by Aaron Oster
“She’s come quite far in such a short period of time,” Lumia noted as she watched Grace’s unconscious form.
“That she has,” Morgan agreed, tucking the piece of parchment into his pocket. “Have you gotten any sleep since we’ve returned?”
“Not just yet,” Lumia replied. “If you don’t mind, I’d like to stay here until she wakes up.”
“That’s fine with me,” Morgan replied, continuing to stroke the small drake as she settled more comfortably into his lap.
He wasn’t entirely sure how long it would take for Grace to wake up, so he decided to look over his status once again. He was sure he’d have gained some strength during his fight with the goddess Gwendolyn, and he was eager to see if he’d potentially unlocked any new skills to purchase.
Name: Morgan
Advanced Supermage: Rank - 67
Energy to Next Rank - 19/157,000,000
Ability Advancement - 15,000,000/15,000,000 (Max.)
Ability - Natural Disaster
RP - 7,200/7,200 (Regen - 72.2 per second)
Strength - 699
Agility - 1,045
Constitution - 828
Intelligence - 720
Wisdom - 722
Skills - Hypersonic Flight, Maximum Increase, Maximum Stormforge, Earthen Shift, Nature’s Wrath, Compression, Gravity Tear, Sunblast
Traits - Dense Body Max., Recovery Max., Aura Sense (inherited), Aura Flare (inherited), Perfect Self, Soul Stealer, Suppression (inherited)
Extra - Gravity Storm (7th category), Starbreaker (7th category), Collapsing Star (HyperNova), Shooting Star (Comet), Massive Meteor (2nd category), Continental Crush
All of his attributes had seen a small increase, though his Strength had failed to reach the 700 mark, which annoyed him a little bit. He opened his skill descriptions next, reviewing them all and once again reaffirming what he could do.
Skills:
Hypersonic Flight - Manipulate gravity and air to reduce your weight and move through the skies. You can now reach your maximum speed instantaneously. There is no longer a weight limit. For an additional cost, you can briefly increase your speed to hypersonic levels.
Cost - 50 RP per second
Max. Height - 450 Ft
Max. Speed - 250 Ft per second
Hypersonic Speed Cost - 2,800 RP
Duration - 20 Seconds
Cooldown - 24 hours
Maximum Increase - Manipulate gravity and air to maximize your speed and power. (Currently Agility & Strength X4). Additionally, you may draw out the full potential of your inner self for a short period of time for an additional cost. This will give you a massive +25% boost to all your attributes (This stacks with the first effect).
Cost - 700 RP
Duration - 20 seconds
Cooldown - 25 seconds
Increase Cost - 2,500 RP
Duration - 75 seconds
Cooldown - 6 hours
Maximum Stormforge - Manipulate gravity and air to forge solid constructs in the shape of your choice that can be changed, projected, and controlled at will. Constructs can now be summoned at a distance and are automatically charged when summoned. You can continually stream RP into a construct for a sustained electrical current.
Cost - 350 RP per construct
Duration - Until dismissed
Electric Current cost - 100 RP per second
Earthen Shift - Shape the earth as you see fit, control it in its many forms. You can now use elements in the ground to your advantage. Finesse increased by 150%.
Cost - 100 RP per second
Nature’s wrath - Infuse your body with the energy of the world and harness the power of nature from your surroundings. This skill has no time limit but will cause significant strain on the body. It will also drain reiki in ever-increasing amounts the longer it is used.
Cost - 5 RP per second, cost doubles every 10 seconds
Cooldown - 1 hour
Compression - Compress the air however you choose. You can create massive air pockets at will and expand them to the maximum your power will allow in its current state.
Cost - 500 RP
Gravity Tear - Your power over gravity is such that space can no longer contain you. Vast distances can now be covered at the maximum speed your body can currently handle. Short distances can also be covered in small bursts called Blinks.
Cost - 75 RP per second
Blink Cost - 100 RP
Sunblast - Harness the power of the planet’s star within yourself and control it at will. This skill is stronger in the daytime, and weaker at night.
Cost - 400 RP per second
Traits:
Dense Body Max. - Your body has undergone an evolution and has become denser and more compact. All physical attacks are now 49% less damaging, and all skill-based attacks have a 4% chance of failing to damage you at all. This is the maximum your body can manage in its current state.
Recovery Max. - The spirits of the air have blessed you with the power of healing. If you can survive for 3 hours after being wounded, no matter the injury, your body will be completely healed. Your body will begin healing immediately at 20% per hour for 3 hours, and the last 40% will heal at the end of the 3rd hour. This is the maximum your body can manage in its current state.
Aura Sense (inherited) - You have been bestowed the gift of sight by an Omniscient. By concentrating on the natural energy within yourself, you can read the aura in the world around you. You now have True Sight and can see through any deception, be they words or abilities. You can read the statuses of others, so long as they contain weaker wills.
Aura Flare (inherited) - You have been bestowed the gift of power by an Omniscient. You can make those around you feel your power, merely by focusing your intent. Your aura will now stun the weak-minded for up to ten seconds and may cause some severe physiological damage as well.
Perfect Self - The road to the Pinnacle of power is nearly at its end. Gather the required energy and find your Perfect Self.
Progress - 57%
Soul Stealer - You now have the ability to tear the cores from supers or mages, absorbing them as you would a beast core. The energy you will receive will vary based on the strength of the individual.
Suppression (inherited) - You have been granted the ability of control by Order. You can fully suppress any emotion you choose at any time. However, feelings of physical discomfort cannot be suppressed.
Extra:
Gravity storm (7th category) - Create a hurricane of severe gravity, damaging winds, lightning, and fiery hail in a targeted area. The ground quakes and splinters under the force of this storm, throwing boulders high into the air. The earth ruptures and spews forth fire and ash.
Cost - 3,200 RP
AOE - 150 Ft
Duration - 80 seconds
Cooldown - 6 hours
Starbreaker (7th category) - Create a dense ball of superheated air and compressed gas, which will explode upon impact with a selected target. The heat is so great that it will melt stone and detonate the very oxygen in the air. The ground surrounding the blast will turn to glass, trapping all in its area of effect.
Cost - 2,800 RP
AOE - 65 Ft
Cooldown - 10 hours
Collapsing Star (HyperNova) - Create a small sphere of super dense gravity that exudes the crushing force of a collapsing supergiant star. The collapsing star will then explode outward, burning all in its path with the heat of a HyperNova.
Cost - 3,600 RP
AOE - 45 Ft
Duration - 35 seconds
Cooldown - 40 hours
Shooting Star (Comet) - Cloak your body in fire hot enough to melt diamond and the power of a shooting star. Your body burns so brightly that it will blind any who look upon you.
Cost - 4,500 RP
Duration - 30 seconds
Cooldown - 120 hours
Massive Meteor (2nd category) - Tear the ground, pulling a mass of earth and stone into the sky. Then, bring it plummeting
down to earth.
Cost - 5,500 RP
AOE - 100 Ft
Cooldown - 240 hours
Continental Crush - Split the ground with a massive burst of power, detonating the very earth itself. This skill has the range to demolish an entire city, so use with caution.
Cost - 7,000 RP
AOE - 25 Square Miles
Cooldown - 2 Weeks
He’d managed to gain quite a bit since he’d left his training grounds just a few weeks ago. His Perfect Self had progressed more than he’d thought possible, and though he hadn’t overcome Sarah’s loss, Grace’s presence had soothed his rage and pain to the point where he could almost function as a normal, feeling person on a day to day basis.
A small, flashing message at the very bottom of his status caught his attention. It was something entirely new, and seeing as he’d never seen anything like it before, Morgan opened the small notification with interest. A message scrolled across the screen then, followed by the description of a new skill.
Due to your long exposure to a reiki-rich environment, a new skill has become available.
Soulstream: 0/300M C*
Soulstream (Contingent) - The power of your soul manifests in the form of your inner beast, cloaking your body in its incredible power, while leaving you in control. While in this form, any damage received will be instantly healed, though it will shorten the duration of the skill.
(This skill is contingent upon finding the Soul Well in the heart of Faeland)
Cost - 7,500 RP
Duration - 10 minutes
Cooldown - 24 hours
Morgan’s brow furrowed as he read the message, making sure to read it over several times more just in case he was imagining it. After his third readthrough, Morgan had to admit to himself that no, this was indeed happening. It was a skill that required more than just an infusion of energy to unlock, but a visit to a specific place to do so. He had to admit that he was intrigued.
Never before had he imagined that a skill like this could exist, and the mere fact that it cost so much meant that it would be powerful indeed. Now, more than ever, he felt the need to return to Faeland. If the need to get those ingredients hadn’t been enough, then the knowledge that he’d gain such a powerful skill most definitely was.
Morgan turned his eyes on the small drake, now sound asleep under his stroking hand, then to the still-unconscious Grace as her fluctuating core began to settle, and finally, to the silver spear lying at his side. He reached out, running his fingers along the haft as he thought of all that had yet to be explored.
A small spark danced across the spear’s surface, giving him the distinct feeling that she agreed. There were many adventures yet to come, and she would be right by his side for every step of the way. Sarah was still dead, and he had a promise to keep.
“It won’t be long now,” he whispered, once again reaffirming his promise. “We’ll be together again soon.”
***
Gold floated out in empty space, his eyes closed and concentrating hard on a distant thread of thought. This was extremely difficult, even for him, as sneaking past the Author had never been easy. Right now, though, he was a bit too preoccupied battling himself to notice such a small intrusion, and Gold had taken enough precautions to warrant such a risk.
The work had already been mostly completed earlier that day, but now, he was just finishing the transfer. Several minutes more of quiet and intense work saw the process completed, and when he wasn’t immediately obliterated, Gold knew that he’d been successful.
“Phew!” he said to a passing meteor. “I don’t think I’d like to try that again.”
The meteor, much to no one’s surprise, didn’t reply. If there was one thing he enjoyed about the endless vacuum of space, it was the peace and quiet—no one to talk to, no one to scheme, and especially no one to meddle. Well, no one other than the supreme being of the entire multiverse, but as he’d noted previously, said supreme ruler was busy fighting himself, so Gold was all alone.
He vanished then, appearing once again in a misty clearing, complete with a small hut bathed in silver light. This was a special place, one that no one other than himself knew about. He’d taken great pains to make this happen, so he really hoped they would be grateful. Technically, he shouldn’t even be able to be here, what with the properties of this place and all, and what it did to his kind.
Gold had always been smart and had managed to make himself a little bridge when no one was looking. A beam of green flashed through the mist, slamming into the ground at his feet and leaving a deep groove in the ground, and, as the light cleared, a figure became visible, curled up in the shallow crater.
Red hair, tied back in a braid, was the first thing that became visible in the clearing mists, followed by a pale, beautiful face. The rest of the woman’s body became visible soon after. She was clad in tight-fitting leather armor that showed off her very fit and athletic figure. She lay there, still and unmoving for several long minutes, but Gold wasn’t concerned. A transfer like this could take quite some time to fully awaken. When she awoke, he was sure she’d have questions. Luckily for Sarah, Morgan would always be close by to answer any questions she might have.
Nodding to himself in satisfaction, Gold exited the inner world of the silver spear and flowed back out into Somerset. He caught a brief glimpse of Morgan as he did so and smiled to himself. He’d come a long way in such a short amount of time. He’d miss training with him as he had over the past couple of years, but Gold knew that everyone had to grow up and leave the nest eventually.
There wasn’t really much to do around here anymore. At least, not for the next few months. All of his plans were in place, and everything was running smoothly.
Perhaps, he thought to himself, it may be time to check in with Silver again. It had been quite some time since he’d seen him last, and he wondered how the world of Laedrin was doing. He hoped it hadn’t been overrun by demons just yet. After all, it was his second favorite world in the multiverse, and he really didn’t want to see it destroyed.
***
Grace slowly stirred, the world coming back into focus around her and a dull ache coming from the center of her chest.
“Oh, good! You’re finally awake.”
She blinked several times, squinting up and seeing Morgan looming over her.
“What happened?” she asked groggily as she forced herself into a sitting position and clutched at her chest. “I feel really weird, and my chest is all tight.”
“That’s just from the aftereffects of becoming a supermage,” Morgan said, a wide smile plastered across his face.
“Wait, do you mean…I?” Grace asked as the fogginess lifted from her mind.
“Yup,” Morgan replied, still grinning. “You did it.”
Grace looked down at herself, clenching and unclenching her fists. She did feel a bit stronger, though she wasn’t sure by how much. Her brain felt weird, and it was really bright in here despite the darkness outside the window.
“I can’t believe I really did it,” she said, feeling a light thrumming in her chest as the pain started to fade. “But everything still feels really weird.”
“I’d recommend going to sleep,” Morgan replied. “It’s a big change, and your body needs some time to adjust.”
Grace slowly nodded, though when she tried to get to her feet, she accidentally did so with too much force and found herself two feet in the air.
“Woah!” she exclaimed, catching herself and feeling the world around her tilt dizzyingly.
Morgan chuckled, placing a steadying hand on her shoulder and guiding her over to his bed.
“I’d almost forgotten how much time it took me to become used to my newfound strength after becoming a supermage,” he told her as she fell back onto the bed.
It was only once she’d thrown her feet up that she realized where she was. For some reason, she didn’t feel nearly as embarrassed as she thought she would. Instead, she just felt safe, comfortabl
e, and happy.
“Don’t you need your bed?” she asked as he pulled the blankets up over her.
“I don’t mind you sleeping here tonight,” he said with a smile. “The sofa will be just fine for me.”
“Will we have more training tomorrow?” she asked as she settled into the bed.
“Of course. Bright and early, so you’d best get some rest. There are no more free attribute points from now on, so we’ll be working twice as hard to whip you into shape. We also can’t forget that you’ve got new skills available to purchase, which will make you a much more dangerous fighter overall.”
“Hey!” Grace said indignantly. “No fair peeking at my status before me!”
Morgan just gave her another grin, gently placing the sleeping Lumia next to her before moving away to the sofa.
“I expect you up and ready by five. Good night, Grace.”
“Good night,” she called after him, leaning back into the pillows and pulling up her status.
She’d been waiting for this ever since Morgan had first explained to her that she was not yet a supermage, and now, she’d finally get to see her new status for herself. She could feel it, the new purple core of reiki now thrumming in the center of her chest, a beautiful combination of the two energies she’d used up until now. Reaching for her core, she streamed a small trickle of energy up to her eyes, and her new status was projected before her.
Name: Grace
Supermage: Rank - 9
Energy to Next Rank - 0/18,000
Ability - Sound Self
RP - 480/480 (Regen - 5.1 per second)
Strength - 60
Agility - 41
Constitution - 59
Intelligence - 48