Open World Online (O.w.O)

• 1^st Person POV (MC)

-Present Time-

*CLICK* *CLACK* *CLICK*

The floating metallic components attached like magnets create rings of different sizes as they begin to spin and orbit around the astral orb.

(“Essentially, I am carrying the pedestal around.”)

Amazed by it, I moved my left arm and it followed suit. I guess it’s unsheathed now... How do I sheath it?

Uhm...

I clenched my left hand and the metallic components detached from its arrangement then clustered the orb dousing that silver light. Returning to its original state of knotted ball...

(“I see, that’s how you unsheathed and sheathed. Using the staff is as simple as putting it on your back or for the grimoire weapon too...”)

Then I unsheathed it back by opening my left palm facing the sky. It unfurls to the same visual.

Looking closer at those rings, it is an exact match to the pedestal after I recognize that within them are images resembling familiar icons such as the sun & moon, four seasons, one new addition to the set of rings, etc.

But there is something else besides those images. It is an array of constellations glowing in faint silver. I do not recognize any of them... how fascinating, I wonder what the new constellations meant? They are vastly different from the constellations I learnt.

A-anyway! The new addition of rings is the largest of them, I know I can adjust them as I like but initially, the ring is already that big. I wonder what kind of function it held?

With the item still floating above my left hand, I touched one of the metal rings with my right, especially the ones that have sun and moon imagery.

It feels the same, to be honest, incredibly fleeting and light as it spins, I can also adjust the speed, and alter the ring’s size influencing its rotation to change the time of my home but I leave it to my original setting mimicking the in-game day cycle.

I then touched the largest ring as it rotates due to my nudging, I can also spin it quickly... It seems spinning them does not affect anything.

Though, glancing my eyes around My Home I did not see any changes...

Hm? Hold on...

I entered pressure around the largest ring which forced the wheel to turn smaller essentially I used to slow its rotation and then stretch it to make it bigger. In experiment...

There!!

The entire sight of Mini Lainore Forest turns smaller as if I’m zooming out of view when I expand the ring and turns bigger when I shrink the ring.

I see...

I know that one of the rings is capable of adjusting the size of my temple but this new addition adjusts the size of sections making it bigger.

Does that mean it allows more room to place ‘furniture’ and seeds? How big did it expand?

More questions appeared but I shake it off, knowing that I just got an (Artefact) grade item!!!

An unknowingly small smile appeared on my face as I felt like in cloud nine. As I stare in wonder at this beautiful object.

It’s like I’m holding an armillary sphere...

(“Can I use it to attack?”)

Another question popped into my mind and following that up, I went to the backyard to see my training dummy. Previously, I could swing the staff or book-slap them as an attack. Of course, as a mage it’s incredibly bad, who knows this one is better than them.

But...

Looking at this miniature armillary sphere floating on my hand I began to wonder how it attacks.

I extend my left hand towards the training dummy with the intent to smack them. It might look silly, but I’m in my home so only Gaia and Oreo would watch.

*FWOOOSH* *BAM*

The sphere suddenly jumped with a burst of speed and impacted at the dummy’s head leaving a dent kind of hurting visual effect as it floated towards me returning to my open left hand.

I see... that’s the attack animation, quite *ehem* bad.

--

Right! Knowing that I decided to use this thing’s ability as I raised my left hand ‘holding’ it.

“[Path to Ruination]”

As soon as I said that keyword confirming with intent on the target like using a {Spell}. The fantastical astral orb that shines in silver gossamer suddenly changed to black as if it absorbs light rather than the usual emitting light.

Before long a black hole emerges behind it and expands as I’m holding a miniature black hole. In doing so, I heard a crushing noise coming from the dummy as I turned my attention to it.

Its whole body is riddled with cracks and on closer look, there are glimmering stars behind it as if something tore the dummy apart and then turned its inside into a portal to space.

My orb returned to its usual look after it unleashed that. I mean it is once per day ability after all...

Though... this is a beautiful animation I would say, complements to the devs and art team.

As I checked the {Status} of the dummy where lies the de-buffs and its HP has been reduced by 20%-ish. Another question appeared in my mind...

How do I wilfully dismiss the effect? It is listed in the wording... Do I just ‘think’ it hard like when I handled {Spell}?

...

...

!!

As soon as I intently think about it and want the effect to be gone. The cracks simply fade returning the dummy to its original look.

Wow...

I already said it several times but the brain scan stuff feature in this game is phenomenal.

(“Okay, let’s change the dummy into Ally.”)

Wait... hold on, it does not say Ally or Enemy in the description. It says ‘Target’ so does that mean...

I changed the dummy setting back into an enemy as I tried a new thing. In referring to how awesome the brain scan stuff is, I tried to think hard.

(“[Path to Salvation]”)

Uttering that in my mind, I can feel an intense thrum coming from my orb as if it leap a beat or two. In sync with that, my heart too...

(“That’s strange... I am sure it’s not heart palpitations.”)

I laughed at it as my orb was surrounded by a conglomeration of stars all huddled together into a milky glimmering hue like a galaxy and in its centre was the orb. In turn, the dummy is enveloped in a hue of silvery stars as its HP recovers and buffs are applied.

If I remember fully restored means I healed their MP, HP, and SP including any abnormalities they have such as; limb injuries, diseases, poisons, and crowd control effects.

The most potent of healing I would say... So it is a good thing in a clutch situation as the buffs icon appeared on them.

(“This answers my two questions. That I can use this ability without talking and it ignores Ally or Enemy scenario.”)

I nodded to myself a few times with Gaia nibbling my hair. I’m used to it, he said it was to groom me so I let it be.

(“What about the others?”)

Let’s try it!

I deeply thought of my Mini Lainore Forest where the majority of my plants are as I intently said it in my mind...

(“[All there is to see]”)

It’s a different sort of feeling compared to sharing my senses with fragments where I can see panels within the darkness of my mind.

This one is stationary as if I’m watching from CCTV attached to something. In this case, since it’s a location it’s like seeing in bird’s eye view of my Mini Lainore Forest.

Look at that! Mr golems working in tandem and ohoooo... I see you Oreo, they are trying hard to be hidden but I can see them slithering around eating native critters of Lainore Forest.

Ever since Oreo's presence, larger critters have appeared including their predators too but they do not seem to interact like monsters, they simply acknowledge my existence and continue their activity.

Nevertheless, It’s quite fun... I’m going to try to ‘hop’ out of this as intended. Opening my eyes, I’m right in the backyard once more and with a single intent, I’m back at seeing Mini Lainore Forest in bird’s eye view.

(“So that’s how it works... the dismissal is also the same.”)

Pretty handy ability to spy... I can use this 3 times per day too, too onto the next!

I guess this is like a more powerful version of [Identify]? Hmmm...

Oh well, let’s try it!

I took out a piece of parchment that I got from a Unique Quest containing pieces of necromantic teaching or something.

“[All there is to know]”

Like a snap of a finger upon uttering the keyword, my orb floats right in front of my face as if it wants to screen the paper. Then the rings aligned themselves creating a kaleidoscope-like view of constellations on my left and right glowing in silver as the Astral Orb lies at the end.

I stare at it and suddenly a vision laid bare for me to see like a video. A hooded figure clad in black, feverishly writing something in a book I recognize within the necromancer’s den.

Though the infrastructure is much different, this one is more lavish with a myriad of windows picturing the skies. I can tell this is a well-off figure possibly holding some authority in this establishment.

The figure continues their manic writing as if compelled to do so or having an epiphany until they abruptly stop as I hear a cluster of footsteps in front of the door leading to their study. Catching them off-guard... realizing their predicament, they ripped the pages of the book over and over again with trembling hands throwing them everywhere. I guess it’s in the hopes of throwing off whoever going to read that book.

*BOOM*

The door blasts open revealing a cavalier of mages wearing the signature embellished blue robes of Astera. Winds picked up with no source as all the windows opened, strangely the torn papers stayed.

The leader of this ensemble of mages moves forward pointing their staff to the black hooded figure as the hooded one revealed a dagger and then slits their own throat.

Splotches of red douse the book and papers, as the leader of this ensemble didn’t expect that. They rushed onward letting their hood fall revealing a familiar figure.

(“That’s... the headmaster of L & D Tower.”)

Gosh, he looks so young! How many years ago was this?

As the scene continues, where the ensemble gathers up as many ripped papers as they can and the book.

Bringing them to a tower filled with books as they chanted in unison, changing several layouts of the shelves. Putting each paper in a different section and the book in the basement of the tower.

As that ends, so too the vision. The rings realigned into the usual mode with the astral orb in its centre giving off a faint silver gossamer.

...

I see... certainly, this is more powerful [Identity] as I now know the location of each page and the book. It’s being added to my Quest system as a reminder if I want to do it.

What about the passive kind of abilities? It says I know all {Spell} and newly made ones. How does it work?

I stare at the orb, hoping it does something relating to that ability. It would be nice if I knew more Elementalist class {Spell} since I need more DPS.

*FWOOOSH* *CLICK*

(“Hm?”)

The orb floats higher and its rings realigned themselves creating a circular plate. Then I hear the sounds of grating stones as the rings move. I do not know for what purpose, it continued to move until several seconds passed then it slowed enough to make me think it had stopped.

Oh! That reminds me, even if the rings move faster or not. It does not affect My Home time of day or seasons which means that it is a separate thing.

I squint my eyes looking at the constellations engraved on those rings as it slowly turns. It is so mesmerizing to watch...

That is until I noticed why I did not recognize the constellations. These are not ‘Constellations’ rather they are words! A language inspired by constellation shape.

Due to my ability, still getting used to it anyway. I began to be able to read it, like a Deja Vu...

*GASP*

“Master?” -Gaia-

He tilts his head in confusion and worries my munched-up hair falling from his mouth when he hears me gasp in surprise at what I’m reading.

My eyes widen after understanding what this orb is displaying...

Th-They are keywords of {Spell}, I recognize some of them! I did not know that there are so many {Spell} in this game.

As the rings slowly turn like a dial, it reveals more {Spell} keywords in each of the rings. Though, it does make it hard to search since it’s a heap of keywords.

Can I narrow it down? Like only {Spell} for Elementalist, 8^th Tier or above.

*GRSSSSS* *GRSSSSS*

Upon thinking and wanting for it, as if the orb ‘knew’ and ‘heard’ what I thought, the metal rings started to quicken their dial-like rotation and then slowed their pace to almost a grating halt.

Once it slows down, I can finally read them. It is a list of keywords for Elementalist {Spell} with numerals below them ranging from 8, 9, 10, and some with no number which confuses me but that thought fades quickly replaced with a massive grin then I reminded of something.

“What about the {Spell} effect? Do I just?”

In curious instinct, I touched the keywords [Blizzard] and...

I couldn’t describe it but information began to fill my mind. I always knew what its AoE range is, how much damage it does, and other effects. Just being reminded once more... It’s an odd sensation.

Nevertheless, the ability worked wonderfully!

(“Heheheh~”)

I feel so giddy that I can dance and I would! Though since I’m quite bad at it, the dance is merely just wiggles earning a strange stare from Gaia which I reassured him by scratching his neck.

An incoming yawn surges within as I let it out. Still have excitement coursing through my veins.

“Hoaaammhhh... I need to sleep but I want to know more about this weapon.”

I shake off the sleepy feeling and focus on several parts of this weapon’s abilities such as knowing when a celestial event will happen, increasing map discovery radius, and capability to force a celestial event.

As per usual, I re-crafted and sold all potions to my shop in players market while taking a few of them for personal use.

Stretching my body and cracking my knuckles, I wielded the weapon and focused on imagining a meteor shower I saw in movies. They are so pretty...

Plus, I have learned all sorts of celestial events from lectures in the towers and being reminded of them in their quizzes.

(“[Realignment: Meteor Shower]”)

Upon intently uttering that in my mind, the orb starts to float higher with its light growing in intensity similar to how visually other abilities are activated.

Then the rings spin even faster aligning themselves into sorts of wheels then abruptly halt as if locked in position.

Immediately after, the whole place becomes dark as if it’s the night cycle, the starry night sky reveals itself towards us.

Then... I see it. A trickling glint of light streaking across the skies, a meteor shower happening in my home!

“Haaaaa...”

I lay down on the soft patch of grass with Gaia snuggling beside me watching the meteor shower passing through. Also, I noticed a new buff icon on my {Status} as I read the effects.

It seems during the Meteor Shower event, I have a buff that reduces my cast time which is pretty handy. Since it scales from INT and WIS {Status}.

*SLITHER* *SLITHER*

(“Hm?”)

In the far right of me, I heard a faint slithering noise as Oreos made themselves known. The newly expanded sections made a big yard, and the sapling golden tree felt even more lonely.

I already added a nice spring and some patches of wildflowers plus appearances of small critters. Giving off a lively feel to this place...

Nevertheless, with Oreo and Gaia nearby. We enjoyed the meteor shower for quite some time before I actively dismissed the effects. In doing so, the sky cleared up revealing daytime.

(“I need to log off.”)

Deciding that, I stroke both Gaia and Oreo earning a satisfied and pleased noise radiating from them before telling them to guard the house as I left.

-Exiting O.w.O-