Continues things along and frames the tone and content of the coming arc. Solid enough chapter.

 

Spoiler

We now have an explicit ending point. It's still going to require some time skips (5 years is a long time) but I'm looking forward to the resolution.

I fully expect a few more curveballs though.

Spoiler

Xvim being added to the loop for 6 restarts seems to have been foreshadowed as well. I wonder if the ability is going to be used for 6 restarts straight or broken up a few times.

 

Okay, so I'm having a little trouble following the whole soul-copying plot device atm. But one question for the better-read. Wouldn't this all mean that Zach is the only 'original' soul? Zorian would have been a copy during the first run he remembers, right?

I assume that is why the author is now bringing up the question of swapping souls - so he has an out for Zorian later on, and can win in some shape-form-or-manner. Otherwise, he'd have the same erasure as the rest of the copies... Feels a bit deus ex machinish, so that the readers won't feel as let down when 'they' finally escape.

Sorry Original Zorian... We like super-powered copy-of-you better....

 

Much better. Literally only Kirielle would miss old Zorian if he died.

 

Enjoyed the Xvim bit at the end. Xvim always good for a laugh.
Greener
Zach remarks that even though Zorian thinks that he (Zach) is the original Marked via the Creator, but he is not convinced that and thinks that it could be Red Robe.

This could be an explanation as to why RR has such in-depth knowledge of the various abilities (Booting the Aranea out, how to leave etc), because he is the original Marked.

OTOH RR also mentioned waaay back in his first Zorian encounter that he was always able track Zach, and he demonstrated the ability to rip memories/knowledge from Zach then too. That could be a point in favour of Zach being the original Marked, but RR stole the knowledge from him (Which is what Zorian suspects happened).

The mystery that ties the entire story together is pretty much: Out of RR & Zach, who is the original Marked, and how did the other get into the loop? We know how Zorian got in, via soul entanglement with Zach.

I think a possible answer to this is that Zach was the Marked and was more informed (i.e. knew about the abilities the Marked has) and gave a temporary mark to RR (because he trusted him) and either (1) fucked it up somehow and made it permanent, or (2) RR was able to turn their temporary mark permanent.

After he was in, RR realized that the loop is a zero-sum game and then turned antagonistic towards Zach, did some mind-magic to memory wipe him so that he could be the ultimate winner.

 

Just wanted to say that the "guardian of the threshold" isn't a common trope, but it does exist in a weird mythology.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Guardian_of_the_Threshold

I accidentally bumped into this a few weeks ago when I was binge watching Twin Peaks. In TP, the Guardian of the Threshold is an evil deity that tests your imperfect soul. Pretty sure this story isn't following the GotT lore that exists on wikipedia... I do like the name, though. It kind of mirrors TP's plotline though, wherein you become trapped in an alternate dimension by failing the Guardian's task.

 

I don't think it's so ham handed- it's a natural thing to wonder about ever since we learned how the loop works- there had been discussion along those lines in this topic, even before this chapter.

Speaking of which- when the invasion of Iasku Manor chapter ended, my theory that Sudomir was red robes died.

BUT, now that we know the loop mechanics, and now that we know Red Robes left (which, potentially would leave his _original_ form going around, ignorant of the loop), I'm thinking Sudomir still is/was the prime candidate for being Red Robes.

Especially given his area of research and interest, and position in the invasion. Lets say at some point Zack got captured/defeated (but NOT killed) early on in the loops. As an expert on the cutting edge of Soul Magic, Sudomir would be the perfect sort of person to figure out how the markers work and be able to bring himself into the loop- as well as how to smuggle his changed soul (and possibly his wife's soul) out of the loop. Potentially, Sudomir's research might lead to Zack being able to smuggle out Zorian's bare soul (NOT overwriting and killing the original Zorian), and create a new body for it to inhabit in the real world.

 

Ok, now that we know that Red Robes is out the picture and they have to get out of the time loop, there's still a few things that (I feel) need to happen before they leave:

1) Get to know the soul-bonded twins. Seriously, how many times have they been mentioned? But have we met them? No. I seriously want to know their backstory already and how they could help Zorian. We haven't gotten to know almost all of Zorian's classmates (out of the ones that stayed after the aranea were killed). Seriously, this needs to happen, or I will feel like I was just teased.
2) Meet Silverlake again, and have her teach Zorian soul magic.
3) Meet Damien.
4) Confront Taiven about the date?
5) Sort out Zorian's family and find out why they aren't on good terms.
6) Find out what history Zorian has with cops
7) Find out why Zorian knows how to pick locks (I honestly feel 5-7 are related).
8) Get more instruction from the Spell Formula teacher (Nora Boole?)
9) Find out who Red Robes is (I think they could find out if they look for anyone else who wakes up at the beginning of the time loop dead, since his soul is not there anymore).

P.S.: Also, I think it would be cool if Zorian could build an aranean-model golem. He is probably one of the few people capable of building one, since he knows how aranean senses work and and understands how to use spell formulas very well by now. He would have a monopoly and would be easily able to build trade relations with the aranea, since's he's Open, and used to dealing with them. The aranea would jump at a chance to buy such a thing.

Also, can they make familiar bond while in the loop and if so, how would that work? I would like to see Zorian contract with the Grey Hunter. That would be so OP.

 

Crazy theory time: Red Robe is... Zorian! Or rather, a Zorian from a past loop. Sometime in the past, Zach gave Zorian the six-loop temporary mark. Zorian didn't take his impending death well, did a number of Zach's mind, figured out how to break the six loop limitation somehow and escaped into the time loop proper. At the start of the loop he is a disembodied psychic soul and must possess someone (or use to - now he has escaped the time loop entirely). This Zorian never had the positive character grown of the current!Zorian and in fact, went in the opposite direction to become fairly evil.

 

That doesn't add up though, what would an evil Zorian want? What we see Zorian want in the story is a stronger position among his peers, family, and society in general. He kind of gets that just by exploring the world and learning magic. It would take a significant asspull to reasonably explain what Zorian wants so bad he'd screw his alter-self and a seemingly undeserving Zack.

 

The author made a world building post.

 

Noooohohohoho! I'm so sad my crying turned into laughter towards the end (you know, like the laughing you do when you look at the questions in an Exam and you know you're completely f@<*ed). The target date for the next mother of learning chapter just changed a couple of hours ago from July 17 to July 20. I was so looking forward to today! Now I have to wait 3 more days. Why~?!!!!! Well, at least it's only 3 days. It would suck if we had to wait several more weeks. Well, my ranting/complaining's done, I feel better now. If the author of the novel is reading this, ignore my comment and keep up the good work, I love your story, it's well thought out.

 

Complaining about a 3-day delay really shows how reliable his schedule is otherwise.

I'm reading it for free, so I'm just waiting patiently.

 

Talking about patreon, did people already linked his worldbuilding post here?

If not, here: https://motheroflearninguniverse.wordpress.com/2016/07/02/sapient-species-of-the-world/