*You have been inflicted with 'Oversaturated'x19.
I winced.
That hurt. Worse, it set back my recovery time by nearly a day. It took a number of hours equal to the total stacks of Oversaturated to heal one stack. At least I still technically had a positive con score. Note to self: don't touch red classes. Or probably classes in general.
"That... didn't go so well."
'What happened?' Sibby looked between me and Laila with concern.
"I managed to touch what was wrong with her."
'And?'
I shook my head. "It... moved. A little. But not nearly enough for this to be a viable solution."
'Oh...' Sibby knelt down and stroked Laila's head.
I patted her shoulder. "Let's not give up just yet. We have friends in high places we can ask for help. People who know more than we do." I un-Inventoried my armor and started to Craft a teleportation platform under Laila. It might've been a waste of resources to do that instead of just carrying her, but... it was cheap because it was single-use. And I didn't want to walk to the palace with a comatose woman in my arms.
Er, comatose [Carrion Eater].
Nsiia hefted Tiqr's Tusk and did one final check of the feathers on her crown. Roc, Shock-bird, Hawk... Her fingers traced each one in turn. Finally, she picked up her Ivory mask and placed it over her face.
"Empress, are you sure about this?" General Vasraf looked at her. His green eyes in sharp contrast with his dusky skin. "There is no need for you to take to the front lines yourself. Our armies will see to it."
"No. There is a great need." She gave him a wistful smile. "Tiqr has fought and bled. We received the outside help that we hoped for." She gave a small laugh. "No, not the help we hoped for, but a different one. Still..." She gazed out of the palace window. "I cannot rest while there are still foreign [Soldiers] on Tiqr's soil."
"Withdrawing takes time. We already have formal offers for peace being sent to us."
She made a dismissive motion. "Those are worthless. We had such agreements before the invasion." She closed her eyes and sighed. "But... magical contracts do exact a price for breaking them." She nodded at him. "Tiqr will allow most of the invaders to withdraw uncontested in exchange for concessions."
"Most?"
She nodded. "Most. We still need to make a point. To show that Tiqr stands tall on its own. We cannot impose upon the [Archmage] anymore." Not after his magical display. Not after he slew a Djinni for them. Pixel had already done too much.
"And who will we turn our wrath on?" Vasraf nodded with a grim face. "If we are allowed to face a single opponent then we will make them suffer."
"Who hasn't sent offers for official peace? Who has just withdrawn?"
"We've received two more this morning. That leaves only Savere and Nerrhavia. It is... unlikely that either of them will sign a peace treaty no matter what."
"Yes. Nerrhavia's Fallen is too large and too proud." And that worried her. Would they send another army? One that could take in the survivors of their first? Surely not... or so she hoped. "Savere is a country in name only. [Pirates], [Rogues], and [Bandits]. No. There will be no 'peace' with them."
"I agree. However, driving them out is my place. My fight. You need to stay here, my [Empress]."
"I cannot. I cannot just sit by while my people yet suffer."
"It's too risky." Vasraf crossed his arms. "Or are you going to battle without Thef? You know it's not in an elephant's nature to war. Even more than people, it changes them."
"War has already-" Her reply was cut short as Gyver, one of her [Royal Guards], entered the room.
"Your Majesty." He saluted. "Lady Siberian and Archmage Pixel have appeared and requested an audience."
"Oh?" Her eyebrows rose. She hadn't spoken with the powerful [Archmage] since his sudden appearance days ago. "Have them brought straight here." She set aside her mask and Tiqr's Tusk.
"As you will." Gyver bowed and exited the room.
Nsiia returned Vasraf's look. "You think it's improper to see them here, in my quarters?"
"Not at all." Vasraf shook his head. "Showing Archmage Pixel such consideration is a good thing." He frowned. "I'm just worried about what demands he might make."
Nsiia nodded. "It's true that Tiqr owes him a great debt." She cast a worried look at Tiqr's Tusk. What boons would he claim? Ancient magic? Their animals? Tiqr was rich in many ways, but not in any she thought would interest an Archmage.
She and Vasraf waited in silence before the sound of a single set of footfalls drew closer. Gyver re-entered her solar, with three people behind him. Nsiia wasn't surprised that the Siberian made no noise. That was expected of a high-level [Rogue]. That Pixel also walked without making any sound did catch her a little off guard, but not as much as seeing his armored form or the woman he held in his arms.
"Laila?" Nsiia stood up and approached them. "What happened?"
"May I?" Pixel nodded towards a couch.
"Of course."
"Laila is suffering from a Blood Class." Pixel stated as he gently lowered her unresponsive body.
"A Blood Class?" Nsiia moved to stand next to him and gazed down at Laila. That... made sense. Tiqr had more Humans and Garuda than Stitchfolk - so she had no good reference for what alterations they could make to their bodies. If Laila had been human, Nsiia would've assumed that she had been cursed in some way from the way she looked, except for the polite girl's manners.
"Yes." Pixel took a step back. "I'm sorry to impose on you, but I've heard that [Rulers] can remove such things?"
Nsiia looked at him for a moment before nodding. "I can try." She placed her hand on Laila's forehead. "What is the Class, if you know?"
"[Carrion Eater]."
Vasraf's gasp mirrored her own. "But..." She looked back at Laila. Such a monstrous class. A curse. "I'm not entirely sure I can manage, but I'll try."
Nsiia closed her eyes and focused her Authority. The plains of Tiqr. The birds, beasts, and humans. The wild places that refused to be tamed. Freedom. She pushed against the blood-coated force she could now feel.
Hunger.
Rage.
Solitude.
It struck back out at her. However, for all her might and all its fury... nothing happened.
Nsiia gritted her teeth and pushed harder. She could feel something move. She just had to fight it...
...
"Empress!" Vasraf's voice woke her up. Nsiia hadn't realized she'd been asleep.
"What happened?"
"You're bleeding!" Vasraf dabbed her cheeks with some fabric. He pulled it away so she could see the red stains on it.
"Do you need healing?" Pixel stood to the side and asked with a concerned voice.
"No, no, I will be fine." It was more embarrassing than anything. "I'm sorry but I won't be able to remove Laila's class."
It was too similar to her Authority. There weren't enough differences to fully oppose it. Plus, the parts that did vary were the very worst of the Class. Overcoming them was beyond her.
"I see." Pixel looked over at the unfortunate woman. "I'll just have to come up with another option."
"I would suggest the [Ruler] of another country, but I don't think many would be open to hearing you." Vasraf replied bitterly. "And those that did would doubtless ask a heavy price."
"Is it a strenuous feat?"
"Yes." Nsiia admitted as she sank into a chair. "That's one reason. The other is that the time of a [Ruler] is valuable, but I consider you a friend of Tiqr and not a petitioner."
"Thank you." Pixel nodded in response.
"Is there anything else Tiqr can do for you?" She looked over at Laila. "We may not be able to remove her cursed class, but we can still give her a home."
"I think a home is a valuable thing." Pixel sat down in one of the chairs next to Laila. "And that actually brings something else to mind."
"Yes, what is it?" Nsiia leaned forward. She could sense that Pixel was about to make his request. While she hoped it would be reasonable, she didn't know enough about him to feel secure.
"I think..." Pixel paused and pulled out a black cube. "I'll need to tell you my story for my request to make sense." He lifted the cube slightly. "This will keep us from being spied upon, but I also would like your assurances that you won't share my secrets."
"Of course not." Nsiia replied immediately. "[General] Vasraf and I will not betray the trust of the [Archmage] that saved Tiqr!" She wasn't sure what secrets Pixel was talking about, or why he would share them with her, but it obviously had something to do with his request.
The armor around Pixel peeled back as the cubes somehow folded in on themselves. The ripple left a young-looking man behind. The same man who'd accompanied the Siberian when she hadn't known his name.
"Sibby and I are from another world, and we are not alone. There are a great many that have vanished from placed called Earth and have been transported here." He looked into her eyes as he spoke. "They are children, of no power such as mine. I would like for Tiqr to be a safe place where they can live, if they choose it."
...
Nsiia listened as Pixel told her about children from another world: Earth. It was an incredible tale, but it left her wondering. "What do you wish from Tiqr?"
"Merely to be a safe haven. No more. No less. In all honesty, I do not think that many Earthers would seek out a country at war. But..." He held his palm out and an image of his armor of cubes appeared above it. "My appearance is very distinctive. Most every Earther will not know of me specifically, but virtually all of them will recognize that I am also from Earth. So..." He let out a sigh. "They may congregate here, for no other reason than this is where I am - even after I've left."
"I see." Nsiia nodded. She didn't know how many of these 'Earthers' there were. From what Pixel had told her, they would be more like rabbits than lions. Two months ago, it would've been a simple thing to offer Tiqr's bounty, for less ferocious animals lived here alongside the more dangerous predators. Now she wasn't sure she could promise them safety. How could she when her own people lacked it. Then again, she couldn't refuse Pixel. Indeed, helping him in this matter would keep him on Tiqr's side. Nsiia nodded. "I accept."
"Excellent." Pixel smiled widely, but briefly as he glanced over at Laila's prone form. "There are other matters that we must discuss. The Spell Nerrhavia's Fallen used tainted the land. With luck it won't spread, or it might even shrink. I've talked to Wistram about it, and they can send some [Mages] to examine it. Unfortunately, there is little else I can do about it."
Nsiia shook her head. "It is one of many scars that Tiqr now bears, but we cannot complain about the actions taken by our foes." She couldn't even complain about the destruction Pixel had inflicted. It was just one more thing that needed to be rebuilt. "There are far more pressing matters. If the blight is not harming my people, then it can be put aside until Tiqr is fully free of invaders."
"About that. Is there anything you want me to do? I don't want to kill any more people - especially those that are retreating. I could, however... hasten their departure."
"You have done enough. Tiqr cannot ask for any more help." She looked at Laila. "I just wish I could repay the accomplishments you've already provided us."
"It's never enough." Pixel shrugged. "But it is what it is. Here." He held out his hand and a softly glowing cube an inch tall appeared in his palm. "This is a communication cube. With it, we will be able to speak at any time."
[General] Varsaf reached out to take it for her. "So it's like a scrying mirror?" He asked.
"More advanced than that." Pixel said with the hint of a smug smile. "It's utterly untraceable, and-"
"-I can do this." Another Pixel, this one in armor, appeared next to Varsaf. "It makes for much easier conversations."
"Remarkable." Nsiia craned her neck and sniffed. The fake Pixel had no shadow, and no smell, so it wasn't a perfect illusion, but it was close. [Nose of the Gnoll] also didn't detect anything from the Siberian or the real Pixel! She could only smell his clothing. "Interesting." Perhaps that was another reason why Sibby wore nothing? Besides outfits being too fragile.
"If you ever need help, please let me know." Pixel nodded. "I cannot promise that I can solve every problem, but I can try."
"We thank you, Pixel." Nsiia stood up. "You have saved Tiqr in its darkest hour." She didn't feel she was exaggerating with that statement. Even when the King of Destruction had swept through in her youth, Flos had offered generous terms. The invading armies this time had sought nothing less than to wipe Tiqr from the map. "I just wish I had been able to help you with your problems in return."
Nsiia looked down at Laila. She'd had an inkling that there was more to the girl when they'd first met. After all, a companion of the Siberian obviously had an interesting story to tell. She'd even spied the girl with her birds when she'd started running messages to and from villages. While her appearance was monstrous, there was nothing in her demeanor that hinted at being cursed with a Blood Class.
"I appreciate you trying." Pixel stood up and went to pick up Laila while his illusionary image vanished. "Unfortunately, I don't think I can visit any other King to get her the help she needs. So I'll just have to do it myself."
Nsiia paused. She'd been about to suggest something outlandish such as approaching the King of Destruction. From what she remembered as a child, he would help, but he would also demand payment of some kind.
"I'll take my leave now. Your Majesty." Pixel bowed to her before he and Laila vanished. Sibby waved at her before also fading away from all her senses - including her Authority.
"That was... not what I was expecting." Varsaf said while looking down at the artifact Pixel had casually handed over.
"Indeed." Nsiia didn't know what she'd been expecting, nor what to expect in the future. "None of my people will harm any children normally, but we must be sure to treat any that linger in our lands gently." It would not do to have an 'Earther' get caught up in a skirmish between her forces and one of the retreating armies.
'So what are we going to do?' Sibby asked me as I laid Laila down on the ground.
"Well, she's a Stitchfolk. In theory, we could try replacing some of her limbs with 'normal' ones." I frowned. "But... I don't think that will work." After all, we couldn't replace her jaw. Not without killing Zehia, which would probably kill Laila. If I could extract her, then we could... get a new body?
No. That's no good. Laila might be Sibby's friend, but she was essentially a parasite right now. We couldn't put her in someone else's body. Unless... maybe if they were dead? I'd yet to meet a regular Selphid, but apparently they puppeted corpses. I mean, there's tons of dead Stitchfolk laying around. We could probably find one that's mostly intact and... do what?
Even if we found a morally acceptable body for her to occupy, I couldn't exactly remove her from inside Zehia's head. That would certainly kill Zehia and probably kill Laila too. If Riley was here, she could do it. Regardless of whatever magical anatomy Stringpeople had, my little sister could operate on them flawlessly.
That wouldn't help Zehia, but it was Laila who was Sibby's friend.
Then again, I think that Laila was in her current situation because she'd been trying to help Zehia. The 'Mind-Link' debuff was pretty good evidence of that. Especially since Zehia had apparently been suffering from the Blood Class for as long as Laila had been inside of her. Conversely, Laila had been doing fine until just recently. In fact, it was entirely possible that she might recover on her own...
I looked over at Sibby-
She was gone.
The Siberian had vanished.
I tried Summoning her and was... rejected? Huh? Since when can Sibby refuse to be Summoned? Since when did she not want to be? I started pacing back and forth.
*Worry negated by Gamer's Mind.
Right, right. If she's not here then she must be with William or Cauwine. I bet she's asking them for advice on Laila. Well, while she's doing that, I'll also brainstorm. With mana-empowerment, Power Drain could touch other people's Mana Pool.
Ears of Babel let me tweak that to latch onto some things that were also connected to that reservoir of magic. Power Drain wasn't strong enough on its own to do anything to Zehia's blood class - and I wasn't strong enough to withstand it touching my Mana Pool.
I was pretty sure that would be the case even if I wasn't currently injured. I also was decently sure that people would notice what I was doing. Just like I could 'feel out' my Skills somewhat, others could doubtlessly do the same. In fact, I'd bet that anti-appraisal magic could stop it.
Eh, or not. Ears of Babel was incredibly good at what it did. That wasn't enough. Without something more, it would be limited to jolting the target and hurting myself. Neither of which was helpful with Laila's condition.
...
Sibby appeared next to me. 'I think if you Craft something with Power Drain and that fate skill of yours, we can help Laila!'
"Really?" I had to admit I'd had some similar theories, but it wasn't something I could test without sacrificing the Skill.
'Yep!' She nodded. 'Fate can affect classes! It's different from a ruler's authority, but it can work in the same way. There's even a spell or an ability or something that lets people steal the fate or class or whatever of whomever they kill.'
"Is that what Cauwine said?"
Sibby nodded. 'She also said that thread of fate should work, but you wouldn't be able to handle it without Power Drain.'
I let out my held breath. It was good to have some confirmation, but now I was faced with a decision. I could use Limit-Breaker to sacrifice [Thread of Fate] and Craft something that might help Laila. Or I could wait until I had recovered and see if I could do it on my own by sacrificing it to Power Drain.
That would take a while, and Laila might die before then. Or suffer permanent mental damage if she hadn't already. By sacrificing my Skill for an immediate solution that would be tied to an item and not myself, I'd be able to avoid any more spiritual damage. The major downside was that I wouldn't have the power myself. After losing the Golden Gun, I was less thrilled about possibly having the same thing happen again in the future.
Added to that... could I trust Cauwine? I'd never met her. I didn't know what she was like - only that she'd become a part of Sibby? Or, more accurately, part of her Shard? It would be foolish to accept her advice at face value, but it would also be foolish to ignore someone with more knowledge than I possessed.
I stood and thought before deciding that Cauwine's suggested course of action was already something I'd been considering, and I didn't see a better alternative. Besides, I assumed, if nothing else, that Cauwine wouldn't want to anger Sibby by harming one of her friends.
Whatever I Crafted would be more powerful and could combine more powers into the effect. That alone made it the best option. I nodded to Sibby. "I'll try Crafting something to help Laila."
'Really?' Sibby hugged me and began to nuzzle my neck.
I resisted the urge to push her away. She was just being affectionate. She didn't realize how such a thing would look from the outside. Or how it affected me.
I felt my cheeks heat up as she licked my jaw. C'mon Gamer's Mind, activate! She's totally doing this on purpose!
*Error! Gamer's Body negated.
Argh! That came as a surprise. She'd hidden her attack on my ear from Threat Sense.
I glared at her for a moment before relenting. Sibby had her eyes shut and wore a blissful expression. I couldn't stay mad at her. Especially not with how happy she looked while chewing.
"Come on. Let's go find somewhere private where I can get the materials to Craft with."
I thought for a second about using the blighted area for resources. That might be a way to kill two birds with one stone. On the other hand, it might also be a way to unleash a nano-swarm plague. Or, at least, a pixelation plague. Besides, I wasn't about to trust whatever came from Crafting something like that. It probably wouldn't fail in the way I'm imagining, but still.
I took a deep breath and refocused.
"Let's go to where I bombed Nerrhavia's Fallen. There's bound to be plenty of remains we can use." Mainly destroyed swords and armor, but Conversion wasn't picky. It could use even the most basic of material in combination with my Crude Trait to build almost anything. Technically, it was doing a pre-programmed building chain where it Crafted increasingly higher quality items to work its way up the tech-tree.
Then again, that was assuming I had enough slots in the seed to add those additional blueprints. Every one of them had to come at the expense of a component actually used by the finished product. I could cheat by combining some of my Perks, but not all of them could be used for free. Of course, Skills could seemingly be sacrificed without any limitations - aside from losing the Skill itself.
That was why for complicated things, it was best to start with a single material. Preferably metal.
I carried Laila as Sibby and I walked and teleported across Tiqr. That reminded me. I had an idea for how I could travel long distances using Sibby's power. It would take some work, but it would be worth it in the end.
Soon enough, we came to the remains of Nerrhavia Fallen's army.
It was... impressive. What I'd unleashed had also been horrible. It struck me as absurd as we looked at the shreds of steel and cloth that were scattered across the ground. Large swaths of earth had been torn apart from where the missiles and bombs had struck. The craters, however, weren't empty. Debris from other strikes had been blown into where previous ones had landed.
I reached down and picked up some rugged Hemp strips that might've been a tent, a flag, or... a person.
It hadn't rained since then, and there was still a noticeable heat in the air that probably would make others wish for the remains of Winter's chill.
I couldn't tell what parts had been living people, and what had been clothing, tents, or other things made out of cloth. In a way, it made the destruction of my attacks stand out even more. Back on Bet, it would look like a victimless crime. Just a lot of property damage. A whole lot.
It was infuriating that it had come to this. That it took so many deaths for Nerrhavia's Fallen to concede defeat. That even after such an obvious display of overwhelming force, that it took assassinating their leaders to finally cause them to withdraw.
And for what?
Scraps of cloth in the wind.
*Melancholy negated by Gamer's Mind.
I let the cloth fragments slip from my fingers and float away on the breeze.
Before anything else, I needed to get an idea of the final product. It wasn't enough to drain Laila. I needed something that could enhance that effect. Furthermore, I needed something to store whatever it was that made a Class. In fact, it probably was a good idea we were doing this in a war-zone. If there was a dangerous release of... whatever might come out, it was best to do it away from people.
Right.
I equipped Limit-Breaker and sacrificed [Thread of Fate] to Crafting. I then began to visualize the assembled components I would need to use. A forcefield generator was vital. No, I needed to add two. One to wrap around the target and one to contain the result. Power Drain would help with guiding it towards the exit, but it wouldn't be enough on its own.
It needed an emitter and transfer components - as many as I could fit, and covering as many exotic energy types as I could manage.
Redundancy. That was the name of the game. The Extractor would be very simple in concept, but it absolutely needed to handle the output without breaking. And have contingencies for when it inevitably did. I wasn't arrogant enough to think that what I was doing was safe. I just needed to make sure that when it failed, it didn't hurt Laila.
That... was possible. If there was one thing my powers excelled at, it was defense.
Gamer's Body. Gamer's Mind. Rapid Regeneration. Lucky Fate. Lucky Screen. Heck, I'll even include Inventory as a destination. Everything to shield her from a backlash. That was the single highest priority. It didn't matter so much if this failed, just so long as it didn't hurt Laila if it did.
Honestly... If it wasn't for what Sibby had told me, I would be half expecting this to not work. If it wasn't for [Thread of Fate], this entire idea would be dead in the water. I'd spent long hours while walking through the desert poking and prodding the previous form of the Skill in my mind. The version that I had was different - as proven by the fact that I had been able to actually sacrifice it to my Perk.
But, I'd also gotten an understanding of its nature.
It was very similar to Limit-Breaker. It was a Skill about exchange. A fair exchange. A knowing exchange. It wasn't a Skill that took more than was given. The trick was to make it clear that it was Laila offering the class. Or Zehia.
That was another reason why Crafting some Tinkertech was the better choice. I wouldn't be part of the decision. I wouldn't be taking anything from Laila and offering it up like I had with the Djinni. This had to be her choice. That way, the Skill would keep her safe.
Probably.
I was confident, otherwise I wouldn't be trying this, but I was also attempting to interact with magic I didn't fully understand. All the more reason to make a device that takes my input out of the equation.
Finally, after several long minutes, I completed my seed. The swirling mass of particles was ready to build, it just needed materials. Specifically, it needed metal. There hadn't been any room for secondary systems to take in something of lower quality and refine it.
I knelt down and pressed my hand to the ground. This time, the seed didn't sink into the earth to find what it needed. Instead it spread out. A gaping maw waiting for us to feed it.
'Is it ready?' Sibby asked from the side.
"Yep." I nodded. "We just need to drop whatever remains of their weapons and armor inside." It would be fine to toss in non-metallic stuff. It wouldn't help, but anything non-living was a valid-
'Excuse me, Mister Pixel? I'm going by Remi Canada. We met a few days ago.'
"Sibby, can you start the salvaging? I need to speak with someone."
'Who is it?' She bounded over to me and leaned forward so she was looking up at my face. 'Huh? C'mon, tell me!'
"One of the people from Earth. I noticed him when I was doing a sweep of Nerrhavia Fallen's army with my drones."
'Oh? One of them was in the army?'
"No." I shook my head. "More like he was following it or something."
'Why?'
I shrugged. "I guess I'm about to find out. I didn't have much time to talk to him then. He refused going to Wistram, but took a Communication Cube."
'Eh.' Sibby shrugged her shoulders as she lost interest and started walking away and looking for scrap.
'Hello, Remi. What can I do for you?' He was speaking into the cube, so I used Tongue of Babel to project my voice to him - only after using Ears of Babel to see what was going on around the Communication Cube. Remi was by himself, a ways away from anyone. So this didn't seem like a trap or someone coercing him into talking.
'I was hoping I could have an interview with you?'
'An interview?' I walked in the opposite direction of Sibby and started Inventorying the remains of some bronze weapons.
'Yes. We would sit down and I'll ask you questions about who you are, what you did, and why you did it.'
I smiled wryly. 'I am familiar with interviews, Remi.'
'Is that from your time as a superhero?'
'As a matter of fact, yes it is. What is the interview for?'
'I'm a [Journalist]. I was covering the war, and so I'd like a column about you.'
Ah. That explained why he was in Tiqr.
'I wasn't aware that such a thing existed in this world.'
'It doesn't, so I'm going to make it. People deserve to know the truth. [Mages] already have Message Spells, and Mage Guilds. I can get my stories out to almost the entire world through them.'
'Interesting.' Another good way to contact Earthers. All the more reason to speak with him again. 'However, now's not a good time. I'm in the middle of something. Can we reschedule later?' I didn't mind talking, but I would need to make sure Remi doesn't publish anything that could get people hurt.
Or captured by Roshal.
...Yeah. That's number two on my list, right after Laila.
'In the middle of something? May I ask- No, sorry, I get too eager sometimes. I'd be happy to schedule a time for us to speak. Perhaps noon tomorrow?'
'Sure. I'll speak with you then.' I stopped talking but continued to keep track of what was going on around Remi in the back of my mind.
I walked back to the Magi-tech creation. Sibby was already there, tossing in scraps of weapons. I un-Inventoried what I'd gathered above it and the metal disintegrated slowly as it sunk into the mass.
'How long will this take?' Sibby asked me.
"Not long. The blueprint isn't that complicated." For Tinkertech. It was my Perks and sacrificed Skill that were important. The machine itself would be decently large, but shouldn't take more than an hour to form. I could do it faster if I built it 'by hand', but using a seed was far more convenient.
My creation slowly grew out of the ground as Sibby and I talked and made sure Laila was doing okay. There was no change with her. As time passed I was increasingly sure my sacrifice wouldn't be wasted. While it would be a good thing if she miraculously recovered on her own, a part of me would bemoan what I'd already given up if my machine wasn't actually needed.
While she sometimes muttered and other times lay comatose, Laila clearly wasn't improving. When the Extractor was finished, I put her inside where a forcefield wrapped around her. Another appeared on the other end, ready to vent whatever made up a Blood Class.
I only hoped she wasn't too far gone to give consent to [Thread of Fate].
The Extractor Activated.
It connected.
A status message said it was processing... then it began to send garbage.
It was still clearly working, as proven by the white mist starting to fill the containment zone. Laila shifted, but didn't seem to be in pain. I connected to the Extractor with Power Drain and pushed Threat Sense. It wasn't what my Perk was made for, but it did give me a feeling that things were mostly safe.
Hours passed.
The white mist gradually grew thicker, and Laila was still doing okay.
Then, some threshold was passed. Threat Sense let me know things were about to be too much for the Extractor. I teleported inside and grabbed Laila before teleporting us away.
From a distance, I watched as the white mist turned red.
In my arms, Laila stirred and opened her eyes. I Observed her, despite the pain of channeling mana.
[Laila Yosef
Stitch Selphid 7
Runner 4
Gender: Female
Age: 19
Race: Stringfolk - Lifethread
Faction: Tiqr
Origin: The Grand Design of Isthekenous.
Debuffs:
Mind-Link]
[Zehia Maquet
Gender: Female
Age: 32
Race: Stringfolk - Silk
Faction: n/a
Origin: The Grand Design of Isthekenous.
Debuffs:
Mind-Link]
That was good. What was less good was the fact that the Extractor was breaking apart. Pixel after pixel faded away. Soon, the forcefield generators failed. I got ready to un-summon Sibby and teleport us as far away as I could, but the mist didn't spread.
Instead... it did the opposite and started pulling itself together until all that was left on the ground was a blood-red dagger.
Bios:
Remi Canada - Not his real name. Part of a group of Earthers that arrived in the desert of Chandrar. They stumbled upon A'ctelios Salash - a city built in a gigantic still-living 'corpse' of something from beyond the stars. Remi and two others refused their hospitality. Since then, he has gone across the continent as a [Journalist] - writing stories and trying to spread unbiased news.