Shirtaloon
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Chapter 980: The Only Cure is Death
🕑 Added 2025-01-29 22:00:04 +0000 UTCThe ritual room was a large and empty space. The walls and ceiling were plain, smooth plaster, while the floor was polished concrete. The lighting was non-magical fluorescent. Narrow, vertical slots were set at various points around the walls, running floor to ceiling. The only other permanent feature was the single door, the room lacking windows, decorations or furniture.
The ritual diagram Carlos and Farrah had created occupied one corner, with the rooms occupants gathered at the other end. Bussinger looked at the dense web of lines and sigils drawn onto the floor with fine powders of various colours. Set amongst them were piles of spirit coins and other materials, ranging from the seemingly mundane to the exotic. A glass bowl held murky water, and there was a pile of small metal ingots. What looked like a normal apple was radiating magic and a blue candle stub burned with green light. As she watched, the melted wax slowly crawled up the stub to restore the candle, as if moving backwards through time.
Earth was more interested in magitech than ritual magic, but she had seen rituals conducted several times. Compared to what she was now looking at, those ritual circles were the crayon drawings of a child. The only place not filled with intricate lines was an empty circle at the middle of the diagram. It had just enough space for one person to stand.
“Please move to the middle of the ritual diagram,” Carlos told her. “It would be best if you levitate in. I know you have gold-rank coordination, but a stumble should you hop in would cost us quite a bit of work.
She turned to look at him.
“I don’t have a levitation power,” she said, getting odd looks from everyone but Asano and Farrah Hurin.
“I’m largely responsible for the aura-related sections of Farrah’s training programs,” Jason told the others. “I was focused on the people starting from scratch, not the ones who had already reach the mid-ranks using cores. Rufus refined what Farrah had spread to the world but didn’t disseminate the higher-level techniques either. Not after relations between the clan and the rest of the world started to sour.”
He turned to Bussinger.
“You can thank the Australian government seizing my uncle’s land for that one.”
“I don’t know what you’re talking about,” she told him.
“Every silver-ranker can do simple levitation using their aura,” Jason explained. “You can only use your aura on yourself that way, unless you’re a bit odd, like the messengers and—”
“Don’t digress, Jason,” Farrah told him in a schoolteacher voice.
“Sorry. The point is, one of the first lessons of silver-rank aura control is levitation. It’s not very useful, outside of niche circumstances, but it’s very basic. For now, I should probably levitate you in.”
“No,” Carlos said. “The circle is sensitive, and I don’t want your aura contaminating the results. That’s why I asked you all not to use any active powers, and why I had this room lined with magically suppressive materials, then constructed non-magical materials. Precise ritual work is tricky when the entire building is an expression of your power, Jason.”
“I know, right?” Emi said. “I’ve had to do the same thing every time I—”
“Task at hand,” Farrah told her, in the same tone of mild scolding she’d used on Jason.
“Ms Bussinger,” Carlos said. “Please carefully hop into the circle.”
Bussinger leapt into the circle. It was an easy task with her strength and coordination, yet she found herself almost stumbling out of nervousness.
“That might have been easier if there hadn’t been so much build-up,” she confessed.
Carlos pulled a remote control from his pocket and clear panels slid out of the slots in the wall. They cut off the corner of the room, enclosing Bussinger and the ritual circle. A panicked expression flashed across her face before she smothered it.
“Sorry,” Carlos said. “I should have warned you. The screens are to filter out any extraneous magic during the ritual, as well as display the results.”
“Are you sure this is safe?” Bussinger asked.
“Quite harmless,” Carlos said.
“It’s just that I’ve seen screens like these on TV, when people are setting off explosives.”
“It does look like those,” Emi said enthusiastically. “That’s fun. But don’t worry; new ritual circle designs hardly ever catch fire.”
“Hardly ever?” Bussinger asked.
“New rituals often take some troubleshooting,” Emi explained. “Farrah, have you ever had a newly designed ritual circle catch on fire?”
“Stop teasing the poor woman,” Farrah scolded. “You’re as bas as your uncle. Ms Bussinger, this is a very old ritual, and is not going to have the mistakes an overenthusiastic ritualist…”
She glanced at Emi.
“…would make because they were too enamoured with their own cleverness.”
“Hey…”
“How about we start before she changes her mind?” Jason suggested.
Once the ritual began in earnest, the observers behind the glass quieted down. That helped calm Bussinger’s nerves, but she still felt like a fish in a tank as they all stared at her from the outside. She was about to ask when it would start when she felt a pressure pushing against her. It was like being submerged in liquid, but in a spiritual sense, the pressure flooding over her aura.
The weaknesses in her aura defences were laid bare in short order. The spiritual pressure found every flaw, seeping in like water into a poorly designed submarine. She instinctively pushed back, but it found every gap and crack in her defences.
“Please don’t resist the process,” Carlos said. “Your aura manipulation isn’t up to the task anyway, and you’ll only make the experience more unpleasant.”
Giving up her resistance was like forcing herself to breathe while underwater, knowing that she’d drown. She couldn’t bring herself to do it until a sense of tranquillity passed over her, seemingly out of nowhere. In a single moment, she went from the verge of drowning in a submarine to floating in an isolation tank, peaceful and safe. Her magical perception drifted away, and her other senses followed, everything going black.
***
After Bussinger entered a trance mid-ritual, she had stood, senseless and still, unconscious but still on her feet. When the ritual came to a close she started to fall. Clive used his Juxtaposition ability to switch-teleport with her, and Jason caught her before she hit the floor. He carried her into the middle of the room and a cloud bed floated out of the flask amulet around his neck. He set her down and left Emi to watch over her.
Carlos retracted one of the clear screens for Clive to get out. The other screen was awash with colour, like a flat lava lamp, displaying the results of the ritual. Jason and Carlos peered at it from up close, with Clive and Farrah behind them.
“This make any sense to you?” Farrah asked Clive.
“No,” he said. “I’ve dabbled in more magical fields than I probably should, but this is outside my experience entirely. Well, not entirely. Obviously, it’s a map of physical-spiritual dissonance through an application of resonating—”
“Oh, yeah, obviously,” Farrah said. “Jason, do you understand this?”
“I do,” he said. “I’ve had an avatar working with Carlos all through my absence. It was learning, and I took in that knowledge like a skill book.”
He pointed at a display.
“Are you seeing this?” he asked Carlos.
“I am,” Carlos said, his voice an awed whisper. “Is this what you saw during the fight?”
“I wasn’t sure, but this confirms it, right?”
“We should run more tests,” Carlos said. “A lot more tests, starting with this one again to replicate the results. But it’s a strong indication, yes. You said that an essence ability did this?”
“I did. Have you ever heard of a power that can do this?”
“Never,” Carlos said. “If anyone knew about something like this, it would be me. I’ve never heard of an essence ability or any other kind of power that can do this. The only thing I’ve even heard of suggesting it’s possible would be—”
“The Purity relic everyone on Palli is fighting over.”
“Exactly,” Carlos said with a nod. “I can’t even imagine the ramifications of this, even if the power’s effect is so miniscule to have no practical impact.”
“But she could keep using, right? It’s an essence ability, so she could use it over and over.”
“I think that’s exactly what she has been doing,” Carlos said, pointing at a section of the results. “This isn’t the result of a single use but an accumulation of the effect being repeated. See how miniscule each individual result is.”
Jason moved his face right up to the screen.
“You’re right,” he said. “The individual instances are almost undetectable.”
“Except that you did detect one,” Carlos pointed out. “Not with a ritual but with your aura senses alone. While in the middle of a fight, no less. How sensitive is your spiritual perception, exactly?”
“Um, quite?”
“Quite? Sensing this would be like directly perceiving the dimensional boundary of the universe with just your magical senses.”
“Uh…”
Carlos ran a hand over his face.
“Why are you running around fighting monsters when you have abilities like these? You should be dedicating your life to magic research!”
“Yes!” Clive exclaimed. “I’ve been saying it for years.”
“Can we stop complaining about Jason not living up to his potential long enough for someone to tell me what is going on?” Farrah asked.
“Not living up to my… I made a universe!”
“You already had a spirit realm,” Farrah said dismissively. “It was less making a universe than just renovating.”
Jason stared at her, slack jawed.
“Actually,” Farrah said, looking at Bussinger, “save the explanation for when she wakes up. It sounds like something she deserves to hear first.”
***
Bussinger’s eyes snapped open. She was laid on a cloud bed floating on the floor of the ritual room. Lying in it felt like being in a soft waterbed while on heavy duty painkillers.
“Welcome back,” Emi Asano said with a smile. Bussinger realised that her hand was held in a gently comforting grip. She retrieved her hand and sat up, taking a moment to figure out how in the impossibly plush furniture.
“What happened?” she asked. “Did I pass out?”
“Uncle Jason said that you entered a reflexive meditative state. How do you feel?”
“I feel… I’m not sure.”
Emi sat cross-legged on the floor, waiting patiently for Bussinger to figure out her condition. No, Bussinger realised; Emi was not on the floor but over it, floating just above the polished concrete. She ignored the floating woman, turning her attention to herself. She felt good. Free, almost, but in an oddly specific and familiar way that she couldn’t place. Then she recognised the feeling.
“Have you ever tried to untangle a knot, and it just won’t budge?” she asked Emi. “You tease and you pluck but it just won’t shift. But then, finally, a little piece does. Just a bit, but you know you’ve got it. You’ll still have to work to pull it apart, but that’s the moment you’re on your way. You know what I mean?”
“Uh, I think so? I mean, I understand the thing with the knot, but I’m not sure how that translates to a spiritual condition.”
“I think I might,” Jason said.
Bussinger stood up as the others approached, Emi helping as she lost her balance for a moment.
“I’m dizzy,” Bussinger said. “I haven’t been dizzy in twenty years.”
Jason stood in front of her.
“Are you okay?” he asked.
“I am. Are you finally going to tell me why you brought me here?”
“Yes. I think that sensation you’re feeling is because of the meditative trance you found yourself in. At least, that’s what started it. You were having trouble letting go, so I used my aura to nudge you along a little.”
“You what?” Carlos asked from where he was still looking at the results on the screen. “I told you not to—”
“It was fine,” Jason said. “My control is precise enough to not interfere with your ritual.”
“So you say,” Carlos muttered, but went back to staring at the screen.
“You pushed me into that trance?” Bussinger asked Jason.
“Yes. I suspect that you’ve been using more basic meditation techniques. They work for low rankers, but don’t have the same benefits at high rank. When you’re silver, and especially gold, proper meditation technique involves trance states and guided mana circulation. With some help, you unconsciously fell into a condition like this, and I think it helped you feel the results of something you’ve been doing to yourself for a while now. You just didn’t realise you were doing it.”
“Doing what?”
“That power of yours. Tribulation Lightning. It hurts you, but it also purges anything affecting you, right?”
“That’s right.”
“Carlos, over there, has been researching a related field for a long time. Many curses, deep curses, that normal powers don’t cleanse, work by effectively coating your soul in gunk. He’s been trying to figure out how to remove that gunk without killing people in the process, and he’s found some success.”
“Limited success, in very specific instances,” Carlos called out.
“We have come to suspect that your power can remove some of that spiritual crud from your own soul, in a way normal cleansing powers cannot. It only works on yourself, and the effect is miniscule, but it does seem to be removing a portion of the spiritual muck currently gunking up your soul. We’ve never heard of another power that can do that, even in the other world.”
“Are you saying that there’s gunk on my soul?”
“Yes. A lot of it, and your power has only removed the tiniest amount. What I’m hoping is that your power can help accelerate Carlos’ research. Find a way to undo conditions people suffer under where, currently, the only cure is death.”
“Hang on, go back to the part where my soul is covered in muck. When did this happen? And how?”
“You’ve been doing it to yourself,” Jason said. “Every time you absorb a monster core, you take in the clean, refined magic to advance your abilities. All the leftover stuff, that made the monster what it was, basically sticks to the outside. That’s why monster cores residue is so easy to sense in people’s aura, because the aura has to push through it to be projected.”
“Are you saying that I’m removing the monster core stuff? The residue or whatever that stops people from being able to raise my abilities the way you do?”
“Yes.”
“Does that mean I’ll be able to train like someone from the other world? I just have to use my ability enough to clean it all off?”
“It’ll take more than that, unfortunately,” Jason told her. “You’d have to blast yourself with that power all day every day for around half a millennium to clear enough of it off to have even a partial effect.”
“Then it doesn’t matter.”
“On the contrary, this is an astounding revelation. If you work with Carlos, there might be a way, someday, to purge the monster core residue from not just you, but from everyone.”
Comments
christian grant
This chapter is insane. The implications on the rest the universe are massive
Tierza Hitch
Omg. I just realized. What Carlos is doing with removing the fake Purity gunk and vampire gunk from people's souls, is going to be the same process to remove the gunk of monster cores... In all three cases it is stuff coating the soul.
Tierza Hitch
Also also, Dominion made a point of letting Jason know he might want to hide certain knowledge from Knowledge, and that someone was going to teach him how.
Tierza Hitch
Yep. Also, it was specifically stated that astral magic was intentionally stifled on Pallimustus. What other god's purview would that fall under than Knowledge?
Ben Warmus
These two worlds might be an exception to the rule limiting gods to one world given the way they were created and are linked together. Also, with the bridge being built, they are getting more linked together as time goes on.
Tsorov
Interesting theory. But as far as we know gods can't change worlds. Yes, knowledge has an advanced understanding of everything cause her domain covers it, but that doesn't change the fact that she is still bound to another planet and can't really project her will outside of it.
Tierza Hitch
Okay, I'm just gonna put this here. I think Knowledge sent the Purity artifact to Earth. I also think that she was the god North and the Network founder worshipped, who worked with the builder. No one ever confirmed it was Purity, that was just Jason's assumption. Anyone who would actually know avoided making definitive statements too perfectly for it to actually have been Purity. Also, I am pretty sure Knowledge is the big threat that Jason keeps being warned about. It is why she was so interested in him to begin with, and why she wanted him to take those essences and awakening stones way back, and tried to manipulate him into joining her church, because that would give her power over him. I think Knowledge is trying to make some kind of play to do something to Earth. I think it may even go back to that Clockwork King that was buried on Earth for millennia that North was using for his silver rank converted. I have read books 1-12 three times now, and the more I read it the more convinced I become.
deadly chibi
I wanted to thank you Travis This book is a shared favorite of mine and my partner's Sometimes it's all we talk about ❤️🇨🇦
StarkRG
Maybe? It seems a touch weak for something a god transmuted himself into. That said, maybe the "relic" is weak on purpose to keep it hidden and its actually the knowledge about how it works that they're looking for.
Kconraw
Thx for the chapter
Chris Furry
And both died on Earth. Not a round trip.
Chloe
Oooh thats neat. Tyftc
Kalanaere
Sanctioning changes the very nature of a being. There is nothing that says a sanctioned god, especially a self sanctioned one, cannot descend. Is that truly any different than a mortal being ascended to the lofty Throne of the GAB known as The Builder
Valmorian
I can't wait till I catch up with this. wow the number of likes.... I like it for the title.
ItWasIDIO!!
Purity relic counter found or hmm? Purity relic found?
Historia Jinn
I was having similar thoughts. It just feels like to much of a coincidence for the power to not be related to purity's relic.
Ruth Ivimey-Cook
I think we know more: at least Noreth and his summoner very likely came from Pali.
Jacob Holmes
Isn't Jason healing the dimensional membrane with the bridge? In like a decade the world could support diamond rankers, but the World Pheonix is still going to restrict them for Jason until he himself reaches diamond rank as a favor. Transcendents are never mentioned in that agreement. Also never been any mention about if the link between worlds opens up earth to Palis deities
Jacob Holmes
I feel like the reaper explicitly points out that shade sanctioning himself was risky
Havics Child
From what I understand, iron is slightly longer than average, bronze is 100+yo, silver is 200+, gold seams to be 400-600 based on the clues Shirt has scattered, and Diamond is semi-immortal. Some essence combos or abilities can change normal lifespans but nothing has been said on by how much, just that even though some of them are weird, the increased lifespan makes them popular.
Havics Child
Was thinking about it. If someone brought the purity artifact over from pali... say a few hundred years ago on the orders of fake purity, along with a certaindoor, and she was exposed to it... I mean the messengers and Diamond rankers alike have been searching for a couple decades now. No one has found the artifact. The network founder could have taken it to earth. That's something that I noticed i haven't seen posted, though I don't read all comments so I may have missed it.
Jose Reyna
Amazing!!!
SomeGuyWhoReads
Typo: You’re as *bas* as your uncle.
Matthew Lust
Not a chance
Chris Furry
The thing is, if the Purity relic is on Earth, and the gods of Pallimustus know it’s on Earth, then it was, at some point, on Pallimustus and was taken to Earth. Purity couldn’t go to Earth to sanction himself, just like the other Pallimustus gods can’t go to Earth. Also, if the relic was SOMEHOW created on Earth, the Pallimustus gods wouldn’t know unless someone who knew of its existence was able to travel back and forth between universes. So far we only know of Jason and Farrah who have made the round trip. And Boris.
Chris Furry
Eh, no, not precisely. Shirt has been clear that self-sanctioning is extremely dangerous despite preparations and abilities because you are changing your very existence. The Reaper was more concerned that Shade didn’t hurt himself doing it than he was that Shade permanently entered Jason’s service. Self-sanctioning IS, according to every transcendent being who has spoken about it, considered an extraordinary stupid decision because it can go so badly wrong.
Chris Furry
Purity sanctioned themself to create the artifact. From Healer, we know the artifact exists and that the gods of Pallimustus, at least Knowledge and Healer, know where it is. Purity the being, before or after sanctioning, could not go to Earth for the same reason other gods cannot. They are transcendent level beings requiring raw magic from the astral to exist and Earth’s dimensional membrane wouldn’t survive a diamond rank level of magic, let alone transcendent. Jason only gets around being half transcendent because his soul is only gold rank, so he affects the membrane like a gold ranker.
Brad Gammey
Tyftc! Looking forward to more of this thread!
Brad Gammey
Unless it was like a bas relief, but then that would be quite an interesting choice of word given the sentence.
Donna
Yeah, I think she didn't have a choice and now she's getting some revelations. I think if she does become part of the team, it will make for some interesting dynamics.
Rolling Dust
Love the development ❤️ Can't wait to see where it leads.
Aubrey Listi
Allegedly. There could be more at play.
Robert Landers
Yeah. It’s bassackward
Code Reed
Well both the planets are connected so it's not entirely implausible that it would be on earth. I'm not sure if she could be the artifact itself, but she might have been exposed to a portion of it and it changed her ability.
FlareNight
It varies based on the specific essences. Immortal or Avatar would probably surpass it.
FlareNight
We know that Purity sanctioned himself in order to create the artifact and we know, at least vaguely, what her powers do. Which means we can be absolutely sure that she is not touched by the Divine and is not Purity Himself. Shirt has been very clear that self-sanctioning is a controlled process. Shade did it to change himself from a Shadow of the Reaper to Shadow of the Hegemon. If there was any risk that it wouldn't do exactly what he wanted, that would have been an extraordinarily stupid decision. And Shade, of all people, would know what the rules were.
FlareNight
Then she is on the wrong planet and also defective.
FlareNight
And as a result, mostly function as well-behaved trolls. No one of any significance cares who posts first.
Jordan Mazza
But their churches can work together and ally with each other, like Destruction and Undeath teaming up for the Natural Array, even forming a pseudo alliance with the Messengers
FlareNight
She's already gold rank, which means that power is gold rank. With how the promotion to diamond works, it's not actually clear if she could promote it early even if she tried very hard.
Squirtle
What if she is the Purity artifact?
TheLionOfThePacific
more than that the power is a self cleansing power. Its not like its sole purpose is clearing spirit gunk, it feels like its more of a side benefit.
Jordan Brennan
Tyftc!
SmokeJam
That point you have, for the whole Dark side (of the force) it is a splendid opportunity to fatten their Authority, but there are some very rigid rules on how the gods can interact with each other, at least that is what I got from Jasons conversations with the different gods. I think they enjoy the carnage and opportunities, but I do not believe they can actually work together to set up a plan like that without causing massive repercussions for themselves.
SmokeJam
No, she cannot be Purity. Gods are bound to their planet, even if they sanction themselves. Palli's gods will die with the planet at some point, they are intrinsically linked.
SmokeJam
We do not know if the founder was a follower of the true Purity or the false one, Disguise, as we do not know when Purity actually sanctioned himself in comparison to the founders timeline. Just because of a special ability people are so sure of a telegraphed storyline, I simply don't believe Shirt would make it that easy for us. No, I rather believe the two have absolutely nothing to do with each other and her ability is just something immensely special and maybe only came into being because the Throne was altered/repaired.
Jordan Mazza
Think of what it does for all the other dark gods though. Destruction, Discord, etc. It's their big moves play where opportunities for them all abound
SmokeJam
And what good would an endless war do for Disguise? Disguise is not War. 2ndly, since when has Disguise anything to do with the artifact? It is only known that she/it used the opportunity to get more of that juicy faith stuff by impersonating Purity and having a deal with the builder, but we do not know if any god can even interact with the artifact. As it was stated in other situations I would rather say they can't, as that would be encroaching on Purity's Authority, which should be impossible for a god without changing themselves too.
Rad Hazard
Some mysterious old beggar on a corner handing out "Holy Budda Palm technique" pamphlets.
SmokeJam
It is very clearly not stated if it is on Earth or Palli. You are presuming the artifact has something to do with her ability, but absolutely no proof for it.
SmokeJam
I'm still quite sure y'all are wrong on the Purity artifact front. It is way too easy to connect the dots like that, not something Shirt usually does. I think her ability is just unique since Jason changed the laws of the cosmos, but has absolutely nothing to do with the happenings on Pallimustus.
Kalanaere
I think last chapter or one before she said she was a new silver when Jason 1st returned
Kalanaere
I got the impression from her question on training that maybe her use of cores wasn't really voluntary.
CringeWorthyStudios
True temporal manipulation is banned, sure, but we know for a fact that subjective acceleration is possible. Daniel Geller being the prime example. I’m pretty sure a localised, single person acceleration should be possible, especially if it’s done in Jason’s pocket universe. As for 500 being max life span… honestly no idea. Besides, it’s not like she needs to cleanse the full 500 years. Even three or four hundred should be enough for her essence powers to begin progressing to diamond, even if it’s slower than it should be.
Kalanaere
I think 500 is aroud max life but I could be wrong. Temporal manipulation to thst degree though would very likely attract the attention of The GAB of Time aka The Keeper of Momments aks The Sands. If you recall, even Shade stated that it doesn't take it lightly when people mess with time in significant degrees. But maybe something could be arranged with the help of That GAB Prime Vessel.
Kalanaere
Over 500 years though. That's a long damn time. Hell that is longer than a gold life span I think
Kalanaere
Really all we know is Purity sanctioned himself. Everybody presumed it's over some artifact but there is also a slim possibility that she literally is Purity or whst became of him after the fact
Daniel is ŁØNE
yes but it would likely be the difference between blasting herself with the same skill at every moment of everyday for half a millennium, to doing so for maybe a century if we grossly overestimate her abilities ability to pick up speed overtime. Unfortunately, that still in terms of constant use and if she wants to progress in understanding and have time to practice combat and adventuring to a degree that actually makes sense she simply wouldn't be able to sustain doing that as much as would be required, so imagine she isn't spending all her time doing it, it would take egregiously long to accomplish simply because she would have a life outside spamming the skill.
Laura Hemly
I don't think we've ever had an indication of gold life expectancy other than it's at least several hundred years.
Laura Hemly
I suspect she's also going to learn about the silver and gold abilities that she never learned -- like levitation -- simply because she now realizes how much more she was cheated out of than she'd thought when she was trying to use all her abilities without much (or any) guidance. Just by working with Carlos, she'll have access to what she's never learned because she'd monster-cored her advancement. Few core users ever bother with that, so I find her desire for more magical education admirable. And especially with the Asano Clan out of hiding, she has a good opportunity. All this while she's helping Carlos with his research and looking into her soul-gunk-removal ability. She's going to be a busy woman!
Sloth
He says she won’t ever be able to clear the gunk on her own, but it sounds like they didn’t account for the fact that her ability should become more powerful the more gunk she clears. Maybe that’s still too long, but it would probably be less egregious than he makes it sound
Omar Diaz
No it’s her own essence ability
Damien Burks
Not that we know of, but her essence ability works like the artifact, but on a significantly smaller scale.
Historia Jinn
She is the purity relic, I'm calling it now
Stephanie Washburn
Now that's nifty. Also if you raised the rank of that ability enough, it might work better.
Nea
I'm so excited to see where this leads! I think she’ll be the key to finding the purity artefact, but who knows what twisty way that'll actually be. It can't be that easy, right?
Hunter
Give me some clarification people. She absorbed the Purity artifact?
pyrite jester
No I think Hayden was right it's mostly eyes but they do say other stuff can change. The magic goo insides happens either way
Derek Duhon
Tribulation lightning! If you could just continuously feed health and mana into her somehow..
ABTelford
So… did she absorb the Purity artifact? Or did an essence/ awakening stone she use come into proximity contact with the purity artifact? 🤨
Darth
“You’re as bas as your uncle" to “You’re as bad as your uncle" Otherwise thanks for the chapter!
Brandon Walker
In light of that, he should have her use it on herself in his realm, with time slowed WAAYYY down, so he can watch it work, with a giant microscope pointed at her
Michael Romo
I think that's the joke 😆
Will
one more point for rick
Vincent Ciavone
You mean like their insides just being magic fluid? I don't think cores stop that, it's just that training properly increases the speed of the trasition, so a well trained silver rank core user shouldn't have organs
Sloth
Ha. It’s a very common trope in cultivation novels. In the genre, it’s common for tribulation lightning to have a cleansing effect, such as in Defiance of the Fall.
Joanna
The comparison is the same as to what happens to lesser vampires, and the "purifying flame" people, and those are effects applied without their consent, so it fits that removing it would also not technically require their consent. But as we saw with Carlos' work, removing the effect of the purifying flame is extremely difficult
CringeWorthyStudios
“You’d have to blast yourself with that power all day every day for around half a millennium to clear enough of it off to have even a partial effect.” “Then it doesn’t matter.” > she says that, but I’m pretty sure that the average gold ranker lifespan is well over 500 years. Sure, it’ll take her a while but it’s definitely not impossible. Especially if she finds a way to get into some sort of temporal acceleration. Surely there’s a ritual for that, or, at the very least Jason could do it in his universe. Thanks for the chapter!
Joanna
You're confusing a couple things, I think, Landsraad. The messengers invaded Pallimustus looking for Purity's artifact, which is now clearly somewhere on Earth, not Pallimustus. Messengers didn't have anything to do with mining reality cores (I think that's the other thing you're referring to?), they just happen to have a similarity to them in their own makeup, which is why Jason can farm them for Prime Avatar materials
Sébastien Kingsbury
Wow, I actually called something right for once
pyrite jester
Actually it's easier for getting to gold but almost impossible to make it to diamond with the exception of crafters.
Joanna
Quite a few folks have suspected that for quite some time, but this is certainly a powerful clue we were right. Now we need to find out where she got the awakening stone that gave her that power!
pyrite jester
She could take a crafters path to diamond.
pyrite jester
Yes in book 7 or 8 that it was related to the essences and the form was different for every individual but it didn't happen to core users even if they had the same essence and power.
Malcolm Gray
It sometimes feels like Clive doesn’t realize how much smarter he is than everybody else
Kristy Riedel
Grok!
Kristy Riedel
If Noreth or his essence user had brought the artifact to Earth, they would have secured it rather than leave it around for anyone to stumble across. We know that Noreth left a secret vault for Jason. Bussinger appears to have received her essences from the network, as per usual on Earth before Jason's first return. Remember that until then, all essences available on Earth were harvested from proto- astral spaces by the network.
Bobby Baxter
umm is any one else thinking that the purity artifact is on earth
Hayden Leech
Like… eye color changing? Because that was from something else
FlareNight
There was a discussion about it being easier for core users to bridge the gap from gold to diamond, iirc.
Landsraad
The purity-world engineer cores arent really the Messengers primary weapon. It was just an experiment. Her ability has no bearing on that war.
Dillion
Or she IS the purity artifact (or one of the essences she used was). After all, the Network founder was a follower of purity, the god easily could have sanctioned himself and the founder could have brought the artifact. It would explain why no one on Pali has found it after over a decade of searching for it
Caleb
Most likely. My theory is the self purification that affects the monster core taint was something she got at gold rank. But she would have not gotten that sub effect on her power if the throne had still been sundered.
Jean L. Philippe Jr.
I’m pretty sure it was mentioned that there aren’t enough gold rank cores on the planet for a Gold ranker to reach diamond, and that was on Pallimustus so I doubt it could happen on earth.
Tim
Those modifications are expressions of the soul, so Id say that if their soul had a specific shape that the core was covering, then yea it probably would create spontaneous manifestation on clearing the cores.
JWR
I was not expecting the author to go in this direction with the tribulation lightning power. However, it is a nice surprise.
Thomas Hellsten
She is a gold ranker though which you dont reach easily especially not with cores on earth so she would have needed to have the ability for quite a while. I would assume she was silver on Jasons first visit
Donna
So She's of course gonna work with Carlos and become a member of the team. Just on the chance that she may one day get out from under the monster core restrictions.
pyrite jester
A bit of a side note. Do you think the odd body modifications that happen when you don't use cores will spontaneously occur when it's removed?
Arieh Sochaczevski
Biscuits! What is gold rank life expectancy? Even a small increase in efficacy - which could possibly be achieved just with intentional use of the skill - could mean she has a path for herself.
Flojoe
Well would be interesting, also with the knew unlocked essence combinations as well. Maybe there will someday be a healer specialized in removing the gunk.
T-Dawg 2099
So Bussinger isn't going to be cleansing herself free of monster core taint. That's too bad, but I figured it wouldn't be that easy. I'd also bet the monster core taint-removal aspect of her Tribulation Lightning didn't come until gold rank. I wonder if it would be possible to raise Bussinger to diamond via cores, just to see what happens. Sure, she'd need millennia to cleanse herself, but at that point she'd have the time.
Tom C
It’s a pretty common experience/trope for MC’s in xianxia and xianxia-adjacent stories yeah
Jordan Mazza
Nah you're thinking about it Wrong. Purity didn't make a pact with the builder, Disguise did. The deal between them had the Network founder, a follower of Purity(Disguise), take the builders door to another universe to set up the invasion, and could have easily snuck the artifact to the founder to hide in the linked world, so that the war on Palli would never end because they'd never find the artifact
Tom C
Called it. TFTC
Mike Wizowski
Yea but he was a follower of Purity (potentially the actual one) maybe Purity knew what he was going to do would have ramifications and asked him to take it to hide it?
Morgan Smidt
It was definitely to remove monster core corruption - Captain hindsight, probably. (Y’all were right!)
Jim Erwin
I'm liking this idea
Jim Erwin
Haha, I love it. I could totally see that. And as someone else mentioned, maybe it's tied to the throne, and that's why Jason could detect it. It would really make more sense if you're right and it's on Earth
Justin Butler
Of course they're going to discover someone to make the Messengers invasion irrelevant.
Zack
What if the purity relic isn't an item, but a new essence ability added to the cosmic pool of options? Like for the god to purge it's own followers would be one thing, hard but within their purview. But adding it to everywhere is why OG Purity had to sanction themself, to become something different than the god of a single world?
Joshua Little
Thanks for the chapter.
Alexander Dupree
This is fantastic we’ve got a real path to understanding Purity and the Astral Kings on Palatimus(idk sp)
TheCrazyDuck
That was what I meant to say yes, with that understanding, he should be able to remove people's monster core gunk and let them leave alive.
Charles A. Pehl
I think he technically can already but it's the same issue Melody had where if he doesn't know how the base of it works the second they leave the soul realm they will revert if not outright die.
SmokeJam
Why would he bring that artifact with him? He had completely different goals in mind, trying to bring magic to Earth and establish himself as some leader. We don't even know when Purity sanctioned himself, would be very very weird if some dude already found the artifact while the rest didn't even have a clue.
Hornbach
I am 95% sure the purity artifact is on earth and that the original arcitect of the grid brought it over when he came back to earth with Noreth.
Rina Lynn
For a while now, I've suspected that the artifact was brought to earth with Noreth's essence user. It would make sense that someone accidentally ran into it at some point without knowinf what it was... conspiracy theory away. They're somehow connected.
Thomas Froehling
I've read the chapter before I received a notification; there seems to be a 'slight' delay between the upload of a new chapter and notifications going out.
Jim Erwin
Yeah, I love the idea of it being tied to the throne. Good call
Jordan Mazza
Is the Purity Relic on Earth? Brought over by the Network founder?
SmokeJam
We actually don't know when Purity sanctioned himself, only that he did at some point. But what we know from Noreth it is quite unlikely that he or his "then-master" had anything to do with it, they had way different goals in mind.
Jim Erwin
Yeah, but it's gonna take Ms Bussinger I bet, however they do it. Team Biscuit ftw!
John Durrett
I don't read comments until after I've read the chapter and grokked in fullness. Its the only way to fly.
SmokeJam
@John Durret: It is gunk on her soul , not aura. The aura has to push through, thats why you can so easily sense the monster cores, Jason explained it quite plainly here. As you don't have to "enter" the soul, I suppose it might be possible to clean it without permission, but I assume that it would be a very unpleasant and possibly very deadly experiment. I reckon you would need to scrape against her soul, similar to how Jason tortured the messenger girl to get access, so probably still very traumatic.
Sean Sheldon
The second I saw "Tribulation" I thought of Zac from "First Defier". How did I know it was going to be a cleansing effect?
John Durrett
@Thomas Foehling - unless its a layered perception(gunk) that makes people believe there is no way out. I think it would need to be more like a soul brand for it to be permanent, but Jason has already proven he can wipe the brand forcefully - so even that is nor permanent because it was never part of the individuals soul from the start.
Seaspike
Maybe even actively attract it through resonance? Or they use resonance to ritually track it?
Thomas Froehling
But what about the founder of the secret magic societies that became the original Network? It wasn't really clear when he came to earth (or from where and how, for that matter), but some centuries ago is what I recall. And Purity sanctioned himself (herself? themselves??)) a few centuries ago, too... I think now I've got to build me a tinfoil hat as well....
Iain Grubb
Can't be from that artifact, Purity was a god of Pallimustus that offed himself before all the original Outworlder and Noreth's shaninigans on Earth, she just has an ability similar.
Der Ritter
I love it. Think about the crew comming home while the fight forbthe artefaki is at its peak and they just bring the knowledge to do it without Artefakt
John Durrett
Its goop on her aura, not her soul. So I agree with Nathan, anyone with the essence or tech could remove it. What a game changer!
Laura Hemly
I like the idea of the confluence essence restriction being lifted. She already said, I believe, that it was a unique ability on Earth, and presumably Pallimustus as well, but an ability that had vanished when the Throne was sundered would make sense. Good thinking!
SmokeJam
still think thats highly unlikely. How is this artifact supposed to get to Earth when Purity is bound to Palli like all other gods of that planet? Why are highly sensitive and sophisticated messengers and others fighting on Palli, when the artifact is already gone and who took it to Earth then when there was no connection and Earth was basically quarantined? I don't see how you can logically explain that.
ReadingObsessed
Wow
Remy Gramont
Tftc
Bingus McCready
There has been theorizing in the community for a long time that the Purity relic was sent to earth to keep anyone on Palli from making a play for it. It would explain why the messengers have been scouring Palli for years now and have basically nothing to show for it. I’m building on that.
Laura Hemly
interesting theory!
SmokeJam
I'm sorry to destroy your theory crafting before you started, but her having a connection to the purity artifact should be impossible. She has never been to Pallimustus while Earth doesn't have the same gods as the other planet. Gods are bound to their respective planet. In that sense, it is highly unlikely that she has any connection to Purity, only if some other party muddied the waters, which could only be the Unorthodox Messengers. As they tried to lay low for millennia, we can assume that they do not have any part in the Purity artifact story and they haven't been to Palli either, only Boris. No, it is more likely that she just has a very unique skill which is special in itself.
Thomas Froehling
Vampirism curse (actually the curse that make people vampires) can't be cured, so the only cure is death. Although I don't think the people involved would see it as a cure. It's a soul deep curse, with ramifications even in the after life, I think.
Nathan Emerson
Typo: “Stop teasing the poor woman,” Farrah scolded. “You’re as bas as your uncle. Ms Bussinger, this I'm assuming it should be bad, not bas.
Jim Erwin
I bet she's how they find the purity artifact. She'll go back with them and feel it
Jon Stanfield
Incredible chapter!!! Thank you!
Laura Hemly
For vampires? Not the ones like Rhett and Jamie who had a vampiric-type curse, but the ones like Craig Vermilion, for whom it's voluntary and soul deep.
Nathan Emerson
Because death just grabs the soul and removes everything else.
Kathryn Lemay
Thanks for the amazing chapter! Im so excited and hopefully Bussinger is willing to help Carlos and Jason!
Nathan Emerson
I think since it's on the outside it doesn't require permission.
Caleb
So just the power then. Like the purity artifact but not connected or related to it. I wonder if it comes from an essence that only exists on earth. Or at least one that does not appear in the other world. The technology essence? Or maybe it’s something to do with the confluence essence restriction being lifted. Maybe certain essence abilities were lost or restricted when the throne was sundered and now that restriction has been lifted. She would have had this power before the throne was fixed but maybe certain powers could still be gained but certain effects were sealed until the throne was repaired.
Kathryn Lemay
The chapter releases exactly at the hour even if the app doesnt notify you right away.
Blas Borde
Would removing the spiritual gun from someone else's soul require consent like other soul affecting effects? Or is this more "on the outside" of the soul?
Laura Hemly
Tftc. Very cool chapter! I will be thinking about the ramifications nonstop until Friday afternoon, I suspect. Because this can go in about 75 different directions, depending on Jason and Carlos.
J Holmes
It's nice though; when you get to the tyftc comments you can stop loading new ones and start reading.
Ruth Ivimey-Cook
Tyfc I feel like there's so much more to understand 👍
Andre Morales
Gnomes rule!
Kevin DD
Why "The only cure is death"?
Kevari
Yea they better keep that on the extreme hush
SmokeJam
Biscuit! I mean, Science!
J Holmes
Yup, purity artifact-like behavior. Bye bye core user limitations in the near (maybe half millennium) future!
Kri5KT
Tyfc!
Nathan Emerson
They sit and wait and comment before even reading.
TheCrazyDuck
If Jason comes to understand the process, he is going to be able to do it to people way faster in his realm.
L.Goll
Very interesting chapter!
Mr_Top_Hat
Ohhh she suddenly just sky rocketed in value because of that one effect
Valhazstromoz
And thus Jake incorporates heavenly tribulations into the system wuxia style to determine if people are worthy enough to climb the ladder of power all hail the celestial hegemon
Josh
They know it's on the hour, so they sit and refresh until it pops up. It's a race to see who can get it done quicker
Bingus McCready
Holy flying Moses. I mean I suspected it was this, I think a lot of people did but…WOW. WOW WOW WOW. What if she IS the purity relic, or a wrapper for it? The way that guy was a wrapper for the naga genesis egg? What if the relic was a seemingly unassuming awakening stone and she happened to stumble upon it? AHHH. I must find my tinfoil hat. I have theories to craft. Oh, and TFTC!
Dylan Alexander
It’s like a cultivation novel with heavenly lightning.
Michael Fannon
So... everyone who said the purity thing was on Earth all along, looks like you called it.
mhaj58
I’m going to get a sandwich
J Holmes
You gotta camp on Patreon, notifications aren't as fast (I just got here).
Arakrin
How are people already commenting, i clicked the notification immidietely, my app just loaded and already there are 3 cookies in the comments
King Kards
Tyfc
Darkdragon
Biscuits
Christian Chavez
Thank you
