The morning was a somber one for the members of Silvayn. With Liris’s help, they traded items via a teleportation spell from one of her subordinates and mapped out their approach to Balora. Secluded in Liris’ tent, the Mindweaver led the planning, doing what she could to help the group before their alliance disappeared from her mind forever.

  "The fallen city and its surroundings have been lost behind the veil for centuries so caution is of the utmost importance here,” said Liris as she drew patterns on the map in front of her with magic. Winnie vibrated with unease before Liris looked at her and said, “You only get one shot at this. Use your travel time wisely and be ready when you begin.”

  Winnie shot straight up as if she’d been zapped by lightning and said, “R-right.”

  With a final flourish, Liris’s magically traced map rose from the table and transformed into an amulet. It floated into Eonis’s hand and he put it on without saying a word. Gene watched him. There was a different air about him after their night of relaxation.

  Subtle changes, be it in movements or stature, could be seen in all of them. It was a sure sign that they had completed their leveling.

  “Thank you, Liris, for everything,” said Kyrie as he rounded the table to stand before her. “We both step into the unknown and I can only hope we meet as allies again some day.”

  They reached out to each other and spread their fingers to mirror v shapes at each other. Gene’s hand shot up to cover his mouth and stifle a shocked laugh.

  “Vulcan handshakes in Venturis,” he whispered under his breath before clearing his throat before saying, “Right then. Gather your men and we’ll be off.”

  Outside of the tent, the band of adventurers gathered in a small cluster when Liris called for them. The members of Silvayn stood before them and were bathed in the last bit of appreciation they would be receiving for their actions. Gene waited for the applause to die down before he put up a hand to get their attention.

  “I’m no good at speeches,” he yelled to a scatter of laughter. He smiled and then pursed his lips as he said, “I just wanted to thank you all one last time before we part ways. This is a new day for New Venturis and I hope that when the history books look back on our actions that you all are honored as heroes. Sons, daughters, and children of New Venturis, it was an honor to work alongside you.”

  He tapped a hand to his temple when he finished speaking and his power flared to life. A wave of psionic energy washed over the crowd as he simultaneously entered the minds of all that gathered. In their mental libraries, he thumbed through the pages of their memories, extracting and redacting all that they recalled of the operation. He left just enough behind to paint a hazy picture of a mission gone wrong and the flight of Silvayn from the battlefield after. When all was done, they were gone.

  Silvayn departed the camp, leaving as if they’d never been there. Gene hoped that some day, when all was right in the world, that he could restore those memories but for the time being, he mourned the loss of the friends that could have been.

  ?

  The travel that followed was the best time Gene had ever experienced in his life, both new and old. During the day they explored the newly unveiled areas of New Venturis and at night, they traveled in safety via Winnie’s Cosmic Caravan. Through the hills of ice capped mountains whose snow was warm to the touch, Gene saw and fought Snow Giants who caused literal freezer burn with their touch. They communed with Mermaids who swam through reverse flowing waterfalls. With Gene’s telepathy, they were able to broker safe passage from the skeptical sirens who were normally wary of human contact.

  Under the guidance of Eonis and his newly gained abilities as a Floraspeaker, they navigated treacherous forests and traversed the plains full of plant monsters like Dryads and Arboreals. With his newfound power, he was able to speak with nature and control it, nearly as easily as Gene did with minds. Using his expert control, he helped Amara snag two levels by commanding creatures to halt while she practiced creating crushing bubbles.

  If you stumble upon this narrative on Amazon, be aware that it has been stolen from Royal Road. Please report it.

  She was a natural, proving herself a prodigy in the usage of her strange new gifts to the delight of the entire party. Kyra trained her in casting combat tactics, knowing when and where to deploy her spells. Gene was still wary of bringing her into real battles but seeing Kyra and Eonis taking her under their wings helped ease some of his worry.

  As the days turned into weeks, the young Pact Witch found herself lost in contemplation on what was to come. She tried her best to distract herself with teaching Gene and Amara about the world around them. She explained things like the ecology of winged chimeric creatures and the principles of magic that both Gene and Amara violated the rules of. It was amusing and enlightening to receive a much needed crash course in the workings of the world.

  They found themselves riding into a forest through underbrush as Winnie’s latest lesson came to a close.

  “And so that is why when we cast spells, you hear the incantation in your native language,” said Winnie to scattered applause.

  She gave a small bow and looked up to see Amara had dozed off at some point and laid with her head on Gene’s chest. She jumped back in surprise.

  “Uh…how long have I been talking?” she asked, her face flushed in embarrassment.

  Gene looked up in thought, counted on his fingers, and said, “About 2 hours, 47 minutes, and 6 seconds.”

  Winnie’s face turned beet red and Gene laughed.

  “Kidding! It was only like half an hour,” said Gene as he raised his hands apologetically. “I did take a peek in your head though while you spoke. You probably could’ve talked for that long.”

  Winnie sighed in relief and fell into her seat. She relaxed a little but she was still a little ball of nerves.

  “Copper for your thoughts?” asked Gene.

  She looked up at him incredulous before saying, “Don’t start offering that. You’ll be bankrupt before long from your mental intrusions.”

  Gene snorted, making Amara stir. He clasped a hand over his mouth then made a shushing motion before tapping his forehead.

  “Don’t worry. I won’t go snooping where I’m not allowed,” he projected. “I’m just a little worried. You haven’t been yourself since we left Liris’s camp.”

  Winnie grimaced.

  “I have a lot on my mind as you can probably see if you’re rooting around in there,” she said with a heavy sigh. “I’ve been gaining levels but my progression is stagnating. The Crystal Coffer and the Celestial Mother aren’t pleased with my lack of action. Only the Secret Keeper has been granting me more experience to rank up and they’re practically salivating at the idea we’re going to Balora.”

  Gene frowned in sympathy and thought, “What do you need to do to progress your pacts? Maybe I can help there?”

  She sighed again and shook her head, saying, “I don’t think so. The Crystal Coffer requires me to deliver rare items into its chest and for the Celestial Mother, I need to catalogue the stars. Unless you’ve learned how to make items to have a magic telescope, we’re out of options.”

  She chewed on her nail in frustration, groaning to herself before saying, “Well, not all options. We’re near a dungeon but detouring to it could take us days off course from Balora or worse if we fail the challenges within.”

  “Dungeon,” said Gene, blurting out the word and making Amara stir again. His eyes lit up in interest and he regained his composure before thinking, “There are dungeons here?”

  Winnie looked at him in confusion before shaking her head and thinking, “Of course you don’t know. We’ve been so swept up in operations for the United Front, we haven’t had time to explain those. Long ago, before the fall of Venturis, there existed a group known as the Dungeon Masters. They created these pocket dimensions all across Venturis where adventurers went to test their might and metal but over time, they grew mad with power and twisted these places into brutal zones of torture. Now, adventurers delve into these places to dismantle them and reap the rewards of Venturian relics. It’s risky and the danger within is far greater than the majority of threats on New Venturis.”

  Gene was enraptured by her thoughts and the idea of dungeon delving. Logic puzzles and unfair Dms were the stuff Gene knew of from his ttrpg days and finding it in New Venturis grounded him in an unexpected way. Every day, new parts of the world unveiled themselves to him and it drove his desire to save its inhabitants from the dreaded veil that sought to limit their experiences.

  He smiled at Winnie and held up a fist before thinking, “Winnie, let’s dungeon delve.”

  ? Overpowers: Magical Girl Crossover [Grimlight Psychological/Genre based Power System] ?

  by Moawar

  He, Life, had a simple job.

  His responsibility as an Overpower was to make sure that fiction stories and the characters in them follow their dictated path. He always did his job well enough, not more or less than was needed.

  His latest assignment, however, would, in retrospect, prove to be his most challenging one of all.

  He would find himself in a unfamiliar world. There he'll have to quickly adapt to guide Nozomi.

  The strongest magical girl with the potential to accidentally destroy those she seeks to protect in her fight against evil.

  What to Expect:

  -If you like the psychological aspects of Madoka Magica and the mixing of different genres a crossover story brings then this story is for you