This wasn't what she wahis wasn't at all what she wao see . Not because she wao deny this had happened, no such thing. She did want to e with it...

  "Anything the matter Eli-Eli?" But because it meant that she would o e with this part of herself, and that required more bravery than she was willing to have.

  But then again, "Eli-Eli?" Rossie did e tht?

  She did it ready for her to throw her away, to be despised, screamed at ...Right...She o be that brave too.

  "Oh, nothing much, just got hit in the face with something...Right, I have had this question for a while: are you reading something different than me from the notifications I share?" Elizabeth asked while toying with the Notification.

  "Hmm...Kinda-ish? We aren't quite sure how [Odyssey] parses these notifications, but even with the same skill and titles some read different things...But..." Rossie answered while stopping as if to think about something, "Yeah, [Odyssey] is blog and parsing what you sehey are s some information, the important bits are there though."

  At least the important bits were there, no wait, what important bits?

  "Such as...?" Elizabeth asked, the important bits for her would be how she could have a pink-haired girlfriend!

  That was important!

  Rossie for her part just smiled sweetly, "Like how you are allowed to stay te at night ?~" And sang while bullying her.

  "Right...That is an important bit, ihank you [Mama] for parsing that." Elizabeth cursed at the heavens while eyeing the test blue s, well nothing for it. "What does this one say then?"

  And so she blew the blue s towards Rossie, the s disappeared from her sight and Rossie sat straight while reading "Let me see..."

  After a moment she looked at her and said "ht, you wao know..." And stopped while turning her eyes to the top of the blue s...That she wasn't able to see. "It says...gratutions!" Rossie started speaking, giving some pep to her voice, "You have mao [Achieve] something new in the world!" And suddenly a dramatic pause, damn you Rossie for being so adorable while also a bully!

  "You have mao acclimate to your new [Body], and have successfully cimed the [Knowledge] of the [Vestiges] left within, you are now [Elizabeth Starbright] in full." And like that, she felt the world around her crash, "The [Vestiges] left by [Alexanders Saintsworths, the Elemental Master], [Chloe Ashcroft, The Eleaster] and [Elizabeth Starbright, The Ior of the Akashic Records] have settled within your body." But Rossie tinued reading in a smooth ce as if what she was reading wasn't anything important.

  "Sihe body you now possess has been molded from the mana of multiple persons it has beeed from Zero, as suy achievements from the previous [Vestiges] have been mostly voided, any experiend levels are nulled and any achievement must be done again to grant experience. Your level will be reset to 1 and you must climb again." She already khat part, it wasn't important to her. "Since you were created from multiple [Vestiges] the dominant one was given the full trol of the body and soul, the other [Vestiges] decided to leave their knowledge and [Skills] to you. So you may earn proficy towards those easier than anyone else."

  Yeah, she was aware of that, she did get the skill for [Lighting] and [Shadows] quite easily...[Mana Manipution] too actually.

  "Do beware of any [Vestige] you e across as your [Soul] is noable of [Dev] them ale those you have already within." And she tinued waiting, but nothing else came "And that's about it, what of it?" Asked Rossie.

  "Yeah, it's about the same...I do have some extra lines if you want to know..." Elizabeth said while summoning again the blue s to her eyes.

  gratutions!You have earned a new [Achievement]!

  For managing to acclimate into your body after dev the [Vestiges] that were within your [Body] and making them yours you have affirmed your [Identity] as [Elizabeth Starbright].

  The [Vestiges] devoured in the process are:

  -Alexanders Saintsworths, Elemental Master from another world.

  -Chloe Ashcroft, Eleaster (Body of Shadows)

  -Elizabeth Starbright, The Ior of the Akashic Records (Soul of Shadows)

  Your body was successfully molded into ohat resembles the most your [Heritage], in doing so any achievements or Levels your [Vestiges] held are voided and you o achieve those deeds again tain them. You do have a bonus to proficy towards the [Skills] the [Vestiges] that make you had before. But you yourself will be sent back to level 1.

  [Warning: Your body is susceptible to [Vestiges] si was made of them, so while you are noable of [Dev] them, they are capable of doing so back. It is suggested that you find ale those you have already within.]

  Notice:Active [Title] acquired, [The One Who Devours itself].

  You following the example of the eternal shat eats itself have found that doing so is a good way to make yourself a new body!

  DEVOUR, EAT, EVOLVE!

  Active Effect:

  You mahe metaphysical aspect of the cardinal sin of [Gu] and make what you eat into part of yourself.

  [his is an active Title, you o slot this on to be able to use its effects.]

  She didn't want to show that o...It reminded her of [Nyctophagia]'s power too much, she didn't want to think that what she had done had been the same thing as he did.

  "No, that's okay. But why did you show me this?" Asked Rossie tilting her head to one side.

  Huh?

  "Umm...Didn't you read it?" Elizabeth asked, "The parts that say that I..."

  "That you [Devoured] some random girl called Chloe and some random Saintsworths guy?" Rossie finished for her, "I do find it quite...flig—the fact that you went arouing] irls before me..."

  "That's beside the point!" Elizabeth raised her voice, "I'm not the [inal] Elizabeth!"

  There, she said it. She liked who she was, but held no doubt in her mind about who she had been before...Or who she hadn't been, she wasn't the Elizabeth Starbright that Rossie met a year and a half ago, nor she was Chloe Ashcroft, the [Random] girl Rossie called her, nor was she Alexanders.

  She...She was a little bit of everyone, and sure, she was more Elizabeth than anything, but that didn't make her the same oblivious Elizabeth of before, no. She knew in her heart, that she could never be that girl.

  "My silly and lovely blonde girl with blue eyes," Rossie started saying while looking at her "You are Elizabeth Starbright. The [System] attest to this, and besides, at your pitifully low level there is no power uhe [System] that could deceive someoh my [Skill-set]. That said, I do find the effects of what you went through iing."

  Rossie cast a spell, she reized some parts of it as a [Healing] spell, but most of it was alien to her, and wasn't that iing? For the first time in quite some time she couldn't summon the help of her [Identify] skill to help her. "[Soothe Mind]" Rossie said and she felt her nerves calm down.

  Right, Rossie had previously evolved her [in] towards emphatic magic. Wonder where that had gooo?

  "It matters not, the link you made with your [Heroic Party] skill? That allows me to peer into you, and sinoved my [Soulscape] within your [Ruined City] I even do this." Rossie said that and she felt a jolt within her back.

  "Kyaa!" And so, Elizabeth screamed undylike, "What?" And behind her nothing was there.

  "This is what happens when you leave your [Soulscape] open to someone else, I cast spells within it that ma in you. Since I have an open door towards your [Soul]." Rossie said ominously, "So ime you want to invite someone over do think it twice."

  "Not like I eople roaming my [Soul] you get a free pass si's you," Elizabeth grumbled in her spot. "So? You okay with me?"

  "Yes," Rossie answered without thinking, "I like you, and while I liked the previous you...She was..."

  Right, "I had some problems before! The stupid [System] kept zapping me when I wao iigate anything about it!" Elizabeth defended her previous ination. "And besides, after ten years of brain zaps, I was quite funal thank you very much!"

  ".... The what? Who? Why? But the system..." Rossie was aghast at that revetion.

  "ht, Alexanders said that while the system does not hold ill will against ahan tweaked it for his own ends and wa to groant. And since he knew [Mama]'s opinion towards these kinds of things...And that [Papa] would listen to her, he made sure I wouldn't spill the beans ahead of time." Elizabeth eborated as such, it was quite useful to have Alexanders knowledge in the back of her mind, even if the man was...Difficult.

  "Who is even that guy? Did you [Devour] him for that reason?" Rossie asked with a worried gnce.

  "Huh? He is a Saintsworths." She answered as such, there wasn't much that o be said, even she who grew in [Avalon] khat having that st name roof of being powerful.

  "I know, so he was like...Your uncle? A cousin? He had the same st name as your mother on your birth certificate." Was...Was Rossie for real?

  "Like...A [Saintsworths] The glomerate that has trol over all the teology and information in the world? Even I who grew in [Avalon] knows that." Elizabeth eborated further, like, she only o [Appraise] something and it would e with an AD for the Saintsworths...Surely.

  "Ah...No? Why does it matter that you grew up in [Avalon] I know most of them are more sheltered for some reason, but it's not like the e to the outside world is severed. Besides, there isn't a Saintsworths pany or glomerate. Not a big one anyway." Rossie said back, that...Couldn't be right. "ht, there was an ad for that in your ruined city, are you mixing those up?"

  "No no no, wait a sed, roll back...The [Saintsworths] are gone gone?" Elizabeth asked, "As in there isn't any glomerate ruling and withholding the top spots?"

  "I mean, there are four or five of those around, but nothing that big. No gover would allow them to grow that much. There has been some backsh from [Mainframe] and [Odyssey]'s assion sihere are some empty plots where no one was sure what they were for were in prime locations, but since most of those were empty...It matters not." Rossie answered while navigating her holopad to show her pictures of strus.

  She took that holopad and puhe address for the hospital she went to when little, that one was now uhe name of [The Eversoul foundation], then moved on to the library she visited in this very city, that was under [Hamiltons's School for the Gifted].

  Did Mother erase them? Or teleport them? Why?

  "He...Alexanders was a guy that built the [Skill] that I gave you, he managed what I thought was my [Soulscape] before this whole thing happened." Elizabeth answered, she wasn't really quite sure how to describe the blonde asshole.

  "So, he is the ohat mind-zapped you into a bimbo? Then good of you for [Dev] him." Rossie said back.

  That..."He did build the thing, but he was also being mind-zapped, so he was a victim...Kinda?" Elizabeth wasn't quite sure what to make of the situation if she was being ho. "And this [World System] feels somewhat simir to what he created, so maybe the thing used what he made before in some ways too?"

  "So, he was smart and could create Skills?" Rossie asked back, but that felt like an oversimplification.

  "I mean...Kinda? It doesn't matter. Arayed away from the main point." Elizabeth said, refog on the important parts, "So you are okay with who I am?"

  "You were okay with what I did to you...Or your previous ination if you are stubborn about it. So why would I care about what you did to return?" Rossie answered back, "Besides...If I was to be angry at anything, it would be at you [Dev] anirl and a man before [Eating] me."

  And while she was relieved that Rossie didn't have a problem with who she was, she was too busy blushing at the not-veiled innuendo the pink-haired girl threw her way. "I...UH...I...UH...ROSSIE!" And with such, Elizabeth screamed while throwing a pillow in the dire of the pink-haired girl.

  Really, this was serious matter!

  "I will hold you atable for that, you swear on it, Miss." Was all Rossie said on that topiow, anything iing besides that?" And then turned her attention back to the topic at hand.

  Right, "Notifications...Well, I got one for an [Active Title]" Elizabeth said and was about to show it.

  "Stht there!" before Rossie raised her hand, "While I do appreciate it, you should keep some of those to yourself. We 't know what some skills do these days, and there are some nasty ohat peer into what you know...The Student cil for example seems to be able to peer into what you know about other people [Status]."

  The Student cil?

  ht, they had some Akashik-reted titles too...Like she used to.

  "So, keep the active oo yourself, since I only know vague stuff, they should not be able to peer into it, wonder what kind of [Title] or [Skill] gives that effect." Rossie wondered aloud.

  Should...She answer?

  "Okay, the me see what's left," Elizabeth said while peering down to her notifications.

  There...Wasn't much left, since most of her achievements as Elizabeth didn't transte...Not that she had much actually...Did she have anything going for her?

  She...Was indoated by the [System] to not stand out for some reason, did she have a reason to not stand out?

  No, she didn't.

  But then what did she want to do?

  "Rossie, what was my dream?" She asked aloud.

  For her part, the pink-haired girl seemed surprised at that, "Umm...To sleep te and walk around in your pajamas all day?" Was the answer she got from Rossie.

  Rude!

  Fair, but still. Rude!

  "That is normal behavior, any sane person would want that," Elizabeth answered back, really. Who even wao ge clothes when pajamas are so fy!

  "Well, you never said anything. You seemed focused on excelling as a Powered and Magical Girl. Not that there are such distins around among the [Metahuman] popuymore," Rossie added at the end.

  She did what?

  "I tried to excel? But I never used my [in] magic?" She had of course some mastery and knowledge about [Shadow] spells, but she never used them.

  "Well, you 't be a bad Magical Girl if you weave multiple elemental spells without a problem and only have some power loss, now that most use [Skills] to do the heavy lifting that isn't as special as before, sine just learn the right [Elemental Mastery] skill ahe thing do the heavy lifting," Rossie added afterward. "Even if that is hard, but enough exposure to any element is enough to awaken the [Resistance] skill, then you only o shove mana into the element of choice till you awaken the [Mastery] skill and dohis way wastes two [Skill Slots] though."

  Right, she didn't have the Resistance skills, but even so, she hadn't been hurt... "Do I he Resistance skills?" Elizabeth asked.

  "Not really, if you mao awaken the [Elemental] skill you skill the [Resistance] sihe elemental mastery skill usually grants that, you remove a [Skill] by using status points, but some prefer to try and override the skill since wasting five points is harsh. Even if that allows you to move the skill around." Rossie said while toying with her status s. What was she doing?

  "Wait, is there a limit to skills?" Elizabeth asked eyeiatus. She had moved the skill ses so it was more densed. She didn't want to have six windows again.

  If she needed something she would navigate a submenu, that was more aesthetically pleasant.

  "10 General skills & 10 Job-reted skills. You have 3 active titles, so that means you could have 3 extra skills from titles...But not many have those. Usually, most active metahumans have a variation of [Identify] like your [Appraisal] and a variation of [Privacy] to protect themselves. But the more specialized [Identify] reted skills from w enfort pierce it...And some variations from [Vilins] do the same." Rossie ted with her hands.

  That...Wasn't much, pared to before, she had what? Almost 40 different spell modules to py around with...And now she would be limited to 20 at best?

  "I know what you are thinking but it's plenty. Besides this does not include [Magic] or [True Magic] as some say." Rossie smiled, creating a magical circle again. This one she khe standard healing one. "What [Skill] do you think this is?"

  Well, that was easy. "That's a [Heal] spell...uess [Heal] skill?" Elizabeth answered. But if the smile on Rossie's face was something to go by this wasn't as simple as that.

  "his is [Magical Circle] Skill. You were right the first time, this is the [Heal] spell." But...Then what was the difference?

  Oh..."Oooooooh..." She got it. "You only need one slot for the skill to create Spells, you do the hard work of making the spell in your [Soulscape] and the as before."

  "Almost, you create spells as before, but as I said before, almost no one has been able to access their [Soulscape]. So most have a harder time creating plex spells sihey save them in spell nodes as before." Rossie said, "Well I was like them too, but since I access my [Soulscape] again from your [Ruined City]..."

  "Then you start building [Spell Nodes] and create plex spells again..." Elizabeth firmed, and Rossie nodded along.

  Yikes, she liked the smile Rossie had, even if it was oh a predatory smile and a dangerous glint in her eyes. Was she thinking of murdering someone?

  "So...I o think what [Skills] to get then, suggestions?" Elizabeth asked while eyeing her [Status] s if she was limited by 20 slots...Well, less since she had already some skills there.

  "First check if there is a nice [Job] for you to pick, then nab it to increase the amount of skills you have. Che the [Skill] se of avaible skills and grab the ones you feel a e with...And ht, start thinking about a sed job, at level 26 you will be allowed to take a sed job or to evolve the first ohere are rumors of some special bonus for level 51 but no one above that level has admitted to anything...We do know that all [The ars] members only have one job though." Rossie finished saying, so she could either further increase the power of her job at level 26 or diversify.

  Now the question was...

  What did she have avaible and if she wao diversify or specialize, she could see advao both, and while she had ehe double life of being [The Shadow Empress] and [Elemental Weaver]. Those were the things past Elizabeth did. Did she want to tinue walking down those paths?

  "And you also o think if you wanurn to school." Rossie tinued saying.

  School?

  ht, she was a student..."But I 't afford school, I don't think I even have money." Elizabeth said, right. She would o get a job.

  "You enter with a schorship, or if not, I pay your tuition," Rossie said in response, as if that was the most obvious thing in the world.

  "What? No. Rossie no." Elizabeth said immediately afterward.

  "Yes. Rossie Yes." And Rossie joked back at her.

  "I will not let you waste your money on me," Elizabeth said with finality ione. Her friend had wasted god knows how much money on her already, taking care of her, probably not going back to csses..."What about your csses?" Actually, what about that.

  "I'm on a leave. I am among the few that cast Spells so the school doesn't want to let me go. So, they allowed me to care for you on the premise that I do finish my education with them." Was the answer Rossie gave her back.

  So she was among the few who could cast spells? As expected of her Rossie.

  No wait, "Not many cast spells then?" Elizabeth asked a smile f on her face as she started molding her mana, she felt some kind of interferen her mana from an outside source. But she powered through, it was negligible and after her mana collided with it, it seemed to fold and flow into the spell, settling in a er of her [Soulscape].

  She tried following it, but it flew into the building in the middle of her ruined city, it self in a bookshelf and theraight into a book on it.

  A book that read [Mana Manipution], after she formed the magic circle, it seemed as if it wao fizzle out, but she fought the mana to keep the form and the spell formed. "[Mana Bolt]" Elizabeth intoned.

  And from the magical circle a small orb of energy maed, it was...Quite pitiful, she didn't have nearly enough mana to create something big or plex.

  But she had enough muscle memory to create something, and that was all she needed for the blue s to show up, and to firm her suspis.

  gratutions!

  You have awakehe skill [Magic Circle Manipution], it has bee level 1.

  Magic Circle Manipution:You create and manipute mana to gee effects akin to what some people may refer to as [Magiow that while the [System] help in seg the stability of the mana within the Magic Circle. The [System] will not help with the creation or maintenance of the [Spells]. If you want help from the [System] in those you designate a [Spell] into a [Skill] by using your interface, that will however take a [Skill Slot].

  "Oooh, you got it in one. Always knew you were talented Eli-Eli ?!" Rossie said with a bright smile on her face.

  She felt the spell fizzle out from the distra, but it had achieved its fun. She now was sure of it, while the [in] wasn't visible anymore, she felt the influen the background, had she tried to do this with a [Shadow] spell, it would have been easier. She would have probably had it easier with Lighting too now that she had both Alexanders and Chloe's talents.

  Should she [Devour] ah the other elemental skills would she feel the same?

  YES

  Something told her that would be true, but she didn't want to go that way, not yet anyway. "So, do you think I will be able to get a schorship too?" Elizabeth asked to the smiling girl at her side.

  "Why yes Miss Elizabeth, I do think you may qualify for a Schorship." Answered Rossie imitating the tone of a stuck-up teacher. "And if they don't accept you, we always find another school that would, et a job as [Heroes]..."

  [Heroes] would offer jobs nowadays? That was...Iing, but then again, if anyone could get [Skills] then they would probably end up with quite the amount of [Vilins], so it made sense.

  "Or as [Vilins], sihe [Taint] is no longer a problem some [Shadow] aligned have started to raise their pints from the treatment they got, you only o fsh your [Shadows] and you could get a spot in a [Vilin] anization," Rossie added.

  ht, she had work before as a Vilin too...Was that still up? "What about [The Hydra's Fang]?" Elizabeth asked, they should be still around...Right?

  "ht, you interned with them...They no longer exist as a [Vilin] anization, not after [Nyctophagia]'s btant attack. [Ea] turned herself in and is now w uhe ars] as a Hero. She is repg [Shadow Pact] till he returns from whatever secret mission he is at." Was the answer Rossie gave her.

  Well, that she didn't see ing. She would o speak with them both, to pass along Chloe's wishes...Not that she had a good way to expin that.

  But that roblem for ter, for now...She had skills to check, and job listings to peruse. How hard could it be?