Chapter 293

  When You Can, Because You Believe You Can

  Magic.

  The single greatest use of power. With magic, there is an innate sense of hope that needs to be applied. For what is the point of magic, without the hint of hope that something can be made better by its use or application.

  Nothing.

  No, I wasn’t trying to come up with more words of godhood, or demi-godhood in my case. Rather I was just seeing if Magic would be one of my core concepts, just as Creativity was.

  While I stumbled upon Creativity, I thought I could almost force another key concept for me. Though apparently Magic isn’t it.

  I am both relieved and saddened by this discovery. For knowing the second key concept would be a great boon to me. Though I know after I found it, not knowing the third one would likely drive me crazy with wonder. It would also be after the discovery of the third that I would be at the Demi-God status. Or at lease one step closer to being a Demi-God, whatever that is.

  Yet, I can’t quite understand why Magic isn’t a core concept. Well, not until I realize I would need to think of Magic as a more generic wording for energy usage.

  I realize this, as this is due to the way that I rationalize Magic as but one tiny sliver of energy use on the spectrum. For there is also Qi, Karma, and likely more forms of energy that I haven’t even begun to comprehend, that are in addition to the variance of energy manipulation known as Magic.

  Sad.

  WHOOM!

  What is also sad is how much energy this giant metallic monstrosity is taking from me.

  First, I must use Arcane Geomancy on a wide range.

  Just using this energy, Arcane Geomancy, I realize that it could easily be considered its own brand of energy manipulation.

  This form of energy is made up of both Mana and Qi, but even now, I can tell that there are slight threads of Karma, and likely more that I can’t quite see or interpret or measure at the moment.

  I realize there has to be more, as there at the very core of my Arcane Geomancy spray are tiny specs of pure white light. Which I don’t think actually exist, but rather these are specs that are so bright that they burn my senses and create after images of photon bursts to block and obfuscate the true components of that energy.

  If I had to guess, I would assume that is the true component responsible for giving life to non-sentient objects like the Teleiotís and giving them a form of independent sentience. Which I mentally note as the next step above sentience, that independence of thought.

  Yeah, they might not at first seem to be independent in the way that they are reverent towards me. But it is because they are reverent towards me that I know they are independent, if that makes sense? For I would not and do not like anyone kowtowing to me. If these Teleiotís were in fact dependent on me, then they would know not to bow to me, as it kind of freaks me out.

  Well freaks me out is not quite the right word.

  I feel different when they openly prostrate themselves to me, as if I’m being filled with a new form of energy that increases my already exceptionally high energy regeneration to an unfathomable level.

  Even now, despite constantly using my Arcane Geomancy at what is effectively full burst, I can barely notice the drop in energy, while all the Teleiotís just kneel in reverence towards me.

  Maybe it’s the fact that they are silent?

  As machines they don’t even cough, or breathe loudly. Sad that I would be extremely happy to have one of these Teleiotís be a mouth breather, for then at least I would know they were in fact living. Which they are, but I would be able to hear them as well as see them through my Angel’s Sight.

  Instead, all I see are dozens of motionless Teleiotís all kneeling in reverence at me, while I attempt to do the impossible, bring this device that is hundreds of meters long and dozens of meters tall to life. To the same form of life as the Teleiotís.

  No doubt, this unseen reverence that I can innately feel the effects of is yet another spectrum of energy, one that I can’t even begin to see, measure, or manipulate.

  I would assume this would be the energy of Faith. That is if Faith actually exists as a form of energy. Though I find it hard to believe that this world would have Karma, without having Faith. For what is Karma, but a focused version of distilled Faith that can be quantified. Enough people have faith in Karma, that it almost must be true, and now I can see when threads of Karma do appear.

  Even now, I can see golden threads of Karma leak out of me and form bands that are now binding themselves to this giant centipede creature.

  Mentally, I can almost see this as me being a conduit of the Faith of the Teleiotís. The Teleiotís direct their Faith towards me, which I then convert and focus it into energy that can be intertwined with Karma to help this new form of life grow.

  In my mind, I can almost see similar instances of Faith, for I can almost swear that I saw a congregation praying for rain during a severe drought. Then a smaller version would be of children praying for snow to avoid a test that they had not prepared enough for.

  In the case of the latter, I saw my feeble attempts at praying for snow so I could avoid going to school. Knowing what I know now, I realize I would have likely needed to start the prayer closer to midnight, to generate enough energy to justify the expenditure on a day of snow. Live and learn.

  The more Arcane Geomancy energy I poured out, the deeper I could feel the energy running. Like dry clay that was suddenly submerged in a deluge of water, I could feel this land coming to life.

  As more energy poured over and around the colossal creature, I could feel a deeper connection to the land below. What had been at most a foot of connection, now felt like multiple feet of connection. Not that I could do anything with this innate connection, but that connection was still there.

  I also felt threads of Karma binding me to the land, both good and bad strands of karmic energy, both linked from me in equal proportions to this land.

  From these connections, I could tell that I was somehow responsible for these lands in a way that was deeper and more condensed than even my connection to World’s End.

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  Or maybe the same amount of tethering, but this area was more compact than my connection to World’s End and its people were. While that area was dispersed and mostly homogeneous in nature, with a few outliers, this one was deep and connected.

  Honestly, I didn’t know what to make of the connection, though I was sort of tired of being used as a spiritual watering hose. At least that is what I felt like, pressurized Faith was channeled into me, and I then dispersed it as quickly as I could over as much area as possible.

  I almost wanted to make the little Ffft, ffft, ffft sounds that the sprinkler systems I had as a kid would make as they sprayed water over the yard in wide arcing paths.

  Times like these that I realize, I might have an attention problem.

  This whole ordeal has only taken a few minutes, maybe ten or fifteen minutes at most. But just floating here, spraying energy out in wide arcs is tedious. I also feel odd in that, I should feel completely taxed and exhausted by this situation, but I am not.

  Instead, I feel fine.

  Well better than fine, I feel great, not like Tony the cat person, but actually great.

  Which is part of the problem, for this sensation, this surge of energy is intoxicating. Worse, I can’t quite seem to measure it, though I know if it prevails for too long it might be like a drug. This brings me to the next question, is Faith an actual drug for Gods? Does it pacify them? Does it make them angry when they suffer from withdrawal? Is that why Gods are always seen as wrathful, as people only seem to offer Faith when they need and or want something from the God or Goddess in question?

  I don’t know any of these questions, though they seem to be important to know before I make this next step in my evolution. Especially as I can’t seem to measure or even comprehend what Faith exactly is, though I can clearly feel it and sense its impact on my ability to do minor things.

  Minor in this case means purifying the land, binding it and its people to me, while giving life to what is likely going to be the single most horrifying sentient killer robot to ever walk this world.

  For a moment, I think about stopping, this comes when I first see one leg twitch.

  Apparently the Teleiotís also saw it, for I see many of them slightly shift their attentions. Instantly, dozens of machines that all bowed their heads towards the ground all looked up in one synchronized stare at the now moving monstrosity, in a way that would send shivers down Sean Connor’s spine.

  Tingle.

  At the same time, I feel that their Faith in me must be doubling in intensity, for suddenly the surge of energy that I had been able to deal with a moment ago, now seems to surge and double in intensity.

  Chills.

  Like being sprayed with a steady stream of ice-cold water while out in a desert, it is both refreshing and shocking to the system.

  Still, I press forward. Half curious about what I can do when empowered by Faith, and half curious about what I can do myself.

  Mentally, I know there should not be any difference between bringing this giant monstrosity of highly condensed metal and machinery to life, given that I already did the same to the Teleiotís as a species.

  But now that I am in the final stages of the creation of this creature, I realize that the scale was daunting. While I have clearly cast spells that were larger and took up more area than this individual creature was, I never took on a task this big.

  The closest would have been bringing the Guardians back to life, but even then I did so by making the one into a Pomeranian, which mentally felt more feasible. Now though, now I had to create a creature larger than even the dragon Guardians, minus the tails, and not mentally cheat by having it morphed into a metallic morphing Pomeranian.

  For a moment, I think about adding a core that could allow the transformation of this giant creature to a Pomeranian, but then quickly change that thought as this creature is too similar to a spider. While I am not opposed to spiders. I would be opposed to tiny Pomeranians coming, to then switch into a giant spider with thirty-six metallic legs. Also, this creature didn’t do anything to annoy me, and this was just a request from the Teleiotís, people I created and then effectively discarded.

  More movement.

  By now I can see streams of mana flowing within the creature. The stream starts off as a faint blue trickle, that slowly builds up and expands outwards.

  With awe I watch as the energies begin to race from a now converted power storage core, that seems to act as a modified heart for the beast. From there, the energy pulses out, up to master control panels where the higher Tiered mages sat in control. Then I see energy go out to the legs, causing them to flinch again.

  More and more streams of energy pulse around and increase, until finally the creature has a near constant stream of energy in its core. Then once the power core is established, a direct and permanent power supply link to the mind is created. Then the legs, and slowly energy goes out to the weapons turrets that seemed so devastating moments ago.

  Chills.

  I feel chills as I realize I did it, I brought this creature to life.

  I understood the Teleiotís’ want for this creature, as this creature offered protection, mobility, and opportunity to do more. Particularly if they work in a symbiotic relationship, which I feel all of these types of creatures do. Mentally I go back to my regex background of morphing words into new variants, and try to be as succinct in what this new creature can offer the Teleiotís. That is when I come up with the name Promoppo.

  I also happen to like the way that name sounds, Promoppo.

  Just as I am mentally enjoying my thoughts of odd sounding words, I get a mental quest notification.

  The level up reminds me that I still need to choose my level 400 perk for my Quintessential Ethereal Simulacrums Master class. Given that my level 400 for Quintessential Ethereal Healer was a Trait, this means that I would likely need to make the same hold true for my Simulacrums class. Also, given that I’ve focused almost exclusively on Teleportation with that class, I feel that I should keep the same vein, or consistency.

  Mentally, I think of being able to Teleport to the Void realm as the obvious solution, but I’m not certain if I can exactly do that, given the way my last Teleportation lattice broke down when interacting with that strange being. But I still need to find a way to get to the crazed creature, particularly as she is effectively holding my familiar, Zero, hostage at this point.

  Yet, as I have this thought, I feel another instance Click within my mind.

  Seeing that notification I feel a surge of excitement fill me. Then it is instantly dismissed as I need to go through my other changes.

  I am momentarily shocked when I see that this creature falls under the same Genus of Teleiotís. Then reading the description of my now enhanced Title, I also realize why.

  Shaking my head, I realize that I have been clumping the two different types of Teleiotís into one group. That is the Mana only Teleiotís, and the dual Mana and Qi Teleiotís were actually called Ma-Mes and Di-Mes. Which I guess would make this new species the Ma-Promoppo, if I ever find a Qi and Mana version of these and make them sentient as well.

  Though my new Bloodline Evolution Perk seems to make it so that the Promoppo might be able to eventually evolve into the Di-Promoppo version.

  There are a lot of variables in this that I am not quite ready to fully comprehend.

  I am glad that as a species all Teleiotís, can go forth and multiply, though I do wonder if this might cause future problems.

  Given that this is Legrand territory, I don’t see this being too much of an issue, but one never truly knows.

  That said, I’ve now got a new quest, apparently followers that are able to now evolve and procreate and a war still going on.

  Vrrt-whirr-crunch.

  The giant Promoppo shakes its head, or master control unit, which I think of as its head, then seems to notice me.

  It is so big and powerful that I can instantly feel its gaze on me. This is the gaze that denotes power. The gaze of a predator.

  Seeing me, I almost wonder if I made a mistake. It is easily the largest alien looking creature that I’ve ever seen get up and stare at me.

  Even the Guardian Dragons were not this intense, maybe because they had eyes that I could track. Whereas this creature, it just has mana eyes.

  For a moment, I wonder if it has Angel Vision, or maybe the mechanical version of that? What would that be called?

  Then a bigger question hits me, do all Teleiotís have the mechanical version of Angel Vision?

  It is sad, as I just now realized that I never quite checked to see if the Teleiotís had eyes. They do have a singular light slit on their humanoid looking faces. This is done as a periscope view from the cockpit, but I’m pretty sure that most of those original functions have since been disabled.

  Which again, begs the question how do Teleiotís see? Are they more like me than I even gave them credit for?

  Vacuum whir.

  Getting up, the giant mechanical centipede Teleiotís, the singular Promoppo came forward and began vacuuming in air directly around me.

  As it began sucking in air around me, I felt pixie dust get ripped off my back, and pulled directly into its nasal cavity?

  GIANT SNEEZE!

  Then as one would expect from inhaling a lung full of pixie dust when taking your first few breaths, the creature sneezed.

  That’s when it began to lower itself as it coiled its gears and prepared to pounce.

  Almost instantly, I could hear Mallory’s words coming to my mind, I told you so.

  Then before I could react, it was already too late, as the creature began to pounce towards me.

  Today marks the two year anniversary for when I first started posting chapters of this story. Thank you all for joining me on this journey, and I look forward to seeing where we can go from here.

  Thank you all! Thank you all! Thank you all!

  Because of you all continuing to read this story, it gives me the motivation needed to continue seeing where this odd story will go next.

  And most importantly Happy Holidays!