Southside Coven: Path To Power (VII)

  --- Jon Whitaker ---

  “I still feel like we’re doing too little with all of this.” Artemis complained for the third time since they’d started filling in the blanks spots she’d left for the project. “I mean we’re not even using one of the circuits I made!”

  “This is also our first project with the demon arm, and I’d rather avoid a repeat of when just breaking it up caused me to explode!” He reminded her for the third time. “For now we keep this simple and we can do something… interesting with the next three pieces.”

  “We’d better…” Artemis grumbled, clearly disappointed by how simple he wanted to make this.

  (Well, better simple than explosive.) He thought with an eye roll. “Look at it this way, we’re focusing most of the arm’s potential into the whole point of the project. I mean with how much power we’re putting into the ‘storage capacity’ this thing could theoretically stop a freight train dead on.”

  “Your math is way off there.” Artemis informed him dryly. “It would actually be closer to a loaded down eighteen wheeler, because while it could handle just the train engine everything the train is carrying would throw the momentum off in a pile up effect.”

  He considered that for a moment, picturing the ensuing train wreck. “Well… technically it would still stop the train, it would just… derail everything behind it.”

  “And technically that would defeat the purpose of a defensive tool given how that derailment would probably kill whoever got hit by it point blank!” Artemis pointed out.

  “Yeah…” His defensive enchantments might ‘nudge’ things so that the gauntlet could more easily block attacks in time, but it wouldn’t do much to help with that problem. “Uh, I’m just about done with my add-on. How about you?”

  Artemis was quiet for a moment, before saying, “And… I… am…done!”

  “Really?” He blinked, having just finished himself. “Surprised we finished at the same time.”

  “That is odd…” Artemis admitted as she seemed to consider it. “I’m guessing you’re using one of your actual affinities too then? If so then I suppose we could have similar levels of skill using them.”

  “Uh… haven’t you been studying for like ten years or something?” He frowned, because he definitely didn’t have that much experience. (I mean I’ve got maybe twice that many weeks, let alone an entire year.)

  “Yes, but there’s a difference between proper projects and the kiddie projects Miss Edme gave me when she first started teaching me.” Artemis shrugged before explaining that, “Besides from what you’ve said I’ve also been taught in a larger number of fields than your more focused education, which could explain it as well.”

  “Maybe.” He grimaced, not really believing it himself as he started looking over Artemis’s far more complex looking circuit. “I will admit it does make me more curious about what you actually decided to set up for your own enchantment.”

  “Oh, it isn’t anything too fanciful, just a small add on that I feel will provide a decent complimentary effect to the project.” Artemis assured him as she began to inspect the circuit he’d been working on.

  They’d planned out the arm’s enchantments for the most part, but given how ‘simple’ his base plan was, she’d spent the entire time setting that first enchantment up trying to convince him to do something else. When she’d inevitably worn him down about keeping things too ‘simple’ -(because stubborn women are my weakness…)- they’d eventually compromised on splitting the ‘potential’ they’d calculated for the arm in half and decided to each add their own flairs to the project.

  For his half he’d gone with a simple defensive aid, making the arm more easily respond to any defensive actions and thus increasing the arm’s effectiveness as a defensive tool. Something he’d hoped would be twice as useful considering the planned ‘royal guard’ effect.

  He’d had no idea what Artemis had planned for her half of the potential.

  Which is why upon realizing just what she’d actually added he couldn’t help but grimace as he inhaled deeply.

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  “Jon…” Artemis called from behind him.

  “I know…” He sighed, as they both turned to face each other before sitting against the wall as they both realized the exact same thing.

  “You’ve got a ‘Defensive’ affinity too…”

  “Yep…”

  They were both quiet for a moment as they contemplated the fact that their circuits made the other’s more or less redundant, thus wasting a decent amount of the magical potential they’d had to play with.

  “What is your affinity exactly?” Artemis eventually asked.

  “Defender, you?”

  “Protective.”

  “Ah, you were going to make the arm Protective of its user.” He nodded, putting the few bits he’d been iffy about together.

  “Yep.” Artemis nodded back. “And I’m guessing yours would’ve made it a Defender of its wielder.”

  “Yeah.” He

  Artemis let out a snort. “Doesn’t change the fact that we’re going to have to re-write one of these if we don’t want to waste any potential. Which is going to be such a pain…”

  “Yeah…” He groaned, knowing exactly how hard it was to remove spell ink that hadn’t had the magical reactants triggered yet.

  “Evaporates with use, but you need hand soap and an hour to scrub off otherwise.” Artemis sighed.

  “Sanitizer works better, eats away at the ink.” He assured her.

  “I’ll have to try that.” Artemis admitted, before beginning to pick herself off of the ground. “For now we’re stuck with the dish soap though. I’ll go get a bucket and some sponges. You figure out whether [Defender] or [Protector] would be better for keeping Val safe.”

  “Sure thing.” He waved, staring at his own circuit which honestly looked a lot cruder than Artemis’s cleaner circuit, because even if it didn’t need the conversion bits hers had that didn’t change the fact that his looked notably more… amateurish to hers. (Then again I’ve been doing this for what three, four months? I’ll probably clean up as I go.)

  It didn’t really matter in the end just so long as it still worked, and as rough and wild as his magic was sometimes it did work.

  Regardless, with a sigh he picked himself off of the ground and began comparing his and Artemis’s circuits, pretty sure that he was going to choose hers given how much more detail there was but at the same time not just wanting to give up on his own circuit after putting so much work into it.

  (Defender or Protector, which will it be? Defender or Protector, Protector or Defender… They’re basically the same thing, but there’s got to be a conceptual difference no matter how small.) If he was lucky, Defender would prove superior to Protector. (Defender and Protector… One is defensive and one is protective? Which one is better for a ‘shield’ to have…)

  He kept thinking about it because as similar as the concepts were they also caused two very different images to pop into his head when he heard them. With Defender being an enduring figure against an onslaught and Protector being someone standing between someone and a threat. (But even then, they’re practically the same thing if you flex them a bit… As much as they overlap they’re practically one concept.)

  After a moment he decided that it might be best to just flip a coin or something, before checking his pockets (and… I don’t have a coin on me…Great…)

  He ran a hand through his hair looking between his wildly drawn Defender enchantment and Artemis’s far neater Protector enchantment and sighed. (Too bad these two would just cancel each other…) He paused. (Or would they merge? Actually what does happen when you mix two really similar concepts? Do they stack, fuse, or just even out?)

  As he contemplated these questions Artemis finally made her way back with a bucket full of water in her hands. “Alright, I’ve got the water and there’s some soap and sponges under my table. You decide which of these we’re washing off?”

  “Uh, before that… there’s something I wanted to ask you.” He told her as he took a step back from the circuits. “What exactly happens when you use two really similar but still distinct concepts? Do they merge, water each other down, stack, or what?”

  The Arcane teen frowned in thought as she set the bucket down. “It would depend on the concepts I guess, most would stack I think but given the similar power levels it would be far less efficient than just devoting more Anima to a single concept. Then some might change the behavior while maintaining the core, like how Flame has a bit more… fluidity to its shape than Fire but less power. Merging the two would offer the best of both but at a higher cost over all.”

  “Uh-huh, and what would happen if we did that with Defender and Protector?” He wondered.

  Artemis opened her mouth to answer before closing it in consideration. “I’m… not actually sure.”

  “Want to find out?”

  Scene Consequences

  -Due to [Synchronization] between Jon and Artemis’s affinities, [Defensive Guard (II)] and [Protective Guard (II)] will merge into a unique upgrade for the final product.

  -Horror’s Arm will still have: Stored Guard (II) as is.

  -Next step is the last one before handing it off to Val, and involves stress testing the Arm.

  -For working on Enchantments and brainstorming new Enchantments, gained 2XP to Enchantments and Occultism.

  --Currently: Enchanting Lv. 5 (6/12) and Occultism Lv. 8 (14/18)

  Patreon Thanks

  Thank You:

  -Rush99999

  -Kcx1

  -James Walsh

  -Regis Stella The Brony Pirate

  -Marcus Adams

  If you want to support these side stories or the setting in general, check out the .

  A/N: Also announcement, over on the Patreon we've started up a vote for a . (Note: It will be free to read, but only Paying Patreons will be able to vote.) I won't start the Quest proper for another two or three months since I intend to finish the first book of -we're in the final 10 Chapters- before then but we're still doing the voting now so I can sort out any final planning things.

  While the Runoff vote and everything after will be a Paid Exclusive, the initial vote is free. If anyone is interested here are the currently available options. (Only Counting Votes on Patreon Site.)

  -Anarchy Archetypes: The Gambler of Fates (Isekai Deck Building Quest)

  --Synopsis: He should've told the pretty girl no.

  But he didn't, now he's possessed by 'Lady Luck' a gambling addicted spirit that insists on nudging him towards some grand destiny while making him play her games where Luck and Skill are the only things keeping her from accidentally killing him.

  Something that wouldn't be not good but manageable if he wasn't stranded on another world where every other thing wants to kill him with his only way of getting home to his family being to track down five other people possessed by their own spirits.

  He really should've told the pretty girl no...

  --Tags: [Card Based Powers], [Survive The Isekai], [World Hopping Adventure]

  --Inspirations: Amphibia, Owl House, League of Legends, Psycho Duel Revelations

  -The Lamplighter's Guild (A Gothic Monster Hunter Quest)

  --Synopsis: Waking up with no memories, his father's corpse, and a message telling him to find his kidnapped sister, a young man sets out into a Victorian world filled with magic and monsters.

  His only hint to track down his father's old friend the leader of the Lamplighter's Guild. A group that keeps the cities lamps lit at night to protect everyone from the monsters that prowl the dark, lurking in the outskirts, and just waiting to sink their teeth in should the lights go out.

  This friend agrees to help him only if he can prove himself, so now he must hunt that which goes bump in the night, while also trying to find those who can help him to find the last living member of his family.

  --Tags: [Monster Hunter Protagonist], [Build Your Team], [Sword, Science, And Sorcery]

  --Inspirations: Lies of P, Bloodborne, Castlevania, Warhammer Fantasy

  -Simon Lorde, The Overlord (An Isekai Overlord Quest)

  --Synopsis: The Overlord is an infamous figure who has risen and fallen numerous times throughout history, conquering kingdoms, kidnapping princesses and unleashing an army of monsters.

  Simon Lorde is an archeology professor who wants nothing to do with any of that, he's content being a teacher, the only princess he's interested in is his wife, and the only monsters he unleashes are on D&D night.

  Unfortunately, he's now woken up in world simultaneous very familiar and very foreign with no idea how he got here, a magic gauntlet on his arm that won't come off, and half a dozen bickering overlords talking inside of his head.

  --Tags: [Voices In Your Head], [Kingdom Building], [Multiple Fantasy Kingdoms]

  --Inspirations: Adventure Time, She-Ra, Disco Elysium, Legend of Zelda

  -The Black Briar Library (An Eldritch Library Quest)

  --Synopsis: The Black Briar Library is a place that exists between Dreams and Reality, connected to the Akashic Records the massive library collects the stories of any person that catches the interest of its Eldritch Chairman.

  Of course 'Collecting' means many things, and is left up to the discretion of the Library's many librarians. A group of misfits and outcasts whose solace was in the quiet depths of the libraries that housed the fantastical stories they loved so much that the Chairman couldn't help but welcome them.

  Which is why the Chairman turns to you and asks, will you be one of her Librarians? Will you record the story of the Black Briar Library itself?

  --Tags: [Switchable Protagonists], [Each Campaign = A Story Derivative], [Dimensional Travelers]

  --Inspirations: Limbus Company, Library of Ruina, Grim Fairytales, Various Media

  -Smile Like You Mean It (A Demon Razing Hell Quest)

  --Synopsis: They say Hell is where bad people go, and that Home is where you make it, so what does it mean when you make your Home in Hell?

  Booker is a capital D Demon. That is one of the few things he remembers after waking in an alley with a static filled hole in his skull and the instinct that he needs to find something that's missing.

  And so he sets out in a Hell very different than the one presented by religion trying to piece together who he is and what happened to him. To do so he'll research forbidden knowledge, make demonic deals, and kill whoever gets in his way all with a smile in his face.?

  --Tags: [Affably Evil Demon], [Functionally Dysfunctional Urban Hell], [Taking The Whole Show Over]

  --Inspirations: Hazbin Hotel, Helluva Boss, Project Moon (Setting), MADTOWN