Technomancer: Birth of a Goddess

Podrick flashes Emily a weak, giddy grin.

“Thanks,” he rasps, his throat hoarse from screaming. “I feel like I’ve been hit by an airship.”

“Ha,” Emily scoffs, pulling out a healing potion and sitting down beside him. “This potion will help with that. But first, I want to do a quick scan to check what’s damaged.”

Podrick tries to nod, wincing as he moves his neck.

“Just stay still and don’t resist,” Emily says, pushing his head back down before placing her palm on his chest.

The moment she pushes a small stream of machina into him, Emily feels a fierce resistance. The energy resting within his new cortex lashes out in reaction, trying to force out her influence. Emily leaves it for a moment, gauging the strength of the machina.

I could force through his resistance if I didn’t mind hurting him. Good to know.

“Stop resisting,” she repeats.

“How?” Podrick asks with slight panic.

“Take a deep breath,” Emily instructs. “Feel the energy leaving your cortex, the new organ replacing your brain, and try to tell it not to move.”

Podrick closes his eyes and does as she says, trying to feel out the energy within him. Emily maintains a light stream into him as he does, keeping his body in a state of distress, forcing him to calm it himself.

It takes a few minutes of focus, but he eventually manages to draw the hostile machina back into his cortex and hold it there.

“This is so weird,” Podrick mutters as Emily slowly scans his body. “I couldn’t really tell what you were doing before, but now it feels like you’re staring straight into me.”

“Hmm,” Emily hums with a nod. “You’re far more sensitive to my energy manipulation after awakening. It’s not surprising you have some idea of what I’m doing now.”

“I see. How are you doing that by the way?”

“Doing what?”

“Moving your machina so delicately. I’m still struggling just to stop it reacting on its own.”

“Oh, talent I guess,” Emily says with a shrug. “I’ve never had trouble moving mana or machina to my will, but that was odd among mages. Most of them had to train their mana manipulation, so I guess it will be the same for you. It’s just like having another limb: I’m sure you’ll be able to adjust to using it just fine after a while.”

“I see,” he responds, his brow creasing when Emily moves her machina towards his head.

She instantly feels the barely-contained machina in the boy’s cortex reaching out to interfere.

I can’t scan his cortex? That’s a shame. The rest of him hasn’t changed very much, just a little all-round strengthening and a bit of stress damage from the seizing and screaming. I’m guessing most of the change from the awakening was in his cortex, and the blood was just indicative of that. I wonder why I didn’t bleed though. Did the mage part of my awakening help heal me?

“Okay,” she says, retracting her energy and lifting the vial of red liquid to Podrick’s lips. “I’m done. Drink this.”

He greedily gulps down the cool, soothing liquid, letting out a satisfied sigh as he empties the vial. He goes still afterwards, shutting his eyes and slowing his breathing. After a few moments, he opens them again and sits up.

“Thanks, that feels so much better,” he says, rolling his shoulders and clicking his neck side to side.

“You’re welcome,” Emily says, standing up and walking towards the door. “That’s all for now. Go get some rest, or play about with your new body, whatever. I’m going back to my room.”

She pauses as she opens the door, glancing back over her shoulder.

“Just remember. Don’t tell anyone about this.”

Podrick nods quickly, a shiver running down his spine as he meets Emily’s stormy warning glare. Satisfied, she turns on her heels and vanishes into the corridor, sending half of her cores to sleep for the night now that her main experiment is finished.

***

Back in her room, Emily collapses on her back in her bed, staring up at the ceiling and opening her system to check out her new skill.

“I’m not sure how I feel about this name,” she mumbles.

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[Mother’s Blessing (active)]

[Cost:] 50% total mana, machina, and stamina

A unique ability to help raise a strong following.

-Grants a blessing to a target that temporarily boosts their cultivation speed and processing ability.

-Can only be used on targets of a lower level.

-Can only be used on a target considered the User’s child.

_____

Increasing someone else’s cultivation speed? That sounds incredible, but only being usable on my children is weird. Presumably, since it gave me the skill for awakening Pod, he’d be included. But I certainly don’t consider him my child. Does it just mean people I’ve awakened?

Frowning, Emily starts pulling out small mechanical components, idly weaving together another clockwork bird as she thinks.

It does say the skill is for raising a strong following, not family, so surely I don’t actually have to be related to the targets. The quest was called The Spread of Knowledge, so maybe it would count someone as my child if I taught them. Honestly, I consider my machines my children more than I would any people. 𝕗𝐫𝐞𝕖𝕨𝐞𝗯𝚗𝕠𝘃𝐞𝚕.𝐜𝗼𝚖

Emily’s hands pause in their work as an idea strikes her. She sits up and pulls one of her spider scouts from her storage, setting it down in her lap. Placing a hand on top of it, she tries to activate the skill. She feels a pull on the concept of the skill, more abstract in nature than the rest, but nothing happens and she doesn’t feel a proper reaction.

“Tsk,” she clicks her tongue, putting the scout away. “Never mind, I guess inanimate objects don’t count as my children. I’ll have to test it on some people in the future. I’ll wait till I think I can trust Pod for now.”

Moving on from the skill, Emily moves into a meditative position and lets her mind wander back to the fight of the morning. Her brow creases slightly as something about the memories feels off, somehow not quite complete, but an uncomfortable churning in her gut pushes her to ignore it, so she focuses on her original target, the thunderstorm.

Those bolts falling from above were stronger than arc, but weaker than arc-bolt. Definitely a third circle spell. I didn’t use a single rune but made a third circle spell. How?

A buzzing static fills the air around Emily as she submerses herself in the memory of shooting to the ground with half a dozen lightning bolts following her, focusing on the feeling of her connection to the bolts.

Are runes actually needed for spells? They can certainly help. After all, the system has unlocked skills to help me improve using them; but maybe they’re not required. Like chants! They control the effect of some spells, but it’s possible to use them without if you have a solid mental image.

The static starts condensing into little, sparking bolts, wreathing Emily in a glowing cloak of primal electricity.

To get rid of chants you needed a solid mental image of both the magic circle, and the spell you want to cast. If you’re to get rid of the magic circle and only hold the spell, what’s the catalyst to actually cast it?

Realisation strikes and a thunder crack rings out across the open desert, waking everyone on the ship.

“Elemental connection,” she mutters as her eyes flit open.

Her eyes glow with a crackling blue light, and the buzzing plasma surrounding her shudders as she takes control of it with a light flex of her will. Emily raises her right hand, moving the pure elemental mana to form around it into a fierce-looking bracer with a blade extending a metre out over her knuckles.

A satisfied grin forms on her lips as she gazes at the spell, feeling the full strength of her third circle being put to use without a runic magic circle. After a few seconds of admiring the weapon, Emily releases her control, and the air around her calms as her eyes lose their otherworldly glow.

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Insight gained!

[Skill upgraded]

[Intermediate Mana Manipulation (passive)]

User has fine control over external mana use.

-Grants +15% efficiency and control over mana outside the body

-Grants +5% power to elemental manifestation

-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-

Hidden-quest completed: True Elementalist

[True Elementalist]

[Rank:] C

[Description:] You’ve independently realised the folly of Ulean mages and understood the true nature of their pursuits, an important step towards reaching the fifth circle. Through refining your understanding, earned in combat and emotional distress, you’ve taken the first step down the path of a true Elementalist. What you become now is your choice.

Requirements:

-Cast a spell without using a magic circle intentionally (Completed)

Rewards:

-Talent: One With The Elements

-Mage Knowledge: Magic Vocations

_____

She feels a refreshing shiver running down her spine as the upgraded skill and new talent settle into place, and new information floods into her mind in a familiar manner.

Well, that’s two requirements for my progression ticked off. Wait, an important step for reaching fifth circle? Why?

Emily lets out a long breath and stands up from her bed to pace around the room as she processes everything she’s just learned, trying to understand what makes it important for progressing to fifth circle.

“That aside though, this explains so much. No wonder Lebard’s magic was called strange in all the reports I read in the library,” she mutters to herself.

A presence at the door breaks Emily’s focus from breaking down her new knowledge, so she walks over to open it with an irritated scowl.

“Yes?” she says to Anton on the other side, who flinches back as he meets her eyes.

“Um,” he says, swallowing down his fear and straightening his back. “I was just coming to check everything was okay. We were all woken by that thunder, but it doesn’t look like there’s a storm outside.”

Emily’s expression softens as her eyes widen.

“Wait, you guys heard that?” she asks.

“Yeah. Why? Was it you?”

“Yeah, sorry about that. I swear my sound-proofing barrier was up. Please ignore it.”

“Oh, ok. I’ll let everyone know it was a false alarm then. I’m going back to bed for now.”

With a tired nod and a yawn, Anton turns to address the heads poking out of their rooms as Emily slips back into hers and shuts the door. Instantly, all the noise from outside is cut off again.

“I thought so, my barrier is still working,” she mutters. “That thunderclap must have been like the ones I get with my ascensions that bypass barriers. Strange. It’s almost like the world is celebrating my achievements.”

Shaking her head at the ridiculous thought, Emily settles down to finish her consideration of magical vocations.

“The fun of the moment is gone now, let’s just break this down quickly. Why is this apparently so important?”

Mages can be split into three major categories, Elementalists, Arcanists, and Supplicants. Lebard mages probably follow the path of True Supplicants. All accounts said they claimed that they pray to their deities and are given magic in return. Their deities are probably just some fourth circle extra-dimensional beings. It would even explain the scarcity of fourth circle mages among their ranks: a Patron can’t create many Supplicants at the same level as themselves. Then, the rest of Ulean mages follow a sub-branch of the other two vocations without even realising it.

Emily lets out a derisive chuckle as she understands why the quest called it their folly.

They’re losing the best parts of both vocations just to make up for their lack of knowledge and talent. Elementalists focus on creating a strong connection with their highest affinity element, rarely a second or third even if they have multiple high affinities. They cast spells without magic circles, using elemental manifestation alone, focusing on power and flexibility, and they even go as far as permanently attributing their mana circles to further that.

“Maybe that needs to be done before reaching fifth circle?” she mumbles.

Arcanists on the other hand, focus on understanding runes and cultivating raw mana for utility and adaptability. Ulean mages though, are a shitty excuse for elemental-arcanists. They focus too much on each developing a single element to have the adaptability of Arcanists. Their lack of a true elemental connection weakens their power, and their reliance on magic circles reduces their flexibility in combat.

She raises a hand to bite her thumb as the last line of the quest’s description bugs her.

What I become now is my choice. Is it telling me to pick a vocation?

Her lips crawl up into a grin as another option occurs to her.

“Or is it telling me to fix their faults and become a proper elemental-arcanist?”

She opens up her new talent to have a look on instinct, and her grin only grows.

¯¯¯¯¯

[One With The Elements]

User is at one with magic itself.

-Grants an increase of 1% affinity in all elements and concepts.

-Increased aptitude for connecting with elements.

_____

“Why would I ever attribute my circles with a single element after earning this talent? I guess I’ll need to find ways to connect with more elements in the future,” Emily mutters, settling into a meditative position again. “None of them will come as easily as lightning, that’s for sure.”

***

After meditating through the rest of the night while steering the ship onwards, Emily leaves her room to join the rest of the crew for breakfast, massaging her brow and feeling surprisingly drained.

Weird, why am I so tired? I was just meditating.

Glancing at her status, she immediately spots an issue.

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[Status]

[Name:] Emily Coldstone

[Race:] Human

[Age:] 17

[Magic Circle:] Third Circle

[Machina Cortex:] Third Stage

[Attributes:] Strength 20 (26), Dexterity 65 (68), Agility 52 (57), Vitality 17 (22), Intelligence 129

[Health:] 267/270

[Stamina:] 135/530

[Mana:] 1490/17415

[Machina:] 1525/17415

_____

Woah, my stamina has dropped so much, and my mana and machina regeneration has also slowed by the looks of it. Why? It can’t have been the fight yesterday, was it awakening Pod? I didn’t feel much different at the time though. Also, I’m injured. Maybe it’s this Goddess forsaken buzzing and whatever my machina is doing to my cortex at the moment.

Emily drops into a seat between Ash and Podrick, gratefully accepting a serving of porridge that’s offered to her. She languidly scoops some into her mouth and looks up at Anton sitting across from her.

“Was everything okay last night?” he asks.

“Yeah, we maintained the same speed as usual and didn’t stray from our path,” Emily reassures him between mouthfuls. “What time do you think we’ll be arriving at Ashdon?”

“If we keep the same speed as yesterday then we should have about six hours till we get there.”

Emily notices him shifting uncomfortably as he answers but chooses not to bring it up.

Seems like he’s expecting trouble.

She nods and finishes her food in silence, the buzzing in her head drowning out the chatter around her. After eating she heads back to her room, waving Podrick off when he tries to talk to her, and collapses in bed.

I feel like it’s a bad idea to use healing magic to interfere with whatever my machina is doing, so hopefully it will be done when I wake up.