Zephilinox

With this chapter the story is now over 20,000 words! Thanks for reading! 

I haven't got an
official schedule, but I've been trying (and so far succeeding) to release one chapter a day. I
can't promise it'll stay that way, but I'll make sure there's at least 1 a week, while aiming for at least 3
chapters a week!

Enjoy the chapter 🧡

"I'm the fucking queen of slaying, and you're the assholes that walked in here and started shit. Pay and leave, or I'll call the guards!" I say, fuming.

"The guards?" the leader says, as the others cackle. "The guards wouldn't dare lay a finger on us. We're nobility."

"Oh my apologies, your highness. I didn't realise your parents were cousins. That certainly explains your behaviour," I say.

"How dare you! I think we deserve a real apology, don't you?" one of them says, looking at his companions.

"Yes, perhaps something... public? A beating?" the other one says with a devilish grin.

"Is that what your cousins, sorry, I mean siblings, did to you when you were being a royal turd?" I quip back.

"That's enough!" The leader shouts.

I feel weird... why am I trembling?

The Ether? What's happening? It's... heavy? Pushing me down?

I fall to my knees for a moment before eventually ending up on all fours.

"What... what are you doing?" I barely manage to get out. I can barely breathe!

I can't take this anymore! My body collapses to the floor, immobile and prone. I can't move!

Sera is on her knees next to me.

"Please... stop..." she barely manages to whisper.

"Wow, how pathetic. I've never seen someone so weak before," they cackle. "You might actually die!"

Die?

"How about you kiss my feet," the leader says, shoving his foot in my face.

"Yeah! Kiss mine too!" One of the other nobles says, shoving his towards Sera.

"Get the fuck away from us!" I grimace.

I have to do something.

Status

I can't think. Oh my dogs, his shoes are so fraking dirty.

I'm... I'm... I'm... hyperventilating?

Stop.

Think.

Breathe.

I look at Sera, fear on her face. I can tell she's about to crack, too.

I need to...

Find...

Something...

I vaguely spot a notification in the corner of my vision.

> Spawned Hyperthought. Intelligence: 1/3

What's that?

After a few moments that seem to drag on for eternity, a new notification appears.

> Task complete. Trait Located: Emotional Mimicry

"Witch! Give it to me!" I grunt through clenched teeth.

"What did she just say?" I hear one of them ask. They sound so far away. I barely even register it.

> Masking Trait [Emotional Mimicry] Unlocked!
> Sense and mimic the emotions of those around you, overriding your own.

Holy crap. I feel so... repulsed. This fucking teenage gaggle of uptight assholery dare disrespect me?

"Who cares! I said kiss my fucking shoes!" the leader shouts, kicking my head to the side and shoving his foot in my face again! How fucking dare he!

> Constitution: 2/3

This piece of shit!

> Spawned Hyperthought. Intelligence: 0/3
> Task complete. Trait Located: Mirror Presence

"GIVE IT TO ME!" I scream at the system, the shit-brained robotic witch that dared to bring me to this depressing realm of fucking grey sand and noble bastards.

One of them starts laughing. "What a maso-"

> Masking Trait [Mirror Presence] Unlocked!
> [Mirror Presence]
> Mirror your presence to match those around you, reflecting their presence. Effectiveness scales based on Charisma and Wisdom. Increases cost of Masking.
>
> You can adjust your presence to echo it back, or focus on scattering it away from you. Controlling the amount it affects others, versus the amount it affects you.
>
> Echoing Presence: 73% Efficiency
> Scattering Presence: 73% Efficiency

As soon as I unlocked Mirror Presence, the weight in the room, in the Ether, shifts drastically.

"What the fuck!" I hear them shout, Shocked at the turn of events. I see the two royal lackeys fall to their hands and knees, while the asshole with his foot in my face only seems to stagger.

I can finally breathe normally, the weight of the Ether lifting off of me. I slowly tilt my face towards the royal bastard in front of me and lock eyes with him.

"Get absolutely fucked!" I scream.

> Adjusting Mirror Presence
> Echoing Presence: 146% Efficiency
> Scattering Presence: 0% Efficiency

I see his two cronies grunting and falling to the floor. Did they faint? Good fucking riddance!

I glance over at Sera, next to me. She's looking at me with... shock? Fear? Thankfully she isn't being affected by my skill.

Meanwhile the noble in front of me falls to the floor, now in a similar position to myself. The weight of the Ether momentarily forces its way back on to me now that I reduced the scaterring to 0%, but then it releases slightly.

Is he weaker because he's struggling now too?

"What the fuck" he grunts through clenched teeth.

"Yeah, not so fun, is it? How does it feel to be on the other side? Asswipe." I say.

That emotion trait is now making me feel... terror, and shock.

> Emotional Mimicry Disabled

"Who... Who are you, really?" he whispers, face close to mine. I can smell his breath.

It smells like defeat.

Suddenly another popup appears.

> Charisma 0/3

Crap. My masking skill! It's exhausting all of my mental attributes even faster than I expected!

I need to find something else!

I quickly scan through the list of traits. I have one trait point left to spend, and without my intelligence attributes I can't activate whatever that Hyperthought thing was to find me something.

I need stats, I need more stats. I need some way to increase my stats. Spoons. I need spoons. I need...

Found it!

> Masking Trait [Social Battery] Unlocked!
> Your attributes drain slower, at the expense of a longer recovery time. In addition, your masking skill can now exhaust physical attributes.
> Priority: Mental Attributes

Status

> Stength: 3/3
> Dexterity: 2/3
> Constitution: 3/3
> Intelligence: 0/3
> Wisdom: 2/6
> Charisma: 0/6

I need to end this somehow! If my constitution hits 0...

Is this how I die? Over pastries?

"You... two... do... something!" He says, struggling to get out his words, grunting at his companions.

I look over and see them stir. Crap. Maybe they didn't faint after all?

Suddenly, I hear a jingle.

The bakery door. I glance over. A lizard-folk man comes running in, black cloth stiring over a reflective glint of armour, sword sheathed at his side.

A guard! Wait, did he say something?

" - right now! Stop!", as he unleashes something of his own, adding another chaotic whirlpool to the heavy Ether, though, this time uplifting it. It feels lighter.

The asshole glances over. "Tsk".

The Ether calms. Did he stop? I guess my skill has nothing to reflect now.

"This isn't over." The bastard whispers as he stands upright.

"Lara, what the hell is going on!" The guard says as I also begin to stand.

"Do I... know you?" I say.

Wait. I do recognise him.

"Loric?"

The shadows in the bakery flicker as a second guard emerges from them. Some kind of shadow magic?

Despite the Ether calming, there was still a palpable sense of danger in the air.

Am I in trouble?

"Look, we can't really get involv-"

"What do you mean! You're the guards! These three just came up and destroyed her pastries" I say, pointing at Sera and the mess on the floor. "And forced us to the ground trying to get me to kiss their feet. That bastard even kicked me!" I say, pointing to the mark on my face.

The trio are outside, talking to the other guard, when I see them leave through the window. That royal bastard gives me a smirk as he walks away

What the fuck!

"Where are they going!" I scream, pointing at them.

"Even if I wanted to do something, they basically have immunity from us. Look, their families will probably pay for the damages-"

"I don't care about the pastries," Sera interjects, "I just don't want to find myself harassed by them! I can't believe you would do this Lara!"

"Me?! Do what! They're the ones-"

"I don't care! All you had to do was let me handle it, instead you involved yourself without asking. I don't care how strong you are, all you've done is made things more problematic"

Me? I made things worse?

At that moment the door bell jingles again, as the other guard walks back in.

"Taryn, what happened?" Loric asks.

"As you'd expect, they denied their involvement, not that it matters."

"Unbelievable! You can't just let them get away with this!" I exclaim

"There's more" she says, looking at me. "They say you attacked them. We would have to arrest you-"

"What! They're lying! They-"

"Calm down."

Calm down? Calm down!?

"You're not being arrested. They were... gracious enough to offer an alternative," she says, handing me a note.

Let's see just how good you are, 'Slay Queen'.
Consider this your formal invitation to participate in the upcoming tournament.
I'll make you kiss my feet in front of the entire city.
I'm sure you don't need me to tell you what happens if you don't show.

"He wants to humiliate me in a tournament?" I ask. "Is that why they're here?"

"No, they're probably here for the auction. The tournament is a few months away still," Loric says.

"So what, I show up and get myself humiliated! And what happens if I don't show?"

"They'd probably send people to hunt you both down," Taryn says, glancing to Sera.

"Great," she says.

"I... I didn't mean to involve her. This was my decision. Can't you tell them that?" I ask Taryn

"They don't care. Consider yourselves lucky we showed up, they could have killed you, which would have been bad... or, you might have killed them. That would have been really bad" Taryn says.

"Kill? Over some pastries?"

"No", Loric says. "Over respect."

"That's insane," I say.

"That's nobles."

I can't believe I got myself in to this mess. I've only been here a few weeks!

"Sera, I'm sorry. I never meant for this to happen," I say.

"Forget it. Just... go home," she says, defeated.

"No, let me help clean up at least!"

"You've helped enough. I'll see you later" she says, barely hiding the hatred in her words.

I fracked up. Again. I always frack things up.

After sorting things out with Loric and Taryn, I make my way back to the Inn.

"Lara! The usual?" Telviv asks as I walk by. I barely notice her.

"I'm not... feeling too hungry," I say quietly.

I head to my room, collapse in bed, and squish Nora.

"Today was not a good day, after all..." I whisper.

sowwy...

I'm so tired...

> Status
> Name: Lara Rose Mycroft
> Age: 24
> Level: 1
> Ether: -16,626/1,000
> Species: Aberrant Human
> AP: 0/1
> SP: 0/7
> PP: 0/8
> Strength: 1/3
> Dexterity: 0/3
> Constitution: 1/3
> Intelligence: 0/3
> Wisdom: 0/6
> Charisma: 0/3
> Utility Skills:
> - Masking - Mastery Grade - 0/7 TP
> -- Language Mimicry
> -- Writing Mimicry
> -- Biological Mimicry
> -- Clothing Mimicry
> -- Emotional Mimicry
> -- Social Battery
> -- Mirror Presence
> Proficiencies:
> - Walking - Intermediate Grade - 0/2 TP
> -- Aberrant Step
> -- Adaptable Step
> - Ether Cultivation - Beginner Grade - 0/1 TP
> -- Subconscious Harvest
> - Ether Crystallisation - Beginner Grade - 0/1 TP
> -- Subconscious Harvest
> - Baking - Novice Grade - 0/0 TP

But it felt... good. To see those nobles flat on their faces after what they did. I made them collapse. Me! Even if it was just for a moment...

I want to feel that power again. I'll never let anyone step over me like that. I'll get stronger. I'll face them in the tournament and kick their asses!

How hard could it be?