3: Plausibility
I took a look at the list of people whose time were up, and I focused on the first on the list.
As I 'descended' where the action was taking place, I saw a group of people fighting.
Above their heads, now that I'm thinking about it, I can see their names and Causality points.
There was my target, having a hard time against one of his enemies, the group as a whole seemed to be fighting over a flower, but that was just cultivation in a nutshell and none of my concern.
He was definitely losing, but how I was going to steal the kill without wasting plausibility is the hard part.
According to my benefactor's advice, I don't even have to do it myself, it should count even if I just subtly change the environment so that he dies sooner than planned.
They also informed me that [Manifestation] doesn't require Plausibility if it's used in small ways, especially if it's possible that it could have happened naturally, or otherwise doesn't affect causality.
The fight is happening in an open area where there's not really anything I can subtly change.
My target has 7 points of Causality, so even if I have to use a point to kill him, I'll get 6 back.
My target's opponent yells and charges at him with his blade glowing with Qi.
I recognize my opportunity right away.
He easily dodges backward to avoid the lunge, but his momentum is stopped by an unseen force, allowing his opponent to plunge the blade into his body.
As soon as he started dodging backward, I spent a point of Plausibility to hold him still.
<+7 Plausibility>
There was no need to feel guilty, he was going to die anyway.
Now that I had 11 points, I returned to the palace with a new goal.
According to the tips I was given, it should be around here somewhere.
Here it is! The dimension warehouse!
[Dimension Isolation] lets me drag things into other dimensions, for free! At least as long as I don't let anyone that goes in a dimension come out knowing what happened.
It doesn't necessarily have to be an entire space, I could isolate a space in the physical world and apply the rules of a dimension I created to it.
For example, I could slow or stop time within a specific area at will, which could be as broad as the entire world.
Isolating the entire world into a dimension frozen in time might sound expensive, but it actually doesn't cost anything.
Actually, it's isolating a small area that can get expensive.
If time stops for everyone but a single person, no one is going to know that time stopped moving except that one person.
However if a small area is completely frozen in time while everything around it moves, people will certainly notice that, and Laplace will get pissed and throw a bunch of penalties my way.
On that note, I'm not sure what happens to me if I get fired. But I don't want to find out.
Creating a dimension costs 10 points each. Expensive, I know.
Before I create it, I'm given options to configure it.
By options, I'm talking about tons of quantum bullshit I'll never begin to comprehend.
Thankfully when I think about what I want, Laplace does all the configuration for me.
Just a simple dimension where time is imperceptively fast.
I initially wanted to use a slow dimension to freeze the entire world except for specific areas, but I decided against that.
I can use a sped up dimension for more than just making myself perceive things very fast.
<Dimension #1 created.>
I spent all but a singular point of Plausibility, but now I can try out one of the more fun tips my long gone mentor has passed on to me.
The next target was not in any kind of battle, it was simply an old man whose time had gone by too fast.
Still, I wasn't going to feel guilty. His time is up.
The reason I don't just off him right away is because my mentor said Faith points can even be attained by those you are about to kill.
A single point of Faith amounts to simply recognizing you as a godly being. But the important thing is that every 2 Faith points can be converted to a Plausibility point.
"Dad! You don't have to leave me! I'm sure if you try harder you can break through!" The young woman by his death bed cries.
"No, no. Immortality might be a cultivator's dream, but it's not in my reach. This old tree is wilting, and it's time for a young sprout to rise from its roots." The old man consoles.
He's good at accepting his fate, this shouldn't be hard at all.
First, I use my skill to bring him into my dimension.
The old man is shocked by his surroundings suddenly changing to a blank void with nothing but a flat ground.
Inside my dimension, [Manifest] can be used freely.
"Is this real?" He utters.
<+1 Faith>
"Welcome to Limbo!" I greet in my fully physicalized appearance.
I don't know whether there is an afterlife or not, so I can't promise him an afterlife. But, I think I can give him a gift.
The power of [Manifestation] is incredible. So incredible, that I'm able to restore his youth.
The Plausibility for this would probably be immense if he was allowed to return to the world, but just for now I can give this to him in his final moments.
"Ohh! I'm young again! The pains of age are gone! I feel like I can battle again!" He shouts joyfully.
<+2 Faith>
"If that's your final wish, I can fulfill it. A final battle without any powers or tricks." I can use [Manifest] to give myself Qi, but I don't know to control it very well, so a normal fight is all I can offer right now.
"You are truly a wonderful god!" He exclaims and gets into a martial arts stance.
My modern martial arts certainly lacked such flashy or elegant poses, but even so, I easily redirected all of his punches.
He tires himself out rather quickly.
"I guess I won't be defeating a god before I die..." He laughs.
Once we were finished, I used [Manifest] to restore his age and waited for him to pass away naturally.
<+7 Plausibility>
That was not close to his Causality points. Laplace must have pocketed some of them for itself...
After returning his body to where he was previously, I pay my respects and leave unnoticed.
<Alert: Zaki Tianlei has finished performing Astral Reformation Technique.>
Looks like I'm out of farming time...