Mornn
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Chapter 685 - Sofia, you are not helping your case…
🕑 Added 2025-05-28 16:00:21 +0000 UTCBefore Sofia could even digest what had just happened to her, her eyes laid upon the same skill optimization prompt as before, but without the ‘enemy of all things’.
[Skill : Blessing of the Deep - Skill version index UNREGISTERED]
[The freedom to fight back]
[Available options (Mutually exclusive):
Regulator’s obstination - You cannot lose consciousnes.
Annihilator’s defiance - You can create high randomness in places it should not exist.
Orator’s innocence - Attacks against you that you are not aware of cannot harm you.
Inquisitor’s judgement - In battles that you did not initiate, your attacks bypass all immunities.]
You need not fight this battle, but here’s a knife just in case the battle comes to you?
I do like the other three… But who am I to decline my father’s goodwill?
‘[Blessing of the Deep] has been optimized following branch -JUDGEMENT- ’
Seriously though… The enemy of all things? And it’s you saying that? What in the world can stand up to the Lords? That same thing they were trying to escape before that Orator mentionned in his message on the throne?
At this rate the highest contributor to Looming’s growth will be me…
Sofia sat down on her bed and thought over the enemy’s message and Aphenoreth’s reaction as the watched the ocean.
Pareth silently appeared behind her, but he did not interrupt her thoughts.
We are dealing with another Lord or someone as strong as them… And it came to talk to me here of all places?
It can’t possibly be the voice from before, someone capable of contending with the Lords wouldn’t have to stoop so low as to try to kick me out of the system… But maybe they are on the same side with that ‘enemy of all things’. Maybe Scripture is too.
Do you believe in preordained fate, all is written, freedom is fake… Aphenoreth says it’s a lie but he also says the mark is what makes me free. Does that mean everyone else is not free? That is a bit bleak…
Wait, speaking of fate and the Deep, didn’t the Eddarinians Pestle used to be from, who had the technology to make gateways leading to the deep, worship ‘the great tapestry of fate’? If I recall exactly, Erredis said they believed the universe moved inevitably toward a singular goal and they wanted to accelerate it… If the tapestry truly predicts the end goal of everything, it might be fair to say everything is written… Fate…
Is ‘the enemy of all things’ fate itself? A lord of destiny?
Why woult it send me that message though? I was losing consciousness but perhaps it wasn’t even an attack, just the effects of being near a Lord?
If Aphenoreth’s mark is what makes me free, then perhaps I’ve gone astray from any supposed fate. If my destiny was to already be dead, which I probably would be if not for the Mark… I could imagine that the influence of the Lord of destiny itself would kill me…
But if the goal was to kill me it probably could have done so easier, no?
Then… Was it just trying to make me distrust the Lords and the freedom I have been given?
Maybe it’s just mad that I escaped my fate?
I need not fight this battle…
That clearly implies that I CAN fight it? Right?
The freedom to fight back… Well… I doubt there is anything I can do right now… If even the ascended fear the Lords, what is a weakling like me supposed to do?
The enemy of all things… Sofia repeated in her head.
I am way out of my depth…
A large skeletal hand gave Sofia a pat on the shoulder.
She grabbed it with both hands before it could be pulled back.
You also have the freedom to leave, you know? Will you keep following me even if the enemy is fate itself?
“That’s a dumb question, Sofia!” Bookie exclaimed as he barged into the room slamming the door open.
Sofia laughed. She did feel dumb. These were the companions who had followed her even against her own will when she called out the annihilator’s name.
“I guess you’re right. Sorry. And thanks… Since you’re both here, want to play another round of that board game?”
“I play the mad king this time!” Bookie immediately cried out running to fetch the game from behind Lepo’s empty stall.
After spending all night playing games, and with Pareth winning every single round even after Pestle and Crowie joined in, the skeletons left the room again in search for the remaining hidden shops. It seemed they had a lot of fun just exploring the Ark. Sofia, for her part, decided to check out the skill optimizations again.
It should go better this time…
Her hand froze right above the machine for an instant, but she ended up activating it, shaking off the encumbering thoughts about fate.
[Skills available for guided optimization:
‘Spine of the Black Sun’
‘Graveyard of the Nymphs’
‘False immortality’
‘Skull Choir’]
Let’s see the choir first.
[Skill : Skull Choir - Skill version index SK_SKLLC_1.0]
Current version :
[Skull Choir] (Level 295): Invokes the Skull Choir Array formation to attack and blow away your targets.
The skulls of the skull choir are counted as a single skeleton.
The choir may only move in predetermined resizable array formations, will follow the user and attack autonomously unless manually controlled.
The choir may use a different type of attack depending on the type of skull used as a model. Models will be consumed and permanently added as an available skull type.
If no skull model is selected, the default type is : Human, sonic attacks.
You can invoke a choir of at most 69 skulls (10 + Skill level/5; rounded down).
Requires a 1 (0.5) second channeling time.
Costs 100 (50) mana per skull per second to maintain.
If defeated or dismissed, the choir may not be invoked again for 3 minutes.
Currently known Array Formations:
Ring system Array
Sphere Array
Wall Array
Patrol Array
(Next Array unlocked at skill level 300)
Stored skulls:
Human
Sandworm
Boar
Sirhellion
Destroyer
Bloodlight Echo
A bunch of useless ones I never use.
[Available branches (same version lettered upgrades are mutually exclusive):
1.1A - All Skulls can now move freely, but the skulls’ health is halved - 10 000 TP
1.1B - You may only keep one permanent Array formation and forget the others, but the skulls’ health is tripled - 10 000 TP
1.1C - The skulls now all die in one hit regardless of damage received, but the choir no longer has a cooldown - 10 000 TP
Experimental3 - The Choir becomes a Quintet. You may now only summon up to five skulls at once, and you may only store up to five skull types, but they are incomparably stronger and more resilient - 10 000 TP
Request new branch - 500 000 TP base fee* + Branch cost
*fee refunded if completion of request is impossible]
A quintet?
The limitations are pretty heavy… This certainly limits the multicasting shenanigans I can pull with the bloodlight echoes… But ‘incomparably’ stronger? You have me interested.
Hey, Mr.Scribe, if we pick this and it turns out to be shit, do you think we can manually revert the skill?
[It might take a few days and leave some scars, but it should be possible.]
So maybe a small slot space loss? That would be pretty annoying…
Still… ‘Incomparably’ is quite a strong word… And it’s a fact that currently the choir is a bit weak unless I use it to copy my own spells… I could even take 1.1B first to make them extra tough. Keeping a single array is pretty bad but it doesn’t matter for both the echoes and the destroyers so…
Let’s do it!
‘You have spent 10 000 tournament points’
‘You have spent 10 000 tournament points’
‘[Skull Choir] has been optimized following path 1.0 -> 1.1B -> Exp3 ’
‘Current balance : 248 113 126 points’
So let’s see… I dismiss the Boar skull and all the useless ones… And I keep the ring array.
Oh man, they went up from 50 mana per skull per second to 5000?
I mean… I’ll be able to afford keeping the five of them up easily right after the trial but right now that makes me a bit weaker. They better pack a real punch to make it worth the investment.
Sofia tried to summon a single new and upgraded Destroyer skull.
To her surprise, the spell failed.
What the hell?
The spell resolved and did nothing?
Did the choir break? Scribe, do you understand what just happened?
It took a few seconds for Mr.Scribe to understand the citation and come up with the explanation.
[There is nothing wrong with the skill, but it did fail. The reason seems to be lack of space.]
“Lack of space?!”
I tried to summon a single one! And this room is big!
Sofia fixed her clothes and ran out of the room, making her way up to the Ark’s main deck. Ezerid’s group was there, grilling sausage over a bonfire under the stars but Sofia barely even noticed them, she took some distance and used the skill again. It had failed the first time so the cooldown was still up.
She summoned a Destroyer’s skull. It was as large and imposing as the real thing.
Sofia silently laughed to herself.
“I can summon five of those?!”
Comments
phantom
Blessing of the Deep was created by the system. though its functionality came from a Lord. but they implied it was something from the system that let Sofia survive.
Matt Grayson
The skill level isn't far from 300 and then the number would change to 70 anyway.
Matt Grayson
That Skull is out there, it can't be bargained with, it can't be reasoned with, it doesn't feel pity or remorse or fear, ...
Amythyst
This chapter honestly shows why the trap yesterday *wasn't* immediately obvious to Sofia. We see the Deep actually giving her upgrades to Blessing of the Deep via the system, so obviously they can do it. The force that baited her wasn't known to her beforehand, and she had reason to believe the system wasn't compromised anymore.
Songy
Skull has no leg though :(
phantom
Interesting idea. Though I think at this point Sofia is not even worried about Scripture long term. She is aiming for the top which means ascended. and at that point she'd be able to crush him like a bug if she had not already killed him.
Amythyst
That'll be the god skull she inevitably gets.
Tom Asciola
Oh hell yeah, Sofia stocks have never been higher
Lazy Monster
Let’s see her current skulls are the destroyer, sound based ordinance, light based ordinance, lightning based ordinance, and Sofia based ordinance.
Matt Grayson
It says "incomparably stronger and more resilient". "Resilient" would seem to cover physical strength, so that leaves attack power for "stronger". Of course, "incomparably" is the important word here. XD
Daemion
Orator's Innocence would have a huge loophole: Just turn off your senses and you won't be aware of any attacks, thus you become immune. Maybe that's something the other chosen can use? Saria, Alith and Shaily? Judgement is cool though. Sofia can give her opponents the first attack, after all she has [Dreams Of a Demon which Gods Envy - March of the Envoy], Heat Death and False Immortality, as well as slashing and explosion resistance. Not to mention that she can always switch to Sixth Melody to punish anyone who damages her, now skipping past all immunities... The upgrade for the skulls is awesome. If the damage scaled up with the size, then she's carrying the equivalent of five heavy naval cannons now. If there's a siege coming up, Sofia will be able to bombard the enemy with this.
Amythyst
She'd never take that one after her experiences with Pristine Essence, I think.
Whyer
I thought so too but I guess with the one-shot kill protection from VPPV it would not increase survivability drastically.
Draxas
Honestly, the orators, one was pretty good too.
Clara
The... Boar ones I think were defensive, and would physically block attacks. No reason the others aren't also physical
OmniGlitcher
It specifies if Sofia did *NOT* initiate the battle. I'm just going to quote Mornn's discord comment: "Basically works whenever someone attacks her or whoever she is with at the moment unprovoked". I don't think there's a loop hole here.
Christopher Cha
I, uhh, have questions? What counts as "Sophia initiating a battle"? And is the skill giving her a blanket buff of "Your attacks ignore immunities" or giving some set of enemies in the battle a debuff of "Sophia's attacks ignore your immunities"? Because there's some Destroyer sized exploits if "Sophia initiating a battle" is defined narrowly and the skill grants a blanket buff.
Clara
Wait wait. The skulls count as a skeleton. So... They can invoke [exalted exoskeleton]? What if the wings manifest in the style of one of those "biblically accurate" wings and eyes type angels
OmniGlitcher
Sofia: Begins to learn about the true horrors of fate dictating almost every action that has happened or will happen. Also Sofia, 1 minute later: Let's play a board game. There was an old theory that Ed was the embodiment of Entropy. I've sort of moved away from that idea over time, particularly with newer theories suggesting he's related to a former lord of Space, but man, that's certainly a description of entropy all right. Aph seems increasingly associated with Consequences too. Big destroyer skull, *very* kill.
Emily Gurnavage
Oh dang. The Destroyer was friggin *huge* lol. Are these skulls physical? The skill mentions durability. Im wondering if people can interact with them. Could be some dope transportation for a whole group. Idk the exaaact size but the impression given tells me multiple people should fit on each one. Oooh imagine rescuing civilians like that lol.
Clara
It *would* have been pretty funny if she chose the Regulator's "cannot lose consciousness" option, and grabbed the cuirass for health regen, ending up in a situation where she has no reason to take any of the false immortality optimization options
DoomSongs
seeing as how Scripture started trying to kill Sofia unprovoked, does that mean Inquisitor’s judgement always works on Scripture?
Lazy Monster
So the lord’s blessings are basically a funny series of quotes. Regulator: “I didn’t hear no bell” Annihilator: “I don’t know if I’ll win but I’m going to go out in mess and wreck everything in the process” Orator: “what I don’t know can’t hurt me”/“it must have been the wind”
Wensber
Thanks for the chapter!
Mornn
nope
Mornn
yes yes she can still learn new skulls by discarding the old ones
Matt Grayson
I think she and Ezerid may end up helping each other get their awakening. Not many others who both need it and can give her a good fight.
Matt Grayson
Is a mana shield an immunity? Asking for a friend. (Probably not, but...)
Cyclone001
Nice upgrades. Attacking Sofia just became an even worse idea. Erezid being back already means he took one of the challenges that didn't take 5 days. The scholar one perhaps? Hope she talks with him. Poor guy probably doesn't even know about the secret shops yet, but enlisting more help for the search couldn't hurt.
Clara
You can invoke a choir of at most 69 skulls (10 + Skill level/5; rounded down). The sacrifices one must make for power..... Rip sex number 😔
Charles A. Pehl
So she's basically walking around with five death stars now right?
Amythyst
Thanks for the chapter! Is she still able to learn new skulls by forgetting old skulls? Because I imagine she's going to want a dragon or god skull for it at some point. Happy to see Sofia's made some of the same connections I made yesterday re: the enemy and the Eddarinians. Guessing then that the Voice and Scripture are both 'greedy apostles' as referenced in the dream back in chapter 52. If she can summon five destroyer skulls, and five elemental calamities based on the destroyer... imagine her using both together.
Clara
So if her bloodlight echoes were already giving 1:1 copies of all her spellcasting, I'm curious how they'd become "incomparably stronger" from there. Fully autonomous clones with their own mana pools?
Matt Grayson
Life-size Sandworm skull? Did she get any from those cloud lightning creatures on Cerberus Beta? BIG skulls.
Lazy Monster
TFTC. I can just imagine Ezerid’s group freaking out over this. The upgrade to the blessing is amazing. “I may not have started this fight but I’m going to finish it!” Lol
Ceasar Salas
Thanks for the Chapter! I look am just imagining some Sci fi scene where the big bad comes up and goes ‘bear witness to my power!’ Before a giant laser obliterates the target.
Matt Grayson
Nice skill, Judgement! Sofia Logic at its best: "Needn't fight" => "Obviously can fight. Yay!" And Destroyer Skulls? Mwahahahahah! Let's see how much damage these puppies can do....
Quentin Cozzi
Thanks for the chapter!
