Wish upon the Stars (Original Superhero cultivation sci fi litrpg)

[Quenster06]

Just got it thanks
Quick question though, feel free to correct me in case I'm wrong but I'm confused about something
Why doesn't he make wishes for himself? Was it ever stated that the wishes have to be made for someone else? It just bugs me that he doesn't wish for things like knowledge or skills that could help him

Click to shrink...

It was explained that candidates with the Wish ability can't grant their own wishes, yes. However, they can still have other candidates grant wishes for them. There is a fair bit of Shane trying to figure out the rules and game the system.

 

[BJJPanda]

I realise what has always bothered me about the slice of life dialogue, it is too sitcom like. The winking when making a joke about someone, like you have to tell them it is a joke everytime, same when Shane mentions in his head that it is a joke. The slice of life reads more like a script describing a scene from a sitcom than real people talking. BTW this isn't meant to be offensive but something about the dialogue during those moments has been bothering me for a while, dk if you remember my other comments about it

 

[ShadeBorn]

It was explained that candidates with the Wish ability can't grant their own wishes, yes. However, they can still have other candidates grant wishes for them. There is a fair bit of Shane trying to figure out the rules and game the system.

Click to shrink...

Ah, I see
Thank you

 

[Malcolm Tent]

Just got it thanks
Quick question though, feel free to correct me in case I'm wrong but I'm confused about something
Why doesn't he make wishes for himself? Was it ever stated that the wishes have to be made for someone else? It just bugs me that he doesn't wish for things like knowledge or skills that could help him

Click to shrink...

He grants wishes for other people, he can't make them from his own power.

I realise what has always bothered me about the slice of life dialogue, it is too sitcom like. The winking when making a joke about someone, like you have to tell them it is a joke everytime, same when Shane mentions in his head that it is a joke. The slice of life reads more like a script describing a scene from a sitcom than real people talking. BTW this isn't meant to be offensive but something about the dialogue during those moments has been bothering me for a while, dk if you remember my other comments about it

Click to shrink...

Honestly, that's how me and most of my friends talked when we were that age (and still do). We picked up a lot of verbal tics from watching tv and we were all pretty intelligent and tended to think in those terms. Most of my conversations as a teenager sounded like they came from an episode of Buffy, because I binge watched it repeatedly and it had a serious impact on how I think and speak. I've heard similar complaints before, and it seems to be a case of YMMV. Some people just roll with it, and some people are like 'nobody talks like that', but the thing is, I talk like that, so its how I write lol. I'm sarcastic and I make quips and I jab at people because thats what I was exposed to growing up.

 

[Malcolm Tent]

"This is bullshit!" Snapped Callie as she paced back and forth inside the tent. She'd felt my distress through bond and rushed back, though apparently Black Sorrow had somehow delayed the sensation until she left. "She can't just DECIDE you need to go on some suicidal mission to the war front or she'll kill us all."

"Actually, she can and definitely has done that." I said with a grimace. "I know it sucks, but honestly, the idea of being out from under her death sentence and free to be an actual family sounds AMAZING." I turned to my grandmother, who was sitting primly at the table sipping…tea, I think, though I had no clue where she'd gotten it. "Though I feel like she wasn't that committed to us dying. Like she knew I existed but wasn't really pushing for my execution?"

Drowning Shade, also known as Celia Anders, shrugged lightly. "My mother is a god. Her attention span is…odd. She can be both incredibly patient and incredibly impatient, depending on the circumstances. In any case, her lifespan means time passes differently to her. The idea of waiting a few years for you to die wouldn't bother her."

"Don't talk about my son's murder like it's a day at the fish market, mother!" Snapped my mom. "This situation is bad!"

"Less than you might think." Celia said with a shake of her head. "I wasn't at all certain my mother would listen to me. My attempts to use the war to pressure her were a long shot, at best. I expected her to extract HARSH concessions, perhaps separating me from our family for the rest of my life. This mission, while dangerous, is an opportunity." She glanced at me intently. "Your boy has a strong fate, Sasha. For things to move in such a way."

I wondered if my Path was helping. Fatewalker was a class and not the Path itself. Did it even matter anymore?

"So, what am I supposed to be doing." I said tiredly. "She said you'd have the details. She mostly just showed up, mocked me a bit, and then vanished. I was expecting her to be more…unstable, based on what I've heard."

She sighed. "You need to understand that gods are a PART of their Domain. To become a deity is to become one with a concept, to become part of a legend. All your stats, your soul, are dispersed into your Domain and become permanently fused. Becoming human again, or at least creating a physical form, is taxing and requires concentration anywhere OUTSIDE that Domain. Like being in two places at once, and doing the world's most complex puzzle in one of them."

I tried to imagine that kind of strain. It had to be tens or hundreds of times more exhausting than normal soul weight from a technique or Skill. I could see how someone might be erratic if they were under that kind of stress whenever they were physically present in the real world.

There was kind of an implication that divine worlds didn't really move. Like they seemed to be pretty stable in terms of real space. Or maybe I was making assumptions where it wasn't warranted, but I added it tentatively to the structure of cultivation I was building in my mind. "So…" I said sadly to Callie. "On a scale of one to ten how pissed are you I'm going to miss our honeymoon."

"One fucking MILLION!" She spat. "But not at you. If she wasn't a god…"

I laughed. "Yeah, but she is, and I'm too young to be a widower, so how about we don't shit talk the divine being who might still be nearby. I still have a week to finish the festival and say goodbye to everyone." I turned to Celia. "I assume you guys have a LEAD on the Lady of Lamentation's forces for me to follow, instead of just blindly showing up at a random event and hoping she decides to give me some responsibility."

"We do." She chuckled. "I consulted the Judgement Pope, hoping to get his support for this journey. He's given us a direction, and we were able to narrow down exactly where you need to go." She flicked her fingers, and a sphere of textured darkness appeared in front of her. "This is Rackham. A small planet at the edge of the Unity galaxy, near church territory. Unity is the youngest of the gods, and the least capable of policing his galaxy. We believe some sort of examination will be held there."

Chelsea, who had been unusually quiet since she arrived with Callie, looked drawn and upset. "This is bullshit." She echoed my wife, but her voice was weak. "Why would she send Shane. I could have done this, could have helped, and you could have enjoyed your honeymoon."

"Because I'm expendable." I shrugged. "She thinks you have potential, having her ability AND grandpa's is interesting to her. I'm just a candidate, and she won't lose anything if I die." Callie made a scared noise, and I smiled at her warmly. "Which I don't intend to do. She's underestimating me."

Probably. Or she genuinely didn't care. This little mission cost her nothing, and potentially gained her a lot of power. I honestly worried about giving her more power, but then I considered she was already a god and could kill me effortlessly. It would be like trying to lift a whale instead of an elephant as a mortal. It wasn't going anywhere either way.

"You really think so?" Asked Callie hesitantly. She could feel my relative certainty in my own abilities, mostly because I was projecting it at her so she wouldn't notice the crippling terror.

Oddly, under THAT I was kind of excited. Sure this was terrifying and kind of shitty, but it was also amazing. I was going to be going on a solo mission for pretty much the first time as an Ascendant. A solo mission as D-ranker. I would be able to keep in touch with Callie and my friends through the bond, but I'd be on my own. I could finally prove to myself what I was capable of.

Speaking of capabilities though, I turned my mind to my Path. Doom Sovereign had yielded new skills again on my rank up, and I'd been so busy I hadn't really had a chance to check them out. I figured that might distract my wife from her worrying, so I mentioned it to all the members of my family, and mom, Chelsea, and Callie seemed really excited to hear what I'd gotten.

First was a finishing blow. I got those every other rank, and I'd been quickly approaching one that I'd been waiting on for quite a while. Blood Curse. It was a nasty little Rogue trick that let me attach an attack to a sample of someone's blood and use it as a medium to attack them from a distance. It might not sound like a finisher, but it was particularly effective on sleeping targets, and nearly impossible to block (certain defensive abilities in the game could deflect it, and given how absurd Ascendant abilities could get real life was probably the same).

Next was a water based Monk ability called Dark Reflection, which bounced back spells at a certain level of power (usually weaker ones) and a very useful divination called Scent of Truth, which let me smell lies (it was exactly as weird as it sounded). Which really rounded out a lot of my skills. And of course, another poison skill called Creeping Darkness, which allowed me to use air as a medium for my corruption by literally poisoning parts of the sky.

DS Subskills. Monk: Stone Limb, Moonlit Night, Consecration of Flame, Ripple Running, State of Grace, Steam Arrow, Afterburner, Pit of Despair, Mountain Stance, Dark Reflection

Rogue: Mercy Kill, Double Trouble, Touch of Tears, Flurry of Blows, Heavy hands, Marked for Death, False Fatality, Blood Curse, Creeping Darkness

Diviner: Overlay, Song of the Soil, Rhythm of the Wild, Eye of Revelation, Danger Sense, Piece of Mind, Scent of Truth

I noted with a wince I'd pretty much never used False Fatality, and that I now had a staff that did the same thing. It made sense the Monk and Rogue classes might overlap a bit, but it sucked knowing that I was letting abilities go to waste. I glance at my staff with interest. Maybe I could make a damage reflection form. It would be great mixed with Mornax, I put a pin in that for future consideration.

"So, as you can see, I have plenty of new tricks up my sleeves." I smirked. Then paused. "Speaking of, I need new sleeves. BS said I needed new gear for my 'new and improved' mask." I sneered, holding up the obsidian monstrosity that had become of my sleek and well crafted classic wooden mask.

"Oh hey." Callie said cheerfully. "It's the face in the mirror in all of my childhood nightmares. Dear gods, did she TRY to make it a waking nightmare?"

Celia snorted. "Knowing her, probably. And I wouldn't refer to my mother as 'BS' outside of current company. If it gets back to her she might turn you inside out in outrage. Or buy you a pony. You can never tell with her."

"Pass on both." I said bluntly. "I don't do horses. I don't trust any means of transportation that can think for itself."

My mother burst out laughing, and I raised a brow at her. She was gasping a little when she finally calmed down enough to talk. "I'm sorry. It's just most of the time you take after me or act like Ezekial, but now and then you do something so catastrophically ELI that it just sends me reeling. Your father used to say that exact thing, word for word."

I frowned, trying to remember when I'd started saying that and where I'd heard it. "Anyway." I said with a shake of my head. "I was going to ask. Since I'm going to be done, I was wondering if grandma could maybe help Callie out with training. If she wants I mean. If both of them want. I'd just feel a lot better knowing Callie was working with someone with a similar Path."

My grandmother chuckled. "An S-rank tutor for your new bride. You inherited your grandfather's flare for the dramatic. She's family, I would love to help. If she's interested. I was going to work with Chelsea a bit now anyway. Since she's no longer operating under restriction, I think it's time for her to learn how to wield the Enshrining Darkness."

Chelsea's head snapped up. "Wait…what? I thought that pass was just for this incident. I didn't even use my full powers anyway. We can still keep it secret."

"It's fine." Celia said with a laugh. "We've engaged directly with my mother. As long as we accomplish her request, her enmity will be dissolved. That won't be an easy task, but we're safe during the war in any case, so it's not like we're rushed. As for the new gear you need." She pursed her lips at me. "I can arrange that. This mission isn't related to the competition, so it shouldn't be a problem for me to pitch in. Plus I owe you twenty years of birthday presents."

It was odd, because this whole conversation had been so formal and she'd been so austere, but when she said that, it was like a dam broke. We all started laughing, and she smiled broadly, stepping forward to hug me, and then Chelsea, and then Callie.

Suddenly, this was a tent full of family for real, and it was amazing feeling so surrounded by warmth. I tried to savor the sensation, and would do the same throughout the festival. I had a feeling it would be kind of lonely on my own in enemy territory. I would make it though, and then I'd meet up with the others in time for the beginning of the candidate selection, whatever that may entail. If I had my way, this time next year I'd be the next wishmaster.

 

[Malcolm Tent]

The next day we got back to the party. I decided to test out my newest and most consequential perk from my rank up and created wish scrolls, just like I'd been told I could at D-rank. I added eight scrolls to my ring, and was looking forward to finding new ways to trade for them. The mechanics were a bit vague to me, but I was assured they were extremely useful.

Not having to worry about getting those done within a time limit was a load off my mind, and if gave me ample time to hang out with friends on my last week with them. Thoughts like that made me spiral a bit, so I avoided them, and I tried to throw myself into the celebration.

"So tell me again how this works?" Asked Benny as he stared down the strip of park grass. "Because I don't think I get the concept."

I laughed and pointed at the trees above the Travis scarecrow. "It's simple. Throw the axe and chop a branch. If it lands on the dummy, you get ten points, if it lands in the circles, your points vary based on which one. But don't hit the dummy WITH the axe, or you're out. Jessie grew the trees just for this purpose, and they'll try to dodge, so be prepared."

He squinted at me suspiciously. "That seems like the kind of thing that your overlay would be great for."

"I would NEVER abuse my powers just to win a game." I said as I tracked the colored arrows of the overlay to try to find the optimal trajectory. "You have deep seated trust issues and need to learn to have more faith in people." I winged the axe (at our level throwing anything with little enough force not to clear the horizon to absurd levels of concentration on a planet like this) and it clipped through a branch, which plummeted and stabbed into the ground in the third ring.

Cursing, I passed Benny the next axe. "Seven points. You're up."

"I want to go next." Announced Bethy. "I bet I could totally win. I could throw the axe way further than that. I could throw it to the moon."

"That is not the object of the game." I explained with a laugh. "But I kind of want to see it. WEe'd need a really nice axe so it didn't break up on reaching escape velocity. Plus someone would need to go get it."

Callie cleared her throat. "NO." She said bluntly. "If you throw it too hard you might damage the moon, or maybe even move it out of orbit. We are not drowning a continent because you two want to see if you can hit a lunar body with a throwing axe."

"You see." I complained to Bethy. "She used to be fun. We get married and now I can't do anything interesting."

"Keep it up." Smiled my wife sweetly. "And you can have all the fun you want on the couch for the rest of the week." She winked at me, and I laughed, even though both of us felt the ache from the other knowing we'd be separated so soon. We'd hardly had any time together since we got married, and I was already off to parts unknown to do crazy god shit for my psycho great grandma.

Benny frowned at me. "Why do you seem weird about that. Not worried or amused, but like…sad." He glanced at Bethy and the others. "He seems sad, right? It's not just me?"

"Pay up." I told my wife with a sad laugh. She cursed and handed me a D-rank chit. "I told her you would notice. You ARE my best friend." I paused at Bethy's glare. "ONE of my best friends." I said with a laugh.

I looked around with a sigh. "Let's go get some funnel cake and sit down. I can explain to everyone at once. Someone get the others. Cark and Cass too."

Heading over to the funnel cake cart, I bought like…five pounds of the stuff, loaded it onto a huge tray, coated it in a snowfall's worth of powdered sugar and then dropped it at a table set up in the shade of trees that DIDN'T move.

Everyone else came to join us, and Cass seemed especially excited about the funnel cake, snatching it up triumphantly and digging into the still hot dessert. It took her about two seconds to joke, and her brother patter her back with a sigh. "I don't know why you aren't more careful about that. You ALWAYS inhale the powdered sugar and choke."

"Worth it!" Wheezed the younger girl with a thumbs up. We all laughed, but the amusement was soon gone as everyone quieted down to hear my news.

"So, I'm going to be going away for a while." I said after a minute. "Probably five or sixth months. We'll meet up before the candidacy competition, but you'll be on your own for a while. Callie is going to be training with my grandma, and I made some arrangements for the rest of you if you want them. Or you can hang around with one of the others, that's all on you."

Bethy looked crestfallen. "What? But we all have so much fun together. We should be coming with you. We're your backup!"

"She's right." Said Benny unhappily. "Why do you need to do it on your own. We always stick together. That's like…the whole point of the candidacy to begin with. To see how you build a faction."

"Which is why I need you to keep doing that." I said bluntly. "I HAVE to do this. I don't have a choice, but once its done, things will be a lot easier. For one thing, I'll have my mom's support. Overtly. I'm betting I could sway a few big factions with that before the candidacy competition starts, assuming I get this other thing done in time."

My mother's blood, and my grandfathers, would open up possible alliances that I hadn't even considered before. Glancing at my sister, I took in her nod. That was a possibility. Interesting.

Honestly, the idea of a stop on the way to…whatever the competition was going to be, didn't exactly lack appeal. Looking at her though, my attention was brought to a different problem. Chelsea looked…angry. Not just a little angry either, she'd been seething since we'd talked to grandma.

Weirdly, I was conflicted about her reaction. I think some part of her was bitter I got chosen, and I think some part of ME was gloating about that bitterness. It wasn't nice, but she'd literally gotten everything good in our lives, knowing she was jealous kind of made me a little cheery. Of course, then I felt like shit for gloating while my twin sister worried about my possible death, which brought my attention back to the danger, and the cycle started over.

"So what are these 'arrangements'?" Benny finally asked, seemingly trying to distract everyone from the downer mood. He also tried to grab some funnel cake, though Bethy snatched the piece he was going for last second.

"Well, like I said, Callie will be working with my grandmother." I said, smiling at my wife. "She actually suggested Bethy might benefit from working with her as well. If anyone understands being born as something unique and powerful it's Celia. She might be able to help with your control. I'll leave you with some wish scrolls so you can keep up the seals, but we thought that might be helpful. Any of you are free to turn us down."

Bethy looked uncharacteristically serious for a second, but nodded. "That…that's really sweet. Thank you guys." She stepped up to hug both of us, and I nodded warmly. Bethy had my back during this mess, I was going to have hers too, and I knew Callie was grateful for her support when she couldn't be around to help me, too.

"Benny, you're with Zeke. The ability to weaponize crafted items that are a part of you is right up his alley. I can't imagine a better teacher for you." He blinked, but thanked me, not noticing the pitying glance from Cark.

I glanced at my sister. "You know grandma is training you, but I figured maybe you guys could stick with mom. Mel is perfectly suited to train under her, Cark could learn a lot, and Gabe could train with Andrew." I tried to make it sound like I was asking a favor, because I wanted her around Bethy and Gabe, who would keep her from spiraling if she got too worried. I didn't like the look in her eye.

The suggestion seemed to snap her out of her funk a bit though, and she smiled. "Of course. You know I love having…" She glanced at Bethy quickly. "Everyone around."

"Jessie and Celine will be working with mom's friend, the Princess from the conclave." I said with a smile at our healer. "I'm sure she has a ton to teach you both about plant and animal magic, at least based on what mom said."

Finally, I turned to Bethy. "As for Abel…I was thinking about it. We need someone uniquely powerful, with a connection to blood and a staggering amount of combat potential. Is there anyway you could ask your dad to take over his training while I'm gone."

She squealed and clapped. "Oh that sounds wonderful! I don't know who this Abel person is, but daddy needs a new project. He hasn't taken an apprentice since the last one…actually it's probably better if I don't tell you what happened. The position is open, though."

Abel looked concerned. "Wait…what happened to the last one. Don't ignore me Bethany, you can't just say something like that and not explain!"

"Abel's gruesome horrible death aside." I said cheerfully. "Does anyone else have any issues with the arrangements I made? Like I said, anyone can turn down the chance and go with anyone else."

Contrary to his outraged expression, Abel went silent. I knew he wouldn't ever turn down an opportunity to become stronger, and being trained by the most terrifying S-ranker in the universe was an opportunity it would be stupid to pass up. I had faith Bethy would tell her dad not to ACTUALLY kill him, and honestly, given his own training methods, I was enjoying the uncertainty a bit.

"Whatever." Said Benny with a sigh. "I'm going to hit D-rank before you get back for sure. I want some of those damned wish scrolls too."

"I talked to grandma about that." I said with a grin. "She gave me a late wedding present." I held up my hand. "His and hers spatial rings. Shared pocket dimension that Callie and I can both access from anywhere. Mom looked SUPER jealous, so I think they're really expensive, but I can use them to store the scrolls for you guys. It'll be like I never left."

Use of the scrolls still worked through my power, so the payments would reach me directly in the case of stats, and Callie could use the rings to store more physical pay. It was exhausting making them, since I had to preload them with enough stats to accomplish most wishes, but the extra flexibility was worth it.

After that, the conversation drifted to the task itself, and I filled them in. They all seemed worried as hell, but eventually Callie put her foot down, saying we only had a week left and that we'd better make the most of it. She forced us all back to the festival to play Travis mocking games and listen to a contest where everyone tried to make up the most humiliating backstory for the dead translocator.

All in all, it was a great night, and I felt so much better about leaving knowing my friends were taken care of. I could strike out on my own without worrying about anything happening to them. I just hoped I'd be able to make them proud when we reunited.