Reborn Sword (Sallin Kari)

[porne]

Name: Johans Krause
Picture:

Spoiler (click to show/hide):

Age at time of death: 27
Bio:

Spoiler (click to show/hide):

Born a health child, he would soon run into trouble. Diagnosed with childhood leukemia at the age of 12, he was soon bed-ridden for many years, with only books to pass the time. He quickly took to the hobby, reading just about anything he could get his hands on, from fiction to non-fiction to even textbooks and other instructional texts. He consumed them at a massive rate, resulting in him being highly knowledgeable about many subjects, despite him being absent from school for most of later years. He eventually managed to get his condition under control and went to university, working towards a PhD in Electrical Engineering. Unfortunately while working on his dissertation on the application of electromagnetism in daily life, his condition suddenly worsened, and he died two weeks later.

Sword Abilities Unlocked

Spoiler (click to show/hide):

General: Approx wt: 3kg, length 1m, Str: hardened steel.

Magic:
Mana 4, (3 w/ Movement active), Passive Regen 1/sec. Cores: 0/10
Lightning Control lvl1 (0/10)

Self:
Movement lvl 1: Can move around slowly, but floats and makes no sound.
Cost: 1 mana/sec (active)
EXP: 2/10
Sprint lvl 1: Can move sharply in one direction.
Cost: 1 mana/movement (active)
EXP: 2/10
Consume (Passive): User will reabsorb material from self if possible once combat has ended.
Consume lvl 1: Allows user to absorb materials and mana crystals.
Cost: 1 mana/kilogram (Active/non combat only) User will consume mana crystal to reinforce self, or material to reinforce self.
EXP: 0/10
Advanced Senses lvl 1: Improved versions of basic sensory systems.
Cost lvl 0: Passive equivalent to below human average. (vision incompatible with 'Sense')
Cost lvl 1: 1 mana/sec equivalent to human average. (vision incopatible with 'Sense')

Senses:
Awareness: Full 360x180 degree moderate awareness of surroundings, mild penetrating of materials. Detects mana in living creatures.
Cost: Passive
Scan lvl 1: Advanced form of Awareness, allows more advanced penetration of materials and with greater range.
Cost: 1 mana/sec
EXP: 2/10

Spells:

Summon Lightning: User may summon a concentrated 'ball' of electrical energy which can be further manipulated.

Lightning Bolt: User summons an electrical differential and a simple path between two points. More advanced levels can reach further or achieve other effects.

Lightning Blade: User summons a sheath of lightning around a weapon which discharges on impact or until dismissed.

Sharable Abilities:
-

You're groggy. At first, you regret that, but as your bit of memory returns to you, you realize that being able to feel anything is probably a good thing. You move your... nothing moves. It's not the sensation of being to weak to move either. There's just nothing to move. You try to open your eyes, and sudden awareness floods your mind. You realize that you're not...looking at things, but you're aware of everything around you in a limited range. Colors seem a bit... dull, but you can see all the way around you at the same time. That's odd, isn't it?

You try to look at yourself, curious, but then realize that you're not really looking, and why you can't. There's no body, just a sword. What the hell? As you feel panic start to set in, you begin to thrash, or at least something similar, before you manage to fall over. How were you even standing? You start to get up, but realize that falling on the ground, 'face first' hasn't inhibited your vision. Finally taking a look around, you realize you're in a cave, and there's a small pedestal that feels tingly. The cave itself is dark, although you're not sure how you can tell that since you don't apparently see.

'Standing' you realize that your sword body is floating about. Experimentally, you try and move sharply, like something from a movie, only to feel a wave of exhaustion come over you after a few motions. After some trial and error, you figure out that you can drift at a slow but normal walking pace without tiring, but quick sharp movements are very taxing, and you must rest for a bit. As is, you're limited to about three quick movements before needing a few seconds to recharge. Whatever sense you have, it's got some level of penetration, as you can 'see' that the rock walls around you are several inches thick before it fades into indistinctness. Focusing intensely, you manage to see a few more inches in, but everything goes dim for a few seconds after, much in the way you could not move after testing your speed.

Spoiler (click to show/hide):

I assume this level of liberty is acceptable for your starting level? You haven't opened any menus, assuming you want them. You'll improve your abilities by practicing them (as we've pretty much always done, but I'm open to changes if you want to), but you can't build max mana by simply grinding XP, you'll have to kill monsters and 'eat' their cores. As is, I've gone ahead and 'unlocked' two abilities for you, [Sense] and [Telekinesis]. Gaining new abilities by consuming cores is currently unknown to your character, and I'll come up with some basic ones as we come across the monsters.

I am assuming you'll also want to run into someone to 'wield' you, I can follow the story a bit and let you run across a slave or an adventurer or whatever.

[Sallin_Kari]

After the familiar sensation of collapsing on the floor, I note the lack of pain... and body... I've become a sword? How does that make any... No use in thinking about it right now, I just need to figure out what my current situation is.

Some experimentation later I find several interesting things about me... I have an omnidirectional sense that can even penetrate material. Reminds me of radar... And I have the ability to move myself. Both seems to tap from the same energy source, though it recovers fairly quickly... Hmm... I wonder if there is a way to quantify this.

Spoiler (click to show/hide):

I assumed that killing monsters and 'eating' cores was how I got 'xp'. And yes, I would like to run across someone who can 'wield' me.

[porne]

After some more experimentation, you settle onto a small pattern of movements. Recalling some basic physics, you decide that your movement seems to follow a delta-v style, where the changes in velocity are what suck up your energy supply. If you 'throw' yourself, you seem to go completely ballistic unless you try to move again or you strike something. You can make up to three sharp movements in rapid succession before your energy supply is tapped out. After a few seconds your energy supply seems to refill, and you begin to develop a sense of how much energy you have available. Laying on the ground, your experiments also reveal that not trying to float grants you a bit more time to use your penetrating senses.

Thinking for a bit, you begin to graph it out a bit mentally. Max Energy Points, 4. Standard movement/support 1 pt (continuous) which limits you to 3 sharp movements at 1 pt, or penetrating sense 1 pt/ half second. It takes about a half second after expense for your energy level to recharge, as long as you're 'standing' or not completely rested. So, resting can give you two seconds of penetrating sight, or 3 sharp movements. Four if you're willing to fall on the ground for two seconds after you're done.

Having done all of this, you realize there's a shallow spot in the cave you're in. A tunnel heading out? Maybe, your vision only extends a certain distance before a few turns narrow it and then it fades. Interestingly, you can see around the corners, but at reduced clarity. It's hard to tell exactly how far your 'vision' works.

[Sallin_Kari]

Moving around I feel a sense of freedom I never had in my human body... Honestly thinking about it this isn't too bad... It's not like a sword has to worry about getting sick. Still, before I move on, I'm curious about this pedestal I was on. It's... tingly so I want to check it out a bit. Planting myself in the ground and subject it to my 'radar' sense.

[porne]

The tingly nature of the pedestal comes into sharp focus as you look, and you can see small circuits of... something flowing. It's not really doing anything besides pulsing right now. At that point your vision begins to fade, and you sigh at the limits. Looking back at it once you can, you follow the lines a bit more closely, and recognize what's some kind of pulsing pattern. You don't have a way to manipulate it, and you do try, but nothing you do has any effect. The energy seems to feeding up through a column in the ground, perhaps a power supply. The constant collapsing of your vision every few seconds is frustrating, but after a while, you begin to notice that you can sense the lines of energy without focusing, although it's much less clear.

Or, you could say that you've noticed them properly. Almost like an optical illusion that you finally catch, you can see the traces of whatever magical energy operates this world, as it's pretty clearly magic, and you can see faint lines tracing through the wall. They disappear at the same depth your sensing goes fuzzy, so it's possible there's more and you just can't see it. As you look around, you see moving bundles of the energy, some bipedal, some quadrupeds at the very limit of your sense. They're constantly moving back and forth though, and there's not a lot you can do about that without heading down the corridor.

[Sallin_Kari]

Disappointed I can't do more with this pedestal, I give up, and turn to the exit. I decide to try and 'ping' my sense, using two points at a time to send a pulse, before letting my energy come back, and then repeating, as I move closer to what ever creatures are moving around.

[porne]

Doing so, a sharp pulse extends out from yourself, seeming to penetrate deeper into the ground around you, as well as sending a pulse further down the tunnel. You only get a glimpse of what's going on, and the shear amount of information is so much that you can barely process it. You're a bit more aware, but besides the presence of a bunch of what you're guessing is life forms, you can't make much sense of it. And you only had a snapshot of the creatures anyway, and you can tell by a little bit of motion blur that it's already out of date. It might be useful for detecting an ambush, but until you've had a good deal of practice, or some hands on experimentation, you won't know what the various bits of information you collected actually meant.

[Sallin_Kari]

It's not like I have anything else to do, and the earlier I get use to it, the earlier it can help me. I repeat the pings as I move ever closer, at least trying to get a number on the creatures, if not what they are.

[porne]

As you move down the hallway, the pings become more detailed slowly, but pick up sharply when you round the corner. Looking, you see something approaching a small monkey shape, but without the tail. It's got pointed ears, and two large clusters of energy, one in the head and one in the heart, with what looks like a circuit diagram flowing out from them. Thinking back to anatomy, if it's anything like human, the energy is following the nervous system, although you're not sure what the big wad in the chest is. It's not pulsing like you would expect a heart to, and it almost looks slightly lower and centered compared to the heart.

As you do, the one you were studying begins to group up with others, and they begin to make motions. You can't tell exactly what they're doing just yet, but it looks like they're squatting near the ground. There's only a few more turns left, and you should be able to get a clear view after the next, but there's a chance they'll spot you, or at least that you'll lose the advantage your ability to see around corners gives you.

Spoiler (click to show/hide):

Do you want to meet your assistant now, or later?

[Sallin_Kari]

I hesitate to move forward, as I don't know what these creatures ahead are, and am unsure of what they are doing or if they are a threat. But after a long moment I decide to continue on, after all this appears to be the only way out of here. I move slowly, creeping up the corner to look around it, hopefully subtly enough to not be noticed immediately.

Spoiler (click to show/hide):

Later. I think having a little time to get more powerful and get use to being a sword before running into my assistant would be good.

[porne]

Spoiler (click to show/hide):

Thought so, but figured I'd give you a chance. Also, did you want announcements and such when you get a new skill, or did you want to explore things more organically where you just feel more powerful? I'm going to go create an excel file listing your abilities before I forget as well.

One nice thing about floating, it's very easy to sneak around, as you don't so much as whisper as you move to peek around the corner. You spot six of what look like life forms, four of them digging while two others watch. Of the two watching, you see that they're very different. One is physically larger, and its lights are pulsing more strongly throughout the entire body, not really clustering anywhere. The other has the one in its chest and head pulsing much more strongly, but the body seems no different than the four digging into the ground. Watching, you spot what look like primitive bows and spears near them, although the large one has a club. Based on that, you're pretty sure it's a small group of creatures setting up an ambush of some kind. While they're humanoid, the don't look that tall, less than a body length of yourself.

The small bright one seems to be a fidgety, and begins to look around, and you quickly duck back behind the wall a bit more. You can still get a general sense of where they are, but their movements are much more bland. The bright one settles down when you rest against the wall and stop floating, seeming to notice your energy expenditure only. You didn't focus on looking at them, but doing so might alert the bright one. Or you could try to sneak by them. Or you could come up with something else.

[Sallin_Kari]

Spoiler (click to show/hide):

I'd think I prefer it spelled out, so I don't mistake anything.

I pause considering the situation. Not knowing what these creatures are I have no idea of what to expect from them. One of them seems to have something similar to my sense ability though... and that is concerning. I don't think I will be able to sneak off, nor do I know how they will react to me, a floating sword. Disliking violence, I would prefer to get away without it, but depending on how they react that might not be possible.

Bracing myself for possible conflict, I move out of the cave, trying to move around them, while also moving myself to a high 'stance' to maximize my potential energy, in case fighting becomes necessary.

[porne]

Spoiler (click to show/hide):

Righto. Here's your current setup, I played around with names, and I reserve the right to rename them if I think of something better. I kind of grouped them generally because I'm expecting to fill them out more. I think I'll poach a thing from Isekai Dragon Egg (not actual name) and make it so that your scan ability is what triggers the popup.

Current Abilities:

General: Approx wt: 3kg, length 1m, Str: hardened steel.

Magic:
Mana 4, (3 w/ Movement active), Passive Regen 1/sec. Cores: 0/10

Self:
Movement lvl 1: Can move around slowly, but floats and makes no sound.
Cost: 1 mana/sec (active)
EXP: 2/10
Sprint lvl 1: Can move sharply in one direction.
Cost: 1 mana/movement (active)
EXP: 2/10

Senses:
Awareness: Full 360x180 degree moderate awareness of surroundings, mild penetrating of materials. Detects mana in living creatures.
Cost: Passive
Scan lvl 1: Advanced form of Awareness, allows more advanced penetration of materials and with greater range.
Cost: 1 mana/sec
EXP: 2/10

Drifting upward, you begin to ease around the corners of the cave, doing your best to sneak. The bright one seems more alert and almost immediately swivels around to look at where the corner is, but doesn't seem to spot you immediately. The lights begin to pulse and the arms move about, and you think you hear some noise, although it might be your imagination, as you don't recall hearing anything before now. The four diggers begin to pick up weapons, taking pot shots at you... and their arrows do precisely jack shit what with you being made of metal. The arrows striking you makes you wobble in the air to dissipate the force, but you don't even feel chips forming.

The big one begins to pound at the wall, seeming to grip and tries to start climbing toward you. The bright one begins to pulse in strange patterns, and you can sense ripples in the energy field forming. You'll have to defend yourself, who do you attack first?

[Sallin_Kari]

Spoiler (click to show/hide):

Got it.

I let out a mental groan as my fear is realized. I'm not entirely sure what they hope to get from attacking me but that's a question for later. I can ignore the diggers since they seem to be fully focused on hitting with ineffective attacks, so instead I focus on the big lad trying to climb up to me. I point my tip down and use both my height and my telekinetic power to maximize my blow as I try to pierce through him, hoping the combined force will instantly end that threat.

[porne]

Your rapid movement catches the creature off guard, and you slam your way through his thin chest, before slamming into the ground. You didn't quite manage to kill it as it continues to squirm as you're nailing it to the ground through its stomach, although it seems to be unhappy with that situation. It begins to bellow at its fellows as an arrow buries itself into his shoulder. The bright one lets loose with a bolt of energy, which hits you and causes everything to go fuzzy for a moment, but the creature beneath you screams in agony as your metallic form conducts whatever energy down into him. The bruiser seems to be on his last legs as he tries to grip your blade and push you out, not that he can reach your hilt to get much more leverage.

His pulsing energy is fading badly, the spot in his chest seeming to send out pulses that force the tangled mess around his body back into more working order. The pulse near the heart is much weaker though, and you're sure that's useful information.

[Sallin_Kari]

The bright one quickly goes up my priority list, though I hesitate on whether or not to do so before finishing off the big one. Pausing I decide to quickly do a powerful slash towards the power source I noted earlier, hoping that will kill him, or, at the very least, prevent him from having a major impact in this fight, before pulling free, and launching myself like a javelin at the bright one.

[porne]

The bright one pants in exhaustion after throwing the lightning bolt at you, but seems to be on the way to recovering. Your sharp movement through the brutes chest tears him nearly in half and you feel a sharp crunch when you shatter the clump in his chest and he immediately goes limp and the pulses stop. Pulling out, you feel exhaustion and stress nearly overtake you, but you manage to hurl yourself at the bright one, aiming for his own central core. You're completely tapped out at this point, and you manage to hit the bright one in a ballistic arc. He begins to hack and cough, as you his frantic attempts to get away spoiled your aim.

As you try to recover, completely strapped for energy, you feel hands grip your handle and yank you out, the diggers seeming to have come to the aid of their leader. The bright one is badly hurt, and you can see his pulsing lights flowing across his body as he struggles to heal himself. You didn't manage to kill him, and you can either try to kill him as soon as you have any energy, or you can try to wait until you have more and can finish the entire group off.

[Sallin_Kari]

Things are going pretty good considering I've never done anything like this before... and that I'm a sword, but let's not get cocky. The creature is trying to heal, and that is something I need to prevent at all cost, less he pulls out something that can actually hurt me. I cut deeper, towards the core, as it appears to be the weak point.

[porne]

You manage to strike the core, and feel another crunch as the creature collapses on itself. The group succeeds in pulling you out, but you've already managed to kill their leadership. They seem at a loss of what to do without someone to command them, and they take up rocks to try and smash you while you regenerate your energy. A few seconds does little beyond a few chips in the side of the blade, and you find yourself energized and ready for combat, quickly cutting the small group of monsters down.

Resting, you look around and spot a severed core pulse and you examine it closely, and what looks like text pops up. You can tell that the text isn't something that actually exists, but is some level of interaction between your strange sense and your mind. Reading the text, you see a set of labels and information.

[Goblin]: A common low level monster, spawned directly from the dungeon. No special abilities. Cores: consumed by XXXXX

[Goblin Brute]: A powerful goblin who has absorbed more mana and evolved in the physical direction. Abilities: Reinforcement, Commanding Presence, Advanced Senses. Core: consumed by XXXXX

[Goblin Shaman]: An advanced goblin who has absorbed a great deal of mana and evolved in magical direction. Abilities: Lightning Control, Mana Sense, Regeneration Aura. Core: consumed by XXXXX

Strange. You can guess that the strange distorted text is supposed to be you, but you're still not sure what is going on. Feeling inside of yourself, you feel three distinct... globs of energy that are different. One of them is very bright, but a closer look reveals it is four distinct globs, but they're smaller than the other two. The other two seem more complex in shape, but are different from each other. The distinctness seems familiar, like you could force your own energy into a similar shape, like filling a mold, but each one could only be filled once before your energy will consume it. The other four are just floating globs, and you feel more like consuming them. Before doing that, you peer inward, seeing several patterns. You feel that you could slide the globs of raw energy into the patterns to make them more powerful, and you have an instinctive grasp on what each of your internal patterns does. One is for your normal movement, one is your rapid movement, and another is your 'vision'. There's also what appears to be a fountain of energy, and a small capacitor slowly charging that you could force the globs into. It reminds you of a videogame somehow.

Spoiler (click to show/hide):

I'm assuming that you're fine with the trash mob being killed offscreen.

So, if I didn't make it clear, each raw core is worth 1 XP and you can consume them to improve your basic abilities. 'Special' cores like the goblin brute and shaman will have abilities that you can steal by consuming them, but you get to pick the ability you want, or you can consume them like normal cores. Powerful monsters will have cores worth more XP each. Advanced abilities will require you to consume cores with the same abilities to make them more powerful. You can also improve the abilities by practicing and experimenting with them, essentially role playing XP. The more powerful the ability, the more cores you have to consume to level it up.

[Sallin_Kari]

So these creatures are goblins then? Looking over them, I memorize what this world's 'goblins' for future reference as I analyze the abilities. I'm guessing this text is an abstraction... quantifying the characteristics of things in an understandable way to me. I'm not entirely sure how it is generated but I am thankful none the less. Looking over the abilities, I am curious about two abilities immediately, specifically lightning control and advanced senses, though after a moment of though, noticing the chips on my form, I am curious if regeneration aura would work on something presumably non-organic like myself.