LCD Mother of Learning

read my previous post

 

Well I've only been losing my mind in anticipation for a month now... what's 2 more days.

 

Chapter 100 has release.
Finally, after pressing F5 all night long

 

Winter... has come.

 

Damn, that was fucking epic.

 

So guys, after going through the book and re-reading any part where Xvim shows up i have found a inconsequential (i think) Plot Hole.


From Chapter 42

From Chapter 98

So given the time since Xvim has been aware of the Loop in Ch. 98 i think it unreasonable for him to learn the ability for unstructured telepathic communication given all the new things vying for his attention, he would not have put any time into learning the ability when it would bring no benefits to stopping the invasion. Especially since Zorian is already a master in the field his time would be far better spent being focused elsewhere.

I also find it unreasonable to think that Zorian would not be able to notice Xvim casting a spell. Zorian is far too much of an accomplished Archmage at this point to miss something that would be so blatant to him.

So... with no other recourse... i declare that i have found a Plot Hole. A minor one that i think inconsequential to the actual Plot but it is an error non the less.

The last time i thought i found one, further research thankfully proved me wrong since it would have been a big Plot Hole. But still, i just had to bring up this one since i haven't seen it caught elsewhere.

 

Did nobody103 think about this carefully before putting the telepathy in? Probably not, but I still don't think it's a plot hole.

If you would recall, Tinami has practiced her psyhic abilities with Zorian's help many times throughout the restarts. House Aope doesn't have any special gift in their bloodline but they are still known for their mind magic. If a barely trained teenager such as Tinami could project images into Zorian's mind, I'm sure that an archmage such as Xvim would surely be able to do the same with a couple days/weeks of practice.

And for all we know, Zorian's wrong in chapter 98 when he thinks that Xvim didn't cast any spells. Maybe he just wasn't paying attention, or Xvim's just too quick and sneaky. It could also be due to some item he's carrying that he enchanted with a spell fomula.

 

You should quote people when responding to them. Just a heads up.

It is such a minor point i am sure there was no thought put into it, especially since it isn't a big Plot Hole, it is about as minor as they come since i highly doubt it will hold any significance for the larger plot. But by definition it is a Plot Hole.

Whatever Tinami and her family can or can't do is irrelevant. And she has only been shown to cast structured spells for Mind Magic. Xvim would know such a spell and even if he didn't he could learn it in minutes he is so capable. But not unstructured, that is a whole other ball game.

Plus you are incorrectly recalling what Tinami was doing. Zorian was using her as a test subject for Mind Magic, so was she. He was attempting to read her surface level thoughts and the way in which she ordered her thoughts to not give anything away was to replay inconsequential memories in as great detail as she could. Zorian conversely decided to read a herbology textbook or something that he had memorized.
She was not projecting anything into Zorians mind, he was merely watching what she was thinking of at the time.

You cannot equate her situation to his. They are not at all comparable.

And if we want to play the "for all we know" game, then i could come up with a shit ton of Plot Holes that majorly affect the story because "For all we know" this could be possible and it would change everything. It is a poor argument to make. We have to go with what we know, has been hinted at or can be reasonably explained using the logic the novel has already shown.

Again, even if Xvim could learn this unstructured it is highly improbable that he would spend time to do so for something that would show him no return and no increased combat capability. He recently learned the City is going to be invaded, he is most definitely not messing around with magic that will bring him no benefit, we all know he is far too serious a guy for that based on everything we have seen on his character.

As for Zorian not noticing, again i think Zorian far to experienced and perceptive a Mage to have not noticed someone making a structured spell literally right beside him.

As for spell formula, that is a good counter actually. I still think Zorian would have been able to notice such an item being used not just due to how perceptive he his but also due to his experience with spell formulae... but i digress.

This is such a Minor, Minor, Minor Point that there is no way Nobody103 put so much thought into this. I think he just forgot that he previously had Xvim say he was incapable of unstructured Telepathy and Mind Reading to further drive home the point that a Natural Mind Mage with some training will still be vastly superior to any practiced mage who has developed his skills through unstructured practice.

Then in chapter 98 he had Xvim use telepathy and all but said it was unstructured so he and Zorian could talk about the Golems and Zorians impressive skill in the area, which then lead into why he feared the government so much adding yet another reason for the readers why the book isn't just solved by informing the government. This interaction could have also been added because the author intends to have Zorian Golem Dolls get more 'Screen Time' by putting Kiri in danger and he wants there to be a precedent for her having a powerful guard instead of having to pull them out of a magic hat when the time comes.

 

He can literally just change Xvim's reply to "Yes, but it s fuckign haaaaard" and there would be literally no difference to the plot

 

Yup, Agreed. That's why I said it's sooooooo minor.
It so minor the fix is super easy.

I even think that this is what should be done in the final edit of the book. That way he can still drive home the point of a Natural being so more capable in the field than even the most practiced of non natural mage while still having the conversation in 98 that could set up things and gives more reason for Zorian to not deal with the government.

It is so inconsequential he doesn't even need xvim to display the ability until ch. 98. Cause it really makes no difference.

 

He could probably just write it off that Xcim didnt want to show all his abilities.

 

Speaking of plot holes, I think I've spotted one as well on the latest chapter. I've even posted in on the reddit discussion and author dismissed it . I still think it is a minor/easily fixable hole.

the thread can be found here:
https://www.reddit.com/r/rational/c...ice/eqtu51m?utm_source=share&utm_medium=web2x

The summary is... the feline/canine shifters should have a very good senses. Cats have an even better sense of smell/hearing than a dogs. And the experienced cat-shifter didn't notice that simulacra was not breathing/there was no heartbeat.

I'd vager that feline shifter would be able to sniff out what kind of food you have yesterday/prior. So missing breathing smell would be a dead give-away that the body present is not a living body.

author thinks that the body would be a bit suspicious, that's all. (and the fix is just making sure that Zorian attends the meeting with real body).

This also makes simulacra detection much more easier. For me, before I've thought about it - the spell had a very few drawbacks. With this it should be reasonable detectable.

 

It's probably the kind of thing you'd see if you were looking for it, but not if you're untrained. Animals have instincts that let them bypass this, but humans are kind of dumb at recognizing signs that would be obvious to anything nonsapient.

 

Yes he could... but i think that would be a bit incongruous with Xvim's character. Xvim in all his interactions with Zach and Zorian has been very honest and open with them as we see it. Teaching them advanced Magic that any sane Mage would want you to sign your soul over for. The author hasn't given us any hints that he has been holding back or lying. Not saying it couldn't be this way, i'm sure he keeps some cards close to his chest but that doesn't seem like it'd be one of them especially since the shaping excersises for Telepathy would have a reasonable chance on further refining Zorians skill and Xvim seems like the guy to give that kind of thing to Zorian.

It could work but it would have to be addressed in an edit or a new chapter and this being so minor i don't see it getting addressed at all honestly.
I had to re-read the novel 4 times and Xvim parts a further time before i caught it. And that's only cause i love Xvim so much.

You are right, she should have noticed considering the way Rea's senses have been explained so far. Given that she picked up on Zorians scent on other people she should be able to notice the Simulacrums without actively looking for those signs.

That being said her knowing this wouldn't out Zorian, probably just scare her even more about the scale of what she is involved in.

Human's can be pretty oblivious as a general rule.

 

Man I was always focused in reading this novel to check if it had a LCD here or posts somewhere else. I glad there is so many people reading this to the point some sniff out any inconsistencies.

 

I'm sure everyone had heard about lie detectors. It is a polygraph. What it does, it monitors closely various reaction very closely (like heartbeat increases during some answers, mini sweating, etc). Well, I think it works this way anyway . Shifters would make incredible living polygraphs due to their highly developed senses. Shifter cat had heard clearly Nochka speaking behind two closed doors. How silent would it be?
So we have Rayne is a canine based shifter and there's an even more sensitive feline shifter present in the room. The matters being discussed in the room are very serious. Could it be a person is lying? Is he on drugs? I say the situation in the room forces shifters to pay a very close attention to everything about Zorian. Is he confident? Does his heart beats faster when he's lying? Is he's sweating due to pressure? And to their senses Zorian should stand out like a grey/white bird among the in the flock of the colorful birds.
As a human would easily notice naked person in regular crowd due to contrast, the shifters would spot non-living entity (simulacra) in the same casual manner (in my opinion).

 

I wonder when the next chapter will come out.
And honestly, I think the only reason why the shifters haven't actually broached him on the subject yet is that they're scared of the implication that he's able to use a simulacrum spell.

 

It might be a minor plot hole that author forgot.

Or it might be plausible.

For Xvim telepathy ability, in chapter 98 it was revealed that all temporary loopers decided to invest their time in unstructured mental defenses even people who already had some level in mental defenses decides they were insufficient and needed to be strengthened as much as possible. Xvim like Kael was known to use time loop to do research in their study even before they become temporary loopers, while massive library that loopers had collected and invented were destroyed in time loop world, very much personal notes are survive thanks to Zorian memory packet and some of those personal notes are thick s book like Kael research note. What I say is exact training for unstructured mind magic must be including in Xvim notes, he's known for his unstructrured magical abilities and their training regimens. While his mind magic exercises specialized in defense it might also strenghened his mental power in general and his standard for proficiency and mastery for magic is not normal. After learned exact mechanism from his notes, he was able to do telepathy.

For Rhea cat shifter sense of smelling I agreed with @hanglekuk .Rhea reacted with fear after looking at Zorian three simulacrums and the room, at that moment she know that she's tangling with dangerous stuff.

 

Could be, it is plausible. Though i still think he would have been too focused in other areas but who am i to definitively say what Xvim would or wouldn't do.

If this were ever to be fixed in an edit though i think it should be done in 42 as opposed to 98. It'd be a far smaller edit and less glaring imo to say Xvim could but its incredibly difficult as @NZPIEFACE suggested as opposed to explain in 98 or whatever point after 42 that he couldn't before but now can and why.