“What’s valuable?”, I asked, looking at the dress in confusion, “Is magical clothing that valuable?”

Kalli gaped at me and asked, “You really are from a backwater world aren’t you?”

Lavender sat behind the desk in the room and laughed, pointing out, “I think his confusion has less to do with the state of the world and more to do with his just having been awakened two days ago.”

“Want to explain how a newborn summoned me then?”, Kalli grumbled, giving me the evil eye.

The enchanter ran a finger through her golden locks and sighed, “Well, I suppose he could show incredible potential. Either that or he’s an idiot. My guess is it’s probably a mix of the two.”

I knew when people were teasing me so I stamped my foot and said, “I’m right here guys.”

Changing the subject, Kalliphae pointed out, “It’s not the clothes that are super valuable, though they are better than the stuff you wear. Look closely at the dress. What stands out?”

Glancing at the redhead I did notice a couple of things that definitely stood out. I didn’t think that’s what she wanted me to notice at the moment though. I looked closely at the dress.

Item:

Satin Wrapped Silk Dress of the Phoenix

Components

Silk, Satin, Lace, Mana, Essense of Pheonix

Item Rank:

B

Item Level:

1

Item Owner:

Hellquist

I was a little jealous of the fiery bird that snaked its way up the girl's body. The sewn flames rippled giving off the effect that they were alive. Not seeing what she was talking about I stared intently at the phoenix design. A sub-menu just like my skill window popped up.

Skill(s) added:

Flight of the Phoenix

I added two plus two and turned to look at two beautiful women peering at me expectantly as if I were a pet they were teaching a new trick. I aimed to please and I announced, “It has something to do with the phoenix doesn’t it? What does the Flight of the Phoenix skill do?”

“Well done”, Lavender placated me with praise, “Flight of the Phoenix is an enchantment. It allows the thread on that dress to become a magical phoenix which you can ride.”

“You mean we can fly?”, I asked, my eyes full of wonder.

Kalli snickered, “You see. It's extremely rare. If I had a skill like yours I’d inspect everything.”

I inspected Lavender and said, “So this is training now?”

Name

Lavender ???

Class

Enchanter

Level

???

Affection Level

Indifferent

I frowned at the woman and raised an eyebrow. She snickered at me and I turned my attention to Kalli.

Name

Kalliphae Hellquist

Class

Pyromancer

Level

7

Affection Level

Indifferent

I sighed. Why is everyone indifferent all of a sudden. I thought we were becoming friends.

Kalli made a theatrical show of gasping and covering herself with her arms, shrieking, “Ew stop examining me. Total invasion of privacy.”

Lavender laughed, “Let the boy ogle, my dear. They are only young once after all.”

“Wait, that’s not what I was…”, I stammered, turning bright red and busying myself inspecting my fanny pack.

Item:

Fanny Pack of Nil Space

Components

Void Cloth, Mana, Leather, Enchantment

Item Rank:

B

Item Level:

1

Item Owner:

Murphy

I didn’t bother to inspect further since I pretty much knew what it did. Lavender suddenly got up and asked, “So, are you two ready to go home? I have other business that requires my attention.”

Kalliphae walked over to the desk and looked Lavender in the eye, “What are you going to do with Eddie? You aren’t going to hurt him are you?”

I was slightly curious as well, not that I was planning to complain if he was grounded for a while. Lavender beamed at the girl, “This is why I brought you to me. You care when you do not need to. You forgive when you have reason to be angry. Worry not. I do not intend any harm to my apprentice. The responsibility falls to me to raise him to be a good man despite his family. I fear I may have my work cut out for me, but I do not intend to fail. Just leave him to me.”

I was satisfied and ready to leave, but Kalli continued to press the enchanter, “What about his class? Are you going to allow him to continue being a warlock?”

Lavender sat again, folding her legs and explaining, “He has several years yet before he must come to a decision. If he proves to me that he can be responsible enough to manage that class then I will let him keep it. If not I’ll encourage him to try something else.”

“What if he doesn’t agree and decides to keep that class anyways?”, I blurted, pointing out the obvious.

She gave me a light laugh and continued, “When I take a pupil I always make them sign a magical contract. That means he is bound by magic to obey my rules while he learns. That is how I was able to ghost him when he ran away. If he fails his training, he will be returned to the form I discovered him in, a level 2 promising student.”

Kalli asked quietly, “Can we see him before we go?”

Lavender nodded and climbed to her feet. She led us through the palace once again. When we got to the grand staircase, she escorted us to the second floor. Eddie’s room was at the far end of a long hall. I asked, “Is there a reason you put him all the way out here?”

The woman shrugged, “He requested it. Said he wanted privacy. Who am I to question it.”

When we got to the door she knocked and Eddie’s voice called out, “You may enter.”

We walked in finding the boy sitting on a very lavish king-sized bed. He had been looking mournfully at a Nintendo 3DS that he couldn’t operate when we arrived. Noticing us behind Lavender he asked, “Oh, why are you two still here. I figured you’d be gone by now.”

Kalliphae offered him a small smile and said, “We just wanted to make sure you were, um, settled in before we took off.”

Eddie pouted and cast another glance at his GameBoy, grumbling, “I will be if she ever un-ghosts me.”

“Not with that attitude, I won’t”, Lavender threatened.

The kid humphed and turned his back on us. Lavender returned her attention to Kalli and asked, “Is there anything else?”

She guided us back to the entrance. I was filled with wonder all over again as we exited the mansion to discover we were standing outside of a hut. The sun hung low in the sky. The enchanter held out a tiny sack to me and said, “This isn’t even going to come close to helping out your mother, but I thought I would give you kids a little spending money. There is also some of our currency so you can order out of the magical catalog. Keep it in your pouch and the bullies won’t be able to touch it. Also, do some research on magical crafting. You should be able to use your skills to bypass some of the professional requirements.”

I opened the bag and balked, “This is one thousand dollars!”

That was more money than I had held in my entire life. The most I ever had was when my mother let me go on a one hundred dollar shopping spree at a toy store one time. Lavender beamed and informed me, “That's nothing dear. The other coins in that bag are far more valuable.”

I took another look and pulled out a familiar-looking golden coin.

Item:

Golden Crest

Components

Gold, Mana, Council’s Blessing

Item Rank:

B

Item Level:

1

Item Owner:

Murphy

I held up the coin to Kalliphae, asking, “Aren’t these the same as the coins from your world?”

She walked over to me and pulled out her own gold coin. I handed Kalli mine and she held them both up side by side and said, “No, look, the guy on the front is different. They do look remarkably similar though.”

“As they should”, Lavender pointed out, “Both of your worlds are part of an alliance. The old dynasties put their heads together after the last inter-dimensional war and came up with a peace accord. With this agreement, interdimensional travel and trade became possible. Because of this, each world has its own currency that is completely valid at a 1 to 1 trade ratio in every world.”

Kalli perked up and asked, “So I can just buy a ticket and go home?”

Lavender shook her head and told us, “I’m afraid not dear. The cost of even a travel visa is prohibitively expensive. Your best bet if you wish to return to your world would be to teach the boy words of magic and help him level up. He should be able to summon a gate. Otherwise, I am afraid it may take you years to purchase a crossing.”

“Really?”, Kalli cried out, looking desperate, “I can’t wait years. You’re telling me that Melvin is my only hope? I’m doomed.”

“He did summon you”, Lavender pointed out.

Kalliphae looked at me. Appraising me. I felt useless. I looked down and said, “I promise I’ll train hard so you can go home.”

She didn’t reply. She frowned and said, “Let’s just go.”

I was mesmerized watching Kalliphae dance. Only she wasn’t actually dancing, it was the phoenix on her dress. It swirled and flowed as it worked its way up the dress. The flaming orange bird was a sharp contrast with the light blue dress. When it reached the top it just kept going, spouting a geyser of flames above her head that coalesced into a massive phoenix made completely of fire.

Her dress also transformed. The thin material thickened and insulated her body. By the time it finished, she was wearing a riding uniform complete with pants, gloves, and a cap that covered her ears.

I gaped at the majestic bird and asked, “How are we supposed to ride that thing?”

“Don’t worry. He always settles down”, Lavender said, turning to walk back into the hut.

“Thank you Lavender”, Kalli waved and said, “Will we see you again?”

Lavender called over her shoulder as she started the close the door, “That remains to be seen. Follow your destiny and perhaps we will meet again.”

I walked over to Kalli and the Phoenix, asking, “Now what?”

She closed her eyes and replied, “Shush. Let me focus.”

I watched in awe as the huge bird began to dim and solidify. It was still smoldering, but it looked significantly more survivable. Kalli moved aside and the phoenix landed, kneeling so she could mount it. She climbed between its wings and held out a hand, beckoning to me.

I silently made my way over and climbed on behind her. She looked back and said, “Hold on tight.”

I wrapped my arms around her waist and felt a rush of excitement. It was the first time I had ever held a girl in my arms before. With powerful strokes of its flaming wings, the phoenix slowly rose into the air.

I was stunned by the beauty of Lavender’s flower garden beneath us as we rose above Lavender’s garden. I was still watching when it suddenly vanished. One minute I was looking down at a multicolored sea of flowers, the next it was nothing but the green canopy of trees. They weren’t even the colorful leaves I had seen coming in. I was about to ask Kalliphae about it when she told me, “That would be the illusion concealing her domain.”

I nodded and rested my head on her shoulder. She shrugged me off and growled, “Don’t get too comfortable back there.”

I mumbled an apology and turned my attention to the sun, which was steadily setting to the west. For the most part, Kalli knew the way back to my house. She only needed directions from me once we made it to the city.

We landed in a vacant field just a few miles from my apartment complex. The phoenix dissipated into a ball of fire after we dismounted. It swirled around Kalli and slowly twisted its way around her outfit, once again becoming a pattern.

We walked in silence and I couldn’t get the thought of her being indifferent toward me out of my head. I checked it again to confirm. She turned to look at me curiously and I asked, “Are you still mad at me for summoning you?”

She looked away for a moment, sighing, “Well, sorta, I guess. Not really. I mean, I know you didn’t summon me on purpose. Not me specifically. I’m still mad. I have my own training to complete. My master is probably worried. Also, there’s…”

Kalliphae trailed off, looking frustrated. I promised, “We will send you home.”

When we got back to my apartment, Kalli went into my bedroom and shut the door. It was still hours before my mother would return from work. I decided to make myself useful and went into the kitchen to make us some dinner.

As usual, the fridge was bare. There were some hotdogs, a bottle of ketchup, and a nearly expired gallon of milk. The freezer was where we kept most of the food, my mother realizing that my specialty was microwaving.

I pulled out a couple of burritos and sighed.

How many times can I feed her the same boring food?

I thought about taking out the book on manipulation.

No. That will take too long.

I already knew how to do basic edits after all. How hard could food be? I examined the burrito.

Item:

Bean and Cheese Burrito

Components

Beans, Cheese, Sauce, Tortilla

Item Rank:

F

Item Level:

1

Item Owner:

Murphy

I thought it over and decided that a steak sounded nice.

Item:

Filet Minon

Components

Cow

Item Rank:

C

Item Level:

1

Item Owner:

Murphy

I was kind of amazed that filet minion was only C rank. Unfortunately, the edit produced a 6 ounce raw cut of meat. It wasn’t even seasoned. I wondered if a cooked burrito would edit into a cooked steak as I hunted for salt and pepper. I did my best to cook it but still messed it up.

Overcooked Filet Minon (Edited)

The rank dropped back down to F. I sighed and edited the failed result.

Medium Rare Filet Minon (Edited)

The meat seemed to inflate and stopped giving off a charred smell.With a burst of creativity, I edited further.

Well-Seasoned Medium Rare Filet Minon (Edited)

A few extra ingredients added themselves to the item description as I made the final modification.

By this time a very good smell was permeating the kitchen. I also transformed a slice of bread into a twice-baked potato. Adding things like well done or describing how it was cooked made it where I didn’t have to heat the food at all. Thinking that Kalli would probably prefer a well-rounded meal, I took some frozen vegetables out of the freezer and transformed them into a dinner salad. I didn’t care for salads, but Kalli probably would.

I had just finished making her plate when Kalli rounded the corner into the kitchen. She had transformed the dress into a pair of pajamas. This time she opted for pink with the red phoenix complementing it nicely. She looked at the steaming meal and said, “That smells good. Is it for me?”

I slide the plate over to her and nodded. She frowned and asked, “What do you plan on eating?”

Realization suddenly dawned on me that I spent all that time making her dinner and I had completely forgotten to make myself one. I haplessly went back to the freezer and grabbed myself a hot pocket. I didn’t want to demonstrate my ability with her watching. She sighed and grabbed the steak knife, cutting the meat in half. She slid me the bigger half and said, “Come on. There's plenty here for both of us. We did have a big lunch after all.”

I could have kicked myself as I shared the meal with Kalliphae. I resigned myself to waking up extra early to make her a big breakfast. When we finished, we sat down in the living room. There were still a few hours before mom would be home. I took out one of the books.

1001 Simple tricks to simplify editing

“What are you reading?”, Kalli asked, looking at the book curiously.

I flipped the book open, “I am going to try to learn how to summon us another bed so I don’t have to sleep on the floor.”

She gaped at me, “There is no way another bed is going to fit in that small bedroom of yours.”

I winked at her, “Not if I make the bedroom bigger.”

The puzzled look on Kalliphae’s face made me laugh. She asked, “How are you going to do that?”

I nodded sagely and informed the pyromancer, “The same way Lavender does it. I am going to make the inside bigger without changing the outside.”

She shook her head at me, “That won’t work. Your mother will notice.”

I nodded in agreement, “I was thinking about making a special room in my closet.”

She thought about it and then scooted over next to me, “Okay. That might work. What do you need to do? How can I help?”

I smiled at her closeness and flipped open the book.

Table of Contents

Chapter 1: Introduction to editing

Chapter 2: Understanding the menus

Chapter 3: What exactly can be edited?

Chapter 4: Best Editing Methods

Chapter 5: Batch Editing For Dummies

Chapter 6: Automating the process

Chapter 7: Tips and Tricks

Chapter 8: Edits within Edits

Chapter 9: De-Editing VS Deleting: What is the difference?

Chapter 10: Putting it all together

I spent some time skimming the various chapters, trying to find a section on specifically creating what I wanted. Unfortunately, manipulation didn’t seem to work that way. It was more of a modification class rather than creating class. Kalli gave me a curious look and asked, “What does editing have to do with summoning? This doesn’t look like the class I know at all.”

I made up an excuse, “The type of summoning I do requires a catalyst that I edit or use to summon the thing we are trying to create. Think of it as an unequal trade.”

She seemed to buy that and didn’t ask me too many questions. Unfortunately, the hours we had left in the day were insufficient for me to figure out how to make my special closet. I did manage to turn an old sock into a second bed, but I was forced to turn it back when mom suddenly got home.

I left Kalli in the bedroom and made my way out to the living room just as mom plopped own on the couch, completely exhausted. I asked her, “Do you want anything to eat?”

She grinned and held out a bag of McDonald's, “I had some extra money today and splurged, “Here are some chicken McNuggets for you.”

I hugged my mom and thanked her, telling her I was a bit sleepy and would eat in the bedroom. I was secretly grateful to have a bit more food to offer Kalli since she had shared her dinner with me earlier.

After we ate, I changed clothes again in the dark and settled myself down in the closet. Kalli whispered, “Hey Melvin.”

“What”, I replied in a hoarse whisper.

She whispered back, “Come sleep in the bed.”

I perked right up at the sound of that and rushed over to jump in bed. I reached for the covers and she announced, “Above the covers thank you very much.”

She then rolled over, facing away from me. I examined her again. Still indifferent.

Damnit.

MEANWHILE ELSEWHERE

Dennis had always valued himself as a man with a keen eye. That was how he made his way in the world. It was also how he unlocked his solitary skill, Appraisal. He could spot value anywhere. That was why he ran a pawn shop.

Due to his dealings with those who wished not to be named, he often came across rather exotic finds. These were items and artifacts that the seller wanted to be able to dump anonymously and without any legal involvement.

It was one thing fencing stolen jewelry or illegal guns. Quite another when the artifacts were magical in origin. The first time Dennis saw a magical item, he didn’t know what to make of it. That was the day his life changed.

A dark sinister figure had entered his humble shop and forced him to go with them. They didn’t take him at gunpoint or even with a knife. A simple word had sufficed, “Come.”

Dennis would later come to understand that words of command could make him do anything.He was nothing but a pawn in a game he knew nothing about.

However, his role in the game was a simple one. All he had to do was inform his master whenever he came across a suspicious object. His master would make sure he got fair market value for anything magical. What he thought was going to be his undoing turned out to be his cash cow.

Today he saw a new item that he had never seen before. A young boy and his mother had arrived at the shop selling a simple pair of shoes. Only, to his trained eye, they were not so simple.

Item:

Tap Shoes (Edited)

Item Owner:

Mellow

Dennis had never seen that marker before, and it was in red ink. Or red digital ink? He still didn’t understand what he saw when he appraised an item.

He immediately offered the boy $1000 for the shoes. They were surprised, but they quickly accepted the money and left, probably not wanting Dennis to realize his error and retract the offer.

As soon as they left the store he locked up the shop and closed early. He took out a special phone. It didn’t look like any cell phone he had ever seen before. When he tried to appraise it the message Blocked showed up. On the third ring, a voice answered, “Yes?”

Dennis announced excitedly, “I’ve found something.”