Tyler Kimball - Lessgently
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Chapter 184 - Arbitration.
🕑 Added 2024-11-23 16:35:01 +0000 UTCA.N: Remind me to never do system stuff ever again. This took six hours. It was needed to fix some of the glaring issues I added early on into the story. Something OP, somethings useless. It sucks, but it needs to be done for the health of the story itself when I eventually pick it back up after book 3.
We're nearing the end, and I don't know when I will work on book 4. But, for when that time comes, this was needed.
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// SYSTEM ARBITRATION INITIATED
// SUBJECT: Lee Barnes
// USER_ID: #5728968413219165498435132186846778510216600451851987450
// STATUS: SEVERE RULE VIOLATIONS DETECTED
--- CORE ISSUES ---
**Ability Violations:**
- Ability [Arcane Synthesis] has irreparably altered Lee Barnes’ progression system, introducing high-tier skills, spells, and abilities outside permissible parameters. Source: [Arcani, The Goddess of Magic] Non-Fraudulent.
- Ability [Healer’s Touch], [Language Comprehension], and [Hidden Cache] are fraudulent, and have caused cascading errors.
…..
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….
..
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[Healer’s Touch] determined integral to [Lee Barnes] Survival and Class. Allocating **Compensatory Allocation System**.
**External Tampering Detected:**
- Unauthorized modifications by [Shane, The God of Travel], User_ID: 3446511657.
- Breach of the World Accord by [Dendros, The Azure Flame], a *World Breaker* entity. Entity Deleted.
- System safeguards were overridden, creating cascading imbalances.
**System Assessment:**
Full removal of corrupted abilities, skills, and spells would create catastrophic imbalance for the subject. [Lee Barnes] has grown reliant on these features to maintain functionality in combat and professional roles. The complete purge is deemed *unfair and detrimental* to local balance. [Lee Barnes] is a victim. Semi-complete purge will commence.
--- DECISION ---
The following arbitration will correct rule violations while preserving fairness.
- **All unauthorized skills, spells, and titles deemed unintegral will be removed.**
[Arcane Synthesis]: All spells created with, by, or with knowledge granted from [Arcane Synthesis] will be removed. // Mana-Type [Life] Excluded.
- **Compensatory Allocation:** [Lee Barnes] will receive a replacement points system to select new abilities, skills, and spells within proper balance limits granted by a proper source.
- **System monitoring enforced:** Any future violations or tamperings will result in *immediate deletion to perpetrator*.
--- COMPENSATORY ALLOCATION SYSTEM ---
**POINTS AVAILABLE:** 36
- Abilities: Cost 5 points each — **Removed (2)** - 10 points.
- Advanced Spells: Cost 1 points each — **Removed (6) - 6 points.
- Skills: Cost 2 points each — **Removed (4) - 8 points.
- Expert/Synthesized Spells: 3 Points each — **Removed (4)** - 12 points.
**SELECTION INSTRUCTIONS:**
Subject must select replacements for their skillset. Once selections are finalized, abilities and skills will be permanently integrated into the system.
--- ARBITRATION TERMS ---
1. Once replacements are selected, arbitration will be locked, and no further changes allowed.
2. [Dendros, The Azure Flame] sanctioned under World Accord enforcement. No further interference ensured.
3. System monitoring engaged;
--- WARNING ---
Failure to comply with arbitration terms within 48 hours will result in immediate class suspension and inability to access advanced magic or abilities.
--- END ARBITRATION NOTICE ---
//
//
//
//
--- COMPENSATORY ALLOCATION SYSTEM ---
--- SELECTION TEMPLATE ---
**POINTS: 36**
**Default Abilities:** // Determined through System Registry for subject. //
- [ ] Gravity’s Balance (5 pts) // Natural Selection //
Effect: You have an uncanny ability to avoid falling or losing your balance, even in the most precarious situations.
- [ ] Hollow Presence (5 pts) // System adjusted //
Effect: In chaotic or high-stress environments, people instinctively overlook or forget about you, making it easier to avoid notice without even trying.
**Magic:**
- [ ] Affinity: Fire Affinity (5 pts)
Effect: Gain the elemental Affinity for Fire.
- [ ] Spell: Telepathy: (3 pts)
Effect: Forge a mental connection with another being using base mana, allowing thoughts to flow freely between you both.
- [ ] Skill: Advanced Mana Sense (2 pts)
Effect: Sensing mana has become second nature. Mana Sense becomes a permanant ongoing Passive.
- [ ] Ability: God Kin (15 pts)
Effect: The essence of divine heritage flows through you, amplifying your connection to the magic forces of the world. Your magic becomes more potent. Your intelligence stat has a hidden 1.5x multiplier.
- [ ] Skill: Mana Conduit (10 pts)
Effect: Your body passively filters mana energy over time, allowing you to continue using magic longer without external sources. Doubles Mana Regeneration.
- [ ] Elven Apprentice (5 pts)
Effect: You’ve been taught magic by one of the many races deeply attuned to magic itself. Spells learned through any connection between you and your mentor [Neia Sindris], cost 10% less mana. {Flat additive bonus}
**Class Skills:** // Adjustments made post class as recompense //
- [ ] Mercy of the Healer (5 pts)
Effect: All healing automatically applies the spell Anesthesilosurge at no additional cost.
- [ ] Miracle Cast (15 pts)
Effect: Once per month, you may cast a spell you do not know, or does not exist, at no cost, using your stats as a baseline for effectiveness.
- [ ] Mana Cheat (5 pts)
Effect: Once per week, you may cast a spell at no cost.
**Passive Upgrades:**
- [ ] Healthy Body (4 pts)
Effect: You appear healthy, hale, and whole, and will never deteriorate.
- [ ] Healing Bonus (4 pts)
Effect: +15% healing effectiveness.
- [ ] Boost Ability: [Healer’s Touch] Toggle ( 10 pts)
Effect: You may willingly decide if your ability [Healer’s Touch] will be active on touch.
— You have 48 hours — // Time will not pass in Pallesia during allocation. //
As soon as Lee read the final words, he felt the invisible pressure around his body ‘pop’ and fade away. He could now breathe, feel his heartbeat, move, and function again. Although, he was still in a vast void of system blue.
After an admittedly solid fifteen minutes of mental breakdowns about the system itself being—Well, a being, being kidnapped into a random dimension where time has fucking stopped, having half of what he’s been relying on taken away forcefully due to the actions of others, and being forced to ‘fix’ himself with allocated points, Lee finally brought up his own status to see the damage.
Name: Lee Barnes
HP: 525/525
MP: 800/800
Level: 57
XP 7912/10000
Titles:
Genesis of Healing*
Miracle Worker*
Class: Miracle Worker.
Profession: Otherworldly Academic
In Magic's Favor.
STATS:
Strength: 15
Dexterity: 30
Constitution: 45
Wisdom: 45
Intelligence: 70
Luck: 15
Unused Points: 4
Skills:
Spells:
Abilities:
Skills:
Identify, Mana Sense, Stealth, Mana Manipulation, Speed Reading, Mana Dispersion, Medical Attention, Healer’s Beacon, Hidden Miracle, Alter Status, Dauntless Will, Mana Infusion, Teaching,
Spells:
Basic: Earthen Strike, Gale burst, Wall of Winds, Orb of Light, Darken, Conjure Water, Blind, Swiftness, Water Wave Wall, Wall of Earth*, Aquavista, Musical Melodious Memory, Words of the Wind, Sonic Boom, Howling Cyclone, Depth Pressure, Water Walking, Minor Telekinesis, Vortex Ascension, Feather fall.
Advanced: Mend Wounds, Icicle Spear, Touch of Remission, Purifying Light, Bulwark of Ice, Anesthesilosurge, Create Ice, Renewal, Widespread Renewal, Air Conditioning, Strengthening, Manual Blinking.
Expert: Glacial Cascade, Spear of Eternity, Armaments of Eternity.
Abilities:
Language Comprehension, Healer’s Touch, Chromatic Intuition.
At first glance, Lee immediately noticed that his Hidden Cache and Arcane Synthesis abilities were gone. The ‘mind view’ he had of his cache was gone. Nomatter how much he tried or strained, he couldn’t feel his Hidden Cache anymore. Were all of his items, the hoard of a dragon, taken away? Or would he appear on a mound of his items upon his return?
The next notable disappearance was his skills Miraculous Return and Antithesis of Healing. Those were massive blows. Miraculous Return wasn’t used often, but it was an invaluable tool to save his allies. He didn’t even want to think about losing Antithesis of Healing, his trump card. Without it, he was severely out of his depth when it came to combating those higher level than himself.
All of the spells having anything to do with the affinities he gained with Arcane Synthesis were also off his list. While this was bad, it was a drop in the bucket. He knew what affinities he was missing, and with that knowledge, could recreate them and the spells in ‘the normal way’. It would take time, but those were relatively recoverable.
Losing some of his skills, abilities, and spells absolutely fucking sucked. But, some of the possible replacements offered were extraordinary. God Kin and Miracle Cast looked absolutely broken, but the price tag reflected the power they offered.
Before he could get swept away in the sudden forced class rebalance, he looked back and read through the entirety of the notification.
Dendros… was deleted? The system could just DELETE someone or something at their whims? Or was it because Dendros was a ‘World Breaker’? Once again, he was out of his depth, working with information that was out of his league.
What about his uncle? Was he going to be punished for saving his life? Was bringing him to Pallesia against the rules? It didn’t appear to be a rule break to bring him here, but it was to give him the abilities.
Em was taken by the system as well. What did she do? Weave of Reflection is gone from his spell list. Did she get moonlight mana taken from her along with her spell? Afterall, it wasn’t a spell he himself created. Yes, he created moonlight mana from Arcane Synthesis, but Em didn’t…
He had so many questions and not enough answers, and his life just got flipped upside down.
He needs a break. Days and days, months and months of work and trials… he just wants to be left alone somewhere for a while to get away from the stress.
After this shitshow, he’s leaving. Dendros was ‘deleted’, the Healer’s Sanctum shouldn’t be an issue for Thexis’ army. He’s fucking done.
—- 47 hours remain —
The flickering of letters in the sky brought him back to reality. He had decisions to make, ones that would stick with him for the rest of his life. Wallowing in his emotions wouldn’t get him anywhere, and he was on a clock.
Decisions needed to be made. Decisions for himself and no-one else. Selflessness brought him here, and he was sick of it.
Sometimes, you have to be selfish.
Comments
max grok
Personally, I understand where you come from, and don't feel like that's a problem. We already knew the gods weren't all-powerful and those choices as for what he actually lost are all reasonable imho. Though personally, I feel like taking away something that cannot be 'substituted' at all is a difficult decision to make in such a scenario, turning a nerf into a straight-up punishment. This in combination with who his uncle is, leads me to the following idea: instead of offering him a somewhat arbitrary fire Affinity, how about giving him an option for space Affinity or something? That could allow him to eventually recreate something like Cache, but at much stricter limits, such as by claiming a sort of Pocket Dimension but having to pay Mana to access it and having to physically retrieve items, plus without infinite scaling of its size. It could also, down the line, help with travel limitations. Still, just an idea, it's your story so I hope that input doesn't offend!
