POWER LEVEL
356,511
Tech Points
47/88
Forms
Enhanced Being [x39]
Zeni
92,117
Bio-Android
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Mar 30, 2023 14:46:25 GMT -5
Post by Ayu on Mar 30, 2023 14:46:25 GMT -5
The Seal that Ayu mastered, partially by accident, was something else. The symbol that just popped into her mind, a simple shape that she could paint in the air with one finger - it had much more meaning than being only that. After all, it could stick to her skin and conceal her presence or lock it at a certain power level. Her magic seemed to improve lately, although she wasn't quite sure why it happened... She felt the same way then before, thought that might have been only an illusion. For so long she struggled with her energy control and maybe she wasn't still able to handle it on her own, so the Seal technique certainly helped. It wasn't perfect of course. As soon as she would use more of her powers the marking would break with ease, revealing what was hidden. And that was something she needed to work on - after all, locking her energy over and over again wasn't practical. If she could do that on this level, there should be a way to polish this skill. Ayu needed something that would let her raise and lower her power without difficulty, something that could withstand the use of her energy... Something magical, that might be a solution for her.
So again, it was time to hide in the dark innards of the Lookout, settling in the library for the night. After Ayu tucked the kids in and made sure they were asleep, she took the lamp, a warm blanket draped around her shoulders and a cup of hot tea. It was all that she needed for a long session of studying... Her silent steps faintly echoed through the corridors as she reached the library, opening the heavy, creaking door. The place was lit with the soft shine of the lamp and she immediately started to browse through the thick tomes and ancient books. She might have called this technique Seal in her head but Ayu wasn't sure if that was it - so she needed to check every mention of suppressing the Ki and controlling it. What was a chance that she will find on brown and fragile pages the symbol that appeared in her head? Most unlikely... Though there was a book about magical marks that was very interesting. Tucking her legs under her, Ayu was sitting on the floor between the piles of books and scrolls, carefully studying what was written there. The marks... Symbols. Seals? Insignias? Whatever they were, they surely were one of a kind.
The whole system of this magic was amazing - and very complicated. Ayu read through countless rules about applying seals and after that, the instructions about creating them were just too much. Guidelines were firm and the warnings about the magic backfiring at her were threatening enough. Actually, it all made her head hurt - it was way worse than preparing for finals at high school! It seemed that every shape has its meaning and the line too thick or too thin would change the effect of the seal. The curves and the placement were crucial too, every pattern needed to be redrawn perfectly to have the desired outcome. And there were rules about joining the patterns to make them more complicated, giving them more effect or additional power. Before she could realize it, she found herself tracing the outline of the symbols in the air, wondering about the possibility of learning anything from that. Maybe Ayu's handwriting wasn't the prettiest but it wasn't illegible either... Though the level of calligraphy needed here was way above her level. It made her feel a bit lost - that was the first book that had what she wanted, a seal that could help her control her power level - but it seemed to be out of her reach... But she wasn't one to give up so quickly and easily, especially on an important matter like this.
Reading twice the chapter about energy, its enhancement, and weakening methods, Ayu decided to experiment a bit. She drew the Seal on her hand - a faintly glowing symbol was suspended in the air for a split second before it stuck to her skin. Her presence was now concealed. Ayu was then looking for the direct rules of power preserving and control, alongside some more notes about hiding a life signature. There was so much it started to be confusing and the old language that she was reading didn't help. This book must have been at least a few centuries old, judging by the phrases and wording. Slowly she realized that she found the right paragraph with a mark drawn under it - there was a difference in effectiveness in the symbol because of another line made diagonally... After some pondering, she carefully drew another stripe above the seal on her hand. A glowing line was set on the sigil. Ayu tried to make a flower bloom in her hand - the Seal right away broke once she used more energy than necessary. A frown visited her face but Ayu took a few sips of her tea, wrapped the blanket tightly around herself, and decided to try again.
She spent the time until morning on that matter. Drawing the various versions of the same seal on her hand, she was creating small flowers or bigger shrubs in the library, testing out the marking. It should work. Maybe Ayu's nature wasn't purely magical but she knew that she could use it - more or less. It was time to prove that she was able to learn even more, given a chance and the right time.
Finally, the Seal on her hand didn't break even when she made flowers bloom inside the library, the old paper turning rose as petals and leaves and vines hanging from the ceiling. Her energy was concealed for long enough and it only took the whole night to master... Ayu was really glad but she knew it didn't end there. There was still room for improvement there and she would need another learning session like that.
But later. The morning just decided to shine brightly through the windows and Ayu knew she had to go to the kitchen to start preparing breakfast. A hungry crowd was bound to appear there sooner or later, demanding food and attention.
Power Level - 294,892
Word Count - 1,046
Technique - [ST2] Seal - 1TP |
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POWER LEVEL
356,511
Tech Points
47/88
Forms
Enhanced Being [x39]
Zeni
92,117
Bio-Android
|
Mar 30, 2023 14:48:03 GMT -5
Post by Ayu on Mar 30, 2023 14:48:03 GMT -5
Having another study session in mind, Ayu decided to have a small nap while preparing for the next all-nighter. Laying down on a bed with a blanket and a heavy tome nearby, she closed her eyes to get some rest. A short amount of sleep would do for now. She hasn't finished reading the book about the sigils and there was so much to try and experiment with - it filled her with a warm sense of anticipation. The excitement was more or less gentle like she was going to read the continuation of her favorite story rather than expecting a thrill ride... But Ayu has been busy the whole day, taking care of kids, learning, meditating, and cooking, so it all wore her out enough that her body needed a little break. Curling into a ball under a knitted blanket, she nuzzled her head into a soft pillow. It was quiet at this evening hour. She could sense the energies of others being busy with their own things around the Lookout and the gentle breeze was slipping inside her room, bringing in the scent of fresh air. Though Ayu missed the earthy and floral tones of the forest, this place wasn't so bad. It was peaceful and she had friends here - companions, a guardian, and kids she took care of. There were way more people in her life than ever before and she couldn't be more glad. Though something was aching a little bit in her heart...
Slowly her thoughts started to drift away. The old book next to her opened on its own, the pages silently moving while the writing started to glow. Ayu wasn't aware of that as her senses were already dulled by the sleepiness.
She missed Liari. There was nothing else to explain, no doubts or second-guessing, she missed her little sister. Though she doubted that it was something that the other side could return - maybe under layers of that hate and anger for her Bluebell could feel the lack of her presence, though Ayu wasn't convinced. She so badly wanted to see her again, even if she'd be met with more harsh words or even the possibility of being attacked. There was something she wanted to know. Callion said that it shouldn't be long before Liari would be back from the afterlife... So she had to wait.
The soft darkness started enveloping her senses and something in this half-asleep state started to call out to her.
And Callion himself went away to train on another planet. It's not like Ayu could stop him, though she wished he would stay around for a little longer. She often wished for that... It was a selfish desire. The Saiyan was training to be strong enough so he could protect this planet, she knew it well - he created a group of warriors, decided to polish his skills and he put so much weight on his shoulders... There was nothing that could give her the right to hinder that. Ayu wanted to be of help. Somehow. Somewhen. Every time so far when they met, Callion always saw her in situations she would rather not be seen. She embarrassed herself by hanging on a tree, was weakened, crying, or in the midst of panic. No doubt that he was more interested in training with others - Ayu was no warrior, just a horribly shy and anxious person that would rather talk to plants than people. And it was ridiculous to feel down about it as she knew he was training for the sake of everyone and everything... It felt bad to think that for this very reason, he was always leaving so soon when they met. Even worse feelings started to creep inside her head when she realized that she was actually feeling low, because of that very reason. Her cheeks heated up with shame. Ayu had no right to be selfish here even if she missed him. She kept telling herself that but her chest was heavy like it was filled with lead... That never happened before, so why?
And why her dreams were so dark today? All she could see was darkness filled with her grim thoughts, calling out to her like a ghost trying to lead her astray. Ayu shook her head, the sign on her hand glowing up. Did she even make a Seal before falling asleep?
Taking deep breaths, Ayu tried to open her eyes but she couldn't. And yet she was aware of laying on the bed and the rustling of pages next to her ears. She felt the warm sensation of the mark on her hand - she saw it in front of her eyes. A glowing symbol that she learned how to draw the night before. The pattern was simple and elegant, the strokes of her fingers left faintly glowing lines that stuck to her skin... So why those started to move right there in the darkness of this weird state? Her eyes watched in awe and confusion how the pattern changed, morphing, twisting, and creating something else, something new. Like a circle or a letter o with a double loop inside.
Ayu woke up so suddenly that it felt like someone slapped her into the waking plane of existence. She sat straight on the bed, feeling that her brow was covered with sweat, and looking at the window she realized that... Almost no time has passed. Her thoughts were twisting and turning inside her head, she saw the darkness and it felt so long - and yet the sun was in the same exact position. The life signatures of others were in the same places as when she closed her eyes. The only difference was that she felt a bit odd, her hand was burning. The symbol there changed, the Seal was reshaped into something that she saw on the pages of the open book. Feeling a sense of foreboding Ayu leaned over and read the description.
It was about concealing and hiding the presence of someone and the people close to them. Like a charm that was meant to quieten down the life signatures that could be sensed by enemies. Ayu tried it out and surprisingly, it worked. It was something she wanted to learn, to polish so much, to finally have peace of mind that she could control her power level and conceal her signature.
That was great but Ayu hadn't read that chapter yet. She didn't even think about it and yet this book had a mind on its own.
Suddenly there was a voice... Or an emotion? Something called her to the mirror, making Ayu uneasy. It was more of a hint, a whim, maybe? She couldn't put it into any words but she obediently opened the door to her bathroom and looked at the mirror above the sink. Pulling up her shirt to glance at her bare, pale green torso, for a moment she saw something strange. A vision that made her skin crawl. Marks that looked like cracks on porcelain, thin, black lines run through her stomach and lower side of the ribs. As soon as Ayu blinked, they were gone - leaving nothing behind just the worry. She touched her skin and felt nothing under it, though the uneasiness wasn't going to leave her mind so soon...
There was another thing to worry about.
Power Level - 294,892
Word Count - 1,225
Total Word Count - 2,271
Technique - [ST3] Seal - 1TP |
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"Only A Failure Abandons His Principles And Pride."
Administrator
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Mar 30, 2023 21:58:53 GMT -5
Post by Admin on Mar 30, 2023 21:58:53 GMT -5
Ayu:
Previous PL: 294,892
PL Gained: 1,363
New PL: 296,255
Previous Zeni: 87,493
Zeni Gained: 908
New Zeni: 88,401
+1 TP
-2 TP for Upgrading Seal to [ST3]
Old TP: 50/73
New TP: 49/74
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