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Hocus, Pocus, Hypothesis 139

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B←'Vital' 'Luminous' 'Arcane' 'Elemental' 'Veil' 'Resonant' ⋄ W←2048 ⋄ O←0.5 ⋄ α←0.01 ⋄ ε←1E¯6 ⋄ η←0.02 ⋄ H←0.5-0.5×2○(2×○1×(⍳W)÷W-1)

The actual laser work was taking a bit longer than Orion had expected, but he ended up with more space than he initia...

Occultist 325

A low sound echoed off the walls, shaking Nick’s bones and making him grit his teeth as it grew louder, until it felt like it would deafen him completely, only for it to suddenly stop. 

Something splattered onto the ritual circle, a thick, oozing purple mass that bubbled and writhed for a moment before coming tog...

Occultist 324

“I’m not quite sure how I should be feeling right now,” Nick muttered, burning the letter to a crisp with a [Spark].

He’d known Lasazar had a sharp mind and that he’d grasped quite a lot about his true nature over the course of their sessions. It wasn’t like much could be hidden when you were fighting for yo...

Occultist Sidechapter poll 16

Hocus, Pocus, Hypothesis 138

Finding the right crystal, at least, proved to be a quicker task. Orion was fairly knowledgeable about metals, but he had developed an understanding of the mana-transmission capabilities of crystals that could rival any master jewel crafter over the past months, at least within his specific interests.

Vaar had a hundred...

Hocus, Pocus, Hypothesis 137

“Well, I can’t say I’m not privileged, but I think I’ve earned my arrogance,” he said, drawing a bark of startled laughter from the old man.

“Good, fake humbleness is even worse than fake confidence,” Vaar grunted before signaling for him to follow.

Orion was led into a side room, where a couch, seve...

Occultist 323

“I would be very careful, if I were you,” One-Ear said, looking uncharacteristically nervous. It wasn’t the first time Nick sensed such a thing from him, but he was usually much better at hiding it.

Tonight, he was almost twiddling his thumbs and biting his lips, making it clear he’d learned something over the p...

Occultist 322

A faint smell of charcoal immediately filled the room, prompting Nick to circulate the air to avoid choking.

He hadn’t laid his eyes on what was left of his wyvern wand since examining it after Sashara’s Descent, but time hadn’t lessened the annoyance he felt when looking at it.

“What a bitch,” he mutter...

Hocus, Pocus, Hypothesis 136

“I’m glad we could reach a compromise,” Ophelia said with a gentle smile, while Orion did his best not to frown.

He was fairly sure he had entered the conversation intending to talk her out of buying any clothes, especially expensive ones, but somehow, he ended up agreeing to visit at least one store.

“Won...

Hocus, Pocus, Hypothesis 135

Kinetic magic would be more immediately practical; there was little doubt about that. It also wouldn't provide him with the information he desperately wanted, after going so long without the ability to check everyone’s class and levels whenever he pleased.

The most obvious obstacle to making a new pair of glasses was ...

Occultist 321

It wasn’t often that Nick was completely caught off guard. He had become very skilled at staying alert at all times, and even when active magic was blocked, his passive awareness was enough to alert him when someone approached.

But to confront the Deep Diver, he had to focus completely on the ether, especially as he t...

Occultist 320

Hunting for pockets of negativity was not as straightforward as tracking beasts in the grasslands. For one, distances didn’t quite work the same way in the ether, and things often seemed wonky when viewed through the layers of reality.

Now, that didn’t mean it wasn’t possible. Nick had a significant advantage than...

Occultist 319

By the time Nick finished his tests, the sun was setting, and he realized he had missed his lunch and might miss his dinner too, so he quickly organized his things and left the room, heading for the floor’s dining area.

At level sixty-six, with ninety-five points in CON, he could go days without food without feeling i...

Hocus, Pocus, Hypothesis 134

Orion’s initial plan to build a university wasn’t necessarily a bad idea, but after spending some time in Valderun and learning more about the various factions, he realized it would never truly become what he wanted.

A truly independent organization, where knowledge could be freely exchanged and science pursued with...

Hocus, Pocus, Hypothesis 133

Every embassy in Valderun had enough space to host many more people than it actually needed. That was because they served as both a statement of power and a defensive position, designed for quick fortification in case hostilities broke out.

Not that such a thing was likely now. As the new Speaker, Archmage Antares decla...

Occultist 318

The last time Nick had to craft a focus, he relied on Rhea’s expertise to manage most of the process and only supplied the ingredients and mana.

For a rudimentary focus like the wyvern wand, that was more than enough. Even their limited understanding of the actual processes involved in attuning a wand had been enough ...

Hocus, Pocus, Hypothesis 132

On the day of the party, Orion felt surprisingly energized. He had been spending a lot of time and effort lately improving his spell arsenal, bringing it up to standard, and he was finally starting to gain confidence in his ability to hold his own, even once they left the city.

“I just need to get through the non-ligh...

Occultist 317

For a moment, Nick hoped he would be given a great treasure, maybe even the elven princess staff that had been sold at the auction. Just a couple of hours observing it without the wards that kept him out would have surely greatly advanced his understanding of nature magic.

But he knew that wasn’t a realistic option, a...

Occultist 316

“Reward?” Nick asked.

Of course, he had known there would be one. The Duke had been generous so far, and that was when his help was limited to gathering information and taking out one man.

Since Xander had openly discussed his contributions as essential to stopping the Circle’s plans from succeeding, there w...

Hocus, Pocus, Hypothesis 131

Asteria tapped her nails on the cup, gently sloshing the liquid inside. She was being calmer about this whole talk than Orion had expected, given how sensitive even meeting Antares was for her, let alone discussing their future together.

But Orion knew it was because she believed she had to do what was best for him. If ...

Occultist 315

There was an offer to send a carriage to take him to the castle, but Nick chose to take his time to wander through Alluria and see how things were developing himself, and Tholm’s assurance that he didn't need to bow to any social pressure made rejecting it an easy choice.

Reconstruction efforts were nearly complete, a...

Hocus, Pocus, Hypothesis 130

The office they were led into was probably the most luxurious workspace Orion had ever seen, in both of his lives, which was saying something considering he’d once been in an oil prince’s palace.

He doubted it would stay like that for very long, since his father was a very different man from Mallon.

The extrem...

Occultist 314.5 - Interlude Alexander 4/Akari 2

Low thumps echoed, followed by moans of pain, but Alexander didn’t take his eyes off the bonfire, captivated by the sputtering sparks and crackling flames.

He knew he would have to face Her again. It had been his most coveted desire to do so without fear in his heart, to strike at Her deeply and show he was the one in...

Occultist 314

His triumphant return to the Tower was somewhat diminished by the large crowd filling the streets and especially the plaza around it.

Mages, civilians, and soldiers mingled, all fixated on the same thing, displaying reactions from shock and a sense of justice to more than a hint of vicious glee.

Nick decided to st...

Occultist 313

An attendant quickly ushered Nick and Devon out of the room.

Staying behind and listening would have been a much more interesting prospect, but Nick could see that his brother was on his last legs, having faced three cultists at once, and needed to be checked over by a medic.

Sound cut off from the planning room a...

Hocus, Pocus, Hypothesis 129

[Null Light] wasn’t so much a single spell as it was a dense cluster of magical orders, all working together to produce what could be seen as a unified effect. To those without insight into the process, it might appear as a single piece of magic, but Orion knew better.

Casting it was a major effort, needing him to coo...

Hocus, Pocus, Hypothesis 128

“How wonderful it is to see you, my dearest friend,” Orion said with a hopeful tone, but Ophelia’s death glare told him a little sweet talk wouldn’t get him anywhere.

The snickering from the Basilisk Fang behind her didn’t help, and he knew for a fact that Pauline would much rather sit back and watch than step...

Occultist 312

“Stop him!” the warrior shouted, his tattoos glowing with inner light as he braced himself even harder to prevent the ritual from destabilizing.

Alexander grunted, and Nick sensed Ulter’s domain tremble as the dark flames devoured it, using its divine power to feed their growth.

This might be the worst p...