'So if I take this and connect it with this then...perfect!'
Looking back to the Journal to choose another rune to complete the spell, I pick one that looks like a leaf with some swirly patterns on its tip and adds it to the unfinished spell.
Just I expected the leaf like rune connects with the rest without a hitch.
‘Huh that was easier than I thought, now just to test it.’
Flipping through the Journal pages, I found a spell that is simple enough to test it with.
Mentally picturing the spell runes I just created together with the one on the Journal I quietly cast it.
“Twin Magic: Illuminate!”
From the palm of my hand, two orbs of yellow light appeared with the size of a golf ball, it was bright as a lamp and slowly gaining height before it vanished among the dark clouds blocking the moonlight.
‘Successes!’ I mentally cheered.
After couple hours of watching Ghost Stories, I got bored with it before finishing it so switched to Overlord, an anime similar to Log Horizon but only the main character gets transported to another world as one of the highest undead creature, an Overlord, along with his guild base.
Not only I like it because the 'isekai' genre but also the mechanic behind the magic of that world, other than the 10 tiers of magic, and including the Super-Tier magic, there is something called ‘spell modifier’ that raise the spell effectiveness by increasing its power, widening its area of effect, extending the period of time it remains active or even adding another same object when the spell is casted.
Then I think to myself ‘Why not make it into a real thing?’ of course, it would be a massive help for me since I can only access 10% of my power so that I don’t accidentally destroy the whole world with it. With the help of the Journal's ‘The Guide to Creating Spell’ page, I was able to make it.
So far I am able to recreate ‘Boosted Magic’, ‘Widen Magic’, and ‘Twin Magic’ the names are basically self explanatory. ‘Boosted Magic’ makes the spell more powerful than before, and have a little chance of turning into a more powerful version of the used spell.
For example, if I use ‘Boosted Magic’ with ‘Ice Spears’ it'll turns into something similar to ‘Ice Lance’. The differences between those two spells are the quantity and quality of the object it summoned, while the ‘Ice Lance’ can only produce one object per spell, the modified ‘Ice Spears’ can create up to 3 objects, though it's much smaller than the lance.
Of course, it has a drawback, with my current spell making skill it ended up costing a good chunk of mana depending on what spell it modified. Not that it would bother me cus' I got an unlimited amount of mana, I can only access a tiny bit of it.
Next up is ‘Widen Magic’, it basically increased the area of damage of a spell or turns it into an AOE type spell, I made so that it would be very useful to use it along with a support/buffing spell. From what I know, or acording by the Journal, in this world a buffing spell can only focus on a single individual, be it the caster themselves of another person, so if someone needs to buff an entire party they would be doing it one by one and it would be time and mana consuming.
If I were to use ‘Widen Magic’ I can buff all of my party members with a single spell at the same time, not to mention it only cost a little bit of mana, it also could be casted multiple times before it runs out.
I felt like I’ve created a cheat spell.
But the same can’t be said if it’s used by an offense or defense spells, once used, it has to be cast again unlike when it used with a support spell, so there's that.
And the last one I made is ‘Twin Magic’, instead of creating one object, or a single magic circle, with a spell, with this spell modifier a single spell is able to create the same object twice without casting it again. For instance, if I cast a ‘Twin Magic: Sparks Burst’ it’ll make the same exact copy magic circle.
I was about to make the other spell modifiers to complete the new chapter that just writes itself on the journal when I successfully made the first spell, but a groan reached my ear.
Looking to the side from where it came from I see Celestia slowly awake from her slumber, Gerindha said that an average unicorn would take a full day rest if they ever get magical exhaustion but I guess Alicorns have greater mana, or magic, regeneration than any other creatures.
“Ugh, what just happen?” she asked.
“You passed out, nuff’ said," I plainly said, tucking away the Jurnal to my inner pocket which turns out is another gateway to my personal hammerspace "I thought you alicorns would be more than enough to deal a couple of Timberwolves but I guess they’re too much for you to handle,” I said as if I'm talking about the weather, anyone can defeat a pile of moving sticks but not as big as the one we’re fighting earlier.
“Wha…Timberwolves?” As if a switch just flipped in her mind, she instantly snapped and frantically search around “W-where are they? Are they gone? Gasp, oh no…are we…are we dead?”
Snorting in amusement, I gave out a low chuckle “I can’t believe, the co-princess of Equestria, the ruler of the sun, easily frightened by a couple of moving sticks.” I mocked “Don’t worry, unlike you, they’re nothing but a bunch of small fries compared to us.”
“…is that so…” is all she says before giving me a silent treatment. I was about to start up a conversation but with how intense she is staring at the burning pile of wood, I better approach it carefully.
“So, how does it feel to taste defeat?”
Nail it.
“Must be pretty harsh for someone who has control over the sun, no one dares to threaten you without the consequences of getting burnt to death, all creatures fear the power you hold, feeling all invincible and stuff,” I said. “Then some guy came in, kicked you out from your castle, took over the throne an-“
“SILENCE!!!”
‘That wasn’t unexpected’
Thankfully she didn’t go all royal capslock but it was enough to make Asriel twitches, Gerindha on the other hand, or talon in her case, started to stir up from her sleep but nothing like a good ol’ neck scratching can put her back to sleep.
We stared at each other eyes, Celestia is glaring a dagger on me while I answered back with a shit-eating grin. Maybe I can use this to make strike a deal and put her to a debt. All I need is to escort her to the Tree of Harmony that my brothers and I just recently discover, which is in the deepest part of the caverns that filled with countless monsters, possibly undead and Rushu, and if we follow some cliché story plot there should be something guarding the tree, maybe a golem or two.
“Jeez, don’t be so mad about it,” I said “Tell you what how about I lend you something to deal with that guy, what’s his name again? Ah, Discord, and take back the throne. Of course, it won’t be free, every power comes with a price as always.”
She slowly turns her head back to the burning wood, brow wrinkled and eyes seem deep in thought. Of course, anyone would think twice before accepting a devil deal, unless if you have a harry triple chin, fat body living inside a trailer shack and willingly trade your soul for a bottle of beer.
Or if you have a miserable life.
“I’ll listen to what you have to over, Demon,” Celestia said bitterly.
“Great, it is all I need.” I said with a smile, I hope my acting was good enough to imitate the real Bill Cipher “First, I need to know what kind of power you desire. Since you already controlled the hottest thing know to Equss and can be used to destroy an entire country or a continent, I was thinking of giving you something to vaporize your enemy. Even that spirit of chaos guy can’t es-“
“NO!...I mean I don’t need something that powerful.” She suddenly said, cutting me off ‘How rude.’ Well, she wanted power more than what she already has but it doesn’t explain why she didn’t want it. “I…is there any way to…capture him?”
‘Why? Shouldn’t it be easier to get rid of him instead?’ I know that he is sort of important in the future but from my knowledge of fantasy world, everything that has something to do with being a spirit can be brought back if he/she has enough power. And a thousand of years is long enough for a spirit to gather magical power to ‘reborn’. Though I never think about it, if a whole body is basically made out of magic, can it be easily defeated with ‘Universal Dispell’?.
Come to think of it, isn't Bill some kind of spirit? He can only exist in the mindscape, after all, there is a possibility that he is a ghost, without a body to posses he can’t go to the real world or third dimension as the show put it. I'll find out about that later if I have the time or motivation to do it.
Putting a hand on my chin as a thinking person would, I made a humming noise “Hmm, something to restrain eh? Well, I might have a few binding and sealing spells or talisman under my sleeve but isn’t that the same by killing him?”
“W-what? What does that even mean?” she asked
“Well, he is a spirit of chaos, if a spirit were to seal under any circumstances and unable to gain any magical power, it will slowly shirk, finally it went poof” I emphasize the point with a hand gestured, throwing a handful of glitter that I sort of 'willed' to appear on my hand. Naturally, that thing only happens to a lesser spirit, something like a simple ghost or weak forest spirits AKA newborn dryads, according to what's written in the Journal. Greater spirits, like Discord or Ursa Major, known to have a magical core just like any being that has a physical body, even if it's sealed it will generate magical power to maintain its form.
There is something in Celestia’s eyes when she heard what I sa- wait, is that tear? Why would she cry over someone that just kicked her out from her castle? Well whatever it is, none of it is my business.
“I..is there any way to contain him without…you know…” She slowly said, ears sprawling back.
‘Geez, what is he to you, your husband?’ actually, that would be a great plot twist later in the future…on second thought, no that would be a terrible idea, please tell me that isn’t true.
“I could ask Nox to build something to constantly drain his power so that he can’t cause any trouble, probably something like a giant silo for storing magic or something,” Celestia’s ears perked up, her eyes filled with hope and something along that line “but, why bother doing that when there is already something that can defeat and capture him.”
"Huh?"
"My power is beyond your world's league, waaaay beyond you mortals can comprehend and if I were to capture Discord it would be the same as killing him. I still need some time adjusting this world's standard level of magic so that I wouldn't destroy this world by accident." 'Not really, I just don't know how to control my own strength.' "Then why not use something that was created to be this world most 'powerful' weapon to defeat him."
“Is such a thing existed?”
“Yup, in fact, there are probably a thousand items and artifacts that can do such a thing scatter across the world. If I'm correct, as usual, there are exactly 6 items that have the capability to do that and when you use it together it can even seal the greatest evil ever, or so the legend said, of course, such item can’t be posses by the same individual because how powerful it is,” ‘Lies.’ “It’s not like the Infinity Gauntlet that can erase half of the universe, it’s more of sealing tools than a weapon actually.” ‘Even more lies.’
“H-half of the universe? S-such power…”
“Well, that will be a story for a different time. Now, care to make a deal? I’ll help you claim those 6 artifacts, in return, you can do something for us in the future!” I happily said with a bright smile, extended my hand, and lights it in blue fire.
She stares skeptically at my flaming hand “First, let's talk about this ‘favor’ you speak of. I’m not some naïve pony that would give away everything I have on a drop of a crown.”
Eh, fair enough. No one would have done that without knowing what both ends of the rope are hanging on from making this deal. Unless if you’re a white midget with huge puffy hair that can be mistaken as a second head or a tumor who accept a deal without a second thought.
“Heh heh, it seems you have dealt with some demon or devil in your past life, seeing the way you talk to me I guess you have some grudge against demonic creatures,” I said, the fire on my hand extinguished as if it was blown by a wind. “Since we’re making a deal around 6 certain items, I guess I could change it a little bit. How about we make it a trade? Items for items if you can’t fulfill my favor.”
Celestia thinks about it for a moment before nodding “Very well demon, as long your favor is within my capabilities I will do it. But remember if you don’t hold on to your words I will make sure you regret it. It is correct that you’re not the first demon I met and won’t be the last.”
‘I’ve read too many fictions where Sun Flank backstabbed her allies, if things happen to go that way, knowing her she would call the deal off or trying something to get rid of my brothers and me, better have something to stop that.’ “The same goes for you, just remember my type of deal isn’t something like a contract you could just sweep it under a rug.” I said back, some BS started assembling to make a bigger BS, “My deal is something called Soul Contract, it bounds me to do my part of the deal whether I like it or not, the same goes with you. And if you planning to double-cross me the contract will affect the very thing that makes you…well, you, at least your soul that is. Or just end your miserable little life in the most painful way, I don’t know which but it would be one of the two.”
‘I hope that was enough to shake her boots, as far as I know, Bill never has been double-crossed. I don’t even know what will happen.’ Seeing how troubled Celestia is, she probably thinking what will she choose, either let Discord run amok in the kingdom and toying with her subjects or made a deal with a demon to obtain great magical artifacts that can seal the Chaos Spirit.
“Very well I accept your offer.” She said with determination in her eyes.
I smirked, glad to know she is willing to cooperate “So here is what I have to offer, I will help you acquire the artifacts to seal the ‘Spirit of Chaos’ in return you will not use those artifacts to seal any of us, provide us with the most recent updated map and do not stand in our way because we’re planning on going adventure,” seeing how Celestia raise an eyebrow I added “don’t worry we aren’t planning on ruling over the world or destroying it. Because it’s way too interesting to cast it aside with how much secrets this world holds. So how’s that sound, deal?” I said and a blue flame engulfed my hand once again.
She stares at my appendage, probably wondering why it hasn’t burned yet. She hesitantly lifts her hoof and I grab it, she filched probably expecting pain from the fire but nope, this thing is only an illusion, princess.
I gave a firm shake and release her hoof, “The contract has been made, and you should rest for the night because we will be busy tomorrow.”
She said nothing and lied back down, staring at the starry sky as if he tried to figure something out.
“Did Luna already raise the moon?” Celestia asked.
“Nah, she couldn’t lower the sun anyway, sides’ she is out cold since the Timberwolves attacked,” I said simply.
“Then wh-“
“I took the liberty to do your and your sister’s jobs, I’ll expect some payments in the future.” What? I don’t do this kind of stuff for free you know?
She immediately sat up and stares at me with wide eyes, mouth open, and all.
“What? Do you think you’re the only one who can control the sun or moon? There is still much bigger fish out there you know?” Well, Discord can also control the celestial objects but I think he is not strong enough, seeing how both objects are still in the Royal Sister’s control.
She decided that today enough is enough and lie back down without uttering one word.
“Good night.” I simply said she didn’t answer back.
Now I can check ‘making a deal with the princesses’ off from my bucket list if I had any.
‘Well then, now where did I leave it off…oh right, Silent Magic is the next one.’
At first, I was thinking that it was useless because unicorns can cast a spell with a swish of their horn. I’m not too sure about other creatures, seeing that griffons don’t have any natural limbs to control their magic, though they can stand on clouds like pegasis do but they can’t control the weather and the fact that Gerindha using her staff to heal the Royal Flanks cemented my theory.
In order to cast a spell, any creature that doesn’t have necessary limbs to control magic must use a magic item that allows them to gather and use magic like so, be it a wand or staff like Gerindha’s.
I never see her cast a spell, does she have to chant the spell similar like in anime? Something close to ‘mother nature lends me your power…bla...bla…bla’? A couple of anime implement that method of casting and some of it has a ridiculously long sentence.
Commonly they also stick with the ‘long sentence has more power’ rule, just take a look at Megumin from KonoSuba, her spell has one minute worth of incantation but takes a look at the size of her Explosion! Imagine if she can instant-cast it.
That is if she has enough mana to cast it multiple times.
But then again it might not be so useless, a unicorn might use it to cast a spell without charging their horn. Unless you’re Celestia, she can turn whoever opposes her to a pile of ash in a matter of seconds, hopefully, this world Celestia doesn’t turn into a tyrant so I don’t have to beat the crap out of her.
The idea of creating Silent Magic is to allow a magic caster to cast any kind of spell without chanting or charging it, the hard part is how am I suppose to create it? The previous 3 Spell Modifier is really easy to create and basically, I just repeat some of its runes to a certain extent but also design it to use the smallest amount of mana as possible.
But Silent Magic is a bit trickier than the others, that is, to put it mildly, there must be a way to cast a spell without doing the necessary chant to turn raw magic into what the spell requires or speed…up…the…process…
I slap myself in the face, if the original Bill were to see me he would definitely be disappointed.
One problem out of the way, now just to figure out how to ‘ignite’ the spell, I was thinking about overload the spell enough so it would explode and activate itself but it would be mana consuming, plus it doesn't take a half of a brain cell to understand by overloading a spell can make it uncontrollable and perhaps blow up. For me, I just shout the spell name and it somehow triggers the spell similar to some anime or TV shows but I don’t think that kind of logic would work with this world inhabitant.
Even though this world is a TV show, or it would be.
I had to find a way like Asriel or Nox’s activate their spell without doing an attack 'call out', when we're fighting the Giant Timberwolves they didn’t call out their attack and simply just did it, though the Xelor had to make a specific shape with his fingers to control the Wakfu, or magic, he is using similar to Doctor Strange.
Maybe I can ask them when they wake up, speaking of which if I remember, since when did Nox have to sleep? He is basically just an armored mummy powered by Wakfu, or the equivalent of magic by World of Twelve standards since both things had more or less the same principal.
Then again, the Xelor that is my brother isn’t the same as the one in the show and somehow had regained his human form, or close to it anyway, back, not whatever left of Noximilien Coxen the watchmaker which is a dried husk that resembles a human.
Speaking of Nox-
“Did you really think making a deal with her is a wise choice?”
-a metallic voice rang out, he might have woken up sometimes in the middle of making the deal, or did he never falls asleep in the first place?
Releasing a sigh, I flip a page of my Journal to get a better grasp on how to activate magic without chanting it or call out the name. Casting a glance to the sleeping griffoness and a pair of alicorns, I cast a “Mute.” To block off any sound from the conversation I’m about to have with my brother so they won’t know, shouldn’t know, our secrets.
A grey magic circle lights up the ground between me and my eldest brother, a see-through dome expanded from the middle and covered us, blocking the noises from escaping or entering, the same can be said with Gerindha, a similar dome covered her head.
“Honestly, I just want to have a string on her so she can’t get in our way, or worst imprison us with the Elements.”
“Not even a week and you already making deals, is this one of the side effects you speak of?”
“Probably yes, but Bill has a reason, he is determined to escape the second dimension.” I said, remembering the time where he desperate for a way out from the ‘flat world’ dimension “How about you? I never see you as a father figure but you suddenly take her as your daughter.” I said, looking at the changeling nymph sleeping on his chest. “No offense but I’m not sure if you’re old enough or have the material to be a father.”
“…I guess you could say its Nox’s side of me made me do it as if there is a hole inside of me where his late family supposes to be,” he said, gently maneuvering Chrysalis to his lap to sit up “what I’m trying to say is something inside urging me to take her as my daughter, and after that, the hole is sort of…filled up.”
Makes sense, in Nox’s past life, as Noximilien the watchmaker, he is married to a woman and has 3 children, one of them is a little girl the rest are boys, and they live a happy life despite the debts they got. But because his obsession studying the Eliacube they eventually left him and got killed in a flood on another village, learning their death is leading the watchmaker to become Nox that almost killed the entire Sadida race.
I guess he adopted Chrysalis to mend the wounds, though I do wonder if he will marry someone or adopt someone to replace 'his' wife and the other two children.
Maybe I shouldn’t use the word ‘replace’ as if I was speaking about an object.
“I hope you know what you're doing, Nox, she isn’t just something you can pick up on the side of the road,” I know he can handle both me and Asriel, but we can take care of our self, we’re not toddlers anymore, besides he is only 3 and 5 years older than the monster prince and me respectively.
Instantly temperature got knock down a few pegs, even with the heat from the fire I couldn't help but feel the cold shiver down my spine.
"Are you implying that I would throw her away like yesterday garbage?" even if his tone is subtle, I have no doubt that he is threatening me.
Turning my head to look at his masked face, I frantically wave my hand, "Wha- No, I'm not! What I meant to say was are you sure with this responsibility? I know that you're great at taking care of things but she is just a child you know, a scared one at that,” I reasoned “I know you intended to adopt her, heck if you didn’t one of us will. It's just this is too sudden of a major development like this, we’ve been in this world like what, 2 or 3 days? And things start changing way too fast for me as if it starts changing you, I mean us. What if we truly turned into who we actually are? What if there is a dormant soul that’s waiting for the perfect moment to take over our body? What it we-"
"Bill, breath in."
It was a very simple command but it was enough to snap me back to reality.
“You shouldn’t have to worry about something like that this early, all of us actually. It’s not like we would snap back to our original body behavior in just a snap”
“Yeah, but th-“
“You’re overreacting again, Bill,” he released a sigh “you forgot that we have each other, you’re not alone in this, none of us are.”
It was my turn to release a sigh "I guess you're right, I do tend to overreact to things.”
It put my mind at ease, even if it's just a little bit, knowing that I wouldn't immediately be possessed by this body. Still, there is a small chance it'll happen which will lead to the whole 'petrification' thing that happens in most Displaced story timeline. Though we could prevent that from happening or avoid it completely, Nox can absorb the Elements' power, Asriel is basically an 'invincible being' if his status from the game is somehow applied to his body, and I can basically snap a finger to alter reality.
Speaking of the future, I wonder what will change with us being transported here, the Butterfly effect is something that isn't to be taken lightly. There are many possibilities for things that should and shouldn't happen.
Well whatever, those are problems for future Bill to solve it, not me.
Shaking my head to discard that thought, I look toward the sky I decorated, even if I know the fact I'm the one who actually did it I have a hard time believing I could make something so beautiful.
"So what happens next?" I asked.
The armored mummy laugh "Next? I certainly won't know until it happens, but I was thinking about following your plan," he said, patting his stirring daughter's head to put her back to the dreamland, "this is clearly not the Equestria that we know, a completely different dimension or perhaps timeline, something might be entirely different or maybe not. Besides, the knowledge we have are mainly focused on this country and the ones surrounding it."
"Well it's not a complete plan but I have the basics," I raise my right hand with the index finger extended "first we need to help Celly and Luny get the Elements to get things rolling," middle finger "second, go to the nearest settlement or town so we can figure out what's what, if there is a library we can gather some general information there," ring finger "third, earn some money, we can't actually go around with empty pocket," pinkie, the finger, not the pink party-loving pony, "fourth, if we have enough money we can rent an inn so we don't have to sleep outside like a hobo, if not well I guess we can make ourselves a house," lastly the thumb "finally, this last part isn't actually part of the plan but whatever, we can choose whether or not we will be staying still or doing some adventure."
Nox hummed, rubbing his metallic chin "I can agree on a plan like that, however..." his glowing blue eyes fall to the sleeping changeling nymph on his lap "now I have her under my care I was thinking of settling down and having a normal life like any family would but with how things are still complicated I'll put that on hold."
"Having a 'normal' live as a Xelor that can control time? Good luck doing that, your power bound to attract unwanted attention be it good or bad. If someone wants it for themselves and will do anything to get it, you might risk her life in danger." I reasoned, after reading many light novels, manga and fanfics I can tell it'll happen sooner or later, not to mention if we manage to attract some figures with high political power we might start a war against an entire nation. "Who knows what will happen, heck I was starting to get feelings that the princesses will try to get one of us on their hands, or hooves."
"You're just paranoid, Bill," Nox said with a blank face, or mask. Well, actually it was more of a 'are you kidding' expression.
"Being paranoid doesn't get you killed!" I shot back with a huff.
He shook his head with a sigh, "anyway its already past midnight so you probably should get some sleep," I was about to retort but he cut me off "before you play that 'I don't need sleep' card, I know you can but it doesn't hurt to try right? Tomorrow we will get the Elements and I want you to be in top shape so there won't be any trouble."
"...fine" I answered with a grumble, guess I should do the rest of the spell modifier later on if I have time.
The Xelor lie back down, moving Chrysalis to his chest "night Bill."
"Night Nox." I said back as I dismiss the magic noise canceling dome with a "Universal Dispel."
Lying back down, I pulled a pillow from my hat, hey I don't want to use Chaos Magic every time I summon something small. Giving the top hat a quick flick, it suddenly changes into a yellow colored nightcap. Extending my legs to avoid getting it cramped, I prepared to be whisked away to the dreamland-
But then suddenly Luna.
"WHAT ARE YOU DOING IN MY DOMAIN?!?!"
And snaps my eye open with how loud it was. Automatically covered my ears so it won't get more painful than it already is.
"God freaking dammit, Luna! What is wrong...with...you?"
Only to see her floating on the middle of nowhere, well, actually both of us are floating with nothing beneath us, just endless void of nothing with floating colorful bubbles scattered everywhere.
Turns out I just got whisked away to the dreamland. Literally.