NOVEL WEB (Vol 5) Chapter 10: Lucky Level 7?
Oh snap, it caught me by surprise! Boom, baby!
The first thing she did was check her deity status and there it was: Standard Deity.
“Aw, yeah, I’m fucking average, now. Take that, world!” She declared it to Heaven with her fists thrust upward. Ironic, naturally. Her assortment of advantages surely crested her well into double-digits. But apparently, level 7 was a relative biggie.
Sadly, there was no automatic Domain slot, so it was likely trapped behind some quest. Maybe Redberry remembers something about what it takes? Worth a shot, at least.
She drew up the new power, [Fated Knot].
Fated Knot
For 3 (Fate) FE, or 6 normal FE, you may temporarily ‘knot’ Fate strands together, between you and another, or between two others. All targets must be within 3 meters of you and must be mortal or otherwise have Fate Ties.
If between you and another, you will know the exact relational position of the subject for the duration, their general state of health, and have a Major Link for Sympathy purposes. If between two others, they both have this effect in relation to each other. The strength of this informational link counts as Effective Level 40. It does not count as a status effect and cannot be removed.
In addition, those with this advantage have +1 Effective Levels to any ability used against the other as a target, as a [Fate] modifier. If the effect is between two others, they may also gain this bonus if working together (including offense and defense in combat) if they are within 3 meters of one another.
The duration of this ability is normally 77 hours. You may ‘release’ a knot at will, and can only have three active at any given time.
Okay, pretty interesting! A long-term buff on two allies. I guess I’d generally keep one free just in case I want it for use against an enemy.
Her eyes were kinda drawn to one upgrade in particular because she’d been waiting to see what it was for quite a long time. [Mirror Maze] had gotten its big change at level 7. Or, she assumed it was big. For all she knew, it was just a +1 EL bonus.
Somehow, I doubt it. But nothing for it but to crack ‘er open!
Mirror Maze
Once per day for free, or for 1 FE (Mirrors) or 2 FE, you may attempt to 'maze' a target that is looking into a mirror you are looking through. This is a battle of wills.
If the target resists, they'll merely suffer a momentary distraction as they feel their mind almost slip as if into a vision (they will also feel as if they looked into a being's eyes). They are immune to the effect for 24 hours afterward. A second attempt requires your eyes visible and direct eye contact; a third (or more) requires your face.
If they fail to resist, they are either mentally or physically sucked through the mirror portal into a bewildering maze of mirrored surfaces, subject to your active alterations (Note: thanks to the Illusion domain, you may alter the maze however you desire). If you choose physical, the mirror surface will cloud over and darken, though it remains reflective.
If you choose mental-only, their body goes completely limp for the duration.
Class comparison gives 1 extra level to total deity levels, or 2 if they successfully resisted once (and only once). Base class is [Goddess] for level comparison for resistance purposes. One additional class may add as normal, providing (level/3, rounded up) to the base class — this includes [Bard], [Wizard], or some special classes.
The effect duration is for a minimum of 10 seconds per deity level. At this time, they are allowed the chance to resist and free themselves, subject to the state of their willpower — if they believe and fully accept what they are seeing, they fail automatically.
If they fail, they are stuck within for 7 years. You may voluntarily release them at any time. You may also destroy their body within the Maze (or sever the link), trapping them permanently. Note that their psyche may erode and eventually become destroyed.
If they succeed at resistance or you release them, they’ll be spit out from the original mirror and the mirror face clears its cloudiness. If from resistance, they’ll be afflicted with the debuff [Shaken] for up to 8 hours. If the mirror is inaccessible, they will be spit out of a random, safe mirror face in the vicinity, or whatever distance is closest from their entry location.
Spirit Bridge (Pneuma Synergy): For 10 FE (Mirrors) or 20 FE, you may forge a bridge from your Mazes to any previously-visited, fully-realized spirit realm, including Afterlives, and thus transfer dead, full-duration Mazed subjects. Note that once placed, all Realm Rules are in effect on the target immediately and they are no longer Mazed. They are immune to [Mirror Maze] for 24 hours.
You may also move living beings through a bridge if they are allowed (naturally or through persistent artifice) to exist within the spirit realm bodily as opposed to being restricted to projection (as most mortals are). This includes all deities and spirits. Any ‘virtual constructs’ within Mazes can be moved in or out between realms with impunity.
Transferal via a Spirit Bridge for a subject requires variable ‘distance’ to cross, depending on your deity levels, attunement to the realm, the subject’s attunement, etc. If inactively conducting the task, it takes between 3-10 minutes. The calculation will be halved if actively present to guide or pull the subject along.
After a bridge is forged to a given realm, you do not need to create more, but each traversal is technically a different bridge and journey for the soul(s) involved.
“Holy shit,” Sammy exclaimed audibly as she reviewed it.
This is a massive overhaul. Hmm. I can save people hardcore, now, but their reentry is connected to that mirror, or the vicinity if it gets destroyed. And… I can Maze friends to take them with me places.
It had certainly gotten more interesting with unique potential, and hopefully would have other upgrades at higher levels.
She decided to go ‘in order’ after viewing the first ability, so [Consecration] was up next, something she was likely getting closer to finally using. It had the (Major) descriptor, but It appeared to be just a few lines changed, so she had the System underline them:
Within this area, you and your priests are at +2 Effective Levels for spellcasting and any special abilities divinely related, have +1 Magic Armor (stacking with any other), and are aided in the performance of various rituals.
This also unlocks the spells Consecrate at level 4 and Consecrate (Major) at level 7, which can either be used by a priest to allow you to perform this where you otherwise aren’t, or to make a lesser, temporary consecrated area.
More incentives. Looks like the spell at level 7 gives the bonuses of the prior Consecrate, so it is a good preparatory buff if I’m willing to stamp ‘deity’ wherever it is. But the cat is out of the bag on that in the Southlands.
She would not paint a target on her hideout in Geirkos, but she needed a better HQ, anyway. A place defensible and isolated. She needed to look for a suitable island…
Next up was [Create Phantasms], which had made a fairly simple change:
Sensory Expansion 2: You may add one or two additional senses that your illusions can fool, adding one multiple to the total cost for each sense. This includes unusual senses (such as Detect Magic, Infravision, Sonar, etc.) or existing normal senses (taste, smell, touch).
More versatility, then. Even if phantasms are sort of real, already, exotic senses still act as a trump card for their resistance.
[Deific Pneumamancy] was next. Firstly, it had simply upgraded the Lethality Grade of [Pneumanic Plasma] from +2 to +3, improving its superiority as an attack.
Secondly, it added a brand new Enhancement.
Manamaterial Synthesis (Light, Illusion Synergy): You can conjure permanent physical matter. This must be through an appropriate channel of pneuma from the spirit world, through which you create conceptual form through [Illusion], bend [Light] as a basic framework, then ‘fill’ with a combination of pneuma, FE expenditure, and MP (ambient and personal).
Unlike [Phantom Constructs], this material has no special vulnerabilities — it is reinforced, magical, and resistant to deterioration. However, preparation is more elaborate, expensive, and time-consuming.
It takes 1 hour to prepare in a High Mana area and an expenditure of 10 (Pneuma) FE (or 20 FE) and 200 MP. Ritual helpers may assist with MP up to 4/5ths of the cost. Every 10 minutes after the initial preparation, you may conjure (deity level x 6) square meters of adjacent physical matter as desired, for an additional expenditure of 2 (Pneuma) FE (or 4 FE) and 40 MP.
If a framework is dependent upon a ‘future’ structure, you may ‘hold’ the synthesis in limbo while creating the rest of the framework, but you must eventually end the session with fully conjured material that is stable. Building upon an established framework for later sessions is also acceptable.
In a Saturated Mana area, halve all time and mana costs, or halve the time and divide mana costs by 4 for a Mana Nexus.
The material must be world-appropriate, but all material is of magically reinforced grade and will be detected as faintly magical (arcane) permanently. If existing items are within your zone of alteration, you may incorporate, alter, or repair them as desired.
Sammy went quiet and starry-eyed reading it. Another miracle had been dropped into her lap — the tools and the material to build however she desired. Avenues for wealth, too, though both Zephyr and Orswyth had cautioned her about blowing up markets with hordes of new material.
This was also all blatantly conjured due to the aura, which marked the stuff as ‘magically synthetic’ rather than natural. Unless artistically unique or something, it actually reduced the value due to less rarity.
A little pile of magical jewelry here or there won’t hurt, though, right?
She grinned at the thought, though her dreams soared more at the visualization of castles and towers than the shinies. There wasn’t a much better frame than eternal, magically-reinforced stone. Or even steel!
Yes! A solid ass steel tower that can’t rust. Er, mostly steel. And it’ll need a lightning rod. I don’t want to electrocute everyone. But just come and try fucking with that, haha!
Lest she spend all day fantasizing about it, she moved on to the next thing, [Grant Invisibility].
Grant Invisibility
Once per day for free, or for 1 FE (Illusion) or 2 FE, a target at touch range (or self) becomes invisible. For double this value, you may affect everyone within 2 meters of you. This only affects normal vision and lasts 1 hour per deity level. You may stack the cost for additional duration, a number of times equal to your level. Unlike most invisibility effects, this does not end upon an attack.
This may be used on an object as well.
Sweet! If they don’t have the means to see the invisible, they’re boned. Granted, everyone worth their salt can, but one never knows, and one could potentially remove a buff if that’s used as the counter.
[Light Absorption] had improved and gained an enhancement:
Light Absorption
Power (Divine). You are immune to any [Light] based attack and can in fact absorb it as temporary, virtual FE that can fuel your abilities. This will resonate around you as an obvious glowing aura, at up to 5 FE (Light) per deity level, and bleed off at 1 FE per minute.
If under a [Light] based AoE effect, reduce damage to others by -2 Effective Levels in a 2-meter radius around you. This also adds to the energy potential of virtual FE.
You are also resistant to any effect with some sort of energy component. This includes most spells. Add an additional +2 Effective Levels to such resistances.
Be Converted (Pneuma Synergy): For 3 FE (Pneuma) or 6 normal FE, as a parry-like defense with a +3 Effective Levels (Quick) bonus, you may attempt to convert any attack with an energy component to light, thus rendering it harmless or at least mitigating damage.
If successful, some energy may resonate as temporary FE (Light), as above, depending on your success level and the total energy convertible from the effect. In addition, the first attempt in a day against a particular source adds 1 FE (Pneuma) to your pool, akin to an involuntary ‘offering.’
As a passive effect (i.e. the active ability wasn’t used), if hit by an energy attack that penetrates armor, add 1 FE (Pneuma) the first time in a day against a particular source.
She laughed at the enhancement as she read it.
Energy itself worships me!
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