The sturdy stump-based table at the core of the library's ground floor was made primarily for ponies to read around, not for having conversations: The carved bust in the center existed purely to disrupt conversations. Despite that the three of them made do: Spike settled into a central position with Twilight on his left and Pinkie on his right. From there they treated it more like a diner booth or a park bench, as opposed to a table with individual chairs.
Snacking on the leftovers of their lunch definitely helped with the atmosphere. It also helped in more tangible ways, since his levelled-up Dragon's Kitchen and Layer could work in concert to extend the duration of existing buffs. He'd already been able to refresh his own Kitchen buff duration with gems alone, but now he could use his MP to directly extend Twilight and Pinkie's benefits from both. Pinkie described the sensation as 'very tickly', although that might have just been his claws.
Going too hard on a subject for too long was an easy path to burnout, something Twilight had learned (and relearned) early (and often), so they were currently just having a relaxed conversation. Topics drifted here and there, between Pinkie asking polite-but-pressing questions about Twilight and Celestia (she insisted Pinkie would get answers alongside everypony else at the party) to Spike and Twilight getting caught up on Pinkie's wide net of Ponyville town news. The details were the kind of things that Rarity would probably call gossip, but Twilight never thought of it that way. She just liked to be informed about things, in general, as a matter of case.
Of course, that urge for information eventually led to Twilight asking him about one topic in particular...
"You never did tell me about that plan you were working on for the Ticket."
Pinkie suddenly leaned across Spike, poffing her entire body into his lap to reach her head closer to Twilight. He didn’t particularly mind, even if the pose was kind of ridiculous.
"Oh! Did you finally come up with an idea? I was so excited about that!"
Spike cast his mind back to the moment he'd acquired that Ticket. It had been a reward specifically for discussing his Gamer nature with Pinkie, along with Unlockers. Those were apparently an annoyingly vague number of intangible items he could use to 'open up' how skills worked: He'd already spent one Unlocker making it so that the Dragon's Heart buff could have variable duration, intensifying power by sacrificing time. The Ticket, on the other claw...
[Late Bloomer's Ticket]
Rank: Mythic Consumable
This special pass allows for those with a slow-growing power to surpass their boundaries one time, and one time only: Creating a skill, item, or other mark on the world beyond their current potential.
It may only be used once, but the creation born from it is permanent.
Yeah, he was still not sure about that. Plus:
"...Pinkie, it has been one day. Singular day. I mean I'm excited too, but-"
"W-well yeah, I just... I got kinda nervous and silly-filly when you said that you'd be willing to let me use it! That was such a big thing for me to think about. I'm really glad you came up with something to use it for, for yourself."
Spike wiggled a claw at that, levelling it off in mid-air to signify his ambivalence.
"Not... exactly? It'd actually be way more for other ponies than for me. Sort of the point, really! But the idea does have a lot to do with your advice, and you in particular."
The earth pony rolled herself up so that she was facing up at him from below, still wriggling around across his legs. The expression she had was... He'd never seen this kind of smile on Pinkie before.
"Awww, Spike."
He cleared his throat and his mind... This was still not really a fully-baked idea, and he knew it would take a while for him to get there even if the Ticket did allow him to create something 'beyond his current potential'. Because this was what it meant to go even further beyond, if Spike was being honest.
"So, we were talking about me becoming a generalist, an everydragon, that sort of thing. And it seems like so far the Skills I’ve gotten allow me to boost up other ponies a lot, and bolster myself even more. But... If there's anything I've learned from Princess Celestia, it's that one pony can only do so much on their own. I, that is to say we, need friends and allies. No matter how strong the individual may be, they can excel as part of a team."
Pinkie pivoted back into a seated position, now that he'd gotten serious. The look she gave him had not changed at all though: It was kind of like the proud expression Twilight had, with overtones of something else entirely. He carried on regardless, letting his thoughts spill out.
"So like... There's a metaphor I heard Granny Smith use at some point, and I didn't quite get it then. She'd been talking about the time before Princess Celestia granted them the land to found Sweet Apple Acres, and she'd said... I mean, I'll paraphrase, because Granny Smith. But it went like this:
'If you farm food for somepony, that could save their life. But if you make it so that they can farm for themselves, that'll change their life.'
And the more I think about that the more it makes sense, on a lot of levels: Even if you teach somepony a new skill they never use? They still have the new knowledge, and the new perspective! I never got to go with the colts and fillies, but I think that's a lot of what school is about when you get down to it. The lessons themselves are only kind of important. The bigger part is the actual act of learning how to learn. Well, that and broadening your perspective. And tolerating others. Dealing with irrational schedules... You get what I mean!"
"That's a very meaningful lesson in and of itself, Spike: Many older ponies don't even grasp that concept, much less students young enough to benefit from it in the moment."
"Heh, thanks... I mean, you're a big part of me figuring that out. When we switched to doing home lessons for me here at the Library, you taught me so many things that I didn't think were important. But eventually I caught on to the big picture. Which is what I'm thinking of here, along with Pinkie's advice about covering all my bases and being the best generalist I can be."
Just discussing this idea with others was helping solidify it in his mind, and he realized that even if the Ticket wasn't able to support this goal? He wanted to strive for it, make it his own personal quest. It felt like a worthy goal to set in his sights, even if it ended up being an impossible dream. He’d seek it out and try.
"Even if being The Gamer, whatever that means... Even if it makes me the ultimate support the world has ever seen, I want to have a bigger impact. I want to spread the benefits as far as I can, even when I'm not around to do things personally. That's something I think I picked up from watching how the Princesses handle ruling, and... I want to follow their path."
"Leadership?"
"Immortality?"
"Benediction."
Pinkie wrinkled her muzzle in confusion, Spike leaned back in relief at having said it, and Twilight? She stared into thin air. At first he thought he'd offended her, but then he noticed that both her eyes and Pinkie's were moving as if they were...
Reading...
Yes, they were in fact all reading from the screen in front of them. They hadn't broken the Party after their testing, so they could all see his system’s major notifications. Which meant that now all of them were looking at an absurd and absurdly large panel of menu-light.
When he set eyes on it? He heard the chimes again, felt them again just like the previous morning. That colossal bell and that flawless chill, up and down his spine. Whatever had caused Spike to become The Gamer had decided that it was time to kick off a quest again.
This one was just a bit bigger than the last...
STORY ARC: A Benediction Befitting a Gamer‽
By boldly choosing to lay foot on the path trodden by deities, you have set a tough row to hoe. One time and once only? Your grand quest may fail yet still continue: This is an Arc that can be cut short without doing the same to you. Should you succeed, should you learn enough to create your own unique and irreproducible blessing? This world will never be the same again. Stride forth! See what there is to see in the land of Equestria, before necessity takes you and yours beyond it.
Objective: Complete all Quests*, then consolidate your knowledge with the Late Bloomer's Ticket.
Failure Condition: Using the Late Bloomer's Ticket for another purpose, or if one year passes.
Reward: All Sub-Quest and Quest Rewards, variable EXP, Bits, and Items*, Your 'Benediction'
*NOTES:
Not all Subquests are mandatory, only a portion must be completed within each Quest.
Your rewards and the quality of the power you create will, however, depend on your completion rate.
Quests which are mandatory are not marked: Only you can know the moment that you are ready.
Some Subquests have a variable rate of progress, and will not be considered finished normally.
These mark as complete when a maximum reward is reached or when the overall Story Arc is completed.
Celestia Sol Invictus, She of The Rising Sun
> Meet with this person of great power and learn their perspective on your potential.
> Learn the nature of Celestia's Benediction from her.
> Learn the nature of Celestia's Benediction from a bearer.
> Selflessly serve the ponies of Equestria for many days.
Luna, She of The Diamonds In The Sky
> Meet with this person of great power and learn their perspective on your potential.
> Learn the nature of Luna's Benediction from her.
> Learn the nature of Luna's Benediction from a bearer.
> Survive untold instances of life-or-death combat.
Mi Amore Cadenza, She of All Loving Things
> Meet with this person of great power and learn their perspective on your potential.
> Discover the nature of Cadance's Benediction.
> Help Cadance create her Benediction.
> Successfully guide the creation or repair of numerous healthy relationships.
Twilight Sparkle, She of Thine Wordless Name
> Meet with this person of great power and learn their perspective on your potential.
> Achieve a base of 75+ in every personal statistic, and 2,000+ points of both HP and MP.
> Learn at least 40 Skills and at least 10 Subskills (Consumed / Merged Skills do not count).
> Reach at least Level 50 with the skill 'Observe'.
> Acquire the skill 'Internal Alchemy' and raise it to at least Level 10.
> Create at least one Original Skill using more than two components.
ERROR
> A portion or portions of your Story Arc have been veiled from your eyes by a great power.
> Upon the moment of revelation, these tasks will be exposed to you.
i am beyond nervousited , this story is just one of the best written on the whole website so far and i have read a lot of story, 623 exactly, not all finished since some i didn't like, but i still did read them. And yours is among the best written one. the flow of time is slow but i am never bored, there is no constant fighting like most "gamer" fic and i still feel exited while reading and the character are just so REAL they have consistency and presence i don't ear the author voice when reading there line but the character's and that's not common quite the contrary in story with the theme of the gamer or most power based fic in fact. and in addition your world building is also one of the best with clear but well meshed in explanation. all in all, my interest is still very much ON.
We just got through the Prolog of Diaries Of A Dragon Flying East?
If Spikes first day took a year equivalent to anyone else, then this next Quest, is going to be like starting with the time of Apple Neighton, and using their works and many others, to reach the present day.
Teh Twilight Subquest might have started only because she is actually sat there, but given the current descriptions, the next steap is to get to Canterlot and check in with Celestia first, to unlo9ck the Subquest to Serve as many Ponies of Equestria? But, why would the Quest have such a severe restriction, unless the Restricted Sub Quest is help Others?.. At the very least, Zecora? Stephen Magnet? Diplomats?
Luna, later that day, if she is concerned or angry at the request for information, could then trigger teh subquest by going all out in training, spar combat, especially if surviving lethal combat includes being sucessfully healed from negative HP, even if Spikes own healing does it by just being left alone instead of being Finished, or if Philomena just happens to be Gamer compatible with shed Phoenix Feathers Down?
Cadence is going to take work, as its collecting the information and assembling it to be able to solve the problem, get her to understand it, and then what to do with it when Spike gains it in return, along with what Celestias and Lunas is, and theres no mention of Twilights Benediction yet, unless thats severely obfuscated also?
Gaining a whole lot of levels in a lot of stats is goign to take an awfuul lot of work and effort, even with Twilight and otehrs helping cross corellate and discover, offer combinations for multiple values at the same time, but for Observe? Spike is going to need the entire Daring Doo back catalog so he can check personally, and Cranky Doodles entire autobiography so he can do the same? Dash flying for seeing everything from the air, high, while he travels low, accessing the contents of every library, store, town, in every location he can reach, while keeping mind of All occupants of Equestria, not just Ponies?
I thought he already had Internal Alchemy due to his mana screwup, or did it just unlock the Level Zero skill base, that he needs to fulfill the skill cost off just to achive Access to Level Zero Internal Alchemy and start using it? On doing so, he gets skill links and notes pointing out what it means and what actual actions etc he can do to increase, improve it?
Currently the only Origional Skill I can even think of that takes Three componants, is Gunpowder. but I know theres loads of skills possible, unless theyre Feats, Abilities, Crafts etc?
Just thinking of the point when Spike manages to unlock Manual XP distribution, Unlimited, and forms a party of low level starters, and then heads for the Luna Grinder.
Twilight is going to Love the paperwork for this game, story.
I believe this answers a question that nobody in or out of universe had even thought to ask yet: Does Discord have a Benediction? Considering Screwball already existed as supporting evidence, we probably should have thought about it.
its the last one chrisalis or faust? those are the only two i can think of
"She of Thine Wordless Name", seriously?
What, is a good title, right?
Yeah, that I doubt anypony could understand
It could be worse, I could had the title "Pinkie Maniac, she who make Cupcakes in the basement"
What is wrong with that?
Nothing
Dang, the ambition.
10396277
See my own comment. Between canon evidence of the relevant Benediction and the need for Chapter Question Marks to pay off, it's clearly Discord. Of course, it didn't say anywhere that there's only one hidden entity in need of seeking... Oh hello there Queen Novo, shouldn't you have to wait a few more seasons?
10396259
Twilight's not an alicorn yet, so she doesn't get a Benediction of her own. She gets Celestia's.
Internal Alchemy hasn't hit 100% yet, so no he doesn't actually have the skill. And even if he did, the "get it to level 10" bit is part of the same subquest so it still wouldn't be marked off.
Holy Shit! Spike benediction will be a hard magic/skill system for the world! I cant think of something more benefishal plus it must be given by Spike.
A deck of cards unfolds revealing four cards.
Celestia XIX, of the Sun Arcana.
Luna XVIII, of the Moon Arcana.
Twilight Sparkle IX, of the Hermit Arcana.
Spike, of the Fool Arcana...
Go forth trickster, forge thine bonds. And let thine "Benediction" change this world forever...
So, if Twilight and Pinkie stick with Spike for the entirety of this quest, would that make them... his Arc Company?
I would consider using the "ticket "on Scootaloo help her achieve flight.
... yeah, I learned those implications about school a decade after I fucking left it...
At that Author's Comment, I just had this tingly feeling... I could almost picture it - Spike got a massive quest, and we got a massive arc. I could see it, even if I don't have a HUD. :D
Goddamn it, I can't wait. I also can't wait to hear what Twilight in particular thinks of this.
Also, shit. I did not see that "semi-running-joke" (because it behaves like one, and often is, but really isn't) making it into that. In fact, I failed to catch it at first. :D
Also, I wonder if they'll figure out that, since she of all ponies is included in this list... does that imply anything? ;)
I mean, the others are all alicorns... and it already lists her as a "person of great power"...
Hmm... Sorta like spreading the Gamer gift to others?
10396607
Nah, they’d be ARC Troopers.
10397265
Not ARC Company?
Yeeeeeah, I'm gonna need more chapters pronto- pfffft xD Just Kidding, take your time, love your story. Trying to make my own 'Gamer Spike' story, as 1: Spike is one of my favorite characters that doesn't get any justice, 2: I love The Gamer
... Anyone else worry that Sombra is going to be far more terrifying in this story than normal?
Ooh, I'm so excited! What a fascinating-sounding set of tasks!
10397258
I hope so. It would be the greatest buff ever!
Tutorial level: [COMPLETE]
Current Arc: [Quest for Benediction]
Current goal: Find a way out of Twilight Town!
The road of a True Prince is a long one indeed! Can't wait to see, Twilight and Pinkie's reactions to all that!
Great job!
P.S. I swear, this feels and sounds like what would happen if you mix Elder Scrolls and Dungeon & Dragons together! The Ultimate RPG!!!
10397421
I’d certainly want that skill.
Of course Luna's involve combat, why wouldn't it?
Joke aside, I actually really like the quest and its sub-quests! Celestia's will probably be the easiest to complete even if it takes some time, and while Luna's is the hardest, Cadance's is right after, which I think it's hilarious.
This is by far the best gamer story I have ever read. All these other stories are way to fast paced 3 chapters in they are like level of the 50 with more skills than there are ponies in equis. It took you this many chapters to get him started good.
Better than the Solo Leveling quest notifications, that's for sure.
10396307
I'm pretty sure they made a comment about her wings at some point in the story
10398849
But..... those don't need to be completed in the same order as shown.
10401942 they can be taken at any order as well as simultaneously, I know. I was just commenting on the difficulty of each one.
Celestia and Twilight's will take time but that's it, Luna's is literal life-or-death, and Cadance's a bit complicated because people are dumb, especially when it comes to emotion. The whole asking about the benediction might make things more complicated, but with how close he is to the royals I don't think it'll be that bad. Then again he needs to help Cadance CREATE hers so...
...that's one hell of a quest list, holy shit
10403411
Aye, it is.
This is the official welcoming to Act 2? So we were only reading an... Introduction?
This story is going to be long and I love it!
Huh... Part of the quest is hidden eh? Could there be another he has to talk to? A certain other perhaps? And the revelation being something to do with this creature?
Dragon Deity incoming
Who knew this Gamer abilities also come with censorship?
10396307
Don’t know about Discord, but there’s a certain Pink Ponka Pony whose passive ability deliberately obfuscates things.
If Spike becomes a god... Could he become God Emperor of
MankindDragonkind?11235497
A dragon lord perhaps
Spike Dragon God of Games.