Atlas looked at all of the Spirit Kings around him, having just finished cleaning up after their party. "I think now is a good time to tell you all what's going to happen next in this world." That got everyone's attention. "I'm planning on adding a number of new creatures to this world soon. Cybele, have you created any creatures that can use magic?"
She shook her head, "I haven't. They all have mana, of course, every living thing in this world does, but they haven't been able to use it." She looked upset, as if she was disappointed with herself.
"Most of the creatures I'll be adding will be able to use magic. You'll be able to study them and learn from them, so don't get disheartened, okay?" Atlas said, smiling at her. She smiled back and nodded. He continued, "The first creatures I will add will be a species called Dragons. They can be very dangerous, but they're also intelligent so they can be reasoned with. I'll also be adding a lot of other magical creatures as well. Now, some of these creatures will be able to see you, but some of them won't."
"The last group of creatures I'll be adding are called the Races. They're intelligent, being able to reason and communicate, and they're social creatures as well. They'll eventually start building villages, towns, and cities. In doing so, they'll cut down trees and mine stones to build with. That's fine. You don't have to worry about them slightly changing the landscape. Your jobs are still the preservation and cultivation of nature, so you don't have to bother interfering unless something they're planning on will seriously destroy the environment, or even the world itself. Most of them won't even be able to see you, so you can interact with them as little or as much as you want. It's your choice."
Everyone nodded, and Atlas decided to wrap things up. "Okay, I think that about wraps things up. We'll leave everything we brought for you to keep. Vesta, I know you were interested in the clothes, you can use them for developing new styles. Cybele, you seemed the most interested in the food, but let everyone take some home with them if they want to. The crystals and books are for everyone to share, but keep them amongst the Nature Spirits. I want to let the Races develop their own forms of entertainment. You can teach them the types of mediums if you want, such as teaching them to write their own stories and plays, create their own games and music, and develop their own dishes and clothing. I want all of you to do the same, as well. I believe creativity is really important, so the next time we see all of you, I hope you all have a lot to show us too." He smiled at them again.
"Ooh, that sounds like a lot of fun!" Cybele said, smiling, "I'll definitely have mastered this 'cocoa' stuff by the time you all get back," She had been really taken with the chocolate cupcakes.
"I'll get working on some plays for my children and I to perform," Nimue said, "Oh, maybe we could even make a musical!" Atlas held in a sigh at that, he wanted to foster their creativity, not smother it.
"Vulcan and I will get started on creating new outfits," Vesta said, "Cybele, can you help us with the materials?"
"Of course!" She said, "I have an idea based on the 'cotton' plant that Father told us about that will surely make a huge difference in the types of fabric we can use." As far as Atlas could tell, they were currently mostly using leathers and wool.
"There's also silk!" Aurora piped in, "It's woven from protein fiber created by insect larvae to form cocoons."
"Neat!" Cybele said, "I'll look into that as well."
"And hopefully we'll be able to stay longer next time!" Atlas said, "Seeing as things will have really started to develop by then."
Everyone perked up at this, seeming happier at that thought.
After they said their goodbyes, Atlas smiled at everyone one last time before concentrating on the Realm Navigator's signal. He pulled on it and disappeared.
They reappeared in the Realm Navigator and walked back to the observation room. Once he was seated on one of the couches, Atlas pulled up the Pedestal. Aurora sat down next to him and leaned against him to look at the Pedestal over his shoulder.
"So, we're going to activate all of the creature packs and Races, right?" Aurora said.
"Well, everything except the [Monsters] pack, I want to give the Races some time to settle in before throwing those at them." Atlas nodded.
Aurora hummed, "That's probably a good idea. We want to be seen as good Gods, not cruel ones. What are you going to activate first?"
"The [Dragons] pack," Atlas said, "I probably should have activated them earlier, but oh well." He clicked on his inventory of purchases, and clicked on the [Dragons] pack. Looking it over, it seemed like there was a bunch of customization options. There were the European versions, the six-limbed lizard-like fire breathers, the Chinese versions, the wingless serpent-like whiskered ones, there were even ones with feathery wings instead of bat wings. Atlas decided to mix and match. He took the bodies of the European Dragons and the intelligence of the Chinese Versions. They would be able to take humanoid shape, as well.
"How do you plan on giving them magic? Usually Dragons use magic for their fire-breathing." Aurora said, "Flight too. Their wings are usually too small to give them the lift they need, so they use magic to get them off the ground and their wings to steer."
Atlas pondered for a moment, before he got an idea. "Hey Aurora, did I play any Skyrim during the memories you watched?"
Aurora blinked, surprised, "I think so, but what does that have to- Oh! Are you going to do what I think you're going to?"
Atlas smiled, and located [Magical Language]. He attached the Magic System to the Dragon's blood, so only Dragons and their descendants could use [Magical Language]. When he was finished, he smiled at Aurora.
"Clever," She said, "But that doesn't apply to us. We can still use Magical Language even without Dragon's Blood if we want, with our Divinity. It will only apply to denizens of this world. and mortals who visit it, if any ever do."
"Are the Nature Spirits considered mortal?" Atlas asked.
"Yes," Aurora nodded, "They may not age, and have an indefinite lifespan, but they can be killed."
"We can't be killed?" Atlas asked, surprised.
"Only by another God." Aurora said, "Divinity is necessary to kill something Divine, or the God would just reform elsewhere. So I should probably change my earlier statement to 'Nature Spirits can be killed by mortals.'" She looked at Atlas with a smirk, "Why, are you planning on killing other Gods?"
Atlas was caught off guard by the question, so decided to play it off, "Of course!" He cried, putting on an evil expression, "My evil plan is multiversal domination, and they'll be in my way! Mwa ha ha ha!" He let out a cackle at the end.
"Oh no!" Aurora put on a distressed face, "Whoever will stop your evil deeds?" Their expressions cracked, and they both burst out laughing.
"Yeah, no," Atlas said, chuckling, "I just figure it's best to know your own limits, right?"
"That's probably a good thing, yes," Aurora nodded. She paused, biting her lip, before starting to speak again, "It's just, there are other Gods out there, and not all of them are good. If something happens, I don't want you to hesitate to defend yourself. Don't be afraid of hurting other Gods, their bodies are just aether so they'll reform if they aren't intentionally killed, no matter how much you damage them."
Atlas watched Aurora fuss, her hands playing with the hem of her toga, "Do you think something will happen?" He asked, "Should we be preparing for the worst?"
"I don't think something will happen necessarily, but I am worried. We're very new at this, and it never hurts to be prepared. That's why I've been pressuring you to help the Races grow with trials like the [Monsters] creature pack." She said.
"Hmm, That's probably good advice," Atlas said, "Should we take another look at the Domain to see if there's anything else we want to purchase?"
Aurora nodded, seeming relieved, "Yes, I think that's a good idea. While we're doing that, you can decide whether or not to inform the Domain about the systems you've discovered."
Atlas nodded. He'd already decided to inform the Domain, and had just been forgetting to do it if he was being honest. He Pulled up the Domain Marketplace. Looking around the screen, he found the link to a page for informing the Domain of new discoveries. He clicked on it, and filled out the information for [Runic Language], [Runic Circles], and [Magical Circles]. Thankfully he didn't have to have a copy of the system he was informing them about, he just had to have knowledge of how it was created and the Domain would do its own investigation. Once it was confirmed he was telling the truth, he would be awarded the rights to the twenty-five percent cut. It would then immediately add the new System to the marketplace list. Once he was done filling out the information, he hit send.
It didn't take long for the Domain to get back to him.
[Thank you for your Contribution!]
[Accuracy Testing in progress]
[...]
[...]
[Accuracy Confirmed]
[25% Cut of DP awarded for:]
[Runic Language]
[A Full Language of Runes]
[Is usable for Spellcasting]
[500 DP]
[Runic Circles]
[A system for editing spell circles]
[With runes for added diversity]
[750 DP]
[Magical Circles]
[Combines memorizing spell circles]
[With chanting for more flexibility]
[250 DP]
"Not bad," Aurora said, "We'll be getting quite a bit of DP with this."
"Why is [Magical Circles] so much cheaper?" Atlas asked, "And for that matter, why is [Runic Circles] so much more expensive?"
"Due to the way systems are ranked," Aurora said, "The more useful the system, the more expensive. Low systems are ones that usually have some inherent flaw, or are just really simple. They usually cost about two hundred and fifty DP. Average systems are labeled correctly, being just sort of middle of the road. These are usually about five hundred DP. High systems are better, they're usually more complicated, but offer more variety and power. These ones are usually seven hundred and fifty DP."
Atlas nodded. "Is this the same for packs and Forces as well?"
"No," Aurora shook her head, "Packs are cheaper, Low packs go for about fifty DP, Average packs go for one hundred, and High packs go for two hundred and fifty. Forces are the most expensive, with Low Forces being one thousand, Average being one thousand five hundred, and High being two thousand plus."
Dang, High Forces were expensive. He was distracted by an Alert popping up.
[You have received your Percentage!]
[376 DP Awarded]
"Huh," Aurora said, looking at her own Alert, "Someone purchased them already, and bought all three of them. They must be obsessed with magic."
"How would they have found out about them already?" Atlas asked.
"There's a way for you to set up automatic purchases," Aurora explained, "You can set it to search certain tags, and only purchase things that aren't in your inventory already. They must have done that with Magic Systems."
"Huh," Atlas said, reiterating Aurora earlier. He shook his head and continued, "Well, we might as well look at what the Domain has to offer, now that the Tutorial is done."
He scrolled through the marketplace. Most of the beginner stuff was the same, but the Forces no longer only offered the simple ones at the start. There were more variations available as well. Packs had undergone a bit of a change, offering a lot of different categories of creatures. Mostly hostile ones, as far as Atlas could tell. He looked over the list of packs, noticing some of them were ones he'd seen before. [Outer Beings], [Angels], [Demons], [Aliens], [Cryptids], [Yokai], [The Fair Folk], and [Reapers] were a few that caught his attention.
The thing that most surprised his was the newly added Systems. There were a lot of different new kinds of Systems, like [Dungeons], [Living Landscapes], [Ancient Ruins], and most surprisingly of all, a whole new category for different types of Apocalypse Systems.
"Apocalypse Systems?!" Atlas cried, somewhat outraged, "Who would use these!?"
"They're mostly supposed to be used for starting over when things get bad, but apparently some Gods like to randomly activate these and see what their subjects do." Aurora said, frowning.
Atlas grimaced, "That's cruel."
"Yes, it is," Aurora nodded, "It's those kinds of Gods that we need to be worried about. The ones that don't even remember what it's like to be mortal and look at their subjects as playthings."
Atlas looked at a few of the Apocalypse Systems.
[Zombie Outbreak]
[Whether from disease, mind controlling plants, or the dead rising from their graves]
[Zombies now walk the planet, devouring the living]
[The struggle to survive this plague has begun]
[Will your Races find the cure or the cause in time?]
[500 DP]
[Rapid Mutation]
[All non-sentient life on the planet has begun to rapidly evolve]
[Growing large, ferocious, and hungry for flesh]
[Your Races have not been left out, now developing strange new powers]
[It is now a fight for survival, which species will come out on top?]
[750 DP]
[Games of Disaster]
[Some sort of Evil has arrived on this Planet and is teleporting people from their homes]
[And forcing them to play cruel games with harsh punishments]
[But surviving a game makes you stronger, developing powers as prizes for winning]
[Being forced to play again and again, will your Races be able to defeat the cause and win?]
[750 DP]
[Portal Pandemonium]
[Portals have appeared all over the world, and they're filled with monsters]
[If left alone, the monsters will stampede, destroying all in their path]
[But clearing out the Portal gives riches and special powers]
[It's time for your races to forge ahead and enter, because if they don't... they'll die]
[750 DP]
[Great Flood]
[Water has covered the globe, drowning all landmasses]
[Your races will have to adapt quickly to life on boats]
[And learn to purify rainwater and build shelter from the sun]
[Someday, the waters may recede, but will they be able to survive that long?]
[500 DP]
"Huh, these seem... tamer than I expected," Atlas said, "Sure they're bad, but there's a way for the people to win, defeating or outlasting the cause of the Apocalypse and saving the world."
"Well, for most of them," Aurora said, "Not exactly sporting to not give them a chance to save themselves. But there's also [Black Hole], [Giant Meteor], and [Sun Supernova] if you just really need to start over, but those destroy the planet as well."
"Huh," Atlas said again, before changing the subject, "Well, anyway, we're activating the Dragons, right?"
"Right," Aurora nodded.
Atlas did so, and an Alert popped up. It prompted him to chose a place on his planet for the Dragons to appear. He chose the furthest western mountain on the eastern continent.
He looked back at the map, zooming in. There were small shapes flying around the mountain, so Atlas zoomed in again. Yep, those were Dragons, alright. There were even some nesting ones. He watched the flying ones swoop about, exploring the mountain where they'd just appeared. He zoomed in a third time, focusing on a particular nesting female. She was huddled down, protecting her eggs. He felt bad, clearly the new Dragons were confused by their sudden existence.
"Is there some way to send a message to one specific target?" Atlas asked, turning to look at Aurora.
"Hmm," Aurora thought for a moment, "There is something similar to a Divine Oracle, just without the wide range. It's called Divine Communication, and it allows for you to have a conversation with whoever you choose. You can have a group conversation with this, but you have to select each person individually. Normally you'd do it by using the menu, but to do that you need to know the person's name. It should work by selecting the person you want to contact on the map as well."
Atlas nodded and selected the nesting dragon on the map.
Eyes-Of-Sapphire was worried and confused. It was obvious why, she knew these eggs she was guarding were hers, but she also knew that she'd only come into existence a few minutes ago. So, where did these memory fragments come from, and where was she? Some of the other dragons she'd appeared with had taken to the skies, trying to discover where they were.
She sighed, she'd already accepted these eggs as hers, and all of the responsibility that came with that. Suddenly, she heard a voice.
Do not be afraid
She jerked upwards, scanning the area. Where had that voice come from? "Where are you? Show yourself," She commanded.
I'm afraid that isn't possible
I am speaking to you from very far away
"Huh," She snorted, relaxing back into her nest to cradle her eggs again, "I hear the truth in your words. Why have you contacted me, if you are so very far away?" She wasn't too worried now, but this situation was still strange.
To explain your situation
And ask for your cooperation
"You know of this situation we have found ourselves in?" She asked, curious, "How is that possible if you're so far? And cooperation in what?"
The reason you have found yourselves there so suddenly
Is because I have just created you
I suppose I could have made the transition from nothingness to existence easier
I apologize for any confusion or worry I may have caused
Was she speaking to some sort of God? "I understand," She said, trying to be diplomatic, no need to rile up any powerful beings when she'd just come into being, "I accept your apology as offered. I can hear the truth in the words you speak. You spoke of cooperation?"
Yes
I have given you, and all Dragonkind knowledge of this Magical Language
In doing so, you are now all able to cast magic by speaking this Language aloud
Seeing as you all are able to live for millennia, and can now use a powerful form of magic
It is my wish as your creator for you all to protect this world and its inhabitants
Eyes-Of-Sapphire pondered this. "You want us to protect this world? Why? Must we become mediators in all of this world's inhabitants squabbles?"
There will be many creatures that inhabit this world
The Nature Spirits can handle the day to day managing of Nature
The Races will handle themselves in the long run
What I want from you is to interfere if some outside force invades
or if someone is attempting to destroy this world
Otherwise you all are free to do as you wish within reason
She laughed, "That is something we would do anyway, in order to protect ourselves. If that is all you ask, then you have nothing to worry about. We will do as you have requested."
I give you my thanks
There are fish to eat in the ocean to the west
To the east is a prairie with bovines that you can eat as well
I will ask you to not eat anything sentient
but otherwise you are free to do as you like
I will also give you a Gift as thanks
Eyes-Of-Sapphire was confused again, what gift? Suddenly, she felt a rush of warmth that ran through her body and accumulated beneath her. Her eggs! She got up quickly, examining them. They seemed fine, but she checked over all eight one at a time.
There are eight elements of magic in this world
Earth, Water, Air, Fire, Life, Ice, Storm, and Magma
I have blessed your children so that each of them is gifted in one of these categories
They will become powerful in their element, so look after them as they grow
She was shocked, "Thank you! That is a wonderful gift. I will protect them until they can look after themselves." She would protect them even after that, but whatever. A male dragon swooped down and landed nearby. It was, Diamonds-For-Teeth, the one who her memory fragments suggested was the father of her clutch. He approached, and she gestured for him to join her.
I'll leave the two of you alone now
I welcome you to this world
Diamonds-For-Teeth startled, fanning out his wings, "What was that!?" He cried. Oh, he heard the voice too.
Eyes-Of-Sapphire shook her head, "I'll explain. I've got a lot to tell you."
There, that should get the Dragons settled in. Atlas watched them for a moment, then turned back to Aurora.
"Thanks for the help in blessing the eggs," He said, "I still haven't really started testing out magic yet."
"We can work on that later," Aurora said, "But first we need to add the [Mythical Creatures] and the Races."
Atlas nodded, and activated the [Mythical Creatures] pack. It prompted him to pick a place to deposit each different type of creature, and he spread them out over the two continents and the small islands between.
Now, for the Races. He activated them, making sure that this time they wouldn't be so confused, and decided on placing Elves, Humans, and Dwarves on the western continent, and Beastmen and Halflings on the eastern continent with the Dragons.
On the western continent, he placed Elves in the northeastern forest, Dwarves in the southern mountain range, and Humans furthest west on the thumb.
On the eastern continent, he placed the Beastmen at the beginning of the middle finger, and the Halflings in the southeast, south of a large lake. Once he was done, he finalized the placements and was immediately delivered an Alert.
[Achievement 'Man's First Step' Unlocked]
[Activate your first Race]
[+ 100 DP]
[Achievement 'Racial Melting Pot' Achieved]
[Activate 5 or more Races on one world]
[+ 100 DP]
Neat, more DP. Atlas stretched, pushing the Pedestal away. "I think that does it for a while," He said, yawning.
Aurora nodded, "That's everything we had to take care of for now. We can let things play out for a while or Time Skip into the future, whatever you feel like doing."
"What time is it back home?" Atlas asked.
"Late Sunday evening," Aurora said, "We've got classes in the morning."
"Oh, right." Atlas said, "My Native American Mythology course. You're taking it too?"
"We have pretty similar schedules," Aurora nodded, "I figured that was easier. We can work on the homework together."
"Oh shoot, Homework!" Atlas started, "I haven't done it! I haven't even started!"
"Don't worry about it!" Aurora said, trying to calm him down, "I brought it with, you can take as long as you want, and I'll use my powers to have us arrive to class on time." She pulled out his college binder. laptop, and textbooks.
"Huh," Atlas had forgotten about that in his panic, "Handy." He took the offered binder, and paged through it, "I have an assigned reading to do, and a short paper to write on my analysis of the work."
"With the Divinity ability to speed read I taught you, the assigned reading should be easy." She said, smiling, "And the paper shouldn't be too hard either. Your memory is much better now that you've become a God."
He nodded, pulling the textbook out and flipping to the assigned chapters. They were currently studying the Aztec culture and the myths and stories they believed in. It was rather gruesome, all of the human sacrifice and cannibalism, but Atlas pushed through. He banged out a quick paper, comparing the the sacrifices in Aztec myths to the ones practiced in the Old Testament of the Bible, and making the point that they weren't so different after all. It wasn't a point that a lot of hardcore Christians would like, but wasn't the point of the new Testament that all of the old traditions and rules were no longer necessary to follow?
Well whatever, it wasn't like Atlas was religious anyways. Which, now that he thought about it might be kind of strange. He now had proof that some sort of God existed, but he also had proof that that God was just another person, capable of failing and making mistakes. He himself was some sort of God, with his own universe to rule.
This whole topic was starting to make him feel weird, so Atlas finished the paper while trying to limit his weird psychological ranting about Gods and mortality. He looked his paper over and decided he was satisfied with the result, so he saved his work and typed up an email with his paper attached to send to his professor once he was back on Earth.
"Done," Atlas nodded, "We just need to go back to Earth and I'll be ready for class."
"Same," Aurora agreed, "I wonder if any of these Gods actually existed at some point, or was it all some sort of religious fanaticism."
"Honestly, I wouldn't be surprised if they did exist, but I'm definitely hoping they didn't." Atlas sighed. "If those are the sort of Gods who created Earth, then we're probably all screwed."
"That may not be Gods in the Divine sense," Aurora said, thinking, "They might be more like some sort of spirits that were worshiped. The act of being worshiped gives spirits more power, so it wouldn't be surprising that with that much sacrifice and worship, they were seen as Gods."
"That just makes me more worried," Atlas said, "If those are the sorts of Spirits that Earth's God created, then I definitely don't want to meet them. Any God that creates Spirits so cruel doesn't have good intentions."
"This is all theoretical, anyway," Aurora replied, shaking her head, "It's probably pointless to think about it. Let's get ready for class, and I can Time Travel us to Monday morning at your apartment. After classes are done, I'll start teaching you how to do magic."
Atlas nodded, and they changed into everyday clothes and headed off to college.
That was how they spent the next few days. They attended their college classes during the day, and at night Aurora helped Atlas understand magic. She started with the explanation of Runes.
"There are sixteen different runes, eight elemental runes and eight effect runes. Every rune has a different meaning depending on where it's placed in the spell circle and what other runes are used, and the color of the spell changes depending on which rune is considered the central rune. I'll go over the Elemental Runes first."
"Fire runes are red, and when they are the central rune it means the spell is a Fire elemental spell. They are mainly used outside of the central rune for their Intensity, being able to heighten spells effects, making them more powerful."
"Magma runes are orange, and are used as the central rune during Magma elemental spells. They are used otherwise as Damage increasing runes, making spells more destructive and dangerous."
"Earth runes are yellow, and are used as the central rune for Earth elemental spells. When not in the central position they are used for their Structure, bring stability and cohesion to the spell circle. This can help balance out conflicting forces making combining opposites possible."
"Life runes are a bright green, and are the central rune in Life elemental spells. When they're not in the central position they add Lifeforce to a spell. Similar to an AI, it gives the spell a certain degree of reactionary ability, able to auto correct trajectory and follow a target's movements."
"Water runes, a deep blue, are used as central runes for Water elemental spells. If they aren't in the central position they're used for their Adaptability. It makes the spell malleable, allowing you to shape it as you desire."
"Ice runes are a light blue, and are used as the center for Ice elemental spells. When not in the center they're used for their Calm. This makes the spells more subtle and hard to detect, though it does lower the overall power somewhat."
"Air runes are white, and are used in the central position for Air elemental spells. When not in the center they're used for their Freedom. It allows spells to become detached from the realm, crossing planes and creating connections between realms. They are used in Spacial Pocket spells and summoning spells, for example."
"Storm runes are purple, and are used in the center for Storm elemental spells. When not in the central position they are used for their Energy, increasing the duration for which a spell will last."
"Now on to the Effect runes. These are Enchant, Reject, Control, Conjure, Modify, Mend, Perceive, and Transport. They're used slightly differently than elemental runes, in that they can still have their original effect while in the secondary position."
"Enchant runes are dark red, and are used in the central position for Blessings and Curses. The Enchant rune adds effects to the target of the spell, without changing the target itself. When not in the center, they allow for adding additional effects to the spell itself, such as a spell that summons thorny branches, and also uses those branches to bind an enemy."
"Reject runes are a goldenrod color, and are used in the center of Shields, Wards, and magic removal spells. Rejection spells get stronger depending on how specific the target of rejection is. If it's a shield meant to defend against fire attacks, it will be very powerful against those techniques. It will be able to defend against the most powerful fire attacks, but it will be weak against other types of attacks. If it's a shield meant to defend against all attacks, it will be somewhat strong, but a powerful attack of any form will be able to break it."
"Control runes are lime green, and give control over the target. Usually, the spell controls the target's movement. This is typically used by Puppeteers, or Swordsmages, the types that move objects around using magic to fight. It can be used with other runes however, changing what the spell manipulates. When mixed with a Perceive rune, it can control a target's perception to create illusions, for example."
"A Conjure rune is a dark green, and is used in the center of spells that create objects from magical energy. Creation of any object is possible, but they don't last forever. These runes are mainly used in the secondary position to elemental runes, allowing for specific elements to be conjured. When also mixed with a Water rune in secondary position, it allows for the shape of the conjured element to be modifiable."
"Modify runes are teal, and are used to change the shape or purpose of the target. Unlike Enchant runes, these runes change what a target is rather than what is does. They also allow for the modification of already cast spells, though it's tricky to do. Some people get Modify runes and secondary position Water runes confused. I can see why, but it's not that complicated. Secondary water runes change the shape of the spell you are casting. Modify runes change the shape of the target of the spell, it that helps explain it. Anyway, I got off topic..."
"Mend runes are magenta, and are Healing and Fixing spells. They can put both you and a broken object back together, but using it to heal is a bit different. It doesn't work that well on diseases caused by outside sources, such as viruses and bacteria, seeing as both you and the disease are working as intended. It also doesn't work well on genetic diseases, seeing as your DNA says that that's what's supposed to be happening. Alone, it's mainly used for healing injuries. When mixed with other runes, however, you can get different effects. Using a Mend run with a Modify rune to change the purpose of the disease, rendering it inert is usually how healers get rid of those kinds of diseases, but it is very difficult. Only those who have truly mastered Mending magic are able to do it."
"Transport runes are black, and allow you to change the location of the target of your spell. It's similar to control runes, but control runes make the target move there by themself. Transport runes teleport the target directly to the location you chose, don't pass go, and don't collect two hundred dollars."
Atlas gave Aurora a look, and she giggled, "Sorry, sorry, I'll continue. Transport also allow for spells to transport an object directly to you without being able to see it, and allows for summoning creatures from another plane, if mixed with a secondary Air rune. That's how Summoners typically use their magic. You can also use Transport for teleporting yourself, which is pretty cool even if it's useless for us Gods."
"Perceive runes are grey, and by using them you can enhance your senses, or even allow yourself to perceive things you couldn't before. I think lots of mortals will be using these spells to interact with our Nature Spirits. Perceive can also be used for scrying when mixed with Transport runes, allowing you to see far away places without having to move."
Atlas nodded, and memorized the runes and their meanings. They spent the rest of the night learning the basic spell circles, and how to add runes to them. The next two nights were spent increasing the difficulty, and by Friday, Atlas could say he was pretty confident in writing his own spells. Which was good because on Friday, something rather unexpected happened.
Atlas and Aurora were in their English Literature class, doing their best to pay attention. The professor was an old man who seemed a bit senile, and usually didn't notice when people were goofing off in his class. Well, it was their loss, seeing as they were paying so much money to be there. If they wanted to waste it, Atlas wasn't going to stop them, he just wished they weren't so distracting. He and Aurora had chosen a seat to the right side of the classroom, and the goofballs were all the way to the right.
They were a bunch of Frat Boys, all giggling rather childishly over one of their phones. They seemed to be taking photos or a video, or something. He looked to see who they were recording and noticed a rather pretty girl he hadn't seen in this class before. Was she a new student? What was stranger was that she was wearing full on witch robes, complete with the hat. You know, the pointed one with the wide brim.
Now that he'd noticed her, Atlas couldn't believe he'd missed her in the first place. Sure, she was front row, all the way to the opposite side of the room away from the door, and he and Aurora had slouched in along the wall to the left, but she still stood out. He really needed to start paying better attention if he was missing this sort of thing.
The professor checked the time, "Oh, it's time for class to end. Remember to do the reading of the next three chapters by next week, we'll be having an in-class discussion about our thoughts!" He yelled over the sounds of all of the students packing their bags and leaving the room.
Atlas packed up as well, and he and Aurora headed out into the hall. They walked a few more paces before he was suddenly stopped by a tapping on his shoulder. He turned around to see the witch girl, with an annoyed look on her face.
"Who are you?" She asked, her body rigid. She seemed on edge.
"Oh, I'm Atlas Oswald," He said, holding out his hand, "And this is Aurora, nice to meet y-"
She cut in, ignoring his hand, "No, I mean who are you? Why are you here taking classes?"
What was she talking about? "Uh, I'm a student here? Just like everybody else?"
She looked him up and down, "But you're not like every body else, are you? What's your purpose for being here, in this city? Do you have some sort of plan to take over?"
Atlas looked at Aurora, confused. She had a surprised look on her face, which surprised Atlas even more. He turned back to the witch girl, "Look, I don't know what you're talking about. I'm just a student here, and my purpose here is to learn." He said.
"Fine, don't talk," The girl threw her dark hair back over her shoulder as she turned in a huff, "That's what I'm here for anyway. I'll be watching you." She walked off, turning down a corridor and disappearing.
"What was that about?" Atlas asked, turning to look at Aurora.
"She-" Aurora said, surprised, "She had magic."
"What?" Atlas asked, taken aback.
"She had magic, she must have been able to sense you," Aurora explained, "That's why she was so hostile."
"Sense me?" Atlas asked, "How could she do that?"
"I had assumed nobody on this planet could sense Divine Energy or magic, so I hadn't yet bothered to teach you how to mask your power. I'm sorry." Aurora said, frowning.
"It's okay, we can learn that later," Atlas said, trying to cheer Aurora up, before a thought occurred to him, "Does she know what I am?"
Aurora pondered for a second, "Probably not, she would just sense that you were extremely powerful. She might suspect you're some sort of ancient spirit or powerful wizard, here for some nefarious purpose."
"What? But those things don't exist on Earth." Atlas said.
Aurora turned to look at him, "I think they might. We were wrong in thinking that Earth is a regular Science world. That's the only explanation."
Looking forward to the next chapter
thank you for the chapter
Tsundere maybe????
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