Trash: Chapter 104 The Power of Music (Patreon)

<<<Author's Note: I have been hesitant to put in update tables for the MC due to my personal hatred for the way Patreon messes up every table, causing me to spend hours to try to fix it. I am attempting to come up with a workaround. With adding the tables as an attachment that hopefully wont get messed up. If this works for you, then I can continue to do this and add in more character updates like this as times goes on. Please let me know if this works for you all, if it does I won't mind adding more regularly scheduled character updates. As always, thank you for reading. >>>

Chapter 104

The Power of Music

“Today, you are no doubt hearing in your classes about the different types of slimes, their colorations, their hardness, their semi-sentient ability, and the fact that they are seemingly indestructible.” Madam Voyou began as she pulled off the drape covering the box that was on her desk to reveal dozens of segmented slime cultures all held within thick glass containers.

At her grand reveal, it was clear that the slime cultures seemed to have some sort of awareness as they all seemed to instinctively spread out to and attract as much sunlight as possible. Going from a relatively small inert ball to a flat design that glowed a faint sickly greenish color.

“No doubt you will hear that there are multiple different slime cultures, and each grand culture ultimately grows and mutates on their own. While most are closest to fungal colonies, there are some that have symbiotic relationships with algae that are capable of photosynthetic processes, making them twice as hard to kill. For you can try to starve them out, by not feeding them decomposing Z-rot infested bodies, but they will still be able to live so long as they have minimal lighting, and minimal water.”

As Madame Voyou spoke, she grabbed one of the slime filled beakers and held it up high for the class to see. Her two blue eyes staring dazzling at the slime before her. Then an almost wicked grin began to form on her lips as she took the container forward, placing it on a podium normally used to hold sheet music, but this time she used it to gently place the slime infused jar.

“Now the scientists will claim that these creatures are indestructible, as they are immune to acids, being as they are considered to be composed of some of the most acidic substances this world has ever seen.” Madame Voyou stated, as she reached into her podium and pulled out a vial that clearly had the scientific notation for sulfuric acid written on it (H2SO4).  Holding up the vial, and getting a dropper, Madame Voyou never missed a note of her lecture while her deft fingers worked to fill the dropper with drops of sulfuric acid, which she then held over the slime that seemed to quiver slightly in fear, or maybe anticipation.

“Sulfuric acid, a powerful, dehydrating, and oxidizing agent that can char organic materials and cause severe chemical burns,” she continued her lecture, pouring out a few drops over the slime. “All things that one would expect to be lethal to a slime, but that is not the case, as you can see.”

There was a slight gasp from the crowd, as many students saw the small slime grow, and seemingly try to forcefully break the glass container it was in.

As the drops of acid poured down, rather than burning the slime away, it did the opposite. As if causing a chain reaction, the sulfuric acid mixed with the slime and caused an immediate hardening and swelling effect that has open air pockets in its texture due to how rapid its formation was. Looking like it gave the slime a layer of armor for protection, rather than hurting the creature.

“Don’t worry, this is a reinforced casing made specifically to withstand slimes up to five times this volume,” Madame Voyou commented, as if noting that slime protection was measured by volume was a known variable.

“So now you are thinking that acids don’t work, but what about bases? The antithesis of acids?” Madame Voyou continued, stoppering the bottle of sulfuric acid with the dropper locked inside, before going to pull out another container with a clear substance denoting the scientific formula for sodium hydroxide (NaOH).

“This is a watered-down version of Sodium Hydroxide (NaOH), also known as lye. This fifty percent mixture is what you will most often see when it comes to sodium hydroxide, one of the most powerful bases available, known for being able to neutralizing acids.” She continues, but as she pours the liquid, the now porous surface. There was a slight reaction, as it almost looked like there would be a reaction between the layer of hardened surface caused by acid, and the base material that was pouring, but that was not the case.

“If you look, the porous outer layer serves as a natural filter for the Sodium Hydroxide. If you look closely, you can see the way the spongelike surface absorbs the water from the sodium hydroxide, breaking it down to its more naturally occurring solid form. Thereby adding a reactive outer layer of dried sodium hydroxide flakes to the surface that serve as an extra protection, while this protective outer layer gets both stronger, and helps efficiently filter needed resources down to the slime itself. Also, if you watch long enough, you will see that these pores can change and grow as needed, letting in sunlight, animals that are unfortunate enough to step into this spongelike surface, or let out gasses that would otherwise be toxic to it, from all these digestive properties that the slime is undergoing.”

Pausing for a moment to let that all sink in, Madame Voyou paused and seemed to smile devilishly at the class, as if she was now waiting for something huge to occur.

“Any questions on what I have shown thus far?”

“I do,” Claus, a normally outspoken but harmless shaggy dark-haired male proclaimed while raising his hand. Others had raised their hand, but due to his outburst, everyone saw his hand raised first.  Rather than punishing the outburst Madame Voyou just smiled and nodded for him to continue, as if she knew what he would ask. “Why are we covering this in music class?”

“Good question, we have just gotten word that this will be the new Slime Awareness month due to the recent spotting of Death Eaters emerging from the center of our fair city. Which means that all of us, teachers, have been forced to switch our curriculum to raise awareness for Slimes, their habitats, and the dangers they pose.” Madame Voyou replied, her response accurate, if a little lacking. I apparently was not the only one who thought the response to be lacking, as Clause continued.

“Right, but why are you showing their reactions as if this was some type of science experiment?”

With that, Madame Voyou’s smile widened in that way that said, gotcha, without saying gotcha. It was the knowing look of a predator who had caused the rabbit to come into its den to serve it up as a meal.

“Isn’t it obvious?” Madame Voyou paused and held out a hand towards the slime. A slime that was now armored and covered with flakes that could cause injury if unaware. As she did, she put away the vials, seemed to seal them shut in the modified podium, while looking around the classroom, locking gazes with every student.

As her eyes locked onto mine, there was a slight pause as if she was searching for my own expression to see if I was already grasping what she wanted me to figure out. Unfortunately, I just held still, not wanting to guess.

“Anyone?”

Still nothing, not a peep as she scanned her eyes back over the audience one last time.

“Well, let me tell you that it is simple. While science will tell you that there is no chemical reaction that can safely kill a slime, and history will tell us that these can only be killed by people possessing Water attuned Skills, in particular dehydration-based Skills. But, I am going to show you all how, every one of you can kill these slimes, right here,” Madame Voyou paused and gestured first towards the armored slime before her, and the crate of slimes in the glass bottles behind her.

There was a pause as everyone looked on in awed disbelief. The claim was crazy, a classroom filled with slime killers? Surely if it was just as simple as taking a classroom filled with band students out playing a concert, the slime epidemic would be nonexistent, right?

While no one called Madame Voyou a liar directly to her face, it was clear that people were not truly taking her seriously.

“You have doubts?” She asked, and a number of students nodded in agreement, but none daring to speak out about the perceived lie.

“Very well, Ms. Bloom, will you please come here for a moment,” Madame Voyou asked, and while she had prepared me for this when I first entered, I still felt it odd to be suddenly called before the entire classroom. I stood up, but seeing that I didn’t remember my violin, Madame Voyou corrected me on the spot, “make sure to bring your violin with you.”

At that, I nodded, reached down and grabbed my violin case, taking a moment to get my violin and bow out before heading down to the front of the classroom. Each step-down feeling like I was being pulled by twice as much gravity as I could feel the eyes of everyone on me. Even given two lifetimes, it was apparent that being called out in public was still anxiety inducing.

As I got closer, she held out a crystalline orb in her hands. At a glance I realized what it was or at least knew that I had seen a similar design from when the Arbiter, Mr. Smoulder had evaluated my own magical aptitudes, helping to determine I was terrible for how DiVoratore valued aptitudes, but perfect for what Madame Bloom wanted. Just remembering that moment, I thought about how much had changed since that day. Especially since Mr. Smoulder had badged a total of four Skills for me, forever locking them in place and letting me learn six new ones in their place, putting me on a substantially different power level than anyone else my age.

Getting closer, Madame Voyou spoke in a hushed whisper, “place your hand on the orb, as I just need to check if you are capable of doing what I need.”

Hearing her, I paused, wondering if this was suddenly a trap. But then felt compelled to do as she asked, not from use of a power or Skill, but out of the perceived loyalty she had to Madame Bloom. I paused for only a moment, at which time I saw and felt the distinct stare of blue evaluation magic pulsing through me and causing a minor tingling sensation to occur in my body.

Realizing she could apparently see somewhat into my capabilities, I reluctantly reached out my hand and let the orb do its magic.

In a second, a complete breakdown of all my Skills popped up, showing the rating of each skill, their maximum level, and their current level.

<<FIRST CHART IN ATTACHMENT>>

Class Culmen Vitae* CLASS Skills

FREE SLOTTED SKILLS

Personal/Bloodline Skills

Badges Completed: (6)

Then after a quick scrolling of the Skills a quick calculation was done showing my Attribute breakdown and where I currently stood with each.

<<SECOND CHART IN ATTACHMENT>> Attribute TOTAL

While each Attribute was shown, even my rarer and specialty Attributes, I could see Madame Voyou purposefully stopping the lines of data from scrolling past, as she scrolled back up to show my Dexterity rating.

Dexterity 194.71

Seeing the number, I blinked as I thought that was almost too high. In fact, I knew that all of my Attributes were too high. Even with my lower Attribute ratings for Life Mana and Luck, I still had an average of 162.379 for all eight Attributes. Which based on my memory, should put me at the Relic rating, unless I am misunderstanding things.

<<THIRD CHART IN ATTACHMENT>>

As if seeing my confusion, Madame Voyou speaks, distracting me from why my Class only seems to register me as Epic rating, despite my clearly being well beyond that?

“Yes, this will do nicely,” Madame Voyou stated, pulling me from my reverie and gestured for me to ready my violin, as she did the same with her own instrument.

“Now, I will show you the power of music!” Madame Voyou declared loudly and with that she began.