Respeccing was suddenly available. At least I assume that's what it is. Each skill on my list that I had learnt from the Multivultus Scientica now had an 'X' symbol. Sadly, it didn't apply to my old Earth skills. Although getting rid of my Civil Service powers for points would be practical, I wonder if that’s not for the best, after all, as scrapping that would likely also remove several memories from my adulthood. Respeccing is scary if you think about the implications!

But most surprising is the fact that I could learn Void magic, starting with 'Storage Beyond', and several new branches of thunder and metal magics have also appeared. This is very likely due to the boost from Thanatos, which has manifested as a bizarre corrupted skill without a description or respec option on the listing.

Of course, there is always the option of continuing to follow my current, demolitions focused path. Considering I now had metal manipulation, I could probably create some unique bombs only I could arm using some kind of simple binary fuse with more advanced skills, and whilst I did balk at the high costs of further demolitions arts before, I can afford them now.

However, my concern is that these types of advanced bombs are going way beyond the sort of thing I would have the ability to create here. I've been lucky so far that making HDX type stuff is plausible with some substitutions, though some part of me is aware that the non-industrial process I'm using is terribly inefficient and I'm not gaining as much as I could from a given batch.

At the same time, whilst I want to gain some actual sword fighting ability to use Aeris' sword form correctly and give myself better self-defence, I don't really fancy going down the generic magic swordsman... I mean bladesward route, even if Kiku thinks it would be great.

Some kind of versatile midranger is probably a good plan.

For now, though, there’s an obvious one I won't miss terribly now: the basic staff combat skill. If I can change that up to basic swordsmanship, that would be a good use of points, right?

So, I do so, removing Bojutsu I and picking up Kunst Das Fetchens I. Since Aeris is a longsword, I should use Earthen Renaissance longsword fencing, right?

It goes through as I expected.

As a check, I then try to remember the only time I've actually twatted something with a staff, way back in the beginning with the Forest Pygmy.

And pretty creepily, I suddenly cannot remember that exact moment. Just before, yes, and after as well, with Aria's accidental dirty jokes and Kiku's chittering.

But that bit... the memory has literally been unravelled. It's as scary as I thought. Even though forgetting the killing blow hasn't impacted my skillpoints... I should avoid using it too much.

Well... I need the basic void ability too. At the bare minimum, that means I can store unstable explosives in a pocket dimension rather than always in my tunic and cape, or Rishya's bag. A good idea. A bargain for 2 points considering I get about five feet square of storage space!

As expected, I then get extra abilities appear, including both 'Apportation' and 'Weight Negation'. But a new mystery '???' also appears that is connected to both 'Apportation' and 'Power Throw'. That really interests me. As I can now respec, no harm in checking it either.

It reveals itself as 'Portal Projectile'. Oh! Kurono used that, right? That thing where she teleported her arrows mid-flight, keeping their momentum.

Holy crap. Wait! With bombs... isn't that pretty ridiculous!?

Five points extra in total? Sold.

Maybe if Kiku teaches me sword throwing I can throw and teleport Aeris as well? The possibilities are endless!

Hehe... if all else fails... toss a loli sword.

Ahem. Maybe I'm getting ahead of myself. I should at least ask if she's okay with it first...

Anyway. So, ten left... and there are other spells as well. Yet another obvious combo shows itself here. Summon and fire an iron stake... and then firing a directed thunderbolt. Won't that be drawn to the impromptu lightning rod?

Picking up the lightning blast, Sky Splitter, I suddenly get a strange memory of little Seria again, a bit older this time, getting very happy that she hits a straw training dummy with a bolt and turns it to charcoal. Then I also appear to have a memory of a younger Kurono practicing Archery, and finally, a strange tanned bishie man slamming his palm and creating his metal spike... and throwing that like a Javelin.

Well, there's the unintended side effect there as well that I can probably create and teleport Javelins. Bonus! Secret sparkle sparkle!

That leaves four points. I'll hold onto those for a change, accepting I'm done. I might need them for swords and spells classes later.

How do things look now then?

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ELIJAH

LVL 9 ETRANGER

SUMMONED HERO OF JERALDINE

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HP>> 120/120 (=STR+END+50)

MP>> 57/57 (=INT+PER)

30 YEARS OLD

(-6 YEARS APPEARANCE BOOST DUE TO SUMMON POWER)

SKLPNT>> 4 (66 USED)

STATUS>> ETRANGER REGENERATION (Permanent, +1 HP per Minute)

TRANSLATION FUNCTION (Permanent)

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Strength 10 (+13)

Agility 8 (+13)

Endurance 14 (+13+20)

Intellect 20 (+13)

Perception 11 (+13)

Charisma 13 (+13)

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(4) > (Increases skill with Paperwork, treats Endurance as +40 higher when completing it; original skill)

(7) > (Gives appreciation for Literature and Art, boosts Base Intellect by +5; original skill)

(6) > (Has withstood pain to watch many animes, read many manga and LNs and WNs. Reduces Base Charisma by -2, Boosts Base Endurance by +5; original skill)

(3) > (Has an extensive gaming knowledge and good skill level; not quite a Pro. Boosts Base Perception by +1; original skill)

(3) > (Wide experience in running Tabletop Roleplaying Games, +3 Charisma and Intellect when running a game or telling stories; original skill)

(1) > (Experience in constructing own computers)

(6+?) > (Can defensive support young girls, and take damage from them, with a +60 Endurance bonus. +7 Charisma when viewed by girls aged 11-15; original skill)

(S) > (+13 to all stats; boost as level rises)

(S) > (Mutual High Affection: Gains +15% XP gain when in close proximity to Summoner, Summoner able to request and receive ‘Protection of Earth II’ in times of need.)

(S) > (Ougi of Earth: Earth's power is to allow all potential skills ever learnt by its people, and stored in its collective Akashic Record, to be learnt by its Etranger. Still requires Experience and meeting prerequisites, but no limit on total knowledge and acquired knowledge, and skills witnessed by the Earth Etranger get added to the collective memory as well, as an Earthling is witnessing them. Chant this skills name to activate the full skill-forest.)

(1) > (A supernatural ability; allows viewing the status of others)

(1+3) > (Allows creation of bombs with impact, lit, and mechanical fuses)

(1) > (Allows instinctual identification of explosive ingredients)

(2) > (Allows creation of nitro-glycerine weapons from relevant improvised ingredients)

(1) > (Basic Theory of Longsword Fencing stances and movements.)

(1) > (??? training regime, gives a +10 bonus to Endurance)

(2+3) > (??? training fosters exceptional resilience beyond norms and appearance, +10 bonus to Endurance and bonus +50 HP)

(3) > (Arms specialised in throwing pitches and shot-putts. Trebles throw distance.)

(1+2) > (Chance to dodge even if unaware of threat, +10 to Agility for dodges made proactively, upgrade of Heightened Threat Awareness)

(X) > (A combined spirit. Though young, it is powerful. Regenerates 1 MP every two minutes. Increased regeneration inside a magnetic field.)

(X) 01d 3M8n3M3n+>> (??)

(X) > (Aeris can transmute into an intelligent blade able to channel the users spells)

(X) > (Basic Thunder Magic, 1 MP. Spontaneously creates burst of low-level static electricity)

(2) > (Foundation Thunder Magic, costs 6 MP. Fires a scatter burst of electric discharges, grounds quickly, but may paralyse.)

(4) > (Thunder Magic, costs 22 MP. Paints own magical field and that of the target with ionic imbalance, creating a lightning blast fuelled by own Prana.)

(X) > (Basic Metal Magic, 4 MP. Can manipulate the density of metal items on an atomic scale, changing their dimensions. New metal cannot be created.)

(2) > (Foundation Metal Magic, 7 MP. Creates a stake of iron, around 3 feet long. Can be propelled by a prana explosion or thrown personally.)

(2) > (Basic Void Magic, 3 MP. Can store up 5 Ft squared of items in void pocket. Cost paid on both storage and retrieval.)

(2) > (Foundation Void Magic, 6 MP. Can phase own hand through Void to manipulate items up to 10 Feet away. Cannot phase into or through matter, destination must be vacant space.)

(3) > (Void Magic, 11 MP. After throwing or firing a projectile, intercept it with a portal which transmits to a destination portal up to 15 Ft away with any facing. The item maintains momentum. 1 item up to 3 pounds of weight maximum.)

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Pretty good... though I'm rather MP starved for spells like that thunder blast, at least Aeris regenerates slowly.

Now then... I should probably get up and move around if I've been out for a while.