"It might not even scan you properly," said the male technician who was working the scanner inside the arcanaeum, at Mage Society. "I'm hoping it will, because we do have the best one that non-divine sources can produce, but…" He waved a hand. "Just an advisement, Mister Careed."

Mark nodded. "Thank you. I understand. If this one doesn't work I'll try the other one."

The guy rapidly added, "I hope you don't… damage… the floor…" His voice kinda trailed off, his vector nervous.

"Me, too," Mark said.

The scanner at the arcanaeum at Mage Society was one of the really good ones, like the one that Mark had first stepped into at Orange Arcanaeum, back in his hometown of Orange City in the Floridas. The technician for this one was outside of the room in this scanner, though, but there was little expectation of true privacy. Soldiers and mages alike were all expected to go into a scanner whenever something happened to them, like what had happened to Mark, and their official Powers, Power Levels, and any incidentals, were recorded for the settlement's records.

So Mark ignored how uncomfortable all of this made him and lightly walked through the scanner room door, spreading his 'shoes' wide so the metal floor could support all of his 2,600 kilos.

The room was a nice one; all professional and white and silver, with floating displays in the air and big floating rings to the side, hovering high above a platform. That platform was the main scanning area. Mark walked onto that platform, making sure he didn't break—

~squeak~

… Mark walked with a bit more care, spreading his weight even wider, stepping onto the main platform and securing himself as much as he felt like he could, which was not a lot. Oh well. It would be over soon.

Mark said, "Ready."

The door shut, the rings descended from the ceiling to surround Mark and then spin slightly. The ground lit with runes and Mark felt gentle waves of power wash through him. Other runes lit up, and then the machine spun up faster for a moment, before slipping down to slowness. The rings stopped spinning, and then they rose into the air.

A readout splashed across the air in front of Mark.

Body, Incorruptible Adamantium (Dangerously Incomplete): 089

Shaper, Adamantium: 098

Mind: 89

Natural, Union: 098

Soul: 79

Arch: 76

Estimated astral body strength: 96%

Familiar Detected.

Mark felt a sudden emotional chill, reading 'Dangerously Incomplete'. Mark reeled back, just a little, and that sent his foot almost through the platform. Metal screeched and Mark sent out his caltrops to steady himself, ripping into a wall, causing only a small amount of damage.

The operator's vector was already wincing before the destruction, but now he kinda just accepted that it was raining shit and he was the custodian on duty.

Mark walked out of there, saying, "Sorry."

Isoko was silent. Concerned. She waited.

"We have a budget for these things, but… Mister Careed. You really should get a proper divine scan." The operator's face was pale. "This readout could mean anything. I sent the full readout to your AI, but this readout... Please get a full scan and don't do anything too… Well. I was about to say don't do anything dangerous, but we all know where you were— Uh." The guy bowed deeply. "Thank you."

Isoko asked Mark, "What happened?"

Mark answered, " 'Incorruptible Adamantium Body'. 'Dangerously Incomplete', whatever that means—"

Quark spoke, "Sir. Walaria is on the line, wishing to talk."

Mark winced. "Ah, okay."

The technician was suddenly in awe, while Isoko was suddenly deeply worried.

Mark stepped to the side, saying, "Put her through."

"Mark," Walaria said, "I just got the readout. Go to a proper Stone Temple. Do not pause. Do not sleep or try to Alter your Binding further. Just go. Fly there. It might be solvable either easy, or hard, but we won't know until you get a Stone Temple reading."

Mark felt a cold numbness. "Okay."

"Not all 'Dangerously Incomplete' readouts mean death, but most of them do. I don't think yours does."

Click.

Mark stared at the wall for a moment longer, and then he said, "Quark. Please send Lola a message that we're getting a readout from the Stone Temple." Quark beeped in acknowledgement, and then he said to Isoko, "Up for another flight?"

Isoko was.

Soon, they stepped out onto Magic Street, outside of the arcanaeum, and Mark spread a giant rotor up overhead to lift his 2,700-ish kilos off of the ground, along with Isoko's mere 80 kilos. She was practically nothing compared to his own weight.

It was kinda freaky.

Books people were reading got tossed around, a bush half-uprooted, and then Mark was in the air, flying though the illusions spanning from the walls of Mage Society. The warning system touched him with a sticky red light, but then broke upon one of the lingering Protects that Quark had set up a while ago. The light just cracked away on black scales, though it did linger on Isoko.

Soon, Mark was flying through the sky, toward the temple district, toward the big Pantheon church, near Inquisitor's Hall.

The place looked like a whole bunch of fancy spikes over a warehouse-sized fancy space, and Mark set down near a nice fountain by a whole bunch of neophyte paladins of various faiths. A few of them had Union, their threads out and touching the world, connecting and sensing Mark approaching, and then letting go when Mark nodded to them. Mark slipped his giant rotor back into a set of floating blades behind him and he walked into the white church, with Isoko at his side.

In a minute, he was at the Stone Temple inside the multifaith church, facing the wall.

A priest touched a wall and the wall turned to sand, to reveal a small prayer room beyond that did not exist until the priest touched the wall. Ambient, soft white light turned on in the communion space, and Mark walked in and sat down on a stone bench that easily held his weight, the stone deforming a bit to support him instead of breaking. There was a lot of golden power in this place.

The wall shut, and Mark looked at a blank stone wall for a moment, preparing to ask a question about himself. He wasn't exactly sure where to start. He realized he had a lot of questions, now that he was sitting here and actually interfacing with the god of the System. Like 'What was Wongod' and 'the fuck is up with Xerkona and the corruption ooze?'.

Stolen content warning: this content belongs on Royal Road. Report any occurrences.

Asking for a scan was suddenly far down on the list of things Mark wanted to know—

Your Incorruptible Body is currently in a state of flux.

It is settling down.

You're already past the truly worst parts of it, but the only reason you're not dead is because 'Incorruptible' is based on Healthy, and 'Incorruptible' truly means Incorruptible. You're at 70% settled, and it could settle any number of ways.

Whatever happens will happen by the next time you sleep.

Consult your local <insert valid consultant here> if you wish to learn more.

The words vanished.

Mark had a difficult, unrealistic moment. He didn't understand what he was feeling. And then he knew.

Disconnected; that's how he felt.

Also angry.

"The FUCK you mean <insert valid consultant here>?!" Mark asked the stone, suddenly mad. Mark raised his voice, "Malaqua?! Was that a fucking ERROR MESSAGE?!"

The stone was quiet.

Mark stood up and almost stuck the wall with a fist. "Malaqua!"

The door opened and the lights in the communion space went out, and the wall opposite of the entrance began filling in with sand. Maybe Mark could have simply stayed in the room, but Lola was outside with Isoko in the ambulatory.

Mark stepped outside of the wall and the private chamber rapidly vanished, and Mark said to Lola, "Hello Lola. I just got a fucking error message. Can you believe that shit!"

Lola seemed like she had had a lot of things to say; a congratulations, a concern, a talk of various matters. Mark felt her vector and watched her face rapidly fire through all of those thoughts and land firmly on disbelief and then disgust.

Isoko strongly asked, "The fuck?"

Lola decided to ignore most of her own words and focus on Mark. She said, "I checked the scan from the settlement. 'Dangerously Incomplete' is a very serious thing. Malaqua should have said more than an error message. I don't want to pry on the holy communion between gods, but..."

"It said my body is in a state of flux that will settle down next time I sleep, and to 'Consult your local <insert valid consultant here> if you wish to learn more.' and I'm not kidding. That's really what it said."

Isoko was stunned.

Lola rapidly fired through a few different thoughts, and said, "You have a good relationship with Blackthorn of Memphi; he's very knowledgeable about esoterica. Reeni is a good idea as well. I'd suggest Walaria but I was —and still am— furious with Empire Aluatha. Are you still mad?" And then she got to the big thought; the one she wanted to speak aloud since the moment she heard he was back. "I am concerned and joyful for what you have accomplished this last week, and for how all you have conducted yourself in this trying time and in all others. I would dearly like for there to be fewer hardships in your life, Mark, but I fear that there will be nothing but greater trials ahead. We shall resume inquisitor training, when you're ready."

Mark softened a little, and then a lot. He said, "Thank you. I'd love to do that."

Lola wiped away a fast tear and then told Isoko, "And you as well, Miss Kanno. Less time in the arcanaeum and more time in the hall, if you would be so kind. We have been distracted lately."

Isoko said, "Yes, ma'am."

Lola breathed easily, on firmer ground, as she told Mark, "Black is a good look on you, Mark."

Mark smiled, and then he used his hands to pull his head off of his body, leaving a big gap between his parts, saying, "It's fucking weird, is what it is."

Lola and Isoko both had a moment.

And then Lola promptly fainted.

Mark rapidly moved to catch her but Isoko was already there, supporting Lola on silver air as she yelled at Mark about what a terrible trick that was and Mark laughed nervously and vectors got confused and Isoko laughed a little, too, but neither of them were happy at all. They moved to a private room and fussed over Lola a bit, with Isoko putting Lola on a soft bed of air on a bench while they waited. She was fine. Mark and Isoko were both healing her. She had just experienced a very large shock.

Lola woke up quickly and then she promptly yelled at Mark for 2 heavy minutes. Eventually she calmed down.

Mostly.

Lola said, "I need a lot of alcohol."

"Me too!" Mark said, a strained smile on his face.

'Me, three,' Isoko muttered, almost too soft to hear. Isoko was kinda staring off into the distance, wondering about a lot.

Lola focused on Mark, eyes fierce, as she said, "YOU need to go talk to some more people but…" She calmed, fractionally. She glanced at Isoko. Lola said, "Don't you dare try pulling your head off, too."

Isoko rapidly came back to the conversation, saying, "I would never! I'm not…" She looked at Mark. "I'm not an 'Elemental Body'. The fuck, Mark? Why did you do that?"

Mark got defensive. "I am absolutely sure I told you about getting my neck almost sliced—"

" 'ALMOST' sliced," Isoko said. "Key word, there!"

Lola spoke up, "Okay well… Elemental bodies are incredibly resilient and you're already a Shaper of your own element, so… I'm not sure what is happening here. Talk to Walaria, and absolutely get some second opinions from Blackthorn."

Mark asked a big question, "What about Addavein?"

Lola did a very professional, very small shake of her head.

Isoko tsk'd, then softly said, "Maybe if you can't find anything else out?"

Mark glanced to the open archway of the private 'room' they were in. It was just a booth-like space outside of the ambulatory of the church. It was not that private at all. Whatever. Mark spoke softly, "I think I went into my Binding to… to do a lot. I think Addavein was there to help me, like with that transference thing that we did during Memphi. But not really. Smaller than that." Mark waved a dismissive hand. "It was a lot." He continued, "But Addavein might know? I mean… right?"

Isoko made a disgruntled 'nnnnngggg' sound, that was pretty much an 'Are you fucking stupid? Because you must be, yet I am too polite to say that directly' sort of sound.

Lola said, "That's an option far beyond the other ones. Now. Which option will you pick?"

"Ahhh… all of them. Shit."

Isoko asked a question she already asked this morning, "Are you tired? You were out there for 5 days, Mark." She added, "If the thing said that it'll settle when you sleep, then… how?"

"I'm not tired at all," Mark said, and it was the truth.

Isoko and Lola were concerned.

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