Chapter 322

  When Everyone Wants More Than They Should Handle

  I don’t know if I was always this way, or if being a pixie makes me a bit more adventurous with regards to testing people’s resilience.

  What I mean by this is, have I always wanted to see how much people will take. Basically, will you be able to offer a person so much of good thing that it will crush them, or should crush them if they were not prepared.

  That is the desire to test and see how greedy someone is, and honestly with all of these new and old students that have survived until this point, I expect a bit of greed in them.

  In fact, I wouldn’t want them in my classes if greed wasn’t at least part of their personality.

  For learning greed is a driving factor in how one can determine success. The want for more, to do better, to be better. As an instructor, that is all I could really ask for.

  If you are offered a chance to succeed, will you take it, or will you balk at the chance and just watch

  Of course, when I do these tests I can’t be impossible. There is never a time when a “insurmountable goal” is provided.

  Instead, I test someone’s greed against their goals, against their capabilities, and offer them more than they should. Like an all you can eat buffet serving criminally over dried food.

  Just like those all you can eat buffets, I also intend to do one thing, fill you up. With as much as you can possibly cram into yourself given the time constraints.

  While I offered all the classes to everyone, all of my past students stopped at their current coursework.

  A few of the more adventurous students took on one or more classes.

  Even Jhonny decided to go for the Enchanting + curriculum, though I am fairly certain I know the reason why for that choice.

  It was sad really, as almost everyone just chose the one curriculum path.

  For a moment I though all my fun would end.

  Then it happened, something magical.

  Someone was crazy enough to try to take all four course paths available. Even better, despite being listed as a Freshman, they apparently came in with enough prior knowledge to be considered a second year student by the system.

  Not just a second year in one or two courses, but in all of the courses.

  The only problem, every skill that was above passing that they possessed to make them capable of being considered a second-year student were the throw away Awareness, Alertness, and other needed skills but bearing absolutely nothing in the way of magic or Qi manipulation.

  A perfect block of coal, just a little heat, and a lot of pressure and boom instant diamonds.

  Seeing the message I was curious to see that both were standing right by each other. So with delighted glee I cackled, no realizing that I was still on blast apparently.

  “AHHHA! Found ONE!” My voice boomed out of me and echoed off into the distance.

  Realizing I needed to do a few things after that, I first dispelled my Modified Radial-Forced Selective Hearing.

  Then quickly Teleported, making sure to cast my Cosmic Anchor, an action that is becoming like second nature to me now whenever I teleport.

  Whoosh!

  As I arrived, I began speaking, clearly enjoying the moment to see who was gluttonous enough to eat off more than they should.

  “Let’s see whose foolish enough to…”

  Then I am surprised to see the lurking guard lady next to the other lurking guard guy, my Jhonny.

  Seeing Jhonny with this guard, I realize I might have been mistaken about his apparent infatuation with Penelope. Then I remember his apparent closeness with Maranda, until something happened there. Honestly, I don’t know.

  I think I’m still cool with Maranda, but as she is one of my Qi students, I can’t really get too involved. At least I don’t think I should?

  Anyways, now that I see that Jhonny is here with the clearly Qi confident Gabriellaz, I do wonder if he is a bit of a player.

  Honestly, I didn’t see him as the type, but then again, I still don’t get the emotional impulses that others do. Thank the creators for that, could only imagine the mistakes I’d make again with a pixie Rob, an apparent player Jhonny, and of course Penelope.

  Yeah, way too much math just thinking about the architecture of that non-existent relationship image.

  “So new girl, you are the one who said heck with your free time as you want to spend all day every day studying?” I ask.

  Of course, I avoid the fact that I know this is Gabriellaz Stal’Qing, thanks to my tracker. Just as I conveniently forget that Jhonny’s last name is Innerflame, thanks to the same tracker. The goal here is to be equally disappointing to everyone for forgetting their names, that way when I really do forget someone’s name, they aren’t as disappointed.

  Don’t question me, it makes sense in my own mind.

  Rather than the new girl, this Gabriellaz, answering I am surprised that Jhonny begins talking for the two of them.

  “Why would you do such a thing?” Jhonny asked, concern clearly etched in his voice. Though whom he is talking to I can only tell by the fact that his face is first pointed at me.

  “Hey, I just provide the choices, it’s not my fault she can’t say no,” I begin, but then give him a wink as I continue, “which might be a good thing for you, if you know what I mean.”

  That’s me, being a wing-woman both figuratively and literally.

  For his part Jhonny first looked outraged but then his expression changed as he looked suddenly confused. I guess he has never seen a pixie wink before?

  Maybe I should do it more often, I do find that these muscles in my face are kind of tense from holding the awkward pose for too long. So maybe it has been a while?

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  “That is,” Jhonny stammers out before turning to Gabriellaz who herself looks flustered at the comment. This of course just made Jhonny even more flustered.

  I’d almost give their early intro chances of developing a lasting relationship at 77%, not the best, but definitely not Jhonny’s worst chances that I’ve been privy to.

  Seeing the two of them, I pause and then wonder to myself.

  “Oh my Gods,” I begin, but then keep the thought internal as I wonder if one of my future bloodline progression adaptations will be seeing these relationship and deeper interpersonal connection chances.

  “What?” Jhonny asked concern evident in his voice.

  I almost want to geek out on him, wondering if this would be something I wanted to do? If I could play matchmaker? Then I wondered if I should?

  For a moment I imagine a future where Jhonny appears before me each week with a new partner, wondering about his compatibility rating with each.

  Then I realize isn’t that part of the Fairy Godmother motif? Finding desperate romantic souls and linking them together despite fate or circumstances surrounding them.

  I even imagine my own love stories being written about my meddling in the affairs of people, trying to get star crossed lovers to meet and experience their once in a lifetime events. To see and experience magic like that, true magic of love.

  Of course, it is only a moment after that when I remember the stories of Rahul and the Maiden, possibly one of the greatest love series ever. Only to then remember the real Rahul, and how he is currently being reimagined in a new series where he seduces a pixie. That’s when I realize this idea is terrible and should be avoided at all costs.

  Fortunately, Jhonny is there to pull me out of my own warped and corrupted thoughts of necromantic love interests.

  “No, I mean, how could you do this to us?” Jhonny finally recovers.

  Seeing him react in such a way, I realize this is likely doing wonders for his relationship prospects with Gabriellaz.

  With the idea of still playing wing-woman to Jhonny, I indulge his questions.

  While Jhonny was smart enough to either see the trap and not accept more than what he was capable of. Or he felt that just one more course in magical studies would be enough to get him what he wanted, I didn’t know.

  All I did know that with this process, was that he was now able to achieve his goal of attending Mana related studies. This was something that I remember being one of his bigger goals when he worked so diligently just to scrape by and get a shot at being my guard.

  The fact that he now got to work next to both Penelope and Gabriellaz could only do wonders for both his confidence and his chances of not being perpetually single.

  That’s when I received the message that I knew would mean bad things for poor Jhonny and his chances of not remaining perpetually lonely.

  That was the first warning.

  Then I got the final warning, one that first alerted me to Gabriellaz’s standing.

  “Dang it,” I hiss as I realize I might have been a bit too excited with just Jhonny and Gabriellaz taking me up on my multiple course load challenge.

  “What is it?” Jhonny asks a bit of concern in his voice.

  “Just someone else was just as stupid to take all courses, one second.” I begin.

  Then flying up, I once again cast my Modified Radial-Forced Selective Hearing, so that everyone can hear me.

  “Whoever the moron was that selected all four courses, come over here as well for this meeting. I don’t want to have to repeat myself.”

  I shout, knowing that my voice is booming out and being heard by everyone.

  There is a pause, as multiple people look first confused, and then look at the one guy who is silently making his way forward.

  “Ghat’s meh!” He shouts excitedly. He can’t hear himself talk, so he likely doesn’t know how odd he sounds. Still, I just wait.

  Then I shout out, “anyone else want to spend all day everyday learning from me? If so, the choices are right there, by all means click away until your hearts content.”

  Everyone pauses as they all stare up at me.

  I just smile widely.

  At my sudden smile the Adderall boy pauses and realizes for the first time that he might have made a mistake. Sadly for him, it is too late.

  Also, he doesn’t get the first person bonus.

  A bonus that I didn’t just think of just now as a way to reward Gabriellaz for being first.

  “Unfortunately, the prize for being the first person to ruin their next three years of their life has already been claimed. Everyone else will have to deal with trial and error on their own.” I shout out.

  Then opening my third-eye, I look deep within her soul and finally find the slightly hidden but there if you know where to look start up menu options.

  That’s when seeing her, I find the permanently disabled constellations, and find myself activating one.

  “Whoa, what are you?” Gabriellaz asks, before squirming slightly, “that tickles.”

  “Hold still, this is your reward for being the first to try the impossible,” I exclaim, then reach out and grab her body with a Telekinetic grip, before continuing the awakening process.

  Unfortunately, what I want to use to help is almost completely corrupted. But there is enough that I can get a partial process of what I want to do.

  It takes a moment, and a bit of jury-rigging, almost like building one sandcastle out of ten different piles of sand. You know it is just sand, and in this state it is useless, but by taking the sand away from the other piles you know it will fully break or destroy the future potential of the other castles. Still it is better than nothing, and while I can’t get it to form perfectly.

  “Oh no, stand perfectly still, she has her tongue out,” Jhonny says, his words only able to be heard by me, but it does let me realize that this is a labor intensive product.

  Still despite the apparent lack of communication ability, Gabriellaz does manage to stay still. Despite a wide-eyed look of terror covering her face.

  Apparently, she too has heard the terrible nursery rhymes about me.

  However, this is exactly what I need as I can scoop together all of the piles of sand and broken constellations. Then with a minor infusion of power, I solidify the sand. Then slowly but surely infuse all the different forms of energy into it, until finally the false constellation glows. Not fully bright, but it is visible enough to let me know that it worked.

  Then to confirm that I am now done with this task, I see two options.

  I can either complete a personal quest, which will cause Gabriellaz’s quest to fail. Or, I can focus on Gabriellaz, and know that this bonus that I know she will need to succeed will be accepted.

  I of course, choose option two, that was a lot of work, and it would be a waste of Gabriellaz’s future if I chose the selfish route.

  With that there is a pause, before golden threads of fate bind Gabriellaz to me. Letting me know I had chosen the correct path, or at least the less selfish path.

  For a moment I almost expect another system anomaly to come by and try to stop me, but fortunately nothing comes, and we are left alone.

  That is when I finally get to witness the system message meant for Gabriellaz.

  Since I avoided my own personal gains with this, I get to see and experience the quest given to her. A quest that is basically a poison pill. One that offers a lot of power up front, but expects you to maintain your vigilance and work ethic on the back end.

  Dang it, that quest was punishing the both of us. Of course, the reward was automatically applied. Worse, it was one of those that if you lost it, it would remain permanently lost. Also, it means that Gabriellaz will be one of my Master’s students. Meaning I will have to come up with more materials, more quest guidelines, and of course argue with the system about what a proper mage with a Master’s degree should be able to do.

  For a moment I wonder if this is how my different bloodline insights are? Whether I can feel the insights before they are officially rewarded. It makes sense, and it is odd that I can do this to a fully mature person, though I guess the pay off is that I can only do a partial awakening.

  Also, it is clear that awakening that one spiritual constellation utterly ruined any chance at the others. Not that Gabriellaz would be able to use the others anyways, but I did feel slightly sad at the fact that part of the other constellations faded away.

  Then again, it would be better to be able to use a portion of your initial potential than to not be able to use any of it, ever.

  That is my logic and my thought process.

  Apparently, the system agrees with me, as I am rewarded with my own system prompt.

  Those were odd. This was the first time that I can recall being called out in a Title. Does that mean I am the only one capable of giving out Mythical grade quests? I mean, I guess it makes sense. I doubt the system would want Rob running around providing his cronies with Mythical grade level quests.

  Also, those conditions for providing others with Mythical quests does seem daunting, but they also kind of make sense. I’m guessing the meaning is that they should only be given out sparingly and for tasks that are beyond traditional mortal limitations.

  The bloodline perk also seems a bit grandiose with the wording, but hey, I’ll take it. Especially considering how poorly worded the description of said perk is. I mean, unless it was worded purposefully vague to keep people who were reading that a bloodline perk had been awarded from understanding the true magnitude of what was actually being stated.

  I still didn’t know what it all meant, and I received it, but I kind of thought I knew.

  Then again, I am almost certain that the initial declining and thus purging of related experience and other benefits are why the ability was so powerful to begin with.

  “What? What did you just do?” Gabriellaz asks, as she holds up her hands. Hands that are now glowing, just like the rest of her body with an ethereal light.

  Seeing her, I just respond, “good question.”

  But before I can get any further, I feel the hands of the world at work, spinning around in an uncontrollable way.

  “No wait, that’s impossible. I didn’t even get the warning,” I hiss out.

  “Warning about what?” Jhonny asks.

  Only for him to be cut short as he soon saw the message. A message that I had not wanted to get displayed at all.

  Yet, for whatever reason my ability to sense and stop these stupid messages from outing me was now missing.

  I feel there might be a karmic connection, from when I permanently disabled that last attempt to stop me from changing the world’s mechanics.

  Before that point, I could feel and forcefully resist the tug and pull of the world outing me.

  Unfortunately, that control was now missing as was made apparent by what happened next.

  Yeah, just seeing that announcement, I realized the world likely hated me, for some odd reason.

  April 23, 2025 at 15:45.