47 Deeper Darkness (2/2)
[You've asked something similar to this, vaguely at least, in the past. By increasing someone's intelligence you're increasing their ability to acquire knowledge and skills. You're not actually giving them specific skillsets or knowledge, which is why the queen you just spoke to had difficulty articulating the distance to their colony.] The system explained. I nodded my head, in understanding.
”So what if I improve their charisma?” I asked, curiously. The system made a curious noise as it contemplated my question.
[If you improve their charisma, which you can do, you'd be granting them an improved, intuitive understanding of how to be charming and how to be effective in social situations. I'm not entirely sure if you'd be increasing their effective attractiveness, which is one component of charisma until you gain influence over the right domains and subdomains.] The entity told me, indulging my curiosity a bit more.
”Thank you for that. That's... really useful actually.” I told the system, appreciating its candor even if I was still a bit annoyed that I almost subsumed the wills of several million creatures. Only some of that annoyance was aimed at the system, most of it was aimed at me.
It took us a few minutes to finally reach the area wherein the ants we were following were leading us. We stopped just outside of a section of tunnel flooring riddled with small holes. And when we did I wasn't surprised to see it, but I realized that my companions were probably more confused than ever.
________________________________________________
”Why are we stopping?” Asked Okig, who sensed that she was affected by a rather abrupt loss of forward momentum. Her eyes couldn't pierce the darkness, but I didn't doubt that she could sense the fact that she wasn't moving anymore.
”We're here. Where we were going. Would you like to be able to see?” I asked her, aware that she couldn't see. She huffed in annoyance.
”Of course I'd like to see!” She said, clearly still bothered with me. Which was fair, all things considered. I chuckled and opened up my grimoire, hoping that I'd have something there that could grant me the power to allow her to see.
[Welcome Althos! You have new spells. Would you like to peruse them, or search for something specific?] The cheery voice of the grimoire asked me. I paused for a second to consider how to respond since I knew I didn't have that would have allowed me to grant Okig and Iret the ability to see in the dark. When I did reply it was with resignation.
”I can search for things? Can you see if I have anything that grants people the ability to see in the dark?” I asked the grimoire. That was when I received an interruption from an unexpected but welcome source.
”Hello Althos. I'll grant you a spell that lets people see in the dark. There's a necromantic spell that does such a thing. If you would like we could unlock it...” The voice told me, tempting me with such a thing. My eyes narrowed in suspicion for a number of reasons.
”What are your powers? Like... what can you do?” I asked, honestly curious about what and how it was that domains and subdomains did. I heard a soft laugh come from somewhere within me.
”Subdomains and domains alike are actually pretty limited in what we can do. We pretty exclusively handle things like determining the nature of our quests and allocating when a god can engage in our quests to gain influence over us. Oh and in the cases of schools of magic that are also subdomains we can distribute spells to gods, who can then distribute them to mortals.” The entity revealed, and I could have sworn I felt the thing grinning, somehow.
”We have an innate ability to influence gods, but then again so do their worshipers so that's not as potent as it sounds. In fairness... we're sentient ideas, laws, and powers, so it makes sense for us to not be that powerful. That said... reality is malleable in the hands of a god. If a god wanted to change us and was strong enough they could.” The thing hinted.
”You really like trying to give me ideas don't you?” I asked the odd entity. It didn't reply but it did give me a parting gift.
[The subdomain of necromancy has granted you access to a new spell.
Penumbra peer: This potent necromantic spell grants the target the ability to see in the dark.]
I grinned, and targeted both Okig and Iret with the spell, granting my living servants the ability to see even in the deep darkness of the tunnel we were in. Their eyes took a second to adjust, but when they were finished adjusting the two ogresses' eyes went wide with shock at the sight that was revealed to them.
I nodded at the pair and set all of my servants on the floor. We were on flatland now, they could easily walk on their own without my assistance.
”It's... something right?” I asked, referring to the strange design of the alienly designed colony not far from us.
”I think... I think this might be my new home.” I told my gathered servants, even as they all studied the sight in front of us. It was beautiful, in its own odd way. And with the right amount of power usage, I had a feeling I could make it very roomy. And then I turned inward to ask the system a question.
”So you mentioned earlier that the domains of light and darkness are interested in me? I think... I'm gonna need some light in this place. If you could tell me about that quest, that'd be much appreciated.” I asked the system, hoping that whatever quest the domain had in mind I'd be able to do easily and quickly.