Wearing Power Armor to a Magic School (75/?) WiP 1 (Patreon)

Hey everyone! Here is the Work in Progress for Chapter 75 I hope you guys enjoy! :D As stated in the revised version for chapter 74, I've decided to move a few things around for narrative flow's sake and that's why we have a bit of a lunch scene here! I hope that's alright haha. I have an exam tomorrow so I really hope the Work in Progress came out okay today! :D

The look on Auris Ping’s face made one thing very clear to me; and that was that he clearly didn’t share the same degree of shock, confusion, nor disbelief I was currently experiencing. 

Which was to be expected, all things considered. 

Moreover, he seemed all too happy to address my sudden and abrupt question, if that smug toothy grin was of any indication. 

“He consumed them, Cadet Emma Booker.” The bull responded by simply repeating his words, though this time with an increasing glut of haughtiness. “Was the aim of your question for me to elaborate further, or did you simply require me to repeat myself?” He continued, feigning a thinly-veiled theatrical ignorance that wouldn’t have been out of place in your typical telenovela. “I assume your intent might’ve been the former, considering the word choice involved.” The bull paused, before shifting his posture, crossing his arms in a sort of dismissive arrogance. “Though I wouldn’t discount the latter option either, considering your propensity for wearing that eccentric form of dress, would more than likely result in more than its fair share of regrettably practical shortcomings - such as the ability to hear properly, for instance.”  

I could practically feel that renewed sense of haughtiness radiating from the bull’s face alone. His body stood tall and proud, towering over his peers, as if basking in the comeback he’d made in Articord’s class. A comeback propelled almost entirely by zealotry, by simply sticking to his guns, and maintaining that unwavering belief that at this point benefitted him rather than detracted from his class participation. 

Every fiber of my being was telling me to find some sort of witty comeback, some way to slap this bull back to reality.

But I didn’t.

As I simply resolved myself to one of Thacea’s many, many talking points last night.

One of which simply boiled down to: depriving your enemy of what they want. Which in this case simply meant, not to acknowledge the obvious bait.

Not to cause a scene, by giving them as little to work with as possible.

“Right. So, all of that aside, can we get back to the point? All I wanted to know was exactly what you meant by the whole ‘consume the gods’ comment. Like, do you mean that in a metaphorical sense where it’s like he took their place in the pecking order? Is it something a bit more metaphysical? Like, did he ascend to godhood and is now like running things from the ‘realm of the divine’? Or is it like, something weirdly literal like… the gods manifesting themselves into physical forms and then like… after being defeated, being carved up for a one-man all-you-can-eat Sunday Roast or something?” 

That entire glut of questions seemed to all but halt the raging bull in a matter of seconds, as he glared at me now more with annoyance rather than the self-proclaimed big-shot of class he was purporting to be a second ago.

“You needn’t be so… common with your oddly-specific descriptors, newrealmer. But alas, it is my duty to address those points all the same. You see, it’s quite simple, His-”

The door to the class began shuddering in place, the locks placed upon it rattling along with its chains. 

Articord could do nothing but to sigh at the sight, as the faintest hints of music could be heard just from behind the threshold of the door. 

“You are all dismissed for lunch.” She spoke to the entire class, before turning towards me specifically. “Cadet Emma Booker?”

“Yes Professor?”

“Your question need not warrant an entire period’s worth of explanation. I advise that you seek out said knowledge yourself from your peers. Oh, and on that note, that shall be your homework for next class.” 

“Understood.” I responded with a nod, before leaving in order-of-points, out and into lunch.

=====

The Grand Dining Hall. Local Time: 1215

Emma Booker

“So, let me get this straight.” I began, staring each and every one of the gang in the eye. “First, he started a war against the gods.”

“Correct.” Ilunor nodded impatiently.

“And then he defeated them… somehow, with lots of magic and social trickery and a whole bunch of followers in an apocalyptic battle that literally and I quote: ‘shattered the world in two’.” 

“Yes.” He nodded once more.

“And after defeating them… he just… up and consumed them? Like, you said it was one by one, sure, great, that’s a cool detail. But like, how exactly did he do that?” 

The Vunerian sighed through a look of utter frustration, before presenting me with his lunch, a spread of beautifully presented meats and vegetables, and what looked to be a leavened flatbread. 

“These are the gods.” He pointed at the meat spread. 

“And this is the vessel by which he ensnared their essences.” He pointed at the flatbread. 

“And supposing I was His Eternal Majesty.” Ilunor continued, carefully and daintily placing the various meats and vegetables into a neat little pile that kept getting larger, and larger… and larger still. Until it looked like the flatbread itself couldn’t hold it. “I perform various rituals and the sort, probably taking days if not weeks.” He continued, stretching this analogy further by folding the bread into a neat envelope-style parcel.

“And then finally, after all that endless work, I consume.” The blue thing did not hold back as he politely, yet firmly, stuffed that entire self-constructed sandwich into his gaping maw. 

A feat that I was not prepared to witness.

And something that just broke something within me.

Soon enough, with bulged cheeks and a ravenous, yet somehow polite and reserved chew sequence, he spoke. “And that’s that, earthrealmer.” 

To say I was taken aback, would’ve been the understatement of the century, as I turned towards both Thacea and Thalmin who each seemed to share a similar sentiment. “Is that… literally what happened?”

“Not literally, Emma.” Thacea spoke. “But if the stories, scriptures, and historical texts are to be believed, then this… analogy, is surprisingly apt. Down to the collection of powerful immortal god-like essences which were in effect, absorbed into His Eternal Majesty by way of nth-tier spells and rituals which spanned entire realms.”