Augmented Aspects [Steampunk], [Progression], [Gamelit]

A Team of One

To say I was completely caught off guard by the sudden surge of mana required for me to complete my half of a Positional Teleport spell was an understatement.

Ahh.

Yes, I apparently jump-scared myself, with my own actions. Then again, I had just gotten through a fight against superiorly armored team of fighters, where my only saving grace was the fact that I was able to Teleport easily and use tactics that the team was clearly not used to.

Also, not going to lie, the fact that the one guy got sucked straight up to the Void planet, when they tried to chase after me through my own Teleportation spell was rather shocking.

That was why, when a sudden and completely unexpected Teleportation Tunnel tried to form next to me, I was completely on guard. Just battle reflexes honed by surviving a dangerous situation, not the paranoid delusions of a pixie with an overactive imagination.

Swoosh!

Fortunately, I can complete my portion of the spell and completely compose myself before anyone can see that I, for a moment, might have been frightened by the sudden and unexpected action. Unfortunately, seeing what, or rather who comes through the portal, I don't even have time to be too surprised as I see the ultimate slap in the face.

The true testament to the fact that I apparently bit off more than I could chew.

For after the first Portal opened, I say Raygunnr, the Teleiotís. But he is not alone as there is apparently a whole delegation of Teleiotís at World's End right now. Meaning that three massive fully functioning and sentient mechanoid devices are coming through the Portal. Worse, this is clearly a Portal that I insisted on creating, as part of me has to be on the other side, where I am all but herding my fellow guild mates forward.

Poof.

The fourth and final regressor Teleiotís makes their way through the portal, and I realize that I am desperately outclassed. Worse, Raygunnr is the reason I don't have a mechanoid unit myself. Well, not that I could have made a full mechanoid unit with all the left-over gears and sprockets he ate that were part of my Prankenstein project, but still, it was a clear setback.

Worse, it took Raygunner a clear MaMes, that is a humanoid Teleiotís that can only use mana, and converted him to an extreme DiMes, or one who can use mana and Qi. Yes, looking back, I can realize the names are both confusing and annoying to remember. That said, only Raygunnr is considered the next evolutionary level as he is a clear example of a Teleiotís who has an active Qi core that he created on his own.

Then things went even further, as I felt yet another one of my mischievous Simulacrums trying to create yet another portal. Fortunately, I was beyond jump scaring myself at this point, and instead just completed the Portal, this time connecting to one of the converted mining areas within the Legrand Empire.

That's when I saw a group of DiMes, yes the twice as powerful superior version of the Teleiotís, coming through my Portal. Then as if to mock me, they all seemed to line up as one, and kneel before me. As they kneeled, I could feel waves of power and devotion flowing off of them and directly into me, filling up my hollow bones and infusing me with power.

Yes, irony was thick in this case. Here it was, monsters that I technically created, that all worshipped me, but were all going to be too powerful for me to work against. At best at this point I might be able to scrap the Prankenstein for parts, and build a mechanoid unit that might be comparable to these massive killing machines. But it would all be a waste, for while I am wasting my time to build up to where these Teleiotís are currently, they will all be working to improve themselves.

"Dr. Spiritlight," Raygunnr begins speaking in his Mana Language, that is the language that is utilized by all Teleiotís. Hearing them speak, I imagine a number of scenarios running through my mind. Anything from them asking for me to stop this, or to give up while I can with my dignity. I make a note that if they go that route I will do my best evil doctor impersonation and come back just to make sure they regret making such a statement.

I am prepared to go down with a fight, despite knowing that the odds I am up against with the Teleiotís will likely be too much. Then compared to the new super mechanoid units that the Legrand Empire had, I might as well call it a day. But I'm too stubborn to give up when I know I've lost. That's why, rather than running and giving up on this quest chain, I take a deep stubborn breath and center myself. Prepared to make a stand here, and every benchmark beyond this point.

"Yes, Raygunnr?" I ask.

"I have been asked to speak as the official ambassador for the Teleiotís, know that it is a great honor to be granted this position. So, know that I mean in all sincerity when I ask, will you…" Raygunnr begins, but I feel a strange tingling sensation in my mind, as part of me goes into rage.

I know I chose wrong. If I could go back in time, I likely would have taken the clear five categories that I was good at, and called it a day. I realize that now, but I don't want to quit, despite the leagues of forces compiled against me. Just making it out of our world's qualifiers will be a feat at this point. Meaning I can only imagine how tough it will be beat the worlds that do this type of activity day in and day out. It was stupid to think I could make a difference.

Still, I need to let them know that I will not quit, that it is not in my vocabulary; despite the fact that I clearly know what the word is and means.

Expectant stares.

There is a moment when I realize I might have missed something important. Especially with the way close to a dozen Teleiotís killer robot mechanoid monsters all stare at me. Looking up with expectant metal eyes, from a kneeling position.

Creepy machine blink.

Raygunnr even blinks, apparently an act caused by cutting off either mana or Qi flows to the orbital socket.

"Wait, what?" I ask eloquently.

Raygunnr begins to send out more mana infused signals, but it appears the system wants to make sure I pay attention this time as it gives me a quest.

The story has been taken without consent; if you see it on Amazon, report the incident.

***

(Gwendolyn Spiritlight)

Gwen watched as one of her mother's Simulacrums all but wordlessly herded the Teleiotís for the area into a Portal and then sent them to a rally point. While she wasn't exactly fluent in Mana Language, that is, she still had a hard time deciphering the odd bursts of Mana for finer word concepts, she still had enough of a basic understanding to know that the Simulacrum clearly was directing these Teleiotís to some form of rally point.

Honestly, it felt pretty good to be able to get that much from their interaction.

"Let me guess, her Simulacrums are still pretending not to talk?" The deep melodic voice of Mallory chimed in from next to her ear. Just her proximity and the air of intimacy caused a shiver to run down Gwen's spine.

"Yes, and she is clearly using Mana Language to talk with the Teleiotís," Gwen added.

"Well, I would cut her some slack and say that as a pixie that is made up of pure energy and sugar sticks, it would be foolish to believe that she couldn't talk in Mana Language. That and given the fact that Mana Language makes no sound and requires a lot of high level skills to catch, let alone interpret, it would make less sense if her Simulacrums couldn't talk in Mana Language." Mallory posed.

Gwen nodded in agreement. Then after a long pause, Mallory asked a question that Gwen had all but dreaded.

"Any word from our informant?" Mallory asked. This was of course meant as a means of saying had she been in contact with her daughter, or what was more often the case, her granddaughter in the real world who could keep tabs on all things BiPrism. The idea was to pass along information in a timely manner, so they as a guild could react.

Gwen was about to shake her head no, when she received a ping at that exact moment, allowing her to relax slightly as she began reading the information immediately.

CassidyCruise10201: GGM got in a fight with a squad of likely Tier IV or above clad Legrand soldiers. Held them off and destroyed two mechs, while disappearing a third before the squad left.

There was clearly more as the three dots indicating that someone was typing quickly was there, but that was enough for Gwen to begin passing on information.

"GGM?" Mallory asked.

"Great Grand Mother, seemed easier to write out than Dr. Cassiopeia Spiritlight," Gwen replied.

At that Mallory just nodded in understanding. There was an awkward pause for a moment, before the final message came in, which Gwen began passing along instantly.

CassidyCruise10201: GGM chose Raygunnr to be her flagship mechanoid unit, but then had to designate eight other mechanoid units as alternatives.

"What does that mean?" Mallory asked.

CassidyCruise10201: No clue what it means. According to Larry Yo-Boy, he thinks it means that she can have a suit for each of her Simulacrums who will all likely need to follow with her to the alternate realm.

"Wait? Nine Cass's for the admission of one? There is no way that would work," Mallory exclaimed, then bit her lower lip as she went deep into contemplation. While there were a lot of crackpot analysts out there, all giving their opinions on what happens in BiPrism, people tended to trust the work of Larry Yo-Boy more. This was why after a second of deliberation Mallory addressed the bigger question. "Wait, they let her as a pilot enter a Teleiotís, a singular sentient being, and that also only counts as one entity?"

CassidyCruise10201: The combination was accepted.

Cassidy wrote in, answering Mallory's question in real time. Then after a second, Gwen asked the important question that was on her mind.

"I take it that you registered for your events as well?" Gwen asked.

"Yes, I am going to compete in Physical Combat, Team Combat, Mixed Team Combat." Mallory declared.

"Wait, not Magic, or Magical Combat?"

"What? Oh heck no, have you seen the monsters that Cass has been training? They put me to shame. I am not ashamed to admit that I am outclassed by not being in class," Mallory replied.

Groan.

"I thought mom's jokes were bad, but that is terrible," Gwen replied, realizing why Mallory loved hanging out with her mother so much. They had a similar form of humor that took a lot of warming up to.

"Oh come on, it's not that bad," Mallory replied playfully, gently laying a hand on Gwen's arm.

"You rhymed a word with itself and were offended that no one laughed," Gwen retorted. There was likely going to be more, but at that moment she saw the unmistakable marking of Cassidy typing more information from the real world.

Holding up one finger, the international sign of one second don't interrupt, Mallory paused and let the awkward moment end. That was when Gwen received another message from Cassidy, which she began reciting immediately.

CassidyCruise10201: Something odd happening with GGM at the Elementary School building.

Hearing that, the two paused, and then immediately decided to go. Mallory of course took off with her super speed, only to stop a few dozen paces away from Gwen who was just getting up to a mild jogging speed. Gwen was a lot of things, but not a land speed record holder. There was a reason she opted to stay out of any of the competitions, mainly because she knew for a fact that she would not be able to outrun, or out magically duel any other competitors. At most she could be a designated healer for the Mixed Team Combat portion, but she knew she was not coordinated enough to cast healing spells, while running for her life. Her mother could, but despite constant training, those were skills that were beyond her personal ability level.

Seeing that it was going to be a moment, Mallory came back, grabbed Gwen and proceeded to princess carry her to the indicated area. With the two together, Cassidy began giving more direct instructions on where Cass was, while giving nothing more about what was actually happening to her, nor why they should care.

CassidyCruise10201: Back right-hand side of the building, towards the wooded area.

With Mallory carrying her, reading out the directions was easy. In no time they were behind the right hand portion of the building, where Gwen's Angel Sight took over, allowing Gwen to give the details needed to direct them towards her mother.

What she saw in her minds eye was something that seemed all together odd. For a moment it looked like her mother might be in danger, as her small form was being held in place on the lap of an older woman. Gwen relayed this information to Mallory who began to slow down at the update.

"Do you think it is a threat?" Mallory asked, stopping completely and placing Gwen down on the ground. This was typical of them, for it would be Mallory's job to charge into any danger, followed shortly thereafter by Gwen who would arrive in time to heal any damage absorbed as needed.

"I don't think so, but we should definitely check it out," Gwen replied, not wanting to say that this was a wild goose chase from her granddaughter, but was still wondering what exactly was happening at this moment. Slowly, so as not to startle the old woman, nor Cass's seemingly content Simulacrum the duo made their way around the corner and got a direct line of sight view of what was happening.

At the risk of nausea and vertigo, Cass opened her normal vision third eye and looked on to see what was happening.

"Wait, what is happening?" Mallory asked, seeing the same sight that Gwen had described but still not able to understand. For there before them was a sight that both seemed to make sense on the surface, but also didn't make any sense, when you took into account all the individual components.

For on the surface it looked like Cass, well one of Cass's Simulacrums was sitting contentedly in the lap of an elderly grandmother, listening to a story. Which on the surface would make sense as Cass, and all her Simulacrums did look like little children. But the fact that Cass, or even one of her Simulacrum could sit still long enough to not completely startle the elderly woman encourage her to finish her story? Well that seemed to be too much to comprehend.

Badump, badump.

Also, looking at the elderly woman with her natural eyesight, Gwen felt something tighten in her chest as she felt a moment of déjà vu, as if she had somehow seen this elderly person before. But that was impossible as it was clearly her first time seeing this exact person here.

As if feeling their presence, Cass's Simulacrum gestured for the pair of them to come forward and join them.

Gwen's feet moving on autopilot moved forward, but only in time to hear what was the tail end of the story.

"Then they all leveled up, the end." The old lady declared, at that, Cass, well her Simulacrum leaned forward and gave a gentle kiss to the old lady's cheek, before snuggling her head deeply into the crook of the old woman's body. It was an intimate gesture, one that seemed odd compared to how Cass never snuggled. Well that wasn't exactly right, you could snuggle up to her, just like Cass was now doing to the elderly lady, but she didn't snuggle.

Seeing the oddly intimate gesture, Gwen felt jealous for a moment. Jealous that her mother never did that with her, and jealous that her mother's Simulacrum would be so intimate with a seemingly random stranger.

Finally, after a few more paces forward, the old lady seems to be aware of Gwen's sudden presence.

"Oh my goodness, is this your daughter?" The old woman asks the seeming child within her arms. Cass for her part just nods in agreement, never letting go of her hug of the old woman. Then with seeming no problem at all goes from a sitting position to a standing position, all while carrying Cass. A feat that would seem more impressive had Gwen not know that Cass's body weighed next to nothing.

With the lady standing up to full height, Gwen found herself looking down at the old woman. Despite her looking down, she felt a strange sense of calm around her.

"My, my, how you have grown into a beautiful young woman," the old lady explained. Then glancing at Cass who still clung desperately to her just smiled. The Simulacrum as if sensing something was about to happen just began shaking her head.

"No, no, no…" The Simulacrum let out, in the odd Mana Language.

Despite not using any words, the old grandmotherly lady just smiled brighter.

"Oh come now, you know I have no regrets now that I finally get to see her," the old lady declared as if somehow fully able to understand the emotional pleading coming from Cass.

"Come here," the old woman offers, holding out her somehow free left arm to try and hug Gwen. Hesitatingly Gwen pauses, but feels herself being thrust forward with the gentle push of Mallory of all people.

For her part, Gwen looked confused, but soon found herself in the arms of the old lady. For a moment she wanted to protest, but soon found herself filled with scents of morning sunshine and freshly baked bread. Just smelling the scent, a sense of ease and familiarity filled Gwen's body, as for a moment she felt truly whole.

"Well, I have to say thank you, as I finally got to achieve all of my wishes," the old woman uttered with a certain form of finality. Hearing those words, Gwen felt an intense surge of dread fill her as she knew this moment was important somehow, but still didn't quite understand exactly how or why.

Then looking down at her mother, she began speaking in a way that sent chills down her spine.

"Take care little Cassy. . ." and with those four little words, Gwen knew what this moment was.

Poof.

Almost as if on cue, Cass, that is the real Cass appeared.

"Wait, what, mom?" Cass, the real one, asked her voice coming out in little more than a croak.