Toriel POV
Frisks demonstration of their strength was extraordinary, I would need to use immense amount of magic to reach the same levels of raw power.
But all of it just made me more curious about my own new abilities, I haven't had the time to experiment with the new magic system, and my unique skill had immense potential.
[Magic Queen] is an ability that can usurp control of the magic- or now magicules in an area.
Isn't this immensely powerful?
The humans each showed unique skills while I was the only monster in the Ruins that exhibited similar strength... did all humans gain a unique skill? It would make sense given the fact that humans had more powerful souls.
Are James and his child the average or the outliers, or worse... the mediocre among humanity?...
My mind raced, lying in bed I couldn't sleep.
If I hold such great power, how powerful would Asgore be? He has shown again and again that he is the most powerful monster in the underground effortlessly, his rule uncontested among the denizens of the underground, either by strength or loyalty.
Asgore wouldn't allow her guests to easily leave the underground, not without taking their souls as fuel to break the barrier.
Frisks face flashed in my mind, so similar to my dear child, the child I lost centuries ago.
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James POV
I snuck out once my skill told me both Frisk and Toriel were asleep.
This air outside was cold and musty but carried a unique smell of fresh dirt after dew, leaving my jacket at the room might have been a mistake, but I didn't want to wake up Frisk after they experimented all day with their Aura.
They ran around quite a lot, jumping and dashing around the ruins of the former barracks.
I started walking in a random corridor, looking for- well nothing in particular, the atmosphere was quite relaxing, what would normally be a scary dark hallway was broken up by the fact that the Ruins reminded me of my favorite game, which was the main reason I took the stroll across Ruins, to explore.
Eventually after a couple turns there was a puzzle and a sign that I couldn't read due to the dark surrounding me.
After a couple seconds of contemplating my next course of actions, I slowly dialed up my deactivated [Magic Sense] skill.
Slowly my head started aching once I reached a meter around myself, I took it as a sign that I reached my current limit with the skill, I made a mental note to train myself with the skill as a grinder, which seemed like a cool workout to the muscle that is my brain.
I held my palm up facing the high ceiling, and slowly extended control over the magicules in the air that surround me... nothing happened.
I closed my eyes and focused further.
I intertwined [Analytical Appraisal] with [Magic Sense] within the meter around me, my understanding of magicules soared, while I simply took in the absurd amount of knowledge that I soaked within seconds.
The air around me took millions of different colors, even with my eyes closed the bubble around me was the most colorful thing I have ever seen, the underground was flush with magicules, and it seems only my unique skill kept me human and not mutating under the intense amount of magic.
Magicules were like radiation, and here they would have easily contaminate my very being causing it to mutate, I imagine frisk also has resistance considering their continued human status.
...
There.
The magicules around myself started reacting to my will.
They coalesced as an orb above my open palm, and I tried to imagine igniting the orb, but it seems my experience level is shining even with my skills supplementing my otherwise non existent knowledge about magic.
A small fire.
...a candle.
'A candle' my thoughts repeated with a more intense focus and emotion, causing the orb to slowly change colors from multicolor to shades of yellow orange and red.
'A candle' I repeated even more intensely within my head, the middle of the orb became a focal point that drew the flame colored magic around it.
I opened my eyes slowly to not lose my focus, and saw two images overlapping.
The dark wall and regular reality, together with the colorful magicules around myself.
"a candle" I said with a quite and intense voice
Then the magicules finally answered my thoughts and will, and the focal point I made became a flare of fire.
Instantly I stopped my repeated mantra casting and quickly withdrew my hand from the flare of flames, and just as quickly the hallway returned to its former darkness.
After a couple seconds, I lifted my palm before trying again, I entered the same state of mind I was in before, while also imagining an image of a candle light more vividly.
"Candle" my quite voice echoed through the quite hallway, giving it somehow more essence and impact than a simple word.
Under the focal point appeared a small magic circle, and above the circle the magicules ignited much more gently, using much less magicules than the last try.
It was... a candle.
Exactly what I imagined in my head, actually, maybe a bit bigger but still the same, it was an image I imprinted on the magicules and brought to reality through will and imagination alone... it was so fucking cool.
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The puzzle wasn't that hard, the sign showed a poem about light and daylight, and I simply needed to shine my newly learned magic candle near a couple gems that were imbedded in the wall near the locked doorway.
The gems seemed to glow with green brilliance after they soaked the light from the candle, and once all gems had light shining from them the stone door slowly dropped to the floor.
'I guess that the doorway is only open during the 'day'' I thought while I looked at the ceiling, spotting the crystals that glowed throughout our travels through the Ruins, simulating day.
'I wonder if these crystals are manmade like the ruins or are simply a natural occurrence like the multiple glowing crystals and flowers in the waterfall area' I continued walking as I idly thought about the day night cycle within a magical underground place filled with monsters, when my thoughts were interrupted by the sound of... well I don't know what it was.
It sounded like...
'Fireflies' I thought while looking at the large clearing that appeared after walking through a doorway.
The clearing had grass growing out of broken concrete ground, with what seemed to be a small forest standing on bare dirt all within the closed room, with a clear path of broken concrete strewn with patches of grass piercing the undergrowth of the forest.
All the while the forest had numerous fireflies floating around above and below the trees, enhancing the ethereal feeling up to eleven.
"Woah" a familiar voice sounded from my left
With a mini heart attack, I jumped and looked towards the wide eyed Frisk standing next to me, and while the magic candle was snuffed out in my surprise, thankfully the fireflies gave enough light to see the sneaky brat.
"YOU SCARED THE SHIT OUT OF ME!" I held my chest as my heart beat hard against my chest.
My scream echoed throughout the closed room forest, and Frisk covered their ears with their palms and simply raised an eyebrow
"Don't you have the appraisal thing? How did you not notice me? I thought you ignored me" they said quietly as to not echo their voice.
"its not a passive thing! My brain would fry if I used it constantly!" I whispered angerly answering their silent intent to lower the volume. "and when did you wake up? Why are you here?" I asked quickly
"well I had a nightmare-" they seemed to stop themselves after saying that, seemingly regretting sharing the fact, Frisk slowly turned their head towards the forest in a more timid expression "and... well I noticed your aura slowly leave, and thought I would see what you were up to..." they continued to turn their head until they looked completely the other way from me.
'I guess that even with all that strength, they are still a kid' I forced myself to calm down while I finally noticed how small Frisk truly was, in my head I treated them as a protagonist and that view only strengthened after seeing their display of strength today.
I slowly lifted my hand, and landed my palm on top of their head, causing them to look up at me again with confusion
I smiled at them, and walked forward towards the path "Lets see where this path leads, yeah?" I playfully remarked while looking back, trying to lighten up the mood
Frisk smiled widely and ran to catch up
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1494 words
wow, two chapters within 24 hours, I'm on a roll!
I think this chapter is a very much needed development in making the underground an actual place, as I said, Characters and world building are my focus.
tell me what you think? is it bad? good? amazing? extraordinary? perfect? unreal? Legendary? something better than Legendary?
Cya guys later, whenever that is