed oddly small and fragile.

  At least that is what one might gleam when viewing the purple eyed porcelain pixie from a distance. Even her custom military uniform was made to make her look cute and adorable, rather than large and imposing.

  This was why, only when she got next to the powerhouse of a pixie did Dr. Spiritlight’s true nature take over.

  If Jhonny was oozing power and charisma. Then what came from the doctor was nothing short of power radiation. Radiation that seemed to worm its way through the particles that made up your body and worm their way into your very soul.

  Yet, unlike how radiation was, how it would ruin regular cells. The type of radiation that came from Dr. Spiritlight was entirely different. Nurturing in a way that was impossible to describe.

  At first, Gabriellaz thought she would have a hard time talking to the strange Doctor.

  Just her aura alone seemed to exude the fact that if you annoyed her, your life would forever change for the worse.

  While everyone knew that the Doctor had sworn some type of oath or absolutely refused to kill. It was also known and proven that sometimes the worst punishment was living through failures. Something that only now did reports about half of the remaining Legrand forces could not take up arms or even actively conspire against the Midnight Hunters, Midnight Hunter Guild Members, or Dr. Spiritlight.

  That or if they did, their magical cores would shatter, leading to internal magical bleeding that would eventually lead to death if not treated quickly enough. Even then the only true treatment was to be afflicted with a magical rotting disease that forever ate up any and all magic that they produced.

  Worse, the rot would form giant balls of puss that would ooze and need to be lanced. As they did, the mana that had been siphoned off would be removed into a gelatinous waste that could only be thrown away in specially marked areas.

  Areas that would soon see an abundance of life and magical energies appear.

  Magical Bleeding Disease.

  That was what the unknown illness that infected any former mage of the Legrand Empire who ended up breaking their oath with the pixie.

  Worse, allegedly that disease would follow the mage through the next life. So even dying and trying to remove the curse only wasted even more of your potential.

  After a few dozen such cases, the mages either defected, or were finally allowed to focus away from tasks that directly involved the Midnight Hunters.

  For regressors, or people who came here with the idea of having multiple tries to make a good life, having a magical wasting disease follow you from life to life was not something anyone had ever head of.

  Enjoying this book? Seek out the original to ensure the author gets credit.

  Yet, it was perfect as no one wanted to raise arms against the Midnight Hunters, lest her always secretive Simulacrums make an appearance and perform similar acts.

  This was why, despite there only being one battle, and the Doctor immediately going away, there had been no further efforts.

  Well, that, and the murderbots. Can’t forget the alien murderbots that were made from the Legrand Empire’s own factories.

  There was a bit of hero worship from Gabriellaz. She would be the first to confirm such a statement.

  This mentality was only confirmed by the way the Doctor was so easy to talk to. Even though it was clear her questions were directed at Valeria, she actually stopped to listen to what Gabriellaz added.

  Then to have her receive a system recognized last name. Not just any last name either, but one that greatly improved her Qi core and retention by forty percent, while costing 50% less for movement and Stealth related tasks.

  Despite the name, Stal’Qing being mildly offensive, Gabriellaz still couldn’t fault the Doctor’s insights. She had in fact chosen this job and position for the sole purpose of stalking the Doctor.

  Now thanks to her actions she got a name and more power from it, that was almost too much to ask for.

  Even with a momentary lapse of trying to determine if the two ten percent increases were worth the twenty-five percent reductions to efficacy. A thought that lasted only a moment, but then she remembered that name, a surname that would not be repeated.

  Then as if feeling sorry for giving her more power for free, the Doctor seemed to try to make it right, but stating, “you know what, how about this. As a sign of my apologies for giving you the surname you wanted, how about I also give you one of these as well?”

  Tingle.

  Before Gabriellaz could even ask what? Gabriellaz felt a surge of power fill her hands as she noticed not one, but three different markers. All of the markers were on her hands in different spots.

  The first and most recognizable one was one that caused her heart to begin pumping wildly.

  SVC Attendee: < 32 > Gabriellaz Stal’Qing

  Looking at the message, Gabriellaz paused, before blinking once, then twice before staring back at the Doctor.

  A Doctor who was just floating there at eye level and seeming to wait for comprehension to fill her.

  That was the first marking and the easiest to depict.

  The other two were both familiar, and oddly different.

  On her right and left hands Gabriellaz now had two other markings.

  “What are…” was all Gabriellaz got out before the Doctor answered.

  “Those are the markings for both a Qi and Mana student. I assume part of why you chose this task was to observe my classes and methods?” Dr. Spiritlight asked.

  “Yes,” Gabriellaz confirmed.

  “Well, going to be hard to guard my Apprentice while you are taking notes. So now you can work on individual improvements with the glyphs, or ask more questions in the classroom once you test on your own,” Dr. Spiritlight replies.

  “Oh yeah, that reminds me,” the Doctor says while effortlessly rotating in the air. As she moves waves of sparkles fly out like magical snowflakes. Snowflakes that send tingles down the skin when you inadvertently catch them. No doubt this is what has caused the drastic changes in Jhonny and the others. How they all went from relative nobodies to people who could be seen as some of the most advanced wielders of magic and Qi.

  Swoosh.

  “There you go, so you both don’t feel left out,” Dr. Spiritlight stated with a smile on her face.

  At her reaction both Jhonny and Valeria both looked down at their hands with a certain odd sadness.

  “Training glyphs?” Jhonny asked, holding up his one glyph on his left hand, clearly the one meant for Qi manipulation.

  “Yeah, I can’t have it claimed that you two got to avoid the fun due to nepotism,” the Doctor explains.

  “Fun?” Jhonny asked.

  “Nepotism?” Valeria added.

  “Yeah, this way it is clear that you all are here on your own merit and belong,” the Doctor continued.

  There was a moment of silence as everyone seemed to take in what was happening.

  For her part Gabriellaz was excited as this meant she could learn both Qi and Mana control from the Doctor, well once these glyphs were passed.

  While Gabriellaz was contemplating this, Jhonny’s mind apparently went to his love interest.

  Almost as if on cue, he asked about her, “will Penelope and Gwen also get these?”

  The Doctor pauses, holding up one finger to the side as if this thought never came to her.

  “You know that isn’t a bad idea.”

  Then though completely clear and uniform of a singular glowing purple color, the sparks that seemingly lit up Dr. Spiritlight’s eyes flickered rapidly, before settling down for a second.

  It almost reminded Gabriellaz of old school computers, how they would light up and glow when their processors were engaged and then finally flicker out. Once whatever mathematical equation or complex task that had been requested was able to be completed.

  “Though I will likely have to put a second one on Penelope’s items. You know as a way to force her to learn to Enchant by wearing away layers to get to actual raw materials.”

  More flickering lights.

  “Actually, yeah, this is brilliant. I can use these glyphs as a teaching aide for all my classes. Qi will be unlocked when you make ten precise movements of various fluctuating Qi movements. Mana by casting the different spells in ways.”

  As she spoke, the flickering behind her eyes never stopped as her mind was clearly racing with ideas.

  Just seeing the Doctor’s mind come to life and flash with insights and inspiration was amazing.

  Seeing her processing speed, there was no doubt that the Doctor was already at work with no doubt more ways to cast even more of these magical glyphs on students.

  Finally, the glow behind her excited orbs died down. At which point she just finger-banged the people around her.

  As she gestured magical glyphs appeared on Jhonny and Valeria’s wrists.

  Then turning to face Gabriellaz she just gestured, causing three glyphs to appear on her wrists. Two more glyphs appeared on her right wrist, while the last one appeared on her left wrist, the Qi Manifestation wrist.

  There was something incongruous with the actions. Especially as the Doctor only single tapped to generate two magical glyphs on her right wrist.

  A quick glance around showed that Jhonny and Valeria only had one extra glyph each.

  That’s when the full depth of what just happened hit Gabriellaz’s mind.

  “Wait, you didn’t need to point for these spells at all, did you?” Gabriellaz found herself asking.

  There was a pause, as the Doctor who had been turning away suddenly turned back to face Gabriellaz.

  “Smart and observant, two qualities I like in my students. Keep this up and you will be well on your way to being able to graduate from a college that is unaccredited and stuck out in the middle of a desert. Surrounded by a virtual paradise.”

  “It’s okay, even without the degree, just getting the chance to learn will be enough for me.” Gabriellaz declared.

  Hearing her the Pixie’s little face lit up for a moment, before she reigned herself in.

  “You know, making it that easy, just takes out all the fun.” Dr. Spiritlight protested.

  “I’m sorry,” Gabriellaz replied and meant it. Honestly, she didn’t know what she was apologizing for, nor why the fun had been taken out, but this whole thing was so much that Gabriellaz felt overly excited from the events of today.

  “Gah, you even meant that apology, which is the worst,” the Doctor stated before turning to face Jhonny and Valeria.

  Hearing her comments, Gabriellaz looked confused for a second.

  “Come on, let me help you get to stretches,” Jhonny replied gently grabbing Gabriellaz and leading her away. “Need to get you out of here before you willingly take on every course this college has to offer and you get flooded with assignments.”

  “Okay,” Gabriellaz replied hesitantly, as she questioned exactly what Jhonny was doing.

  Then before they could get too far, the Doctor spoke.

  “Oh, yeah, I guess I should give you the option to choose your path,” the Doctor stated and like that a message appeared.

  A message that filled Gabriellaz with both delight and fear.

  With her having already completed the goals required for her first year, she was excited as this meant she would not have to be held back and could theoretically start as a Sophomore. Not due to her knowledge of Qi, but due to her constant hard work and diligence that she put in for Awareness and Athletics, two skills that many saw as a waste.

  Realizing that they were requirements, made Gabriellaz even more certain that this was the right spot for her.

  All her work and efforts, they all went to this very moment. That is why she accepted the first quest, only to be shocked into fear at the next system message that also appeared.

  Seeing this quest, only caused more confusion than answers to form in Gabreillaz’s mind as her eyes went wide.

  “What happened?” Jhonny asked, clearly seeing her confusion and not quite understanding what to make of everything.

  “I just got offered a second-degree path after the first one, where I was offered to learn something called Enchanting plus?”

  “Oh yes, apparently, Cass is opening the classes to everyone. Figuring that people who try to sit in on the other classes will…” he began but then trailed off. “Actually, I don’t even want to pretend to know what the pixie is thinking.”

  “Cass?” Gabriellaz asked confusedly.

  “Oh, yes, her name is Cass. Not Ma’am. Not the Doctor, and not Doctor Spiritlight. But Cass,” Jhonny concluded.

  “Is this a test to set up the incoming students to fail?” Gabriellaz asked, wondering if there would suddenly be a prank cast on her for not referring to the Doctor by her system recognized title.

  “I mean, feel free to try. She will likely go easy on you all being new, but know she is the least concerned with title or recognition.”

  “Is this why she never attends the Guild awards ceremonies celebrating her world accomplishments?”

  “You know, I don’t even think she realizes that we have those for her, which only proves that recognition isn’t what she is after.”

  “What exactly is she after?”

  With that Jhonny paused trying to understand the question before just shrugging his shoulders, “likely the pursuit of all magical knowledge and understanding.”

  Hearing that, Gabriellaz could only nod in agreement.

  Then deciding to make the most of the opportunity she had been given, Gabriellaz accepted the Enchanting + degree program, followed quickly by the prompt for Magic Fundamentals, and then Magic Resonance.

  WHOOSH!

  Upon accepting all four, the glyphs on her hands and wrists began to burn for a moment.

  “Ahh!” Gabriellaz winced out in pain.

  “What is it?”

  “I just accepted all four Degree programs, and then my tattoos started burning,” she winced, trying to raise her arms, but they suddenly couldn’t move due to the surge of energy that had just fused through them.

  “No way, you know that was a trap right?” Jhonny began.

  “A what?” Gabriellaz found herself asking, fear evident in her face as she wondered if she had truly messed up the golden ticket that had been placed right before her. A golden ticket that she could have just ruined by being too greedy.

  “AHHHA! Found ONE!” The booming and unmistakable voice of a clearly excited Dr. Spiritlight bellowed out from the distance.

  Whoosh!

  Only for the pixie to suddenly appear right in front of Gabriellaz.

  “Let’s see whose foolish enough to…”