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Something Wicked This Way Comes
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Post by Hunter Mograine on Oct 9, 2022 13:18:27 GMT -6
With everything that had been taken away from him, Hunter knew that the first thing he needed was his magic back.
Ki was something that would come naturally, or so he believed. With time, his power would slowly return, hopefully sooner rather than later, but magic was something that wouldn't just innately return. He would need to retrain his body in order to use it.
The first step, as much as he despised it, was to lay the ground work. This is why he's currently sitting by himself, legs crossed, and softly muttering to himself in another tongue. Nothing would happen, of course. There would be no sudden change in his environment or lightning shooting from his fingers. Instead, it would take hours to unlock the natural pathways in his body for magic to flow through his veins once more.
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Learning Basic Magic 1/3
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Post by Hunter Mograine on Oct 11, 2022 14:54:49 GMT -6
There it was.
Like drops of rain on his tongue when he was dying of thirst, Hunter could feel the tingles of magic starting to flow through him again. While his concentration doesn't waver, he does allow himself to frown at the recognition of just how little was responding to his mental demand. He used to live magic, breathe magic.
Shoot magic.
Now, there was hardly enough to even fill his fingertips. He looks down at his hand, slowly wiggling his fingers to reestablish the connections between the physical and mystical. A soft, flickering flame begins to form around the tips of his gloves, seemingly struggling to stay alight from the gentle breeze threatening to snuff it out.
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Learning Basic Magic 2/3
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Post by Hunter Mograine on Oct 18, 2022 17:29:45 GMT -6
This was it. This was the moment.
Hunter could feel the magic in him, swelling and rising up through every atom of his being. It was begging to be released, but to do so recklessly could bring unwanted attention to himself. As such, the best way to do it was to use a spell that was most familiar.
And that was to summon his guns.
They weren't typical handguns, of course, more like relics that he used to channel his magic into damaging spells. Not to say he couldn't case other spells without them, but he found it easier to have something to work through. He holds his hands out in front of him, staring at his palms and willing the familiar forms to come into being.
When the red and black bladed handguns suddenly form in his hands, Hunter gives a rare smile.
"Finally."
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Learning Basic Magic 3/3
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Post by Hunter Mograine on Oct 27, 2022 11:15:37 GMT -6
With his connection to magic restored, it was time to take it a step further.
Basic spells were one thing, and while Hunter hadn't practiced them, he was confident he'd be able to use them in no time at all. However, he was eager to be able to use his full magical repertoire from the start. Once he'd finished fully unlocking his body's magical inhibitions, he could focus on both major and minor spells at his leisure.
And so, Hunter closes his eyes, sitting on the ground to focus inwards again. With his magical senses newly enhanced, he could feel the blocks put in his body, sealing access to the rest of his magic.
With a frown, he focuses on working the first block, tinkering with the seal itself to find anywhere he could gain access. As it turned out, he could tell it was designed to resist any manipulation from his ki, and since it was sealing the lion's share of his magic, they hadn't bothered to protect it against magical manipulation.
That gave him something to work with.
Hours go by as he tests and probes the seal, until finally, there's a small... almost imperceptible weakness, a tiny flaw in the makeup of the spell that he can tug on like a loose thread. The seal starts to fall away, shriveling into nothing, and Hunter allows himself to smile.
Two left.
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Learning Real Magic 1/3
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Post by Hunter Mograine on Nov 4, 2022 12:44:11 GMT -6
Without even a moment's hesitation from his last success, Hunter immediately begins to tug on the next seal, eager to free himself. It was seemingly created the same way, so all he needed w-
Instantly, he keels over, wrapping his arms around himself in agony. Every organ felt like it was being squeezed by metal wires, threatening to slice them into ribbons, and it takes a full hour before he can recover enough to sit up from the floor.
Clearly, he'd done something wrong.
He closes his eyes again, focusing inwards, and immediately sees what had happened. Each seal was connected, designed to sense when the seal before it was destroyed in order to safeguard the lower layers. Simply tugging at it in the same way would likely result in death, if he were to do it again so recklessly.
Instead, Hunter patiently focuses, gently pressing against the seal in different ways before he notices another slight "give". Hesitating only for a moment, he tries to pierce through the weakness softly, slowy, not wanting to subject himself to the same pain, only for it to never come even as he tears the seal apart from the inside.
Good. One left.
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Learning Real Magic 2/3
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Post by Hunter Mograine on Nov 8, 2022 18:45:18 GMT -6
"Damnit."
He was stuck.
No matter how hard he looked, there was no hole in this last seal's defenses that Hunter could find. His magical senses couldn't sense any kind of give. He sighs, trying to think of how the last two had worked.
They'd essentially become immune to being opened the same way as the last one. The first had been easy pickings for his magic, the second had needed subtlety.
...perhaps this one required pure power?
He frowns. The last time he'd been wrong, he'd almost killed himself. Just his own magical might wouldn't be enough. How else could he overpower the seal?
He channels his magic, then starts to mix his own Ki with it as well, pushing as much of his twin energies together as he can, before slamming it into the third seal. The force and resulting force makes his eyes widen in surprise, as magical energy flows through him once more.
Unrestrained.
Free.
"Finally."
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Learning Real Magic 3/3
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Post by Hunter Mograine on Nov 16, 2022 17:12:16 GMT -6
First things first. Hunter needed to start re-learning some of his spells.
The easiest to work with, no doubt, was summoning his pistols, something he'd managed to achieve briefly using his mostly sealed magic. In fact, it was almost child's play to summon them now, the dark handguns swirling into his hands after a half second of concentration.
No, the more difficult part would be re-learning the actual damaging spells he knew before. For the most part, he'd relied on Mirin to perform spells as his support, dealing damage in wide areas around him while he focused on more single-target damage, so perhaps that would be a good place to start.
Perhaps the best one to start with was a simple one. Hunter closes his eyes, focusing on the negative energy flowing through his body, then channels it through his pistols. Small, black balls swirl out from the muzzle, flowing out in a spiral almost slowly, before suddenly speeding up and hitting the far wall.
While the damage wasn't much, the strain was minimal at best. Plus, as they were from the dark element, they were drawn towards emotion, which meant they'd have decent tracking after being fired too. It was a start.
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Learning Magic Ability: Summon HFIL Pistols - These blasted pistols were crafted with loving care, paradoxically, something that Hunter has always enjoyed. When summoned, any spell cast through them is 2% more effective.
Learning Magic Ability: Dregs of the Deep - Dark energy enveloped in a white outline, these small balls are drawn to the dregs of the soul. Once cast, they gradually pick up speed, and have been known to alter their course while in flight to hit moving targets. +10% power level in damage.
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Post by Hunter Mograine on Nov 22, 2022 14:14:47 GMT -6
"That's it. I'm tired of walking."
With a loud huff of annoyance, Hunter closes his eyes, focusing his magical energy. While he may have forgotten how to do it normally, now that his magic had returned, he could somewhat... guide his body through the same motion until it was natural again. Thus, by lifting himself with magic, he could remind himself how to do the same with his Ki.
Ten minutes later, and Hunter is floating in the air above the city, looking down at it.
"This reminds me of something... Oh! That's the one."
There was a combination he'd become pretty fond of back in the day, one that was pretty devastating to groups of enemies. The first part, however, required him to get amongst them undetected. While he wasn't quite fast enough to do it like he used to, there was a way to help a bit with that.
Hunter concentrates his magic around him, fully covering his body, then uses it to refract the light around him. This, essentially, renders him see-through, essentially becoming invisible.
"That was easier than I remembered."
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Learning ability: Flight - Be able to fly or levitate.
Learning Magic Ability: Invisibility - Hunter refracts the light around him, becoming invisible to the naked eye. Can still be detected through other means, such as ki-sensing, infrared sensors, etc.
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Post by Hunter Mograine on Mar 10, 2023 19:05:50 GMT -6
With his power still greatly diminished, Hunter was forced to call upon powers he'd very rarely used in the past. Quite frankly, he believed himself above them, as simple blasts with his guns or Ki would easily destroy nearly anything he ran into during the high-pitched battles he enjoyed before.
Now, he was a baby among giants who stepped on him fairly often.
Hunter kneels down in a children's sandpit, the night air stirring gently around him. With no one around, it was the perfect time to re-learn.
"Power that lies at the root of all creation..."
He chants softly, digging lines through the sand with his index and middle finger, forming something that looks vaguely like a circle mixed with a triangle.
"A memory mixed in ancient past..."
He places his hands on his thighs, closing his eyes as he wills the magic in his body to come forth.
"Heed my call to rise before me, and devastate all that bars my way..."
Hunter's eyes suddenly burst open, and his aura flares around him, accented by quick jolts of bio-electricity.
"Ancient Calamity!"
Right where his gaze lands on the complex in front of him instantly explodes, a devastating hole forming directly in the middle of it.
"Yes!"
He cheers, getting up with a big grin, before feeling woozy.
"...oh. I should probably leave."
You know. Before the authorities show up.
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Learning Magic Ritual Ability: Ancient Calamity - Hunter performs a magic ritual for four posts, complete with drawing a symbol on the ground. As long as he is uninterrupted and takes no other action, the ability grows in power by 15% per post. Upon completing the ritual, Hunter sends out a blast that strikes anywhere he can see, causing a devastating explosion. Up to +60% PL in damage.
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Post by Hunter Mograine on Mar 22, 2023 12:06:51 GMT -6
With damage covered.... somewhat, Hunter knew there was a lot more setup he would need in order to perform his favorite combination. Especially if he wanted to improve upon it.
The first step was to separate himself.
It was a daunting prospect, and one that if he didn't have magic, seemed impossible. However, with magic, nearly anything was possible. All it would take is a fraction of his life force pulled from his body, then given form. A little modification here, a little tweak there... and bam.
Hunter finds himself face-to-face with... himself.
"That's not... me, is it?"
He grimaces, and the mirror image does the same, equally disgusted. Without a moment's hesitation, Hunter blasts the figure with his eye beam, and it falls flat with a hole in its chest. Instantly, the small amount of power he had invested in it rejoins him, and Hunter feels the same as he had before.
Well, with the added experience of knowing what it felt like to get blasted in the chest by himself.
"That was easier than I thought. I must be a genius."
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Learning Magic Ability: Schism - Hunter creates a clone of himself from his own life force. Each clone lowers his power level by 5% to maintain, and each clone has a power level of 10% of Hunter's. Clones can perform any ability that Hunter himself knows, and upon death, return their power and knowledge to him, restoring the power loss.
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Post by Hunter Mograine on Mar 28, 2023 14:18:30 GMT -6
"Alright. Now, the fastest way to do this... hm."
Hunter sits there in the middle of a circle of... well, him's, all in the same thinking position. The fastest way to brainstorm, he'd found, was to simply split himself and think about it from different angles. After all, the humans had a saying of "Two heads are better than one", so what was better than two?
Twenty.
All of the Hunter's were considering a way to move around a battlefield faster without waiting to be stronger. Unlocking his old strength would take a long time, and he wanted a shortcut now. But how?
Hunter keeps thinking, tapping his chin, before glancing around at the other him's. Most of them were thinking, some of them were goofing off, and two were sharing glances and chuckling. Hunter frowns, forming his guns, and just as he aims one at each clone and squeezes the trigger, they seem to disappear and reappear, laughing.
Right before the beams blast through them, causing them to slump over.
Instantly, their knowledge hits him, and Hunter's eyes widen. Channeling his energy, he concentrates on the clone to his right, instantly swapping places, before doing it again with the one behind him.
Some sacrifices were worth it.
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Learning Magic Ability: Body Replacement - Only available when Hunter has a clone present. Hunter swaps places with his clone instantaneously.
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Post by Hunter Mograine on May 4, 2023 10:29:45 GMT -6
"I mish defroyim biffess juff bah loo-in ah 'em."
Hunter manages to mangle his words around the handfuls of egg goo he's shoveling into his mouth, having cracked open the massive shell. Technically, he was talking to himself, but also he wasn't alone, as three other clones are doing much the same thing, devouring this massive meal that's far too much for one man.
Well, one normal man.
"If we were in our original body, we could still do that."
One of the clones says, licking his fingers, while a second one points at him.
"Yeah! We could've also just eaten this thing whole, too, not have to split it up li-"
Blam! An energy beam fires through the clone's head, and he falls to the ground, dead. Hunter slowly puts his gun away, scowling. He doesn't like being reminded of... well, anything to do with his current handicap.
"Stop being dumb. As long as we keep learning rituals, we can make up for the difference in power until this body catches up to our old one."
"How?"
Hunter shoots his clone a look, while the other raises his hand.
"Oh! Like that empowerment thing slaves used to do!"
Blam!
The clone goes down, and Hunter shakes his head. He doesn't want to refer to any move he does as one "slaves do". He's no slave.
The last clone stares at him, trying to figure out what to say without getting shot.
....
Blam!
The silence bothered him.
Hunter looks down at the egg, still halfway full.
"...I guess I need to make more to finish this."
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Learning Magic Ability: Supplicative Empowerment - The user stays in place and chants in a ritualistic manner, kneeling on the ground. As long as their concentration is maintained, the target gains +10% base Power Level. This ability stacks with itself if others perform the technique as well.
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Post by Vo Lang on May 6, 2023 11:37:34 GMT -6
Hunter will experience being sick for the first time.
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Post by Hunter Mograine on May 17, 2023 9:33:45 GMT -6
Horf.
Being sick is awful.
As a result, Hunter doesn't feel like training anything that takes a physical toll on himself. Instead, he wants to just curl up and wait until this feeling disappears.
Honestly. Who gets sick? What a ripoff this body was.
However, the lazy day he intended on having is in danger of being ripped away whenever Leon or Mirin show up. Neither of them would listen if he told them he didn't want to, so instead... he has to hide. No matter how hard he tried, Leon would always find him. Something was sticking out, tipping him off.
Hunter looks down at himself, trying to figure it out, before he finally realizes. Energy! Of course! He'd forgotten how to sense it since he'd been focusing on reclaiming his magic, but he knew of the technique. Rather than focus on that, however, it was more prudent to remember how to hide his own.
Hunter shoves his energy down, as deep within himself as he can. As long as he focused on that, he should be fine. No one will find him now.
Never mind the trail of half-digested egg that currently leads to his closet.
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Learning: Energy Suppression - Able to hide your Power Level from scouters or Energy Sense
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Post by Hunter Mograine on May 30, 2023 18:04:34 GMT -6
It occured to Hunter that there could be a slight issue with his clones.
Yes, they had their uses, but they were a lot weaker than himself. Conceivably, they could be taken prisoner by anyone whose power was above a basic level, and since they didn't give him any information until they died, if they were restrained they were useless. If only they just died on command...
Maybe that was the answer!
Hunter draws upon his life once again, forming the basis for a clone as usual. However, in the same process, he slips a small amount of death magic in as well.
Soon, a new Hunter is formed, and the original looks at his handiwork for a moment.
Yep. Looks the same.
Then he snaps his fingers.
The clone explodes in a shower of gore and magical power, sending Hunter sprawling to the ground, covered in blood and guts.
Maybe he should have tried this with the clone a little further away...
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Learning Magic Ability: Path of Self Destruction - Every clone Hunter creates has a hidden self-destruct ritual imbued in their very essence. Hunter can activate this spell from any distance, causing the clone to explode dealing Hunter's PL +20% in damage.
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