This Ascent to Divinity is Lewder than Expected (A Futa LitRPG)

4.20 - Easing In

"Inflame or mute internal statuses," Maddy said thoughtfully. "I wonder how broad that is."

Like Zoey had with Sabina, she'd revealed her newest skill with the tutor best suited to help her with it. Beyond the ability needing to be divulged, so that she could learn to use it, Zoey didn't see a point to the stringent secrecy that was the standard for this world. Maybe if she trusted Maddy less, but this bubbly, friendly girl? Even if Zoey's skill had been a lot more specific, and worth keeping the details hidden, she would've shared it.

"I'd figure anything in that domain," Zoey said. "Any emotion, either dulled or amplified. But my class's related ones, probably most effective."

Arousal, she politely didn't specify. Maddy glanced at her and blushed, picking up the implication, but brushing past it. While she seemed to be growing slightly more at-ease with inappropriate topics, she still turned pink at mentions of Zoey's class.

"Emotions are a safe bet," Maddy said. "How about sensations? Is 'pain' an internal status? Speaking from a combat utility perspective, flaring up a monster's wounds could be debilitating."

"True," Zoey said. "I'd test it on myself, but we'd have to create a spell for each application, right?"

"Sure, but it shouldn't be that hard. Not simple ones. We can take existing spell designs and tweak them."

"For you, it wouldn't be hard," Zoey amusedly pointed out. "I don't have the slightest idea how to do that."

While she'd been making strides in the practical side of spellcasting, the theoretical side, she remained clueless about. Maddy had painted the process in broad strokes, but it was more or less the same as painting quantum physics, or some equally absurd topic, in broad strokes. Nuance fell to the wayside, and actually implementing the things Maddy so casually mentioned? Zoey obviously couldn't.

Maybe with a dedicated upbring by a powerful mage, like Maddy had received, Zoey would be able to manage something, but she obviously didn't have that. And even if she had that sort of background, even still, she might not be able to. Maddy was clearly a brilliant woman, for all she stumbled over her words and was sometimes distractible. A prodigy in her own right, in the same way as Rosalie or Delta.

"Well, I'll put something together for you, then," Maddy said. "It shouldn't take long, and we can bill it under 'tutoring'. Even if spell design would normally cost mountains."

It was said with a joking tone, but Zoey frowned. "I probably can't afford it now, but I might be able to, later. Keep track of it?"

"Oh, no, I don't care. It's no problem." Maddy blushed. "I'm already starting to feel bad for charging you for even this." She waved around to indicate 'lessons'.

"Why? It sounds like your time is valuable."

"Well, sure, but we're friends, now. Er ... that is, if, you ... you know, think so too."

"Of course I do," Zoey said. "But that doesn't mean you should be wasting hours of your day training me for free, every day. And this spell design stuff, now. Keep track of how much you'd charge someone else, and when I can, I'll pay you back. Please?"

"That's really not necessary."

"Please?" Zoey repeated. She really would feel better about things. Her time spent in this new world had felt like a drain on other people's generosity. Rosalie's, primarily, but Delta's and Sabina's too, and now Maddy.

"Okay," Maddy said hesitantly. "But I'll be giving you the friend discount, and you can't convince me out of that."

Zoey would've tried, but she could tell insisting further would be pointless.