Augmented Aspects: Chapter 194 Final Preparations (Patreon)

Chapter 194

Final Preparations

I had been tweaking my plans constantly. I have learned a few things like the fact that just because I have a Simulacrum doesn’t mean they will act exactly as I would. This was most apparent, when I tried to hit the easy button, take a morning off from my teaching schedule and let my Simulacrum take my spot as the instructor.

It was a disaster.

I never considered myself a perfectionist, though I guess when it comes to teaching Qi, Qi Techniques, magic, and magical practices, I might have a higher standard than I previously thought. Namely, I cannot stand the way the world and by extension my Simulacrums wield and understand magic, or Qi. This is part of why I think retirees like myself who join the world will always be able to make a much more profound impact on the world than machines who can’t seem to feel the teachings. Sure, the machines that I teach do learn and can mimic what I teach, show, and demonstrate but they never do more. They can’t take it that next step and make it their own.

Also, in addition to my regular workload, I have now been tasked with coming up with a whole new material for how to help assist the new guild members who have all received quests to either awaken their Royal Bloodlines, or Legendary Bloodlines. I of course asked how this was my fault, at which point Mallory so carefully noted, “if you didn’t hit them with radiated mana and Qi particles then they wouldn’t have to deal with the bloodlines awakening within them.”

When I replied, “because everyone was a voyeur of me during a private moment, I now have to train a hundred and ten students in a new classroom curriculum that had not even been spoken about until now.”

I thought I had won the argument, as I was clearly a victim in all of this. At most I could see me training Jhonny as he was the only person who was supposed to be near me at that time, being my bodyguard and all. That is of course, when Mallory hit me in the area that was both the most effective, and ultimately made me sound like some sort of creep.

“Yes, but think about it this way. You now have a hundred and ten new experiments to work with, in order to understand bloodlines, understand what they can do, how much they can deviate, and most importantly, what new powers are capable of being awakened when you push these students to their maximum efficiency.”

And like that, I found myself with three new classes that would be held in the evening. On Mondays and Fridays I would work with the twelve Legendary bloodline students. On Tuesdays and Thursdays I would work with the ninety-eight Royal bloodline students, yeah that isn’t going to be a headache. Then on Wednesdays I would host a joint class that had both Royal and Bloodline students working together and sharing experiences.

Due to it being Thursday before I finally agreed to everything, only after I got a pay increase. Actually, who am I kidding I don’t want to be paid for this, at least not in normal means. Rather I realized I could use this opportunity to get two things I have been working for, okay not working for, but really really wanting for quite a while. That is, I have been trying to get the rare resources needed to complete my two potions that I purchased so many months ago, namely my personal use Unbound potion which will allow me to gain even more levels for my skills. Additionally, I will also begin creating my mass producible Trait Slot Unlock potions.

While I am not as enamored with Traits as I used to be, seeing as each of my classes now gives me the option for a Trait at every interval, I still think that for the guild this is a good thing overall. Also, I can use the Traits that my fellow guild members get as an inspiration for what I too might want to get with my free Trait slot.

I am thinking about trying to use the Trait Slot Unlock potions as a way to lower my teaching workload in the future, as I keep getting saddled with more and more classes, despite my brining in auxiliary teachers to help, like Arch-Mage De’Gravitas, the Lich. I refuse to call him by his alleged first name.

So yes, all I did was trade in a few hours of my evening quest time, to spend time with over a hundred students that are clearly voyeurs of yours truly, definitely not creepy at all.

As for Cassidy, the reason I was given an urgent quest from the system to stop Mallory and Gwen from saying too much about her, well we don’t talk about Cassidy, ever. At least not for longer than three-minute intervals, as that is all I have used my new ten-point merit Confidentiality on. Not very confidential, if I must spend my first two times using it to keep Mallory and Gwen from talking about my great granddaughter.

Urgent (Top Secret) Quest: Prevent Information Sharing of Cassidy Unger: You have been tasked with both revealing your newest merit Confidentiality to Gwen Spiritlight and Mallory Valhalla, while using the capability explain to the two why they cannot talk about Cassidy. Rewards: Experience, Bloodline Insights.

Note: Must retroactively reset time to ten seconds from the time receiving this message.

That was the first time I used the merit, and first time I realized that the world might have its own ideas on what was right and wrong. Particularly with the fact that the world was just as interested in keeping Cassidy’s recent developments from being known as I was.

Of course, I was well aware of Cassidy and her progress, as I always made sure to set aside an hour at around midnight her time to meditate and reach a state of openness. While it apparently broke things if I tried to reach out to find and connect with Cassidy, she was allowed to reach in and connect with me.

While what we talk about is a conversation for a later date and time, I do understand why the world would want to keep Cassidy’s capabilities quiet, at least for the moment.

Still, it is odd to ultimately get an immediate quest and rather sizable reward for outing myself, my newest cheat ability, and my exceptional great granddaughter all in one three-minute burst, but I did manage, somehow.

Then we had to wait an hour, until it was midnight, and my daily timer would reset. Once the timer was reset, Mallory and Gwen of course asked even more questions.

“So, this new ten-point Merit, it only protects you from people who might be watching you currently, but only those who are watching you interact with the game world?” Mallory asked.

“Yes,” I answered surprised that we would spend part of our three minutes on these questions again, but redundancy is a spice of life.

“That’s it, I mean we can all still see you, and we know what you did and are doing.” Gwen stated.

“Yes, and erasing your minds and memories would likely be too much. Rather, this is more of me being able to keep plausible deniability from any actions I might take in the future.” I reply.

“You thinking about going back to your old profession?” Mallory asks.

“I am not now, nor have I ever been a prostitute.” I state categorically.

Mallory and Gwen both stare at me in dumbfounded confusion for a moment, before shaking their heads in unison and responding. They really were getting comfortable with each other as a couple.

“What, no, that is sickening mother!” Gwen shouted.

“Yes, your old profession, not the oldest profession,” Mallory clarified.

With that, I can’t help but laugh a little, knowing that they both fell for my joke. Sad that no one else but me will get to hear it, or understand it, as this is part of the three minutes that I will definitely edit out. But still, I was fairly proud of this one, also I was impressed that Mallory was able to pick up the punchline so quickly, though she does have a dirty mind so her making the connection shouldn’t be too much of a stretch.

“Oh, in that case, yes.”

“Yes? Just like that?” Mallory states.

“Well yeah, what did you want me to do, tap dance around the subject?” I ask.

“Well no, I just thought you might do some deflection or plausible deniability, is all,” Mallory noted.

“I only have a minute and a half left, after this I will deny everything else that is said on this topic.” I state.

Hearing that, both Mallory and Gwen straighten up, as they realize they still had other questions that needed to be answered.

“Okay, switching subjects. Cassidy, is she okay?” Gwen asks, a note of grandmotherly fear in her voice.

“Yes, in fact people from Mallory’s family have come forward to help. She even thinks that she is being courted by one or more of Mallory’s great-great-grandchildren.” I state.

“She thinks?”

“Yes, well they are apparently all muscular and in high school or college and being extra nice to her, even though she is a good five years younger, and still underage compared to the others. I almost wonder if this runs in the family…” I say slyly as I give an innocent stare at Mallory.

“Hey, that is rude, and you are deflecting.” Mallory was about to go off on a tangent, but then realized that I would not answer any more questions once the time ended.

“Yes, and yes.” I reply.

“So the big question is, can she actually use magic?” Gwen asks, a note of hope in voice.

I smile brightly, then state “what do you think? She is my great granddaughter after all.” I state proudly.

With that both Gwen and Mallory pause as they realize that revelation. It is one thing to be able to do the impossible in a fictional game world where science and fantasy have been forcefully merged together in a way that is wholly unique and not bound by traditional laws of the world. So for Cassidy to be able to awaken meant a lot, also my answer was deflecting just enough that I didn’t outright state the truth.

“Can she, or can’t she? I want to hear a definitive answer.” Mallory pressed.

With that I just smiled and shook my head. “You are wasting your time by asking the same question that you already have the answers to. Move on, or I will.” I state.

There was a slight pause, before Gwen chimed in with another relevant question, “Did you find the Library of the Tribunal?”

“Who else would have?” I reply back with another question.

Grr.

I could hear and see the frustration in Mallory from my non-answer answers, but rather than get sidetracked by my antics Gwen pressed on. “Where is it?”

“In the desert.”

“Where?”

I smile, holding up my hand to stop the stream of questions that are likely to continue coming. I wave my hand quickly in the predetermined kill gesture we had set up, then state, “oh would you look at the time. I am so sorry, I know I have kept you two from your daily duties. Here we go,” I state as I put my hand on Gwen’s stomach and once again reaffirm my commitment to letting the child that Gwen is carrying have my bloodline. Then after I was done pulsing energy into Gwen’s stomach, I gave a final farewell.

“Well, I guess that is it for me for today. I will see you all tomorrow.”

Poof.

And like that I was gone. I knew I would likely have to spend a few more nights of my Confidentiality merit fielding more questions by those two, but I had to admit it was sort of fun to constantly frustrate the two.

What was the proverbial icing on the cake was the fact that I managed to complete my quest, in that short period of time.

Urgent (Top Secret) Quest Completed: Prevent Information Sharing of Cassidy Unger: You revealed your newest merit Confidentiality to Gwen Spiritlight and Mallory Valhalla, while using the capability explain to the two why they cannot talk about Cassidy. Rewards: Experience, Bloodline Insights.

Experience Gained:

250,000 / 125,000 / 125,000

Ding.

Level up.

Akashic Qi Master has increased by five levels to level 242.

Ethereal Simulacrums Master has increased by five levels to level 283.

Ethereal Healer has increased by seven levels to level 374.

That was a lot of experience to be gained, and for a moment I almost thought it was too much, when I realized it effectively hush experience. So much experience that the next time the system sent me an important quest like that, I wouldn’t help but follow through with its demands. Pausing for a moment, I wondered how much Gwen and Mallory got the one night when I apparently came close to breaking the world by trying to reach out and find Cassidy?

Seeing the amount of experience, it became clear that I was dangerously close to breaking something that the world found to be important. Maybe the world knew that if I so much as suspected something happening to Cassidy, I would be forced to reach out, find her and protect her, if I could. I don’t know if I could or not, or what would happen to me if I reached out, or this world if I needed to do something vital, but I know I would be forced to try. Deep down, I understand that the world, or rather the AIs that run this world understand that part of me, the fact that I would be duty bound to protect Cassidy, even at the cost of my unlife, or whatever state of being I currently manifest as. That I would gladly sacrifice myself for my family that still lives.

With that thought, I wonder if I have a common ally? No, ally is too strong of a term. Not an ally, but a covenant of agreements, whereby the world will help me protect Cassidy and my remaining descendants from problems I might inadvertently cause inside this world through my discoveries, and I subsequently won’t break the world by trying to fix problems that could ultimately be linked back to me.

Not the best of relationships, more of an armistice to prevent mutually assured destruction, but a relationship of trust none-the-less.

Of course, it was the next part of the reward that let me know the world was truly sincere with the want of this partnership, as it gave me my second favorite type of reward.

New Skill Gained: Bloodline Insights has reached level 1.

Bloodline Insights is a Perception X3, Intelligence X3, and Willpower X3 based skill.

Yes, a skill, something that made my heart beat wildly at just the thought. The triple Perception, Intelligence, and Willpower only served as a further impetus for me to teach the Bloodline classes. First, the bloodline classes would get me exposed to more people with bloodlines, and aside from Bloodline Sensing, this was my first skill dedicated solely to understanding Bloodlines. Second, this skill showed me just how close I was getting to my base 175 limit for my Perception, Intelligence, and Willpower attributes, which was why I negotiated with the components needed for my Unbound personal use potion to be part of my teaching fees to even entertain the class. A class that of course I was going to take on, despite my workload, as I had a new skill to grind.

Though the grinding would ultimately be useless for the moment as all my mental attributes had apparently reached their cap.

Mental          Base      Bonus

Perception     175*      1990

Intelligence     175*     2270

Willpower        175*      2999

That said, the world was not done bribing me, as it rewarded me with yet another Bloodline Marker.

Bloodline Marker Identified.

Bloodline Insights Marker Gained: You have gained the ability to identify people who have begun the process of awakening a bloodline, where they are in their process, and can identify where their bloodline will ultimately be most effective. Can be used on anyone with a bloodline that is as potent or less potent than your current bloodline ranking. Current Bloodline Ranking: Legendary + (5 / 7 Markers Needed for next breakthrough).

I was glad that the marker finally indicated my current status towards awakening my Mythic bloodline. Not that I actually wanted to awaken the bloodline and imagine the way the world would try to change me into something completely crazy, but it did feel good that my assumptions about my own progress state were confirmed. I was off on the number of total components needed to make the breakthrough, but I was correct in the fact that I felt I needed three more markers before this recent breakthrough. That meant that after this breakthrough, I just needed two more markers to awaken my next bloodline transformation, where I would officially begin breaking through what many consider to be the mortal barrier of this world. As the Mythic bloodline is where the supposedly truly exceptional realms of power await us.

Honestly, I feel a bit flustered at the idea. Yes, the breakthrough might be great, and depending on what ridiculous changes the world forces on me, I might be like one of those permanently shape changing trickster gods from lore, as I can only imagine how hideous I will look after everything is said and done.

That said, for the moment things are going well. There are challenges, but I seem to be able to deal with them, and starting tomorrow I will begin my further exploration of the Arcanarus Tower.

All I have to do is teach my final Friday classes, including my first and only joint Royal and Legendary bloodline class that will be held on a Friday, and then I am done.

Nothing to worry about at all.

Yet, I can’t quite shake the feeling that something stupid is going to happen, I just don’t know what. And that is what scares me.