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

Relentless Dedication

(Raygunnr)

Some people have that amazing ability to say what could be considered some of the most demeaning words possible, but their inflection, mannerisms and overall presence makes it so the words are not taken in the worst possible way.

This was what Raygunnr learned from watching Cass teach her class from the cockpit of his own mechanoid body. Normally the idea of relinquishing his autonomy to continue to bond with anyone would be seen as an immediate nope, or void. Yet, he knew that by just hosting the pixie, their bond would grow stronger, and more importantly more and more skills would become available.

That's when Ray realized that everyone stood in awe of her classes. To be completely honest, Ray had seen a few of the initial classes being taught by the sole professor of SVC before he decided to retire himself. Ironically, it was the pictures of the professor teaching that drew the most views and made him ultimately pick BiPrism over the other worlds.

While he was assured that all the worlds had the ability to use magic and qi equally by his retirement recruiter, it was clear that this world had a Monopoly on creating new spells and effects that would then be able to be imitated by master mages on other worlds. But they all originated here first.

When watching the videos, Ray thought that some of the effects had to be staged. That there was no way that some of the words coming out of the professor's mouth were real, and that no one would ask questions. Just watching the videos, a million questions came to Ray's mind.

The lessons seemed fairly straightforward. In the last class, Cass had the Enchantment + class students work on creating Enchanted Goggles that let the students see magic as it was being casted. Even going so far as to have every Enchantment + student make four for the day. The reason for the extras was noted as making it so the Enchanters could truly harness their abilities, and to apparently provide extras for students in other classes who were not in the Enchantment + curriculum. Of course, it was made even better when the Doctor made it so the students could all keep their best version, before placing the three spares into a pile.

Now Ray got to see how she made the other students take those completed goggles and used them to watch mana particles get cast. This was what Raygunnr's race, the Teleiotís offered naturally. In a way it seemed disheartening that their racial trait was able to be duplicated so easily. At least that is what Ray thought at first, until he realized how tough such a task was. Also, the fact that Dr. Spiritlight could help each student make four functional versions of the goggles each time, while being blind herself was impressive. At first he was confused why she didn't leave the cockpit, as that might make viewing the intricacies easier for her. Only after a few tries did he realize that she wasn't even looking at the areas she was pointing out with Ray's giant fingers. Instead, she just used and directed Ray's face to point and look where she intended.

What he learned from watching the Doctor slowly and methodically use each class to help the next class was truly impressive and would be something he would have gladly done for free. That said, he was currently being paid quite handsomely, if he did say so himself.

Yes, it seemed that everyday they were together Ray learned at least one new skill. Also, the experience rewards for a quest earned and completed out here at World's End was always coveted. So far the only true way to reliably get quests out here was from the Doctor herself. Occasionally others would pop up, but they were rare and treated mostly as myths at this point. The Doctor was the only one who could seemingly assign quests at a whim, and most of them were related to classwork.

Yet, there was something beyond the magic of assigned quests that happened when Dr. Spiritlight taught her classes. Anyone who spent any time at one of her never duplicated lectures could see her passion come to life. The way she spoke, taught, and pushed students further caused them all to realize they were at ground zero for something truly amazing.

This was also when Ray realized that some people could say things that if taken out of context would appear to be demeaning. Yet, when spoken by the Doctor in the middle of her cadence when a student dared to ask a question, her response was not mean, but inspirational.

"Why can't we use a standard spell, and then try to alter it, which could help us learn this lesson faster?" One of the warriors turned magic casters asked. The first question that a student dared ask, and one that by itself seemed like a valid question when trying to teach the intricacies of magic to students who are more or less freaking out as the times for qualifiers and regional competitions are about to begin in earnest. It is likely that last part that caused the question and seeming need for urgency. Raygunnr understood that sensation all too well, and it was in fact part of why Ray was continuing his pair bonding with the energetic teacher even now, even beyond the sweet quest with its amazingly broken expected experience.

"With that attitude, you are teaching spell casting like the best you could do is fill in between the lines of a coloring book; while I am trying to teach you to be an artist." The Doctor began, harsh words, but it was enough to get the student to pause and think. Then she clarified with even more information on the lesson's purpose and why they were casting this particular way.

"When you use a standardized spell, you are treating spell casting like it is a coloring book. You have your page, scribble in as much of the correct colored mana into the selected area and boom your two-dimensional image looks close to what the spell's creator intended." The Doctor expanded her thought, but then truly drove home her passion for not just casting, but for her students as well. "But I want to tell you, that you are too good and talented to be a coloring book spell caster. You wouldn't be here now, if that was the best you could offer, as the tests imposed on you to enter here would have weeded you out earlier."

Again, another pause as she let that thought sink in, then before anyone could even think about asking more questions, she continued.

"And yes, today your casting will look terrible. You will make mistakes, but that is great. See the mistakes, with your goggles, point them out to yourself and others. Then learn from them, figure out how to fix them. Or better ask a friend next to you how they are not making that same mistake while casting. Heck, you can even ask me," The Doctor threw out that last part, and had Ray not actually known her true feelings, he might have assumed it was a joke as the other students did.

Nervous laughter.

Being this close to the Doctor, Ray could feel that she was actually nervous here. A smile born from tension, rather than enjoyment filled her lips, but the students didn't see the difference, but Ray did. This was the other amazing thing that he learned during his time with the Mad Doctor. That she was often felt nervous when dealing with others. Yet, despite this, she still went out of her way to talk to everyone she could and greet them with kindness, despite it clearly draining her at times. Never once did she talk down to students, or if she felt she came close, she expanded her thoughts as with the coloring book comments earlier. Where you realized it wasn't her putting the student down, but rather her expecting more from the student than the bare minimum.

There was another aspect to the class, as the students who were also part of the Enchantment+ curriculum glanced around, apparently seeing their work being used directly by other students. Some would smile brightly, realizing that their work was needed and the importance of the work they did. While others had slight grimaces as they realized they might have been able to do better had they known it would be used directly in the next classes by students who needed them to succeed.

Stolen from Royal Road, this story should be reported if encountered on Amazon.

"All right, I'll be over here, working on my own tasks. But if you need anything, please feel free to ask." Doctor Spriitlight's voice rang out, amplified by the modulations within Ray's body. Not that she needed the assistance of his internal workings, as she was more than capable of amplifying her voice just fine on her own, yet it was oddly harmonizing to have his voice box used to speak her message and teachings. By doing this, Ray also unlocked the specialized Teaching skill. A skill that at the very least helped to improve his base attributes, which would be highly needed in the future.

With the hustle of the main lecture part of the class over, Cass took one step back, and again worked on her Perfect Casting. This was the other amazing thing about Dr. Spiritlight, many might see where she was, or how she overcame certain obstacles with her ingenuity and creativity. But what they all missed, well most missed were the hours of practice she put into everything she did. Especially when it was frustrating, that was when she seemed to buckle down the hardest.

Currently they were on day five of her attempting to mimic perfect casting. Even from a glance, it was clear she had already surpassed the abilities showed by her Apprentice, as now the Doctor was able to cast three concurrent streams that all matched her perfect ratios to go out four inches before dropping. These streams of course could not touch each other yet, or if they did they would immediately collapse letting the Doctor know she was missing something. Yet, it was clear that there was nothing that would stop the Doctor from solving this magical riddle.

Of course, when you are as talented and focused as the Doctor you are bound to attract others into your orbit, people who either already had the relentless drive to succeed on their own. Or those who are inspired by the Doctor's constant work at improving herself and her perceived deficits, and use that as motivation to push themselves to even greater personal heights.

Ray used this time to passively scan the classroom, seeing how everyone even the bodyguards were taking this time to train diligently. Then his circuitry seemed to expand wider as he saw the flashes of not one but two near infernos coming to life at one time.

"What is that?" Was all Raygunnr managed to ask, before his shared vision with the Doctor showed intense supernova bursts of energies erupt around them.

***

(Jhonny Innerflame)

"Baby steps," Jhonny had told himself, and now he finally meant it, with his goal so close in sight he just closed his mind and focused on his current task.

He had progressed a lot in the year and a half plus of time he had been enrolled at SVC. At one point he thought he would be able to graduate from the college early, and truly be a boon to the team. But one thing had always eluded him, namely Qi Formation. A skill that seemed to make no sense to him. Even the name seemed redundant compared to the other skills needed for his degree.

Only once he broke down and asked Cass about its meaning did it make sense.

"What do you think Qi Formation involves?" The Doctor asked back. Obviously the most frustrating question anyone could ask, because if he had known, then he wouldn't ask the question. Yet, it was the doctor, so he had to at least try to answer.

"The formation of Qi?" Jhonny remembered responding, not knowing if this was what was to be expected.

"Okay, but how?"

"I don't know, that's why I'm asking."

Sigh.

The Doctor let out a pained breath at that, then asked yet another question, thinking that this would help answer his original question.

"Okay, where does the Qi form?" She asked.

"Within the body."

"Okay, and is this process of forming Qi in the body the same for everyone?" She asked.

"Yeah, we all form it internally." Jhonny replied.

"So it's the same for us all?" She asked what was clearly a leading question, but for the life of him Jhonny couldn't find a way to even see what the logic trap was that he was about to set off.

"Yes!" Jhonny hissed with frustration.

"It's the exact same. You with your six-foot four muscular frame, and me with my smaller size, we would cultivate the exact same way? Forty-seven inches of cultivation circuits needed for each person, period the end? " She asked while gesturing to her body that was only able to make eye contact by her floating a good foot off the ground.

At this question, the lightbulb went on in his mind as he began to see what the skill Qi Formation was truly about. As it was not just how Qi formed within your body, but how it would form within others, which could vary wildly from person to person as minor differences could make huge differences. Everything from the dominant hand, to the dominant eye, to the skills and powers used by the person, everything could affect Qi Formation within a body, which in turn would directly impact that person's bodily growth. That was how he had his first breakthrough.

Even now, he found himself at the pinnacle of observation, while scanning the classroom for threats to Dr. Spiritlight, he also used this time to improve his underrating of Qi Formations within the different students. He could even begin to see who would make a great cultivator and who wouldn't based on their body types. Only now that he was nearly done, did he realize just how much left he had to learn.

Of course, that thought was the one that fate chose to give him the update he had been trying for, for so long.

That one notification set off a chain reaction of system responses, each one more impressive than the next.

Ding!

The notifications came quickly one after the other, only an intense burning from his acutely active Danger Sense skill alerted him to anything the miss going on.

"Oh, my Gods! You did it!" Cass screamed with excitement, then apparently forgetting she was still within the main body of Raygunnr tried to run forward and give a diving tackle to Jhonny.

Leaping Qi Shadow Step.

As if using his new degree, or just finally able to make sense of all the different conditions that Cass had put him through every day, Jhonny managed to sidestep the apparent tackle attempt by the massive giant killer robot.

Panting.

Jhonny found himself breathing deeply a moment later, as he reached up to grab his chest realizing just how dangerous of a situation he had almost found himself in. Then a smile crest his lips, as he realized what he had done.

"Oh, my Gods, did you just create your first Qi movement abilities as well?" Cass asked excitedly, clearly clinging her fingers to her chest in giddy excitement, a gesture that was mirrored by Raygunnr's massive killing form as he began tiptoeing on the ground excitedly.

"I believe I just did?" Jhonny responded confusedly as he mentally tried to understand the actions his body had taken reflexively to get out of the way of danger. Only now realizing how amazing the feat he had just performed was.

Poof.

Then like clockwork, the Guild Leader appeared out of nowhere and just gave her trademark half lipped smirk.

"So you are the first to officially graduate?" Guild Leader Valhalla began.

Being in her intimidating presence Jhonny suddenly found his throat clenching as he suddenly didn't know what else to say.

He was about to nod his head, when yet another oddity erupted, causing everyone to momentarily forget his accomplishments.