24. Another Pillar Awakened

Lukas didn’t know if it wasn’t the same for the Soul Pillar or if Lady Silverspine’s magic had made the Shard of Duplication special. He woke up two days after Penelope’s ritual, feeling significantly better than before.

The man in the mirror was barely recognizable. The gaunt, discolored body from probably years of malnutrition and neglect was gone. Lukas looked and felt healthy for the first time since his arrival in Fracture. Colors were more vivid, and the wood grain underfoot was coarse, his body light and strong. Stamina no longer seemed a major shortcoming or limitation.

As expected, the Shard of Fluid Mass had offered Lukas three options.

Modify Mass(Body): Increase your body mass for improved strength and toughness at the cost of speed and flexibility. Decrease your body mass for increased agility, flexibility, and speed, but become fragile. You will suffer no other physiological problems or limitations because of the altered mass. 

Aura of Fervor(Heart): Gain an aura that affects the hearts of those around you or a focused target. Work them into a fervor, filling them with joy or passion, or take it all away, leaving them in a state of horror or dread. The effects will linger even after the affected have left the area of effect. Duration will vary from person to person depending on their emotional stability and psychic fortitude.

Phase Shift(Mind): Burn magic to become or make a held object intangible, granting it the power to pass through any and all matter. Once the ability’s target regains tangibility, all non-phased matter will be displaced around it. The cost of phase shifting increases with mass and density. Subsequent ability usage also ramps up the magic cost.

Unlike with the Shard of Duplication, the decision was a challenging one. As incredible as Aura of Fervor was, Lukas discounted it straight away. It wasn’t the kind of ability Lukas ever foresaw himself using. Mind Magic had horrified and disgusted him when he first transmigrated, even though it had incredible potential for assassination and espionage. His opinions on the matter hadn’t changed.

Lady Silverspine used to call his opinion on the matter stupid and the boundary moronic. However, she never forced it on him. In fact, she appeared to respect a man with a code. 

Aura of Fervor didn’t give Lukas the creeps like some others he had encountered. It had decent potential in and out of combat and would be excellent for someone in a support role that didn’t use clones. He imagined a bard, entertainer, merchant, or politician would kill for such a shard ability, but not him.

It was Phase Shift that caused his dilemma. The ability to turn himself and touched objects intangible was an incredible gift. If Lukas had stuck true to any of his old careers, he would have killed for the power to turn intangible and walk through walls or let incoming attacks just pass through him. The offensive potential also seemed incredible. Lukas imagined phasing his arm through an enemy’s torso and then deactivating the ability. The act would likely displace all of their internal organs, bones, and flesh, instantly killing them.

Concerns regarding the magic cost gave him pause. The strength of such an ability lay in rapidly and frequently turning it off and on again. If the magic drain ramped up, it would frequently leave Lukas drained, and he wanted to conserve energy for spell casting. The skill ceiling on Phase Shifting also seemed high. If intangibility didn’t mean overcoming gravity, he’d be in trouble of falling through floors and possibly losing most of his senses while passing through large objects. Since the clones didn’t yet have the power to use skills, mastering the ability would be on Lukas alone. As a result, he went with Modify Mass in the end.

It was the simplest of all the offerings but potent and versatile. Lukas didn’t have the Phaser's ability to turn invisible or absorb light, but he didn’t mind. A shapeshifting, were-form, or stealth ability that also came with passive enhancements would’ve been great for the clones. However, the mass shifting felt just as good. Lukas currently desired speed and agility more than anything, and he liked the bonus of potentially having more durable and stronger clones.

• Modify Mass: Tier 1 | Rank 1

• Arcane Clone: Tier 1 | Rank 9

Arcane Clone had come with the image of a shifting amorphous mass that was his soul. After gaining Modify Mass, a sliding scale appeared in his mind’s eye. 

Lukas started by gradually moving it to the lowest end. There was a nominal magic drain and at first he didn't feel any different. Then he moved.

Even though his weight had significantly reduced, Lukas's strength and ability to exert force didn't seem to have changed. As a result, pushing off the ground for a simple step propelled him much farther. Push-ups and pull-ups were also easier since he had less weight to lift.

Lukas popped down to the courier office and delivered a handful of packages, too, jogging from pick up to drop off. He ran as fast as when under the shortsword's speed enchantment. The world didn't seem to slow, and he wasn't as surefooted, but he felt just about coordinated enough to not trip and fumble. Lukas believed he had the Body Pillar's awakening to thank for that.

During the third delivery, Lukas got greedy and also activated the Haste enchantment. The speed left his heart racing, and goosebumps covered his skin. Everything blurred, and his eyes stung from the cool sea air washing over them at high speeds. It felt like he was flying. Lukas had moved at similar speeds before, but it was using Body Reinforcement Spells. They came with magic drain and mental strain.

Shard Abilities were different. Lukas was light. He felt free.

Unfortunately, the joy and elation didn’t last for long. The fun and games ended when he turned a tight corner at a watering fountain for beasts of burden and accidentally kicked the stone slab it sat on. 

Thanks to the reinforced steel cap, his toes and foot didn't break. However, a painful shock pulsed up through the ankle and all the way to the knee. It felt like he had been stabbed by several electrified icepicks. The pain was so intense tears filled Lukas's eyes, and he had to sit down. Retching followed. The discomfort only faded when he moved the slider to the central point and even more when he pushed it to the other end.

I'm not just physically fragile. Pain tolerance is down too.

The transition reminded him of climbing out of a pool after a long swim or frolicking in the water. His body was heavy. Each step wasn't laborious or draining but took more intent and time. The effects of gravity on his body had increased, and Lukas could feel it. Much to his relief, he wasn't comically slow. 

Even at a jog, he was only half as fast as when at his original weight. He could feel power bubbling under the surface. The lightness and agility of his low-mass state were gone, but he compensated with rapid acceleration for brief bursts of speed. 

Lukas threw a few punches when passing through an empty alley. Someone had left old furniture sitting against the wall, and he couldn't resist. His fist flew struck like a sledgehammer, breaking through a heavy hardwood wardrobe’s door like it was a paper screen. Subsequent blows proved just as effective, and a kick shattered the side and knocked it over. 

Lukas returned the slider to the neutral position for the rest of the delivery and journey to the inn. There was no constant drain. The ability continued to consume only a trickle of magic when he moved the slider.

Satisfied with the initial testing, Lukas conducted experiments combining his two shard abilities. First, he summoned clones with the slider pushed to either extreme. Much to his delight, they materialized in Lukas's state at the time, gaining the benefits of the mass modifications. El-Two—El-One was busy at the smithy—also had to undergo pain tests. His bones broke easily in the low-mass state, and he howled in pain, struggling to tolerate the discomfort, and begged to be dispelled. Meanwhile, in the high-mass state, he barely flinched when Lukas stabbed him in the thigh. 

The next tests involved empowered clones combined with Modify Mass. Lukas made a low-mass El-Two enhanced for speed and agility. He moved so fast, and with such grace it was mesmerizing, almost matching when he was sprinting with the shortsword’s haste enchantment active. The next version had high mass with increased strength and toughness. The extra muscle power seemed to compensate for the lower speed, utilizing more powerful sudden bursts and easily maintaining velocity for longer. However, the clone lost some of the dexterity Elvis displayed in the smithy.

The next set of experiments flipped the combinations. Toughness empowerment somewhat compensated for low-mass’s fragility. The pain tolerance was also higher. High-mass with agility empowerment moved as fast as base Lukas but seemed to have significantly more strength and, therefore, could apply significantly greater force.

“I think you should be the new Elvis,” Lukas stated after putting the clone through flexibility, pain tolerance, and endurance tests. “New and improved. Stronger. Faster. And no stubby fingers.”

“But I won't look the same,” the clone complained. “Kat will suspect something is up.”

“So lie to her.” Lukas shrugged, struggling to understand why the clone cared so much about what the woman thought. “Tell her it's your new Heart Ability. Make up some convincing details. She'll be happy I'm not leaving you without reward and weak. It will also help you serve Penelope better.”

“Kat's not just any asset we're using,” El-Two grumbled. “She cares about us.”

“Keep your priorities straight. We need to get stronger faster. You felt the journal's vibrations too. We need to be able to go down where Penelope and Bass went by ourselves, discover what's down there and what the journal wants us to do about it.” Lukas paused, rotating the injured ankle and wondering whether it warranted using his belt buckle's enchantment. The Body Pillar's awakening came with enhanced natural healing, and he'd recover soon, but it was starting to annoy him. “A nice boost to Modify Mass might increase the slider’s range or help with some of the fragility and speed issues. The sooner both abilities ascend, the sooner we also get our conjunction ability. Keep your eyes on the ball, not ass. We’re here to achieve godhood, not find our jollies.”

“Yeah, keep telling yourself that.” The clone sounded annoyed but said nothing more on the topic, leaving Lukas to wonder if needed to get involved and nip the relationship with Kat in the bud. If he let things continue as they were, things could potentially get dicey and overly complicated. 

Once upon a time, long, long ago, a clone sent on a long-term away mission traveled out of Lukas's telepathy range. El-Sixteen started a tryst with a warlord's daughter. Infatuation turned into love. And love into a full-blown relationship and marriage. When the mission ended and the preprogrammed dispelled occurred, chaos followed. 

The warlord and his men searched for Lukas far and wide. They found and killed several clones, mistaking them for a skinwalker clan who had murdered El-Sixteen and stolen his face. When Lukas had to face them in battle and put an end to the mess, he was haunted by feelings of kinship and regret. The clone's memories and the bonds he had formed with everyone interfered with what needed to be done. The look of horror on his ‘wife's’ face when he put down her father troubled him the most. It was one memory Lukas didn't have purged. He wanted to keep it as a reminder for himself and the clones.

“Go to the guild,” Lukas commanded, pushing idle thoughts aside. “Train with whoever is available or shadow spar. If anyone asks, you’re testing your new shard ability. Don’t give away all the details, but we don’t need to be too ambiguous about this one.”

“Got it, El-Prime,” El-Two said, stern and cold. He grabbed the Three-Stage Spear and the kite-shaped bucker before heading out.

Meanwhile, Lukas grabbed a piece of paper and listed the formula he remembered from his days as a student of physics. He also made notes next to each with observations or hypothesis.

Force = mass x acceleration
The amount of force exerted doesn’t change when at low mass. Hence, acceleration is increased. At high mass, strength is high allowing for increased acceleration, therefore total exerted force is significantly higher.

Weight = mass x gravity
Low weight at low mass is a given. It almost feels like floating. Possible to mimic the Feather Fall spell at higher tiers?
Stamina feels significantly higher when weight is low than high. Calorie demands are also probably lower. Testing needed.

Density = Mass/Volume
The Phaser’s physiological reaction to light was likely changing with its density. Will the same be possible in the future?
Will low mass and, therefore, low density eventually allow water walking?

Kinetic Energy = ½ (mass x velocity²)
Must test starting at low mass, charging, and then switching to high mass just before the moment of impact. High mass at terminal velocity equal to big boom.

Gravitational Potential Energy = mass x gravity x height
Need tiers and essence upgrades to maximize use.

Lukas couldn’t be happier with the shard ability. It was not intangibility, but it kept his chances of getting something related to lightning open. He also appreciated the low magic cost. He, more specifically, a clone needed to practice going around at low-mass, moving as fast as possible. If he eventually picked up Body Reinforcement Magic, too, Lukas believed he could achieve speeds significantly higher than his former body’s records.

It was late in the evening when ‘Elvis’ returned from the smithy. He seemed in a good mood and it faded as soon as he saw Lukas awake. The clone was immediately dispelled and then resummoned at low mass and empowered for speed and agility. El-Two departed wordlessly for the nearest courier office. Since Penelope had given them some time off, he went out, too, heading straight for Esther’s clinic.

“Look at you!” Esther exclaimed when he walked in. “You’re actually handsome. Body Pillar?”

Lukas nodded. “Penelope held up her end of the bargain.” He moved the slider to its base position. The clinic contained far too many loosely kept tools and tripping hazards. A minor injury would likely come with near-intolerable pain. “It’s good for Elvis, too. He’ll have something tangible to show besides showing up every morning with all injuries healed.”

“Good. And the sorcerer. She’s satisfied with what you’ve told her and your performance.”

“And then some. Elvis and I took out a phaser.” The vet’s eyes widened as Lukas explained the story of their delve. He didn’t disclose the objective of it or what they had brought out since it would be in violation of Penelope’s contract. However, he was sure the vet would figure it out. 

“Foolish but impressive,” she said. “I take it ‘Elvis’ suffered the brunt of the attacts?”

“Of course. A few broken bones and deep torso wounds but his shard ability fixed him like it does alway. Convenient, isn’t it?”

“Yes.” Esther snorted, rolling her eyes. “So very convenient. Well, sounds like this ability will help cover him better. Don’t be too cagey about it at the guild either. It sounds like the type of ability you need all the help you can get to master.”

“I’m only disclosing half of it to them,” Lukas said. “The getting lighter and agile part. Elvis will be taking advantage of the other end of the spectrum.”

“Fair enough. I take it you’re here for guidance on the recovery and manipulation techniques?”

“I thought we could push harder today. The light spell didn’t work as I wanted and I ended up wasting more magic than intended. We can’t afford to let that happen again. The Body Pillar awakening came with more energy, so I thought we could take advantage—”

“More magic from Body?” Esther raised an eyebrow.

“Yes. It feels as if my stores grew by approximately fifty percent. Why? Isn’t that typical.”

“Far from it,” she answered. “Generally only Soul and Mind Pillars increase magic stores as they unlock sixth senses related to them. Occassionally, Heart abilities come with more magic—like that fire-breathing one you mentioned. It would’ve likely come with a boost. But that’s almost never true for the Body Pillar. If its an active ability that uses magic it might make you wary of your body’s natural stores or increase sensitivity to ambient energies but thats it.”

“Interesting,” Lukas said thoughtfully. “I wonder if the ritual had anything had to do with it. We used two essences and a hollow shard to repair the cracked one.”

“Maybe. Certainly not typical given what I’ve heard. You’re well on your way to a conjunction ability. Hopefully, by the time you master your current shards, you’ll have saved or delved enough for another. Do you know what you want yet?”

“Metamagic or Lightning-generation abilities for Mind. I haven’t given Heart much thought. Range isn’t a concern if I’m fast and can use hit and run tactics.”

“Or Elvis can play vanguard while shocking them, right?”

“Right.” Lukas nodded

“You know how I feel about lightning magic and think you should hold out for an essence and equipment instead, but its your life. I can only advise.” Esther conjured her light stick and wrote down the shortsword enchantments along with all the related they had discussed. “How about we start with where you screwed up Illuminated Eyes?”

“I was hoping we could also figure out how to manipulate the shard ability. Perhaps figure out how to change the weight of something I’m holding, say a weapon.”

“Along with or instead of your body?”

“I think it might be easier to start with both and then transition into the latter.”

“It sounds like a decent place to start,” Esther replied. “Lets see if we can figure something out.”