Chapter 119: 109. Of Magic and Science (I)

Lilith was at the northern edge of the Junkyard when she pulled a notepad and pen from her [Dimensional Storage]. She jotted down the time it took for one of her acid creations to corrode tissue layers and initiate muscle dissolvement on her most recent test subject. True magic acid damage took place once it breached skin, leading to burns ranging from third to fourth degree if proven effective enough.

The Poise Attribute could counteract the acid’s magical damage unless she aimed for more physical damage in the mixtures. Which were harder to make and amounted to fewer gains. Magic used in the creation process with the intent to deliver magic damage helped smoothen the process. Most Unregulated Rankers prefered Resilience over Poise, leaving them Poise-weak.

Junkers were instinctively trying to survive physical fights that had normally involved fists, guns, and knives. Even when they now had magical abilities that could plow through a wall and explode a person on the other side.

Lilith observed her latest test subject closely. She made notes quickly with the [Crafter’s] dexterity of 60 Agility.

It was always good to write things down even with her 85 Intellect. It gave her structure when her mind wanted to examine everything so fast it would overload her still.

At this point, Lilith could remember the first and last taste of her mother’s milk when Lilith was a newborn that should’ve died at birth. Her mother had decided to abandon a health-maligned Lilith to Father, which nearly doomed Lilith.

Father had done an adequate job of raising Lilith. He didn’t like what she had become. But he had raised her from death. She greatly appreciated his efforts. His decisions to keep her and raise her led to Lilith becoming an explorer in the field of magic and science as a Level 28 Alchemy [Crafter].

Lilith suddenly felt thankful and jubilant, endorphins spritzing across her brain. She should get Father another pair of funny business socks as a gift. That should assuage the horror he would feel when she eventually informed him about today’s test results and her fun spent with friends. If that horrified him too much, she could always offer Father a feel-good amnesiac to help him settle down and move on with ignorant bliss.

He had refused so far.

But the option remained.

Lilith nodded to herself in self-approval.

She returned her attention to the test subject.

The Level 22 Rubbleknight moaned from high mind-rendering pain. He staggered around in front of Lilith, barely able to form a response to her having doused acid on his arm.

His left arm sizzled, smoked, and sloughed, the bone starting to show. For all his effort in fashioning a large sword made of rubble, the Rubbleknight’s imbecilic decision to forgo armor nearly dumbfounded Lilith, which she jotted down.

“You should’ve crafted protection,” Lilith said.

His breathing came out haggard, barely able to respond. He was still pained. Real acid would’ve eaten away at his pain receptors and removed the pain.

Lilith’s magic acid wouldn’t allow anatomy to stop it from continuously hurting. The pain remained until it burned itself out and disappeared as Mana. Sooner or later.

“Your idiocy is costing me,” Lilith criticized. “You can’t survive tests for my higher quality acids. What good is your life then?”

She had to prove she could track the amount of damage she could deliver to enemies and divert from collateral. Then Jay would approve her request to test her Gobbo Goodby Bomb (Superior). Until that fateful day, Lilith would start small.

Depending on the foe, Lilith would attack an enemy for weak Poise or weak Resilience. Lilith had used a bland middle-of-the-road corrosive on the Rubbleknight. Her Alchemy Affinity observed the damage process, and what she found was another Resilient Unregulated in the Rubbleknight.

Predictable and disappointing.

She automatically knew how this fight would finish.

The Rubbleknight gathered up what limited Conviction he had and rushed Lilith. He held his massive rubble sword up with his undamaged arm and swung it down at her. He exuded physical energy, a source of power originating from the Stamina Status that differed from Mana. 

Physical energy, or what the Pantheon Magic R&D dubbed as amina based on historical text from the [Medium] Archives, couldn’t be coaxed out or manipulated like magic. It was wholly dependent on the Skill. Observations of their [Fighters] had led Team Magic R&D to this shaky theory.

Lilith watched with fascination as the Rubbleknight’s amina bound itself to his weapon. Something akin to Dennis’s [Aura of the Strong], exuding a reality warping power that would slam down and hit with a greater area of surface than the actual weapon.

Magic could do the same. But anima had a nature where it didn’t disperse as easily. It would cling and bend and reshape itself to the will of the user. It had a more lifelike nature compared to mana, more esoteric than mana.

Lilith waited until the last second to observe the phenomenon closely. Her 32 Perception wasn’t all that high compared to others, but it was more than adequate for catching the shifty, warpy, nearly tangible nature of the anima projection. Then she stepped aside and faced away. 

She kicked her legs forward, too.

The anima detonation struck against the Good Quality golden shell that covered her back like a turtle. Her little body, untethered to any surface, tumbled into an aerial roll with her legs and arms tucked in tight. She extended her legs and landed perfectly about ten feet away, suffering minimal damage.

If Frank were to see her unorthodox dodging maneuver, it would anger him. But it made sense to Lilith. If you could quantify and predict how magic and physics interact, you had usable and practical equations for battle.

Rubbleknight roared in anger and pain. “I’m going to crush you like a bug!”

Some Junkers tended to slander or boast loudly. A posturing maneuver that most animals devolved into when injured, uncertain, or scared.

Lilith predicted he would fall into this stereotype because of her dominance. It was quite demeaning to be at the mercy of a teenage Latina only five feet in height.

She picked from her [Dimensional Storage] a small pill. She flicked it into the Rubbleknight’s mouth as he kept insulting her.

It hit the back of his throat with pinpoint accuracy.

“Ack!” He swallowed involuntarily.

Lilith walked away to observe how the rest of Team Booty Warlords fared with their fights. She was interested in seeing Rick and Tim’s improvements as [Fighters] against living enemies. Now that anima and auras were subjects of interest on top of so many other things, Lilith would like to observe every [Fighter] closely, especially their transferred crawler.

They were Team Booty Warlords and not Team Booty Bandits because Brit was elsewhere causing mass murder with holy authority. The exchange program was an idea provided by Jay.

Jay always did have funny ideas that had a sliver of genius. Just one of the many quirky things that Lilith liked about Jay, especially as Commander Luckrun. He was so supportive and nice to Lilith and her wishes even if he cautioned her to slow down on her more fun ideas.

Stompy noises interrupted Lilith’s thoughts.

The Rubbleknight staggered at her back sluggishly. He called upon another Skill, barely getting it out as blood and vomit foamed from his mouth. His cobbled together weapon with the laughable shape of a giant sword broke into chunks, large and small. This Skill looked more like magic now. It involved no anima as he sent a rubble barrage at Lilith.

Lilith dropped and tucked inward, her armored head ducking down with her shell faced up. Her Alchemist Lionguard Armor Mk 1 was defensively better than the mass produced Lionguard Armors since Lilith took the time to craft it alongside Macy, Mike, and Hailey. This one was special to her since it forgone a breastplate, pauldrons, and greaves for the back shell and other special additions.

The bombardment ended quickly with a few rattling hits.

Lilith rose just fine afterward. She had taken minimal damage. She brushed off some dirt and looked back.

The Rubbleknight laid with his face in a puddle of blood and vomit. The alchemical toxicant pill Lilith had administered orally was basic-quality, but it was on the high end of such and had solid magic damage properties set against a critical weak point: his stomach. Damage from the acid had already worn his Health down. All of these notable factors were easy for Lilith to discover on the fly even if she didn’t have Jay’s [Eye of Venerated Madness] that garnered him more details when using [Analyze].

Lilith had long noted that the Discovery Attribute was more useful than merely helping [Crafters] create and fix things even if they lacked some know-how. Discovery pinpointed critical weaknesses, highlighted noteworthy observations, and clued in on important details. Out of all the Attributes, Discovery sat as an unsung hero.

When Lilith’s 55 Discovery joined her 85 Intellect and Lilith’s alchemical perception of noteworthy chemical reactions nearby, Lilith’s deadliness heightened further. This was pleasing since her [Princess of Extermination] Title desired better means and tactics for exterminating.

Another Unregulated tried to jump at Lilith from on top of a stack of house appliances. The Level 20 Slasher bore twin blades of magic. Each blade had his anima coating the edge, wishing to carve into Lilith easier and deeper than the magic blades’ edge.

Magic could achieve the same, but anima was easier to shape in combat for those who weren’t heavily magical, Lilith deduced.

She swiveled around and avoided the first cut to her uncovered shoulder. The second cut aimed for her neck. Quite a low reach for the Slasher.

Lilith ducked into the blow. Anima and magic clashed with a helmet of Good Quality. The Slasher’s blade scraped off the side of Lilith’s helmet, leaving a mark and minimal damage.

Anima abilities could damage past armor easier. This was a noteworthy advantage that balanced anima’s shorter reach compared to mana-based abilities.

“I bet Gravity Devil will cry when I show him your corpse,” the Slasher said.

He reminded Lilith of Jay’s bullies that he’d kept secret until the lunch Call.

Adrenaline and cortisol spritzed into Lilith’s bloodstream.

Lilith grabbed the Slasher by the scrotum. She squeezed, delivering critical damage. The System checked the Slasher’s Conviction at the same time.

The Slasher failed the Conviction check and squealed in Lilith’s grasp. The Slasher dropped his magic blades and lost his anima coating.

The blades faded away into motes of mana.

“I’m going to use you to entertain me.” Lilith lifted the Slasher by his groin. She tossed him over her shoulder for a distance of fifteen feet.

Her 60 Strength bent physics to do as she pleased against a weaker enemy. She could have broken his body with her Strength and [Super Monster Mistress] Talent, but she had something else in mind.

Lilith stored away her notepad and pen.

Slasher hit the ground with a whimper. His ruined Conviction slowed him as he rolled onto his back and cowered.

Lilith pointed at the Slasher with her right arm.

“Have mercy!” cried the Slasher.

“There is no benefit in providing you mercy,” Lilith said. “Your death will entertain me. You are more useful that way.”

A series of tough but flexible tubes ran from her shell to the back of her gauntlets. Her Alchemy Affinity coaxed out a substance stored in one of the shell’s spatial compartments. The substance flowed down the tube and into her right gauntlet.

“Jet,” Lilith said, casting a first circle spellcraft.

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Simple spellcraft were easy to embed and reuse in gear. Even if the process was tedious and lengthy when stamping rituals into fresh crafts for repeat uses. But this nixed the need for actual technology when Lilith wanted to shoot her creation like a high-powered water jet. Her Alchemy Affinity ignited the substance at her behest.

Lilith expelled a gout of rainbow flames from a nozzle above her right wrist. She doused the Slasher’s entire body starting from his feet and up. Almost instantly, he became a charred and ruined thing of a Systemized man. The Slasher screamed and writhed under the magic napalm until he stopped moving. A new slain message appeared on Lilith’s notifications.

The flames crackled colorfully, shifting across the spectrum. Lilith had stumbled upon this by accident after mixing magical dungeon materials with mundane materials and loot gained from the Yoroachian Lair. These kinds of unexpected but great results had been dubbed as the Whoopsy Factor by Macy.

Always account for a smidge of Whoopsy, a strange but ingenious idea. Lilith was growing to like Macy even if she was a frustratingly emotional person. Macy had ridiculous high Discovery and the [Discovery Wanderer] Talent. She was a great addition to Team Magic R&D alongside her sister. Hailey’s research on spellcraft crossed with the [Mediums’] focus on history in the religious archives gave Lilith much needed context. When all the [Crafters], [Mages], and [Mediums] came together in Team Magic R&D, Lilith would come away blessed with ideas.

The rainbow fire and Whoopsy Factor reminded Lilith that she should go and gather more special fungi in the Yoroachian Lair. Just another objective to add to the ever growing list of things to do. All of which were for the sake of magic and science.

And entertainment.

A hard crash sounded to Lilith’s right. Stacked junk fell over the person before Lilith saw them. She noticed the flicker of a white and silvery radiance, one of devotion. She figured the exchanged Champion would be perfectly fine after getting a ton of junk collapsed on top of her. Lilith turned toward the source that could make a Champion fly.

Oh.

My.

This was an interesting development.

Two grotesque creatures had appeared while leading a large Unregulated band in the low twenties to high teens in levels. The two creatures that absorbed Lilith’s attention were Rank 3s, and each one exuded power that felt as strong or stronger than Jay’s power. One creature swept through the air, dodging Tim’s rapid fire arrows that shot up like projectiles from an aerial defense weapon.

Tim made good use of his affinity. The Level 26 Endless [Fighter] could boost the regenerative rate to any one Status or do so for another person, something he’d just started exploring with an interesting concept that was Endless.

Rick had a harder time reaching the flying creature and had turned to fighting the lesser enemies. But in doing so, he garnered attention from the second of the two grotesque creatures and got bashed around.

Lilith used [Analyze].

The flying creature: a Level 34 Crazedflier that had forgone most of his humanity to achieve more freakish power. Four bug-like wings attached to a fleshy, ballooned body that granted flight and near pinpoint aerial control. He used a caustic power that could break down materials and flesh like Lilith’s acids, and had Skills aplenty for flight and bombardments.

The grounded creature: a Level 35 Fleshgnasher that had also forgone humanity through a monstrous transformation. He was a hulking, hardy creature that lugged himself around using two thickened legs and five arms. He attacked with brute force, speed, and a nigh undeniable hunger to devour his foes. He had Skills that would toughen him for direct battles.

These were once Unregulated men. But they had fouled their humanity to reach Rank 3 somehow, becoming [Freak] Derivatives. Lilith theorized they became monster men through the consumption of Yoroachian meat, which was laden with divinity from YoAnna’s blood but contaminated.

Lilith felt a rush of heady excitement. Her heart thumped faster than it had since this Junkside War started. These were the test subjects of Lilith’s desires. They’d become monsters in their desperation to gain more power by foul and untested means. Far from the purity of their designs.

This was understandably the path Jay followed. But the difference was Jay having a dear friendship with Lilith. And all the Champions had the [Prodigy of Monster Slaying] Title that would further boost their abilities against said monsters whether it made them wiser or more physically durable despite the power of the Rank 3s. These monster men were perfect specimens for testing and extermination and using a majority if not all of Lilith’s Skills, Talents, and Titles.

She must take control of the situation so she could enjoy this process thoroughly.

“Tim, focus on the ones that would be a waste of my time,” Lilith ordered.

“I’ll show you who’s a waste, little girl!” screamed a rare female Unregulated.

The Level 23 Preychaser moved confidently over the Junkyard’s uneven surfaces. The attacker’s legs had anima helping with locomotion. She moved faster than Lilith’s base Agility, further insinuating that the Preychaser was using an anima Skill for movement. The Preychaser also used magic to form giant mana-shaped claws that would inflict magic slashing damage.

Lilith stood perfectly still, too busy to pay the Preychaser any more mind after taking note of the woman’s anima and mana use.

“Look at me!” roared the Preychaser, rearing back her magic claws for the attack.

From the far side of their junky battlefield, Tim took a split-second break from shooting at the lesser Unregulated band. He turned toward Lilith’s direction and shot a smart arrow without looking. Then he resumed his arrow fire at the lesser Unregulated, even going as far as using his [Archer Squad] Skill. This power summoned four yellow clones linked to Tim by lines of anima. The squad helped Tim shoot oppressive magic arrow volleys at the Unregulated.

What happened with the smart arrow Tim had shot toward Lilith?

The creation of Tim’s [Conjure Arrows] and [Projectile Creativity] Skills directed itself mid flight at its true target. It did so without further assistance from Tim. The smart arrow pierced the Preychaser’s skull, right through the temple and brain’s center.

The Preychaser stumbled from the critical hit, able to survive due to her Rank 2 System and high enough Health Status. But her survival was a flimsy thing now. Her magic claws disappeared into motes of mana. She tripped into Lilith’s reach.

Lilith continued to pay the Unregulated little attention and palmed the woman’s face. Lilith squeezed until the front of the skull pulped.

With the Preychaser crushed like eggshells and berries, Lilith finished what had been on her mind during the failed attack and gave more orders. “Rick, go with Gatanna and deal with the Crazedflier.”

“Seriously?” Rick shouted while the side of his body was caught between the Fleshgnasher’s giant maw of a face.

The Rank 3 man monster shook Rick around as if the Level 26 Red [Fighter] was a big doggie chew toy. Rick’s bountiful blood supply flew all over as per usual. It rained on the nearest Unregulated using the Fleshgnasher as a mobile tank to avoid arrows from Tim and his [Archer Squad].

“Hold up, lemme get out of this first!” Rick shouted.

He used his [Ignite The Blood] Skill.

Every splash of Rick’s blood erupted into a reddish flame. The amount of damage Rick had taken recently boosted the red flames’ initial burst damage. A percentage of his missing health added to the DOT, the damage over time.

The Fleshgnasher threw Rick away in surprise. The flames burned the man monster and nearest Unregulated. Some of those Unregulated in the low Rank 2s suffered horribly.

Rick walked away, dragging his crude Just Hit The Damn Thing Axe (Good), a giant and junky creation of Macy’s. Since Rick’s [Savage] Skill required him to fight with little to no armor or protection, he wore nothing more than some of the toughest Good-Quality Lionguard Shorts Macy could make. Rick had received the JHTDT Axe to go along with the shorts and a satchel for his brazen lack of armored gear and clothes.

He didn’t even wear shoes, padding around barefoot. Even Lilith found that quite savage.

“Where’s Gatanna?” Rick asked.

“In the air, obviously,” Lilith answered.

“I know she’s in the air,” Rick said. “But where in the air?”

The Crazeflier looped above their heads and barreled down. Instead of attacking, he flapped his wings and entered a hover. His brownish, carapaced face opened up with a smile that fused mandibles with human teeth. An interesting but faulty design.

“Rick O’Kelly!” the Crazedflier called.

“That’s me,” Rick said. “Now hold still and let me whack you.”

“And miss my moment to tell you about George,” the Crazedflier sneered.

Rick hefted his large and crude axe and pointed it at the monster. “Where is he?”

“Where else?” The flying man monster laughed. “I fed him to my brother over there. Poor George cried some bullshit about how the juju would get me for this. But he cried the same just like all the Zion Soldiers the O’Kelly Family failed to help.”

Rick wore a grin of hatred and pain.

More adrenaline and cortisol entered Lilith’s bloodstream. She didn’t like foolish people who bullied her friends.

She turned quickly and aimed her right gauntlet at the charging Fleshgnasher. She used another Jet ritual. She shot a short stream of rainbow fire to stop the man monster from advancing.

Tim split up his ceaseless duties. Some arrows flew at the Unregulated minions to keep them back. Some arrows applied damage to the Fleshgnasher’s hard flank.

Rick tried to use [Blood Chain] to catch the Crazedflier. But the winged bully flapped away and laughed down at the O’Kellys.

“There was that three-legged dog, too! Don’t know what happened to it, but I bet it’s dead,” the Crazedflier taunted further. “If only that bratty girl with the overbite was here so I can see the look on her face! She ran like a coward. But that’s all Zion Soldiers and O’Kellys, right?”

The Crazedflier dodged arrow shots from Tim. Even the smart arrows got swatted into motes of mana when met by dark brown magic coating the flier’s wings.

“This is what you get for trying to kill off the Zombie Boys! We will live forever and have you all for dinner,” the Crazedflier said.

Lilith wanted to go after the Crazedflier and make him hurt. But it would not be proper to take a personal kill from another Champion. It would also not mesh well with their Title of Violent Ballads. Rick had to fight Crazedflier no matter what. At the very least, Gatanna bridged the gap close enough to spring her ambush with a burst of speed.

“No!” the Crazedflier shouted, darting away with a dark magical thrust. He narrowly avoided Gatanna’s snapping jaws as her active camouflage dropped.

The Level 27 Adaptive [Yogatzilla] sailed past the retreating man monster’s much smaller form. Her body pigments solidified into blacks after copying the shifting landscape and horizon as if she were see-through. The Mana she’d used to facilitate one of her [Polymorph Evolution] perks for active camouflage was on the higher end. Gatana couldn’t use that perk for long.

She’d been waiting high in the sky like a giant winged dinosaur in her flight form. She came down stealthily when Lilith had called through the [Super Monster Mistress] Talent. This was during the Preychaser’s failed attack, which was why Lilith had been mostly occupied.

Gatanna in her flight form looked like a gator fused with a pterodactyl fused with a medieval wyvern. With scaled dreadlocks. Her body had gone from bulky to willowy. Her skull had shifted with her jaw and snout elongated like a gator but narrowed for aerodynamics.

Her wings spanned an enormous 216 feet. The height from her feet to the crown of her head was 36 feet. The tail was the same length, giving her a total length of 72 feet. Her Attributes shifted to match this form, shrinking Resilience and Strength for more Poise and Agility.

Gatanna had also invested in Intellect recently. Lilith adored the improvement because Gatanna’s dive at the Crazedflier served three purposes. It threatened the flying bully, scared the weaker Unregulated, and provided pickup for Rick all at once.

Gatanna lowered her tail as she skimmed above the junk towers.

Rick [Blood Chained] Gatanna’s tail.

He yoinked away with the super monster as she flapped like thunder.