Augmented Aspects Chapter 238 Clubbing With Prankenstein (Patreon)

Chapter 238

Clubbing With Prankenstein

The world was a blur, my skin was being peeled so far back by the number of G-forces we were subjected to that I didn’t know if I was smiling or if I looked like a rabid dog with their jowls flapping in the wind.

Either way, the experience of zipping through the air and through the floors at seemingly warp speed was both exhilarating and completely frightening.

Worse, our speed upwards in the recently advanced Prankenstein that was now at Tier 7 for Acceleration and Speed was going so quickly that I could feel the slightest of shifts in direction causing intense stress fractures.

Also, the speed made it so that the large mile long  and half as thick branches of the great tree Yggdraspirit seemed to almost appear and fall from the heavens, much in the same was cars and other obstacles would in that frogicidal game that the kids always played.

Dodge left.

Groan.

Jog right.

More groans.

That was it, that was what was happening.

Oddly enough, as the ship’s creator and person responsible for it getting its name, I could tell that these were the okay groans. Like the ones your knees give you when you are beginning to get old, where you think it is too much but you can still get up and walk.

It is those later groans…

GROO-OANN!

The groans like that one that tell you, you might be doing something wrong, and to be ready to call the hospital, or maybe in this case Quadruple A. They make service calls to Spirit Towers, right?

Yeah, probably not. Especially as I am fairly certain that we are the group that is the highest up the tower, though I don’t quite know what floor we are on currently.

Blur.

Blur.

That was both the system notification and the slight changes in color pigments that let me mentally understand that we have broken through another set of floors.

Perhaps broken is not the best choice of words in this case, particularly as we seem to be coming to a giant impasse.

And by Impasse I mean that the branches of the next floor above have been seemingly linked together in a form of suspension bridge that goes out and hosts hundreds of life forms.

Oh, that’s kind of cool.

No wait, focus, as there aren’t any real gaps.

Which means.

Yes, we are going to die.

No wait, focus, you can Teleport Cass.

No, that still won’t be enough as I’ll lose my beautiful ship. Well the ship and the passengers.

So plan B it is. As in B one with Magic and rip a giant hole into reality that we then crawl through, and appear at the other side.

Nope, there is a slight resistance of some kind, almost like the giant tree doesn’t want people to Teleport through its magical bark for whatever reason.

So, alter the plans. Since Teleportation magic is a no go, where we would just casually hop from point to point, we instead create a fold in space and then puncture through the fold.

The difference between the two acts, physically moving your entire body, well an entire speeding ship from one location to another, and folding space around it might seem remarkably similar, but they aren’t. To put it in perspective one would be the equivalent of swimming through a crashing wave. While the other would be the equivalent to generating your own wave going in the exact direction you want to go, and riding said wave to the direction and place you want.

Why the distinction and change in plans? Well, the vastly magical tree Yggdraspirit is designed to stop individual swimmers from trying to push their way through the magical membrane of the tree. Whereas it will allow magical currents and other forms of energy to pass through. As such, with this new space folding spell, we are merely mirroring a magical wave, versus being a magical object, simple right?

Focus.

Danger Sense tingling.

Yep, now that I have the solution, all I need to do is apply it before it is too late.

First we focus on creating the energy wave, one that will be able to oscillate its way through the natural magical defenses of Yggdraspirit. Then focus on creating a sympathetic wave on the other side of the branch we are about to be pancaked into.

Finally, changing our own frequency to that of our artificially created wave.

Then, link it all together by a pulse of Spatial Magic, and activate.

WHOOOSH!

Flicker, flash!

There is a moment, one pure second when my world goes from black and white with magical flecks to full on color.

For a second we are flying, and I feel like we are floating through the aurora borealis at the northern end of the world. In that second, I see everything, as if my eyes are no longer blind, and I once again remember what it was like to be able to actually see the wonders of the world around me. My mind soaks up everything, seemingly slowing down time as if even my mind realizes how rare of a moment this is.

I turn to see Maranda there, even she has a look of awe and wonder on her face as she stares at me.

Then in the next moment, I feel a lurch as the second part of my spell kicks in and pulls us through the other opening I created.

WHOOSH!

No more color, well no colors not created by magic.

For a moment the world is filled with a lot of dark spaces that are lost, and I feel momentarily saddened by the loss of sight again.

Wooom!

Then with that realization, my sudden joy that I had felt and kept going was stopped, as the energy I had been pushing and pumping through my QiMO machine suddenly dissipated, and I feel our vessel quickly decelerate, and instead just rely on the coasting effect of our previous speeds.

New Spell Created: <The Don’t Do That Again>: Whatever you just did, don’t do it again.

I get the message, and realized that there might have been something more to the sights I saw. There might have been something to the way I was able to once again see the world around me. Where was that?

Honestly, I don’t know what just happened.

Entering floor 299.

Exhaling, I begin to try to take in deep calming breaths. Even now, I remember the cold, the bitter cold of the northern lights around us. I also remember the colors, and unmistakable beauty of the world.

“Umm, Dr. Spiritlight?” Maranda begins, a note of worry in her voice.

“Yes?” I respond, suddenly wondering why she is speaking with honorifics.

“I was just told to make sure you don’t do that again.” Maranda states.

“What?”

“I just got a quest to make it so you don’t do anything crazy like that again. What did you do?” Maranda asks.

I am about to tell her, but she quickly holds up her hand to stop me.

“No, wait, I am apparently not supposed to ask you about that either.” Maranda stated, as her body began to tremble.

“What is wrong?”

“The punishment for failure would be a complete reset of my level and skills.” Maranda noted.

“What? They can do that?” I asked, suddenly worried about this happening to me as well.

“Apparently,” Maranda said, “so, whatever that was, please don’t do it again, and most importantly don’t tell me what it is that I am to keep you from doing.”

“Okay,” was all I managed to reply with. Then before I could think about what I was saying, I let loose. Letting some of the pent-up adrenaline come out and help influence my reply.

“But just know, the only reason why I had to do that in the first place is because the system tried to go crazy with its method of attack. Going from providing singular branches, to an entire suspension bridge network of branches that made it impossible to make it through. Meaning I would either have to abandon ship, thus leaving you all to the fates provided to you, and likely losing my ship. Or I would have to destroy the tree, and likely a bunch of people and their homes. Or option C, which meant I could save everyone, avoid random vehicular and property damage and continue on our way as if nothing happened. So, next time the world wants to suddenly raise the difficulty level on us, maybe they should think about that!”

By the end I am shouting, or at least close to what I think is shouting.

Silence.

Maranda for her part is just staring at me in pure awestruck silence for a moment.

Then I see the moment her face changes, and for a moment I wonder if I might have gone too far. I didn’t mean to get mad at her, and in fact it should be clear I wasn’t mad at her, but rather at the administrators who dared to lecture me through her.

Just when I am about to apologize, and blame it on the stress of the situation, she talks.

“Oh my gods. Even when you are angry you are SOO Cute!” Maranda says, coming over to me and then hugging me, pressing my head down into her ample chest.

At that moment several things happen all at once.

First, I notice movement at the aft of the ship, as Jhonny and Penelope are both trying desperately to come out onto the deck. The only problem is that we are still accelerating upwards at a slight angle, making their movements awkward and clumsy at best. Particularly as both seem to be swaying with each step, even though we are moving at a relatively casual pace upwards.

Second, I feel the buildup of golden energy around us.

There is a surge, as suddenly the four of us, Maranda, Jhonny, Penelope, and I all have a huge glowing surge of potential envelope us, before the surge fades from first Penelope, followed shortly by Jhonny.

As their energy fades, the strands of energy that surround Maranda and me swell to a crescendo.

For a moment I wonder if we are about to have yet another spike of danger strike us, only for the surge of potential to bypass me and surge to Maranda, whose chest I am still pressed against.

At that moment, I get a system notification.

Entering floor 300.

With that one notification, and the fact that we are no longer having to squirm and move for our lives, I feel the repressed energy from not one but two cumulative quests come forth and shower me with the minor potential I gained during this entire ordeal.

Hidden Quest Completed: First Acanarus Tower Climber (V): As the first Arcanarus Tower climber, a suitable reward has been chosen, for your achieving the next goal of reaching the 250th floor. Should you continue your climb and reach the vaunted 250th floor, you will receive a degree in Mixed Martial Mana. Rewards: Experience, Bachelor of Science degree from Arcanarus University: Mixed Martial Mana, Title: Arcanarus University Mixed Martial Mana Graduate (I), Increased Martial and Magical potency, New Named Vessel. Floors completed (300 / 250).

Hidden Quest Completed: First Acanarus Tower Climber (VI): As the first Arcanarus Tower climber, a suitable reward has been chosen, for your achieving the next goal of reaching the 300th floor. Should you continue your climb and reach the vaunted 300th floor, you will receive a Master’s degree in Mixed Martial Mana. Rewards: Experience, Master’s of Science degree from Arcanarus University: Mixed Martial Mana, Title: Arcanarus University Mixed Martial Mana Graduate (II), Increased Martial and Magical potency, Managed to keep new Named Vessel. Floors completed (300 / 300).

Cumulative results:

Experience Gained:

50,000 / 25,000 / 25,000

Ding.

Level up.

Ethereal Simulacrums Master has increased by one level to level 343.

Ethereal Healer has increased by one level to level 464.

Yep, two levels across three classes for completing two quests in what has to be back to back fashion. Fortunately this also gives me an extra 50,000 experience that I can also use to update my Prankenstein, but I can’t access that panel yet, as I am still getting flooded with more and more notifications.

Title: Arcanarus University Mixed Martial Mana Graduate (I): One of the most promising graduates of Arcanarus University. Effects: +10 Strength, Dexterity, and Endurance. Along with a +100% Skill Efficacy to Arcane Fusion Control, Ethereal Energy Circulation Theory, and Ethereal Energy Resonance Theory.

Soul Bound Item: Arcanarus University Mixed Martial Mana Bachelor’s Degree: Ethereal Energy Circulation Theory, and Ethereal Energy Resonance Theory: An undeniable item proving you met the minimum standards to Graduate from Arcanarus University’s undergraduate program of knowledge, with a Bachelor’s degree in Ethereal Energy Circulation Theory, and Ethereal Energy Resonance Theory. With this degree you should be legally allowed to practice, create, and advance the field of energy manipulation anywhere in BiPrism. Effects: +100% Skill Efficacy to Ethereal Energy Circulation Theory, and Ethereal Energy Resonance Theory.

Yes, the degree and title are comparable to what I earned for my initial climb while learning magic. But I have to say that this level of expertise is somehow more rewarding than either of my two doctorates.

Maybe it’s the fact that what I learned from my Doctorates only plays a minor role in what I have gained thus far. Still, this was a great reward.

Before I could get too lost in the glow of my first set of rewards, the automatic doubled rewards appear next.

Title: Arcanarus University Mixed Martial Mana Graduate (II): One of the most promising graduates of Arcanarus University. Effects: +20 Strength, Dexterity, and Endurance. Along with a +100% Skill Learning and Skill Efficacy rate to Arcane Fusion Control, Ethereal Energy Circulation Theory, Ethereal Energy Resonance Theory, and Golden Coreless Qi Cultivation.

Soul Bound Item: Arcanarus University Mixed Martial Mana Master’s Degree: Ethereal Energy Circulation Theory, and Ethereal Energy Resonance Theory: An undeniable item proving you met the minimum standards to Graduate from Arcanarus University’s Master’s program of knowledge, with a Master’s degree in Ethereal Energy Circulation Theory, and Ethereal Energy Resonance Theory. With this degree you should be legally allowed to practice, create, and advance the field of energy manipulation anywhere in BiPrism. Effects: +100% Skill Efficacy to Ethereal Energy Circulation Theory, and Ethereal Energy Resonance Theory.

Yes, these are also just like before where these rewards are stacking, also there seems to be a new focus on Golden Coreless Qi Cultivation along with an increase to my Skill Learning rate. At least for the second title.

Now that the initial surge was over, I was finally able to once again access my darling Prankenstein’s creator interface.

Current Available Experience to Spend on Prankenstein Upgrades: 50,000.

The very first thing I do is purchase the Tier 1: Self-Regeneration Package.

Self-Regeneration Package: “Didn’t you say you heard a strange rattling sound? Well, whatever it seems fine now.”

That was my first package, I also purchased the Tier 1: Toughened Hull and Armor Package.

Toughened Hull and Armor Package: “What? You think that hurt? ‘Tis merely a flesh wound.”

Yes, the descriptions were a little lacking, but I could now see and almost feel the slight personality trait that this ship would slowly morph into.

With this, the ship should be able to better withstand the pressures posed on it by the overly effective speed packages that I already purchased.

Also, now I can see the character sheet for my own little ship.

Unique Vehicle Name: Prankenstein

Classification: Speed, durability, and auto-repair all energy ship.

Material Grade: Class III (not susceptible to mana or high energy degradation)

Experience available: 0 / 575,000

Upgrade Packages:

Speed and Acceleration: Tier 7

Self-Regeneration: Tier 1

Hull and Armor: Tier 1

Quirks:

N/A

Seeing my little ship, I can’t help but be excited by how much the ‘widdle guy has grown in such a short amount of time. It seems like just a few hours ago we were taking her on her maiden voyage, and now here we are, looking for our first Quirk to appear.

At that, I pause, realizing that I might have missed something.

Then as if prodded along by my own mental inquiry, I receive the following quest update notification.

Hidden Quest Updated: First Acanarus Tower Climber (VII): As the first Arcanarus Tower climber, a suitable reward has been chosen, for your achieving the next goal of reaching the 350th floor. Should you continue your climb and reach the vaunted 350th floor, you will receive a Doctoral degree in Mixed Martial Mana. Rewards: Experience, Doctor of Science degree from Arcanarus University: Mixed Martial Mana, Title: Arcanarus University Mixed Martial Mana Graduate (III), Increased Martial and Magical potency, Others. Floors completed (300 / 350).

Yes, this is exactly what I would want in terms of a Doctorate related to Qi and Mana usage, but there appears to be something that I am missing.

I pause, then pushing back from Maranda, I realize that she too has a lot of golden energy filling her body, signifying that she has completed a quest as well.

There is a moment of silence as I try to understand what quest Maranda managed to achieve that I did not. Then I realize what actually happened.

“Stupid tall people,” I say trying to be mostly joking, realizing that once again I was denied the first explorer bonus for reaching floor 300 first, due to Maranda literally holding me down and being a veritable giant compared to me.

“Hey, I’m not tall, I’m barely 5’5.” Maranda stated, suddenly realizing that she stole my explorer bonus.

“Yeah, almost a foot taller than me, even with me flying.” I reply, then I make a show of flapping my ephemeral wings once to get me eye to eye with her.

Then with me staring tersely at her she goes off.

“OHHH! You are too cute!” I see her moving, but fortunately I don’t need my Danger Sense to go off in order for me to realize I need to get out of there.

Poof.

I Teleport a few feet away, which instantly kills my direct feed into the QiMO machine. This causes our slower but steady advancement to all but stall out as we end up laying parallel to the ground. Which allows Jhonny and Penelope to come up, at which point I can tell by their body postures that they are slightly annoyed.

For a moment I hope they will forgive my antics on trying to play captain hookup and get them to move closer through mutual fear and help.

It isn’t until Jhonny starts to talk, that I realize I might have totally misjudged his reactions, thanks to my momentary distraction from getting multiple quest completion and degree and title notifications.

“Okay, Cass, what exactly did you do that you can’t tell us about, and that we can’t ask you about?” Jhonny asks.

Instantly I realized that he and Penelope seemed to have also gotten the same quests that Maranda must have. The ones generated from my folding space around myself.

To which I reply as calmly as possible.

“Correct me if I am wrong, but isn’t the first rule of Fight Club, that we don’t talk about Fight Club?”