Chapter 375

  A Terra-ble Choice

  Sometimes the worst ability in the world is Precognition, or Mother’s Intuition, or both. That feeling of knowing that something terrible is about to occur, but you are completely unable to do anything to stop, alter, or even hinder the events.

  Watching Penelope move forward, her mind clearly elsewhere as she navigates her new status screens of becoming a Guild Leader. Not just any Guild Leader, but the first ever Artificers Guild Leader, it was a lot to process. Added to that is the fact that we are now all expected to go and partake in a Parade of some kind to celebrate our Guild as we head off into Regionals.

  It was a lot, almost too much. All for ratings, clicks, and views by an outside world that we had all long since had to leave behind. Yet, now we found ourselves beholden to that same world that we had left behind, all so we could see if we could continue to receive funding from the government and sponsors that would help subsidize the upkeep and maintenance of our servers.

  As she walked, I felt time seem to slow down in a process that seemed both avoidable and unavoidable at the same time. I watched as the inattentive Penelope, completely trusting in my ability to create Teleportation Gates between two areas that she seemed completely oblivious to what was happening. To the effects that I had drawn the attention of beings and entities still far more powerful than I.

  While I had momentarily escaped from them, I knew they were always one misstep away.

  Chime.

  Then with the thought of one misstep, I see it. A horrific future brought about by one of my bloodline curses.

  Yes, listed as a Perk, even though it is clearly a curse. The balance of the world. To have the power to change the world for the better, to see the parts where you can act and do the most good, to help the most people. Only to find that the people that I care about, the people that matter most to me, are the ones I cannot save.

  In my mind I see it clearly, Penelope distractedly walks forward. Enters the Gate between this staging room and the main grandstand where our Guild’s Parade is currently happening. She walks forward, hesitates for a half second as she confirms a choice, and that singular half-pause of a step is enough for her to be captured in the pull of the Void Goddess. A being who once imprisoned me on her dying planet for over a month.

  Even now, I feel my body seizing up with fear at the idea that such a being would even focus their attention on us. That she had once again turned her malevolent eye on us, no. Not us. Just me.

  I watch in muted horror as the magical effects of my Gate are altered. I can see the effects of a faint purply hue that my mind instantly recognizes as Cosmic Energy. A particle needed to complete tunnels.

  Click.

  And like that, my mind instantly realizes that I am a moron. That the reason I was failing at all of my creations, why I could only get a few inches further with all my practices, was that I was missing a key bonding component for those hinges, for the spots where I would link multiple casts of the same Teleportation tunnel together.

  Gods I’m stupid.

  Like finally being able to answer that one question that was driving you mad, at the worst time.

  Chime.

  I felt an announcement go off in my mind. The system’s way of letting me know I had both succeeded and failed. I had succeeded in answering a question that had long since plagued me, but remembering to use the one ingredient that I didn’t have normal access to, but would once I was in space. Particularly for future space battles while inside Raygunnr, that energy being Cosmic Energy. An energy I had almost forgotten existed, if only for the fact that I kept my reserve on hand for my Cosmic Anchor. An apparatus that now seemed both practical and impractical.

  It was practical in that if I had cast it around Penelope and myself, as my paranoia had dictated, we would be fine. But I was distracted by wanting to see the look on Penelope’s face, to see how she glowed with the successes brought by her constant work and efforts that I failed to remember the basics.

  I wanted to move, to use this moment while the world was seemingly paused. I was stuck in my position, watching the world around me, but ultimately focusing on Penelope’s advancement. While Penelope too was stuck, her foot up and dangling over the threshold of my Gate.

  Worse, there seemed to be an effect that altered the mechanics of this delay the further people and objects were away from me. While I was completely lost in the moment, Penelope was able to slowly slide forward, like the slowest trainwreck imaginable. It was almost as if the world, and my powers were mocking me. Giving me time enough to think about my plan, to come up with actions, solve riddles that had been plaguing me for weeks. Only to have to stay still, while my bloodline curse’s power ran its course.

  I would almost feel my mind and body twitching with anticipation, that is if I could actually move at this moment.

  Realizing I finally solved my casting issue, or at least I think I did, I wondered if there were any other problems I wanted to solve. World peace? No, this world was built on combat, people like me were an anomaly at best. New runes? Well, I’d like to, but I’d still need to move my hands at the very least to mimic the idea of moving and applying magical resin to shapes and designs.

  Anything else?

  This feels excessive.

  Every few seconds I feel my mind going back to Penelope, if time stopped right now I could. No, that isn’t quite right, if time stopped being stopped. Is that it? I need to reverse Time status effects? Can I even do such a thing? I mean, clearly there is something that is causing this moment to stretch on forever. So logically there should be something to unstop it?

  Penelope’s foot crosses the threshold, and an altered light of Teleportation magic shimmers to life. Light that is clearly aided by the addition of Cosmic Energy.

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  Gods, again I feel stupid, it was right there. I mean of course I got the ending of what I was supposed to do before this point. Though this is basically like guessing who the killer is, two sentences before Dr. Holmes breaks it down Barney style for everyone.

  Not much of a victory, but it does feel somewhat nice to have your theory immediately proven correct. Especially as you take the moment to see the way the Cosmic Energy is used in a sealant type measure. Not exactly needed for the overall process, but rather to be used as a stop gap to keep fractures and breaks from appearing.

  Even now I could see the way to use the energy, when you feel tension building in your spell tunnel, just focus a bit of stabilizing Cosmic Energy right at the stress points and boom continue to build. So simple, and the answer had been there all along.

  I find myself watching how the entire flow of Mana seems to flow around and be altered. Almost as if the Cosmic Energy itself makes it so the spell form that it is a part of, is more robust than my normal spell form, giving it the ability to disrupt my spell, while not breaking it.

  Again, just watching this process of reactions, my mind is going wild with possibilities that need to be researched and tested. With this new fundamental property I could create spells that cast through other spells? No longer needing to Disrupt spells, I could do the next best thing and just cast through them, forcing other spells to swell around me. A Shielding Spell that doesn’t need to block anything, as its very existence will force another spell to move around it, like floating pepper when reacting to soap. In this case, my Cosmic Energy infused spell would be the soap, that has a greater surface tension than the normal spells being cast its way.

  I am in the middle of this major discovery, when the system chimes to life, letting me know I am indeed correct in my understanding of this effect going on around me.

  Again, I feel the world coming together and that I am finally grasping the last few principals I need to truly do… something.

  I know this is the system’s way of telling me to be prepared, but for what exactly I don’t quite know.

  Fwoosh.

  Of course, the system also chooses this time to cheat and break the effects of my curse, while I am distracted.

  Step.

  Penelope steps, and I can all but see the effect of the Cosmic Void powered spell interposing itself on my spell, and causing Penelope to be grabbed mid-Teleport.

  Then like something out of an 80s horror movie where an alien spaceship comes down and hoovers up unsuspecting cow herders. I feel the effects of the Cosmically infused Teleportation spell grabbing hold of Penelope, as she begins to be pulled upwards.

  I don’t pause, I don’t even hesitate. I just move.

  Poof.

  I Teleport within my own Teleport using Cosmic Energy to coat me, as I seamlessly merge into and through the clearly sloppy form of the Void Goddess’s Cosmic Teleportation Tunnel.

  With the fact that I managed to get into the Void Goddess’s spell so easily shows that surface tension of a spell is also indicative of the spell casting quality. While Cosmic Energy might make empower a normal spell to where it is completely unavoidable, once both spell forms are equal and both consisting of Cosmic Energy, the rest comes down to standard forms, and proven practices. AKA, the Void Goddess didn’t know who she was messing with.

  Poof.

  I Teleport up and am on Penelope in a second. My arms wrapped possessively around her, as I relax knowing that I can get us both out of this, if I just try. The only problem, when you run on instinct, you often forget to make a plan. This case is no different, as my mind suddenly goes blank.

  Sweat.

  Fear of the unknown of what will happen. Fear of the idea of failing and being forced back to that Void Planet. The fear of failing Penelope. All of these problems rise up in my head, causing me to panic, to hesitate at the exact moment when I truly need to move the most.

  I can feel my mind reaching out, calling for help. Not wanting to let go of Penelope, but my mind unable to figure out a spell that could pull me through this constantly rising vertical Teleportation tube that is rising up, while aiming down at a known spot on the ground that is both known and not too high off the ground, or worse, in the ground.

  My mind is making mental calculations on how to predict and understand just how much energy and distance I need to create. Also, I realize that this might be the time I need to use my newly understood knowledge on Cosmic Energy placement in a given spell structure to both increase the surface tension of my spell and to complete the process. The only problem is that we are speeding up, the longer we wait here, the faster we end up being sucked towards the Void Planet.

  Which turns into a repeating error issue as this puts more stress on me, causing me to lose track of my calculations while I try to figure out how to create a new spell wide enough for the two of us to get back safely.

  Then it happens, a miracle.

  Tug, tug, yank.

  The old familiar pull of one of my Simulacrums casting their Positional Switch with me.

  Of course!

  This is perfect!

  No more calculating trajectories, return angles, distances, or speeds. Quick and simple. My Simulacrum creates the automatically adjusting Anchor Point for my spell, as I just focus on infusing the Positional Switch with Cosmic Energy, enough to ensure the process is able to seamlessly push through this Void Goddess’s spell working. Oh, I also need to supersaturate the spell also with enough energy that my body and Penelope’s body will be recognized as a complete anchor, making it so we are both returned back.

  Then before I even have time to double check my analysis and processes of taking this spell from being single use to dual use on one end and single on another, like trying to get an unbalanced seesaw to perfectly level itself out, despite an unequal weight distribution. It is possible, but you need to move components forward, and others back. But again, before I can confirm everything and be one hundred percent confident with my action, we are moving.

  Poof.

  Tight.

  The first thing I notice, well a number of new sensations hit my body all at once. First is gravity, that beautiful feeling that pulls you down, and not upwards. The second thing I feel is that Penelope’s warm body is now very pressed against me, as we are suddenly inside a very cramped, very tight space.

  Only after a second of my mind and Angel’s Sight catching up to where we are, do I realize why everything is so tight, and why the normally thin Penelope is pressed up tightly against me. Mainly due to the fact that the two of us are in a cockpit designed for one.

  It takes a moment, I breath out a sigh of relief. Or at least I try to, only to get a mouthful of magically infused Artificer grade clothing sucked into my mouth. I instinctively feel myself turning my head to the side and trying to get that taste of bland magic out of my mouth, when I hear her speak.

  “You did it? You saved me!” Penelope’s excited words are enough to let me relax just enough to let out a sigh, and realize that she is correct, we did make it.

  I am about to say something, when Raygurnnr, the owner of said cramped cockpit that we are both in pipes up

  “Hey there strangers. Now I know you two have been waiting for this moment for a while, but this is not the time, and definitely not the place for such intimate actions, if you catch my drift,” Raygunn pipes up in his oh so not funny brand of humor.

  Though sadly, he is correct.

  “What? Its flashing?” Penelope asks, her face looking around the cockpit as she tries to understand the Mana language being spoken by Raygunnr from inside him. Then realizing where she is, she speaks. “Oh hey there Ray. Can you let me out, I believe this is my stop.”

  “Anything for you, madam,” Raygunnr replies, as he opens up his hatch, revealing that the three of us are on stage standing before hundreds of fellow Guild Members all first surprised, but then excited to see the fact that we suddenly appeared in the middle of their parade ceremony.

  “Now there she is herself, the Artificer queen, and new and only leader of the Artificers Guild, our own Penelope Taylor!” Mallory’s amplified voice booms out, letting us know that we are in the middle of the still ongoing parade.

  “I guess that’s my cue,” Penelope states a bit hesitantly, as she turns her back to the crowd, so she can both climb down, and take a look at me. “What exactly happened?”

  Seeing her, I wanted to say nothing much, but realized that my body would seize up at the obvious lie. As such, I feel myself going full into the answer. “Oh nothing much, just solved the problem of Space Teleportation, unlocked the science behind Cosmic Energy Theory, identified that Cosmic Energy could be used to increase the surface tension of any spell, making it able to permeate another spell, forcing that second spell to peel around your own. Oh, and of course, I saved the girl! You know, nothing much!”

  There is a moment as Penelope stares at me.

  Shiver.

  I feel goosebumps appear down my spine at her intense gaze, as she opens her mouth to ask a question that she doesn’t quite know how to phrase. Of course, that’s when Raygunnr pipes in with his not requested commentary at all.

  “To think she is so small and modest all in one go.”

  Hearing that I just roll my eyes.

  “What did he just say?” Penelope asks, looking up at Raygunnr, trying to see if she can identify what he said.

  “Nothing, nothing of interest anyways.” I answer honestly.

  Penelope pauses, and then stares at me for a moment, as if suddenly realizing something.

  “What is it?” I ask.

  “I was just wondering who replaced us?” Penelope asked.

  “Who replaced us?” I parrot back.

  “Yeah, part of that switch, you replaced us, well one of your Simulacrums replaced us, but which one?” Penelope asks.

  At that I pause, and then find myself asking, “Raygunnr, who was piloting you before this?”

  “You mean, who was finally letting me move about freely on my own? That would be Terra-Ulacrum, by far and away the most courteous of your Simulacrums.” Raygunnr states, I can all but feel the contempt oozing from his Mana infused words.

  “Dang it,” I state as I realize that not only did Terra of all my Simulacrums switch places to protect me, but there is something worse.

  “What?” Penelope asks.

  “We will eventually need to mount a rescue mission to save Terra-Ulacrum from the clutches of that evil Void monster.” I state.

  “Oh, that is bad,” Penelope states.

  “No, that isn’t even the worst part,” I manage.

  “There’s more?”

  “Yeah, she is going to be insufferable once she gets back…”

  Happy Release day! I know I said no chapters until December 08, 2025 but I made an exception to celebrate Augmented Aspect Book 1: Renaissance is being released today on and on .

  As was noted earlier, book 1 will have been stubbed by now, but I still plan on continuing this story until its conclusion.

  Note: Stubbing for Book 2 will be begin on December 6, 2025.

  Book 2: Royal Blood will be released on December 8th, 2025. You can get them here:

  Book 2: , .

  Thank you all, thank you all, and thank you all. You truly make this process rewarding!