Chapter 168: High Stakes Gambling 7
Felicia walked through the grassland just outside the rainforest zone, her high heeled feminine boots clicking together as she swayed her hips subconsciously.
Previously, she never much cared for her attire, only wearing what she found comfortable, until she began interacting with Damon more. Now, even within thinking about it, her gait had noticeably become more attractive without her noticing, something that Madam Rothschild - her mother - would weep for joy at.
Felicia herself was not geared for combat nor exploration and her skillset showed this.
[Name: Felicia Rothschild || Level: 28 || Species: Human (Pre-Chaos) || Age: 21.]
[Post-Chaos Status: POW: 3 || MOB: 4 || FOR: 5 || MEN: 20 || PRO: 61]
[Pre-Chaos Abilities: Eternal Providence (EX), Empower (EX).]
[Post-Chaos Abilities: Quantum Analysis (S), Telekinesis (A), Language Mastery (D).]
[Chaos Items: Psychic Shards (C).]
She wasn't much of a fighter and she did not equip herself to be one. If it wasn't for her brother forcing her to go with him into a special psychic-related Essence Instance on earth, where she received the power of Telekinesis as well as some shards that could form any medium sized weapon that synergized with the skill, she wouldn't have any attack capabilities.
Language mastery was the only thing she got for herself, hoping to ease the difficultly of perusing the scientific research of multiple species by increasing her language comprehension abilities.
Even though everything written or said was auto-translated by the Essence system, Felicia still wanted to have her own understanding, because one of the biggest barriers of translation was nuanced meanings.
There may be situations were the Essence translation system cannot find the hidden/true meaning of a word or sequence, and for scientific research just one wrong line can send you down a whole different path.
But even though she was not in favor of this kind of thing, she was not afraid nor would she shy away when the situation called for it because in the time Damon had been running up and down doing this and that, she had been in her secret base area training relentlessly for multiple scenarios.
She had some basic skills to manage this kind of encounter but all of that was extremely heightened with the addition of the mighty Quantum Analysis.
Felicia's blue eyes were glowing with a strange light as her skill was activated, working off her already exceedingly high Mentality stat to calculate the entire situation.
Numbers, lines, and calculations filled her vision that concerned every piece of information she could - and couldn't - receive.
In them were the trajectories of every blade of grass when being pushed by the wind, the various probabilities of rainfall, the structural integrity of every rock in the area around her and even the wind's movement through the leaves.
All of this information with more than a 99% accuracy rate unfolded before her as a predictable sequence.
It was intoxicating.
She could see the butterfly effect almost visually, with every action branching into infinite possibilities. For her current purposes, she focused on the immediate situation around her, calculating the probabilities into something coherent through her actions and goals.
Suddenly, a flash of red on her 'mental screen', in which all the data and information flowed thanks to her skill. Felice's mind had noticed that there was a deviation from the natural flow, that something didn't add up.
Her mind zeroed in on it, simulating countless scenarios in milliseconds and easily deducing the source of this abnormality in the environment.
"Enemy detected, huh?" She whispered, her voice lost to the Macro Rule that had silenced the entire battlefield.
But in her mind, it echoed like thunder because the slightest bit of information and stimulation, even if inaccessible, was somehow accessible. That was how the quantum realm worked after all, with endless superposition.
The foe was hidden, blending perfectly with the grass and shadows as they searched for members of her Vanguard Team.
Felicia knew in her heart that without Quantum Analysis, she'd never have seen it, likely killed by this creature in a one time ambush. Well, she did not need to feel in in her heart, Quantum Analysis had already calculated her survival chances before it had entered her life, which left the young woman speechless.
However, now that she had it, she saw everything and more. There was the creature's respiration rate, the faint vibration of its hidden weapon and the probability curve that suggested it was about to detect her using some special means.
Felicia's lips curved into a smile, one that was cold and calculating that didn't reach her eyes, something she had never shown before Damon… or anyone else really.
She reached for her Psychic Shards, her Telekinesis wrapping around them solidly and warping them to form a slender blade. Now, this was no longer a simple weapon but an extension of her will, a veritable scalpel in the hands of a surgeon.
Felicia focused and pushed her power to the limit as combat was imminent, so there was no need to hold back.
SHIZM!
Quantum Analysis synchronized with her Telekinesis, feeding it data in real time. The vector angles, the kinetic force required for the slightest movement, the molecular composition of the enemy's skin and the optimal entry point for maximum damage.
These were things one had to use instinct and guesswork to accomplish, 'feeling it out' with their natural methods, but for her it was all fully realized data on a sheet of paper with precise metrics.
It was like having a billion minds working at once.
Her arm extended, her mental projection synchronizing with the real world in a move that defied even the silence that enveloped this place. The Psychic Shard darted forward like a lightning bolt, guided by her will and the analysis running like a second engine within her mind.
The grass in between them parted in a perfect line and the hidden enemy - a thin insectoid being with green chitinous armor - recoiled in shock, its multi-faceted eyes reflecting fear for the briefest moment before her blade struck home.
The Psychic Shard pierced its torso with surgical precision, severing its core life systems. The Pre-Chaos being convulsed, collapsing without a sound as it died faster than it could feel any pain, a mercy for sure.
Felicia's eyes were cold as she withdrew the shard and let it hover by her side, placing one arm akimbo. She watched as the enemy dissolved into a cloud of chaotic energy, its remains dispersing into the wind.
She took a deep breath, coming out of the battle state and had a moment of realization.
Her mind quickly ran the relevant numbers.
Telekinesis alone would have given her a strong chance in ambush, maybe 70% at best, but Quantum Analysis didn't just add to her capabilities, it literally multiplied them!
One skill fed the other, creating a synergy so perfect it made her blood run hot with the possibilities that she was actively calculating now.
"One plus one doesn't equal two, it now equals ten." she whispered to herself, her voice low but firm.
It was more than she'd expected, like unlocking a new law of physics, something that made her want to laugh and cry at the same time.
She immediately thought of Damon. If he could see her now, he'd understand her current state and would probably smirk, calling her doubly dangerous as before.
She liked the sound of that.
Felicia Rothschild, the dangerous one!
Felicia did not realize she was smiling stupidly and focused on the distance until she was interrupted by new metrics from her still active skill.
She rapidly shook her head to clear her thoughts as her eyes glimmered, the glow of Quantum Analysis' power still alive within them. She straightened her posture, eyes scanning the horizon for any new threats, while also trying to calculate the possible location of her allies.
This would be difficult but if she could triangulate based on her own starting position versus where she met the enemy she just took down, as well as some others factors like distance, dispersion of elements and traces of travel, she could likely pin point them with a 60% accuracy.
Right now, she felt like world was a puzzle, and she had the portrait that showed parts of the puzzle's full picture, allowing her to piece it together rapidly.
As for their enemies? Well, whether they liked it or not, they had just become numbers in her equations.
Thinking like this, Felicia turned, her boots pressing into the grass, and walked forward with long steps.
Quantum Analysis still active, still calculating, still finding the information she wanted while her psychic shards still floated around her, ready to form a defense against any unseen ambush or ready to be the ambusher if she found another foe on her way.
And she knew that she would definitely find more and by using them as whetstones, she would further refine her power.
On top of that, she would make sure that anyone who crossed her would never see it coming.
Because in this world - her world - she was no longer just the vice-leader who tagged along behind Damon.
Now, she was the queen of calculations, and her - as well as Damon's - enemies were just variables to be erased.