Quest 2, Part 11: [Curves]

I repeat the process multiple times before an attempt succeeds. The three different runes are nicely woven together to make a big and interesting foundation. It kinda looks like a small part of a large magic circle. Maybe it is one.

For the amount of work I put into it, I’d say it was not worth it. It does work, it collects a small amount of power, but years won’t be enough to collect a single metric point of it. The main purpose of this test was to check the possibility of it, so it’s not a failed attempt, but it’s too far from my specialization. I’ll hand this over the research mages, I bet they will go crazy over it.

Come to think of it, I’m also a jack of all trades in this body, yet I’m also specialised towards aura mastery. I can wield a rapier quite well, even if not to the extent of a specialized player. Other weapons are a bit meh, but my magical skills are top notch, until someone creates new spells. I don’t think I’ll be able to get stronger as a magician, since I’m already full of things to do.

I’d like to practice on a few slaves, but I’m feeling uneasy for some kind of reason. Maybe Neth can give advice.

I put the crystal with the prototype runes in a small jade box and lock it with a red fiber. I stamp a high level wax seal onto it just in case, and on my way out I hand it over to a maid to send it to the mages. Security may seem lax in here, but the secret word magic solves all questions one may have. The strange red fiber is an often used sealing item and the seal is a tracking and alarm device. Anyone unauthorized touches it and… well they won’t live for long. It’s a fact that my transporting firm is one of the safest in the continent. At least it was in the game, I’d be disappointed if that changed. Very, disappointed.

Using magic I quickly clean of my body. It feels very unnatural, but I’m not in the mood for a bath. As I head slowly towards the sleeping quarters of my aide, I take my time looking at the painting all over the walls.

Wonder tales of past heroes who fought huge mythical creatures, saved many and punished the evil. On the next painting is the age of perish and death, when they founded a nation on the most dangerous place to prove, there is hope for everyone.

Every single one of them tell a new heroic tale, a rise or a fall of a great kingdom or empire. But the heroes with their faith always remained, unshaken. They welcomed everyone, helped everyone and destroyed who attempted to destroy the peace and rise of the weak.

There is one that looks strangely out of place. A small frame of one of the greatest heroes of all time, while behind her is a dark shadow. The dark shadow is holding a dagger that’s sharp end cuts into our heroine. I look at the note under it.

‘The great betrayal of all mankind.’

The next few images are full of tears and grief, and even more blood. The holy crusade to stop the evil who betrayed the hand who rose them. These dark times only took a few years, but always remained in the heart of the people. We will never stop lending a hand, also we will never let evil born in others’ hearts again.

Why did I had them record everything? I always thought we should never forget the past, learn from it to be the best we can be. Then what am I doing right now? I used my power and did everything for the sake of the country, it’s people and the guild. But I broke many laws of mine without a care. I don’t think I did wrong, I just did it the wrong way.

What was it? Wartime law paragraph 6 maybe. From the moment of the first war preparation is started, wartime laws applies for all related beings. Wartime crimes’ punishment is regulated by the direct superior. If such a person is unavailable, a week after the official end of wartime the position is to be temporarily revoked and the person is to taken to the highest possible executive court.

Huh. I’d certainly give myself death penalty. Sucks to be me. Even I won’t deny the law of the guild, because they were made by my dearest friends. In addition to that if I lose my position as a guild master I won’t be the ruler of the country anymore. Am I doomed already? After me Neth is in the highest position, she will be selected as the new ruler. A real empress, that I couldn’t be. I don’t think that she will execute me, but the laws are laws. I can always support the guild from the background. Somehow. I’ll find a way.

After walking past all the great events that happened in the game, the taste of my mouth became sour. I stand in front of the door leading to chamber Neth is sleeping in. It’s late at night, but the halls are properly lighted, not mentioning my high senses. I raise my hand to knock, but stop in the last moment. Maybe I shouldn’t disturb her. She must be tired from all the work I always put on her shoulders.

I hesitantly turn my back, and walk away as I came, but this time I use a different route. Before somehow I notice, I’m at one of the smaller gardens of the mansion. There is small wooden bridge over a cold lake, the design is mixed with asian style. Like many other, it was designed by me. It has a very calming effect on me, this old fairy tale looking place calms down my non-existent heart. This is only a few hundred years old though.

I throw of my shoes to the sides and step forward, letting my feet sink into the clean sand. It lightly tingles, but it has a very unique feel to it similar to an ocean beach. I walk inside the pavilion and notice how rough and cold it is on my soles.

I’m not even a bit tired, this body does not require sleep. The first time was my mind being to exhausted, however I already got used to the new form. The apprehension of turning and changing is very frightening, but it’s nothing compared to when I first opened my eyes in this place, not knowing anything.

I’m not sure if I know anything more than I did back then. The more I know the less I understand. We are not here to test the game. My wild imagination can think of many unreasonable reasons, if that even makes sense. Are they testing what happens to the human brain when it’s time perception is accelerated? Maybe it’s just a social interaction test. If so, I’m probably seen as a crazy person.

Am I crazy? I can’t tell. A crazy person can’t diagnose herself.

I turn my head towards the moon. It’s shattered parts are supposed to be remains of the time the dragon god was the sole ruler of the world. New beings came to existence, but they were never able to kill him. I’m sure that fight was fun, I’d love to be able to watch it.

My body is tugging towards the moon. I long towards it. Maybe my kin has something to with the moon. Fairies do love it, but I, as a humanoid gain no benefit from it’s shine.

I watch it for some time before I got bored and sit down in a lotus position. Since I have no better to do, I’ll try to understand the difference between my two bodies. The ethereal one is the real me and the physical one is manifested on the world so I can interact with it closely. If I separate myself then no physical attack can harm me. Unlike to common belief, it should not weaken me against magical attack. If else, my body is just a weaker, limited version of me or I’d destroy myself. That way however I won’t be able touch, move or sense in the normal way. In theory I can replicate all of them with magic, but it will take time. I’ll have to do it anyways to understand more about the mind, it won’t disturb my main aim of developing.

Sensing my body and power, I do the opposite what one should do. Instead of calming and increasing the pressure inside me, I try my best to separate the two. The difference is easy to feel, as if I have two separate bodies and I control both. Easy to understand at least, trying to move them differently is terribly difficult. I hate those games when you have to move both your hands in a different way and sooner or later they will both do one of the movements. I learned to play the piano and the violin inside the game, yet I’m still unable to do those tricks. It’s the limitation of the human brain, it can only do one task at a time. It can change between tasks very quickly so practice and muscle memory can mimic more, but it’s just not possible.

Normally. Whatever clusterfuck computer is messing with my brain, I’m capable now. Cheat humanoid race for the win! It’s scary to think that how it is possible. Maybe I’m uploaded to the engine the same way NPCs are and my real brain is just updated.

…

It is really scary, for it is possible.

Running away from these scary thoughts I concentrate on separating my body, when a sudden event occurs. Similar to an explosion, but something else. As if in another dimension the magic power explodes, my mind separates from the body. Nausea and confusion washes over me and I lose all my previous senses, just as predicted. To my dismay, no matter how prepared I was, the state of absolute nothing still frightens and stuns me.

When I regain my sense of time I panically try to access my most used organs, my eyes. It is impossible in the normal way, but my magic percepcion shines brightly again. I feel the resonance around me, very similar to how I see or animals use echolocation. As the magical energy I release bounces back I know many things from it. Distance and color as normal, but other things too, like taste, smell and hardness among others.

It takes a few minutes to adjust, the amount of information is incredible. The aura can be used similar bet weaker, is what I thought, but even those senses are much sharper than they was. The problem is, I feel no one around here. In the whole castle there are only a few presences. I clearly feel the researchers in the secret underground facility with this broken ability, but most of others are not here. The maids and servants are here, Neth is here, but most of the guild members are out. I probably missed something important.

I look for my body, but it’s just nowhere. What happened when I lost control? Did my body disappear end they went to find me who disappeared? I can’t even begin fathom how long I was out. It’s at least a day, since it’s in the evening.

To learn about it, I decide to head to ask it from Neth.