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BIII: Chapter One
🕑 Added 2023-06-18 05:36:37 +0000 UTCSpace folded beneath his will as Eli collapsed both the pocket and his home dimensions behind him. He sighed with relief as his spatial field spread letting him map out the entirety of the other Newton family’s estate.
People were already clustered together in their reunions and first-time meetings.
Other-Rick held Herbert and Romulus in a crushing embrace. Right when Herbert was released, Other-Adelaide scooped him into her own hug. Maeve joined in with a laugh.
Old and new hurt pricked Eli’s heart while he watched. Despite Vigilant Revelation’s assurances, he felt like they were happier to have Herbert back than his own parents had been when he came home.
Eli looked away.
Cyrus stood beside Roman and Lyra as they ogled at the fanciful courtyard they stood in. A covered grill sat to the side, cold and empty, the barbecue already a couple of days past. Roman pointed out the gazebo they had, the hub linking each of the Newton properties together using Other-Adelaide’s power, and the sprawling mansion.
Further away, Dad pointed Lana to sit at a bench by herself while he followed Mom to meet their counterparts. Tension built as raw animosity boiled in Eli’s chest at Lana’s implacable expression. Nonchalant as if she were being punished for not doing her chores.
Eli still couldn’t believe or forgive what she had done by setting Tom on him. It took all of his restraint to even stand in view of her. Her silhouette and presence grated where he sensed her with his spatial field.
How could she do that to him and act like it never happened until she got caught? Where was all that sympathy and remorse when he was suffering?
Bitter satisfaction mingled with irritation that his parents still defaulted to grounding her from her powers. After a year of them having powers, they still didn’t understand what these powers meant?
She didn’t even seem to care!
Vigilant Revelation fuzzed in his peripheral that he had acted like he understood when he had talked her out of running away. He clenched his fists by his sides as he walked toward Roman, Cyrus, and Lyra. It wasn’t that he forgave her, or even accepted her part in his torment and abuse, but that he forgave himself.
Eli recognized her selfishness, jealousy, and greed in himself. He didn’t think he would ever do the same things she did to her, Lyra, or anyone ever. Yet, he had practically ignored Roman for nearly a whole week after they were marooned to this dimension.
“—dungeons in town that people can delve. Maybe we can ask this dimension’s Rick and Adelaide if we can run through them later?” Roman said to Cyrus and Lyra.
“That sounds like fun. I want to try out my Geometric Shift more. Do you want to come, Lyra?” Cyrus gestured as he bent and twisted another sprig of grass into an enlarged blade. Eli winced at how Cyrus’s Dream power scrubbed out how geometric space should work.
“Sure. I kind of want to look around more though first? This place is gorgeous. I’d love to paint some of it. All the colors are so vibrant and different.”
“What do you mean?” Eli asked as he teleported closer, eliciting a squeak of surprise from Cyrus. Static crackled from his fist as a classic fantasy sword appeared in his hand.
“You don’t notice?” Lyra blinked at him, then the other two, when they either shook their heads or stared at her in confusion. “Every color is so… so enhanced. Like looking at the blue of the sky, it isn’t just blue, it’s picturesque. Practically azure or cerulean.”
Eli glanced up at the sky with a frown as he tried to see what she was talking about. “It looks the same to me. Definitely not a fancy blue.”
“I mean, you’re looking right into the sun, so I don’t know how you can even see.” He felt Lyra roll her eyes with his spatial field.
“I’m a walking solar system, more or less.” Eli waved his hand dismissively while he continued to stare into the sky. His vision seemed to improve as the atmosphere impeded him less and less. Distant stars twinkled merrily in the furthest reaches of the galaxy.
“Dramatic much?” Lyra chuckled.
“He’s really not joking,” Roman said, then laughed as she and Cyrus looked at them incredulously. “What? He’s not. You all had a crazy year? We had one hell of a week.”
Eli squinted as he stared out into the void. It resonated with him. He felt as if he were looking at his own reflection in nature.
Stellar Body settled while he allowed it to widen its scope. He embodied more than stars or their light, more than the sun at his core, more than the cold void of space, and especially more than the numerous nebulas scattered through his own cosmos.
Invigoration thrummed as his body rebalanced.
Eli glanced back at the others with a smile. “Sorry, I got distracted there. What were you saying?”
“Oh, thank god, you’re still you. I was afraid for a moment there.” Lyra chuckled.
“You’re all weird.” Cyrus glanced at all of them for a second before he ran off. Eli watched until Cyrus drew closer to Lana, then he wrenched his awareness pointedly away.
“I know,” Roman grunted. “I’m having a hard time with it too.”
“Speaking of, how are you both doing with the stunning revelation that Lana is a bitch?” Lyra raised her eyebrows.
“Not well,” Roman sighed. “Between what she did by getting Tom to bully us and Scott, and what she and Theo did? She practically ruined our lives. And no, I’m not being dramatic.”
“Didn’t say you were.” Lyra raised her hands defensively. “What about you, Eli?”
“I don’t know.” He resisted the urge to turn around and look at Lana, but Astral Starspace already clued him in. She sat beside Cyrus and listened while he explained about his new control over shapes due to his Geometric Shift power. “I hate her, or at least I want to, but really, I’m just exhausted.”
“I see.” Lyra nodded. “Well, when was the last time you had fun?”
“Fun?”
“You know that thing that people do to relieve tension and actually enjoy their lives?” Lyra smiled to take any heat out of her words. “It’s been a pretty shit year, don’t get me wrong, but I feel like we’ve been taking it easier than you have.”
“Eh, it wasn’t too bad. Eli went on a date and we went out to this sort of dungeon arcade place,” Roman said.
“A date? With who?” Lyra’s eyes practically sparkled.
“It wasn’t like that.”
“Yeah, right. I don’t trust what you have to say after you blew Kady off.”
“Whatever.” Eli rolled his eyes at that. To his knowledge, he hadn’t done that. Lyra liked to imagine connections that weren’t there. “And Delver’s Dive didn’t count, since I’m pretty sure Lacey was the one who ratted me out.”
“Right.” Roman winced at the reminder of how that had ended.
Lyra looked confused for a second before she pushed the conversation forward. “As I was saying before that delightful bit of gossip… we should pull a prank.”
A prank? After everything that happened, are you serious? Eli kept his mouth shut. He didn’t need Vigilant Revelation to notice the furrowed ridge of tension in Lyra’s forehead or the way her head constantly swiveled to watch their surroundings.
She needed this.
Hell, they all needed something.
“Isn’t a prank kind of juvenile, though?” Roman crossed his arms.
“Depends on if there’s a target or not,” Eli said. “What are you thinking, Lyra?”
“More like what am I not thinking.” Lyra smirked, almost manically as she threw herself into the idea. “We could use illusions to make the food taste wrong later. Make salty things sweet or make spicy things taste like dairy to really mess with people. Change the size of everyone’s clothes a size larger or smaller. Hm, but that’s all with my powers. What can you two do?”
Eli and Roman shared a look and shrugged.
“For a prank? I honestly have no idea.” Eli admitted, while Roman nodded.
“Might do something, I guess, with a machine. Um, I slotted one of my powers into Will during the fight, so maybe I could do something with that, or choose my new power from it?” Roman asked hesitantly while he read his list. “Got Volcanic Savant from our delve in Devil’s Forge.”
“Oh, so you did get a volcanic power? What evo and rarity?” Eli asked while he simultaneously realized he still hadn’t looked at any of his gains from the battle or before. He knew he had maxed out both Vigilant Revelation and Astral Starspace at evo-1, but was at a bit of a loss on how to proceed.
“It’s evo-0, but I don’t know how to see power rarities?”
“Didn’t I tell you that’s what I used the power gem for?” Eli frowned as Vigilant Revelation helpfully reminded him that no, he hadn’t ever mentioned it except in passing. “Well, I did. Here, offer to trade it to me and I’ll look at it.”
“Aaand here you go, turning a fun conversation about tricks and pranks into power talk. Glad to see you haven’t changed Eli.” Lyra pulled him into a hug, then got out of the way so they could do their thing.
“It’s interesting,” Eli said defensively. Roman’s offer popped up in a decently sized wall of text from all his pending notifications.
“Sure, but so are pranks. I mean, what’s the point of even having powers if you never do anything fun with them?”
“I like to fly. Teleporting is nice and convenient, too. I have a whole house I can travel to in an instant. Don’t need to worry about getting hurt or anything that either. Not really.” Eli shrugged. “What more do I need?”
<Roman Anders has initiated a trade with you for:
Anatomical Engine Ev. 2 (Epic)
{Perks Equipped: [Technomind] [Expanded Inventory]}
Volcanic Savant Ev. 0 (Rare)
Phantasmic Magitech Ev. 2 (Legendary)
Rooted Recovery Ev. 0 (Uncommon)>
<Do you accept? Y/N>
“Wow, your powers look pretty good actually.” Eli smiled while he read the list. Warmth trickled through his chest at the realization that Roman trusted him enough to offer to trade all of his powers so he could see them. He declined the trade. “Epic, Rare, Legendary, and Uncommon in the order you offered them.”
He didn’t know if he’d be able to trust someone else so easily.
“Oh shit, that’s sweet. I have to get a gem of my own. Kind of want to get Cyrus to drag him over to see what his power rarities are…” Roman looked over with a grimace to where his brother showed off to Lana.
“Good luck.” Eli waved.
“You know, you could prank him by expanding the space he has to walk through, right?” Lyra whispered with false innocence.
“That’s evil!” Eli gasped with dramatic revulsion. “But genius, I’m doing it now.”
They watched as Roman pumped his arms while he walked, as if the dramatic gesture would end it. He ran practically in place for a second before he stopped. “Stop it, Eli!”
“Stop what?” Eli cast his voice with a stretch of space while he let space return to normal. Roman stood beside Cyrus and Lana who were staring at him as if he was a robot whose circuits had gone haywire.
“Nice,” Lyra chuckled. “Don’t you feel better?”
“A little,” Eli admitted, while he filed away the trick for future use in combat.
“Now fill his pockets with beans.”
“Beans?” He already warped space to protect himself in fights. Why not use it to his advantage and make enemies wear themselves out by traveling longer distances?
“God, you’re hopeless. You’re obsessing over what my build is like, aren’t you?”
“Guilty as charged.” Eli blinked as a new trade offer populated.
<Lyra Newton has initiated a trade with you for:
Frossferno Ev. 2/Lv. 6 (Rare)
Volcanic Devastation Ev. 1 (Legendary)
Geomantic Vitality Ev. 1 (Common)
Crafter’s Stability (Uncommon)
Hunter’s Bounty (Common)>
<Do you accept? Y/N>
“By the way, do you want Volcanic Devastation back? I loved using it, and it really helped, but it’s yours.”
“I don’t know. You can hold on to it now, but I might want it back later if that’s okay?” Eli said while he thought about it. He had chosen it in the heat of the moment since it synergized well with Celestial Embodiment, but most importantly, Volcanic Devastation was powerful.
But he hadn’t known that Lyra had Geomantic Vitality. He just suspected she’d have more gimmicky powers and wanted her to have a good weapon when he traded it to her. If she kept it, she could dismantle Geomantic Vitality for a perk to recycle Volcanic Devastation later or merge them both once they maxed out.
Did it fit her better? Eli frowned. His goal had always been to become a power trader, but he couldn’t help but notice how bad he was at giving powers away.
He hadn’t even sold a power yet either!
“You spaced out again.”
“Right.” Eli rubbed his face. “You got a Rare, Legendary, Common, Uncommon, and Common in that order.”
“Okay, neat. Thank you.” Lyra nodded a bit nervously. He hadn’t declined the trade yet.
“Actually, would you mind if I took Hunter’s Bounty back?” Eli declined the rest, then accepted the trade for it when she resent the trade for Hunter’s Bounty by itself. “I’m going to do some power stuff real quick, if you don’t mind?”
“Nah, I want to paint out the property.” Lyra glanced around for the perfect vantage point. Eli made a pair of portals for her, showing the estate from a portal from an aerial view.
Back when he first got his Blight perk, he had been tempted to use it with a lightning power, but what if he used it with Hunter’s Bounty?
He smiled as the general enhancement power shifted to accommodate the perk. Instead of just strengthening him while ‘hunting’, it’d let him siphon additional vitality from any prey, too.
Eli triggered his pending notifications.
<Congratulations, Elias Newton! You have leveled up the following power: Astral Starspace Ev. 1/Lv. 9 -> Astral Starspace Ev. 1/Lv. 10>
<Congratulations, Elias Newton! You have leveled up the following power: Aurora Stardust Ev. 2/Lv. 1 -> Aurora Stardust Ev. 2/Lv. 4>
<Congratulations, Elias Newton! You have leveled up the following power: Vigilant Revelation Ev. 1/Lv. 7 -> Vigilant Revelation Ev. 1/Lv. 10>
<Congratulations, Elias Newton! You have leveled up the following power: Nimbus Sentinel Ev. 0/Lv. 0 -> Nimbus Sentinel Ev. 0/Lv. 5>
<Congratulations, Elias Newton! You have maxed out the following powers:
Astral Starspace Ev. 1 (Legendary)
Vigilant Revelation Ev. 1 (Epic)
Nimbus Sentinel Ev. 0 (Epic)
You may now select from one of the following options:
Evolve Power (All)
Merge Power (Ev. 1)
Slot Power into Stat (Ev. 1)
Obtain New Power (Ev. 0)>
<Congratulations, Elias Newton! You have slain:
Greant (x 679)
Troll (x 117)
Ghoul (x 79)
Skeletaur (x 23)
With the powers:
Plantshape Ev. 1 (x 679) (Common)
Synthesis Ev. 0 (x 679) (Uncommon)
Earthen Heal Ev. 0 (x 117) (Uncommon)
Staggering Brawn Ev. 1 (x 117) (Poor)
Necrosis Ev. 0 (x 79) (Uncommon)
Necrokinesis Ev. 0 (x 79) (Rare)
Bone Control Ev. 0 (x 23) (Common)
<Condensing list…>
<Processing…>
<Your condensed power list is:
Wild Affinity Ev. 1 (Rare)
Solar Synthesis Ev. 0 (Epic)
Tectonic Recovery Ev. 0 (Epic)
Devouring Necrosis Ev. 0 (Epic)
Necromeister Ev. 0 (Legendary)
Osteo Control Ev. 0 (Uncommon)
You may select from one of the following options:
Siphon Power Experience
Gain a Power Perk
Obtain Power from the Conquered>
“Holy shit.” Eli blinked tears out of his eyes from the absolute flood of information the System had jabbed into his retinas. “I have way too many power options.”
“That’s nice,” Lyra said absently while she swirled her paintbrush across the canvas she’d pulled out of her luggage.
Eli needed to prioritize, so he made a mental list.
Merge or evolve Astral Starspace and Vigilant Revelation?
Check new power options from Nimbus Sentinel.
Take either Solar Synthesis (or dismantle it into a perk), or Necromeister to merge with Hunter’s Bounty and the Blight perk.
Eli felt a lot better once he made the options a bit more manageable. Everything else on the slain power list felt too much like a sidestep rather than a helpful step forward.
He checked what his options were for merging or evolving Astral Starspace and Vigilant Revelation.
<You have two or more maxed out powers at the same tier. Would you like to merge Astral Starspace (Legendary) with Vigilant Revelation (Epic) into Vigilant Starspace (Epic+)? Y/N?>
<Would you like to evolve Astral Starspace (Legendary) into Starspace Nexus (Legendary)? Y/N?>
<Would you like to evolve Vigilant Revelation (Epic) into Profound Erudition (Epic)? Y/N?>
Vigilant Starspace felt cool, but it turned his already uncertain plans for where to slot his powers even murkier. He really wished he had been able to take the Basic Description option along with the Display Rarity.
At least he had the impressions and visions, even if they weren’t as clear as he would have liked.
Vigilant Starspace would turn his starspace into an extension of his mind. It would allow him to think and split his consciousness into the different facets of starspace. His entire spatial field would become an extension of his brain, almost.
Eli was tempted to accept it for that alone, even with the rarity drop. Except it would cull either his sanctum or his ability to enchant from his power entirely. He felt like the System would remove whichever he wanted least the moment he authorized the merge.
He had neglected the enchanting part of his power enough that he already knew it would be streamlined in Starspace Nexus. It would restrict his enchanting ability to only work on the different aspects of space, or so he could only enchant objects and materials to have spatial properties. It’d be his choice.
Which sounded appealing, but he wasn’t sure which he wanted more.
There was little to no chance he was going to slot his spatial power in his Mind slot. He was too afraid of what it’d do to his mind. Sure, the benefits would be ludicrous, but the emotional and mental horror of Recovery or Restoration was still fresh in his mind.
Eli declined the merge and accepted the evolution for Starspace Nexus. Blazing hot needles pricked him from every direction as his spatial field expanded and changed. Deepened to a whole new level of understanding.
He had already felt like he had mastered space, but now it felt like he was starspace.
Elements of his power shifted.
Starlightning folded deeper into his ability to condense starspace into stars. His ability to enchant anything in his spatial field weakened to not only spatial enchantments, but to only work on starspace or for spatial enchantments.
Yet, his range and control didn’t just skyrocket, it exploded exponentially. Everything within his spatial field clarified as space became a genuine part of him. Layers of space breathed all around him.
The void of Celestial Embodiment felt real to him now as he nudged the galaxy representing his body. A star crackled to life in the void of his Stellar Body. He didn’t have to shuffle starlight or starlightning into stars that he then had to absorb.
It was as easy as extending his spatial field inside of himself and willing it to appear. A new star appeared inside Stellar Body in a mindbending shift of starspace. Could he create planets and other celestial objects with enough effort and time?
He couldn’t wait to find out.
Eli opened his eyes as he swept his spatial field out.
Lyra continued to paint, unaware of his improved scale of existence and power. Roman had taken Cyrus inside of the house along with Romulus.
Mom and Dad talked to their counterparts. Mom underwent a tour of the house with Other-Adelaide while Dad grilled what was practically a feast with Other-Rick.
He even faintly sensed the inside of Maeve’s monochrome planar space where she sparred with Herbert. Weapons of ice and plasma clashed with those of lightning and thunderclouds.
Eli braced himself for utter agony as he evolved Vigilant Revelation into Profound Erudition next.
Nothing happened?
<”Hello! I’m Profound Erudition or the accumulation of Vigilant Muse and now Vigilant Revelation powers. Nice to officially meet you!>” said Eli’s own mental voice, or apparently, Profound Erudition’s.
<”Um, hello.>” Eli thought to the voice in his head while he prepared to dismantle the power for perks. He was willing to do a lot but having conversations with himself wasn’t on the list. Ever since Vigilant Revelation had piloted his body and started speaking to him, he’d considered it on thin ice.
<”Oh! I don’t have to talk if that bothers you. But I can now if that’s what you want. Feel free to dismantle me though! It’d reduce a lot of my functionality as Profound Erudition, but it’d work well enough for your plans to use me with Aurora Stardust in the Mind slot or Nimbus Sentinel. :)>” Profound Erudition said with an actual projected image and feeling of a smile. It stopped instantly as revulsion spread through him.
Silence.
All the quiet in his head that there should be with all the enhancements Profound Erudition’s evolution carried. His mental speed felt like it had tripled.
Eli moved on while he let that sink to the bottom of his to-do list. His mouth watered as the tantalizing scent of the steaks, sausages, and burger patties reached a critical point.
He wanted to finish with his powers before he approached the others about any plans about Stormshrine Dungeon or anything else. Eli needed to talk to Maeve about if he could potentially participate in the Tri-Delve Cup. Or could he join the 3Delve team?
Anyways.
Onto the Nimbus Sentinel power list!
<You may now select from one of the following options:
Matter Transmutation (Uncommon)
Ultra Warpspeed (Uncommon)
Enchanter’s Siphon (Uncommon)
Warlock’s Dreamspace (Rare)
Accumulative Stockpile (Common)
BACK>
Eli frowned at the option for Warlock’s Dreamspace. He was tempted to take it for the power rarity alone, but he didn’t like it. Sure, it’d expand his capabilities with space to the more abstract dimensions of emotion and dream.
Profound Erudition already pushed past his comfort zone for Dream powers. He didn’t care if it had an element of space in it; he didn’t want it.
But Enchanter’s Siphon and Accumulative Stockpile interested him. The former would let him absorb and then cobble together concepts that he could enchant into objects. It’d be incredibly clunky, but it felt interesting.
Plus, maybe he could actually sell this one… later. If he wanted to.
Accumulative Stockpile was basic at Common, but he knew it’d grow exceptionally well no matter what he used it for. It’d take whatever he gave it and it’d gradually compound.
Eli grinned as he chose and accepted Accumulative Stockpile, it’d fit his plans for Hunter’s Bounty and his Blight perk perfectly.
Now, he only had two real choices from his options from killing all the spawn.
Necromeister or Solar Synthesis.
Both would work exceptionally well with Hunter’s Bounty and Accumulative Stockpile. Necromeister would give him control over decay and dead matter, which would work excellently with the Blight perk. While unsavory, he knew it would be powerful.
Only issue was that he knew people already distrusted Biomancers, so what would they do to someone on the path to get Necromancer powers? Not to mention his spatial powers already meant he had to be somewhat mindful.
Meanwhile, Solar Synthesis was already a natural fit for the rest of his build. It’d merge wonderfully with Hunter’s Bounty and Accumulative Stockpile.
Eli sighed.
He unequipped the Blight perk from Hunter’s Bounty before he selected Solar Synthesis.
<Congratulations, Elias Newton! You have selected Accumulative Stockpile and Solar Synthesis
Would you like to equip it? Y/N>
“Hey, you two. We’re just about to head in if you want to follow your dad with our feast.” Other-Rick beamed as he strolled over to them with his hands in his pockets. “Oh wow Lyra, that’s an extraordinary painting! I used to paint actually if you can believe it. I love your blend of abstract and realism.”
“Thank you!” Lyra’s eyes practically glowed as she basked in the praise. Eli leaned forward to study it. Seemed like she had used either her Stable Crafting or illusive power to change how her brush interacted with the paint and canvas.
Strokes of greenish gold depicted the expansive lawn while smeared flakes of brown showed the mansion at a tilted angle next to the center. The borders of the painting faded away to an abstract white shadowy void.
Other-Rick crowed about how she’d balanced her hues so the mansion was cast in the colors of the sunset. Or how her clever use of paint turned the mansion nearly 3D while the outside edges were flat.
It all went over Eli’s head but he tried to do his best to pay his own compliments. He pointed at the side of the mansion. “I like your trees.”
“Oh. Thanks, Eli.” Lyra's smile deflated slightly.
<”Psst, those aren’t trees but the hedges.>” Profound Erudition helpfully whispered before it faded away. Eli ignored it and the glances from the two of them.
“Well, I’m going inside to eat!” Eli promptly teleported inside. A flex of gravity tugged one of the empty chairs set aside at the kitchen table so he could appear on it.
“Fucking Savior!” Herbert shouted as he startled on the other side of the table. Ice frosted over his hands in bladed gauntlets before they thawed. “Don’t fucking do that!”
Only Cyrus and Les seemed surprised by his sudden appearance.
“So, I know Rick’s outside still, but since Roman and I proved we can handle Devil’s Forge, when can we delve Stormshrine?” Eli asked hopefully while he ladled out some mashed potatoes onto his plate and passed the bowl over to his left so Cyrus could take it.
“I’m not… oh. Right.” Dad sighed. “You want to do a dungeon?”
“We promised the boys they could go sometime over the summer.” Other-Adelaide smiled at both of his parents. “Actually… all of you should go! When do you need to head back to your dimension?”
Eli used the supplied tongs to pluck a cob of corn onto his plate while he teleported what he needed off the plates stacked with buns, dressing, and hamburger patties. Inside his sanctum, he assembled his cheeseburger before it popped onto his plate. Lana was taking her sweet time with the plate of grilled food and he didn’t want to ask her to pass it over.
“It’s Tuesday, right?” Mom asked, Other-Adelaide nodded. “Probably Friday to check in on everything. We don’t want to impose or anything—“
“It’s not an imposition at all. Don’t be silly. Savior knows we have enough room for all of you. It’s settled! We’ll check to see if everyone is ready tomorrow and head out Friday. Sound good?”
“I can check to see if everyone’s ready, Mom,” Maeve said.
Eli nodded before he took a juicy bite out of his burger. Cream cheese and jalapenos splattered in his mouth. Moments later, he blinked with surprise at his empty hands.
Where burger?
He ignored everything else on his plate in favor of grabbing seconds. <”Hey PE, keep track of the conversation for me. I want to enjoy every bite of this.>”
<”You got it boss!>”
Comments
Beeees!
Oh ya, some good juicy power crafting! Tftc!!
BerciTheBeast
tftc
