Anti-Mage

Well, shit. Somehow, he’d linked to that Jacob fella’s spirit as the Goddess Keres had cast it out. Wait, he’d been cast out, yet he was still considered her servant. What was up with that? As the message had said, though, that was not a path he could take, maybe because he was immortal. Perhaps he could die somehow? Whatever, he had more important things to consider.

Anton activated another Psychic Skill he hadn’t used in a while, Mental Refuge, and dropped into his Mindspace so he could take the time to review what had just happened properly. His Point of View accelerated as the world outside of his Mindspace slowed to a crawl. With an effective Willpower of 939, he could accelerate the time in his Mindspace by 929 times. That was almost 16 minutes for every second that passed outside of his mind. That should be plenty of time.

Anton pulled up the text for his Anti-Mage ability and focused on it until he found the section he was looking for.

You may break down physical matter given enough time and will for any item or structure produced by Spheres of Magic to which you are immune. Items and Structures created by spheres of magic that may affect you may not be broken down in this matter.

NOTE: Attempting to break down structures created by the Proper Sphere of Magic will cause an extremely volatile reaction.

You may break down one pound of physical material per hour, equal to your willpower attribute. This ability may be utilized on any object you are touching or up to a range of 1 inch per point of willpower. Only the portion of an object or structure within range may be affected in this way.

Living and Undead creatures and plants may not be affected by this ability.

“…may not be affected…”

“…may…”

May not be affected? It sure as shit had looked like living creatures could be affected.

Next, he pulled up his Combat Log to see what had happened

Combat Log

You have unlocked the Anti-Mage Ability Perk, Annihilate Life

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Annihilate Life:

You may annihilate the life force of any being you touch. You do so by sacrificing your life for theirs. For every point of health you expend, one point of your target's health is annihilated. There is no resistance test against this attack, though Resistance and immunities do affect this ability. Resistance increases the cost. For instance, if someone with a 25% resistance to Anti, Null, or just magic in general with 10 hit points were attacked by you, you would need to sacrifice 13 points of your health to overcome your target's resistance.

Note: Annihilate Life may only be used against a single target once. Once attacked, individuals become immune to this form of attack. Simply, if the attack does not kill the target, it vaccinates the target against further attacks.

Complications: Use of this attack type can have unforeseen consequences.

Note: the link formed between yourself and Jacob Landcaster at the time of his death is one such complication and has been analyzed and reviewed. Such Links after death no longer occur. This specific complication has been rectified.

>>>>><<<<<

Annihilate Life Initiated.

137 Hit Points Removed.

137 Hit Points Annihilated from Target.

Divine Blessing of Keres Noted

Divine Blessing of Keres cannot be annihilated

Do you wish to accept the Divine Blessing of Keres, Yes or No?

Anton looked at the question, realized it was the blessing of one of these new Gods, and hesitated. He had no idea who this Keres was. He didn’t recognize the name. No way was he going to tie himself down to a deity he didn’t know the history of.

Anton chose “No.”

As if whispering in the wind, the hint of a woman's voice said, “Acceptance is not necessary to garner my favor; enjoy this gift.”

Anton looked around quickly. He was in his Mindspace. Where had that voice come from? Anton shifted his perception to check around his body in the real world. The image of the outside world showed that the five military personnel remained frozen as the body of the person who had attacked him disintegrated and appeared to flow into his hand and then into his body. As the body disappeared, a dark sigil in the shape of a dagger flowed over and onto the back of his right hand, flashed, and disappeared.

SYSTEM Message

While you have declined to accept the blessing of the Goddess Keres willingly, The Goddess has decided to Mark you regardless.

The Goddess Keres has marked you.

New Classes are now available.

Strength, Agility, and Perception gain +5 attributes

Critical Strikes now inflict Triple Damage.

When killing others, you may dedicate those kills to the Goddess Keres.

Dedicating your kills to the Goddess generates Divine Influence for your Patron and Conviction for yourself. Also, Mana Regeneration by 6 per minute (1 per combat turn) for 10 minutes for each dedication.

Anton paused and looked around. Still, no one had appeared in his Mindspace, so he said, “Yeah, well, don’t expect me to dedicate anything to you. Mana does NOTHING for me.”

A moment later, Anton’s Mindspace shuttered, and a new notification appeared.

The Mark of Keres has been altered.

When killing others, you may dedicate those kills to the Goddess Keres.

Dedicating your kills to the Goddess generates Divine Influence for your Patron and Conviction for yourself. Also, Psychic Energy Regeneration is increased by 6 per minute (1 per combat turn) for 10 minutes for each dedication.

Anton smiled. Now, that might actually make it worthwhile for him to dedicate his kills to Keres. Maybe he could find more information about her at some point. For now, he needed to get back to the real world. Anton deactivated Mental Refuge.

Anton looked over to see the five soldiers as two of them finished killing their last beetle.

“What the hell?”

“Where did the man that attacked you go?”

“What did you do to kill all those beetles.”

The other three soldiers asked simultaneously. Anton ignored the questions. “I killed the beetles. Follow me if you want to live.”

Anton walked past them and headed away from the runway. As he led them west and then north along the outside of the base fence, they ran into a few beetles. The route he was taking was a bit circuitous, but it should be far enough away from the Earth Node that the soldiers in the Hangar should draw the beetles attention first. The only beetles he should run into this far out would be those that had already made it off base.

With a quick strike from his longsword, whatever beetle had found them died. Anton also tested to see how, or if, the Mark of Keres worked. After his third kill, he realized that he had to declare out loud that the things he killed were for the Goddess Keres before he killed them so that he could get the Psychic Energy regeneration.

When they finally made it to the opposite side of the hangar just after 1 a.m.. Anton had the soldiers remain behind cover as he made his way to the fence. That’s when he saw his sister running ammo over to one of the guards watching the fence line. He quickly checked to make sure that there were no beetles nearby, then called out, which startled the two guards Amelia was bringing supplies.

“Amelia, it’s Anton; tell those guys not to shoot; I’m bringing friends.

“Anton?” Amelia called out.

“Yep!”

A few moments later, Amelia called out, “Okay, bring them in.”

Anton walked the military personnel into the Hangar and told Caitlyn what he’d been up to. The soldiers were debriefed, then separated, and added to various defense groups so Felix’s people could keep an eye on them.

Caitlyn looked at Anton closely before she squinted, “You feel different?”

Anton looked at her, made a motion like he was checking the area between them, and then said, “I could swear I’m not touching you.”

“Ha, Ha, NOT funny. Seriously, you feel different,” Caitlyn said.

“Well, I was marked by a Goddess just a little while ago,” Anton said.

“Marked by a Goddess? Marked how?”

“Well, this prick tried to kill me, so I killed him first, then the Goddess tried to bless me, and this symbol of a dagger moved onto the back of my right hand,” Anton said as he rubbed the back of his right hand with his left hand as he lifted it to show her.

“Really, let me see?” Caitlyn said excitedly.

“Well, okay, it’s not really a big deal…Holy Shit!”

Caitlyn reached over and grabbed his hand in her left hand. As she turned his hand over to see the back of his hand, a black dagger flashed into existence. Before Anton could do anything, Caitlyn vanished, and the air popped as it rushed in to fill the void she created as she disappeared.

Everyone around Anton, exclaimed as Felix rushed over, “Where did she go?”

“No idea.”

“No notifications or messages either?” Felix asked.

“Nope, None.”

***

Caitlyn appeared on a plain of black sand under a red sky. She immediately noticed that her skin was glowing faintly, generating a circle of light around herself.

“Caitlyn Sheppard,”

Caitlyn turned toward the feminine voice and looked upon a six-foot-tall raven-haired woman with red eyes. She wore simple leathers with two daggers at her waist that had a single circle of silver at the tip of the hilt, which was otherwise black as the darkest night. Caitlyn also knew intuitively that she stood in the presence of a Divine being.

Unknown to Caitlyn, the Celestial Spark within her contained what, for lack of a better definition, was a genetic memory that it imparted onto her. Caitlyn dropped to a knee and bowed her head. Caitlyn knew that the Goddess’s gaze focused on her, and then a light laugh escaped her lips.

“Rise, child. I knew you were competent, but I had not delved so deep to know that you also carried a Celestial Spark.”

Caitlyn rose to her feet and raised her gaze. “May I ask how you would prefer to be addressed?”

The woman smiled at Caitlyn and then said, “I am Keres, The Goddess of Violent Death, Patron to Assassins, Soldiers, and anyone else that causes violent deaths.”

Caitlyn paused as she thought about what to ask next before she said, “I mean no disrespect, but doesn’t it make you an Evil Goddess?”

Keres laughed, “You would think so, wouldn’t you? To answer your question, my domain includes good, neutral, and evil individuals, though a lot fewer good people will be drawn to the domain I oversee.”

“And why am I here?” Caitlyn asked. She still wasn’t sure what she was doing before a Goddess of all things.

“You carry a Celestial Spark, yet you have no patron. You are a Soldier and have caused violent deaths, have you not? When you touched my Mark, I noticed and brought you here.”

“To what end?” Caitlynn asked.

“The Gods have returned. The mortal realm is but one front of our divine conflict. As holder of a Celestial Spark, you have a chance to make the most from a Divine Patron.”

“And you would be that Divine Patron?”

“My domain and your current path do seem to be compatible, yes,” The Goddess said.

“Then, why ask, why not just compel me to serve you? I can feel your power from here. You could just make me, couldn’t you?

“Yes and No. In this place, I could force you to do whatever I wanted, true. This is my Personal Domain, and as such, I do have complete control here, but The SYSTEM governs all, and outside of this domain, you are your own master, and the gods are prevented from taking direct control in mortal realms. To influence the mortal realm, we must use agents of our will; that is where you and others like you come in.

“But you are a Goddess. By definition, you should be all-powerful?” Caitlyn declared, as much as asked.

“I am a Goddess now. This was not always so. Someday, should you gain enough power, you, too, can take on the mantle of a Goddess.

“Even me?”

“Especially you,” Keres said as she pointed at Caitlyn, “Those born with the Celestial or Infernal Spark each have a spark of divinity within them.

“Wait! Isn’t being divine by definition to be good, or at least neutral?” Caitlynn asked.

“No. To be Divine is to be above the average level of mortals. Celestial and Infernal are but two types of beings that are above the mortals. There are other classifications as well, but the ones you will run into on Earth in the near future will be of the celestial and infernal variety.”

Caitlyn looked thoughtful for a moment and then asked, “And serving you looks like what, exactly?”

The Goddess paused for a moment as she pondered how to continue, “I sacrificed much of my initial Divine Influence to mark your friend Anton. Each of us was given a certain amount before we assumed the mantles of the various gods of this universe. We can earn more through our followers, those who dedicate their actions, and those they convert to our cause or slay in our name. As we gain more divine influence, we can mark or bless more mortals who serve us. Blessing someone is, of course, cheaper than marking someone. Additionally, those who carry the Celestial or Infernal Spark and volunteer to follow us cost no divine influence to bless and even generate Divine Influence naturally.”

“I can see that this could be very good for you, but this sounds a lot like a master-and-slave type of relationship. I’m not really into those,” Caitlyn said.

“The comparison is not without merit, except that other than withdrawing my support or sending my other followers after someone that displeases me, there isn’t much I can do to those that serve me personally. My followers help me increase my divine influence, which increases my power as a goddess, and for that assistance, I can assist them in return.

“Assist them how,” Caitlyn said.

“In your case, as one with a Celestial Spark, if you were to choose to join me, our link would be much stronger. A perk I would gift you would allow you to communicate with me directly. As a newly remolded Universe that is just now integrating magic, I will be able to answer any questions you might have since the SYSTEM is not providing as much information to the mortal planes as it used to. If the denizens of the SYSTEM wish to learn something, they must do the research themselves. As Gods, we’ve had a little more time to learn some of the fundamentals of the changes that have been made.”

“I’m sure you're not going to be available all the time to answer inane questions, especially if you have more than one follower, so what other benefits could I get from agreeing to be a follower of yours?” Caitlynn asked.

“Well, as I told you, my divine influence increases as those who dedicate themselves to the Gods gain a new attribute: Conviction. It is also thought of as faith, but those with an infernal origin didn’t like that designation, so the SYSTEM relabeled it as Conviction. Anyway, As a follower’s conviction in their God or Goddess grows, they gain access to new skills, spells, perks, talents, classes, and even abilities. When these become available, they are hard-locked by the SYSTEM, but what is not hard-locked is the fact that those with a Celestial Spark or Infernal Spark that have tied themselves to a God or Goddess generate Conviction daily.”

“Why is that important?”

“Let’s use you as an example. Let’s say that your friend Anton, who I have marked, does nothing for the next 100 days to bring glory to my name. Anton would not earn any Conviction. You, on the other hand. If you decide to sleep 16 hours each day, hang out for the next 8 hours, and repeat that for 100 straight days, you will still gain 100 points of Conviction because you will generate at least one point of Conviction daily.”

“And this conviction allows me to unlock new spells, skills, and such?”

“Yes, though there is another aspect to Conviction specific to those with a Celestial Spark. Conviction will allow you to evolve your ability and maybe even your classes. I'm not really sure about it if I’m being honest. The SYSTEM is stingy with some things, and even Gods need to learn things after encountering them for the first time. Before I continue, do you have any other questions?”

Caitlyn considered everything she’d been told, but one thing about this goddess called her attention, which she had to know: “You said that you are a goddess that embraces Good, Neutral, and Evil. Does that mean that you will have both Celestials and Infernals as followers?”

The Goddess Keres clapped her hands excitedly as she laughed delightedly. Caitlynn found it hard to believe that the being in front of her was a Goddess with such a childish display. Then again, that very display of genuine emotion nudged her toward claiming the Goddess Keres as her Patron. That she could act so human with such power was definitely a mark in her favor.

Caitlyn was drawn from her musings as the Goddess answered her question, “This is why I like you, Caitlyn. You are not afraid to ask questions, even when confronting someone so far above your current power level. To answer your question, I am one of the few Gods that has access to both. There are infernal creatures that revel in Violent Death and propagate that state. While few revel in only violent death and instead add depravity, corruption, and perversion into the act, some focus purely on killing. Those can be drawn to my service. All that other stuff does not fall into my domain, and there are other Gods and Goddesses that are a better fit. So, to clarify, those of infernal origin or with an Infernal Spark may come to serve me in the future, but at this moment, if I were to gain a follower, you would be the first?”

“The First you say,” Caitlyn said thoughtfully, “I accept.”

Congratulations! You have gained two new titles: Antecedent and Leap of Faith.

Antecedent – You are the first being to choose to follow one of the new Gods willingly within a reconstituted Universe of the Multiverses outside of the Trial of Transcendence.

All Attributes +10

Conviction generation increased by +1 per day.

All Conviction attribute modifiers from Skills, Spells, Perks, Titles, Abilities, and Classes are doubled.

Leap of Faith – You are the first being to choose to follow a God within the 13th Universe. All Attributes +10

The ability, Minor Intuition, has evolved into Major Intuition.

Major Intuition - Your chance to notice and be able to react to upcoming events is increased to 50%

Ability Celestial Spark has evolved to Celestial Ember.

Celestial Ember - Celestials are beings of the Proper or Absolute. Also sometimes referred to as the Divine. The ability Celestial Ember indicates that the divinity within you now radiates with celestial energy.

You are 100% resistant to Putrescent and Anti, or Null, magic-based attacks.

You may utilize mana to channel your spark and augment your attacks on a 1-for-1 basis—one point of mana for one point of celestial damage. The maximum amount of mana that may be added to an attack safely is equal to your Willpower. Additional energy may be added, which increases the chance that energy backlash will occur by 1% per point of mana added above your Willpower trait.

The possibility of any attack modified by Celestial Ember hitting is increased by 100% and is incredibly hard to dodge, often resulting in automatic critical strikes.

A new attribute has been unlocked: Conviction – as a celestial, the existence of the Divine is not unknown to you. You know that the divine exists. This knowledge allows you to generate Conviction for yourself, which in turn generates Divine Influence for your Patron.

Conviction consists of two types: Permanent and Temporary.

Permanent Conviction is gained by performing profound deeds for your God or killing monsters and others in their name. What deeds will award conviction for your God are different for each deity.

Temporary Conviction is a term assigned to Conviction that is utilized to take Profound Actions. The level of Conviction does not change. Instead, the available Conviction is reduced by an amount that is added to Temporary Conviction. Temporary Conviction is converted back into Conviction at a rate of 10 per day per Conviction level, or 10, whichever is more.

Example: An individual with 1,000 Convictions temporarily spends that conviction to call down a blessing from their God or Goddess. For this example, we will estimate that the Profound Action required 1,000 Conviction. The available Conviction of the individual is reduced by 1,000 while their Temporary Conviction is increased to 1,000. Each day, 10 Temporary Conviction will be subtracted from their Temporary Conviction and added back to their Conviction. Any new Conviction earned is added as normal.

NOTE: Conviction can be permanently sacrificed to fuel truly unique Profound Actions.

Each God’s requirements differ. As a Celestial Ember, you will naturally generate 1 Conviction per Conviction Level daily in addition to any Conviction earned performing actions dedicated to your God.

The level of Conviction an individual has attained is derived from their Conviction and any Temporary Conviction they have. Conviction that has been permanently sacrificed is not counted. A beings Conviction Level increases by one for every 1,000 Conviction, per level, cumulative. 1,000 Conviction to reach level 1, 3,000 Conviction to reach level 2, and so on.

Finally, as a Celestial Ember, the divinity within you has changed you permanently. At will, you may summon a pair of wings that are physically part of you. This change is permanent. What type of wings and how they manifest is determined primarily by your alignment and the alignment of your Patron, although other factors may influence this.

You have learned a new Spell, Commune.

Commune – Once per day, you may spend 10 mana to speak to your Patron for one minute per level of the spell Commune. You may contact your Patron from any point on the Material Plane or any Plane or Dimension that is not sealed by another Divine or the SYSTEM. This spell is granted at Spell Level 1.

Caitlyn was interrupted from reviewing her prompts when Keres said, “Decisive! I like it!. A little Godly guidance: You were the first by less than 3 seconds. Good Job! Now, I have better things to do, and you have a Hangar to get back to. Besides, this next part is boring. Just know that when you return, less than 10 seconds will have passed. Remember, the more followers I have, the more powerful I become and the more I am able to grant to you. Contact me if you have any questions. Good Luck”

Caitlyn was about to ask a question when pain struck every part of her body, and she passed out. When she came to it, she was floating in an empty area. There was just enough light that she could see off into the distance. With no reference points, she was unable to tell if that distance was 50 feet or 50 miles. A moment later, a number appeared before her.

3

2

1

Caitlyn felt disoriented as she reappeared in the Hangar. Multiple individuals turned toward her and were in the process of bringing their weapons to bear. Off to the side, she saw Anton smiling.

Felix raised his hand in an apparent sign to hold as he called out, “Hold!”

Anton walked up to her, “Damn, Sheppard, you’re looking good. Did you go off for a spa treatment?”

“Something like that. Let me check something,” Caitlyn said as she stepped over to an empty area of the floor and turned back to Anton, “Supposedly, I received an upgrade of sorts; I just need to see if they work or not?”

“They work? What are you talking about?” Anton asked.

Caitlyn focused her attention on her body until she detected a new but familiar sensation between her shoulder blades called out to her. With a nudge from her will, two wings came into existence on her back. Her wings contained glossy black feathers that reminded her of raven feathers, except that the structure and size of the feathers were larger than any hawk feather she'd ever come across. In addition, the light surrounding her dimmed as a smoky haze of shadows enveloped her. Since she was standing in the middle of the room, she was still quite visible, but she was sure if she’d been outside at night, others would have a hard time noticing her.

“You have wings,” Felix said

“I have wings,” Caitlyn said as a large grin which soon shifted in to a huge smile.