I carefully examine the infected before me; most have surface-level infections that can easily be cut away and healed. The problem is those that suffered injuries and have corruption deeper inside their bodies. The ones with limb injuries can have their arms or legs amputated and regrown, but that is not ideal. The healers aren’t so strong that they can restore limbs in a few hours; it takes weeks to fully restore limbs.
Internal organ damage is the same way. With next to zero actual medical knowledge of the body, even with my eyewraps making them see where the corruption is, more damage can be done. Thankfully vitality can keep people “alive” even when the body is dead, but the longer the body is dead, the faster the vitality drain is, and we don’t have enough healers to keep everybody alive, especially considering all the infected from all the villages.
The infection spread is slow but not slow enough that they can wait until one person is treated to a stable, non-life-threatening point. No matter how I look at it, some people are dying, and there’s potential for more to be infected since any flesh cut off will spawn more eldritch offshoots.
What about Klaman? The thought rises to the surface of my mind. Klaman is powerful enough to slay the offshoots, and with his void Bond he can surgically remove the flesh in a way that no offshoots will spawn.
However, there are a few complications and unknowns. One, I can ask him for help in return to accept his duel; win or lose, I’d ask for his help anyway so he can pay it before the duel. He may even straight up ask for me to become empress, but if it’s to save my family and people, that is a price I am willing to pay.
The real problem lies in the time needed to get him. Even if I can use his tracking abilities to lead him here, I doubt he can teleport so far; he is a low-tier legendary being, probably one of the weakest. Plus, he still doesn’t solve the issue of people dying from not being healed in time. Lanya is out of the question, we’d have to get her with the Entylamo, and that’d take too long.
I still don’t know if enhancing a cursed skill is safe or not, I don’t think it will turn me into a cursed being, but that is a possibility. The most likely case is that the point, which is a large packet of experience, or, as my memories show, aether, will neutralize the miasma before enhancing my skill, resulting in a weak enhancement.
The problem lies in the fact that in order to make my skill safe, I need to incorporate it into a class or race; the race takes time to adjust my body, and the longer we wait to start treatment, the more people will die.
Then there’s the problem that if I don’t incorporate it into my race, more miasma will build up, and the curse will take effect in an enhanced skill; there’s no telling how dangerous that will be to me.
I can still safely manipulate this alien mana because it’s normally unstable in the layer, my curse doesn’t copy the magical stabilizing effect, but the enhanced version may do so.
The stabilizing effect also isn’t from the First Inscription since it stabilizes spells due to a lack of range control, not layer instability, but just to be safe, I’ll send a clone to turn it off.
So what are my options? Surgery? We don’t have the heals to save everyone. Klaman? Same problem and other issues. Enhance my [Manipulate Mana]? Takes too long or is too risky to me. Lanya? Takes too long too.
No matter what I consider, nothing works!
What about the Mana Arc? Another thought surfaces.
It’s incomplete. It was made to redirect the torrent of mana entering the Nexus, not for fine control. Plus, I don’t know if I can use it to heal everyone and have it do its normal job at the same time. It’s a risk that can potentially kill many more people.
However, if I free Kayafe, she can heal everyone in a safe way that won’t create more eldritch offshoots; only Kayafe can save everyone. However, I don’t have any way to free her; I can’t just break the Mana Arc, and I can’t make a new one yet, nor do I have time to but don’t I already have an idea to free her? By pushing her out of the nexus and replacing her with something of equal power, I should be able to free her.
However, I don’t have anything equal to her power in [Manipulate Magic]; I have no way to free her… Except, do I need something of her level? There is a way to not only free Kayafe and keep the Mana Arc but also improve it; it just takes a sacrifice.
I place a hand on my necklace Kyhosa, the symbolic representation of my life. It has been with me all my life. It has grown with me, helped me overcome great tribulations, and been with me through the best and worst times of my life. It is a gift from my parents; it’s only natural that I use it to help heal them.
A life for a life.
To free Kayafe.
To save my people.
To save my family.
I push the twins off me, bending down to their level, and pat them on the head.
“I’ll be right back,” I say. “Your big sister will make sure everyone has a happy ending to this scary day” I give them one last hug and step outside, conjure my wings and fly to Temple Island.
Once there, I see Safyr and Yrania sitting next to the temple entrance. Safyr gives me a knowing nod without saying anything. I suspect Safyr didn’t enlighten her granddaughter on anything.
I fly over them to the top of the Temple, standing before the familiar gemlike Mana Arc. I study the thing once more, seeing how Kayafe had built the thing with my learned insight.
Mana Arc of Kayafe's Final Will:
(Legendary) (Ancient) (Legacy)
Created by a true master of mana, Kayafe in an attempt to save her people and give them a land free of tyranny and a place they can truly call home, sealed her body to provide a catalyst for the Mana Arc. With the capabilities of drawing in vast amounts of mana, storing it, and redirecting it. This Mana Arc has transformed a hellish wasteland into a paradise free of monsters.
Monster Inhibitor, Battery (10B), Mana Draw, Mana Redirection, Mana Liquification.
It’s made with super-solid mana with veins of liquid mana flowing as if pushed around by a beating heart.
I now understand why she did it this way, magic items utilize symbolism and meanings to help direct their transformation, but there’s a better way to do it, have the liquid mana form the mana gathering inscription.
One thing that I never thought to consider, the Mana Arc, never actually has the [Manipulate Magic] skill; it has always been borrowing that from Kayafe, truly incomplete.
I examine my Kyhosa one last time before I lose it forever.
Alysara's Celestial Storm Kyhosa:
(Exalted) (Relic) (Set)
This Relic set: Amulet, left bracelet, right bracelet, is made from Nexus gems and Myrou gold blessed by Myrou herself and filled to the brim with beauty and creativity essence, was given as a Kyhosa to Alysara during her Kyholo. She has learned from an ancient ancestor and even survived storms conjured by a dragon to train her resistance to them. Alysara has proven herself a master of mana, able to conjure the storms that once threatened her village. Her knowledge and mastery of mana have grown so great no secrets are beyond her reach. This set has followed Alysara through a multitude of trials and tribulations, always helping her when she needs it most. Now blessed under the union of the moons and sun, this Relic can channel all of its stored mana into a single devastating attack to form a protective barrier or to conjure a whirling storm of the heavens.
When worn, it Enhances Beauty, Creativity, and Elemental spells by 2000% and boosts intelligence and wisdom by 75%. Grants the Skill: Manipulate Mana 550/550, Celestial Spear, Celestial Shield, Celestial Storm, Linked, Battery (300,000).
Magic items that grow with someone are often far more powerful than those that don’t. If anything, they have more history to them.
I never had the chance to use its celestial abilities, I suppose it’s fortunate that I never needed to until recently, but even then, it wouldn’t have helped against the legendary beings.
My Kyhosa has the inscription of Kayafe’s [Manipulate Magic] on it. It’s now decorative, but the hope was that it would give my Kyhosa the [Manipulate Magic] skill. Now I can only hope it works this time. In any case, the Mana Arc can’t get any worse, and even if it can’t handle the same amount of mana, an increase in ambient mana won’t immediately kill everyone. Plus, Kayafe can support the Mana Arc until we make a better one if the worst is to happen.
It is finally time. I take off my bracelets and the necklace with a heavy heart. This has to be done. My people have gone through enough disasters; I won’t have another end in tragedy.
I start by drawing out some of my own vitality for Kayafe’s soul to latch onto, she will have to do the rest, but she won’t have a normal body to live in.
I steady my emotions as I raise my Kyhosa up to the Mana Arc. I don’t want to lose it; I want to be selfish just this once so I don’t lose the one thing that matters to me most, aside from my family, but is that fair to the people who would die? What about their family? Who will have to grieve? What about Kayafe, who has already suffered enough, and who has made a greater sacrifice that would eventually grant me this peaceful life?
It wouldn’t be fair. In the end, my Kyhosa is just a jewel.
I push my Kyhosa into the Mana Arc, the surface of it rippling as it accepts my offer.
The world stands still as if all time has frozen; all the mana stands still, even defying the Mana Arc. A strange presence washes over me like the gentle waves of the sea flow returns to the world as Kayafe’s soul is ejected from the Mana Arc.
I catch her with the vitality and instantly lose control over it as more and more condenses around her soul, transforming into more vitality, becoming denser and denser, forming a solid and somehow living structure of pure vitality!
“A-Alysara?” Kayafe’s feminine voice tickles my ears as her body forms a skin of light mana, and mana silk clothes forms around her.
However, before I can answer, our attention is drawn to the Mana Arc as its new transformation takes place.
It didn’t take long, which isn’t surprising since there’s so much mana here; all of its mana needs are satisfied within ten seconds, which is honestly surprising that it needed that much. It would have taken weeks to months outside the Nexus and probably days inside it.
Outwardly the Mana Arc barely changed at all, but on the inside, it becomes so much more. Circular lines of liquid mana begin to flow, carving new paths as the old close up. More and more circles are drawn until a sphere is formed under the hard exterior. More lines form inside the thin liquid mana sphere until a three-dimensional version of the [Manipulate Magic] magic framework is formed.
Mana Arc of the Saintess’:
(Legendary) (Ancient) (Legacy)
Created by the Saintess of the Runalymo, Kayafe, and perfected by the Saintess of Mana and Magic, Alysara, through their sacrifices, they have made a true Mana Arc. With Kayafe spending 10,000 years inside it to protect her people and Alysara giving up her Kyhosa to save her people and family, this Mana Arc is born out of the altruistic and selfless nature of its creators. This Mana Arc will defend its people, the Runalymo, from all threats with its endless supply of mana.
Monster Inhibitor, Battery (100B), Total Mana Control: 1000/1000, Manipulate Magic: 800/1200. Nexus Spear, Nexus Shield, Nexus Storm.
Ting! The Saintess of Mana and Magic, Alysara, the Runalymo, has freed the Saintess of the Runalymo, Kayafe, the Runalymo, and completed the Mana Arc!
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Ting! The Saintess of Mana and Magic, Alysara, the Runalymo, has freed the Saintess of the Runalymo, Kayafe, the Runalymo, and completed the Mana Arc!
If this doesn't qualify for a leg point I riot
Aly already has two legs I don't know why you want more. I doubt a third will help her walk better.
@"Stay tuned for the next episode" - cruel author
@Comiak do you know how unbalanced she will get with 9 tails? she needs a couple more legs for sure
@Comiak Well some of her people already has a third leg
@Comiak 3 legs would be awkward should probably go straight to 4
@Nahmate The canonical illustration has at least 5 tails.
Noo no... the question is why isn't perfecting that Arc not enough for a point (can't remember if I managed to get an answer on whether it qualified or not) ... also why doesn't getting a title give you a point ffs...
But you're right, she won't end up getting one point out of this...
@Comiak I'd say 8 would be really nice, but I'm not sure what an Archane / Kitsune hybrid is supposed to look like ... where to the tails connect, for one thing.
And seriously though... did the system decide she hadn't done enough work in perfecting the Arc to get a point from it? I mean, she did craft a legendary item even if it was using a legendary material (Kayafe's Arc) as an ingredient. The system really does feel like it has odd pickiness in which feats are legendary enough, it's like a teacher knocking a point off your perfect score cause you were 1 word off the target essay length.
@kaithar She did just get a legendary point...
@Comiak Last Ting! - world notification and legendary point?
@Comiak there is nothing saying she got a legendary point out of this so some people will obviously assume she didn't with how stingy this system seems even when there's obviously a world announcement which is what has given legendary points each time. Thanks for the chapter
@Tunefullcobra The ting is only for world announcements and those always give a legendary point.
@Comiak I thought she got the point for the action of freeing Kayafe, or is the perfection of the Arc and freeing her considered linked to the extent that it's counted as the same action?
Hah, hadn't considered that possibility, I was reasoning that she had "Created legendary item. Gained title. Freed Kayafe." as three actions but it's fair to lump them together as "Gained a title while perfecting the item in order to free Kayafe" since the three results come from a single chain reaction.
Ok, yeah, that does seem a balanced reward. I retract my complain about the system being stingy over this
@Tunefullcobra I think most actions that rate a world notification grant a legendary point. Or is it that any action that earns a legendary point triggers a world notification. I'm hesitant to agree that it's always the case, just in case there's some exceptions to the rule.
@kaithar ya I dont think killing a legendary being gets you a legendary point but it does cause a world notification.
@seekingsatisfaction Killing a legendary is one of the only reliable ways of getting Legendary points.
@Skia that feels like it would be too easy once you become a legendary yourself, hasn't the dragon already killed a few in the last few battles?
@seekingsatisfaction yes but for old legendary beings those points are kind of pointless atm. They often don't really get to use them that much because how you get the point influences how you can use it. Since you can't for example enhance a skill that you mastered with a point you got from killing something(i think), or you can but the enhanced skill will suck. The only real place a legendary being can use a point they got from killing something is on their class or race when they evolve, but those points they got will usually only make them a bit better at fighting against those types of legendary beings which if they killed, they can probably already take on without a problem.
@BlazeMagic I see, I just thought the legendary points were rewards for doing a grand feat, killing a legendary when your already legendary could hardly be considered a grand feat depending on their strength, maybe they will find a use for the extra legendary points in the future, I wonder if Alysara will be the first to cleanse a cursed skill and if she will get an additional point for it, it would be a pretty big deal.
@seekingsatisfaction we already know there are points above legendary thanks to Aly's mythic point and the gods statements of (I think they were called fabled points) so I'd guess she'll get the (fabled) point for being the first to cleanse a cursed skill.
And technically killing a legendary being is a grand feat even if you are a legendary being, which is why you get a legendary point from it. Basically you get experience from the enemies you kill because that is the experience they themselves accumulated, thus as a legendary being accumulated at least one legendary point of experience, you are guaranteed one legendary point of experience from killing them. However that legendary point will be solely based on your kill itself, not whatever they did to get the point.
@BlazeMagic
Since you can't for example enhance a skill that you mastered with a point you got from killing something(i think), or you can but the enhanced skill will suck.
From what I remember the canonical is "It's best to use a legendary point related to the thing you're using it on as that will give the best chances for the outcome" ... so you can use legendary points in sub-optimal ways but you get some kind of penalty in the long term.
I suspect the problem for older Legendary tier creatures like Safyr is that she's improved everything she has open for improving that way, you can't spend points on a skill you haven't capped, you can't just keep generating new classes without some kind of base skills to feed it, etc. Once you've reached a certain amount of legendary-ness you start to run out of useful things to do with them.
@kaithar ya if I remember it was explained that the legendary point you are awarded for capping a skill is the best for evolving that skill, if we take Alysara's theories about legendary points being experience than it is possible the legendary point awarded for capping a skill is the collective experience related to that skill that person has gained and it would make sense that using unrelated experience would give a lesser skill or change the skill according to the unrelated experience.
If any of this is true it makes me wonder how random legendary points used to upgrade race effect it.
@seekingsatisfaction I would have to guess, based on something from a few chapters ahead, that the amount of divinity/experience contained in legendary points is not a constant amount, or perhaps that the amount needed for various tasks varies, such that using an unsuitable point might not give enough material for the full magical framework upgrade. Like finding out you don't have enough bricks to build a wall and having to change the plans slightly to build something out of the amount of bricks you do have.
I do feel like the source of the point should influence the outcome when possible, since we know that race upgrades are influenced by the experience you've had to fuel it. If that's the case, I think using a magic-activity related legendary point to upgrade a race should result in a more magic related status. Maybe a point for killing a legendary being would skew toward combat abilities, or the qualities of the race that was killed... get a point from a Water Elemental, evolve from Juvenile Dragon to Water Dragon? Would be interesting to explore that idea.
@kaithar Right ! I think this would be interesting if it worked that way, it would allow for some interesting evolutions of race and skills, it's also possible Alysara might be able to gain a skill to see the alignment? of the experience/divinity, not sure if experience or divinity would fall under mana sight or life sight.
@seekingsatisfaction well experience already falls under mana sight.
@Tunefullcobra I guess life sight stops at only living things, or energies that have to do with life. So maybe with mana sight she could see more details about the legendary points if they are there.
Since its known that there are points past legendary, anyone wonder if a skill that has evolved once can do so again?
@seekingsatisfaction well we won't know until Aly does it. My money's on yes though.
@Dodfiv but she has sacrificed her kyhosa while having three tail, so either those accessories in the picture a newer one (not her kyhosa), or it is inaccurate.
@yosanpro Maybe a gift from her people or someone?
@yosanpro Maybe she, having gained experience, will be able to get her kyhosa back?
@Dodfiv maybe, but it really seemed like what Alysara did completed the Mana arc as in it reads like one item now I have some doubts on whether her kyhosa can be removed anymore, I'm a little curious if she spent any anima on creating a legendary.
@Dodfiv Yes, the Stygian who manages the cookie fund finally got enough to do something with them all and cash them in.
(Discord group reference. We all decided that the Stygian, the ice-cat monster that considers Aly a goddess, is the one who manages the cookie fund.)