Shards of Reality (Gamer SI)

dingbat779 · Oct 1, 2024

Link Start 1.1

Nighttime in a city was familiar no matter where you came from. Windows shone with interior lighting before slowly darkening one by one. The sounds of traffic gradually tapered off but never fully stopped. Even in the middle of the night, people always had somewhere to go. Alleys always took on a more sinister cast as shadows lengthened and the darkness deepened. A city after dark was familiar, normal, and expected.

A city's night sky should not be streaked with strange rainbow hues like stretch marks, a false aurora that fell squarely in the uncanny valley. The city didn't sound quite the same. It did, in fact, not sound at all. A dead silence hung across the streets like an oppressive blanket. The ground was almost completely lost in swirling eddies of fog, rippling like muddy puddles threatening to swallow legs and puncture feet.

Into this strange night, a new guest appeared. Deposited quite rudely on an old sofa at the end of an alleyway from a bright blue portal from six feet above the ground, which wasted no time closing with a crackle-pop.

"What." Her voice was a warm, velvety contralto. Her voice was also a wheezing croak on account of having gotten slam-dunked into some ratty cushions, knocking the wind out of her sails. The only reason her hat hadn't flown off her head was that it was cinched there by a full-on belt.

A weird buzzing filled the air followed by the sound of a modem booting up. Green code blurred past the newcomer's eyes too quickly to process. From what little could be gleaned it appeared to be a system start-up. Without warning a black box appeared before her with a vaguely Fallout aesthetic. Words scrawled across the screen.

[Welcome, Gamer]

You have been chosen as a representative of this universe to participate in an Event in a world familiar to you. This is Earth Bet. For this Event, you, a mere mortal, are being granted certain debugging tools that are ordinarily off-limits to your kind. For safety reasons and ease of use, they have been formatted as a limited version of a powerset you are familiar with. To further facilitate your task, a new body has been fabricated for you according to your browser history's specifications.

[What Remains the Same]
You can access the Menu at any time by saying "Menu."
Stats can be raised through hard work.
New Skills can be created through effort and leveled up in the same way.
You may access Instant Dungeons.

[What Changes Were Made]
Gamer's Mind and Gamer's Body are gone.
You can still learn faster, and heal more completely, but in a more limited fashion.
Sleeping restores HP/MP and minor conditions but not curses/amputations/maiming.
You gain the ability to choose Classes or simply remain as The Gamer.
Classes increase their associated Skills and Stats faster with a debuff to learning of opposition Skills/Stats.
The Gamer has no bonuses or debuffs to learning.
We included a Charisma Stat!

[Stats]
Strength - This is pretty self explanatory. Nothing really changed about this.
Dexterity - Why not Agility? This is more to help those who've played D&D.
Constitution - It's just Vitality. [HP and Stamina Points are based off of this.]
Intelligence - You already know what this is. [A value over 20 grants a bonus to learning speed. .1% per point over 20]
Wisdom - If you have common sense then you know what Wisdom is already. [A value over 20 grants a bonus to Perception. .1% per point over 20. (Perception is a free Skill! Enjoy!)]
Charisma - This is a measure of your force of will, approachability, beauty, and blah blah blah… [MP is based off of this.]
Luck - We tacked this on because people enjoy the dopamine drip of numbers go brrr. This is a direct percentage chance to increase loot drops, interesting situations, and winning games of chance.

…Her confidence in her backers was in the gutter and fast approaching the storm drain.

[In Conclusion]
You have been given this monumental task not because we don't care, but because you are human. This task has direct consequences to your kind and not just in this reality. We would love to stick around and help you more, but the extinction of our species is imminent. The UI for the System is completely loyal to you and is quite possibly fed up with us. Good luck!

[For reading the entire message and not suffering an existential crisis: +5 CP]

[World Debuff: Luck -50%. Luck Gains -50%]

"Oh, these people don't know how human brains work." The woman muttered faintly. All she had right now to her name was a detached sense of curiosity. It happened when you got blown up and woke up in a medical tent with a scrambled brain, it sure happened when you got kidnapped, put in a new body and had your worldview snapped like a kitkat bar.

…Damn, these guys would've bumblefucked anyone else into dysphoria hell. Good thing she had about as much self-image as an amoeba.

"So is there a Class choice coming up, or is the Martial and Caster divide a matter of what I build towards?" She asked the UI as she straightened up and got to her feet, what that did to her body ignored in favor of taking stock. She was in a nun outfit about as accurate as Reimu's was of a miko's. Still, she was thankful for the sturdy boots, even if it remained to be seen how well she could run in these thigh high monsters. The sleeves were a bit poofy, but a few experimental swings told her they wouldn't slide over her hands and be a mess. The black nail polish was only noted inasmuch as looking good on her albino white skin, after a quick bit of clawing at the sofa told her it wasn't going to cause trouble. Likewise, her white hair was idly noted to be as silky and fluffy as the old body's, but the main concern was that it tickling her ass meant it'd get in the way. Thankfully, the last third of it was tied in a braid, so it wouldn't get into her face and get her killed. That'd have to be enough for now.

[On the Subject of Classes]

Selecting a Class is a simple process. Unlike my creators, I do not have a complexity addiction.

Fighter: This is the general Martial Class. A fine starting point for the aspiring warrior. From here you could take it in nearly any direction. Simple, basic, safe.
HP: Constitution x 10, Stamina Points: Constitution x 15, MP: Charisma x 5
Starting Specializations: Blunt, Pierce, Slash, Shield/Defense

Rogue: What sort of game would this be if there wasn't a rogue? A very boring one. Do you wish to be daring and bold? Shadowy and sneaky? Maybe just use your talents to unalive people for profit? This is a Skill focused Class. Specializations can be unlocked through advancing your larcenous talents.
HP: Constitution x 8, Stamina Points: Constitution x 10, MP: Charisma x 8
Starting Specializations: Grifter, Thief, Bully, Mastermind

Mage: The spark of magic. A power of wonder and ruin. Who hasn't dreamt of unraveling the secrets of reality? Magic is just as varied as the people who practice it, but they all have to start somewhere.
HP: Constitution x 5, Stamina Points: Constitution x 10, MP: Charisma x 10.
Starting Specializations: Fire, Wind, Water, Earth, Light, Dark

<Press on a Specialization to highlight more details>

While she gave the whole thing a read for fairness' sake, there was no hesitation whatsoever as she zeroed in on Mage. Secrecy was dead in a ditch with her white hair and corpse pale skin, so she may as well be as flashy as her little show-off heart desired. Besides, the more distinct and photogenic she was, the better chances to not end up facedown in that same ditch became.

If you were boring, you were forgettable. If you were forgettable, you could be disappeared.

Fire and Wind got a long look, her inner pyromaniac whispering oh-so-sweetly in her ear. For exactly that reason she turned away from it. Even if they arguably had good utility if used right, the fact remained they were utter dogshit for capture. And she would have to go for that more often than not given this world didn't look all too kindly on murder.

Water may have ice included in it. Earth was self-evident. Light and Dark were always weird so it bore checking what they could do. A quick set of taps had their blurb windows pop up.

[Water]
This is often considered the element of clarity and meditation. However those who live next to the ocean can tell you that isn't always the case. Water is all about finding the shortest distance to its goal whether through a pipe or smashing down a wall. At higher levels you can control the temperature to a high degree, draw moisture straight from the air, or make Leviathan wonder if he needs to pay child support.

That got an ugly snort out of her, alright. Now, that sounded like she'd be able to play with steam and ice for the full waterbender experience. It being noted as high level put something of a dampener on it. Without a restraining option in the form of frost, she'd be stuck spamming Hydro Pump. Very fun, very traditional, would cause concussions and dislocations at absolute best. Water was a mean motherfucker.

[Earth]
Most view Earth as the element of sturdiness. Hard and unyielding as granite. These same people have never watched a rockslide wipe away a whole city in an afternoon. This isn't just about manipulating stone but also particulate. Dirt, sand, even the finest dust. With the right focus it is even possible to inject new life into dead ground. Then again sometimes dropping a giant boulder on someone is just as cathartic.

This may lead to golemancy and assorted plant magic nonsense. Definitely promising. Also, it was very hard to beat the bang per buck of a thrown rock.

[Light and Dark]
At the lowest end, this appears to be a difference in illumination, but it can be so much more. These are two of the most commonly known and important elements in the cosmos. A student of one would have a devil of a time learning the other because while similar their focus is very different.

Light is the element of truth and revelations, but can also obscure with blinding brilliance. Before a wielder of Light, any falsehood can eventually be uncovered. Exposed to the world by sheer radiance. It can also be used in Divination.

Dark is the element of deception and stealth, but may also be a shepherd in the night. A wielder of Darkness can spin illusions and distort the truth. It may also be used to occlude a Diviner's Third Eye.

Both may function quite well in battle spells. Light acts like pure force damage. Dark deals less overall damage but may erode the target through entropy.

Shit. Fuck. Both of these were absolutely fantastic long term, especially with how Dark may help against the loathsome precogs infesting this world, but they left her screwed in the short term. Darkness especially so, nobody would take kindly to her ashing people.

"How much growth in other elements do I lose by specializing in one?" She asked sharply. The System had implied as much, she just needed to know the specifics.

[Specialization]
Specialization is quite simple really. For a Specialized Skill/Talent/Ability the bonus is +50% to XP. All others would receive -50% XP. I don't want you to feel trapped or locked into a single path. Why don't I show you the Loot Crate so you may make a more informed decision?

An honest-to-goodness metal crate appeared on the ground. No light show, no nothing, just suddenly there with the sound of displaced air. It stood at roughly two feet high and four feet long with a simple metal latch. Easy enough to pop open

The inside was a potpourri, to put it nicely. A battered notebook only held together with twine and wishful thinking. Besides that a futuristic smartphone, more sleek nonsense lines than a gaming mouse, the power button on the back for some reason. It looked like a four-pointed star made of elongated diamonds. There was also a rather thick folder with a set of keys taped to the front. Finally, there was a collapsible baton in black with a silver length dotted with blue LED bulbs. An orange square with diagonal black markings sat between the handle and the baton itself. A neatly printed manual for baton combat was included.

The baton was promptly slapped on her belt, clipping on through whatever magic nonsense all of this was running on. That done, she flipped through the folder. Everything was dead quiet so she could only assume nothing was around the corner waiting to put her femur through her left nostril. Inside was a complete identity backstopped since birth. She was apparently now Alice Belobog, third generation Russian immigrant. There was also a helpful notice explaining that the keys were to a nice studio apartment. Decently, but not lavishly, furnished.

No directions to it, though. But at least now she wouldn't have to get down and dirty to ensure a minimum standard of living. Or put up with the PRT's red tape and PR. "Inventory, please."

A standard 3x3 square appeared before her. At the bottom of the page was an arrow with a number reading '1 of 30'. There were tabs along the side with a gear-shaped tooltip. It helpfully explained that the tabs could be marked and placed on different pages for ease of use.

Something to fiddle with later, when she wasn't on a horror film's set. Alice simply shoved in the folder and smartphone, watching the screen ripple like water as it slurped up the items like a cup of noodles. Hopefully, the phone had some useful stuff preloaded into it, like the location of the apartment, but for now priorities. Which in Earth Bet meant making sure she knew how to turn a skull concave.

Experimentally, she poked the baton's manual, hoping and praying this aspect of the System had stayed the same. The golden glow that spread like fire was like the answer to a prayer. A quick tap to confirm consuming the book and knowledge flowed into her braincase.

[Skill Gained]
Blunt Weapon Mastery lvl 1 - A good whack is nature's reset button. This skill covers the various ways you can make upright people lie prone.
- Attack Speed +15% + 5% per level.
- Damage +5% per level.

The knowledge of how to use the specialty baton also filled Alice's mind as the book crumbled to ash. No bright flashing lights or weird noises. Just ash. The baton was a special product of Toybox that had two modes: powered and unpowered. In unpowered mode, it just gave the target a solid whack. Powered mode had a high chance of stunning someone. The part that made this thing kind of dangerous was that the settings went from one to eleven. At eleven it was set to overload and could make a Brute 3 regret any number of sins. It would evaporate the battery's charge in one hit and may leave her hand with third-degree burns, but hey. Better than dead.

Next was the notebook, which very encouragingly chimed as a skill book the moment her fingers brushed against it.

[New Magic Unlocked!]
You have unlocked the specialization for Plant. This is a hybrid element of Water and Earth. Congratulations!

Plant Manipulation lvl 1 - The ability to manipulate plants from the simple flower to the mightiest tree. This is a subset of Life Magic which also covers certain healing spells and physical recovery.
- Spell Costs are reduced by 1% per level (Max -75%)
- Spell Effects are enhanced by 1% per level.
- Spell Range is enhanced by 1% per level.
- Spell Duration is increased by 1% per level.

Snowy eyebrows shot for the sky like the goddamn Sputnik as she read and parsed the implications. Healing, buffing, capture, building, food. Plant magic could handle all of that for her. The only things she could say against it were that it would fuck up the area a bit if she started going crazy with the roots and that it didn't help in social situations, unlike Light and Dark.

However, healing. That was money right there.

"Can I set my specialization to Plant?" She asked after running her tongue over her upper teeth in a nervous tic.

[Of course, you may. In fact, I assumed that was what you would desire based on your facial expressions. Your specialization has already been set to Plant.]

"Next time check in with me, but fair." Alice nodded distractedly, already flipping through the notebook. It was a minor miracle she didn't rip any of the yellowed pages in her eagerness.

[My apologies. This is my first assignment and I was excited. It looked like such a cool Skill I jumped the gun a bit.]

The information contained within the pages was old. It looked as if a middleschooler wrote it with a head full of dreams. The page containing Plant Manipulation turned to ash, but the book was enough of a mess of nearly-loose pages that the accidental consumption didn't spread to the rest. There were other spell patterns contained within, written in a mix of science and pure fantasy. A lot less cringeworthy 'babby's first bit of worldbuilding' than Alice would've expected, too.

[Quest Discovered!]
A Child's Dreams of Green - Where did this notebook come from originally? It appears as fantasy but the principles within are solid. Are there other mages out there?
Rewards: 10,000 XP, Potential Mentor, Advanced Plant Spellbook
Failure: 1,000 XP. (Note: The only way to fail this quest is to give up.)
Accept: Y or N?

"Jot it on my quest log, yeah." Alice said with a bob of her head, not tapping on the window on account of having her hands full of fragile book. That got corrected a moment later as she chucked it into her Inventory. The diagrams would take some dedicated study to get anything useful out of and she couldn't exactly slurp it up like a Capri Sun now that she had this dangling in front of her. "Actually, bring up my status window. I need to finish taking stock."

[Character Sheet]
Name: Alice Belobog
Age: 21
Level: 1
Class: Mage lvl 1
Specialization: Plant
Subclass: <Locked>

HP: 55/55
SP: 110/110
MP: 150/150

STR: 10
DEX: 11
CON: 11
INT: 15
WIS: 14
CHA: 17
LCK: 13
CP: 5

General Skills

Perception lvl 7 - This encompasses more than just sight, hearing, and the like. This is a measure of how well you can grasp the world around you and its varied nuances.
- 10% + 1% per level chance to uncover hidden objects, see through disguises and detect bullshit.

Combat Skills

Blunt Weapon Mastery lvl 1 – A good whack is nature's reset button. This skill covers the various ways you can make upright people lie prone.
- Attack Speed +15% + 5% per level.
- Damage +5% per level.

Magic Skills

Plant Manipulation lvl 1 – The ability to manipulate plants from the simple flower to the mightiest tree. This is a subset of Life Magic which also covers certain healing spells and physical recovery.
- Spell Costs are reduced by 1% per level (Max -75%)
- Spell Effects are enhanced by 1% per level.
- Spell Range is enhanced by 1% per level.
- Spell Duration is increased by 1% per level.

Well, she was definitely showing that high Charisma, which only got higher as she pumped three points into it and the rest into Luck. They had gotten her type down to a T, too. Pity that meant sticking out like a sore thumb, but she would make the best of it. "Do higher Perception levels add more functionality like spotting illusions or cold reading people, or would that be separate Skills?"

[Branching Skills]
Most Skills are capable of being used in various ways. It is entirely possible to branch into more specialized forms of Skills. The base Skill will work just fine but crafting something special for the job is just better. Branching Skills also gain bonuses from the Parent Skill. For example, Plant Growth is a main Skill. Any spell in that school would be considered a Branching Skill. Bonuses do stack with the right focus. Get creative!

"With the downside being that Branching Skills are more of a pain to train exactly because they're more specialized. Nevermind the opportunity cost between training them and the Parent Skill which will help in a lot more areas." Alice huffed, shaking her head softly.

+1 WIS

"Well, that's an agreement if there was ever one." The fantasy Russian chuckled. Now, time to figure out an attack spell so her squishy mage ass didn't get turned into a chair cushion. Plant Manipulation had downloaded some of the bare basics of how to turn mana into flower power, but to do any of that she had to tap on her mana in the first place. In other circumstances, it would've been a cinch, just find the one thing feeling different about her body.

Given she'd been sporting a dick not twenty minutes ago, all she could really do was draw her mind inwards and hope for the best. Or ask the System, but she was enough of a sentimental shitter to at least try to find her own way to her magic.

It was honestly easier than she'd expected, a well of power blooming in her heart almost of its own volition. It very badly pretended to be placid, writhing and jittering right under its smooth surface.

Alice opened her eyes to faint green light suffusing her body, thrumming in time with her pulse before flaking all around her in little motes.

[Skill Gained!]
Meditation lvl 1 - The ability to focus oneself and maintain a level head. This skill is an important foundation not just for Mages but for Martial Artists as well. In time it may even be possible to enter a meditative trance while doing other things.
- Passive MP Regen + 1% per level.
- MP Regen + 5% per level while active. (Must Meditate for 1 minute for it to become active)
- Active use gradually removes mental effects at a rate of -10% + 1% per level.
- Chance of taking action or any disturbance breaking the meditative trance 90% - 1% per level.

"What is my base MP recovery rate, anyways?" The albino asked, even as she very carefully tapped her mana. Her first impression had been entirely correct, the damn thing surged through her body at the lightest prod, although it seemed this much wasn't enough for her to piss it away.

[HP/MP/SP Regen]
You do not have the full Gamer's Mind or Gamer's Body, but my creators left me in charge. I'm not a jerk like they are. These are the passive regen numbers:
HP + 1 per minute
MP + 1.1 (Meditation bonus included) per minute
SP + 5 (+20 while resting) per minute.

"Appreciated, partner. Remind me to figure out a name for you once we're out of here." Wherever 'here' was aside from Earth Bet. Maybe an abandoned town? The Slaughterhouse liked to target smaller settlements, she was pretty sure, so a lot of people picked up sticks and left. Either way, the place was creepy and she needed some flavor of magic missile yesterday.

So she very carefully partitioned off the smallest mote of mana she could manage on her palm, what she'd bet good money was a single Mana Point, and bid it to shoot off and hurt. The overeager magic responded by shooting off towards a discarded sunflower seed husk, let her know it was barbecue roasted, hardened it to granite and fired it off the ground with the force of an airsoft rifle. It smashed into the alley's brickwork, shattering on it but leaving a respectable pockmark.

"...Okay, I can work with that so long as I can conjure the projectile." Alice muttered under her breath, fixing the image in her brain with single-minded focus. A mote of magic budding off, condensing into a hardened seed and shooting out. That's what needed to happen.

The spell did as it was told this time even though there were some minor side effects. Namely, while it was no longer using litter for the projectile, it was very much still a sunflower seed husk… that smelled of buffalo sauce. Because of course. Still, it shot off just fine and honestly? Being just a husk that broke on impact would lower the lethality, which she very much appreciated.

A careful test, with her fingers well out of the way of her palm, told her that she could shoot it out of her fingertip no problem. That'd help aiming it, she wasn't exactly shooting a Mana Bolt the size of a softball like Han Jee-Han.

[Spell Gained!]
Husk Bullet lvl 1 - This is a variant on one of the most basic spells in a Mage's arsenal, Mana Bolt. It conjures up a seed husk based on a template and fires it at high speed. Simple and efficient. This variant has the potential to debuff.
- Cost: 1 MP
- Range: 175 ft + 5 ft per level
- PWR: 1 + 0.1 per level
- Damage Type: Blunt
- Debuff: Capsaicin - The bullet sprays dust on impact which can get in the eyes and nostrils. Irritation and radius increases by 5% per level.

[Notes on Magic]
Magic damage is based on casting stat multiplied by the spell's PWR rating. Your casting stat is Charisma.

"Well, god knows I'm not going to complain about a bit of godstatting" Alice hummed, idly testing the spell's fire rate. Three 'bullets' later and the answer seems to be 'about as fast as you can hit the proverbial trigger'. Which meant about two or three per second, focus permitting.

Now, time to check the phon–

Crunching gravel overhead.

Perception kicked in to give her the direction of the noise, letting her whirl around to face the gaunt figure as it hit the ground. Sunken cheeks, glazed over eyes and stringy hair caked in filth stared out of a moth-eaten hoodie. Its jaw was slack and dripping spittle, something squirming in the gaps of its rotten teeth. Most critically, it was not breathing.

<Ghost of ODs Past>

Footsteps from the rooftops all around her told her that maybe, just maybe, it had been a bad idea to make noise.

Author's Note: Welcome once again to another tour through Worm this time with Gamer flavor! Like that hasn't been done before, but I hope this is somewhat unique. For this time I bring a secret weapon! Nihilo has kindly decided to help me with this endeavor. Pity him. He gets to edit my insane ramblings and assorted brain droppings on top of being the poor sod dumped in Worm.

N: Let's see if I can have him stop dropping off the face of the earth due to falling behind on rent and bills. I'd rather not get hit with "sorry, can't write, I'm in a homeless shelter now".

Patreon Note: A shoutout to my friends over on Patreon. The Patreon page is now updated to be even friendlier and clearer than before. Please think about helping me as I've still got lots of bills to pay, a cat to take care of, and not enough money for it all.

Thanks to my Patrons:
Fans
moon.fellow7
mckin102

Intellectuals
the.sleeperdragon
sawpett06

Special Friends
titanicwargod

Name: Alice Belobog
Age: 21
Level: 1
Class: Mage
Specialization: Plant
Subclass: <Locked>

HP: 55/55 [+1 HP per minute]
SP: 110/110 [+5 SP per minute if active, +20 if resting]
MP: 195/200 [+1.01 MP per minute]

STR: 10
DEX: 11
CON: 11
INT: 15
WIS: 15
CHA: 20
LCK: 15 (7.5 after World Debuff)

CP: 0

General Skills

Perception lvl 7 - This encompasses more than just sight, hearing, and the like. This is a measure of how well you can grasp the world around you and its varied nuances.
- 10% + 1% per level chance to uncover hidden objects, see through disguises and detect bullshit.

Meditation lvl 1 - The ability to focus oneself and maintain a level head. This skill is an important foundation not just for Mages but for Martial Artists as well. In time it may even be possible to enter a meditative trance while doing other things.
- Passive MP Regen + 1% per level.
- MP Regen + 5% per level while active. (Must Meditate for 1 minute for it to become active)
- Active use gradually removes mental effects at a rate of -10% + 1% per level.
- Chance of taking action or any disturbance breaking the meditative trance 90% - 1% per level.

Combat Skills

Blunt Weapon Mastery lvl 1 – A good whack is nature's reset button. This skill covers the various ways you can make upright people lie prone.
- Attack Speed +15% + 5% per level.
- Damage +5% per level.

Magic Skills

Plant Manipulation lvl 1 – The ability to manipulate plants from the simple flower to the mightiest tree. This is a subset of Life Magic which also covers certain healing spells and physical recovery.
- Spell Costs are reduced by 1% per level (Max -75%)
- Spell Effects are enhanced by 1% per level.
- Spell Range is enhanced by 1% per level.
- Spell Duration is increased by 1% per level.

Husk Bolt lvl 1 - This is a variant on one of the most basic spells in a Mage's arsenal, Mana Bolt. It conjures up a seed husk based on a template and fires it at high speed. Simple and efficient. This variant has the potential to debuff.
- Cost: 1 MP
- Range: 175 ft + 5 ft per level
- PWR: 1 + 0.1 per level
- Damage Type: Blunt
- Debuff: Capsaicin - The bullet sprays dust on impact which can get in the eyes and nostrils. Irritation and radius increases by 5% per level.

Inventory

Smartphone
Dreams of Green Notebook
ID Paperwork
Apartment keys

Tinkertech Baton - A high-quality self-defense tool advertised as the best on the market. It comes highly recommended by Toybox, but you don't care about all that. This thing is made of space-age materials capable of withstanding tremendous force, heat, cold, acid, and shocks. Your noodly arms will break before this bad boy. Your new toy can be set from 0 (no charge) to 11 (max charge). Max charge comes with backlash so please be responsible. Each charge is a 10% chance to stun or paralyze the target.
Damage Type: Blunt
Activated: Blunt/Electric
Inflict: Stun/Paralyze
PWR: 4

Quests

A Child's Dreams of Green - Where did this notebook come from originally? It appears as fantasy but the principles within are solid. Are there other mages out there?
Rewards: 10,000 XP, Potential Mentor, Advanced Plant Spellbook
Failure: 1,000 XP. (Note: The only way to fail this quest is to give up.)

dingbat779 · Oct 3, 2024

Link Start 1.2

Alice was running for the mouth of the alley before her brain had quite caught up with her, only belatedly firing a staccato burst of Husk Bullets at the offbrand zombie's face. She had to get out of this alley before she got boxed in and 'dead end' became very literal.

Some of them had already dropped to street level, but not many. Blessedly, the ghastly junkies weren't anywhere near as aggressive as she'd expected, swaying and shuffling in a daze more than anything. Another barrage at one of the zombies starting to crowd the alley and it toppled into its neighbor, who promptly started tearing at it with abandon. A group of shamblers fell in a heap from the roofs, starting biting and clawing at each other rather than even try to get up.

It would've made for a relatively clean getaway, if it wasn't for the first bastard staggering back from the seeds she'd bust across its face, power walking towards her with no regard for the brewing zombie riot. It was level six, where the others were sitting at a measly one, which apparently meant it had its shit vaguely together.

Would be intriguing if there wasn't a reeking monument to bad decisions hurrying after her. She had to hop over and weave around entirely too many slimy limbs, whereas it could just go in a straight line, stomping over its stupider siblings and powering through their retaliatory swipes.

The alley opened up into a narrow street in what was clearly the bad side of town. The sidewalks were cracked and littered with filthy chewing gum. The cars were rust buckets that couldn't have been made this century. Her leg was nearly swallowed up by a pothole hidden by the low-hanging fog as she stepped into the asphalt proper, only a screech from Perception letting her twist around rather than get her ankle twisted.

Thankfully, the pest after her wasn't anywhere near as sharp, tripping and falling on its face.

After that, well. She found out three Husk Bullets were what it took to puncture a human skull.

[Level Up!]
[Level Up!]
[+10 CP]

"Even split between Charisma and Luck, please," Alice asked, breath choppy more from adrenaline than exertion. Her hands curled and uncurled, trying to work the jittery tremble out of them. Fuck. "Hey, System, how's loot work here?"

[Looting]
Unlike in The Gamer monsters don't just disappear and leave their loot neatly on the ground. I'm sorry but my creators tossed some Fallout "realism" into the mix.

The re-dead lay there on the pavement, smashed skull and all. All of its worldly possessions are available for the taking and probably in need of Lyesol.

"...Hey, System, how liable is Plant Magic to run rampant? I have an idea but I'd rather not end up with an infestation." Alice asked as she looked away from the corpse. She wasn't the kind to lose her lunch over this, but it felt a lot like staring down into a septic tank.

[Make sure to have a clear picture in mind of what you are attempting. I can only assist if the instructions are clear. If it would go against your wishes the spell will simply fail. Unfortunately, I'm not perfect, so some accidents may happen as affected by your Luck Stat.]

"Good thing it's effectively at ten now." The albino sighed, closing her eyes to focus as she held her hand over the carcass. She wanted a fungus which did its job as a decomposer and nothing else. A slime mold crawling over corpses and only corpses, breaking down all the soft tissue and oils and intestinal filth into clean soil before seeing itself. The end result should be a skeleton covered in dirt, with the loot poking out. The slime mold would dissolve into the mana that had made it once its job was done or when she commanded it to, whichever came first.

[Spell Created!]
Hungry Mold lvl 1 - A creepy fungus spell that turns putrefying flesh into a ravenous mold. All putrid flesh is consumed until nothing organic remains. After ten minutes with nothing to consume it dries out and dies.
- Infests 1 lb of flesh per level.
- Can be ended prematurely by the caster.
- Cost: 20 MP

One pound of flesh per level might not sound like a lot, but the Hungry Mold was ravenous. The moment it dropped from Alice's hand and hit the corpse with a wet slap it was in business. Within seconds clean bone could be seen through the rotting flesh. The only thing that slowed it down was when the mold tried to consume the undead thing's clothes, but even that was starting to break down. A simple application of will told the mold to stop and just focus on the meat and the sewage inside of it. All that was left behind was a pristine wad of bills and a jet-black stone that radiated death. The mold recoiled from the stone with a shiver.

[Loot Received]
- $200
- Soul Stone (Minor) - This possesses a tiny fragment of death magic and acts as the motive force behind undead creatures.

"Well, that much is the same as in the manhwa, I suppose." Alice muttered as she chucked both into her Inventory, watching the money counter go up with the wad of cash. The Soul Stone was cold enough it hurt to hold, but not enough to lower her HP. At least not with how quick she'd been stashing it away.

She loved herself some necromancy, but if Earth Bet was anything like the stories, it was a fat no. She didn't fancy speedrunning a kill order, thank you very much. Pushing it enough as is with her Plant Magic.

That out of the way, there was a whole street to explore. There was an alley full of dark shapes milling around, the gloom and fog making them impossible to make out beyond 'humanoid' but she had basic pattern recognition. A couple of the buildings sported storefronts, although they were more hole than glass. The only one that really stood out was Paul's Pawnshop, by dint of the iron bars across the main window and the door. There may be something to loot there.

…Wait, most of the zombies in the alley she'd come from had been killing each other. That meant she could murder the stragglers and then have a huge pile of loot for far less mana expenditure.

[Loot Received]
- $1438.20
- Soul Stone (Minor) x 8
- Crowbar

[Spell Up!]
Hungry Mold lvl 1 > 8
Husk Bullet 1 > 6

Alice couldn't help but whistle a jaunty tune any more than she could stop herself from flipping through the pristine bills. She was going to treat herself to a fat fucking bowl of unagidon once she was done here.

For now, though? She had a crowbar and several stores to ransack.

The closest store was a consignment shop with dusty retro clothes in the window. Alice didn't even need the crowbar to get in as the door was completely missing the glass. It smelled a little stale inside despite the fresh air, but there was no sign of moisture. The only thing wrong with the store was just how dusty and old everything looked. Someone must have offloaded a huge surplus of leatherware because half the store was just jackets and boots and ridiculous pants.

"What's the crafting system here? Can I just disassemble stuff into raw materials with a tap of my finger?" Alice asked with a small frown, wondering if she should go grab the metal crate.

[Crafting and You]
You possess quite a robust crafting menu. Quite possibly one of the best things the Creators gave to you as it is a Cosmic Tool with few restrictions. I did have to throttle it down to avoid having your brains leak out of your ears. It works similarly to a RTS. Tools can make the work go easier and keep more of the materials, but tools aren't necessary. You can break things down to claim a Pattern. Patterns can be replicated simply by having the required ingredients. As your capacity grows alterations may be made.

"Any automation? It'd be nice to just chuck all this leather into a buffer Inventory and let it be broken down in the background." The Russian woman asked as she walked deeper into the store.

[If you can lift it, you can process it.]

"I will take that as a tacit 'yes'." Alice said with a sharkish grin, wasting no time tearing through the leather section. A nice bomber jacket and a pair of calf-high boots that fit her were chucked into the Inventory. Everything else?

Unceremoniously chucked into the System's grinder.

That left her looking around for any clothes that wouldn't scream 'Hello, I am a parahuman' as much as the anime nun outfit. It was a lovely look, don't get her wrong. Especially with that pantyhose and slit skirt tag teaming with the fuck-me boots, but it wasn't about to be overlooked anywhere short of New York City.

The other half of the store was… less than helpful. Cloth, as it turned out, was a lot less resistant to the elements and pests than leather. Everything was moth eaten or mildewy or both. She just chucked it to be processed for whatever scraps of usable material there may be.

Blessedly, Lady Luck hadn't abandoned her entirely. Forcing the back of the store open was simple enough with her crowbar and a few things had survived there. Mostly a few flannel shirts and a black hat she didn't quite know how to categorize. It was essentially a very squat top hat with a square raised brim.

The real jackpot was a crate with a full outfit in it, completely intact. Quite a few frills, but they were understated enough that together with the largely monochrome palette? She'd wear it. Besides, the triple layer skirt together with that scarf and the not-quite-coat would sure as shit keep her warm. The only questionable bit were the black boots with three inch heels.

Mostly because she didn't want to roll her ankles in this foggy mess of a ghost town.

The whole thing got put in her Inventory for now. She didn't want it to get dirty or torn while rumbling in this concrete jungle. All those layers and frills would be a liability. "Hey, System, can I just swap clothes through the menu rather than needing to find a changing room?"

[Just use the Tabs in your Inventory. You can store entire outfits and just switch the Tab. Tabs can also be used to mark a single square in the Inventory. Have fun!]

"Good to hear, because god knows I don't know how to work a bra." Alice chuckled, a quick few swipes arranging the outfit as an equipment set. That done, she made her way to a changing room, mostly to have a working mirror, "How's the material processing going?"

[Materials Gained]
10 Rolls of Heavy Leather (100 lbs)
20 lbs Steel
1 lb Gold
1 Roll Kevlar
10 Rolls of Cotton Cloth (40 lbs)

[Processing complete. Unusable bits were discarded.]

Red eyes blinked owlishly, "Where the fuck did all that gold come from? And how much steel was hiding in the toe caps that there were twenty goddamn libs of it still usable?"

[More than clothes were processed, you just shoved everything you could lift in there, loot goblin.]

Alice raised her finger, lowered it. Opened her mouth, closed it. She maaay have negligently chucked whole racks of clothes into the grinder, come to think of it. Then there had been those shelves and– "You know what? Fair. I know what I am."

Which, most relevantly right now, was a former man who had zero compunctions whatsoever putting on a frilly dress with high heels and twirling in front of the mirror. She looked good and could pull off the outfit, so why not?

Damn, but she was drop dead gorgeous.

Still, she had things to do other than posing in front of the mirror and enjoying her hair and clothes going swish-swish. No matter how much it pleased her inner cat.

Things such as prying open the cash register.

[Loot Gained]
$420.69

[I couldn't have planned that better if I tried.]

"Nice." Alice drawled out as culture demanded of her. Then she was out of the store, yanking the door closed with the crowbar before giving it a playful twirl. "All-right~! Next up, Pawn Shop!"

She had no earthly idea what the hell was waiting for her outside of the ghost town, or even inside of it. She only had the vaguest idea of what her situation entailed. Therefore, kill and loot everything in sight of this post-apocalyptic slice of shit until she was glutted enough to maybe survive the other shoe dropping.

Name: Alice Belobog
Age: 21
Level: 3
Class: Mage
Specialization: Plant
Subclass: <Locked>

HP: 55/55 [+1 HP per minute]
SP: 110/110 [+5 SP per minute if active, +20 if resting]
MP: 220/250 [+1.01 MP per minute]

STR: 10
DEX: 11
CON: 11
INT: 15
WIS: 15
CHA: 25
LCK: 20 (10 after World Debuff)

CP: 0

General Skills

Perception lvl 7 - This encompasses more than just sight, hearing, and the like. This is a measure of how well you can grasp the world around you and its varied nuances.
- 10% + 1% per level chance to uncover hidden objects, see through disguises and detect bullshit.

Meditation lvl 1 - The ability to focus oneself and maintain a level head. This skill is an important foundation not just for Mages but for Martial Artists as well. In time it may even be possible to enter a meditative trance while doing other things.
- Passive MP Regen + 1% per level.
- MP Regen + 5% per level while active. (Must Meditate for 1 minute for it to become active)
- Active use gradually removes mental effects at a rate of -10% + 1% per level.
- Chance of taking action or any disturbance breaking the meditative trance 90% - 1% per level.

Combat Skills

Blunt Weapon Mastery lvl 1 – A good whack is nature's reset button. This skill covers the various ways you can make upright people lie prone.
- Attack Speed +15% + 5% per level.
- Damage +5% per level.

Magic Skills

Plant Manipulation lvl 1 – The ability to manipulate plants from the simple flower to the mightiest tree. This is a subset of Life Magic which also covers certain healing spells and physical recovery.
- Spell Costs are reduced by 1% per level (Max -75%)
- Spell Effects are enhanced by 1% per level.
- Spell Range is enhanced by 1% per level.
- Spell Duration is increased by 1% per level.

Husk Bolt lvl 6 - This is a variant on one of the most basic spells in a Mage's arsenal, Mana Bolt. It conjures up a seed husk based on a template and fires it at high speed. Simple and efficient. This variant has the potential to debuff.
- Cost: 1 MP
- Range: 175 ft + 5 ft per level
- PWR: 1 + 0.1 per level = 1.6
- Damage Type: Blunt
- Debuff: Capsaicin - The bullet sprays dust on impact which can get in the eyes and nostrils. Irritation and radius increases by 5% per level.

Hungry Mold lvl 8 - A creepy fungus spell that turns putrefying flesh into a ravenous mold. All putrid flesh is consumed until nothing organic remains. After ten minutes with nothing to consume it dries out and dies.
Effect:
- Infests 1 lb of flesh per level.
- Can be ended prematurely by the caster.
- Cost: 20 MP

Inventory

Money: $2058.89
Smartphone
Dreams of Green Notebook
ID Paperwork
Apartment keys
Crowbar
10 Rolls of Heavy Leather (100 lbs)
20 lbs Steel
1 lb Gold
1 Roll Kevlar
10 Rolls of Cotton Cloth (40 lbs)
Fishy Nun Outfit (equipment set)
Vogue Frills Outfit (equipment set)
2 flannel shirts
Calf high brown leather boots
Bomber jacket

9 Soul Stone (Minor) - This possesses a tiny fragment of death magic and acts as the motive force behind undead creatures.

Tinkertech Baton - A high-quality self-defense tool advertised as the best on the market. It comes highly recommended by Toybox, but you don't care about all that. This thing is made of space-age materials capable of withstanding tremendous force, heat, cold, acid, and shocks. Your noodly arms will break before this bad boy. Your new toy can be set from 0 (no charge) to 11 (max charge). Max charge comes with backlash so please be responsible. Each charge is a 10% chance to stun or paralyze the target.
- Damage Type: Blunt
- Activated: Blunt/Electric
- Inflict: Stun/Paralyze
- PWR: 4

Quests

A Child's Dreams of Green - Where did this notebook come from originally? It appears as fantasy but the principles within are solid. Are there other mages out there?
Rewards: 10,000 XP, Potential Mentor, Advanced Plant Spellbook
Failure: 1,000 XP. (Note: The only way to fail this quest is to give up.)

Patreon Note: A shoutout to my friends over on Patreon. The Patreon page is now updated to be even friendlier and clearer than before. Please think about helping me as I've still got lots of bills to pay, a cat to take care of, and not enough money for it all.

Thanks to my Patrons:
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dingbat779 · Oct 5, 2024

Link Start 1.3

[Strength +1]

It took quite a bit of work to pry one of the old bars out of the door. If anything did come after Alice it would have to squeeze through like she did. Conversely, she'd be kinda screwed if there was something lurking in there, but ah well.

This shop smelt of mildew instead of stale air, owing to every single piece of paper and cardboard in sight being more liquid than solid. Well, aside from the books inside the glass counter, those were intact. There was a shortsword hung behind the counter, too. When she walked around, she was treated to the sight of a shotgun and a box of ammo behind the counter.

Definitely somewhere in America.

From there she had a perfect line of sight into the electronics section… which was completely fucked. The ceiling over it was water damaged and had dripped over everything. Only good for the gold and copper in their guts now, plus whatever plastic and rare earths.

She'd deal with that later, for now she was shoving the shotgun and its ammo into her Inventory. Fuck handling it beyond that before she got some basic training or a Skill Book. The shortsword, though? That got a few experimental swings, giving her a feel for its balance. Not at all like the fencing saber she'd used… god, it'd been a decade ago already. But still, it was a shortsword, they didn't give a solitary shit so long as you could align the edge and put some power behind the swing. Especially a generic one like this, somewhere between a viking sword and a gladius. No real standout features unlike, say, a dao or kukri. Much less a falx.

[New Skill Gained!]
Bladed Weapon Mastery lvl 1 - This is a general skill for handling sharps without cutting off important bits in the process. Blades can inflict the Bleed and Severed Debuff.
- Attack Speed +15% + 5% per level.
- Damage +5% per level.

And just like that, the edge alignment issue was sorted out. Fencing didn't include any of that, but it was such a fundamental part of using swords that it came free with that first level.

[Loot Obtained]
Shotgun + Ammo (6 shells) {Unscanned}

Shortsword - A basic shortsword. Well forged and simple to use. It was someone's homecraft as evidenced by a lack of discernible style.
Damage: Slash, Pierce
PWR: 6

It went right to her belt. Much better range than the baton and nobody would get on her case about chopping up zombies. Actually, she should give the baton a once over to know what its stats were.

Tinkertech Baton - A high-quality self-defense tool advertised as the best on the market. It comes highly recommended by Toybox, but you don't care about all that. This thing is made of space-age materials capable of withstanding tremendous force, heat, cold, acid, and shocks. Your noodly arms will break before this bad boy. Your new toy can be set from 0 (no charge) to 11 (max charge). Max charge comes with backlash so please be responsible. Each charge is a 10% chance to stun or paralyze the target.
- Damage Type: Blunt
- Activated: Blunt/Electric
- Inflict: Stun/Paralyze
- PWR: 4

Wew. Yeah, this was going to be her lifeline once out in America proper instead of whatever this place was. Actually. "Is this an Instant Dungeon or something else?"

[This is a little crack in reality. A mirror of the real world created by the fraying of dimensions. As the Gamer, you are able to enter these places more easily than others. However, make no mistake, there are other Parahumans who use these places as well. Teleporters, for example, cross through these spaces without ever realizing it. This can cause the mirror to destabilize and collapse. Fortunately, you would only be dropped out into Real Space.]

"Right, more reason to strip it to the fucking ground." Alice punctuated that statement by smashing the glass counter with her crowbar, idly chucking glass shards and the metal frame into the System's grinder. It was fun to break down stuff and chuck it into a portal, sue her. "Do I just use my mana to break out like Han Jee-Han? Also, where does this one let out into, anyways?"

[The graffiti suggests this is ABB territory. You do not need to use MP to escape or enter. Just strike a wall with the intent of "Tear" and the mirror world will collapse. When you wish to enter, approach a doorway and just walk through. Doorways and windows are "between" places. There may be a way to enter through crossroads as well.]

Ah, shite. Brockton Bay. Of course it was Brockton fucking Bay. Hopefully the human trafficking the ABB supposedly did was just a storyteller looking up the worst examples of yakuza, rather than the reality of this world.

"Neat. That collapsing business mean that the ID is gone for good after I rip out or a teleporter tumbles through?" The Russian woman asked as she pulled the books out of the stripped-clean counter, brushing them clean of the little bits of glass left on them.

[Correct. However, you should be careful as negative feelings tend to leave a mark. These feelings can manifest as monsters. Strong-willed Parahumans can cast a shadow, too.]

"Hence the junkie crew, huh? I guess there's a crack house or three on the other side." Alice would be more worried, but getting out of these IDs was pretty quick. If something was fast and strong enough, or simply stealthy enough, to kill her before she noticed them and tapped a wall she was dead no matter what. There was about much point in worrying about that as being paranoid about getting struck by lightning.

[Does that answer your questions?]

"Aye, now let's see what we got here." The albino said, placing down the books on a small table behind the wrecked counter. Only one popped a window when she touched it.

[Skill Book Found!]
Ninjutsu Through the Ages - This is a book detailing the history of ancient ninjutsu and its modern interpretation. The real stuff and not whatever insane stuff is found in anime. Requirements: STR 20, DEX 20, WIS 20

"So infiltration, misdirection, sabotage and assassination." All part of a balanced diet for a bone thief. Alas, she wasn't going to get those stat requirements anytime soon, so into the Inventory it went. "Stats are easier to raise through training when they're low, right?"

[Correct.]

Alright, so she'd be better off pumping her points into Charisma and Luck which would be a colossal pain in the dick to 'train'. Probably Wisdom too, depended on if she could get points from stuff like meditation and analyzing people on the street.

[The dimension is collapsing! A teleporting cape is nearby! Brace for the return!]

Without a second thought, she rammed all the books into the Inventory, followed by the cash register. Then her brain actually engaged and she frantically tapped her other equipment set to not look like an obvious parahuman. The weapons conveniently were dragged along with her nun costume into the inventory, although… there was this phantom feeling. Like they were still hanging from her belt, ready to be drawn at a moment's notice.

Alice had no time to ponder on this, as what little she could see of the sky through the barred windows shattered. Cracks extended from the heavens down through the rest of the simulated city, racing for her like pyroclastic flow. The tinkling of glass was the last thing she heard before she found herself standing in a derelict building on a dying street somewhere in America. The transition was blessedly painless. What she came to, however, not so much. Just down the street was a figure dressed in a black bodysuit and a distinctive oni mask, a bandolier of grenades on a belt across his chest.

<Oni Lee, lvl 33 >

She went shock-still, quieter than a whore in church. Alice really, really, really did not want to spin the wheel on what the serial suicide bomber was like in the flesh. Even if he didn't blow her up to kingdom come on sight, someone with her looks and outfit in a random derelict building in ABB turf? Hahahahahahahahaha. No thanks.

Oni Lee's mask slowly panned across the street as he prowled through it. Suddenly, he jerked, reflective lenses raking through the storefront of the building Alice was in, landing squarely on her. It had to be her, right? She was an albino woman standing in the dark, an inconvenient streetlamp shed just enough illumination on the interior to make out details.

Her heart just about crawled out of her ass when he crumbled to ash, but there was no bodysuited assassin pressing a knife to her throat or a bloom of heat and force. At least not next to her. An explosion thundered further up the street, followed immediately by the sounds of blistering combat.

Well, would you look at that, it was get the fuck out o' clock.

There was only one tiny teeny issue. She wasn't going out into that street. No way, no how. Which left her fumbling around in the dark for a backdoor. For all of two seconds before she remembered she had a smartphone in her inventory, hitting the button with the screen pointed away from her as an impromptu flashlight. The door was right behind her. Even better it was completely off the hinges and leading to a back alley.

A weird droning hum preceding something ripping through the street out front was all the kick in the ass she needed to get her cardio session going. She better get some Dexterity and Constitution from running for her life in these heels.

The dark night was periodically lit up by grenades and flashes of eyesearing blue she wanted nothing to do with. Whoever Oni Lee was throwing down with, they sure liked to pinball around as much as him. Left, right, behind, in front. That last one stopped happening soon enough, but the rest were still way too close for comfort, so she kept on pumping her legs.

[+1 CON]

Alice wasn't sure if it had been a minute or fifteen, but eventually she could no longer hear the fight, only first responders thundering in with sirens blaring. Her Stamina bar was empty and god was she feeling it. She no longer had Spanish genetics making her look like someone dunked a bucket of water on her when she exercised or asthma leaving her wheezing with burning and slimy lungs. That didn't stop her from being wet and sticky in the worst possible way.

It was fantastic motivation to find her apartment if nothing else. Give her a shower or give her death. Maybe it even had a bathtub?

[Quest Gained!]
Home Sweet Home - After your rather trying night it's only fair that I help you find your new home. Just check your phone for the GPS.
Reward: 2 CP, Home
Failure: None
Accept: Mandatory

"Thanks," Alice said into her phone as though she was having a call. She'd ended up in what she was ninety percent sure was the Boardwalk, given the storefronts running all along the beach. Which meant there were a lot of spooked people fresh off hearing those explosions in the distance. A lot of windows in the apartments built over the shops had the lights on, too, for obvious reasons.

Men in mall cop chic with sewn-on badges proclaiming them "Enforcers" approached Alice. They looked enough alike to be at least cousins, although part of that may be that all of them were built like angry fridges and sported a crew cut. One of them walked right up to her while his partner kept an eye out for trouble.

"Ma'am. Can you tell me what happened?" He inquired professionally.

"Oni Lee decided to play rocket tag with someone throwing around blue energy blasts, that's all I saw while running away." She explained in one big rush, thanking her lucky stars (and the System) that she was no longer panting. A steady voice went a long way. "It happened down the street from where I was, which…"

Her face said it all.

"Damn…" The man grimaced sympathetically. He looked to his partner before turning back to Alice. "Are you injured? Do you need a ride anywhere?"

His partner was discreetly talking into a walkie-talkie.

"Yeah, I'm- yeah." Alice said as she let her shoulders slump. She could have powered through this and had in fact been in the middle of it, but honestly? Fuck that if she didn't have to. "It was mostly on the rooftops, so nothing hit me. But my legs are jelly, so yes please."

Unlike what Wildbow's writing said, not all authorities in Earth Bet were corruption elementals with a mission statement of 'Fuck 'em' and 'Fuck 'em harder'. People were, shockingly, just people. Which meant that she was soon tucked away on a taxi and sent on her way, all on the Enforcer's dime. His name was Michael and he had wasted no time showing off pictures of his twin daughters together with a bunch of stories to distract her as it started to sink in how close to death she'd been.

[+2 CP]

The apartment building was southwest of the Boardwalk, a few blocks into Downtown proper. Middle-class central, pretty much. There weren't any gang tags in sight, or even signs of vandalism beyond some random graffiti here and there. Hell, the elevator looked like it actually got its maintenance on time. The apartment itself was a nice studio with bland, but functional, furnishings. To her tired mind, the most important part was the bathroom and the divine shower/bath combo. It was an old-fashioned cast iron tub with enough room to stretch her long legs.

"Please tell me that chucking my clothes into the Inventory cleans them." Alice hadn't seen a washing machine on her way to the bathroom and she'd rather not have to give the dress a slime mold bath.

[I am not going to make the obvious tasteless joke. Yes, your clothes will be cleaned after being put in the Inventory.]

"Thank you." She groaned. A flash of green light and she was in her birthday suit, breasts drooping a bit as they lost their support. She'd get acquaintanced with those in a hot minute, for now she wanted the gunk off. The only saving grace was that her skin no longer produced more grease than an American diner.

Today's ordeal was finally over. Now all that was left was a nice shower, a soothing bath, and a restful sleep. Tomorrow could take care of itself for now.

Name: Alice Belobog
Age: 21
Level: 3
Class: Mage
Specialization: Plant
Subclass: <Locked>

HP: 60/60 [+1 HP per minute]
SP: 110/110 [+5 SP per minute if active, +20 if resting]
MP: 195/200 [+1.01 MP per minute]

STR: 11
DEX: 11
CON: 12
INT: 15
WIS: 15
CHA: 25
LCK: 20 (10 after World Debuff)

CP: 2

General Skills

Perception lvl 7 - This encompasses more than just sight, hearing, and the like. This is a measure of how well you can grasp the world around you and its varied nuances.
- 10% + 1% per level chance to uncover hidden objects, see through disguises and detect bullshit.

Meditation lvl 1 - The ability to focus oneself and maintain a level head. This skill is an important foundation not just for Mages but for Martial Artists as well. In time it may even be possible to enter a meditative trance while doing other things.
- Passive MP Regen + 1% per level.
- MP Regen + 5% per level while active. (Must Meditate for 1 minute for it to become active)
- Active use gradually removes mental effects at a rate of -10% + 1% per level.
- Chance of taking action or any disturbance breaking the meditative trance 90% - 1% per level.

Combat Skills

Blunt Weapon Mastery lvl 1 – A good whack is nature's reset button. This skill covers the various ways you can make upright people lie prone.
- Attack Speed +15% + 5% per level.
- Damage +5% per level.

Bladed Weapon Mastery lvl 1 - This is a general skill for handling sharps without cutting off important bits in the process. Blades can inflict the Bleed and Severed Debuff.
- Attack Speed +15% + 5% per level.
- Damage +5% per level.

Magic Skills

Plant Manipulation lvl 1 – The ability to manipulate plants from the simple flower to the mightiest tree. This is a subset of Life Magic which also covers certain healing spells and physical recovery.
- Spell Costs are reduced by 1% per level (Max -75%)
- Spell Effects are enhanced by 1% per level.
- Spell Range is enhanced by 1% per level.
- Spell Duration is increased by 1% per level.

Husk Bolt lvl 6 - This is a variant on one of the most basic spells in a Mage's arsenal, Mana Bolt. It conjures up a seed husk based on a template and fires it at high speed. Simple and efficient. This variant has the potential to debuff.
- Cost: 1 MP
- Range: 175 ft + 5 ft per level
- PWR: 1 + 0.1 per level = 1.6
- Damage Type: Blunt
- Debuff: Capsaicin - The bullet sprays dust on impact which can get in the eyes and nostrils. Irritation and radius increases by 5% per level. Base Range: ½ ft Causes watery eyes, runny nose, and burning in the mucus membranes.

Hungry Mold lvl 8 - A creepy fungus spell that turns putrefying flesh into a ravenous mold. All putrid flesh is consumed until nothing organic remains. After ten minutes with nothing to consume it dries out and dies.
Effect:
- Infests 1 lb of flesh per level.
- Can be ended prematurely by the caster.
- Cost: 20 MP

Inventory

Money: $2058.89
Smartphone
Dreams of Green Notebook
ID Paperwork
Apartment keys
Crowbar
10 Rolls of Heavy Leather (100 lbs)
20 lbs Steel
1 lb Gold
1 Roll Kevlar
10 Rolls of Cotton Cloth (40 lbs)
Fishy Nun Outfit (equipment set)
Vogue Frills Outfit (equipment set)
2 flannel shirts
Calf high brown leather boots
Bomber jacket
Shotgun + Ammo (6 shells)
5 Rare Books (unidentified)
Ninjutsu Through the Ages - This is a book detailing the history of ancient ninjutsu and its modern interpretation. The real stuff and not whatever insane stuff is found in anime. Requirements: STR 20, DEX 20, WIS 20

9 Soul Stone (Minor) - This possesses a tiny fragment of death magic and acts as the motive force behind undead creatures.

Tinkertech Baton - A high-quality self-defense tool advertised as the best on the market. It comes highly recommended by Toybox, but you don't care about all that. This thing is made of space-age materials capable of withstanding tremendous force, heat, cold, acid, and shocks. Your noodly arms will break before this bad boy. Your new toy can be set from 0 (no charge) to 11 (max charge). Max charge comes with backlash so please be responsible. Each charge is a 10% chance to stun or paralyze the target.
- Damage Type: Blunt
- Activated: Blunt/Electric
- Inflict: Stun/Paralyze
- PWR: 4

Shortsword - A basic shortsword. Well forged and simple to use. It was someone's homecraft as evidenced by a lack of discernible style.
Damage: Slash, Pierce
PWR: 6

Quests

A Child's Dreams of Green - Where did this notebook come from originally? It appears as fantasy but the principles within are solid. Are there other mages out there?
Rewards: 10,000 XP, Potential Mentor, Advanced Plant Spellbook
Failure: 1,000 XP. (Note: The only way to fail this quest is to give up.)

Patreon Note: A shoutout to my friends over on Patreon. The Patreon page is now updated to be even friendlier and clearer than before. Please think about helping me as I've still got lots of bills to pay, a cat to take care of, and not enough money for it all.

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_______________________________________________________________________

dingbat779 · Oct 8, 2024

Link Start 1.4

[You have slept in your own bed for eight hours! HP/MP/SP and Minor Ailments restored!]

Apparently the System's idea of 'minor ailments' was every possible discomfort. Waking up without even lingering stiffness from all the running around was a hell of a drug. She could count on one hand with fingers to spare the times she'd woken up this energized, much less from eight hours.

Alice's stretch was purely psychosomatic, her joints feeling like a million bucks from the moment she'd woken up, but it felt good so who cared? It also made the blanket fall off of her chest, giving her two pointed reminders she'd had to sleep in her underwear on account of owning no pajamas.

Or really much of anything other than what was on her inventory and the furniture.

Something to sort out later. For now? Charisma 25 or not, she wasn't enough of an idol to be free from Mr Rocca's tyranny.

The apartment, now that she had the mental constitution to actually take it in, was a large studio with clearly defined spaces and a soulless IKEA display aesthetic. Alice could see the sun shining through the white curtains splashing warm light across the hardwood floor. The kitchen was a gray and white tile with a glossy shine not at all diminished by the spread of stainless steel appliances. Decorative throw rugs were tossed about in a way reminiscent of a hotel catalog, trying and utterly failing to bring any life to the room. They just looked faintly out of place.

Everything looked as photogenic as a picture with as much warmth as a hospital. Smelled faintly of bleach, too, just to complete the ambience. The bathroom was the sole exception, done up in classic checkerboard tiles and baby blue paint. Nothing out of this world, but miles better than the rest.

She had already unceremoniously chucked the rugs into the grinder. She'd buy something fluffy and red later, especially if she could find any novelty ones shaped like blood splatter. As for the white walls? Some paintings would sort them out right quick. Lord Street's Market should have a bunch of small stalls where entrepreneurs peddled their stuff, she'd check on her smartphone before going.

For now, though, her gutmeats were quite upset with her and her complete lack of food and drink since her body had been made. The latter was simple enough to fix, the IKEA catalog did include cutlery, so she was sipping some tapwater right quick. Pretty much as soon as she'd squinted at it and made sure the tooltip didn't have anything suspicious on it, because Brockton Bay. Not as bad as Gotham, but that was mostly because there weren't hellmouths or Lazarus Pits in this world.

Probably.

The food, though? Alice was a Plant Mage. She just prodded her mana into making a stripped down apple. Just skin, juice and pulp. A perfect fruit sphere that'd make math teachers everywhere pop a stiffy.

[New Spell Created!]
Healing Hesperide lvl 1 - Conjures healing apples or apple juice, with some input from you.
- Cost: 4 MP
- HP Recovery - Must consume ½ lb or 1 pint for the full benefit.
- PWR: 1 (+0.1 per lvl)
- Amount of Food Created: ½ lb per lvl
- Amount of Drink Created: 1 pint per lvl
- Quality Modifier: +0.5% per level
- Active Time: 1 minute per level. (After this the magic healing is inert)

[Plant Manipulation Level 1 → 13]

[I kept this one from making notifications while you were busy, here is the backlog.]

"Fair nuff." Alice said as she crunched a bite out of the apple, sitting down at the kitchen's isle wearing nothing but that quasi-coat from her frilly outfit atop her underwear. Hey, this was as close as having a girlfriend lounging around the morning after as she'd ever get, may as well enjoy it. "Oh, that reminds me, put those two Character Points on my Luck."

[Luck +2]

"Hm, actually." She hummed as she swallowed another bite. "Can you give me a proper breakdown of what the stats influence and how I can train them? The less said about your makers' writeup, the better."

[Stats and You]
The Stat System is based around "Trinities."
Strength, Dexterity, Constitution form the Body Trinity
Intelligence, Wisdom, Charisma form the Mind Trinity
Luck is also broken down into three parts as the Spirit Trinity (Nothing further needs to be addressed. My creators explained Luck fairly well despite halfassing the rest.)

The Body Trinity must remain balanced or there will be debuffs. If one stat out of it is less than half the highest a debuff related to the low stat develops.

As an example. If your Strength is less than half your Constitution and Dexterity then you take movement penalties. If your Dexterity is less than half then you would be too stiff. Too much Strength and not enough Constitution could cause self harm from straining muscles.

Training a Stat is fairly straightforward as well. Because of these Trinities you are never truly working only one Stat. The only way you can fall behind is if you increase a Stat too much with CP or just not cycle your training.

Trained Stat: Full XP
Other Stats in Trinity: 50% XP

As far as training Stats? In the words of someone famous and wiser than myself: Anything can be training.

The parts that would be the most confusing are the Mind Stats. They explained Wisdom fairly well. Wisdom also governs flashes of insight and "gut feelings." The chance of that is 1% per point of Wisdom.

Intelligence isn't just how well you learn, but also how quickly you think. Your thinking speed is improved by 1% per point above 20. You probably won't rival a computer, but it's still a marked increase.

Charisma is your force of will and personality. Despite what most people think this isn't a measure of physical attractiveness otherwise Jack Slash would look like Adonis. For physical attractiveness that would be your Body Stats. Fit people are generally more attractive than unfit people.

"Just futz with things in the background so I don't get past wiry. Bulging muscles aren't the look I want." Alice huffed, shaking her head softly. Training was fuck around and find out, looked like. Couldn't exactly blame the System, it was the entity's first time doing this. "Actually, about Luck. Interesting situations here actually means opportunities, yeah? So I may stumble on a house fire which isn't exactly a good thing, but by intervening I save some people who would've otherwise died and I get some rep as a hero."

[Precisely. Luck isn't a double-edged sword but instead equal opportunity. Also if your Dexterity remains balanced with your other physical Stats you will remain sleek without bulking up.]

"Good enough for me. Do I also start getting some weird biology stuff like pink muscle and brown fat everywhere instead of just a few select spots?" Alice sure wouldn't complain about the super dense and perky squishy bits the latter came with. "Once my Stats get high enough, I mean."

[Why wait for your Stats? You're a Plant Manipulator that already cracked meat moss. You aren't quite a Biokinetic yet, but you have unlocked the Subclass "Biomanipulator" when your subclasses open up at level 15.]

"Because biology from the scientific angle is a finicky clusterfuck and I don't want to go back to squinting at proton pumps and molecular annealing, thank you very much." The Russian woman grumbled, hiding a grimace behind another bite of the apple. "Give me esoterism any day of the week, that's just narrative in a funny coat."

[Excellent point. I fully support you no matter which direction you choose.]

"Right, last question on the topic of Stats for now, I think. How harsh is the experience curve to increase them through training? Same for my level, while we're at it." Alice asked a moment after finishing up her apple in three quick bites.

[XP for a level is Level x 1000. Nice simple math. Nothing complicated which is just the way I like it and I'm sure you prefer simplicity too. The same holds true for Stats and Skills. Just like with anything you will have to work harder to make the gains, but it will be consistent.]

"Alright, linear. I can definitely work with that." The albino said as she quickly washed her hands of some stray juice and switched to her frilly dress set. Minus the scarf and coat because it wasn't that cold out at a quick check with a window. "Let's go see what breakfast places are around here, I'm craving some meat."

Also, it was an excuse to get used to the heels this outfit came with. They made her seem taller, did things to her hips she shouldn't talk about in polite company, were fine-ish to run in and may get her some DEX. All around a win.

Well, her DEX was definitely good enough to handle the heels. She hadn't rolled her ankle running away from the fight last night, so it was somewhat self-evident for all it hadn't fully sunk in until now. It was a gorgeous spring morning, too, so it was all coming up aces. According to her fancy new smartphone the closest and most popular early morning dining spot was simply called "Dave's". In fact, it was just down the street from her building.

The building was slightly narrow with a stainless steel exterior and wide windows, advertisements for today's specials hanging from them. The interior had that 50's vibe that many retro haunts tried to cultivate only to bumblefuck into being tacky at best. Whoever designed this love letter to the past knew a thing or two and had some money to burn, given how authentic the jukebox looked. The kitchen at the back was open, too, letting patrons watch their meals be cooked which was always a plus..

"How would you like a cup of coffee? Best in the city and bottomless to boot," The waitress all but chirped, 'Betty' going by her nametag. The petite twenty-something stuffed in an orange blouse and white apron combo happily showed Alice to a booth, high ponytail swishing as she walked.

"That'd be lovely. Pair it up with the deluxe breakfast platter." The albino replied with a small smile. According to the quick glance she'd had at the menu before heading in it was a stack of fluffy pancakes, three sausage links, crisped hash browns, two eggs any style and toast. Perfect for starting a long day of work.

"You got it. Comin' right up!" Betty flashed another dazzling smile before heading over to the counter. She returned in short order with a hot pot of coffee. The waitress left to help another table.

[Do you want to look at the Quest System now? You can bring it up on your smartphone.]

Alice had no pockets whatsoever, but the frills and her Inventory were enough to pretend otherwise. A quick press of the power button that was probably reading her fingerprint along the way and it unlocked. There weren't exactly a ton of apps in it, so finding the timeless yellow questionmark icon was simple enough. The interface was very simple in a one-size-fits-all kind of way. Alice could see it streamlining in real time as the UI continually made little improvements.

[[Quest Board: Brockton Bay]]

The number of potential jobs was staggering with most of them being outside of her level. There was one nearby which wasn't too dangerous.

[Quest Found!]
Miss Alice's Neighborhood - Take a look around the neighborhood and familiarize yourself with your surroundings. Range: 1 square block.
Reward: 500 XP
Bonus: Continue exploring the city 1 square block at a time.
Bonus Reward: 500 XP
Failure: None
Accept?: Y/N

Alice tapped Y without a second thought. She would have to roam around to familiarize herself with the area anyways, so she may as well make the most out of it.

[Since you don't have a Cape identity yet, a lot of Quests are locked. This is to give you time to settle in. However, if something happens near you, or you choose to involve yourself, I can make a Quest on the spot.]

'Appreciated.' She typed out on the touchscreen's keyboard.

Betty returned with a steaming plate of food. After the star of the show, she deftly set down a pourer of real maple syrup, a little plate of cut butter cubes and a little plate of peanut butter and jam.

"Here you go… Enjoy…" Betty's smile dimmed a touch as she caught sight of something just outside the diner. She shook it off, but whatever it was had a noticeable effect on her mood.

Perception pinged as Alice's gaze was drawn to the steel napkin holder, reflecting a man standing outside the dinner. She couldn't make out a ton of details, but the all black clothing and shaved head didn't say anything good.

But, honestly? So long as he didn't start shit, she'd just be enjoying her pancakes and be on her way. Just because trouble visited didn't mean you have to offer it a spot to sit down.

The man didn't leave. He put himself in a great position to be seen and it worked like a charm. Betty couldn't seem to concentrate, she kept casting surreptitious glances outside while trying to work. Her nerves were visibly fraying by the moment, until inevitably her fingers went slack at the wrong moment and she dropped a (thankfully) empty plate. Poor girl just about jumped out of her skin as it shattered on the floor, but a coworker helped her clean up before Betty slunk off to the back of the restaurant. Right on time for the man to stroll into the diner.

His build wasn't the largest, but he was filled well enough with muscle. And filling up something just a step and a half above gangsta chick. Leather jacket, muscle shirt, jeans and work boots. The shaven scalp was a tossup. The Iron Cross on his neck? Not so much. Skinhead or not, she wasn't about to make a mess out of the place over someone who had done nothing other than be a very roundabout pest.

Guy just parked himself at the counter and waved over one of the waitresses… then he grabbed her by the wrist. Not a crushing grip, but it didn't need to be with the way the poor girl went ramrod straight. Alice could faintly hear him asking sotto voice, "Where's Betty?" The waitress got a bad case of selective hearing, dropping off his coffee and scurrying off the moment his grip slacked.

<Antony Mueller - Junior Neo-Nazi lvl 8>

Name: Alice Belobog
Age: 21
Level: 3
Class: Mage
Specialization: Plant
Subclass: <Locked>

HP: 60/60 [+1 HP per minute]
SP: 110/110 [+5 SP per minute if active, +20 if resting]
MP: 195/200 [+1.01 MP per minute]

STR: 11
DEX: 11
CON: 12
INT: 15
WIS: 15
CHA: 25
LCK: 22 (11 after World Debuff)

CP: 0

General Skills

Perception lvl 7 - This encompasses more than just sight, hearing, and the like. This is a measure of how well you can grasp the world around you and its varied nuances.
- 10% + 1% per level chance to uncover hidden objects, see through disguises and detect bullshit.

Meditation lvl 1 - The ability to focus oneself and maintain a level head. This skill is an important foundation not just for Mages but for Martial Artists as well. In time it may even be possible to enter a meditative trance while doing other things.
- Passive MP Regen + 1% per level.
- MP Regen + 5% per level while active. (Must Meditate for 1 minute for it to become active)
- Active use gradually removes mental effects at a rate of -10% + 1% per level.
- Chance of taking action or any disturbance breaking the meditative trance 90% - 1% per level.

Combat Skills

Blunt Weapon Mastery lvl 1 – A good whack is nature's reset button. This skill covers the various ways you can make upright people lie prone.
- Attack Speed +15% + 5% per level.
- Damage +5% per level.

Bladed Weapon Mastery lvl 1 - This is a general skill for handling sharps without cutting off important bits in the process. Blades can inflict the Bleed and Severed Debuff.
- Attack Speed +15% + 5% per level.
- Damage +5% per level.

Magic Skills

Plant Manipulation lvl 13 – The ability to manipulate plants from the simple flower to the mightiest tree. This is a subset of Life Magic which also covers certain healing spells and physical recovery.
- Spell Costs are reduced by 1% per level (Max -75%)
- Spell Effects are enhanced by 1% per level.
- Spell Range is enhanced by 1% per level.
- Spell Duration is increased by 1% per level.

Healing Hesperide lvl 1 - Conjures healing apples or apple juice, with some input from you.
- Cost: 4 MP
- HP Recovery - Must consume ½ lb or 1 pint for the full benefit.
- PWR: 1 (+0.1 per lvl)
- Amount of Food Created: ½ lb per lvl
- Amount of Drink Created: 1 pint per lvl
- Quality Modifier: +0.5% per level
- Active Time: 1 minute per level. (After this the magic healing is inert)

Husk Bolt lvl 6 - This is a variant on one of the most basic spells in a Mage's arsenal, Mana Bolt. It conjures up a seed husk based on a template and fires it at high speed. Simple and efficient. This variant has the potential to debuff.
- Cost: 1 MP
- Range: 175 ft + 5 ft per level
- PWR: 1 + 0.1 per level = 1.6
- Damage Type: Blunt
- Debuff: Capsaicin - The bullet sprays dust on impact which can get in the eyes and nostrils. Irritation and radius increases by 5% per level. Base Range: ½ ft Causes watery eyes, runny nose, and burning in the mucus membranes.

Hungry Mold lvl 8 - A creepy fungus spell that turns putrefying flesh into a ravenous mold. All putrid flesh is consumed until nothing organic remains. After ten minutes with nothing to consume it dries out and dies.
Effect:
- Infests 1 lb of flesh per level.
- Can be ended prematurely by the caster.
- Cost: 20 MP

Inventory

Money: $2058.89
Smartphone
Dreams of Green Notebook
ID Paperwork
Apartment keys
Crowbar
10 Rolls of Heavy Leather (100 lbs)
20 lbs Steel
1 lb Gold
1 Roll Kevlar
10 Rolls of Cotton (40 lbs)
Fishy Nun Outfit (equipment set, what she started with)
Vogue Frills Outfit (equipment set, the one she just got)
2 flannel shirts
Calf high brown leather boots
Bomber jacket
Shotgun + Ammo (6 shells)
5 Rare Books (unidentified)

Ninjutsu Through the Ages - This is a book detailing the history of ancient ninjutsu and its modern interpretation. The real stuff and not whatever insane stuff is found in anime. Requirements: STR 20, DEX 20, WIS 20

9 Soul Stone (Minor) - This possesses a tiny fragment of death magic and acts as the motive force behind undead creatures.

Tinkertech Baton - A high-quality self-defense tool advertised as the best on the market. It comes highly recommended by Toybox, but you don't care about all that. This thing is made of space-age materials capable of withstanding tremendous force, heat, cold, acid, and shocks. Your noodly arms will break before this bad boy. Your new toy can be set from 0 (no charge) to 11 (max charge). Max charge comes with backlash so please be responsible. Each charge is a 10% chance to stun or paralyze the target.
- Damage Type: Blunt
- Activated: Blunt/Electric
- Inflict: Stun/Paralyze
- PWR: 4

Shortsword - A basic shortsword. Well forged and simple to use. It was someone's homecraft as evidenced by a lack of discernible style.
Damage: Slash, Pierce
PWR: 6

Quests

A Child's Dreams of Green - Where did this notebook come from originally? It appears as fantasy but the principles within are solid. Are there other mages out there?
Rewards: 10,000 XP, Potential Mentor, Advanced Plant Spellbook
Failure: 1,000 XP. (Note: The only way to fail this quest is to give up.)

Miss Alice's Neighborhood - Take a look around the neighborhood and familiarize yourself with your surroundings. Range: 1 square block.
Reward: 500 XP
Bonus: Continue exploring the city 1 square block at a time.
Bonus Reward: 500 XP
Failure: None

Patreon Note: A shoutout to my friends over on Patreon. The Patreon page is now updated to be even friendlier and clearer than before. Please think about helping me as I've still got lots of bills to pay, a cat to take care of, and not enough money for it all.

Thanks to my Patrons:
Intellectuals
the.sleeperdragon
sawpett06

Special Friends
titanicwargod

dingbat779 · Oct 10, 2024

Link Start 1.5

Mr Mueller sure was toeing the line, but so long as he didn't start slinging abuse physical or verbal Alice wasn't about to start a scene. If she didn't have an apartment or legal identity she wouldn't give two shits, since she'd be an open cape loose in the wind and without anything keeping her from living out of Dungeons or skipping town.

Alas, she actually had a civilian identity and something that may turn into a home, so that sort of recklessness was off the table entirely. Even if it had been, she would've waited until they were well away from the diner. No need to draw heat towards honest working folk.

Hm, she may want to meet the Ninjutsu book's Stat requirements sooner rather than later. Couldn't face the gangs head on without the sort of overwhelming power that removed them at the roots in a single offensive, not without unacceptable collateral as they escalated. Whether as a single powerhouse or an organization, this wasn't a shonen manga, you couldn't go halfsies half-baked and expect things to work themselves out.

The frightened waitress returned with the manager, a red-faced man in a white button down shirt and khakis. Heavyset but with the look of muscle only partially turned to fat. Mr. Mueller didn't even wait for the manager to kick him out. He just tossed some bills on the counter and left. The manager whispered to the girl, "Tell Betty she can go home early if she can't work." She nodded before heading to the back.

A few minutes later Betty returned, staunchly pretending nothing happened. When she approached Alice's table her hands were trembling minutely, but not enough to make anything clatter. Alas, the Russian woman had to tear down those pretenses. She held her softest, friendliest smile like a snare, catching the waitress' eyes with her own and holding them there, "Forgive me if this is too forward, but I'm new to the neighborhood and I was wondering if there was anything to worry about?"

Betty looked startled for a moment before trying to put on a comforting smile. It lacked conviction as she was obviously still rattled. "Nothing for you to worry about…" She was telling the truth about that, but there was more and if Alice was good at something it was prying out concessions without a single strong word. The woman bit her lip in indecision in the face of the albino's sympathetic gaze before letting out a small sigh. "You saw him. He's my ex… He's also the new 'captain' monitoring this block. It's a big deal to move up in the gang so quickly… I just can't deal with it. Tony wants me back and I don't want to go back. That's it…" The way her shoulders sagged it was clear the poor woman felt trapped. Defeated.

Alice clicked her tongue, not needing to play up the grimace of experience in the slightest, "I know the type. Lightweights getting drunk on a thimble of power."

There were no platitudes, they always tasted like ash in her mouth. Either deliver something of substance or stay silent. Alice could say she'd be keeping an eye out, but that'd just give Betty more anxiety and implicate her, in all likelihood.

The woman smiled tremulously. "I guess I just needed to talk to someone else about this. You're a very pretty woman, but Tony and his friends wouldn't care. They only see skin color…" Betty looked at Alice in concern.

"Honestly, I would rather they did not and would not care. Hugo Boss may know what they were doing with their uniforms, but I don't think I would look all that good in tan, hm?" The Russian woman replied with a crooked grin just this side of conspiratorial.

That startled a laugh out of the waitress. Betty flushed with embarrassment even as another giggle trickled out. "Ahem, right…" She glanced around as if finally realizing what was going on, she had thoughtlessly down in the booth across from a very smug Alice. Her boss gestured for Betty to just take a break, leaving the brunette to sigh fondly, "Dave is always worrying about us. He's a great guy."

"Always good to have someone looking out for you." The albino agreed easily. God knew she wouldn't have gotten anywhere near as far without System backing her up. The wording was also a subtle hook, snagging neatly by Betty's pensive look.

"Hey, uh, do you want to hang out? I get off work around two and I could show you around," The girl offered after a moment. Ah, but did she ever love to chug the Charisma juices, smoothed out all the little gaps between texting and talking.

"I'd love that." Alice said with a sharkish smile carefully hidden behind her cup as she took a sip of coffee. "I will get my groceries sorted out and tucked away then swing back by here, that should be enough of a time killer."

"Great! I keep a change of clothes in case I don't go straight home. See ya later…Ah. I didn't get your name," Betty blushes over making plans with someone and only just now thought to ask her name.

"Hah, yeah, couldn't find a good spot to slip it in. Alice Belobog, lemme toss my contact info at you." The Russian woman chuckled, flipping through her phone which blessedly didn't use Earth Bet's radial menus but had kept the intuitive flicking of info between smartphones.

Betty nodded as she got the information, sending her own back. Apparently her full name was Bethany Harris. "Okay. See ya at two." She stood up with an energetic wave after setting down Alice's bill, her cheerful smile finally back to full wattage.

The truly unusual part of the whole diner experience was that no one stared at her unusual looks. They didn't even give Alice a suspicious side eye. Mostly the customers kept to themselves, chatted with the waitresses, and were generally quite pleasant. She wasn't sure if it was a Downtown thing, what with Alabaster existing, or what. But it let her eat in peace so she wasn't about to complain.

The moment she was out of the diner and into the steadily busier streets, though, that vanished in a cloud of sparkly farts. No one was deliberately rude to her or anything, it was just the fact she was the whitest white woman in Brockton Bay. Only missing a dog, really.

Her beauty and Charisma created a weird reaction in some people. There was staring of course, but also a peculiar fascination for all that nobody worked up the courage to approach her. While all the attention was nice and did amazing things to her ego, it made blending in impossible. Having any sort of secret identity would be such a pain in the ass, she'd need to slap on something like a gas mask, then tuck away her hair or cover it with moss or something to that effect.

Point was, she couldn't do stealth worth shit. Hopefully she could summon an elemental or something to help with that.

[+500 XP]

The [Miss Alice's Neighborhood] Quest was raking in some steady gains. There were some limitations. She had to physically walk through the area and visit points of interest, but it was free XP so who cared? The street she was on was mostly consignment stores, with a really small Mom and Pop grocery store that had sorted out her immediate needs outside of clothes. A little park rounded out this little slice of Americana.

[There seems to be a secondhand store with some decent crafting items in the window. For the most part your Crafting Menu only requires materials and time. The downside is that the crafts are never more than Poor or Basic Quality. However, tools cut down the crafting time and increase the Quality with the chance of a Critical Success. Critical Successes can increase the quality of a project by as much as two full ranks.]

"How do those work, anyways? First time you mention them," Alice questioned with her phone on her ear even as she turned towards the store in question. There was an antique sewing kit on display, that'd help with the costume question and maybe she could slap together some sort of ragdoll golem to keep the apartment clean? The cloth she'd salvaged was mostly cotton, she was pretty sure. Should play nice with her Plant Magic.

[I'm still reading through the Help Doc my Creators threw together. Probably while they were blind stinking drunk. Critical Successes can be earned through various actions. Mostly those involved with crafting. Quality is a basic measurement of how good something is with higher Quality ratings gaining various benefits.]

[Quality Rankings]
- Terrible - Base Stats - 50%
- Poor - Base Stats - 25%
- Basic - Base Stats +0%
- Good - Base Stats + 25%, 5% of developing a Special Quality
- Great - Base Stats + 50%, 10% of developing a Special Quality
- Exceptional - Base Stats + 100%, 20% of developing a Special Quality
- Legendary - Base Stats + 200%, 40% of developing a Special Quality
- Mythic - Base Stats + 400%, 100% of developing a Special Quality

[Special Qualities are always based on the item itself. Other qualities can be added through using unique materials, reagents, magic and the like. These can be enhanced by the Base Stat percentage. So if you add an enchantment for +10% MP with a Great Quality that becomes +15%.]

"I can work with that." Alice said into her phone before turning it to face herself. A bit of fiddling had it seem like she was messing with the touchscreen when in actuality she was flipping through the menus. Turning some of the leather in her inventory into a wallet would go a long way, she'd gotten a few odd looks for pulling loose cash straight out of her 'pocket' at the grocery store.

[Received Item]
Wallet (Terrible) - This trashy looking wallet comes prebroken. It's, uh, falling apart already…
Durability: 10/10

She couldn't help but snort. So much for her Luck. Still, it was only a couple of taps to chuck that failure into the grinder and try again.

[Received Item]
Wallet (Poor) - A wallet made from degraded leather and it shows. Still it's better than nothing.
Durability: 15/15

That could work, but still. May as well get something actually decent. A few more tries, until finally–

[Received Item]
Wallet (Basic) - A simple wallet for simple tastes. Does everything that it should.
Durability: 20/20

Perfect. Now, to get that sewing kit and whatever else that caught her eye. Money wasn't much of an issue, with how she'd gotten two grand in under an hour. Instant Dungeons were great like that. Just had to make sure not to tip people off to having more money than she should, but between her looks and getup nobody would be particularly put off. She looked like nouveau riche trash.

Many secondhand stores tended to look like a junkyard exploded. This one was closer to an antique shop, with reasonable prices and everything appearing to be in good repair. There was a basic sewing kit but further back was a serger with its own table. A nice pair of steel scissors was just lying there waiting for a buyer. The shopkeeper was an old guy with gray flyaway hair and brown eyes. He squinted at Alice as she entered the shop, but otherwise kept his peace.

She just loaded up, putting together a pretty comprehensive set of tools and machines that in all likelihood she wouldn't actually touch after this. Alice had little doubt that if she put in the work, she could get a Skill or three to help with sewing and tailoring and whatever. However, opportunity cost as a harsh mistress. It was better to just loot a lot of materials and keep rolling the dice, while using her training time elsewhere.

The old man squinted at the tools but didn't say anything. He just rang it up and handed Alice her receipt. It did use up a good chunk of her funds, but money existed to be spent. She was sitting at around 1400 dollars now.

[Recieved Items]
Sewing Kit (Basic) - A simple sewing kit for basic projects. Quality never goes below Basic for clothing.
Serger (Basic) - This sewing machine is great for more advanced projects. Quality range is Basic to Great. Downside: Must be set up to use.
Steel Scissors (Good) - A pair of heavy steel scissors.
- Special Quality: Shearing - Capable of cutting through tough leather and some bones.
- Durability: 125/125

[Now that you have fully unlocked the Crafting System I will go back and make adjustments to some of your items…Done! Hmmm…Looks like your original outfit picked up an Armor Value as its Special Quality.]
Fishy Nun Outfit (equipment set) (Good)
- Armor 12
- Durability 25/25
- Comfort + 25%

[Damage is mitigated by adding Armor and Constitution together. Armor also helps reduce durability loss.]

She may want to look into how upgrading gear worked. The outfit she started with was entirely the sort of flashy that'd keep her safe in the arena of public perception. For now, though, she had some stuff to cart back home. Couldn't very well bullshit where all of this had gone by slipping into an alley or something, not with how much of an attention grabber she was.

Maybe she'd get some Constitution out of it?

After a quick pit stop at the apartment, Alice continued with her day. The next stop was the little park to take in some sun and finally identify the books she grabbed. She found a nice bench in the middle of a patch of sunlight before getting to work. As she took out the first book…

[Luck +2]

…that happened. The book was more of tome with a blood red cover and gilded pages. The UI thoughtfully translated the words on the cover.

[Item Identified]
Casting Beyond the Veil (Excellent) - This tome was written many years ago by a scholar of otherworldly magic. The scholar, Guy Dupont, wrote this after translating a much older grimoire. Contained within these pages are the fruits of his labor. Teaches Summoning Magic Skill.

It took herculean willpower to not race back to the apartment and get her mojo on. Fuck, but did she want to get a familiar yesterday. Still, she should look over the others before inhaling the contents of this.

The next book was a treatise on Fire Magic. It wasn't a Skill Book but more of an in-depth look at the workings of Fire. Guy Dupont also wrote this book and even gave it a warm orange colored cover.

[Item Identified]
A Passion for Burning (Excellent) - This Guy Dupont really gets around, doesn't he? These are his observations on the inner workings of Fire Magic and how it interacts with other elements. Confers several benefits that require research to unlock.

That could be amazingly useful given the obvious and subtler interactions between Fire and Plant she could think of already. At the same time, fire and smoke were very bad businesses in this world

Guy Dupont was quite the prolific writer. Alice skipped ahead so that the UI would identify them in a single batch. If she could find a mage these books would sell for a fortune.

[Items Identified]
A Flash of Brilliance (Excellent) - These are Guy Dupont's observations on Lightning and its unique place within the Wind Element group. Confers several benefits that require research to unlock.

The Deepest Darkness (Excellent) - Guy Dupont sought to find a connection between Dark and what he called "The Elements of the Earth." Confers several benefits that require research to unlock.

A Ray of Light (Excellent) - This details Guy Dupont's journey to discover a connection between Light and what he called "The Elements of Heaven." Confers several benefits that require research to unlock.

Goddamn, she was glad she'd had the time to dive into that Pawn Shop. For now, everything but Casting Beyond the Veil was slipped back into her inventory. She had made a book bag just for this, so even if someone was looking her way they wouldn't think anything was off.

According to the book there were many different branches of Summoning. The reason for this was because of how the Spirit World interacted with the Collective Subconscious. Rather than list every single individual branch, Guy Dupont collated them into something easier to understand. The original classifications were preserved in the Index for future reference. The book went on further to explain that Basic Spirits were summoned as the Summoner envisioned. Alice could choose to go with the Collective Subconscious for a stronger one, at the cost of having to deal with whatever nonsense Earth Bet's psychosphere had ready for her.

[Branches of Summoning Magic]
Natural - This involves invoking Spirits tethered to the Elements. These Spirits are predominantly neutral and numerous. The summoner will never invoke the same one every single time as they are the most primal, lacking even a basic Name. This is a good branch for novice Summoners.

Divine - This involves invoking Spirits based on the 7 Virtues as defined in Judeochristian lore. These Spirits are often virtuous and righteous, but extremely rigid in thinking. They insist that the Summoner dedicates themself to a single Virtue and upholds it in their daily lives. Novice Summoners are discouraged from starting with them for obvious reasons. Warning: Incompatible with Infernal Summoning.

Infernal - This involves invoking Spirits on the 7 Sins as defined in Judeochristian lore. These Spirits seek to corrupt their Summoner and tempt them into further deals. They do not insist on the Summoner doing anything special except to uphold freedom. What this freedom might be is different for each Infernal. Novice Summoners are discouraged from starting with them because of their seductive nature. Warning: Incompatible with Divine Summoning.

Beast - This is something of a misnomer as it involves invoking Spirits of all animals. These Spirits are generally quite wild and difficult to control depending on what is summoned. Like the Natural branch they are quite basic. Unlike the Natural branch they do possess Name Rank Summons.

Forest - This is something of a misnomer as it involves invoking Spirits of all plants and nature. These Spirits are capricious and can be difficult to control depending on what is summoned. Like the Natural branch they are quite basic. Unlike the Natural branch they do possess Name Rank Summons.

Well, that last category was no fucking surprise. Plants made the Balkans look like a yoga class. There was no hesitation in flipping to the Beast section, she knew exactly what she was angling for. The circle for summoning a Beast Spirit was simple and it only needed to be done once for each different critter. From then on it was just a basic spell to call them out. For the initial circle it needed to be drawn in a natural habitat with a morsel of food placed in the center.

Looked like she'd be visiting the sewers sometime soon. It was that or the forest outside the city and she couldn't be arsed.

[New Magic Skill Gained!]
Summoning lvl 1 - This Skill is based on the research of Guy Dupont and covers the summoning and dismissing of various Spirits. Summons remain until dismissed or killed. A killed Summon merely returns to their natural realm. The more MP is used the more powerful the Spirit that is called.
- MP: 20
- Control: 10% + 5% per level. (This is based on Charisma)
- Dismiss: 25% + 15% per level. (This is based on Charisma)

Now, what about Nature Spirits? Those sounded like temporary summons more than anything else. She sure hoped there was a way to bind one as a familiar, maybe by giving them a nam–

Her phone went off to remind her that it was time to meet Betty. Alice's aspirations as a summoner would have to wait for later. The proper ritual must still be observed, Skill or not, but she didn't have the time for that right now.

Name: Alice Belobog
Age: 21
Level: 3
Class: Mage
Specialization: Plant
Subclass: <Locked>

HP: 60/60 [+1 HP per minute]
SP: 110/110 [+5 SP per minute if active, +20 if resting]
MP: 195/200 [+1.01 MP per minute]

STR: 11
DEX: 11
CON: 12
INT: 15
WIS: 15
CHA: 25
LCK: 24 (12 after World Debuff)

CP: 0

General Skills

Perception lvl 7 - This encompasses more than just sight, hearing, and the like. This is a measure of how well you can grasp the world around you and its varied nuances.
- 10% + 1% per level chance to uncover hidden objects, see through disguises and detect bullshit.

Meditation lvl 1 - The ability to focus oneself and maintain a level head. This skill is an important foundation not just for Mages but for Martial Artists as well. In time it may even be possible to enter a meditative trance while doing other things.
- Passive MP Regen + 1% per level.
- MP Regen + 5% per level while active. (Must Meditate for 1 minute for it to become active)
- Active use gradually removes mental effects at a rate of -10% + 1% per level.
- Chance of taking action or any disturbance breaking the meditative trance 90% - 1% per level.

Combat Skills

Blunt Weapon Mastery lvl 1 – A good whack is nature's reset button. This skill covers the various ways you can make upright people lie prone.
- Attack Speed +15% + 5% per level.
- Damage +5% per level.

Bladed Weapon Mastery lvl 1 - This is a general skill for handling sharps without cutting off important bits in the process. Blades can inflict the Bleed and Severed Debuff.
- Attack Speed +15% + 5% per level.
- Damage +5% per level.

Magic Skills

Plant Manipulation lvl 13 – The ability to manipulate plants from the simple flower to the mightiest tree. This is a subset of Life Magic which also covers certain healing spells and physical recovery.
- Spell Costs are reduced by 1% per level (Max -75%)
- Spell Effects are enhanced by 1% per level.
- Spell Range is enhanced by 1% per level.
- Spell Duration is increased by 1% per level.

Summoning lvl 1 - This Skill is based on the research of Guy Dupont and covers the summoning and dismissing of various Spirits. Summons remain until dismissed or killed. A killed Summon merely returns to their natural realm. The more MP is used the more powerful the Spirit that is called.
- MP: 20
- Control: 10% + 5% per level. (This is based on Charisma)
- Dismiss: 25% + 15% per level. (This is based on Charisma)

Healing Hesperide lvl 1 - Conjures healing apples or apple juice, with some input from you.
- Cost: 4 MP
- HP Recovery - Must consume ½ lb or 1 pint for the full benefit.
- PWR: 1 (+0.1 per lvl)
- Amount of Food Created: ½ lb per lvl
- Amount of Drink Created: 1 pint per lvl
- Quality Modifier: +0.5% per level
- Active Time: 1 minute per level. (After this the magic healing is inert)

Husk Bolt lvl 6 - This is a variant on one of the most basic spells in a Mage's arsenal, Mana Bolt. It conjures up a seed husk based on a template and fires it at high speed. Simple and efficient. This variant has the potential to debuff.
- Cost: 1 MP
- Range: 175 ft + 5 ft per level
- PWR: 1 + 0.1 per level = 1.6
- Damage Type: Blunt
- Debuff: Capsaicin - The bullet sprays dust on impact which can get in the eyes and nostrils. Irritation and radius increases by 5% per level. Base Range: ½ ft Causes watery eyes, runny nose, and burning in the mucus membranes.

Hungry Mold lvl 8 - A creepy fungus spell that turns putrefying flesh into a ravenous mold. All putrid flesh is consumed until nothing organic remains. After ten minutes with nothing to consume it dries out and dies.
Effect:
- Infests 1 lb of flesh per level.
- Can be ended prematurely by the caster.
- Cost: 20 MP

Inventory

Money: $1400.89
Smartphone (Great)
Dreams of Green Notebook (Poor)
ID Paperwork (Basic)
Apartment keys (Basic)
Crowbar (Good)
- Durability: 125/125
10 Rolls of Heavy Leather (100 lbs)
20 lbs Steel
1 lb Gold
1 Roll Kevlar
10 Rolls of Cotton (40 lbs)
Fishy Nun Outfit (equipment set, what she started with) (Good)
- Armor 12
- Durability 25/25
- Comfort + 25%
Vogue Frills Outfit (equipment set, the one she just got) (Basic)
- Durability 20/20
- Comfort + 0%
2 flannel shirts (Basic)
Calf high brown leather boots (Basic)
Bomber jacket (Good)
- Durability 63/63
- Comfort +25%
Shotgun (Basic)
- Durability 125/125
Ammo (6 shells)

Casting Beyond the Veil (Excellent) - This tome was written many years ago by a scholar of otherworldly magic. The scholar, Guy Dupont, wrote this after translating a much older grimoire. Contained within these pages are the fruits of his labor. Teaches Summoning Magic Skill.

A Passion for Burning (Excellent) - This Guy Dupont really gets around, doesn't he? These are his observations on the inner workings of Fire Magic and how it interacts with other elements. Confers several benefits that require research to unlock.

A Flash of Brilliance (Excellent) - These are Guy Dupont's observations on Lightning and its unique place within the Wind Element group. Confers several benefits that require research to unlock.

The Deepest Darkness (Excellent) - Guy Dupont sought to find a connection between Dark and what he called "The Elements of the Earth." Confers several benefits that require research to unlock.

A Ray of Light (Excellent) - This details Guy Dupont's journey to discover a connection between Light and what he called "The Elements of Heaven." Confers several benefits that require research to unlock.

Ninjutsu Through the Ages - This is a book detailing the history of ancient ninjutsu and its modern interpretation. The real stuff and not whatever insane stuff is found in anime. Requirements: STR 20, DEX 20, WIS 20

9 Soul Stone (Minor) - This possesses a tiny fragment of death magic and acts as the motive force behind undead creatures.

Tinkertech Baton - A high-quality self-defense tool advertised as the best on the market. It comes highly recommended by Toybox, but you don't care about all that. This thing is made of space-age materials capable of withstanding tremendous force, heat, cold, acid, and shocks. Your noodly arms will break before this bad boy. Your new toy can be set from 0 (no charge) to 11 (max charge). Max charge comes with backlash so please be responsible. Each charge is a 10% chance to stun or paralyze the target.
- Damage Type: Blunt
- Activated: Blunt/Electric
- Inflict: Stun/Paralyze
- PWR: 4

Shortsword - A basic shortsword. Well forged and simple to use. It was someone's homecraft as evidenced by a lack of discernible style.
Damage: Slash, Pierce
PWR: 6

Quests

A Child's Dreams of Green - Where did this notebook come from originally? It appears as fantasy but the principles within are solid. Are there other mages out there?
Rewards: 10,000 XP, Potential Mentor, Advanced Plant Spellbook
Failure: 1,000 XP. (Note: The only way to fail this quest is to give up.)

Miss Alice's Neighborhood - Take a look around the neighborhood and familiarize yourself with your surroundings. Range: 1 square block.
Reward: 500 XP
Bonus: Continue exploring the city 1 square block at a time.
Bonus Reward: 500 XP
Failure: None

Patreon Note: A shoutout to my friends over on Patreon. The Patreon page is now updated to be even friendlier and clearer than before. Please think about helping me as I've still got lots of bills to pay, a cat to take care of, and not enough money for it all.

Thanks to my Patrons:
Fans
moon.fellow7
mckin102

Intellectuals
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Special Friends
titanicwargod

Apple has a 30% upcharge that doesn't go to me. Read the full story here.

dingbat779 · Oct 12, 2024

Link Start 1.6

Betty was waiting outside of the restaurant while scanning the area alertly, shoulders up and tense. No prizes for guessing why. However, before Alice could say anything, the waitress spotted her and instantly the tension melted away in favor of a brilliant smile as she compressed the albino's ribs by way of hello.

"There you are! How was your day so far?" She asked brightly.

"Pretty good. Grabbed some sewing stuff I spotted at a secondhand store, figure I may try out the hobby. Make some plushies or something." Alice replied as she returned the hug without missing a beat. It was a bit awkward with someone she hadn't known for more than thirty minutes, but it was good to have someone to hold after the last twenty-four hours. "Come on, o' guide mine, lead the way. I need to buy some clothes since most of my luggage vanished into the fucking aether."

"Oof, yeah, that can happen in the Bay. You turn your back for a minute and it's just gone. Don't worry, I know a great place! They even have something in your style," She said with a wink.

Betty's pleasant smile hid a calculating mind. She instantly dissected what Alice was wearing, stance, and general demeanor to understand her tastes. That was the only explanation for the clothing store. The storefront had a lovely hat in the window with a wide brim and lace. Inside were racks of faux Gothic and real Gothic clothing. Of course that wasn't all they had, but it did seem to be a pleasantly offbeat place. The saleswoman behind the counter looked as if she sampled the wares herself.

"That's Eliza Moonglow. Not her real name obviously, but she needed a gimmick and Goth is more recognizable. She takes things on consignment and slips her own designs in as well. She mixes up brand names with her stuff to increase her profile," Betty whispered to Alice.

"Don't go spreading my secrets now, Betty," Eliza smirked at the woman as she approached. The proprietress of the establishment slowly panned Alice, gray eyes shimmered with curiosity. She was a tall woman herself in a black corset top with silver eyelets and batwing sleeves. The skirt came to just above her knees and was strimmed in lace. Knee length black boots and fingerless lace opera gloves completed the ensemble. Long dark hair was held back by black ribbons. "Well well…You certainly brought an intriguing friend."

"I just wanted to show her the best clothier in town," Betty said with a shrug.

"Well I suppose I can't deny such a ringing endorsement," Eliza remarked sardonically before turning back to Alice. "What can I help you with?"

"I have to rebuild the better part of my wardrobe and I'm open to advice beyond whatever sweaters and jeans I snatch up." The albino explained succinctly.

"Sweaters, jeans, and I assume other comfortable clothes. Of course you will want something for dressing up. Perhaps some business casual…" Just like that Eliza led Alice deeper into her domain, Betty trailing behind them with a giggle.

Eliza might be fashion conscious, but she certainly understood her customer's needs. She didn't waste time and efficiently took Alice's measurements before barking orders at Betty. The brunette didn't even question it as she was sent around the store to collect Eliza's suggestions. Honestly, the waitress seemed to enjoy playing dress up with her new friend.

The first outfit for consideration wasn't elaborate but certainly in line with what Alice was already wearing. It was a blue-gray blouse with short sleeves and white sleeves stitched beneath to give the illusion of layers. The belt was made of charcoal black leather with silver hardware and a square buckle. Eliza chose the ankle length skirt herself. There was a belt for holding the sides closed layered over a flowing black skirt. A neat pocket sat in the front with a concealed snap. Last, but certainly not least were the white ankle boots and white socks.

"Well? What do you think?" Eliza asked. "Come on out and show us."

"I look like an Idol trying to run around in civvies, just missing a pair of sunglasses." Alice chuckled as she stepped out, twirling without prompting.

Swish-swish, hehe.

Betty's eyes lit up as she took in the outfit, but a frown creased her brow. "It's almost perfect, but something's missing…" She looked around for a minute before snatching up a playful black beret and putting it on Alice's head. "How's that?"

"Cute and whimsical," Eliza nodded approvingly. "Ah, I wish I could keep her as a model…" Betty rolled her eyes fondly unnoticed, or at least unacknowledged, by the fashion maven.

"Second verse, same as the first but twice as loud." The Russian woman said as she looked in the mirror.

The rest of the shopping trip was spent finding more outfits similar to what Alice wore and what she tried on. Betty found a pair of tight jeans in Alice's size while Eliza picked out a comfortable gray sweater. Maybe they were having too much fun with Alice as their living doll? Nah, impossible. The cost took another large bite out of her wallet, but the System said it was all Good quality with decent durability. Of course the most important thing was just how fabulous she looked.

Fashionframe was the true endgame.

[Current Money: $800.21]

"Oh shoot…" Betty sighed as she caught sight of the time. "I have to get home. I've got work in the morning…" The tension was back, but not as bad as earlier.

"I will meet you there, I got some reading to get through and the coffee didn't disappoint." Alice offered without a second thought. She actually hoped Mr Mueller showed up, it would be needed for the next part.

"Thanks. I'm looking forward to it," Betty hugged Alice again before hurrying out the door. The look on Eliza's face would have frightened a Gorgon.

"Damn that man…" She snarled under her breath before looking shocked. "Pardon me…It just slipped out…" The proprietress tried to laugh it off, but her eyes said it all.

"He's annoyingly good at toeing the line, isn't he?" The albino dropped into the conversation carelessly.

"He stays just inside the line in public. It's all about appearance with them. They don't care what you do as long as it doesn't embarrass them," Eliza gripped the counter hard enough that her knuckles whitened. "So I say damn him. Thanks to him and his goose stepping halfwits my customers are harassed and decent people like Betty are afraid," She said even as her shoulders shook from trying to contain her anger.

"I may have no love for Mother Russia, but on the Fourth Reich wannabes the Reds and I agree." Alice hummed agreeably, before letting out a rueful sigh, "Alas, not the sort of world where shouting real loud about your friendships and loves makes things sort themselves out after a few good punches. So we do what we can and try to make it enough."

Eliza just nodded. The anger sustaining her sputtered out as she sat heavily on a stool. She gave a half-hearted smile and wished Alice well, but her heart wasn't in it.

Well, time to see if her best was enough.

The Summoning Skill added a handy tag to Alice's GPS to show some decent summoning spots. For what she had in mind the GPS took her to an abandoned lot behind a rundown building. The grass was overgrown in places with dry ground in others. Cast off junk dotted the lot as nature sought to claim the rusted hunks of metal. The feel of the place was even auspicious. Even better, it wasn't too far from her apartment.

Just enough that there wasn't anyone around.

Each type of summoning had little quirks when constructing the circle. For Beasts it involved placing a morsel of food in the center of a ring of bones. The circumference of the ring was important in that it determined the Spirit's size. Too large and the circle would take too much MP. The type of food also played a part in determining the Spirit's disposition. Red meat was good for Summoning carnivores or more aggressive Spirits. Fruits and vegetables were for herbivores of calmer Spirits. Bigger morsels determine just how aggressive or rational they were.

Finding enough bones for a ten feet wide circle had been easier than someone would think. A single slip behind a restaurant and Hungry Mold had cleaned up and pushed up a veritable treasure trove from the dumpster.

"...Hey, System. Any way to feed a Skill Book into this? Or use it to influence what comes out at all?" Alice asked as she started laying down the ring of bones. Chicken and rabbit everything, pork ribs, cow t-bones, she had variety here.

[That is an interesting idea…I suggest you give it a try. If it wouldn't work, I'll put the book back in your Inventory so it remains unharmed. Does that sound fair?]

"Let's go for it." The albino said with a sharkish grin as she finished up with the bones. A nice, uninterrupted palm-wide line. The food offering was really simple. A Healing Hesperide apple, fresh from her mana and laid down at the center of the circle atop the Skill Book.

The circle seemed to click as a faint ripple of mana swept through it, the apple starting to glow with a gentle ruby light that gradually engulfed the Skill Book. Motes of mana were drawn in from the surrounding area and even from the fresh bones, fluttering through the air. A voice whispered in the silence of Alice's heart, 'Speak your desire.'

"A friend in the dark, faithful and trustworthy." She answered without hesitation, image and intent fixed in her mind.

A swelling of approval enveloped Alice as the light within the circle intensified. Winds began to swirl as the air grew charged with electricity. The ruby glow solidified as the swirling wind seemed to almost compress it into an orb. With a final pulse the light burst outward to reveal a giant rat. Giant compared to its kind as the thing must have been the size of a Maine Coon. The fur was ash gray, its eyes the same brilliant red as the apple the summoner had offered.

[Summoning lvl 1 > 6]

<I have never been summoned with an apple before.> The female voice was pleasant and amused. She took note of her appearance with good humor. <At least I don't have any leaves anywhere. Goodness, I'm even bigger than my boss!> A shimmering laugh echoed in the clearing.

Now, she wanted to get to know her new friend, but there were some formalities to be observed. She wanted a familiar, after all. The albino straightened her spine and squared her shoulders as she breathed in, "I will begin in accordance with the ancient rites. My true name is Alice Belobog, formerly ███████. You have heard my true name, please tell me yours."

A pressure started to build as the cheerful rodent was replaced by something much older. For all the Spirit's appearance didn't shift an iota, there was a weight to the rat now. <As you wish. My true name is Nezumi. We are one, as the ancient contract decrees.>

"Our souls are one."

"I am Alice Belobog."

"–we will be one forever."

[Contract Formed with Nezumi the Shadow Seeker]

An image flashed in Alice's mind, almost as if she were standing there. Somehow, she knew the cloaked rat woman at the head of the carnage was Nezumi's true form. That was the last thing she registered before pitching forward, the edges of her sight darkening. Nezumi shapeshifted into a short young woman with a faint overbite as she lunged forward to catch her summoner.

"Careful, Summoner. We wouldn't want to scratch that pretty face now, would we?" She smiled cheekily. Her hair and eyes were the same, but she was now stuffed into a mirror of Alice's clothes, just in earthen tones.

"If I get a scar, it damn well have a dramatic battle behind it." The Russian woman chuckled as she leaned on her new partner.

[MP: 0/250]

"Just rest, Summoner. There is no one around but us. The only ones who could see the lightshow would be Master-type parahumans capable of summoning," Nezumi said as she gracefully lowered herself to a seated position on the ground, cradling Alice to her chest.

"Keep'n eye out fer me." The mage mumbled before finally allowing sleep to take her.

The Rat Spirit rolled her eyes as Alice checked out, shaking her head as she prepared to carry the taller woman home. The UI helpfully showed her the way with little golden arrows.

Name: Alice Belobog
Age: 21
Level: 3
Class: Mage
Specialization: Plant
Subclass: <Locked>

HP: 60/60 [+1 HP per minute]
SP: 120/120 [+5 SP per minute if active, +20 if resting]
MP: 0/250 [+1.01 MP per minute]

STR: 11
DEX: 11
CON: 12
INT: 15
WIS: 15
CHA: 25
LCK: 24 (12 after World Debuff)

CP: 0

General Skills

Perception lvl 7 - This encompasses more than just sight, hearing, and the like. This is a measure of how well you can grasp the world around you and its varied nuances.
- 10% + 1% per level chance to uncover hidden objects, see through disguises and detect bullshit.

Meditation lvl 1 - The ability to focus oneself and maintain a level head. This skill is an important foundation not just for Mages but for Martial Artists as well. In time it may even be possible to enter a meditative trance while doing other things.
- Passive MP Regen + 1% per level.
- MP Regen + 5% per level while active. (Must Meditate for 1 minute for it to become active)
- Active use gradually removes mental effects at a rate of -10% + 1% per level.
- Chance of taking action or any disturbance breaking the meditative trance 90% - 1% per level.

Combat Skills

Blunt Weapon Mastery lvl 1 – A good whack is nature's reset button. This skill covers the various ways you can make upright people lie prone.
- Attack Speed +15% + 5% per level.
- Damage +5% per level.

Bladed Weapon Mastery lvl 1 - This is a general skill for handling sharps without cutting off important bits in the process. Blades can inflict the Bleed and Severed Debuff.
- Attack Speed +15% + 5% per level.
- Damage +5% per level.

Magic Skills

Plant Manipulation lvl 13 – The ability to manipulate plants from the simple flower to the mightiest tree. This is a subset of Life Magic which also covers certain healing spells and physical recovery.
- Spell Costs are reduced by 1% per level (Max -75%)
- Spell Effects are enhanced by 1% per level.
- Spell Range is enhanced by 1% per level.
- Spell Duration is increased by 1% per level.

Summoning lvl 6 - This Skill is based on the research of Guy Dupont and covers the summoning and dismissing of various Spirits. Summons remain until dismissed or killed. A killed Summon merely returns to their natural realm. The more MP is used the more powerful the Spirit that is called.
- MP: 20
- Control: 10% + 5% per level. (This is based on Charisma)
- Dismiss: 25% + 15% per level. (This is based on Charisma)

Healing Hesperide lvl 1 - Conjures healing apples or apple juice, with some input from you.
- Cost: 4 MP
- HP Recovery - Must consume ½ lb or 1 pint for the full benefit.
- PWR: 1 (+0.1 per lvl)
- Amount of Food Created: ½ lb per lvl
- Amount of Drink Created: 1 pint per lvl
- Quality Modifier: +0.5% per level
- Active Time: 1 minute per level. (After this the magic healing is inert)

Husk Bolt lvl 6 - This is a variant on one of the most basic spells in a Mage's arsenal, Mana Bolt. It conjures up a seed husk based on a template and fires it at high speed. Simple and efficient. This variant has the potential to debuff.
- Cost: 1 MP
- Range: 175 ft + 5 ft per level
- PWR: 1 + 0.1 per level = 1.6
- Damage Type: Blunt
- Debuff: Capsaicin - The bullet sprays dust on impact which can get in the eyes and nostrils. Irritation and radius increases by 5% per level. Base Range: ½ ft Causes watery eyes, runny nose, and burning in the mucus membranes.

Hungry Mold lvl 8 - A creepy fungus spell that turns putrefying flesh into a ravenous mold. All putrid flesh is consumed until nothing organic remains. After ten minutes with nothing to consume it dries out and dies.
Effect:
- Infests 1 lb of flesh per level.
- Can be ended prematurely by the caster.
- Cost: 20 MP

Inventory

Money: $800.21
Smartphone (Great)
Dreams of Green Notebook (Poor)
ID Paperwork (Basic)
Apartment keys (Basic)
Crowbar (Good)
- Durability: 125/125
10 Rolls of Heavy Leather (100 lbs)
20 lbs Steel
1 lb Gold
1 Roll Kevlar
10 Rolls of Cotton (40 lbs)
Fishy Nun Outfit (equipment set) (Good)
- Armor 12
- Durability 25/25
- Comfort + 25%
Vogue Frills Outfit (equipment set) (Basic)
- Durability 20/20
- Comfort + 0%
Shotgun (Basic)
- Durability 125/125
Ammo (6 shells)
Assorted Clothes (Good)

Casting Beyond the Veil (Excellent) - This tome was written many years ago by a scholar of otherworldly magic. The scholar, Guy Dupont, wrote this after translating a much older grimoire. Contained within these pages are the fruits of his labor. Teaches Summoning Magic Skill.

A Passion for Burning (Excellent) - This Guy Dupont really gets around, doesn't he? These are his observations on the inner workings of Fire Magic and how it interacts with other elements. Confers several benefits that require research to unlock.

A Flash of Brilliance (Excellent) - These are Guy Dupont's observations on Lightning and its unique place within the Wind Element group. Confers several benefits that require research to unlock.

The Deepest Darkness (Excellent) - Guy Dupont sought to find a connection between Dark and what he called "The Elements of the Earth." Confers several benefits that require research to unlock.

A Ray of Light (Excellent) - This details Guy Dupont's journey to discover a connection between Light and what he called "The Elements of Heaven." Confers several benefits that require research to unlock.

9 Soul Stone (Minor) - This possesses a tiny fragment of death magic and acts as the motive force behind undead creatures.

Tinkertech Baton - A high-quality self-defense tool advertised as the best on the market. It comes highly recommended by Toybox, but you don't care about all that. This thing is made of space-age materials capable of withstanding tremendous force, heat, cold, acid, and shocks. Your noodly arms will break before this bad boy. Your new toy can be set from 0 (no charge) to 11 (max charge). Max charge comes with backlash so please be responsible. Each charge is a 10% chance to stun or paralyze the target.
- Damage Type: Blunt
- Activated: Blunt/Electric
- Inflict: Stun/Paralyze
- PWR: 4

Shortsword - A basic shortsword. Well forged and simple to use. It was someone's homecraft as evidenced by a lack of discernible style.
Damage: Slash, Pierce
PWR: 6

Quests

A Child's Dreams of Green - Where did this notebook come from originally? It appears as fantasy but the principles within are solid. Are there other mages out there?
Rewards: 10,000 XP, Potential Mentor, Advanced Plant Spellbook
Failure: 1,000 XP. (Note: The only way to fail this quest is to give up.)

Miss Alice's Neighborhood - Take a look around the neighborhood and familiarize yourself with your surroundings. Range: 1 square block.
Reward: 500 XP
Bonus: Continue exploring the city 1 square block at a time.
Bonus Reward: 500 XP
Failure: None

Author's Note: I'm moving to a new format for uploads. Updates will be done twice a week on Monday and Friday after this. For my Patrons you can read two whole chapters in advance of Shards of Reality and eventually A Light into the Future.

Patreon Note: A shoutout to my friends over on Patreon. The Patreon page is now updated to be even friendlier and clearer than before. Please think about helping me as I've still got lots of bills to pay, a cat to take care of, and not enough money for it all.

Thanks to my Patrons:
Fans
moon.fellow7
mckin102
bresklinhalsey
havefeith

Intellectuals
the.sleeperdragon
sawpett06

Special Friends
titanicwargod

Apple has a 30% upcharge that doesn't go to me. Read the full story here.

dingbat779 · Oct 14, 2024

Link Start 1.7

Sunlight streamed in through the windows as the dulcet tones of a car horn woke Alice up. She'd need to figure out a soundproofing enchantment or something. She may no longer have hearing hypersensitivity, but it was still obnoxious to be woken up by urban earfuck. She wanted to enjoy her fluffy bed, damn it. At least there was coffee brewing.

Wait.

Alice sat up in bed and yep. That was five feet of rat woman puttering around the kitchen. She'd even set up the cloth crafting station. How did she get that stuff out of the Inventory?

"Are you certain this is okay?" Nezumi asked softly. The phone in her hand chimed. "If you say so. I would do anything my Summoner asks. This is the first time I've had an honest-to-goodness Quest given to me…"

Well, that explained that.

"Good morning. Nezumi. System." Alice said as she stood and stretched, switching to some leggings and a sports bra with a flick of her finger. Workout clothes made for good loungewear. Hm. "System, two things. First, how's Themis sound as a name for you? Second, can you give me a quest for finding a gym to become a regular at?"

[Themis is a wonderful name. Now as to a Quest for finding a gym… specifications or general? Oh, never mind. I have an idea.]

[New Quest Added!]
Getting Pumped! - Do you want to be the leanest, meanest, fighting machine or just lose the love handles? (Please don't, you're fabulous already) Find a gym that suits your needs!
Reward: 1,000 XP, Random Physical Training Skill Book
Failure: 100 XP
Accept: Y/N

"I made a fresh pot of coffee. I would've made breakfast too, but Themis told me you have a breakfast date," Nezumi's smile crinkled her eyes with good humor.

"Appreciated. I'd be worried about how much of the stuff I'm chugging, but Themis would've shot me a warning about debuffs or whatever if it was an issue." Alice said as she grabbed a seat at the kitchen isle, a steaming mug slid in front of her in short order, "You'll be tagging along, although it is dealer's choice if pretending to be my little sister or in hiding. There's a guy who's earned himself a mark. Investigation and sabotage."

"Perhaps introduce me to your friend another time. I would like to investigate this troublesome fellow from the shadows," Nezumi said as a more malevolent warmth filled her eyes.

"Hot." Alice mumbled into her coffee. Damn, but she was a weak, weak woman to petite knife creatures. The comment only made Nezumi smile wider. "Speaking of, what can you do? I can guess at the generalities, but still."

"Okay, so this next part can be difficult to describe. The term 'Spirit' is a catch all, that much is obvious, but it doesn't quite explain what we are. New Spirits are born as time goes by from the blending of metaphysical energies…Ahem. That's not important right now," Nezumi cut herself off sheepishly. She continued after a moment to gather her thoughts, "The body we are summoned to is more like a vehicle. Our native self is safe and sound. That's why we are only unsummoned when killed. Now that that's out of the way. You wanted to know what I can do personally."

Nezumi took a seat at the kitchen isle beside Alice, a mug of her own cradled in her hands. The albino would bet anything that impeccable manicure was built for slicing through flesh and slipping in toxins.

"My Clan are mainly information gatherers and thieves. Usually if you want an assassin that would the Raven Clan. Snakes are good as well, but work best as conmen. Anyway, my native skills are geared around infiltration, concealing myself, and my magic is geared towards making me unnoticed. I'm quite proud of that last part because it's passive. I can selectively let myself be noticed, although as my Summoner you can always find me. The Ninjutsu Skill Book enhanced my capabilities in several ways. I'm normally a lackluster fighter, but now I could probably hand one of those Special Forces mortals his teeth. The ability to kill from stealth…" Nezumi's giggles at the thought left Alice rubbing her thighs together. God damn it, woman. "The magical apple doubled my health and vitality. It also gave me regeneration."

"So you can do strike and fade now on top of all that nonsense." The Russian woman grunted. As always, defense enabled offense. Who cared if she got winged? That would heal in minutes, but the patrol she put in the past tense wouldn't be coming back.

"That's right. The best part is that I get to keep the knowledge and power boost. You increased my Rank among my Clan. That earns you special privileges," Nezumi smirked before tagging a sip of her coffee.

"Minx." Alice snorted, laying a quick peck on the Spirit's neck, shooting her a playful wink, "I look forward to discovering each and every one of them."

"I'm looking forward to it too," Nezumi teased. She glanced at her coffee cup and added more sugar.

Honestly, they may have to skip on the sisters excuse unless they wanted to invite some unpleasant scrutiny. Speaking of. Alice slid off the stool, a dozen steps and a hip check on the crafting station had it churning along. If shit hit the fan, she would really rather have a way to hide her identity.

[Item Received!]
Costume Gasmask (Basic) - This looks like a proper gasmask but in reality is fake. The lens blurs the edges of the wearer's eyes and general color to aid in concealing their identity.
- Durability: 20/20

Nun habits and gas masks went together like peanut butter and jelly. "Hey, Themis, any option to make the mask hide my hair?" Game logic woo.

[Perhaps add the habit to your gasmask? Put the two together.]

"I could use my Shadow Magic to help. Shadows aren't just for concealing, but I can also increase the size of darkened spaces," Nezumi offered.

It made for a productive morning.

[Item Upgraded!]
Costume Gasmask (Basic) - This looks like a proper gasmask but in reality is fake. The lens blurs the edges of the wearer's eyes and general color to aid in concealing their identity. The mask has been enhanced further to conceal the wearer's hair under the habit and change it to something nondescript.
- Durability: 20/20
- Effect: Disguises hair color/hides hair perfectly

The diner was busier today than the day before, but not so much so that Betty didn't notice her friend walk through the door. She did double-take at what Alice was wearing, but nothing could dim that smile. Dressed in a flannel shirt, bomber jacket, jeans, and calf high boots she looked very different.

Nobody needed to know about the shrunk down rat hiding in a wreath of shadows inside her coat pocket.

"Good morning, Alice. I've got you a table over here," Betty managed to seat her at the same table as the day before. "What can I get you?" She asked while pouring Alice a cup of coffee.

"Good morning." The Russian woman replied with a small smile as she trailed after her friend. "Dave's Special, please."

"You got it," Betty smiled before walking away with a playful swish of her hair.

Alice took that as her cue to pull out the Dreams of Green notebook. God bless refuge in audacity, nobody would ever think this was actually relevant to anyone's power. Well, unless there were mages running around, but then that'd just make for a free meeting with them.

Much of the notebook amounted to the author daydreaming or working out scientifically how something would work, incomplete work she'd need to finish up if she wanted anything from it. There were exceptions, though, like the defensive spell she'd just landed on. Either the author had winged it extra hard or he had gone Plus Ultra on the research.

[Spell Found! I won't just add it to your spell list until you're in private.]
Coat of Thorns - This spell is more than just a variant of Mage Armor, but also combines aspects of Flame Shield as well. The caster's garments are altered fundamentally to increase their toughness yet also add a bit extra. Any attackers in melee range trigger an immediate thorny reaction. This can be discharged immediately for an omnidirectional attack by casting the spell again.
- MP: 16
- Type: Defense, Pierce
- PWR (for thorns): 1 + 5% per level. (Stacks with Armor when triggered)
- Armor: 4 + 5% per level
- Duration: 2 minutes per level. Auto-renews unless dismissed.
- Reactive Damage: Equal to the Spell's Total Armor Value

Delicious stuff. Especially so if she could adapt it to terrain. If there was one thing Plant Magic should be good at? Taking and holding territory. It would kick one hell of a hornet's nest if she had to do it in realspace, but better than dead.

"Here you go… Sorry for the wait…" Betty trailed off as she set the plates down, snapping Alice out of her thoughts. The defeated look returned to the waitress' eyes as she looked past the albino. "Excuse me…"

Mr Mueller returned, but Betty was already fleeing for the back. She was gone by the time he stepped through the door. The man sat at the counter like last time, but this go around no one seemed inclined to serve him. Dave himself came out to take his order instead, which made for a very sour kraut.

<Is this the esteemed Mr. Mueller?> Nezumi inquired in Alice's mind, conversational tone doing absolutely nothing to hide her homicidal intent. Again, hot.

<That he is. Happy hunting, o' familiar mine.> The Russian woman replied through the ethereal tether between them, hiding her smile behind a sip of her drink.

The man finally gave up, tossed some money on the counter and headed for the door, muttering darkly the whole way. Right in time for Nezumi's weight disappeared from Alice's pocket. He stopped just outside to cast an angry glare at the sign before lighting a cigarette. Mueller started coughing violently causing the just lit cig to fly out of his mouth. Jamming his hands in his pockets, the thoroughly aggravated hoodlum stormed off down the street.

And that would be that.

Now, back to her bacon and eggs.

Betty came back to apologize after a few minutes. Apparently yesterday he'd been waiting outside her apartment, so no wonder she was on edge. That wouldn't be a problem soon, but Alice could hardly tell her that. The check was given, and paid, before Alice set off for her next stop of the day. Though her friend did suggest a gym near the edge of E88 territory. It was an old boxing place that the owner converted into a swanky high end gym. He kept the original gear in the back for his true regulars.

Sounded like a plan, although she'd be doing the rounds beside. Knock out two quests in one go.

[Quest Complete! Miss Alice's Neighborhood!]
[Quest Gained! Miss Alice's City!]

The neighborhood was quiet for the most part. Alice already knew many of the points of interest from the day before. She did find a guy who was a part-time bladesmith working out of an old garage, some pretty good pieces on display. Now she was standing in front of the gym Betty suggested.

[Quest Complete! Getting Pumped!]
[Level up!]
[+5 CP]
[Reward Obtained!]
The Way of the Body by Akesame Koetsuchii - This is a training manual written by one of the foremost masters of the body. With this he details the formation of "pink muscle" capable of doing the work of red and white muscle even more efficiently.

[I remembered you talking about pink muscle.]

It was an ugly yellowish square block about three floors high, standing as a monument to gentrification's failure, a neon sign proclaiming it "Old's Gym". There was a parking lot in the back full of expensive cars, a few beaters tucked away towards the back like a fat guy in the locker room. The sidewalk had a few gym rats and yuppy types hanging around, with a man in the latest gangsta chic trying to play it cool on the corner.

Absolutely none of her concern so long as they had a working AC and pipes that didn't screech like banshees when the showers ran. So she just shoved her stat points into Charisma because fuck trying to grind that and headed right in.

The inside looked like that gym that had popped along her old commute back home, minus the disco lights. Lots of machines, bright lights, and people in spandex hard at work. At least most of them were serious about improving themselves. There was a sign on the wall that read 'This is a judgment free zone'.

A perky girl at the counter brightened as Alice walked through the door and wasted no time launching into her spiel. "Hi and welcome to Old's Gym. Are you interested in a trial membership or just skip to a full one?" She had the enthusiasm down, but it was plain she gave this pitch a lot.

"Trial, please." Alice replied with a small smile, taking the pep in stride. She'd had the presence of mind to make a gym bag before leaving the house, so it had just been a matter of pulling it out where nobody would notice and she was ready to get started immediately.

"Awesome! Just sign here and here… and you're good to go! Do you want to sit in on a class or go at your own pace?" The girl asked.

"Sure, let's go for a class. May as well." Alice decided after a moment's thought. It wasn't like she could slurp up the Skill Book right here, right now.

The class currently in session was about getting a full body workout with minimal equipment. That might seem counterintuitive for a business that relied on gym equipment, but the teacher clearly didn't give a damn. He was short and extremely fit with a face aged straight into silver fox territory. The helpful girl mentioned that this was Harry Old, the owner of the gym, and one of the fittest men in America. His students looked like they were dying, but they refused to give up. Either he was the greatest teacher alive or they were all that stubborn.

Yep, this was a good class and she was going to be cursing herself to the depths of hell within the first five minutes.

"Got a new one, huh? Fine. Get in line and pay attention. Everybody! Take five and start from the top!" Harry called out. There were a mixture of sighs of relief and groans at that announcement.

[STR + 3]
[DEX + 5]
[CON + 4]

Pain. Suffering. Agony.

[Skill Gained!]
The Way of the Body [1/10] - This is a training process devised by one of the foremost masters of the body. With this the user can cause the formation of "pink muscle" capable of doing the work of red and white muscle even more efficiently. This serves as a solid foundation for most Martial Arts training. Unlike with normal Skills this is a trainable Perk completed at 10.
- Alters the distribution of XP for the Body Trinity to 80% gain for all.
- Increases Reaction Time by +1% per point of DEX
- Increases Explosive Strength by +1% per point of STR.
- Increases Resilience by +1% per point of CON.

That was nice. But still. Owwwww.

Name: Alice Belobog
Age: 21
Level: 4
Class: Mage
Specialization: Plant
Subclass: <Locked>

HP: 80/80 [+1 HP per minute]
SP: 160/160 [+5 SP per minute if active, +20 if resting]
MP: 300/300 [+1.01 MP per minute]

STR: 14
DEX: 16
CON: 16
INT: 15
WIS: 15
CHA: 30
LCK: 24 (12 after World Debuff)

CP: 0

General Skills

Perception lvl 7 - This encompasses more than just sight, hearing, and the like. This is a measure of how well you can grasp the world around you and its varied nuances.
- 10% + 1% per level chance to uncover hidden objects, see through disguises and detect bullshit.

Meditation lvl 1 - The ability to focus oneself and maintain a level head. This skill is an important foundation not just for Mages but for Martial Artists as well. In time it may even be possible to enter a meditative trance while doing other things.
- Passive MP Regen + 1% per level.
- MP Regen + 5% per level while active. (Must Meditate for 1 minute for it to become active)
- Active use gradually removes mental effects at a rate of -10% + 1% per level.
- Chance of taking action or any disturbance breaking the meditative trance 90% - 1% per level.

The Way of the Body [1/10] - This is a training process devised by one of the foremost masters of the body. With this the user can cause the formation of "pink muscle" capable of doing the work of red and white muscle even more efficiently. This serves as a solid foundation for most Martial Arts training. Unlike with normal Skills this is a trainable Perk completed at 10.
- Alters the distribution of XP for the Body Trinity to 80% gain for all.
- Increases Reaction Time by +1% per point of DEX
- Increases Explosive Strength by +1% per point of STR.
- Increases Resilience by +1% per point of CON.

Combat Skills
Blunt Weapon Mastery lvl 1 – A good whack is nature's reset button. This skill covers the various ways you can make upright people lie prone.
- Attack Speed +15% + 5% per level.
- Damage +5% per level.

Bladed Weapon Mastery lvl 1 - This is a general skill for handling sharps without cutting off important bits in the process. Blades can inflict the Bleed and Severed Debuff.
- Attack Speed +15% + 5% per level.
- Damage +5% per level.

Magic Skills

Plant Manipulation lvl 13 – The ability to manipulate plants from the simple flower to the mightiest tree. This is a subset of Life Magic which also covers certain healing spells and physical recovery.
- Spell Costs are reduced by 1% per level (Max -75%)
- Spell Effects are enhanced by 1% per level.
- Spell Range is enhanced by 1% per level.
- Spell Duration is increased by 1% per level.

Summoning lvl 6 - This Skill is based on the research of Guy Dupont and covers the summoning and dismissing of various Spirits. Summons remain until dismissed or killed. A killed Summon merely returns to their natural realm. The more MP is used the more powerful the Spirit that is called.
- MP: 20
- Control: 10% + 5% per level. (This is based on Charisma)
- Dismiss: 25% + 15% per level. (This is based on Charisma)

Healing Hesperide lvl 1 - Conjures healing apples or apple juice, with some input from you.
- Cost: 4 MP
- HP Recovery - Must consume ½ lb or 1 pint for the full benefit.
- PWR: 1 (+0.1 per lvl)
- Amount of Food Created: ½ lb per lvl
- Amount of Drink Created: 1 pint per lvl
- Quality Modifier: +0.5% per level
- Active Time: 1 minute per level. (After this the magic healing is inert)

Husk Bolt lvl 6 - This is a variant on one of the most basic spells in a Mage's arsenal, Mana Bolt. It conjures up a seed husk based on a template and fires it at high speed. Simple and efficient. This variant has the potential to debuff.
- Cost: 1 MP
- Range: 175 ft + 5 ft per level
- PWR: 1 + 0.1 per level = 1.6
- Damage Type: Blunt
- Debuff: Capsaicin - The bullet sprays dust on impact which can get in the eyes and nostrils. Irritation and radius increases by 5% per level. Base Range: ½ ft Causes watery eyes, runny nose, and burning in the mucus membranes.

Hungry Mold lvl 8 - A creepy fungus spell that turns putrefying flesh into a ravenous mold. All putrid flesh is consumed until nothing organic remains. After ten minutes with nothing to consume it dries out and dies.
Effect:
- Infests 1 lb of flesh per level.
- Can be ended prematurely by the caster.
- Cost: 20 MP

Coat of Thorns lvl 1 - This spell is more than just a variant of Mage Armor, but also combines aspects of Flame Shield as well. The caster's garments are altered fundamentally to increase their toughness yet also add a bit extra. Any attackers in melee range trigger an immediate thorny reaction. This can be discharged immediately for an omnidirectional attack by casting the spell again.
- MP: 16
- Type: Defense, Pierce
- PWR (for thorns): 1 + 5% per level. (Stacks with Armor when triggered)
- Armor: 4 + 5% per level
- Duration: 2 minutes per level. Auto-renews unless dismissed.
- Reactive Damage: Equal to the Spell's Total Armor Value

Inventory

Money: $800.21
Smartphone (Great)
Dreams of Green Notebook (Poor)
ID Paperwork (Basic)
Apartment keys (Basic)
Crowbar (Good)
- Durability: 125/125
10 Rolls of Heavy Leather (100 lbs)
20 lbs Steel
1 lb Gold
1 Roll Kevlar
10 Rolls of Cotton (40 lbs)
Fishy Nun Outfit (equipment set) (Good)
- Armor 12
- Durability 25/25
- Comfort + 25%
Vogue Frills Outfit (equipment set) (Basic)
- Durability 20/20
- Comfort + 0%
Shotgun (Basic)
- Durability 125/125
Ammo (6 shells)
Clothes

Costume Gasmask (Basic) - This looks like a proper gasmask but in reality is fake. The lens blurs the edges of the wearer's eyes and general color to aid in concealing their identity. The mask has been enhanced further to conceal the wearer's hair under the habit and change it to something nondescript.
- Durability: 20/20
- Effect: Disguises hair color/hides hair perfectly

Casting Beyond the Veil (Excellent) - This tome was written many years ago by a scholar of otherworldly magic. The scholar, Guy Dupont, wrote this after translating a much older grimoire. Contained within these pages are the fruits of his labor. Teaches Summoning Magic Skill.

A Passion for Burning (Excellent) - This Guy Dupont really gets around, doesn't he? These are his observations on the inner workings of Fire Magic and how it interacts with other elements. Confers several benefits that require research to unlock.

A Flash of Brilliance (Excellent) - These are Guy Dupont's observations on Lightning and its unique place within the Wind Element group. Confers several benefits that require research to unlock.

The Deepest Darkness (Excellent) - Guy Dupont sought to find a connection between Dark and what he called "The Elements of the Earth." Confers several benefits that require research to unlock.

A Ray of Light (Excellent) - This details Guy Dupont's journey to discover a connection between Light and what he called "The Elements of Heaven." Confers several benefits that require research to unlock.

9 Soul Stone (Minor) - This possesses a tiny fragment of death magic and acts as the motive force behind undead creatures.

Tinkertech Baton - A high-quality self-defense tool advertised as the best on the market. It comes highly recommended by Toybox, but you don't care about all that. This thing is made of space-age materials capable of withstanding tremendous force, heat, cold, acid, and shocks. Your noodly arms will break before this bad boy. Your new toy can be set from 0 (no charge) to 11 (max charge). Max charge comes with backlash so please be responsible. Each charge is a 10% chance to stun or paralyze the target.
- Damage Type: Blunt
- Activated: Blunt/Electric
- Inflict: Stun/Paralyze
- PWR: 4

Shortsword - A basic shortsword. Well forged and simple to use. It was someone's homecraft as evidenced by a lack of discernible style.
Damage: Slash, Pierce
PWR: 6

Quests

A Child's Dreams of Green - Where did this notebook come from originally? It appears as fantasy but the principles within are solid. Are there other mages out there?
Rewards: 10,000 XP, Potential Mentor, Advanced Plant Spellbook
Failure: 1,000 XP. (Note: The only way to fail this quest is to give up.)

Author's Note: I'm moving to a new format for uploads. Updates will be done twice a week on Monday and Friday after this. For my Patrons you can read two whole chapters in advance of Shards of Reality and eventually A Light into the Future.

Patreon Note: A shoutout to my friends over on Patreon. The Patreon page is now updated to be even friendlier and clearer than before. Please think about helping me as I've still got lots of bills to pay, a cat to take care of, and not enough money for it all.

Thanks to my Patrons:
Fans
moon.fellow7
mckin102
bresklinhalsey
havefeith

Intellectuals
the.sleeperdragon
sawpett06

Special Friends
titanicwargod

Apple has a 30% upcharge that doesn't go to me. Read the full story here.

dingbat779 · Oct 18, 2024

Link Start 1.8

There was no greater superpower than competent help. Alice would be treating her familiar to a nice restaurant sometime soon… which led to the current issue. She was running out of money.

Thankfully, her body was superhuman enough to be recovered to full by now. No muscle fatigue or pain to speak of after some cool down stretches, a hot shower and two hours of vibing in the park. The grass and the things crawling on it were a hell of a lot more accommodating of her than she remembered, must be her elemental affinity. Which, speaking of, she had found more stuff for in the notebook.

[Spell Gained!]
Rumble Vine lvl 1 - You know the spell Plant Growth? Why waste time with that when you could have this? This spell affects an area around the caster that drives the vegetation into frenzy. It uses the surrounding nature to create an ad hoc Summon Circle to briefly call a horde of wild Plant Spirits. Vines rise up out of the ground and thrash anything that looks at the Caster crosseyed.
MP: 15
Number of Vines Summoned: 4 + 1 per 3 lvls.
PWR: 4 per Vine
Area of Effect: 20ft + 2ft per level.

"The Control Stat on my Summoning Skill is going to work overtime keeping those in line." Alice sighed as she got up, fishing out her phone. February 6th, 2:21 pm. Time to plot a route to the Trainyard and get busy.

She wanted some real, serious face armor. She did not want a teleporter or space warper knocking her out of the ID. The abandoned industrial area would more than suit her needs.

The ID in the Trainyard had the same sky as the one she woke up inside, with the fog and decaying buildings feeling like Pyramid Head would pop out around the corner anytime now. But nope, it was just more zombies. This time train flavored, haphazardly fused with chunks of machinery and stuffed into railway uniforms. Every so often one of them would stop and roar at the sky with a sound like a train whistle, which she had admittedly laughed at through her gas mask the first couple of times.

There was so much scrap, holy shit. Everything was made of rusted shipping containers and derelict engines. The Inventory's grinder was eating good today.

Now, there was one teeny tiny issue that was actually the size of a building. A mechanical monstrosity stomping around, shedding baleful coal-light from its furnace-guts as it patrolled aimlessly. Didn't seem to have any interest in her, so she left it to its business while she shoved more and more rusted plates and parts into her inventory.

Many of them generously donated by the zombies, after some cleanup by her Hungry Mold. The dumb things were easy to get the drop on, especially once she figured out how to upcast Husk Bolt into a buckshot barrage.

Of course the gravy train had to end sometime. One of the train zombies noticed what Alice was doing and let loose with a blast from its throat whistle, drawing in the rest jittering and shuffling. That's when steam started to billow from their joints with a faint chugging sound. Alice had a moment to notice their odd behavior before the crowd surged forward with growing speed.

"Come into my parlor, said the spider to the fly." The albino crooned through her mask as she walked back into a bottleneck between containers, green light shimmering around her costume and through the ground around her.

Four monster vines immediately ripped their way out of the ground, the twisted gray-green tendrils dotted with razor-sharp thorns. Just in time for the first line of zombies to walk into range. A vine thick as her calf hammered into the leading edge and hurled them back without a care in the world for the weight of their machinery. The second vine lashed out lightning quick and sheared through the torsos of three zombies. Their shattered bodies collapsed in a heap tripping up the chargers behind them. The third vine snatched up a steam zombie in its coils before using it as a bludgeon against all and sundry. Rotten blood, oil, and other fun things splashed the zone. With a titanic heave the last vine grabbed a nearby mine cart and hurled into the fray.

Alice could feel the Spirits in the back of her mind. Blind, dumb things incapable of words, seething with hunger and malice. Chemical warfare and pogroms were the clade-wide sport of plants, so no surprise there.

They were also very, very, very upset at all the oil and metal. Made the zombies hard to eat.

A flicked glob of her orange slime mold and they were singing a very different tune, eagerly piling up the undead to have them turned into delicious soil.

Smelled like money.

[Loot Found!]
Money: $6800
Soul Stone (Minor) x 12
Soul Stone (Medium) x 3
Soul Stone (Major) x 1
Steel x 51 (1 lb ingots)
10 Rolls of Cotton

Hellish Whistle (Rare) x 1

Hellish Whistle (Rare) - Forged from the despair of generations of railway workers and those who died building the rails. One toot on this is enough to send those of weaker wills fleeing in terror. When Mana is channeled through it this whistle can petrify a listener with fear.
Inflict: Terror, Petrified with Fear MP 10
Durability 5/5

[Level Up + 4]
[Plant Manipulation + 5]
[Husk Bolt + 2]
[Hungry Mold + 6]
[Rumble Vine + 4]
[Summoning + 2]
[Coat of Thorns + 1]

[You have received enough CP to advance your Charisma to 50. Just like in The Gamer a unique Trait is gained at 50 in any Stat. The Trait is always related to how it was earned and your current Class.]

"What sort of Trait would proc if I went for it right this moment? Broad strokes." Alice asked as she flipped through her pilfered bills purely for show. It made her feel cool.

[Something to do with either Max MP or Power.]

"I wouldn't mind more staying power, but on the other hand Summoning is really promising." Alice hummed in thought as she went back to exploring. She had plenty enough loot, so now it was mostly a game of if she could find anything that qualified as a crafting station.

[There is a Summoner Subclass. The Summoner Subclass is mainly based around the Summoning Skill– oh for heaven's sakes. Let me boil it down to something rational and concise. It makes Summoning even more busted than it already is. Improving the number and quality of general Spirits as well as making it easier to form Pacts with higher entities. The Subclass comes with two unique abilities. Grand Summoning and Boon. Boon is calling on your Pact forged Patron, or Patrons, for a Ritual-level spell at no cost to you. Occasionally I have to sift through the stuff the Creators left and make it simpler.]

"Appreciated. Alright, dump everything on Charisma and try to skew towards Max MP. I want more staying power." Alice decided after a moment, idly prying open a door with her crowbar. "I have pretty potent spells and haven't even started really cooking, but the price tag is an issue for anything drawn out, especially with my recovery rate. Should make some time for grinding Meditation…"

The inside of the factory looked as if it had gone unused for years. Unused but preserved, not a speck of rust or decay in sight. Just dust. The whole thing was roomy, with an old fashioned forge with the machinist's tools. The forge was probably used to repair or make new parts in house, now that she was looking closer and noticing some patches throughout the room. A stack of coal sat in the corner miraculously untouched by the weather. Though the spiders nesting among the pile might complain.

[Charisma has reached 50!]

[Perk Gained!]

Medium Mana Capacity lvl Max - Your ability to hold Mana has increased enabling even greater staying power. MP x 2, MP Regen + 4

MP: 1000/1000 [+5.05 MP per minute]

Alice very nearly tasted the factory floor when she read that one.

Yeah, okay, she could definitely manage in a drawn out fight now. Unless she was deeply stupid about it, anyways. "Right, time for the other type of staying power. Let's make some armor. This costume is nice enough and I may use it if I try to go grassroots, but I need some serious face gear for if Hookwolf rolls up spoiling for a massacre."

Fuckin' Brockton Bay.

The armor took a great deal of time to put together, solely because Alice and Themis wanted it to be perfect and they were sorely lacking in experience. There was nothing to do but trust the magic and try again, again and again. Casting, melting, casting again. She had materials to spare, it didn't matter if some got lost every cycle so long as she got to the goal post. This was the line between her and a grisly death, there was no room for mediocrity.

As she worked more of her mana flowed into the crafting until the metal began to change, staining the steel green until it felt like nature itself. Her Stamina started to deplete as the working grew more involved, demanding that she hold pieces in place and bend others for all that the metal shaped itself to her desire. She started to become lightheaded, thoughts spinning faster and faster as she let the muses take her. By the time it was finished a reddish glow was flowing into the metal from drawing so hard she tapped her health. The creative fugue finally released her as an impressively menacing suit of armor stood before her.

[Armor Obtained!]
Legacy of Nature (Excellent) - You hate nature, you are part of nature, nature has always fought and weaponized itself. There is no finest love letter to it than usurping its power. This armor is a declaration of intent to any who witness it: 'Gaia lives, and she hates you more than me.'
- Upgradable: Enchantment Slots 8/8
- Helmet - Allows the wearer to see clearly in natural darkness and extends visual range in power induced shadows. Alters the wearer's voice.
- Armor - Resist Environmental Effects -80%
- Gauntlets - Reduces the change of disarm by 80%.
- Boots - Freedom of Movement through natural terrain. Ignores difficult terrain.
- Durability: 300/300
- Armor Rating: 100
- Special Quality: Material Absorption - Absorbs materials to repair itself. Requires 1 lb of material per 10 points of Durability loss.

There was only one issue.

It was too big.

Not by that much, mind you, it was about two or three inches taller than her and a fair bit bulkier. It could be tailored to fit her just fine. However.

She had the Hungry Mold. She had Healing Hesperide. She had Coat of Thorns.

Gattai.

[New Spell Created!]
[Huh, looks like this might be your first sustained spell! Sustained Spells tie up a portion of your MP until dispelled. They level up slower than normal spells or Skills because they lack upkeep.]

Slime Suit lvl 1 - This just might be one of the oddest spells ever created in this cluster. The result of combining three very different types of spells has given rise to something new. Your Summoning Skill was needed to bind it all together. A Neutral Spirit has been Summoned into this unique working. Usually Slimes are considered generic, but this one has been infused with a purpose.
- Sustained Cost: 100 MP
- Armor Value: ½ Charisma
- Durability: Twice Charisma
- Heals the Wearer by 20 HP per minute + 2 HP per level
- Reduces Damage by 50% against Blunt, Fire, Acid
- Critical Heal: Sacrifices its Durability when the wearer is at 20% HP.
- Critical Retreat: Puppets the wearer's body to escape if the caster is incapacitated.
- Movement +30% + 5% per level (Negated by Heavy Armor)

There was no Summoning Circle, the mana coalesced directly in the air in a cloud of shimmering green sparkles, solidifying into a glistening orb. Alice could almost hear it giggling as the orb expanded into a jelly… which proceeded to splatter over her without any warning. It squirmed and wriggled like a playful puppy as it enthusiastically covered her body, the Slime Spirit radiating joy at being useful while giving the impression of an uncomplicated existence. That was a polite way of saying it was as dumb as a bag of hammers, but that just meant Alice could feed it a grilled cheese sandwich and call it good.

Now. It was currently laid over her nun costume for the most part. This neither looked good nor was as useful as could be. She had to swap it for the armor.

Which would leave her floating inside a sentient slime in nothing but her underwear.

She silently thanked Themis for not bringing up her blush as she tapped the equipment set.

The Slime Suit actually felt nice on her skin. Cool, soft, and smooth. Not at all oily or mucusy like she'd been fearing. Most importantly, it didn't go anywhere it didn't belong, no matter what her rotten brain muttered about. The armor itself was a massive beast, heaps of cured leather and steel far from the lightest thing in the world. If not for the Slime Suit acting as padding, she would be chafing within minutes, Excellent Quality or not. With it? It was solid, a comforting weight around her like a metal duvet, holding her steady. There weren't any issues with field of vision, either, the helmet's Special Quality made sure of it and the slime did something by pouring into the gaps to make it feel like there was nothing in front of her face at all.

"Alright." Alice said with a nod as she rolled her shoulders, voice coming out of the helmet a bassy rumble. That and the bulk of the armor would make absolutely everyone think she was a guy. Especially since she talked and moved like a man for the most part. "Next up, a mage staff with a blade pounded into it. Themis, how do magic foci work?"

[You make something that can handle magical energy and imbue it with talismans that mean something to you. Wizards who make staves out of wood for casting Fireball are idiots by the wa– Look out!]

Themis' warning occurred just a moment before a massive clockwork hand tore the roof off like it was made of tinfoil, baleful yellow searchlights shining down on Alice's armored form. The giant off in the distance was suddenly much closer and in full horrible detail. It looked like someone mated a Warhammer Chaos Titan with a locomotive. The front had what was best described as a human meatball all but oozing out, a greasy face the only thing recognizable in the mess of meat and metal. An obvious weakpoint… covered in layers of metal grills.

<Shadow Trainwreck - Ruler of the Trainyard lvl 45>

Name: Alice Belobog
Age: 21
Level: 8
Class: Mage
Specialization: Plant
Subclass: <Locked>

Max HP: 80 [Recovers 1 HP per minute]
Max SP: 160 [Recovers 5 SP per minute if active, 20 if resting]
Max MP: 1000 [Recovers 5.05 MP per minute]

STR: 14
DEX: 16
CON: 16
INT: 15
WIS: 15
CHA: 50
LCK: 24 (12 after World Debuff)

CP: 0

Perks

Medium Mana Capacity lvl Max - Your ability to hold Mana has increased enabling even greater staying power. MP x 2, MP Regen + 4

General Skills

Perception lvl 7 - This encompasses more than just sight, hearing, and the like. This is a measure of how well you can grasp the world around you and its varied nuances.
- 10% + 1% per level chance to uncover hidden objects, see through disguises and detect bullshit.

Meditation lvl 1 - The ability to focus oneself and maintain a level head. This skill is an important foundation not just for Mages but for Martial Artists as well. In time it may even be possible to enter a meditative trance while doing other things.
- Passive MP Regen + 1% per level.
- MP Regen + 5% per level while active. (Must Meditate for 1 minute for it to become active)
- Active use gradually removes mental effects at a rate of -10% + 1% per level.
- Chance of taking action or any disturbance breaking the meditative trance 90% - 1% per level.

The Way of the Body [1/10] - This is a training process devised by one of the foremost masters of the body. With this the user can cause the formation of "pink muscle" capable of doing the work of red and white muscle even more efficiently. This serves as a solid foundation for most Martial Arts training. Unlike with normal Skills this is a trainable Perk completed at 10.
- Alters the distribution of XP for the Body Trinity to 80% gain for all.
- Increases Reaction Time by +1% per point of DEX
- Increases Explosive Strength by +1% per point of STR.
- Increases Resilience by +1% per point of CON.

Combat Skills
Blunt Weapon Mastery lvl 1 – A good whack is nature's reset button. This skill covers the various ways you can make upright people lie prone.
- Attack Speed +15% + 5% per level.
- Damage +5% per level.

Bladed Weapon Mastery lvl 1 - This is a general skill for handling sharps without cutting off important bits in the process. Blades can inflict the Bleed and Severed Debuff.
- Attack Speed +15% + 5% per level.
- Damage +5% per level.

Magic Skills

Plant Manipulation lvl 13 – The ability to manipulate plants from the simple flower to the mightiest tree. This is a subset of Life Magic which also covers certain healing spells and physical recovery.
- Spell Costs are reduced by 1% per level (Max -75%)
- Spell Effects are enhanced by 1% per level.
- Spell Range is enhanced by 1% per level.
- Spell Duration is increased by 1% per level.

Summoning lvl 8 - This Skill is based on the research of Guy Dupont and covers the summoning and dismissing of various Spirits. Summons remain until dismissed or killed. A killed Summon merely returns to their natural realm. The more MP is used the more powerful the Spirit that is called.
- MP: 20
- Control: 10% + 5% per level. (This is based on Charisma)
- Dismiss: 25% + 15% per level. (This is based on Charisma)

Healing Hesperide lvl 3 - Conjures healing apples or apple juice, with some input from you.
- Cost: 4 MP
- HP Recovery - Must consume ½ lb or 1 pint for the full benefit.
- PWR: 1 (+0.1 per lvl)
- Amount of Food Created: ½ lb per lvl
- Amount of Drink Created: 1 pint per lvl
- Quality Modifier: +0.5% per level
- Active Time: 1 minute per level. (After this the magic healing is inert)

Husk Bolt lvl 8 - This is a variant on one of the most basic spells in a Mage's arsenal, Mana Bolt. It conjures up a seed husk based on a template and fires it at high speed. Simple and efficient. This variant has the potential to debuff.
- Cost: 1 MP
- Range: 175 ft + 5 ft per level
- PWR: 1 + 0.1 per level = 1.6
- Damage Type: Blunt
- Debuff: Capsaicin - The bullet sprays dust on impact which can get in the eyes and nostrils. Irritation and radius increases by 5% per level. Base Range: ½ ft Causes watery eyes, runny nose, and burning in the mucus membranes.

Hungry Mold lvl 14 - A creepy fungus spell that turns putrefying flesh into a ravenous mold. All putrid flesh is consumed until nothing organic remains. After ten minutes with nothing to consume it dries out and dies.
Effect:
- Infests 1 lb of flesh per level.
- Can be ended prematurely by the caster.
- Cost: 20 MP

Coat of Thorns lvl 2 - This spell is more than just a variant of Mage Armor, but also combines aspects of Flame Shield as well. The caster's garments are altered fundamentally to increase their toughness yet also add a bit extra. Any attackers in melee range trigger an immediate thorny reaction. This can be discharged immediately for an omnidirectional attack by casting the spell again.
- MP: 16
- Type: Defense, Pierce
- PWR (for thorns): 1 + 5% per level. (Stacks with Armor when triggered)
- Armor: 4 + 5% per level
- Duration: 2 minutes per level. Auto-renews unless dismissed.
- Reactive Damage: Equal to the Spell's Total Armor Value

Rumble Vine lvl 5 - You know the spell Plant Growth? Why waste time with that when you could have this? This spell affects an area around the caster that drives the vegetation into frenzy. It uses the surrounding nature to create an ad hoc Summon Circle to briefly call a horde of wild Plant Spirits. Vines rise up out of the ground and thrash anything that looks at the Caster crosseyed.
- MP: 15
- Number of Vines Summoned: 4 + 1 per 3 lvls.
- PWR: 4 per Vine
- Area of Effect: 20ft + 2ft per level.

Slime Suit lvl 1 - This just might be one of the oddest spells ever created in this cluster. The result of combining three very different types of spells has given rise to something new. Your Summoning Skill was needed to bind it all together. A Neutral Spirit has been Summoned into this unique working. Usually Slimes are considered generic, but this one has been infused with a purpose.
- Sustained Cost: 100 MP
- Armor Value: ½ Charisma
- Durability: Twice Charisma
- Heals the Wearer by 20 HP per minute + 2 HP per level
- Reduces Damage by 50% against Blunt, Fire, Acid
- Critical Heal: Sacrifices its Durability when the wearer is at 20% HP.
- Critical Retreat: Puppets the wearer's body to escape if the caster is incapacitated.
- Movement +30% + 5% per level (Negated by Heavy Armor)

Inventory

Money: $7600
Smartphone (Great)
Dreams of Green Notebook (Poor)
ID Paperwork (Basic)
Apartment keys (Basic)
Crowbar (Good)
- Durability: 125/125
10 Rolls of Heavy Leather (100 lbs)
20 lbs Steel
1 lb Gold
1 Roll Kevlar
20 Rolls of Cotton (80 lbs)
Fishy Nun Outfit (equipment set, what she started with) (Good)
- Armor 12
- Durability 25/25
- Comfort + 25%
Vogue Frills Outfit (equipment set, the one she just got) (Basic)
- Durability 20/20
- Comfort + 0%
Shotgun (Basic)
- Durability 125/125
Ammo (6 shells)
Clothes

Hellish Whistle (Rare) - Forged from the despair of generations of railway workers and those who died building the rails. One toot on this is enough to send those of weaker wills fleeing in terror. When Mana is channeled through it this whistle can petrify a listener with fear.
Inflict: Terror, Petrified with Fear MP 10
Durability 5/5

Costume Gasmask (Basic) - This looks like a proper gasmask but in reality is fake. The lens blurs the edges of the wearer's eyes and general color to aid in concealing their identity. The mask has been enhanced further to conceal the wearer's hair under the habit and change it to something nondescript.
- Durability: 20/20
- Effect: Disguises hair color/hides hair perfectly

Casting Beyond the Veil (Excellent) - This tome was written many years ago by a scholar of otherworldly magic. The scholar, Guy Dupont, wrote this after translating a much older grimoire. Contained within these pages are the fruits of his labor. Teaches Summoning Magic Skill.

A Passion for Burning (Excellent) - This Guy Dupont really gets around, doesn't he? These are his observations on the inner workings of Fire Magic and how it interacts with other elements. Confers several benefits that require research to unlock.

A Flash of Brilliance (Excellent) - These are Guy Dupont's observations on Lightning and its unique place within the Wind Element group. Confers several benefits that require research to unlock.

The Deepest Darkness (Excellent) - Guy Dupont sought to find a connection between Dark and what he called "The Elements of the Earth." Confers several benefits that require research to unlock.

A Ray of Light (Excellent) - This details Guy Dupont's journey to discover a connection between Light and what he called "The Elements of Heaven." Confers several benefits that require research to unlock.

Soul Stone - This possesses a tiny fragment of death magic and acts as the motive force behind undead creatures.
- Minor x 21
- Medium x 3
- Major x 1

Tinkertech Baton - A high-quality self-defense tool advertised as the best on the market. It comes highly recommended by Toybox, but you don't care about all that. This thing is made of space-age materials capable of withstanding tremendous force, heat, cold, acid, and shocks. Your noodly arms will break before this bad boy. Your new toy can be set from 0 (no charge) to 11 (max charge). Max charge comes with backlash so please be responsible. Each charge is a 10% chance to stun or paralyze the target.
- Damage Type: Blunt
- Activated: Blunt/Electric
- Inflict: Stun/Paralyze
- PWR: 4

Shortsword - A basic shortsword. Well forged and simple to use. It was someone's homecraft as evidenced by a lack of discernible style.
Damage: Slash, Pierce
PWR: 6

Legacy of Nature (Excellent) - You hate nature, you are part of nature, nature has always fought and weaponized itself. There is no finest love letter to it than usurping its power. This armor is a declaration of intent to any who witness it: 'Gaia lives, and she hates you more than me.'
- Upgradable: Enchantment Slots 8/8
- Helmet - Allows the wearer to see clearly in natural darkness and extends visual range in power induced shadows. Alters the wearer's voice.
- Armor - Resist Environmental Effects -80%
- Gauntlets - Reduces the change of disarm by 80%.
- Boots - Freedom of Movement through natural terrain. Ignores difficult terrain.
- Durability: 300/300
- Armor Rating: 100
- Special Quality: Material Absorption - Absorbs materials to repair itself. Requires 1 lb of material per 10 points of Durability loss.

Quests

A Child's Dreams of Green - Where did this notebook come from originally? It appears as fantasy but the principles within are solid. Are there other mages out there?
Rewards: 10,000 XP, Potential Mentor, Advanced Plant Spellbook
Failure: 1,000 XP. (Note: The only way to fail this quest is to give up.)

Miss Alice's City - Take a look around the neighborhood and familiarize yourself with your surroundings. Range: 1 square block.
Reward: 500 XP
Bonus: Continue exploring the city 1 square block at a time.
Bonus Reward: 500 XP
Failure: None
Note: Different areas offer special prizes!

Author's Note: I'm moving to a new format for uploads. Updates will be done twice a week on Monday and Friday after this. For my Patrons you can read two whole chapters in advance of Shards of Reality and eventually A Light into the Future.

Patreon Note: A shoutout to my friends over on Patreon. The Patreon page is now updated to be even friendlier and clearer than before. Please think about helping me as I've still got lots of bills to pay, a cat to take care of, and not enough money for it all.

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dingbat779 · Oct 21, 2024

Set Up 2.1

'Every time!'

Vista, the youngest superheroine in the city, mentally cursed Shadow Stalker for the thousandth time. Everyone thought she would be happy to have another girl on the team. No, she wanted another teammate! Stalker was not a teammate! She was a half-feral psychopath with zero ability to follow orders or protocol! Her power to phase through objects was useful and she took her fitness seriously, that was the end of her value.

Point in case, she was supposed to be Vista's patrol partner tonight. Guess who was running through the rooftops solo. GUESS.

"The Trainyard? Why is she there? It's not even close our patrol route!" Vista grouched under her breath as she turned the fabric of space into a glorified slip 'n slide, a light jog eating dozens of yards of rooftops in an eyeblink. Using her spatial warping powers to catch up to Shadow Stalker wasn't the problem. The problem was that if they were needed on their route, they would be out of position and working around other people took her ten times as long so it wasn't like she could just slingshot the insubordinate little shit back to her place. She shouldn't have to deal with this!

At least there weren't any concerns about keeping her presence subtle, not when she was wearing a pastel princess version of a high visibility vest. It used to irk her that she had a cutesy costume, but after three years in Brockton fucking Bay? Being both the youngest superheroine and having thrice the service time than most cape careers lasted? She appreciated that being a sparkly eyesore meant villains saw her before accidentally turning her to ragu. Hook had done a number on her back in the day and all of a sudden every single gang in the Bay went to ground as Legend zipped down from New York the very next day to have a little speech.

"Vista to Base. Don't let Shadow Stalker know I'm here if she asks," Vista said through her comms. The spatial Shaker was already altering the boundary of the Trainyard in such a way that anyone trying to leave would find themselves returned to the same spot. A never ending loop. Sure, her range wasn't infinite, but the Trainyard was isolated. Unless Stalker felt like footslogging through a hell of a lot of miles to circle around her blockade, she was shit out of luck.

"Acknowledged,"" Kid Win said, stuck with monitor duty again. Someone should tell him that imitating Armsmaster's speech patterns wasn't really flattering, he fumbled it more often than not. Well, her evening was ruined already, so she may as well take him to task later.

But back on track, there was no point trying to locate Shadow Stalker with her Mark 1 eyeballs. Unsurprisingly, a vigilante that'd lasted that long before getting caught knew how to hide, even if the truculent bitch would call it something else.

So Vista simply used the fact that the Trainyard was largely abandoned by anything qualifying for the Manton Limit to feel out for her. It felt a lot like groping an unopened bag of chips, all sorts of crinkling and shifting. Her range wasn't infinite, which if she worked at line of sight like the wiki it would be thanks to the wonders of lensing and curving the light around to play periscope, but when it came to wide area she had even Labrinth beat.

Coupled with her mobility, it meant she only needed three scans to brush up against the northern edge of the Trainyard, someone moving to slip out into the forest. It sure as hell wasn't Trainwreck, the guy was some sort of quadruple amputee from how he felt to her power. Which meant it was time to slam the trap shut, the space between her and Shadow Stalker going from a mile and a half to about half a foot.

Two things happened in rapid succession.

The former vigilante appeared before her, already shifting from confusion to battle ready. Even if, when it registered who had yanked her, that battle very much shifted to prickly bullshit instead of crossbow bolts. This was normal and expected.

The loud tearing sound as her power hiccuped and someone stomped out of the spatial distortion? Not so much. Guy screamed villain, a menacing helm glowering down at them, bristling with antlers which together with all the leather and animal skulls? She was suddenly wary of that roving band of barbarians the Teeth rolling back in town.

Vista and Shadow Stalker had been drilled enough to close ranks and get ready for a retreating fight without outright starting one. It did, however, let the Shaker catch the older girl's muttered, "Cool…"

Vista was never going to let her live that one down.

[HP: 20/80]
[SP: 40/160]
[MP: 250/1000(-100)]

Well, this was decidedly less than ideal, Alice mused. Especially when staring down two startled parahumans. The only silver lining was that the pair who she could only assume were Vista and Shadow Stalker hadn't jumped to attack her. There was… not a lot she could do if one of the most powerful Shakers in all of America decided that she was or was not going somewhere.

"Good evening, ladies. I am Druid, you would be Vista and Shadow Stalker, correct?" Step one, introduce yourself. It tapped into the backend of human social hardcode, made sure they saw you as a person and individual rather than just 'a villain' or whatever else.

"That is correct, ah, ahem…Right. I'm Vista and this is Shadow Stalker," The shorter of the pair introduced herself.

"Druid? What kinda name is that?" Shadow Stalker muttered. Trying, and failing, to pretend she didn't just call the newcomer cool within moments of arrival.

"As much as I would enjoy running aggressive copyright enforcement on Cleetus and his Klan of unflattering bedsheets, I do not think I could get away with calling a geblōt on the lot of the curs. Celtic, therefore, was my next port of call." Alice said with a put-upon sigh, shaking her horned helm. Step two, make them laugh. That'd drain tension and fully change the context of the interaction to a friendly one. "And to tell the truth? Any who know history will know to tread lightly, for all the name on its face is not, oh. Ghoul, Undertaker, or anything of the sort."

Stalker's shoulders shook once as she failed to suppress a laugh.

"Console? Look up those terms," Vista ordered quietly. The rest of the speech did make her smile, but she was doing her diligence.

"Uh, 'geblōt' is a ceremonial hunt and feast? Not humans though," Kid Win reported.

"Shadow Stalker? Why is your headset set to broadcast?" Vista asked in an aggrieved tone.

"Ain't we trying to be polite with the new Parahuman?" Shadow Stalker asked innocently. Vista showed impressive restraint by not responding to the obvious bait.

"Would you like to be officially registered? I could take your picture and help you set up an account on PHO," Vista inquired politely.

"Dohohoho! By all means! Entering the public eye is out of my hands now that your powers dredged me into the light, nothing to do but take the initiative." Alice laughed like an old man, rolling her armored shoulders in good humor before she spread her arms, before ringing a gauntlet sonorously against her chestplate. A subtle bit of puffing out and pitching of the voice and suddenly she felt so much larger, "Especially with one such as I! It would be deeply unfortunate if our beloved parahuman gallery misunderstood my armor as yet another flaccid attempt to garner fear by an up and coming villain, no? If we are to fight, it ought to be on the sparring mat."

Just like that, Shadow Stalker was off the fan list. The bombastic attitude probably called to mind other larger-than-life Capes like Mouse Protector. Vista was the polar opposite, lapping it up. The photo was taken and an account on PHO was made for Druid. Even better the verification came through a minute later.

The horned helmet turned towards the Breaker, a much quieter and rougher chuckle sounding out. "Rest assured, Miss Stalker, you will not find me grandstanding around the rot gnawing at this city. Speeches are all well and good for reasonable folk who may want some reassurances, but I find the universal language is rather needed when it comes to one's enemies."

"What language is that?" The former vigilante asked skeptically.

"Violence and victory, what else? Break their teeth, break their bones. Win, and win again, until the strategic scale shifts by weight of blood and bruise." Alice said with a wide, toothy grin nobody could see. "Of course, you do not accomplish anything more than becoming a statistic unless you temper the brutality with cunning, but I hardly need to tell that to two veterans of this meatgrinder, do I?"

Stalker, despite her stern faceplate, was eating it up by the fistful. It was easy to tell, with how she leant forward, hanging to every word. Vista clearly didn't want to outwardly agree, but she very pointedly didn't speak up against her statements. Both also visibly preened as she acknowledged their chops as child soldiers without a single spec of patronization or moral panic. Teens were teens, validation was validation. It was easy.

"Now, speaking of violence and initiative. My plans for the evening are rather moot at this point, so I do not suppose you ladies would begrudge a newcomer some of your hard earned wisdom?" Alice asked with deceptive gentleness, knowing she had them now. You did not need a Master power to use people. "Of course, I wouldn't want to keep you from your patrol, so why don't I follow? It will make matters much simpler for all of us going forward, no?"

Vista inquired with HQ and received permission soon after. That was one hurdle down. While she was patrolling in the northern part of the city, Nezumi could raise some hell in the south. A feeling of eagerness and affection sang across the link from her loyal rat.

Poor, poor Mr. Mueller. What a truly rotten string of luck. He had to call off the burning of Dave's Diner because of a sudden attack of diarrhea, never-you-mind the mess that the lotion had made of him. His whole body was covered in dried skin and red welts, the poison oak and hogweed sap doing their work even if she hadn't increased the dosage enough to cause the distinctive oozing boils to pop up.

"Yeah, shit, listen… Listen! It's off for tonight. I can't go out like this…" Mueller groaned as he made another deposit at the porcelain bank.

"Fuck, man. Really?" Nels also groaned, if for a completely different reason.

"Really. Just…do collections tonight…lay low," He gritted out.

Nezumi was quite proud of her work. When the diarrhea from hell showed no signs of slowing or stopping after an hour, he got in his car and drove to Brockton Bay General. After putting down a garbage bag, for obvious and very humiliating reasons of course. She could not have expected what happened next. The nurse on duty took one look at him and stuck him in a room by himself.

"Why did you have me isolate him, doctor?" The nurse asked, the rat hearing her just fine through the shadows.

"The red skin, the welts, the bloodshot eyes… He was complaining of abdominal discomfort and diarrhea? I have no clue what it could be. Not without more tests. Until we know more I suggest we keep him separated for now," The doctor replied with a shake of his head.

"Do you think it could be that serious?" The nurse furrowed her brow in disbelief.

"Better to be safe than sorry. I'm putting in a call to Infectious Diseases to see if anything new is floating around. We're usually the last to find out. Let's stay on top of this," The doctor decided with a sharp nod. Then, with the distinctive humor of all health workers in every era, "At least getting a fecal sample won't be hard."

The rat sat on her haunches in sheer disbelief. Good thing no one could hear her laughing as the esteemed Mr. Mueller was now patient zero of a mystery illness. She had to contact Alice for further instructions, given her main target was pretty much neutralized. The shrunken rat slipped out to the waiting room and found a safe place to take her human guise. A moment later, Nezumi approached the desk to ask the receptionist if she could use the phone.

"Hi honey! I know you can't talk right now, but I wanted to let you know something. Our special friend is in observation for the foreseeable future. Where? Brockton Bay General. The doctors have no idea what it is. Poor man is leaking from every orifice," Nezumi clucked her tongue sympathetically as she left the message on Alice's voicemail. Of course, she could've used telepathy, but it gave her an excuse to call her Summoner 'honey'.
That done, Nezumi sent out a call to her Clan's pups. The playful little scamps loved to explore and get in trouble. They were just baby Spirits, not at all wise to the ways of the world, and endlessly inquisitive. She told them to go play in E88 territory and that was that.

Later reports would claim that a rat-based Master had run amuck among the E88's stash houses, meeting places and even safehouses. They infiltrated homes and stores without causing obvious harm, just a few nibbled wires here and there. Mostly it was to gain intelligence on their movements and personal identities. No one was going to pay attention to a few minor inconveniences when their major money makers were getting hit by hordes of pests. Then one of the pups got creative.

Enter the Cocaine Rat.

It wasn't really done on purpose, but the pup took advantage of the situation. A particularly fat and mean mundane rat got into a brick of cocaine. The pup promptly cast Enhanced Endurance, Diehard, Maximized Endurance, and Animal Growth on the damn thing as he urged it to keep eating. With that done the pup stole somebody's digital camera and recorded the festivities.

He earned himself a promotion from the Clan Elders just like that.

As for the fool children that got into the ammo supply…

Nezumi would be having words with them for detonating a storehouse. The fact they were unsummoned while screaming "Worth it!" did not improve her mood. This was supposed to be subtle sabotage! Although she supposed she had brought it on herself when she decided to call upon her Clan's young. Hopefully her Summoner would get some amusement out of this, at the very least.

Name: Alice Belobog
Age: 21
Level: 8
Class: Mage
Specialization: Plant
Subclass: <Locked>

Max HP: 80 [Recovers 1 HP per minute]
Max SP: 160 [Recovers 5 SP per minute if active, 20 if resting]
Max MP: 1000 [Recovers 5.05 MP per minute]

STR: 14
DEX: 16
CON: 16
INT: 15
WIS: 15
CHA: 50
LCK: 24 (12 after World Debuff)

CP: 0

Perks

Medium Mana Capacity lvl Max - Your ability to hold Mana has increased enabling even greater staying power. MP x 2, MP Regen + 4

General Skills

Perception lvl 7 - This encompasses more than just sight, hearing, and the like. This is a measure of how well you can grasp the world around you and its varied nuances.
- 10% + 1% per level chance to uncover hidden objects, see through disguises and detect bullshit.

Meditation lvl 1 - The ability to focus oneself and maintain a level head. This skill is an important foundation not just for Mages but for Martial Artists as well. In time it may even be possible to enter a meditative trance while doing other things.
- Passive MP Regen + 1% per level.
- MP Regen + 5% per level while active. (Must Meditate for 1 minute for it to become active)
- Active use gradually removes mental effects at a rate of -10% + 1% per level.
- Chance of taking action or any disturbance breaking the meditative trance 90% - 1% per level.

The Way of the Body [1/10] - This is a training process devised by one of the foremost masters of the body. With this the user can cause the formation of "pink muscle" capable of doing the work of red and white muscle even more efficiently. This serves as a solid foundation for most Martial Arts training. Unlike with normal Skills this is a trainable Perk completed at 10.
- Alters the distribution of XP for the Body Trinity to 80% gain for all.
- Increases Reaction Time by +1% per point of DEX
- Increases Explosive Strength by +1% per point of STR.
- Increases Resilience by +1% per point of CON.

Combat Skills
Blunt Weapon Mastery lvl 1 – A good whack is nature's reset button. This skill covers the various ways you can make upright people lie prone.
- Attack Speed +15% + 5% per level.
- Damage +5% per level.

Bladed Weapon Mastery lvl 1 - This is a general skill for handling sharps without cutting off important bits in the process. Blades can inflict the Bleed and Severed Debuff.
- Attack Speed +15% + 5% per level.
- Damage +5% per level.

Magic Skills

Plant Manipulation lvl 13 – The ability to manipulate plants from the simple flower to the mightiest tree. This is a subset of Life Magic which also covers certain healing spells and physical recovery.
- Spell Costs are reduced by 1% per level (Max -75%)
- Spell Effects are enhanced by 1% per level.
- Spell Range is enhanced by 1% per level.
- Spell Duration is increased by 1% per level.

Summoning lvl 8 - This Skill is based on the research of Guy Dupont and covers the summoning and dismissing of various Spirits. Summons remain until dismissed or killed. A killed Summon merely returns to their natural realm. The more MP is used the more powerful the Spirit that is called.
- MP: 20
- Control: 10% + 5% per level. (This is based on Charisma)
- Dismiss: 25% + 15% per level. (This is based on Charisma)

Healing Hesperide lvl 3 - Conjures healing apples or apple juice, with some input from you.
- Cost: 4 MP
- HP Recovery - Must consume ½ lb or 1 pint for the full benefit.
- PWR: 1 (+0.1 per lvl)
- Amount of Food Created: ½ lb per lvl
- Amount of Drink Created: 1 pint per lvl
- Quality Modifier: +0.5% per level
- Active Time: 1 minute per level. (After this the magic healing is inert)

Husk Bolt lvl 8 - This is a variant on one of the most basic spells in a Mage's arsenal, Mana Bolt. It conjures up a seed husk based on a template and fires it at high speed. Simple and efficient. This variant has the potential to debuff.
- Cost: 1 MP
- Range: 175 ft + 5 ft per level
- PWR: 1 + 0.1 per level = 1.6
- Damage Type: Blunt
- Debuff: Capsaicin - The bullet sprays dust on impact which can get in the eyes and nostrils. Irritation and radius increases by 5% per level. Base Range: ½ ft Causes watery eyes, runny nose, and burning in the mucus membranes.

Hungry Mold lvl 14 - A creepy fungus spell that turns putrefying flesh into a ravenous mold. All putrid flesh is consumed until nothing organic remains. After ten minutes with nothing to consume it dries out and dies.
Effect:
- Infests 1 lb of flesh per level.
- Can be ended prematurely by the caster.
- Cost: 20 MP

Coat of Thorns lvl 2 - This spell is more than just a variant of Mage Armor, but also combines aspects of Flame Shield as well. The caster's garments are altered fundamentally to increase their toughness yet also add a bit extra. Any attackers in melee range trigger an immediate thorny reaction. This can be discharged immediately for an omnidirectional attack by casting the spell again.
- MP: 16
- Type: Defense, Pierce
- PWR (for thorns): 1 + 5% per level. (Stacks with Armor when triggered)
- Armor: 4 + 5% per level
- Duration: 2 minutes per level. Auto-renews unless dismissed.
- Reactive Damage: Equal to the Spell's Total Armor Value

Rumble Vine lvl 5 - You know the spell Plant Growth? Why waste time with that when you could have this? This spell affects an area around the caster that drives the vegetation into frenzy. It uses the surrounding nature to create an ad hoc Summon Circle to briefly call a horde of wild Plant Spirits. Vines rise up out of the ground and thrash anything that looks at the Caster crosseyed.
- MP: 15
- Number of Vines Summoned: 4 + 1 per 3 lvls.
- PWR: 4 per Vine
- Area of Effect: 20ft + 2ft per level.

Slime Suit lvl 1 - This just might be one of the oddest spells ever created in this cluster. The result of combining three very different types of spells has given rise to something new. Your Summoning Skill was needed to bind it all together. A Neutral Spirit has been Summoned into this unique working. Usually Slimes are considered generic, but this one has been infused with a purpose.
- Sustained Cost: 100 MP
- Armor Value: ½ Charisma
- Durability: Twice Charisma
- Heals the Wearer by 20 HP per minute + 2 HP per level
- Reduces Damage by 50% against Blunt, Fire, Acid
- Critical Heal: Sacrifices its Durability when the wearer is at 20% HP.
- Critical Retreat: Puppets the wearer's body to escape if the caster is incapacitated.
- Movement +30% + 5% per level (Negated by Heavy Armor)

Inventory

Money: $7600.21
Smartphone (Great)
Dreams of Green Notebook (Poor)
ID Paperwork (Basic)
Apartment keys (Basic)
Crowbar (Good)
- Durability: 125/125
10 Rolls of Heavy Leather (100 lbs)
20 lbs Steel
1 lb Gold
1 Roll Kevlar
20 Rolls of Cotton (80 lbs)
Fishy Nun Outfit (equipment set, what she started with) (Good)
- Armor 12
- Durability 25/25
- Comfort + 25%
Vogue Frills Outfit (equipment set, the one she just got) (Basic)
- Durability 20/20
- Comfort + 0%
Shotgun (Basic)
- Durability 125/125
Ammo (6 shells)
Clothes

Hellish Whistle (Rare) - Forged from the despair of generations of railway workers and those who died building the rails. One toot on this is enough to send those of weaker wills fleeing in terror. When Mana is channeled through it this whistle can petrify a listener with fear.
Inflict: Terror, Petrified with Fear MP 10
Durability 5/5

Costume Gasmask (Basic) - This looks like a proper gasmask but in reality is fake. The lens blurs the edges of the wearer's eyes and general color to aid in concealing their identity. The mask has been enhanced further to conceal the wearer's hair under the habit and change it to something nondescript.
- Durability: 20/20
- Effect: Disguises hair color/hides hair perfectly

Casting Beyond the Veil (Excellent) - This tome was written many years ago by a scholar of otherworldly magic. The scholar, Guy Dupont, wrote this after translating a much older grimoire. Contained within these pages are the fruits of his labor. Teaches Summoning Magic Skill.

A Passion for Burning (Excellent) - This Guy Dupont really gets around, doesn't he? These are his observations on the inner workings of Fire Magic and how it interacts with other elements. Confers several benefits that require research to unlock.

A Flash of Brilliance (Excellent) - These are Guy Dupont's observations on Lightning and its unique place within the Wind Element group. Confers several benefits that require research to unlock.

The Deepest Darkness (Excellent) - Guy Dupont sought to find a connection between Dark and what he called "The Elements of the Earth." Confers several benefits that require research to unlock.

A Ray of Light (Excellent) - This details Guy Dupont's journey to discover a connection between Light and what he called "The Elements of Heaven." Confers several benefits that require research to unlock.

Soul Stone - This possesses a tiny fragment of death magic and acts as the motive force behind undead creatures.
- Minor x 21
- Medium x 3
- Major x 1

Tinkertech Baton - A high-quality self-defense tool advertised as the best on the market. It comes highly recommended by Toybox, but you don't care about all that. This thing is made of space-age materials capable of withstanding tremendous force, heat, cold, acid, and shocks. Your noodly arms will break before this bad boy. Your new toy can be set from 0 (no charge) to 11 (max charge). Max charge comes with backlash so please be responsible. Each charge is a 10% chance to stun or paralyze the target.
- Damage Type: Blunt
- Activated: Blunt/Electric
- Inflict: Stun/Paralyze
- PWR: 4

Shortsword - A basic shortsword. Well forged and simple to use. It was someone's homecraft as evidenced by a lack of discernible style.
Damage: Slash, Pierce
PWR: 6

Legacy of Nature (Excellent) - You hate nature, you are part of nature, nature has always fought and weaponized itself. There is no finest love letter to it than usurping its power. This armor is a declaration of intent to any who witness it: 'Gaia lives, and she hates you more than me.'
- Upgradable: Enchantment Slots 8/8
- Helmet - Allows the wearer to see clearly in natural darkness and extends visual range in power induced shadows. Alters the wearer's voice.
- Armor - Resist Environmental Effects -80%
- Gauntlets - Reduces the change of disarm by 80%.
- Boots - Freedom of Movement through natural terrain. Ignores difficult terrain.
- Durability: 300/300
- Armor Rating: 100
- Special Quality: Material Absorption - Absorbs materials to repair itself. Requires 1 lb of material per 10 points of Durability loss.

Quests

A Child's Dreams of Green - Where did this notebook come from originally? It appears as fantasy but the principles within are solid. Are there other mages out there?
Rewards: 10,000 XP, Potential Mentor, Advanced Plant Spellbook
Failure: 1,000 XP. (Note: The only way to fail this quest is to give up.)

Miss Alice's City - Take a look around the neighborhood and familiarize yourself with your surroundings. Range: 1 square block.
Reward: 500 XP
Bonus: Continue exploring the city 1 square block at a time.
Bonus Reward: 500 XP
Failure: None
Note: Different areas offer special prizes!

Author's Note: I'm moving to a new format for uploads. Updates will be done twice a week on Monday and Friday after this. For my Patrons you can read two whole chapters in advance of Shards of Reality and eventually A Light into the Future.

Patreon Note: A shoutout to my friends over on Patreon. The Patreon page is now updated to be even friendlier and clearer than before. Please think about helping me as I've still got lots of bills to pay, a cat to take care of, and not enough money for it all.

Thanks to my Patrons:
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Apple has a 30% upcharge that doesn't go to me. Read the full story here.

dingbat779 · Oct 25, 2024

Set Up 2.2

Alice had intellectually known she was signing herself up to be a celebrity. It still felt bizarre as people chattered, jostled one another, took pictures and chucked questions at her. Not that it broke her stride, mind, she had dealt with enough chaotic conversations to roll with the punches. Sure helped that Vista and Shadow Stalker were with her and had years and months, respectively, of experience and PR training.

"We usually go through Downtown, the Commercial District, and loop back around to PRT headquarters. You can see from our route that it's a big circle. We're not supposed to deviate…" Vista directs a look at Shadow Stalker, who was busy admiring Arcadia High's architecture in the distance, "...but this worked out. After all, we got a chance to meet you!"

"Woo." Shadow Stalker deadpanned, wiggling her fingers in mock-cheer.

"From her that's enthusiasm," Vista 'translated' without missing a beat.

"I am honored." Alice drawled, a good-natured chuckle blunting the sarcasm. "Onwards, then?"

"Normally we'd be further along than this, but…" Vista glanced at Shadow Stalker and wisely decided not to poke the bear any more, "...Anyway…Part of our patrol takes us near E88 territory."

"Wait. We're actually going to patrol down there? I thought the last couple got canceled," Stalker said, suddenly very engaged in the conversation.

"You know how it is. City Hall said something and somebody else said something…" Vista rolled her eyes.

"Tch. Of course," Shadow Stalker said with heavy sarcasm.

Alice had already sent telepathic notice to Nezumi to adjust her operation as she saw fit, so it was whatever to her. Normally she'd be leery of traipsing down there given how the Empire had the most wiggle room to act in this city bar none due to their power concentration and overseas connections, but with two Wards along for the ride? If they tried anything they'd be the ones holding the bag when the dust settled.

"Man, I just got a reminder to be home early. It's a school night," Stalker sneered as she pulled a buzzing phone from her belt.

"You're the only one who wants to do this all night…" Vista shook her head.

"Can't wait until I'm eighteen. Then I don't have to deal with this baby shit anymore," The dark heroine said.

The Wards' patrol routes were posted on the website. For those people who didn't own a computer, or at least pay attention, it was well known that pint-sized heroes wandered the neighborhoods. This, of course, hardly stopped the common clay of America from committing crimes absent a higher up smacking them upside the head. According to Vista the most they had to deal with was the odd car thief or shoplifter. Sometimes, if they were really lucky, it was a strung out Merchant. Stalker audibly groaned when reminded of that fact.

Thankfully, those who didn't respect some pint sized veterans of this gussied up warzone sure as hell respected six feet and change of armored behemoth. So far her best success had been a crook hurriedly walking back, returning the bag she'd snatched and putting her wrists up for handcuffs all from running into Alice's chestplate and staring up into her helm. Charisma was a fantastic investment like that.

"At least you're getting some street cred," Vista pointed out to Alice.

"Watchin' them get all wide-eyed is kinda funny," Stalker admitted.

"Vindication tastes ever so sweet." The mage chuckled lowly, before looking up. "Ah, another runner. Vista, would you begrudge me taking this one?"

The options for running away with the canny Shaker in the area were a plain, flat 'no'. Therefore, no harm in asking for a shot at handling it herself.

"Go ahead," Vista gestured. She whispered something to Console. Probably making sure they were recording all of this.

Green light pooled in her armored palm, floating up into a bulbous bundle the size of her first, almost like grapeshot. A crisp snap of her fingers and it shot like an arrow, breaking on the thief with a splat of viscous sap that nearly had him taste the sidewalk.

Then the pong ball sized seeds sprouted.

[New Spell Created!]
Shackle Seed lvl 1 - Looks like you sampled some nearby crabgrass. This special seed grows like a weed on steroids to entrap the target. It extends its roots into whatever crevices it can get a grip on. Non-invasive but it will seek to restrain them by as many points as possible. Quickly regenerates from harm until its limited HP runs out.
- MP: 20
- HP: 10 + 5 per level
- Target: Medium and smaller. Upgrades at tenth level.
- PWR: 5 (Upper grip strength)
- Number of Seeds: 1 + 1 per 3 lvls.

[Plant Manipulation + 1]

"Mmmph!" The thoroughly bound criminal thrashed but the vines weren't even budging.

"That works," Vista nodded.

"How strong is this stuff?" Stalker tried to cut it with a utility knife, but it didn't go far. The vine bled green sap for a moment before visibly sealing up. With the blade still in it. The Breaker had to yank full force to get it out.

"Don't mess with it…" Vista sighed.

"I would suggest a whetstone at the earliest, its regeneration likely warped the edge." Alice hummed as she casually flipped the very unfortunate thief, checking to make sure he could breathe just fine. Thankfully, magic tended to be more tuned than not to the caster's intent as she'd found. "And another gift for our fellows in blue. Savor your five minutes of fame, mister."

Her piece said, she propped him up against a lamppost, making a show of lighting up her fingertip with green mana before having a little growth spurt firmly tie the crook to the metal bar.

"Mmph hmph…" The hapless criminal slumped in his surprisingly comfy bindings.

The humorous mood was instantly shattered as a loud gunshot rang out. Stalker hissed, "Next street over!" Before Vista could respond the black clad heroine was already gone.

"Console? Shots fired. Shadow Stalker is investigating– on my way," Vista hastily replied before following, space crumpling down and curving around for her and Alice.

By the time they reached the place there was no sign of the shooter. Propped up against the wall was a young Latina with a spurting wound in her leg. Shadow Stalker was calling it in as she attempted to use a pressure bandage to stop the bleeding. She was plainly out of her depth as the blood continued to spill out. Vista took over and sent Stalker to try to find out where the shooter ran.

"Don't engage!" Vista told her.

"Yeah yeah," Stalker waved her off before leaving.

"Ahhh…!" The woman cried out, sweating and trembling. Alice may not be a medic, but that together with the glazed over eyes sure sounded like shock.

That's when the darkening evening lit up again. An explosion briefly turned the night to day from somewhere deeper in E88 territory. Vista looked plainly alarmed as the nearly empty street suddenly played host to a group of running people. She looked to Druid in shock before hastily reporting all of this to the Console and getting to work managing the panicking crowd by writ of the fabric of space being her personal snot rag.

Alice was just about the only one calm, by writ of a very exasperated Nezumi explaining what had happened through their telepathic bond within ten seconds of the explosion. She was rather more concerned with the woman in the process of bleeding out.

A Shackle Seed made for an excellent improvised tourniquet. Now. Time to see how far Charisma 50 really went. "Focus on me. I am Druid. I am going to save you."

Clarity actually returned to the woman's eyes… if with a bit more fear than Alice would've liked as she stared up into the imposing figure looming over her. Still, the latina just gritted her teeth and nodded, "H-haz lo que quieras." <Do what you want>

"Con permiso." <With permission, then> Alice replied without missing a beat as the Slime Suit oozed out from her gauntlets, very pointedly not mentioning that she'd have done this anyways. If someone wanted to try suing the armored behemoth who saved them from bleeding out, that was their business.

"Right, record it all. I'll take responsibility." Vista said to both Alice and Console, before muttering under her breath, "She's lost too much blood…"

The woman winced as the slime made contact, tensing up in preparation for whatever it would do to her in the name of healing her… then blinked as the pain faded away. The ooze had slithered right into the wound, numbing everything as it went. Alice barely needed to give it any guidance to wrap around the bullet and slide it out. The rest it handled itself, the intent behind the healing magic working overtime. New blood was produced and threaded into the severed veins, muscle fibres were straightened out and reconnected, nerves were restored for all they were kept numb.

Within little more than a minute, there was nothing left of the bullet wound other than brand new skin, slightly off-tone from the rest. Not a spec of scar tissue.

"Whoa…" Vista breathed out. Alice supposed it made sense, the Shaker had probably been expecting some fancy form of wound packing instead of just regrowing the tissue like she was the second coming of Panacea. Or Othala, if you felt uncharitable.

Now, it was time to see how well Alice could project her voice. Vista had kept anyone from being trampled with her powers, but they were still screaming and scrabbling.

The 'fun' was over and it was time for the aftermath. A PRT van arrived to take Alice and her patient back to headquarters. "Hello, gents. I am Druid, may I know your names?"

The tension in the armored van had been steadily chipped away by small talk, the troopers all too easily prodded into chatting about old incidents. So she learned the tales of Chesty Puller, the sriracha styptic, Hookwolf on ice and so much more. Craggly old Agent Hamilton had so much to tell, having been there for the formation of the Teeth.

As for Carla, the lady she'd saved? She was delighted to have someone with whom to chat in her mother tongue, even if there were a fair few stumbles between Castilian Spanish and Latino Spanish. Funnily enough, she actually worked at Brockton Bay General.

They pulled up to PRT HQ and drove around to the back entrance, after which they were shoved in. The formerly injured woman was taken to medical while Alice was escorted to a holding room, not quite a cell, not quite an interrogation room. Although it did have a one-way mirror.

Barely five minutes into telepathic chitchat with Nezumi, the door's hydraulics hissed open to admit who Alice could only assume was Miss Militia. Middle-eastern features, american flag bandana, gussied up military fatigues.

"Druid is it? Hello there. Vista and even Shadow Stalker had good things to say about you," She opened up with crinkled eyes while taking a seat.

"Dohohoho! I could hardly disappoint my seniors." Alice let loose a belly laugh, the very image of a jolly viking, "The little warriors may be over a decade younger than me, but only a fool disrespects experience like that."

"It is a sad fact of life that even our youngest have this kind of experience," Miss Militia said heavily. She was a war orphan and a child soldier. This obviously didn't sit well with her. There was a reason Alice had called them warriors rather than soldiers. "Anyway… this was your first time out? From what Vista said you handled yourself like a professional. Did you perhaps have an identity beforehand? You don't need to answer that. I'm just curious." She was skirting the Unwritten Rules, but just barely.

"A city like this spares none, aye. Worse, they suffer like many soldiers in Vietnam, treated like men one moment, like children the next. I can scarcely imagine their frustrations, trusted to fight for their lives and those of the fair peoples of this city, but not with deciding for themselves so much of their lives." Alice commiscerated, all too happy that her savage smile couldn't be seen behind her helm. It was ever so fun to take an incautious comment and yank it like a ripcord.

That neatly robbed Miss Militia of anything to say for several minutes. She didn't know what to do as the comment hit far too close to home.

"Ah, but such things aren't for us fighting men to decide, are they? It is for the brass to bow under the weight of the crown, to decide whom to sacrifice in the name of strategy. The dignity and security of their corpsmen or the purity of their name in the arena of public perception. To validate their suffering and give them the tools and training to fight at their best for them and theirs, or to keep the populace happy enough funding and recruits keep on flowing." Once upon a time, Alice had spent years learning fencing. The saber taught a very simple lesson, seize the initiative and do not let it go for a moment. "Can they afford to acknowledge the war that is being fought in these streets and act accordingly? Can they afford not to? I well and truly do not envy them."

Miss Militia seized on something Druid said, "So then you see this as a war? I've been in war. The situation in Brockton Bay is nowhere near that bad…" An exclamation of frustration could be heard just beyond the window. It must have been loud indeed to get past whatever soundproofing was in the room.

"And I shan't say Brockton has degenerated to the atrocities and open chaos many other nations have succumbed to, as much as great many forces would wish otherwise. But war takes many forms. A wise woman once said, 'diplomacy is war by any other means'. I will call the men and women fighting for the message of hope across the airwaves soldiers at war as readily as you or I." Alice stated, steady and sedate like a stone slowly rolling downhill. A calculated tilt of her horned helm and she added, "As much as I personally do not agree with a number of their decisions, their toil and their cause is to be respected."

The meeting kind of ended after that. Miss Militia made the appropriate noises and gestures, but it was clear there were irreconcilable differences. Alice was given permission to heal people if it was necessary. A pamphlet was provided listing the Do's and Don't's of Parahuman Healing. Then there was a heap of paperwork to register as an official hero, who could be called through a work phone they provided for any number of troubles, parahuman and otherwise. A bit of questioning told her it also tapped into police frequencies, although she would have to visit the precinct on her own time to sort out their paperwork to be called upon by the BBPD, since she very much wasn't Protectorate.

The phone, of course, had a tracker. They told her as much, with the excellent justification that they rather needed to know roughly where a parahuman was to know when and what to call them for. They assured her it turned off together with the phone, for the sake of anonymity when she was off the clock.

Alice didn't care either way because the damn thing would be hanging out in her Inventory when she wasn't going around as Druid. No way in hell it packed the sort of Tinkertech needed to send a signal while in that.

[Reputation Meters]
PRT - Good
ABB - Neutral
E88 - Neutral
Merchants - Neutral
Public - Neutral

Ah, wasn't it beautiful to make oneself utterly poisonous for recruitment without burning a single bridge? Now, time to say hello to the boys in blue, whose only convincing would be that yes. A parahuman really wanted to work with them.

Name: Alice Belobog
Age: 21
Level: 8
Class: Mage
Specialization: Plant
Subclass: <Locked>

HP: 80/80 [+1 HP per minute]
SP: 160/160 [+5 SP per minute if active, +20 if resting]
MP: 1000/1000 [+5.05 MP per minute]

STR: 14
DEX: 16
CON: 16
INT: 15
WIS: 15
CHA: 50
LCK: 24 (12 after World Debuff)

CP: 0

Perks

Medium Mana Capacity lvl Max - Your ability to hold Mana has increased enabling even greater staying power. MP x 2, MP Regen + 4

General Skills

Perception lvl 7 - This encompasses more than just sight, hearing, and the like. This is a measure of how well you can grasp the world around you and its varied nuances.
- 10% + 1% per level chance to uncover hidden objects, see through disguises and detect bullshit.

Meditation lvl 1 - The ability to focus oneself and maintain a level head. This skill is an important foundation not just for Mages but for Martial Artists as well. In time it may even be possible to enter a meditative trance while doing other things.
- Passive MP Regen + 1% per level.
- MP Regen + 5% per level while active. (Must Meditate for 1 minute for it to become active)
- Active use gradually removes mental effects at a rate of -10% + 1% per level.
- Chance of taking action or any disturbance breaking the meditative trance 90% - 1% per level.

The Way of the Body [1/10] - This is a training process devised by one of the foremost masters of the body. With this the user can cause the formation of "pink muscle" capable of doing the work of red and white muscle even more efficiently. This serves as a solid foundation for most Martial Arts training. Unlike with normal Skills this is a trainable Perk completed at 10.
- Alters the distribution of XP for the Body Trinity to 80% gain for all.
- Increases Reaction Time by +1% per point of DEX
- Increases Explosive Strength by +1% per point of STR.
- Increases Resilience by +1% per point of CON.

Combat Skills
Blunt Weapon Mastery lvl 1 – A good whack is nature's reset button. This skill covers the various ways you can make upright people lie prone.
- Attack Speed +15% + 5% per level.
- Damage +5% per level.

Bladed Weapon Mastery lvl 1 - This is a general skill for handling sharps without cutting off important bits in the process. Blades can inflict the Bleed and Severed Debuff.
- Attack Speed +15% + 5% per level.
- Damage +5% per level.

Magic Skills

Plant Manipulation lvl 14 – The ability to manipulate plants from the simple flower to the mightiest tree. This is a subset of Life Magic which also covers certain healing spells and physical recovery.
- Spell Costs are reduced by 1% per level (Max -75%)
- Spell Effects are enhanced by 1% per level.
- Spell Range is enhanced by 1% per level.
- Spell Duration is increased by 1% per level.

Summoning lvl 8 - This Skill is based on the research of Guy Dupont and covers the summoning and dismissing of various Spirits. Summons remain until dismissed or killed. A killed Summon merely returns to their natural realm. The more MP is used the more powerful the Spirit that is called.
- MP: 20
- Control: 10% + 5% per level. (This is based on Charisma)
- Dismiss: 25% + 15% per level. (This is based on Charisma)

Healing Hesperide lvl 3 - Conjures healing apples or apple juice, with some input from you.
- Cost: 4 MP
- HP Recovery - Must consume ½ lb or 1 pint for the full benefit.
- PWR: 1 (+0.1 per lvl)
- Amount of Food Created: ½ lb per lvl
- Amount of Drink Created: 1 pint per lvl
- Quality Modifier: +0.5% per level
- Active Time: 1 minute per level. (After this the magic healing is inert)

Husk Bolt lvl 8 - This is a variant on one of the most basic spells in a Mage's arsenal, Mana Bolt. It conjures up a seed husk based on a template and fires it at high speed. Simple and efficient. This variant has the potential to debuff.
- Cost: 1 MP
- Range: 175 ft + 5 ft per level
- PWR: 1 + 0.1 per level
- Damage Type: Blunt
- Debuff: Capsaicin - The bullet sprays dust on impact which can get in the eyes and nostrils. Irritation and radius increases by 5% per level. Base Range: ½ ft Causes watery eyes, runny nose, and burning in the mucus membranes.

Shackle Seed lvl 1 - Looks like you sampled some nearby crabgrass. This special seed grows like a weed on steroids to entrap the target. It extends its roots into whatever crevices it can get a grip on. Non-invasive but it will seek to restrain them by as many points as possible. Quickly regenerates from harm until its limited HP runs out.
- MP: 20
- HP: 10 + 5 per level
- Target: Medium and smaller. Upgrades at tenth level.
- PWR: 5 (Upper grip strength)
- Number of Vines: 1 + 1 per 3 lvls.

Hungry Mold lvl 14 - A creepy fungus spell that turns putrefying flesh into a ravenous mold. All putrid flesh is consumed until nothing organic remains. After ten minutes with nothing to consume it dries out and dies.
Effect:
- Infests 1 lb of flesh per level.
- Can be ended prematurely by the caster.
- Cost: 20 MP

Coat of Thorns lvl 2 - This spell is more than just a variant of Mage Armor, but also combines aspects of Flame Shield as well. The caster's garments are altered fundamentally to increase their toughness yet also add a bit extra. Any attackers in melee range trigger an immediate thorny reaction. This can be discharged immediately for an omnidirectional attack by casting the spell again.
- MP: 16
- Type: Defense, Pierce
- PWR (for thorns): 1 + 5% per level. (Stacks with Armor when triggered)
- Armor: 4 + 5% per level
- Duration: 2 minutes per level. Auto-renews unless dismissed.
- Reactive Damage: Equal to the Spell's Total Armor Value

Rumble Vine lvl 5 - You know the spell Plant Growth? Why waste time with that when you could have this? This spell affects an area around the caster that drives the vegetation into frenzy. It uses the surrounding nature to create an ad hoc Summon Circle to briefly call a horde of wild Plant Spirits. Vines rise up out of the ground and thrash anything that looks at the Caster crosseyed.
- MP: 15
- Number of Vines Summoned: 4 + 1 per 3 lvls.
- PWR: 4 per Vine
- Area of Effect: 20ft + 2ft per level.

Slime Suit lvl 1 - This just might be one of the oddest spells ever created in this cluster. The result of combining three very different types of spells has given rise to something new. Your Summoning Skill was needed to bind it all together. A Neutral Spirit has been Summoned into this unique working. Usually Slimes are considered generic, but this one has been infused with a purpose.
- Sustained Cost: 100 MP
- Armor Value: ½ Charisma
- Durability: Twice Charisma
- Heals the Wearer by 20 HP per minute + 2 HP per level
- Reduces Damage by 50% against Blunt, Fire, Acid
- Critical Heal: Sacrifices its Durability when the wearer is at 20% HP.
- Critical Retreat: Puppets the wearer's body to escape if the caster is incapacitated.
- Movement +30% + 5% per level (Negated by Heavy Armor)

Inventory

Money: $7600.21
Smartphone (Great)
Dreams of Green Notebook (Poor)
ID Paperwork (Basic)
Apartment keys (Basic)
Crowbar (Good)
- Durability: 125/125
10 Rolls of Heavy Leather (100 lbs)
20 lbs Steel
1 lb Gold
1 Roll Kevlar
20 Rolls of Cotton (80 lbs)
Fishy Nun Outfit (equipment set, what she started with) (Good)
- Armor 12
- Durability 25/25
- Comfort + 25%
Vogue Frills Outfit (equipment set, the one she just got) (Basic)
- Durability 20/20
- Comfort + 0%
Shotgun (Basic)
- Durability 125/125
Ammo (6 shells)
Clothes
Hero Phone
Hero License
Healer License

Hellish Whistle (Rare) - Forged from the despair of generations of railway workers and those who died building the rails. One toot on this is enough to send those of weaker wills fleeing in terror. When Mana is channeled through it this whistle can petrify a listener with fear.
Inflict: Terror, Petrified with Fear MP 10
Durability 5/5

Costume Gasmask (Basic) - This looks like a proper gasmask but in reality is fake. The lens blurs the edges of the wearer's eyes and general color to aid in concealing their identity. The mask has been enhanced further to conceal the wearer's hair under the habit and change it to something nondescript.
- Durability: 20/20
- Effect: Disguises hair color/hides hair perfectly

Casting Beyond the Veil (Excellent) - This tome was written many years ago by a scholar of otherworldly magic. The scholar, Guy Dupont, wrote this after translating a much older grimoire. Contained within these pages are the fruits of his labor. Teaches Summoning Magic Skill.

A Passion for Burning (Excellent) - This Guy Dupont really gets around, doesn't he? These are his observations on the inner workings of Fire Magic and how it interacts with other elements. Confers several benefits that require research to unlock.

A Flash of Brilliance (Excellent) - These are Guy Dupont's observations on Lightning and its unique place within the Wind Element group. Confers several benefits that require research to unlock.

The Deepest Darkness (Excellent) - Guy Dupont sought to find a connection between Dark and what he called "The Elements of the Earth." Confers several benefits that require research to unlock.

A Ray of Light (Excellent) - This details Guy Dupont's journey to discover a connection between Light and what he called "The Elements of Heaven." Confers several benefits that require research to unlock.

Soul Stone - This possesses a tiny fragment of death magic and acts as the motive force behind undead creatures.
- Minor x 21
- Medium x 3
- Major x 1

Tinkertech Baton - A high-quality self-defense tool advertised as the best on the market. It comes highly recommended by Toybox, but you don't care about all that. This thing is made of space-age materials capable of withstanding tremendous force, heat, cold, acid, and shocks. Your noodly arms will break before this bad boy. Your new toy can be set from 0 (no charge) to 11 (max charge). Max charge comes with backlash so please be responsible. Each charge is a 10% chance to stun or paralyze the target.
- Damage Type: Blunt
- Activated: Blunt/Electric
- Inflict: Stun/Paralyze
- PWR: 4

Shortsword - A basic shortsword. Well forged and simple to use. It was someone's homecraft as evidenced by a lack of discernible style.
Damage: Slash, Pierce
PWR: 6

Legacy of Nature (Excellent) - You hate nature, you are part of nature, nature has always fought and weaponized itself. There is no finest love letter to it than usurping its power. This armor is a declaration of intent to any who witness it: 'Gaia lives, and she hates you more than me.'
- Upgradable: Enchantment Slots 8/8
- Helmet - Allows the wearer to see clearly in natural darkness and extends visual range in power induced shadows. Alters the wearer's voice.
- Armor - Resist Environmental Effects -80%
- Gauntlets - Reduces the change of disarm by 80%.
- Boots - Freedom of Movement through natural terrain. Ignores difficult terrain.
- Durability: 300/300
- Armor Rating: 100
- Special Quality: Material Absorption - Absorbs materials to repair itself. Requires 1 lb of material per 10 points of Durability loss.

Quests

A Child's Dreams of Green - Where did this notebook come from originally? It appears as fantasy but the principles within are solid. Are there other mages out there?
Rewards: 10,000 XP, Potential Mentor, Advanced Plant Spellbook
Failure: 1,000 XP. (Note: The only way to fail this quest is to give up.)

Miss Alice's City - Take a look around the neighborhood and familiarize yourself with your surroundings. Range: 1 square block.
Reward: 500 XP
Bonus: Continue exploring the city 1 square block at a time.
Bonus Reward: 500 XP
Failure: None
Note: Different areas offer special prizes!

Reputation Meters
PRT - Good
ABB - Neutral
E88 - Neutral
Merchants - Neutral
Public - Neutral

Author's Note: I'm moving to a new format for uploads. Updates will be done twice a week on Monday and Friday after this. For my Patrons you can read two whole chapters in advance of Shards of Reality and eventually A Light into the Future.

Patreon Note: A shoutout to my friends over on Patreon. The Patreon page is now updated to be even friendlier and clearer than before. Please think about helping me as I've still got lots of bills to pay, a cat to take care of, and not enough money for it all.

Thanks to my Patrons:
Fans
moon.fellow7
mckin102
bresklinhalsey
havefeith

Intellectuals
the.sleeperdragon
sawpett06

Special Friends
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