Quinn
"Is that so?" I said. Then, because I was curious, I asked, "Do people in this world know about the cosmos like us on Earth? By that I mean as in do they study astrology and are there astronomers?"
They know the cosmos and the stars, but not in the same way as the Earthling. They use stars and their movement to predict world events and the future. Those blessed with the oracle ability by the God Kalir are consider astronomers of sorts, though they are usually referred to as a seer.
"A seer," I said. "That makes sense."
Talking about gods and blessings, now that I thought about it, I had not seen any names of deities in my status screen, which confused the heaven out of me because I knew very well that I was blessed, considering all the things I could do with my magic.
I said, "Vicky? Why can't I see any deities' names on my status screen?"
I didn't think it's important to show the names of the deities. Would you like to see them?
Now, why was a skill doing things a skill shouldn't be doing? Hiding deities' names and blessings without asking permission.
"It'd be nice to know how many deities are generous enough to bless me," I said.
I heard an exasperated sigh, which was followed by, Then perhaps you should make yourself a status card like everyone else.
"I suppose," I said and then summoned my magic. Before my eyes was a shiny silver card, and I grabbed it. I read, "Lady Quinn Fairchild, Wife of Lord Aldric Templeton, Earl of Norsewood." I chuckled. "Kind of weird yet nice at the same time to have a title in front of my name. Lady Quinn Fairchild."
I sense your ego growing just that little bit bigger.
Ignoring the comment, I scanned through the rest, bypassing my health, strength, and mana levels and went straight to the blessings part. There were Galios, the God of Death (active); Iella, the Goddess of Life (active); Adona, the Goddess of Light (active); Kalir, the God of Oracle (latent); Ela, the Goddess of Prosperity (active); Anir, the God of Fortune (active); Arena, the Goddess of Health (active); Casyn, the God of Medicine (active); Aulla, the Goddess of Healing (active); Vidros, the God of Wisdom and Knowledge (active); and Vicky, an unknown being (active).
I tilted my head to one side as I read the last one. Vicky? As in my skill Vicky? Why would it be listed under blessings and deities?
"Uh, Vicky, a question if you please," I said. "Why are you listed under deities and blessings?"
I heard an exasperated sigh. I have no clue. And that's why it's best not to look at the list.
"No, seriously, I want to know why," I said. "And clearly, I don't see any deity that gives blessing for creating things out of thin air like the way I have been doing."
Silent.
"Vicky?"
Another sigh and then, I am unsure of it myself as I am only a skill, but it's perhaps due to you from another world being blessed by so many deities. It's very rare for anyone to be blessed with death, life, light, oracle, and wisdom and knowledge all together. Those are the five great deities, and I can only imagine it's because you died and reincarnated. With the five deities together, perhaps the power merged and produced another?
"You?" I asked. "The five deities' blessings combined and produced you, which is the creation magic? So it's Vicky, Goddess of Creation Magic?"
I guess you can put it that way, but I am not a deity, so please do not ever refer to me as a goddess. Unlike a certain someone who likes a fancy title before their name, I do not. I am humble, after all.
"Oh my, my skill has a feisty personality," I said, chuckling. "So technically speaking, I have a skill that didn't even exist in the first place?"
Correct.
I felt a bit dazed at that realization. I asked, "What about this oracle? Why does it say latent beside it? Does it have something to do with my appraisal skill?"
Yes. The appraisal skill is under the oracle umbrella, among many others. Latent simply means the full abilities have not yet been awakened. Certain blessings, mostly the five great ones, needed to have undergone a breakthrough of limits first to become fully active.
"Limits?" I asked. "Such as me dying for the blessing of death and reincarnating for the blessing of life?"
Correct. Light is when you first open your eyes and see the world, and wisdom and knowledge became activated due to your knowledge and experiences from Earth, which is new information and data this world does not have.
"I see," I said. "What is the limit for the oracle to be activated?"
An infinity of mana.
"Ah, I see," I said. It looked like I'd have to wait for a very long while for my oracle ability to fully manifest. "Thanks for letting me know, Vicky."
Pleasure.
"An infinity of mana, eh? Doesn't that mean there'd be very few seers in this world?"
Correct. In this world, there are only three. Their identities are tightly guarded, as they themselves are tightly protected by the kingdoms they live in.
"I see. Well, I'm glad I'm not a seer because just the thought of having bodyguards following me around everywhere twenty-four seven is a headache." Changing the subject, I said, "You've been of so much help to me and the Norsewood people, Vicky. What can I do for you as a thank you?"
Nothing really. I grow stronger with you using your magic alone, which is already nice. Although, in the future, if I can have the ability to do things humans can do, like eat and taste food, that would be great. It's rather depressing creating food yet I can't have any.
I burst out laughing.
Vicky sighed. You're mean.
When I managed to stop, I said, "No, I'm really sorry, Vicky, for laughing like that. I didn't mean to hurt your feelings."
I have no feelings. I'm a skill.
Wiping tears from my eyes, I said, "I'll think of a way so you can eat food and enjoy it like the rest of us. Perhaps something like a human-sized doll with sensory nerves magically attached to your being somewhere in your mystical realm of stratosphere? I don't know yet. Maybe there's a sort of alchemy for that. How about we do some research together?"
Yes, hopefully, there's a method for that. I'm looking forward to it. By the way, I think Lord Aldric is wondering when you're going to come to see him.
"Really?" I asked, perking up. "How do you know that?"
Because he keeps looking at the door while he's blasting out fireballs. I can see because I'm everywhere in the lodge through the vast interconnected network that is your magic. I feel like I'm an AI who has gained sentient.
"Indeed, you are," I said. "Just don't go berserk and kill all of mankind because of your ideals like in a science fiction novel, will you? Remember, as an AI, there are rules against hurting humans."
She snorted. If as I can do that. I can't leave your side as I am your skill, madam, and I can't directly hurt anyone. I'm a skill of creation, not a skill of destruction.
"Yes, of course you are a skill of creation," I said. I stood and then stretched. "All right. I better go and spend some wonderful, private time with my gorgeous husband. We might kiss, so you better not be peeking, Vicky."
I won't. The moment you're with Lord Aldric privately, I log off into my own paradise—my mystical realm of stratosphere as you call it—thank you very much.
"So that's what you do?" I said, heading toward the door. "Just wondering, what is it like, in this paradise of yours?"
Vicky was quiet for a moment and then stated, It's... bland. It's an endless darkness yet an endless brightness. Just... vast empty space.
I felt my heart aching immediately at hearing the description. "I'm sorry that it's so... bland."
It's all I know since I've awakened, so it's normal. No need to be sorry. This is my world. Although whenever you create things, I see all the possibilities, images, through you, and it... excites me. I'm not sure if a skill is supposed to be able to feel such things, but there you go. The more you use me, the more things I see, the more experience I get, which is fun and the happier I get.
Out the door and into the elevator now, I asked, "What about when I used you to curse Lord Bedford and his sons?"
Ha! That was very satisfying. Although having to release magic to that part of those men really disgusted me.
I burst out laughing again. I asked, "Were you traumatized?"
Of course!
"What about when I used you to create this lodge? Come to think of it, it's the first time you spoke, too."
It was... enchanting. I saw all those palaces and castles and modern buildings of hotels and mansions, and I was very excited. I had so much fun making the buildings and the interior and everything else all those five days. Although incorporating the power, water, and the waste systems into the building was a bit challenging, I managed. How's that for a good project manager?
"You were amazing, Vicky, to have built us such a massive, fancy lodge all in a mere five days. Do you know that back on Earth, this sort of thing would need at least three to four years plus a truck load of builders and tradesmen and hundreds of millions of dollars?"
Yes, of course I know. As with this lodge, it cost a huge sum of mana pool.
"We're going to be creating more fancy, luxurious buildings, Vicky," I said. "And Norsewood Manor will be one of them."
I'm looking forward to it. I think I might just start doing some research into that right now.
"May I suggest seven-star hotels? There's no official rating as a seven-star hotel, but these hotels are dubbed so because the hotels are so grand that rating them as a five-star just isn't suitable. Our new manor needs to be very luxurious like a seven-star hotel, especially for when we have important guests."
I'll research and take ideas from the seven-star hotels then. I'm logging off. Have fun with Lord Aldric.
"Have fun doing your research," I said. Then it was quiet as I got off the elevator and headed toward the exit.