The rest of the morning with Dr. Reynolds is filled with a ton of busy work. He and I take hundreds of pictures, painstakingly transcribing each of the thousands of glyphs into a linguistic analysis software. The goal of it all, according to the professor, is to have the computer start to analyze both the glyphs and individual runes for any patterns that we might be able to use to decipher meaning. The computer is also supposed to look for glyphs that are similar in appearance, under the conjecture that they may be related by what he refers to as ‘morphological roots’.
As he described the process to me, the words ‘theory’, ‘theories’, ‘theorem’, ‘theorize’, and so forth all look similar because they are related to similar concepts. He has conjectured that the accompanying runes on some of the glyphs are like prefixes and suffixes, changing the meaning in sometimes subtle ways, or inflecting it with respect to the language’s grammar.
He’s been spending the morning probing through questions I never would have known to ask. Is it a language with grammatical gender? And if so, how many? Does the language have a flexible ordering between its subject, verb, and object, or must a properly-constructed sentence obey certain rules on the ordering? What are the helping and auxiliary verbs in the language? Is the language perfectly regular with regard to its verbs, or are there certain verbs— like the dreaded ‘to be’ in English— which inflect out of the norm? He muses on these and even more, and all the while, all I can do is be a good laboratory assistant and try to identify any vocabulary with my [Basic Glyph Manipulation].
The most immediately useful of the glyphs I’ve identified is the glyph of [Sharpness], for surprising reasons. While it is marginally useful at improving the cutting power of a sword or other edged weapon, it synergizes extremely nicely with my [Ether Bullets]. Instead of being a concussive weapon that explodes into a small area, they become rounds capable of piercing just about anything not buttressed by defensive glyphs. Like tank armor, or lead plating. Or solid foot-thick slabs of concrete. The [Ether] cost per shot is high, and scales with the degree of piercing power sought, but the power and potential are undeniable.
More than anything, it’s a warning and a swift kick in the rear to the people still hoping to rely on the military doctrine that was applicable in 2022. No amount of conventional weaponry will be able to repel even the weak forces empowered by the System’s power. And so, just as it did in my world, it is slowly ingratiating itself into every aspect of our life and livelihood. And just as with everything else, right now, my only choice is to play along, take advantage of the resources I have access to, and grow my personal power in the process.
I feel a little like a mole working in the shadows when I say that. And I guess, I am. Just, with the System itself as my primary objective.
One thought does cross my mind as we take an afternoon breather. What if these memories are doctored somehow? What if the researchers back on Planet XSQ-1827 designed me for another purpose altogether. If the System truly is all-powerful, manipulating memories is within its power. But then, why go through all this trouble? Why would it have spat out an error message back then? Why would it have given me the [Touched by the Multiverse] unique trait? Wouldn’t it have been better and easier to let me be completely ignorant as to my past.
There’s only one logical conclusion to this question. It must be some aspect of my unique power. The one Madison said I have, the power designed to combat the System itself. But at the same time, I also need the power of the System. Combining those two powers somehow. If only I knew how to do that.
We finish our first day of work at five o’clock sharp, my stomach’s grumbling ticking down the last half hour’s worth of minutes. In our rush to get as much done today as possible, both Dr. Reynolds and I completely neglected lunch, leaving a distraught and far from copacetic Chloe to deliver hardtack and warm water to us as we continued our daunting task. Hardtack, when plenty of better options were available. All because, to quote my sinister best friend, ‘there needs to be consequences for your actions when you do things you know are bad for you’.
I’m not sure what bothers me more. The taste of hardtack, or knowing that she’s not wrong about needing to rest my mind and stay properly fed.
Chloe is there the second our day is done, and I scarcely have a moment to say my pleasantries with the professor before I’m being literally dragged out the door by Chloe, all while Lindsey is still there, smirking at me as I’m helplessly brought back to the mess hall.
Dinner is pulled pork brisket barbecue sandwiches with a side of potato salad and assorted fruits. I grab a small cupful of cherries, while Chloe grabs an apple. We make our way over to one of the back tables and don’t say much of anything as we scarf down our meals alongside the other soldiers.
A couple of young men of around twenty to twenty-two sit down across from the two of us. Chloe looks at me and I give her a nod, letting her know without words that I’ll have her back, no matter what ends up happening.
“Good afternoon, ladies,” the first of them says. “Private Nimholt. And this is my friend, Private First Class Jacobson.”
Chloe offers her hand to both of them. “Chloe Jacobs,” she says. “Not formally part of the force, as far as I’m aware. Not really sure if we have a rank or what you two are supposed to call us.”
“Ms. Jacobs,” Private Jacobson says. “It’s how we’re trained to refer to contractors and other civvies who sometimes end up on base.”
“Seraphina Mortensen,” I add.
“Oh, Ms. Mortensen, trust me, after your little stunt in the firing range a few days ago, everyone knows who you are.”
I sigh. “I hope it’s not in a bad way.”
Private Nimholt shakes his head. “No, Ma’am. I mean, yes, the people who were on duty who had to clean up your little mess might be a bit upset. But the rest of us are more impressed than anything.”
I let a nervous chuckle slip out. “Just a class ability,” I say. “Is there anyone in particular I should try to avoid for the next couple of days, just out of an abundance of caution?”
Private Nimholt gives a full-bodied laugh. “I assure you, Ms. Mortensen, it will not be you who needs to do the avoiding. Anyone who has a reason to bother you is already well aware of what you’re capable of, and doesn’t want to be on the receiving end of it.”
The narrative has been taken without permission. Report any sightings.
I can’t help but chuckle at the private’s words. Here I was, terrified of facing Alexey’s wrath, and already, I have several individuals who feel the exact same way about me.
“Chloe?” I ask. “Am I really that scary?”
She gives me an incredulous stare. “I don’t find you scary in the slightest. However, you kinda do have a long trail of monster corpses behind you. I can see why people are wary of joining the heap.”
I’m not sure if her words make me feel better or worse about myself. In either case, we finish dinner in short order and find my way to the training grounds. There’s something I want to test out, and I want Chloe here in the case where this comes to bite me in the butt.
“What are you planning, anyway?” she asks.
“I’d rather demonstrate my conjectures than try to explain them. But the goal is to try to mimic the spells that you and others cast, even though I don’t have a class with innate spellcasting features.”
“So, if this works, you’ll be able to heal as well as I can?”
“I doubt it. Your spells are designed and optimized by the System. That’s why you can cast them so efficiently. Just like my [Lightning Bullet] matches the destructive power of a [Lightning Bolt] spell cast by a [Lightning Evoker], but costs seventy [Ether] instead of fourteen. But, my class is all about flexibility, and one of the weaknesses I currently have is that if I don’t have access to my weapons and other crafted gear, I’m as useless as a sitting duck. And I really don’t want to be useless.”
“Just, be careful. If you do something stupid and get yourself hurt, I’m not going to heal you.” Chloe gives me The Look and crosses her arms. “I mean it, Sera. Don’t test me!”
I’m not convinced in the slightest. I also know better than to provoke her further. I move ten paces away and take a deep breath. I activate my [Ethersight] and use my [Intermediate Ether Manipulation] to channel my [Ether] into my index fingers. The characteristic teal glow of channeled Ether radiates into the surroundings.
My fingers move in a blur, painting the air in front of me with the glow of Ether. I block out all sensation from the outside world as I start drawing my proposed design. First, an outer annulus of two concentric sluices nearly adjacent to one another. I draw an inscribed equilateral triangle, then another at a forty-degree offset. Then a third at an eighty-degree offset, forming a regular enneagram in the center of the circle.
Next, the glyphs. Glyph of [Light], Glyph of [Sharpness], along with the two linking glyphs the professor and I were studying this afternoon. I believe this phrase should roughly translate to ‘Sharpened By the Light’ My [Ether] reserves are draining fast, nearly eighteen points a second just to maintain the glyphs in the air, and the actual spell is going to require a lot more. Still, this is proof of concept, in a safe location, and I’m prepared to spend every drop I have to prove my conjectures correct.
Once I’m satisfied that every rune is in the correct position and all of the glyphs are where they need to be, I flood the entire spell circle with [Ether] It begins to glow with a brilliant white light, and I faintly hear gasps from nearby onlookers as they try to figure out exactly what I’m doing. And it’s working. Sweat beads down my forehead and my hands are growing tingly and numb from channeling so much [Ether] in quick succession, but the technique is working and, damn it all, I’m going to see it through!
One final glyph in the center of the circle. The Glyph of [Impulse], one of the first I learned how to use. I lock it into place, grunt as I concentrate all of my willpower into the spell, and fire the attack.
A blade of pure light, as long as my body is tall and as wide as my thighs, blitzes into the late afternoon sky. Higher and higher it goes, leaving a streak of light like a comet’s tail in its wake. When its head is nearly out of sight, I release the attack.
It explodes like a firework, sans the explosive sound typically associated with the same. A sphere of light as bright as the sun flashes the sky above into daylight for a brief moment before dissipating. I drop to one knee, having used over ninety-five percent of my [Ether] reserves, and my [Ethersight] shuts down of its own accord. But the System notifications that follow are a delight for my fuzzed vision and strained eyes.
[Your [Basic Glyph Manipulation (Rank VI) has upgraded to [Basic Glyph Manipulation (Rank VII)].]
[Your [Intermediate Ether Manipulation (Rank III) has upgraded to [Intermediate Glyph Manipulation (Rank IV)].]
[You have gained the General Skill: [Glyphcasting (Rank I)]. Would you like to learn this Skill? (General Skill Slots remaining: 3/6)]
Damn right I would. But I also want to look over the description first.
[[Glyphcasting]: You aren’t a mage and don’t desire to go down the mage’s path, but you’ll be damned before you let that stop you from delving into the study and practice of the magical arts. Rather than learning pre-prepared spells like most mages, you’ve chosen the perilous path of constructing your own from first principles, even knowing the downsides this approach has. The road to being a Glyphcaster is long, arduous, and will be filled with many trials and even more errors, but you are determined to see it through. Take this Skill, Apprentice Glyphcaster, and continue your experimental ways with gusto.]
I grin. And I take a moment to look over my status sheet for the first time in the past several days.
[Name: Seraphina Mortensen]
[Age: 18]
[Level: 22; Experience: 57,760; To Next: 13,565]
[Current Stats: [Health]: 1,870 / 1,870 ; [Ether]: 55 / 1,144]
[Current Stats: [Strength]: 25; [Speed]: 25; [Vitality]: 52; [Mind]: 66]
[Combat Parameters:
[Attack (Physical Damage Dealing Capability)]: 95 (Base Strength 25)]
[Agility (Ability to Dodge Attacks): 60 (Base Speed 25)]
[Defense (Damage Reduction from Physical Attacks): 90 (Base Vitality 52)]
[Magic Attack (Magic Damage Dealing Capability): 66 (Base Mind: 66)]
[Magic Defense (Damage Reduction from Magical Attacks): 71 (Base Mind: 66)]]
[Equipment:
[Weapon: [Modular Blowgun]: Attack +70 (+30 with glyphs inactive)]
[Helmet: [Bandana of Swiftness]: Defense +2, Agility +5]
[Arms / Shield: [Simple Buckler]: Defense +1, Agility +20]
[Body: [Brigandine]: Defense +30]
[Leg Armor: [Boots of [Impulse]]: Defense +5, Agility +5]
[Accessory 1: [[Repulsion] Gauntlets]: Defense +1, Magic Defense +5]
[Accessory 2: None]]
Class 1: [Planetouched Mechanist]
Class Skills: (2/6 Skill Slots remaining)
[Tinkerer]
[Flash of Insight]
[Ether Bullet (Rank X) [Max Rank Achieved]]
[Trick Shot]
General Skills: (2/6 Skill Slots remaining)
[Basic Glyph Manipulation (Rank VII)]
[Intermediate Ether Manipulation (Rank IV)]
[Ethersight (Rank IV)]
[Glyphcasting (Rank I)]
[Unique Trait: [Touched by the Multiverse]]
With those notifications cleared and my strength completely sapped, I decide to head to an early sleep tonight.
