49. Conference
In the workshop, she met Deriga. She stood in the middle and didn't dare to move a step.
"What's up, dear?"
"It feels like a holy place!"
Flora shrugged.
"The buffs are still active because our real bodies reside in the consecrated space."
"No, I mean, it feels like the Goddess walked this room. I can feel the aura of Evailyn."
"Oh. Yes, I can explain that. Let's go to the simulation grounds first. What kind of fighting do you practice?"
"Fighting?"
"Yes, what do you do to protect yourself if your mana has run out?"
"I run away screaming? I mean, I pray, of course!"
Flora waved Deriga over to the dummies.
"Just hit them with your fists."
After activating the plasma sword and setting plasma sword fighting on auto mode, Flora watched her movements. After a while, she chose a diagonal slash that had a significant hip movement for linking the skill plasma sword dance to it.
Then she watched for a while to be sure her plan worked. The first part went well enough. Her body trashed the dummy, and when it performed the diagonal slash, the skill got activated. But after the Plasma-Sword-Dance ended, her body stood around dumbly. Just when Flora wanted to change things up, the dummy attacked her with its ax. Her body started moving again, fighting with the plasma sword.
Now, she configured the simulation grounds. She built a cliff above the sea. A cursed cliff! Because she wanted to level faith and climbing and swimming and diving and ... Okay, she wanted to level a thousand things. On a ledge, she put the bed and in a cave the library container and a few blade-rollers. Then she saved this configuration. Then she added a small pool with a connection to a hot spring and hit save again. She had gotten used to having a jacuzzi and wouldn't want to miss it.
"Concentrate on hitting the dummy with the intention never to stop hitting it, dear!"
At last, she copied Deriga and herself.
"Great!" Flora exclaimed, watching her debuffs.
Unholy Place: - 3 OV to all attributes.
Flora connected the library-container and one blade-roller.
First, she cast the skills on the container.
<Overcharge Regular>!
A happy gurgling noise came from Aitoshuri, and the pages turned faster.
<Tinker>!
The insides of the container started to glow.
Built-In Feature: En-Lightening
Description: Aura. Increases the Training efficiency modifier while reading.
CD: 25 min
Temporary: 29min 56sec remaining.
"This buff is excellent! Deriga, do you mind if we read a bit before we go over the furnishing?"
"No. I need the time to process all the strange things I've seen."
"Then you wouldn't mind, giving me the book on runes back for the duration?" Flora was embarrassed about asking, but her desire to dive into the world of runes won out.
"Sure." Deriga pulled it out of her satchel.
Immediately, Flora dove into the book. It was a beginner's guide to runecraft. It started with what materials were suitable to write or carve them. Basically, everything but metal had merits, especially stones. The book recommended a chalkboard to train and preparing healing potions for unexpected effects.
Flora raised her eyebrows. She didn't know that runes were dangerous! On the other hand, if you are reckless enough, everything is perilous.
When you used only one rune, the rune functioned as a verb. Here the first rune was introduced: Garmee. It meant heat, warmth, welcome, and half a dozen barely connected things. Its looks reminded Flora of a toast, hugging itself.
When it was standing alone, and you channeled mana in it, the rune got warm or was heating up.
When you combined it with a second rune, the effect depended on the position those runes where ordered. For example, combining it with Visphot, looking like a mixer, which meant shot, blast, gust, spear, ball, explosion, and other things: either a gust of hot air would blow to you, when a bullet passed the scope the shot would heat up or the rune would heat up or nothing would happen.
"Auntie Flow, I'm dying." Deriga sounded composed, considering the message.
"From what? Boredom?"
"From the debuff 'Unwelcome'"
Unholy Place: - 3 OV to all attributes.
Unwelcome: 1 x ~1dmg / 2 sec.
Immediately, Flora hit her with Refresh.
"The debuff isn't that bad yet. If you want, I'll teach you Refresh, that's a spell to boost regeneration."
"Thank you very much, but I'm already at the spell limit."
"There is a limit to how many spells you can learn?" Flora asked, alarmed. If she had known that before, she would have taken a more selective approach.
"Yes, I'm C-rated. Hence I can learn three skills. Every time I level up a tier or my RGC (recommended group size) rises, I have the chance to learn a new one and, of course, if my rating goes up."
Aidan to Flora: "Only NPCs have restrictions on the number of skills, Milady."
"Terrible, dear! Most terrible! On earth, we don't have any magic skills, but you can as many abilities as your time and talents and resources allow. It's not as bad when nobody has magic as when you have less than others."
"Being C-rated is a burden on its own. Normal people are abundant, they can only learn one mana skill, but they are allowed to choose it most times. The C-rated people are called soldiers because we are useful enough that the As and Bs order us around." Deriga's shoulder slumped.
"But what about the "E" the weak category? I can imagine they have it worse."
"Yes, many don't survive childhood, end up in orphanages or gangs because their family rejects them. There is a proverb: 'When an A sneezes, an E dies.'" Deriga said with a monotonous voice.
Flora hadn't thought about what it meant that your rating is evident to the whole world and that it profoundly affected your options.
"Formerly, I looked at it the other way around, that you get rated for what you are capable of and not that your rating limits you. But maybe I wasn't totally wrong! You mentioned that your rating could go up?"
"Yes, but it's a laborious process. We call it 'breaking the ceiling'. You have to train like crazy and prove yourself through accomplishments."
"Great! Then you are exactly right here! This simulation ground trains your faith, your physical regeneration, and your physical vigor! And helping to establish a new place of worship for our Goddess is a huge achievement!"
Unholy Place: - 3 OV to all attributes.
Unwelcome: 2 x ~1dmg / 2 sec.
Faithless: - 1 OV to magical micro-control. + 1% damage from all sources.
For a moment, Deriga perked up, but then she sank back and shrugged.
Flora figured out with Aidan's help how to sent a party invitation to Deriga.
"It's not to celebrate, dear, but that I can see your health to heal you better," Flora added to prevent a misunderstanding only she would have.
"Aidan, supply me with a description of all my healing spells and defensive measures. Anything that helps."
Refresh was still on cooldown. Not only had Deriga just half her health left, but it and Flora's too were sinking.
"I added the duration, affinity effect, and mana-cost, Milady, and sorted them into three categories."
Spells that help:
Refresh
Description: Increases the target's regeneration
Affinity effect: Water, Weak
CD: 1 min
Duration: 30 sec
Mana cost: 10
Bless and Condemn
Description: Heals all friendly targets, damages all enemies in range.
Affinity effect: Faith, Middle
CD: none
Duration: none
Mana cost: 25
Fortification of Faith
Description: Gives Target temporary hit points and mana points and increases its defenses.
Affinity effect: Faith, Middle
CD: 25 sec
Duration: 25 sec/ until exhausted
Mana cost: 10
Pray
Description: Gives Target hitpoints or mana points or stamina or concentration.
Affinity effect: Faith, Weak
CD: 1 min
Duration: none
Mana cost: 10
Thaumaturgy
Description: Random, but helpful, wondrous deed.
Affinity effect: Faith, strong
CD: 5 min
Duration: varies
Mana cost: varies
Spells that help a bit, but not proportional to their mana usage:
Force-Field
Description: Shields the Caster from kinetic, electro-magnetic, and plasma attacks. Minor protection against elements and arcane. Paltry protection against the rest.
Affinity effect: Kinetic, Magnetism, Lightning, Weak
CD: 25 sec
Duration: 25 sec/ until exhausted
Mana cost: 10
Kinetic Shield
Description: Shields the Caster from kinetic attacks. Minor protection against elements and arcane. Paltry protection against the rest.
Affinity effect: Kinetic, Weak
CD: 25 sec
Duration: 25 sec/ until exhausted
Mana cost: 10
I bow to you and roll with it
Description: Reduces all incoming damage
Affinity effect: Faith, Weak
CD: 25 sec
Duration: 5 sec
Mana cost: 10
Rise to the occasion
Description: Increases the OV of all stats and your size.
Affinity effect: Faith, Middle
CD: 1 day
Duration: Faith OV in seconds
Mana cost: 25
Healing and defensive spells that won't help
Grease with life's blood
Description: Heals your robot, but lowers your own health.
Affinity effect: None
CD: 25 sec
Duration: none
Mana cost: 10
As soon as Flora read the description of Thaumaturgy, she cast it.
"Aito, when the CD runs out, write the spell name in my HUD, orange and blinking for 3 seconds, transparency 50%".
A golden light came down on the group, including the two robots, washed over them and vanished.
Protection of Faith: Immunity to hostile Faith debuffs. Time remaining: 1 min.
Flora noticed that not only were all the debuffs from the unholy cliff gone, but Deriga's posture shifted, and the veil in front of her eyes vanished.
After Flora finished reading the list, she cast refresh again and then instructed Aito on the notifications she wanted to have. Before she had worked with audio, but now that her spell arsenal had increased, she didn't want to learn different audio signals for each spell.
There was a display of cooldown timers on her HUD, but they showed the spells on CD. Flora activated a feature that when the timer ticked to zero, the skill name would be highlighted by it, and a soft chime rang.
"Feeling better, dear?"
"Yes, auntie. I'm sorry. I'm usually not that whiny."
"It was the aura of this unholy place. When the feeling comes again, press against it with your faith!" Flora spent a second thinking about whether this place affected her mood, but found it impossible to judge. Instead, she concentrated on the practical aspects like keeping them both alive. "Is it impolite to ask what skills you have mastered?"
"Yes, but I tell you nevertheless. Every novice learns to Pray. The other two spells are randomly assigned. I got Levitate and Smite." Deriga shrugged. "That means I will be appointed to some missions where a clerical damage dealer is needed or maybe to the protection of a temple."
"Alright, with Pray, you have one tool to replenish your health. And I have the other priest spells and Refresh. That has to suffice to keep us alive. I underestimated the stacking of the debuffs. Initially, I configured the unholiness to be active while I sleep, but it's too strong for that."
"Oh, I do have another option to replenish health!" Deriga fetched scepter from her satchel. "I never saw you use any focusses. Is that another Earthling advantage?"
Flora was stumped. First, she didn't even know with what question to begin.
"What is a focus?"
Now, it was Deriga's turn to be baffled, but she recovered faster than Flora. "It's a weapon to enhance prayers and magic. Besides that, you can use it to transform your mana into attacks or heals.
There are three major types of focusses: elemental supporting magical power, arcane supporting magical macro-control, and intent supporting magical micro-control skills.
An example of an elemental focus is a Wand of Fire. After you bind it, you can shoot little fireballs from it using only a sliver of mana.
My scepter is an intent-focus. It's the standard weapon for C-rated tier-1 novices."
Deriga gave it to Flora.
Name: Beginner Soldier Scepter
Type: Focus
Regular mode: 1 OV mana regeneration
Build-In Skill: Shoot healing cantrip; Cost: 1 mana; CD: 2sec;
Build-In Skill: Shoot damaging cantrip; Cost: 1 mana; CD: 2sec;
Base Damage/Healing: 2
Tier: 1
Rating: C
"Great! I need one! And you need a better one!" Flora gave the weapon back and opened the marketplace.
"In the book about runes is a scheme for it. I wanted to give it a try in the next days."
Abruptly, Flora closed the window and opened the book instead.
"Materials: Wood or Stone. Check!"
Flora took her Multitool from her belt and approached the Library-Container.
"*Miep*! *Beep*, *Beep*!" Aitoshuri protested, albeit timidly.
"The shelve is empty, dear. Before we get enough books to fill it, we get a new one."
Flora cut the wood and gave a part to Deriga and took one for herself.
The two women sat side by side, carved, chatted about the church, and healed each other.
Because Flora was eager to try out the focus, she rushed:
Name: I'm sorry I'm in a hurry Scepter
Type: Focus
Regular mode: 2 OV mana regeneration
Build-In Skill: Shoot healing cantrip; Cost: 1 mana; CD: 2sec;
Build-In Skill: Shoot damaging cantrip; Cost: 1 mana; CD: 2sec;
Base Damage/Healing: 1
Tier: 1
Rating: D
With Aidan's help, she tested it.
Healing Cantrip: 15 HP, 23 HP, 20 HP
-----------------
You gained a new ability: Intent-Focus.
-----------------
Bless and Condemn without Focus: 2x 13 HP, 15 HP, 13 HP
Bless and Condemn with Focus: 2x 20 HP, 22 HP, 24 HP
"Wow, the focus really does make a difference. But even more shocking is how good it is without any spells! Bless and Condemn has 25 times the mana cost!"
"You have to account, that Bless and Condemn is an AOE-Skill, Milady. When you are in a group, everybody in range gets the 20 HP health, and every enemy receives 20 damage. Furthermore, your intent-focus has no secondary effect."
"Please explain secondary effects," Flora said after casting Pray with Scepter.
"A secondary effect is an effect besides the heal or damage. It can be buffs or debuffs. They get triggered by a myriad of reasons, but relevant in this case are the effects of the affinities. When not resisted, enemies get cold from ice, burn from fire, get poisoned from wood, and get more damage and less micro-control from faith.
The secondary effect of your healing spells for water is a chance to remove debuffs and for faith, receive less damage and get a micro control buff. The usual duration for those effects is 10 seconds, but because faith combats faith directly, it removes stacks of the debuff."
"Ah, that's why I haven't seen a separate buff!"
Meanwhile, Flora had started on the next scepter.
Their plans for the church made good progress as well. Deriga had prepared a list of rooms she wanted to add. One storeroom, two offices, two bedrooms, a library, and a file-room. The main-area she divided into an exhibition part for earthling home appliances and a ceremonial part for the worship and ceremonies.
After a few hours, they went through all the topics and a few more shelves to Aitoshuri's dismay.
"I'm ready for bed!" Flora said, yawning.
Deriga nodded and started to fidget. "Auntie?"
"Yes, dear."
"Can I sleep here as well?" Deriga blushed.
"Okay, but I warn you, I snore horribly!"
Flora cast her consciousness back to the workshop and copied a bed for Deriga and reloaded the Library Container with all its shelves. Then she fiddled with the degree of unholiness.
"Something to heal us would be lovely," she mumbled. In her imagination, she connected her arm to another pulley system and got tangled up by it when she turned around in her sleep.
"Milady, check out the healing turrets."
Name: Health for cheap - Healing Turret
Type: Turret
Description: Heals you and your party. Able to prioritize targets.
Regular Mode: 5 mana regeneration
Built-in feature: Healing beam; CD: 2 sec.
Base healing: 10
Tier: 1
Rating: A
Flora bought the blueprint and assembled the turret in high-speed mode. Then she put three copies in the simulation-grounds along with two copies of the wet-suit and the Stehaufmänchen.
Back in the simulation-ground, she gave Deriga the jack for one of the turrets and connected the other two to her nocks.
Opening her stat window, she made Aidan change the auto-mode binding in the training coffin to Energy-Choke. Force-Field was with level 34 high enough.
"We have a mana surplus, Milady."
"Get creative, dear," Flora mumbled tiredly.
While analyzing her stat gains in the last two days, she fell asleep.