The oak forest within Nier's estate stretched like a hidden world, ancient trees towering with gnarled branches twisting overhead, their leaves blowing in the gentle breeze.
The afternoon sunlight filtered through the canopy in dappled patches, casting shifting shadows on the mossy ground that crunched softly under Nier's footsteps.
The air was crisp, carrying the earthy scent of bark and damp soil, a far cry from the chlorine-tinged poolside where he had left Tanya and Imani to recover from the ritual.
Nier walked aimlessly, his maroon hair still damp from the swim, his black swim trunks clinging to his thighs. His chiseled body moved with effortless grace, but his mind buzzed with the words of Kaly's voice.
Perched on top of his head like a tiny queen on her throne was Kaly's doll form, her 8-inch body steady despite his strides.
Her chocolate-brown skin gleamed under the filtered light, her long dark hair trailing down her back like a cape.
Nier's scalp alone was hiding her goat-fur legs from behind but revealing the black hooves and prehensile tail tipped with white hair.
Kaly's voice echoed in Neir's mind.
"Ok Darling before we go and picked up Bella, let's talk about Unlimited a bit. As you already know, it is a powerhouse of a ability, no doubt. It is at it's strongest when you're in the heat of the moment or prepped like a mage in fantasy video games."
"But it ain't without limits. Think of it like mana: you got a pool, but spells drain it. Black Scorch, for example? That bad boy can erase matter on a whim, but it sucks up 80 units of Negativity just to fire off. Cost-heavy stuff will leave you tapped out quick if you're not careful."
Nier nodded slightly, careful not to jostle her.
"Yeah, I get that. So, what if I run into something I can't understand? Like an enemy that goes intangible, phases through everything. How will Black Scorch gonna erase matter on a guy I can't even hit? I have been thinking about stuff like that for a while when it comes to my authority."
Nier said to Kaly, he wasn't stupid, Unlimited was not a omnipotent power, but a very powerful ability no doubt.
Hearing this Kaly's tiny laugh tinkled like wind chimes, her hooves tapping lightly on his scalp.
"Smart question, darling. But the answer is simple, all you need to do is adapt. Create a magic spell to counter it, something that hits the unhittable, maybe locks em in place or drags em into a phase you can touch."
Nier smirked, the forest path winding deeper, oaks closing in like silent guardians.
"Easy enough. I would just whip up a spell on the spot them with your description in mind."
"Ah, but what if the cost is too high?"
Kaly countered, her tail flicking against his ear.
"What if you're low on Negativity, and you can't afford to attack, counter, or even defend? What then my love!?"
Nier paused, the crunch of leaves under his feet halting as he thought it over. The forest seemed to hold its breath, birds chirping distantly.
"I… don't know."
He admitted, his voice low, a rare crack in his confidence.
Kaly's voice softened, but there was a edge to it, like a teacher drilling a hard lesson into her most prize student.
"That is a good answer, darling, admitting your weak doesn't make you weak, the path true strength comes from learning from your mistakes. In battle, you never know what is coming after all. Shit hits fast, and understanding don't always come with it. Improvise, adapt on the fly, or keep a fat stack of Negativity stocked at all times. Get caught flat-footed, and even your nigh-immortality won't save you mid-fight. I'll bring you back, sure, but losing hurts, and it gives the enemy an edge."
"Victory doesn't always mean beating your enemies to death, rather it is the process of achieving an end goal regardless of the outcome of a fight."
Nier let out a breath, resuming his walk, the path meandering through thicker groves.
"Yeah, I see where you're coming from. Still Unlimited is a beast, but I as it's user gotta be smart, not just brute about things when I am locked in a fight."
Kaly patted his head with her tiny hands, her voice warming with approval.
"That is good, darling, I am glad to see for myself that you are finally seeing the bigger picture here. Now, lesson one: let's work with what you got. Body Modification Magic, that will be our starting point. Good news is? Crafting it only cost 400 units of Negativity back then. This means that anything you transform into will stay under 399 at most. That's why I will advise you to stick to traits from your planet, animals, plants, stuff that fits your world's logic. It will be cheaper that way. Fantasy shit? Overpowered, yeah, but your authority burns overtime filling in the gaps your imagination leaves. So let us get practical here, try to shift to your eagle form."
Nier nodded, focusing inward, his body shimmering as the Negativity surged through him burning like fuel to make the transformation possible. Feathers sprouted across his skin, bones reshaping with a crackle that echoed through the oaks. His arms elongated into wings, his legs shortening into talons, his form condensing into a majestic black eagle. He flapped his wings, lifting off the ground, Kaly clinging to his feathered back like a rider on a dragon. The forest blurred below as he soared, the wind rushing through his feathers, Kaly's tiny weight a comforting anchor for his for.
"Good."
Kaly said, her voice cutting through the rush of air.
"Now, let us improve it. Body Modification is all about controlling biology to the limit until we no longer need common sense to ground us, but before we get into the fallacy's of our imagination, we most understand basic material logic, as such, what know is as reality, or understand as valid and possible we tweak. With that said, let me asked you this, how can we make this form better?"
Nier banked left, dodging a low branch, his eagle eyes spotting every leaf in sharp detail.
"I guess make it bigger, stronger. Bulk it up for more power."
At the end of his answer Kaly's laugh rang out, her tail flicking against his neck.
"Solid start. Do it, pour in some Negativity into the size change."
Nier focused, channeling the Negativity energy into his form. His eagle body swelled, wings expanding, muscles thickening until he was ten times his original size, he grew and bulk until he was the size of an elephant only with feathers, and not really an elephant but an eagle, in layman terms he was now a giant bird.
His wings beat harder, the air whooshing like thunder, but he felt the drag immediately. Trees blurred as he tried to maneuver, but the added weight made tight turns a struggle. Branches whipped past too close, the forest canopy feeling cramped.
Kaly tapped his head again.
"See? You're a beast now, stronger, faster in a straight shot, but look at the trade-off. You're too fucking clunky, as such you can't weave through trees like before. Size gives power yes, but sacrifices flexibility. In an open field? You would crush your enemies. But in tight spots? You're a sitting duck. You also become an easier target, that's why you must learn bigger doesn't always mean better, so let me ask you another question, imagine being shot by arrows from all corners, how would you go about countering this!?"
Nier circled higher, the estate sprawling below like a toy set.
"I guess some food old body armor would help in a case like that. Toughen up the feathers, make them durable like a hippo's hide basically making the arrows break on impact."
Kaly's voice hummed with approval.
"Good eye, darling. Traits from your world are cheap, fits perfectly within the frameworks of earthly logic, no gaps to fill. Fantasy armor? Pricey but natrual armor will always be cheaper, so fo for it."
Nier poured in more Negativity, his feathers hardening, thickening into a leathery shell like a hippo's hide, tough, and impenetrable. But the weight hit like a truck load of brick on his back, and instantly too.
As such he began to plummet downwards, his wings straining against the added mass, the air whistling as he fought to stay aloft.
"Shit."
He muttered, his eagle form wobbling.
"I am too heavy, I can't fly."
Kaly clung tighter, her tiny hooves digging in to stay aloof.
"Exactly... Quality is great, but overdo it, and you debuff yourself. Too tough and heavy while mid air, and it is the ground for you, as you are now, you are no different from a tank with wings that don't work. As such, in cases like these you will need find balance, how can you maintain flexibility, speed, and defense all at the same time darling. Too much of anything tips the scale. So, going back to my previous statement, you will need to adapt, and quickly or you will hit the ground, so what do you do now, show me just how creative you can be."
Nier's mind raced as the ground rushed up, trees looming like spears. Common sense kicked in, he couldn't brute-force it.
And as he fall he began think hard and quick as he said out aloud.
"Switch to quantity over quality."
He said, the words tumbling out as he channeled Negativity. His massive eagle body burst apart in a flash of dark energy, shattering into a swarm of smaller eagles, each the size of a mouse pad, armored with hippo-hide feathers.
They fluttered in unison, a coordinated flock, flexible and maneuverable, weaving through branches with ease. Nier's consciousness split across them, a hive mind of feathered fury, Kaly riding the lead eagle's back.
Kaly's laugh echoed through the swarm, triumphant and proud.
"That's it, darling! Being creative as hell, while also being conservative is the key in mastering Unlimited, but I am glad to know you learn fast. This is the real deal, in battle, when shit goes south, adapt on the spot. Fail once? Flip it. Your authority gives you the edge in a battle of improvision."
Nier reformed the swarm into his human shape mid-air, landing lightly on the forest floor, Kaly perched on his shoulder now. His heart pounded, the rush of the lesson sinking in.
"Wow, I see your point now babe."
"Of course you do, but let's call it quits for now, I will teach you more later, for now I just wanted you to learn the basics."