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Herber confusedly pats Emily’s back in reassurance as she sobs into his chest.

After two minutes Emily has calmed down enough to speak coherently.

“What’s wrong Emi? Are you hurt?” Herber asks with worry.

“I- I’m fine,” she sniffles. “I just fell asleep at my desk and had a nightmare about you dying. When the thunder woke me up, I thought I’d lost you too for a second.”

Herber flinches slightly at her choice of words, releasing a sad sigh as he strokes her hair and holds her tight.

“Don’t worry Emi, I’m not going anywhere anytime soon,” he comforts her.

That’s right, I’m not letting them take you. I won’t lose another family.

Emily’s sadness slowly fades into indignant anger. She separates from Herber after a few more seconds and smiles at him.

“Sorry about that, I’ll be fine now, it’s just a bad dream.”

“No worries kid. Just call me if you need anything, okay? Even if it’s just another hug. Me and your sister will always be there for you, no matter what.”

Emily flinches as a new thought forms in her mind.

Anna. I have to protect her too.

“Haaa,” she sighs and sits down as Herber leaves the room. She pulls over a clean sheet of paper. “Right, how can I actually fix this?”

Amazing plan to save my family!

Step 1: Find out if anything can be brought across time loops.

Step 2: Work out if time loops move my body’s position or not (think so, was sat down again)

Step 3: Test if I can rewind past 7:45

Step 4: Can I kill four mages?

Step 4.5: Finish looking at the system.

Step 5: Can we get out of the city?

Step 6: If all else fails, ask Dad.

Tossing her pen down, Emily gets to work, calling out for the system.

ˉˉˉˉˉ

[Name:] Emily Coldstone

[Race:] Human

[Age:] 15

[Magic Circle:] First Circle

[Machina Cortex:] First Stage

[Attributes:] Strength 7, Dexterity 15, Agility 12, Vitality 8, Intelligence 22

[Health:] 115/115

[Stamina:] 175/175

[Mana:] 330/330

[Machina:] 330/330

-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-

Talents:

[Intrinsic] Magical Engineer

-Mechanical Genius

-Magical Genius

Skills:

[Intrinsic] Magic Network (passive)

-Parkour (passive)

-Basic Machine Construction (passive)

-Basic Melee Combat (passive)

-Basic Spellweave (active)

-Basic Meditation (active)

Knowledge:

-Basic Clockwork

-Basic Steampower

-Basic Electrical Theory

-Basic Mana Formation

Equipment:

[Intrinsic] Clockwork of Time (Ex)

_____

After reading through the full status page again, Emily takes note of basic meditation carrying over from before the time reset.

I guess that means system skills at least aren’t affected by the time loop. I’ll have to test damage to my body and clothes next time I rewind, let’s test displacement with this loop too.

Checking the time and seeing 7:54, Emily grabs a sharp shard of metal from the scrap box and heads to her room.

Leaving through the window, she runs through the city away from her house.

After thirty minutes of running, she stops, lightly panting.

My body was definitely improved by the awakening, I barely feel tired right now.

She brings the metal shard out of her pocket and cuts the bottom of her shirt into slivers, then makes a few small nicks on her left arm.

With her tests set up and still out of breath, she activates The Clock and returns to the past once again.

***

Thunder and repulsive force return, and Emily finds herself back in her workshop at 7:45 pm.

Checking her body, she finds her clothes back in a messy but whole state, and her arms clean of injury.

My body returns to its old state and location at the time of return, but skills seem to remain through loops. Is it the system itself that’s travelling back? My memories are too so I'm guessing it's my cortex? Right, next on the list is ‘Can I rewind past 7:45’.

She presses the button on top of the stopwatch again, reading the time to be 7:45:20.

One rewind later, The Clock reads 7:45:06 and she presses the button the second it stops winding back. Nothing happens and after a second, she presses it again only for The Clock to instantly tick back to 7:45:06 with the familiar pressure of time travel missing.

Small jumps seem to be easier, can’t rewind back past the last point returned to though, noted. Maybe it just can’t go back past The Clock's initial creation? Needs further testing when I have more time. That’s it for running away myself. Next is, ‘Are those four mages killable?’.

Let’s start with talents.

ˉˉˉˉˉ

[Mechanical Genius]

User is a natural-born mechanic.

-Grants instant comprehension of new mechanics [Knowledge]

-Machina strength increased by +50%

-Increased aptitude for inventing new machines

-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-

[Magical Genius]

User is a natural-born mage.

-Grants instant comprehension of new magic [Knowledge]

-Mana strength increased by +50%

-Increased aptitude for creating new spells

-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-

[Magical Engineer]

User {Emily Coldstone} has the unique ability to perfectly merge magic with machines.

-Grants the ability to convert between machina and mana

-???

_____

Why is that last one question marks? I guess I’ll have to wait and find out what it does, but what about instant comprehension? Does that mean I should perfectly understand anything the system classifies as mechanic or mage knowledge? Weird, I don’t feel anything different, let’s have a look at my knowledges then.

ˉˉˉˉˉ

[Basic Clockwork]

A fundamental understanding of clocks and clockwork machines.

-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-

[Basic Steampower]

A fundamental understanding of the usage of steam as a power source.

-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-

[Basic Electrical Theory]

A fundamental understanding of the principles of electricity.

-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-

[Basic Mana Formation]

A fundamental understanding of the natural formation of mana.

_____

I’m pretty sure I already understand clockwork and steam, I guess that’s why the system said knowledge detected? I don’t know what electrical theory is about, but does mana formation mean I should be able to understand the mana crystals now?

“Wait… since when did I call lightning stones, mana crystals?” Emily mutters to herself in surprise.

As she focuses on the concept of mana crystals, where before in her mind sat a cluster of questions and half-baked theories, now flows a smooth stream of information.

Mana crystals are a naturally occurring mineral in areas of high-density mana. They can be used as catalysts for enchantments, engravings or spells. Mana crystals naturally form into a runic matrix for optimised energy gathering.

Emily grins excitedly at how naturally the information came to her and scrambles to grab her notes from earlier.

Each lightning gem has several focal points along the pathways with the least resistance.

“lightning” follows the path of least resistance. Thin metal has higher resistance than thick.

The number of focal points varies based on size and the total amount of (lightning?) stored/generated, a bigger gem means more (lightning?) and therefore usually more focal points.

Metals have different (lightning?) pull and conductivity, pull draws the (lightning?) out of the gem and conductivity transfers it. Black iron has strong pull and good conductivity. Acacia wood has low pull and no conductivity.

Certain metals, iron not copper, can be moved by letting (lightning?) flow around it.

Reading over the note she’s excited by how close her conclusions were to the truth she now knows. Having memorised the note, Emily tosses it to the side, then grabs some clean paper, a pen, and a mana crystal from the drawer. Gazing into the crystal, she begins to write the words falling into place in her mind.

These mana crystals contain lightning-attuned mana. The energy pathways carved through the crystal during formation, allow for smooth mana transfers between the gathering focal points.

The number of focal points varies based on the runes that influenced the formation of the crystal. The complexity of runes increases with the density of the mana they’re formed from. The larger mana crystals store denser mana in greater amounts.

Different materials have different levels of electrical conductivity and magical conductivity.

Wood has no electrical conductivity under normal circumstances, but some woods, like acacia, have low magical conductivity.

Metals all have electrical conductivity, and some metals have low magical conductivity.

Most materials, metals and woods especially, can become magical conductors through extended exposure to dense mana, like the black iron the mana crystals formed in.

Some metals are also magnetic and can be moved by the flow of electrons in a magnetic field. Electromagnets can be formed by running electricity through coils of metal.

Emily is broken out of her academic trance by the ringing of a bell across the building.

Ah, I guess I’m out of time for this loop. That was fascinating and all, but I'm not sure it’s helping my situation. I need to focus more.

Taking one last glance at her writing, she activates The Clock once again.

***

Now well-practised at lying to Herber, Emily quickly dismisses his concerns about her safety and explosive habits and moves on:

Okay, one last section left, skills.

ˉˉˉˉˉ

[Magic Network (passive)]

A unique energy system created by User {Emily Coldstone} with the combination of [Magic Circuit] and [Neuro Net]. The mana channels carved into the body’s vascular system to form a magic circuit have fused with the host’s neurological pathways creating a vastly enhanced energy distribution system.

-Grants +100% to mana and machina regeneration

-Grants -50% mana and machina usage

-Grants +20% mental resistance

-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-

[Parkour (passive)]

User knows how to move efficiently.

-Grants +10% to agility when moving across tough terrain

-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-

[Basic Machine Construction (passive)]

Beginner mechanic’s ability to create machines.

-Grants +10% production speed

-Grants +20% machine stats

-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-

[Basic Melee Combat (passive)]

User knows how to fight in close quarters.

-Grants +10% strength and agility when fighting at close range

-Grants +10% familiarity with fists and melee weapons

-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-

[Basic Spellweave (active)]

[Cost:] 40 Mana/Hr

User can gaze into the truth of runes to form spells.

-Upon activation, user enters a trance-like state to use mana to experiment with runic matrices

-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-

[Basic Meditation (active)]

[Cost:] N/A

Through controlled breathing and focus, user can gather mana from the atmosphere around them, and increase their understanding of mana.

-Upon activation, user enters a trance-like state to gather mana

-Increases health, stamina, mana and machina regeneration while in use

_____

Cool, some of these may be useful. Parkour may help if we try to escape, and maybe I can fight the mages hand-to-hand with melee combat. Carlos looked trained, but as long as I take him out with a ranged weapon the other three may be possible to beat.

Emily shivers as she remembers Carlos pulling a knife from his robes and executing Herber with practised ease. She shakes her head clear and refocuses on her system.

I don’t think spellweave or meditation can help me right now. I don’t know how to cast spells and don’t have hours to waste in a trance, I don’t think I’ll ever wake up if those nobles find me catatonic. What does the intrinsic before magic network and clockwork of time mean though?

ˉˉˉˉˉ

[Intrinsic]

Marker of the truly unique!

-Traits that are one-of-a-kind and unique to the holder

-Intrinsic races will only remain intrinsic to the original holder when passed on

-Some intrinsic skills can be taught and passed on, some remain user-locked

-Intrinsic equipment is bound to the creator, unable to be separated from, or used by anyone other than, the user.

_____

Okay, I understood about half of that, but it doesn’t seem that important.

Emily stands up and stretches before heading to the drawers of finished projects.

“If I’m gonna fight four mages, I should go in armed right?”

She rubs her hands together excitedly at the idea of getting to put some of her makeshift weapons to good use. Digging through the drawers she pulls out and tosses aside countless unrelated creations until she finds a few weapons buried at the bottom. As she gazes at the weapons, she calls out for her system on a whim and is surprised by the information windows that pop out to greet her.

ˉˉˉˉˉ

[Clockwork Repeater]

[Rank:] F

[Stats:] +1 Dex

[Description:] A basic handheld crossbow with a six-shot revolving cylinder for quick successive shots.

[Effect:] Fires bolts at a rate of 1 bolt/s

-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-

[Single-Shot Hand Cannon]

[Rank:] F

[Stats:] +1 Dex

[Description:] A basic breech-loaded hand cannon, fires a single large bullet packed with a lot of black powder.

[Effect:] Fires a single bullet for massive damage.

-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-

[Telescoping Bladed Baton]

[Rank:] F

[Stats:] +1 Agil, +1 Str

[Description:] A spring-loaded telescoped 1m baton with a bladed end.

[Effect:] Extends on button press, good for hitting and stabbing.

_____

The system gives a useful breakdown of her self-made weapons. As Emily lifts the crossbow and hand cannon in a hand each, she feels a strange sense of resonance between her and the weapons, a feeling of control spreading through her body.

This must be the stat bonuses.

Smirking, she attaches the baton to her waistband as she hears the doorbell ring throughout the building. Silencing her footsteps like a predator on the hunt, she creeps towards the shopfront.

Time to see what damage I can do.