Be Organized!
Well, it didn't affect the village. Sadly. Unfortunately.
Raiders and soldiers from the village would probably rush to deal with them right now, and as for Alex—
'There's no way I'm living off by just Recall forever…!' he complained to himself, reclining in his dimly lit room.
Raiders, as he understood it, were like adventurers. But instead of the classic heroes of legends, they were more of a loosely formed guild—a chaotic mess of ragtag groups chasing glory instead of stability—chaotic being the keyword here; they're not very looked upon positively by the government, military, or just the general residents of this world.
Currently seated in front of a slightly dusty mirror, Alex stared at his somewhat pathetic reflection with barely any expression.
A small notebook lay open on the wooden desk before him, its pages half-filled with haphazard scribbles and diagrams. His right index finger tapped against the desk's surface repeatedly for a while now.
'What should I do? I can't just keep the Virtue of Recreate like this. The Virtue is too useful!'
'Or, maybe, I need to organize myself first,' he quickly calmed himself down. He knew he was probably being too impatient.
'What could I even Recreate? How much SV or ST would it cost for each of them? And was it even possible to summon them in the first place?'
He stopped tapping the desk. After a moment's pause, he picked up the quill lying beside his notebook. Dipping it into a modest inkpot, he began to write in slow, steady strokes.
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Dominion: Omnitemporal Convergence
Aspects: Past, Present (Unclaimed), Future (Unclaimed)
Virtues of Past: Recall, Recreate, ???
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1. Virtue of Recall
To User: Always active. By focusing on specific keywords, the user can instantly recall memories with clarity.
To Others: Using the prefix "Recall: Command", the user can access someone else's memories, seamlessly drawing them into their own.
To Objects: Similar "To Others," but the process could be more abstract. An object's "memory" reflects its interactions with the environment, after all. Extracting this data sometimes requires creative interpretation.
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2. Virtue of Recreate:
To User: Allows the recreation of emotions, items from the user's memories, and even living beings.
- Emotions: Rage (Adrenaline), Fear (Caution), Joy (Euphoria), Sadness (Reflection), Despair (Apathy), Hope (Determination), Love (Empathy), Disgust (Rejection), Curiosity (Focus)
ST/SV = Varily depends on circumstances.
- Items (Format = Name + Type + SV/ST + Special Conditions):
1. Kelsádrine (Support) [20.22% = 3 Minutes, 3 Uses per Month]
2. Sleek Pendant (Support) [9.46% = 20 Minutes]
3. Hourglass of Distortion (AoE Support) [16.21%/4.11% = 10 Minutes]
4. Vial of Scorn (AoE Debuff) [13.52%/1.23% = 15 Minutes]
5. Chalice of Oblivion (Support | Healing Artifact) [17.15% = 10 Minutes]
6. Void Stitcher's Needle (Support | Dimensional Artifact) [34.55%/5.54% = 10 Minutes, 3 Use]
7. Stormward Cloak (Defensive | Support) [83.22%/41.22% = 3 Minutes]
8. Tome of Infinite Spirals (Knowledge | Support), [35.14%/11.41% = 4 Minutes]
9. Shifting Dagger (Dagger) [24.51%/7.89% = 13 Minutes]
10. Celestial Globe (Summoning Aid) [56.21%/14.99% = 3 Minutes, 1 Summon, Dead]
11. Lunar Stride Greaves (Mobility Artifact) [12.51% = 10 Minutes]
12. Mask of the Forgotten Faces (Stealth) [39.82%/14.23% = 30 Minutes]
13. Obsidian Blade of Algal'eth (Weapon) [45.12%/19.39% = 15 Minutes]
14. Ephemeral Lantern (Utility) [48.15%/14.22% = 7 Minutes]
15. Phoenix Sigil Amulet (Resurrection | Utility) [74.45%/39.32% = 1 Minutes, One-time or potentially dead]
16. Arch-Ward Slab (AOE Protection) [35.11%/10.32% = 1 Minutes]
17. Mawl of Celestial Rend (Destructive Weapon) [Unusable]
- Living Beings [Extinct/Dead]:
1. Drakonis Tyrithar (Not Summonable) [Primordial Storm Dragon]
2. Elder Skywatch Roc (Not Summonable) [A Massive Calamity Bird]
3. Ashen Leviathan (Not Summonable) [A Colossal Sea Creature, the Former Ruler of Abyssal Trenches]
4. Wraithlord (97.21%/68.32%) [A Spectral Monarch]
5. Eclipsefang Wolf (91.21%/58.35%) [A Shadow Wolf, Capable of Extinguishing the Moonlight]
6. Blightbloom Serpent (89.83%/55.21%) [A Venemous Serpent]
7. Void Spire Sentinel (Not Summonable) [A Cosmic Guardian]
8. Crimson Star Manticore (85.21%/49.44%) [A Hybrid Beast Affiliated with Magma]
9. Lunar Requiem Harpy (Not Summonable) [A Winged Creature with Haunting Songs and Dream Manipulation]
*************************
To Someone: Allows recreation of emotions, states, or memories drawn from Recall.
To Objects: Recreates previous conditions or "states" tied to the object's memory.
*************************
Alex glanced around suddenly.
The room was empty—no one was there to see. He frowned and shifted his focus back to the notebook in front of him.
It served as an anchor for his memory, making it easier for Recall to work. While the Ascension Cycle Interface displayed most of the information he needed, it wasn't particularly user-friendly. The details were scattered, poorly formatted, and often more verbose than useful. So, he had taken the liberty of summarizing everything into something concise and manageable to "Recall" just once to get everything he need.
Without hesitation, Alex tore the page out of the notebook. Holding one corner of the paper to the exposed flame of his lantern, he watched as it caught fire and burned to ash.
Once deed was done, he leaned back, rubbing his forehead. 'Now, to another subject: how to develop my "Recreate" Virtue? After organizing myself, that is.'
On the desk lay a dagger. It was a weapon of exquisite craftsmanship. The dark leather wrapping the hilt felt weirdly warm under his fingers. Intricate patterns danced over it. At certain angles, the surface could also glowed.
He remembered its details from the Interface.
*****************************************
Name: Dagger of Distortion
Rank: Blessed
Type: Weapon
Effect: Distorts time upon contact with a target, causing delayed reactions, slowed movements, or fragmented perception for a short duration.
*****************************************
Blessed was the second rank of items, just above Common. After that came Exalted, Arcane, Celestial, Empyrean, and finally Primordial.
Alex had activated Recall on his family's crest. That had been enough to meet the requirements for his ongoing Quest. He remembered saying, "Recall: Tell me your origin," which triggered an over-detailed account of the dagger's history. As a result, the dagger had appeared in his hand, fully manifested.
He shook his head with a sigh. 'It's cool and all, but I can't really practice the effect to anyone here---another task to be done.'
For now, though, he set it aside, focusing instead on his "Recreate Items" list.
Among all the things he had scribbled down earlier, one particular item naturally stood out: Mask of the Forgotten Faces.
***
A/N: There's probably going to be a next chapter not long after this.
Rate it from 1 to 10 with the reasoning as well, if possible. That'll help me covering what's lacking from the story.
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