Augmented Aspects: Chapter 255 Why Santa Only Works One Day A Year (Patreon)

Chapter 255

Why Santa Only Works One Day A Year

First, I want to say working with fairies is amazing. Being able to see their magical casting alone is amazing.

Apparently fairies use ephemeral energy, yes the same energy as Mallory’s scythe and my wings.

After seeing ephemeral energy in action, and getting a brief history lesson of what a krummlauf actually is, I do think I might have messed up by not choosing the krummlauf as Mallory’s ultimate weapon. That said, I’ve learned that ephemeral energy is amazing.

Also, of all the magical energy types I’ve seen, ephemeral energy is probably the most powerful and most limited in scope. How is this possible?

Well simply put, ephemeral energy requires both a physical manifestation of the energy, making it pretty obvious that something is about to happen. Then the magic needs to come into contact with the intended target. Almost as if the target of an ephemeral magic based spell could resist or disbelieve the spell cand do anything, until it is physically there.

So odd, and amazing.

Yet, once the spell makes contact with the intended target, anything is possible.

Want to put thirty-four students into stasis while I go through helping Jhonny out first, that is fine. Also, the effects of said ephemeral stasis fields are wild.

Take for instance the fact that the subject should be torn apart, or at least show signs of gradually being targeted by the abundance of spirit energy here. Unfortunately, my Death Shroud still only covers two additional people. But that is irrelevant here, as the stasis magic of the Fae can easily prevent damage caused by external influences.

That is sort of cool, but then you add in the fact that for whatever reason my auras can easily be seen providing a healing effect to the patients and you then realize a few things about the magic of the Fae.

First, while appearing to be completely sealed, the ephemeral magic does allow auras to penetrate their fields. This of course means that while seeming to be impermeable, they actually only have a semi-permeable state.

Also, there is the fact that magic of seemingly any type will not work on stasis magic, a fact I tested while using area of effect healing on Jhonny. Ones where a splash of magic would go out to the patient encased in stasis Fae magic.

Needless to say, I am super excited. And was made doubly so, when I realized that I had my own source of replenishing ephemeral energy myself, with my wings. Meaning that given enough time and practice, I too could cause people to go into stasis.

This also explains so much.

First, it explains why Maranda had such a wild reaction to touching my wings. As that was a direct exposure to a highly concentrated form of magical energy that she likely had no resistance to.

That incidental touching of my wings, which forced a bloodline pre-awakening event also gave prudence to some lore related to the Fae.

Namely, it all but proved that the myth of Fairies giving magical gifts to people they wished to cast spells upon was a given. Given how dense ephemeral energy is, I can now fully see and understand this process.

All of these insights also got me a new realm of magic to study.

New Skill Gained: Ephemeral Magic Studies has reached level 1.

Ephemeral Magic Lore is a Personality, Sociability, Attractiveness, Perception, Intelligence, and Willpower X2 based skill.

These insights also helped my Faerie Lore skill skyrocket in understanding.

I assumed that the Attributes noted also had something to play with the way ephemeral energy worked, making it more of a social based form of magic than the others. Which both makes sense and is wildly concerning in a way, meaning that all it takes is one megalomaniacal dictator with high yields of ephemeral energy available to them, and boom another world travesty. These thoughts are amazingly concerning, and could explain so much about our planet’s history.

This only means that I intend to make sure that most of my findings about ephemeral energy are kept under lock and key. At least until I come up with ways to counter such information.

With this, I could almost see certain features of ephemeral magic energy being reproduced in alchemy, but to varying extents.

Also, I’m reminded of snow white, where she was put into a form of stasis much like this, where the only thing that broke the binding was true love’s kiss. While I have long since grown out of the age where I believe in true love, I do have to wonder about things like being able to generate ephemeral energy yourself if you believe in a cause. For in that story, both cases could be instances of ephemeral energy, both the application of stasis magic via an apple. Then by the case of the kiss being able to generate enough ephemeral energy of its own to then break the stasis binding that the apple held.

This could also just be a story, but I intend to find this matter out.

Not with myself of course, I would need to be awake, aware, and recording everything. That means I would need to find a willing subject.

“Everything okay?” Jhonny asks, his question pulling me from my own internal reverie about the vast magical display going on around me.

“Yeah, totally.” I say, realizing that I paused long enough in my working on Jhonny’s advancement that he is finally able to awaken from his restful state.

For his part Jhonny is alive, healthy, and relatively easy.

While working with Jhonny I found out a few things.

“Let me be the first to congratulate you on being the first Ethereal Advanced Meta Human.” I tell him.

“Ethereal?” He asked, before looking up and to the right as he no doubt accessed his status screen.

“That’s right, ethereal. Which is apparently an easy way to state that.” I pause for a moment before I use one of my three minutes of true Confidentiality on Jhonny. “That you have shown mastery over at least one form of energy and have advanced your mind, body, and soul towards fully mastering that form of energy.”

Given the revelation, Jhonny just paused and then stared at me.

“I did? I mean, it does?” Jhonny asked.

“Yes to both, congratulations. But now I need to go about helping out these other students.” I state. Then looking around at the mix of students, I get a wild idea in my mind. Remembering how Prince Charming awoke the beauty with a kiss.

“Out of curiosity, are there any of your fellow students here who you thought about awakening with a kiss?” I ask.

“What? No!” Jhonny says a bit too emphatically.

“Okay, there goes that science experiment.” I state, before ending my minute of Confidentiality, trying to save the last two minutes of pure Confidentiality for other pressing topics.

Then moving over to the next patient, one of the Fae come over to assist me.

“Wait, I want to try something.” I state, as I lean over to look at the stasis bubble encapsulating the next student. Bending over is just a formality, but it helps people think I am taking things seriously. At least that is something that I have come to realize from my years of being physically blind.

Looking at the ephemerally sealed container, I pause and watch how streams and currents of energy flow through the protective bubble. For a moment I wonder how the bubble is able to maintain its charge, when I realize that the bubble is somehow pulling the ambient spirit energy into itself, before cycling that energy throughout the entire sphere.

“Oh wow, that is amazing.” I state, then reaching back, I let my right hand enter the path of my ephemeral wing.

Nothing happens, I keep flying, but I do feel a light coating of ephemeral energy covering my hand. That is enough for me, as I pause and then feeling the resonance of the energy on my hand realize that it is slightly off. Focusing on the energy, I realize that the ephemeral energy that is rapidly evaporating on my hand is not quite right. Then I realize to counter this stasis bubble that is absorbing the ambient spirit energy, I need to do one of two things. Either I need to find a perfect way to counter the spirit focused ephemeral energy of the Fae, or overwhelm this part at a key node.

The key node is the easiest, as the spell all but has a spot made out for such an attempt. Oddly enough the opening is right around where the mouth of this student is, again giving more credence to the idea of a true love’s ephemerally charged kiss being able to awaken a slumbering beauty.

While I don’t go for a kiss, I instead just go for a quick placement of two of my ephemerally covered fingers over the mouth of the sleeping student and fwoosh.

There is a burst of light, followed by the crackling of an ephemeral egg-shaped casing and boom, a student appears finally to my senses.

Again, it is odd that I can feel my different auras having a direct effect on their body, but then I can’t actually do anything to the body, other than what my auras dictate. Still I can tell that thanks to skills like my Aura Guidance, I am able to tell the relative shape of the person inside, even if the dense Fae magic concealing the bodies makes my Angel’s Sight ineffective, I can still feel the differences thanks to my aura. This is good to know and likely something I might have to work on as time goes on.

Yet, before I can get too lost, I see the new subject, as our signed contract pops to life in front of my eyes.

Personal Medical Royal Bloodline Awakening Release form.

This is intended to be a binding contract between Dr. Cassiopeia Spiritlight and Ropinay…

Seeing the message come to life, I almost miss the world message.

World First Notification: Rejoice Dr. Cassiopeia Spiritlight has utilized the sacred magic of the Fae and unlocked its mysterious properties for all to use.

“Dang it.” I hiss to myself as I realize I am likely going to get scolded by Mallory again. Well more of a scolding than I was likely already going to get from this little event.

For a moment, I wonder what sparked this sudden notification. Then I realize my use of my own wing dust in a negating way to the previously established Fae spell was likely enough to prove my use of this new form of dense energy.

“Everything okay?” Jhonny asks, concern evident in his voice.

“Yeah, but I will need you to go out and play peace keeper and let Mallory and the others know that we are all safe and I am trying to help the thirty-four others fully awaken their Royal Bloodlines without any difficulties.” I say, as I quickly read over Ropinay’s wish list.

At the same time I create a one way exit Gate between me and my last remaining Simulacrum that is working with Mallory and the others at this very moment.

Seeing the portal appear Jhonny takes a step, before he pauses and turns around.

“So, tell her you awoke thirty-four…”

“Thirty-five, yourself included.” I correct.

“Thirty-five students.”

“Thirty-two students, and three tag alongs.”

“Okay, thirty-two students, one of whom is myself, and three tag alongs.” Jhonny states a bit flustered as he tries to get all of the details correct. “Anything else?”

With that Jhonny looks at me, as if he wants me to state what I did.

“Yeah, as the indicator notes, we can now use Fae magic. It requires direct touch, is denser, and seemingly more powerful. Also, it seems like it can only be used effectively in a realm like this one, but that is to be determined.” I state.

“Okay, thirty-two students, three tag alongs, new magic being worked out, likely only effective in magical realms, anything else?” Jhonny says, trying to paraphrase my answers so far.

“Yeah, let Mallory know this is her fault.” I reply.

“Her fault?” He asks, seeming somewhat incredulous by the statement.

“Yeah, if she continued to teach her class like she was supposed to, we could have avoided all of this.” I answer.

“You know, I think I am going to leave that out, until you get back and can provide additional details for the after-action report.” Jhonny states as he gives me a finger point and quickly walks through the open portal before I can comment.

This is okay, as I am already trying to focus on helping Ropinay with her own transition. Once again, I am surprised by the sheer volume of options. There at the very top, just as expected was the Merit I had been looking for, (Limited) Invulnerability. The Merit is of course grayed out as I need an excessive 358 points in flaws just to purchase said feature.

A quick scroll of all the flaws available shows that if I took every available flaw for Ropinay, I could unlock her (Limited) Invulnerability. This of course would mean things like tentacles, double damage from breathing, quadruple damage from not breathing, and so on would be possible.

Looking at the Merit’s description, there were clearly a few things that were left to the imagination of the wielder.

Rather than truly being quote unquote truly Invulnerable, you would be. But you would gradually make yourself more an vulnerable with each and every flaw you took. Basically, punching holes in your Invulnerability, that essentially amounted to you never quite dying, but having pain and misery from breathing.

Still, I was glad that this was in fact the case, and that I didn’t promise the three tag alongs anything that I could not deliver. Being as this is a binding contract, I would be going against their wishes if I chose anything other than what they put on that binding document, even if it would ultimately cause them severe pain and misery in the long run. A pity, but hopefully a lesson to any future spies who might dare to encroach on my territory.

While I do appreciate the gesture of fellow spies and operatives trying to encroach on my territory. This does imply that something we have here is worth seeing or spying on, I also need to make it clear that stepping on my turf is an act of overt aggression that should be hindered at all costs.

This is why I am going to make sure this first salvo is heard loud and clear, by not just spies from the Legrand Empire, but any future country that might wish to try to steal our national secrets.

Hopefully this act will be enough to deter any other would be spies in our territory, but I do appreciate the challenge. Also, the fact that Mallory made this my first quest from her, a quest that is pretty much unavoidable means I will see if I can at least momentarily get the foreign spies to retreat and recalibrate their need to be here.

Chills.

I pause for a bit, as I realize that someone is staring at me. Well correction, lots of people are staring at me, I cannot help but feel the gazes of all the different fairies all staring at me in what appears to be wide eyed amazement.

Seeing them, I turn to the closest one and ask, “what?”

“The way you were able to easily overpower Glormhilda’s Time Stagnation is impressive. I didn’t think anyone would be able to do such a thing, let alone by just glancing at the structure. Yet, you were able to do so, quite easily.”

Hearing that, I wonder if what I did was exactly hard.  It didn’t feel that hard, just take the energy, find a weak point, exploit with an overwhelming counter to the energy. What you would do to counter any form of magic. Though I guess something must be said that my first true Fae magic spell I cast was the equivalent of a Fae Magical Dispel.

“Oh, it was a good spell, very symbiotic to the environment.” I stated, posing my believed observation that the spells, at least those Fae spells that are sustained need to use residual ambient energy to maintain their form.

“Really, you think so?” A suddenly excited Fae asks, her wings flying forward as she stares at me in that slightly odd way a crazed yandere might, when they view the object of their obsession.

“Yeah,” I say, trying not to betray the sudden fear at how close this Fae is getting into my personal space.

“I knew it, only someone as powerful as the Queen would be able to counter my spell.” The Fae, likely Glormhilda exclaimed excitedly.

Then like that, I saw the moment the statement was registered as an apparent challenge to all of the other Fae.

Suddenly as one, the other Fae who were all flying over a cluster of three or more patients suddenly got a determined look on their faces, before they all turned as one and bending over their patients, they stuck out their tongues as they began weaving even thicker layers of protective encapsulation spells around their subjects.

Then as soon as I realized that there was an apparent harder difficulty mode I had somehow unlocked, I was informed of the new status via a quest.

New Quest Identified: Proving Yourself As A Worthy Queen (Ongoing): You have proven capable of understanding the fundamentals of Fae magic. Now you must prove that you are capable of breaking any challenge before you. Your task is now to break through the protective barriers related to the different castings of Time Stagnation on your students. Bonus if you can break through all casings on your first attempt. Current Status (1 / 34). Rewards: Experience, Bloodline Perks, Variable.

Seeing the message, I can’t help but think that this is some major test. Though now that I have the challenge, I can’t help but feel the thrill of competition boiling deep inside me.

A slight smile crests my lips as I realize there is yet another layer of challenge to this already daunting process.

“Bring it,” I say as I quickly work through Ropinay’s wish list, as I can’t wait to see what future challenges will be in store for me here in the future.