Augmented Aspects: Interlude XIII (Patreon)

Interlude XIII

Larry Yo-Boy’s BiPrism News

“What is happening. Did the Midnight Hunters just declare open war against the unstoppable Legrand Empire? Did the great war machine’s quest for dominance suddenly stop with a seemingly internal reprieve that caused the very lands that they had been excavating to suddenly turn highly poisonous? Yes Poisonous, and not just any type of poison but a magical poison at that. Not that anyone needed to guess what caused this sudden shift in going from an almost magically depleted landscape to a magically infused wonderland we all can blame our favorite magical nonconformist.” Larry began detailing all the facts and slightly hidden news that relates to the world of BiPrism.

As he spoke the recently cleared mining area could be seen growing a poisonous green mold that was both corrosive to Tier I metal objects and equipment. This was proven by the way standard pickaxes, shovels, and minor hydraulic equipment quickly broke down when coming into contact with the now infamous green mold.

“And yes, we have found our first case of Mana Rot. And no, this does not seem to be a direct product of Dr. Spiritlight’s trek into the Legrand Mining facility, rather it clearly came over an hour later, when Dr. Spiritlight was in the middle of teaching her cultivation classes. At that same time the first instances of the brightly glowing green mold and its pervasive spores were seen growing, budding and then exploding from cavern to cavern.” Larry continued, this time as he spoke the images of the quickly growing and self-spreading mana spores could be seen growing at an alarming rate and expanding rapidly.

“According to Legrand’s top researcher, this is a variation of the same Mana Mutex Mold that Legrand scientists were apparently trying to weaponize as a way to continue maintaining magical dominance over their competitors.” There is a slight pause, as Larry then goes into his slightly conspiratorial tone, “rumor has it that the original purpose for this ferns cultivation was to take out Dr. Spiritlight herself. Though apparently testing was quickly shut down when the samples were found to be both dangerous to spell casters and that anyone with the Spiritlight bloodline active was apparently immune to the effects of this highly corrosive mold.”

“The joke’s on them, as they forgot that danger could strike anywhere and at any time. The mold requires ample amounts of mana to remain active, but can apparently revert to a dormant state. Yet, best as we can tell, the mana enriched rainclouds produced by Cass seeped down into the ground and found a dormant patch of the mold that would have remained in their innocuous state for years to come.”

“Don’t worry, there are no permanent health defects that come as a result of this, as the only noted concern is that the mold leeches away energy from mana and if even one spore gets on a magic user, it is believed that the spore will grow and be able to drain away all mana from the infected host. However, many are assuming that this is a gateway drug for people wishing to have a quick advancement in the realm of Cultivation. As many who were originally denied the blessings of magic claim that while there are no negative effects associated with mana drain, that the magic users suffer. There is a noted increase in the potential for cultivation, which has also been proven by Legrand’s own Cultivation Squadron.”

With that the scene changes to show a now highly recognized elite fighting unit of gun-toting martial experts who are Legrand’s answer to the Cultivators being trained by the Midnight Hunters. While it is believed that the cultivators of the Midnight Hunters are by far the best trained and the group that is advancing the fastest in the newly opened world of Cultivation. It is also known that the Legrand Empire is spending all the resources they can to be a close second and are actively seeking ways to replicate training regimens provided to those attending SVC.

“Also, rumor has it that someone in the world is finally close to making the vaunted breakthrough to the Mythic Bloodline. That’s right, if you guessed that this honor would fall to Mallory Valhalla, the first true bloodline holder among the regressors, you would be…”

***

Cassidy

“It’s not working.” Cassidy said, her words and voice hollow as she felt like she had pushed her body and her mind to its limits and it was sadly still not enough.

“Calm down, let’s see what is going on.” The calming words of Great Grandmother Cass replied soothingly in her mind.

Only here, at the half-exhausted state of awake and dreaming can she create the mental link strong enough to reach out and actively find Cassie’s true consciousness from all of the other floating consciousnesses.

Hearing her calming words, Cassidy could only let out a long exhausted sigh.

“I know, but it is just so frustrating. I don’t know what I am missing. I swear I got everything, but she isn’t getting better.” Cassidy said, muttering to herself. Her words of course were the only ones that rang out in the dimly lit hospital room that only had one patient laying on a bed.

By all accounts, and according to all of the instruments that measured the patient’s vitals, they were fine. No, more than fine, they were healthy and should be more than capable of awakening from the deep slumber that overtook them weeks ago. Yet, despite everything, Cassidy’s mother remained in an illness induced coma.

“Take me to her.” Cassie said, her voice calming as she waited for Cassidy to walk over and place her hand over her mother’s own hands.

Cold.

Whether it was from the IV pumping in lifesaving fluids or from the fact that her hand remained constantly exposed Cassidy couldn’t tell. Yet, despite everything Cassidy could only feel how cold her mother’s hands were, a sign that she still wasn’t doing enough to keep her mother alive.

“All right, I am going to use my third eye to see into your mother. You might want to close your eyes as this might be disorienting.” Cassie said, as the two clearly shared the same senses, as Cassie could only see and experience the world from Cassidy’s senses. However, that didn’t mean that Cassie couldn’t feel her own alterations down here.

Even being within the body of Cassidy, Cassie could feel her third eye. It was closed and hidden behind a thin layer of skin, but it was still there. Though in this form it felt like more of a phantasmal organ than any real organ.

Still despite this, Cassie focused her own thoughts on what she wanted to happen, and only after the world went truly dark, a sign that Cassidy closed her eyes did Cassie make her move.

Tingle.

There was an odd tingling sensation that both Cassie and Cassidy felt equally, it started just behind the forehead and slowly moved forward until finally the silhouette layout of the world that Cassie has come to understand could be seen and observed.

Here just like her real world, or the world that had become her real world, Cassie was able to see the world in all its magical brilliance.

Looking at the body of her granddaughter, Cassie saw the clear outline of vibrant Life mana running wild and unchecked within the body.

“I see the problem. You are over healing.”

“Over healing?” Cassidy asked.

“Yes, in your attempt to cure your mother you never stopped pumping in healing energy. Just like over watering an extremely parched plant, you are now delving into the opposite realm. Where you are doing too much.” Cassie said, as she began grabbing the ambient energy and either pulling it back into Cassidy’s tiny body, or trying to reconvert it into another spell that would prevent the atrophying of muscles by the patient.

“Can you do something about it?” Cassidy asked, fear prevalent in her tone as she began realizing that the reason why her mother still stayed in critical condition was now because of her. That the earlier successes caused her to push further than her mother could handle.

“Of course we are doing something. I absorbed some of the greater clumps of mana. While pushing the remaining mana into the muscles to help prevent the effects of atrophy. Fortunately, you asked for help in time, and so long as you let nature take its course I don’t see there being any other problems.” Cassie said, reassuring.

Tears.

At that Cassidy began crying, “thank you. Thank you.”

“No, it is I who should be thanking you. Do you know the last time I felt useful to you all out here?”

“Ohma you are always useful to us.”

“Then why don’t you ask for my help before things get to this point? Heck, why don’t you just stop to tell me how your day is going?” Cassie asks.

“I, I don’t know. You just always seem so busy, that I don’t want to interrupt you.”

Sigh.

“Honestly baby girl, I could use someone to stop me, or at least cause me to slow down every once in a while. Also, I don’t know if you know this, but you are my favorite Great Grandchild.”

“Because I’m named after you?”

“Nope, that was just your momma setting you up for success there.” Cassie said.

Laughter.

At that Cassidy laughed for the first time in a long time. With that one laugh, she felt the stress and pressures that had been building up on her slowly fade away. There was of course one problem with this, as it also meant that the adrenaline that Cassidy had been using to keep going and that allowed her to maintain this mental bridge to her great grandmother was quickly fading.

“I guess that is my cue to leave. Though seriously, take a nap now, and most importantly, don’t be a stranger.”

“I won’t, I promise.” Cassidy said, then she felt the mental connection that she had felt a moment ago fade. Suddenly the world seemed to go from an amazing view of magical particles to the seemingly lackluster view that it always had.

Still, this feeling of viewing the world in regular colors was oddly relieving to Cassidy’s overtaxed mind as she could now feel her mind relaxing slightly. Realizing she was quickly going into a state of sleep, Cassidy went over to her sleeping bag that she had brought in for just this purpose, then snuggled up and took a few minutes to rest.

For a moment Cassidy thought about sending up her report to Mallory and the Midnight Hunters, but then decided that this report could wait until she finished a much needed nap.

What she didn’t know was the way the nurses and lab techs that had been on duty at 3:13 AM were suddenly calling their bosses as they were quickly forwarding footage of what happened. Where video surveillance showed that for a moment Cassidy’s forehead seemed to glow with a bright emerald green color, before a similar glow was seen penetrating into the patient’s body as well.