Sama exhaled again, glancing at Briggs, and they both nodded. “I don’t think we have to tell you how incredible it would be to simply have the option available to people who didn’t manage to be Awakened to magic. Can you tell us how that works?”

“Even a Typeless Star of magic is about equal to an Initiate’s Core,” I explained promptly. “Basically, all they have to do is get it spinning and ignite it to mix all their internal ‘impurities’ into Arcane energy. Once that has happened, it will start drawing Mana continuously as long as they are focusing on it, and they can just leak it into their innate, natural Stardust. Ambient Mana will coalesce on the Arcane energy, ignite, and form their Typeless Stars naturally.”

They both straightened and looked at me. “That... sounds like natural fast Mana Renewal,” Briggs pointed out quickly.

“The Core can naturally regenerate Mana points at about half a Valence every round by gathering and just releasing pure Arcane energy, much as you might expect. So, a point every twelve seconds, approximately. That’s not awesome, but compared to the game, yeah, that’s total video gamerish recharge bullshit, yes, even if you have to concentrate to do it.”

“And it won’t work for Artificers because? No actual Matrix?” Briggs deduced.

“Correct. Artificers and Alchemists have more of a set of ringed pools.” I flicked up a Holo of empty beads of Mana floating in liquid swirls of arcane hues, each ring floating above the one before it. “It’s Typeless Mana, but not really Arcane energy, either, while a wizard is definitely using Arcane energy, and so subs for the Mage Class the Humans born here naturally evolve into.

“However, the big thing is that it’s not Level-restricted or limited by the Human Racial Class the people here are following. Here’s what I deduced about the Leveling paradigm of the locals, although keep in mind it’s based on Mana absorption and Star reinforcement, not Karmic Gain.” I flicked up the Holo for them.

“Oh, on that we are hugely aware,” Sama agreed, as the two of them went down the basic display of the Racial Class and the Mage Class that was so natural to it. “It bent our Rantha Classes, too, which isn’t that surprising, is it?”

“I have to admit, no. Do... you have a Matrix?” I had to ask them.

They both shook their heads. “Single-track Typeless Elements. Well, sorta Typeless. Mine’s got an affinity for Earth, and Sama’s an affinity for Curses. It’s not the Element, but it’s definitely there,” Briggs told me. “We have to satisfy the Tiers there to advance our Racial Levels, too, just like everyone else, but our magic is completely allocated internally to support our, ahem, considerable racial stats and abilities.”

“All I know about that is that Ranthas have a totally broken advance schema.”

“They do! They do!” Tremble exclaimed, darting on over to join in on the conversation. “Can I show her, can I, Sama?” the Sword vibrated excitedly.

“Sure. I want to see her face,” Sama admitted shamelessly, as Zeben zipped back onto my finger.

Ah, Tremble was naturally her Item Familiar, and had the ability to use a few Cantrips, of which Holo was obviously one. I watched the display go up, started reading, and began shaking my head at almost the same time.

Stat progressions to the f’ing unreal. Look at that list of Resistances. Intrinsic abilities and senses. Superhuman capabilities, natural armor, lethal claws and teeth, Fast Healing AND Regeneration!...

I just clapped my cheeks, looking at it. “And that’s all natural to both of you?” Shit-eating grins firmly in place, they both nodded to me. “I would say this is beyond busted, but I’m sure there’s another shoe to drop. You can’t just contemplate your navel and get all this, right?” I asked helplessly, pointing at the display.

Their grins went grim together, as if they’d rehearsed it. “The Stat reqs and stuff are accrued with Karma and magic, sucking up most of our internal pools to support them, not that it’s a great imposition... unless I want to feed Tremble or Briggs supply Endure with Mana for, oh, Teleporting here or there.” I nodded quick understanding at Sama’s words. “And, ah, the big stuff? Eternal-Class Pricing.”

I whistled despite myself. “Oh. Oh, wow. That would... really slow everything down, wouldn’t it?” I had to say, looking back and forth between them.

Stat reqs over +6 would be costing ten thousand times the bonus, squared, in Karmic Value, up from a mere thousand. Ten times as long to get that next Stat point...

Wait...

I narrowed my eyes at the two of them. “Wait a second. If you can get an Eternal-class Stat enhancement, that means you’re acquiring an Eternal-class Template. You... probably don’t have too much knowledge of Eternal-tier powers, right?”

They both blinked, Sama speaking up slowly, “Not a damn thing, actually. You are bringing it up because?...”

I laughed softly despite myself. “Okay, I imagine the killing here grants you tons of Karma, so you’ve got monstrous amounts floating you are always applying to a Stat, working towards your next level.” They both nodded together again, an expectant light rising in their eyes.

“Gaming advice! Leveling advice! The heart of power-gaming striketh true!” I hopped to my feet and pointed at them dramatically. “Click over the Legendary Crafter Feat for your first Eternal Feat: You may allocate ten thousand Karma a day to your Item Creation Feats!” I leaned in toward both of them. “And your Racial Class is basically one big Rantha Creation Feat.”

They stared at me, looked at one another, and scrunched up their faces in a manner I knew extremely well.

They both actually jumped in place. “HOLY SHIT!” they both shouted, bouncing up in glee, Sama somehow already up around Briggs’ neck as they embraced excitedly.

Well, hardly an unexpected reaction to finding out that they could pump out the Naming Karma equivalent at ten times the rate they used to.

Even more significant, that they were potentially eligible for Eternal-class Feats already!

Huh. I tapped my lips thoughtfully. I had a feeling those Littoral Zones they had mentioned were going to be getting some visits from these two more frequently... or some place unfortunate was, because their daily Karmic requirements had just multiplied tenfold...

----------------

“Oh my fucking God. This is better than the Seven Stars Formation, Lady Fae!” crowed Swampy, waving his hands about. Sparkling golden-brown and burning blue-green motes appeared around his fingers, trailing after the motion.

The whole crew was basically wandering around the area underneath the central Refractory, where the quiet work of drawing in ambient Mana and dumping its Elemental bias to create the White Zone was done.

What that meant was that large amounts of Elemental Bias were gathered into a tight area underneath the base of the Refractory Tower. It didn’t seem to be much until you reached out for it, and found the place absolutely seething with the stuff.

It was definitely the densest Elemental Mana I’d ever felt, and it was every single kind of it, all stripped off the raw Mana and dumped here. It wasn’t that it was powerful, it was just so bloody dense and heavy!

After the empty, somewhat suffocating feeling of being in the White Zone, the boys looked rather drunken playing around in here.

“It’ll stack, Swampy,” I informed them, and they all looked at me in dazed disbelief. “Yeah.” I looked over at the smiling Sama and Briggs. “I imagine the mages who work for you use this?”

“Almost exclusively. They build up a tolerance to the White Zone, and then come in here to do intense cultivation. We’ve been told it’s several times better than some of the spatially-compressed Mana Chambers run by the largest universities or most well-heeled organizations, without having the massive pressure. Basically, they can draw in the normally useless Typeless Mana and reapply the Elemental Bias thick and hard, side-stepping all the problems of finding and gathering the appropriate Element. We also use the gathering Nodes there if we need to power up items with raw Mana. Really saves any goldweight needed!” Briggs confirmed proudly.

I eyed the Rune-covered pedestals scattered about the place, rippling faintly with the colors of the Elements they were attuned to. Double-speed Elemental Infusing was powerful stuff, the equivalent of artificial Nodes, and they enhanced Meditation, too!

“All right, get out of there so you can think straight.” I made a come-hither gesture to the boys, who complained, but still stumbled out, trailing motes and sparks of their Elements as they did so.

They all lined up as I looked them over. Big John was the only one at my height, with the Mick being next shortest. Most of them were six foot or taller, with Swampy and Driver Sam the tallest.

“Honest opinions, boys,” I said. “You think you can work here for these incredibly intimidating lovebirds?” I tossed a thumb at the two Forsaken casually.

“I’m in!” Red announced, stepping forwards, no hesitation at all. “If this is where you’re going to work from, Lady Fae, I’m working here!”

“Guns!” announced Big John, rubbing his hands together gleefully.

“And that place!” agreed Glenn, glancing at the area under the Refactory.

“They need decent test driver Mages,” Driver Sam said, with a look at Tox, who also nodded eagerly.

“She who cutteth the paycheck, maketh the rules,” the Mick pointed out, which Burt agreed to as well.

“We can all see it, Lady Fae,” Swampy murmured, joining the others in stepping forward. “This place is doing stuff seen nowhere on the planet, and we want to be part of it. And...” he looked away north eagerly, “my folks are less than two hours away!”

I snorted. “Get your Wizardry up, and they might be two STEPS away.” They all stared at me, and literally quivered in anticipation.

I turned on Sama and Briggs. “Here you go, some maxed-out Adepts with Tier-5 Stars in two Elements, ready and eager to advance to Mage, four and five-Star Hunters with experience in situations violent and otherwise. Are they up to snuff?”

“Good Wolverines, why wouldn’t they be?” Briggs growled, and the boys glowed despite themselves.

“Then pay attention, gentlemen! You’re about to witness something powerful and dangerous, one of the most powerful Oaths you can Swear, something that can literally crack your soul to betray it!” I met all of their startled eyes as I stepped forward, then turned around to face Briggs, who appeared equally startled. “Master Briggs, Warlord of Coralost!”

I knelt down to him, not a familiar gesture, as Aelryinth had only been an underling in an Allegiance once or twice, and that had been casual and in-game. In game-turned-reality, he’d been a Monarch from the get-go and received a lot of Oaths, he didn’t make them.

“I, the Lady Fae, Magos and Mage, Master Theurge Arcane, before Mithar, beneath Sylune, and under Aru, do offer my Oath of Allegiance to Master Briggs, the Warlord of Coralost, Sun Source and King Among Men, on this day, before gods and mortals!”

There was a cadence, a swirl of power to the formal pattern of my words, the cheesy ceremony and choice of them, but it couldn’t bring a smile, because each succeeding word grew heavier and heavier, harder to speak, and weighed on the souls of everyone who heard it, telling them that this was Fucking Damn Serious.

Noble was lifted up on my hands, offered up as Vassal to Lord.

Briggs actually sighed, but couldn’t resist smiling despite himself as he reached down and plucked up my Staff lightly. He was getting a fully-boosted Power of Ten Caster here, and he knew it couldn’t be anything but good.

His mouth opened, and his voice RANG in the field of magic. The boys’ eyes popped open at the sheer power of destiny breaking past them at the power in the Words that followed.

“I, Briggs of Coralost, Warlord and Marshal of Coralost, by the will of Mithar, the honor of Valus, and the duty of Rampart, do accept this Oath of Loyalty and the Duty that it brings, from the Lady Fae, Master Arcane Theurge, on this day, before gods and mortals!

“Rise, Lady Magos of Coralost!” he commanded, as he returned my Staff to me.

The Title was conferred and gathered about me, and the boys all blinked as I rose, because I was now the Lady Magos of Corlaost, and they could feel it in their bones and hearts via the Marks, just looking at me.

I turned around and looked at them.

“Gentlemen.” I raised a hand, and the Holo pattern of the Oath rose behind Briggs and Sama. “You said this is a place doing things like nowhere else in the world. It is a place that runs on one thing more than anything else... the belief that there is something better out there than the world we’ve been living in.

“You may Swear to me, or you may Swear to Briggs or Sama, as you wish. But if you wish to be included in what we are going to be bringing to the future, we need your Oath.”

They stared at the words, swallowing somewhat at the magic they’d felt.

Red was the first one to step forwards, not needing much time to think at all. “Lady Magos,” he said calmly, “I will Swear that Oath.” He went down to one knee, not looking up.

“Believe,” I said to the others, “or do not do this. You will probably die if you do not believe.”

“Fuck that. I already believe,” the Mick declared, and plopped down despite himself. “You already seen who she is and what kind of person she is, you idiots. What the fuck are you waiting for?”

==============

End of Arc 2! We begin Arc 3 tomorrow!