Descending Into A Novel

Chapter 177:Future Clones

Time clones was one of the first spells that Raymond created based on his time-attunement.

It was also easily one of his most complex spells, and most of his effort after creating the spell. Was actually just simplifying it enough to be usable. Because the original, first, prototype version of this spell was so unbelievably horrid. Raymond sometimes wondered how he had ever felt pride at such a thing.

The system however, had clearly thought otherwise.

Title:

[Creator of a Zenith Spell]

-You have created a spell at the zenith of all spells. When discussing the strongest spells throughout the dimensions, your spell will be included among the list.

-Effectiveness of all newly created spells increased by 1.05x

-This is a passive title, and does not need to be equipped in order to receive its effects.

The effects of the title were even more outrageous, being a passive that would permanently improve the effectiveness of all spells he created after that.

Effectiveness, was the system’s way of saying everything.

The mana cost, efficiency, power, ease of use. Every single part of the spell that could be improved was improved. It was truly a cheat title, and Raymond attributed a lot of his success to it.

But why exactly were time clones considered by the system to be a zenith spell then?

Because it was just an amazing spell.

Not to lift his own bootstraps or grow too big of a head. But Raymond truly did think this spell was probably his most genius creation.

The false clones were amazing for fighting due to being perfectly indistinguishable as well as being cheap to use in terms of mana. Since the only cost gaming from creating them, the true clones were also amazing at fighting but! Since it was the real Raymond, an even better use of the true clones was to combine their brain power together to help brainstorm and for r and d.

The time clones were also highly self-sufficient. Able to regenerate their own mana. The only mana cost that came from using the spell, was the mana required to summon them in the first place.

The past clones were a less mana intensive option, while the present clones provided a good middle ground between performance and mana cost.

As for his future clones, well. Time magic always got more confusing the moment it concerned the future rather then the past or the present.

His Future Time Clones (bear with me here because it might get confusing), worked on a similar principle to True Future Sight. Allowing him to get a glimpse of the future based on the clone. Allowing him to lock in a set outcome while also having a clone to fight alongside him.

But Raymond couldn’t actually utilize it that often for the same reason he didn’t utilize True Future Sight. He couldn’t exactly see the outcome in advance after all. If he casted those spells, he was galmbing on his future. Gambling on whether the outcome he set would be a positive or negative thing for him.

It was also way too costly, while he could afford it at his peak. It just wasn’t worth using over other spells, and his current weakened state didn’t even let him dream of using it.

Rather, he much preferred to utilize the other half of the future. What he referred to as Possibility.

Possibility clones were much more fun. Rather then focusing on a singular set outcome, he completely ditched it. Spreading his choice to the infinite number of possible timelines.

This made it so he didn’t have to force the future to occur, since it was essentially a false future time clone. It also led to way more interesting and unique clones. Since it wasn’t restricted by what actually happened to him.

Right off the top of his head, Raymond could name at least ten clones which he was still fascinated with. Each of them was an outcome that could have happened to him if he had chosen differently after all.

Possibility 13, an early clone from his early days that had chosen to have a...for lack of a better term. Harem of beastkin, after saving Anna and being brought back to their village.

Possibility 119, a Rayleigh that had chosen to return to his father and serve under him. Safe to say, Raymond was glad that possibility would never occur.

Possibility 1990, a Raymond that had strangely chosen to dye his hair black and wear red eye contacts. Only speaking in extremely cryptic messages and nonsensical sentences. Oftentimes, acting extremely cringe that the real Raymond could barely handle the second-hand embarrassment. It was also strangely one of the most powerful possibilities.

The last one was especially interesting, because while he at least had some idea on the event which caused the others. 1990 was still a complete mystery.

It was a shame that these possibilities were now innacessible for Raymond. He could always choose to summon the same possibility after summoning it once, but after enough time passed. It was impossible.

The reason why was simple, the event that created them didn’t occur. So the entire possibility timeline was also deleted. The present still moved forwards constantly after all.

He couldn’t have a cup filled with water, if he didn’t have the cup in the first place.

All this talk should have explained enough. But his time clones was Raymond’s most treasured spell, and not having the enhancements by the system hurt whenever he used the spell. Darn weakened state, when would he get his skills back?! It had been far too long already.

He could still manage without the system, but when granted such an amazing thing. Why wouldn’t you make use of it?

Raymond sighed, holding his staff in his hands.

"I want my skills back..."

No point crying over what he couldn’t control. There was a point in crying over what he could control though.

Surrounding Raymond, an amber ring of numerous patterns hummed. Intricate carvings of channels and pathways waiting to be used.

It was a bit embarrassing to admit, but Raymond had actually forgotten that he still had this training hall still booked until he reactivated his second circle. So it had been sitting unused filled with all his mess. As well as still receiving the constant shipments of resources from instructor Sienna, which was really just the Mage Association. All paid for by Rayez of course.

looking around, he could still see the remnants of the Borrow Future Strength engraving. As well as remnants of where he used to sleep and eat before he was allowed to use magic in the academy.

There were even a few blood stains remaining from when he overexerted himself.

The past was really simple, no taking care of Erin, having his own apartment all to himself, being able to sleep alone in his own bed, not having to deal with a play...

It was also quite boring now that he thought about it. But it was a calm type of boring, not a boring type of calm.

Raymond could use the possibility time clone as a spell, but using it as an engraving was better in the current situation. It allowed him to choose a possibility from further into the future, since it relied less on his own mana, and it’s not like this clone would be used for fighting.

And the further into the future the possibility originated from. Usually, the weirder it was.

Without any more waiting, Raymond immediately channeled his time-attuned mana into the engraving. Kick starting it and letting it activate with the mana rich resources he connected to it. Then he immediately stepped out of the circle, he didn’t want to mess things up just by being in the spell when it activated. Even when it theoretically shouldn’t have changed anything.

He didn’t even need to check the magic. He was confident enough in his own skills to not be wrong.

But also because he had already quadruple checked it earlier, and he wasn’t about to do a fifth.

He could already feel the pull of time starting to affect him anyways, and summoning possibilities was much flashier. The effects alone would have been enough for Raymond to tell whether something had gone wrong. When it started sparking and causing destruction, that’s when he knew something had gone wrong.

The room became quiet, filled with only the sounds of the engraving pulsing. Every second that ticked by, the engraving gradually glowed brighter.

Despite being literally carvings into a floor durable enough to withstand the aftereffects of him and Ellen fighting. The carvings of the engraving seemed to wiggle.

Light gathered at the center of the circle. Condensing together and solidifying into something tangible. Based on the engraving, the clone should have been from some,time in the next year or so. Not that far ahead into the future, but far enough for Raymond to receive a lot of assistance from it. Even when clones couldn’t really say a lot about what happened.

First a pair of bair feet, then the white long robes he always wore, and was actually still wearing right now.

As more and more mana gathered together to form the clone. Staring at what was being formed. Raymond’s expression hardened into stone.

Slightly shorter then his actual height, elegant long legs and a slender body that curved briefly twice. Pale white skin and a pair of eyes like that of a lake in winter. With long white hair let down freely.

"...why are you female?!"