[Mana Strain: Success!]
You have spent 50 mana.
Mana: [130/180]

You come crashing through the white essence: your entire body – as well as your very magic soul – flares up like a falling comet as you thunder past the ash mist. The fall is painful, very painful... if someone without magic tried to fall such a height they would surely die. Fortunately, you can use your inner magic to your advantage; in this case, to survive it. However, as you slowly pick yourself up and find a steady footing upon the airy ground, you notice a problem: everything around you is bleached.

No matter where you look, the colour is nothing but pale white, as if every contour and shadow has been erased by this haze. No matter how close to your face you push your hand, you are unable to see even its faintest outline. Then, you realize that your motions are sluggish and unresponsive; you can barely feel your muscles or your skin. The air you try to breathe in and out fills your lungs with invisible char, it does not harm or force you to try and spew it... but it feels like it. You smell nothing.

When you try to turn your head and shout, your words come out as a crumbling cacophony. As a child, you once tried to speak to the fish beneath the lake not far from Kikka; of course, you simply ended up gulping down on nasty water. It now feels the same way...

All you can see is white darkness, all you can feel is ash, and all you can hear is a muffled staccato. However, there is one human sense that is still present and adept: it is your sense of magic. You can sense the magic around.

There is a powerful aura emitting not far from you; you are even able to recognize its colour: Alice’s aquamarine. Her magic presence is unmoving as if she is trying to adjust to the situation herself. The “Mana Shear” of the white darkness is monotonous, despite its ever-moving nature; once you are used to it, everything that does not belong inside you're able to identify.

And aside from you and Alice, there are creatures here – monsters – hiding in the white penumbra. Your body trembles and you can feel the mana within you in a steady strain. For now, you can see past the concealment of the “White Darkness”, but you are unsure how long your endurance will be able to persist. The creatures are formless, at least to your current knowledge, but you can see their basic shape beneath the suppression of this “Mana Shear”. They're massive, and they slither past...

You grind your teeth together – you can’t feel yourself doing it – before you concentrate. You can distinguish two locations – just barely – from where the “White Darkness” has moved away and from where it is concerted the most: the deadly “Pristine Pale.”

Then, you –hear– a loud bell ring from where you were able to sense Alice. Shortly, a few more follow. It must be a Magic Tool...

The creatures gradually turn around – you are unsure of how many of them are there – before at least once of them begins to move at Alice...

> Take out and consume a muti cricket. [Remember, this is always an option.]
> Move towards Alice without acting in any way. As soon as you reunite, try to escape the “Mana Shear”.
> Summon forth a restraining spell [Which?] to use on the monster lurking in the white shadow.
> Escape towards where the “White Darkness” is the weakest. Wait for Alice on the outside of it.
> Envelop yourself with Supplementary Magic [Linen Magic: Frock of Daydream]; just in case.
> Manifest and then surround Alice with [Linen Magic: Frock of Daydream] to assist her battle.
> Rush through the haze and attempt to slash the creeping monster using Virginia’s sword...
> [Write In]

>>4495461
50 mana OOF

>>4495464
> Take out and consume a muti cricket. [Remember, this is always an option.]
> Summon forth a restraining spell [Which?] to use on the monster lurking in the white shadow.
>[Linen Magic: Weighted Blanket]
can we do that and ?
> Move towards Alice. As soon as you reunite, try to escape the “Mana Shear”.
If we can lets do that

>>4495464
>Take out and consume a muti cricket. [How many doe we have or does that not matter?]

>Summon forth a Weighted Blanket to use on the monster lurking in the white shadow.

>Move towards Alice. As soon as you reunite, try to escape the “Mana Shear”.

>>4495464
Supporting these bros >>4495490

>>4495464
this

>>4495490
Supporting

It is hard to know for sure but you - in a wobbly attempt - reach out to take your wand from the pocket over your thigh. You point it forwards. You are unsure if you have managed to do it; your sense of touch is near lost. The only thing you can sensate is the magical aura beneath the dry camouflage of the whiteness.

This is not going to work; you need some kind of buff; an advantage. Bearishly, you raise your arm towards the closest thing you can sense: grimoire. You shove your hand through the pages and close your eyes.

You reach for the wooden box you have purchased mouths ago. With no time to waste, you clutch and confine one of the creeping crickets within your palm. You quickly remove your hand from inside the invisible and unlimited archives of your magic tome before shoving the cricket into your mouth. You chew on it. The only good thing right now might be that your sense of taste is lost as well...

> Item Lost: [Muti Cricket 1ea]

[Basic Magic: Linen Magic]: The Linen Magic used on regular linen will last for half-a-minute longer than usual.
[Linen Magic: Homely Blanket]: The set cost of your spell is 2 MP lower.
[Linen Magic: Cloths of Solace]: Gives 1d10 chance to heal for 4HP if all clothes are concentrated on one person.
[Linen Magic: Weighted Blanket]: Raised the DR enemy must pass to avoid from 40 to 45.
[Linen Magic: Flaying Chenille Threads]: Raises the potential mana drain to 1d65.

“Linen Magic: Weighted Blanket” you summon, and despite your words turning out deaf and gibberish, your grimoire reacts to the words of your incantation. You cannot see the way your blanket manifests, but you can sense is rip and barrage through the “White Darkness”. You feel its entire magical energy barrage through the air towards the monstrosity. You “see” the tall carcass like a frame turn towards the blanket... and then its presence vanishes. Your blanket passes through and deeper into the “Shear”. Then - and only when your blanket starts to crumble - its magical presence reappears not far away.

It attacks you. Similar in its mana and its existence, monsters begin to slither towards Alice. However, you need to worry about yourself...

> Please roll 1d100 – best of three – to avoid the attack. (You get a -10 DR penalty because of your Doublet)

> Please roll 1d10+10 – best of three – for the cost of your previous spell.

Rolled 65 (1d100)

>>4496957
Since we can't use two different types of dice in one roll AFAIK i'm gonna roll twice

Rolled 9 + 10 (1d10 + 10)

>>4496957

Rolled 87 + 10 (1d100 + 10)

>>4496957

Rolled 8 + 10 (1d10 + 10)

>>4496985
That should be a minus 10, but still 77 ain't bad!

Rolled 16 (1d100)

>>4496957

Rolled 7 + 10 (1d10 + 10)

>>4496957

>>4496986
At least you remembered to include a modifier to the d100.

>>4497129
> [It's not a problem if you forget, I can do the count afterwards]

>>4497136
'I have been wondering when are we gonna get our next upgrade vote

>>4497184
> [The idea was to have them between each rank advancement so not until you become Intermediate Magic Knight.]

>>4497206
how about changing it so that it is between major missions but making the things one can choose random and making it so that the most op ones are only available when one does a true rank up. this would make it feel like we actually have a chance to become the greatest magic knight

File: Upgrade List.png (807 KB, 673x815)

807 KB PNG

>>4497229
> [The pic-related will stay for Rank Advancement. As of now you have more mana by 80 than regular Commoner. Until then I was thinking that new items, new Magic Tools as well as new spells would be a good "upgrade" but if I will sit and think on "minor" upgrades if you think that'll be for better?"]

>>4497233
minor upgrades would be quite interesting according to me

>>4497233
Wait, I thought a person couldn't change how much mana they have.

>>4497662
well Cynthia is clearly a being above a mere person, she is a shonen protagonist

>>4497662
> [Peasants start with 50 mana, Commoners with 100 and Nobles with 500. Royals start with ????]
> [Cynthia has grown her mana by 30 by going on a moguro juice diet. It is one in a life inflation for each person as there is a limit. The "upgrade list" represents 'improvements' from the stress and constant struggle from working as a Magic Knight and is a very rare exception for increasing your mana.]

You spend 17 mana.
Mana: [113/180]

Every one of your attempts to do –anything– is shambolic and disordering. You can only really rely on how you –assume– your actions will follow, but beneath the veil, your body must be trembling with embarrassing and uncomfortable motions. The thoughts in your head spin and smudge. Even the sick presence in your mouth does not have the taste of vomit.

You must rely on your mana sense, and you concentrate on that alone.

A powerful flux of alien magic passes above your head, it stays and lingers, like a rotting branch. You close your eyes; you clear your mind of the pristine whiteness and imagine the overwhelming darkness instead. In this penumbra, the mana of others is much more visible and clear...

You charge away from the monster; there is soon a noticeable distance between you and its alien mana swell as it stays, reluctant to move. Perhaps, just maybe, as if you were a tiny fly that managed to escape a spider web, it considers you more trouble than it’s worth. That is not the case for monsters troubled by Alice’s bell and now forebodingly reaching for her. There’s a two-step explosion of mana as Alice creates a “wall” vestige which you fell one of the lurking monstrosities immediately attack. The outpour of its magic lingers for a long while before finally disappearing. This might be the perfect battleground for Alice’s magic.

However, another current of magic energy pours towards Alice, thankfully, you feel her avoid it just like you did beforehand. Thanks for the Mana Skin it is easy, for you, to sense her location. You rush forward to join right of her side. You sense her react, but you can’t see or hear anything...

The mana of the creatures beneath the “White Darkness” makes itself known once more: it falls into a mess as they begin to circle around you.

> Use [Magic Relic: Blessed Sword ‘Cauterizing Fire’] to attack one of the beasts with your sword.
> Summon [Linen Magic: Linen Magic: Flaying Chenille Threads] and attempt to restrain one of the monsters.
> Summon [Linen Magic: Weighted Blanket] and attempt to restrain one of the monsters.
> Try to escape the “Mana Shear” without a fight and hope that Alice will now follow you outside.
> [Write In]

>>4498232
>Use [Magic Relic: Blessed Sword ‘Cauterizing Fire’] to attack one of the beasts with your sword.
I doubt Alice will follow us

>>4498232
> Use [Magic Relic: Blessed Sword ‘Cauterizing Fire’] to attack one of the beasts with your sword.

>>4498232
>> Use [Magic Relic: Blessed Sword ‘Cauterizing Fire’] to attack one of the beasts with your sword.

>>4498232
>Use [Magic Relic: Blessed Sword ‘Cauterizing Fire’] to get Alice's attention and motion her to get out of here by making round motion and stabbing in a direction

>>4498232
>Use [Magic Relic: Blessed Sword ‘Cauterizing Fire’] to attack one of the beasts with your sword.

I wonder if a side quest getting a dual affinity could be done.

You follow the motion of reaching for the hilt of Virginia’s blade: it is hard to know how successful you are without seeing or touching it. It is a Magic Relic, however, and as such, it is infused with vivid and powerful mana. Otherwise, you assume, you would’ve lost the sword minutes ago.

You raise the sword and take a deep, hollow exhale before you clumsily swing towards the beast... It misses; it is immediately known to you by the ‘Cauterizing Fire’ spell not bursting into effect from the runic patterns.

The muss of mana and magic befogs above and beneath your strike, and an uncomfortable coil passes through you. You watch its magic outline – barely resembling half-spinal column – hazily – as if a chimney smoke – turns in your direction.

Barely managing to concentrate, you prepare yourself to dodge and run away... however, an explosion of mana saves you; Alice’s vestige comes into existence closer to the creature than you, and it immediately reacts to it.

Its attack leaves a trail of thunderous and disturbing magic over the place the Vestige has been standing before. You sense Alice’s magic-infused form fly towards the second creature; the air changes as it happens. You watch a portion of magic energy whirl from the creature as it connects...

...but it scratches the creature only just barely. Alice’s attacks can be extremely hard to avoid, but they are not that powerful.

From the white shadows, the second monstrosity extends its flowing carcass to prepare a hostile violation of its own, only to catch “surprised” by a sudden and new burst of immense mana right beneath it. It crushes its hands upon the counterfeit presence of Alice only to have it vanish.

You can barely feel the presence of the third creature. There are, for now, to your knowledge, just two left, hunting for Alice. Injured and uninjured.

> Summon a spell from your grimoire. [Which? On who?]
> Concentrate on the Way of the Sword and slash one of the creatures once again. [Which?]
> Make your presence and intent know to Alice. If needed, push her towards where the White Darkness is the weakest in order to escape.
> [Write In]

>>4499575
> [I'm not going to say it's impossible but highly unlikely to be achieved. I want to stick to canon. Sequin Magic grimoire does have a potential future.]

>>4499734
>Make your presence and intent know to Alice. If needed, push her towards where the White Darkness is the weakest in order to escape.

>>4499734
>Make your presence and intent know to Alice. If needed, push her towards where the White Darkness is the weakest in order to escape.

>>4499734
>> Make your presence and intent know to Alice. If needed, push her towards where the White Darkness is the weakest in order to escape.

You charge towards Alice’s immense magic presence. You come as close as possible before you suddenly stop – there is no impact and there is no pain. It is only with the faithful glimpse you can assume you slammed unswervingly into your companion. In the dark confines of your inner mind, the cyan flame of her Magic Skin continues to blaze and flare with immense power. You openly pray she did not mistake you for an enemy. You rise – or hope that you’ve raised your hands – before you push her...

The infinite tension of the “White Darkness” is not crushing enough to demolish your magic senses, but it continues to coagulate. You try to make sure that there are no “visible” creatures on your path before you storm away through the imperceptible mist to where it stands the weakest. There is no reason to look back: you can feel the presence of hostile and volatile magic all around you.

The further you escape from where you fell, the weaker it becomes. You realize that Alice’s outline is following yours; she is not getting any further.

Then, your soul jitters. Absconding from the “White Darkness”, a cluster of amorphous and twisted magic shapes reach towards you.

> Please roll 1d100 (-10) – best of three – to avoid the attack.

Rolled 9 + 10 (1d100 + 10)

>>4501029

Rolled 66 + 10 (1d100 + 10)

>>4501029

Rolled 16 + 10 (1d100 + 10)

>>4501029

Rolled 70 - 10 (1d100 - 10)

>>4501029

You leap away from the immense magic power of the assault. You feel an intangible leaden concentrate of magic – in your mind, it manifests as a ghastly, hanging silver cloud – pass you by. Somehow, you have managed to avoid the spell of the monstrosity. The hellhound of the “White Darkness” that has been pursuing Alice is, once more, tricked by the fake she has created on her run away from the beast.

It’s even hard to feel a sense of time. It does not happen – but you feel as if your skin has been peeled off by an immense pressure the second this particular “Mana Shear” passes through and over you like a morbid wind. It continues to slowly move even when you stop to catch your breath; you can finally feel the air passing through your mouth, nostrils and lungs...

You quickly realize that it will take some time for your senses to return to normal; a time you don’t have. You are currently standing in a barely – if at all – lit open space, by for your eyes, everything is still painfully bright and blazing white. With wand in one hand and sword, clumsily gripped, in another, you turn towards the gradually fading “White Darkness”. Alice’s incredible and radiant presence reveals itself from the erupting white cloud moments after. At once, she let’s go and surrenders her Mana Skin.

She exhales loudly as her mint eyes stare you down. Without, or being unable to, saying a word, she turns to the “White Darkness”. You feel the mana outflowing of the creatures from before linger on the slowly departing mist. They do not step outside of it; you sigh with relief, but too early. Quite infuriated with your escape, one of the creatures quickly summons and completes a spell which passes through the veil; withered purple-white gunk, at the same time resembling cinders, falls on Alice.

It quickly hardens and, as if a spider’s cocoon, forces her onto the soil.

“WHAT THE HELL?! YOU DAMN... SCUMBAG!”

Your sense of hearing returns.

You prepare to try and dodge a similar spell but... none follows. Soon, the mist completely vanishes from your view deeper into the empty concaves of the “Hollow Mountain”. Alice's still trapped and struggling to get out. You fall on your bottom to settle. She might be screaming at you, or at the fiend who left her like this, but after the pressure and the strain of the “White Darkness”, your heartbeat feels as important as her shouts. Still, you managed to escape through one of the challenges without an injury.

You peer around. Just as suddenly, everything that was white is now pitch-black. However, there are some things you –can– see, despite them not glowing and being surrounded by the penumbra of the chamber. Those are soaring, white trees resembling an amalgamation of crystals and cement. They have no leaves and they are bend in a pose one would make under agonizing pain or fear... All the trees vary in size and form, although they all have the same consistency. None of them eludes mana.

Not far away stands the biggest tree of them all, it towers above all the others as it is the only one that looks like it is just asleep and not in pain...

The second interest is a gently glimmering stream above your head; it is just out of your reach. The blue and cold mist unhurriedly flows like a ghastly river. It is unnatural, to say the least. You can sense powerful mana within, and you can see fish-like creatures and objects inside of it.

There is also a strange road made out tall, yellowish moss leading away from the “forest” and deeper into the “Hollow Mountain”.

You look at Alice... she should have a spell to free herself, or she can just wait until the spell is no longer able to exist.

> Free Alice using one of the charges inside Virginia’s blade.
> Investigate one of the glimmering white trees. Attempt to break a piece of it.
> Investigate the tallest white tree of the region. Attempt to break a piece of it.
> Attempt to cut one of the trees using your “Blessed Sword.”
> Reach for the flowing river above your head using your damaged scarf to try and fish out a magic haddock (?).
> Follows the yellowish moss to where it might lead you.
> Following the hanging ghost river to where it might lead you.
> [Write In]

>>4502064
>Investigate the tallest white tree of the region. Attempt to break a piece of it.

>>4502064
> Reach for the flowing river above your head using your damaged scarf to try and fish out a magic haddock (?).

>>4502064
>Reach for the flowing river above your head using your damaged scarf to try and fish out a magic haddock (?).

>>4502064
>> Reach for the flowing river above your head using your damaged scarf to try and fish out a magic haddock (?).

> [Update later today. I should probably mention it in OP.]

>>4503270
No worries

You step away from Alice; you allow your eyes to settle upon the unearthly outpourings above your head. It takes a while for the blurry and incongruous sight to settle to ordinariness but, once it does, the flowing mists appear even more beautiful – yet also funereal – than before.

You lift off what little remains of your damaged blanket; hopefully, by the time of the next mission you will have it repaired and battle-ready. You infused the tattered fabric with Linen Magic’s scintillate shine before, as if a fishing rod, you toss it into the ghastly aqua. Immediately, the glossy flux reacts to the magic inside your scarf with a distinguishable flare.

A cobalt blue shine overwhelms your textile; the magic within is so dominant it instantly dispels yours. A chain of fish-like beings smashed into your floating – now magicless – linen and quickly changes their course. The few small and rare objects which appear also do the same.

You give your best shot to summon and enforce your enriched line with more of your mana, but it also quickly ends up scattering and dispersing.

You can’t help but bite your lips in frustration at your misstep.

...You remain calm, as you would usually do in a situation like this.

If you were to plunge inside – or simply dip your fingers – into this ethereal river-flow, you wonder what would happen to your mana.

“Afterimage Magic: Vestige. Form: Mana Chrysalis.”

You hear – loud and clear – Alice evocates seconds before an explosion of sound thunders through the unfilled void. An array of afterimages blows apart the restrains of the monstrosity hiding within the White Darkness. She could’ve just waited... but it looks like nobles are not ones to worry about the mana they have, at least, not Alice. Phetocruel exhales, louder than necessary.

“Those damn creats escaped!” she shouts. She turns in your direction. She flings her hands angrily in a downwards movement, “Cowards!”

She blinks, her mint eyes adjusting to the world outside the pressure and influence of the “White Darkness” “The hell you doing, commoner?”

You raise your eyes at the overhanging brook before you fall them back at the Blue Rose Magic Knight, “I was... trying to see what I could fish out.”

Puffing her chest and widening her shoulders, the woman approaches you. From this close, she, too, notices the swimming and passing fish-like creatures as well as sparkling amulet, ring and necklace-lookalikes. “I see, there are some artefacts inside there! That’s a good start; alright!”

You frown as she bends her body as if preparing to jump; there is no way Alice is going to make this jump without any more magic.

She pauses and then takes a journal out of her backpack to slam into your chest. You awkwardly grab and hold it from falling. It is exquisite and ornamental in its silver-gold design but without any title on its cover. The first page is empty and clear. You raise your eyes in question.

Alice has an arrogant grin, “We should be writing down everything ‘interesting’, you’ll be the scribe. It’s not the job of a noble to scrawl over the pigskin.” You wait, but she does not have any kind of quill or inkpot to give you besides what she already gave. You trying not to grimace.

“What was the thing you rang?” you ask her before she is "too busy".

“That?” she harrumphs and takes out a bronze-iron bell with a tight hilt, “I knew I would end up having to save you, so I used it. It’s a Magic Tool, it worked perfectly in there; actually, you can have it. It’s useless for me, as I’ll only end up using it to bail you out.” Without waiting, she tosses it.

> “I was not lost; I was able to familiarize with my surroundings and find a way out.”
> “That flowing river is overflowing with powerful magic. Maybe let’s simply follow where it leads?”
> “Let’s not waste your mana, Alice. If you want, I can try and lift you using my enriched linen blanket?”
> “I don’t think you’ll be able to reach inside without using your spells. Alice, can you raise me instead?”
> Step away and inspect the journal provided to you by Captain Charlotte. If there’s a way, write down what you discovered.
> Step away from Alice and let her brazenly handle the floating rivers of mana. Leave and investigate the white trees instead.
> Drink the potion of mana.
> [Write In]

>>4503737
>“I was not lost; I was able to familiarize with my surroundings and find a way out.”
Step away and inspect the journal provided to you by Captain Charlotte. If there’s a way, write down what you discovered.

>>4503737
>> “That flowing river is overflowing with powerful magic. Maybe let’s simply follow where it leads?”

so Melk how about introducing a proficiency system that uses exp for spells and maybe other things, like if we were to use a spell that spell would get 1 exp point towards leveling up and when it levels up it will cost less and maybe when it maxes out we get a more powerful version of the spell that costs as much as the original spell did in the beginning or it could cost more. this would make it feel as though Cynthia is constantly progressing towards her goal of becoming the strongest magic knight

>>4504440
> [I appreciate the idea but I don't think it is necessary. As the Quest progresses your grimoire will receive more and more spells. If those new spells are of the form you already have [Healing Form, say], it'll be a stronger or a similar (but with different varieties) spell.]

>>4504212
+1

>>4504499
understandable

“I was not lost; I was able to familiarize with my surroundings and find a way out,” you tell her, raising your voice just a bit.

Phetocruel condescendingly crosses over and folds her arms, “You and what Mana Skin, commoner? Shoo, make yourself useful.”

You clench down the sound of your grumble as you leave her to do what she wants; you take the journal as well as the magic bell away with you. You take a dozen steps aside – to what you assume to be a safe distance from the river-like mists, beneath one of the withered ashen trees. You allow the bell, the sound of which breaks through the magic concealments, to descent and vanish beneath the pages of your grimoire, joining all your other items. You then slide your grimoire back into your leather pouch and focus on the eccentric journal. You flip through several of the pages to learn that each and one of them is empty. You ponder...

You place your palm upon the empty parchment and concentrate a small gather of mana upon your fingertips. It trickles through and onto the sheets, a gentle yellowish glow pending from within their filmy presence. ‘Why isn’t anything happening?’ soon materializes like a flare of black ink, solidifying. ‘It seems this book writes down my thoughts.’ You raise your hand when the gibberish begins to take shape. You allow your mind to calm and refresh before you begin to guide it on what to write down.

Alice kneels with her palms open and together. Her body engulfs with brilliant cyan radiance as she prepares one of her afterimages to assist herself. She then lifts her hands, her body still glowing. She stands up and raises her foot to hang without support in the air.

“Afterimage Magic: Vestige.” she articulates. The appearing ghastly vestige picks her up and, with all the strength of her body, it pushes and then tosses the real Alice upwards. Even with such backing, she is unable to get too close to the magicway. Just barely, her hand swings and thrusts into the mystic mist before she clumsily collapses onto the ground. She rolls over her shoulder to break the fall's impact.

You finish “writing down” your thoughts before erasing your remaining mana off the pages’ surface. You close and put away the journal-diary.

Alice stands up – covered in dust and soot – with a grin. She opens her wet palm to reveal a small shining ring-like object...

However, when she opens her mouth and – you assume – attempts to say something, her voice is silent. Instead, a colourfully red balloon inflates and plops from her mouth. It is as big as a hand and hangs peacefully in the air. Alice angrily bursts it with her finger. A cacophonic gathering, as if a crowd of Alices said a word of a sentence at a time, follows. Alice puts her hands over her ears. Her face fuming, she tries to complain and shout. Instead of an angry yell another, greater opaque-blue balloon swells...

Your healing is not strong enough to take care of curses...

You watch as she continues to shout, several more balloons appearing.

> Take some frustration on Alice by asking her some casual questions and making her create more of those colourful bubbles.
> Ask Alice not to say a word, as you won’t be able to understand what she means regardless.
> Leave Alice be and instead closely follow to where the hanging river leads; she’ll follow you.
> Investigate the white trees of the strange “forests", especially the one as big as a tower.
> Summon your Magic Broom and lift yourself to the hanging river. Try grabbing an artefact out of it yourself.
> Investigate the patch of a mossy road leading further into the dark chambers of the “Hollow Mountain Y’ere”.
> [Write In]

>>4504773
> Leave Alice be and instead closely follow to where the hanging river leads; she’ll follow you.

>>4504773
>Summon your Magic Broom and lift yourself to the hanging river. Try grabbing an artefact out of it yourself.

>>4504773
>> Ask Alice not to say a word, as you won’t be able to understand what she means regardless.

>>4504898
>>4505878

> [I can combine those two but I want to see if majority wishes to pursue this >>4505704
or not. Please tell.]

>>4505924
please combine the one with taking artefact out of river that is clearly cursed seems stupid

>>4505924
Yeah, go for it

>>4505924
>>4506262
Wait no. don't go for the artifact.

File: pmgr0jupl11v6bs4yo6_540.gif (1.24 MB, 540x228)

1.24 MB GIF

> [Sorry all, I had too much to drink today and I don't want to write a lackluster update. Majority decision has been noted.]

>>4505949
wait I wrote this weird I meant combine these answers
>>4504898
>>4505878
it would be really stupid to go for the cursed water artefact

>>4506274
No problem man

You approach the woman with an attentive pace. “Alice, you should probably keep silent until that ‘curse’ you got wears off.”

She doesn’t listen to you – such is no surprise for you. Her face bright red from anger, she begins shouting and then callously and desperately shoving the forming bubbles back into her mouth; she even tries to awkwardly whinge with a closed mouth – the rainbow bubbles escape from her nose instead. Quickly, the space around you begins to resemble a spastic carnival. So be it.

You begin to follow the direction the out of the ordinary hanging mist. Reports from the previous expeditions note that many of the bigger and greater “Mana Shears”, those that managed to existed for a few dozen of hundred years, have an epicentre within them: a more chaotic anomalous midpoint. Perhaps, from where those rivers flow is one of them... It’ll be even more hazardous.

You continue walking for a few minutes in near-silence. After going through the “White Darkness” it’s not easy to ignore the sound of your own breathing, or your footsteps. Eventually, however, you stop. There’s a shape of a strange creature just beneath the overhanging stream of magic that spots you. Resembling a mix of a lizard, shellfish, and shrimp, this dog-sized creature is completely clad in ebony shells. It’s head, long-shaped like a decorative helmet, lacks any kind of normal features such as eyes.

Instead, there are five long tendrils growing from beneath its chin, each as long as the rest of its soma. They each move in disorganized and chaotic fashion, some of them drag themselves against the ground. You watch Alice step forward with her arms crossed to prepare to summon one of her vestiges. However, when she attempts to do it, the grimoire doesn’t provide a response.

Instead, a glittering cyan bubble blows out of her mouth. She grabs into it to pop it, and like before, a cacophonic monotone makes itself painfully present and obvious. This does nothing but alarm the beast even more; it immediately turns to face Alice.

Your grimoire engulfs with mana as you prepare to battle; your hand awkwardly clutching the hilt of Virginia’s sword. However, before you can begin, you sense another powerful magic appear above you. A “Hanging River”, extremely similar to the one you have been following, quickly appears serenely rippling and gliding from the hollow penumbra of Y’ere. It criss-crosses the river above you with a loud splash and, from beneath the collapsing crash, a heavy waterfall cascade, as if rainpour, falls onto you.

> Attempt to jump out of the way of the rain.
> Ignore the rain and summon a spell instead. [Which?]
> Rush towards the beast to try and cut it with your sword.
> [Write In]

>>4507385
> Attempt to jump out of the way of the rain.
fucking cursed water

>>4507385
> Attempt to jump out of the way of the rain.

>>4507385
>> Attempt to jump out of the way of the rain.
DODGE!

>[Please roll 1d100 - best of three - with a -10 penalty.]

Rolled 4 - 10 (1d100 - 10)

>>4508219

>>4508352
oh....

Rolled 74 + 10 (1d100 + 10)

>>4508219

>>4508391
What do I do wrong that I can't get to roll with -? I even made sure I typed dice+1d100-10

Rolled 55 - 10 (1d100 - 10)

>>4508219

>>4508392
It's a bit finicky and unintuitive. In order to add a negative modifier, you need to format it as [dice+1d100+-modifier]

+- instead of simply -

You try to jump out of the way but the torrent is too fast for you to do so. You fail, and the pour of cold and enchanted mist – although it only lasts a few seconds – drenches your entire body. After the splash from the connecting magic rivers, the rain continues much weaker, as if a drizzle. It is then you step away from it. Your entire body begins to shiver uncontrollably.

Your body tries to resist the strange effects of the river-curse, but it is far more powerful, and quickly overshadows your own magic. Unlike you, Alice has managed to successfully jump out of the way of the magical deluge; she doesn’t need a second curse.

You muttered ‘Damn’ escapes your lips successfully. At least your words are not rainbow bubbles, or will it be much worse?

The plated monstrosity does not react, or even move; the mist-like rain covers it completely in the exact same way it does you. There’s an irrepressible and penetrative glow of curse-magic as the creature remain standing still. You can’t see any effects on it.

A powerful storm of magic bursts from within Alice as she activates her “Mana Skin”, the only magical ability she can still use...

> Succumb to curse of the “Hanging Rivers” and focus on fighting the beast instead. [How?]
> Push yourself and your senses to resist the succumbing curse. [‘Mana Strain’][Difficulty & Cost 70 mana]
> [Write In]

>>4508607
> [I'll try to put that in the OP next time]

>>4508607
I see, thanks

>>4508859
>Succumb to curse of the “Hanging Rivers” and focus on fighting the beast instead. Use Flock of Daydream on Alice

>>4508859
> Succumb to curse of the “Hanging Rivers” and focus on fighting the beast instead. [How?]
Use that mana draining spell on the creature.

>>4509602
+1

>>4509358
Support

> [I have picked one of the two options with the same quantity of votes because Alice is unable to use her grimoire as those spells require verbal spellcasting. Frock of Daydream would be wasted on her in this situation.]

The curse of the waters is too powerful to battle; you decide to endure through it. You wince when a throbbing pain jolts from your skin. Your full padded doublet protects and covers you, but not from the magic hexes.

You can’t see it, but you can feel something that any girl your age would find terrifying: long black stretches of hair begin to emerge from beneath the skin of your arms and legs. If you were to take off your clothes – you realize – you would look like a half-shaven ape.

And even then, it ends up not being even the worst part of it! Beneath all your clothes, your heavy body hair begins to disgustingly and terrifyingly shift shape; it becomes an amalgamation of briars, thorn, barbs and quills. It punctures, pierces and crawls inside your skin.

You lost 1 health.
Health: [4/5][2/2]

You have gained an affliction: [Skin of Bristle]
> The hair on your legs has been altered into a horrible bristle amalgamation which painfully stabs deep inside your flesh. Endlessly wounding, it makes it hard for you to concentrate on your magic spellcasting. All your spells get a –10 DR penalty when they're cast.

You grimace in pain. Alice’s figure – bursting with an immense and concentrated flux of magic – charges towards the monstrosity but its long tendrils grasp into her body and easily push her away. Alice, still, attempts to connect her punch but the shellfish monster easily leaps out of the way. Fighting the pain you open your grimoire and summon a blast of mana to form another spell:

“Linen Magic: Flaying Chenille Threads.

A surge of our magic essence escapes from your body; it then concentrates on the tip of your wand. A foaming light-blue cloudy fabric with the contour of a linen yarn bursts towards the beast-like tendrils of monstrous creation. However, the blast barely reaches the target of your focus before the magic of your spell begins to disperse. The fiend twists its knotted shrimp body before each of its long tendrils crack and crackles the air around it with its unusual tendrils. This forces the magic forming your spell to stutter and delay. The monster’s charges and bursts through the breathing space seconds before the magic falls where it was standing a blink before, scattering in failure, your mana no longer able to sustain it.

With all five of its repulsive tendrils are aimed at you, the beast lunges...

> Please roll 1d100 [-10 penalty] – best of three – to avoid the attack.

>>4510325
> [Please roll 1d70+10 - best of three - for the cost of the previous spell]

Rolled 50 + 10 (1d100 + 10)

>>4510325

Rolled 22 - 10 (1d100 - 10)

>>4510328

Rolled 58 - 10 (1d100 - 10)

>>4510325
This curse is temporary, right?

Rolled 8 + 10 (1d70 + 10)

>>4510328

Rolled 47 + 10 (1d70 + 10)

>>4510509
Hopefully, I don't Cyntia to be hairy!

Rolled 61 + 10 (1d70 + 10)

>>4510328


>>4510435
>>4510475
>>4510509
Damn, our dice need an excorcism

Rolled 47 - 10 (1d100 - 10)

I know it won't count, but I'll roll a d100 anyway to see what it would've been.

guys the next upgrade chance we get we need to upgrade our dr

You spend 18 mana.
Mana: [95/180]

Your body jolts when the beast quickly shortens the distance. You lean back and, with the best of your efforts, you try to leap backwards – away from the nasty tendrils. The five organic whips chaotically crash upon the soil of the dark void you have been standing seconds before, the ever-changing stone cracking under the impact. However, the tendrils immediately raise and leap to grab onto and hold you hanging in the air. The raw vines of the shrimp-like amalgamation are slippery and muscular, they easily wrap around you like ebony tentacles. Then... a sudden and immense jolt of uncomfortable curse magic currents through the tendrils.

You feel the necrotic-like mana surround you in its magic. You cry in pain as the lavender flame flows inside you, deeper than the curse of the water blight. As if deep cuts on flesh, each one of them leaves wound on your mana soul.

After moments of agony, the spell summoned from within the tendrils weakens and then completely vanishes. The creature tosses you away from its presence. Your shoulder slams onto the ground upon the impact; you wince but, somehow, you manage to stand up without much injury...

This creature needs to be dealt with, and quickly...

You have gained an affliction: [Deviltry Cumber]
> The curse of the Shell-Hound tampers with your mana. All of your grimoire spells are weighted with additional +10 mana cost.

> Summon another spell from within your grimoire. [Which?]
> Swing the “Blessed Sword ‘Cauterizing Fire’” at the monster-horror.
> [Write In]

>>4511595
>> Swing the “Blessed Sword ‘Cauterizing Fire’” at the monster-horror.

>>4511595
>> Swing the “Blessed Sword ‘Cauterizing Fire’” at the monster-horror.

>>4511595
> Swing the “Blessed Sword ‘Cauterizing Fire’” at the monster-horror.
This is not looking good.

>>4512134
We need to activate Cynthia's Shounen Protagonist powers.

>>4512146
We need to bring her to 1HP and see if we get any new spells.

>>4511595
>Swing the “Blessed Sword ‘Cauterizing Fire’” at the monster-horror.

> [Sorry for no update yesterday. Bad day.]

>>4514275
No worries Melk, take care of yourself

>>4511595
>> Swing the “Blessed Sword ‘Cauterizing Fire’” at the monster-horror.

> [Updates will return tomorrow. I apologize. Thank you very much for playing.]

You grip the handle of Virginia’s weapon with all the strength you have. There are only a rare few people who use Magic Tool weapons in battles, and most often than not they only act as extensions to their grimoire powers; per example, Charlotte’s bladeless whip-hilt. To wield a blade efficiently in this world of magic takes years, if not decades, of training. Unless you are a real swordsman, such weapons are much easier to avoid than spells. But, what you have in your hand now is a unique Magic Relic...

It is much more powerful than a Magic Tool. The spellrune inside of it will explode into existence in an enormous fire as long as you can connect it with the skin of your enemy. Getting too close to it is dangerous, but you don’t have much of a choice right now...

Ignoring the throbbing pain – you pray that your shoulder has not been dislocated – you take a calm step towards the Shell-Hound and before it can make its move, you charge, dragging the long and heavy sword inches away from the ground. The eyeless head of the demon-beast cruelly gawks. It notices you. The grotesque bullwhips sweep into the air and begin chaotically thrashing; each one of the bolts in a cacophonic unison to try and strangle you. You count seconds before swinging...

The sharp edge of the sword – barely – rips across one of the tendrils. Immediately, you feel the reassuring warmth of Virginia’s magic trickle over your fingers like some sort of spiritual mist. Then, the runes eclipse the darkness around you with an immense, almost blinding silver-white glow. A small kindle ripples over the tendril as if it was dry wood. It turns bright, huge and violent.

The monstrous creature rapidly stops its attempt to strike, instead – it grovels in loud pain as the "Cauterizing Fire" continues to enclose more and more of its shape in the fire. It smashes its tendrils against the cold ground, ashen-white ambers, and cinders, detonating as it does so. Eventually, to the blessing of the deeply wounded creature, the devastating fire calms. It roars...

[Magic Relic: Blessed Sword ‘Cauterizing Fire’] [9/10 CHARGES]

Alice’s silent form emerges from a blur of the aquamarine blaze. She attempts to thrust the “Paralyze Knife” into the monster while it stands disorganized – at its weakest – but the creature is not yet in a condition to be a prey. Its massive lizard feet lean its body just enough to have the knife pass inches away from its head; it does not even scrap the ebony shells. The few tendrils which survived your slash sweep across the air to try and grab onto Alice but her “Mana Skin” body – as if a made of magical wind – easily avoids and backtracks from the fiend’s attempt. Another colourful bubble blows out of her mouth to bop and hover around.

> Swing the “Blessed Sword ‘Cauterizing Fire’” at the monster-horror. You just might be able to end it.
> Toss the Magic Bell into the floating river. Hopefully, the current will pick it up and the noise will make the beast follow it.
> Summon another spell from within your grimoire. [Which?]
> [Write In]

File: spooky.gif (763 KB, 500x380)

763 KB GIF

>>4515685
> Swing the “Blessed Sword ‘Cauterizing Fire’” at the monster-horror. You just might be able to end it.
Happy Halloween, Melk.

>>4515786
> [My country is going under national lockdown as we speak right now, but happy spooky night to you, Anon!]

>>4515685
>> Swing the “Blessed Sword ‘Cauterizing Fire’” at the monster-horror. You just might be able to end it.

>>4515795
Well, I hope it gets lifted soon.

>>4515685
>Swing the “Blessed Sword ‘Cauterizing Fire’” at the monster-horror. You just might be able to end it.

>>4515685
>Swing the “Blessed Sword ‘Cauterizing Fire’” at the monster-horror. You just might be able to end it.
>>4515795 Sucks about the lockdown

You put your magic wand out of sight to grip the sword with both of your hands. With reckless but mad eagerness you rush once more towards the black hound. Clearly in pain, it is far more judicious and aware of your presence now and the potential suffering your sword might cause.

Slamming its heavy feet against the hollow ground with an enormous and echoing thunder, the beast-creature tosses its remaining tendrils up into the air like loose rain of arrows. Wavering with nervousness, you impel.

You flinch as one of the sharp and bitter tendrils slides and bruises against your cheek... you hold your breath when it begins to crawl over your shoulder in a swift effort to clutch and suffocate you. Pushing against it – and ignoring the pain – you force all of your weight onto the sword to ground it just enough to connect with the entangling flesh tongue. The silvery runes – again – begin to scintillate and radiate. From the sparks, a boundless pious fire erupts like a hurricane to surround the bluish blade and then viciously devour the tendril tantalizing you. As soon as the dancing edges of the fire begin to reach further for the shell-hound, it releases you and attempts to flee. Despite the beasts’ efforts, the brazen cauterizing fire continues to spread and burn the beast.

You take a few steps away; it was unnecessary to do anything else now.

The heat of the fire is so immense it sharpens and cracks your skin. The fierce spell bound within the iron steel of the sword burns like molten mercury on the protective ebony shell of the creature; it rages through it, leaving nothing but putrid-black ash. The loud crackle is silenced by a horrible howl of the beasts as it fails to calm down the fire surrounding it.

[Magic Relic: Blessed Sword ‘Cauterizing Fire’] [8/10 CHARGES]

When the fire of the spell eventually fades, the creature is still alive. Its body is horrible mangled by the fire spell, most of its protective shell defence destroyed like human’s skin to reveal a blue-white flesh. Despite the cauterized bleeding, the creature is dying; barely breathing. The creature, gasping in cacophony, attempts to crawl away from your presence now; afraid...

> End the creature mercilessly. It might try a pre-death relationation.
> Ask Alice what she wants to do with the shell-hound.
> Ask Alice if she has anything in the backpack to heal curses.
> Drink the Potion of Mana.
> Continue following to where the first floating river leads.
> Change and follow the second – fresh – hanging river towards.
> [Write In]

>>4516860
> [I heard it's going to be a month-long, but probably longer.]

>>4517142
> Ask Alice if she has anything in the backpack to heal curses.

>>4517142
>Ask Alice what she wants to do with the shell-hound.
> Ask Alice if she has anything in the backpack to heal curses.

>>4517375
+1

You leave Virginia’s blade unsheathed; it hangs by your side just in case you’ll need to defend yourself again. You peer at the struggling carcass of the dying monstrosity before you turn to face Alice, “What... do you think we should do with it? End it...?”

An immense flurry of magical powers continues to surge from within and around Alice. Her face red and angry, she tries to respond but only a green, wobbling bubble ripples and then floats away from her mouth. She grabs and slams it against her knee; nothing but unrecognizable dissonance of her mangled voice forms.

You look away with unease, “That’s right, the curse... Sorry.”

However, Phetocruel has understood you. The woman tosses the backpack on the ground, loosens the belts holding it secure, and then kneels before it. She takes out a strange chest. It has a shape of a shiny and well-polished rectangular prism made out of exotic translucent marble. A glassy box floats inside of the marble as if encased in resin; it has a vivid and shining four-leaf clover etching on each of its sides and is slowly leaking misty trails of magic through the rest of the deep marble.

Alice rolls it in her hands...

She, strangely, decides to put it away. Instead, she picks up the backpack and then approaches the goo that is the beasts’ barely breathing remains. As soon as the distance between her and the fiendish hound is cut, the monstrosity turns and attempts to reach for the woman with its beastly, barely sentient, fury. Alice’s “Mana Skin” empowers her body once more as she puts and then slams her boot down the monster’s head with deadly strength. The tall skull explodes into goo as the ground cracks...

Alice makes sure the beast is dead by forcing her metal boot into the carcass. Once she is happy-satisfied, she returns to the backpack.

She takes out another, smaller box which contains a set of six sweets-sized balls. She inspects and then puts one in her mouth. She begins sucking on it but, with an unhappy and disgusted grimace, she cracks it with her teeth and gulps down the remaining pieces. She winces, but, eventually, exhales. “What a horrible taste,” her complains finally come out normally, not in a bubble.

You sigh with relief as you approach her. You wince with pain once the adrenaline of fear is no longer pumping through your veins; you fell the rugged and painful quills and briars continuously dig deeper into your skin. “I’d like one of them as well, please, Alice.”

She casts the round medicine towards you; she is unable to just pass things normally, it seems. “We only have five left including that one...”

“Those are...?” you ask, raising the coarse coral ball to your eye-level.

Unlike candy, it resembles bath soap.

Alice shrugs her shoulders, “They get rid of annoying curses and illnesses; do you need to know more?”

No, not really. You put the ball into your mouth but, soon, you can’t help but replicate the way Alice swallowed hers’.

You have removed an affliction: [Deviltry Cumber]
You have removed an affliction: [Skin of Bristle]]

You shudder as you gulp down the disgusting foamy substance; why couldn’t Charlotte give you some tasty medicine once in a while?

You rub your sleeve against your lips; your eyes look at the mangle of what’s left of the creature. You look away in repugnance.

Alice huffs, “If you want some kind of praise from me you won’t get it.” You don’t. “You’re lucky to have that weapon, but if I had it instead I’d be able to put down the beast much faster.” She stands up and groans. The aura of magic finally lifts and leaves her...

“What was the box you took out beforehand?” you ask, too tired to argue.

The only praise you need is from the Magic Emperor.

Alice frowns, “We have four of them, commoner; they are powerful containers for us to put either the artifacts or monsters inside them. I was considering putting that thing,” she points at the remains, “But you mangled it far too badly for it not to be a waste if I did so...”

“Four?”

She nods, “That’s what I said. And once they are used, they can’t be opened until they are returned to the Magic Emperor's castle-palace.”

Alice hits the hilt of her Paralyze Knife against her knee, “We only have two days, but I want to get only the greatest artifacts.”

You nod.

“If we fail, we just have to get the ones from the Orcas and the Mantises. We’ll have theirs and they will have none of their’.”

“That doesn’t sound like it would be allowed,” you say with uncertainty.

“There are no such rules,” Alice’s mint eyes narrow, “And if they were, no one will know. If you don’t want to hurt your precious ‘childhood friends’, peasant, you best help me with finding something powerful so we don’t have to.” She begins looking around the area, already preparing to leave.

You notice a strange sparkle of many colours far in the distance; it’s not fleshy or organic: a luminous glow of bright gemstones.

> Insist that stealing is not the way a Magic Knight should act. Tell Alice that you two will able to win the proper way.
> Insist that, while the blade was of great assistance, it was you who put down the beast and you’ll be keeping it with you.
> Reassure Alice that you’ll fight Labrys if you’ll need to, as well as that you hold no favour for Lucius or the Purple Orca.
> Talk with Alice about a combined “Compound Magic” spell. Discuss the details and, perhaps, practice it for the future?
> Drink the Potion of Mana. [Just to be clear, it restores 20% of your current mana outside of battle, so that’ll be 20% of 95.]
> Ask Alice if she can let you borrow a few of them “curing balls” in case you’ll get separated.
> Continue following to where the first floating river leads.
> Change and follow the second – fresh – hanging river towards.
> Go and investigate the gemstone glow in the faraway distance.
> [Write In]

>>4518485
> Go and investigate the gemstone glow in the faraway distance.
> Drink the Potion of Mana. [Just to be clear, it restores 20% of your current mana outside of battle, so that’ll be 20% of 95.]
I hope it isn't another trap

>>4518485
>> Insist that stealing is not the way a Magic Knight should act. Tell Alice that you two will able to win the proper way.
> Drink the Potion of Mana.

>>4518485
>Go and investigate the gemstone glow in the faraway distance.
> Reassure Alice that you’ll fight Labrys if you’ll need to, as well as that you hold no favour for Lucius or the Purple Orca. Also make it clear that you still don't feel comfortable about doing it.

You point your hand towards the bright gems in the far-away-distance of the impending darkness of “Hollow Mountain Y'ere”.

You let Alice know of this peculiarity:

“How about going there?”

The woman raises her eyebrow before grimacing back.

“It was only a suggestion...” you bashfully glance at the “hanging rivers” above your head, “I just don’t feel standing under this magical mist will get us anywhere but cursed, again.” You can still feel the aching pain all over your arms and legs. “We can always come back here if we'll like it.”

Alice folds her arms beneath her small chest, exhaling – as if forcing – a heavy silence. “You’re right,” she emotionlessly and hastily monotones beneath her breathe without turning to look at you. She begins walking.

You wait for her to give you some kind of sign to follow her... but she does not. You sprint after she walks - and separates - even further from you.

You are half-drained of your mana and it’s been no more than an hour – has it? – since you’ve entered “Y’ere”. You can feel it. As you follow in Alice’s hollow footsteps, you open the glassy gilded vial, an expensive potion require an expensive vessel, and after a few more seconds of deliberation, you begin gulping it do the very last drop.

Soon, you feel some of your mana return...

You restored 19 mana.
Mana: [114/180]

But only some; you’ll either have to be extremely conservative with your mana the next two days or find a local way to restore it...

As Alice stays silent, you decide to be the one to break the ice and reassure her: “I want to do it the proper way, the way this challenge is meant to be completed, Alice. I believe we can do it.”

The noble arrogantly clicks her tongue, “I am completely unsurprised by that, commoner. I’ll fight them if it will be necessary, simple as. The Blue Rose will not be able to enter this damp cavern for the next hundred years. Our names will be in the history of this place and the Blue Rose, you rag-brain, even if you don’t care about us dealing with the Atrophy Magic curse from the-”

“I do!” you interrupt her. You flinch once she stops and her overflowing with magic mint eyes stare back daggers at you...

“I do,” you insist, clenching your fists, “We... We just need to bring back the most powerful artefacts, it's not that hard... so... let’s go and do it!”

You see Alice’s lips form a gentle, if not miniature, smirk. However, she bites her lip to growl and hide it away, “I’ll be giving directions here!”

The two of you follow through the empty grounds, with only a few rare cavern formations, outlandish fauna, and formless skeleton bodies of beings you are lucky not to fight to greet you as you pass by. Eventually, however, the rainbow shine you saw before becomes much more evocative. The towering caverns narrow to form an entrance hole; it is large enough to let an elephant pass...

As you walk, the pale washed-out rock gains colour. The jagged walls, ceiling and the floor begin to reveal gems of all complexions and colours.

The oddities of this “Mana Shear” are not mentioned anywhere in the records provided to you by Captain Charlotte. It’s new... Although the cavern becomes more and more luminous – if not blindingly toxic because of its variety of bright lights – you spot and notice the two figures because of their magic presence and not their shadows: it is Labrys and the girl who is to accompany him. They are just up ahead. Alice grips the hilt of the Paralyze Knife. It is unlikely that the Green Mantis duo has acquired any artefacts or beasts just yet...

> Suggest to Alice that you go and meet them to cooperate in this “Mana Shear”.
> Suggest to Alice to trail behind the two just far enough that they do not notice you.
> Follow silently and obediently whatever Alice is planning to do with this situation.
> Summon [Linen Magic: Frock of Daydream] on yourself [or Phetocruel] to be ready.
> [Write In]

>>4519550
>Suggest to Alice to trail behind the two just far enough that they do not notice you.

>>4519550
> Suggest to Alice that you go and meet them to cooperate in this “Mana Shear”.
hey Melk have you ever considered doing a training arc

>>4519714
> [We did have a training arc in the 6 month timeframe between the Tailor Challenge and Cynthia joining the Blue Rose. I don't think there'll be a timeskip anytime soon.]

>>4519719
i meant training arc in the sense that it is an actual training arc and not a timeskip

>>4519727
> [Can't say there are plans - although there is one idea - it'll be up to you if you'd like to go with it or not which might count as training arc; I envision Cynthia improving as the story progresses. Can you explain what you mean by training arc in a bit more detail?]

>>4519737
I am Talking about like a thread were we essentialy just train you know like a training arc in anime, we could vote for what we would train or practice and then roll for how good the training went giving us the chance to improve outside of the upgrade system, depending on how the training went we could get a trait or just an upgrade to something that one can naturally increase like lets say that we choose to train our muscles if we roll a high enough nummer we could get a bonus to our punch damage or an increase in health or both if we were to crit however if we roll low we instead of getting a bonus we would get a negative dice roll modifier for either that week of training or the entire training arc.
However lets say that we were to vote for training with a weapon we would get what i like to call a trait, the first dice rolls determine how talented we are at using/doing what we choose to train, i shall give a hypothetical situation now lets say that during the hypothetical training arc we choose to try and learn how to use a sword and some anon who rngesus smilled down uppon were to roll a 100 in the talent rolls that would give us the trait sword prodigy which would not only give us a +60 to training with a sword it would also give us a +10 dr bonus to when we are swinging a sword, that is what the talent trait would be like now lets go onto the profficiency traits these ones one would get from the training, these ones we would get from an exp like system that uses rolls as exp.

Wait i just realized that instead of giving an explanation i just fucking came up with a system for a hypothetical training arc fuck that Will most likely not be used if we were to get a training arc fuck!!, I even fucking wrote it all on a phone fuck me and my stupid mind that really likes overthinkin stuff

>>4519737
I wish to apologize for my stupid mind that wants to really see a training arc

>>4519906
> [No, that's interesting; thank you. I'd prefer if we are to have a training arc for it to be story-focused instead of roll-dependent but I'll probably include both like I did during the timeskip with different options.]

> [I don't really want to roll so I'll wait to see if there's a deciding vote anytime soon.]

>>4519550
>> Suggest to Alice that you go and meet them to cooperate in this “Mana Shear”.

Here's your tiebreaker Melk!

“We should go and meet up with them. Let us cooperate,” you suggest hesitantly. The shapes of the Green Mantis Magic Knights remain unmoving.

“Are you for real; you peasant?!”

You nod. You remain calm as you bow your head courteously, cautiously, “They don’t have anything of value on them, Alice. You should’ve realized at this point how dangerous this place is... if four people cooperate, there’s less risk of a chance of us getting into any dangerous situation.”

Alice bites the inside of her cheek, looks away and snarls with her mouth barely open.

"Please trust me. I know you want to win but we need to play it smart.”

“Are you calling me dumb?” she asks with her typical noble-arrogance.

“No, I am not,” you remain stoic and composed, although you find it increasingly hard to do so with Alice, “Let me talk this out with them.”

Alice grumbles but, soon, she slides the knife over her belt and cracks her neck. She is not vocal, at all, but her expression makes it look as if she consents to your plan. The two of you pursue the trail of shiny and infinite ornamental stones. They spiral and circle into clumps of similar hues only to break into many different ones; some of those colours are barely similar, they feel increasingly alien.

You step to where Labrys and his companion are with a clear presence. The cavern is spacious yet its ceiling is flat-roofed and low. The gems here sparkle and gleams with bedazzling brightness you have never seen before, any stained glass or polished gold can't compare to this beauty inside. You are unsure about how precious those gemstones are, but you imagine your father would be able to use them to make an outfit even a noble would be willing to pay for. The “road” of coruscating gemstones you have been following breaks at the entrance of this cave. There are three narrow entrances flowing into semi-even directions from the heart.

Each of those entrances is made entirely out of lightsome clumps and bright clusters of precious and exposed deposits of gems. They stand in three colours: bluish-white, reddish-orange and greenish- olive. There is no particular difference between them...

“Excuse us... Labrys?” you civilly step forwards when you notice the lumberjack outfit of the Green Mantis Knight and Labrys, the owner.

“Hm?” he turns to you and Alice with surprise. His exotic, gilded eyes glimmer as soon as he notices you, “Beautiful ladies of the Blue Rose!”

He quickly approaches you. Alice’s body tightens as she irrationally takes a step back and grabs a hold of her Paralyze Knife.

The man stops before you – he is a half-a-head taller than Alice – with a beaming yet cheeky smile.

“...Hm, could it be that you were following us? Spying?” he asks cockily, without losing his smile.

“Like hell we would,” Alice interrupts angrily.

“We noticed your presence, and I thought it would be good to meet you, Labrys,” you smile and turn to look at the girl from before. She is smiling as well, although she still refuses to look you directly in the eyes. Labrys whispers, ‘Her name is Jeane’.

You nod him in gratitude. Alice folds her arms and hems, inspecting this cavern.

You notice that Labrys’ uniform appears tattered and ripped, “Have you got into any trouble?”

“Dear Cynthia, you are so worrying and charming,” he points his thumb to his chest, “I had to battle a fiend of great power.”

“It’s a good thing you are uninjured."

“He did get injured,” Jeane explains bubbly; she is still hugging the painting of her beloved person, “But we have many healing potions!”

Labrys awkwardly scratches the behind of his neck, “It was a thought fight, but nothing a Green Mantis Knight can’t handle.”

“Bla-Bla-Bla,” Alice yawns much louder than she should've.

“What about you?” Labrys says. The care in his voice is full of genuinity.

“We... had a few problems on our way here but we dealt with them,” you nod. You look around, “What is this place?”

“We stumbled upon it by chance,” Labrys follows your glance around the cave, “There’s some powerful magic here but we have been stuck here.”

“Stuck?” Alice frowns.

Labrys nods, “Yes as he motions his hand to the three entrances, “We are not sure which one to try for first. They are similar, as you can see...”

“We should go ‘blue’,” Jeane says dreamily, cuddling the picture-frame, “Blue is Myles’ favourite colour, he’d pick it if he was here, I’m sure of it!”

Labrys chuckles self-consciously, “We might do that, it doesn’t look like there’s another, better way to pick where to go...” You try and sense any kind of magic fluctuations but it’s impossible to see anything.

> Suggest the four of you go through the same cave entrance.
> Suggest that you and Alice try out a different route to them.
> Blue is the colour of the Blue Rose. Agree to go there.
> Green is the colour of the Green Mantis, maybe it’s best to go there.
> Red does not represent any of the two Magic Knight Squads. Suggest going there for neutrality sake.
> Ask Labrys to tell you more about what happened to him.
> Tell Labrys what you and Alice went through in detail.
> [Write In]

>>4520743
> [Thank you, Anon.]

>>4521854
> Suggest the four of you go through the same cave entrance.
fuck it why not

>>4521854
and i meant to vote for blue entrance too

>>4521854
>Suggest the four of you go through the same cave entrance.
Blue is the colour of the Blue Rose. Agree to go there.
And also since more knowledge can't hurt in this situation.
> Tell Labrys what you and Alice went through in detail.
> Ask Labrys to tell you more about what happened to him.

File: 6ccd1217097e9f86adf0066fc(...).jpg (83 KB, 564x799)

83 KB JPG

> [There's a difficulty. I'm having a hard time writing updates as if I'm forcing myself. This comes down to two problems: 1. I think this arc is ill-prepared. 2. While this sounds self-centered, and I am thankful to all who play, I feel like a couple more players would be nice and beneficial to have but I have no idea how to achieve that. I know that inconsistent update makes people lose interest but I'm having a hard time. I apologize.]

>>4523185
no worries Melk it is understandable for you to feel like that when you write very big updates nearly everyday and yet you only get like 2-3 voters

>>4523185
have you considered announcing that you have updated on qtg?

>>4523185
Sorry, no ideas on how to help you get more players

>>4523571
> [I do announce new threads and from time to time but I don't know if it makes any difference.]
>>4523782
> [Understandable. I assume 20+ threads in it's pretty hard to get new players to commit and try out.]

>>4524429
Make a pastebin on the OP about the story so far in 5 paragraphs or less so anons can catch up.

>>4524429
>I do announce new threads and from time to time but I don't know if it makes any difference.
You could also consider reaching out to other questing communities, like SV, SB, or Akun, or even trying to catch interest from Anons on /a/.

>>4524457
> [I'll try that, though I'm not sure how many people read such.]
>>4524935
> [Do those communities allow advertisement?]

> [I think a break was needed, so thank you all for not hating me on that. I'll try and return with updates tomorrow.]

>>4525552
>Do those communities allow advertisement?
At the very least, SV has a dedicated thread for advertising Quests https://forums.sufficientvelocity.com/threads/quest-advertising-thread.2723/
I'm not sure if they would consider it a faux pas to advertise a quest from a different site, but it couldn't hurt to ask.

>> [I think a break was needed, so thank you all for not hating me on that. I'll try and return with updates tomorrow.]
Take all the time you need, Melk!

>>4497233
The bad font makes it look like it says ASSs

The aquamarine blue is the colour of the Blue Rose. Honestly, it is not the most scientific trail of thought to follow, but you don’t have anything else to base your decision on. It is random at best, but since Jeane is already set on going into the tunnel of this colour, there’s no reason to go against her gut feeling. You glance at people around you before you approach the bluish gemstones.

“I like the colour blue as well,” you smile before you briefly peer inside of the cavern; despite the luminosity, it carries on far deep.

“We should go together, it would be foolish to separate,” you say.

Of course, Alice immediately shows her resentment. Loudly, she protests:

“Are you joking? You want them to stab us in the back?”

Facing the Green Mantis duo with her back, Alice’s body jolts and shivers as she immediately turns around and tosses a punch. The white-haired Labrys somehow manages to dodge her attack, in his hand, he has a grimoire he used to mischievously contact with and scare Phetocruel.

“Dear Alice, even with your unabashed haircut, I would never stab a pulchritudinous beauty such as yourself in the back,” Labrys smiles at her.

Alice’s nostrils release a sharp huff. The grip of her fist tightens. “You are such a freakin’ creep, commoner. Then... –you– better watch your damn back.” Her teeth jitter as she grinds the two rows against each other. Angrily, she steps forward past you and enters the cavern by her own.

You can’t let Alice get separated from you. You shout for her to wait up.

You give a fleeting look to Labrys who only answers with an unapologetic smile. He follows Alice but turns to offer you his hand, “Shall we?”

As if he was inviting you for a dance. You thank him, but you decide against taking his hand. You step inside the fantasy tunnel made entirely out of gemstones polished by the nature of this “Mana Shear” to a pristine mirror. Your reflection echoes and breaks over the many separate pieces and layers of the precious cobalt mineral. Soon, as you dwell deeper and deeper into the passageway, you reflections around you resemble a gallery and twisted and broken mirrors. You stumble a few times, but Labrys is there to catch you. Jeane follows with an in-her-mind silence.

You, once again, are forced to trust your – not that great – mana sensing abilities, as well as the footsteps and voice of Alice, Labrys and Jeane.

You tell Labrys about the things which happened to you and Alice in the last hour. The “White Darkness” and the hanging mist resembling rivers floating through the air. You tell him about the curses you have been briefly blighted with, as well as the beast you have had to fight...

Labrys, compassionately, openly and honestly shares his own story. They went through a mysterious “Mana Shear” of their own, a desecrated ground with mollusc-like colonies in form of irregular patterns or clusters of holes. Those holes and create-like carcasses were empty, he says, at least to the naked eye, but then there was something uncanny and creepy to their existence magic-wise. They cross and left the “desert” as soon as they could. Then, they encountered a massive beast sleeping outside this ground, it was a massive crab-like creature on whose shell they stepped.

They managed to defeat it; Labrys goes into the most unnecessary details regarding the battle. The creature’s shell was able to reflect magic, he tells you, and so Labrys had to perilously sneak beneath the heavy and gargantuan beast to be able to get his Axe Magic to have some effect...

He nearly got crushed by it once he managed to pierce through the beasts’ abdomen, but Jeane saved him using her strong Ice Magic.

You hit your head against the well-hidden arch of the blue-white surface. You yank and scream in pain as you fall on the sharp blue gemstones...

You open your eyes only to realize that you are no longer able to hear or sense Labrys, as well as Alice, and Jeane who was following behind!

You stand up and groan. Your voice is the only thing that echoes from the chambers. You look around, but all you see is your own body in blue hues.

You take a few steps, this time you use your hands to make sure you don’t bump into anything sharper, blunter or more painful to get beaten with... There was only a straight tunnel to follow but you somehow ended up losing every one of your companions; the magic is playing tricks on you.

You stop once the chamber expands once again. Here, the blue gems and minerals are not as polished and are more opaque in their appearance. In the centre here stands a stalagmite pillar, it quietly crumbles and crunches on itself in a shifting pattern and fashion. No, it is not a monument. It is a person, it looks exactly like one.

It is a breathing woman, with flesh and skin and clothes. She has long red hair reaching beneath her shoulders in well-groomed long wavy layers, as well as deep crimson eyes... She is older than you, perhaps twice your age, and taller, but not by much. On top of her hair, she has a white woven rosebud in which there are needles and threads of all colours. She is wearing a simple, long-sleeved shirt and a leather belt that keeps her pleated skirt above her waist. Beneath the skirt, she is wearing white, linen pants and cobble shoes. She looks the same the last time you saw her; Etwilla Gualdo, your mother. The way she turns to face you, it is real.

What are you doing here?

“Cynthia? What are you doing here?” she asks you as soon as the same thought crosses your mind. You gulp; it is her voice the way you remember it.

“Mother?” you can’t help but ask, despite knowing this can’t be the case.

She approaches; there is a worried, confused and sad expression – all in one – on her face, “What are you doing here? Francis must be worried.”

> “Mother? How... how are you doing?”
> “Father is not worried, he is okay; he agreed to let me become a Magic Knight. I am living my own life now.”
> “Father is worried, yes, but I asked him to let me become a Magic knight, and he agreed. I am making the Clover Kingdom a better place.”
> “Why have you never told me you were a witch from the Witches’ Forest, mother? Why did you hide it?”
> “I’ve met your friends and your sisters, mother, Rioni and Pistoia; they are good people. They miss you.”
> Try and ignore her. Look for a way out; perhaps follow the way you came into the chamber in the first place.
> [Write In]

>>4526975
> “Mother? How... how are you doing?”
> “Father is worried, yes, but I asked him to let me become a Magic knight, and he agreed. I am making the Clover Kingdom a better place.”
This could lead to some very bad mindfuckery for poor Cynthia

>>4526975
>“Father is worried, yes, but I asked him to let me become a Magic knight, and he agreed. I am making the Clover Kingdom a better place.”
> “Why have you never told me you were a witch from the Witches’ Forest, mother? Why did you hide it?”

>>4526975
>> Try and ignore her. Look for a way out; perhaps follow the way you came into the chamber in the first place.

>>4526975
hmm this seems kinda like a trap

>>4526975
>> Try and ignore her. Look for a way out; perhaps follow the way you came into the chamber in the first place.

hopefully this is a trap otherwise we would look like an asshole

>>4528165
She is dead what's she is going to do scold us?

You take a couple of anxious steps back before you – in a rush – turn on your heels and attempt to flee from this crystal hollow. As soon as you try to run the way you came from, you feel your face smack against the glassy and startling surface of the crystalline wall. Your face is bruised, reddened and roughed. The polished gemstone reflects you in thousands of ways and befuddles you escape. You push your hands to find the exit...

You freeze when the echo of her steps loudens, and her shattered reflection flows and overwhelms yours. You turn to find Etwilla standing behind you. She puts her palm over your chin and lips and it feels warm and candid and soft. Your eyes meet hers; concerned and melancholic.

“You’ve grown so much, ‘Thia,” she mutters as her grip tightens, but not enough to trouble or hurt you. “My little girl, you shouldn’t be here.”

“Mother...” you mutter. You find yourself unable to look away from her despite the embarrassment. Heavy tears begin to trail down your cheeks. “You, on your hand... you haven’t changed at all,” you swallow with a trembling voice as you find your back pushed against the cold gemstone walls, “This can’t be you, can it?” This doesn’t make sense. You were there when she gasped her last breathe, and you attended her funeral.

“Of course it’s me, ‘Thia,” she smiles but then, suddenly, she painfully pinches your cheek, “Now, will you stop ignoring me and answer me?”

You wince as your cheeks redden, this was the way your mother punished you when you did something very wicked. You were just a kid, of course...

Even this punishment can bring you nothing but joyful memory. “I... Mother, I am here on a mission. I became a Magic Knight of Blue Rose.”

She frowns, clearly unhappy with this, “Are you crazy? Do you understand how dangerous this is? What will dear Francis do if he is to lose you too?”

You look down, “I am making the Clover Kingdom a better place, mother. It’s corrupt, and the High Street is suffering the worse of it. I did it to protect our shop... But this is also what I want to do myself. Father is worried, but I asked him to let me become a Knight, and he agreed.”

“You did not answer my question, dear girl.” She says ‘dear girl’ when she needs your utmost attention towards what she is saying.

“He won’t lose me, I have... no intention on dying,” you tell her, although your voice and conviction wobbles.

“'Thia, and how many times have you been injured and unconscious; on the brink of death?”

“B-but I am still alive, am I not?”

“Cynthia, you must’ve realized how dangerous it is to be a Magic Knight. It’s not worth it, risking your life. You should resign, leave it to nobles.”

> “I have found trustworthy people to support our workshop, it doesn’t need me there. I want to live my own life now, mother.”
> “Why have you never told me you were a witch from the Witches’ Forest, mother? Why did you hide it?”
> “Father said you would be happy for me to pursue my own path. I don’t understand, did he lie to me about you?”
> “I don’t want to be a tailor worker, mother. That was your dream... father’s dream. Being a Magic Knight is mine.”
> “I can’t just shield myself away because it is ‘dangerous’, mother. I will take care of Father, you should trust me.”
> Tell your mother what she wants to hear, even if you don’t believe it. You do not want to make her upset or angry.
> [Write In]

>>4528294
>I can’t just shield myself away because it is ‘dangerous’, mother. I will take care of Father, you should trust me.”
> “I don’t want to be a tailor worker, mother. That was your dream... father’s dream. Being a Magic Knight is mine.”

>>4528296
> “Father said you would be happy for me to pursue my own path. I don’t understand, did he lie to me about you?”
> “I don’t want to be a tailor worker, mother. That was your dream... father’s dream. Being a Magic Knight is mine.”

>>4528329
+1

“I don’t want to be a tailor worker, mother. That was your dream... father’s dream. Being a Magic Knight is mine.”

You try and nudge your head away from her tight touch but she is reluctant to allow you to do that. She is staring.

“It’s true,” you assure her – and yourself – once she offers you no reply.

“Why don’t you want to be a tailor, dear girl?” she asks with a voice filled with sadness, “Is monotony all it is?”

“I...” You dither – it’s hard to look her in the eyes. “Y-yes, it’s the monotony. I don’t feel as satisfied making clothes as I am being a Knight.”

She pouts, “It is just so surprising to hear, ‘Thia. I never expected you to be the type to engage in something so perilous. You will have to deal with people who’ll try to harm or even attempt to kill you; you’ll have to face people who want to put you to harm. Cynthia, I don’t want this for you. You are a commoner; even your Magic Affinity is not meant for such a dangerous task. Is there something that you are not telling me?”

You clench your fists, “I can’t just shield myself away because it is ‘dangerous’, mother. I will take care of Father, you should trust me.”

“Are you trying to escape the workshop because it reminds you of me?” her voice cuts through your confidence like it was made out of paper.

“No, that’s not the case!”

The mother begins to gently caress your hair, so much like hers. “Dear girl, you can’t take care of your father while you are skirmishing battles thousands of miles away from Kikka, you know that’s the truth. And you know how he is; he’ll be worrying no matter how convincing you are.”

“What are you trying to say?” you grimace. It is hard to hide how upset you are at her words, “I should just remain a low-ground tailor, mother?”

She takes you into a hug, “‘Thia, of course, I do not want you to be miserable... but I'm your mother, and I can see it clear as day that you do not have the sincere determination when you tell me that being a Magic Knight is your dream. If it is... then you’ll have no problem repeating it?”

Of course, you will have no problem repeating it.

“My dream is...” your breathing hardens. Her hug is weak and soft, but you still find yourself unable to exhale your lungs. Tears fall down your eyes.

She breaks the hug, pushing both of her hands on your shoulders, and leans back. She looks at you with a confident smile, as if she’s right.

You frown, “I don’t have something one can call a dream or purpose, mother. But being a tailor in our workshop is not it that I can say for absolute certain. My magic is more than taking care of linen cloth; with it, I can heal injuries of my allies and restrain my enemies. I want to see and explore things outside of Kikka, outside of the Clover Kingdom, and being a Magic Knight allows me to do just that. With the money I’ll earn I’ll be able to make sure that our workshop stands unthreatened and it remains in pristine shape. I already have two Captains giving their support for it.

“Mother, I do not know what my dream is but I feel like – no, convinced – that I’ll discover it if I remain a Magic Knight.”

Her face hardens and saddens. “There is no convincing you, is there, dear girl?” She sighs, “Although, now, I can feel your resolve.”

You smile meekly, “You are not a commoner mother: I know that you are a witch and there is something about Linen Magic that the Queen of Witches has been trying to cultivate and foster in you. I know that you left – escaped – to be with my father, to be a regular unknown tailor.”

“Cynthia...” suddenly, her face becomes rough and cold. An uneven crack spreads across her skin and clothes begin to look as if they were painted, instead of how they are supposed to be. Her body slowly turns bluish, polished, shiny and glassy. Even her voice becomes like cracking ice...

“If you continue down this path, neither I nor nobody else will be able to protect you from her. She is probably aware of your existence now...”

> “We are fine, mother, and we will be fine. I will not let Francis get in harm’s way...”
> “Mother, we miss you dearly... I hope you continue looking after me.”
> “Mother, I understand enough. I am going to avoid meeting the Witch Queen, I promise.”
> “Mother, why were you and your Magic so special to the Witch Queen?”
> Use Virginia’s sword to try and shatter the aquamarine stalagmite before anything happens.
> Remain silent and step away to observe the way the strange crystal pillar continues to act.
> [Write In]

>>4529956
> “Mother, we miss you dearly... I hope you continue looking after me.”
> “Mother, why were you and your Magic so special to the Witch Queen?”

>>4529956
> “Mother, why were you and your Magic so special to the Witch Queen?”

>>4529956
> “Mother, why were you and your Magic so special to the Witch Queen?”
I don't know guys, something suspicious about her.

>>4529956
>“Mother, we miss you dearly... I hope you continue looking after me.”
> "I understand enough. I am going to avoid meeting the Witch Queen, I promise, but
why were you and your Magic so special to her?”

Her body continues to shift and change, it soon barely resembles anything more than a cluster of aquamarine gemstones. You step towards her.

Before Etwilla’s mirage leaves, there’s something you need to know: “Mother, why were you and your Magic so special to the Witch Queen?”

Her voice turns into a resounding and piercing mess, “Dear girl, I cannot tell you... more than what you are already aware of... affinities of textile nature has an atypical link with the nature of magic. You should avoid... trying to develop ‘True Linen Magic’, that’s what she wants you to do.”

You gasp, “Mother, we... miss you dearly... I hope you continue looking after me...” You can’t help it; your tears begin to run down once again...

Then, the bohemian convex crystals forming her jewel hump continue to realign and alternate at even uncannier fashion. The cloudy colours inside the bluish emeralds envelop each of the crystals before complete different essence amends and reforms the eerie effigy. A dazzling stream reflects and waves across the chamber for a non-lasting moment before the “person” before is not your mother at all, but a brawny and tall man in his forties. His shoulders and hands are incredibly broad. He has short olive-green hair and deep cyan-blue eyes with the same golden spark Labrys possesses. He is wearing a basic, linen outfit: suspenders over thick dark grey trousers and a buttoned shirt. He has a bright bowtie...

He steps forward as his tall leather boots fall and slide across the gemstone floor. He is looking at you with a face of a disappointed man.

“Have I not entertained you enough, Labrys?” he asks, his voice harsh yet clear, “You and your feisty, rebellious attitude? A year should’ve been enough, it’s time you quit and return to where you belong: to our family workshop. How long are you going to persist with your ‘freedom’?”

You blink and put your hands in front of you. He is a much bigger man than you, and right now he is judgementally staring down at you...

“You are not going to answer me?” he demands, raising his voice, “Are you going to run away again, and leave your much younger brother to take care of your responsibilities instead? If the Adzefrene workshops close down, that will be entirely your fault and your responsibility, Labrys!”

> “What are you talking about? Can’t you see that I am not Labrys at all?”
> “Maybe you are right father, I’ll return home as soon as I’m done with this mission.”
> “I am not going to return home, father. I am going to remain a Magic Knight.”
> Remain silent and allow Labrys’ father to continue talking all the way through.
> Use Virginia’s sword to try and shatter the man who appears to be Labrys’ father.
> [Write In]

>>4531229
>> “What are you talking about? Can’t you see that I am not Labrys at all?”

>>4531229
>> “What are you talking about? Can’t you see that I am not Labrys at all?”

>>4531229
>> “What are you talking about? Can’t you see that I am not Labrys at all?”

“What are you talking about? Can’t you see that I am not Labrys at all?”

“You insolent boy,” the man raises his tone of voice as he steps forward. The dangling layer of spear-shaped crystals whistles and tremble as he angrily does so. He grabs your tiny arm by his hand before he squeezes it until you cringe back in terrible pain. He agonizingly straightens your arm.

“You are hurting me,” you cry as your fingers reach for your grimoire.

“I wouldn’t if you were not such a coward,” the large man says, “We are an aristocracy now, Labrys, and you should act that way. Do you know how the rest of the White Yul heckle and mock behind my back about you, and me, and the Adzefrene family? You don’t, because you do not care... It is one thing you joined the Magic Knights without any notice, or without getting my approval, but you also decided to join the Green Mantis, the Squad of impoverished commoners? If you were that pathetic no other Magic Knight Squad let you join, you shouldn’t have had joined at all!”

His voice is so loud it booms and ricochets across the blinding chambers. As he stands before you, his figure reveals over all the mirror surfaces.

“I am going to drag you back to woodworking table by force if I have to,” he says.

> Infuse the remains of your scarf with Linen Magic to break free of his hold.
> Summon a spell from your grimoire.
> Use Virginia’s sword to try and shatter the man who appears to be Labrys’ father.
> “What is wrong with you? I’m not Labrys; I am Cynthia, Francis Gualdo’s daughter!”
> “F-fine! I’ll come back with you, just let go of me.”
> “I have made my decision, father. For the time being, I am going to stay with the Green Mantis.”
> “You better get used to it; I am a Magic Knight now.”
> [Write In]

>>4532578
>> Infuse the remains of your scarf with Linen Magic to break free of his hold.

>>4532578
>> Infuse the remains of your scarf with Linen Magic to break free of his hold.
goddam senile old man

>>4532578
>> Infuse the remains of your scarf with Linen Magic to break free of his hold.

>>4532578
>Infuse the remains of your scarf with Linen Magic to break free of his hold.

>>4532578
>> Infuse the remains of your scarf with Linen Magic to break free of his hold.
>> “What is wrong with you? I’m not Labrys; I am Cynthia, Francis Gualdo’s daughter!”

You grunt as you grab the man’s burly and jagged hand with your own. You tighten the grip to try and force him to let go but for you – a teenage girl – it is more or less unattainable. Your summoned mana rides a current from within your body and across your neck and shoulders. The glimmering spell fluctuates and enters inside your unusable enriched linen scarf. You won’t be able to injure him... but you don’t really need to.

The linen shimmers with a beautiful mercury shine when your magic overfills the enchanted flax. Like a bloodthirsty snake, the cloth strikes in front of your face and then skis over the wrist to enfold his wrist. The magic flowing inside your quickly-to-harden and tighten linen is more powerful than his brute force and the man, with a rasping yet quiet voice, releases you by force. You fall down onto the flooring of sparklers.

The man grunts as he steps back from you. He motions his wrist and the rest of his arm as the joints beneath clasp and crack and crackle.

“I see... you are now even willing to fight your own father, Labrys. That Magic Knight Squad of yours is having some very bad influence on you. Now more than ever I am certain that I can’t let this continue...” He clenches his massive hand into an iron fist. “Let’s get physical then.”

“Ha?!” you cry out in panic, “C-can’t you see that I am using Linen Magic? L-i-n-e-n M-a-g-i-c?! I am not Labrys, I-I am Cynthia Gual-”

Neither does he listen or care for your explanation. The elder man steps forward and drives his foot onto the ground. The wind whistles as he brings his shoulder and right hand forward, throwing at you one of the deadliest and at the same time magicless punches you have ever seen...

> Please roll 1d100 (-10 penalty) to avoid the attack.

> [Write In]

Rolled 99 - 10 (1d100 - 10)

>>4534025
>Please roll 1d100 (-10 penalty) to avoid the attack

>>4534028
> [Good roll, anon.]

>>4534028
well it is pointless to roll anymore

>>4534081
> [U33+SDCd stealing all the fun.]

Rolled 31 - 10 (1d100 - 10)

>>4534025
>>4534081
>well it is pointless to roll anymore
Where's your sense of danger, bro?

>>4535716