Simple Domain. Curse Energy rushed out of me, expanding and stabilizing into a dome that was nearly three meters across. The bump in output was turning out to be a real game-changer.
Alright. Time to get a closer look.
Binding Vow. Absolute stillness of the body, including blood flow and oxygen, in exchange for an enhanced energy sight.
I heard the distant rattling of chains as the vow settled onto my soul, and I fulfilled my end of the metaphysical agreement. My body just stopped: my heart stopped beating, blood stopped pumping, and my breath stilled. I was a corpse standing, one with extreme range.
My mind's eye exploded, my senses spreading so far that they passed the town's edge and into the forest beyond, spanning dozens of miles in all directions. Every sound, breath, micromovement, word, vibration, and mystical energy flooded back in.
If my dying mind hadn't already been rapidly deteriorating, it would have collapsed right away. For a moment, I considered breaking my vow, but my developing psychic senses sprang to life, bearing the brunt of the mental tsunami.
A notification flashed, but I ignored it, consumed by the majesty of it all. My dead eyes burned a deep red, flashing this way and that, devouring and processing as reality peeled back. Understanding came shortly after.
I saw the fuzzy edges of things near and far. Atoms vibrating at different frequencies. Fault lines running through them where the bonds were weakest. And then there was a smoky, colorless, exotic energy that enveloped everything.
They didn't act like atoms; they concentrated and reacted in ways I intuitively understood. It was similar to the power I wielded, but not the same. The entire town was soaked in the stuff. I checked the stone walls without having to look at them. There were patterns on them. Spells, I realized. Not exactly geometric. They were more abstract, fitting together like a mismatched jigsaw puzzle.
Patterns emerged almost immediately. Certain shades of energy repeated over and over again, sometimes in different sizes and shapes, but the function felt the same—crucial.
I wondered what would happen. If I severed it from—
Vertigo hit me, and I stumbled, congealing blood running down my orifices all at once. My Simple Domain had vanished, and my Binding Vow was broken, but I'd gotten what I needed. A clear look at the guts of conventional spellcasting.
Positive Energy surged through my body, healing it. Body Control gave me a clear look at what had happened. A large chunk of my brain had basically failed, causing my body to automatically snap out of the forced shutdown mode I'd initiated.
I wiped my ears and nose. What I'd attempted was dangerous, dancing right on the edge of true death, but that had been why it was so effective. Seventh Sense felt right on the cusp of an upgrade.
Just a few more tries, and I was sure I could understand enough to break the spell holding Raven. Simple Domain. Binding Vow.
My senses exploded again, and I saw it all. I wasted two seconds distracted, trying to rapidly adjust to the influx of information, and another one keeping an eye on the fight that was happening outside.
The town was gone now, reduced to scrap by Gravity Wells, Blues and Reds, Lightning Strikes, and accelerated strikes delivered by Nathan. They were working over Brother Blood like he owed them money, but he was giving it as good as he got, pulling out dozens of random spells and abilities out of his asshole and fighting them all back simultaneously.
At the risk of stating the bloody obvious, Brother Blood was powerful. So powerful, he had more mystical energy than all of us combined, but it was quickly fading. I could see invisible tethers linking him to Raven and the bloody pool a few short steps away. He didn't exactly pull energy from them, but I could tell that the links made him stronger somehow.
They'd all transformed and were burning through their Curse Energy like it was jet fuel. Unless they started opening their domain or using Maxiumums, I don't think they'll win. And even then, it wasn't a sure thing, given the level of regeneration Brother Blood was displaying.
No, they needed an edge.
So, I spent the next two seconds gathering energy and funneling it into my Shrine technique. I took out another binding vow.
Binding Vow has reached level 7
In exchange for losing the flame aspect of my Shrine Technique for a month, I wanted 72 hours of increased control over it, allowing me to cut through energy.
Something somewhere clicked, and I knew the trade had worked.
I felt the pressure swelling in my brain more clearly now. I had seconds before my body shut down again, and I was forced out of this mode.
Extension Technique: Sever.
A drop of energy bled out of my total energy reserves, flowed through my technique, and tore through the tether connecting Brother Blood to the blood pool. I watched him trip, and Gina seized the moment, driving a clawed fist into his midsection, forcing him to double over.
I tried to get another shot off to cut him off from Raven, but my legs gave out, and blood started running down my nose. Reluctantly, I broke my vow and finally glanced at the notification I'd been ignoring.
Psychic Skill has been unlocked.
Psi-Clarity Level 1
Burning Willpower increases your mental clarity, focus, and fortitude by 10%.
This was an interesting development.
The skill came to life, and I immediately felt the difference. My thoughts moved faster, and Curse Energy flowed more easily, to the point where RCT felt as natural to me as controlling regular curse energy. In a fraction of a second, I was completely healed and ready to destroy my body again to land another Sever.
But it turned out I didn't have to. Despite not being boosted, I could make out bits and pieces of the tether connecting Raven and Brother Blood. Chalk it up to my new skill or Seventh Sense being so close to an upgrade.
I could probably get away with eyeballing Sever, but I had a feeling this was my only chance.
So I took the vow and prepared Shrine.