I saw that coming with the mention of Alanic and Xvim last chapter, though I would have prefered a conversation with them both in chapter as I feel half the chapter as it stands could have been cut and nothing of substance would have been lost.

On the chapter itself I found myself quite frustrated with it personally. That "investigation" ... the best word I could use to describe it is childish, and given the nature of the timeloop I'm not sure if that's an unfair criticism of the characters given their brains aren't actually maturing. I mean, you think this person is either Red Robe or of interest to him and your response is too just ask your classmates? That's not only childish, but incredibly inefficient especially when they have few limits on their resources. They didn't even ask any of teachers themselves for some strange reason, either about what happened or a location where they could contact him as presumably they have it if Ilya is capale of visiting Zorian's home so it was a worthwhile endevour even should they have blanked him. This is without including the fact that Xvim is now aware of the time loop and could of provided further aid.

I guess my frustration is just building with the story in general at the moment.

 

It does say that before they started asking their classmates they tried scrying for him and when that failed they questioned various academy officials, his family and the police (with Zorian reading their minds when they didn't talk). So most of the investigation happens off-screen which seems reasonable to me if it doesn't amount to much.

I do agree that the chapter did feel a little light on actual story content, but I'm still happy with the story so far and we are at the start of a "book" as it were so it seems reasonable for a slight slow down in pace.

 

I too thought that 'Why didn't they just ask Xvim?' He's a teacher and more or less onboard with the Loop. They've met with him multiple times in the loop already, so they've had plenty of time to cover the subject with him.

Including Xvim under the 'They tried asking Academy officials' umbrella statement gives the character no credit, he's important/developed enough in the story to be mentioned outright. Even if Xvim doesn't know anything, he could probably find out for them, it just seems like an incredibly obvious method of inquiry that should have got an explicit mention of 'Oh yea, Xvim doesn't know and can't find out, we were on our own'.

 

I think they were keeping Xvim in the dark about how much they know about the time loop and Red Robe? Also I can't see Xvim being able to find him if neither his family nor anyone they did ask were. Asking him would just lead to awkward questions from him really.

 

Is that a big deal? Either finding Boranova (and ascertaining the link to RR) is a critical priority so you go all out and use as many avenues as possible, or it isn't, so don't bother wasting your time doing comparatively low level investigations.

 

Dang, I haven't read the chapters yet (or any of the comments), but it seems especially long!

 

A little boring chapter for me, but the ending teases that the next one could be great. In my opinion Zorian and Zach should risk telling both Alanic and Xvim pretty much everything at least once and it's a perfect chance to do it.

Considering the Chekhov's guns of the story, will Ilsa's fascination with a true conjuring be somehow useful to them? I suspect that creating the whole world is exactly what she was talking about only on a godlike scale.

 

You, sir (or ma'am, I can't really tell from online names), are on point. I had completely forgotten about Ilsa's specialty. It very well could tie into the story, if we know anything about the author. It might seem a bit of a stretch that everything we read about has some significance later on, but maybe it's just that most things that won't have some significance later on gets cut out by the author.

 

Character Background Stories

Okay, so I have listed the main characters we will deal with in this series. And then next to them I have listed how much more I expect to learn about them. This is basically just a recap. Tell me if I missed anything or if you dissagree with anything that I put. If you want, you can skip and only read the names in all caps.

Family:

Grandmother: if she is still alive, we need to meet her to find out what the deal is with Zorian’s bloodline (and maybe get some backstory about the problems between her and Zorian’s mother).
Mother: get some backstory about the problems between her and Zorian’s grandmother, fix/understand the problems between mother and son. And find out about the witch bloodline magic if Zorian’s grandmother is already dead.
Father: could care less, maybe fix/understand the problems between father and son.
Fortov: could care less, maybe some backstory about why he’s such a jerk?
DAMIEN: WE NEED TO MEET HIM!!!!!! IT IS NOT AN OPTION, IT IS MANDATORY!!!!!!!!!!! We need to meet him before the time loop ends. Not only might he know something critical to getting out of the time loop, he and Zorian have to work their problems out for Zorian to grow as a person (which is a major part of the time loop!). Also, I have a feeling he might also be an empath, or at the very least inherited some part of the witch’s bloodline magical abilities. It seems suspicious to me that he is the only member of Zorian’s close family (except for his grandmother, who might be dead) who we haven’t seen (especially since now Zorian can immediately know if someone is psychic or not). Him being empathic could explain how he was so charismatic and got away with so much.
((Kirielle)): I think we pretty much reached the end of her route. Not much more left to learn about her I think.

Time Travellers:

Zach: he and Zorian need to get stuck in a blackroom for a month to fully get to know one another and resolve their problems with one another.
RED ROBE: don’t know who he is, but expect some background explaining all of his actions when we do.
Zorian himself: bloodline magic and self-discovery/introspection.

Teachers:

XVIM: who is he? Will we ever know or will the author keep with his mysterious persona? All we know is that he is (all but confirmed from the person himself) an archmage who works as a teacher in Cyoria and likes to keep a low profile, and that he specializes in magical defense. Where is he from? Why does he lay low? Why is teaching in Cyoria when he could probably be rich, living in seclusion? Does everyone else in the school know he’s an archmage? Is he from one of the Houses or is he from a common background? Does he have any family? How does he tie in to any of the world powers?
Alanic: just how high up is he in the Church?
SILVER LAKE: EVERYTHING! She is going to be super important in teaching Zorian soul magic (which he definitely needs to learn a whole lot more of if he wants to stop the invaders.
Nora Boole: could care less
Ilsa: I feel like her specialization could prove to be very important later on in helping explain/get out of the time loop. Also, her being so late in getting to Zorian has always felt kind of fishy to me (I don’t know why), and I feel that there’s more to that (maybe she was also dealing with something else that was really important and took up a lot of time and that’s why it took so long). I mean, he only had DAYS until school started.
Kyron: could care less, maybe learn a bit about how good of a battlemage he was before he became a teacher.

Friends:

Benisek: I feel that there is more to him and Zorian’s just being too insensitive and self-absorbed to notice. Maybe it’s not so much that he’s a rumor mill, but that he has to make connections with his (mostly influential) classmates for his family.
TAIVEN: her and Zorian still need to talk about the rejection, for Zorian to move on and grow as a person.
Kael: we still need to know what Kael is working on, so far Zorian has avoided getting into the specifics of what Kael is researching. Could be related to the Weeping.

Classmates Zorian has interacted with:

((Raynie)): I think we pretty much reached the end of her route. Not much more left to learn about her I think.
Kiana: could care less.
Briam: could care less. I actually care more about his fire salamander than he himself. His fire salamander has more importance to the story and is more of a main character than him, to the point that I think of him as ‘The Fire Salamnder’s Slave’. I want to know more about the fire salamander.
Kopriva: could care less, except she’s very useful for her connections. Maybe we find out more about her.
TINAMI: there is more to her. We have got to find out more about her and her interest in family trees before the time loop is over.
AKOJA: find out about her family background and why she likes Zorian.
Naim: could care less
Edwin: could care less, but useful because of his connections
Estin: a bit intrigued about he managed to get out of Ulquaan Ibasa and settle in Cyoria with no problems. Also hope to get some idea of how Ulquaan Ibasa is like.
Neolu: could care less.

Classmates Zorian hasn’t interacted with:

Ashirai Twins: intrigues since they have been teased before and them being soul-bonded twins stands out and seems important.
Elsie: could care less.
Jade: could care less.
Maya: could care less.
Iroro: could care less.

Others:

Imaya: hoping to learn more about her. Maybe her entire family died off during the Weeping and that’s why her house is so empty.
Lukav: could care less.

 

The soul bonded twins...could Zach and Zorian make an artificial bond such as that to allow both of them leave the loop? I mean, one is pulled outside the fake reality and the other follows because they're connected.

...no, I'm not suggesting slash. Hell no. But it's an idea.

 

They already have something like a soul bond going on. It's one of the reasons Zorian avoided Zach for so long; because Benisek's soul bond with his familiar was a very one-sided relationship that would end with the master having absolute control over the lesser partner. Of course, that's probably not what's going to happen here.

 

Seriously, when are they going to start using the black rooms?!

I feel that they should still work (even if they are inside a highly accelerated pocket dimension), since the imitation world needs to mimic the original one as much as possible.

If so, then I think the first to go in should be Zorian and Xvim, since I bet being stuck in the black room is probably an ideal environment for practicing dimensionalism magic (also, Zach needs to be outside to see how their perception of time differs as time travelers).

Next should be Zach and Alanic, since Zach and Xvim don't get along too well and Zorian and Xvim would need to rest from the month-long training session (Zorian would stay outside to see if what happened when he went in and Zach stayed outside remains true).

Finally, after maybe switching the teachers a couple of time, or maybe all going in together, Zach and Zorian might actually be left alone in a Black Room together and they could finally sort out some of their differences and trust issues and maybe get some backstory from the both of them!

Seriously, this needs to happen, they need use the remaining time wisely. They have so much to do, and I feel that Zorian's mastery of dimensionalism magic will prove to be important, either to get out of the time loop or to stop the primordial from being summoned.

Do they even realize that they effectively have to figure out a way to combat the invasion and stop the primordial summoning (with demon support for the invaders now that the physical world is connected to the spiritual realm)?

They also have to collect all five treasures to form the keys, find out who Red Robe is, and find a way to fool the Guardian of the Threshold into letting them both out.

If that wasn't enough, I have the sneaking suspicion that, just as the invasion was a distraction for the Primordial Summoning, both the invasion and the Primordial Summoning might be a distraction for Red Robes to enter and activate the Sovereign's Gate unempeded at the peak of the Summer Festival with the planetary alignment in place, to power the artifact to its intended maximum and come out stronger than everyone when all is said and done.

If you think about it, if the walls between dimensions start weakening a month before the start of the summer festival, peaking at the summer festival and planetary alignment, isn't it a reasonable assumption that the walls between dimensions will take about another month after the summer festival to strengthen themselves to normal levels? If that's the case, then it's within that two month period that the Sovereign's Gate can be activated.

Assuming that there's a countermeasure to avoid the Sovereign's Gate from being used too often, by making it so that you cannot activate the Gate during the time period predicted in the pocket dimension, almost effectively making it so that the Gate could only be used once every 400 years.

But then, what if a mage figures out a way to activate the artifact more than once during that 2 month period. That's where another countermeasure could be put in place, making it so that no one could be marked twice by the Sovereign's gate. This would effectively turn the mage's greed against them, making it so they would never tell anyone of it or make use of it since they would never want someone else to enjoy the same benefit they did, so they could remain the most powerful during their time period, with no one to threaten them.

Assuming the above assumptions are true, how would someone get around that to exploit the time loop even more (assuming they knew a bit about the Sovereign's Gate)? Well, if it were me, I would 1) have the Sovereign's Gate be activated at the very start of the weakening of the dimensional walls, 2) have someone else activate it the first time (when it would be at lowest efficiency)so that I could activate it later at the peak of the summer festival (at maximum efficiency), 3) make it so the person that becomes “Marked” effectively brings you into the time loop when it starts so that you can make use of it (maybe through mind magic manipulation?), 4) erase any memories that person may have about meeting you about the Sovereign’s Gate along with the knowledge you gave them about the time loop 5) erase someone entirely from their mind to make them think he’s the culprit in case they discover the mind tampering sending them on a wild goose chase, knowing that you have essentially made the person untraceable by the time the time loop starts, 6) leave the person inside the loop to be destroyed 7) Activate the gate again at the peak of the summer festival and use it to the hilt.

 

Chapter was delayed for a week. Which makes me sad

 

It makes us all feel sad (imagine a sad face here, since I'm not good at finding and using emojis). On the plus side, it shows that the author takes his work seriously since he would rather push the date back then publish a chapter that might be subpar .

On another note, here's what I expect Zorian to have mastered by the time he gets out of the time loop (along with some reasons in parentheses and some titles dividing them up into categories; tell me what you think or if you disagree or have something to add):

I call BS if he doesn’t master them:

-Mind Magic (‘Open’, has aranean teachers to go to, and has Xvim to teach him about the human mind mage side to things)
-Spell Formula (dream job, very useful, Nora Boole)
-Dimensional Magic (very useful to his situation and has Xvim training him)

He should learn them since he’s ‘Open’:

-Divinations (empath)
-Illusionism Magic (‘Open’ and naturally low mana reserves along with Kirielle to pick them apart)
-Healing Magic (he already has a potential teacher in Cyoria, it’s useful in the last month if anyone gets hurt, and he has an unnatural advantage as an empath for crying out loud!!!!)

Has Good Teachers for it and may have talent in it:

-Soul Magic (he needs to counter Red Robes, the Lich, and all of the invaders, and he has Kael, Alanic, Raynie, Briam, the soul-bonded twins, Silverlake, and maybe Xvim as possible teachers)
-Alchemy (good at it, has Kael, Zach, Lukav and Silverlake as possible teachers, a renewing bank account, access to the Yellow Cavern and the black rooms)
-Unstructured Magic (he’s been doing shaping exercises for a while now, and he has Xvim)

 

Celestin posted the author's thoughts on what Zorian will theoretically be caplable of at the end of the story earlier in the thread. It's pretty impressive too (if he can actually reach his theoretical peak).

 

So based on what we know here is basically his tool kit by the end of the loop. Overall it's a very good kit.

-Combat Magic - Benefits from several capable teachers and a clear reason to learn it. ("Theoretically he could defeat high end enemies like dragons, grey hunters and crystal oozes in full frontal battle where he relies on brute force only, no items and allies. Make a personal shield strong enough withstand several massed artillery volleys.")

-Artificing/Spell Formula/Golemry- His self-admitted specialty, and something he is innately good at. ("He could make multiple simulacrums of himself and do several things at once. He could scatter magical sensors for miles around him and spy on a huge area at once.")

-Dimensionalism - Pocket dimensions are called the pinnacle of dimensionalism, ergo for Zorian to make one means he is a master. ("Make his own pocket dimension (though probably very small one).)

-Mind Magic - This one is a no-duh but even so. ("Totally rewrite someone's mind into something he finds more useful to his goals.")

Things he will probably be very good at, but not master level.

-Alchemy - Zorian is basically piggybacking off of Kael's research and getting all the benefits thereof.

-Divination - Zorian is becoming extremely talented at this, but it's not a pressing need in the same way his masteries are, and he is likely close to specialist level at this anyway.

-Soul Magic - He needs something here to protect himself, and to understand the mechanics of the time loop. He has several good teachers, but the lack of soul-sight is severely hampering his potential. But if that changes this could get moved to mastery.

-Random stuff he picks up as a result of his cumulative shaping exercises that result in unstructured magical abilities like Xvim's mind shield

 

I know I mentioned this before, but if Red Robes really is using the invasion and primordial summoning to use the Sovereign's Gate at the peak of the Summer Festival, than I bet he would do this:

1) Ward himself against Divinations
2) Make a simulacrum of himself or something like it to distract others
3) Cast the Invisibility, Mind Blank, and Protection Against Soulsight Spells.
4) Try and sneak quickly towards the Gate.

To counter this quickly: I suggest summoning a Grey Hunter.

Author, if you read this, please don't change the ending if I got it right.

 

We now know how Zorian is going to Get Gud quickly enough to be relevant compared to Zack in only four years.

Thanks Xvim.

Spoiler

"Yes. But not the kind you are thinking of," Xvim told them. "I actually came here to talk to you about your plans for the future."

"Well, they are still in the process of being made," Zorian admitted. "You have to understand, it has only been a single restart since we found out we're trapped in this world. The lead-up to that was very stressful, and this restart was supposed to be something of a short vacation. I have been slowly assembling some kind of plan in my head, but it's still very rough."

Currently, Zorian's plan for moving forward was very simple. Use time loop cheats to amass a lot of funds. Recruit various experts across the city (and perhaps the country and beyond) as their researchers, investigators and teachers. Take over the aranean criminal contacts and see if they could be harnessed for something useful. Trade with aranean settlements for their mind magic secrets. Raid mage guild records and various magical libraries (including the academy library) for information and forbidden magic.

"I think you should use your mind magic more," Xvim told him.

"What?" Zorian frowned. That wasn't advice he heard very often. "What do you mean?"

"I mean that you should attack mages and steal their secrets with your mind magic," Xvim told him bluntly. "Not only spells and training methods, but also things you could use to convince them to cooperate with you."

"Are… are you sure you should be giving out that kind of advice?" Zach asked him incredulously.

"You have very little time to catch up to Red Robe and find a way to reach the real world," Xvim said. "Even for me, the enormity of the task in front of you would be rather daunting. You should use the tools you are given."

Wordlessly, Xvim reached into his jacket and handed Zorian a thick notebook. Opening it, Zorian found it full of names, addresses and accompanying short notes.

"There are people that should be able to help you, whether to increase your skills or track down some crucial piece of information or material component. Not all of them will be willing to help you out, however, and sometimes the things you need most out of them, they will not be willing to part with. In such cases… I suggest you employ more aggressive, even illegal persuasion methods."

By the end of Xvim's explanation, the notebook felt incredibly heavy in Zorian's hands. It was just a trick of the mind, he knew, but it didn't help him feel better about it.

"You have no idea what you are asking of me," Zorian told him bitterly, fighting the urge to throw the notebook at Xvim.

"Probably not, no," Xvim agreed. "I was never in your kind of situation in my entire life, and I have serious doubts I would have risen to the challenge if I was. Especially at your age."

"You're asking me to attack people who have done nothing wrong, just because they have something I want," Zorian said. "That kind of stuff changes you. I couldn't even do that to giant spiders without feeling terrible afterwards. And really, I don't want to be the sort of person who became used to stuff like that."

"Then feel free to ignore my advice," Xvim said. "I'm only giving you advice; I have no power over you. If you feel you can do without reaching for methods like these, or that going along with it would cost you something you cannot afford to lose… then don't do it. It's as simple as that."

There was a short silence where Xvim and Zorian stared at each other, Zorian clutching the notebook so tightly in his hand his fingers went white. Zach seemed to be at loss what to do, watching them both uneasily as if waiting for a fight to break out.

Eventually, Xvim broke the standstill by reaching out and pushing Zorian's hand, still clutching the notebook, towards Zorian's chest.

 

I like Xvim's suggestion. Just because I've been hoping for Zorian to grow into a more ruthless person. To someone actually trying to be good, I can see why it'd be quite the dilemma. Me, I just want to see a more evil Zorian.

Between doing evil stuff to clones who are gonna disappear anyways and possibly growing more evil because of it or dying and being unable to be there to prevent all the incoming catastrophes, he'll probably choose the evil for the greater good option, heh.