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Chapter 49: Substitution (Patreon)

Published:
2016-02-22 18:33:37
Imported:
2022-02

Content

https://www.fictionpress.com/s/2961893/49/Mother-of-Learning

Chapter 49 is finished! Thank you all for being understanding about the delay.

Comments

Anonymous

Brilliant, just as I get on the train! Gives me something to read on the journey home! ^^

Julian

I can't figure out this chapter title. What is substitution referring to ? Substituting anti-memory modification message as time-traveling proof ?

Green0Photon

I read it and thanks for a longer chapter. :) It's good you took the extra day. Meh, I usually expect a bit more plot than I get, but it's good. Slow and steady, right? Here's a legit question: Why is the chapter called Substitution? My best guess would be Xvim thinking Zorian had been substituted. Nothing else I can think of works, and the titles tend to have more significance/relation to their chapter. This chapter has more than just that. Now: the speculation. Zach could be Red Robe, but that'd be a bit silly. I think Zach would be able to figure out it was Zorian from when Zorian said sorry to Zach before leaving to see the soulkill (if my memory serves). Also his skill during the fight (at least the coin). There has to be more than Zach wanting revenge. I think that the relevant authorities were in on the invasion with the Ibasans. Perhaps Zach's families knew stuff about portals & the Ibasans. My memory is fuzzy on them, but they were military and _I think_ led the push against the Ibasans. Could the Weeping be man/lich-made? I think the politics must've been huge. Essentially, the Ibasans targeted the Novedas. When the Weeping didn't kill them all, Tesen Zveri was asigned as his caretaker to finish them off. It was all a conspiracy that Sudomir is taking advantage of. Please correct me on the Noveda family/Weeping if I'm wrong. Regarding the scale of loop. First, the simplest thing would be to assume that the spiritual world exists throughout the whole universe too (or permiates). Now, it's also weird to assume that someone made the loop; I remember you writing that generally, previous mages weren't as powerful. Could the gates not be manmade, but god/spirit/something else-made. Something that either collaborated with the humans or the humans stole like every other piece of their magic. Now, putting a limit on the boundaries of loop is complicated, eg. what would it be like outside of it? At the edges? Of course, it could be a simulation where say the Earth (or whatever it's called) is high quality, but the stars are lower. There may or may not be a boundary, like becoming high quality when viewed. But that's super complicated and has many nuances. So, if it was made by the gods/another powerful figure, then why not let it go across the whole universe, if the gods created it. I like to think of it as a god taking the world as it is, then in a split second, preforming the simulation until it falls apart. Then, after the final loop, the souls that may be changed (time travelers) are affected. For everyone outside the loop, only the time travelers are affected. They are affected the point in time when the loop supposedly starts. I hope that makes sense. The god puts (a) mechanism/s to interact with the loop inside it (soul switches, soulkill spell which I think is a switch, gates?)). Here, the two mystic gates aren't related. One is teleportation and the other is the single gate for the loops. I guess this solves the stuck in soul trap thing and everything else. The looping construct would be just that, a construct. It's meant to fall apart (like the Matriarch said). As for Kael's stuff: he can tell because Soul Sight. Second: his stuff is going to be used for something important. Perhaps there's another Soul Sight potion he's going to share with Zorian. Yeah, I'm a big fan of this theory. Also waiting on the purpose of the Silverlake chapter. All in good time, I'm sure. I bet they're going to meet soon. Other holes? Misconceptions? You're the king Domagoj! Note: also posted on /r/rational in the comments of this chapter.

Green0Photon
>>1400098

I was thinking of Xvim thinking Zorian had been substituted, but that's not even that great. It would be Replaced and would be a crappy chapter title. (No offense if this was the intention Domagoj). I'd think it refers to something pretty damn important considering all the other chapter titles. It could very well be that though...

nobody103
>>1400212

I make it a point not to confirm or deny speculations about the plot, so you're just going to have to wait to see whether or not you're correct. :)

Dull Pen

Red Robe is Zorian himself?! Right? I'm starting some really weird theories because of the ending in this chapter :) I can't believe how long it takes for the next chapter to come out. I feel like crying.

Anonymous

High quality as always: thanks for the update. It's always great to see more of Zorian's classmates. Could you elaborate on the structure of Cyoria's teleport beacon? For instance, how many are there and where are they? Is it impossible to bypass the redirect with the conventional teleport spell, or just difficult? Why was Zorian able to teleport directly to Imaya's place in chapter 38?

nobody103
>>1403027

The base is a ward covering the whole city. It emanates from a huge wardstone somewhere withing city's limits. That one is pretty weak and can be bypassed by a normal teleport. There are also stronger fields covering more important parts of the city - those require specialist spells to punch through. (That said, I may have messed up something there. I'll have to check up on that.)

Tur4

I'm thinking Red Robe = future Zach. Souls are eternal. So when future Zach put this soul stamp thing on his soul it was also put onto Zach in the past automatically. Red Robe traveled into past for whatever his big game plan is (probably hates Cyoria for reasons stated in this chapter). Old Zach has same marker so starts looping with him. Red Robe has Zach's memories but he never knew Zorian that well in normal time frame so didn't recognize him when Red Robe and Zorian bumped into each other. Zach at some point bumps into future self and figures it out but red robe mind erases him but as he isn't that good with mind magic probably erased other info as well.

Tur4

I had a few quick world building questions. First Circle, third circle. I see these mentioned frequently. 1. I guess Zorian passed the test for first circle and thats the badge he can get made in some restarts is that correct? 2. How do you move up to higher circles? Is the main use higher spell availability? 3. Can a person thats first circle get in trouble casting a third circle spell for example? Or is it that a person is not allowed to teach a third circle spell to a Wizard of the First circle? 4. We see even professors teaching dimensional spells (last chapter) or teleport (a good bit back,) are these spells first circle or could these teachers get in trouble? Teleport seems especially powerful since a lot of adult wizards can't do it and its got a decent risk of blowing up if done wrong. 5. I believe a Arch Mage has been mentioned, what circle would that be? How high does it go. Thanks!

nobody103
>>1434445

1. Yes, Zorian had passed the certification test for becoming a first circle mage back before the time loop even began. The badge is just a convenient proof of that fact, since it's moderately hard to forge. 2. The state grants higher circles based of various criteria. The lower ones involve passing a test or two. The higher ones require connections rather than proof of skill, as they represent that the state trusts you quite a lot. And yes, the main advantage is higher spell availability, as well as relaxed restrictions about magic in general. 3. The second. 4. The teachers could get in trouble. But generally speaking, people will only go after them if the student they taught a high-level spell use it to commit a crime. 5. Archmage is technically seperate from circles. It means a mage is really good at a wide variety of magical fields - a generalist that is good enough at most magic to beat a lot of specialists at their own specialty. They would likely be Circle 5+, but not every Archmage has a high official rank. Generally, being known as an Archmage means more than being known to be 9th Circle, reputation-wise.

Tur4

Thanks for the quick answers I really appreciate it.

Dull Pen

Any update on chapter 50?

Green0Photon

So psyched about chapter 50. The adrenaline rush is real. And yes, this time I actually reread Chapter 49 before you posted.

nobody103
>>1499562

The chapter is currently in editing, because I have been a lazy ass and handed it over to my editor really late. But it's coming, don't you worry.