Overpowered Wizard

Regardless of the Somnolite in front of him, Zarian had another realization that should’ve concerned him sooner. What could he learn from the World of Gravity and Dreams?

The question made his heart thump hard, his stomach feeling staticky with excitement. His mind gravitated to the unfinished spell that remained the most out of reach.

Then he snapped back to attention, forced to think about what the Somnolite was trying to say. That shouldn’t have been an issue, but the Somnolites were quite special in many ways.

The male Somnolite in front of Zarian had shimmering, semi-translucent skin that seemed to refract light like organic crystals.

The Somnolite’s body stood a little taller than Gilbert while slender and long, almost reminding Zarian of Magi.

Unlike Hannah’s dapperly dressed magical intelligence, the Somnolite wore layers of flowing garment made of the softest cotton material Zarian had ever seen. The garments almost seemed like thicker versions of dashikis or kimonos, maybe a mix of both, with colorful cotton-candy style patterns.

Meeting an actual humanoid who was far from the normal conventions the Floridians had seen was almost astounding. The only sticky part was Zarian and the others’ struggles to understand what the heck the Somnolite was trying to say despite speaking in some form of English.

Zarian leaned further on his legendary trait Devourer of Secrets and Stories for a deeper dive.

<Somnolite, Last Dream Inhabitant, Level 28 Gravity Guardian Grunt (Epic), Good +2.>

<Best Three Stats: Mysticism, Wonder, Agility.>

<Alpha Skills: Small Day Dream Conjurations +1, Basic Gravity Force +1.>

<Traits: Dream Gravity High Affinity (Epic), Identify (Rare), Elusive Intentions (Uncommon).>

<Expanded Details: This Somnolite is named ‘Dying Dream Duty Dorian.’ Like other Somnolites, he speaks in riddles and vague artistic interpretations of words that twist about Star System Common – your old world’s English. Dying Dream Duty Dorian is 34 years old and a father of two with a loving but worried wife. His favorite meal is called ‘Rainbow Puff.’ His favorite drink is ‘Slumber Rum.’ He intends to test you to see if you are the true saviors heralded by the oracles of Last Dream Habitat, the last living city on this miserable Dying Lesser World. You can cheat your way through using Devourer of Secrets and Stories and Aura Mastery to speak in riddles with him. Or try to learn and understand the language conventions the hard way.>

Zarian tried to listen again to Dying Dream Duty Dorian. The Gravity Guardian Grunt was repeating himself while using his magic in small, elusive ways to make quite the display.

The Somnolite was too weak for his skills and traits to affect any of the Floridians overtly. But Zarian imagined the shifting gravity sending dirt, grit, and rainbow petals orbiting around the shimmering and softly dressed Somnolite would’ve been an impressive display on a much, much weaker adventurer party.

Zarian also imagined the flickering apparitions fuzzing out the Somnolite’s outline was part of the theatrics, while also a defensive mechanism for Dying Dream Duty Dorian to elude attack from hostile entities. The flowing cotton garments he wore had enchantments that enhanced the elusive and illusionary magic, too, but the enchantments were only rare quality.

It all matches up. The Somnolites are people who’ve grown up living their own way of life. Dreamy and gravitational. So the way Dying Dream Duty Dorian is twisting his words isn’t because he’s trying to mess with us. He’s speaking seriously. It also seems like the people here are mainly weak from staying in this bubble for so long.

Zarian nodded with understanding, though not everyone was on board like him.

“I don’t really get what the sparkly tall man is saying, but he says really pretty things,” Bianca said dreamily, dimming her light and charm, showing unusual restraint to avoid enthralling Dying Dream Duty Dorian. “And I love his outfit so, so much. Muy bueno. Hannah, we need an outfit like that. And by we, I mean me. Please collect what we need for that fit.”

“I’ll think about it after we save the universe,” Hannah grumbled.

“What the babbling tower is the alien saying?” Gilbert grunted.

“Dying Dream Duty Dorian is not an alien, Gilbert. Somnigrav is his world, dying or not,” Hannah corrected, having done her own identifying scan.

Hannah’s legendary trait Eldritch Analyst worked similarly to Zarian’s Devourer of Secrets and Stories. However, her identifying trait was more focused on people, places, and things, narrowing her scope. That wasn’t entirely a bad thing. The narrowed scope worked to her benefit of studying concepts faster and more thoroughly.

Zarian’s identifying trait was slower and sometimes unfocused when he didn’t direct it with Aura Mastery. But Devourer of Secrets and Stories was more expansive, able to encompass more than Hannah’s identifying trait. The artificer would know more deeply about the Somnolite, but the wizard could spread his awareness more easily.

Hannah continued with her studious point. “In fact, being Outsiders marks us as aliens from the start. But I suppose we’re doubly alien here in the World of Gravity and Dreams.”

“What?!” Shocked, Gilbert gawked at Hannah. “I’m not an alien! I’m a Christian and a Freedom Leader! Dirty Duty Doran is the one who’s the alien!”

Para/Naomi’s owl-masked face turned toward the ranger. “Sometimes, Gilbert, I can’t tell if you are serious or if you are joking.”

“I’m totally serious,” Gilbert said seriously.

With an exasperated sigh, Hannah turned to Zarian. “I’m learning as much as I can about Dying Dream Duty Dorian’s language and customs. But since we’re in a time crunch, you might have to cheat for us to get past the initial political foray.”

A notification appeared in blue for Zarian, triggered by Hannah’s epic trait, Side Quest Monger.

<This quest is set by Hannah Townhouse and administered by the Star System. Somnolites like to handle most social conflicts through indirect and slow means. Try to hurry the Freedom Leaders past the unusual political loops of the Last Dream Habitat with effective maneuvering, cheating, or force!>

<Side Quest 3 (Epic): Maneuver Past Somnolite Politics Quickly!>

Zarian decided not to cheat too much, only a little, at least when speaking.

After all, he had free evil +7. What were riddles and strange phrasing compared to his ruthless cunning?

“To be an echo of self, is it the world’s insistence to mute the first chance to learn? Or are ears like fallen children, unable to stand to what must be heard?” asked Dying Dream Duty Dorian, with a musical lit to his voice that came with a hint of exasperation, his crystalline and shimmering face turning a dark shade of red.

“He’s saying that we’re being hard of hearing and it’s frustrating for him,” Zarian said to the others.

“Well, we’re frustrated too. It ain’t our fault we can’t speak alien-nese!” Gilbert hollered. “Look, even Hannah’s frustrated. She just wants to be back home, getting on with her nerd dungeon hootenanny instead of saving the universe.”

“Gilbert, shut up,” Hannah muttered.

“Hannah, don’t be grumpy,” Bianca scolded lightly. “We need to look like nice people. It’s easier to get fashion tips that way. I’ll make you feel young again once we get you dressed up like a cutie.”

Hannah became so steaming mad she couldn’t even respond. Para/Naomi laughed softly in the background. Dying Dream Duty Dorian continued to grow more exasperated with the situation.

Zarian figured out what he wanted to say and spoke so the Somnolite would understand: “Death begets death, slaughtering nightmares and dreams. This is the firm path we tread when feet are bound to bleeding worlds across the shadowed stars.”

Dying Dream Duty Dorian faltered, taken aback, his shimmering crystal skin turning gray with fear.

The Somnolite retreated a few steps. Zarian, of course, pressed forward.

A pulse of gravity from the Somnolite tried to stop the wizard. Zarian unraveled it with Aura Mastery and the knowledge of his unfinished gravity spell.

Graying even further, Dying Dream Duty Dorian tried to fade from sight and send sparkles into Zarian’s eyes.

Before the wizard did anything, Bianca wriggled her fingers and gave the Somnolite a small but distracting flash to his face, disrupting his dream conjuration skill.

Then Zarian grabbed the slender and well-dressed guardian by the wrist, right under the sleeve of the cotton cuff. Zarian’s grip was gentle, but unbreakable, letting the Somnolite know there was no escape without hurting him.

From there, Zarian kept playing the riddle game: “The destroyers of destroyers make landfall like falling mountains, but they give the blades of grass the choice to bend. Move not to the olds winds that gust near frail ears. Guide forth to the dead field where the flames of freedom may burn wild. See new growth, new life, new homes from the ash of graveyards and corpse eaters.”

Stolen story; please report.

Zarian let go of Dying Dream Duty Dorian. The Somnolite rubbed at the wrist where the wizard had held him, looked at the Floridians with trembling eyes that sparkled with many colors, then nodded his head.

The Somnolite turned and waved for the Floridians to follow before skipping along the bouncy yellow brick road. Zarian bounced ahead of his Floridians, the others following his lead.

“What the hell was all that?” Gilbert asked.

“I pretty much told him we’re the biggest and baddest killers. We need to hurry along so we can fuck shit up for their benefit or suffer,” Zarian said.

“Hm, yes, I see how you did that,” Hannah said. “Sometimes, I regret not switching from the free for real sub alignment to free evil.”

“What’s wrong, Bianca?” Para asked, turning to the Radiant Queen.

Bianca was frowning. “Zarian, that was mean! Could we have handled that nicer? What if they don’t share their fashion tips? What if we miss out on the rare Somnigrav outfits that would make everyone back home jealous?!”

“No time for niceties. We got enslavers to kill,” Zarian replied.

“Oh, yeah, that’s true. Dale! Let’s go!”

***

<Congrats, you’ve completed the Epic Side Quest: Maneuver Past Somnolite Politics Quickly!>

Zarian nodded at the notification. He went back to examining an expensive dark rum bottle he bought from the Triad of Gravity Dreamers, the three city leaders of the last Somnolite bastion.

The leaders weren’t around right now. Zarian and his fellow Floridians had brushed past them and the political crap just moments ago.

“Ninety minutes,” Hannah commented, looking out the window of their top floor suite in the nicest lodging that Last Dream Habitat offered. “We could’ve cut it down to thirty minutes if it wasn’t for all the interesting lore.”

Looking up from the rum bottle, Zarian glanced outside the window where tall and colorful spires with shimmering glass dome roofs stood proudly along the city skyline. Children played in rainbow colored fields with drifting bubbles and balloons flowing around the city. The sound of Somnolites speaking in musical riddles drifted through the weak sound dampening enchantments placed on the walls.

Everything looked most alright at first glance, but there was still a notable tension among the populace of a hundred thousand Somnolites.

“Yup, very interesting lore,” Zarian said before looking back at the rum bottle.

“We did lose some time when Bianca ran off to examine the local fashion scene,” Para added lightly, sitting on a floating chair made of bubbles.

“Guys, it is what it is. You’ll thank me later when our Somnigrav dresses and suits impress the people back in Corma so much, it makes us even more popular,” Bianca said from the open kitchen area, sampling various food items that were specific to the world of Gravity and Dreams. “Hey, I got an idea! Maybe I can learn to craft them myself! Just like how I can cook pretty damn well!”

“Oh, this I have to see,” Hannah said smarmily. “Will you be enchanting, too?”

Bianca pointed an oblong marshmallow fruit at Hannah. “Hey, don’t make fun of me. I can use, um, enchanting books from Reiki’s library to help me! So, yeah! I bet I can!”

Bianca took a bite out of her marshmallow fruit aggressively as she glared at Hannah’s smug smile.

Zarian shook his head. He glanced around at the galore of food weighing down the kitchen counter and dining table. Somnolites seemed to enjoy having a lot of soft eating options.

And rum.

Lots and lots of rum.

There was no beer. No coffee. No other options other than water, juice, and rum.

“You okay there, chief?” Gilbert asked, standing over Zarian’s shoulder. The man’s fierce blue eyes looked from the wizard to the rum bottle and back. “I know it’s tempting, but think of the mission.”

“We’re stocking up on rum. On the fashion fits. On everything we can get from this place before we leave.” Zarian tossed the rum bottle to Para, who used Naomi’s hand to store it into the phantom pocket dimension. With a nod, Zarian moved to a spot where he could see everyone. “Alright, Hannah, give us your end of the details and I’ll add some of mine. You’ve dug enough with your Eldritch Analyst, I assume, right?”

“Indeed, I have. I understand the main reason this world has been chosen and what led us to landing on this island,” Hannah explained. “Basically, Somnigrav went through a cataclysm at the start of the Dark Era that damaged the world’s aura channels. The reason for the low aura density is from a thousand years of Somnigrav draining aura from their local sun and disseminating it uselessly out into space. The only location where aura remains is here at Last Dream Habitat. Why do you think that is?”

“Because these people have hopes and dreams that protect them from evil, bad things,” Bianca said.

“Because they’re aliens,” Gilbert said.

“I’m assuming this island is linked more closely to their local sun,” Para said.

“Para has it,” Zarian said.

Hannah leaned against the window. “The island seems to act as the first channel, a sort of ley line of aura, linked to the sun naturally. It’s through here that the survivors of the desolation gather and stay behind their bubble. The creatures outside seem to be monsters who take advantage of the low aura density for reasons that Zarian would probably know best.”

“They are creatures similar to the ones in the void,” Zarian explained. “Of nothingness and entropy while also bound to certain parameters of the Star System. What’s the upside? They don’t use magic like us. What’s the downside? They’re freaking strong because they have bodies the size of land masses while far above Master Rank. To them, a Dying World is habitable. They seem to avoid Last Dream Habitat, but not entirely. They are both hostile and oblivious. We can’t rely on them to deal with the enslavers who will find a way past the entropic titans.”

Hannah took over from there. “This place is protected by Serveserf and Hisscreep to an extent, at least against the giant monsters as an extra precaution, but not against the enslavers. However, if we can stop the invasion, there’s a chance that the Somnolites will get relocated by the Star System’s magic to somewhere more suitable.”

Hannah walked away from the window, pacing about in the middle of their hotel suite. “It’s supposed to be an incentive for the Somnolites to help us and other incoming Outsiders, because it’s through here that the enslavers could build a more stable beachhead. It’s through here that the enslavers might try to draw the last remaining aura of the Dying World and their dying sun before expanding their invasion across the Star System. And it’s through here they’ll enslave the Somnolites and turn them into something else.”

“That’s one half of the sticky point. The other half is the horror that would come if they could capture me,” Zarian said. “So the enslavers have two ways to win. We also have two ways to win.”

The Conquest Wizard walked toward the window. He pointed out toward the darkened horizon outside of the city. “We take the fight to them. The city’s oracles sense where the enslavers are staging themselves in this world. We go straight to them and destroy up what’s letting them cross the gap between universes and end this conflict in one move.”

“I’m not sure about that,” Para said. “It’s dangerous out there, Zarian. You are the most vulnerable because of low aura density. And you are without me enhancing your body. Wouldn’t it be smarter to fight the waves where we are stronger and wait for Outsider reinforcements like the Star System promised?”

Zarian shook his head. “The enslavers will think we’re prey. They’re used to that tactic of breaking in and doing whatever the hell they want. We need to punch the enslavers first.”

Para didn’t stop there. “What if you get captured, my dear host?”

Para’s concern had an undercurrent of Naomi’s concern rising as twin voices. It was as if the mere idea that Zarian would be endangered awakened the cultivator, even if only for a moment.

Powerful waves of psychic energy filled the room, forcing everyone to sway or stagger. Even Gilbert, who had 745 Strength and the buffs to back it, stumbled from the cultivator’s psychic power.

The crystalline glass window behind Zarian cracked and shattered. The wizard turned and used Aura Mastery to catch all the glass fragments and pile them in the suite’s corner.

With a huff, Zarian took a step forward and cast Void Parade. He swept in and out of the void, the air winkling where he entered and exited, placing him on the armrest of the floating bubble chair.

He reached down and combed his fingers through Para/Naomi’s braided hair and coins.

“Relax, you two. Things will be alright. I’m not alone. I got the best party in the Star System. If we can’t overcome a challenge like this, it’ll be disappointing,” Zarian said.

Para/Naomi settled down after hearing that, Naomi returning to a more restful state while still under a coma. The others seemed to grow more serious.

As much as Zarian hated to disappoint his friends, he imagined they hated to disappoint him even more so. He’d spent a lot of time developing them. This was their chance to prove themselves once again that his efforts weren’t wasted.

“Bianca, go gather as much food and supplies as you can,” Zarian ordered.

“I’ll charm the people and make them feel like we’re the most important heroes who will save them while I gather stuff,” added the Radiant Queen.

“Hannah, place down golems or cannons around the island and city,” Zarian ordered next. “Your magitek minions need to be somewhat autonomous while responding to spectral spider commands.”

“I’ll do that and fashion ourselves some aura crystal belts based on elvish and Somnolite designs,” the Runic Artificer said. “That way, Bianca can get a look at what functional fashion looks like and we’ll be better prepared for what’s out there.”

Zarian nodded and turned to the next. “Gilbert, go heal whoever is sick, dying, injured, or whatever, and spread some comforting force energy to the people.”

The Rescue Ranger held two thumbs up.

Zarian focused on the ladies on the bubble chair under him.

“Para, Naomi, you’re with me. I’m going to study the gravity of this place. I won’t be able to finish the spell … but I think I know what I can do to mitigate the low aura density out there.”

“I also thought of a way we can best use Naomi’s psychic abilities with me enhancing her,” Para said.

Zarian nodded. “Great. Let’s hustle. We have an hour before we head out to the thick of things and bring the fight to the enslavers. I wanted them punched in the motherfucking mouth by yesterday.”

“Yes, exactly that, everyone. I want what Zarian said to be done,” Hannah added, triggering her trait Side Quest Monger.

Once they all had their own side quests to follow, they set off to achieve their individual objectives.

After an hour, the Floridians left Last Dream Habitat a happier and more fortified place. The Somnolite oracles had written clear and direct instructions for the Floridians to follow. That had taken some great difficulty for a people who weren’t used to the speed and urgency coming from the Outsiders, so Zarian appreciated the effort.

Tens of thousands of Somnolites watched the Floridians leave their bubble of island safety. They watched the Floridians embark on a journey above the horrid nightmare ocean and half-sunken islands covering most of their Dying World.

The suns were already setting, darkening the blackened land further. The temperatures dropped below freezing. There were thunderous dark clouds sweeping in from the east, the same direction the Floridians went. Oily rain and coal-like hail fell.

Yet, the Floridians kept carrying on.

They flew across the desolate world on a wedge-shaped platform made from Naomi’s purple psychic power and Para’s dark red phantom power.

Zarian and Hannah held onto a shoulder each of Para/Naomi’s body. The wizard and the artificer used their aura traits to keep their phantom psychic pilot fueled, with aura channels working at their peak efficiency.

Gilbert stood guard as the Rescue Ranger. Bianca removed all light to make them part of the shadowy landscape.

All five Floridians had spectral spider webbing on their backs, forming specific spell arrays for using gravity to draw more aura quickly to their bodies. The increase in aura recovery wasn’t large, but every bit helped.

Just like that, the Floridians hurried across Somnigrav. Pure wondrous luck saw them slip past the monstrous void-like titans without attracting their wrath. The Floridians attributed their wondrous luck to Bianca’s presence.

The Radiant Queen was a gift who kept on giving, especially when they encountered the first wave of enslavers five days later. The Floridians not only found the enemy first, Zarian and his friends acquired the better ambushing position, too.