The Avatar Technique
Yeah. Improving and refining the spells is great, but it's a problem that there's no way to test this drastically changed version. And I can't just teach something untested willy-nilly. Testing and debugging are inevitable no matter what you create. Hmm... a testbed... I need a testbed... But even if I test it myself, it won't replicate the exact conditions a lizardman would face. Hmm... What to do. If I were a lizardman, this would be simple, but unfortunately, I'm not... Wait. If I'm not a lizardman... then maybe I should become one? Polymorphing... That just changes appearance without altering the essence, so it'd be hard to get the same results. Should I try making a clone instead? A clone... Hmm... Good idea. I nodded slightly to myself.
With my creation powers, there's nothing I can't make, so let's whip up a lizardman. Connect my consciousness to it and turn it into a clone. Thankfully, I have plenty of lizardmen blueprints to use as templates. Just pick one, copy it, and fabricate. Easy.
I went ahead and made one. The sleek lizardman with silver scales came out looking pretty convincing. Perfect. Body prep complete. Now, link my mind to this body... Hmm... Connect the main body and clone with mana. Let's call this Mind Synchronization Magic. The lizardman, who had its eyes closed like it was asleep, slowly opened them. And right in front of it was me. Or rather, in front of me was... myself. Hmm. The realization that both are me won't leave my head. One mind. Two bodies. Hmmm... Coordinating them isn't easy. Especially the main body. Moving the clone barely takes effort... but moving the main body? It's like resources for the clone run short. Or maybe I get so focused on the main body that the clone suffers. Well, I don't need to move both right now, so let's skip it for the moment. I can tweak it later if needed.
Even though this body was recreated with my creation powers, why do I get the feeling that with enough skill, you could form a body purely from mana without creation abilities? Of course, it guzzles a ton of mana, so no ordinary creature could dream of it. And the resulting body has stats way weaker than the mana cost justifies—practically useless. But... for beings beyond normal creatures... For kids treated like spirit kings... maybe they could pull it off?
Hmm. Come to think of it, it's been ages since I took scales from the others—except Erebos. Giving the scales back might be tricky, but teaching them this shouldn't cause chaos like before. The bodies formed this way have heavy ability limits, so no repeat disasters. Magic that forms a body by burning massive mana and links a mind to make a clone... Magic? Can I even call it magic? The mana drain is so insane, humans—not even elves—could use it. Anyway, let's name it... Avatar. Yeah, avatar fits. Considering the mana cost, only god-level beings could even attempt it.
I severed the link with the lizardman clone and started tweaking it this way and that. Changed the race to human, then elf, then dwarf. Hmm. Beastkin works too. It's like customizing a game character. Appearance changes easy... Gender doesn't? Eh, whatever. For some reason, even in human form, it comes with horns by default like my polymorph, but I can remove them anytime... Though yanking the horns seems to tank the avatar's total power output even more. Eh, when would I need power from a clone anyway? I'd use the main body for that. Obviously.
Anyway, switched the clone back to lizardman and started testing my improved spell. The spell to possess a spirit directly into a body. I took a very obedient fire spirit that listened to me and possessed it into the lizardman's body.
「A body! A fresh body!!」
Spirits—especially high-level ones that were once dragons—instinctively crave their body-having days, it seems. It eagerly merged into the lizardman body I'd made. Then the lizardman's body burst into flames. Hmmm... Possessing a spirit turns the body spirit-like itself. Performance is top-notch. Half-spirit now, it shrugs off most physical attacks. Feels like a Logia fruit from that pirate manga? Of course, ultra-powerful attacks that could hurt the spirit itself still land. Plus, the possessed spirit's attribute shines through perfectly—every move sparks flames with a fire spirit. Wind spirit lets it fly? We'll gloss over that. As long as you're tight enough with the spirit not to get body-snatched, no issues. Or dominate it completely so it can't rebel. Problems like the spirit eyeing your body greedily without good rapport, or wild power variance by spirit... but overall, solid technique.
Lizardmen's low mana limits strong spirits, but that's minor. Just teach 'em basic meditation to build mana. If the user bonds with multiple spirits... could they possess several at once? Kinda curious. But befriending tons of spirits ain't easy. They're like fickle, playful kids who won't listen. Wait. Spirits listening...? Lightning bolt in my brain—an idea hit.
The great shaman talent... Isn't it just charisma? The insider skill to bond with spirits fast? Wait, "insider" sounds off. Affable personality? Talent? Capybara vibes? Hmm... Or maybe childcare talent? Gotta soothe moody, willful spirits to befriend 'em... Yeah, that'd supercharge spell use. I let out a small chuckle. Shaman aptitude as people skills? How'd it come to this...? But getting close to spirits has perks. Strong ones can tweak weather or environment. Great shamans could coax 'em for needs. Rain dances? Drought relief, stopping floods. Personal mana's low, but spirits help friends generously. Perfect.
Alright, decided. Pick a lizardman with killer charisma and name 'em great shaman. Thinking that, I opened GodTalk—and noticed something nagging. Buttons at the bottom. Speech bubble's the current chat... but the star next to it? I tapped the star. The message list shifted to another screen.
Yggdrasil. Sagarmatha. And Shamash's names on screen. Like a messenger's contact list. Ah, got it. Yggdrasil, world tree worshipped as god by elves. Sagarmatha, sacred mountain to dwarves. And Shamash... for some reason. Makes sense. This screen lists the gods.
But Shamash? The others make sense, but her? Why's she here? Hmm... Humans spreading faith in Shamash? Worshipping light that banishes darkness is natural, I guess... Ahem, whatever. More gods watching humans ain't bad. Favoritism? Sure, but... unavoidable. Without it, humans might get pushed out and vanish. Can't let humans—spread wide but weak in body, no spirit arts, scraping by daily—go extinct. Just advantages in numbers and spread. Couldn't abandon fragile humans. Part of me, once human long ago, urged me to help. That's why I favor them.