Chapter 7

Jake woke hours later with what felt like a thousand daggers stabbed into his skull. God, it was hot in here. Sweat built on Jake's brow, and he tried to wipe it away with water magic. That just sputtered, and he groaned rolling to the side and summarily face planting on the carpet. It was only then that he realized he wasn't dreaming, that this was real, that he had magic. That his life was worth living. 

Then he laughed through the pain. Pain was nothing, wincing he forced himself to a seated position and glanced around the room.

[Magus of Primeval Origins: Good Morning party people.]

[Shane: Oh you're finally awake? Want something to drink?]

[Magus of Primeval Origins: Wait, you can change your nickname?]

[Magus of Primeval Origins → Jake]

[Jake: —]

Before Jake could finish typing Shane walked in through the kitchen, a glass of water in his hand. He smiled slightly, "Thank you for your help man, don't know where I'd be without you." 

Jake just smiled slightly, being recognized was nice. Grabbing the water he downed it gratefully, and forced himself to his feet before dropping onto the couch. "Don't know what's come over me," Jake puffed, "Still thanks for letting me use your couch. I'll be out of your hair quickly."

Shane just shook his head, "No, your staying as long as you need to feel better." The nascent wishmaster forced eye contact, "You saved my life, and helped me beat that bastard up. You need anything you ask, it's that simple."

Jake just smiled, feeling warm in his gut, "Sure, but only if you do the same. I may seem to play the fainting damsel a little too well, but if you need it I'll be there."

"Hmm," Shane hummed as if thinking, "You want to make a wish? My cooldown reset, and I've got two still." Honestly that was exactly what Jake wanted, and he smiled back, "In exchange for your wish I'll pay with a one second use of my Transcendence ability. Is this sufficient payment?"

Shane twitched, "Whatever you're paying with is more than enough, what'd you like?"

Jake leaned back on the couch, and winced as it rocked into the back wall. Shane just chuckled, and Jake thought about it. Some martial arts or other skills certainly. What would be useful for the near future, "Gimme a sec." He pulled his Chat Group cell phone out and started to troll through the shop, Idly recommending Shane look at it himself. 

A muttered confirmation was all he heard before he was three pages down, and muttering over his options. He was split between something to increase Jake Juice production, increase his chances at impressing Villy, and a magical puzzle he really wanted. Still even as his head ached he bought [Skyrim Master Alchemy Skill] for 1000 points, a [100 Layer Magic Puzzle Box] for 500, and the Nasuverse [Reinforcement Magecraft] for another 500. 

God he loved his life.

"You're done right?" Shane asked, "So what's this Transcendence about?"

Jake bit his lip, "It's basically a cheat code to reality that 'Transcends' the system of my home universe. A system that creates trillions of universes. So, a pretty cool system." Jake leaned back, "My ability From Omega to Alpha allows me to trace back the entire existence of a spell to its primeval origin, basically the root of its existence and how by doing that I comprehend everything there is to know about the spell. It costs what I call Jake Juice but is probably called something like Essence of Primeval Origin, but" Jake just shrugged, "it is what it is."

"That sounds. . . almost as cool as my Wish ability." Shane japed, smiling, "Yeah, that sounds cool. Any recommendations on what to copy?"

"Kazuma has a slave-goddess that has really cool water magic, that's also mental magic, you can learn. It's what I used for that first water attack." Jake lazily stifling a yawn before deciding, "I wish for the most comptable possible martial art skill for me that specializes in the utilization and integration of magic into the style."

The violet lightning grew and discharged, and Jake forced a smile, "Thanks man, I know it would probably be more useful to get another stat, or some money for that masking device so thanks for the offer."

"Now, wanna go find an Ascendant and steal his ability?"

Shane's eyes flashed an entier new shade of violet as he smiled, "Fuck yeah, follow me I know just the place."

While walking Jake thought about all the new features in the group chat. He read through and learned that trade would let him trade with the other members, and that world travel one seemed to let him go to any other chat group member's world while pausing time in his home multiverse. . . if that was true this chat group was a lot stronger than he had ever thought. 

Still, if they are that powerful why are they doing this?

If they are strong enough to pause the time of a multiversal entity that causally creates and destroys realities. Still with every minute that passed he was feeling better. His steps are more sure, and is smile more genuine. 

"So who's ability are we hunting?" Jake asked.

"Nightstrike." Shane smiled, and Jake laughed, "Stalking your little girlfriend?"

Shane just sent him a weird look but Jake smiled enigmatically. Or tried at least he had never seen an enigmatic smile and if Shane's quirked brow told him anything he failed. Then the ascendant laughed, and turned away.

—

Zorian forced mental shields to rise as the Aranea's constant barrage of telepathic probes battered against his defenses. He had quickly reached a point she couldn't stealthily worm her way through his shield, but the Aranea was still clearly holding back. He could feel it, the way emotion and soul blend. 

Mind and Soul are connected. Zorian was just struggling to find out where. He had found that while most things from the Nine Tomes worked some things didn't. For example Dhar, the way he created it was jury rigged trash because it did not exist in this world. It was world attuned mana, and if his talks with Jake told him anything that was bad. Worse than if he was in the real world and not this Sovereign gate.

His mind roamed as he thought back to that conversation. 

[Zorian: Why is my world stated to be The Sovereign Gate rather than my world?]

[Jake: Oh right you hadn't figured that out yet. . . Where would you like me to start?]

[Zorian: Preferably with the Sovereign Gate.]

[Jake: It is the official name of your time loop, and an artifact created by the gods using one of the sealed primordials. Primordials are 'universes guised in skin' and you are within the Primordial under Cyoria's stomach. Sealed within it, the way Red Robe—other time traveler, Necromancer and Mind Mage(you'll probably surpass him in a few loops)—has done everything he has by bargaining with that Primordial.]

[Zorian: Which Primordial?]

[Jake: No clue, something about fleshshifting of fleshshaping don't remember the exact quote. All I know is that to free it from its seal they plan to use the Primordial Essence within the lifeforce of shifter children. The Cult has a giant floating stone platform inside The Pit where they conduct the blood ritual.]

[Zorian: That's fuck.]

Blood rituals, dead children, primordial stomach. That ment that every drop of natural mana he used was getting him closer to that primordial. Allowing it into his body, into his mind, his soul, and that was something Zorian refused to risk. 

[Focus!] The Aranea took advantage of his distraction and fired a shield shattering blast of mental force. Force that sent a spike of pain through Zorian's skull, he sent his teacher a nasty glare and shook his head. 

"Five minute break." He stood and walked away, mind back on the Dhar. If instead of allowing the mana into himself he let the mana into the Mana-Star channel it, make it flow in a spiral and condense it to stone. Then draw upon the darkness of the human heart, and a flair of lifeforce that would be back after the summer festival he tainted the primordial's mana his color. 

Black, Dhar the color of undeath. Zorian felt his smile grow wide, stretching ghoulishly over his bony features. He had always been skinny and physically weak, but after using so much of his life force he looked like a skeleton draped in flesh. His mind returned to the blood rituals cast by the cultists, and to Nagash's own blood ritual to create his Elixir. That elixir is power, it is life force not his own that he can use as if it was. 

Zorian wanted it, but he didn't want to ritually sacrifice another human. Still if it were cultists, and they wouldn't be dead in the next restart. He closed his eyes, he didn't know how many sacrifices it took to create Nagash's Tomes. Hundreds of thousands at a minimum. The man was a legitimate god of death, and if Zorian wanted a chance to survive outside this time loop he needed to be one too. 

What if the primordial escapes, then what. He would just have to lay over and see Cyoria burn to the ground. See the world crushed under that monster's boot. He forced his eyes closed. No, he would just test on the Aranea. Then other magical creatures try to create an Elixer that grants the bloodlines of magical creatures. Something greater than Nagash's own. The combination of two worlds' magical traditions. 

Zorian laughed madly, more. More than two, if they were willing to trade he'd make deals with anyone willing in the group chat. Maybe the one named Magus, that was the Ikosian way after all. Integrate into other magical communities and steal their secrets to improve your own magecraft. Plus he had a test subject a month every time the restart ended. 

Himself, that way the results are tailored to his body and soul.

Zorian would become one of the greats, he would learn everything the Aranea could teach, and then seek out more mages. Steal their magic, and then. Then he would do something to repay Kazuma and Vivi. 

—

Rias wanted to die! Why did she think accepting a dragon into her peerage was a good idea! She ran, throwing herself out of the way of a giant gout of iridescent flames. She screamed, "YOUR CRAZY!" 

Rias dodged again, this time exploding into her incarnation of destruction. That violent majesty, the ruin of her foes sprinted. Moving as fast as each mote was able to get as far away from the dragonfire as possible. The heat alone burned some of the energy that stayed too close, and when she reformed she seemed slightly burnt. 

"Ha! No master of mine shall be anything less than the greatest!" Ddraig roared. Every action he made seemed to stem from a single point. As if his entire existence was defined around domination on the battlefield, of crushing his foes underfoot proving his supremacy. When she thought about it Albion and Ddraig were a match made in heaven. 

She forced her wings to explode then they reformed much larger created from her crimson power of destruction. If a Phenex can do it she can do it better. The wings flapped and threw her into the air. Albion was Supremacy, Ddraig Domination, big brother was eliminated. What would she be? 

Ruin, no. That was wrong. She shifted between her devilish beauty and crimson annihilation flowing like water, and using the ground as cover before ripping herself up as the fire died. Rizer's face flashed in her mind and she decided. Her mind roamed to some deeper consciousness she had never noticed. Devils are creatures of change, creatures that break all the rules through sheer dint of their existence.

Their mind is their power drawn from their heretical soul shaped through their imagination. So she didn't try to do anything, she simply imagined. When the next beam of dragonfire lanced for her chest she did not dodge. She stood her ground.

Snapping her fingers with a whispered, "Extinguish."

—

[Rias: AAAAARGH!!! Rizer is such a fucking arrogant dick for brained asshole!]

[Kazuma: !!!]

[Jake: Storytime? Oh, and if you need any help, ask. I'd love to see the Phenex magic in action.]

[Shane: Don't you even fucking think of doing anything! You'll just get yourself killed man, you've gotta stop pushing or your going to fucking die. You started fucking bleeding when we finally saw Nightstrike!]

[Vivi: !!! He did what now?]

[Jake: Nah man I just over did it a little. Shoulda have been satisfied with that shadow transformation spell, but I shouldn't have tried to copy that Minotaur transformation one.]

[Shane: That's what I'm saying man, I've known you for literally 2 days dude and you don't stop. The only time you rested was while unconscious, take a fucking nap!]

[Rias: So the bastard appeared in a ring of fire.]

The phenex asshole stared at Rias tits with the most arrogant expression she had ever seen. Honestly even her brother, LUCIFER, wasn't that arrogant. She just couldn't wait to extinguish that, to crush the little pissant. She smiled and it was all teeth Ddraig nodding in approval from the corner. He was shifted from his normal dragon king form into something smaller, a human. 

With eyes that smoldered like coals, and a jawline that could cut rock he was. . . honestly maybe a little too much. Her gaze flicked to Riser's peerage. They stood out around him in a semi-circle, and she couldn't stop herself from chuckling.

"You laugh at Riser? My betrothed has gotten bold." Riser leered, and Rias just shook her head.

She said softly to Akeno, "They look like they're auditioning for a porno."

Akeno chuckled in the perfect way to tell the Riser that they were making a joke at his expense. Riser seemed to puff himself up with rage burning bright in his eyes. Then his smile turned devilish, and he threw a fireball at the dragon in the room. Rias fought a smile. That was—how had she ever been afraid of him? He was just a clown with a powerful family. She was enough even with her family's disregard. 

So she smiled, and was about to speak when Grayfia's magic circle cut hard lines into the carpeted floor, ice blue and growing before she stepped through space perfectly to see Riser assault one of Rias peerage members. Ddraig simply stepped into the fireball, his smile never wavering. 

[Kazuma: So when's the Rating game, are you going to stream it?]

[Rias: A month and I'm free!]

—