Both of the st two items were from sets that, when used together, granted more power.

  The first and more numerous set was the Mandarin's Rings. The ring listed was Mento-Intensifier Ring/The Liar (Marvel Comics), but the page was all ten rings. Each ring holds a different power; The Liar had the abilities of mental paralysis and illusions. It’s not exactly what I was looking for. But what about the others?

  After reading through the page, each ‘cylinder’ (they’re not technically rings) contains the soul of a great warrior sealed inside, and they don’t seem that overpowered. And while I don’t particurly like what they're doing to his hands in the image, I might as well check them out before deciding on the st item from the list.

  Spoiler

  [colpse]Starting from the right, we have Remaker worn on the right thumb. The ring is light green and has a rectangur gem that is split into two parts. On either side of the central gem were strange etchings that looked like circuits. Below these etchings were two round gems with etchings underneath them and down to another rectangur etching on the bottom of the ring.

  According to the text, its ability was pocket alchemy or chemistry, though it is limited and unable to transmute one element into another and has problems with energy fields (all the rings have issues with energy fields).

  “Alchemy…” (I could do That… there wouldn’t even be a cost since I could just take out the tickets with little issue.) “But…” I decided against it, pying God would have to wait until I was ready.

  Since Remaker's power allowed for the manipution of atoms, even while limited to what was on hand, you should be able to disassemble the molecur structure of what was nearby. Typically, this ability was used to create toxic gas clouds, solidify gasses into a cement-like material, create costumes, or alter one’s appearance. But that seems really low-tier for what it should be capable of.

  For instance, since I’m in a forest, I could convert some of the leftover dead wood and pnts into carbon and then into nanotubes. With enough of them, you should be able to hold down just about anything. Then, by turning the leftover elements into gas, you could easily poison them and seal them inside a prison by solidifying them once again. Alternatively, it would be super useful in collecting raw resources. Then there was the st option: doing the opposite of its name, you could unmake your target. If I had to say, it's up there on a power scale (more so if that works).

  Slipping the ring on my right thumb, [Hello?] I thought, trying to communicate with the supposed spirit inside. There was only silence in response. But I did feel a mental connection form with the ring on my thumb.

  Tearing out some of the weed from the ground. All it took was my thoughts as green sparks shone from the ring onto the leaves in my hand. Thirty seconds ter, I was left holding a small bck pebble and a handful of powder.

  “I’m going to have to touch up on my chemistry knowledge if I want to get the most out of this thing”.

  Dumping the contents from my hand, I moved on to the next ring.

  Next is the right index finger, Influence. The ring's centerpiece was a bright yellow topaz surrounded by engravings that curled around it and two small inys above the central gem. On either side of the ring were square etchings that were positioned slightly away from the central gem. These etchings appear to contain some type of gemstone.

  Influence had the power to shoot concussive bsts of force and sonic beams.

  Pcing it on my finger, I tried once again to communicate with the ring

  [Hello?]

  …

  Again, I was met with silence.

  I clenched my fist, steadying my right arm with my left and focusing on the ring. After a minute of trying, I started to feel something, an unknown force started to build up. But it was kinda slow I was about to give up on it before a yellow beam released from the ring. Shooting out with enough force to rival a handgun, the burst of yellow light tore up the pnts that littered the forest floor. “WOAH!” I shouted, trying to steady my arm. Once the beam finished, the end result was smaller than it sounds, maybe a handful of inches wide, about an inch deep, and half a dozen feet long. But it did tear up the ground decently enough.

  “It might be useful, but that charge time was what?" (Three-plus minutes?)

  If I figure out how to keep it charged without shooting or blowing up, then I might consider keeping it around, until then, it's going in storage after I finished testing.

  The next ring, worn on the right middle finger, was an Icy blue with a rge square, pale blue gemstone at its center. Below this icy blue gem were two smaller, simirly cut stones. Across its surface, it had circuits spanning its circumference, connecting each of the gems, making it look like the highest tech of the set. It also vibrates very faintly.

  This ring was dubbed Spin, given its ability to create high-speed vortexes, allowing for a deadly offense or a means of propulsion, allowing for objects or the wearer to move through the air. But I had to ask, "How?"

  By creating a vacuum around an object? Using vortexes to pull the object? The only way I was going to find out was to put it on and try it out.

  Pcing the ring on my right ring finger, I have given up on communicating with them at this point. Focusing on trying to connect with it mentally, I chose one of the random wood chunks now scattered around as my test subject, focusing on it while maintaining the connection with the ring, a distortion in the air appeared around it. The air around the chunk of wood appeared compressed and unnatural. Wanting to get a better look, the vortex started to approach. The chunk of wood was suspended inside a sphere of air, constantly moving in such a way as to keep its position fixed inside.

  Holding out my middle finger, I directed the distortion around. “Speed isn’t too fast; maybe it would pick up after I practiced with it for a while?” On the bright side, I finally got one with telekinesis that worked without drawbacks. (Now, if I used it with a steel ball or some bullets, then I could put it to the test).

  The fourth ring, Spectral, was a pale red color, unlike the rest, there appeared to be two halves, one side yered over the other, creating the ring. Simir to Spin, there were the same circuit-like embossments carved. Additionally, there were oddly pced gems around it.

  Spectral had two abilities: first, a disintegration beam with a 20-minute recharge period. The beam, however, seems to be ineffective on living organisms. Additionally, it also says it could turn the wearer invisible.

  Holding it in my hand, it had a strange, ethereal nature (as if it was and wasn't there). Pcing it on my right ring finger, sending my mental sensation towards the ring, I felt an emptiness. A couple seconds ter, I heard a clicking sound, quickly turning away from the ptop, grabbing my right arm before a pale red ser beam shot out from the ring. Widening my stance before I started spinning around, I only cut down a dozen trees before the beam petered out.

  “I thought it didn’t work on living things!?”

  “…a beam of energy capable of destroying the bonds between the atoms and molecules, causing inanimate objects to disintegrate.”

  “I guess trees are inanimate. What about the invisibility thing?” it’s just a reference to a specific comic chapter, and I ck the internet required to check right now, moving on, it is. (This one is definitely going to storage.)

  The st finger on the right-hand hosts Nightbringer. It was a dark sapphire blue ring with a simir colored triangur gem that was shouldered by two silver trapezoids on either side. Aside from its blue hue, it was the simplest-looking ring and had a cool night air feel.

  Its ability, as its name would suggest, was to control darkness. The question was: how? The page references ‘Darkforce,’ but outside of a universe with said energy, how would it operate? “Was it-” With the ring on my finger, I practically connected as soon as it was on. Once connected, my shadow stretched out, grasping at those nearby. All the nearby shadows were drawn towards me before the area was shrouded in darkness. Inside this bnket of darkness, everything had become almost completely bck, if not for the faint outline that allowed me to discern what was what.

  (This might be useful in training my sixth sense.) Everything inside the darkness gave me a feeling that was close enough to my sixth sense. Only more solid, as I felt everything bnketed by the shroud nearby to a certain degree.

  Now, “How do I stop it?” Taking off the ring worked, but once it was put back on, the darkness reappeared. Taking off the other rings shrank the sphere of influence the darkness covered, but it didn't turn it off.

  It took several minutes of practice to figure out how to pull in the darkness, and at the same time, I learned how to limit the area my sixth sense covers.

  Once I finished figuring out how to deal with the ring of night, I started on the first ring of the left hand, Daimonic. Worn on the left thumb, it had an off-white blueish color. Sporting a rge square icy blue gem as its centerpiece. Unlike the others, engraved around the ring were strange letters (they remind me of Skyrim’s Word Walls).

  “Why does this one have so many abilities?” Daimonic maniputes forms of electromagnetic energy. Doing so it was the opposite of Nightbringer, able to produce blinding light and project images. And due to this control of electromagnetic energy, it wasn't just images; it could do what Beldum could and then some, allowing for magnetic levitation or maniputing gravity.

  Pcing the ring on my left thumb and connecting with it, I saw a blinding white light in my head before opening my eyes to see a simir blinding light shining from the gemstone. Covering the blinding light with my right hand and mentally covering it, the light flickered before dissipating. Wiping my eyes with the back of my right hand, holding out my left, I thought about treating it like a fshlight, in kind, the gem fshed on and off as I pressed the button I imagined inside my head.

  Since I cked any magnetic metal to allow for magnetic levitation, I skipped to attempting to create a gravity field. Said fields were small as I cked refined control, most ended up colpsing on themselves, taking the chunks of wood I was practicing on with them. "I think I'm trying too hard." Even the rocks that I found nearby would colpse into fragments. There was probably a better way to do this. Perhaps making something dense to use as a focus using Remaker or...

  As I thought about it, there was another ring that could create something 'solid' utilizing both Spin and Daimonic I created several vortexes, then compressing them ft enough that I could walk on them, I walked up the newly created stairway, bringing the lowest ones up until I reached the treetops.

  Standing above the trees, I held out my right hand and, thinking about a loud sound activated Influence, a shrieking sonic boom shot off into the sky. "That should get a certain lost child's attention," I noted before the footing became unstable. Using Spin, I surrounded myself in a vortex before the steps beneath my feet gave out, gently bringing me down to the ground.

  Once back on solid ground, I tested the rings I was wearing and discovered that I could only use two or three at a time before they grew unstable. Their effects stopped midway through. It was difficult to multitask, controlling more than two while having Nightbringer activated, so my current limit was two plus Nightbringer.

  With my current limit known, I moved to take the next ring. Incandescence, worn on the left index finger, was a bright yellow ring with a round red-orange gem at its center, surrounded by the same strange writing. Supposedly, it contains the heart of a miniature star, and with the warmth radiating from the ring (enough to distort the surrounding air), I’m inclined to at least believe it partially. (Even if I saw the distortion, I wasn't feeling anything.)

  It could produce fme through bsts of infrared. But seeing as this forest would go up in a hellfire if I started testing it out, I'm just going to wear it and move on.

  After Incandescence was on my index finger, I pulled out the next ring, Lightning. It was a simir icy blue color to Spin and a simir circuity pattern sported by the other rings. But unlike the others, Lightning sports the mouse adornments, with a repeating pattern of round gems and diamonds spanning its circumference.

  As its name would suggest, it shoots out electricity.

  With the ring on my finger, I heard a little gremlin voice inside my head: “DO IT!” I tried to push off the temptation for a few moments before, “Unlimited Power!!!” A bst of lightning electrified from my fingertips, charring the ground it struck, arching between some of the ferns it burned in its wake.

  "Ha...HAHA!!!" I couldn't help but ugh like an idiot after being able to pull off The Emporer. When I finally stopped ughing, I was met by a blue leg. Its red eye looked around the area that looked like a bomb had gone off, trees were torn down, some pnts were burned, the ground was gouged out, and splinters of destroyed trees were scattered everywhere. Beldum looked at the destruction as if its heart was broken. It was like a kid whose new favorite toy had been destroyed before its very eyes.

  If I left this as it was, this might grow into a problem. Using Daimonic, I brought the frozen metal leg close. Then, using Spin, I brought over the Mind Reader Conch. Activating it and bringing it to my ear, "Did you like the trees?" Beldum took a moment to respond, initially panicking due to moving by my intervention and not its own will.

  [Trees...] I heard its sad thoughts as it nodded.

  "That was one of the reasons I chose this pce to test some things; the destruction is fine here. Once we return, you can see that nothing will have happened." Since this was just a photo, nothing matters here anyway. Showing it the original copy would put its mind at ease. "And outside, the same thing would happen. No matter how much I destroy here, as long as something is left after we leave, with a long enough time, eventually everything will grow back."

  Using Daimonic again, I created the illusion of the forest slowly growing and changing over several years. Green turned to orange and brown fallen leaves. Barren trees suffered through grueling winters to eventually bloom once again in the spring. Old growth died, making way for the new, "That's how nature works," I said as the illusion faded back to the sad reality. "Do you understand?"

  [Stand...] The blue leg nodded.

  "I only have a couple more to try before we head back, Ok?" Receiving a nod of understanding from the blue leg, pcing the conch in the Item Bag at my hip, I returned to the computer. Taking out the next ring, we finally came to the reason these rings were on the list: The Liar. It was a Reddish gold ring with four simir colored gems embedded on its sides. The etching lines travel around the ring, connecting each gem.

  The Liar magnified psionic energy and could create mental illusions; these were different than the light projections created by Daimonic, these could look and ‘feel’ real but would only exist inside the target's mind. By combining the two, together you could make something look and feel real, affecting all senses. The ring could also mentally paralyze a target, trapping them inside their mind while they suffer through the illusion the wearer conjures.

  However, after going through the other rings, I discovered both Daimonic and Spin could do what I needed, and just figuring out how to use Nightbringer had strengthened my control over my sixth sense. On its own, I guess it would allow me to pull off a “These are not the droids you are looking for.” With the ring on my left ring finger, "Since it can affect the senses..." I started thinking about scents from fresh-cut grass, soothing mint, citrus, and freshly baked cookies. Each one felt real I could smell them, and I could hear them baking. I could even feel as if I was eating one. (Ok, I can pull off more than just that).

  The limitation seemed to be my memory and whether the target had ever tasted or smelled something differently than what I had. This second part might be easily bypassed by using their memories, but it should be noted.

  With that done, I was on the st ring, Zero. It was the brightest white ring (even whiter than Daimonic) with a square-shaped white diamond at its center. On the sides of the gem was a channel that stretched out, forming a central line through the upper half of the ring. On the sides of the ring were two more pairs of channels fnking the central line.

  The ring was as cold as ice as I held it in hand. Given its power to manipute bsts of cold, it was expected, given how Incandescence produced heat and Spin vibrating.

  Pcing it on my left pinky, I wore all ten rings. Unlike the image I took them from, there were no adverse changes to my fingers, and contrary to their lore, I heard no voices inside my head. No strange connection or telepathic communications from the rings. But I did feel more power, as if I could do two or three times more with each ring. Connecting with them might also be easier.

  But of the group, there were a couple I could switch out. "Other rings I could wear… Lantern rings?" Green Lantern’s ring, to be specific (I don’t know much about the other rings). But its counter is quite literally the color yellow. And I don’t want to deal with recharging it all the time, but I could always trade it out for a full one once it dies.

  And with the st of the rings that put me at the st item on the list, The Mind Gem, one of the six infinity stones of the Marvel franchise.

  Spoiler

  [colpse]With all six, I might be able to fix the world. But I didn't want to use them for a variety of reasons. For one, I have no idea what effects they might have on our reality, whether they'd even work at all, or what effects they'd have on the mind of the user (IE, ME). There's also no guarantee of using them safely.

  ("I destroyed magic, and all I got was this burnt arm" I can already see the T-shirt).

  Realistically, there's nothing that forces someone to use their skills and abilities ethically, and once they reach a certain level, everything becomes an ant. The famous quote, "With great power comes great responsibility," is an ideal that can only exist in a vacuum because power doesn't come with terms and conditions. There is nothing to prevent people from abusing their power without morals, ethics, honor, or some sort of threat. If the hundreds if not thousands of superpowered criminals doing as they please now, or the sheer corruption from governments didn't make it any clearer.

  The Mind Stone augments the user's mind to the limits of their soul, Granting telepathy, telekinesis, and augmented psychic prowess to the absolute limits of their capabilities. How far does it push the boundaries? What's to say this doesn't crush the body as it tries to cope with the difference? What about the soul? Would it start colpsing under the newfound weight? Would the human mind even be able to handle it? If one isn't worthy, would it just destroy them?

  How would the human mind handle grasping infinity? Would it just leave them empty? As far as it goes, "The first cookie tastes great, the thousandth will taste bnd if you can still taste it at all." While it might be fun to abuse for a short while, no one wants to py a game on Godmode all the time. Over time, it will get boring, or you’ll realize how pointless everything you were doing was. That alone has killed my enjoyment of many games throughout the years.

  Without any investment, it will feel empty; without any return on that effort, it will just become hollow.

  "Haa~" Making up my mind, I brought up the image.

  Reaching my hand into the image of the soft blue stone, I could feel the radiating energy. As my hand closed around the stone, I felt barriers in my head smashing. My sixth sense had instantly evolved to cover the entire forest.

  I could feel everything, see everything, was everything. At the same time, blood had started to pool in my tear ducts, my nose started to bleed, and blood started to drip from my ears. As I moved my arm back, attempting to take the stone from the image, I felt the tears of blood dripping down my face.

  My arm pulled the stone toward the other side of the screen until it stopped, going no further. Pulling on it, it was hitting some kind of wall. But I couldn't stop here; I was unable to. Pulling, wrenching, trying all I could to tear the stone from the screen. It did not budge any further. Ki was crudely gathered into the muscles of my arm, enhancing my strength several times as I tore and yanked on the stone.

  *CRACK*A loud sound of gss shattering, something smmed into my stomach, and an explosion. When my awareness finally caught up, I was me again, and only me. I could easily tell that something had occurred, but my mind was reeling. Other than blood that dripped from my face and hands, I was intact. But most importantly, the ptop had exploded!

  There was no stone in my hands, only the rings on my fingers (that were miraculously still attached) and a trail of blood. Following the blood that flowed upward, defying gravity, I found my Bloodborn had used this blood to protect me, forming a small shield of red hardened crystal around my head. Looking down at the heavy weight on my stomach, Beldum had also come to my aid, smashing into my stomach as a means to move me, speckled with my crimson blood over its blue body.

  "What happened?"

  As my Bloodborn transferred the memories of the experience to my mind, I went searching for the healing potions I had stashed away inside the Item Bag. "So I tried to take out the Mind Stone, but it didn't work, and after pulling on it hard enough, it exploded?" I asked, pulling out a potion and pouring it onto my injured hands and face. I received a nod and a feeling of certainty from the connection through the connection. "That's new," I didn't feel emotions from the connection before.

  And as it turns out I can't just snap my fingers and make everything OK. Also, getting kinda sick of not remembering what I just did, even if it is some sort of protective mechanism.

  "As for you, it's ok," I said, trying to soothe Beldum, who still hung close to me after its first traumatic experience, petting its metal body, collecting the droplets of blood spattered across its surface.

  Once I was healed, I used Daimonic to move the heavy leg that still clung to me. Holding out my arm for the screen, passing through, we returned to the room just as quiet as it was before we left.

  "How about we py some chess for a while before doing something else?"

  END

  SpoilerHappy 1 year

  Damn, this chapter is long.

  SpoilerThe rings seem to have 'personalities, ' which are robotic. Nightbringer (according to this page) talks in the third person, seemingly creating a sense of self that the other's dislike.

  [colpse][colpse]