Abuse of Magic 152 Chapter 149 Stella Returns

(THERE IS A HUGE LIST, NOW THAT YOU'RE NOT HUMAN, ARE YOU SURE YOU WANT ME TO SHOW IT ALL TO YOU?)

'I would really like to see what the point costs are, now that I'm not human," he said. "Some of the things that had looked interesting were so expensive…'

(NOW THAT YOU'RE NOT HUMAN, MOST OF THE THINGS THAT WERE SO EXPENSIVE, ARE ONLY TEN PERCENT OF THE COST.)

'If that's the case, I want Appearance (Regal), Charisma, Subsonic Speech, Ultrasonic Speech, Voice, Doesn't Breathe, Doesn't Sleep, Doesn't Eat or Drink, Sanitized Metabolism, and I would like to see my updated status sheet, just without the skills and spells, please. That list is really long.'

(I AGREE. I CAN'T BELIEVE YOU HAVE SUCH A LONG LIST. HAVE YOU CONSIDERED CONSOLIDATING SOME OF IT, SO THAT THE LIST COULD BE SHORTENED?)

'Are you kidding? After all the hours I poured into learning all those things? I want that list to stay long, so that if any allies or enemies see it, they are intimidated. Plus, it makes me feel better about the time I've put into it.'

(FAIR ENOUGH.)

(STATUS)

NAME: Joseph Aurum

SPECIES: Wizar

AGE: 8 (17)

(PRIMARY STATS)

STRENGTH: 12

DEXTERITY: 13

INTELLIGENCE: 22

HEALTH: 12

(SECONDARY STATS)

HIT POINTS: 12

WILLPOWER: 25

PERCEPTION: 21

FATIGUE: 15

(ADVANTAGES)

APPEARANCE (Regal) (NEW)

PENETRATING VOICE

HONEST FACE

SANITIZED METABOLISM-body is naturally clean, no BO, no acne, no greasy hair (NEW)

TRANSCENDENT (IMPRESSIVE) - +5 reaction due to physical presence (NEW)

CHARISMA: 5- +5 reaction due to natural ability to impress and lead others (NEW)

STATUS – Rogue King +8 (NEW)

REPUTATION- Master of Runes +4 reaction (mages) (NEW)

REPUTATION- Savior of the elves +4 reaction (Elves) (NEW)

VOICE- +2 reaction (NEW)

MAGERY: 4

MANA REGENERATION: 1/min (low mana), instant (normal mana)

MAGE VISION: passive

REDUCED SPELL COST: 10

VERY FIT

DOUBLE-JOINTED

ACUTE SENSES (HEARING, VISION, TASTE, SMELL, TOUCH):5

NIGHT VISION: 9

RAPID HEALING

KNOW DIRECTION

INTUITIVE MATHEMATICIAN

VERSATILE

DOESN'T EAT OR DRINK (UPGRADE)

DOESN'T SLEEP (UPGRADE)

DOESN'T BREATHE (NEW)

AMBIDEXTERITY

COMPARTMENTALIZED MIND

BLESSED

MANA ENHANCER-10-yard range (UPGRADE)

MANA TERRITORY-10-yard range (UPGRADE)

COMBAT REFLEXES

DETECT MAGIC-ANALYSIS – 30-yard range (UPGRADE)

SPECIAL RAPPORT-STELLA

RESIST FIRE TATTOO

RESIST LIGHTNING TATTOO

RESIST COLD TATTOO

RESIST ACID TATTOO

REVERSE MISSILES TATTOO

SUB-SONIC SPEECH (NEW)

ULTRSONIC SPEECH (NEW)

SUB-SONIC HEARING (NEW)

ULTRSONIC HEARING (NEW)

TERROR-aura is controlled (NEW)

DUAL-CASTING (NEW)

(DISADVANTAGES)

ENEMY- THE GOD NURKONG

ENEMY- DEMONS, DEMON FOLLOWERS (NEW)

PENALIZED TIME MAGIC

UNNATURAL FEATURES-eyes glow blue and gold (NEW)

SENSE OF DUTY-subjects (NEW)

WORKAHOLIC-you tend to drive yourself past your limits to accomplish your objectives (NEW)

BROAD MINDED-you lack normal aversion to other races and unnatural things (NEW)

TITLES

BEGINNER MAGE-detect magic within a yard of yourself.

INTERMEDIATE MAGE-magic analysis is automatic for magic in detection range

ADVANCED MAGE-mana territory becomes absolute, detection range increase significantly

MAGE ADEPT-spell casting time greatly shortened

THAUMATURGE-learning and inventing spell time is greatly shortened

RUNE MASTER-bragging rights across realms

CHILD OF PROPHECY-be the one spoken of in prophecy

ONE WHO CRIPPLES GOD-********

DRAGON FRIEND-Bahamut's blessing, true dragons will not be hostile to you

KENRICK-Lord of all tribes, Barbarian King

ROGUE KING-a king is recognized by his people even if they have no land

*Mana control skill strengthens several title's effects

'Wow, look at all of my titles! That's awesome.'

(IS THAT ALL YOU WANTED? I KIND OF THOUGHT YOU WOULD WANT MORE THAN JUST TO LOOK REGAL AND ALL.)

'Oh, I totally want more than that, but I have to think about it. Now that I'm not human, I don't want to just throw things in without considering how they will affect me.'

(CAN I JUST SAY YOU ARE A VERY INTERESTING PERSON? I HAVE SO MANY USERS WHO WOULD GO CRAZY THROWING THINGS IN BECAUSE THEY SOUND COOL WITHOUT CONSIDERING THAT VERY THING. YOU GO SUPER SLOW ON THINGS, AND THEN BOOM, IT'S A WILD STORM OF GROWTH.)

'Thanks?'

There was a knock on his door and he stood from his chair. His parents had only been gone for a few minutes, and Stella was near the gates. It was probably a runner from the wall to tell him that Stella was here.

"Your majesty?" gasped the young man, who was probably his age, "I was told to inform you that you are wanted at the gates."

"All right."

He followed the man, marveling at how fortunate he was to still be alive. The amount of mana that had flowed along his mana circuits had turned him into a conduit. He should have died quickly, with the second-best option being a slow lingering death without the ability to ever use magic again. Instead he had slept, and rebuilt his circuits from scratch. They were like going from a two-lane street to an eight-lane divided highway. There wasn't anything remotely human about his mana pathways. He had even developed a second mana heart specifically to handle dead mana.

Reaching the gates, he saw a group of people gathered around two figures. As soon as Stella saw him, the people immediately began to back away, because of the aura she released.

Joseph stopped dead in his tracks. Stella had a woman on her back. A woman that looked a lot like her.

"Joseph, can you heal her?" she asked, stopping in front of him. He could see the pain around the edges of her eyes, and wondered what had happened on her little trip.

"Is this?" he started, reaching out with a hand, and touching the woman's cheek. She was unconscious and close to death.

"She's my mom," Stella said softly.

Grabbing her shoulder, he teleported the three of them back to his room, without another word, where Stella lay the woman down on her bed. Joseph saw that the back of Stella's shirt was drenched in blood.

MAJOR HEALING

RELIEVE ADDICTION

REMOVE CONTAGION

RELIEVE MADNESS

CURE DISEASE

NEUTRALIZE POISON

DISINTEGRATE on her clothing, and then he turned.

"Place a nightgown or something on her. She should sleep for a short while, but she was so close to death what happened?"

"I was sitting next to you, while you slept, and your mother had just left, when it occurred to me, that my mother was still out there, and maybe…"

"So, you went to get her?"

"She was in the gutter, in the mud. I thought she was dead. Someone had mugged her and left her for dead. If I hadn't gotten there when I had…"

"Stella, no matter what happens, just know that I'm here for you, okay?"

"I know, and even if she's still the witch I remember, I can at least rest knowing she didn't die when I could save her. Thank you."

Joseph was quiet as he listened to Stella change her mother's clothing. He didn't tell her the spells he had cast on her. The woman had been addicted to some strong drugs, and had been in the end stages of a couple of very potent diseases. Even with the magic, he wasn't sure what kind of person she would be when she woke.

"I'm going to go for a walk, want anything?"

"No, I'm fine," she said, pulling a blanket up to her mother's chin, and moving the chair that was by his bed over.

As he stepped outside, he wondered about the timing in Stella's decision to go find her mother. He knew that it would take a lot to get Stella to leave his side like that, and then for her to find her mother, so conveniently, before she died, it just screamed of a third-party involvement.

(I TOLD HER.)

'What?' he asked, startled.

(SHE HAD REQUESTED, BACK WHEN SHE FIRST RECEIVED ME, THAT IF SOMETHING EVER HAPPENED TO HER MOTHER, I WOULD TELL HER.)

Nodding, Joseph paused by the kitchens. That made so much more sense.

'Joseph,' said Joe.

'Yeah?" he asked.

The cooks had just finished cooking lunch, and there was a long line of people grabbing food. The smells of the different dishes made him smile. No one said a word as he entered the back and picked up a plate.

'When you touched Stella, I got a glimpse.'

'A glimpse of what?" he asked.

'The rune. But it was too shrouded in mist to get a good glimpse. Any ideas why?'

'I'm not sure, I'll ask her when I get a chance.'

Stella deserved a treat. She may not need to eat, but she would definitely appreciate some steak and rice. And he couldn't help grabbing a plateful of the fresh cookies. They were her favorite. As he turned to leave, he paused. Her mother would probably be hungry too, so he grabbed a second plate for her, then hurried back.

.

Chapter end