Overpowered Wizard B3 Ch65: System Invasions and Party Profiles 1

“Gracias, Bianca!” Zarian cheered, lounging comfortably in a high-back chair at the head of the dining table.

To his right was the open kitchen area where Bianca had crafted a feast that was her best cooking yet. They platters of fluffed and scrambled gryphon eggs, crispy and spicy kraken calamari, baked sweet breads made from rare island crops, and more.

Bianca had even used some of their dwindling supply of uncommon coffee from Reiki’s dungeon to top off their meal.

Zarian held a piping hot and steaming mug of the coffee in his right hand. He enjoyed the aroma and taste of every sip.

To think, Reiki would most likely have a higher quality coffee supply back home. She was an epic dungeon now. Somewhere in the Level 90s. She might even become a legendary dungeon soon.

Looking to his left, Zarian saw through the ceiling-to-floor windows the many island settlements below. From one corner, Zarian saw Hanger City carved out of the inner face of the continental wall next to the Floridian Hotel. Roosting near the city, great avians, some the size of elephants, soared with their magnificent wings spread wide.

Zarian watched one plow through mist cloud after mist cloud and release a resounding cry, banking past the citizens of Hanger City.

The people gave the creature no mind as they went about their day. They moved on stone lanes with no guard rails, with no safety nets. It was as if the mile-long drop below them was of no concern.

Most people lived in Hanger City because of the smaller tunnels that led outside of the continental wall. From there, they could collect rare ocean-based organisms only found outside. It was a booming industry that the citizens of Hanger City had mastered, despite the risks.

Cognizant of those economical tunnels, Hannah had only fixed the detrimental breaks in the continental wall. She’d left the tunnels – the life channels of the city – alone.

Returning his attention to the table, Zarian watched as Bianca, Hannah, Gilbert, Dawson, and Gisella feasted with him.

The latter two had gotten invited for breakfast because of their exemplary work of befriending Gilbert and not pissing off Hannah. The Storm Blaster strider man and Blessed Cleric paladin woman sat in one corner of the long and heavy wooden dining table while the personalities of the Floridians took over most conversations.

Although, it was really Zarian and Hannah who’d dominated most of the conversation while speaking in Spanish, per Bianca’s request. At this point in their adventure, Spanish was as natural as speaking English for the Floridians..

“Si, gracias, Bianca, the meal was a pleasure,” Hannah said quickly, interrupting her part of the nerd jam session.

Bianca graced Hannah and Zarian with a queenly nod. The young twenty-year-old woman then raised her head smarmily. She shone with a light that encapsulated most of the open dining hall kitchen area.

Dawson and Gisella kept getting caught up with Bianca’s queenly charm. They thanked her profusely, using the limited Spanish they knew. Bianca, of course, kept acting even smarmier and shinier.

Zarian held back a chuckle at the ballooning ego of their Radiant Queen. He turned his attention back to the Runic Artificer, Hannah seeming to collect her thoughts after reaching the peak of their conversation.

“So, let me get this straight for myself and for the others who need things repeated to them like children,” Hannah said.

“I can hear your wrinkles folding from old age, Hannah,” Bianca retorted haughtily.

The epic dining chair under Bianca disintegrated.

The Radiant Queen, however, didn’t fall. She continued sitting regally with nothing but air under her, supported purely by the Strength of her bent legs.

Then she slowly stood up, maintaining her queenly bearing, looking expectantly at Dawson and Gisella.

The Storm Blaster clapped loudly for her. The Blessed Cleric nodded approvingly.

Bianca’s smarmy shininess only brightened.

Hannah looked pointedly at Zarian as if saying, ‘Do you see what I had to deal with for an entire season?’

She could’ve sent that straight to him through the spider network. But there was no need. The irritation on her face was clear enough.

“Be patient with young Bianca, dear Hannah. She is still grasping at the path set for her by a power above us all,” Gilbert said with a hint of his new holier-than-thou smugness.

Zarian lost his smile and frowned. It was hard to look at Gilbert.

The man was missing half of his face. The mustache and beard were gone!

Zarian glowered at the clean-shave and slicked gelled hair that made Gilbert look like he conformed to one of those churches who kept knocking on people’s doors. Gilbert even wore a neat white long sleeve shirt, black slacks, and black loafers, his hands folded in front of him after he neatly ate his portion of breakfast.

Bianca didn’t seem to mind this version of Gilbert, especially when he came to her defense. Her smarminess brightened further, becoming a little blinding for Dawson.

Zarian felt a little bothered, too, at least as an entity of darkness and free evil. “I get the feeling, dear Gilbert, this extreme makeover you got going on will not last.”

“My body is a temple, and so I’m treating it as so. This is part of my path of becoming better,” Gilbert said, again with a hint of being holier-than-thou. “You can follow my example and see for yourself how much better it is. Maybe that’ll help you on your misguided path, dear Zarian.”

Zarian fidgeted in his seat. The extremes between Ganja Gilbert from yesterday and Holier-Than-Thou Gilbert today were a little trippy. The latter bugged Zarian the most

It was as if the Christian was waging a subtle war against the Ultra God.

Zarian growled, his tail shifting with agitation from around his waist.

Hannah sighed. “Let’s ignore them and get back on topic, Zarian.”

“There is no ignoring me!” Bianca announced.

“The power of Christ compels me to save your souls,” Gilbert argued.

“Para,” Zarian called.

Summoned to action by the call of her host, the invisible and incorporeal phantom made the pots, utensils, plates, and all sorts hover into the air menacingly.

Dawson squawked as electricity licked between his fingers. Gisella broke out into prayer pointed toward Serveserf.

Honestly, they had nothing to worry about, as Para set her sights on Bianca and Gilbert.

A barrage of phantom-slung knives, pots, pans, platters, spatulas, and such flew forth. Bianca used one finger coated in bright magic light to flick away kitchen projectiles from her. Gilbert drank a small sip from his coffee as various kitchen projectiles bounced off his impenetrable body.

Nothing seemed to really stick. That was fine. Para was keeping the smarminess of the Radiant Queen and Rescue Ranger occupied.

Hannah picked up the conversation where they last left off. “Stop me if I’ve mistaken anything, but based on what we’ve discussed, it seems to me we are truly not fit to stay in this world any longer, but we must stay because of grand developments. Naomi is hitting a tier of power that’s immense and scary, to where she’s a detriment to herself, to you, and to the world as well. You’ve demolished the Grimrock Castle Mountains and damaged the moons because of your fight with her. That placed you in a two-month coma while Naomi’s likely to stay in a coma anywhere from the next half year to a year. But by the time she wakes up, she might be even scarily stronger, if she achieved Third Ignition.”

Pausing, Hannah reached up to readjust her Solid State Spectacles before she continued. “Currently, things are looking positive for our side against the wolf dragons and wolf kobolds. We’re going to need to plan for what happens after they succeed, because the implications of success go beyond mere rewards. You and Para’s idea about expanding into an empire is going to be tricky to navigate without us being there at our would-be capital. But of course, there’s more. There’s the Carrowmore Thousand Year Tournament next Early Summer. With Early Winter around the corner, we’re only going to have six months from there before the tournament.”

With a sigh, Hannah rubbed at her temples. “Then there’s the ascension of an entire world. So, not only do we have to deal with the consequences from the Dark Quarrel of Mountains and Moons, we also have to deal with how you shook the world, the aftermath of winning a mythical regional event, the potential rise of an empire based on us, a tournament with the most infamous evil city across the Lesser Worlds who is highly nefarious, and the trials and tribulations that this world will face by going up to the Greater Realm, where Master Rankers and Champion Rankers will wait in ambush.”

Right when it seemed like Hannah finished, she found another thread. “Oh, and it’s likely we’ll see repeat attacks from the elves of the Forever Empire because of some involvement between you and Ruvaria. Not only can they summon Champion Regressors from the Greater Realm, they might go as far as awakening ancient elves from cryosleep who are far older than Ruvaria. Such monsters would’ve been born and raised in the Absolute Era. Such monsters would see the current state of Corma and want it changed with absolute brutality. Which makes me wonder why I cannot bomb the Promised Continent and remove the elves from the equation?”

“Ruvaria’s a friend of ours,” Zarian said carefully. “I want to free her family from the clutches of good. That way, she’ll have a family to love again.”

Hannah furrowed her brow and pressed her lips into a thin and frustrated line.

Gilbert remained holier-than-thou and patient under the barrage of forks and pots. He did smile at Zarian’s words, however, no doubt thinking of Zarian being noble.

Bianca stopped deflecting Para’s barrage of utensils and kitchen objects. The Radiant Queen released a pulse of light and free good that stopped the barrage all at once, sending everything clattering against the walls.

Piercing light shone from Bianca’s eyes, her gaze turning tense, her frown deepening. She tilted her head toward Zarian as more free good energy filled the dining kitchen hall.

The Conquest Wizard looked back with his void-like eyes, his composure remaining as cool as ice, while Dawson and Gisella looked worried under the pressure of Bianca’s power.

The two breakfast invitees turned toward the nearest exit.

Bianca waved a hand behind her and blocked the way out with a solid wall of light.

“Zarian,” Bianca called tensely.

“Bianca,” Zarian replied calmly.

“Why do I sense there is more between you and Abuela Ruvaria?” Bianca released a mad and teetering laugh, shattering her regal persona. “Zarian! Papi! You know you can’t with Abuela Ruvaria. right?! She’s, y’know, mi abuela!?”

“Wait, what?” Gilbert roused from his perfect man act, blue eyes going wide. “No, you didn’t, did you? No way!”

Hannah said nothing. Her eyes remained hidden behind her flawless and reflective spectacles.

So, the game is up. Might as well go all in, Zarian thought.

It was bound to come out eventually. Please make this entertaining for me, my host, Para shared via mind.

Zarian imagined himself in a soap opera before standing dramatically from his seat, the high-backed chair clattering behind him. He held a serious gaze on his face as Bianca screamed.

“No! No, no, no, no! You couldn’t have! You cannot! Not the abuela, Zarian! Not my precious Ruvaria!” Bianca had tears flowing down her cheeks. “How could you do this?!”

Gilbert reacted with an emotional shout, like a man discovering some horrible news. “It can’t be true. Please don’t let it be true. Do you know how many fudging jokes I have prepared for something like this?! I can’t say any of that now! Don’t let it be true!”

Hannah removed her spectacles from her eyes and palmed her face.

As dramatic and funny as it would’ve been to make the revelation, Zarian felt something that sent shivers through his body. His tail moved swiftly behind him as he tensed up.

The change in his mood and the movement of his tail didn’t go unnoticed by his friends, who snapped to attention.

Gilbert stood, muscles rippling under his pristine dress shirt. The tears from Bianca’s eyes turned into vapors with a flash of glaring light. Hannah’s relaxed outfit switched into a runic bodysuit, her spectacles back on her face.

Dawson and Gisella missed the signs of something drastic happening for the first few seconds. Then they read the room further and saw how all the Floridians grew tense, bracing themselves for something to come. Dawson and Gisella braced themselves as well, one charging up lightning while the other raised two war hammers.

“There was one last part I wanted to touch on,” Zarian murmured, barely above a whisper. “The Funnest Granpapa was on top of the wall last night. You didn’t notice him because he didn’t let you notice. He only wanted me to notice, which came with a sort of warning for us. We’re about to go into the deep end.”

Para appeared as one large python coiled around Zarian’s neck, arms, and torso. Only then did the clear signs of something going wrong finally appeared, heralded by a red public notification popping up above their heads. More red notifications appeared, giving a detailed report of a harrowing situation.

<ALERT!>

“God Almighty, what now?!” Gilbert blurted.

<Outer System Invasion Imminent!>

Hannah groaned. “Why does my quest for the Forgotten Kingdom keep getting delayed?”

<The invaders are coming from the Doulos Enslavement System Universe!>

Bianca’s resplendent and beautiful freedom wings burst into view from her back.

<Target: Lesser World Somnigrav, the Dying World of Gravity and Dreams!>

“Is this what you meant, Funnest?” Zarian asked.

<Calling all Freedom Leaders to respond to the first invading waves! [1] Lord Zarian Sainte-Darkrun! [2] Queen Bianca Garcia! [3] Hannah Townhouse! [4] Gilbert McDonald! [5] Naomi Washington!>

Zarian and the others froze at the last mentioned name.

That can’t be, Zarian thought. She’s in a coma!

The Star System kept going.

<Context: Other Outsiders across the Lesser Realm will be called upon to provide aid after the initial waves of the invasive force. However, you five will be the first to lead the defense.>

<Further Context: Negotiations between the Infinita Star System and the Doulos Enslavement System have broken down from potential civility. Greater powers above the Star System and Enslavement System are not intervening in the invasion posed by the Enslavement System.>

<Rules of Engagement: The Infinita Star System and Doulos Enslavement System have agreed to settle this between the best combatants from our lesser ranks. Gods from both universes may not intervene directly. The conflict will be waged upon a dying Lesser World within the Infinita Star System. You must hold a critical position from being accessed by the invaders, or the dying world could serve as a permanent beachhead for continuous invasion.>

<Reminder: The Freedom Leaders will be the first to launch and the last to leave. Outsider reinforcements will arrive after the first few waves along with the invaders’ reinforcements.>

<Hint: Do not let Zarian Sainte-Darkrun become enslaved by powers of the Doulos Enslavement System.>

“Why not send someone else, System? That’s an option, y’know?!” Gilbert yelled.

<More Context: While negotiations for peace and amnesty between Systems have fallen, rules of engagement, or the parameters in which we can wage a structured battle between two Systems is a must. It is because of the Star System’s weaker position compared to the Enslavement System and other bigger and larger Systems that our universe is more likely to be invaded and more likely to follow the rules set by others. Hence, the Freedom Leaders must go first.>

Zarian slowly nodded. “So, the real cosmic ramifications of my actions are finally coming to rear their ugly head, huh? Answer me this? What happens when we win?”

<To be frank, peace and time, perhaps. But the Star System is not in a position where it can capitalize on your victory very much. Whatever our universe earns from defeating the Enslavement System of Doulos won’t grant much other than improving the Star System’s growth by a negligible amount. However, it will certainly benefit you to defeat the invaders. The value of the experience they will give you will be potent.>

“I don’t like that answer. You need to get rewarded if you have skin in the game,” Zarian demanded.

The marriage ring on Zarian’s ring finger throbbed. A shadowy form appeared on Zarian’s peripherals before he felt a gentle hand placed on his shoulder. Then the voice of his wife, magnetic, dark, alluring, whispered into his ear.

“I will ensure there will be retribution paid,” promised Luciana Shadowfell. “I will only need you to fulfill your obligation that will only be a minor inconvenience to you.”

Before Zarian and the others could respond, Ruvaria appeared while dressed in a simple white coat that looked like something found in a lab. She had with her a wooden table on wheels. On top of that table, laid someone Zarian couldn’t even look directly at without feeling tilted.

His heart raced. His blood pumped furiously through his body, sounding like roaring rapids near his ears. His vision turned into a tunnel on the source of his instinctive and wild love.

Naomi, the Tempering Cultivator, remained unconscious and mostly unaware on top of the table. Her body was naked except for the bands of white cloth covered in silver runes wrapped tightly around her impressive and dynamic body. A silver and white owl mask covered her face, with silver coin-like ornaments fastened to her braided hair.

“The Star System told me to bring her to you despite her condition,” Ruvaria said, which Zarian could barely hear.

“She needs to stay safe,” Zarian growled throatily, like a lion. “Star System, go tell the fucking Enslavement System to back off or it will regret messing with us! Naomi needs to stay safe!”

<This is beyond my abilities at the moment. It is this or a widespread invasion across multiple realms that our universe will lose.>

“Dammit!” Zarian glanced down at the shadowy marriage ring on his finger.

Luciana’s presence remained on the peripherals, always sliding out of direct view. He imagined the others couldn’t see her directly either, always a shadow in the background. Despite that, she hadn’t made an appearance like this in a while. What could she want? And was it worth giving it to her?

<Our best chance is through you, the Freedom Leaders, and the Outsiders who will join you as reinforcements. Please do not delay, for the Enslavement System is already making their breach.>

“Fuck other Outsiders, is there a way to end this in one go with just us?” Zarian asked.

<Yes, but I do not recommend it.>

“Then we’ll convince you.” Zarian looked around at everyone present.

His eyes lingered on Naomi the longest. An idea came to mind, one that seemed both fitting and unlikely to succeed. Still, he had to try.

“Para, possess Naomi,” Zarian ordered.

The Parasite Phantom’s ability description didn’t mention possession was a possibility. Zarian figured it could happen based on Para’s nature and the way her powers worked.

The Parasite Phantom streamed away visibly from Zarian’s body. The more of her that streamed away as ghostly dark red vapors, the weaker and lonelier Zarian felt.

They reached a point where only a small part of Para remained inside him, rooted to his soul as his skill. Across from him, Para twisted like a malevolent dark red vortex around Naomi’s resting body.

The table rattled. The magic lights above flickered off. An icy chill seeped into the air.

Then Naomi’s body lifted off the table, limbs spread, while inside of the dark red vortex. Para’s dark red essence flowed into the Tempering Cultivator until the phantom, packing all the way in.

Naomi’s feet touched down gracefully, and she remained standing. Dark red energy waved over the cultivator’s body. A voice that wasn’t Naomi’s spoke from behind the silver-white owl mask.

“I’m inside. Naomi … has allowed me access to her abilities, but I cannot say for sure how they’ve grown or what is exactly what. It is as if much of her profile and descriptions are hidden while I’m left to figure it out blindly,” Para explained.

“You lucky I like you, Para, or I would’ve called for an exorcist,” Gilbert muttered.

“Can you communicate with Naomi?” Hannah asked.

“Yes, and no. It’s only through vague impressions. Her mind is mostly shut away while also occupied with something … I cannot quite understand. I will need time to adjust so I can use her abilities appropriately.” Naomi/Para turned to Zarian. “My one true host, without me to enhance your body, you will be vulnerable. I can’t even work out spells like this. Everything that I’ve learned from you cannot come to fruition while I move as Naomi.”

Zarian nodded, feeling slow, feeling weak, feeling more vulnerable than ever before. His lack in Strength and Agility was going to become a bane for him now.

I’ll need to be more clever and careful than ever before, Zarian thought, investing 36 Free stats into his Agility. He summoned his Intense Arcana Hat +2 onto his head.

Another red alert notification appeared above them, forcing him to rip his eyes away from Naomi.

<You will be sent via beam transmission to Lesser World Somnigrav of Gravity and Dreams! Prepare yourselves in 10… 9… >

“Whelp. Time to rescue a universe,” Gilbert grumbled.

“We got this, guys,” Bianca said, wings fluttering.

“Let’s make this quick,” Hannah said.

Zarian looked from the shadowy apparition that was his wife standing in his peripherals to the woman he considered his lovely teacher. His eyes landed on Naomi last and stayed there the longest.

“Yeah, fuck it. Beam us up, System,” Zarian said as the countdown hit zero.