Red GypsyAlso interested. Currently working on a couple character concepts... I have a couple ideas that I will probably PM you about later. Need sleep for work.
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One Who Listens Deeply
STATUS: Pirates, monsters, magic, islands and no civilization to steal from. Hmm. 3 yrs agoStatus
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3 yrs ago
Current
Pirates, monsters, magic, islands and no civilization to steal from. Hmm.
4 yrs ago
Now, what happens when you have a bunch of monsters that were living in a forest and they get transmigrated into a futuristic urban setting?
5 yrs ago
I know that few, if any, people on this site would be interested in it... but... I just got an idea for a SAO/GGO/XCOM/UFO crossover... fun tingles...
6 yrs ago
Life has never given mankind sufficient time... nor sleep... nor comprehension. If it had, we would have stopped trying.
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6 yrs ago
It can be greatly refreshing to return to a thing that one has long loved.
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@Stabby @Zeroth
Femus had refilled his mana far faster than he expected and he did seem to have had some success in altering the mana levels around him. However, at that point, he was interrupted by what was almost certainly a wild pixie. This… was not good. Those creatures were the living embodiment of distraction. One of getting interested was bad enough but they liked to play in groups too. It would be reckless to assume that that one would not want to have more fun with other pixies.
He thought briefly of warning Nira but remembered that she had not stayed close and instead gone elsewhere to practice her meditation. He didn't dare rush out at present. He had to deal with the issue at hand first.
There was little time to waste. He had to prepare to defend this place… or provide the pixie with enough of a distraction to forget him and this place. But, first… It reminded him of something. Pixies could shield themselves. He decided to try and replicate that spell, surrounding himself with mana and trying to infuse it into either his body or the glow that surrounded him.
He had seen that the spell didn’t create a barrier. It seemed to be more like a resistance spell, something to provide additional toughness. So, he kept that in mind and sought to shape the nature of his mana so that it would linger in his body as a kind of hindering force, pushing back against anything that approached and diminishing its force. He would practice this until he achieved success, was interrupted, or felt that he only had enough mana for one mana orb left. At that point, he would meditate back to full mana, still trying to enrich his surroundings with mana. He would repeat this in cycles, barring interruption.
Hopefully, he could encourage some of the local blue flowers to form seeds before he had to abandon this tree. That would be a treasure beyond measure for a developing magic user… and he didn’t want to let his efforts in adjusting the environment here go to waste. The enhanced mana density in the hollow should have some effect on the flowers growing on the outside of the hollow tree.
Then again, maybe it was the enhanced density of mana that attracted the pixie. They relied on mana to live as well. Maybe he hadn’t been cautious enough. While he had been trying to develop a strong foundation patiently and safely, it wouldn’t help him at all if he couldn’t survive the whims of pixies. He would need to enhance his lethality.
As soon as he was able to shield himself, unless he was interrupted, he would begin a similar cycle of training attempting to condense a mana orb into a smaller, faster, and more penetrating form. In effect, he wasn’t looking for a piercing tip but rather a more focused shaped charge. If all the orb’s power was released in the direction of the surface it impacted then the damage it did should increase as well. Yet, as he focused his mind on that aspect, he found himself repeatedly thinking of flames and lightning.
Both would burn through objects and he remembered everything about them that he had ever experienced or learned. He remembered the times he burned himself when he was trying to help in the kitchen, times he was shown pictures of lightning strikes, explosions in action movies that seemed to fill the target and reduce it to rubble and ash from within, being shocked by static, overheating a knife accidentally by leaving it on the stove too close to the flame, seeing jumper cables melt as sparks and arcing electricity overwhelmed it.
Burning from within, arcing instantly over vast distances and piercing any defense. These were the thoughts that came to mind as he sought to compress and focus his mana orbs.
Your MP is Full.
Femus had refilled his mana far faster than he expected and he did seem to have had some success in altering the mana levels around him. However, at that point, he was interrupted by what was almost certainly a wild pixie. This… was not good. Those creatures were the living embodiment of distraction. One of getting interested was bad enough but they liked to play in groups too. It would be reckless to assume that that one would not want to have more fun with other pixies.
He thought briefly of warning Nira but remembered that she had not stayed close and instead gone elsewhere to practice her meditation. He didn't dare rush out at present. He had to deal with the issue at hand first.
There was little time to waste. He had to prepare to defend this place… or provide the pixie with enough of a distraction to forget him and this place. But, first… It reminded him of something. Pixies could shield themselves. He decided to try and replicate that spell, surrounding himself with mana and trying to infuse it into either his body or the glow that surrounded him.
He had seen that the spell didn’t create a barrier. It seemed to be more like a resistance spell, something to provide additional toughness. So, he kept that in mind and sought to shape the nature of his mana so that it would linger in his body as a kind of hindering force, pushing back against anything that approached and diminishing its force. He would practice this until he achieved success, was interrupted, or felt that he only had enough mana for one mana orb left. At that point, he would meditate back to full mana, still trying to enrich his surroundings with mana. He would repeat this in cycles, barring interruption.
Hopefully, he could encourage some of the local blue flowers to form seeds before he had to abandon this tree. That would be a treasure beyond measure for a developing magic user… and he didn’t want to let his efforts in adjusting the environment here go to waste. The enhanced mana density in the hollow should have some effect on the flowers growing on the outside of the hollow tree.
Then again, maybe it was the enhanced density of mana that attracted the pixie. They relied on mana to live as well. Maybe he hadn’t been cautious enough. While he had been trying to develop a strong foundation patiently and safely, it wouldn’t help him at all if he couldn’t survive the whims of pixies. He would need to enhance his lethality.
As soon as he was able to shield himself, unless he was interrupted, he would begin a similar cycle of training attempting to condense a mana orb into a smaller, faster, and more penetrating form. In effect, he wasn’t looking for a piercing tip but rather a more focused shaped charge. If all the orb’s power was released in the direction of the surface it impacted then the damage it did should increase as well. Yet, as he focused his mind on that aspect, he found himself repeatedly thinking of flames and lightning.
Both would burn through objects and he remembered everything about them that he had ever experienced or learned. He remembered the times he burned himself when he was trying to help in the kitchen, times he was shown pictures of lightning strikes, explosions in action movies that seemed to fill the target and reduce it to rubble and ash from within, being shocked by static, overheating a knife accidentally by leaving it on the stove too close to the flame, seeing jumper cables melt as sparks and arcing electricity overwhelmed it.
Burning from within, arcing instantly over vast distances and piercing any defense. These were the thoughts that came to mind as he sought to compress and focus his mana orbs.
@Stabby@Zeroth
Femus bobbed briefly in acknowledgement. Nira had practical goals entwined with some fairly normal dreams. There was nothing shocking or profound, but that was interesting in itself. Even in this strange and difficult to define situation she was able to stay grounded and ultimately seek something like a normal life. Femus wasn't entirely sure that he could do that. He had a feeling that the level of power that he desired would force him to take a more extraordinary path in the end.
But, for now...
"Alright. Let's get going." He said decisively as he levitated higher and led the way to his tree hole.
He lingered outside the hole for a moment, checking for unfamiliar scents or signs that a slime or some other creature might have slipped in during his absence. If he found none then he proceeded inside, inadvertently lighting the dark space with his glow. There wasn't anything of note inside but the hole was deep enough to mostly hide them from the outside. Even Femus's glow was difficult to see after he went around the small bend in the hole.
Here was a fairly safe nook where they could recover and meditate. It wouldn't do to linger here too long, but it might do until they were ready to make a move toward escaping the goblins. It wouldn't be easy to get out of this encirclement, even if they grew more powerful. From what Femus had noticed about his power, it was likely that he couldn't be confident of his odds of breaking out alone before he made level 15. And, even then, he would need the right set of skills. With Nira beside him, the two of them might be able to do it by level 10. Still, the two of them were both dependent on magic. They lacked the physical ability to simply keep fighting.
"We need to increase the amount of time that we can stay in combat. We can't bet everything on a single high power skill or lucky blow. I have no intention of throwing this life away for nothing, either yours or mine." He said seriously as he settled onto a ridge where a long rotted knot deformed the side of the hollow space. "I need to be able to attack repeatedly, beyond the expectations of any opponent. I've been training to increase my maximum magic capacity to achieve this. The results have been notable but limited. I managed to increase my maximum capacity by 50%, allowing me to cast three mana orbs before being exhausted. The training that I used was based on meditation but with certain changes."
Femus paused for a moment, giving Nira time to consider the implications of what he was going to teach her. Even if she didn't decide to use this particular modified form of meditation, he was still teaching her one of his secrets. It was a potent gesture of trust. He hoped it was the right move.
"Meditation is simple." He continued. "Block out the world around you, sensation, planning, worry, everything. Then regulate your breathing and focus inward and intensify your awareness of your body and the flow of magic that moves through you, using that flow to draw in the magic from the environment around you and replenish your supply." He paused again, though only for a moment. "However, to increase your capacity the way I did, you must intensify the flow. Make it faster and denser. Think of the pathways it follows as being like your veins and encourage those veins to grow larger and stronger, to hold more and more. Also, do not stop meditating when you have reached your maximum magic capacity. Stretch those mana veins by overfilling them and giving them time to adjust to being overfull. But, do not push too hard or you may invite unpleasant side effects." He paused again. This time he remained silent for nearly a full minute before he spoke again.
"Do you have any questions before we begin meditating?"
If Nira had no questions then he would simply begin meditating, following the very method that he had just described. However, he did add one element to his own meditation that he did not tell Nira to attempt. He sought to extend his aura and draw more mana into the surrounding area than he could absorb with his body. He was seeking to saturate the area around the two of them with ambient mana to speed their recovery. He was also hoping to be able to create a space where those lovely blue flowers would grow easily. He still hadn't given up hope of cultivating them but he knew that for the plant to give mana, it would need to gather it from the environment. Thus, he had to develop a way of increasing the environmental mana in an area. Even if the effect wasn't enough to cultivate the flowers, it could still be of use helping any allies he had recover their mana faster. It might even help their meditation skills improve to a point where it could be used while on the move.
Femus bobbed briefly in acknowledgement. Nira had practical goals entwined with some fairly normal dreams. There was nothing shocking or profound, but that was interesting in itself. Even in this strange and difficult to define situation she was able to stay grounded and ultimately seek something like a normal life. Femus wasn't entirely sure that he could do that. He had a feeling that the level of power that he desired would force him to take a more extraordinary path in the end.
But, for now...
"Alright. Let's get going." He said decisively as he levitated higher and led the way to his tree hole.
He lingered outside the hole for a moment, checking for unfamiliar scents or signs that a slime or some other creature might have slipped in during his absence. If he found none then he proceeded inside, inadvertently lighting the dark space with his glow. There wasn't anything of note inside but the hole was deep enough to mostly hide them from the outside. Even Femus's glow was difficult to see after he went around the small bend in the hole.
Here was a fairly safe nook where they could recover and meditate. It wouldn't do to linger here too long, but it might do until they were ready to make a move toward escaping the goblins. It wouldn't be easy to get out of this encirclement, even if they grew more powerful. From what Femus had noticed about his power, it was likely that he couldn't be confident of his odds of breaking out alone before he made level 15. And, even then, he would need the right set of skills. With Nira beside him, the two of them might be able to do it by level 10. Still, the two of them were both dependent on magic. They lacked the physical ability to simply keep fighting.
"We need to increase the amount of time that we can stay in combat. We can't bet everything on a single high power skill or lucky blow. I have no intention of throwing this life away for nothing, either yours or mine." He said seriously as he settled onto a ridge where a long rotted knot deformed the side of the hollow space. "I need to be able to attack repeatedly, beyond the expectations of any opponent. I've been training to increase my maximum magic capacity to achieve this. The results have been notable but limited. I managed to increase my maximum capacity by 50%, allowing me to cast three mana orbs before being exhausted. The training that I used was based on meditation but with certain changes."
Femus paused for a moment, giving Nira time to consider the implications of what he was going to teach her. Even if she didn't decide to use this particular modified form of meditation, he was still teaching her one of his secrets. It was a potent gesture of trust. He hoped it was the right move.
"Meditation is simple." He continued. "Block out the world around you, sensation, planning, worry, everything. Then regulate your breathing and focus inward and intensify your awareness of your body and the flow of magic that moves through you, using that flow to draw in the magic from the environment around you and replenish your supply." He paused again, though only for a moment. "However, to increase your capacity the way I did, you must intensify the flow. Make it faster and denser. Think of the pathways it follows as being like your veins and encourage those veins to grow larger and stronger, to hold more and more. Also, do not stop meditating when you have reached your maximum magic capacity. Stretch those mana veins by overfilling them and giving them time to adjust to being overfull. But, do not push too hard or you may invite unpleasant side effects." He paused again. This time he remained silent for nearly a full minute before he spoke again.
"Do you have any questions before we begin meditating?"
If Nira had no questions then he would simply begin meditating, following the very method that he had just described. However, he did add one element to his own meditation that he did not tell Nira to attempt. He sought to extend his aura and draw more mana into the surrounding area than he could absorb with his body. He was seeking to saturate the area around the two of them with ambient mana to speed their recovery. He was also hoping to be able to create a space where those lovely blue flowers would grow easily. He still hadn't given up hope of cultivating them but he knew that for the plant to give mana, it would need to gather it from the environment. Thus, he had to develop a way of increasing the environmental mana in an area. Even if the effect wasn't enough to cultivate the flowers, it could still be of use helping any allies he had recover their mana faster. It might even help their meditation skills improve to a point where it could be used while on the move.
@Stabby@Zeroth
Femus's previous small grin was nothing in comparison to the... relatively wide smile that he developed after seeing Nira's expression. He had a feeling that if she had been younger she would have stomped her foot and glared at him for catching her. It was an adorable thought. But, the moment was brief and Nira's response brought them back to business immediately. It seemed the verbal games were indeed over.
Besides, she had just let slip that she spent her previous life in a hospital. That... wasn't funny.
The smile vanished.
Femus's new body had little when it came to expression so the brief feeling of pity that flowed through his consciousness didn't show. Still, it took a few moments for him to quiet that down and clear his thinking. It was highly unlikely that the person in front of him would appreciate something as useless as pity. It was likely better to take her words seriously and be as genuine as possible, especially if this green wisp wanted to maintain a lasting partnership with her.
It took a little effort to ensure that his voice wouldn't betray his earlier feelings, though his brief time of silence could be interpreted in several ways. "It's a bit cliche, I guess. I want power, power sufficient to protect what I want to protect from anything. If the Demon King will help me get there... I'll work with him. If his enemies will help me get there, I'll work with them. For right now, I just need to survive and get stronger. With how little I know of this world, making long range plans just doesn't seem practical to me."
He didn't mind the fact that Nira hadn't responded to his urging. It seemed that she wanted to understand his motives before following him anywhere. That was understandable. Still, the longer they spent out here in the open the more likely it became that they would attract unwanted attention from the goblins or other local predators. They were having a chat right next to a half-eaten rat on the forest floor after all.
"Is there anything else you would like to know about me before we move? I'd rather not be ambushed before I recover my mana."
Femus's previous small grin was nothing in comparison to the... relatively wide smile that he developed after seeing Nira's expression. He had a feeling that if she had been younger she would have stomped her foot and glared at him for catching her. It was an adorable thought. But, the moment was brief and Nira's response brought them back to business immediately. It seemed the verbal games were indeed over.
Besides, she had just let slip that she spent her previous life in a hospital. That... wasn't funny.
The smile vanished.
Femus's new body had little when it came to expression so the brief feeling of pity that flowed through his consciousness didn't show. Still, it took a few moments for him to quiet that down and clear his thinking. It was highly unlikely that the person in front of him would appreciate something as useless as pity. It was likely better to take her words seriously and be as genuine as possible, especially if this green wisp wanted to maintain a lasting partnership with her.
It took a little effort to ensure that his voice wouldn't betray his earlier feelings, though his brief time of silence could be interpreted in several ways. "It's a bit cliche, I guess. I want power, power sufficient to protect what I want to protect from anything. If the Demon King will help me get there... I'll work with him. If his enemies will help me get there, I'll work with them. For right now, I just need to survive and get stronger. With how little I know of this world, making long range plans just doesn't seem practical to me."
He didn't mind the fact that Nira hadn't responded to his urging. It seemed that she wanted to understand his motives before following him anywhere. That was understandable. Still, the longer they spent out here in the open the more likely it became that they would attract unwanted attention from the goblins or other local predators. They were having a chat right next to a half-eaten rat on the forest floor after all.
"Is there anything else you would like to know about me before we move? I'd rather not be ambushed before I recover my mana."
@Stabby@Zeroth
Femus watched and listened carefully to Nira's response. Then he found himself chuckling softly. It wasn't entirely inaccurate to say that his prior family had encountered a stronger foe. But, it was far from the complete truth as well. Yet, that was not the only reason for his amusement. He had no idea that his taste for wuxia would prove as valuable as this.
After slowly quieting his laughter, Femus rose above the rat and spoke cheerfully. "Well, you are free to remain outside if you prefer and I have no objections to sharing a skill with a potential partner. Besides, it's a good feeling to have another former human to chat with. But, you need to work on your acting a bit. A normal pixie wouldn't even know what a family business is, never mind having opinions on the business potential of wisps. That kind of error can get you killed in certain dangerous situations. If you're ready, then this butcher's son will lead the way."
Femus watched and listened carefully to Nira's response. Then he found himself chuckling softly. It wasn't entirely inaccurate to say that his prior family had encountered a stronger foe. But, it was far from the complete truth as well. Yet, that was not the only reason for his amusement. He had no idea that his taste for wuxia would prove as valuable as this.
After slowly quieting his laughter, Femus rose above the rat and spoke cheerfully. "Well, you are free to remain outside if you prefer and I have no objections to sharing a skill with a potential partner. Besides, it's a good feeling to have another former human to chat with. But, you need to work on your acting a bit. A normal pixie wouldn't even know what a family business is, never mind having opinions on the business potential of wisps. That kind of error can get you killed in certain dangerous situations. If you're ready, then this butcher's son will lead the way."
@Zeroth @Stabby
"Nira Wildheart. It is a well chosen name for... a second chance... and a new freedom." Femus said quietly, after waiting patiently for her to finish speaking. Her name had a strong fantasy sound to it. It strengthened his belief that she was also a reincarnated person. Femus had as much reason to keep his name from his prior life as others might have to abandon it... and the reasons were likely just as private. Still, he could use this to test her. "My... previous parents had a certain sense of humor with regard to the family business. Though, they had about the same luck as my more recent parents when it comes to avoiding danger. Thank you for your invitation. Please pardon me."
He managed to levitate closer to the rat before trying to pick out the parts that seemed the least healthy with lesser force. These he would leave to one side for the inevitable scavengers who would follow their meal. It was tough. His magic was still extremely low and exerting himself to set spoiled food aside might seem reckless. But, he was a creature that was mostly dependent on magic now. His appetite was limited and table manners were a far less justifiable nicety than courtesy or simple cleanliness. He simply placed himself next to an opening in the skin and began directly eating, one tiny mouth bite at at time.
Femus had been raised the son of a butcher family. Eating raw rat... was about as expected. Predator game meat isn't known for being tasty under most circumstances. Raw rat that had seemingly fed on bugs and random scavenge for most of the past few months had many of the preferred traits that he imagined extremely low brow dumpster fare to have. But, it was food. Besides, this particular meal had gained him an acquaintance. An acquaintance that he kept an eye on as he ate, watching for her reaction to his previous 'careless' statement.
Cooking might help the meat a bit... but it would need a lot more help to truly be good.
In fact, his current company had looks that would have turned his head when he was still human. But, that was before he discovered how easy it really was to take apart a living body. The same simple strike could take the head off a chicken or sever the spine of a human. It really was... anti-climactic. His visceral appreciation of physical beauty had seemingly been crippled by that experience. There was little to guarantee that she was the same as he was, resurrected by some strange magic and kidnapped by the Demon King. Still, Femus found himself believing that it was far more likely that they were the same rather than that a random pixie had suddenly developed these traits.
Besides, that Demon King had seemed both a personally motivated and pragmatic sort. Femus did not think that such a being would waste the effort needed to scatter his recruits. It was far more likely that he would dump them in convenient places in batches. Anything else would involve far too much investment and... concern.
The corner of Femus's mouth turned upward, just a tiny bit, at the thought of that Demon King acting concerned. It was a hilarious image.
It didn't take long for him to feed himself sufficiently and he pulled away from the open portions of the body, levitating up near the head before resting on the dead rat's snout.
Now was the time for after meal conversation. But, he also attempted to sense if there was any mana in the body. Specifically, he was looking for a mana core or some other concentrated nexus of energy. It wasn't terribly likely that it would be there, even if this world had such things. It was a mere rat after all.
"Do you have a place to stay?" He had planned a more subtle approach but he was finding the growing aroma of cooked meat and vegetables to be a little too distracting... and frustrating. Eating raw rat while others feast was... a bit much.
He could hear and smell the goblin party going on but his first thought was that he glowed and flew slowly. Even if the goblins were terrible shots, there were enough of them to hit him with something and he wouldn't be able to get away. He needed power and skill before he could even cross their territory... wait... "They're having a big party... all together in one spot." His words were soft and bemused as idle thoughts gained a semblance of purpose.
He didn't realize that he was effectively interrupting himself. The thought was just too tempting. With all the goblins in one spot, the far parts of their territory would be sparsely populated, if not completely empty. The two of them could escape this encirclement if they moved quickly and quietly. They would have to face the outside territory, of course, but this kind of event was unlikely to be repeated often.
"We might be able to get out of this goblin ring... but it might just be rushing to our deaths. Then again, we could try to sneak something from the goblins instead." After saying this, half thinking aloud and half conversing, he focused on Nira again. It was time to take a risk. "No matter what, we both need to get our strength back. Do you know how to meditate to speed your magic recovery? I have a tree hollow that's fairly safe. If you'd like, we could recover our magic and talk more there."
You used Monster Analysis I!
---Pixie---
Pixies are a tiny humanoid Fey-type Monster. While somewhat intelligent, they lack empathy towards one another even compared to beasts like Goblins. Capable of flight and healing magic, but not physically strong or skilled enough to fight or use weapons well. Their Wings are membranous structures interlaced with hair-thin blood vessels. They are fragile, but hold semi-magical properties.This one is unusual.
System:Femus
"Nira Wildheart. It is a well chosen name for... a second chance... and a new freedom." Femus said quietly, after waiting patiently for her to finish speaking. Her name had a strong fantasy sound to it. It strengthened his belief that she was also a reincarnated person. Femus had as much reason to keep his name from his prior life as others might have to abandon it... and the reasons were likely just as private. Still, he could use this to test her. "My... previous parents had a certain sense of humor with regard to the family business. Though, they had about the same luck as my more recent parents when it comes to avoiding danger. Thank you for your invitation. Please pardon me."
He managed to levitate closer to the rat before trying to pick out the parts that seemed the least healthy with lesser force. These he would leave to one side for the inevitable scavengers who would follow their meal. It was tough. His magic was still extremely low and exerting himself to set spoiled food aside might seem reckless. But, he was a creature that was mostly dependent on magic now. His appetite was limited and table manners were a far less justifiable nicety than courtesy or simple cleanliness. He simply placed himself next to an opening in the skin and began directly eating, one tiny mouth bite at at time.
Femus had been raised the son of a butcher family. Eating raw rat... was about as expected. Predator game meat isn't known for being tasty under most circumstances. Raw rat that had seemingly fed on bugs and random scavenge for most of the past few months had many of the preferred traits that he imagined extremely low brow dumpster fare to have. But, it was food. Besides, this particular meal had gained him an acquaintance. An acquaintance that he kept an eye on as he ate, watching for her reaction to his previous 'careless' statement.
Cooking might help the meat a bit... but it would need a lot more help to truly be good.
In fact, his current company had looks that would have turned his head when he was still human. But, that was before he discovered how easy it really was to take apart a living body. The same simple strike could take the head off a chicken or sever the spine of a human. It really was... anti-climactic. His visceral appreciation of physical beauty had seemingly been crippled by that experience. There was little to guarantee that she was the same as he was, resurrected by some strange magic and kidnapped by the Demon King. Still, Femus found himself believing that it was far more likely that they were the same rather than that a random pixie had suddenly developed these traits.
Besides, that Demon King had seemed both a personally motivated and pragmatic sort. Femus did not think that such a being would waste the effort needed to scatter his recruits. It was far more likely that he would dump them in convenient places in batches. Anything else would involve far too much investment and... concern.
The corner of Femus's mouth turned upward, just a tiny bit, at the thought of that Demon King acting concerned. It was a hilarious image.
It didn't take long for him to feed himself sufficiently and he pulled away from the open portions of the body, levitating up near the head before resting on the dead rat's snout.
Now was the time for after meal conversation. But, he also attempted to sense if there was any mana in the body. Specifically, he was looking for a mana core or some other concentrated nexus of energy. It wasn't terribly likely that it would be there, even if this world had such things. It was a mere rat after all.
"Do you have a place to stay?" He had planned a more subtle approach but he was finding the growing aroma of cooked meat and vegetables to be a little too distracting... and frustrating. Eating raw rat while others feast was... a bit much.
He could hear and smell the goblin party going on but his first thought was that he glowed and flew slowly. Even if the goblins were terrible shots, there were enough of them to hit him with something and he wouldn't be able to get away. He needed power and skill before he could even cross their territory... wait... "They're having a big party... all together in one spot." His words were soft and bemused as idle thoughts gained a semblance of purpose.
He didn't realize that he was effectively interrupting himself. The thought was just too tempting. With all the goblins in one spot, the far parts of their territory would be sparsely populated, if not completely empty. The two of them could escape this encirclement if they moved quickly and quietly. They would have to face the outside territory, of course, but this kind of event was unlikely to be repeated often.
"We might be able to get out of this goblin ring... but it might just be rushing to our deaths. Then again, we could try to sneak something from the goblins instead." After saying this, half thinking aloud and half conversing, he focused on Nira again. It was time to take a risk. "No matter what, we both need to get our strength back. Do you know how to meditate to speed your magic recovery? I have a tree hollow that's fairly safe. If you'd like, we could recover our magic and talk more there."
@Stabby@Zeroth
Femus took his shot and finished off the rat. But, it was an expensive gamble. He was betting his life that the pixie girl wouldn't hurt him before he could recover his mana. He was also betting on nothing else wanting to take advantage of his obvious weakness as his strength vanished and he began to drift down to the ground.
There was nothing he could do, he couldn't even move. So he began to meditate immediately, focusing on rapidly recovering his mana. In fact, he was feeling a little impatient and concentrated on trying to draw in the mana around him in a vortex. He hoped to create a more rapid suction force to speed his recovery. Thankfully, he landed on soft leaves and moss where he settled like an over sized snowflake.
However, he didn't have much time to work on this alternate technique.
In spite of the rat's size, the pixie girl only took a few minutes to drag it over to where he sat on a bed of moss ringed by disturbed leaves. And, true to form for girls in general, she immediately tried to start a conversation while eating.
At least her voice wasn't hard on the ears. Still, it broke his concentration instantly and ended his meditation. Femus took a moment to use Monster Analysis on her again, mostly for practice but also to see if he could perceive how magic flowed through a pixie's body, while gathering his thoughts.
"My name is Femus." The greenish wisp said calmly, keeping his voice low and even to minimize the chances of the two of them being overheard. "And what is your name, miss?"
He sought for the tiny strands of power that he would need to use Lesser Force to get a bite of fresh meat. He hoped that he had managed to gather enough power in his few minutes of meditation for that at least. Otherwise... he'd need to put of the conversation until he could hungrily meditate enough to be able to feed himself. Levitation would likely take more meditation but he wanted to grab at least a bite or two before he focused on regaining his mana. At least his glow was minimized in his mana depleted state. It made him a much smaller target and far harder to see, thanks to his coloring.
Femus took his shot and finished off the rat. But, it was an expensive gamble. He was betting his life that the pixie girl wouldn't hurt him before he could recover his mana. He was also betting on nothing else wanting to take advantage of his obvious weakness as his strength vanished and he began to drift down to the ground.
You have no MP remaining.
There was nothing he could do, he couldn't even move. So he began to meditate immediately, focusing on rapidly recovering his mana. In fact, he was feeling a little impatient and concentrated on trying to draw in the mana around him in a vortex. He hoped to create a more rapid suction force to speed his recovery. Thankfully, he landed on soft leaves and moss where he settled like an over sized snowflake.
However, he didn't have much time to work on this alternate technique.
In spite of the rat's size, the pixie girl only took a few minutes to drag it over to where he sat on a bed of moss ringed by disturbed leaves. And, true to form for girls in general, she immediately tried to start a conversation while eating.
At least her voice wasn't hard on the ears. Still, it broke his concentration instantly and ended his meditation. Femus took a moment to use Monster Analysis on her again, mostly for practice but also to see if he could perceive how magic flowed through a pixie's body, while gathering his thoughts.
"My name is Femus." The greenish wisp said calmly, keeping his voice low and even to minimize the chances of the two of them being overheard. "And what is your name, miss?"
He sought for the tiny strands of power that he would need to use Lesser Force to get a bite of fresh meat. He hoped that he had managed to gather enough power in his few minutes of meditation for that at least. Otherwise... he'd need to put of the conversation until he could hungrily meditate enough to be able to feed himself. Levitation would likely take more meditation but he wanted to grab at least a bite or two before he focused on regaining his mana. At least his glow was minimized in his mana depleted state. It made him a much smaller target and far harder to see, thanks to his coloring.
@Stabby@Zeroth
Femus stopped for a moment, just stopped. It was the first time he had heard human level speech in his new body. He felt tingles rush over his surface. His mind went into overdrive as his body began levitating as swiftly as possible after the fleeing rat, trying to stay in range as he focused on rapidly casting Mana Orb 2 without hitting his new acquaintance. He hadn't realized that he would actually miss human interaction to such an extent that he could have a physical response to getting it back.
"Just try to keep it predictable and I'll do the rest!" The yellowish green wisp said forcefully.
He unconsciously raised the importance of making an ally of this pixie by several ticks on his priority list. He also used Monster Analysis on the dire rat, determined to use his understanding of anatomy to discover any additional weak points as well as using his knowledge of its body to predict its most likely movements.
His first lvl 2 Mana Orb was simply targeted to land another body hit, he wasn't picky. It would probably knock the rat down, giving him a brief window of opportunity. In the instant that it fell, he would hit it again. But, this followup spell would be aimed at where the rat's head was most likely to be. Femus would only stop the combo mid-way if the rat clearly suffered immediately terminal damage from the first Mana Orb 2.
Femus stopped for a moment, just stopped. It was the first time he had heard human level speech in his new body. He felt tingles rush over his surface. His mind went into overdrive as his body began levitating as swiftly as possible after the fleeing rat, trying to stay in range as he focused on rapidly casting Mana Orb 2 without hitting his new acquaintance. He hadn't realized that he would actually miss human interaction to such an extent that he could have a physical response to getting it back.
"Just try to keep it predictable and I'll do the rest!" The yellowish green wisp said forcefully.
He unconsciously raised the importance of making an ally of this pixie by several ticks on his priority list. He also used Monster Analysis on the dire rat, determined to use his understanding of anatomy to discover any additional weak points as well as using his knowledge of its body to predict its most likely movements.
His first lvl 2 Mana Orb was simply targeted to land another body hit, he wasn't picky. It would probably knock the rat down, giving him a brief window of opportunity. In the instant that it fell, he would hit it again. But, this followup spell would be aimed at where the rat's head was most likely to be. Femus would only stop the combo mid-way if the rat clearly suffered immediately terminal damage from the first Mana Orb 2.
@Stabby @Zeroth
Unusual. Such an unassuming word... but it meant everything. The rat was still alive. There were still other creatures rushing about.
They were no longer important. Femus had been resigned to solitude in a world of half-wits and monsters. Now, there was a chance that he might not be the only one snatched by the Demon King who was in this area. Countless possibilities rushed into his mind before he could drive them out and restore his concentration. An ally, a friend, perhaps the start of what he would protect later? Too many possibilities all depended on two tests. Was she also a human soul? Were their personalities compatible enough to travel together?
In the shadows beneath these practical thoughts lurked a single question laced with bitterness and longing. Would he have someone to talk to again?
The reality of the moment was that if that dire rat killed her, all other questions were dust in the wind. It had to die and the first practical question had to be answered. Two birds and one stone. Yes.
For the first time in his new life, Femus tried to limber up his vocal chords. "Get me a clean shot and we'll both eat well." He tried to sound like a mature man of 25 or so and projected his voice far enough to be heard by her but not by the goblins. The last thing he needed was their attention. Unfortunately... his new body produced a voice that made him sound... younger. It was likely from disuse, or so he reassured himself, but his voice cracked like he was at the misbegotten dawn of puberty.
If she took action to cooperate, or even understood him, he would pursue more... civilized interaction. If not... then he would let the dire rat kill her if it could... or he would finish her off himself. If that 'unusual' aspect simply indicated abnormal abilities and not a human soul then this pixie could well be too dangerous to allow to live.
But, if she did show intelligence... then he would hit the rat with a Mana Orb 2 the moment it committed to a move that would restrict its ability to dodge. Even if she was a human soul, that didn't mean that he could trust her. It just meant that there might be a chance. For the sake of that chance he was willing to share a meal... and even a hiding place.
Your MP is Full. You have Temporary Extra MP.
---
You used Monster Analysis I!
---Pixie---
Pixies are a tiny humanoid Fey-type Monster. While somewhat intelligent, they lack empathy towards one another even compared to beasts like Goblins. Capable of flight and healing magic, but not physically strong or skilled enough to fight or use weapons well. This one is unusual.
Unusual. Such an unassuming word... but it meant everything. The rat was still alive. There were still other creatures rushing about.
They were no longer important. Femus had been resigned to solitude in a world of half-wits and monsters. Now, there was a chance that he might not be the only one snatched by the Demon King who was in this area. Countless possibilities rushed into his mind before he could drive them out and restore his concentration. An ally, a friend, perhaps the start of what he would protect later? Too many possibilities all depended on two tests. Was she also a human soul? Were their personalities compatible enough to travel together?
In the shadows beneath these practical thoughts lurked a single question laced with bitterness and longing. Would he have someone to talk to again?
The reality of the moment was that if that dire rat killed her, all other questions were dust in the wind. It had to die and the first practical question had to be answered. Two birds and one stone. Yes.
For the first time in his new life, Femus tried to limber up his vocal chords. "Get me a clean shot and we'll both eat well." He tried to sound like a mature man of 25 or so and projected his voice far enough to be heard by her but not by the goblins. The last thing he needed was their attention. Unfortunately... his new body produced a voice that made him sound... younger. It was likely from disuse, or so he reassured himself, but his voice cracked like he was at the misbegotten dawn of puberty.
If she took action to cooperate, or even understood him, he would pursue more... civilized interaction. If not... then he would let the dire rat kill her if it could... or he would finish her off himself. If that 'unusual' aspect simply indicated abnormal abilities and not a human soul then this pixie could well be too dangerous to allow to live.
But, if she did show intelligence... then he would hit the rat with a Mana Orb 2 the moment it committed to a move that would restrict its ability to dodge. Even if she was a human soul, that didn't mean that he could trust her. It just meant that there might be a chance. For the sake of that chance he was willing to share a meal... and even a hiding place.
@Zeroth @Stabby
Femus Loncut awoke as the pattern of movement in the forest began to settle into the pre-dawn stillness. That stillness was a brief period of precious time for him. He settled himself and began to meditate, focusing on rapidly circulating the mana through his body as well as increasing his capacity further. In addition, he began to try to increase its density and his ability to manipulate it. His desire in these meditations was to lay the groundwork for more rapidly casting spells and also to gather mana ahead of time such that he could cast dissimilar spells in rapid succession. His body was still frail and so he needed speed, accuracy, power, and tricks. This place could only shelter him for so long.
This particular tree was old and had many holes. In fact, unless this greenish wisp was very wrong indeed, it was dying. That had made it an excellent place for him to train. He didn’t consider his chosen hole in a tree to be his home. He was still too weak to have such a luxury. Still, he had found a small enough hole that only wisps, pixies, and slimes would be able to enter it. It was also deep enough that he could conceal his ambient glow inside it. The smell of ozone still drifted about at the entrance. But, those outside would not be able to tell much about the strength of the wisp that lived there. Uncertainty was an effective deterrent in a world of savagery where a single reckless move could mean death.
Even more valuable than the concealment offered by the hole was the fact that this old tree was home to several vines and a certain number of blue flowers, the same blue flowers that had been part of his earliest memories in this body.
He changed his meditation as the time of stillness passed and the subtle noises of the forest day began. No longer completely focused inward, he began to analyze his surroundings. He examined the blue flowers, the tree, the vines and tried to sense the flow of mana around him. He also used Monster Analysis on the pixies that were beginning to fly about near other trees, the other wisps, and every form of self mobile life he could see from the opening of his hole.
He maintained this state, meditating as needed to maintain his energies, until he noticed that he was beginning to become aware of the sound of combat from the goblins. At this time he slowly and cautiously emerged from his hole, doing his best to continue the accelerated circulation of his mana while in motion and being prepared to fire a Mana Orb 2 at anything that tried to ambush him. But, nothing did.
Rather, at the moment he emerged from the hole in the tree the whole forest was stunned to silence by the sudden destruction of a significant portion of a distant mountain. Unfortunately the cause had escaped his notice so he did not have an accurate idea of where the event started. But, he knew that anything on that level would be so powerful as to make comparing himself with it… utterly pointless.
The casual burp of such an existence would be enough to instantly kill him.
But, its actions could also be beneficial. The whole forest had been shaken and much would change as a result. Femus took up a position close enough to the ground to strike accurately with Mana Orb but made sure to drift around in the manner of a common wisp. He didn’t want to stand out as he waited for the inevitable. Such an event would displace many creatures and they in turn would force others to move or act. This was not a time to hide in a hole. This was a time to be predator, not prey.
Creatures of many kinds suddenly rushed from the forest into the open, recklessly rushing across the goblin territory. Femus took a moment to choose a target. He needed practice and training. So, he would choose a target that was already likely to be consumed by something else in short order. He could always simply withdraw after achieving the kill.
It was then that he spotted a female pixie attacking a dire rat. It was a typical form of attack for a pixie. The only odd part was the timing. The pixie struck before shielding itself. That… wasn’t usual. A dire rat could kill an unshielded pixie with a single bite. For the shield to come second would mean that the pixie was planning ahead for a possible counter attack.
Pixies don’t plan ahead.
Femus used Monster Analysis on the pixie even as he fired a Mana Orb 1 at the same dire rat that she had attacked. There was a small chance that he might have found someone interesting, perhaps another fish caught in the Demon King’s net. By using only a first level Mana Orb he was concealing his real strength as well as hiding his own intelligence for the time being. He needed to know more before he could decide whether or not to kill this pixie as well.
Femus Loncut awoke as the pattern of movement in the forest began to settle into the pre-dawn stillness. That stillness was a brief period of precious time for him. He settled himself and began to meditate, focusing on rapidly circulating the mana through his body as well as increasing his capacity further. In addition, he began to try to increase its density and his ability to manipulate it. His desire in these meditations was to lay the groundwork for more rapidly casting spells and also to gather mana ahead of time such that he could cast dissimilar spells in rapid succession. His body was still frail and so he needed speed, accuracy, power, and tricks. This place could only shelter him for so long.
This particular tree was old and had many holes. In fact, unless this greenish wisp was very wrong indeed, it was dying. That had made it an excellent place for him to train. He didn’t consider his chosen hole in a tree to be his home. He was still too weak to have such a luxury. Still, he had found a small enough hole that only wisps, pixies, and slimes would be able to enter it. It was also deep enough that he could conceal his ambient glow inside it. The smell of ozone still drifted about at the entrance. But, those outside would not be able to tell much about the strength of the wisp that lived there. Uncertainty was an effective deterrent in a world of savagery where a single reckless move could mean death.
Even more valuable than the concealment offered by the hole was the fact that this old tree was home to several vines and a certain number of blue flowers, the same blue flowers that had been part of his earliest memories in this body.
He changed his meditation as the time of stillness passed and the subtle noises of the forest day began. No longer completely focused inward, he began to analyze his surroundings. He examined the blue flowers, the tree, the vines and tried to sense the flow of mana around him. He also used Monster Analysis on the pixies that were beginning to fly about near other trees, the other wisps, and every form of self mobile life he could see from the opening of his hole.
He maintained this state, meditating as needed to maintain his energies, until he noticed that he was beginning to become aware of the sound of combat from the goblins. At this time he slowly and cautiously emerged from his hole, doing his best to continue the accelerated circulation of his mana while in motion and being prepared to fire a Mana Orb 2 at anything that tried to ambush him. But, nothing did.
Rather, at the moment he emerged from the hole in the tree the whole forest was stunned to silence by the sudden destruction of a significant portion of a distant mountain. Unfortunately the cause had escaped his notice so he did not have an accurate idea of where the event started. But, he knew that anything on that level would be so powerful as to make comparing himself with it… utterly pointless.
The casual burp of such an existence would be enough to instantly kill him.
But, its actions could also be beneficial. The whole forest had been shaken and much would change as a result. Femus took up a position close enough to the ground to strike accurately with Mana Orb but made sure to drift around in the manner of a common wisp. He didn’t want to stand out as he waited for the inevitable. Such an event would displace many creatures and they in turn would force others to move or act. This was not a time to hide in a hole. This was a time to be predator, not prey.
Creatures of many kinds suddenly rushed from the forest into the open, recklessly rushing across the goblin territory. Femus took a moment to choose a target. He needed practice and training. So, he would choose a target that was already likely to be consumed by something else in short order. He could always simply withdraw after achieving the kill.
It was then that he spotted a female pixie attacking a dire rat. It was a typical form of attack for a pixie. The only odd part was the timing. The pixie struck before shielding itself. That… wasn’t usual. A dire rat could kill an unshielded pixie with a single bite. For the shield to come second would mean that the pixie was planning ahead for a possible counter attack.
Pixies don’t plan ahead.
Femus used Monster Analysis on the pixie even as he fired a Mana Orb 1 at the same dire rat that she had attacked. There was a small chance that he might have found someone interesting, perhaps another fish caught in the Demon King’s net. By using only a first level Mana Orb he was concealing his real strength as well as hiding his own intelligence for the time being. He needed to know more before he could decide whether or not to kill this pixie as well.
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