A/N: WARNING: THIS CHAPTER CONTAINS A TERRIFYINGLY LONG EXPOSITION DUMP. IF YOU WISH TO SKIP IT, JUST GO TO THE END AFTER THE THREE DASHES WHERE A SIMPLIFIED VERSION OF THE EXPOSITION AWAITS.
The purpose of this dump's really just to help me keep track of Artemis' powers since it's not just the simple triangle and mark from the start anymore. I admit, it got a little too overwhelming for me to remember everything so I'm toning it down a little to make life easier for me.
As for the first part, I've introduced a new character so it wouldn't be too boring a chapter. I hate exposition chapters as much as many other readers do and promise to do my best to keep them to a minimum! Just think of this chapter as a transition to the next mini arc!
Thanks for your understanding,
~Euphie
———
Before me, nine hundred and ninety-nine million, nine hundred and ninety-nine drops of water sat in the air, static. Unmoving.
Control.
Control was everything.
Know thyself, know thy enemy, win a thousand wars.
To hone the minute controls of mana and use it to one's advantage, that was the true meaning and craft of magic! Not raw destructive power, not intricate spells but utmost control of the simplest bit of magic.
In the face of an overwhelming attack with thousands of people contributing, even a simple spell from a rank 1 magister could entirely disrupt and destroy the spell.
"Lord Alexander, it's time for...Again?" My maidservant, Christine, sighed as she dripped from head to toe, drenched in water.
With a wave of my hand, I cleaned up, drying her clothes with a casual smile,"Ah, Christie, what have I told you about interrupting? You might be caught in the crossfire."
Xavier Alexander's the name. The de facto leader of the Righteous faction and the only rank 10 on the Illiad Continent. Amongst the continents, there were only 11 other rank 10s and 2 rank 11s. There was a reason for my power and feats: I was an angel. Not half-blooded, not awakened from my rank 2 bloodline. A pure angel from birth.
Along with my bloodline, came a terrifyingly high affinity to light, allowing me to fight those a rank above me and win half the time.
Whilst I certainly didn't enjoy fighting, if it was for the sake of furthering my knowledge of the arcane, I would do anything.
My ultimate goal was simple to describe. But, to achieve it would be a different ballgame in its entirety: Godhood.
No goal was more noble, more arrogant and more lofty than to achieve that status of god. For such an ambition to reach fruition, there was only one way—Magic!
To reach the highest point of magic where one could not proceed on unless they broke through the barrier of mortality, this was the ultimate goal!
Alas, my power came with a consequence. Twelve people were keeping track of me. All the rank 10s and 11s were in an unbreakable contract to keep the peace. To cause Quarvantcoatl, this was something no one wished, no one insane at least. To break this peace would risk the wrath of twelve other people as powerful as you retaliating.
"Does Lord Alexander wish to dine here or in the grand banquet room?"
"Bring my food here."
"As you wish." Christie curtsied before closing the door behind her.
Just then, I felt a disturbance. I frowned,"This is a strange phenomenon. Arcane Vision." Mana rushed to cover my pupils. As I blinked, my vision turned to one which allowed me to view mana. The thin sheen of gold which permeated the air represented the mana.
Just then, my eyes zeroed in on a large anomaly. My eyes narrowed instantly,"Tarkyol? But that old man disappeared millennia ago to save his son...I suppose I'll investigate after I have my lunch." To travel such a long distance, it was best to do so on a full stomach. Besides, the chef's cooking was top notch and something I looked forward to on a daily basis. To skip something so superb, it would be my loss.
———
Artemis' POV.
"Ahhh," Strength flooded my pores as the draconic bloodline directly raised me to rank 4, this sort of dramatic increase sending waves of ecstasy through my body,"Power...More!" The reserve of mana stones on me was rapidly depleting.
Rank 3 and 4 advancements were just like rank 1 advancements. Only advancing to rank 5 would there be difficulty and conditions like for rank 2. Two easy advancements would precede all difficult advancements meaning after rank 5, advancements for rank 6 and 7 would be simple and 8 would be difficult.
[Artemis, imprint fusion and affinity creation are available having advanced!]
"Imprint...Fusion?"
[Imprint fusion is the ability to fuse imprints together. As you know, the body can only hold so many imprints! To fuse them into one, it frees up more space! As for affinity creation, it allows you to create imprints from the affinity crystals absorbed and magnify their effects when activated!]
I ignored it for now as the last bit of power entered my body, potent mana flooding my veins as strength coursed through, invigorating me thoroughly.
I let out a soft breath before looking at my arms. The scale had disappeared from the dorsal side of my left hand. On the area between my elbow and shoulder just below the marking Tarkyol had given, a red dragon coiled around a harpe crackling with lightning had replaces the other two imprints.
Below the blue triangles sat a blue square.
"Blue? Shouldn't it be red?"
[The rank up has increased your power, defence and speed.]
My mouth formed an 'O' shape as a new blue moon and blue triangle had appeared,"Then move 1 from each to defence."
In an instant, my moons and triangles dropped back to 11 respectively, the squares rising to 3. I invested the last bit of souls on one last extra life, increasing it to 20 blue marks in total.
"This mark fusion thing, how does it work?"
[State the number of imprints you want to fuse into one and an appropriate amount of souls will be required. It goes the same for affinity creation.]
(A/N: I'll be referring to the lives of people Artemis kills as souls to differentiate it and make explaining lives and souls easier. So lives will mean her extra lives while souls are like points she uses to trade for more power.)
"If I wanted to fuse everything on me right now meaning, six imprints?"
[60 souls. Keep in mind, anything exceeding 10 imprints will require 100 souls each. Anything exceeding 100 imprints fused will require 1,000 each! As for affinity creation, it takes 100 souls per imprint!]
"Then I have 145 crystals to use affinity creation on meaning 14,500. To fuse 151 imprints would mean 100 for the first ten, 1,000 for the next 100 and 41,000 for the last 41 meaning 56,600 souls total? Where the hell am I going to get 56,600 souls?!" I groaned in annoyance.
[A rank 6 is worth 2,000 souls. A rank 7 is worth 20,000 souls. A rank 8 is worth 200,000 souls and so on. So as long as you kill three rank 7s, you'll be set!]
"Do you think I can kill, or even find rank 7s that easily? They aren't fucking random stones I can pick off the street you know!" This inquirer was extremely infuriating, making such an impossible task seem easy.
I had about 40 canisters left of the bombs. I would probably be able to face a rank 6 now with my power but facing a rank 7 still remained unknown. Either it would be a death wish or a single punch and I wasn't about to risk it.
Massaging my temples, I let out a frustrated sigh,"Alright. I can spare 1,000 souls from strength and speed. Meaning," I drew on the ground with a stick, making quick calculations before using my feet to clear the ground,"I'll get 7 imprints but fuse only 12. Alright. Now which to choose?"
Seven crystals. They needed to be the ones which I would be able to take the most advantage of. The Gluttony crystal was the first one that came to mind,"Chrissakes," I let out an exasperated,"It's like being back in school again! I graduated years ago and now I'm back to this. I wish I had a calculator christ." Sacrificing a blue square from defence, I made my choice for the other six.
After deliberation, I picked the following choices:
1. Vigour crystal: Allowed for the storing of mana inside muscles to burst out all at once as heightened levels of strength, defence, speed and regeneration.
2. Luciferous crystal: Allowed the formation of light and the subsequent solidification of light into a mouldable substance, forming weapons or armour.
3. Meteoric crystal: Allowed the continued build-up of momentum, making each strike more impactful than the last.
4. Sloth Crystal: Allowed for the gradual increment of mana through a period of sleep.
5. Sanguine Crystal: Increased affinity and proficiency for any magic relating or affiliated to blood and reduced effectiveness when spells of such are used against oneself.
6. Phantasm Crystal: Increased affinity and proficiency for any magic relating or affiliated to illusory spells and reduced effectiveness when spells of such are used against oneself.
Fusing the twelve imprints together, leaving the Gluttony imprint, it formed into a simple white ring replacing the spot the dragon scale once took on the dorsal side of my left hand.
The Gluttony Imprint was in the shape of an outlined orange pig. It went, evidently, above the bellybutton near the stomach. As for its powers, it seemed anything with mana within when consumed by me would grant me more mana and power. Of course, that didn't mean I would turn into an aztec and go around cannibalising. That was a little too distasteful for me. I resolved to use it for useless magic trinkets and such. It seemed, to a certain extent, it would also let me devour spells extent.
In total, I now had five imprints. The chromatic flame, the white circle for fused imprints, the white diamond for my forms, the gluttony imprint and the red heart imprint from my curse.
Right now, my mind was reeling from information overload so I took out a piece of paper and simplified things. There were simply so many things to keep track of. (A/N: This is for my sake. I need to keep track of everything! Do correct me if you spot any mistakes or anything I've forgotten! >~<)
Simplified:
11 blue moons
11 blue triangles
20 blue marks
1 blue square
On dorsal side of right and left hand respectively—White diamond and white ring. Diamond for forms, ring for 12 imprints above.
Gluttony is an orange pig above bellybutton.
Red Heart is on collarbone.
Chromatic flame is peacock on right side of back.
On right arm, elbow to shoulder area: Dragon coiled around lightning harpe. Harpe for titan, lightning for Colossi.
Colossi is Adamant Forging, Titan is strength, Dragon is affinity to magic.
Weird ancient word from Tarkyol representing authority in Sanguis East.
Achievement Tattoos on right arm:
-Tiger from first fight
-Giant in Forest of Quietus
-Arrow of Ares for the war in Juniper
-Automaton in Ypogeios
-Serpent with arms holding lightning lance, other hand controlling a puppet manipulating waves, serrated teeth in jaws holding purple orb.