The Nursery & Improvements Ch. 8
I've got to say throwing up on the Grand Elder probably wasn't a great introduction to the Shadow Tower. But what can I say except all the novels were right, everyone who ever wrote that spatial transfers would feel nauseating clearly knew what they were taking about.
I was rather interested in how the teleportation circle worked, I mean this was big source of debate in my previous life. Was it molecular destruction and reconstruction, bending or folding space, or maybe none of it was right? God, I hope they have a library in this assassin organization. I always was a bit of a nerd and now that I'm in a fantasy world I expect my learning and reading addictions to be even worse. I'm only saddened by the time I'll have to wait to start reading, even if I fully plan on pulling the genius card I doubt reading before around 5, maybe 4 if I push it, would be acceptable.
After I'd thrown up I had quickly been taken to what I recognized as a nursery. Color me surprised that there was an actual nursery in an assassin organization. There were actually several other kids in the nursery with me, I counted 7 between the door and my crib. If I had to guess these kids are probably orphans as well, wether by being sold off, dead parents, or left behind to die. Orphans are always a good source of recruits for these organizations in movies and books so my guess is based off that and my own experience.
After two weeks in the nursery I had managed to get some decent skill gains by practicing. Mainly leveling soul illusion by using the other kids. With a diverse group of targets I'd leveled it up twice to level 3. I'd even managed to gain a level in soul manipulation, with the constant minor use of 'telekinesis' and some unlucky birds getting their souls destroyed after landing on the windowsill. I was slightly worried about being watched, but besides the caretaker who comes in to feed us I'd seen no one. I thought for sure I was going to be branded with some kind of magic slave mark that makes me loyal but maybe I was wrong? Who am I kidding that's way to optimistic it's probably done when we're older.
I was nearly three months old by now and I thanked god everyday that I had been a doctor. Even if I hadn't been a obstetrician, or even a pediatrician specializing in development I still knew most of the development stages of a baby. This helped avoid a problem a lot of protagonists have and that's avoiding suspicion that your not a real baby. I mean usually the writer just covers it with the family being too loving to care and just happy the child's a genius.
My knowledge didn't come in clutch for what I thought it would however. It actually came in clutch far before I thought it would. I'd been expecting the development periods to remain unchanged just like the pregnancy period time wise. But it would seem our bodies develop faster here as all the babies were showing the same signs I would expect from one their age in earth months. This meant as a 3 month old I should be showing early motor skills as well as hearing and vision development. Where as previously I'd been acting as a 75 day old baby would meaning I was ever so slightly behind schedule. And who knew what this place did to slow learners.
On the bright side this meant I could speed up some of my plans. I do have one worry though, the fact the language is innate and not learned means that my language milestones are probably wrong. After all the knowledge is already there so they don't have to learn it, I can imagine that speaking and reading milestones are far earlier I just don't know when. I had already planned on speaking coherently around two and just pretending I liked to look at the funny squiggly lines in the book till around 5 when I would start to 'learn' how to read. But the increased development speed and innate language threw this out the window. What would have been a believable but still impressive pace might be absurdly behind for this world.
I was honestly happy I was here as the other kids would let me know what to expect. I can't pull my genius plan but I can just copy the fastest kid in here. And so my plans were set, I was going to copy the fastest kid in here. Hopefully reading develops quickly in this world cause I'm really excited to start reading.
And that was my plan. I kept training my subtle abilities even managing to 'cycle' my mana to increase it. Honestly, even here cultivation prevails. And all was good until a week later. The door opened and in walked the caretaker, behind her was a man dressed like the guys that were with Toby in the auction house.
"Sir, as I'm sure you know this is a commitment and responsibility." The caretaker explained rather slowly with a look of hesitance.
"She recently turned one which means you can take her, and I know you signed up for this. But I ask everyone who comes this; are you ready to care for the child?!" Despite starting out soft by the end the caretaker had steel in her voice and a expression on her face like she would fight him if his answer wasn't what she wanted.
"I swear" The gruff voice began to speak in a solemn tone "when I put my name on that list I knew what I was getting into, and I truly want this."
"Okay!" And she's back to chipper and happy
"This is the little one, turned one two days ago. She was found in an alley by a D-rank on a mission. Her major affinities are lightning and water." She started to explain to the man while swaddling the baby in a blanket.
"Here is her certificate, please fill out your name and information." She handed him a small card and a pen. He wrote something's down before handing it back to her.
"And finally her name." She handed the girl to the man who took her gently. He held her up and did something surprising. He cried, and whispered ever so slightly.
"Mary.. her name is Mary."
The caretaker smiled at him and escorted him out of the room, leaving me alone and reeling from what just happened. This is way to much information at once. Starting at the list that was mentioned, judging by what I just saw it's some kind of… adoption list? Moving to her backstory confirms, mostly anyway, my orphan theory as well as hinting at a ranking system. And finally a disruption in my plans, the girl named Mary hadn't begun to speak yet and if we get adopted or something when we turn one then I'll never know when I should start. Is it 1 and a half, 2, maybe I was wrong about the innate language making it easier and it's still around 3.
Well I'm going to aim for speaking by two. Until then I need to continue training, if I'm lucky I'll get a mind reading skill and can figure it out that way. Oh, who am I kidding I just have to hope for the best.
(4 Months Later)
It's been a day since I turned 1 and I was in constant anticipation and fear about what could happen to me. I'd seen several other kids get picked up and the reactions ranged from even more emotional then the first guy, to simply picking up a new apprentice. I was obviously hoping for an emotional one as a loving… parent.. was better then a caring master in most scenarios.
I'd leveled up several skills in the past seven months a mix of my new skills and, if I had to guess, having a body making it seem far faster. I'd even managed to get a evolution of soul illusions about two months ago.
(Flashback)
'Why is it always food related!' I was getting tired of the feedback from using soul illusions on the other kids. A constant feedback of 'I'm hungry' just made me hungry and rather irritated. And so with me cursing the next kid to see nightmares I cast soul illusion once more.
*Ding*
{Through hosts actions skill [Soul Illusions] has evolved into [Controllable Soul Illusions]}
*Ding*
{Skill [Memetic Drawings] can be applied to skill [Controllable Soul Illusions]; apply?}
'Will I lose the skill [Memetic Drawings] by doing this?' I didn't want to lose that skill, the amount of runic magic I'd seen let me know the ability to compress information could potentially be ridiculously broken.
{No, unlike fusion this is simply applying certain effects of a skill to another}
'Oh, then sure apply it.'
*Ding*
{Skill [Controllable Soul Illusions] has evolved into [Warped Soul Illusions]}
{Unique skill developed +100 XP}
'View skill [Warped Soul Illusions]'
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[Warped Soul Illusions]
'A unique skill created by the host: create skill quote?'
• Afflict the target with a soul illusion of your choice; can't be block by anything other then soul defenses.
• The illusion will gain memetic properties causing increasing mental damage the longer the target remains in the illusion.
•The illusion can affect the targets real body to a certain extent.
•As the skill level increases so does the realism of the illusion.
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'Wait I can create a skill quote?'
{The creator of unique skills will get to create the skill quote other users will see.}
'Then why didn't I get this from the original [Memetic Drawings] skill?'
{Skill [Memetic Drawings] was created by host using inspiration from others; skill quote was pulled from hosts mind as the most fitting option.}
'Ok then….' Honestly that sounds like the omnipotent being forgot to add that in before correcting it but whatever.
'Well I don't really intend on teaching this to anyone so I guess I can make it whatever?'
'…..'
'Yeah that's perfect.'
'Make the skill quote; Chaos reigns over sanity shattered; Your fragile mind nought but putty in my hands!'
'…..'
'Yeah it is pretty good isn't it!'
{…..Acknowledged; skill quote for [Warped Soul Illusions] set to 'Chaos reigns over sanity shattered; Your fragile mind nought but putty in my hands!'}
(End of flashback)
That was a very interesting day. The fact that skills could evolve and only be slightly applied and not fully fused was good information. It had unfortunately reset the skills level. However, every time I gained little tidbits of information like that I got such a rush. Ah…knowledge how I love you so.
Anyway just looking at my status I felt a great feeling of joy at how much I'd grown. Especially my mana reserves, the cycling exercise from mana body forge was maybe the best thing ever. I didn't even know any spells yet and I was already happy with my mana reserves. Of course the possibility of spells being crazy overpriced was always there but I doubt it.
I'd also, after tons of tests, managed to get my status to admit the zoom feature of soul sense as real thing. It helped negate the focus requirements somewhat as well as decreasing the mana cost to something reasonable. All it took was for me to actually see bacteria, which regrettably had to be seen when….fresh.
For a society that appears to be in the Middle Ages the people here are very clean. My best guess was that they used cleaning enchantments throughout the entire nursery. Excrement would only be around for about 15 seconds before being disintegrated and removed… somehow. I haven't figured it out yet.
And finally for the grand reveal an entire level gained from killing birds dumb enough to sit on the windowsill.
'Status'
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Name: N/A Dawn
Titles: Reincarnated, Guest of the Void, Gods Witness, High-Functioning Madman, Soul Bastion, Creator of Memes, Unique, Soul Killer, Mana Blessed, Mana Prodigy, Mana Well.
Age: 1 year
Level: 3
Xp: 5/4500
Mana: 4800/4800
STR: 10
VIT: 10
AGI: 10
INT: 20
WIS: 25
WIL: 68
MNA: 32
Stat Points: 5
-Soul Bound Weapons-
•[Void Glaive]
•[Magia Aeterna] (Awakening: 698 Days remaining)
-Elemental Affinities- (Collapse)
<Tier 1>
•Earth: 45%
•Fire: 45%
•Wind: 45%
•Water: 45%
•Light: 45%
•Dark: 75%
<Tier 2> (Locked) (Class Override)
•Soul: 95%
<Tier 3> (Locked)
<Tier 4> (Locked)
<Concepts> (Locked)
-Skills- (Collapse)
[Gamers Mind] <MAX> (E/C)
[Voids Blessing] <MAX> (E/C)
[Soul Projection] <lvl. 1> (E/C)
[Soul Manipulation] <lvl. 2> (E/C)
[Soul Resistance] <lvl. 1> (E/C)
[Warped Soul Illusions] <lvl. 1> (E/C)
[Soul Sense] <lvl. 4> (E/C)
'I may have lost my eye sight but my soul sees more then I ever could'
•Allows the host to 'see' everything in a :skill level times 1.5: meter radius around them.
•Sub-skill: [Microscopic Zoom]
•Allows the host to see things at a microscopic level.
•Allows the host to see mana particles.
[Soul Defense Network] <MAX> (E/C)
[Memetic Drawings] <lvl. 1> (E/C)
[Self Appraisal] <MAX> (E/C)
[Soul Appraisal] <lvl. 1> (E/C)
[Voids Judgment] <lvl. 1> (E/C)
[Mana Body Forge] <lvl. 2> (E/C)
[Mages Mind] <lvl. 2> (E/C)
[Surgical Mana Control] <lvl. 1> (E/C)
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I had to decided to save my skill points till I knew more about this world. In fact I already regret spending my first levels worth of stat points. All in all I was proud of what I'd accomplished.
Now all I was waiting for was my new guardian to arrive and… well I don't really know. I saw very little of this place, only two buildings between the pad we teleported in on and this nursery building. How ever the space I saw and the way they referred to it as a 'plane' made me think it may be a spacial plane. You know the kind from the cultivation novels, the area connected to the main planet via space gates and teleportation.
And as if on queue; no like seriously these coincidences are starting to get weird, the caretaker walked into the room holding the door for someone behind them.