Disclaimer: English is not my first language. I'm using Grammarly to check the Grammar and using Word to write it.
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After getting a bite, Mia and I didn't waste time and went to work.
Since we had more space available, I paid a quick visit to the leyline to make more terminals.
I created over sixty terminals, and they are working around the clock.
With that out of the way, we accessed the Hordweardens Guild website.
There was so much on sale that it took quite a while to look through everything.
Magical reagents, mystic codes, enchanted artifacts, ancient tomes, mystic eyes.
There were even homunculus maids on sale!
And, according to the site, it was a popular choice.
What the hell?
Even Mia thought that was odd.
Anyway, we ended up buying a large quantity of magical reagents, a few books on alchemy and mystic code making, and paid extra to have it delivered in the next twelve hours.
All of that costed a lot of money.
I swear I felt my wallet kicking me in the nuts.
Once I was done buying, we turned our attention to the forums.
Honestly, I wasn't interested in them as Mia was.
I knew it was important to learn about the moonlit world and all that, but after getting 'Mystic Code Maker', I had been itching to see how much better I'd gotten at making mystic codes.
So, I asked Mia to tell me later what she found in the forums.
Before I left, Mia had suggested that I also read the remaining books of alchemy.
Might as well do that.
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"I'm back," I said, entering the kitchen.
Mia is sitting at the kitchen table, staring intently at her laptop while drinking an apple juice box.
There are a few empty juice boxes on the table.
Looks like she didn't hear me.
"Hey, Mia," I said louder.
Mia flinches, glances around in confusion, before her eyes land on me.
"Why are you sneaking up on me, Ben?" Mia asked,
"I didn't sneak. You were that distracted," I walk to the fridge and grab a soda.
"Oh," Mia said, stretching her back until she let out a sigh of relief at a satisfying pop. "What time is it?" she asked, lazily scratching her head.
"Three in the afternoon," I said, taking a sip of soda.
"Ah, so that is why I'm feeling so hungry," Mia said.
"Did you sleep at all?" I asked.
"I did not. I spent the entire night going through the forums," Mia said.
"Is that so?" I said.
Mia gets up and walks towards the fridge.
"So, what did you want to talk about, Ben?" Mia asked, digging through the fridge. "Oh. Lasagna."
She grabs the lasagna and returns to the table.
"Nothing. I came by to say that I returned," I said, taking another sip.
"You went out?" Mia turns to me, blinking slowly.
"Yeah, Nova sent me a message that the servers were ready for me to pick up. The terminals are setting them up in the basement," I said, finishing the soda.
"That's good-wait! What about our order from the Hordweardens Guild!?" Mia asked, alarmed.
"We should be hearing from them in about an hour," I said.
Mia sighs in relief and begins eating her lasagna.
"Man, you were really engrossed in those forums, weren't you?" I raised an eyebrow.
"You have no idea," Mia said between bites. "I found a forum discussing possible uses of alchemy. There were a few ideas that might be worth looking into."
"Such as?" I asked curiously.
"Explosion alchemy. They proposed that by creating an unstable imbalance of energy in whatever matter you touch, it is theoretically possible to turn it into an explosive," Mia said, taking a bite of lasagna.
"Someone actually posted that on a forum? That sounds like the kind of thing a magus family would keep strictly confidential," I said, raising an eyebrow.
"I mean, normally you'd be right, but the person who posted it admitted they weren't sure it was possible. They said they got the idea from something they read in a comic and just wanted to see what other people thought about it," Mia said with a shrug.
I raise an eyebrow.
"I know how this sounds, but I honestly believe that with the right adjustments, this could actually work," Mia said quickly.
"If you say so, but is it okay to do that? What happens when the person who proposed that complains that you stole his idea?" I asked.
"I was worried about that too, but from what I found, these kinds of ideas are up for grabs. These forums are just people messing around and throwing out ridiculous suggestions. You should see the others; there are some truly ludicrous ones here. Bottom line: if you can make it work, it's yours," Mia said with a shrug.
I'm going to check the forums later.
Maybe there's something there that I could use.
"Huh. I was not expecting that," I said.
"Tell me about it, Ben," Mia said.
"Were you able to find information about the moonlit world at least?" I asked.
"Oh yeah. I focused on the British Isles, and there is a lot to go over. But let me eat first," Mia said, taking a bite of lasagna.
"No rush," I grab another soda. "Oh yeah. I finished the books and practiced some alchemy.
"How did it go?" Mia asked.
"Still need to work on the speed of the transmutations, but it went better than last time," I said, taking a sip.
"That's good," Mia said with a hum. "By the way, why did T52 take some of my blood? He left with eight bags."
"What? He didn't tell you?" I asked, surprised.
"Well, I also didn't ask," Mia admits sheepishly. "Besides, I know you aren't going to do anything weird with it," she said with confidence.
I blush a little at that.
"Well, huh, I want to start looking into ways to physically enchant ourselves, and having your blood facilitates the process. The terminals also have some of my blood," I explain. "And, they are also going to make extra body parts in case we ever need them," I add grimly.
My healing is good, but not that good.
"Better have it and not need it than need it and not have it," Mia said.
"That's the point," I said, finishing the soda.
Mia finishes the lasagna, goes to the fridge, and grabs a piece of cake.
"Did you upgrade our suits?" Mia asked as she returned to the table.
I nod, "I outfitted our mask with comms, night vision, zoom capability, and thermal vision. I reinforced the chest plates with additional dwarven metal. It adds some weight, but nothing we can't handle."
"That's it? I was expecting a lot more," Mia raised an eyebrow.
"I was going to add so much more, but I realized that it would be better to make a new suit instead. The terminals are already working on the second iteration of our costumes. Until they are finished, we'll have to stick with the ones we have now. Just wait until you see the new ones, there's so much I want to add and, honestly, build," I said, smiling with excitement.
Mia stares at me for a few seconds.
"What?" I raised an eyebrow.
"You enjoy this, don't you?" Mia asked.
I pause for a second before letting out a quiet chuckle.
"I do," I said with a content smile.
Mia smiles softly at my answer.
"What does the second look like?" Mia asked, curious.
"Like our suits but with an exoskeleton added to the mix and a few other things," I said.
"Nice. About power armor?" Mia asked, taking a bite of cake.
"I'm still working on the schematics, it will take some time before I start making," I said, rubbing my chin.
A warm sensation spreads throughout my body. 'Quick Spinning' allows me to speed up my craftmanship without sacrificing technique or skill, but it consumes my stamina to do that.
Oh, that's a good one, but why did it use a wedding gown as an example?
...whatever, that isn't important anyway.
"Got something good," I said.
"What?" Mia asked, taking a bite of cake.
"It's called 'Quick Spinning'. I can accelerate my craftsmanship without compromising technique or skill, though it consumes my stamina," I explained.
"Wow, you've been on a roll with these last few perks, Ben. Now the production of mystic codes is going to be even faster," Mia said.
"Yep. It would also be a good idea to make more terminals," I said, rubbing my chin.
"We should do something nice for them. After all, the terminals work nonstop," Mia said.
There's a lot of open space around the manor house.
I will need to clear some of the forest and build a house for them. Then, the terminals can decorate the place as they please.
"I will look into that later," I said.
Mia finished eating the cake.
Okay, let's see where we stand in the moonlit world.
"So, how different is it?" I asked.
"It's completely different how things work around here. First of all, there is no Clock Tower in the British Isles. Instead, in its place, there's an organization called the Arcanum," Mia said.
"Okay, what makes them different?" I asked,
"I will get to that in a moment. Let me start from the beginning. So, the Arcanum works much like the Clock Tower. They study magecraft, seek ways to innovate its application, and you can apply to become a student to expand your knowledge," Mia said, outlining the similarities. "Now, the differences. The Arcanum was founded by five families: Wyndham, Fitzroy, Beamont, Montague, and Elderglen. And you're going to be very interested in the heir of the Wyndham family."
"Why is that?" I asked, leaning forward in interest.
Apparently, Edmund Wyndham,the heir of the family, was inspired by the first industrial revolution and decided to modernize magecraft. He created a new path called Magitek that aims to merge machinery and mysticism. He formed a faction that gather all the magi that shares his vision and is one the most influential factions in the Arcanum," Mia said.
My eyes widen in surprise.
"What did you find about Magitek?" I asked immediately.
"I saved a few forum threads about it for you to read later, but that isn't important right now, Ben. There's something else that I need to tell you," Mia said gravely.
"Yes?" I asked seriously.
"At first, I was confused about how this Magitek could be considered a new path for magecraft," Mia said. "But after looking deeper, I found the answer. The magi are thriving because mystics aren't fading."
Huh?
"Why would mystics be fading?" I asked, scratching my head in confusion.
Mia stares at me in shock, and then her eyes widen as realization sets in.
"Oh, yeah. I didn't tell you that part," Mia mutters to herself, then coughs in her hand. "Here's the thing: after the Age of Gods came to an end, the magical energy of the world started to deteriorate. Mystics were becoming weaker with each passing year, " she adds casually.
"What!? How does something like that happen?" I raised an eyebrow.
"No one knows the exact reason. The most popular theory is: it's a mix of the Gods leaving for the reverse side of the world and humanity slowly increasing their understanding of the world," Mia said.
"Didn't that also happen here?" I asked.
"I don't get it either, Ben. And I'm not going to question it. The mystics aren't fading, and that's what's important," Mia said, shooting me a clear don't-question-it look.
...fuck it, Mia is right.
I already have enough on my plate.
Don't have the time to wonder why her world mystics are getting weaker, and mine aren't.
Ugh, I need a smoke.
"Give me a second," I said before using shunpo.
I appear in my room, grab a cigar, and use shunpo to return to the kitchen.
I light the cigar and draw a long, steady drag.
"So, where do we stand with the Arcanum?" I asked.
"The smart thing would be to stay away from them, but they present an opportunity we can't ignore," Mia removes her glasses and rubs her tired eyes. "There's still a lot of information I need to gather before we can make a decision, but we aren't going to visit the place ever. The less you interact with other magi, the better."
"And you can do everything online?" I asked.
"To a certain degree, yes. Depending on what kind of business we do with the Arcanum, I might have to go there one day," Mia rubs her temples.
"If that happens, I'm going with you," I said, taking a drag.
"Ben-" I interrupt Mia.
"This isn't up for discussion. You aren't going alone into a den of psychopaths," I said firmly.
"That could end in disaster," Mia points out.
"We will figure it out when we cross that bridge," I said, taking a drag.
Mia lets out a weary sigh, rises to her feet, walks to the cupboard, and takes a cup.
"You know, I was ready for a lot worse," Mia said as she walked back to the table. "But given the differences here, we lucked out in some ways."
"Like what?" I asked.
"You aren't going to receive a sealing designation," Mia said, taking a sip of tea.
A sudden, powerful wave of dread crashes over me, freezing me for a moment.
What the hell was that?
"You okay?" Mia asked, concerned.
"I have no idea what that is, but it fills me with so much dread. Is that supposed to happen?" I asked, blinking rapidly.
"Yeah, that's about the right reaction," Mia nods with a frown. "Sealing Designations are placed on magi who have unique magecraft or abilities that can't be acquired through study. It's a way to maintain and preserve mystics."
"Like my perks," I said.
"Kido alone would've been enough to send the Mage Association into a frenzy over capturing you," Mia said.
A warm sensation spreads throughout my body. 'Shinobi Training' grants me training in the art of the shinobi, how to conceal my presence, and how to use various ninja tools.
The grimoire certainly chooses weird times to give me perks.
"And how exactly do they preserve the magecraft?" I asked, taking a drag.
"By capturing the magus in question, and cutting them into pieces. The brain, eyeballs, nerves, and magical circuits are extracted and placed into jars," Mia said.
"Are you serious?" I asked with wide eyes.
"Yep," Mia said, taking a sip.
Jesus Christ, what the hell is wrong with magus?
"I hate magus society," I said, rubbing my temples.
"I get it completely. I'm not a fan of it either," Mia said.
"Well, I dodged a bullet there. Thank god that doesn't exist here," I said with a relieved sigh.
"Ah, no. It does exist, but it serves a different purpose," Mia said. "It's used to keep dangerous magi under control and to seal away dangerous magecraft."
"What does the Arcanum consider dangerous?" I asked, taking a drag.
"Anything that causes irreparable damage to the planet," Mia said, taking a sip.
That's a tall order.
"That pretty much covers the Arcanum for now. I still need to do some more research on them," Mia finishes the tea.
"That's a lot to digest," I said, taking a drag.
"Wanna take a short break, Ben?" Mia asked.
"No, it's better to get this over with. We can take a break after," I said with a sigh. "Oh, right, I got a perk called 'Shinobi Training'. Basically, it gave me a crash course in the art of the shinobi and everything that comes with it."
Mia hums softly, mindly intrigued, but offers no comment.
"All right, so, the next magical organization is the Arcane Operations Division, AOD for short. They are a group of fixers who deal with magi that are causing trouble and make sure nobody breaks the masquerade," Mia said.
"So, as long as we don't cause too much trouble or do anything that could reveal mystics, we're good?" I asked.
"Not exactly. You see, according to the forums, the AOD keeps an eye on capes they suspect are magi in disguise, and they might pay them a visit," Mia explained.
"And since I'm only going to get stronger. It's only a matter of time before the AOD pays us a visit," I said with a frown.
This could be a problem.
"I'm going to ask the terminals to run interference in any news related to us. To keep it in the down low as long as possible. That will buy us some time," I said, rubbing my chin.
"You need to be careful about what you use from now on. Focus on Kido and Hoho for the time being, and keep practicing alchemy. And if you do get a new magecraft at any point, try your best not to use it in public," Mia said.
I take one final drag and then stub out the cigar.
It's one thing after another.
"Anything else?" I asked.
"There's the Hordweardens Guild, but we already know about them. There are more magical organizations worldwide, but I think this is enough for now," Mia said.
"Yeah, I need some time to gather my thoughts," I said.
T28 enters the kitchen.
"Hey, got a massage from the Hordweardens Guild. Your order is here," T28 said.
Already?
Damn, I lost track of the time.
"Thanks, I will go get it," I said.
"I will go with you, Ben. Could stretch my legs a little," Mia said.
Mia and I leave the workshop.
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Well, that discussion was certainly informative.
We will have to be more carefull but that isn't anything new.
I will think more about this later.
I paid the leyline a quick visit to create more terminals.
After that, it didn't take long for Mia and me to grab our order and return to the workshop.
We gave the magical reagents to the terminals and then went to take a break.
A few hours later, T21 called us to the basement.
They had something to show us.
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A warm sensation spreads throughout my body, and nothing happens.
Mia and I enter the basement.
The servers are set up in a corner of the basement, and the terminals stationed there are working on creating SAO.
In another corner, the terminals are working on Ingrid, and T21 is with them.
We approach him.
"Hey, what did you want to show us?" I asked.
T21 presses a key, and an image of an Asian man's mugshot appears.
"Meet Jian Wang," T21 said. "He's one of the ABB lieutenants."
He got one long rap sheet.
I can take a guess where T21 got this information.
"You hacked the BPD (Brockton Police Department) servers," I raised an eyebrow.
"We didn't. Ingrid did," T21 said with a smirk.
"Oh? How was she?" I asked interested.
"She was in and out in the blink of an eye and didn't leave a single trace behind. She's progressing nicely," T21 said with a smile. "And now, it will take less time to finish her."
I can see that.
Some of the terminals are typing at a ridiculously fast speed.
"Take it easy, guys. We don't need anyone burning themselves out," I said.
"Don't worry. We're taking turns in using Quick Spinning," T21 said.
"Where are the rest of the terminals?" I asked.
"They've taken on the rooms upstairs to work on your suits and make other mystic codes," T21 explained.
Nice.
"Let's get back on topic, yes?" Mia asked.
Oh, right.
"So, why are you showing us a picture of this man?" Mia asked.
"Honestly, he doesn't really matter. What matters is his rank in the gang, and thanks to the list we got from BPD, he's one of the many ABB members whose movements we've been tracking in hopes that they will lead us to the safe houses or anywhere important to the gangs," T21 said.
That is a good idea.
"Why didn't we think of that?" I asked, looking at Mia.
"Hell if I know," Mia said with a shrug.
...fair enough.
"Did you get anything?" I asked.
T21 hands me a sheet of paper filled with addresses.
"Possible locations for safehouses," T21 said. "Or at least places important to the ABB."
I nod.
"We will take a look," I said.
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Please leave a review. It helps me to stay motivated.
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If you like my stories and wish to support me, you can find me over at pa-tre-on (slash) Regulareader.
Or at Ko-fi.com/regulareader
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CP points: 200.
Quick Spinning (Fate/Faerie Britain) 100:
Life can be hard for a faerie guardian of brides. Especially when those brides can sometimes be so incredibly unreasonable. Seriously, who ever heard of sewing an entire dress in a day?! Fortunately, you can deliver on even the most outrageous demands. You can speed up your craftsmanship without sacrificing technique or skill; however, doing so consumes your stamina. At the peak of this ability, you could sew an entire fancy wedding gown in only a single day, at the cost of completely exhausting yourself if you're a standard faerie.
Shinobi Training (Fate/Legends: The Land of the Rising Sun) 100:
Raised in the shadows your clan made their homes in, you've learned the arts of the shinobi. Concealing your presence is the primary skill, letting you hide from the detection of searching guards and other assassins as well as stealthily get in and out of secure locations. Various arts used in assassination such as rope work, blades, poison and a variety of ninja tools also make up much of your education. You've been given fairly focused training in distracting people, disguise and combat as well. Not enough to make any of them your main forte but still well beyond a normal person, letting you buy enough time to fade back into the shadows. It's easier to get along with the things that live in that darkness too, such as evil spirits or vampires, with that same affinity for darkness manifesting as an intimidating aura for people that live in the daylight world.