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10 HOUR | The First Legendary Beast Master Part 1 | Audiobook (Sleep/Study/Focus) — Transcript

by 10HourNovels · 114,223 words · 16,470 segments · language en · Watch on YouTube

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0:00Today was the day of the 10th annual
0:02Elite Recruitment Drive, and every
0:04graduating student at Lithium Mine
0:05Middle School was gathered in the
0:07gymnasium, waiting for the elites to
0:09arrive with the medicine that would
0:10decide their fate. The elites were the
0:13idols of the Golden Dragon Nation,
0:15superhumans with magical abilities that
0:17were born from the divine injection that
0:18the students were going to receive
0:20today. None of the children of the
0:22miners had ever seen one before, unless
0:25you counted the mayor, who gave speeches
0:27a few times a year, and the excitement
0:29of having them right here in their
0:30school had been all that the students
0:32could talk about for months. So, one
0:35could imagine the disappointment they
0:36felt when it was not some famous idol,
0:38but a group of elites from the military
0:40that showed up to perform the
0:41injections.
0:43But although these weren't the singers
0:44or movie stars that they all knew, it
0:47was no secret that these military elites
0:49were saviors that protected their nation
0:50against hostile armies and the
0:52everpresent threat of magical beasts.
0:55The television in the cafe and the
0:57teachers at the school both told them
0:58so. While they had never seen an elite
1:01in person, they had seen magical beasts,
1:04and quite often. There were earth mice
1:06hiding all over the mining town, and the
1:09farmers nearby had been raising
1:10monstrous boores for generations.
1:13But until very recently, it was only the
1:15power of technology and the holy magic
1:17of the church's high priests and
1:19priestesses that could keep the wild
1:21beasts at bay. However, when the more
1:24powerful monsters came, you hid or you
1:26died. That was the way of life for the
1:29humans of the Golden Dragon Nation and
1:31indeed most of the humans of the world.
1:34Carl fidgeted in his seat as he waited
1:36for the nurse to come and administer the
1:38serum shot. Today was the biggest day of
1:41a young students life, the day that they
1:43would be administered the mana awakening
1:45serum, better known as the divine serum,
1:48and find out if they would gain the sort
1:49of abilities that could change their
1:51lives or if they would be stuck as
1:53common workers in a lithium mining town
1:55for the rest of their lives.
1:57This was also Carl's last day at the
1:59government-run school before he either
2:00started working full-time or with any
2:03luck left this decrepit mining town. If
2:06he was compatible with the serum, he
2:08would be off to the Golden Divine
2:09Academy tonight and ready to train his
2:12new skills as a defender of the Golden
2:13Dragon Nation. They had already sat
2:16through an hour of speeches by the
2:18principal, reminding them of their duty
2:20to the nation, the glory of the elites,
2:22and the importance of this chance that
2:24they were given. After all, they were
2:27just the children of common mine
2:28workers, dirt floor, poor and unlikely
2:30to ever be anything else. Carl closed
2:34his eyes as the nurse rolled the cart
2:35with an open briefcase on it next to
2:37him. And then a violent pain shot up his
2:39arm, and the world briefly went blank.
2:42Agony spread to every cell in his body
2:45like he was being torn apart from the
2:46inside, and blood clogged his lungs,
2:49leaving him drowning while sitting in
2:50the metal folding chair of his school's
2:52auditorium.
2:54This was wrong. The shot was only
2:56supposed to hurt as the needle poked
2:57you. Not like this. As his consciousness
3:01faded, Carl realized that he was likely
3:03to be the one in a 100. The rare fatal
3:05reaction to the shot which sorted out
3:07the defenders of the nation from the
3:08common people. But after a few seconds,
3:12his breathing cleared. The pain began to
3:14fade and his eyes fluttered open. A few
3:17seconds after that, Carl regained
3:19consciousness with pain still
3:21courarssing through every cell of his
3:22body. The nurse's deep crimson eyes, a
3:26side effect of her own serum injection,
3:28were staring directly back at him, and a
3:30slight smile was on her face. "There you
3:33are. I thought that we lost you there
3:36for a minute. It's a good sign. Zero
3:39casualties at this stop always means
3:41there is a powerful one in the bunch."
3:44The woman moved back and Carl took in
3:46the smartly pressed green military
3:47uniform, pencil skirt, and heels. It was
3:51all familiar but all wrong. Did he lose
3:54some of his memories after the
3:56injection? Or was there something wrong
3:58with his eyes? On second thought, there
4:01was definitely something wrong with his
4:03eyes. The world was still a little
4:05blurry when he didn't have someone to
4:06focus on. He flinched as his head began
4:09to pound again and a new wave of pain
4:12racked his body. But the military woman
4:14with the strange red eyes seemed
4:15unconcerned as she stepped to a chubby
4:17young girl near him and took a large
4:19needle full of a glowing golden liquid
4:21out of the briefcase on her cart.
4:23Without a word of warning, she jabbed it
4:25into the girl's arm, and the young girl
4:27directly fainted, then slowly recovered
4:30her composure. A quick glance down at
4:32his hands showed Carla familiar bronze
4:34tan. But the scars and peeling skin from
4:37a childhood spent working in the mines
4:39after class were mostly gone, replaced
4:41with a deep red mark that looked like
4:43three long claw marks running the length
4:44of his forearm. As he silently stared at
4:47the marks on his arm, they became more
4:50pronounced and more realistic, as if the
4:52flesh had just been torn open, but the
4:54skin was smooth and undamaged under his
4:56fingers.
4:58After a few minutes, the sound of
5:00frightened children fell silent, and
5:02Carl looked up at the front of the room
5:03where an officer in the formal military
5:05uniform was standing behind a podium,
5:07waiting patiently for the process to
5:09end. The redeyed woman joined him along
5:12with the six men in doctor's coats
5:15before he began to speak. Thank you all
5:17for your cooperation.
5:20This year's choosing trial has
5:21completed, and those of you without the
5:23mark may return to your classes as
5:25usual. But for the rest of you,
5:28congratulations.
5:29You have been chosen as the prodigies of
5:31the golden dragon nation's new
5:33generation.
5:35The blessed ones who will lead us to
5:36victory over our enemies with the
5:38benefit of supernatural powers bestowed
5:40by the divine serum. Soldiers poured
5:43into the room twice as many as there
5:45were children, and Carl began to panic.
5:48His mind still hadn't quite grasped the
5:50fact that he was one of the fortunate
5:52ones yet. The children who were
5:54compatible with the artificially induced
5:55superpowers, the ones who would become
5:57mages, mighty warriors who could split a
6:00mountain apart, or even legendary
6:02healers that could even raise the dead.
6:04At first, the children resisted the idea
6:07that they would be grabbed and taken
6:08away by soldiers, especially the ones
6:10that had failed the choosing. The
6:13problem was that they actually needed
6:14the help to walk after the injections.
6:17The situation was only making Carl more
6:19confused, but he didn't dare ask what
6:22was going on with his body in case they
6:24determined that something had gone wrong
6:25with whatever the serum did to the newly
6:27awakened elites and disposed of him or
6:30worse, sent him back to work in the
6:32mines. According to the lessons that
6:35they had been taught in class, he should
6:37be a mighty hero by now, not a below
6:39averageized teen boy racked with pain
6:41and so weak that he couldn't get out of
6:43his chair. You look a little
6:45disoriented, kid. Just let us carry you
6:48and you'll be right as rain after a few
6:50days sleep. Just don't forget to do the
6:53homework before we arrive. One of the
6:56soldiers who stepped up beside Carl
6:58instructed.
6:59That was how he found himself carried
7:01into a luxurious train car and placed in
7:04a private room complete with its own
7:05desk and a call button on the wall that
7:07was marked with room service.
7:09Unfortunately for his plan to understand
7:11why this process was so painful. The
7:14moment that his head hit the pillow,
7:15Carl was asleep. How long he was out, he
7:19had no idea. But when he finally awoke,
7:22there was a stack of papers on the desk
7:24along with a small textbook waiting for
7:26him to read it. So, You've Awakened Your
7:29Powers was the title of the book, and
7:31the cartoonish cover made it clear that
7:33it was aimed at children. Not that he
7:35was old. He would only be 14 this year.
7:38But being the last in his class to hit
7:40puberty, his body was much younger-l
7:42looking than average. All he had going
7:44for him was a handsome face. And even
7:46that had gotten him beaten up a time or
7:48two. But now that he had the divine
7:51serum on his side, everything would
7:53change. Slowly, he opened the textbook
7:56to see what was inside.
7:59So, you've awakened your powers.
8:01Congratulations and welcome to the upper
8:04echelon of society. The elite 5% that
8:07have been found compatible with the
8:08awakening serum that will soon activate
8:10the latent magical powers in your
8:12bloodline passed down from the time of
8:14our nation's founding by the immortal
8:15golden dragon itself. Though you have
8:18all learned about it in class, there are
8:20a few things that you don't yet know.
8:23First, your powers won't fully awaken
8:25until you use the first skill related to
8:27your specialty. Just follow the
8:30guidelines in this text and you will
8:32discover the primary awakening method
8:33for your abilities. Once you have
8:36finished that most basic task, you can
8:38begin the homework assignment.
8:40Carl read the first page three times
8:43before he flipped the page. Next up was
8:46a listing of different marks that the
8:47awakened classes should have, and most
8:49of them seemed self-explanatory.
8:52Ice shards, fire, blades, shields, paws,
8:56bows, and even an ornate fan were all
8:58detailed with page numbers that would
9:00lead the students to their awakening
9:01methods. But there was nothing that
9:04resembled claw marks. So instead, he
9:07turned to the homework assignment,
9:09hoping for answers. But that was even
9:12more useless. It was all about the
9:14students abilities,
9:16how strong they were, the description,
9:18activation times, speed, energy usage,
9:21side effects.
9:23In short, he couldn't fill it in at all.
9:26All the marks seemed so obvious as to
9:28what sort of abilities they represented.
9:31Even the red aura around a pair of axes
9:33was clearly a berserker in Carl's mind,
9:36but the claw marks didn't make much
9:37sense. There was a similar one with an
9:40animal paw that was some sort of druid
9:42shaman, but nothing that was as simple
9:44but confusing as his. Was he supposed to
9:48be a punching bag for monsters?
9:50That didn't sound right at all. The book
9:52said that these marks represented
9:54superpowers.
9:56But after a few hours, there still
9:58wasn't any clear answer as to what he
10:00was supposed to do. It was time to call
10:02for one of the soldiers and get some
10:04answers before the train reached its
10:06destination.
10:07While Carl was trying to find a way to
10:09awaken his powers, the guards were
10:11making the rounds, checking which new
10:13students were already awake. Those with
10:16the most powerful bodies always woke up
10:18first. But it had only been half a day
10:20of travel, and they weren't expecting
10:22anything yet. Sir, there is one active
10:25room already. Room 12A. A boy named
10:29Carl. No family name recorded. The
10:32patrol guard reported back to his
10:34commander in the front of the train.
10:36What is his class? Have we seen him
10:39activate any skills yet? The general
10:42asked. Nothing yet. He appears to have a
10:46non-standard class marking. Three claw
10:48marks, the guard replied. The general
10:52gestured for his assistance to go look
10:54for the details on this class. But even
10:56after a few minutes had passed, there
10:58was still no news. Other markings in
11:01their records were close, but nothing
11:03exactly like that one was found.
11:06Well, then he will have to awaken on his
11:08own. I hope that the boy has good luck
11:11or thick skin. He's going to need it if
11:13he turns in a blank sheet for his
11:14assignment when he gets to the academy.
11:17It wasn't unheard of for a student to
11:19get the mark, but failed to awaken their
11:21powers immediately, even if they
11:23followed the instructions.
11:25Some would have gotten a non-standard
11:26starting skill, and some were just
11:28worthless at using the power that had
11:30been given to them. The general even
11:32recalled a case where a child had
11:34awakened the mage class, but didn't have
11:36enough mana to cast any spells until
11:38nearly the end of the first semester. In
11:41the end, that student had proven to be a
11:43dismal failure and had run away during a
11:45school outing to live the life of a
11:47commoner without ever getting past the
11:49beginning of the first level of his
11:50training. That was the fate of many of
11:53the students who never learned to awaken
11:55their skills. Either because they were
11:57completely unsuited to the abilities
11:59that they had received or because they
12:01had a marking that no guidance could be
12:03issued for like the three claw marks boy
12:05in room 12A. The divine serum was a
12:08modern invention created after extensive
12:11research of an astonishing
12:12archaeological find at a holy site under
12:14an ancient world dragon cathedral had
12:16detailed the inner workings of an
12:18ancient divine device known as the
12:20system stones.
12:21The device itself was broken, but an
12:24initially unidentifiable power within it
12:26remained. Using the stones as a guide,
12:29and after decades of study, the serum
12:31had been created to attune humans to
12:33that power and give the Golden Dragon
12:35Nation a chance to overtake the military
12:37might of their neighbors and change the
12:39fate of their citizens. What did it
12:41matter if the ocean people had water
12:43magic to guard their ships against the
12:45rockets and guns of the Golden Dragon
12:46Fleet? Now they had mages of their own.
12:51Even if the untamed monsters of the
12:53beast lands attacked, they had warriors
12:55and guardians with powerful skills that
12:57could cut down the most ferocious
12:58magical creatures with ease. That was
13:01the strategic value of the divine serum
13:03and the reason that every student who
13:05was found to be compatible was taken in
13:07by the military and intensively trained
13:09in the duties and responsibilities that
13:10came with being a protector of the
13:12nation. Life wasn't all military
13:15training and duty, though. If it were,
13:18there was an absolute certainty that the
13:20serum compatible and freshly empowered
13:22future guardians of the nation would
13:24rebel against authority and either turn
13:25traitor or stage a coup. So they were
13:29treated as the legendary resources that
13:31they were able to live in luxury all
13:33their lives on the condition that their
13:34power was enough to justify their
13:36salary. Once they could pass all the
13:39tests that the Golden Divine Academy
13:40placed before them, they would even
13:42receive official titles from the church
13:44and a collection of legal and social
13:46benefits to match. Society had always
13:49belonged to the rich and powerful, but
13:51now the phrase had taken on an entirely
13:53different meaning. Carl was blissfully
13:56unaware of the topic of the observers
13:58conversations. And while they were
14:00discussing the likelihood that he might
14:01not be able to awaken his powers in time
14:03to keep up with his classmates, Carl was
14:06preparing to ask the passing guards for
14:08advice. "Sir, pardon me, but my skill
14:12marking doesn't seem to be in the book.
14:14Could I be missing a page?" he asked as
14:17the uniformed guard passed by again.
14:20"Not in the book, eh? Tough luck there,
14:23son.
14:25The book only covers the common
14:26markings, the ones that 90% of the new
14:29students get, but there are others
14:31possible. The injections are a
14:33mysterious divine force, and sometimes
14:35they give out results that nobody
14:37understands.
14:39The best I can tell you is to try
14:40everything, and whatever feels right
14:42probably is. If you're lucky, you'll
14:45awaken some powers before your classes
14:48start. Between me and you, you want to
14:50awaken those powers before you get to
14:52the academy. The elite students are
14:54particular about the power rankings. And
14:56if you don't, you'll be starting school
14:58from the very bottom. Thanks. But have
15:02you ever seen a marking like this? Carl
15:05asked curiously.
15:07The guard rolled up his sleeve and
15:09showed off the picture of a bear paw,
15:10the mark of a druid, and according to
15:12the guide, a nature magic user with an
15:15affinity for animals.
15:17Since it's a little like mine and seems
15:19to involve animals, perhaps try things
15:21related to either animals or unarmed
15:24combat. There isn't much you can do to
15:26attune with nature on a busy train, but
15:29the windows open a little if you need
15:30some fresh air. That's what I had to do.
15:33I couldn't awaken my powers without some
15:35attachment to nature. In fact, I didn't
15:38awaken them on the train at all. They
15:40woke up as soon as I touched the trees
15:42on the way to the academy gates, the
15:45guard explained.
15:47Thanks for the help. Carl called as the
15:50guard walked away. He didn't seem to be
15:52big on talking, or perhaps he just
15:55didn't want to get Carl's hopes up, but
15:57the advice gave him something to go on.
16:00Carl flopped on his bed and looked out
16:02the window to see if there was any sort
16:04of hint as to what his powers were
16:06supposed to be. The guard had a point,
16:08and the claw marks definitely had to
16:10refer to some sort of animal. Humans
16:13didn't leave marks like that. So, the
16:16first thing that he tried was focusing
16:18on adding claws to his hands. Claw?
16:22Nope. Yelling out skill names isn't
16:24going to do it. How do the other classes
16:27activate their skills? Carl complained,
16:30unaware that the board supervisors in
16:32the main car were watching through
16:34hidden cameras and laughing at his
16:35antics. Page two. Magic classes.
16:40Open the box of casting assistance under
16:42your bed using the thumb of your left
16:43hand and extract the appropriate casting
16:46medium to begin attempting to activate
16:48your first spell. This doesn't look like
16:50the sort of marking that a spellcaster
16:52should have. Next page, page three.
16:56Combat classes.
16:58Open the box of practice weapons under
17:00your bed with the index finger of your
17:01right hand and choose the most
17:03appropriate weapon for your desired
17:04skills. That sounded more likely. So
17:08Carl knelt on the ground in front of the
17:09bed and unlocked the upper drawer where
17:11he found a collection of simple weapons
17:13and even some more obscure ones like
17:16throwing knives, single-handed
17:17crossbows, and some sort of axe on a
17:20chain that looked like it would be more
17:21dangerous to the user than anyone else.
17:24He was unfortunately not yet among the
17:26physically gifted. So Carl picked a
17:29short sword from among the weapons while
17:30he cursed being the last in his class to
17:32enjoy the full benefits of puberty. He
17:35had never actually held a sword before,
17:37but this one felt right, and Carl gave
17:40it a few tentative swings before trying
17:41for a more meaningful strike toward the
17:43door. "Pet skills not available. You
17:47must record a pet." Carl blinked slowly
17:50as he worked to process the idea that
17:52had come to him as if implanted in his
17:54mind. It was a message directly into his
17:57thoughts, obviously from the effects of
17:59the marking. And now he somewhat knew
18:01what he needed to do. But how did he
18:04record a pet? It couldn't be as simple
18:06as just writing it down, could it? Or
18:09maybe he needed to do something to
18:11memorize it. But first, he would have to
18:13find some sort of animal. This was a
18:16shiny new military train, not the
18:18company houses at the mines. There
18:20weren't going to be any mice. If he had
18:23to touch the animal for the skill to
18:25activate, this could be much more
18:27difficult than he had been expecting.
18:29The obvious choice would be to try
18:31writing something down and to see if
18:33that worked. Maybe there would be a book
18:35in the spell-casting equipment. The
18:38drawer of tools slid open and Carl
18:40stared in amusement at the wide variety
18:42of strange items held inside. He had
18:45absolutely zero clue about how these
18:48were supposed to be used. Some of them
18:50didn't even look like they were anything
18:52special, like this silly snow globe with
18:54no base. What were they going to do with
18:57that? sit and ponder their orb. Carl
19:01picked the surprisingly heavy glass ball
19:03up in his hand and suddenly it lit up
19:05with a bright white light. Taming space
19:08viewing is not available. Please record
19:11a pet. At first, the message that
19:14appeared in his thoughts made no sense,
19:16but after a few seconds of focus, Carl
19:18could feel the change. In his mind, a
19:22vast emptiness was forming, giving him a
19:24sense of eternal power beyond anything
19:26he had ever imagined.
19:28What about a dragon? Can I have a
19:30dragon? Carl thought, trying to will one
19:33into existence in the taming space.
19:36Nothing. Of course, it wasn't going to
19:39be that easy. Carl was deep in thought
19:42when someone touching his arm brought
19:44his attention back to the present. "Did
19:47you have any luck?" the patrolling guard
19:49asked, looking at the two open drawers
19:52and the sword on the mattress. "Yes and
19:55no." I get the feeling that the blade is
19:58the right choice, but I'm lacking
19:59something to activate the skill. None of
20:02the other weapons I looked at are really
20:04appealing, though. Carl sighed. Well,
20:08keep at it. You'll find something that
20:10works for you soon. If you've already
20:12got an idea, you're ahead of the others.
20:16Most of them are still asleep.
20:18That's something, at least.
20:20Maybe I can figure this out before we
20:22get to the academy after all. I don't
20:25suppose there is a kitchen here. I
20:28always think better on a full stomach.
20:31Carl asked hopefully.
20:33The guard smiled and gestured down the
20:35hall. You woke up before the main
20:37kitchen for students was ready, but they
20:39won't complain if I lead you out of the
20:41room for a little something. You'll
20:43learn soon that the food at the Golden
20:45Divine Academy is somewhat special
20:47compared to what you are used to. The
20:50magical abilities that the elites use
20:52put a huge strain on the bodies of their
20:54users, and they need the energy of
20:56magical plants and beasts to recover
20:58quickly. Trust me, you're in for a treat
21:01this time. They walk down the hall to
21:03another train car, past a halfozen rooms
21:06identical to the one Carl was in, where
21:08other students from his class were
21:10sleeping soundly, and into an empty
21:11dining room past which a kitchen could
21:13be seen. Just grab what you want and set
21:16it by the grill. I'll get to you in a
21:18minute.
21:19The cook called from the freezer, not
21:21realizing that there was someone other
21:23than staff in the room. Carl didn't
21:25mind, though. It wasn't like this was
21:27some fancy restaurant. It was more of a
21:29common area for the staff to serve
21:31themselves with an actual cook on duty
21:34so that those who shouldn't be allowed
21:35in a kitchen didn't starve. Carl
21:38collected a pair of small steaks, a bowl
21:40of rice, a collection of assorted
21:42vegetables, anything that looked and
21:44smelled good. Then he noticed a small
21:47pile of oversized white eggs and grabbed
21:49one to add it to the plate. Suitable pet
21:52target found hatching. The egg directly
21:56vanished from his hand, leaving Carl
21:58staring at the food in confusion and
22:00wondering just how long it would take
22:01for a monster egg to hatch in a magical
22:03void in his mind. Would it even hatch?
22:07The thought said so, but they weren't
22:09giving him many details. A small straw
22:12nest slowly appeared in his mind with a
22:15single large white egg inside. Over the
22:18course of the next few seconds, the egg
22:20trembled and then cracked open, shocking
22:22Carl into taking a step backward, though
22:24the sight was in his mind. He bumped
22:27into the guard who thought he might be
22:29faint from hunger and stabilized
22:31himself. "Sorry about that," Carl
22:35mumbled while the guard gestured to the
22:37cook and led Carl to a table. Don't
22:40worry about it. Everyone is a bit off
22:42for the first few days after they wake
22:44up. Especially some of the magic
22:47classes. The power can really scramble
22:49their brains. Just focus on solving
22:52those strange markings of yours and
22:54you'll be fine in no time. The cook
22:57looked their way from behind his grill.
22:59Having a hard time with a non-standard
23:01marking? That's a rough one. What does
23:05it look like? three claw marks on the
23:08right forearm. Big ones as well, not one
23:11of those wimpy little marks like the
23:13nerd classes get. The guard laughed. The
23:17cook smiled and turned his hand toward
23:19Carl, who didn't understand what they
23:21meant. They should be talking about a
23:23class marking, but with the dozens of
23:25visible tattoos, Carl had no idea which
23:28one might be the one they were referring
23:29to. The cook tapped a small stick tattoo
23:33and Carl realized that it was a mage
23:35type class marking, a wand with sparkles
23:37at the end. It was on the top of his
23:40hand and only a few cm long. If he
23:44hadn't seen it in the book, he would
23:45have never noticed it at all. There is a
23:48theory that the size of the tattoo has
23:50some relationship to the talent of the
23:52recipient, but I don't believe that's
23:54right at all. Unless it's not related to
23:56the mental compatibility, but just the
23:59ability itself.
24:00Have you got any clues about yours? The
24:03line cook asked. I felt right with a
24:06short sword in my hand, and the marking
24:08seems to have something to do with
24:10animals, so perhaps I'm a hunter of some
24:12sort or a park ranger with bad luck.
24:15Carl joked. Well, you'll find out once
24:18you get your first class skill to work.
24:21After that, you can just think the word
24:24status and get an impression of how your
24:26magical abilities are growing. At least
24:29that's how it is for mages. The cook
24:32informed him. While the cook got his
24:34meal ready, Carl closed his eyes and
24:37focused on what was happening in the
24:38strange spot in his mind. The result
24:41wasn't words, but a somewhat detailed
24:43impression of the status of the bird. He
24:46had to translate it himself, but the
24:48actual information was pretty basic.
24:51Beast space activated. One occupant.
24:54Heck number one. Name windsp speeded
24:57hawk. Rank common. Connection low.
25:03Skills.
25:05Claw. Rend. Supervision.
25:08Carl felt an indescribable power flow
25:10into his body as the status was
25:12completed and a second round of physical
25:14impressions came to him. Beast master
25:17Carl. rank common bloodline human
25:23skills.
25:24Beast skill supervision
25:27beast attack skill rend. That didn't
25:30quite mesh with the knowledge that he
25:32had from the booklet. Wasn't he supposed
25:35to get some sort of instinctive
25:36guideline on how to progress? Maybe a
25:39little something about how he was doing
25:41in his training of the skills. How does
25:43the power rating of the system work? Is
25:46there some sort of level or grade or
25:49something? How can we tell who has real
25:51power and who is like me, a newbie
25:53waiting on his skills? He asked the two
25:56older men. Older being a relative term,
25:59as they likely weren't much more than 20
26:01themselves, but older than him and
26:03finished their time at the academy.
26:06That's the fun part. You don't unless
26:10they directly tell you or you have some
26:12special skill to sense energy
26:14fluctuations like some of the mages. You
26:16just have to go with your gut instinct
26:17or the public rankings. The problem with
26:20the rankings is that they're all
26:22subjective.
26:23You see, I'm a wand class mage. I can
26:27use the fire element. If I was an orb
26:30class mage, I could use two elements at
26:32once. But that still doesn't tell you
26:34anything about my power. The important
26:37part is that I never made it past level
26:39one in my spell book. I just don't have
26:41the talent for it. But the druid here,
26:44he describes his powers entirely
26:46differently. The guard nodded. I'm a
26:50level six mortal grade druid. My grade
26:53has never changed, but I can use much
26:55more powerful nature magic than when I
26:57was starting school, and I can even
26:59transform into a bear. Because
27:01everyone's internal measurements are so
27:03wildly different. We judge everyone on
27:05the same scale as magical beasts from
27:08common to mythical in rank based on what
27:10they can defeat in battle or how
27:12effective their healing and support
27:14skills are compared to beasts at the
27:15same level. So while the cook is still
27:19considered to be in the common grade, I
27:21have made it one rank up to the awakened
27:22grade and I can fight awakened magical
27:24beasts on my own. At least in limited
27:27numbers I can. But I was near the bottom
27:30of my class all the way through. My
27:33skills are varied. I can heal, fight,
27:36transform into a bear, even help plants
27:38grow, but I can't do any of them worth a
27:40damn. So, I'm stuck at the awakened
27:42grade. Carl nodded, understanding the
27:45concept, if not the actual power level.
27:48Sometimes focusing on too many things
27:50would lead to you never getting good at
27:52anything. There was a guy like that in
27:55his neighborhood, a jack of all trades.
27:58He could fix your car, your sink, or
28:00your fridge, but only the common issues.
28:03If it were really broken, he would refer
28:05you to someone else. I think that I
28:08follow the idea. How powerful were the
28:11top students of your class? He asked,
28:15"Have you heard of the arch mage Mia,
28:16that new idol spellcaster?
28:19She was in our class and she reached the
28:21awakened rank in the first year. By the
28:23end of the second, she could defeat
28:25ascended beasts with ease. And by the
28:27time we graduated, she was already a
28:29commander grade mage. Then only a few
28:32years after that, she got some super
28:34secret resource from a mission and it
28:36pushed her to the royal rank. That's
28:39when everyone started calling her the
28:40arch mage and the fame started to get to
28:43her head. She doesn't answer our
28:45messages anymore, but we can still
28:47proudly say we went to school with
28:49someone super famous. Royal grade
28:52monsters were a terrifying thought to
28:54Carl. Even one of them could level the
28:56mining town he grew up in without
28:58breaking a sweat. The strongest fighting
29:01force in town was likely the mayor, a
29:03commander grade warrior. And in Carl's
29:05opinion, he was getting too old to be
29:07picking fights with monsters.
29:10Plus, the town didn't have any sort of
29:12armed guard other than the handful of
29:14police. If it came to a fight, the old
29:17mayor would definitely not have a good
29:19time proving he still deserved his rank.
29:22Carl sat in silence for a moment as he
29:24ate, then smiled at the two senior
29:26graduates in front of him. I suppose
29:29that I should get back to my room and
29:31see what I can do about awakening some
29:32sort of skill. Then if not, we will all
29:36be shut out of the class idols phone
29:37list in the future. The cook laughed. I
29:41like the way you think. A bit of
29:43motivation goes a long way when you're
29:45trying to find a reason to get through
29:46the most grueling parts of your
29:48training. Carl thought a lot about that
29:50as he walked back to his room. The
29:53hardest part of any task was seeing it
29:55through to the end. It was easy at the
29:58start when you were motivated, but
29:59somewhere in the middle it became a
30:01dreadfully dull grind with no reward in
30:03sight and very little progress to be
30:05made. That was when you would lose sight
30:07of the goal and start to slack. If you
30:10were lucky, you recovered from it. But
30:12if not, you would end up in trouble and
30:14behind schedule. Even the mind foreman
30:17had said the same thing to the students
30:19when he came to talk to them on career
30:20day. Not that anyone truly listened to
30:23him with the prospect of a divine
30:25injection coming up only days later, but
30:28the others, the ones who returned to
30:30class afterwards, would be thinking more
30:32about it every day. Once the door to the
30:35room closed behind him, Carl stared out
30:38the window and tried a skill for
30:39himself.
30:41Supervision Grants the Beast Tamer the
30:43sight of the contracted windspeed hawk.
30:46The forests in the distance were
30:48suddenly crystal clear in his eyes, and
30:50everything in his peripheral vision
30:51became just as clear as what was right
30:53in front of him. A bit of movement
30:56caught his eye, and Carl noticed a quill
30:58beast moving through the grassland over
31:00a kilometer away. It was incredible, and
31:03the world was so much more vivid with
31:05colors that he didn't even have names
31:07for. As he recalled, not only could the
31:10windspeed hawk see into the ultraviolet
31:12and infrared spectrums, but they were
31:14also accomplished nocturnal hunters with
31:16excellent night vision as well. While
31:19Rend was the much cooler combat skill,
31:22supervision was incredibly overpowered
31:25in Carl's estimation.
31:27Just being able to see where you were
31:29going at night would give him a great
31:30advantage over other students in the
31:32practical tests. Maybe the written tests
31:35as well. He could easily read other
31:38papers from across the room without
31:39moving his head or looking straight at
31:41them. Cheating on a written exam would
31:44be simple if he weren't already certain
31:45that none of the other students from the
31:47minds were smart enough to cheat off.
31:50With the issue of activating his very
31:52first powers settled, Carl could finally
31:54rest easy for a few seconds. That was
31:57all it took for him to see the homework
31:59assignment on the table and realized
32:01that there was still a lot for him to do
32:02before they reached the academy. All
32:05right, let's get this done in advance
32:07and then I can relax. His silent
32:10motivational speech had very little
32:12effect, but Carl sat down with a pen and
32:14the homework assignment in front of him.
32:17Name: Carl, age 14.
32:21Skill name. It only had one spot for a
32:24skill name, and that made him assume
32:26that it was normal for a newly awakened
32:28student to only have one skill. But
32:31which should he put in there? beast
32:33taming, supervision, or rend. This
32:36homework would be posted for the class,
32:38he was certain. So, he didn't want to
32:40give away the extent of his abilities to
32:42the other students and become the target
32:43of other students envy before he could
32:45defend himself. Plus, the contracted pet
32:49might be a magical beast, the windspeed
32:51hawk, but it was still a go and wouldn't
32:54grow into its full power for months or
32:56even years. Wouldn't he just become a
32:58new target of bullying if he showed
33:00everyone a baby bird as his power?
33:03Supervision seemed like it was much
33:05cooler and more useful, but it wasn't a
33:07combat skill, and for the elite, combat
33:09strength was king. So, he went back to
33:13the bed and picked up the short sword
33:15again, determined to make Ren work.
33:18Activating the skill was incredibly
33:20easy. A single thought lit up the blade
33:22with a dull red light. And when he swung
33:24it toward the portion of the wall that
33:26was marked testing area, a crescent arc
33:28of destructive power was thrown out and
33:30absorbed by the high-tech alloy. Drawing
33:33the blade through the air when using Ren
33:35was like mixing thick dough. He could
33:37barely move his arm and the blade speed
33:39was slow, but the skill formed as the
33:41blade moved. So with a bit more
33:43training, it should be faster to
33:45activate. Rend would definitely make him
33:48friends in class. With a bit more
33:50effort, it could slice a wide sway
33:53through enemies and allow him to target
33:55an entire group. Carl hurried back over
33:58to the sheet and filled out the
33:59questions about his skill, including the
34:01restriction on movement speed when using
34:03the attack, which limited how fast it
34:05could be activated. If he thought about
34:08it, there might be a way around that if
34:10he was already moving when he activated
34:12the skill. Wasn't that how hawks hunted?
34:16They didn't rely on strength. They came
34:18in at high speed and took out their prey
34:20in a single strike. If he could
34:22determine how that skill was supposed to
34:24be used, his combat power would increase
34:26drastically.
34:28But other than the skill, the
34:30questionnaire also asked about the user.
34:33Any headaches, feelings that you had
34:34forgotten something important, physical
34:36increases or decreases.
34:39Carl tested himself and other than the
34:41supervision, he had definitely also
34:43become a bit more flexible.
34:46Not by a lot, but it was clearly
34:47noticeable. In the end, he decided to
34:50leave that portion of the questionnaire
34:52marked with none. If the agility
34:55increase improved in the future, he
34:57could blame it on something else from
34:58his training. After all, some of the
35:01elite were said to be true superhuman
35:03monsters, and some were just as frail
35:05and human as always, but with
35:07mind-boggling supernatural powers. One
35:10of the idols had even sprained an ankle
35:12after stumbling to go on stage for a
35:14meet and greet event. That seemed like
35:17pretty conclusive proof that the
35:19injection skill distribution system did
35:21not distribute physical enhancements in
35:23a fair and equal manner. Once he was
35:25satisfied that the answers would be
35:27enough for the academy to rate him
35:29fairly highly among his classmates, Carl
35:31carefully slid the paper into the
35:33envelope provided and placed it in the
35:34tray by the door. That was everything
35:37that he was expected to do until they
35:39arrived at the academy. But he couldn't
35:41help wanting to try out more and better
35:43ways to use the rend skill. What if he
35:46tried to be more like the hawk? There
35:49should have been a clawed gauntlet among
35:50the equipment there, as well as a
35:52trident. Both would replicate the three
35:55claws of the mark on his arm, but the
35:57trident was a stabbing weapon, which
35:59didn't seem well suited to how the skill
36:01worked. He opened the drawer again and
36:03put back the sword before taking out a
36:05pair of gauntlets with clawed tips on
36:07the fingers. As a weapon, they weren't
36:10too impressive, but they looked like
36:12they would work with the skill that he
36:13had. They were a bit big on his hand, as
36:16Carl was slightly smaller than average,
36:19but after a few buckle adjustments, they
36:21fit well enough, and he tried the skill
36:23again. With his hand extended out in
36:26front of him, the way a hawk would when
36:28swooping down on prey, he flexed his
36:30fingers, and four small streaks of red
36:32light tore through the air in front of
36:34him to hit the wall. Each of them was
36:37much less impressive than the one
36:38created by the sword, but the speed was
36:40incredibly fast, and they would hit
36:42multiple areas on the target. Against
36:45lightly armored targets, that seemed
36:47like the better path. The more attack
36:50blades they had to dodge or block, the
36:52better. Each time he used the skill, it
36:55seemed to drain some of his energy. And
36:57after only a few more swings, Carl could
37:00feel his arms getting weaker, and he had
37:02to sit down and catch his breath. This
37:04was going to become an issue very
37:06quickly while doing combat training. He
37:09had spent plenty of time in the gym, but
37:11he was trying to improve his physique,
37:13not build his stamina and endurance.
37:16But that was what the school was for.
37:18All he had to do was focus on his
37:20training, and it would definitely work
37:21out in the end.
37:23As Carl massaged his sore arms, the
37:26first of the other students were only
37:27just beginning to wake up and begin
37:29reading the guide book. It wasn't much
37:31of a head start, but the first awakened
37:33elite of the batch was already
37:35determined.
37:36All new students, gather your preferred
37:39weapons, your school uniforms, and wait
37:41for the notification to disembark.
37:44We are now 5 minutes from the Golden
37:45Divine Academy. The train's announcement
37:48declared just after breakfast on the
37:50morning of the second day after Carl
37:52woke up. He packed the snacks he had
37:55obtained in advance from the train's
37:56kitchen into the provided backpack along
37:58with the spare uniforms and shoes, then
38:00put on the black metal clawed gauntlets
38:02and hung the short sword from a scabbard
38:04at his hip. There was no rule saying you
38:07couldn't prefer more than one weapon,
38:09and the guards hadn't mentioned it when
38:10they saw him practicing in the room that
38:12way, so it should be all right. The cook
38:15and the guard had both mentioned the
38:17walk into the academy on the first day
38:18after he woke up so the train wouldn't
38:20be stopping at the gates. This was
38:23probably some sort of test, either to
38:25see how the students would solve a
38:26problem or get along or some nonsense,
38:29Carl decided. But whatever the reason,
38:31he was packing a lunch. As expected, the
38:34train came to a stop about a kilometer
38:36from the academy at the far end of a
38:38grassy field with a few well-maintained
38:40hedgeros along the way. This is your
38:43stop. The last bit is up to you. I will
38:47see you all in the academy tomorrow
38:49after the train is cleaned and repaired.
38:52A slender man in a guard uniform
38:54announced. The students mostly stood by
38:56their open doors with looks of
38:58confusion, but Carl walked out into the
39:00hallway and stepped down from the train
39:02to take his first breath of the clean
39:04country air. Without all the dust from
39:06the mines, it smelled strangely like
39:08trees and flowers here. And he could
39:10feel the power of the academy in the
39:12distance, like a tingle in his bones,
39:14warning him that it was something
39:16abnormal, something magical. The first
39:19student out was like a beacon to the
39:21others. And slowly the new student
39:23started to leave the train, mostly still
39:25exhausted from practicing their new
39:26skills and a lack of sleep. But the sun
39:28was directly overhead in the sky, and
39:31sleeping under the scorching morning sun
39:32wasn't going to be easy. The slender man
39:35in the guard uniform stepped in front of
39:37them again once everyone was off the
39:39train and raised his voice to address
39:41the crowd. Welcome everyone to Golden
39:44Divine Academy. As a special welcoming
39:47gift to all of our new students, we have
39:49prepared the traditional walk across the
39:51grounds to the front gates for you.
39:54Every year the new arrivals make this
39:56trip, entering the gates as awakened
39:58elites to begin their new lives. Now it
40:01is your turn. But be warned, the
40:04grasslands look empty. But that isn't
40:06always the truth. He wasn't lying. Carl
40:10could see that the train track circled
40:12the academy at a distance of roughly a
40:13kilometer, passing through these
40:15grasslands, a large portion of forest,
40:17and even through a swampy bog around a
40:19river. They must drop every group off at
40:22a different point so they could watch
40:24them come into the academy.
40:26It seemed like a strange tradition, but
40:28when he looked out over the field using
40:31supervision, he could tell that there
40:32was a huge population of earth rats, a
40:35common grade magical beast with
40:36incredible digging skills and the
40:38ability to throw small stones using
40:40magic. They were mostly harmless, and
40:43Carl had dealt with them using a
40:45slingshot as a kid, but in large
40:47numbers, they could be a real menace.
40:50In this case, it was likely to be a
40:52nuisance, just an amusing prank by the
40:54seniors to watch the new kids get pelted
40:57with rocks as they ran to school. Mice
41:00hungry. A voice sounded in Carl's mind,
41:03coming from the space where his
41:04windspeed hawk was kept. It was
41:07incredibly insistent and eager to taste
41:09the mice. So Carl stepped forward into
41:12the field to see what they would do to
41:13the students who tried to pass. He might
41:16have hunted them before, but that was
41:18with a slingshot and in the house where
41:20they couldn't use the earth to escape.
41:22Getting a clean kill shot here would be
41:24much more trouble, but he was fairly
41:26certain that he could do it with the
41:28speed of the rend attacks. He just had
41:31to time them right. Carl stepped forward
41:34into the grassland battlefield against
41:36an unknown number of the weakest magical
41:38creatures, armed with a single untested
41:40combat skill and a baby bird as a pet.
41:44Not exactly the most glorious of first
41:46battles as an elite, but it would have
41:48to do. The response to his invasion of
41:50their territory was immediate, and the
41:5210-cm long Earth mice began to hurl
41:55small rocks at Carl, highlighting their
41:57position and making the starving hawk in
41:59his beast taming space go insane with
42:01desire. A flick of his fingers and four
42:04sharp red energy arcs flew out into the
42:07battlefield, taking out one of the mice
42:09before it even knew there was a danger.
42:10and then the other hand took a second.
42:13Supervision really was a remarkable
42:15skill for both eyesight and hand eye
42:17coordination.
42:19His second attack hit a mouse as it was
42:21attempting to go underground to evade.
42:23And then his third reached its target as
42:25it tried to run. Carl joged forward and
42:28picked up the bodies, then moved them
42:30into the taming space for the hawk to
42:32eat before continuing on toward the
42:34academy under greatly reduced levels of
42:35attack from the earth mice who had
42:37sensed the presence of a predator in
42:39their midst and began to target the
42:40other students. Only a few brave ones
42:44would still throw rocks at Carl from a
42:46distance, all of which were easily
42:47swatted away with the armored glove.
42:50That glove is such a cheat code here in
42:52the open field. A dark-haired girl with
42:55a wand in her hand complained from
42:57directly behind his back. "You're a
42:59mage, a real magic user." "Just blast
43:03them if they throw rocks at you," Carl
43:06reminded her after seeing the magical
43:08casting device, and pass out again in
43:11the middle of a field. "I'm not sure if
43:13you're aware, but magic is hard. I can
43:16only cast like two or maybe three spells
43:19before I collapse from exhaustion."
43:21The girl complained.
43:23That was what had happened to Carl the
43:25first day as well. But once he got a bit
43:28more used to it, the consumption seemed
43:30not to be as bad. Just stay behind me
43:33then and undo your coat so you can hide
43:35your head. Earth mice aren't smart, and
43:38they won't target your face if they
43:40can't see it. The other students quickly
43:43saw the tactic that Carl and the mage
43:45had come up with and began forming
43:46groups.
43:48From what Carl could tell, almost all of
43:50the newly empowered students were some
43:52sort of magical warrior class and
43:54carrying various melee weapons.
43:57Not many of them had chosen shields, but
43:59those who did have shields took the lead
44:01in a group to push forward, while the
44:03ones with ranged skills fell in behind,
44:05encircling the mages and others who got
44:07no physical attribute enhancement.
44:10Two more classmates fell in behind the
44:12mage, following the example of hiding
44:14their faces, though they didn't know why
44:16they were doing it.
44:17The sight frightened the weak-minded
44:19Earth mice. One scary guy with claws
44:22leading three headless humanoid monsters
44:24was terrifying to the small creatures,
44:26and they began to flee instead of
44:28attacking Carl on his way forward. That
44:31let him set a brisk pace through the
44:33field and put the field full of mice
44:35behind him right until they made it to
44:36the first hedro, where they took a short
44:38breather for everyone to recover some
44:40stamina. Magic uses far too much energy.
44:45How long does it take you guys to
44:46recover after using your skills? One of
44:49the boys in the back row, a warrior
44:51class with a large axe, asked. I can use
44:55mine three or four times as long as I
44:57don't go all out. But then I'm tired and
45:00I need to eat or rest. I haven't tried
45:03to time it yet. Carl replied. The mage
45:08nodded her head. I'm the same. two
45:11spells and I'm at my limit and I need a
45:14breather. But if I sit down for 15
45:17minutes or so, I can cast another. I
45:20saved my magic this time, so I can at
45:22least use one and keep going. Or I can
45:24cast both in an emergency, but then I'll
45:27slow the team down. The boy with an axe
45:30frowned. I can only use mine once and
45:33then I'm done. But I'm a woodcutter's
45:36son, and I can swing the axe for hours
45:38if I don't use the skill. That's good
45:41enough. So far, it's just been earth
45:44mice, and only an idiot would chase them
45:46with an axe. But if there is something
45:49bigger and slower up ahead, you can go
45:51ahead and fight it without using that
45:52skill. Did the injection make you
45:55stronger? It was one of the questions on
45:58the homework, so it must be a thing.
46:01Carl suggested.
46:03Yeah, a lot stronger. He agreed. The
46:07other warrior smiled. I'm not so strong,
46:10but I was all right to start with.
46:13Unfortunately, my first skill is
46:15defensive. See the shield in my marking.
46:18The silly thing is I have no aptitude
46:21with a shield. I tried everything with
46:23the one in the storage box, but nothing
46:26worked. However, if I use a two-handed
46:29sword, I can activate the skill no
46:31problem and keep it active all the time.
46:34The only problem is that I can't swing
46:36the sword fast enough to block those
46:38rocks the way that you do with your
46:39gloves. Carl nodded.
46:42So, we've got a super strength axeman, a
46:45durable swordsman, a mage, and me with
46:47my claws. That's not bad. And it looks
46:51like the teachers wanted us to group up
46:52to fight our way through to the gates.
46:55Not that it's been a tough fight so far.
46:57more of a practical joke by the seniors,
47:00but be prepared for something like water
47:01moles or quill beasts in the next field.
47:04After a short breather, they moved
47:06forward in the same formation, but
47:08without the coats pulled up over their
47:10heads. If there was something more
47:12dangerous than earth mice in this field,
47:14they wanted to see it coming and not
47:16find out when it reached them. Carl's
47:19supervision scanned the field, but
47:22currently it appeared to be empty and
47:23easy to pass.
47:25Likely whatever lived here was just
47:27sleeping or going about its daily
47:29business, unaware that something was
47:31about to invade its home turf. Do you
47:33think that we should move through the
47:35trees? That would bring us to the
47:37academy without crossing the field. We
47:39just need to go to the side a little,
47:42the mage suggested.
47:44Carl scanned the tree lean and shook his
47:46head. There are at least two iron tusk
47:49bores in those trees. I can see the torn
47:52tree bark at different heights. It might
47:55be a different species, but those marks
47:57are pretty distinctive.
47:59He quietly informed the others. They
48:02were a long way from home, so it might
48:04be an entirely different species of
48:06boar. But if the tusk markings were
48:08similar on the trees to the ones he knew
48:09from home, then the animal likely was as
48:12well. Then onward, valiant scapegoats of
48:15the freshman class. Let's amuse our
48:18seniors and get ourselves inside that
48:20gate before it gets dark. The
48:22woodcutters son laughed. They moved
48:25forward at a fast walk, not wanting to
48:27make too much noise or vibration
48:29underground that might disturb the
48:30beasts living there, but not wanting to
48:32waste time and let the others behind
48:34them catch up either. None of the other
48:37groups had entered this field yet. Most
48:39were resting. Some were still struggling
48:41with either a lack of courage or the
48:43mice, and some had decided to go the
48:45long way around under the assumption
48:47that the direct route was a trap. That
48:50group probably wasn't wrong. But that
48:52didn't mean that the other routes were
48:53any better. They were halfway across the
48:56field when the next group moved forward,
48:58jogging to catch up to the leaders, and
49:00the field erupted with activity. Vines
49:03sprung up out of the ground around the
49:05feet of the new group, trapping their
49:07ankles and pulling them down onto the
49:08soft dirt while loose vines whipped at
49:11their faces. It was some sort of plant
49:14monster. What sort? Carl had no idea,
49:16but the loud footsteps had awoken it.
49:19Keep moving gently. It hasn't attacked
49:22us yet. It's just active in our area.
49:25Keep moving and we will get out without
49:27much trouble. Don't attack unless you're
49:29actually trapped. And don't step on the
49:31vines. Carl instructed.
49:35You're the boss. But if we end up stuck
49:38in the middle of the field, I'm totally
49:40blaming you. The mage whispered with a
49:42rofful smirk on her face, fully
49:44expecting the worst.
49:47Soft steps got them almost to the end of
49:49the field before a sudden twitch of a
49:50vine put it right under their sword
49:52fighter's foot. And not only did he
49:54stomp on the vine, he tripped and his
49:56blade sliced a dozen of them clean in
49:58half. Get him up and let's run. The vine
50:02monster will not be happy about that.
50:05Carl shouted before beginning to dash
50:07toward the relative safety of the hedro.
50:10The woodcutter held the other boy to his
50:12feet, and the four of them took off
50:13running, hoping to make it to the edge
50:15of the field. Entangling vines grabbed
50:18at Carl's legs, but fast steps kept them
50:21from finding a good hold, and he was
50:23nearly out of the vines range before he
50:25was pulled to a stop. Coming up from
50:27behind him, the young mage used Carl's
50:29immobile figure as a springboard,
50:31running across his back as Carl was
50:33getting up and leaping towards safety,
50:35only to be caught in midair and dragged
50:37flat to the ground with a puff of dirt
50:39and a pained groan. Good plan, poor
50:42execution.
50:43The swordsman laughed from behind them
50:45as he hacked his way through the vines.
50:48Carl sliced himself free with rend, and
50:51then did the same for the mage, who
50:53frantically scrambled for safety in the
50:55trees. The last to reach safety was the
50:58wood cutter, but he was also the most
51:00lucky as he had experience with
51:01entangling vines in the woods and knew
51:04how to smack them with the back of his
51:05ax to keep them from grabbing his
51:07ankles.
51:08Sorry, it takes too long to explain the
51:11trick or I would have told you all, he
51:14mumbled as he reached the trees a few
51:15seconds behind the others. It's all
51:18good. We each have our own knowledge
51:21base to work on and there was no time
51:23for some long lecture in the middle of
51:25the field. Carl agreed. The mage seemed
51:29like she was about to say something, but
51:31then reconsidered.
51:32There were only a few seconds between
51:34the stumble and the escape. There really
51:36was no time to explain. All that was
51:39left now was a section of freshly mowed
51:41grass with a single cobblestone path
51:44that led to the gates. If they could
51:46make it through that, they were safe.
51:49well, relatively safe. From what they
51:52knew of the elites, the culture favored
51:54the strong, and they were not yet the
51:56strong, but they were all well suited to
51:59their class. And in time, they might be.
52:02Stay off the grass. I learned that from
52:05my mom's workplace.
52:08Fancy people hate when you walk on their
52:10grass. The mage mumbled as they got
52:12ready to move. Good point. I was looking
52:16forward to soft grass under my feet
52:18after growing up in the mines, but using
52:20the path just seems right. Carl agreed.
52:24These other three hadn't gotten on at
52:26his stop, but they should at least
52:28understand the concept of the mines.
52:31There were 10 other middle schools in
52:32the nearby towns, so even if like Carl,
52:35they had never traveled, they had at
52:37least seen the mountains over the mines
52:39in the distance. Triumphantly, they
52:42walked down the path with the swordsman
52:44doing his best to hide a slight limp and
52:46the mage brushing the dirt off the front
52:47of her uniform to look a little less
52:49like she had been rolling in the field
52:51for fun. They reached the gate where a
52:54pair of teachers were waiting to greet
52:55them with a large bag full of textbooks
52:57and a table full of drinks. Welcome to
53:00the Golden Divine Academy. Students
53:02Carl, Dana, James, and Krueger. You are
53:06the first to make it to the gate today
53:08and therefore the first to get to pick
53:10your rooms in the dormatory. The map is
53:12on the table and you may pick any room
53:14on the second floor that is not
53:16currently marked as occupied. They
53:19rushed over to collect a drink and then
53:21gathered around the map. This layout
53:24makes no sense. Krueger the axe wielder
53:27mumbled. All the rooms are random. Look
53:31at this one. It's tiny but with a huge
53:34empty balcony. Who would pick that?
53:37Dana, the dark-haired mage, agreed. But
53:40a long, narrow room caught her eye.
53:43There was supposed to be a training
53:45target at the end, which she could fire
53:47spells at from a distance, which would
53:48be great for practice. I want the
53:51balcony room. Carl shrugged, then picked
53:54up a token from the table and placed it
53:56on the map. Right. You have a wide area
53:59attack skill. If you want to practice,
54:02you need more space.
54:05I'll take the training room here with
54:06the Murphy bed that folds against the
54:08wall, Dana explained, picking her space.
54:13The other two went for the largest pair
54:14of dorms with a training dummy in the
54:17main room and a separate bedroom. Each
54:19of the rooms was a bit special in its
54:21own way, but Carl noticed that there was
54:23one selectable option that seemed quite
54:25inferior.
54:27Someone could actually pick the supply
54:29closet as their dorm. It was marked as
54:31an option and might be left to the last
54:33person to complete the trials. The
54:36windspeed hawk in Carl's taming space
54:38looked out through his eyes and
54:39squawkked in appreciation of the choice.
54:42The big balcony was one of the few rooms
54:44that had proper outdoor access.
54:47In fact, it blocked a halfozen other
54:49rooms access to the outside unless they
54:52had a window that opened onto the
54:53balcony. It was perfect for the bird.
54:56And once it digested these delicious
54:58earth mice, the tiny monster was
55:00convinced that it would have the energy
55:01to grow enough that it could fly around
55:03outside.
55:05Baby monsters didn't stay helpless for
55:07long, even in this situation where it
55:09was being nourished by a human beast
55:11tamer and not its mother. Are there more
55:14mice? It asked hopefully. It was strange
55:18to hear the bird's thoughts as words in
55:19his head, but unfortunately Carl didn't
55:22have anything else for the beast right
55:24now. Just wait until dinner and I will
55:26get you as much meat as you can eat. I
55:29hope they serve mice.
55:31Interesting choices. I can see the
55:34others, but why did you pick the
55:36balcony? The room itself is barely a
55:39bedroom. The teacher in charge of
55:41reception asked Carl. I can always set
55:44something up on the balcony, but mostly
55:46it's for training. I have an area attack
55:49skill that I can't train indoors easily,
55:52but the room is fine. It's bigger than
55:54mine at home, and it's got both a bed
55:56and a desk with its own shower and water
55:59closet. The others quickly double
56:02checked to make sure they had picked
56:03rooms with their own facilities inside
56:05and relief. Not only did the rooms they
56:08picked have a full bath, they also had a
56:10small kitchenet with a fridge and hot
56:12plate for cooking in the room while they
56:14were studying. In that case, I will give
56:17you all your keys and wish you well in
56:19your studies. The teacher's smile told
56:22them all that they had probably screwed
56:23up somehow. But they had no idea what
56:26they should have done differently in
56:27that situation.
56:29Unless the juice was poisoned, they had
56:31just picked the rooms that seemed the
56:32most appropriate for their class or the
56:35biggest ones in the estimation of James
56:38and Krueger. They took a few steps, and
56:41students from the senior classes wearing
56:43badges with white, black, and bronze
56:45symbols on them fell in beside the
56:47group. white for common grade, black for
56:51awakened, and bronze for ascended.
56:53According to the text on the badges, the
56:56badges on the new students uniforms were
56:58all white, so Carl hadn't noticed until
57:00now that they represented anything but
57:02the academy. Welcome to the academy. We
57:06will show you to your rooms. It's always
57:09fun to see the newbies first experience
57:11of the dorms. You see, it's a completely
57:14magical building. So, whatever you were
57:16expecting, just put that out of your
57:18mind right now. The student with the
57:20bronze badge, the strongest of the
57:22three, explained.
57:24They didn't say much more until they got
57:26to the main doors of the dorm. On the
57:29right is the cafeteria, open from 4:00
57:31in the morning until midnight. On the
57:34left are the laundry facilities. They're
57:36a drop off service. Just give them the
57:38basket and they'll launder it and bring
57:40it back to your room. This isn't a
57:42hotel. There are no maids, but the
57:45cleaning supplies are right here. Don't
57:47forget to keep your room clean. Everyone
57:49gets punished if too many students fail
57:51the dorm inspections.
57:53That way is the supply room. You can go
57:56visit him later when you have academy
57:58credits to get essential supplies and
58:00things you want for your room or your
58:01studies. Now, there is no elevator, but
58:05there are three staircases.
58:07The main ones are the best as they're 5
58:09m wide and you don't get jammed up with
58:12cross traffic. Your year is lucky. You
58:15got rooms on the second floor. Mine is
58:17up on the fourth floor. And these two
58:19are on the fifth floor. It's a long walk
58:22down to get to class, but I heard that
58:24the rooms are nicer at the top than they
58:26are on the lower floors. The boy's smirk
58:29told Carl that he was definitely
58:31pranking them. Either there was an
58:33elevator or the rooms were all strange
58:35no matter where you went. The three
58:38older students put their hands on the
58:40shoulders of the newbies and led them up
58:41to the second floor with a smile. You
58:44two are right here since you picked the
58:46square internal rooms. The leader of the
58:49senior students informed them, gesturing
58:51to the doors on either side of the
58:53stairs. That was a factor that they
58:56might have forgotten to consider. Being
58:58right next to the stairs could be loud,
59:01but the hallways were decorated with
59:03thick red carpets, hanging tapestries on
59:05the walls, and plenty of decorations
59:07that should prevent echoes. The two
59:10warriors opened their doors and looked
59:12at the bare rooms.
59:14Stone walls with multiple scorch marks,
59:17cut marks, and absolutely zero furniture
59:19in the main room greeted them. They
59:22stepped inside in shock and found that
59:24the bedroom had a simple single bed in
59:26it, unmade, but with quality linens and
59:28a comforter emlazed with the school's
59:30crest folded at the foot. The main room
59:33had a stone golem standing in the
59:34middle, the training dummy that the
59:36diagram had informed them the room
59:38included, and the older students
59:39whistled in appreciation.
59:42Now that's a nice bonus. They left you
59:45the training dummies from the last
59:46senior class. Those are commander class.
59:50You'll never break them in the first two
59:51years. Maybe not at all. I think it's a
59:54good trade-off for the initial cleaning
59:56you'll have to do. The student with the
59:58black badge laughed. Carl gave them a
1:00:02suspicious look. Are these just as the
1:00:04students left them, or is there some
1:00:06system to it? The others just smirked
1:00:09and shrugged. Why don't we let the
1:00:11others get settled in and see where you
1:00:13and the mage are staying? Dana sighed
1:00:16and gestured down the hallway. If I
1:00:19remember the map right, I'm that way.
1:00:22Room 17, the long training one. The
1:00:25student with the bronze badge nodded in
1:00:27appreciation.
1:00:29I'm also a mage, so I picked the same
1:00:31room on my floor. Let's see what you
1:00:34got. They opened the door and looked at
1:00:37an incredibly long hallway. Far longer
1:00:40than the actual dimensions of the
1:00:41building should allow. But at the
1:00:44entrance was a small bedroom, restroom,
1:00:46and a kitchenet along the wall. followed
1:00:48by the vast stone expanse of the
1:00:50training hallway. It was spotlessly
1:00:52clean, and there was a single potion
1:00:54sitting on the table with a welcome note
1:00:56from the last occupant.
1:00:58Congratulations, you got a decent
1:01:00senior. Check out your welcoming gift.
1:01:03We will get Carl here settled into his
1:01:05room. The balcony room was just around
1:01:08the corner, and at first Carl almost
1:01:10missed it. The supply closet room was
1:01:13right next to his, so the doors were
1:01:15narrow and very close together, but the
1:01:17older students knew which one it was.
1:01:20Right here. Let's see what it's like.
1:01:24The balcony on our floor is empty. We
1:01:26didn't have as many students as you guys
1:01:28do, so some of them aren't in use. The
1:01:31door swung open to show a very plain
1:01:33room past a short hallway with a
1:01:35bathroom on the left. The main room was
1:01:37just a metal desk and a large bed
1:01:40trimmed in black leather with drawers
1:01:42underneath. The walls were painted dark
1:01:44gray, giving the room a very odd
1:01:46feeling, but the curtains were the
1:01:48Academy logo gold ones that presumably
1:01:50came with the room. Well, this must have
1:01:53been the kitchen witch's room. Creepy
1:01:56goth girl. You can repaint once you get
1:01:59some credits to buy the supplies.
1:02:01Good luck with that. The gold badged
1:02:04student side, obviously disappointed
1:02:06that there wasn't anything special about
1:02:08the place. But they had forgotten the
1:02:11most important part. Once they left and
1:02:14the door closed behind them, Carl opened
1:02:16the curtains to the balcony and stepped
1:02:18outside only to find himself in the
1:02:20middle of a greenhouse.
1:02:22There were plants everywhere, blocking
1:02:24his view, and Carl smiled. He had never
1:02:27had plants in the house before. His
1:02:29parents couldn't even keep flowers
1:02:31alive. But the windspeed hawk was
1:02:34overjoyed at the potted trees, flowers,
1:02:36and vines that were scattered all over
1:02:38the balcony. Carl didn't recall seeing
1:02:41this from the entryway, and he should
1:02:43have as they passed right under it on
1:02:45their way in. However, the more he
1:02:48walked, the more Carl realized that the
1:02:50balcony was not normal. It was at least
1:02:53three times the size that it should be
1:02:55and nearly filled with plants until he
1:02:57got to the far end and found a gazebo
1:02:59with a hammock, a curved bench, and a
1:03:02small table that contained a well-worn
1:03:03notebook. Care and keeping of the
1:03:06balcony, a bridged version. Carl smiled
1:03:10at the title and flipped the notebook
1:03:12open. While I don't know if you will
1:03:14appreciate the legacy of the greenhouse,
1:03:16you will find that it is effortless to
1:03:18care for, and every plant here has a
1:03:20purpose.
1:03:21You see, they are all edible. Most of
1:03:25them are for humans to help your growth,
1:03:27but I have personally added a few
1:03:29important ones of my own. This is the
1:03:31catnip plant. The feline type magical
1:03:34beasts love it, and you can use it to
1:03:36keep them from reporting you when you
1:03:37sneak out at night. This one is the
1:03:40honey berry, which is popular with bear
1:03:42type monsters. If you smear the pulp of
1:03:45this plant on the shoes of other
1:03:46students, it will attract the giant
1:03:48grizzlies to them in the woods.
1:03:51Be sure to wash your hands before
1:03:52following. The final one is only edible
1:03:55in a limited quantity, the clear mind
1:03:58fruit. Use it before the major exams to
1:04:01help you focus. But keep in mind that it
1:04:04only works a few times, so use it
1:04:06sparingly.
1:04:07The rest of the book was just a watering
1:04:09schedule for the plants and a note that
1:04:11the magic of the balcony would take care
1:04:13of the rest.
1:04:15So, the last resident planted a fruit to
1:04:17help her cheat on exams, one to sabotage
1:04:20other students in the woods, and catnip
1:04:22to bribe the security so she could sneak
1:04:24out at night. This senior was definitely
1:04:27an interesting person. Carl decided
1:04:31there are still no mice. The baby
1:04:33windspeed hawk complained. He was right.
1:04:37Even with supervision, which could see
1:04:39into the infrared spectrum and would
1:04:41pick out urine trails of rodents, there
1:04:43was no sign of mice. That should
1:04:46probably have been expected of a magical
1:04:47dorm, but it was a great tragedy in the
1:04:50mind of the bird. All right, buddy. We
1:04:53will go to the cafeteria and find some
1:04:55meat. Carl headed for the main floor
1:04:57again and made his way to the buffet of
1:04:59the cafeteria.
1:05:01New student? I don't know you. The old
1:05:05woman behind the counter asked.
1:05:08Yes, ma'am. My name is Carl. Polite.
1:05:12That's not bad. All right. Grab what you
1:05:15like, but only the white plates are
1:05:17allowed to be taken back to the rooms
1:05:19and must be returned during your next
1:05:21meal. Eat all you like. Magic affects
1:05:24all you kids differently. No need to be
1:05:26shy about your appetite.
1:05:28Meat. The hawk shouted happily in his
1:05:31mind, drawing his attention to a pile of
1:05:34raw fish set along one side of the long
1:05:36counter. It looked like a grocery
1:05:38section where you could pick out your
1:05:40own ingredients to take to your room
1:05:42while the first half of the counter was
1:05:44prepared dishes. Then, pardon my hunger.
1:05:48Carl replied and took a pair of white
1:05:50plates to fill for their dinner. pasta
1:05:53and meatballs with cream sauce, roasted
1:05:55pork, some sort of vegetable that gave
1:05:58off an incredible feeling of energy, and
1:06:00then an entire plate of raw meat for the
1:06:02hawk. Well, that's one of the more
1:06:04interesting plates for sure, but if
1:06:07you're in a room with a kitchen, you can
1:06:09cook it as you like. In the future, you
1:06:12can just ask the cook to prepare it if
1:06:14there's a special way you like your
1:06:15food," she explained. "Thanks. I'll keep
1:06:20that in mind." Carl retreated to his
1:06:22room while the hawk pleaded pitifully to
1:06:24be fed. If this was how adorably needy
1:06:27all baby birds were, no wonder their
1:06:29mothers would go to the extremes of even
1:06:31chewing food for them. Fortunately, the
1:06:34windspeed hawk had an extremely sharp
1:06:36metallic beak and could bite through
1:06:38bone with ease, even as a newborn. The
1:06:41meat chunks were all boneless, which the
1:06:43bird found disappointingly lacking in
1:06:45crunch. But the meat was all monster
1:06:47meat, high in nutrients and energy, and
1:06:50its body was growing at a visible rate
1:06:52under the pile of nourishment. It
1:06:54somehow managed to chew through five
1:06:56times its body weight in 10 minutes, and
1:06:58it was still pleading for the meatballs
1:07:00on Carl's plate as he finished his meal.
1:07:03Fine, one meatball. But after that, you
1:07:06need to wait for dinner. When is that?
1:07:10I'm starving. The bird complained, then
1:07:13burped loudly and fell asleep.
1:07:16That certainly didn't seem like
1:07:17starvation to Carl. By the time that it
1:07:20woke up, the windspeed hawk had grown to
1:07:23the size of a sparrow and was happily
1:07:25flying around Carl's mental space, an
1:07:27exuberant distraction as he cleaned the
1:07:29balcony of leaves, which were set aside
1:07:31to be sorted for drying, and then
1:07:33watered the plants. Everything here
1:07:35should be a magical resource of the most
1:07:37basic level, so even the leaves would
1:07:39likely be worth something if they were
1:07:41properly dried and preserved. The
1:07:43problem was that he wasn't sure if this
1:07:45garden was sanctioned by the school or
1:07:47if they would view all the resources
1:07:49here as looted school property. Is it
1:07:52dinner yet? We should get crunchy food
1:07:54this time. Hawk suggested.
1:07:58Sure, let's go down and see how everyone
1:08:00else is doing after I finish writing a
1:08:02letter. The bird was confused by the
1:08:05concept of a letter, but Carl wanted to
1:08:07write home to his parents to let them
1:08:08know that he was all right and settling
1:08:10in well at the academy. the students
1:08:13wouldn't be home until the end of the
1:08:14school year, but he didn't recall any
1:08:16rules saying that they couldn't send a
1:08:18letter or a text message. Not that
1:08:20either Carl or his parents could afford
1:08:22a cell phone, but that wasn't the point.
1:08:25Maybe he would get them one once he was
1:08:27finished training and started to get the
1:08:29elite stipend. If it was enough, he
1:08:32could probably even move them out of the
1:08:34mines and let them retire. It only took
1:08:36a few minutes to finish the letter home,
1:08:38and Carl put it in a box by his door,
1:08:41which could be accessed from either the
1:08:43inside or the outside. That was where he
1:08:46had received and left the paperwork on
1:08:47the train, and it was where letters were
1:08:49picked up if you had to send them at
1:08:51home, so it should be the same here,
1:08:53Carl assumed. The dining hall was packed
1:08:56with new students, mostly in rather
1:08:58rough shape, with torn clothes, covered
1:09:00in mud and grass stains, and a few
1:09:02sporting visible injuries.
1:09:05Carl joined the line to grab dinner,
1:09:07then took a second plate, scooped an
1:09:09entire roast chicken on it, and
1:09:10transferred it to the beast taming space
1:09:12while nobody was watching him. Then he
1:09:15took another, added a collection of
1:09:17cheeses and snacks to it, and brought it
1:09:19to an empty table. You were the gauntlet
1:09:22guy from the first group, aren't you? I
1:09:24didn't get a good look at your face
1:09:26earlier. A girl with blonde hair and a
1:09:29heavily bruised face asked as he sat at
1:09:31the table next to hers. Yeah, might I
1:09:34ask what happened? Everyone looks like
1:09:37they were beaten half to death. Carl
1:09:40asked. We were I went with a group that
1:09:44understood going together for safety
1:09:46against the earth mice and our lead
1:09:48warrior chased them off with a skill.
1:09:50But when we got to the second field, the
1:09:52plant monster was already going insane.
1:09:55So, we thought it would be safer to go
1:09:57around and we decided to try the tree
1:09:59lean to the right. She paused and gently
1:10:02touched her face, then flinched. The one
1:10:05with the monstrous bores? Carl asked.
1:10:09"Oh, you already know." Carl nodded.
1:10:13"That's why we went through the field. I
1:10:16saw the marks of the bores on the trees
1:10:18and recognized them from outside the
1:10:20mining town where I grew up." The girl
1:10:23laughed. "It's me, Jasmine.
1:10:26I guess you really didn't recognize me
1:10:28with my face like this.
1:10:30That explained why she didn't introduce
1:10:32herself when she started speaking. He
1:10:34should have already known her. Carl
1:10:37looked her over again. He was absolutely
1:10:40certain that when they left, the Jasmine
1:10:42that he knew had not been a blonde, and
1:10:44that she had been at least 20 kilos
1:10:46heavier than she was now. "You look
1:10:48different." "It must be the hair," Carl
1:10:52mumbled, not wanting to insult his
1:10:54classmate by mentioning what she used to
1:10:56look like. Maybe it was puberty, but he
1:10:59should have noticed a change like that.
1:11:01He was sure of it. There were a few
1:11:03other familiar, but also not familiar
1:11:06faces in the crowd. It was like everyone
1:11:09was a bit different than he remembered,
1:11:11and most of them had improved in the
1:11:12best of ways. Come to think of it, he
1:11:15didn't remember sitting quite so tall at
1:11:17the table, and his uniform pants didn't
1:11:20quite reach his shoes anymore. That
1:11:22wasn't right. They definitely did this
1:11:24morning when he got off the train.
1:11:27Maybe his academy experience wasn't
1:11:29going to be a bad one after all. A
1:11:31little more height and he would catch up
1:11:33to his classmates.
1:11:35The next morning was the official start
1:11:37of their training, but there were no
1:11:38scheduled classes.
1:11:41Instead, everyone woke up to
1:11:42announcements that they should wait in
1:11:44their rooms for the teacher in charge of
1:11:45their group to come inform them of their
1:11:47new routine. That sounded like a much
1:11:50more relaxed class atmosphere than any
1:11:52school he had heard of before. and Carl
1:11:54became a little more jealous of the
1:11:56elite lifestyle. Perhaps he would even
1:11:59get lucky and have a kind and gentle
1:12:00teacher who didn't shout at students for
1:12:02wrong answers or believe that laps
1:12:04around the school were the cure for
1:12:06inattention.
1:12:07At breakfast, he gathered another
1:12:09roasted chicken for hawk along with a
1:12:11collection of raw meat, but the beast's
1:12:13consumption had temporarily slowed as
1:12:15the bird had grown overnight. They
1:12:18weren't a large predator by the
1:12:19standards of monstrous beasts, just a
1:12:22deadly one due to their eyesight and
1:12:23attack power. As they grew to maturity,
1:12:27most of them would perfect the knowledge
1:12:28of the rend skill, allowing them to take
1:12:31down much larger prey with a single
1:12:33strike. That might not sound too
1:12:36impressive given that the full-grown
1:12:37bird only weighed a few kilograms. But
1:12:40when the proficiency reached a high
1:12:41enough level, a monster could actually
1:12:43ambush and kill monsters a rank above
1:12:45its own using the power of the mastered
1:12:48skill. It wasn't a feat that many beasts
1:12:51could accomplish, and it was entirely a
1:12:53result of the windspeed hawk's
1:12:54incredible rate of skill growth. It was
1:12:57well afternoon before the teacher showed
1:12:59up to talk to him, and Carl was getting
1:13:01bored with just standing around in the
1:13:03garden and waiting. He had practiced his
1:13:06rend skill until he wore himself out,
1:13:08trying to improve his accuracy and
1:13:10activation speed, and then had a short
1:13:12nap, but he wasn't really sure where to
1:13:15go from here, and none of the
1:13:16information in the bag of textbooks he
1:13:18had received told him anything on that
1:13:20topic. The sharp knock at the door woke
1:13:22him up and Carl rushed over to open the
1:13:25door for the sharp featured female
1:13:27soldier that was waiting outside. Good
1:13:30afternoon, Carl. I am your combat skills
1:13:33professor. You may call me Sergeant
1:13:35Rita. In addition to teaching you
1:13:37martial arts and essential skills for
1:13:39the elites, I will be your personal
1:13:41guidance professor. The academy has
1:13:44determined that your class is too
1:13:45different from other warriors for the
1:13:47standard class schedule to be useful
1:13:48outside the daily battle training
1:13:50courses, so we will be working together
1:13:52for the time being. Did you have the
1:13:55space here to take lessons, or would you
1:13:57like to move to a classroom? He had
1:13:59almost gotten his wish. Rita certainly
1:14:02wasn't ugly, but her nature was about as
1:14:04far from kind and gentle as was
1:14:06possible, and laps around the academy
1:14:08didn't seem like they would be outside
1:14:10her list of preferred teaching methods.
1:14:12There is a spot on the patio that should
1:14:14be suitable. Please come in, Sergeant.
1:14:18The gazebo seemed like the best learning
1:14:20space, and with the weirdness of magical
1:14:23training golems, staircases that only
1:14:25went to your floor, and everything else
1:14:26in this dormatory, Carl couldn't see how
1:14:29the plants left to him by the senior
1:14:30would be an issue. Sergeant Rita
1:14:33followed him into the unit, then onto
1:14:35the balcony with an intrigued look. But
1:14:37it was not the number of plants that
1:14:39shocked her. Are these all freshly
1:14:42watered? She asked. There was a watering
1:14:46guide included with the room. Most only
1:14:49need it once a week, and I didn't know
1:14:50when they were watered last, so I did it
1:14:52the day that I moved in. They seemed
1:14:55fairly dry, but everything is still in
1:14:57good condition. Carl replied with a
1:15:00shrug as he walked to the gazebo. This
1:15:03is a nice unit, very outdoorsy.
1:15:06I'm not sure if it will rain on the
1:15:08patio with the magic that's in effect,
1:15:10but other than that, you lucked out.
1:15:13Now, I need to know everything that you
1:15:15know about your powers so that we can
1:15:17start a proper training plan. How are
1:15:19the physical improvements? How has the
1:15:21power of your skill adjusted with a
1:15:23single day's practice? And are there any
1:15:25other hints as to what you can do with
1:15:27it? I won't lie to you. The classes that
1:15:30can send a golem or magical construct
1:15:32into battle for them are in much higher
1:15:34demand than any of the others except the
1:15:35mages who can use unique spells. But
1:15:38with a ranged attack from the start,
1:15:40"You're not in a terrible spot." The
1:15:43sergeant informed him very sincerely.
1:15:46Her honesty startled Carl, and it felt
1:15:48like she genuinely had his best
1:15:50interests in mind as a guidance
1:15:51counselor. Hiding too many things from
1:15:54her wouldn't do him any good. So Carl
1:15:56decided that it would be best to just
1:15:58put everything out in the open for her
1:15:59to understand.
1:16:01Maybe she would know how to help him and
1:16:03Hawk grow. Carl focused and brought out
1:16:06Hawk from his beast taming space. We
1:16:09should start from here. This is Hawk and
1:16:12my skill awakened him from an egg in the
1:16:14kitchen. It allows him to live somewhat
1:16:16comfortably in a space inside my mind
1:16:19and our thoughts are linked. Once I
1:16:21contracted with him, I gained the
1:16:23ability to use Ren, the same attack
1:16:26skill that all windspeed hawks have, and
1:16:28my senses gained an incredible
1:16:30improvement.
1:16:31Sergeant Rita stared at the tiny bird
1:16:33for a few seconds trying to process the
1:16:36information that she had received. So,
1:16:39your ability lets you contract with
1:16:40monsters and what? Use their abilities.
1:16:44While that sounds pretty cool, it's
1:16:46still a high-risk path to fight against
1:16:48other monsters.
1:16:50She asked, "Well, I guess that's true,
1:16:53but we both know what the other is
1:16:55thinking. So, with a bit of training, I
1:16:57shouldn't have to fight alone. I'll have
1:16:59Hawk with me." Carl offered. Sergeant
1:17:03Rita smiled. How about we see if we
1:17:06can't find you another beast cub? If you
1:17:09can get something that's a better
1:17:10fighter than the windspeed hawk, you
1:17:12might have a real chance to become one
1:17:14of the more powerful elites. Hawk
1:17:16squawkked an indignation at the
1:17:18suggestion that he would be replaced
1:17:19right after being born. Does this woman
1:17:22have no shame? Looking down on the
1:17:25windspeed hawk, fully grown, I am sure
1:17:28that I can make it to the commander rank
1:17:30and she's just an ascended warrior. Give
1:17:33it a month and I'll bet I could beat her
1:17:35up. Hawk's mental communication was
1:17:38accompanied by audible screeching when
1:17:40he was outside like this. And the
1:17:41sergeant smirked at the iate fledgling.
1:17:44What is he saying? She asked. He says
1:17:48that when he grows up, he will be a
1:17:50commander and you'll still be ascendant.
1:17:53Carl gave her the abridged version. The
1:17:56sergeant glared at Carl who raised his
1:17:58hands in defeat. You asked and he said
1:18:01it. I'm just the translator here. So, it
1:18:05really is intelligent enough for
1:18:06coherent thought at that stage.
1:18:09Interesting. I know it's the first day,
1:18:12but we should go to the training grounds
1:18:14to see what you two can do when working
1:18:15together.
1:18:17Sergeant Rita led Carl down to the main
1:18:19floor and out across the grounds to a
1:18:21large open coliseum.
1:18:23This will be our venue for the day.
1:18:26You'll love it, at least when it's
1:18:27empty. With nobody here, you can send
1:18:30your hawk as far out as you want, and we
1:18:33can spar with the training gear. Don't
1:18:35worry too much. It's capable of
1:18:37withstanding the attacks of commander
1:18:39ranked magical beasts. We won't be in
1:18:41any danger from the practice," she
1:18:44explained.
1:18:45The coliseum was actually a football
1:18:47stadium that was converted to an arena
1:18:49when the facility was repurposed as the
1:18:51Divine Golden Academy a decade ago after
1:18:53the injections were developed. It was
1:18:56huge and open with more than enough room
1:18:58to fight and plated with a powerful
1:19:00magical barrier and armored plating to
1:19:02keep the battles from affecting the
1:19:04crowd. Call out your bird. You two can
1:19:07make the first move. Sergeant Rita
1:19:10suggested as they walked to the middle
1:19:11of the battlefield.
1:19:13Hawk, fly up high and attack from the
1:19:16side. She will be expecting you to go
1:19:18behind her. Carl instructed as he
1:19:20checked his gauntlets and drew his
1:19:22sword. As soon as he released it from
1:19:24the mental space, the hawk flew up 50
1:19:27meters in the air and began to circle,
1:19:29waiting for its master to be ready.
1:19:31"Go,"
1:19:33Carl instructed as he slashed forward
1:19:35with the blade, activating Ren halfway
1:19:38through to create a small arc of power
1:19:40that Rita blocked with ease using one of
1:19:41the two daggers that had appeared in her
1:19:43hands. Then she dodged to the side as
1:19:46the attack from Hawk streaked towards
1:19:48her and parried again as a flick of
1:19:50Carl's fingers sent more rending energy
1:19:52her way.
1:19:53Then she counterattacked, surging with
1:19:55energy and rushing toward Carl. He had
1:19:58no actual combat experience, but a sword
1:20:01was bigger than a dagger, so he
1:20:02sidestepped and swung his blade, which
1:20:05she easily parried. But while she was
1:20:07distracted, Hawk's next attack hit her
1:20:09in the back of the neck, leaving a
1:20:10bright red welt. What do we do? Her neck
1:20:14doesn't break when I attack it. Hawk
1:20:17asked in a panic. Just keep attacking.
1:20:21She's stronger than us, but she is going
1:20:23to teach us how to fight. Carl
1:20:25frantically blocked the daggers with his
1:20:27gauntlet, but he could see that she was
1:20:29holding back, pushing him to see his
1:20:31physical limits. That bird's accuracy is
1:20:34deadly. I can see how you would have
1:20:36confidence against a common grade
1:20:37monster with a companion like that. If I
1:20:40were one of your classmates, I would
1:20:42likely be in the infirmary right now
1:20:44after that strike to the neck. The
1:20:46sergeant congratulated them. She had
1:20:49underestimated how fast that bird was
1:20:52and hadn't realized that it had time to
1:20:54come in for another dive bombing run so
1:20:56soon. Rita turned to keep them both in
1:20:58her line of sight as the bird continued
1:21:00to circle overhead, then launched a
1:21:02flurry of attacks that knocked Carl to
1:21:04the ground just in time for her to block
1:21:06Hawk's attacks. All right, I know where
1:21:09your weaknesses are now. The first thing
1:21:12that we need to train is your fighting
1:21:14skills. While the bird is equivalent to
1:21:16a repeated sneak attack, low output, but
1:21:19incredibly difficult to dodge, you will
1:21:21have to face the wrath of your enemies
1:21:23until you can find a second pet or a
1:21:24groupmate to take their attention. That
1:21:27made a lot of sense. In a way, he was
1:21:30still a warrior class, just a pet
1:21:32warrior who could fight alongside a
1:21:34magical beast. Learning an entire combat
1:21:38system wasn't going to be easy. But at
1:21:40this point, his life literally depended
1:21:42on it after graduation, unless he gave
1:21:44up on the dreams of becoming famous and
1:21:46powerful in exchange for doing some
1:21:47cushy job for the ultra wealthy and
1:21:49somehow never get the reserve force
1:21:51called to battle. But if he did that, he
1:21:54wouldn't be much different than where he
1:21:55had started. He'd just be at the bottom
1:21:57of a much fancier pile. Even most of the
1:22:01music and television idols among the
1:22:02elite were known to go and fight to
1:22:04improve their strength or deal with
1:22:06attacks. They just did it with
1:22:08assistance and cameras following so the
1:22:10world would know how awesome they were.
1:22:12Not like some bureaucrat or lawyer who
1:22:14got sent to an attack that didn't even
1:22:16make the news to fight alone against a
1:22:18rampaging monster. All right, what do we
1:22:21start with? sword fighting, martial
1:22:24arts, some sort of secret magical body
1:22:28training art, he asked. Sergeant Rita
1:22:32laughed. First, we start with basic
1:22:35physical conditioning. Your body is
1:22:38adjusting quickly to the mana injection
1:22:40and it triggers an awakening in place of
1:22:42your natural growth. That's why we give
1:22:44the shots at the end of middle school so
1:22:46that all the recipients are still in the
1:22:48rapid growth phase and can adapt more
1:22:50easily to the changes.
1:22:52As your body adjusts, you should be able
1:22:54to move from a common physique to an
1:22:56awakened physique fairly quickly, and
1:22:58then you will be able to actually fight
1:23:00at an acceptable pace, closer in speed
1:23:02to the movements of your Hulk," Carl
1:23:05side. He knew it. There were definitely
1:23:08going to be laps around the academy.
1:23:11Follow me to the gym. There will be a
1:23:13bunch of agility type fighters there
1:23:15now, so your standards should be
1:23:17suitable for the equipment that is out.
1:23:19I will lead you through a basic routine
1:23:21today and then we will set your baseline
1:23:23for improvement. Within the next month,
1:23:26I expect that you will be able to make
1:23:28the minimum awakened standard, but you
1:23:30have until the end of the semester
1:23:31before the official tests are done. So,
1:23:35most students take that long to make it
1:23:36to awakened.
1:23:38Carl asked, "That didn't sound so bad.
1:23:42No, many of them will make the minimum
1:23:44standard within the next few weeks. The
1:23:47true geniuses will be getting close to
1:23:49ascended by the end of the first
1:23:50semester and make it there either late
1:23:52in the year or at the beginning of the
1:23:54second year. Just like that, Carl's
1:23:57dreams of easy days as an elite were
1:23:59crushed. When they got to the gym, the
1:24:02attendant issued Carl a workout uniform
1:24:04consisting of sneakers, shorts, and a
1:24:06shirt in the academyy's white and gold
1:24:08color scheme and sent him to the locker
1:24:10rooms to shower and change. That was
1:24:13their policy. shower before and after
1:24:16using the equipment. Apparently, new
1:24:19students didn't wash enough on their own
1:24:21and they needed to shower when they
1:24:22arrived. Or perhaps, like he was that
1:24:25day, they were expected to be sweaty
1:24:27already. It didn't take long to get
1:24:30ready, but Sergeant Rita was already
1:24:32there, changed into a black tank top and
1:24:34a different pair of green cargo pants
1:24:36with clean boots. Did they think that
1:24:39she might be mistaken as a student if
1:24:40she didn't wear green? or perhaps it was
1:24:43a military rule. Carl had heard that the
1:24:46elite soldiers weren't officially
1:24:48military, but their own branch of the
1:24:50government. However, they didn't come to
1:24:53the mines. There was no reason for them
1:24:55to be there. So, he had never actually
1:24:57seen one before the injection day. The
1:25:00agility type warriors, as Sergeant Rita
1:25:02called this class, turned out to be
1:25:04almost entirely female. That made Carl
1:25:07wonder deeply about what sort of bias
1:25:09the mana injection had for the skills
1:25:11that it awakened in people or what that
1:25:13said about his current physique. He
1:25:16might not be the most macho man ever,
1:25:18but being subtly told that you currently
1:25:19have the physique of a 14-year-old girl
1:25:21was hard on the ego. Then he looked
1:25:24through the glass wall and saw the
1:25:26strength type warriors from the senior
1:25:27classes training and the class was full
1:25:30of muscle-bound meats with arms the size
1:25:32of his torso. Maybe he was in the right
1:25:35place. All right, first up, upper body
1:25:38strength. That skill of yours puts a lot
1:25:41of resistance on your body, and you need
1:25:43to be able to power through it, but
1:25:45without building up so much bulk that
1:25:47you can't evade anymore, Rita began.
1:25:50What followed was 2 hours in hell. By
1:25:54the time that Carl limped back to the
1:25:55showers, he was sweaty, exhausted, and
1:25:58ready to fall asleep right where he was.
1:26:01He was about to collapse when Hawk
1:26:03pushed a piece of cold roast chicken out
1:26:04of the space for him to eat as a form of
1:26:06emergency energy or a survival ration
1:26:09windspeed hawk style. A very deeply
1:26:12missed survival ration even though the
1:26:14birds still had a quarter of a roast
1:26:16chicken and plenty of raw meat left.
1:26:19Once he was changed, Carl made his way
1:26:21back to the dorms for the afternoon and
1:26:23straight to the cafeteria for some
1:26:25muchneeded sugar and caffeine.
1:26:27If this was going to be the daily
1:26:29routine, he was going to have to start
1:26:31eating much heavier meals than usual.
1:26:34Somehow, despite feeling like death, he
1:26:36still managed to look like he was in
1:26:38better shape than the next few groups to
1:26:40arrive. They were holding each other
1:26:42upright and mostly bruised, cut,
1:26:45scorched, or dripping with some sort of
1:26:47mystery liquid. "What happened to you?"
1:26:50Carl asked the mage sitting at the next
1:26:52table, startling him so much he almost
1:26:54fell out of his chair. Skills training.
1:26:58All day long, the magic classes undergo
1:27:01skills and theory training. I have one
1:27:04spell, lightning bolt, and they had me
1:27:06drink supplements over and over to cast
1:27:08it 30 times today until it stopped
1:27:10hitting me and everyone around me. He
1:27:13complained clearly in agony and so tired
1:27:16he was about to pass out. What about
1:27:18you? The other mage at the table, a girl
1:27:21with charred sections on her uniform,
1:27:24asked. I had a combat class with the
1:27:27instructor, then 2 hours of fitness
1:27:29routine with the agility type fighters.
1:27:32I think my legs have started to turn
1:27:33into pudding already. Carl side. 2-hour
1:27:38fitness routine. What did you do to the
1:27:40instructor to deserve that? Even the
1:27:43newbie warriors only get a 30inut
1:27:45intensive weight training session and a
1:27:4730-inut cardio session along with their
1:27:49weapons training. The girl asked, "No
1:27:53idea. I think that she's got high hopes
1:27:56for me, though, because she's already
1:27:58talking about forging me into an
1:28:00awakened body this month. The mages
1:28:02winced. We need to get our mana levels
1:28:05up to awakened levels before the end of
1:28:07semester exams, but that's way harder
1:28:09than it sounds. And we need to meditate
1:28:12whenever we're off. But you can't do it
1:28:14when you can't focus. And we're all too
1:28:16sore today. Well, almost all of us. I
1:28:20think that she might be fine. That woman
1:28:22is a demon. The boy Carl had spoken to
1:28:25first complained, gesturing toward a
1:28:27woman covered in slime at the next
1:28:29table. "Slime girl?" Carl asked, "Don't
1:28:34let it fool you. She's a water mage, and
1:28:36her first spell is refreshing water
1:28:39slime. It helps her recover stamina and
1:28:42mana, so she's been wearing it like that
1:28:44all day. That was almost a cheat
1:28:46ability." From what these two said, the
1:28:50mages trained their aptitude by
1:28:51maintaining and controlling their
1:28:53spells, and hers refreshed her stamina
1:28:55and magic while she wore it, so she
1:28:57could do it all the time without getting
1:28:59exhausted.
1:29:00She would almost certainly grow quickly.
1:29:03That was the sort of luck that a true
1:29:05protagonist should have, Carl decided.
1:29:08Slimes suck. You can't even eat them.
1:29:11They just squish. Hawk had a point. Not
1:29:14only was he an excellent combat
1:29:16assistant, he was also edible. The
1:29:18students slowly made their way to their
1:29:20rooms, and Carl let Hawk sleep off his
1:29:23overindulgence while he lay in bed, too
1:29:25tired to sleep, but too sore to do
1:29:27anything else. He wasn't sure when that
1:29:30changed to blissful slumber, but he was
1:29:32very aware of his alarm going off the
1:29:34next morning, alerting him that he had
1:29:3615 minutes before Sergeant Rita arrived.
1:29:39Carl took a quick shower and changed
1:29:41into his uniform before the sergeant was
1:29:43at his door impatiently knocking and
1:29:45holding a breakfast try in her other
1:29:47hand. You're running late, so I brought
1:29:50food. Let's go to the gazebo so you can
1:29:53eat while you study. She instructed.
1:29:56Once they sat down, Sergeant Rita took
1:29:59out a small stone and set it on the
1:30:01table. What do you think of this? She
1:30:05asked. Carl looked it over. It wasn't an
1:30:09egg. It was just a rock of some sort. He
1:30:12even poked it first with the handle of
1:30:14his spoon and then with his finger. No
1:30:17response.
1:30:19It's definitely a rock, he replied.
1:30:23Interesting. So, the psychic stone has
1:30:26no response to you, but you can
1:30:28communicate with your bird. Rita noted.
1:30:32Now, try this one again. Carl put his
1:30:35hand on the stone, tried to make it do
1:30:37something, but it was just a rock. Then
1:30:40another and another. But when she put a
1:30:43small golden coin on the table, an
1:30:45ancient monetary instrument from the
1:30:47golden dragon nation they lived in, Carl
1:30:49immediately felt an affinity for the
1:30:51object. And when he touched the dragon
1:30:53on the coin, a sense of power filled
1:30:55him. So that's the answer. That coin was
1:31:00blessed at the dragon god shrine during
1:31:02the last dragon festival.
1:31:04It appears that your powers resonate
1:31:06with the dragon energy. Since that's the
1:31:09case, I want to try something else. Rita
1:31:12took out a small vial filled with
1:31:14shimmering red liquid. Oh, I want it.
1:31:18Ask the evil lady to give me that. Hawk
1:31:21demanded. You should be glad that she
1:31:24can't hear you. Hulk thinks that will be
1:31:26useful to him if he can have it. What is
1:31:29it? Carl asked. It's mana infused
1:31:33monster blood. It's the most basic of
1:31:36common grade resources for physical
1:31:38cultivation type elites. Drinking mana
1:31:41infused monster blood strengthens the
1:31:43body and can induce mutations.
1:31:46Without a proper method to handle and
1:31:48guide the process, it is often fatal.
1:31:50But for a monster or magical beast, it
1:31:53should be perfectly fine, she explained
1:31:56with amusement sparkling in her eyes.
1:31:59For a moment there, she almost seemed
1:32:01like a happy young woman, but then her
1:32:03serious face was back as she gestured
1:32:05toward the table. Call him out so that I
1:32:08can see the process. If it works, the
1:32:11academy will get you more resources for
1:32:13the bird until it can grow into a proper
1:32:15combat unit. According to this morning's
1:32:18briefing, leadership feels that trying
1:32:20to turn you into a frontline fighter
1:32:21with just one rending attack is
1:32:23pointless, and the senior professors
1:32:25think that we might have more luck
1:32:26training the Hawk with you as its backup
1:32:28and leader in a support or scouting
1:32:30role, she explained.
1:32:33Carl sighed. Day two and I've already
1:32:36been sidelined.
1:32:38Rita gave an honest laugh at his
1:32:40disappointment.
1:32:41All the mages are being cultivated in
1:32:43this direction as well. It is a measure
1:32:46to reduce casualties.
1:32:48The more people that we can have
1:32:49fighting behind golems, summons,
1:32:52barriers, and in your case, monsters,
1:32:55the better we can resist the magical
1:32:56beasts, and the more success we will
1:32:58have against the armies of the other
1:33:00nations. They know that we have the
1:33:02advantage, and this relative peace won't
1:33:04last for much longer. If you don't want
1:33:07to be cannon fodder, you need to act
1:33:09quickly to gain strength. So strengthen
1:33:13the bird and when you feel that you are
1:33:14strong enough to take on another pet,
1:33:16let me know and the academy will find
1:33:18something suitable for you. That was a
1:33:21sharp change from yesterday's regimen of
1:33:23focusing on building his physical
1:33:24strength as fast as possible. But if
1:33:26they didn't know any more about his
1:33:28powers than he did, there wasn't
1:33:30actually much they could teach him other
1:33:32than methods that had worked for others
1:33:33with different powers. But Hawk was
1:33:36already out on the table and happily
1:33:38lapping up the mana infused monster
1:33:40blood while radiating an amount of power
1:33:42that was far beyond what anyone would
1:33:44expect of a common grade beast. After a
1:33:47few seconds, the effect seemed to fade,
1:33:49but the former swallows sized hawk was
1:33:51now much larger. And while it was still
1:33:53a common grade monster, it was getting
1:33:55much closer to fully grown and awakened
1:33:58level power. Then something truly
1:34:01strange happened. Carl felt energy
1:34:03flowing from Hawk to him, clearing his
1:34:05mind, sharpening his eyesight, and
1:34:08leaving his muscles feeling fresh and
1:34:10strong. He had no way of subtly testing
1:34:13it, but Carl was almost completely
1:34:15certain that his physical strength had
1:34:16suddenly increased as Hawk grew. Most of
1:34:19the people he had seen these last few
1:34:21days were changing rapidly after the
1:34:23mana injection. So, it might just be
1:34:25that, but the fact that it happened so
1:34:27suddenly after Hawk was given the
1:34:29monster blood seemed incredibly
1:34:30suspicious.
1:34:32Carl cleared his throat and looked at
1:34:34the empty vial on the table. So, I
1:34:37resonate with dragon energy, and Hawk
1:34:39likes monster blood. That second part
1:34:42isn't exactly a surprise for a hawk. But
1:34:44do you think that there is a known
1:34:46technique that will let us grow stronger
1:34:47more quickly? Well, we are limited in
1:34:50dragon type energy. There just isn't a
1:34:53lot of it floating around. But there
1:34:54might be another way. Carnivorous
1:34:57magical beasts grow stronger by killing
1:34:59and eating, absorbing the life force of
1:35:01other beasts. I think that moving the
1:35:04two of you to the practical courses as
1:35:06soon as you can finish basic skills and
1:35:08survival lessons would be for the best.
1:35:10We can't just send you out of the
1:35:12academy without getting you trained
1:35:13enough to defend yourself. The public
1:35:15would riot if they found out that one of
1:35:17the elite had died during training. The
1:35:20mana injections are great for us. We get
1:35:22the superpowers of all sorts, but to the
1:35:25average people, they are the promise of
1:35:26a safer future without the nightmares of
1:35:29impending monster invasions or being
1:35:31left helpless during a war. Carl rolled
1:35:34his eyes as she got into the official
1:35:36propaganda.
1:35:37While she wasn't exactly wrong, most of
1:35:39the students here would never fight in
1:35:41any war. Heck, half of them would never
1:35:44develop a skill that was actually useful
1:35:46during a war.
1:35:48No matter how cool a sword skill was,
1:35:50artillery still existed. Unless your
1:35:53sword could deal with an air strike, it
1:35:56was not suitable for use during a real
1:35:58war. But some of them really could deal
1:36:00with artillery using sword techniques.
1:36:03The mages were a different story. But
1:36:06also, if his beast got powerful enough
1:36:09or he managed to bond with a
1:36:10particularly powerful monster, he could
1:36:13also become a deadly fighting force. The
1:36:16height of a powerful magical beast could
1:36:18stop bullets. And many types of beasts
1:36:20could breathe fire, call down lightning,
1:36:22or even slice apart armored vehicles
1:36:24with their claws. He was already headed
1:36:27down that last road with Ren. And if he
1:36:30could get it past the awakened level of
1:36:32the power scale and into the ascended
1:36:34levels, there was no reason that he
1:36:36couldn't tear through an armored vehicle
1:36:37on his own. But for now, that's mostly
1:36:40hypothetical.
1:36:42We're not at war with anyone, and the
1:36:44magical beasts are being held at bay
1:36:46throughout the Golden Dragon Nation,
1:36:49Carl replied.
1:36:51For now, just trust me, Carl. You want
1:36:54to get in as much combat training as you
1:36:56can, and I will apply for improved
1:36:58resources for Hawk. I know that birds
1:37:01are usually fine with whatever sort of
1:37:03meat you feed them, but if we want to
1:37:05force it to grow faster, it will take a
1:37:07detailed plan. Rita informed him. Carl
1:37:11thought about that. A windsp speeded
1:37:14hawk was full grown at four months old,
1:37:17but at that point they were only low
1:37:19awakened level beasts with a common
1:37:21grade physique. It would take time and
1:37:23hunting stronger beasts if they wanted
1:37:25to grow past that strength level.
1:37:28Without some sort of reference or plan,
1:37:30he could be stuck at a very low level in
1:37:32his second year.
1:37:34Rita started to take textbooks out of
1:37:36her bag, but a very different set of
1:37:38books than Carl had been issued his
1:37:39first day here. These were all about
1:37:42magical beasts, their diets, traits,
1:37:45abilities, and other factors that might
1:37:47be relevant to Hawk. I will leave these
1:37:50for you and come back tomorrow morning.
1:37:53What I want you to do today is come up
1:37:54with a care and feeding guide for the
1:37:56bird and justify it with the information
1:37:58from the books. If it's good and it
1:38:01follows the information that we have in
1:38:03a logical way, I think that I can get
1:38:05you some more resources.
1:38:07At the very least, I can get some more
1:38:09of the mana infused monster blood. We
1:38:12stock quite a bit of that for the
1:38:14warriors and other classes who need an
1:38:16instant physical power boost. She
1:38:18informed Carl with a smile. Rita left
1:38:22Carl alone with the stack of books on
1:38:24monster data, which were all written
1:38:25from the perspective of a hunter. At
1:38:28best, they noted what the beast's usual
1:38:30diet was and where it could be found.
1:38:32But that was much different than a guide
1:38:34to help him properly raise them, much
1:38:36less one to raise them faster than usual
1:38:38to compete against wild beasts and magic
1:38:40users. Fortunately, he only needed a
1:38:43care and feeding guide for Hawk to
1:38:45complete the homework, which was a
1:38:47perfectly reasonable level of workload
1:38:49for the day. Plus, he had a cheat. Hey,
1:38:53Hawk, what sort of things do you think
1:38:55would make you stronger?
1:38:57something that you could eat or keep
1:38:58near you to grow extra fast. Carl asked
1:39:02the happy bird who had settled down in
1:39:04the space inside his mind to rest. I
1:39:07like meat and the red juice from the
1:39:09evil lady and those blue fruits over
1:39:12there. Can I eat those? Give me a second
1:39:15while I see what they are and what
1:39:17they're for. Carl replied before opening
1:39:20up the notebook for the balcony
1:39:22greenhouse.
1:39:23Mountain gooseberries. Tasty treats for
1:39:26both humans and animals. Used to make
1:39:29monster bait. No nutritional value that
1:39:32I know of, but the smell will attract
1:39:34all sorts of monsters.
1:39:36This berry contains a high mana content,
1:39:39suitable for creating mana potions of
1:39:41the weakest variety. Even in
1:39:43concentrated form, it is not as strong
1:39:45as a normal mana recovery potion. Carl
1:39:49read the description twice and then went
1:39:50to pick three of the berries. You can
1:39:53have this many one time a day. If you
1:39:56eat too many, you will get sick, he
1:39:59warned Hawk. Really, he just didn't want
1:40:02the hawk pigging out on junk food when
1:40:04he had a whole pile of meat in the
1:40:06taming space. The hawk took the berries,
1:40:09looked at them with longing, then spread
1:40:11them all over the raw meat, and began to
1:40:13tear it apart with renewed vigor. Carl
1:40:16added a note to the papers for his
1:40:18homework.
1:40:19Windspeed hawks will use the mountain
1:40:21gooseberry as seasoning on their
1:40:22preferred raw meat diet. Once the hawk
1:40:25had finished eating for a moment and
1:40:27laid down to let the influx of mana and
1:40:29nutrients settle into its body, Carl
1:40:31started with the questions. Why do you
1:40:34call Sergeant Rita the evil woman? He
1:40:37asked, "Every time I see her, she wants
1:40:40me to work, but there is never food.
1:40:43What else could she be except evil?"
1:40:46That made a lot of sense. The baby Hawk
1:40:49was still a magical beast, and his
1:40:51stomach was a primary driving force for
1:40:53his behavior. Whatever bond they had
1:40:55forged made Hawk friendly to Carl, but
1:40:58that consideration didn't extend to
1:40:59anyone else around him. All right, then.
1:41:02Where is the most comfortable spot to
1:41:04rest? Carl asked. Right here, maybe the
1:41:08branches of that tea tree. Those ones
1:41:11smell good, and they hide your scent
1:41:13from prey. Tea trees are good trees.
1:41:17All afternoon, Carl quizzed the bird and
1:41:20wrote out a report with the answers.
1:41:22Then he started to go through the
1:41:24textbooks looking for supplements that
1:41:26might help monsters or even elites with
1:41:29rend type skills. The first group didn't
1:41:32have much research on it, but the second
1:41:34one was pretty common.
1:41:36All sorts of warrior classes had a
1:41:38rending attack after a bit of training.
1:41:40And it was among the skill techniques
1:41:42that the Golden Divine Academy taught
1:41:44its warriors.
1:41:45Naturally, they had supplements that
1:41:47were designed to increase the ability of
1:41:49the warriors to explode with inner
1:41:51power. The question was if they would be
1:41:53effective on Hawk. Neither of them could
1:41:56tell from looking at the description. So
1:41:58Carl began to flip through the standard
1:42:00textbooks until he found the alchemy
1:42:02text. That one was more productive.
1:42:06Once they had the list of potential
1:42:07potions and treatments, Carl just had to
1:42:10check the ingredients and see if it was
1:42:11something that Hawk might like. Most of
1:42:14them were all herbal based. But once he
1:42:16got to the strength potion, he found
1:42:18something promising. It was made from
1:42:21monster blood infused with the dust of a
1:42:23gemstone that gave off strong magical
1:42:25energy. The two together gave the human
1:42:28embber a long duration burst of energy.
1:42:31That stone was the promising part. He
1:42:34didn't really need something that would
1:42:36give Hawk a burst of strength. It was a
1:42:38bird, not a gorilla, but the stone that
1:42:40it was made of radiated power that might
1:42:42help him grow more quickly. After that,
1:42:45Carl kept searching, but only found one
1:42:48other resource, a wind magic stone of
1:42:50the same sort. That one wasn't a natural
1:42:53resource. It was created by mages as a
1:42:56mana storage device.
1:42:58Hawk loved to absorb mana, and since it
1:43:00was air magic, Carl had some hopes that
1:43:02it would be able to work with that stone
1:43:04to improve its own abilities. That was
1:43:07four potential resources.
1:43:09High energy monster meat with berries
1:43:11for seasoning, the infused blood, the
1:43:13strength stone, and the wind stones. If
1:43:16he could get all four of them, he might
1:43:18even be able to get Hawk through to
1:43:20awaken strength in the next few weeks.
1:43:23The next morning, Rita returned to
1:43:25collect Carl's homework before breakfast
1:43:27and then came back with a small bag for
1:43:29their classwork.
1:43:31All right, I got you what I could to see
1:43:33if the resources actually help a pet
1:43:34beast grow faster than the average. This
1:43:37isn't going to be a short process. The
1:43:39windspeed hawk is going to need the
1:43:41whole semester to make it to awaken
1:43:43naturally. So, if you can do better than
1:43:45that, you should get good marks on your
1:43:46training. We will still work on your
1:43:49martial arts skills, though. If you get
1:43:52targeted by the opponents in a mock
1:43:54battle, you need to be able to defend
1:43:55yourself. And you do have at least one
1:43:57attack method of a magical variety. She
1:44:00informed Carl with a smile.
1:44:03Well, at least I'm not expected to run
1:44:05and hide while someone beats up Hawk.
1:44:08What did you manage to find us? Rita
1:44:11dumped the contents of the bag on the
1:44:13table, and Hawk went crazy in Carl's
1:44:15mind. There were two strengthening
1:44:17stones, an entire liter of infused
1:44:20monster blood, and six blue wind stones
1:44:22that were giving off an incredible aura
1:44:24of power. The wind stones were made by
1:44:27the headmaster personally. He was part
1:44:30of the first batch of successfully
1:44:32injected elites, and he is now an
1:44:34overlord grade mage. He says that if the
1:44:37wind stones really can be a cultivation
1:44:39resource for the windsp speeded hawk, he
1:44:41will gladly make you more and look into
1:44:43ways to awaken more elites in the same
1:44:45direction. Rita explained, "I take it
1:44:49back. Evil lady is actually nice lady."
1:44:52Hawk screeched as it stared at the
1:44:54buffet in front of it. Carl ignored the
1:44:57bird's antics in his mind and placed one
1:44:59of the strength stones in a small dish
1:45:01full of monster blood. The energy seemed
1:45:04to seep from the stone to the soup. But
1:45:06Carl wasn't sure what to do with the
1:45:08wind stones. You can't crush the wind
1:45:11stones. It will break the spell. But if
1:45:14he just sleeps beside them or wears one
1:45:16as a pendant, the mana should help.
1:45:19Assuming he can use it anyhow. That's
1:45:22how the new air magic users do it. Carl
1:45:26called Hawk out, and the bird
1:45:27immediately went to the soup and licked
1:45:29the entire bowl clean before turning its
1:45:32head to the windstones.
1:45:34Each was no bigger than the diamond on a
1:45:36wedding ring, but the energy contained
1:45:38inside was immense.
1:45:40Sleeping next to them shouldn't be a
1:45:42problem, and Carl could even make a
1:45:43little pouch to carry them around Hawk's
1:45:45neck. But the bird immediately ate one,
1:45:48and swirling winds began to build around
1:45:50the balcony, tearing leaves from trees
1:45:52and nearly knocking over planters for
1:45:54the smaller varieties before Carl pulled
1:45:57Hawk into his mental space. "What are
1:46:00you doing?" he demanded of the tiny bird
1:46:02that was now radiating magical power.
1:46:05"It's food. Amazing, powerful food. What
1:46:10else would I do with it if not eat it?"
1:46:12Inside the space, winds whipped and
1:46:14power flowed constantly from Hawk to
1:46:16Carl, strengthening his body as if he
1:46:19were the magical beast. But from the
1:46:21outside, from Rita's perspective,
1:46:23everything was calm, and Carl was
1:46:25meditating or distracted by his thoughts
1:46:28with no sign of external stimulus.
1:46:31All she could do was patiently wait
1:46:32until an hour later, when Carl finally
1:46:35opened his eyes and gave an exhausted
1:46:37sigh. The windstones are indeed an
1:46:40excellent resource for Hawk.
1:46:42Come on out and let her see you, my
1:46:44friend. The windspeed hawk appeared on
1:46:47the table, looking exactly as it always
1:46:49did, with cream feathers covered in
1:46:51modeled brown patterns that matched the
1:46:52common trees of the forest. But now it
1:46:55was much larger, as long as Carl's
1:46:58forearm, as a nearly full-grown
1:46:59windspeed hawk, should be. It was also
1:47:02giving off the aura of an awakened grade
1:47:04monster.
1:47:06Well, we can say for certain that
1:47:07feeding a wind stone to a windsp speeded
1:47:09hawk will cause an immediate growth
1:47:11breakthrough, and it will progress from
1:47:13fledgling to a young adult state within
1:47:15a few hours. He's also starving again,
1:47:18and he has eaten everything I stored, so
1:47:20I'll pour him some more blood into the
1:47:22dish. Carl offered as an explanation.
1:47:26It really worked. There actually is a
1:47:29way to cultivate tamed monsters.
1:47:32How do you feel? Is it a strain on your
1:47:35body?
1:47:36Did you gain anything from the process?
1:47:38Perhaps more mana or a new power? Rita
1:47:41asked, ready to take notes for the
1:47:43academy? I feel stronger, but I don't
1:47:46know how to check my mana levels. Is
1:47:49there a device for that? Carl asked. No,
1:47:53the mages know instinctively, but I'm
1:47:56not a mage. We can bring you to one
1:47:58later, and they can give us a reading
1:48:00for the records. But meanwhile, you can
1:48:03try to use your abilities and see how
1:48:05long it takes for you to get tired. Carl
1:48:08ran off to the closet in his small room
1:48:10to get the gauntlets and came back out.
1:48:13A quick flex of his arms gave him a
1:48:15sense of great power, and once he got to
1:48:17the railing, he found that the
1:48:19resistance of the rend spell on his
1:48:21actions was negligible. He had more than
1:48:24enough strength to move his arm
1:48:25normally, and the four thick arcs
1:48:27streaked through the air and out over
1:48:29the academy courtyard. Impressive.
1:48:33That is definitely at the awakened rank
1:48:34and power. But how many times can you do
1:48:37it? If there is no stamina, the academy
1:48:40will classify it as a common class burst
1:48:42ability on your part where it is an
1:48:44awakened ability for the hawk. Rita
1:48:47explained.
1:48:48Three more at full power was enough to
1:48:50leave Carl panting, but he had an idea.
1:48:53Give me a few minutes to recover, and I
1:48:56think that I can do better. A short
1:48:58break and a bit more to eat had Carl
1:49:01back up to full strength while Rita
1:49:03quietly made notes about his recovery
1:49:05speed. Carl tried again at half strength
1:49:08and the drain on his energy was
1:49:09negligible.
1:49:11The feedback from Hawk was enough that
1:49:13Carl felt he could do this for hours,
1:49:15but instead he did it a dozen more
1:49:17times, alternating hands and directions
1:49:19of the cuts as if he was shadow boxing
1:49:21with Rend as the strikes.
1:49:2515 minutes at half output. That's still
1:49:28common grade strength, but on the strong
1:49:30side of it. And it looks like you are
1:49:32improving as the hawk improves. Once he
1:49:35is stronger, you should really become an
1:49:37awakened level fighter, or rather beast
1:49:39tamer with the advantage of an awakened
1:49:41level beast to help you. Not bad for the
1:49:44first week, right? If you leave those
1:49:47resources here, I think that we can do
1:49:49better by the end of the month.
1:49:51We might even have enough strength to
1:49:52fight with some of the secondyear
1:49:54students by the time the exams come
1:49:56around. Rita laughed at Carl's
1:49:58enthusiasm.
1:50:00You had better make time in your day for
1:50:02combat training then, or even with Hawk,
1:50:05you'll get beaten to a pulp. She had a
1:50:08point. This whole beast taming thing
1:50:10would be a lot easier if he had a giant
1:50:12rhino or something scary in front of
1:50:14him. Hulk went straight for the
1:50:16windstones again once nobody was paying
1:50:19attention and grabbed another, but this
1:50:22time it didn't integrate into his body
1:50:24in the same sudden rush. Instead, there
1:50:27was a steady flow of wind magic from the
1:50:29stone to the bird, and its body seemed
1:50:31to be adapting to the excess energy at a
1:50:34much slower rate. Does it only work that
1:50:36well once? That was a pretty highle
1:50:39resource compared to Hawk. So perhaps it
1:50:42damages the body when it is used in such
1:50:44an abrupt manner. Rita suggested while
1:50:47flipping her short black hair out of her
1:50:49eyes. That's possible. I can't really
1:50:52tell. And Hawk doesn't understand
1:50:54either. He just wants the stones. I will
1:50:57ration them out for him so he gets a new
1:50:59one when the old one is absorbed. Carl
1:51:02agreed. That would be a while. as after
1:51:05he ate the second stone, Hawk was
1:51:07begging to be let back into the mental
1:51:09space to sleep off its overindulgence.
1:51:12Food coma, Carl explained when Rita gave
1:51:16the disappearing bird a confused look.
1:51:18She sighed and shook her head. That's
1:51:21not part of a proper training regimen.
1:51:24But today, we can forgive it since he
1:51:26had such a large breakthrough. I approve
1:51:29of your diet plan and the infused blood
1:51:32will be brought to you regularly along
1:51:34with a new strength stone in a few
1:51:36weeks. Hopefully, this one lasts because
1:51:39that's as fast as we can get another. It
1:51:42looks like your abilities are very fast
1:51:44growing but equally resource inensive.
1:51:47Perhaps if you grew naturally at the
1:51:49rate of the contracted beast, you could
1:51:51do it with only food resources. But from
1:51:53what we know of the wild magical beasts,
1:51:55they also need to eat some rare objects
1:51:57or absorb strange energies to reach the
1:51:59higher ranks naturally. What Carl really
1:52:02needed was a way to improve the hawk so
1:52:04it could beat other monsters at its
1:52:06level and not just keep growing. They
1:52:09were likely to have to face beast packs
1:52:11and invasions in the future, and one
1:52:13monster on their side against 10 on the
1:52:15other would mean very little to their
1:52:16chances of winning.
1:52:18Being able to work together was a nice
1:52:20start, but not enough to be considered a
1:52:22truly powerful sort of existence on his
1:52:24own. Hawk snorted in amusement in his
1:52:27mind. "What other Hawk of my level is so
1:52:30good with its magic or so majestic in
1:52:32flight? I know you're the best, but I'm
1:52:35trying to think of ways to make us even
1:52:37better." Carl countered. Hawk went quiet
1:52:41as he thought about it. Hawks only
1:52:44needed one skill, the ability to kill
1:52:46their prey. But he supposed that more
1:52:48ways to kill his food wasn't necessarily
1:52:50a bad thing. Maybe if he watched other
1:52:53birds do it, he could find ways to do it
1:52:55better. The windspeed hawk wasn't sure
1:52:58that was even possible, but it wanted to
1:53:00make Carl happy, so it was willing to
1:53:02try to use Ren in new ways. Can we go
1:53:06down to the training areas? I think that
1:53:09the more we see actual combat while
1:53:11we're training, the easier it will be to
1:53:13come up with ways to make ourselves
1:53:14better. Carl suggested
1:53:18Hulk wasn't going to be coming out for a
1:53:20while, so he might as well train himself
1:53:22while he had the chance. Rita led him
1:53:25out of the dorms and out into the field
1:53:26on the opposite side from his balcony.
1:53:29There was a large training area there
1:53:31with stone squares in the open field,
1:53:33and a large group of students were
1:53:35training unarmed combat techniques
1:53:37there.
1:53:38They were all second-year students and
1:53:40very good at what they were doing, but
1:53:42just watching them gave Carl ideas on
1:53:44how he and Hawk could work together to
1:53:46overcome them. We're going to try
1:53:48something different today. Since you
1:53:50have a ranged skill of sorts, I want to
1:53:53start you on defensive basics. If you're
1:53:56fighting from a distance without magical
1:53:58armor skills like the mages learn, then
1:54:00you need to have a way to block. Today,
1:54:03we will practice blocking incoming
1:54:04attacks with your claws. The more you
1:54:07practice, the better you will get. Think
1:54:10of it like learning to play catch. Just
1:54:13hit the incoming attack with your own.
1:54:16Somehow that friendly description
1:54:18sounded extremely sinister to Carl,
1:54:20especially when she led him away from
1:54:22the unarmed combat field and toward a
1:54:24huge bunker. There are mages at your
1:54:26level training here. Stronger common
1:54:28class students that are close to
1:54:30breaking through to awakened. They might
1:54:33have a bit more stamina than you do
1:54:34since they've been practicing longer,
1:54:36but it takes less to deflect the attacks
1:54:38than to form them. Now, at first, they
1:54:42will be firing down the training hall
1:54:43above your head. Don't worry, they
1:54:46shouldn't miss the target entirely at
1:54:48their level. Just do your best to
1:54:50deflect them off target. The mages
1:54:53nearby glared at Sergeant Rita as she
1:54:55said those words. Who was she to come in
1:54:58here and interfere with their training?
1:55:01They were already at the bottom of their
1:55:02class, but now she was bringing in some
1:55:04newbie hot shot just to mess with them.
1:55:07All right, seniors. I apologize for the
1:55:11inconvenience.
1:55:12Carl apologized as he felt the glares
1:55:15directed his way. It is training for the
1:55:17mages as well. It's one thing to just
1:55:20hit a target, but in the real world,
1:55:22targets will defend themselves.
1:55:25Being able to work around the defense to
1:55:27land a solid hit is also a necessary
1:55:29skill.
1:55:30Rita added, "In the end, she was a
1:55:33teacher, and they didn't have any say
1:55:35about her intentions for their training,
1:55:37but the thought that this was a real
1:55:39world exercise, while they had been
1:55:40mostly abandoned to their own devices as
1:55:43the weakest of the elites, was somewhat
1:55:44reassuring."
1:55:46Rita led Carl to the other end of the
1:55:48training grounds where a dozen targets
1:55:50were lined up. All right, everyone. Here
1:55:53is the goal. You just need to land hits
1:55:56on the targets the same as always. But
1:55:58this time, Carl here will be doing his
1:56:00best to deflect those shots and keep
1:56:02them from landing. With a dozen of you
1:56:05and one of him, it shouldn't be hard,
1:56:07but he needs the stamina training to
1:56:09help stabilize his foundation.
1:56:11Have fun and don't be afraid to push
1:56:13yourselves to find new ways to get to
1:56:15the target. They started casting as soon
1:56:18as she finished speaking, and Carl
1:56:20frantically began to cast rending blades
1:56:22at low output, letting them crash into
1:56:24the various spells. Some were deflected,
1:56:27some were only slowed, and some pushed
1:56:30through on their own with only a slight
1:56:31loss of power. It all depended on the
1:56:34element and the power of the spell as to
1:56:36what happened. Fire and water were the
1:56:39hardest to deflect. They just passed
1:56:41over with a loss of power where ice,
1:56:43earth, and other solid objects could be
1:56:45easily knocked off course. The next
1:56:48time, he only used one rending claw per
1:56:51attack to save mana, but increased the
1:56:53power of each as he swatted aside and
1:56:55nullified the attacks. Carl panted with
1:56:58exertion inside. That was a mistake. The
1:57:01power needed was an exponential increase
1:57:03compared to the increased output. It was
1:57:06better to hit a target with multiple
1:57:08small attacks than one big attack. The
1:57:11mages were actually beginning to enjoy
1:57:13themselves as they realized that he
1:57:15wasn't some wonder genius sent here to
1:57:17humiliate him and that he was a newbie
1:57:19working on his mana control just like
1:57:21they had been all last year. With
1:57:24everyone limited in stamina and magical
1:57:26power, there were constant breaks which
1:57:28also became part of the game that was
1:57:30played between Carl and the mages. He
1:57:33would sit down to recover, but still
1:57:34swatted attacks if someone got lazy and
1:57:37an attack was particularly weak or slowm
1:57:39moving. In the eyes of the supervisor,
1:57:42the lone teacher assigned to watch over
1:57:44the dozen mages in this class. It was
1:57:46the best motivation that they had seen
1:57:48in months. None of these students were
1:57:50good at self-motivating, and their
1:57:52abilities weren't strong enough to get
1:57:54them a personal instructor, even one at
1:57:56the low level that Sergeant Rita had
1:57:58reached. To his trained gaze, the
1:58:00warrior with the rending claws was
1:58:02likely to overtake her in power by the
1:58:04end of his first semester. While she had
1:58:06taken three years to make it to the
1:58:07middle of ascended rank combat power,
1:58:10Sergeant Rita was no genius when she had
1:58:12to learn magical powers, but she was a
1:58:15great martial artist and from what he
1:58:17could see, a superb teacher. Not only
1:58:20had she motivated her own student, it
1:58:22was motivating his as well. Carl and the
1:58:25others trained together until lunch,
1:58:27after which the mages would be moving to
1:58:29theoretical training to help them learn
1:58:30new spells. And Carl would be moving on
1:58:33to either close combat training or
1:58:35theory classes on how to care for a
1:58:36magical beast and research assignments
1:58:38on the chances of increasing its power
1:58:40more than its species would normally
1:58:42allow. Come with us for lunch. It looks
1:58:46like you awakened a pretty cool combat
1:58:47ability right from the start with the
1:58:49ranged claw attacks. Most warriors are
1:58:52boring until they're at least reaching
1:58:54the end of the awakened rank and they
1:58:56can start to hit targets more than 2
1:58:57meters away from them. One of the mages
1:59:00informed Carl. She was a tall and buxom
1:59:03blonde, but with the growth spurt that
1:59:05he had undergone the last few days, she
1:59:08was only a little taller than he was
1:59:09now, and Carl had hopes that he would
1:59:11reach an acceptable height before he had
1:59:13enough classes with others that his
1:59:14reputation as a shorty would precede
1:59:16him. At the very least, everyone seemed
1:59:19to respect his abilities.
1:59:22None of them seemed to notice that Carl
1:59:24covered an entire plate of raw meat in a
1:59:26drizzle of mana infused monster blood,
1:59:28or that it simply vanished into thin
1:59:30air. They were all more eager to discuss
1:59:32the ways that they had thought of to use
1:59:33their spells to get around his defenses.
1:59:36I think that if we increase the speed
1:59:38and fire them as double balls instead of
1:59:40a single, we can get at least one
1:59:42through to the target. One of the mages
1:59:44was suggesting better if you send them a
1:59:47few meters apart so that the other claws
1:59:49don't hit or better at slightly
1:59:52different speeds that will make it
1:59:54harder to guess when they will arrive.
1:59:57Another mage sighed. His specialty was
2:00:00ice and he had a terrible time getting
2:00:02the ice shards to hit the target when
2:00:04they were so easily knocked off course.
2:00:06This is a different cafeteria than I'm
2:00:08used to. Where are we? Carl asked. Oh,
2:00:13this is the cafeteria in the mage
2:00:15district. There is another in the
2:00:17warrior training area as well for
2:00:19students who were a long way from the
2:00:21dorm cafeteria at lunch. The foods at
2:00:24each are totally different because they
2:00:26are specialized for the different
2:00:27groups. The warrior one has more
2:00:30nutrition-based options designed to
2:00:32build muscle while ours is more manner
2:00:34rich. The one at the dorm is a mix of
2:00:37everything, but mostly it's used by the
2:00:39students who study in their dorms all
2:00:41morning. the non-combat elites, the tall
2:00:44blonde explained.
2:00:46That's good to know. I have to train
2:00:49everything, but today I definitely need
2:00:51the extra mana. I'm Carl, by the way.
2:00:55Molly, the blonde replied,
2:00:59formerly known as Gertrude Dingle. One
2:01:02of the boys teased. But now I'm Molly.
2:01:06It's on my ID card. The blonde replied
2:01:09in an annoyed tone.
2:01:11You don't have to put your real name on
2:01:13the sheet, you see. She asked if she
2:01:16could change it when she was on the
2:01:17train, and the guard said they'd call
2:01:19her anything she wrote there. Legend has
2:01:22it that some prankster a few years ago
2:01:24was known as Tater Salad for an entire
2:01:26year before he could get his card
2:01:27changed. One of the other mages informed
2:01:30Carl with a giggle. Hawk sighed in
2:01:33contentment as he feasted on the
2:01:34upgraded lunch package, courtesy of the
2:01:36red sauce that the not so evil lady had
2:01:39left for him. And Carl sat and joked
2:01:41with the mages for an hour before
2:01:42Sergeant Rita came to inform him of his
2:01:44next training task. We will see you all
2:01:47tomorrow morning, but for the afternoon,
2:01:49Carl has actual combat training to do.
2:01:52He might have arranged attack magic, but
2:01:55the academy has determined that he is
2:01:56still a warrior class.
2:01:58The mages made praying motions, wishing
2:02:01Carl the best of luck on surviving
2:02:03warrior training as well as ranged
2:02:04casting practice in a single day, then
2:02:07slowly made their way to theory classes
2:02:09with a renewed motivation to learn new
2:02:10spells that would get past his defense.
2:02:13Carl had been getting better all
2:02:15morning, but they all had thoughts on
2:02:17how to evade his defensive abilities. As
2:02:20they walked out across the grounds, Rita
2:02:22smiled at Carl's concerned look. Relax.
2:02:25It won't be so bad. We're going to the
2:02:28first year unarmed combat classes.
2:02:31It's just basic martial arts and most of
2:02:34them have very little skill. Your
2:02:36physique is miles beyond most of the
2:02:38other newbies, so you shouldn't have too
2:02:40many problems adapting.
2:02:42Plus, I brought you one more resource
2:02:44that I scooped from the mage class
2:02:46instructor. It's a memory drop, a
2:02:49condensed focusing spell that makes it
2:02:50easier to memorize things. It's not
2:02:53powerful magic, but it's incredible for
2:02:56studying. The mages get them as a reward
2:02:59when they do well on tests.
2:03:01Ah, Rita, welcome. It's good to see you
2:03:05back here as a teacher instead of a
2:03:07student. Who is this that you've brought
2:03:09with you? The instructor, a small but
2:03:12muscular man in his late 40s, asked.
2:03:16Chances are he wasn't part of the elite.
2:03:18He was too old to have been chosen even
2:03:19a decade ago. But if he was a martial
2:03:22arts expert, he would be the perfect
2:03:23person to be training new recruits.
2:03:26They wouldn't be stronger than he was,
2:03:28and they knew basically nothing unless
2:03:30they happened to have some special
2:03:32training at home with the hope that they
2:03:33would be in the lucky 5% that managed to
2:03:36gain an affinity to mana from the
2:03:37injection. That was a fairly big risk to
2:03:40take, but some would surely have done it
2:03:43just in case. This is Carl. He's an
2:03:46agility type warrior with a ranged
2:03:48magical attack that utilizes the claws
2:03:50on the gauntlets. It has proven quite
2:03:53versatile, and since it's a gauntlet
2:03:54type weapon, he should fit in fairly
2:03:56well in your unarmed combat classes as
2:03:59well. Rita explained, "Well, that sounds
2:04:03like it's a properly versatile skill
2:04:05set." "All right, let's see what you can
2:04:07already do and what you still need to
2:04:09learn." The instructor agreed. Carl
2:04:13laughed and Rita smirked. They both knew
2:04:16that he knew nothing, but with the
2:04:18enhancement that he had been getting
2:04:19from Hawk, at least he might not
2:04:21embarrass himself. The instructor
2:04:24noticed his uneasy look and smiled.
2:04:26"Don't worry too much. It's unarmed
2:04:29combat. Just leave your gauntlets over
2:04:32there and we can spar a little. If
2:04:34you're a complete newbie, just do what
2:04:36feels right, and that will tell me what
2:04:38way is best to help you develop." Yeah,
2:04:41swoop down from above and break his
2:04:43neck, Hawk added. Not helpful. I can't
2:04:47fly. Then jump or something. I don't
2:04:51know. Hulk pouted. Carl set his
2:04:55gauntlets off to the side and took a
2:04:57combat stance that he had learned from
2:04:58Rita on the first day. At least he now
2:05:01knew how to throw a punch without
2:05:02hurting himself, but they would have to
2:05:04see how the actual match went. The
2:05:07instructor threw a sudden punch and Carl
2:05:09swatted it aside as Rita had told him,
2:05:12then counterattacked with a punch of his
2:05:14own, which the instructor simply
2:05:15sidestepped to evade. For a man who
2:05:18couldn't be an elite, he was insanely
2:05:20agile, and Carl's follow-up punch also
2:05:23missed, making him think that Rita had
2:05:25been taking it even easier on him than
2:05:26he had first suspected. The instructor's
2:05:29knee caught Carl in the midsection,
2:05:31forcing him back, but he swung his leg
2:05:33out in a sweep, trying to knock the
2:05:35instructor over. He misjudged the range,
2:05:38but being down low let him block the
2:05:40next knee and tackle the instructor, who
2:05:43was only a little taller than Carl was.
2:05:46That turned out to be the wrong move, as
2:05:48the man caught him. And then, suddenly,
2:05:50Carl was spinning through the air to
2:05:52land on his back. Dust puffed up around
2:05:55him as the wind left his lungs, and Carl
2:05:57gasped, but rolled to his feet. "Not
2:06:00bad, kid. I've got a good idea of how
2:06:03you like to fight now, so we will put
2:06:05you with the mixed martial arts group.
2:06:07Those stand-up fighters do well against
2:06:09soldiers, but it looks like you will be
2:06:11better in bar brawls and nastier fights
2:06:13against monsters. It might seem
2:06:16counterintuitive, but with your speed
2:06:18and power, a punch to the head will stun
2:06:20many common monsters, and grappling
2:06:22skills can be adapted to keep their
2:06:24claws away from you. It's not an
2:06:26offensive art. You have your ranged
2:06:28attacks for that, but if they get past
2:06:30that, I think we can teach you to defend
2:06:32yourself.
2:06:34Somehow, punching a magical beast in the
2:06:36face seemed like an awful idea. But if
2:06:38the option came down to that or being
2:06:40bitten, he supposeded it wasn't all that
2:06:42bad. Rita, come over here and give us a
2:06:46hand. Your student needs to learn the
2:06:48basics of the style, and we've already
2:06:50got an even number of students. Sergeant
2:06:53Rita looked like she had been prepared
2:06:55to sit this class out. But when she was
2:06:57called, she didn't resist.
2:06:59Not many of these new students would be
2:07:01Carl's match anyhow, and it would just
2:07:03be bullying for him to spar with the
2:07:05ones who didn't receive a large initial
2:07:06physical boost. Once again, Carl found
2:07:10himself headed back to the cafeteria for
2:07:12dinner. totally exhausted, sore in every
2:07:15muscle, and barely able to walk. But the
2:07:18memory water was working, and he could
2:07:19recall each of the 50 techniques that he
2:07:21had been shown that day with perfect
2:07:23clarity, along with the proper way to
2:07:25use them. After a few more weeks of
2:07:28training, so his body remembered it as
2:07:30well, he might even be able to consider
2:07:32himself a trained amateur fighter. Carl
2:07:35sat down alone at a table, but he was
2:07:37soon joined by other members of the
2:07:39unarmed combat class.
2:07:41Man, you won the lottery with that
2:07:43awakening, didn't you? It's the first
2:07:46week, but you're already so fast, and
2:07:48you even got a personal trainer. One of
2:07:51the boys from the mixed martial arts
2:07:53group greeted him. Carl laughed. I got a
2:07:57personal trainer because my marking is
2:07:59different from any of the others, and
2:08:00they had no idea what sort of skill I
2:08:02was going to get. So, I was tossed a
2:08:06personal trainer, and we're just
2:08:07guessing our way through it. Most of you
2:08:10guys should have gotten the grappler or
2:08:11monk marks, right? The open hand or the
2:08:15staff over the fist. The small group at
2:08:18the table nodded. Yeah, the initial
2:08:21skills are crap, but at least it was
2:08:23easy to awaken. All you need to do is
2:08:26punch something, and I managed that
2:08:27before I even got out of bed. I gave a
2:08:30fist pump in joy and hit the shelf, and
2:08:33that was enough to awaken my mark. Plus,
2:08:36we get a load of extra stamina.
2:08:39Even if we can't get to the most
2:08:40powerful ranks, we can at least grow up
2:08:42to be popular with the ladies. One of
2:08:45the other boys laughed. It's better than
2:08:48nothing. But sitting around all day
2:08:51talking about magic symbols like the
2:08:52mages sounds like much more fun than
2:08:54working my butt off learning martial
2:08:56arts and body strengthening skills. One
2:08:59of the other students laughed. Your head
2:09:02hurts trying to do basic math. You'd
2:09:04never survive as a mage. It has to be
2:09:07easier than getting beat up every day.
2:09:10I'm a lover, not a fighter. The boy
2:09:13complained.
2:09:14We all know you've never done that
2:09:16either, so you might as well learn to
2:09:18fight. While Carl lay in bed, wondering
2:09:21how he was going to deal with the mage
2:09:23class in the morning. Hawk was busily
2:09:25finishing absorbing the wind gem that he
2:09:26had been given. With the level
2:09:29difference between the hawk and the
2:09:30stone, it should be giving him all sorts
2:09:32of benefits. But after the first stone,
2:09:35which brought him to the awakened level,
2:09:37there wasn't much change. His mana
2:09:39levels were steadily growing, which was
2:09:41pulling Carl up with him, but nothing as
2:09:43shocking as the first stone. It was with
2:09:46great regret that the generous offer of
2:09:48resources was wasted that Carl fell
2:09:50asleep, only to be awakened before dawn
2:09:53as a surge of magic flowed through his
2:09:54body. Skill gained. Windshield.
2:09:59The absorption of the stone had granted
2:10:00Hawk a new skill, though the new spell
2:10:03was unavailable to Carl, at least for
2:10:05now. Now that's more like it. Another
2:10:08spell for you, and that is one that a
2:10:10normal windspeed hawk wouldn't manage to
2:10:12learn. Congratulations.
2:10:16Carl cheered for the bird, who was
2:10:18already settling back down to sleep. It
2:10:20had managed to comprehend better magic
2:10:22with the help of the stone, and now it
2:10:24had no intention of being awake while it
2:10:26wasn't hungry. Unfortunately for Carl,
2:10:30he wasn't so lucky, and the excitement
2:10:32kept him awake for hours, letting him
2:10:34get back to sleep just before the alarm
2:10:36went off to get ready for breakfast.
2:10:38You're looking chipper this morning.
2:10:41Aren't you sore? One of the boys from
2:10:43the combat training class asked. I
2:10:46recover pretty quickly. It's all just a
2:10:49matter of eating enough to keep up with
2:10:51your needs. Carl laughed as he pointed
2:10:54to the plate in front of him. After the
2:10:56breakthrough yesterday, his appetite had
2:10:58grown much larger. And again this
2:11:00morning, his clothes were a size too
2:11:02small. Before he went for training, he
2:11:06was going to have to go to the supply
2:11:07room and get new uniforms that actually
2:11:09fit. Carl made his way to the laundry
2:11:12room where the sign said they could
2:11:14apply for new uniforms and was greeted
2:11:16by a very large woman in a raincoat.
2:11:19What do you need then? A bit early in
2:11:21the day for laundry. It won't be ready
2:11:23until later, and I'll put it in your
2:11:25room, she announced.
2:11:28Actually, I need uniforms that fit. I've
2:11:32been growing like crazy since I arrived,
2:11:34and neither of the ones I was given fits
2:11:36anymore. I can't even do up my shoes.
2:11:38I'm standing on the heel. Carl replied,
2:11:42"Ah, right then. I'll get you sorted
2:11:45out. Just bring the others down to me
2:11:48later."
2:11:49The laundry woman came back a few
2:11:51seconds later with two uniforms in fresh
2:11:53plastic bags and a pair of boots, plus a
2:11:56pair of shoes and sandals. If you turn
2:11:59out to be one of those giants, then you
2:12:01might need the sandals later. Just try
2:12:03to keep things in good condition so I
2:12:05can issue them to the other students
2:12:07once they're all washed. Once you're
2:12:10settled through the growth phase, you
2:12:11should be fine. Carl returned to his
2:12:14room to change and then went down to
2:12:16meet Rita for their morning visit with
2:12:18the mages. "Hey, Hawk, which one do you
2:12:21think is more mana efficient, Rend or
2:12:23Windshield?"
2:12:25he asked. "Rend, of course. But wind
2:12:30shield can block big things and water
2:12:32balls." "Stupid water balls," Hawk
2:12:36replied. Carl wasn't sure what the water
2:12:39had done to him. The bird had been
2:12:41sleeping most of the morning yesterday,
2:12:43but there was a chance that the young
2:12:44bird was just moody and needed more
2:12:46attention. "Why don't you come out and
2:12:49sit on my shoulder for the morning? We
2:12:51can block water balls together," Carl
2:12:54suggested. And Hawk was instantly out
2:12:57sitting on the shoulder of his coat
2:12:58while impatiently rocking, waiting for
2:13:00them to get to work. "I take it Hawk is
2:13:03going to join us for the day," Rita
2:13:06asked. He was feeling a bit caged in
2:13:09waiting to be able to do something other
2:13:11than sleep and wait. I think it will be
2:13:13good training for him as well. And there
2:13:15are plenty of spells for him to block.
2:13:18Don't worry, he knows to block the
2:13:20spells, not to attack the casters.
2:13:23Rita laughed as she led them to the
2:13:25training grounds where the mages were
2:13:27already assembled and waiting. You have
2:13:29a pet bird. That is just awesome. Will
2:13:33he be watching? That's a male windspeed
2:13:36hawk, right? One of the girls from the
2:13:39mage class asked. He is. His name is
2:13:43Hawk and he will be helping me out today
2:13:46with the blocking duties. Carl agreed.
2:13:49The mages looked extra excited. They
2:13:52were wondering what a magical beast
2:13:54would do to block their attacks, but
2:13:56they didn't want to go find a wild one
2:13:58to find out firsthand.
2:14:00This was much safer, and they would be
2:14:02able to learn if the Hawk's logic on
2:14:04what should be blocked was different
2:14:05from what a humans would be. The barrage
2:14:08began again, but with faster attacks,
2:14:10variable speed attacks, and multiple
2:14:13castings to try to get around Carl's
2:14:14defenses.
2:14:16As soon as the fight started, Hawk leapt
2:14:18up into the air and circled behind the
2:14:20targets so that he could attack downward
2:14:22the way that he was used to and began
2:14:24targeting the water balls.
2:14:27Nobody else noticed at first as there
2:14:29were only a couple of water mages, but
2:14:31they were quite certain that the bird
2:14:32had something against them. Hey, did
2:14:35that hawk just cast a windshield?
2:14:38I swear that it used a barrier spell
2:14:40when my water balls split to go around
2:14:42the rending blades. The water mage
2:14:44complained. It's a windspeed hawk. Since
2:14:49when do they have a barrier ability? One
2:14:51of the other mages laughed and then saw
2:14:54his fireballs simply dissipate against
2:14:56an invisible shield. Damn it, they do
2:14:59have a wind shield. All right, I've got
2:15:02a counter for that. The fire mage raged
2:15:05while the other mages laughed and the
2:15:07hawk screeched happily. His next attack
2:15:10was three fireballs split in speed so
2:15:12they wouldn't be easily blocked. Hawk
2:15:15spread his toes and swung his foot,
2:15:17sending a trio of rending blades out to
2:15:19intercept. They hit all three fireballs
2:15:22at once. And the other mages cheered.
2:15:25Man, he's good. No wonder people tell
2:15:28horror stories about trying to get away
2:15:30from bird type monsters.
2:15:33After the skills training with the mages
2:15:35finished, and they had all managed to
2:15:36drag themselves to lunch, exhausted, but
2:15:39satisfied with their progression, Carl
2:15:41began to mentally prepare himself for
2:15:43the afternoon skills training. Hawk was
2:15:46happily resting on the table with a
2:15:47chunk of roasted meat. But Carl could
2:15:49tell that the bird's mind had already
2:15:51wandered to the monster blood treated
2:15:53delicacies that had been stored in the
2:15:54taming space for him to snack on all
2:15:56afternoon while his leader learned how
2:15:58to fight. Do you think that they will
2:16:00let you go out with the newb training
2:16:02patrols?
2:16:03I know that you're training alone and on
2:16:05a different learning program than
2:16:07everyone else in the first year class,
2:16:09but we also heard the teacher talking
2:16:10today about how they might black badge
2:16:12you soon and then you'll be able to lead
2:16:14a group into the woods. The actual
2:16:17classes always have wilderness
2:16:18assignments, but they can't go without
2:16:20an awakened or stronger team leader. So,
2:16:22most of the first years have to beg for
2:16:24favors from the upper classmen or wait
2:16:26until the teachers organize an outing.
2:16:29One of the girls asked, "She was also a
2:16:32black badged awakened mage, but looked
2:16:34older than many others in the misfit
2:16:36mage's class, so she might be in her
2:16:38third year, not her second. I will have
2:16:41to ask Sergeant Rita about it." I didn't
2:16:44know that the others had to leave the
2:16:46academy grounds to do things in their
2:16:48first year. So, it's all news to me.
2:16:50Other than the combat training class
2:16:52where I don't actually spar with many of
2:16:54the other students because I'm
2:16:56physically strong and untrained, you
2:16:58guys are the only student interaction
2:16:59that I have, Carl explained.
2:17:03Oh, that makes sense. This early in the
2:17:06year, you wouldn't be doing much of
2:17:08anything but learning the basics. It's
2:17:11mostly the alchemists, druids, garden
2:17:13witches, and such that have to go
2:17:15outside into nature to train. Their
2:17:18skill set requires it. The mage agreed.
2:17:22Yeah. And the more esoteric mages often
2:17:24don't leave the library for more than an
2:17:26hour or two a day for their entire time
2:17:28at the academy. They just learn as much
2:17:31as they can about spells and then never
2:17:33actually use them for anything. I should
2:17:36have worked harder to be one of them. It
2:17:38would be less exhausting.
2:17:40One of the boys added, "If you can, you
2:17:43definitely want to go outside, though.
2:17:46There are all sorts of good things out
2:17:48there, especially for a meat lover like
2:17:50Hawk, and you'll get extra credit for
2:17:52leading the group, which you can spend
2:17:53at the supply room." Sergeant Rita's
2:17:56voice came from behind Carl. Are you lot
2:17:59trying to steal away my student? He's
2:18:02got a long way to go before he's ready
2:18:04to go out into the wilderness
2:18:05unaccompanied.
2:18:06The mages laughed and everyone pointed
2:18:08at the bird on the table. Did you know
2:18:11that the windspeed hawk can use wine
2:18:13barrier with that and ren it's already
2:18:17tougher than most of us? Plus, it's a
2:18:20magical beast and there's still a whole
2:18:22Carl to go with it. One of the mages
2:18:25explained. Rita gave the mages a stern
2:18:28look that said she wasn't going to be
2:18:29changing her mind on Carl going on
2:18:31wilderness outings no matter whether he
2:18:33got the black badge or not. Your plates
2:18:36are empty and Hawk has finished basking
2:18:38in the attention. So, pack him away and
2:18:40get to the training class. We will be
2:18:43testing your memory today. Rita ordered
2:18:46then left Carl to clean up and follow
2:18:48behind her. Looks like the mention of
2:18:51going outside got her upset. I'll see
2:18:54you all tomorrow. Carl laughed as he
2:18:57transferred Hawk back into the taming
2:18:58space.
2:19:00He could do that from a distance, but he
2:19:02wasn't sure just how far it worked from,
2:19:04as he hadn't tried it from more than
2:19:06across the room. That was another skill
2:19:08that he would have to practice with Hawk
2:19:10eventually once their bond and bodies
2:19:12were strong enough that they could
2:19:14operate individually and didn't have to
2:19:15rely on each other for everything. Well,
2:19:18maybe they wouldn't wait on the bodies
2:19:20to get stronger. Windspeed hawks were
2:19:22better known for their skills than their
2:19:24durability, but the sentiment was the
2:19:25same. Carl joged down to the training
2:19:28area where Sergeant Rita was waiting for
2:19:30him with a few older students and the
2:19:32regular class was just beginning to
2:19:34assemble in the locker room to get
2:19:36changed. Give me 2 minutes and I will be
2:19:38back out. He called as he saw the
2:19:41sergeant already changed and waiting.
2:19:44Bare feet and shorts, shirt optional.
2:19:47One of the older students called back.
2:19:50That was the normal sort of training
2:19:52outfit for the mixed martial arts class.
2:19:54So Carl didn't think much of it as he
2:19:56got ready and came back out. Not bad,
2:19:59still young, but a good bit of muscle
2:20:01mass, lean and solid. One of the older
2:20:04students noted when Carl returned
2:20:06without a shirt. It would just get in
2:20:09the way while sparring, so he was
2:20:10carrying it with his towel and water
2:20:12bottle, both sourced from the shelves in
2:20:14the changing room along with the
2:20:15training outfit. Rita looked over Carl
2:20:18and the training group. All right, first
2:20:21we will start with a quick sparring
2:20:23session to see how much of your training
2:20:25you actually managed to remember. I
2:20:27remember giving you some resources that
2:20:29will help you retain knowledge, so I
2:20:31have high expectations.
2:20:33Carl couldn't tell how strong these
2:20:35students were supposed to be when
2:20:36everyone was in training outfits, but
2:20:38the boy he was paired up with was only a
2:20:40little larger than he was and slightly
2:20:42more heavily muscled. None of the
2:20:45students in this training class were
2:20:47pure bodybuilder physiques. It would
2:20:49interfere with their flexibility.
2:20:51That didn't mean much when there were
2:20:53supernatural abilities involved.
2:20:55Many of the warrior classes got strong
2:20:58physical enhancements as they practiced
2:21:00as good or better than the feedback that
2:21:02Carl got from Hawk. This will be a
2:21:04three-minute round. Now start. Rita
2:21:09announced his opponent darted out a jab
2:21:12to test Carl's reaction speed, which he
2:21:14blocked while moving forward for a knee
2:21:16strike. Being smaller, it was to his
2:21:19advantage to get as close as he could,
2:21:21where the other boys reach advantage
2:21:23didn't mean anything. He had learned
2:21:25that yesterday while getting beaten up
2:21:27by Rita. He only knew a few strikes,
2:21:30punches, knees, and elbows along with a
2:21:33few blocks, but hopefully it would be
2:21:35enough to get him through the next 3
2:21:36minutes. The older boy aimed a strike at
2:21:39Carl's head, which he ducked under and
2:21:41punched toward the stomach. This
2:21:44opponent was fast, nearly as fast as
2:21:46Rita, and he danced out of the way
2:21:48instead of blocking, which allowed him
2:21:50to move out of Carl's punching range. It
2:21:53put Carl on the defensive as the boy
2:21:55counterattacked. But either he was
2:21:56weaker than Rita or he was holding back.
2:21:59And he didn't manage to land a solid hit
2:22:01for the next minute as Carl threw a few
2:22:02kicks and tried to get back in close
2:22:04again. It wasn't working. The boy had
2:22:07figured out the trick to keeping Carl
2:22:09away with knee strikes, and the two were
2:22:11at an impass when the round ended. "Not
2:22:14bad, but neither of you could land a hit
2:22:17to save your lives." Rita admonished
2:22:20them. "He's short and stupidly fast. If
2:22:24you want someone who can beat him up in
2:22:26a sparring match, ask the monk classes,
2:22:28not me." The boy complained.
2:22:32After 2 hours and a dozen opponents,
2:22:34Rita finally stopped calling more people
2:22:36to the ring. All right, I have the
2:22:39combat data that I need. It looks like
2:22:42Carl here has a pretty good memory and
2:22:44instinct for someone who has clearly
2:22:45never won a fight before in his life.
2:22:48That's good enough for us to get started
2:22:50on the next round of instruction.
2:22:52She announced
2:22:54the next round. What exactly are we
2:22:57going to have to do next? I'm already
2:22:59struggling to win a fight here unarmed.
2:23:01I'm not sure that throwing more
2:23:03knowledge at me is going to help. Carl
2:23:05asked. Rita laughed at Carl's concern.
2:23:10No, we're not going to force you to
2:23:11learn even more in the next few days.
2:23:14Instead, what we will be doing is tying
2:23:17everything that you have learned into
2:23:18one practical lesson and then grinding
2:23:20it into your brain until it is
2:23:21impossible for you to forget it. You
2:23:24need to be able to block attacks while
2:23:26fighting and work with Hawk at the same
2:23:28time. Like a mage that has been tasked
2:23:30with both offense and defense, you'll be
2:23:33working overtime, and you need to build
2:23:35your situational awareness.
2:23:37Carl nodded like he understood, but Rita
2:23:39saw right through his subtrafuge.
2:23:42What I mean is that you must be aware of
2:23:44where all threats are at all times, or
2:23:46either you or Hawk could get yourselves
2:23:48into a lot of trouble. You're not
2:23:50indestructible, and enemies will try to
2:23:53lay traps for you. That means you can't
2:23:55let the hawk act freely on instinct.
2:23:58They will know what to expect from that.
2:24:00You have to guide him while also
2:24:02protecting yourself and maintaining a
2:24:03solid offense so that you can fight your
2:24:05way out of trouble if it finds you. Rita
2:24:08explained.
2:24:10Well, that sounds like a lot of work, so
2:24:12it must be important. How am I going to
2:24:15do that? Carl asked. Practical skills
2:24:19training class. You will have accuracy
2:24:22and speed training with the mages in the
2:24:24morning, martial arts training in the
2:24:25afternoon, and then an entire day of
2:24:27practical skills training every week.
2:24:30Now, tomorrow is normally the odd day
2:24:33for most students where they take their
2:24:34elective subjects instead of their core
2:24:36training. For you, that means practical
2:24:40skills. Then the day after is an off
2:24:42day. So, catch up on rest and healing,
2:24:45and you'll be back with the mages on
2:24:47Monday morning. At least there was still
2:24:49an off day.
2:24:51Now, you can call it an early day and go
2:24:53get something to eat. Tomorrow will be a
2:24:56long one, and the first time is always
2:24:58the hardest, but trust me, this class
2:25:01will be important for you, especially if
2:25:03you start collecting more monsters on
2:25:05your side," Rita added, then walked
2:25:08away. Carl wanted to argue that he could
2:25:11do perfectly well like the mages that he
2:25:13worked with, just doing theory for half
2:25:15the day and practical skills for the
2:25:17other half. But that didn't seem to be
2:25:18an option now that he had been singled
2:25:20out as having a unique skill. The fact
2:25:23that he was currently one of the
2:25:24strongest freshmen briefly entered his
2:25:26mind, but as Carl hadn't actually
2:25:28interacted much with the other new
2:25:30students, his skills could only be
2:25:32compared to the secondyear students
2:25:33where even the misfits of the class
2:25:35could probably take him in a fight. It
2:25:38didn't feel all that impressive as a
2:25:39title. When he showered, changed, and
2:25:42finally got back to the student
2:25:44cafeteria for an early meal, there were
2:25:46a lot more students than usual hanging
2:25:48around, chatting, and laughing. These
2:25:51were the other freshmen that Carl didn't
2:25:53usually see, who were still undergoing
2:25:55mostly theoretical training for the
2:25:56non-combat skills that they had
2:25:58awakened. Unlike the scorched, frozen,
2:26:01and bruised freshmen who would show up
2:26:03later, these looked surprisingly
2:26:05cheerful. though Carl could see that
2:26:07whatever they were doing was wearing
2:26:08them out and they were mentally
2:26:10exhausted.
2:26:11Oh, it's the first through the field.
2:26:14Why don't you come and join us?" one of
2:26:17the girls asked as Carl stepped into
2:26:19line behind her. It looks like I already
2:26:22have a reputation.
2:26:24Carl laughed as more people turned to
2:26:25look at him. A boy a few places in front
2:26:28of him nodded. They use your group as
2:26:31the example of what sort of courage and
2:26:33caution we are supposed to have. You all
2:26:36managed to make it all the way without
2:26:37any issues other than the ones caused by
2:26:40other groups that weren't as good. The
2:26:42teachers want to make sure that we all
2:26:44know it, too. And the others from your
2:26:46group, Dana, James, and Krueger, are
2:26:49already living the celebrity life in
2:26:50class. Well, mostly James and Krueger
2:26:54since Dana disappeared into the library
2:26:56to do her mage training on the first day
2:26:58and doesn't really come out much. The
2:27:00girl who had greeted Carl laughed.
2:27:03That's because she wants to find a way
2:27:05to reduce the casting cost of her magic
2:27:07until she can use it for a whole fight.
2:27:10I told her that it's not realistic.
2:27:12Mages are burst damage sorts, blast it
2:27:14hard, and hope it dies, but she's bent
2:27:16on being able to fight for longer
2:27:18without switching to area effects, which
2:27:20don't work well in a group. Carl
2:27:23shrugged. We've all got our own style, I
2:27:26guess, but being able to work in a group
2:27:29is important as well. I heard that later
2:27:32in the year, everyone gets a chance to
2:27:34go out on missions for extra credit, and
2:27:36that is normally done in a larger group
2:27:38with one of the seniors. The students in
2:27:40line all nodded eagerly as the girl
2:27:42replied, "We're looking forward to it.
2:27:46The extra credit isn't about marks in
2:27:48class. It can get you all sorts of
2:27:50special privileges."
2:27:52Well, it can get us all sorts, but I
2:27:54heard that you already have an assigned
2:27:56tutor and customized classes, so you
2:27:58don't need to worry about the two
2:27:59biggest ones that everyone wants. It's
2:28:02not all sunshine and rainbows.
2:28:05A full-time tutor means full-time
2:28:07customized classes on their schedule,
2:28:09not yours. I would love to be able to
2:28:12slack off." Carl laughed. The students
2:28:16around him snorted in amusement. Even
2:28:19without them, the teachers are right on
2:28:21top of anyone who tries to slack. It's
2:28:24like they know the instant that you're
2:28:25not working as hard as you could be, and
2:28:27they're trained to jump on you and make
2:28:29you catch up. The pure amount of
2:28:31homework that we all got the first few
2:28:33days because we treated class like
2:28:35school was insane. The next morning,
2:28:38Carl was waiting at the training grounds
2:28:40just as Sergeant Rita had instructed
2:28:42when a large group of firstear students
2:28:44arrived together and a handful of senior
2:28:46students with black badges came walking
2:28:48in with casual smiles on their faces.
2:28:51Looks like we've got a new addition.
2:28:53Which group are you here to join? One of
2:28:56the blackged students asked. No idea.
2:29:01Sergeant Rita just ordered me to be
2:29:02here. Carl replied with a shrug. The
2:29:06students all gave him an assessing look,
2:29:08trying to guess what his skill and power
2:29:10level was at. But even with his recent
2:29:12growth spurt, he just looked like a
2:29:14handsome teen boy, not yet old enough to
2:29:16be called a young man. Then the teachers
2:29:19arrived, two mages and Sergeant Rita,
2:29:22who had a bundle in her arms as she
2:29:24walked over to Carl. Flip your coat
2:29:26inside out. You will be the flag carrier
2:29:29for team five. Here is your actual flag
2:29:33for the mission. wear it as a cape and I
2:29:35wish you luck. As I said, the first day
2:29:38is always the hardest. She informed him
2:29:41with a smile. Oh, we get a rookie for
2:29:45today's training. One of the senior
2:29:48students asked. The larger of the two
2:29:50mages, an old man who must have been a
2:29:53natural mage and not one of the injected
2:29:54elites, cleared his throat, and everyone
2:29:57fell silent. Most of you know the rules.
2:30:01Oddnumbered teams are on defense.
2:30:03Protect your flags as well as you can.
2:30:06The flag carriers are your team leaders.
2:30:09Even numbered teams are on offense. Your
2:30:11senior will lead the team. This is a
2:30:14group training exercise as you alone
2:30:16won't be able to face down every threat
2:30:18that comes your way during training.
2:30:20Sergeant Rita will hand out the tokens
2:30:22at random while the seniors know their
2:30:24numbers already. Senior Jeffrey is out
2:30:27on a mission, so Carl will be taking his
2:30:29place for the next few weeks.
2:30:32Rita walked through the groups of
2:30:33firstear students and passed out tokens
2:30:36which everyone pulled from a bag. Then
2:30:38the students grouped up based on the
2:30:39token they drew. The fact that it was
2:30:42completely random and that they wouldn't
2:30:44have any guarantees of a decent grouping
2:30:46was already giving Carl a headache, but
2:30:48it looked like the others were well
2:30:50aware of the situation and they were
2:30:52already making plans for how they would
2:30:53work with what they had. That was the
2:30:56point of the lesson. When there was an
2:30:58emergency call, whoever was close to the
2:31:01emergency answered, you didn't get to
2:31:03pick and choose a front guard, healer,
2:31:05and mages. You just fought with what you
2:31:07had, and there was no extra time to
2:31:09figure it out. Carl's group was Dana,
2:31:12the mage girl who was behind him on the
2:31:14first day, along with seven large boys
2:31:17that all had shields and hammers or
2:31:18spears.
2:31:20Oh, come on. One of the other students
2:31:23groaned as they saw the group forming.
2:31:26How did group five end up with every
2:31:28defender in the entire class? One of the
2:31:30mages agreed. His group was five mages
2:31:34and three boys with short swords and
2:31:36daggers. If they were attacking, it
2:31:39wouldn't be too terrible, but they were
2:31:41group three, and they would have to
2:31:42defend a flag without anyone who could
2:31:44take an attack headon. The flag carrier
2:31:47for group four laughed and pointed at
2:31:49his group. eight firstear mage girls,
2:31:52which left a grand total of two girls
2:31:54not on his team. Dana and a warrior in
2:31:58group two, but they had picked the
2:32:00numbers out of a bag. So, if there was
2:32:02any trickery going on, it was not easy
2:32:05to detect. It looks like today's game
2:32:08will be an interesting one. Sometimes
2:32:10the luck of the draw means that you have
2:32:12to improvise.
2:32:14While group five has the shields, they
2:32:16don't have a lot of mobility and they
2:32:18only have one spellcaster.
2:32:20It's not impossible to overtake them and
2:32:22capture the flag. You just have to get
2:32:24creative. Carl draped the black flag
2:32:27with the Golden Academy logo on it over
2:32:29his shoulders as a cape and tied it off.
2:32:32Then joined his group to see what they
2:32:33could do. You will have 2 minutes to
2:32:36prepare. Then we will move everyone to
2:32:38their starting positions.
2:32:40The older mage announced while the other
2:32:42mage started to lay out a mat on the
2:32:44ground that had all sorts of fancy
2:32:45symbols drawn on it. All right. What can
2:32:48everyone use for skills? With so many
2:32:51mages, it will be difficult to just
2:32:53turtle. They will target me pretty
2:32:55quickly. Carl asked. The joys of being
2:32:59the new guy. They'll all be gunning for
2:33:02you because you're the only leader who
2:33:03doesn't know what he's doing. I'm
2:33:06assuming that you've been training for
2:33:07this since we got here, but the other
2:33:09leaders are all in the second and third
2:33:10year. As far as skills go, I can create
2:33:14fog or magic missiles. Dana explained,
2:33:18then swept her dark curls back from her
2:33:20face to tie them in a ponytail. We're
2:33:23all common warriors, and we've all got
2:33:25the same two skills:
2:33:27slash and guard. It's a thing that
2:33:31apparently happens every year because
2:33:32guard is the most common skill, and
2:33:34slash is easy to teach. One of the
2:33:37warriors explained, "All right, what
2:33:40does guard do exactly?
2:33:43at your level that is. I'm not worried
2:33:46about how the dragon bull work uses his
2:33:48in the movies," Carl replied.
2:33:52The students laughed at the thought that
2:33:53they might eventually manage to use the
2:33:55guard skill at the overlord level to
2:33:57create a barrier that could extend a
2:33:59whole city block. It covers an octagon
2:34:02about 3 m across. It will take a couple
2:34:05of spells for the others to knock down,
2:34:07but if the attacking team leaders target
2:34:09one of us, we're pretty much screwed.
2:34:12The boy explained.
2:34:14Carl nodded. I expected as much. Does
2:34:18everyone remember the Gladiator movies,
2:34:21the triple line formation, and the
2:34:22turtle shell? When we're attacked, form
2:34:25up to create an overlapping wall with
2:34:27your shields. And only when we're in
2:34:29trouble, use guard to block them out.
2:34:32Staying close together will make us
2:34:34harder to find as long as we're not in
2:34:36an open field while Dana and I will have
2:34:38to be the offense unless they charge us.
2:34:41Dana sideighed. You know, magic missile
2:34:44uses a lot of mana. I can't do it much.
2:34:48The fog is easier though. I'm pretty
2:34:50good at the fog. Is there natural fog
2:34:53where we're going? Carl asked. The
2:34:56others all shook their heads. Then save
2:34:59it until we're under attack.
2:35:02I don't want them to find us because of
2:35:03the fog itself.
2:35:05How fast does it cast? Dana frowned.
2:35:10About 10 m radius per minute, slowing as
2:35:12it expands. If we want to use it
2:35:15effectively, it will take time. Time is
2:35:18up. Everyone prepare to transport. The
2:35:23mage shouted.
2:35:25Suddenly, they were standing kneedeep in
2:35:27swamp water with a slight mist on the
2:35:29surface and thick trees all around them.
2:35:32Dana begin the fog spell. Everyone else
2:35:36crouched down in the water near that
2:35:38stand of trees. Carl whispered. Nobody
2:35:42was happy about being neck deep in swamp
2:35:44water. It smelled of rot and something
2:35:47even more foul, but they obeyed Carl's
2:35:49order and hid in a circular formation
2:35:51with Carl and Dana in the middle. Carl
2:35:54released Hawk and let the birds stand on
2:35:56his shoulder for a moment. Hawk, go
2:35:59scout the area for attackers. They're
2:36:01the groups with nobody wearing a black
2:36:03cloak like mine. Don't let them see you
2:36:06and come back within 5 minutes, he
2:36:09whispered, speaking out loud so that the
2:36:11others could understand what his plan
2:36:13was. You have a pet bird? Dana asked. I
2:36:18do. It's part of my class skills, but
2:36:22it's also a real bird, so I don't want
2:36:25him hurt, Carl explained.
2:36:28The bird scouts the area to let us know
2:36:30when someone is likely to find us so
2:36:32that we're not ambushed. The fog hides
2:36:35our exact location, even if they can
2:36:37figure out right away that it is
2:36:38unnatural.
2:36:40Being in the water makes us difficult to
2:36:42target, and gives us the chance to
2:36:44launch the first strike. One of the
2:36:46warriors deduced.
2:36:48Exactly.
2:36:50Dana, don't make the fog as thick at the
2:36:52edges. Make it get thicker as you
2:36:54approach the trees behind us. If they
2:36:57are targeting by the center of the fog,
2:36:59I want them to miss us by at least a few
2:37:01meters. If we're lucky, they'll find
2:37:04each other first, and we can face
2:37:05weakened groups, Carl added. Dana softly
2:37:10chuckled as she worked. This is such a
2:37:13dick move. What's next? Tearing vines
2:37:17from the trees to hide under. Carl
2:37:19didn't even have to say anything. The
2:37:21warriors immediately got to work pulling
2:37:23some vines free. Not tearing them from
2:37:26the island, but pulling them up so that
2:37:28they could sit a blanket of vines over
2:37:30the group and pretend they were part of
2:37:31the island. The fog cloud was growing
2:37:34quickly, but the groups were spread out
2:37:36over a square kilometer of swamp. And
2:37:38they weren't alone. There were common
2:37:41grade monsters here as well, bullfrogs
2:37:43and beetles, who made a lot of noise and
2:37:45distracted the groups that were trying
2:37:47to search for the defenders. A few
2:37:49minutes in, Hawk swooped down from the
2:37:52sky, landing on the vines that had been
2:37:54pulled over Carl's head and then
2:37:55disappeared into his taming space. I'm
2:37:58full. I'm going to nap now, he
2:38:02announced.
2:38:04Did you eat bullfrogs instead of
2:38:05working? Carl asked. I worked. Nobody is
2:38:11coming this way. Two of the other coat
2:38:13people are close together and the others
2:38:15are all going that way. The bird replied
2:38:18as it settled into the nest. Hawk says
2:38:21that the other two defender group
2:38:23started close together and everyone else
2:38:25is headed that way. So, it's threeon two
2:38:29on the other side of the area. They
2:38:31likely won't come looking for us until
2:38:33that fight is over. Is there anything
2:38:36that we can do to help Dana keep up her
2:38:38energy and expand that fog? Carl
2:38:40whispered.
2:38:42Nothing. It's not too draining though. I
2:38:45just need to keep focusing on it. By the
2:38:48time that they come looking for us, it
2:38:50will be big. But if they don't lose
2:38:52people, they will be able to just walk
2:38:54in a line and find us. The warriors
2:38:57shrugged. That was actually fine by
2:39:00them. The ranged attackers wouldn't be
2:39:02able to see the fight from more than a
2:39:04few meters away, and they were close
2:39:06combat fighters anyhow. Being found at
2:39:09the last moment was just what they
2:39:10wanted. "Hawk, go rest up in the trees.
2:39:14Keep an eye out for the other groups
2:39:16while you rest since you can't keep your
2:39:18appetite under control between meals,"
2:39:21Carl instructed. "Fine, I will go
2:39:24watch." The bird was going to need some
2:39:27sort of disciplined training soon, Carl
2:39:29decided. But he had no idea how to train
2:39:32an intelligent monster, or what would
2:39:33even work to keep the food motivated
2:39:35creature working hard and not gorging
2:39:37itself at the first opportunity.
2:39:39The fact that it had managed to hunt a
2:39:41common grade creature without any issues
2:39:43and return unharmed was a good sign that
2:39:45the windspeed hawk's power was growing
2:39:47quickly, though much faster than was
2:39:50normal for the species, and Carl was
2:39:52quite certain that it had to do with
2:39:54their bond.
2:39:56There was far too much that he didn't
2:39:57know about this power. But as Hawk
2:39:59settled into the tree and began
2:40:00diligently watching the ongoing battles
2:40:02with his keen vision and relaying the
2:40:04playbyplay back to Carl, he began to
2:40:06understand a little more. Hawk did what
2:40:09he wanted and whed constantly for more
2:40:11food, as was the way of all baby birds.
2:40:14But when Carl actually gave him an
2:40:16order, the bird obeyed. It was just that
2:40:18Carl didn't give enough orders or enough
2:40:21details so Hawk could take full
2:40:23advantage to twist them in the way that
2:40:24he wanted. Like the first mission to
2:40:27scout and return. He did exactly that
2:40:31and probably didn't miss much during the
2:40:33seconds that it took to ambush the
2:40:34bullfrog. Then he promptly tried to take
2:40:37a nap because it wasn't forbidden and
2:40:39that was what a hawk naturally wanted to
2:40:41do after eating. When they were training
2:40:44with the mages, Hawk never acted up, but
2:40:46Carl was giving him instructions every
2:40:48few seconds to keep him in place to
2:40:50block the sections that he couldn't
2:40:51cover himself. Without the open-ended
2:40:54orders, the problem didn't exist. The
2:40:57fight on the other side is almost over.
2:41:00The old one has taken away most of the
2:41:02people, but there are four young people
2:41:04headed south now. They're not coming
2:41:07this way yet, but they're looking for
2:41:08something. Hawk informed him. Hawk says
2:41:12that the others are headed south after
2:41:14their battle. Only four are left and
2:41:17they're following the edge of the
2:41:19designated area. Carl whispered to the
2:41:22others. Only four? One of the warriors
2:41:25behind Carl asked. Yeah, I'm not sure
2:41:29which four yet. I will try to get
2:41:31details, but for now, I have an idea,
2:41:35Carl added. The rest of the group
2:41:38eagerly waited for anything that didn't
2:41:39involve crouching in a fedded swamp to
2:41:41become the new plan. We will keep up the
2:41:44fog expansion from the same point, but
2:41:46we are moving. They know where the
2:41:49extent of the combat zone is, so we are
2:41:51going to hide and wait for them to
2:41:52search the fog, then return and let the
2:41:55time elapse. Defending the flag doesn't
2:41:58have to mean fighting at all. We can
2:41:59frustrate them to death. from a
2:42:02comfortable chair in a small hut on the
2:42:04edge of the academy grounds. The old
2:42:06mage watched the scene in the training
2:42:08grounds in a crystal ball. That new
2:42:10leader is sneaky. I like the way that he
2:42:13thinks, but he might be too afraid of
2:42:15combat, he noted. Sergeant Rita snorted
2:42:20and shook her head. No, he's just
2:42:22avoiding any extra work. See the hawk
2:42:26he's got up in the trees. The two of
2:42:28them can communicate. He's playing cat
2:42:31and mouse with the other team because he
2:42:33knows there is a timer and they won't
2:42:35double back on an area they've just
2:42:36searched. If they don't catch the trick,
2:42:39the time is going to run out with his
2:42:41people just sitting in the swamp," she
2:42:44explained.
2:42:45The younger mage nodded. His task was to
2:42:48protect the flag for the duration of the
2:42:50match, not eliminate the attackers. "It
2:42:53is a valid strategy. It reminds me of
2:42:56when we collected that grimmoire from
2:42:58the temple and then just sat on the
2:43:00beach for a week drinking margaritas
2:43:02until the search teams moved on. The
2:43:05older mage laughed softly at the memory.
2:43:08Their world had a rich history of magic
2:43:10to go along with the dangers of the
2:43:12magical beasts that lived in it. But as
2:43:14cultures shifted, the magically adept
2:43:16haded gathered into their own enclaves
2:43:18and left large parts of the world to
2:43:19rely on developing technology to
2:43:21survive. when they did survive. That was
2:43:26many of the magical societies in the
2:43:28ancient past have believed that the
2:43:29human population shouldn't exceed a few
2:43:31million for the entire planet in order
2:43:33to keep the game preserves and rare
2:43:35species that they used as hunting
2:43:36grounds and reagents for their spells
2:43:38intact.
2:43:40So when those left behind with no magic
2:43:42and insufficient weapons were
2:43:43eliminated, they didn't take any action
2:43:46to prevent the disasters.
2:43:48That bit got glossed over in the history
2:43:50books, described as a failure of allied
2:43:52nations rather than magic users banding
2:43:55together to the exclusion of everyone
2:43:56else. But that was mostly because the
2:43:58few powerful magic users who stayed in
2:44:00places like the Golden Dragon Nation
2:44:02were instrumental to helping the
2:44:04civilization survive while they
2:44:05developed enough technology to stand on
2:44:07their own.
2:44:08Carl led his team south through the
2:44:10swamp, hiding behind trees as the
2:44:12attackers moved through the fog and then
2:44:14waited as Hawk relayed their efforts to
2:44:16double-check the area. As the foggy area
2:44:19in the swamp was not only suspicious, it
2:44:21was the perfect hiding place for a group
2:44:23of warriors who didn't want to engage in
2:44:25ranged combat. Among the four attackers,
2:44:28there were two group leaders who were
2:44:30both warriors with ranged attacks and
2:44:32two firstear mages. It was a well-
2:44:35balanced group of survivors, but they
2:44:37were outnumbered by the defenders and
2:44:39couldn't afford to be caught from behind
2:44:40if they missed someone. "They've moved."
2:44:44"I don't sense any life here larger than
2:44:46a bird," one of the leaders whispered.
2:44:50"If your skill says so, then we can keep
2:44:52going. But I think that they will return
2:44:55once they believe that we are gone. So,
2:44:57let's circle back." The other agreed.
2:45:01The mages weren't particularly happy
2:45:02about waiting through swamp water all
2:45:04morning, but they got extra credit for
2:45:06just being part of the special training
2:45:08program, a reward for top performing
2:45:10students, so they weren't going to
2:45:12complain and risk getting switched out.
2:45:14The attacking group headed north to
2:45:16check for the hiding spot of the last
2:45:18defenders, and Carl prepared to give the
2:45:20order to move again. There are only 15
2:45:23minutes left. One of the warriors
2:45:26whispered, "In that case, we wait right
2:45:29here.
2:45:30Hawk says they're going north, so
2:45:32they're not likely to find us at all.
2:45:34The group silently waited as the
2:45:36attackers moved north. Then with 10
2:45:38minutes left in the match, they turned
2:45:40back south, moving more quickly and
2:45:42searching for the last defenders.
2:45:45They're coming back. Hawk says they're
2:45:48almost to the fog now, Carl relayed as
2:45:51their scout explained the change. They
2:45:54were deep in the fog when one of the two
2:45:55leaders noticed the disturbed roots and
2:45:57groaned in frustration. They hid here at
2:46:00the start, but they must have heard us
2:46:02coming and moved. They're not north or
2:46:05east. This is almost at the western
2:46:07edge, so they have to be south. He
2:46:09whispered to his team. So, we search for
2:46:13them in the fog again. One of the mages
2:46:16asked. No, they should be outside of it.
2:46:19The fog hasn't spread that far. Just
2:46:22don't let them ambush us because they
2:46:24might have split up to set a trap
2:46:25instead of being in a tight formation.
2:46:28The attack group moved cautiously, but
2:46:30they were moving directly toward the
2:46:32spot where Carl had hidden the
2:46:33defenders. Unlike the first spot in the
2:46:36swamp, they were not in the water here.
2:46:38They were lying among the thick foliage
2:46:40on relatively dry ground, counting on
2:46:42Hawk's warning to prevent them from
2:46:44being caught in a disadvantageous
2:46:45position. Hawk, once the fight begins,
2:46:49you attack with Ren from above, but keep
2:46:51your distance. They can attack back, and
2:46:54I don't want you getting hit. Then Carl
2:46:57whispered to his team, "Once we spot
2:47:00them, everyone to their feet, turtle
2:47:02formation.
2:47:03Dana, prepare your attack spell, and I
2:47:06will as well. Go for the leaders first.
2:47:09They're the real threat. We will leave
2:47:11the mages to Hawk since they likely
2:47:13can't take a hit." The warriors smirked.
2:47:17They hadn't seen Carl in action yet, but
2:47:20he had to have something going for him
2:47:21if he had been picked as a substitute
2:47:23team leader for the day. The attackers
2:47:26came into sight and the defense group
2:47:28rose to their feet, forming up and
2:47:30lifting their shields. They're in a full
2:47:32circle formation. It looks like they're
2:47:35on to your tricks. One of the warriors
2:47:38quietly joked. The other had managed to
2:47:41master a movement technique that would
2:47:43allow him to move with incredible speed
2:47:44for a few seconds so he could attack
2:47:46from unexpected angles. Carl, of course,
2:47:50had no idea. He had set the turtle shell
2:47:53in case the mages had tricks up their
2:47:55sleeves so that the team could create a
2:47:57full dome of protection with guard. Now
2:48:01both team leaders ordered at the same
2:48:03time and guard barriers went up at the
2:48:06same time that two blinding sword lights
2:48:08tore across the intervening gap and six
2:48:10red streaks came down from the sky
2:48:12toward the mage's backs. Carl slashed an
2:48:15uppercut toward the attackers, sending
2:48:17his own rend attack into the incoming
2:48:20sword light. The collision dissipated
2:48:23the claws but dimmed the light of the
2:48:25sword attacks before the second rend
2:48:28stopped them entirely. The warriors on
2:48:31Carl's team smiled in victory as Hawk's
2:48:33attacks took down both of the mages,
2:48:35activating the defensive charm on their
2:48:37uniforms and sending them out of the
2:48:39battle. Son of a what just
2:48:41happened? One of the attackers shouted,
2:48:44unaware that they had been ambushed.
2:48:47They looked around frantically, unsure
2:48:49of where the next attack would come
2:48:50from. Hawk was still in the trees behind
2:48:53them, unwilling to fly out and make
2:48:55himself a target if he didn't have to.
2:48:58It distracted them for just long enough
2:49:00that Carl could launch two more attacks
2:49:02of his own, forcing them to defend while
2:49:04Dana prepared her magic missiles. She
2:49:07took longer than most to cast them, but
2:49:10when she did, her strength was much
2:49:12better than average. The attacking team
2:49:14leaders couldn't do anything about the
2:49:16magical projectiles as their blades were
2:49:18already out of position from trying to
2:49:20parry Carl's Ren. They took the hits,
2:49:24absorbing them with their enhanced
2:49:25physiques, then jumped sideways to dodge
2:49:27the next attack by Hawk. That's just
2:49:30low. How did you trick the monsters into
2:49:33being on your side? The boys complained
2:49:36while Carl's team laughed. Didn't they
2:49:39warn you? Carl has a pet hawk. It's the
2:49:42talk of the first year dorms," Dana
2:49:45joked. Their banter was interrupted as
2:49:48they were all surrounded by glowing
2:49:50magic and moved to the staging area
2:49:52where they had started the battle. "The
2:49:54match is over. I let you chat for a
2:49:57moment, but the victory goes to defense
2:49:59team five." The older mage announced,
2:50:03"How did we lose?" The attackers
2:50:06demanded. You might not have noticed,
2:50:09but there were more than two sets of
2:50:10rending claws in the air when you
2:50:12evaded. You jumped right into the second
2:50:15set, and my defensive magic absorbed it
2:50:17for you, so it didn't flay your backs
2:50:19open. You, Carl, was it? How long will
2:50:23it take for your hawk to get back here?
2:50:26The mage added. Carl focused on his
2:50:29taming space, and Hawk appeared,
2:50:31disgruntled about having been left
2:50:33behind. The training area was part of
2:50:36the circle around the academy, though,
2:50:37so he had only been a kilometer away and
2:50:40could have been back in a matter of
2:50:41minutes. If I didn't call him, only a
2:50:44few minutes. We were only transported a
2:50:47kilometer or so. That is an incredible
2:50:50spell, by the way, Carl replied. The
2:50:54younger mage smiled at Carl's
2:50:56enthusiasm.
2:50:58It is a magical item that came from an
2:51:00ancient ruins. The ability to transport
2:51:03more than one student at a time allows
2:51:05for a much more immersive experience,
2:51:07but the protective magic is entirely the
2:51:09providence of the senior professor.
2:51:12Well, we should get you all washed off.
2:51:15It's not often that a team decides to
2:51:17actually hide in the swamp. Normally,
2:51:19they choose a more stand-up fight on the
2:51:21dry land. But I must say that ambush was
2:51:24masterful. They didn't even realize that
2:51:27they were under attack until the mages
2:51:29were already eliminated.
2:51:31Sergeant Rita added, "Yes, while the
2:51:34laundry team might not appreciate your
2:51:36ingenuity, the execution was flawless.
2:51:40I think that the young sergeant has made
2:51:41a wise recommendation, adding a scouting
2:51:44and ambush specialist to the team
2:51:45leaders. Simply having warriors and
2:51:48mages who knew each other's style was a
2:51:50bit dull." The old mage agreed. Sergeant
2:51:54Rita nodded. "All right, everyone, get
2:51:58cleaned up. The bonus will be added to
2:52:00your student cards before you're back to
2:52:02your rooms. Good work, everyone. It's
2:52:05been a long time since we had so many
2:52:07winners and such a challenging fight.
2:52:10Carl's team walked a little more proudly
2:52:12as they returned to the base. The extra
2:52:15credits could get them some cool stuff
2:52:17for their rooms, little luxuries, or
2:52:19even more special treatment in the
2:52:21academy. This group didn't really need
2:52:23that. They were already recognized as
2:52:26worthy of the extra training, but they
2:52:27were quite intrigued as to how the
2:52:29academy had known that Carl was going to
2:52:31be so outstanding right from the start.
2:52:34It had to be that rending claw skill
2:52:36that was deadly and he could block the
2:52:39attacks of two awakened ranked team
2:52:40leaders at once without exhausting
2:52:42himself. The fact that there was also
2:52:45Hawk who could do the same was just an
2:52:48unfair advantage in the minds of the
2:52:49other students.
2:52:51What sort of class gave you a combo set
2:52:53right from the start? But if they got to
2:52:56be on his team again, there was a good
2:52:58chance that they would get the extra
2:52:59bonus at least once more this semester.
2:53:02So far, all of their battles had ended
2:53:04in a furic victory with the attackers
2:53:06only having a few remaining students
2:53:08when the fight was over. The bonus
2:53:11wasn't cumulative. Each winning student
2:53:13got the same unless the teachers decided
2:53:15that they didn't do well enough to
2:53:17deserve it. So having all nine of them
2:53:20get the bonus was a huge victory for
2:53:22their pockets. How about we meet at the
2:53:24study hall after we shower? There are
2:53:27some good places to relax and study for
2:53:29the afternoon if you'd like to join us.
2:53:32One of the warriors asked. Dana smiled
2:53:35at Carl. What theory classes do you
2:53:38have? I haven't seen you in any of the
2:53:41magic ones, so it must be a physical
2:53:43attack skill that you use. Carl tried
2:53:46putting on his best innocent face, but
2:53:48the others caught it immediately. "You
2:53:51don't have any theory classes handing
2:53:52out homework, do you? Are you in all
2:53:55practical classes?" Dana demanded with
2:53:59jealousy showing on her face. "I have
2:54:01skill interception training in the
2:54:03morning, martial arts in the afternoon,
2:54:05and then Sergeant Rita assigns me
2:54:07lessons as she sees fit. It's not really
2:54:10a class, just a bit of study on things I
2:54:12should know, like monster anatomy.
2:54:15Carl explained.
2:54:17One of the boys laughed. Well, you've
2:54:20got it better than Dana. She's got
2:54:23theoretical magic and practical skills
2:54:25in the morning across from our
2:54:26classroom. Then she's in modern dance
2:54:28and cosmetology all afternoon. Dana
2:54:31blushed while Carl gave the cute mage an
2:54:34assessing look. She wasn't the sort of
2:54:36stunning beauty that would grow into a
2:54:38supermodel, but even covered in mud, he
2:54:40couldn't deny that she was the sort of
2:54:42adorable that you just wanted to hug on
2:54:44sight. How he had missed it the first
2:54:47day, he had no idea. Perhaps it was one
2:54:50of the side effects of the divine
2:54:51injection, like his extra height. There
2:54:54was only one reason that she would have
2:54:56to take dance and cosmetology so early
2:54:58in her first year. They wanted to train
2:55:01her to be an idol, whether she had
2:55:03previously wanted to or not. Just be
2:55:06glad it's not you. Those teachers have a
2:55:09lifetime of shattered dreams that they
2:55:11want to live through the students. It's
2:55:12hell, Dana muttered. I'm not sure that
2:55:16I'd look good in eyeshadow and lipstick.
2:55:19But I will join you in the search for a
2:55:21good study spot. I've got a bunch of
2:55:23books waiting for me to read them. Carl
2:55:26agreed. Once he was finally freshly
2:55:29showered and the filthy uniform was sent
2:55:32to the laundry room, Carl headed down to
2:55:34the designated meeting spot where he
2:55:36found only Dana waiting. It looks like
2:55:38the other two canceled on us. Their
2:55:41combat teacher met them on the way down
2:55:43and he took them for some additional
2:55:45training after he heard that they were
2:55:46getting so good with guard skills. She
2:55:50explained, "Well, then there will be
2:55:53more room for us to study. What do you
2:55:55have to work on today? Carl asked. Mana
2:56:00theory. It's one of the big ones for the
2:56:02mage type classes, both to grow our own
2:56:05mana pool and to reduce the casting cost
2:56:07of the spells that we know. At first,
2:56:10we're really inefficient, but it gets
2:56:12better all the time. The idea is that as
2:56:15we get better, most mages will get some
2:56:17insight into new spells or skills. It's
2:56:19just part of the mage class.
2:56:22Then we can use that to expand our spell
2:56:24book without having to learn the spells
2:56:26in class, which is way faster, and the
2:56:28ones you get from insight tend to grow
2:56:30faster and more powerful, which will
2:56:32help rank up, she explained.
2:56:35That actually sounds like a lot of work.
2:56:38Mostly, I just need to practice my
2:56:40fighting skills and my physical
2:56:42abilities so that I can keep up with my
2:56:44growth. At least that is it for now.
2:56:48They don't know anything about the class
2:56:49marking that I got. So unless I get an
2:56:51insight like the mages do, I will only
2:56:54have the one skill, but it grows more
2:56:56powerful as Hawk does. My body does as
2:56:59well. The stronger he grows, the
2:57:02stronger I grow, Carl replied with a
2:57:05smile. Well, that's both a tough break
2:57:08and a huge win. You get stronger just by
2:57:11existing and training your pet. No
2:57:14intense study needed, but only having
2:57:17one skill would be a bit limiting
2:57:18eventually.
2:57:20They walked in silence for a few
2:57:22seconds. Then Dana pointed to a pathway
2:57:24that led into a garden. That's where
2:57:27we're going. There are a bunch of gazeos
2:57:30with tables there and we can do our
2:57:31study. Once I get a few more credits, I
2:57:35am totally getting one of the academy
2:57:37laptops or a tablet. It will be so much
2:57:40easier than handwriting these notes all
2:57:42the time. I don't think that I've used a
2:57:44pen that much since I was in elementary
2:57:46school, but the mages on the teaching
2:57:48staff are all ancient and they think
2:57:50that tomes are the way to go. Just book
2:57:53after book of handwritten knowledge.
2:57:56Carl laughed. The majority of electronic
2:57:59devices had only come about in the last
2:58:0120 or 30 years. So, anyone who was over
2:58:0360 tended to favor pen and paper, and
2:58:05some of the mages from the old tradition
2:58:07before the divine injection were
2:58:09hundreds of years old.
2:58:11They were not going to change their ways
2:58:13anytime soon, even if printing pages
2:58:15made for much more legible to diagrams
2:58:18that everyone could clearly read. Part
2:58:21of the mystery was trying to sort out
2:58:22the bad handwriting, secret codes, and
2:58:25shorthand of the author. It kept magic
2:58:27inaccessible through the ages so it
2:58:29wouldn't be misused.
2:58:31Now that there was such a huge influx of
2:58:33elites with a dozen or more new mages
2:58:35every year, that mystery was being lost.
2:58:38But the old mages were in their golden
2:58:39age, teaching spells and skills they
2:58:42thought might never be passed down to
2:58:43people who would be viewed as heroes,
2:58:45not potential traitors to the magical
2:58:47nations or wealthers.
2:58:50Like anyone else with power that the
2:58:51nation needed, many mages had only ever
2:58:54been loyal to themselves, demanding
2:58:56exorbitant fees and living in luxury.
2:58:59They weren't viewed horribly, but more
2:59:00like the oligarchs of the tech
2:59:02revolution, as detached by their wealth
2:59:04and power and not entirely trustworthy
2:59:06if you weren't on their social level.
2:59:09Actually, having a laptop sounds
2:59:11wonderful, but I don't know how to type.
2:59:14I came from the mines and my family
2:59:16couldn't afford a computer, so I never
2:59:18used one before. I know most of the kids
2:59:21from the city use them all the time, but
2:59:23not us. Dana smiled and nodded. I forgot
2:59:27that you grew up there. My family ran a
2:59:30clothing shop in the city, so we needed
2:59:32computers for everything. Taking orders,
2:59:36tracking inventory.
2:59:38That was just one of the many downsides
2:59:40to living in a rural mining town.
2:59:42Infrastructure spending didn't make it
2:59:44to them, except for the railroad
2:59:46improvements that got the coal and
2:59:47metals to town. The twin mines were a
2:59:50core asset of the nation. One was a
2:59:53massive coal seam that ran the power
2:59:55plants. The other extended the other
2:59:57direction across a fault line and held a
2:59:59load of precious metals. It was
3:00:02everything that a growing nation could
3:00:03need, but it belonged to the government,
3:00:05and none of that wealth made it back to
3:00:07the people actually doing the mining.
3:00:10Dana led them to a small gazebo tucked
3:00:12into an al cove in the hedge maze. And
3:00:14when they sat down, the enchanted bushes
3:00:16grew around the small building, blocking
3:00:18them from passing students and giving
3:00:20them privacy to study. This is
3:00:23wonderful, and it smells so good.
3:00:26Carl sighed, thinking of both the cold
3:00:28dust at home and the filth of the swamp.
3:00:31Yeah, Lilacs are my favorite to begin
3:00:33with, so it's difficult to beat this
3:00:35place. Dana agreed with a smile as she
3:00:38set out her textbooks across from him.
3:00:41Carl set out his current study guide on
3:00:43common monsters around the academy. This
3:00:46was the book that all the student groups
3:00:47who got to go out on expeditions were
3:00:49required to memorize. And Sergeant Rita
3:00:52had demanded that Carl learn it as well,
3:00:54even though she had no intention of
3:00:55letting him leave the academy ground so
3:00:57soon. What she wanted him to learn was
3:01:00all the abilities of the monsters so
3:01:02that he could formulate a plan for his
3:01:03own growth. Once he had that, Carl
3:01:06assumed she would make good on her
3:01:08promise to find him another monster cub
3:01:10to try to add to his collection, one
3:01:12more durable than Hawk. Studying
3:01:14monsters was fun, but between the smell
3:01:16of lilacs and whatever shampoo Dana had
3:01:19used, Carl was finding it difficult to
3:01:21focus. Hawk didn't care at all, as he
3:01:24found his nest more comfortable than the
3:01:26lilac bushes were likely to be. But Dana
3:01:28smelled wonderful, and her presence in
3:01:30this private gazebo had Carl more
3:01:32flustered than he would care to admit.
3:01:35But he did his best not to be a creep
3:01:37and work on his studies, carefully
3:01:39making notes about each of the monsters
3:01:40in the area that might be somewhat
3:01:42worthwhile, while memorizing the others
3:01:44in case he ran into them in the future.
3:01:47The more that he knew, the more likely
3:01:49that the sergeant was to relent on her
3:01:51stance of keeping him here for training
3:01:53instead of letting him go outside. Not
3:01:56that the academy wasn't beautiful or
3:01:57well equipped, but Carl had rarely been
3:02:00outside the mining town while he was
3:02:01growing up, and he had seen many
3:02:03kilometers of wilderness on their way
3:02:05here. Just getting to see it with a
3:02:07group would be an adventure, like the
3:02:09camping trip that his father promised on
3:02:11that mythical day off that he never got.
3:02:14The two studied silently for hours until
3:02:17the sky started to change colors as
3:02:19sunset approached.
3:02:21Well, that's our cue to go back inside.
3:02:24If we don't get going soon, it will be
3:02:26dark before we get to dinner, and they
3:02:28don't light any of the academy grounds
3:02:30except the paths between buildings. Dana
3:02:33sighed, annoyed to have to stop her
3:02:35work. You seemed really into your
3:02:37studies, Carl noted. Yeah, the other two
3:02:42are good combat partners, but lousy
3:02:44study partners. They don't take anything
3:02:47seriously, and they never stop talking.
3:02:50Just being able to sit and study is a
3:02:52pleasant change.
3:02:54She agreed. As soon as they packed their
3:02:57things and stood, the bush around the
3:02:59gazebo opened again, allowing them
3:03:01access to the maze. But the moment that
3:03:03they stepped out, the world got
3:03:05incredibly dark, as if the sun had
3:03:07already set an hour ago, and the gazebo
3:03:09had been providing its own light. "Crap,
3:03:12I can't see anything," Dana muttered. "I
3:03:16think it's just because we're behind the
3:03:18bushes and in a clouds shadow. Once
3:03:20we're back outside, it should be better.
3:03:22But I can see just fine, so if you take
3:03:25my hand, we should be able to make it
3:03:27out," Carl suggested.
3:03:30Dana's hand bumped his arm, then slid
3:03:32down to clutch at his fingers, and Carl
3:03:34realized just how dark it probably was
3:03:36to anyone else. None of the colors that
3:03:39he could see were ones he had names for,
3:03:41but the light was coming from the grass
3:03:43under their feet. It must be a form of
3:03:46bioluminescence that was outside the
3:03:48normal human range of sight, which meant
3:03:50that the darkness here was likely
3:03:52unnatural.
3:03:53They hadn't mistaken the time. Someone
3:03:55had cast a darkness spell on the maze.
3:03:58Dana's hand was surprisingly soft and
3:04:00warm in his as Carl led the way back
3:04:02down the path, and her breathing was
3:04:04becoming more frantic as she nearly
3:04:06stumbled in the grass. "Don't worry,
3:04:09I've got you. Just relax and follow my
3:04:12steps," Carl whispered. Dana moved to
3:04:16his side, so Carl wrapped his arm around
3:04:18her shoulders, not letting go of her
3:04:20hand as they made the last few corners
3:04:22to exit the maze. Their spot hadn't been
3:04:25far in, with little chance of getting
3:04:27lost in the maze itself, but the walk
3:04:29had still been quite the pleasant
3:04:31memory. Dana sighed with relief when
3:04:33they made it back into the fading
3:04:35evening light, but she didn't move to
3:04:37step away from Carl until they heard
3:04:38someone softly laughing nearby behind
3:04:41one of the trees. Congratulations, you
3:04:44are the first ones out of the maze of
3:04:46romance.
3:04:47And such a cute, young couple as well.
3:04:50The person behind the tree laughed. Maze
3:04:53of romance? Dana asked softly.
3:04:57Didn't you know this is the academyy's
3:05:00most famous makeout spot thanks to the
3:05:02hidden bushes. We cast a darkness spell
3:05:05over them whenever we get bored to see
3:05:07who comes out as a couple who leaves
3:05:09their partner behind and who thinks that
3:05:11darkness blocks sounds and takes things
3:05:13one step further. The senior classmate
3:05:16explained. Dana blushed, but Carl had a
3:05:20brilliant idea. He leaned over to
3:05:22whisper in her ear. If everyone believes
3:05:25that we're coming here to make out,
3:05:27nobody will bother our studies. We can
3:05:30be here all night and nobody will try to
3:05:32stop us. For a second, she actually fell
3:05:35for the trick. Then she looked up at
3:05:37Carl and her cheeks blushed a little
3:05:39darker as she realized what he was
3:05:40actually suggesting. The two of them,
3:05:43alone in the academyy's top spot for
3:05:45couples. It would be a scandal among the
3:05:48mage class students, and the boys of the
3:05:50warrior classes next to them would
3:05:52certainly whine about her and Carl being
3:05:54together, meaning that the other boys
3:05:55didn't have a chance. But she didn't
3:05:58want any of them, and Carl seemed
3:06:00content to let her actually study, at
3:06:02least most of the night. Dana pushed the
3:06:05thoughts of what they might do during
3:06:06the times they weren't studying, and
3:06:08nodded her agreement with his plan.
3:06:10"Tomorrow is an off day. We can come
3:06:12after breakfast to study," she whispered
3:06:15back.
3:06:17In that case, I will pack a lunch. The
3:06:20two of them turned to leave just as the
3:06:22sound of two people arguing came from
3:06:24near the exit of the maze. Whatever
3:06:27couple was coming out next was not happy
3:06:29with each other, but neither Carl nor
3:06:31Dana was interested in other students
3:06:33drama tonight. They didn't even notice
3:06:35that they were still holding hands until
3:06:37Dana turned toward her unit in the
3:06:39dormatory and was briefly pulled back by
3:06:41her grip. Sorry, I forgot. I will see
3:06:45you in the morning. She stammered, then
3:06:48ran down the hall to her room. Carl was
3:06:51nearly too excited to sleep that night,
3:06:54and he was at breakfast first thing in
3:06:55the morning, just after the sun came up,
3:06:58and he decided that it must be somewhat
3:06:59acceptable to leave his room. But he
3:07:02wasn't the only one that was excited
3:07:04about their first day off since arriving
3:07:05at the academy, and the common areas
3:07:08were already packed with students
3:07:09planning what they were going to do for
3:07:10the day. The consensus was that they
3:07:13should explore every bit of the grounds
3:07:15today so that they could find all the
3:07:16best spots for the next time that they
3:07:18had a bit of time off. But that would
3:07:20put a serious damper on his plans for a
3:07:22calm day of studying with Dana. She
3:07:25joined him while he was eating, looking
3:07:26just as tired as he felt after a
3:07:28sleepless night. Good morning. It looks
3:07:32like we misjudged the best spot to study
3:07:34today. Dana greeted him as she sat down
3:07:37with a bowl of oatmeal and a beverage
3:07:39that was so incredibly bright green that
3:07:41Carl was certain it must be toxic.
3:07:44She softly giggled at the concerned look
3:07:46on his face, then sip the drink. It's an
3:07:49energy drink. They keep them in the
3:07:51fridge over there for students who spend
3:07:53too much time awake studying. It's not
3:07:56as bad as it looks, she explained.
3:08:00Carl nodded reluctantly.
3:08:02They had them at the corner store at
3:08:04home, but he'd never seen one that color
3:08:06before. The miners liked the ones that
3:08:09were mixed with coffee or juice,
3:08:11depending which side of their shift they
3:08:12were on. Carl tapped his mug. I will
3:08:16stick with coffee. Thanks. But if it's
3:08:19going to be far too loud to study in the
3:08:21garden, why don't we go to the patio in
3:08:23my room? It's plenty large enough, and
3:08:26there is a spell that isolates it from
3:08:28the rest of the campus. It's perfectly
3:08:31silent and there is a good table out
3:08:33there. That actually sounds really
3:08:35pleasant. My room is incredibly loud.
3:08:38You can hear the explosions from the
3:08:40students on three sides practicing. And
3:08:42I swear if it was any worse, you could
3:08:44hear them breathing. Neither of them
3:08:46noticed the many envious glances they
3:08:48were getting as they left the cafeteria,
3:08:50or the flurry of conversation
3:08:52surrounding whether they had known each
3:08:53other before they arrived at the
3:08:55academy, or if they had met for the
3:08:57first time on the way in. with all the
3:08:59studying that they needed to do during
3:09:01the first few weeks here. Gossip was all
3:09:03that they had time for to distract
3:09:05themselves.
3:09:06The students were taken straight from
3:09:08school to the academy, so they had none
3:09:10of their old belongings with them except
3:09:11what they had at class. Some of the
3:09:14students from the larger towns had
3:09:16brought packed school backpacks full of
3:09:18memories, and they had to cram it all
3:09:19into the academyissued backpack when
3:09:21they left the train. But Carl hadn't
3:09:23actually owned anything worth keeping.
3:09:26The only real restriction that the
3:09:28elites advised in advance was not to
3:09:29bring clothing as the chosen students
3:09:32would be required to be in uniform at
3:09:33the academy and outfits would be
3:09:35provided for special events. There was a
3:09:38single picture up on the wall and the
3:09:40upgraded furniture in the room when Carl
3:09:42moved in, so at least his room wasn't as
3:09:44bare as some of them were, but it was
3:09:46the patio greenhouse that he was hoping
3:09:48would impress Dana the most. She stopped
3:09:51off quickly to get her books from her
3:09:52room and followed Carl into his suite,
3:09:55staring in surprise at the dark colors
3:09:57and padded leather bed frame. "Well,
3:10:00this is um unique." "I take it that
3:10:03there is room to study on the patio,"
3:10:06she asked. "Plenty." "After you" Carl
3:10:11replied with a smile and pulled the
3:10:13curtains open. Dana's eyes lit up as she
3:10:16saw the plants outside and she rushed
3:10:18out onto the balcony to take a look.
3:10:21Hey, this is a moon berry tree and one
3:10:24of the fruits is ripe. She gasped as she
3:10:27stopped under a tree with small fruits
3:10:28that were slowly turning from green to
3:10:30white. Oh yeah, I meant to look that up
3:10:33and pick it when it was ready. Do you
3:10:36know that fruit? Carl asked. Moon
3:10:40berries are supposed to be super healthy
3:10:41and good for the brain. I saw them one
3:10:44time being brought to a fancy restaurant
3:10:46downtown.
3:10:48She replied, "Then go ahead and pick it.
3:10:51We can split it as a snack." Carl
3:10:54agreed. She reverently pulled the fruit
3:10:57down and followed Carl down the path
3:10:59through the trees and bushes to the
3:11:01gazebo with the table. "These gazeos are
3:11:04really popular here, aren't they? It's
3:11:07the same style as the maze," she noted.
3:11:11The chairs are comfortable, though, so I
3:11:13can see why they picked it. The
3:11:15greenhouse, as they call the garden out
3:11:18here, has been passed down between
3:11:19residents of the balcony suites. I
3:11:22didn't bring any of this. I just water
3:11:24it and pick up the leaves for drying
3:11:26since most of the magical plant leaves
3:11:28are good for something. Dana looked out
3:11:31over the school grounds and smiled. It
3:11:34really is absolutely silent here. I can
3:11:37see the students walking under us, but I
3:11:39don't hear a thing. This is a fantastic
3:11:42study spot. Carl smiled and opened his
3:11:45tactics textbook, the next in the stack
3:11:48of lessons that Sergeant Rita had left
3:11:49for him to do in his out of class time.
3:11:52This one would have been useful to have
3:11:54read before yesterday, which made him
3:11:56wonder if he was actually slacking too
3:11:57much on his studies. She hadn't set any
3:12:00sort of due date for anything, and she
3:12:02wasn't giving him tests, so he hadn't
3:12:04thought about it. But perhaps she was,
3:12:07and the training lessons were the tests.
3:12:10Carl felt like a bit of an idiot for not
3:12:12having at least read the titles of all
3:12:14the books he was given. If he had known
3:12:17what they were, he could have read the
3:12:18ones that seemed most likely to be
3:12:20needed for the next day in advance. Dana
3:12:23cut the moon berry fruit into pieces,
3:12:25and they snacked as they studied the
3:12:27morning away, feeling instantly
3:12:29refreshed every time they ate another
3:12:31piece. The tree only had a dozen or so
3:12:34fruits, so it wouldn't be possible to
3:12:36eat them every day, but one every off
3:12:38day to wipe away the stress and fatigue
3:12:40of the week didn't sound bad at all. The
3:12:43tactical manual was incredibly boring to
3:12:45read, and Carl was a quick study with
3:12:47the help of a refreshed mind and Hawk's
3:12:49input on the best ways to hunt prey, so
3:12:51his mind began to wander.
3:12:53There were so many different plants here
3:12:55and while he had looked through the
3:12:56journal, he didn't memorize the use of
3:12:58all of them, especially the ones that
3:13:00didn't have any fruit on them at the
3:13:02moment. So, he switched books, reading
3:13:05through the details of the journal on
3:13:07the greenhouse instead, and discovering
3:13:09that there were a lot more fruits like
3:13:10the moon berry. But most importantly,
3:13:13there were a variety of tees, tonics,
3:13:15and potions that could be made with the
3:13:17various plants, though some required a
3:13:19particular magical affinity. The
3:13:21previous resident had been what the
3:13:23seniors called a witch, and she had been
3:13:25quite adept at brewing potions, but Carl
3:13:28had very little experience with that.
3:13:30His kitchen at home wasn't big enough
3:13:32for more than one person to work in at a
3:13:34time, so he hadn't ever tried to user
3:13:36his mother's position making breakfast,
3:13:38and two of his meals a day were provided
3:13:40by the school and the mine,
3:13:41respectively,
3:13:43pre-cooked and ready to eat. That was
3:13:46one of the advantages of working a short
3:13:48shift in the mine yard after school. you
3:13:50got a guaranteed hot meal and it would
3:13:52be portioned for a hard-working adult.
3:13:55As he searched through the textbook, he
3:13:57noticed that Dana was getting
3:13:58increasingly excited and beginning to
3:14:00glow slightly with some sort of magical
3:14:02effect. She had already learned one
3:14:05spell other than her initial magic since
3:14:07she arrived at the academy, and it
3:14:09looked like she was about to grasp
3:14:10another. He didn't actually know how
3:14:13fast spells were usually learned, but
3:14:15from the chatter in the common areas and
3:14:16cafeteria, it sounded like most of the
3:14:19students were still working on their
3:14:20initial spell, trying to master it
3:14:22before moving on. But according to the
3:14:25cook and the guard on the train,
3:14:26everyone had different capabilities, so
3:14:28maybe Dana was one of the fastest
3:14:30learners. The cook made it sound like he
3:14:33had never managed to get through even
3:14:34the basics of the spells he could have
3:14:36learned due to a lack of aptitude, but
3:14:38she seemed to be the opposite.
3:14:41The easiest way would be to just ask.
3:14:44You're really moving through the spells
3:14:45onto a third one already. Carl remarked.
3:14:50Dana looked up and smiled. I've got an
3:14:53excellent memory. And while my power
3:14:55isn't as strong as some of the others, I
3:14:57am excellent at new magic. I had my
3:15:00first spell under control before we even
3:15:02left the train, but casting it twice was
3:15:04all I could do. Now I can get a third
3:15:07casting in or I can channel the fog
3:15:10slowly. But Gil, the strongest in our
3:15:12class, can cast five magic arrows at a
3:15:15time and do it repeatedly. His power is
3:15:18insane, but he's still having trouble
3:15:20controlling the direction and stability
3:15:22of the arrows.
3:15:24So the early advancement is more about
3:15:26what you're talented in. I can see how
3:15:29having lots of power but no control
3:15:31would become a problem rather quickly in
3:15:33class. But having too little power, like
3:15:36the cook on the train, means that
3:15:37anything else doesn't really matter.
3:15:40They must have high hopes for you if
3:15:42they're setting you up to be a public
3:15:43figure, though. Carl suggested.
3:15:47Dana rolled her eyes. The dance
3:15:50instructor said that it's because I'm a
3:15:51fast learner. You don't need to be
3:15:54really powerful to be famous. You need
3:15:56to be versatile. As long as I can make
3:15:59it to the upper end of Awaken before I
3:16:01graduate, it should be fine. But
3:16:02ascended would be best according to the
3:16:04choreography teacher. Carl chuckled and
3:16:07Dana raised an eyebrow at him. What do
3:16:10you think that they're training you for?
3:16:13Not many get a dedicated tutor and
3:16:15you've got a whole dedicated class
3:16:16schedule. They're obviously grooming you
3:16:19for something special. He shrugged. The
3:16:23first thing that they told me on the
3:16:24train was that it would be better to
3:16:26have a golem to fight for me, and that's
3:16:28how they want to guide the combat mages
3:16:30who can learn it. So, they're probably
3:16:32hoping that I will join the military or
3:16:34the government to do monster control. I
3:16:37don't really have a skill set that is
3:16:39good for much except combat or scouting,
3:16:41so that's most likely the only thing
3:16:43that they could think to do with me. And
3:16:45it's a unique class, so I don't even fit
3:16:47into the regular courses. Dana thought
3:16:50about it for a while. Hawk learned
3:16:52another skill after you got him, right?
3:16:55I heard from the second year mages that
3:16:57he can use wind barrier. Maybe you can
3:17:00teach him to use more skills. Or you can
3:17:02learn to use more monster skills. That
3:17:05might make you more versatile. If you
3:17:07could do something like using the
3:17:09ability of the ascended version of that
3:17:11cooling aloe plant, you could heal
3:17:13wounds. That would make you into a top
3:17:15medic all on its own. Carl looked at the
3:17:18plant. That thing can heal wounds. Dana
3:17:22shook her head. No, that one can treat
3:17:26rashes, sunburn, and numb pain a little.
3:17:29It's really useful, but it's a common
3:17:31grade magical resource.
3:17:33They sell it at the drugstore and in the
3:17:36supply room downstairs.
3:17:38There is a higher quality version of it,
3:17:40which can reach the ascended grade, and
3:17:42that one can actually cure all sorts of
3:17:44wounds, but not illnesses or disease. I
3:17:48saw it in a nature drama. Carl's family
3:17:51didn't own a television, so he only ever
3:17:53watched what was on in public, and that
3:17:55was rarely a nature documentary.
3:17:58He had taken a few classes on magical
3:18:00botney, but they were pretty basic and
3:18:02didn't really cover much on medicinal
3:18:04plants. They were more concerned with
3:18:06the ones that might kill you if you
3:18:07happened to cross them in the
3:18:08wilderness.
3:18:10Well, I don't know much about raising
3:18:12them, but maybe it's worth looking into
3:18:13how to improve the aloe plant up another
3:18:15rank so that it can treat more wounds.
3:18:18There are plenty of special plants here,
3:18:20but the guide that came with the
3:18:21greenhouse said that they're almost all
3:18:23edible ones, snacks for the residents,
3:18:26Carl explained.
3:18:28Snacks that might help their abilities
3:18:30grow, but still snacks.
3:18:33They managed to study smoothly until
3:18:35mid-afternoon when they were both too
3:18:37hungry for more research, and they
3:18:39headed down for an early dinner. I
3:18:41should practice my stamina training and
3:18:43then meditate for the evening to improve
3:18:45my mana, but can I come visit again?
3:18:48Dana asked with a gentle smile. I would
3:18:51love to have you over anytime.
3:18:53Carl agreed.
3:18:55Studying was much more pleasant with her
3:18:57around, and she knew the strangest
3:18:59things. It was good to have a friend
3:19:02here at the academy, and the more that
3:19:04he learned about the way that mages
3:19:05advanced, the more ideas Carl got about
3:19:08how he could expand his own skills.
3:19:10Meditation sounded like it might be
3:19:12worth something as a technique. The
3:19:15crystal ball in the train car said that
3:19:16it could look into his beast space, so
3:19:18there should be some connection between
3:19:20that and the method to improve it. If
3:19:23everything was driven by the monster
3:19:24inside, it would be totally contrary to
3:19:27the other elites whose whole goal was
3:19:29self-strengthening in some way. What do
3:19:31you think, Hawk? Is meditation the way
3:19:34to improve the space you're in? Carl
3:19:37asked. I know. But if it can be bigger
3:19:41with trees and mice, that would be good.
3:19:45Don't forget the mice. Carl was not
3:19:48about to put mice in the space alive, as
3:19:50he was worried it would bond them to him
3:19:52and he would end up with a tortured
3:19:53Earth mouse as a companion, right until
3:19:56Hawk killed it. That would be
3:19:58unfortunate to say the least.
3:20:01So when he returned to the garden after
3:20:03lunch, he lay down in the hammock in the
3:20:05shade of the pair of coconut trees and
3:20:07closed his eyes to focus on the beast
3:20:09space. At first, nothing seemed to
3:20:12happen as he tried to envision a pine
3:20:14tree for Hawk to rest in. The space was
3:20:17just there and empty, but Carl could
3:20:19feel that it had the potential to be
3:20:21more. He just didn't know how. The next
3:20:24thing he tried was focusing energy into
3:20:26the space. Like when he wanted to use
3:20:28Ren. Adding energy while meditating
3:20:31might improve the space somehow. The
3:20:33energy had to go somewhere. Or so he
3:20:36assumed. It felt like that was doing
3:20:39something, but even after an hour, the
3:20:41changes weren't visible. It feels better
3:20:44in here. Keep doing that. Hawk
3:20:48encouraged.
3:20:49That led to Carl channeling energy and
3:20:52meditating on the image of the tree that
3:20:53he wanted to create for Hawk to live in.
3:20:56During hour two, there was a sprig of a
3:20:58tree growing from the ground near the
3:21:00nest, a single pine branch in the
3:21:02darkness. It really was working, just
3:21:05not instantly as he had hoped. At the
3:21:08end of the night, the tree was almost as
3:21:10tall as he was, but Carl was feeling
3:21:12refreshed and empowered, as if the
3:21:14improvement had granted him some extra
3:21:16energy. That would be easy enough to
3:21:19test. Today was a class day again, and
3:21:21his first lesson was in skill control
3:21:23with the mages. The weekend seemed to
3:21:26have done them all a world of good, and
3:21:28they were all looking much more fresh
3:21:29and ready to practice today than they
3:21:31had been the last time he saw them on
3:21:33Friday. Welcome back, everyone. We have
3:21:37an extra defender with us today. Along
3:21:40with Carl and Hawk, we will have Tori
3:21:42from the graduating class here to help
3:21:43motivate you all. the teacher announced
3:21:46with a smirk. Tori was a tall blonde
3:21:49girl around 18 years old, the graduation
3:21:52age for the academy, ascended rank
3:21:54according to her bronze badge, so she
3:21:56would be stronger than any of the
3:21:58students in this class individually, and
3:22:00wore her hair in fancy ringlets along
3:22:02with the short pleated uniform skirt
3:22:04that was somewhat rare among the
3:22:05students, as almost everyone preferred
3:22:07the pants.
3:22:09She looked like the sort of girl that
3:22:10should be extremely popular in school.
3:22:12But from the looks on the faces of the
3:22:14students here, either she was one of the
3:22:16mean girls or she was hated for some
3:22:18other reason. Of course, it could be
3:22:21because they struggled in their classes
3:22:22that made them resentful. But she was
3:22:25graduating as an ascended mage, so she
3:22:27wasn't some super prodigy that made
3:22:29everyone feel inferior about their
3:22:31skills. Now, are we all ready?
3:22:35Excellent.
3:22:36Begin when you are ready. Carl called
3:22:39Hawk, who flew up into the air while
3:22:41Tori began to form small blue spheres
3:22:44one after another, which floated around
3:22:46her in a circle. It was fascinating to
3:22:49watch. She just formed them in her hand,
3:22:51then let go, and they hovered around
3:22:53her, slowly orbiting. Then the attacks
3:22:57began, and Carl realized why everyone in
3:22:59this class disliked her. The orbs
3:23:02released small bolts of magic that
3:23:04intercepted the spells and knocked them
3:23:05off course or in the case of the weaker
3:23:08mages, nullified them entirely.
3:23:11But the orbs didn't dissipate. They kept
3:23:13slowly sending out more attacks, and the
3:23:15number of them increased as she worked
3:23:17to form more spheres. Carl quickly
3:23:20noticed that they did very little to the
3:23:21fire and water mage attacks, but the
3:23:24solid attacks and the magic missiles had
3:23:25a terrible time trying to stay on course
3:23:27after she intercepted them. The water
3:23:30attacks were fine. Hawk had a personal
3:23:32vendetta against them for flowing around
3:23:34his rend, and that left Carl to deal
3:23:37with the fire mages. After a dozen
3:23:40spheres, Tori stopped making more and
3:23:42had to focus on just maintaining the
3:23:44spell. It would only be a matter of time
3:23:47before she was exhausted or the spells
3:23:49needed to be refreshed. But currently, a
3:23:52solid 3/4 of the attacks made by the
3:23:54class were being intercepted.
3:23:56Carl was working on pacing himself as
3:23:58well.
3:24:00He didn't need to overpower the spells
3:24:01to block them. Rend tended to split
3:24:04apart attacks and destabilize them even
3:24:06at lower power outputs. That allowed him
3:24:09to use far less than full power and
3:24:11still accomplished the blocks. With
3:24:14supervision and a bit of practice, he
3:24:16was getting very good at defending
3:24:17against attacks. But Hawk was improving
3:24:19even more quickly. The small bird was
3:24:22making a mockery of the water mages
3:24:24attempts to land a hit, and they were
3:24:26starting to get creative in how they
3:24:28used their magic. Finally, one of the
3:24:30mages managed to turn his water bullet
3:24:32into a collection of small raindrops,
3:24:35which hit the target like a shotgun
3:24:36after the rend attack only took out a
3:24:39third of them. The mage had mastered a
3:24:42new spell entirely on his own out of
3:24:44pure frustration. After lunch was combat
3:24:47training, the physically taxing
3:24:49counterpart to the mental workout that
3:24:50the morning skill training was. Carl was
3:24:53certain that if they kept this up for
3:24:55much longer, he would be completely
3:24:57exhausted and just operating on
3:24:58autopilot within a few weeks. But
3:25:00Sergeant Rita didn't seem too concerned.
3:25:03Isn't it a bit much to have
3:25:05highintensity classes all day long? It's
3:25:08only 4 in the afternoon and I'm so sore
3:25:10that I can barely move. He complained
3:25:13once the training was done for the day.
3:25:16Fortunately, you have the garden on your
3:25:18balcony to help refresh you until your
3:25:20body adapts.
3:25:22Give it a few weeks and this will be
3:25:23completely natural to you. Rita
3:25:26insisted.
3:25:28Is that even how it works? The sergeant
3:25:30sighed at his whining and helped Carl to
3:25:32his feet. That is precisely how it
3:25:35works. And the harder that you push
3:25:37yourself during the first few weeks, the
3:25:39faster you will adapt to the training
3:25:41schedule. Short-term suffering for
3:25:43long-term gains.
3:25:45Carl side. He couldn't actually prove
3:25:48her wrong, but he had a sneaking
3:25:50suspicion that as he got stronger, the
3:25:52training would get harder, so he would
3:25:54never actually get to adapt to the
3:25:55training level. All right, I'll go
3:25:58meditate and get some dinner then. It
3:26:00seems to help with the mental space
3:26:02where Hawk stays. Carl reluctantly
3:26:05agreed. The sergeant didn't argue with
3:26:08him any further. She just took out her
3:26:10notepad to write down her observations
3:26:12about his practice and the remark about
3:26:14meditation helping. Carl knew that it
3:26:17would likely make it into his routine
3:26:18now that she knew, but it was for the
3:26:20best as he was going to need it to keep
3:26:22the windspeed hawk happy in his living
3:26:24space. Compared to that, the extra
3:26:27effects of growth were just a bonus as
3:26:30the hawk was very vocal in his mind when
3:26:32it needed or wanted something. so
3:26:33letting it get bored would be a disaster
3:26:35for his mental health. The cafeteria
3:26:38food seemed to be a bit different today.
3:26:41He had ordered the pasta special with a
3:26:43side salad, but the meal tasted a bit
3:26:45different than he remembered and the
3:26:46energy content was definitely higher.
3:26:49Only a few bites in, Carl was feeling
3:26:52like someone had electrocuted him and
3:26:53energy was pouring into his body. He
3:26:56finished the meal and was going to go
3:26:58for a jog to burn off some energy, but
3:27:00it seemed like it would be more
3:27:02worthwhile to meditate and try to
3:27:03integrate some of this energy into the
3:27:05taming space. Hawk was the main source
3:27:08of his power and advancement. So, the
3:27:10more that he could do to help the beast
3:27:11grow, the better off he would be by the
3:27:14time that he graduated. But Carl was
3:27:16beginning to understand why some classes
3:27:18never managed to advance or even unlock
3:27:21their skills. If he hadn't picked up
3:27:23that egg and found compatibility, would
3:27:25he have ever guessed that petting
3:27:27monsters was the answer? Probably not.
3:27:30You would have to be an idiot to try.
3:27:32And the academy certainly wouldn't have
3:27:34given him the opportunity to touch a
3:27:36living monster just on the off chance
3:27:38that it worked and he didn't get killed.
3:27:41Once he settled down in the hammock, his
3:27:43preferred meditation spot, and began to
3:27:45focus the extra energy in his body
3:27:47toward the upgrades for Hawk, he found
3:27:49that the excess was transferred very
3:27:51quickly, and in only an hour, he found
3:27:53himself hungry again. He could meditate
3:27:56as usual, but the tree was growing
3:27:58quickly in that mental space, and there
3:28:00were some blades of grass around it.
3:28:01Now, if he just kept loading up on
3:28:04energy, he could probably do much better
3:28:06now than he had before. What had changed
3:28:09wasn't clear, but he could ask the
3:28:11kitchen staff if the menu changed. It
3:28:14might just be meat from a different
3:28:15monster that was more compatible with
3:28:17him. If that was all that it took, he
3:28:20could request it all the time. The
3:28:22kitchen worker looked at him a bit
3:28:24strangely when he returned so soon after
3:28:26a heavy meal, and Carl gave her an
3:28:28apologetic shrug. It seems that with the
3:28:31breakthrough in my abilities over the
3:28:33weekend, I've got some catching up to
3:28:34do. Even an hour of practice leaves me
3:28:37starving. So, I hope you don't mind if I
3:28:39stock up on food to go. Carl explained
3:28:42as he began to load plates. Just tell me
3:28:46what you need and I will bring it up in
3:28:47the service elevator. The older woman
3:28:50informed him with a smile. Did you
3:28:53change the recipe of the pasta special?
3:28:56It seemed different than I remember. He
3:28:59replied, "Nope. Same ingredient batch as
3:29:02last week. We didn't get anything in for
3:29:04that dish.
3:29:06Did you want to try a selection and see
3:29:07what works for you? I know that some of
3:29:10the classes get a taste for new things
3:29:12as they train. The Berserkers in
3:29:14particular like extra spicy foods, and
3:29:17the more powerful they get, the spicier
3:29:19they want it. That sounds like a great
3:29:22idea. If you can give me a bit of each
3:29:24of the specials to start, I will pick
3:29:26the ones that seem best." Carl agreed.
3:29:30She began to load a plate with a little
3:29:32bit of everything, and Carl took it back
3:29:34to an empty table where he began to work
3:29:36through them one at a time. The effect
3:29:39was the same as the pasta. His body was
3:29:41just absorbing much more energy from the
3:29:43food than it had been before, and the
3:29:45excess was building up for him to
3:29:46channel into Hawk's surroundings.
3:29:49Carl smiled at the cafeteria lady as he
3:29:52returned his empty plate. I think that
3:29:54the pasta and the meatloaf are the two
3:29:56best specials of the day, but whatever
3:29:58changed in my body, they're all better
3:30:00for my training efficiency.
3:30:02How much do you need for the evening?
3:30:05She asked, lining up plates on her
3:30:07counter. Two each should be enough for
3:30:10the night. I'll come early in the
3:30:12morning so that I can have a heavy
3:30:13breakfast as well. The food arrived
3:30:16outside the room at the same time that
3:30:18Carl did on a small cart pushed by one
3:30:21of the staff members. They had covered
3:30:23the loaded plates with foil to keep the
3:30:25heat in, but Carl could smell it
3:30:27following him down the hall, and Hawk
3:30:29was getting increasingly excited about
3:30:31the idea of both more food and an
3:30:33improvement in his living conditions.
3:30:35"Thank you for that. I will return
3:30:38everything in the morning," Carl
3:30:40informed the kitchen staff worker. "Just
3:30:43set the cart in the hall with your
3:30:44dishes, and we will come pick it up when
3:30:47we clean the halls," the worker
3:30:49explained.
3:30:51Then she walked back to the elevator and
3:30:53Carl took everything inside so he could
3:30:55focus on eating and meditation.
3:30:57The food smelled delicious and even the
3:31:00first serving which had filled his body
3:31:02with energy to be burned off wasn't
3:31:04enough to actually sate the hunger. Once
3:31:07he was settled into a comfortable
3:31:08meditation position in the middle of the
3:31:10bed, Carl began to focus on the
3:31:12improvements to the taming space. The
3:31:15excess energy was pouring freely from
3:31:17him into the space, causing the tree to
3:31:19grow and the patch of grass underneath
3:31:21to slowly but steadily expand.
3:31:24Once that burst of energy was gone, Carl
3:31:27paused to pick a plate from the pile.
3:31:29The obvious choice would be the pasta
3:31:31dish, as he knew for sure that it was a
3:31:33good one, and he had it devoured in a
3:31:35matter of minutes while briefly
3:31:37wondering how much he was going to
3:31:38regret his overindulgence in the
3:31:40morning. The energy flowed into him just
3:31:43as smoothly as it had the first time,
3:31:45and Carl poured it all into the taming
3:31:47space, then repeated the process with
3:31:49the meatloaf special. As he finished
3:31:52transferring the energy from that one
3:31:53into the space, a feeling of fullness,
3:31:56like he wouldn't be able to transfer
3:31:57much more energy, appeared in his mind.
3:32:00That was a good sign that this was not
3:32:02some bottomless pit where he was
3:32:04throwing energy with no end in sight.
3:32:06But the space itself was far from
3:32:07complete. As the space began to resist
3:32:10more transfer, Carl carefully moved the
3:32:13nest up into the tree so Hawk could have
3:32:15a more natural spot to sleep and looked
3:32:17at the small grass patch at the bottom.
3:32:20At this rate, it would take months to
3:32:22even fill the rest of the space with
3:32:23grass, much less add a sky and
3:32:25everything else it would need to feel
3:32:27like its own little world. But the
3:32:29feeling of power in his body was being
3:32:31influenced by the abundance of energy
3:32:33both in his body left over from the meal
3:32:35and from the beast space itself.
3:32:38Maybe he could get Sergeant Rita to test
3:32:40his strength next weekend after he had
3:32:42more time to adjust. He might really
3:32:45have made it to the awakened standard
3:32:47and not just based on the attack power
3:32:49of Ren. Now that the beast space was
3:32:52fully sated for the moment, Carl focused
3:32:54on seeing what he could do with the
3:32:56leftover energy. First on the list,
3:32:59since it was food-based, was to try
3:33:01giving the excess directly to Hawk. The
3:33:04bird's body happily accepted the power,
3:33:06but Carl couldn't tell if it was making
3:33:08any appreciable difference. It made Hawk
3:33:11happy, though, so it really wasn't a
3:33:13loss. They were partners now, and a
3:33:16happy partner was never a bad thing. For
3:33:19the rest of the night, Carl focused on
3:33:21using all the energy that he could
3:33:23muster to empower Hawk, who had finally
3:33:25reached the end of his growth phase and
3:33:27had started to increase only in power,
3:33:29but not in size.
3:33:31Carl managed to finish the remaining two
3:33:33meals at breakfast as Hawk was feeling
3:33:36hungry again and wanted the filtered
3:33:38energy in addition to its meat and the
3:33:40daily allowance of berries to flavor his
3:33:42food. With the amount that Hawk ate,
3:33:44Carl felt like he might have restricted
3:33:46the consumption of junk food too much.
3:33:49It made a good seasoning for Hawk's
3:33:51meals, and it didn't hurt his appetite,
3:33:53so there was no real reason not to let
3:33:55him use them all the time. On the way
3:33:58back to the room from the patio to wait
3:33:59for Sergeant Rita, Carl went and picked
3:34:02another three mountain goosebererries.
3:34:04Now that you're fully grown, you can
3:34:06have more of the berries. They won't
3:34:09make you stronger, but I know that they
3:34:11taste good. Carl informed the overjoyed
3:34:14windspeed hawk. M good stuff. I will put
3:34:18them on everything. Hawk agreed. That
3:34:22gave Carl an idea. The meat that Hawk
3:34:25was eating was just plain meat.
3:34:28Normally, the discount cuts that his
3:34:30mother bought would marinate in a sauce
3:34:32overnight. If he squished the
3:34:34gooseberries into a bowl of water and
3:34:36threw the meat in with them, it would
3:34:37coat everything, just like Hawk wanted,
3:34:40without running them out of berries. He
3:34:42would set that up tonight so Hawk's
3:34:44meals would be ready for tomorrow. A
3:34:47knock at the door let him know that it
3:34:49was time to get to work. And when he
3:34:50opened it, he noticed that Rita was
3:34:52giving a curious look at the cart full
3:34:54of empty dishes.
3:34:56Something changed in my appetite
3:34:58yesterday.
3:34:59It seems to be back to normal now, but I
3:35:02was just ravenous and my body was taking
3:35:04in all the energy that it could get,
3:35:06Carl explained.
3:35:08That's relatively normal. It usually
3:35:11happens to warriors when their body
3:35:13advances a rank and needs to adapt to a
3:35:15new power standard. I suspect that you
3:35:18actually made it to the awakened rank
3:35:20and body last night or Hawk did and the
3:35:22energy needed to come from you. One of
3:35:25those two answers is most likely the
3:35:27correct one. How is his growth coming?
3:35:31Rita replied, "He looks fully grown for
3:35:34a windspeed hawk. He was growing quickly
3:35:37again last night while I was feeding
3:35:39energy into him and the space in my
3:35:40mind, but then it seemed to settle."
3:35:43Carl called Hawk out onto the bed and
3:35:45Rita crouched to get a better look at
3:35:47the proudly pining Hawk. He looks more
3:35:50mature now. The softer feathers are gone
3:35:53and the pin feathers are larger and
3:35:55stronger than the last time I saw him.
3:35:57Your skill is brilliant.
3:36:00One week to bring a windsp speed hawk to
3:36:02maturity. Even if your ability was just
3:36:05to train combat birds, I can guarantee
3:36:07that the academy would still rate it as
3:36:09a top-notch success.
3:36:11Carl smiled at the sergeant. If it's a
3:36:14great success, that means there will be
3:36:16more resources, right? We're still
3:36:19finishing the ones you gave us, but now
3:36:21that Hawk has reached full maturity, his
3:36:24growth is slowing to a crawl, and it's
3:36:26going to take more than just my efforts
3:36:27to keep him growing at this sort of
3:36:29rate. Sergeant Rita laughed. If you can
3:36:33keep growing at that rate, what would
3:36:34the rest of the elites call themselves?
3:36:37I think it's natural that you would have
3:36:39to slow down at some point and
3:36:40consolidate your powers. But if you can
3:36:42keep feeding Hawk extra energy, he
3:36:44should progress toward the ascended rank
3:36:46from awakening in a relatively short
3:36:48time. I will find you what resources I
3:36:51can, though I'm not sure what the hawk
3:36:53can use now that we've tried the two
3:36:54that seemed the most beneficial to it.
3:36:57Well, if there is an upgraded version of
3:36:59the strength stone or some more powerful
3:37:01infused blood, that would be great. I
3:37:04don't know if the air stone will do
3:37:06much. He's still digesting the second
3:37:09one he ate. And the first was so
3:37:11powerful that it caused a huge
3:37:12breakthrough. But if there are other
3:37:15airtype resources, maybe they will help
3:37:17him as well. Every time that he
3:37:20improves, my body improves as well. I
3:37:22just need to train my skills and stamina
3:37:24to keep up. So resources for Hawk seem
3:37:27to be the most effective way for me to
3:37:28grow. Carl suggested.
3:37:32Hulk was definitely a fan of that plan.
3:37:34He didn't mind if Carl got strong, they
3:37:37were a team, but if the plan was to make
3:37:39him the most powerful wind speed Hawk,
3:37:41then it was definitely a good idea.
3:37:44Their next stop was back at their usual
3:37:46training grounds and Hawk was looking
3:37:48forward to being able to show up the
3:37:49mages of the class with his new skills.
3:37:52Now that he was fully grown and his
3:37:54power was getting better, he could block
3:37:56many more shots to protect the targets.
3:37:59Carl could tell that it wasn't actually
3:38:01about the target. It was more about Hawk
3:38:03wanting to show off his skills and get
3:38:05praised or cursed by the mages. Both
3:38:09were fine in Hawk's mind as long as they
3:38:11were recognizing his might. That was the
3:38:14important part in the Hawk's mind,
3:38:16reminding them all that he was the
3:38:17predator here and all the mice were his.
3:38:20I swear that Hawk is picking on us. It
3:38:24gets better by the day just to remind us
3:38:26all that were beneath it. One of the
3:38:28mages announced, "Sweaty and exhausted
3:38:30at the end of the class. It's a
3:38:33windspeed hawk. Do you really think that
3:38:35it has some innate grudge against
3:38:36mages?" One of the others scoffed.
3:38:40Everyone turned to look at the water
3:38:42mages whose fluid attacks drove the bird
3:38:44particularly crazy and then back at the
3:38:46questioner. I mean, in general, it's
3:38:50pretty obvious that the hawk has a
3:38:52hatred for water attacks, but I doubt
3:38:55that he hates mages in general.
3:38:57Carl smiled. If only they knew that Hawk
3:39:01really did see himself as innately
3:39:03better than humans who couldn't fly,
3:39:05could barely see, and didn't even hunt
3:39:07their own meals. The fact that Hawk
3:39:10himself didn't hunt his own food was a
3:39:12matter of luxurious living in its mind,
3:39:14so that didn't count. At least to him,
3:39:17it didn't. Instead of returning to rest,
3:39:21Hawk decided to circle in the sky for
3:39:23the afternoon while Carl trained his
3:39:24martial arts skills. His great hope was
3:39:27that he would finally find something
3:39:29that was able to be hunted in this
3:39:30academy. Unfortunately, there were no
3:39:33rodents, no pests, nothing at all
3:39:36wandering around the grounds. The spells
3:39:39that the mages had put on the academy,
3:39:41and the constant use of powers had long
3:39:43since scared everything away from the
3:39:44academy itself, and he didn't have
3:39:46permission to go out into the fields
3:39:48around the grounds to hunt for a snack.
3:39:51Carl's words had been, "Be where I can
3:39:53see you." and that didn't extend out
3:39:55into the fields on the far side of the
3:39:57wall. If Carl had told him to stay where
3:39:59the others could see him, Hawk might
3:40:01have just given up and gone back to rest
3:40:03inside. But while the hunting didn't
3:40:06work out as he had hoped, Hawk did find
3:40:08a few good things. There was a nice tree
3:40:11along the side of the strength training
3:40:13grounds where he could rest his wings in
3:40:15the shade. There was a carving on one of
3:40:17the buildings that almost looked like
3:40:19him. There was an old lady who kept
3:40:21taking pictures of him. And finally, the
3:40:23truck docks. Once he could figure out
3:40:26how those things worked, he would be in
3:40:28for a treat. Even from up in the sky, he
3:40:31could tell that the buildings behind the
3:40:33docks were just packed full of good
3:40:34stuff. Carl mostly ignored Hawk's
3:40:37adventures and only occasionally
3:40:39reminded him not to make trouble for
3:40:41anyone or take food from strangers.
3:40:44Not everyone would know that he was
3:40:46Carl's hawk, so some might try to poison
3:40:48or attack him like he was a wild
3:40:50monster.
3:40:51Sergeant Rita had another book full of
3:40:53information for them to study, this time
3:40:55on monster biology in hopes that they
3:40:57would stumble across something that
3:40:59might help Hawk continue to grow at an
3:41:01accelerated rate. Every elite wanted to
3:41:04be famous, powerful, or both. That was
3:41:07the whole point of the training regimen
3:41:09here. So, her job as a private
3:41:12instructor was to do what she could to
3:41:14help Carl keep advancing and live up to
3:41:16the potential that the senior staff
3:41:17believed he had when they observed him
3:41:19on the train.
3:41:20If the final result was intense early
3:41:23growth leading to stagnation and a
3:41:25growth plateau, that just meant that
3:41:26they didn't understand the next step in
3:41:28his training. But the next time that
3:41:31they saw a class like this one, they
3:41:33could use his experience as a baseline
3:41:34and start growing the new elite from
3:41:36there. Carl sat on the balcony of his
3:41:39room with a stack of textbooks, trying
3:41:41to determine if there would be some
3:41:42surefire way to help Hawk advance from
3:41:44the awakened stage to ascended without a
3:41:46large delay. From what he knew of the
3:41:49windspeed hawk, their progression
3:41:51usually came from improved skills with
3:41:53rend along with an increased ability
3:41:55power level. The mana infused monster
3:41:58blood should help with the second part
3:42:00and they were doing daily training which
3:42:02no wild hawk would ever have a reason to
3:42:04do. Mostly because they hunted for food,
3:42:07not for sport, so they wouldn't use
3:42:09their skills a 100 times a day. That
3:42:12gave them some sort of advantage over
3:42:14the wild growth rate. But there had to
3:42:16be more that he could do than just grind
3:42:17their skills over and over. Hawk had
3:42:20already learned the wind barrier from
3:42:22the headm's wind beads, so the windspeed
3:42:25Hawk could absolutely learn new things
3:42:27from mystic resources. He just had to
3:42:29get his hands on them. A knock on his
3:42:32door distracted him from his confusion,
3:42:34and Carl went to open the door, finding
3:42:36Dana with a smile and a bag full of
3:42:38books, plus a small plate of food. I
3:42:42brought a gift for Hawk.
3:42:44Someone told me that they had them
3:42:45around their house in the farmlands, and
3:42:47the hawks really liked these. So, I
3:42:49asked the kitchen to find one. She
3:42:52greeted him. That caught Hawk's
3:42:54attention, and he flew in from the other
3:42:56room to land on her shoulder and check
3:42:58out the plate. It was a small animal,
3:43:01skinned, but intact and raw. But to the
3:43:04windspeed hawk, the smell was divine.
3:43:07It's an iron jaw mole. They're farmland
3:43:10pests as they dig huge holes for their
3:43:13nests. They've got great jaw strength as
3:43:16you would expect, but that's it.
3:43:19Unfortunately for them, they're even
3:43:20weaker than the earth mice in the fields
3:43:22outside the academy, and they've got no
3:43:25ranged attacking power at all. The trio
3:43:28walked back to the patio, and Dana set
3:43:30the plate on the table where it was
3:43:31immediately attacked by Hawk. Mind your
3:43:34manners. I don't need you getting blood
3:43:36splatter on the textbooks.
3:43:39Carl reminded him. In response, the hawk
3:43:42pushed the plate to the far side of the
3:43:44table, but didn't slow his pace, happily
3:43:47tearing the small animal to bits. What
3:43:50are you working on today? Carl asked as
3:43:52Dana set out a pair of notebooks, but no
3:43:55reference text. Mana control. According
3:43:59to the teacher, I still use too much for
3:44:01every spell. And that inefficiency is
3:44:03why I'm having trouble with multiple
3:44:05spells and my channeling speed. For now,
3:44:08they've asked me to just focus on magic
3:44:10missiles and fog and not to expand my
3:44:13spell repertoire yet, or I will ingrain
3:44:15bad habits into new spells.
3:44:18So, I want to get my efficiency
3:44:19increased as quickly as I can, Dana
3:44:22explained.
3:44:24Hawk looked up with interest. That topic
3:44:27sounded like it would be useful to him,
3:44:29too. He could kill more water balls that
3:44:32way and taunt the mages. Taunting mages
3:44:35was way more fun than Hawk had expected
3:44:37it to be, especially when they weren't
3:44:39allowed to attack him directly. That
3:44:42sounds like good advice. I need to find
3:44:45a way to keep Hawk progressing now that
3:44:47he's reaching full growth. All this good
3:44:50food and the handful of special items
3:44:52they could find that were suitable for
3:44:53Hawks have brought him up to full grown
3:44:55in record time. But he is going to hit
3:44:56his natural bottleneck soon. And then
3:44:58it's up to training whether we can make
3:45:00the leap from awakened to ascended
3:45:02before the first semester is over. They
3:45:04studied in silence for a few minutes
3:45:06while Hawk finished eating. And then the
3:45:08bird flew up into the trees and brought
3:45:10them back a sing pair perfectly ripened.
3:45:13Carl remembered this one from the guide
3:45:15book. It was supposed to help refresh
3:45:18the body and remove stress. A common
3:45:21enough effect for magical plants, but
3:45:23useful when studying. Carl cut it into
3:45:26thin slices, and Hawk took one small
3:45:28bite before ruffling its feathers and
3:45:30turning away. The pear smelled
3:45:33incredible, but it was too sweet, not at
3:45:35all to Hawk's liking. The humans could
3:45:38have it. Carl laughed at the Hawk's
3:45:41disappointed look and cut the pair into
3:45:43slices for them to snack on. Then Hawk
3:45:46stepped across the table and directly
3:45:48onto Dana's notepad. What are you doing,
3:45:51little man? Have we ignored you too
3:45:54much? She asked and stroked his head
3:45:57gently. Hawk pined at the attention,
3:46:00then shook himself and focused. He
3:46:02raised one claw and created a ren blade
3:46:06in front of him, then decreased the
3:46:08intensity to almost nothing before
3:46:10bringing it back up again, then down
3:46:12until it was almost invisible.
3:46:15Tell her about the waste, Hawk demanded.
3:46:19He wants you to understand that the
3:46:21harder you push yourself, the more mana
3:46:23you waste. Try what he's doing with your
3:46:26magic missiles, and I think you'll see.
3:46:28Hold it in place and keep decreasing the
3:46:30power. The mana cost drops
3:46:32exponentially,
3:46:34Carl explained. Dana looked skeptical,
3:46:37but she did what he asked. The first few
3:46:40missiles nearly fired out across the
3:46:42academy grounds as she had never before
3:46:45tried to hold them in place. But after a
3:46:47few minutes, she could hold and guide
3:46:49them where she wanted as she slowly
3:46:50reduced the power from the default full
3:46:52activation to barely a glow of light.
3:46:55"How did you know to do that?" she asked
3:46:58as she mimicked Hawk's cycle through the
3:47:00power range. "It's instinctive for Hawk,
3:47:03and he taught me. By the logic of a
3:47:06windsp speed hawk, you should hunt with
3:47:07just enough power to take out your prey
3:47:10so you don't waste more energy than you
3:47:11get back. Carl explained.
3:47:15So that's it. This is a huge
3:47:17breakthrough. I can see where I was
3:47:20going wrong. I was just focusing on the
3:47:22spell activation sequence and letting it
3:47:24go. I thought that I was doing well by
3:47:27controlling the direction, but if I
3:47:29focus on the mana flow, I can do so much
3:47:32more with it. There are likely so many
3:47:34things that we can learn from magical
3:47:36creatures that we have never thought of
3:47:38ourselves. The teacher's directions
3:47:40aren't even this detailed, and I've
3:47:42never seen another student actually
3:47:44reduce the power of their spells. They
3:47:47just increase their endurance and cast
3:47:49everything at full power every time, but
3:47:51with better control as they grow. Carl
3:47:54thought about that for a moment and
3:47:55shook his head. No, the senior students
3:47:58have learned to control and split the
3:48:00power as well. I guess they just thought
3:48:03that it would be too difficult for a new
3:48:05mage. But it makes casting spells way
3:48:08easier. Even if you do it at half power,
3:48:11you should be able to cast at least five
3:48:13missiles for everyone that you could
3:48:14before. Dana and Hawk spent the rest of
3:48:17the evening practicing their skill
3:48:19control together, while Carl focused on
3:48:21finding more about the growth cycles and
3:48:23power increase triggers of various
3:48:25magical beast species.
3:48:27There were so many. But Carl was certain
3:48:29that if he worked on it, he could find
3:48:31some sort of pattern to the triggers. It
3:48:34should be either something to do with
3:48:35their skills, their bodies alignment to
3:48:37an element, or some sort of
3:48:39environmental factor. He didn't believe
3:48:41that it was completely random and that
3:48:43it was all up to luck. With study, they
3:48:46should be able to trigger the
3:48:47advancements deliberately. The
3:48:49meditation and movement of energy to
3:48:51Hawk was certainly going to help, though
3:48:53he couldn't tell how much. But every
3:48:55meal since the advancement had given him
3:48:57a surge of energy, as he was absorbing
3:48:59the nutrients and embedded mana much
3:49:01more efficiently than a regular human
3:49:03would. That should be something normal
3:49:06for the elites, as the kitchens did
3:49:07deliberately prepare that sort of meal
3:49:09for every student. So, the real
3:49:11difference should be that he could share
3:49:12the excess with Hawk instead of wasting
3:49:15it. Once it started to get dark, Dana
3:49:18finished making notes on what she had
3:49:19learned and then returned to her room
3:49:21for the night while Carl prepared to eat
3:49:23one more late night meal and meditate on
3:49:25transferring that extra energy to Hawk
3:49:27to help him grow. The only problem was
3:49:30that they would have to wait until there
3:49:31was a noticeable change to find out if
3:49:33these methods were working. And even
3:49:35then, they wouldn't necessarily know for
3:49:37certain which of the methods were the
3:49:38ones that had the largest impact.
3:49:41There was no exact measuring method,
3:49:43which was why they had just loosely
3:49:45grouped monsters into categories based
3:49:47on their power rankings. But that also
3:49:49meant that near the boundaries of those
3:49:50rankings, there could be some
3:49:52uncertainty unless the body or power
3:49:54went through a notable change. For
3:49:56example, when a devil cat went through
3:49:58the process of moving from awakened to
3:50:00ascended, it grew a second tail. That
3:50:03was a pretty simple and surefire way to
3:50:05tell. Many birds would gain a
3:50:08distinctive pattern on their feathers as
3:50:10they grew more powerful, and most
3:50:11mammals would increase in size in a
3:50:13sudden growth spurt. Windspeed hawks
3:50:16didn't go through most of that. They
3:50:18kept their appearance, except for the
3:50:20claws. Once a windspeed hawk reached the
3:50:23ascended level, their claws would turn
3:50:25from a dull black to a translucent
3:50:27obsidian, and that claw material was an
3:50:30exceptional resource for elites learning
3:50:32similar skills. It could be ground up
3:50:34and mixed with monster blood in the same
3:50:36way as the strength stones, and drinking
3:50:38it would increase skill understanding.
3:50:41Huh? Yeah. Make them eat my claw
3:50:43clippings. They grow back quickly. Hawk
3:50:47giggled in Carl's mind, equating the
3:50:49broken claw parts to human toenail
3:50:51clippings. Just a shed waste product
3:50:54that it no longer cared about. Well, if
3:50:57we can help you grow to that level, we
3:50:59can help the others out. and we will
3:51:02show them how far ahead you are just by
3:51:04being yourself. Carl joked, stroking the
3:51:07bird's ego for a moment before he began
3:51:09to meditate. In the morning, they both
3:51:12felt refreshed and a bit better than
3:51:14they had the day before. So, that became
3:51:16their routine. Mornings with the mages,
3:51:19afternoons of martial arts training, and
3:51:21then evenings of book studies, while
3:51:23Carl worked on learning all that he
3:51:25could about magical beasts and the
3:51:27triggers that could cause them to
3:51:28advance. While Hawk worked with Dana on
3:51:30their mana control, his rate of growth
3:51:33was incredible, and while he had an
3:51:35advantage to begin with, thanks to his
3:51:37species, Hawk was rapidly outgrowing
3:51:39anything that could have been expected
3:51:40of a juvenile windspeed hawk. Normally,
3:51:44they wouldn't need to use the rend
3:51:46attack more than a handful of times in a
3:51:48day, as it was primarily for hunting and
3:51:51occasionally for self-defense.
3:51:53But by the end of the week, he could
3:51:55keep it up for hours at a time. Dana was
3:51:58also progressing at a crazy pace with
3:52:00his help, and she now had full control
3:52:02over her magic missiles. It was quite
3:52:05impressive to see her hold them in place
3:52:07or move them around the room with her
3:52:09mind. The process still drained her much
3:52:12faster than she would prefer, but it was
3:52:14a vast improvement on the first day that
3:52:16she started working with Hawk when she
3:52:18didn't understand at all how she was
3:52:20supposed to control the mana flows.
3:52:22So it was with greatly improved
3:52:24confidence that they headed for the
3:52:26meeting spot for the next practical
3:52:27skills meeting. The same group of 54
3:52:30students were gathered in the field
3:52:32waiting for the teachers to arrive and
3:52:34Carl took his spot next to the other
3:52:36team leaders. Sergeant Rita arrived a
3:52:39few minutes later with the two mages
3:52:41driving one of the academyy's cargo
3:52:43buggies filled with gear. We have
3:52:45something new and fun for everyone
3:52:47today. These are the new experimental
3:52:50products from the weapons development
3:52:52department at the Golden Dragon National
3:52:54Research University. What you all are
3:52:56going to do today is go on a little
3:52:58field trip. The danger will be a bit
3:53:01higher than usual as you will be leaving
3:53:03the academy grounds entirely and not
3:53:05just going to the outskirts, but the
3:53:07university has asked us to test whether
3:53:08these new weapons with their fancy
3:53:10technology can actually improve the
3:53:12user's strength by a whole rank.
3:53:14Sergeant Rita announced the mages were
3:53:18more than a little skeptical as their
3:53:20powers were based on mana flow and
3:53:21control which were both internal
3:53:23factors. They didn't use weapons in the
3:53:25same way that the warriors did. If it
3:53:28was just for the warrior classes, it
3:53:30would be a great safety measure for
3:53:32elites in general, but not specifically
3:53:34for them. However, when they took the
3:53:37tarp off the cart, there was a box with
3:53:39everyone's name on it. The university
3:53:41really had come up with something for
3:53:43everyone, and the students began to
3:53:45become excited to see what it could do.
3:53:48Carl made his way to the stack of boxes
3:53:50where Sergeant Rita was organizing
3:53:52everyone into a single file line to get
3:53:54through the stack more efficiently. She
3:53:57handed him a large box and he stepped
3:53:59aside trying to decipher how to open a
3:54:01box with no visible latches. The answer
3:54:04turned out to be a fingerprint scanner
3:54:06in the middle of one side, hidden
3:54:08beneath the paint. To students who grew
3:54:10up in the city, it was obvious, but the
3:54:13small towns didn't have any need for
3:54:15such high-tech security in their daily
3:54:17lives. They just taped the boxes closed
3:54:19and called it secure. Inside the box was
3:54:22a new set of gauntlets, similar to the
3:54:24ones that he already had, at least an
3:54:26external appearance, but they were
3:54:28lighter than the training units, and the
3:54:30claws on the fingers seemed to be made
3:54:32from some sort of actual monster claw
3:54:34instead of alloy.
3:54:36What sort of difference that was
3:54:37supposed to make to his rend attack was
3:54:40a mystery. But there might be something
3:54:41else hidden under the nondescript black
3:54:43metal upper glove that covered his arm
3:54:45nearly to the elbow, which would help
3:54:47with mana channeling or serve as some
3:54:49sort of amplifier for his skills. The
3:54:52only way to know was to test them. So
3:54:54Carl stepped away from the crowd where
3:54:56the warriors were happily beginning to
3:54:57wave their new swords around and gave
3:54:59them a flex to send a claw attack into
3:55:01the air. The power activation feels much
3:55:04more natural even than when he is doing
3:55:06it bare-handed. The gauntlets weren't
3:55:09strictly necessary for the skill, unlike
3:55:11a sword skill. He had fingernails of his
3:55:14own that would do the job. But with
3:55:16these new gauntlets on his hands, the
3:55:18power seemed to flow to the monster
3:55:20claws and form much more smoothly than
3:55:22he could manage on his own. It didn't
3:55:24feel like it was more powerful than
3:55:26usual, and the energy he put in was the
3:55:28same. But his recovery felt like it was
3:55:30faster than usual, as if the weapon was
3:55:32returning some of the expended energy to
3:55:34him. With these gauntlets, Carl was
3:55:37certain that he could fight all morning
3:55:39with ease and not have to take nearly as
3:55:41many breaks during the defensive
3:55:43training with the mages. It would
3:55:45certainly drive his classmates insane to
3:55:47have that many more skills coming up to
3:55:49block their attacks, but they were
3:55:51getting better anyhow, so it could be
3:55:52good for them. It only took a few
3:55:55minutes to get all the weapons handed
3:55:57out and for chaos to spread through the
3:55:59field where they had gathered. There
3:56:01were sword attacks and spells flying all
3:56:03around, a large stone golem standing to
3:56:06one side, and the ground was trembling
3:56:08from someone's magic. It was insanity,
3:56:11but the teachers were content to wait
3:56:12until the students had all begun to calm
3:56:14down before they said anything else. All
3:56:17right, calm down, everyone. You know
3:56:21what's coming next, but this time there
3:56:23is a twist. This week, we will be
3:56:26putting you in pairs. There are two of
3:56:29each number in the bag. Pick one paper
3:56:31and find your partner for today's
3:56:33exercise.
3:56:34You will all be working individually in
3:56:36a large region, so don't expect backup
3:56:39if there are issues, Sergeant Rita
3:56:42explained. While the two mages looked
3:56:44excessively pleased with their
3:56:45ingenuity, the device that the
3:56:47university had made for the mages varied
3:56:49from person to person, but mostly they
3:56:52were in the form of a small rectangular
3:56:54frame full of crystals and tubes that
3:56:55could be hung from the user's belt.
3:56:58Aesthetically, they were a strange
3:57:00choice, but better than the hooded coat
3:57:02with the wires running all down the
3:57:03inside that one of the mages was
3:57:05wearing. Dana had one of the boxes, a
3:57:08flatter one that was a little larger
3:57:10than a paperback novel. That gave Carl a
3:57:13great idea. If they were allowed to keep
3:57:16these prototypes, he could suggest
3:57:18putting a regular book cover over some
3:57:19of them so that they blended in with the
3:57:21academyy's usual apparel a bit better.
3:57:24That should also protect them from
3:57:25damage and dirt, which clearly wasn't a
3:57:28concern for the design team working on
3:57:30magician enhancing tools. Sergeant Rita,
3:57:33what are these gauntlets made of? Do you
3:57:36know? Carl asked as she approached him
3:57:38with the bag of numbers. Just various
3:57:41monster parts combined. As far as I
3:57:44know, it's supposed to be something
3:57:46about combining the aspects of magical
3:57:48beasts to create magic items. She
3:57:51replied with a shrug. Carl took a number
3:57:54from the bag and waited for the rest of
3:57:56the students to choose. He had drawn
3:57:59number 17, but the look on the teacher's
3:58:01faces said that simply shouting your
3:58:03number to find your partner would not be
3:58:05tolerated, or at least not before the
3:58:07numbers were all passed out. So Carl
3:58:11decided to wander and check numbers with
3:58:12the others who had received their cards.
3:58:15He was at the edge of the group to begin
3:58:17with, and his path simply followed the
3:58:19sergeant through the crowd. The others
3:58:22were doing the same but in an organized
3:58:24manner. They were beginning to line up
3:58:26based on the number of their paper with
3:58:28number one moving over toward where Carl
3:58:30had been standing in the beginning. Carl
3:58:33caught on quickly and moved to roughly
3:58:35where he thought pair 17 should be and
3:58:37found himself standing next to Dana who
3:58:39was holding a card identical to his.
3:58:42Well, that makes it easier. We already
3:58:45know each other's basic skills and they
3:58:48should work well together. You take the
3:58:50lead, Hawk scouts, and I will deal
3:58:52damage from the back. She informed him
3:58:55with a smile. That works for me. How is
3:58:59your new tool? Is that mass of stuff
3:59:02really better than what you were using
3:59:04earlier? Carl asked. It seems to be, but
3:59:08we will find out once we actually have
3:59:10to use them. The box is a focusing
3:59:13device, and you use it when you're
3:59:15casting the spell to intensify the
3:59:16effects.
3:59:18It's a bit difficult to use properly at
3:59:20first, but with some practice, it should
3:59:22increase my magic power by quite a bit,
3:59:25Dana replied.
3:59:27Now, we just need to find out what we're
3:59:29going to test it on. Once everyone was
3:59:32sorted, the mages began their spell
3:59:34casting again in preparation to
3:59:36transport the group somewhere. This
3:59:38version seemed far more complex than the
3:59:41first time that Carl had seen it, and
3:59:42the effort was visibly draining on the
3:59:44two mages. That must mean they were
3:59:47going quite a bit further than the
3:59:48outskirts of the academy, which had been
3:59:50a simple and effortless spell for just
3:59:52the elder teacher. But they appeared in
3:59:55the target location just as smoothly as
3:59:57they had the first time, and Carl found
3:59:59himself standing next to Dana in a
4:00:01ruined warehouse, still stocked with
4:00:03bags of dry goods and one slowly leaking
4:00:05barrel of honey that had attracted a
4:00:07huge number of bees. We should move
4:00:10before we anger them. I don't fancy
4:00:12being stung by bees today. Carl
4:00:15whispered as Dana took in their
4:00:17surroundings.
4:00:18Hawk was eager to get out and see what
4:00:20was going on. But until they knew what
4:00:22sort of danger level they were facing,
4:00:24Carl didn't want to send him up blindly.
4:00:27Dana gestured toward a large hole in the
4:00:29wall that seemed to lead out to a main
4:00:31road, and the duo began to move, making
4:00:33their way out into a ruined village.
4:00:36This just happened. I can still smell
4:00:39fresh blood and gunpowder.
4:00:42Carl whispered. Both smells were
4:00:44unpleasantly familiar after a childhood
4:00:46of helping at the mines, and with his
4:00:48enhanced senses, courtesy of Hawk, he
4:00:51could pick them out much more clearly
4:00:53than ever. What do you mean? Dana
4:00:56replied softly. This village was
4:00:59attacked in the last day or two. That's
4:01:02probably why we are here, to help clean
4:01:04out the monsters that have tried to move
4:01:06in. I will send up Hawk now so we know
4:01:09what we're up against and then we can
4:01:11come up with a plan. It's a good thing
4:01:13that you have been working on your mana
4:01:15control because I think that you're
4:01:16going to need magic missile far more
4:01:18than the fog today. This would be a
4:01:21brutal crash course for the first year
4:01:22students even if they were the
4:01:24handpicked best of the batch. They had
4:01:27only been at the academy for a few weeks
4:01:29and they were mostly working with one or
4:01:31two abilities that were still at the
4:01:32common grade. That should mean that the
4:01:35threat level here wasn't too high. But
4:01:37if it were just common grade monsters,
4:01:39the town's folk should have been able to
4:01:41chase them off. Perhaps the response
4:01:43hadn't come quickly enough and the
4:01:45elites had dealt with the stronger
4:01:46monsters too late, leaving just the
4:01:48dangerous local wildlife for the
4:01:50students to clean out. There are angry
4:01:53pigs. We're killing them, right? Then
4:01:57eat them, Hawk reported. Tell me exactly
4:02:01where they are in relation to me and how
4:02:03many. I also need to know how strong
4:02:05each is or how many of them are awakened
4:02:08or higher. Carl replied, training the
4:02:11hawk how he wanted the scouting reports
4:02:13to be structured. Nine pigs, all
4:02:16injured, one with awakened power. 200 m
4:02:20in my direction from the building. Oh,
4:02:23there are more monsters south. If you go
4:02:26that way, there are six goblins, none
4:02:29awakened. They're lazy, making a
4:02:32campfire.
4:02:33You know the routine. Work first and
4:02:35then eat. Lead us to the goblins and
4:02:38keep an eye out for more monsters. The
4:02:41book said that goblins travel in large
4:02:43bands, so there are likely more of them
4:02:45around. Carl replied, "There are some
4:02:49wild pigs that Hawk wants to eat, but
4:02:51there are goblins on the south side of
4:02:53town. That would explain why things went
4:02:56so badly here. Even if they're weak,
4:02:59they're smarter than most wild magical
4:03:01beasts, and they come in large numbers.
4:03:04We are going to have to clear out the
4:03:05six that are left here first, and then
4:03:07we can look for more stragglers than
4:03:09anything else. Anything else, meaning
4:03:12survivors, but it would be uncouthed to
4:03:14say that out loud so early into their
4:03:16mission. Dana nodded grimly, not really
4:03:19ready to see a true monster in person
4:03:21and in the wild with just one other
4:03:23student beside her. But she knew that
4:03:25this was the training mission, and they
4:03:26had been sent here specifically to take
4:03:28care of this threat. Hawk circled the
4:03:31town looking for movement and anything
4:03:33else that the other two might find. Work
4:03:36first and then eat. So, the faster he
4:03:38helped them get all the work done, the
4:03:40better. That meant that he couldn't miss
4:03:42any of the targets. I found more goblins
4:03:46in a house four doors up from you and
4:03:49across the street. I can see two of them
4:03:52from my perch. Carl relayed the message
4:03:55to Dana in a whisper and then kept
4:03:57walking. What are you doing? She hissed.
4:04:01If they know that we have seen them,
4:04:03they will call for assistance instead of
4:04:05trying to ambush. Hawk has his eyes on
4:04:08them. He won't let them actually ambush
4:04:10us. Just stay close to me and when they
4:04:12rush, you cast magic missile. Carl
4:04:16whispered back as he walked. Carl
4:04:18crossed the street, watching the
4:04:20building that Hawk had marked with his
4:04:22enhanced peripheral vision without
4:04:23turning his head. The goblins didn't
4:04:26have great eyesight, so they would
4:04:28assume that if he wasn't looking at
4:04:29them, he hadn't seen them. And sure
4:04:31enough, as soon as he passed, they
4:04:33charged out with a battle cry. It was
4:04:36just three wounded common grade goblins
4:04:39and two of them fell to Hawks Ren before
4:04:42either Carl or Dana could respond. Carl
4:04:45took the last with a flex of his fingers
4:04:47and the town fell silent again. Hawk,
4:04:50keep searching. That cry might have
4:04:52alerted the others. Carl directed. The
4:04:56hawk flew away and Dana gave it a look
4:04:59of admiration.
4:05:01He's got great reflexes,
4:05:03she muttered. He's definitely a good
4:05:06friend to have on a day like this. He's
4:05:09gone to scout for more goblins in case
4:05:11something heard and responded to that
4:05:13battle cry. Carl kept them moving south
4:05:16toward the edge of town, even when he
4:05:18felt the occasional pull of exertion, as
4:05:20Hawk took out lone goblins that had been
4:05:22hiding in town. He was not happy about
4:05:25the situation, as they smelled terrible
4:05:27and were inedible to him. But there was
4:05:29the promise of iron tusk bores in the
4:05:31distance as soon as he found and
4:05:33eliminated them all.
4:05:34They really prepared a brutal test for
4:05:36us today. Hawk has found five more
4:05:39wandering goblins so far, and we're
4:05:41still not to the larger pack of six.
4:05:44Take out whichever ones you want when we
4:05:46arrive. Your spell is slower to cast
4:05:49than Ren, so I will let you lead off the
4:05:51attack and then I will keep them from
4:05:53getting to us. How are you doing on the
4:05:56multiple Miles effort? Carl asked. I can
4:06:00still only control two at a time, but
4:06:02once I get the spell started, it should
4:06:04be much faster to send the next volley.
4:06:07Are there any awakened rank goblins in
4:06:09the pack? She replied, "According to
4:06:13Hawk, they're all common grade
4:06:14followers. There is no sign of a
4:06:16stronger leader. The elite who came here
4:06:19first likely dealt with the stronger
4:06:21foes and then left the rest, or they ran
4:06:23and came back," Carl replied.
4:06:27Carl caught a glimpse of flames in the
4:06:29distance on the outskirts of town and
4:06:31put a finger to his lips to signal
4:06:33silence from here forward. The goblin
4:06:36camp was loud, preparing for something,
4:06:38and they didn't even have a guard out
4:06:40when Carl led the way to the edge of the
4:06:42clearing where they had set up. Once
4:06:44they were close, he crouched, getting
4:06:46low to the ground so that his uniform
4:06:48didn't stand out quite as badly, and did
4:06:50his best to move silently. It was clear
4:06:53that there had once been many more
4:06:55goblins here, but presently only six
4:06:57remained. Easy prey for the two elites.
4:07:00Dana focused and put a pair of magic
4:07:02missiles into the back of two of the
4:07:04goblins near the fire pit while Carl
4:07:06took out the one closer to them. Then he
4:07:09aimed for the one who reacted the
4:07:11fastest and another who was trying to
4:07:13run. Dana got the last of them in the
4:07:16back and Carl rose to his feet to go
4:07:18make sure they were really dead.
4:07:20There would be nothing worse than having
4:07:21what they thought was a defeated enemy
4:07:23come from behind and ambush them. But as
4:07:25he made his way through the camp, Carl
4:07:27immediately began to regret moving in
4:07:29for a closer look. He had forgotten what
4:07:32goblins eat, which was mostly the flesh
4:07:34of the villagers they slaughtered, and
4:07:36the stench was overpowering.
4:07:39But after motioning for Dana to stay put
4:07:41for the moment and watch for
4:07:42reinforcements, he checked all the
4:07:44bodies, giving them all a quick stab
4:07:46with a Pilford Goblin sword before
4:07:48moving back to their hiding spot.
4:07:50They're finished. Let's move back into
4:07:53town and take care of the rest of the
4:07:55targets. Then we can kill the pigs and
4:07:57have some lunch before waiting to see
4:07:58what else we are supposed to be doing
4:08:00here. I think that this should be it,
4:08:03but I was expecting a bit more guidance,
4:08:06he explained.
4:08:08So was I. When they said that there
4:08:10wouldn't be much of a chance that we
4:08:12would be meeting the other students, I
4:08:14didn't think that they meant we wouldn't
4:08:15even be in the same town. What does Hawk
4:08:18say about the situation? Dana replied,
4:08:22"Nothing else is moving. I even went up
4:08:25high and there was nothing else around
4:08:27but the pigs. I even stopped at the
4:08:30houses and there was no sound of
4:08:32heartbeats or movement inside.
4:08:34Does that mean that we're done and we
4:08:36can have lunch now? Hawk replied,
4:08:39"Hopefully.
4:08:41Meet us before we go deal with the pigs.
4:08:44There is an awakened one there and it
4:08:46might not be safe for you to go alone.
4:08:48Who knows what sort of ability he might
4:08:50have?" The wild iron tusk boores were
4:08:53happily rooting through the town's
4:08:55garbage pile when Carl arrived with Dana
4:08:57right behind him and the hawk circling
4:08:59overhead. The largest of them was Hawk's
4:09:02target for lunch.
4:09:04It was newly into the awakened rank and
4:09:06gave off a sense of power that Dana
4:09:08recognized long before Carl did. It has
4:09:11magic. I'm not sure what, but it can use
4:09:15some sort of magical spell, she
4:09:17whispered.
4:09:19All right, then we ambush it. All three
4:09:22of us at once will attack the largest
4:09:24boar, and then we will deal with the
4:09:26others. How is your stamina holding up?
4:09:29Have you rested long enough since the
4:09:31fight with the goblins?
4:09:33Dana nodded. I held back so the
4:09:36expenditure wasn't nearly as high. I am
4:09:39ready to fight. She moved to Carl's
4:09:42left, then climbed up on top of a small
4:09:44stone shed and lay on her stomach to get
4:09:46a good angle of attack. That should keep
4:09:49the boars away from her for a moment
4:09:51until they could knock down the wall,
4:09:53but she wasn't so high that she would
4:09:55get hurt jumping down. Hawk, your dinner
4:09:58is served. Attack the big one when Dana
4:10:01does with as much as it takes to kill
4:10:03it. I will deal with the others. Dana
4:10:07fired a pair of magic missiles into the
4:10:09awakened boar and six streaks of rend
4:10:12came down to meet them, converging on
4:10:14its neck as the beast reared back to
4:10:16block the missiles with its tusks. Then
4:10:19Carl attacked, throwing rend attacks
4:10:21into the closest two boores and moving
4:10:22forward to attract the attention of the
4:10:24remaining three. They were all close to
4:10:27awakened in power, and their hides were
4:10:29beginning to toughen, but it wasn't
4:10:31enough to keep his attacks from
4:10:32penetrating. Then Hawk arrived, sending
4:10:35out two more attacks into the back of
4:10:37the charging bores, while Dana targeted
4:10:39the last survivor, a greedy one who
4:10:41hadn't stopped eating as soon as the
4:10:43others had. Well, that was
4:10:45anticlimactic.
4:10:47I thought that it was going to be a much
4:10:49harder fight, Dana noted. Don't jinx it.
4:10:53We are still not back at the academy,
4:10:56but I will cut up these bores so that
4:10:58Hawk can get a fresh lunch and we will
4:11:00bring them back with us. How he was
4:11:03planning to do that was a mystery to
4:11:04Dana. But after Carl pulled a textbook
4:11:06from his coat for reference before
4:11:08beginning to butcher the pigs, she
4:11:10assumed that he had some actual plan.
4:11:12Then the first of them disappeared, just
4:11:15vanished in front of her eyes, and Carl
4:11:17moved on to the next. What the heck was
4:11:20that? Where did they go?
4:11:23Dana gasped as an entire 100 kilo boore
4:11:26vanished for the second time. There is a
4:11:28mental space granted by my powers.
4:11:31That's where Hawk stays when he's not
4:11:33out playing. I can store things in there
4:11:36like meat and it doesn't go bad. There
4:11:39is only one small issue that I found.
4:11:42Only food can go in there. I tried to
4:11:45put my textbooks in and it wouldn't
4:11:47work. But meat can go in and out no
4:11:50problem. Carl explained.
4:11:53What a strange restriction. But it is
4:11:56for your pet, right? So perhaps it's
4:11:59only things that are good for the pet
4:12:01that can go in and out. Why don't you
4:12:03try with a resource that you know he
4:12:05can't use later and see what happens?
4:12:08Dana suggested.
4:12:10That is brilliant. Perhaps the magic of
4:12:13the beast space will help me learn what
4:12:14will be best for Hawk. Trying to find a
4:12:17way to help him advance more quickly is
4:12:19my current topic of study. other than
4:12:21the basic training, Carl explained. Glad
4:12:25I could help, but shouldn't someone have
4:12:28shown up by now? It's getting close to
4:12:31lunch, and these practice missions
4:12:32usually only last an hour. Carl
4:12:35shrugged. Well, technically, they've got
4:12:39us all day. So, I suppose it's not a big
4:12:42deal if we have lunch here at the
4:12:44nearest house. No, scratch that. I heard
4:12:47from Hawk what is inside. Let's just eat
4:12:50out here. Carl used his sword to cut
4:12:52some sliced pork to grill over a fire
4:12:55using branches as skewers while Dana
4:12:57prepared a fire. Give me just a second.
4:13:01I know the spell to create a small
4:13:03flame. I just haven't mastered it yet.
4:13:06We don't have to make fire the hard way
4:13:08or go rumaging through houses looking
4:13:10for a fire starter. she explained.
4:13:14The village had been ransacked by
4:13:15goblins, so whatever they found inside
4:13:18the houses was not going to be pleasant.
4:13:20Dana was aware of the stories about
4:13:22goblin atrocities, but she really was
4:13:25not intending to find out firsthand what
4:13:26it looked like up close. It took three
4:13:29tries before she managed to get sparks
4:13:31to form and the dry branches to light,
4:13:33but after that, the fire started to burn
4:13:36quite well, and the duo waited for the
4:13:38heat to build so that they could begin
4:13:39to roast the meat. Do you think that
4:13:42this could be some sort of surprise
4:13:43survival test? Tomorrow is the day off
4:13:47and we don't have classes for another
4:13:48day and a half, so there wouldn't be any
4:13:50delay to our learning if they had us
4:13:52stay here to hunt for an overnight trip.
4:13:55Carl suggested.
4:13:57I hope not. I don't know about you, but
4:14:00I didn't bring any sort of camping
4:14:02equipment. Dana joked. There was a whole
4:14:06town behind them, but without any sign
4:14:08of survivors and no visible
4:14:10battleground, being able to search the
4:14:12town itself for supplies was
4:14:13questionable. There was no telling how
4:14:16much was left in town and how much had
4:14:18been taken with the ones who fled. Well,
4:14:21if nobody comes for us by dinner, we
4:14:23will have to go looking for supplies to
4:14:25get through the evening. I don't know if
4:14:27we want to stay in town as the ruined
4:14:29town will draw more monsters searching
4:14:31for food. That is a good idea.
4:14:35We should get settled in as if we were
4:14:37waiting for a conventional pickup after
4:14:38a mission. That seems like the best
4:14:41option since this class is intended to
4:14:43prepare us for rescues and missions
4:14:45after we graduate," Dana suggested. The
4:14:49three of them settled in around the
4:14:51fire, waiting out the time until the
4:14:53meat was cooked and deliberately
4:14:54ignoring the fact that there was a
4:14:56ruined and abandoned village right
4:14:57behind them. They would have to face the
4:15:00fact that numerous people likely lost
4:15:02their lives here in the recent past. But
4:15:04for now, they would focus on their lunch
4:15:06and the possibility that they didn't get
4:15:08all the monsters that were nearby. But
4:15:10two hours later, after they had finished
4:15:12eating, and Hawk had searched the town
4:15:14twice over, going into every open house
4:15:17to make sure that there were no
4:15:18survivors or other hidden monsters, but
4:15:20there was nothing. In fact, there were
4:15:23very few bodies at all, though there was
4:15:25quite a bit of blood in some of the
4:15:27houses, according to Hawk. Should we go
4:15:30back to where we started in the middle
4:15:32of town? Perhaps there is some sign
4:15:34there that will let us know what we're
4:15:36supposed to be doing. I feel like we
4:15:38should have gotten some message by now
4:15:40and that maybe we weren't supposed to be
4:15:42sent to an empty town. I mean, think
4:15:45about it. We're both technically still
4:15:48common grade, though I am already at
4:15:50awakened in peak power. They shouldn't
4:15:52have sent us out into the unknown
4:15:54unsupervised for too long. It would make
4:15:56more sense if we were here to deal with
4:15:58the iron tusk bores. Maybe there was
4:16:01supposed to be someone here to meet us,
4:16:03but they were gone before we arrived
4:16:04because of the goblin attack. So, you
4:16:08think that someone was supposed to let
4:16:09them know that we were finished? That
4:16:12makes some sense since it is sanctioned
4:16:14by the academy. Perhaps we could find
4:16:16something that would let us contact
4:16:18them. I mean, even a cell phone would do
4:16:21the job, and there should be a working
4:16:23landline in some of the buildings, Dana
4:16:26suggested.
4:16:27Carl got to his feet and sent Hawk back
4:16:29up to scout the town in case there was
4:16:32anything coming for them while they
4:16:33walked back to the town square. It was
4:16:36an eerie feeling now that there was
4:16:38nothing around and moving. No birds,
4:16:41rodents, nothing at all. The town was
4:16:44just completely silent. But there were
4:16:47lights on, so it hadn't been completely
4:16:49destroyed, just left uninhabited.
4:16:52Just as when they arrived, the center of
4:16:54town was empty. But now Carl wasn't
4:16:57looking for monsters, but signs that
4:16:59someone knew they were coming and might
4:17:01have left behind a message for them. The
4:17:03first thing that Carl noticed about the
4:17:05center of town was how clean it was.
4:17:08There was no sign of battle here, no
4:17:10indication that there had been a last
4:17:12stand to defend this place. So
4:17:15logically, the majority of the
4:17:16inhabitants must have simply left or
4:17:18fought to the end in another part of
4:17:20town. Reluctantly, Carl checked the
4:17:23large stone building nearby, whose doors
4:17:25were left open to the elements, and
4:17:27found that while the interior was a bit
4:17:29messy, there was no sign of a battle
4:17:31here either. So, either they left in
4:17:34advance or the attack happened at night
4:17:36when nobody was at work. If the battle
4:17:39did take place at night and made it past
4:17:41the perimeter security that every
4:17:42village should have, it would make sense
4:17:44that there was very little to see in the
4:17:46streets. The goblins would have invaded
4:17:49homes and by the time that the alarm was
4:17:51raised, most of the town would have been
4:17:53killed in their sleep. The government
4:17:55building still had power to the
4:17:57computers. So Carl whistled to catch
4:17:59Dana's attention and gestured for her to
4:18:01come inside. Do you know how to work
4:18:04this? I've never seen that operating
4:18:06system before. He asked, "Oh, no
4:18:11problem. We used the same one at school.
4:18:15It's even still logged in.
4:18:17I wonder why their computers don't have
4:18:19a timeout feature when you're gone too
4:18:21long, she asked. She tapped a few keys
4:18:25and then clicked on the home button and
4:18:27smiled. It looks like they did leave us
4:18:29a message. There is a text file in the
4:18:32middle of the home screen. Dearest
4:18:35explorers and salvage teams, the
4:18:38residents of this village intend to
4:18:39return within 30 days of the posting of
4:18:41this notice, making the town's property
4:18:44ineligible for salvage. A surprise
4:18:46goblin attack with the threat of ongoing
4:18:48invasions forced us to evacuate to safe
4:18:51point alpha as designated on the
4:18:53government maps for this location. And
4:18:55once the region is deemed safe and the
4:18:57elites have finished their work, we will
4:18:58return. Mayor Dingw
4:19:02this morning. We were likely already
4:19:05gathered for the morning briefing when
4:19:06this was posted, but I think that a lot
4:19:08of the blood we saw was a fair bit older
4:19:10than that. Carl noted. Dana thought
4:19:14about the timing of the message and its
4:19:16implications and then looked back
4:19:18outside. They said that it was likely
4:19:21there would be continued attacks. We
4:19:23only found a handful of stragglers plus
4:19:26whatever goblins hawk killed inside the
4:19:28houses. That doesn't really constitute
4:19:31an ongoing threat, does it? I think that
4:19:34tonight they are likely to come back
4:19:35again looking for survivors and loot. I
4:19:39think that you're right. They are going
4:19:41to come back. Not just the small
4:19:43scouting squad that they left here, but
4:19:45a whole goblin tribe looking for
4:19:47supplies. The book I read on Monster
4:19:49Biology says that they don't like being
4:19:51outside during the day if they can avoid
4:19:53it. So, it will probably be after dark.
4:19:56That gives us about 7 hours before they
4:19:58might start to arrive, assuming they
4:20:01attack with the twilight. But what can
4:20:03we do to fortify and prepare for them?
4:20:06This building is solid stone with a
4:20:08stone roof, so it's not too bad. We
4:20:11could lock all the shutters and wait
4:20:13here, or we could barricade this place
4:20:15and return to it after we hunt goblins
4:20:17in the town. They won't be expecting
4:20:19someone to be hunting them while they're
4:20:21scavenging for food. Carl suggested.
4:20:25The problem with that is I can't see in
4:20:27the dark. Maybe you can, but I
4:20:30definitely can't. I would be working
4:20:32blind, and I'm not a close combat
4:20:34fighter, so I can't really stay behind
4:20:36alone with my skills. Dana reminded him,
4:20:41"Why don't you create a huge fog bank
4:20:43that hides the entire town? It will make
4:20:46the goblins easier to hunt one at a
4:20:47time, so I can send Hawk to ambush any
4:20:50of them he finds out in the open, and
4:20:51then we can fight whichever ones manage
4:20:53to make it here. They won't realize
4:20:56their companions are under attack right
4:20:57away if they can't see them, and the
4:20:59shouting won't lead them straight to us,
4:21:01so we can fight them in smaller groups.
4:21:04Unless there is a better building here
4:21:06in town, but it looks like the rest of
4:21:08them are mostly made of wood. And I
4:21:10wouldn't trust that the goblins won't
4:21:11burn them down to get us out if they're
4:21:13desperate. All right, that plan works. I
4:21:17will start building the fog now since it
4:21:19lasts until I want it to dispel. Once it
4:21:22hides the whole village, we should be a
4:21:24little more safe. How well can Hawk see
4:21:27through the fog? Dana asked. Keep it
4:21:31closer to the ground and it's fine. If
4:21:34you can see for 10 m in the fog, that
4:21:36means that if it ends at 10 m in the
4:21:38air, Hawk can see through it just fine.
4:21:41Even 5 m off the ground should be enough
4:21:44to blind the goblins and still leave
4:21:46them visible from the air. It was a
4:21:48devastating advantage to attacking from
4:21:50above, and the goblins wouldn't be
4:21:52expecting a monster attack on their
4:21:54raiding party. Not many monsters would
4:21:57attack goblins, as they weren't edible.
4:22:00They would only attack if their
4:22:01territory was invaded or the goblins
4:22:03made the mistake of getting greedy and
4:22:05targeting them. We should prepare a fire
4:22:08as well. Lanterns, something that will
4:22:11allow us to light the room so that we
4:22:13can see properly around the entrance
4:22:14once the fighting starts. The power
4:22:17might go out at any time if they're
4:22:19attacking. Goblins are pretty smart, so
4:22:21some torches would be a good idea. Dana
4:22:24added, "There is an auto repair shop
4:22:27just down the street. I will get a bunch
4:22:30of oil and rags, then tie them around
4:22:32branches.
4:22:34That will work for torches to light the
4:22:36area, but I will look for an oil lantern
4:22:38as well. I'm not sure that they will
4:22:40have one here, but they were pretty
4:22:42common in the mines. The mechanic's shop
4:22:45was just down the block, and Carl
4:22:47approached as silently as possible in
4:22:49case there were still goblins inside.
4:22:52Hawk said that he hadn't found any, but
4:22:54he was also under orders to either stay
4:22:56high in the air or out of sight so that
4:22:58he wouldn't get attacked before the real
4:22:59battle started. The building was an old
4:23:02cinder block building darkened with
4:23:04years of soot all around the three bay
4:23:06doors with a small office to one side.
4:23:10What he needed would likely be in the
4:23:11shop itself, but he also wanted to find
4:23:13a proper lighter and some food that
4:23:15wasn't just roast meat. There should be
4:23:18a vending machine inside, and if anyone
4:23:20came back to see it broken, they would
4:23:22just assume it was the goblins since
4:23:24they trashed everywhere else in town.
4:23:27But strangely, the glass doors were
4:23:29intact, the windows unbroken, and the
4:23:31shop itself seemed undamaged.
4:23:34That could be an issue if it was all
4:23:35locked up. But when Carl tried the side
4:23:38door to the actual shop, it opened
4:23:40smoothly, revealing a dimly lit set of
4:23:42three bays, each with a car parked in
4:23:44them. Carl went to the first and found a
4:23:47cigarette lighter in the cup holder
4:23:49which went to his pocket. Then he
4:23:51noticed a grease barrel on a two wheeled
4:23:53dolly. That was perfect. It would burn
4:23:57slowly. It stuck to the rags for torches
4:23:59if the power went out and there was a
4:24:01whole drum of it here on wheels. Carl
4:24:04loaded a large bag full of rags on the
4:24:06grease barrel, then went through the
4:24:08door to the front of the shop where the
4:24:10distinctive smell of a workshop faded
4:24:12and a pungent odor of herbs prevailed.
4:24:15Maybe that had something to do with why
4:24:16this place wasn't trashed. It was worth
4:24:19a shot. And Carl quickly found the
4:24:21source of the smell. Bags of herbs
4:24:23soaked in fuel, giving off a rather
4:24:25obnoxious odor. There were spares in the
4:24:28front office, ready to be assembled. So
4:24:30Carl grabbed two and a small can of fuel
4:24:33to activate them. Then he made his way
4:24:36to the vending machine, which was
4:24:37unlocked and open, seemingly prepared
4:24:40for the likelihood that someone would be
4:24:41here before they returned.
4:24:43So he grabbed a few bags of snacks and
4:24:46stuffed them in his coat just in case
4:24:48they were here all night. Hey, is anyone
4:24:51here? We're elites from the academy here
4:24:54to deal with the monster issue. Carl
4:24:57called just in case someone was hiding
4:24:59in this wellprotected shop. There was no
4:25:02answer, and the room was deafly silent.
4:25:05So Carl returned to his work. He needed
4:25:08at least a few long sticks for the
4:25:09torches, and those should be found in
4:25:11the parts department. Any long metal or
4:25:14wooden rod would do. And as luck had it,
4:25:17they stocked cargo bars for securing
4:25:19freight inside trucks. 2 m long, made of
4:25:23light metal, and easy to disassemble to
4:25:25shorten them up a little. They would
4:25:27make great torch bases, so Carl grabbed
4:25:29four and brought them to the grease bin
4:25:31along with the scent buckets. There was
4:25:34a large length of chain nearby as well,
4:25:36so Carl added that to his pile of
4:25:38goodies and headed back out the way that
4:25:40he came in, carefully closing the side
4:25:42door so it didn't make a loud noise.
4:25:44Dana's fog was already spreading out
4:25:46from the government building, covering
4:25:48most of a city block and pouring down
4:25:50the streets. Given a few more hours of
4:25:53work, and she would certainly have the
4:25:55whole town covered, making Hawk's work
4:25:57easier this evening. I've got what we
4:26:00need. Snacks, torch materials, and even
4:26:03a couple of bags of herbs that should
4:26:05get soaked in fuel to keep monsters
4:26:07away. The shop was completely untouched,
4:26:10so I'm pretty sure that they work. We
4:26:13can set them up in the entryway to the
4:26:15building and see if they keep the
4:26:16goblins away for the night, Carl
4:26:19explained.
4:26:20Perfect. Once I finish with the fog, I
4:26:23will need some sleep. So, if you want to
4:26:25rest now, I will wait for Hawk's signal
4:26:28that something is coming. It's going to
4:26:30be a long night. Dana reminded him. Good
4:26:34point. Hawk's warning should wake me up,
4:26:37but if it doesn't, just poke me or
4:26:39something. I'll rest on the couch at the
4:26:42back of the lobby, out of sight of the
4:26:43doors, in case something passes by. He
4:26:47had left the door open a crack, the same
4:26:49as they had found it, and there were
4:26:51only a few lights on in the lobby. But
4:26:53there was still a chance that a monster
4:26:54passing by the door would notice them.
4:26:57"Wait, first put the herb bags where you
4:26:59think they need to be. It will be too
4:27:02late to mask our scent if we do it later
4:27:04in the evening." She reminded him with a
4:27:07grim look. Carl was still hoping for the
4:27:10best, that there wouldn't be anything
4:27:11coming back tonight. But Dana was
4:27:13prepared for the worst, and that was a
4:27:15full goblin tribe arriving to clean out
4:27:17the town tonight and finding them holed
4:27:19up in this one stone building. The bags
4:27:22were quick to prepare, and the scent
4:27:24rapidly filled the lobby, making Dana's
4:27:26nose twitch and irritation at the
4:27:28pungent odor. But if it kept monsters
4:27:31away from their resting spot, it was a
4:27:33good thing. And they might actually be
4:27:35able to rest until Hawk gave them the
4:27:36signal that something was coming. He was
4:27:39resting in the beast space right now
4:27:41preparing for his night of activities,
4:27:43but he would come out once Dana was
4:27:45finished with the fog or the evening
4:27:47approached.
4:27:48Some foods could only be hunted at
4:27:50night, and the windspeed hawks, as a
4:27:53species, had a great sense of when the
4:27:55transitions would be, as that was the
4:27:57point when the nocturnal animals would
4:27:59be active, but groggy and not quite as
4:28:01alert as usual. But he didn't get to
4:28:04sleep that long. Dana woke them both up
4:28:07around 6:00 in the evening, an hour
4:28:09before sunset, to let them know that the
4:28:11fog was finished and it extended out
4:28:13past the edge of town. Now, she was
4:28:16going to rest until the attack started
4:28:18while Carl and Hawk could take over. You
4:28:21know what to do. Head up into the sky
4:28:24and make sure that nothing is going to
4:28:26sneak up on us. Let me know if you see
4:28:28anything moving out there." The hawk
4:28:31took off into the afternoon sky, making
4:28:33a larger loop around the town to see if
4:28:35there was anything approaching while
4:28:37watching for anything that might take
4:28:38the opportunity of the fog to move
4:28:40about. He was pretty sure that he hadn't
4:28:43missed anything during the day, but
4:28:45there were always ways to hide from him.
4:28:47So maybe like a mouse in a hole, there
4:28:48were hiding monsters in the town just
4:28:50waiting to come out. He had gone 10 km
4:28:54out, moving in a spiral pattern as he
4:28:56circled the town when he found what they
4:28:58were waiting for. I found it. A whole
4:29:02bunch of goblins are headed to the town
4:29:04now. They're just putting out their
4:29:06fires and starting to move. Do you want
4:29:09me to follow them? he asked. Carl
4:29:13frowned. That was close to the worst
4:29:15case scenario that they had imagined
4:29:17when they prepared for the evening. Keep
4:29:20tabs on them, but make sure that is the
4:29:22only thing coming our way. We can likely
4:29:25deal with a pack of goblins, but if
4:29:27there is something stronger than a
4:29:28common monster, we could be in trouble,
4:29:31he replied. Carl had an impression of
4:29:34where Hawk was in relation to himself,
4:29:36so he knew that that goblins weren't too
4:29:38close to the town yet, and he had some
4:29:40time before they arrived, but not enough
4:29:42that he could count on making any real
4:29:44fortifications.
4:29:46What he should do was call the academy
4:29:48and make sure that this was part of the
4:29:49plan. Since they didn't know if the
4:29:52teachers were aware the town was empty
4:29:54when they were sent, it would be best to
4:29:56make sure. All he had to do was find the
4:29:59academyy's phone number somewhere,
4:30:01assuming that it was even listed.
4:30:04Contacting the elites wasn't something
4:30:05that a regular person could just do
4:30:07casually. So, the number might not be
4:30:09easily available, even with the computer
4:30:11here in the lobby. They should have most
4:30:13of an hour before the goblins reached
4:30:15the town. So, he would wake Dana up in
4:30:17half an hour to get freshened up and
4:30:19have something to eat before the
4:30:20fighting started. The goblins are
4:30:23splitting up. They will be going all
4:30:25over town, but not in a big pack. Hulk
4:30:29did his best to explain the situation as
4:30:31the goblins got closer to the town's low
4:30:33wall. All right, you can start working
4:30:36once they are in the fog and separated.
4:30:39Just don't get hurt. I will wake Dana
4:30:42now, Carl replied.
4:30:45He gently shook the mage awake and
4:30:47gestured toward the break room in the
4:30:48back of the lobby. There are washrooms
4:30:51back there if you want to get clean and
4:30:53grab a drink before the fight starts. He
4:30:56whispered. How long do we have? Carl
4:31:00listened to Hawk's running updates and
4:31:02did his best to calculate. I would say
4:31:04about 5 minutes until they're actually
4:31:06in town and 15 or 20 before they reach
4:31:09this side of town. They're about to
4:31:11reach the outer fog now and they have
4:31:14slowed to a slow walk as they search.
4:31:16Dana disappeared into the back room and
4:31:18came back a few minutes later with a
4:31:20lunch box in each hand. They're still
4:31:23good, or at least they smell like it.
4:31:27They were in the breakroom fridge, but
4:31:29I'm sure that whoever's lunch this was
4:31:30will forgive us. Do you know the academy
4:31:33phone number or how to find it? We
4:31:36should probably call them to make sure
4:31:38this is part of the plan, Carl suggested
4:31:41as he finished the container of leftover
4:31:43spaghetti and the two sandwiches.
4:31:45Whoever brought this had a serious
4:31:47appetite.
4:31:49I can try finding it, but I'm not sure
4:31:51that it's a public number. Let me know
4:31:53if anything is getting close. Dana
4:31:56agreed. She sat at the computer to
4:31:59search for the academyy's contact
4:32:00information, and Carl moved to watch the
4:32:03outside of the building on the monitor
4:32:04at the other desk. There were only a few
4:32:07security cameras, but they circled the
4:32:09building, and there was an extra one at
4:32:11the entrance.
4:32:13Wait, we forgot to check the other
4:32:14doors. Give me one minute and I will
4:32:17make sure that none of the side doors
4:32:19are unlocked.
4:32:21Carl hissed as he realized that they had
4:32:23missed an important step in securing
4:32:24their base. There was only one other
4:32:27exterior door, a fire exit at the back
4:32:30of the lobby. But when Carl reached it,
4:32:32he realized that it wasn't and couldn't
4:32:34be locked. But he had some supplies, so
4:32:37there was a chance to barricade the
4:32:39door. He went back to the front and got
4:32:41one of the cargo securement bars and the
4:32:43length of chain he had taken from the
4:32:45auto repair shop. The bar could be set
4:32:48across the hallway and the chain looped
4:32:50around it and through the handle on the
4:32:52door. The hooks on either end of the
4:32:54chain would hold it in place and the
4:32:56handle looked solid enough bolted
4:32:58through the thick metal fire door. Carl
4:33:01didn't know for sure how strong a goblin
4:33:03was, but there was no chance that he
4:33:05would be able to pull that door open,
4:33:07even if he had someone along to help
4:33:09him.
4:33:10It took a few tries to get the bar in
4:33:12the right spot across the hallway walls,
4:33:14but once he had the chain pulled tight,
4:33:16the door was very secure, and they no
4:33:18longer had to worry too much about
4:33:20anything sneaking in behind them.
4:33:22They're in the fog. I will start to
4:33:25eliminate the goblins now. Hawk
4:33:27reported, "They're in town." Hawk is
4:33:31starting to work now, but we've got a
4:33:33bit before they reach this side of the
4:33:35city. They're probably going to try to
4:33:37loot the houses as they go, so it might
4:33:40take quite a while before they reach us,
4:33:42Carl whispered. They're not all
4:33:45stopping. A bunch of them are running
4:33:47further into town through the fog. They
4:33:50could be near you soon. Do I scout or do
4:33:53I hunt? Hawk asked. They're not doing a
4:33:57methodical search. They're spreading all
4:33:59over town and coming our way. Get ready.
4:34:03Try to give us a warning when anything
4:34:05gets close to us, but hunt as much as
4:34:07you can. Carl checked the placement of
4:34:10the scent bags in the lobby, making sure
4:34:12they were going to fill the room to
4:34:14deter goblins, then put another one out
4:34:16in the back near the lunchroom in case
4:34:18they had to retreat. Making it harder
4:34:20for the goblins to pick up their scent
4:34:22would make it easier to ambush them. And
4:34:24the more that they could kill before the
4:34:26tribe realized anything was wrong, the
4:34:28better. They are coming right for you.
4:34:32Maybe they can smell you, Hawk asked a
4:34:34few minutes later as he watched the
4:34:36goblins headed directly for the middle
4:34:38of town next to the government building
4:34:40where Carl and Dana were hiding. Thanks.
4:34:44We're on it. Dana, climb up on that desk
4:34:47and open the window above you. You can
4:34:50fire magic missiles from there, right?
4:34:53That should give you a better angle on
4:34:54the goblins that are coming for the town
4:34:56square. I am going to step outside and
4:34:59close the door behind me so I can attack
4:35:01them properly. Carl whispered. Dana
4:35:05didn't approve of that plan, but if they
4:35:07were going to fight the goblins, it was
4:35:09better if someone drew their attention
4:35:11away from her. If Carl was inside the
4:35:14building, he couldn't do it. But if he
4:35:16was outside and her scent was blocked
4:35:18from the goblins while she attacked, it
4:35:20could work well enough for them to clear
4:35:22out most of them with little risk. The
4:35:24real danger would be that they would get
4:35:26tired from the exertion of multiple
4:35:28spell castings.
4:35:30They would be restraining their powers,
4:35:31so the exponential mana cost as you
4:35:33approached your limits wasn't as much of
4:35:35a hindrance, but there were still
4:35:37limitations on how much they could do.
4:35:40Even Hawk couldn't hunt all night long
4:35:41without a break. That wasn't in his
4:35:43nature at all. What Dana needed to focus
4:35:46on was making the magic arrows more like
4:35:49actual arrows.
4:35:50Normally, they were glowing spears of
4:35:53magic.
4:35:54But she didn't want them to glow tonight
4:35:56and give away her position. The first
4:35:59goblins came as a pair, skulking through
4:36:01the street, searching for something that
4:36:02they would never find. As Carl's, Ren,
4:36:05tore them both apart at the same time.
4:36:08Their bodies fell into a bush along the
4:36:10side of the road next to the building
4:36:12that they thought would hide their
4:36:13presence, and Carl returned to waiting.
4:36:16The smell of goblin blood would
4:36:18certainly bring others to him, which was
4:36:20precisely what Carl wanted at the
4:36:22moment. They were all spread out across
4:36:24the town so they wouldn't arrive in a
4:36:26group. But if they arrived a few at a
4:36:28time, they would be no match for him and
4:36:30Dana. Given his physique, even if he
4:36:33were just to fight them, Carl was fairly
4:36:35certain that he could take one or two
4:36:37goblins at a time without using skills.
4:36:39But there was a serious risk that he
4:36:41would be wounded, and neither of them
4:36:42knew any healing skills.
4:36:45Carl heard the rustle of a branch when
4:36:47there was no wind in this fog and turned
4:36:49to find another trio of goblins trying
4:36:51to sneak up on him. A streak of faint
4:36:54light hit one in the back, punching a
4:36:56hole through its chest before Carl tore
4:36:58the other two apart with rend. Even at a
4:37:02quarter power, which put virtually no
4:37:04strain on his body or energy, the four
4:37:06streaks of light shredded the goblins
4:37:08with ease. They might be strong for
4:37:10their size, but they were soft, and
4:37:13their hide was no match for his attacks.
4:37:16In the sky above, Hawk had realized the
4:37:18same thing. He used only the bare
4:37:21minimum of power to take out his targets
4:37:23all over town, saving as much as he
4:37:25could for later. Carl always gave him a
4:37:28reward for doing a good job, and it had
4:37:30to be an excellent reward if he managed
4:37:32to keep up the battle until all the
4:37:33goblins were gone. Unlike Carl, who
4:37:36simply fought where he was, Hawk had
4:37:38started his battle on the downwind side
4:37:40of the town. That way, the scent of
4:37:43goblin blood would be blown back across
4:37:45the areas he had already cleared instead
4:37:47of wafting over the village as Carl's
4:37:50kills were doing. Not that the goblins
4:37:52were all that concerned. Most of them
4:37:55were still focused on loading large bags
4:37:57of stuff from houses, and Hawk just had
4:37:59to wait to kill them until they came
4:38:01back out. But as they moved through the
4:38:04houses and didn't hear their fellow
4:38:05tribesmen anymore, they were becoming
4:38:07concerned, and that was causing more of
4:38:09them to move toward the smell of blood.
4:38:12"You have more incoming. They can smell
4:38:15your fight." Hawk warned as he took out
4:38:18both a goblin and an earth mouse at the
4:38:20same time. Carl probably hadn't banned
4:38:23him from eating his kills. At least Hawk
4:38:26didn't remember him doing it, so he
4:38:28happily ate the mouse before looking for
4:38:30more goblins. It was a good night. There
4:38:33was work, but there were also mice and a
4:38:36promise of rewards later. Maybe he could
4:38:39even convince Carl to give him a whole
4:38:41vial of that blood juice that was so
4:38:43good for his strength. Dana tapped on
4:38:45the windowsill to get Carl's attention
4:38:47and pointed through the fog to where a
4:38:49group of four goblins was trying to
4:38:50sneak up on them. It was a terrible
4:38:53effort as their eyesight was not good.
4:38:55And through the fog, Carl could see much
4:38:58further than they could. What they were
4:39:00going by was the smell of blood. But
4:39:02there was none on him or in the building
4:39:04where Dana was hiding. So they were on
4:39:06the wrong side of the square out in the
4:39:08open when Dana's spell took two of them
4:39:10out before they even noticed they were
4:39:11in danger. Carl was about to attack when
4:39:14Instinct told him to move and he
4:39:16sidestepped while turning, barely
4:39:18avoiding being hit by a flying dart
4:39:20fired from a goblin blow gun. Using his
4:39:23full strength, Rend killed the creature
4:39:25and three of its companions at the same
4:39:27time, slicing them into pieces that fell
4:39:30into the grass. Dana took out the other
4:39:33goblins across the park, and Carl gave
4:39:35her a thumbs up in approval. He would
4:39:38have to be extra careful of those darts
4:39:40in case they had some sort of poison on
4:39:42them. They didn't look like they would
4:39:44kill if they didn't, and that made them
4:39:46his largest concern in the increasing
4:39:48darkness.
4:39:49The darkness was also a benefit to Carl
4:39:52as he could hear the goblins running
4:39:53into various things around town where
4:39:55the lights in the houses had been broken
4:39:57or turned off. They might have a sneaky
4:40:00dart gun, but if they couldn't see him,
4:40:02then it wouldn't really matter what sort
4:40:04of weapons they had, they wouldn't be
4:40:06able to hit him. With that in mind, Carl
4:40:09shifted into the shadows of an al cove
4:40:11and waited for more goblins to be
4:40:13attracted by the noise and the smell of
4:40:15blood. He could hear Hawk hunting in the
4:40:17distance. The short shrieks of goblins
4:40:20as they were assaulted from above, cut
4:40:22off before they could get a full word
4:40:23out. But Hawk's narration said that he
4:40:25was still high in the sky, using the
4:40:27dark to his advantage while attacking
4:40:29down into the fog. The goblin tribe
4:40:32didn't stand a chance tonight, and they
4:40:34were so easy for him to kill that Hawk
4:40:36was barely trying, just using multiples
4:40:38of very lowowered attacks to eliminate
4:40:40the pests without tiring himself.
4:40:43Birdt type monsters were the reason that
4:40:45goblins lived in caves and they had no
4:40:47real way to deal with an iate bird whose
4:40:49territory they had invaded. They could
4:40:52only wait for it to swoop or run and
4:40:54hide until it calmed down. Another pair
4:40:57of magic missiles from Dana took out two
4:40:59more goblins on the edge of the central
4:41:01square while Carl saw another scurry
4:41:03into the corner by a set of stairs. It
4:41:06had seen its comrades fall, but couldn't
4:41:09see the attacker, so it was hiding and
4:41:11waiting for its chance. He couldn't
4:41:13afford to let it warn the others, so
4:41:15Carl crept up to the stairs and then
4:41:17tossed himself into the air using the
4:41:19railing so he could see down at the
4:41:20hiding goblin. The height shocked him.
4:41:24Carl wasn't really used to the
4:41:26additional strength of his body, and he
4:41:27had thrown himself nearly 3 m in the
4:41:30air, but it gave him a good view of the
4:41:32target, and his rend took it out with
4:41:34ease. Then Carl caught the edge of the
4:41:37roof beside him to slow his fall and
4:41:39carefully dropped to the ground,
4:41:41limiting the noise he made on the
4:41:42sidewalk. The soft thump didn't seem
4:41:45like it would carry far, and Carl
4:41:47returned to the shadows in front of the
4:41:49government building to wait for more
4:41:50goblins to approach. Their eyesight
4:41:53might be terrible, but their hearing and
4:41:55sense of smell weren't, so they had to
4:41:57know something was up by now. The stench
4:42:00of goblin blood was all that Carl could
4:42:02smell, and he didn't even have any on
4:42:04him. Then the sound of bare feet
4:42:06slapping on the concrete as they ran in
4:42:08his direction caught Carl's attention.
4:42:11There was a larger group coming for
4:42:13them. And as they reached the square,
4:42:15they started to shout, calling for
4:42:17reinforcements as they searched for the
4:42:18culprit. Carl stepped out into the
4:42:21street and cut down two of the closest
4:42:23goblins from a block away where they
4:42:25were barely visible through the fog,
4:42:27even to his eyes. Dana hadn't started
4:42:30firing magic missiles yet, so she
4:42:32probably couldn't see them. But the
4:42:34goblins understood which direction they
4:42:35were under attack from and turned to run
4:42:37toward Carl, waving rusty blades and
4:42:39clubs as they screamed. Swinging his arm
4:42:42in a wide arc, Carl sent out a 3 m wide
4:42:45quartet of attacks which scattered the
4:42:47goblins with some leaping to the side,
4:42:49some dropping to the ground, and an
4:42:51unfortunate few being torn to shreds.
4:42:54That made them stationary targets as the
4:42:56first magic missiles hit them, and Carl
4:42:59picked off a few more with smaller
4:43:00attacks that would be harder to see in
4:43:02the dark.
4:43:03More bare feet were running toward them
4:43:05in the fog, and a shrill screech of hawk
4:43:07hunting came from overhead as he
4:43:09followed his targets back toward Carl.
4:43:12It took a moment to activate Ren, and
4:43:14Carl couldn't do it as fast as Hawk
4:43:16could. But for a moment, the goblins
4:43:18were held at bay, creating a mess of
4:43:20bodies in the middle of town and
4:43:22covering the blood in black blood that
4:43:23stunk of rot and metal. Then the goblins
4:43:27were too close for Carl to keep them
4:43:28away with rend, and he decided to switch
4:43:31tactics. He drew his blade and chopped
4:43:34at the closest one, breaking its arm and
4:43:36knocking its crude wooden shield aside
4:43:38before the blade cut deep into its neck.
4:43:41Dana focused on the goblins closest to
4:43:43him, keeping them from surrounding or
4:43:45bypassing Carl and heading for her while
4:43:47Hawk worked his way in from the back. It
4:43:50was impossible to tell how many were
4:43:52left in the fog as Carl traded blows
4:43:54with three more goblins, trying to get
4:43:56an attack in without leaving himself
4:43:57open. They were surprisingly strong for
4:44:00their size, but not strong enough to be
4:44:02called awakened monsters as they were
4:44:04learning as they failed to stop Carl's
4:44:06counterattack.
4:44:08A wave of sword light in the form of
4:44:10Rend sliced through the goblins in front
4:44:12of him, giving Carl some breathing
4:44:14space, but the larger attacks were hard
4:44:16on his stamina, and he wouldn't be able
4:44:18to do that too many more times. Instead,
4:44:22he retreated toward the government
4:44:23building using smaller rend attacks as
4:44:25he went and the goblin pack began to
4:44:28falter. I can't keep this up. Dana
4:44:31warned from the window above him as Carl
4:44:33reached the door to the building. That's
4:44:36fine. You don't need to lock the window
4:44:39and take a break. I will defend the
4:44:41doorway while Hawk works outside. I
4:44:44think he has a bit more in him. Carl
4:44:46wheezed, winded from the exertion of
4:44:48fighting a larger goblin pack.
4:44:51I have been going easy on them. Small
4:44:53attacks is all it takes, and they're too
4:44:55dumb to fight back. Hawk gloated. Just
4:44:59keep it up and get rid of the rest.
4:45:02Don't let them find a way into this
4:45:04building. Hawk circled the square,
4:45:06targeting the goblins who tried to leave
4:45:08the area in other directions while
4:45:10seeing Carl standing in the doorway of
4:45:12the building under the lights drew more
4:45:14of them forward. Dana slumped as she
4:45:17climbed down from her perch on the
4:45:18windows sill and went to sit in one of
4:45:20the chairs in the break room to recover
4:45:22and get some energy back. The snacks
4:45:25weren't much when you were used to
4:45:26roasted monster meat, but there was some
4:45:28of that left as well, and the break room
4:45:30was well supplied with energy drinks and
4:45:32a free coffee maker. The goblins were
4:45:35hesitant at first to approach Carl after
4:45:37seeing him kill so many of their own,
4:45:39but mostly they were waiting for more
4:45:41numbers.
4:45:42Numbers were strength to goblins, and
4:45:45once they had enough, their courage was
4:45:47unbreakable.
4:45:48Carl leisurely cast Ren at the best
4:45:50targets, forcing them to keep moving or
4:45:52become lumps of meat, while Hawk gave
4:45:55him steady updates. "We are down to less
4:45:58than 10 of them now. Most are in the
4:46:00square, but there are some on the other
4:46:02side of town who are running away." Hawk
4:46:05informed Carl after 5 minutes of the cat
4:46:07and mouse game with the hiding goblins.
4:46:10Don't let them get out of town. If we're
4:46:13going to make the area safe for the
4:46:14locals to return, we can't have them
4:46:16sending survivors back to wherever they
4:46:18came from. I will keep fighting these
4:46:21while you're gone. Carl sensed Hawk
4:46:24turning to find the cowards and looked
4:46:26for a clean shot at the remaining
4:46:27attackers near the building. They were
4:46:30trying to sneak up on him, staying in
4:46:32the bushes around the other buildings,
4:46:34but that wasn't hard for Carl to pick
4:46:35out. What he didn't want to do was to
4:46:38attack too fast and tire himself out
4:46:40before they made a large push toward the
4:46:42door. Hawk said that there were less
4:46:45than 10, and with the one he had just
4:46:46killed in the rose bushes, that should
4:46:48be less than six. But he didn't know how
4:46:51many were still hiding somewhere nearby
4:46:52and how many the hawk had found running
4:46:54away. The bird was too distracted with
4:46:57his hunt to give updates, but there was
4:46:59nothing moving near Carl right now. So
4:47:02he waited and then waited some more
4:47:05until finally one of the goblins came
4:47:07sneaking around the corner of the
4:47:08building and tried to jump him. Carl
4:47:11didn't even turn his head as he flicked
4:47:13his finger and sent a blade of energy to
4:47:15cut the creature's head off, dropping it
4:47:17on the steps with a thud. Hawk finished
4:47:20his work and began to circle the town,
4:47:22looking for more targets, but there were
4:47:24none to be found.
4:47:26Everything in town was either dead or in
4:47:28hiding, which meant that all that
4:47:29remained was for the local police force
4:47:31or militia to do door-to-door searches
4:47:33and clear all the houses before the
4:47:35residents went back in. Hawk landed on
4:47:38the roof and Carl opened the window for
4:47:40him so he could come inside when he was
4:47:42ready. I'm going to close the door and
4:47:45rest for a bit. Hawk, keep a lookout at
4:47:48the front of the building so nothing
4:47:49surprises us. Dana will switch with you
4:47:52in an hour or two. Carl informed the
4:47:55bird, making sure that Dana could hear
4:47:57his side of the conversation.
4:48:00They both needed the rest. And though
4:48:02they wouldn't be getting much sleep
4:48:03today, just relaxing and meditating
4:48:05would help a lot. That's precisely what
4:48:08Carl had planned. Some roasted monster
4:48:11meat to get the energy flowing through
4:48:13his body and then meditation to refill
4:48:15his and Hawk's energy storage. With a
4:48:18bit of luck, they would feel refreshed
4:48:20again in a few hours, and they would be
4:48:22ready to face the next day. after
4:48:24calling someone to come find them. For
4:48:27the next hour, Carl rested and
4:48:29meditated, regaining most of the energy
4:48:31that he had burned through, while Dana
4:48:33did the same. Then they both got up to
4:48:35check in with Hawk and make sure that
4:48:36nothing had been happening around town.
4:48:39Make one more flyover of the place, and
4:48:41if there isn't anything changed from
4:48:43last time, you can return to the beast
4:48:45space and sleep for the rest of the
4:48:46night. I think that we've gotten through
4:48:49most of the threat now and I will take
4:48:51care of getting us back to the academy
4:48:53in the morning. Carl informed his
4:48:55feathered partner. Hulk flew off making
4:48:58his rounds over the town while Dana went
4:49:00to search the computers in the office to
4:49:02find a useful phone number and Carl
4:49:04guarded the door. I've got something.
4:49:08There is a government emergency line
4:49:09here. Direct dial red phone. Do you want
4:49:12to make the call or should I? She asked.
4:49:17You can make the call. Let them know
4:49:19that we're students sent out on a
4:49:21mission. The town appears to be clear,
4:49:23and that we could use a ride back to the
4:49:25academy. Carl listened to the one-sided
4:49:28conversation and tried not to laugh as
4:49:30Dana struggled to get anyone to believe
4:49:32her. No, we are students from the
4:49:34academy sent here to clear the monster
4:49:36infestation.
4:49:38Of course, I know the town has been
4:49:40overrun and it was evacuated. That's why
4:49:42we're here. We are elites from the
4:49:45academy.
4:49:46Yes. No. Let me try this again. Sergeant
4:49:52Rita and Professor Mills sent us here on
4:49:54a mission using a transport spell. We
4:49:57have finished clearing out the goblin
4:49:59tribe and we need a ride back. Just
4:50:02contact the academy. Don't make me take
4:50:04this to your supervisor.
4:50:06Oh, he's right there. Is he? Put him on
4:50:10the phone. This is the awakened rank
4:50:12mage Dana assigned with the awakened
4:50:14rank warrior Carl to do monster control
4:50:17of this town. The goblin tribe has been
4:50:20eliminated and we need you to contact
4:50:22the academy to pick us up. Our phone was
4:50:24damaged.
4:50:26Yes, over 50 goblins were found and
4:50:28killed. The entire tribe is dead unless
4:50:30there are some that left the area
4:50:32entirely.
4:50:34There are no more signs of goblins here.
4:50:37Yes, I understand very well what making
4:50:39a false report and impersonating an
4:50:41elite could mean, but as I'm not doing
4:50:44either, please send for an academy
4:50:46transport.
4:50:47Fine. Sending for a military police unit
4:50:50works just as well. I will remain on the
4:50:53line until they arrive. At that point,
4:50:56Carl couldn't hold it anymore, and he
4:50:58began quietly laughing, using his arm to
4:51:00stifle the noise. Not for long, though.
4:51:04The sound of helicopters in the air
4:51:06alerted Hawk to incoming visitors only a
4:51:08few minutes later. "Return to the beast
4:51:11space. I don't want any
4:51:13misunderstandings."
4:51:14"They're all idiots, and they're not
4:51:16listening to Dana," Carl instructed. "At
4:51:20least it will be light soon, so they
4:51:22won't be dumb and blind," Hulk replied.
4:51:26Dana sighed over the phone and
4:51:28dissipated the fog so that the
4:51:29helicopter could see to land. Yes, I
4:51:33know there is an unnatural fog here. I
4:51:36created it and I am dissipating it now.
4:51:39They will be able to land in under a
4:51:40minute. She was explaining over the
4:51:43phone. I will send Carl out to flag them
4:51:46down with a torch. That should be pretty
4:51:48recognizable, right? Yes, we prepared
4:51:51for a power outage should the monsters
4:51:53be smart enough to cut the main power.
4:51:56You're not all that bright either, but
4:51:58you're right here on the phone with me,
4:52:00aren't you? Don't underestimate the
4:52:02monsters.
4:52:04Carl laughed as he grabbed a pole and
4:52:06tied a rag around it, then dunked it in
4:52:08the grease and lit it up. The torch
4:52:10created a bright flame with thick black
4:52:12smoke as the excess grease burned, but
4:52:15it was impossible to miss in the rapidly
4:52:16thinning fog. The helicopter didn't
4:52:19land. It just dropped a group of ropes
4:52:22and a team of men in black uniforms with
4:52:24rifles in hand dropped into the town
4:52:26square and formed a defensive ring.
4:52:28They seemed a bit too paranoid by Carl's
4:52:31estimation. They should have been
4:52:32informed that the threat was already
4:52:34gone, but they seemed to take their jobs
4:52:36very seriously.
4:52:38Academy Warrior Carl. The team leader
4:52:41shouted over the noise of the
4:52:42helicopter.
4:52:44That's me. The helicopter can land over
4:52:47there. We already cleared the town, so
4:52:49there shouldn't be any more goblins
4:52:51here. Carl shouted back. Instead of
4:52:55landing, the helicopter moved to a
4:52:57higher altitude and away from the
4:52:58landing zone, flying in a circle around
4:53:01the town, presumably looking for more
4:53:03threats. Let's get you to safety. Where
4:53:06is the mage? The team leader asked.
4:53:10Inside,
4:53:12but as I've told you, it's already safe.
4:53:15Look around you. There are no more
4:53:17living goblins,
4:53:19Carl repeated. The team leader hustled
4:53:22him back inside, but most of the team
4:53:24remained outside the building, searching
4:53:26the square, which was covered in dead
4:53:28goblins from an evening of battle. "I
4:53:31need you to put your index finger on the
4:53:33scanner for me," the team leader
4:53:35insisted, and Carl complied, scanning
4:53:38his identity the same way he had a
4:53:40thousand times before, clocking in and
4:53:42out of the mines for his after school
4:53:44shifts.
4:53:45identity verified.
4:53:47Golden Divine Academy elite student Carl
4:53:51awakened ranking assessment under review
4:53:53pending formal exam. The man looked
4:53:56between his identity scanner and Carl,
4:53:58then at Dana and back again with a
4:54:00surprised expression.
4:54:02See, we told the guy on the phone what
4:54:04was happening, but it looks like nobody
4:54:06actually believed it. You are welcome to
4:54:09explore the town, though. It will still
4:54:12need to be swept to make sure that there
4:54:14isn't anything hiding in the houses that
4:54:15we didn't detect and someone will have
4:54:17to clean up all the goblin bodies in the
4:54:19streets. I'm reasonably sure that's not
4:54:22part of our job description,
4:54:24Carl explained.
4:54:26There are more coming. We were scrambled
4:54:29in advance from the base when we got the
4:54:31report that there were some kids
4:54:32pretending to be elites in the town, but
4:54:34they were already scheduled to be
4:54:35dispatched here to clear the village and
4:54:37find the goblins.
4:54:39It should be 200 men so they can scour a
4:54:42town this size on their own. Now that we
4:54:45have determined that you two are who you
4:54:46say you are, is there any coffee? The
4:54:49team leader replied.
4:54:52Right here, there is a free coffee maker
4:54:55in the lunchroom. We weren't sent with
4:54:57overnight supplies, so we owe a couple
4:54:59of people for a lunch, but other than
4:55:01that, everything in the building is
4:55:03still mostly intact.
4:55:05Carl informed him with a smile. Oh,
4:55:08that's an easy fix. You don't have them
4:55:11yet as you're still students, but once
4:55:13you graduate, you'll get a code
4:55:15generator app for your phones. Just
4:55:18write out the redemption code for
4:55:19anything that you need to use in the
4:55:21line of service, and they can apply for
4:55:23reimbursement from the government. I
4:55:25will put in for it today. It will make
4:55:27their overall damage claim easier to
4:55:29process with one preapproval code in
4:55:31place.
4:55:33The team leader grabbed a couple of
4:55:34napkins from the counter and wrote down
4:55:36a string of numbers and letters on each
4:55:38of them before stuffing them into the
4:55:40empty lunchboxes.
4:55:42Then Dana put them back in the fridge
4:55:44where they found them and the rest of
4:55:45the team started to enter the building.
4:55:48Sir, the area is clear. No sign of life
4:55:52anywhere in the area. We will secure the
4:55:55building now. One of the soldiers
4:55:57informed them in an extra serious tone.
4:56:00You can relax. They're real elites from
4:56:02the academy, not kids playing pretend
4:56:04where they shouldn't be. I'm not sure
4:56:07why we didn't get the message, but when
4:56:09they say that they killed off the
4:56:10goblins, I believe them. The team leader
4:56:13informed his men, who began removing
4:56:15their face masks and lining up at the
4:56:17coffee machine. Best news I've heard all
4:56:20day. I can't believe we got chased out
4:56:23of bed at 5 in the morning because some
4:56:25pencil pusher didn't know what to do
4:56:27with academy elites who don't have an
4:56:28authorization code yet.
4:56:31One of the men grumbled. The team leader
4:56:34set his mug down and nodded in
4:56:35agreement. You have to understand their
4:56:38minimum wage assistance.
4:56:41The ones who answer the phone, that is,
4:56:44they live off the minimum subsidy for
4:56:46elites and answer the phones at the call
4:56:48center for elites and government
4:56:49officials, but they're not elites
4:56:51themselves. They don't have much else,
4:56:54so they like to go on a power trip at
4:56:56work. Just give them your student ID
4:56:58number the next time they ask and it
4:57:00will automatically transfer you to one
4:57:02of us. Their job is to deal with local
4:57:05bureaucrats requesting assistance, but
4:57:07when we call, they're just the
4:57:09receptionist.
4:57:10I'm assuming that the two of you are
4:57:12starting your final year preparing to go
4:57:14into the military. The team leader
4:57:17asked.
4:57:18Actually, we're in our first year and
4:57:20they were preparing her to become an
4:57:22idol. We are both in the practical
4:57:24skills special class since we're a bit
4:57:26ahead of most and they sent us here for
4:57:28training without any explanation.
4:57:31I would assume that they thought that
4:57:33there was still someone here to greet us
4:57:35since the town was evacuated only a few
4:57:37hours before our arrival, but it is what
4:57:39it is. The situation is dealt with now.
4:57:43The special forces team all turned to
4:57:45look at Dana with smirks on their faces.
4:57:48Oh, they're preparing for the next arch
4:57:50mitch. are they? An idol's career is
4:57:53notoriously short and her attitude is
4:57:55so they're going to have to
4:57:57replace her sooner than expected. Don't
4:57:59get me wrong, her power is topnotch and
4:58:02she will be one of the top elites for a
4:58:04long time, but as an idol, you can't be
4:58:06that horrible to your fans forever. One
4:58:10of the special forces team members
4:58:11laughed. Does everyone just know
4:58:14everyone then? Dana asked as the
4:58:17soldiers laughed. Well, there is only
4:58:20one academy for the elite students, you
4:58:22see. Other than the team leader, who is
4:58:25a bit older, we're all about the same
4:58:27age, so we were in school together. Once
4:58:30you're through the first year of crammed
4:58:32classes, you'll find that there is a lot
4:58:34of time to socialize and get to know
4:58:35each other. The most popular people in
4:58:38school become famous outside school as
4:58:40well, and there are only a hundred or so
4:58:42of us per year who graduate at Ascended
4:58:44or higher. You're both reaching awakened
4:58:47in your first year, so you're almost
4:58:49guaranteed to be part of that group, and
4:58:51you will know a lot of soon-to-be famous
4:58:53people. That's just how it is as an
4:58:54elite. That made sense. Only one rank
4:58:59above ascended was commander, and they
4:59:00were the sort of powerful people that
4:59:02everyone in their hometown would know by
4:59:04name, either because they became
4:59:06politicians or because they were so
4:59:08fantastically wealthy that they owned
4:59:10half the town. The lithium mines had a
4:59:13commander rank warrior who took the
4:59:15experimental treatments during
4:59:16development of the serum as the mayor.
4:59:18But most towns only had a few elites
4:59:20stationed there for security. Between
4:59:23the government stipend for powerful
4:59:24elites and their connections, it wasn't
4:59:26hard for them to get wealthy in only a
4:59:28few years and live in luxury wherever
4:59:30they had been stationed. Other than the
4:59:33two that were on duty at the door, the
4:59:35rest of the special forces team gathered
4:59:37to secure the two young elites and drink
4:59:39coffee while they waited for the main
4:59:41force of the army to arrive. Did you
4:59:44find anything stronger than a common
4:59:45monster here? The team leader asked as
4:59:48he got up to pour another cup. Just one
4:59:51iron tusk boar that was clearly
4:59:53awakened. If there was a leader among
4:59:55the goblins that wasn't at the common
4:59:57rank, I didn't notice. They're a bit
5:00:00difficult to tell apart in the dark,
5:00:02especially with the fog, but I don't
5:00:04recall any of them surviving a direct
5:00:06hit. Carl replied, "Why did you choose
5:00:10to cover the town in fog anyhow?
5:00:12Wouldn't that just make your job
5:00:14harder?" One of the special forces team
5:00:17members asked. "Not really. It makes it
5:00:20harder for the goblins to see where
5:00:22they're going, so they're attacking
5:00:24blindly until they're almost on us. But
5:00:27I've got a hawk as part of my class
5:00:28skills, and he's great at hunting in the
5:00:30fog. You see, if it stays close to the
5:00:34ground, he can see down into it while
5:00:36they are looking forward and unable to
5:00:38see much. Carl explained, "Oh, so it is
5:00:42like the druids that have an animal
5:00:44companion instead of a beast form." One
5:00:47of the others asked, "Sort of. It's a
5:00:51windspeed hawk and he's just made
5:00:53awakened rank. An actual magical beast,
5:00:56not just a hawk. Now we're talking. That
5:01:00would explain your confidence in hunting
5:01:02in the dark. Those things are a menace.
5:01:06The man grumbled, remembering a time
5:01:08when his team was attacked by one. They
5:01:11all sat and waited until the team's
5:01:12radios announced that the trucks were
5:01:14reaching the town limits and the army
5:01:16was spreading out to do a full search of
5:01:18the town. Well, that's the end to happy
5:01:21fun time. They will want us all on
5:01:24standby in case they find something.
5:01:26They've got rifles, but they're not
5:01:28elites, so they will call for us if they
5:01:30find anything more than a lone injured
5:01:32goblin, the team leader explained. Then
5:01:36he led them all out into the open area
5:01:38in front of the building, what Carl had
5:01:40deemed to be the town square, which he
5:01:42now realized was actually used as an
5:01:44open air market, but all the stalls had
5:01:46been packed away until its next open
5:01:48day.
5:01:49Today was Sunday, the usual off day for
5:01:52most laborers, so it would have likely
5:01:54been opened if there were anyone left in
5:01:56town. But the empty space had made it
5:01:58much easier to fight last night and
5:02:00eliminated most of the good hiding spots
5:02:02for the goblins to sneak up on them.
5:02:05More goblin corpses here, requesting
5:02:08sanitary cleanup. Goblin cleanup at
5:02:12Sixth and Maine as well, and at Seventh
5:02:15and Maine. Carl smirked as the reports
5:02:17of bodies strewn all over town came in.
5:02:20And the special forces team tried not to
5:02:22laugh. You really did just set a
5:02:25windspeed hawk loose in the fog, didn't
5:02:27you? There are dozens of them here,
5:02:29which makes sense for two elites
5:02:31fighting together, but there are random
5:02:33bodies all over town, one at a time. You
5:02:36would have to be pretty sneaky to get
5:02:38them like that without alerting the
5:02:39others. The team leader commended them.
5:02:43It was an excellent tactic. With Dana's
5:02:46fog, not only didn't they see Hawk, they
5:02:49didn't see the bodies of their tribesmen
5:02:50either. So, they just kept doing what
5:02:52they were doing until he had time to get
5:02:54to them. A few minutes later, the
5:02:56command vehicle, an armored sedan car,
5:02:59reached the center of town and promptly
5:03:01ran over a goblin corpse, spreading the
5:03:03stinking blood all over the
5:03:05undercarriage.
5:03:06I hope they don't want us to get in
5:03:08that. The smell is going to linger for
5:03:11days, Dana muttered. Don't worry about
5:03:14that. You will be returning with us to
5:03:16the academy. I already sent for approval
5:03:19from your teachers. The team leader
5:03:22whispered. A sharply dressed officer in
5:03:25his formal uniform stepped from the
5:03:27sedan car with a grimace on his face for
5:03:29the smell of dead goblin that his driver
5:03:31had just run over. Greetings. It is a
5:03:34pleasure to meet you both on your debut
5:03:35mission.
5:03:37I am base commander, Colonel Ryan, in
5:03:39charge of the purge of the town today.
5:03:42He greeted them, sounding much more
5:03:44enthusiastic and less professional than
5:03:46either Carl or Dana had expected.
5:03:48"Greetings, Colonel Ryan, but this isn't
5:03:51our debut mission. This was a training
5:03:53mission from the academy. We're not up
5:03:55for graduation this year." Dana replied
5:03:58with a sweet smile that seemed to relax
5:04:00the officer even more. "Not a debut
5:04:03mission." Well, then I guess there is no
5:04:06need to plead for tickets to your
5:04:07inaugural event. But to have sent just
5:04:10the two of you for an incident of this
5:04:12magnitude is incredible. To think that a
5:04:15pair of elites in training could be this
5:04:17powerful," he gushed. Carl didn't miss
5:04:21how the special forces team all rolled
5:04:23their eyes at his flattery, but with the
5:04:25enhanced peripheral vision, he didn't
5:04:27have to turn his head to see them
5:04:28clearly, so the man didn't notice that
5:04:30Carl's attention wasn't on him. I have
5:04:33200 men scanning the town now in pairs.
5:04:36They shouldn't take long to do a
5:04:38door-to-door sweep and search every
5:04:40home. Then we can return to the base to
5:04:42wait for one of the older elites to come
5:04:44pick you up. The base commander informed
5:04:46them. Sorry, Colonel. There are already
5:04:51arrangements in place to bring them back
5:04:52with our team. We will be extracting
5:04:55them to the academy as soon as we have
5:04:57verified that the mission is complete
5:04:58and the town is safe for residents to
5:05:00return to.
5:05:02Unfortunately, there will be no time for
5:05:04photooots or any publicity events this
5:05:06time. But I'm sure you understand.
5:05:09Security is paramount for the academy
5:05:12after all. That was when Carl realized
5:05:15what the colonel was after. He was
5:05:17trying to make friends among the younger
5:05:19elites, networking to expand his
5:05:21connections in the future.
5:05:23It was probably part of his job as a
5:05:25base commander to be in the know about
5:05:27everything that was happening at higher
5:05:28levels, but it was a bit strange for
5:05:30both Carl and Dana for someone with that
5:05:32sort of influence to have an interest in
5:05:34them. With so many soldiers moving
5:05:37through the town, it almost felt like
5:05:39things were getting back to normal.
5:05:41There were people in the streets
5:05:42hurrying about their business, workers
5:05:44with wheelbarrows cleaning up. Even a
5:05:47fire truck had been pressed into service
5:05:48to clean the streets of goblin blood as
5:05:50the stench was becoming unbearable in
5:05:52the sun. But in the minds of the common
5:05:55soldiers, it only reinforced how
5:05:57terrifying the elites were. These two
5:06:00were still students, and already they
5:06:02were tearing through entire goblin
5:06:04tribes that would have taken their whole
5:06:05unit to safely deal with. Everywhere
5:06:08they went, there were more goblin
5:06:10bodies, and even Carl hadn't bothered
5:06:12counting how many of them Hawk had dealt
5:06:14with since they arrived here.
5:06:16All that really mattered was the number
5:06:18that were still alive and when they
5:06:20could be finished with this assignment
5:06:21and go home to a proper meal. In the
5:06:24distance at the town's garbage dump, a
5:06:27filthy fire was sending thick black
5:06:28smoke into the air as the soldiers used
5:06:30diesel fuel to ignite the bodies of the
5:06:32goblins, purging them so they wouldn't
5:06:34spread disease through the area and
5:06:36eliminating the worst of the evidence
5:06:38that monsters had actually overrun the
5:06:40town. From what Carl could hear on the
5:06:43radio in the base commander's car, they
5:06:45were instructed to clean up as much as
5:06:46possible so that the residents would
5:06:48feel safer when they returned, as if the
5:06:50disaster had been mostly prevented, not
5:06:52dealt with after the fact. It was one of
5:06:55the small political nicities that helped
5:06:57the people feel confident that they were
5:06:59being looked after. And in this case, it
5:07:01could have been much worse. If they had
5:07:04waited for the army, the goblins would
5:07:05have looted the majority of the houses
5:07:07and caused massive amounts of property
5:07:09damage during the overnight hours. The
5:07:12special forces team leader observed the
5:07:14progress with satisfaction.
5:07:16They will send a cleaning crew through
5:07:18in the afternoon as it appears that the
5:07:20town really has been cleansed, but the
5:07:22soldiers will remain for most of the
5:07:24week just in case. We can start getting
5:07:27ready to head back. Was there anything
5:07:30else that you wanted to make a note of
5:07:31before we leave?
5:07:33Yes, these herb packs, I want to either
5:07:36know what is in them or bring one with
5:07:37me to analyze at the academy. They seem
5:07:40to be an effective monster repellent,
5:07:42and it kept the goblins from trying to
5:07:44go straight for us in the government
5:07:46building, Carl noted. The team leader
5:07:49opened the bag in question, sniffed, and
5:07:52then nodded. I have the recipe for this.
5:07:56It's a pretty common pest deterrent, but
5:07:58the herbs for it only grow in a few
5:08:00areas of the country, this being one of
5:08:02them. I didn't know that it would work
5:08:04for goblins, but it works very well on
5:08:07insect type monsters as well as regular
5:08:09bugs. The local mosquito repellent
5:08:12deterred goblins. Perhaps it just masked
5:08:15the scent of humans so that they didn't
5:08:17realize the area was inhabited. But if
5:08:20it worked, it worked. And Carl gave the
5:08:22team leader a thumbs up to signal that
5:08:24he would want that recipe later.
5:08:26Excellent. Then we are off to the
5:08:29academy. Base commander, we will return
5:08:32this evening with a full report for you.
5:08:35The team leader announced, "Thank you,
5:08:38major. I will look forward to the
5:08:41detailed exploits of these two
5:08:42outstanding trainees."
5:08:44The helicopter returned as they were
5:08:46speaking and landed on the roof of the
5:08:48building, which was accessible through
5:08:50an internal stairwell that was marked
5:08:52smoking area. "You look more excited now
5:08:55than you did when we arrived." One of
5:08:57the team members noted. "I've never been
5:09:00in a helicopter before," Dana and Carl
5:09:03replied in unison, then burst into
5:09:05laughter at their synchronized thoughts.
5:09:08"Well, we can change that. Hop in and
5:09:11fasten your harness." The academy won't
5:09:14forgive us if you get injured on the
5:09:16ride home. The team leader informed them
5:09:19with amusement clear in his expression.
5:09:22Yes, sir. The helicopter lifted off and
5:09:25turned toward the east, flying high over
5:09:27the treetops and roughly following a
5:09:30river. It's beautiful from up here. Dana
5:09:34spoke into the microphone, nearly
5:09:35drowned out by the noise of the
5:09:37helicopter.
5:09:38It's like nothing you'll get to see on
5:09:40the ground.
5:09:41You two did good down there. I don't
5:09:44know what the academy originally sent
5:09:46you to do, but I'm pretty sure it wasn't
5:09:48for the goblins.
5:09:50I checked while we waited, and the other
5:09:52teams of students all went to take out a
5:09:54handful of magical beasts and then
5:09:55called for a ride home the first
5:09:57afternoon. The team leader informed them
5:10:00now that there were no more curious ears
5:10:02around to overhear them. I thought that
5:10:05might be it. There was a group of wild
5:10:07iron tusk boores near the town. That was
5:10:11a nice light start to the day and at
5:10:13first we thought that might have been
5:10:14it. But then we realized that all the
5:10:16houses were empty and they hadn't just
5:10:18brought everyone inside to wait. Carl
5:10:21agreed.
5:10:23So you just started to scout the town
5:10:25for goblins and then killed them all
5:10:27until we showed up. One of the other
5:10:29special forces soldiers asked. We
5:10:32thought that we might have
5:10:33underestimated the teachers. So, we
5:10:35cleared out all the goblins and then
5:10:37called in on the hotline in the
5:10:38government building, but they didn't
5:10:40believe us and threatened to send the
5:10:41military police. That ended up being
5:10:44you, and they asked that we stay on the
5:10:46phone until you arrived so they didn't
5:10:48have to put out a search warrant for us.
5:10:50Dana laughed. The soldier rolled his
5:10:53eyes in amusement. They're a bunch of
5:10:56idiots. I'm sure the boss went over
5:10:59proper protocol already, but calling
5:11:01them is usually a last resort. Getting
5:11:04in contact with a military unit or the
5:11:06academy directly will make your lives a
5:11:08lot easier. Do you think that they're
5:11:10going to give you a promotion after
5:11:12this? I see you've still got the first
5:11:14year common grade badges on, but there's
5:11:17no way that either of you is still
5:11:18common grade. We saw the fog in the
5:11:21bodies. That is definitely beyond the
5:11:23skills of two common trainees.
5:11:26We will see. If they do, it will be
5:11:29great. You know how it is at the
5:11:32academy. Power gets respect.
5:11:35So, if we can get them to give us the
5:11:36black badges, we will at least be able
5:11:38to show off to our fellow firstear
5:11:40students. Carl agreed. The special
5:11:44forces team laughed at their own
5:11:46memories of school. They were also among
5:11:49the first to advance, so they knew very
5:11:51well that there were plenty of social
5:11:52benefits that couldn't really be
5:11:54quantified about being the first with
5:11:55the black badges.
5:11:57Then later when you moved up to the
5:11:59bronze ascended badge, usually in your
5:12:01second year, you were among the real
5:12:03powerhouses.
5:12:05With the body enhancements of the
5:12:06warrior classes, ascended rank brought
5:12:09about huge changes to their physique,
5:12:11and it was at that point when they could
5:12:12be called truly superhuman.
5:12:15Carl could already jump up onto the roof
5:12:17of a singlestory house, but that was
5:12:19still plausible by elite standards. when
5:12:22you could throw someone over the house.
5:12:24Then you are getting into the feats
5:12:26associated with the ascended. We're not
5:12:28far from the academy now. It will be
5:12:31about another half an hour before we
5:12:33arrive, but you should prepare yourself
5:12:35for a lot of questions from the
5:12:36students. It is the off day today and
5:12:40you're returning in a special forces
5:12:41helicopter.
5:12:43I wouldn't call that subtle, so your
5:12:45friends will want to know what you were
5:12:46up to. The pilot laughed as he gestured
5:12:49to a spot in the distance that should be
5:12:51the academy. The helicopter wasn't
5:12:53flying particularly fast, and the side
5:12:56doors were open, allowing the team
5:12:58members to let their legs dangle out the
5:13:00side while they were held in by a safety
5:13:01lanyard. Normally, that would be
5:13:04concerning, but Carl had seen them repel
5:13:06down ropes from that same position, so
5:13:08it couldn't be too dangerous, no matter
5:13:10what it looked like. As they got closer
5:13:13to the academy, they could see all the
5:13:15students out in the yard relaxing and
5:13:17studying. And Carl could see all the
5:13:19heads turn as they noticed the sound of
5:13:21an incoming helicopter.
5:13:23It wasn't the sort of noise that you
5:13:25would hear every day, so it attracted a
5:13:27lot of attention, especially when it
5:13:29started to set down on the helipad next
5:13:30to the main building.
5:13:32The doors were open so everyone could
5:13:34make out the two white and gold student
5:13:36uniforms among the dark green special
5:13:38forces outfits and the innate need to
5:13:40know all the school's gossip kicked in.
5:13:43The teachers should be out here soon.
5:13:46They want a statement from you on what
5:13:47happened during the mission so I
5:13:49wouldn't count on keeping your day off.
5:13:52The pilot informed them as the rotors
5:13:54began to slow to an idle. Yeah, I was
5:13:57afraid that would happen. But hey, if
5:14:00you guys put in a good word for us,
5:14:02maybe we can get those black badges
5:14:04right away, Carl joked. The men at the
5:14:08door unhooked themselves and stepped
5:14:09down to offer a hand to Carl and Dana as
5:14:12they exited the aircraft, while Sergeant
5:14:14Rita and two teachers that Carl didn't
5:14:16recognize were jogging across the field
5:14:18toward the helipad. It looks like we're
5:14:20in for it right away. Sergeant Rita is
5:14:23my personal tutor. Carl informed the
5:14:26team member beside him. She's not all
5:14:29bad, but if I recall, she really loved
5:14:32her physical fitness, so as her student,
5:14:35it might be difficult to see. The man
5:14:38joked, "She is pretty good, honestly.
5:14:42But I've got a class that nobody has
5:14:43seen before, so she's always pushing for
5:14:46every bit of new information." "This
5:14:48report will be a long one," Carl
5:14:51explained.
5:14:53Dana seemed to recognize the other two
5:14:55teachers, so they must be from the mage
5:14:57classes, and they were gesturing for
5:14:58everyone to come meet them, not just
5:15:00Carl and Dana. Carl, Dana, it is good to
5:15:04see you back in one piece. The mages
5:15:07said that they were monitoring your
5:15:08vital signs and you weren't heavily
5:15:10injured, but we got the message that the
5:15:12town was overrun after we sent you. Tell
5:15:15me, what happened after you got there?
5:15:18Sergeant Rita demanded the moment that
5:15:20they were far enough from the helicopter
5:15:22to speak somewhat normally. We found a
5:15:25pack of wild boars on the edge of town,
5:15:27so we hunted them and packed them up for
5:15:28meat. Then we went to take care of the
5:15:30goblins that were around town and the
5:15:32group that they left on patrol. That
5:15:35part was easy as it was almost all
5:15:37common grade monsters. We had Hawk clear
5:15:40the ones he found looting in the town
5:15:42and then we went to the government
5:15:43building to see if they had left us a
5:15:45message or something. It's not like
5:15:47we're sent anywhere at random, so they
5:15:49should have known that we were coming.
5:15:51But we didn't find anything, so we
5:15:53assumed the mission wasn't over, and we
5:15:55set up a fog trap for the goblins that
5:15:57would return that night. We managed to
5:16:00eliminate the entire goblin tribe by
5:16:02morning, and then we called these fine
5:16:04gentlemen for a ride home. The special
5:16:07forces team leader smiled and nodded
5:16:09along, then gave Carl a gesture of
5:16:11approval.
5:16:13Short, succinct, but covering all the
5:16:15major steps of the plan. I approve.
5:16:18Excellent summary. The soldier chuckled.
5:16:22I will expect a full report by tomorrow
5:16:24morning. But before that, we all need to
5:16:28have a meeting. It appears that the base
5:16:30commander has some fine things to say
5:16:32about you all, and it has raised some
5:16:34questions here at the academy. Sergeant
5:16:37Rita informed them. And that is my cue
5:16:40to retreat. Have a good afternoon,
5:16:43cadetses. The special forces leader
5:16:46laughed. Oh no, you're coming with us.
5:16:51We need a full report from your team on
5:16:53what they found when they got to the
5:16:54town, body counts, the state of the
5:16:56students combat readiness, and anything
5:16:58else that the mages come up with. Since
5:17:01the students claimed to be awakened rank
5:17:03when they reported to the phone
5:17:04operator, we need to determine if they
5:17:07lied to a government official. The
5:17:09soldiers smirked at her assertive manner
5:17:11as the sergeant didn't actually outrank
5:17:13them. She was just the messenger passing
5:17:15on the bad news that they would not be
5:17:17returning home so easily. Well, we've
5:17:20got just the thing for the testing then.
5:17:23We have an entire special forces team of
5:17:25trained officers at the commander rank
5:17:27who are willing to test the two students
5:17:29right now if necessary. I believe that
5:17:32not even the stuffiest of bureaucrats
5:17:33will question our judgment if we can
5:17:35show the results. he replied. With that
5:17:39much of a power gap and their level of
5:17:41experience, it wouldn't be a problem for
5:17:43them to somewhat accurately gauge the
5:17:45performance of the attacks made by Carl
5:17:47and Dana. But this particular team had
5:17:49their own estimation method. I will have
5:17:52Lieutenant Keys set up a series of
5:17:53barriers, each one at 10% increments of
5:17:56his total power. There is no doubt that
5:17:59he is in the middle of the commander
5:18:00rank, but there is a big jump between
5:18:02ascended and commander. The power nearly
5:18:04doubles. If they can make it to 50% of
5:18:08his barrier at full capacity, I would
5:18:10say for certain they can put out
5:18:11ascended level damage. If they can make
5:18:14it to 25%, it should be at least
5:18:17awakened level damage. That's
5:18:19straightforward enough. And then we can
5:18:21just have them repeat it to prove they
5:18:22have the stamina for a fight. I don't
5:18:25think that will be an issue either.
5:18:27After seeing that they could cover an
5:18:28entire town in magical fog and kill
5:18:30goblins all night long. The teachers
5:18:33from the mage department were much
5:18:35happier than expected with that plan.
5:18:37They were around the same power level
5:18:39and they would have used the same
5:18:41general testing method. But having an
5:18:43official examination done by the army
5:18:45would remove all questions about bias in
5:18:47the testing. They were the instructors
5:18:49of the students in question. After all,
5:18:52if someone thought that they had passed
5:18:54too easily, it could hurt the teacher's
5:18:56reputations.
5:18:58Sergeant Reed pointed to a building at
5:19:00the side of the compound.
5:19:02Let's do this in the practice gym. It's
5:19:05set up with all sorts of protective
5:19:07walls so nothing gets damaged and we
5:19:09don't have the whole school as an
5:19:10audience. Carl shrugged, not concerned
5:19:14one way or the other. He knew that he
5:19:16could pass this test, but Dana was happy
5:19:19to get out of the public eye, just in
5:19:22case the teachers were not convinced
5:19:23that her magic missile was up to the
5:19:25standard for an awakened mage. She had
5:19:28been holding back quite a bit all night
5:19:29long, but the goblins were pretty soft
5:19:31targets, and they were easy to kill,
5:19:33even with a third of her total power.
5:19:36Getting away from the crowd just wasn't
5:19:38going to happen, Carl realized once they
5:19:40made it into the gym. There were viewing
5:19:43boxes up on the second and third floors,
5:19:45and with the scene that they had made,
5:19:47arriving with soldiers and going
5:19:48straight to the gym with a group of
5:19:50teachers, they had gathered numerous
5:19:52curious students that were anxious to
5:19:54find out what was going on. Normally,
5:19:56only the senior classes would be off
5:19:58campus at this point in the year. So,
5:20:00seeing two new students coming back from
5:20:02somewhere was gossip worthy all by
5:20:04itself.
5:20:06Seeing them coming back like this and
5:20:08getting a full welcoming committee from
5:20:09the school that wasn't the disciplinary
5:20:11committee was even more juicy of a
5:20:13story. "All right, who wants to go
5:20:16first?" the mage known as Keys asked as
5:20:19he set up a row of glowing squares along
5:20:21one side of the room. Carl stepped
5:20:24forward. "I will go first. I will do it
5:20:28alone first, then with Hawk, since we're
5:20:30a team, but the testing is supposed to
5:20:32measure the elite." Keys nodded toward
5:20:35the barrier squares that he had set up.
5:20:37And two of the other team members set up
5:20:39cameras while the teachers took out a
5:20:41set of sensors. These measure energy
5:20:44disturbances.
5:20:46They will give us a pretty good idea of
5:20:48how much power you are using on each
5:20:49attack. We would like you to use all
5:20:52your power on each strike, even if you
5:20:54know that it will break the barrier.
5:20:56There is a sensor dummy behind that made
5:20:59of armor plate, and it will measure the
5:21:00residual impact if your attack isn't
5:21:02dissipated.
5:21:04the teacher explained.
5:21:06That should be simple enough. I will
5:21:09send a full strength rend at each of
5:21:10them and we will see what the barriers
5:21:12say. Carl agreed. As soon as he stopped
5:21:16speaking, Carl sent the first attack at
5:21:19the barrier that should be 10% of the
5:21:20mage's total power. The barrier
5:21:23shattered without any hesitation, and
5:21:25the plating behind the barrier lit up
5:21:27with the impact.
5:21:29Not bad. Keep up the pace and then we
5:21:32will have you continue your attacks on
5:21:33the barrier that you can't break to test
5:21:35your endurance. The teacher reminded
5:21:38him. The second attack likewise
5:21:41shattered the barrier without issue, but
5:21:43the third left the rend attack visibly
5:21:44dimmed. The fourth barrier seemed for an
5:21:47instant like it was going to hold, but
5:21:49it also flickered and collapsed,
5:21:51nullifying the attack the same way that
5:21:53Carl had been nullifying attacks against
5:21:55the school's mages during practice for
5:21:56the last 2 weeks. After seeing that,
5:22:00Carl knew that a simple rend was not
5:22:02going to take out the next barrier, no
5:22:03matter what he tried to do. And the
5:22:05teacher wouldn't call multiple
5:22:06concurrent attacks a win for actual
5:22:08attack power.
5:22:10So, he held the rend on the claws of his
5:22:12new gauntlets and slashed at the barrier
5:22:14with his hand. The brute force did what
5:22:17the ability alone could not, and the
5:22:19fifth barrier cracked, but held together
5:22:21for two attacks and only collapsed when
5:22:24Carl hit it a third time. Carl coated
5:22:27the claws on both gauntlets and fiercely
5:22:29attacked the sixth barrier, leaving claw
5:22:31marks on the magical shield that quickly
5:22:33reformed to a smooth surface. For 10
5:22:36minutes, Carl beat on the magical
5:22:38barrier with no sign of it collapsing.
5:22:40Then he stepped back to catch his
5:22:42breath. That's what I've got. He
5:22:45informed the professors and the gathered
5:22:47special forces team. The special forces
5:22:50team leader nodded in satisfaction
5:22:52before speaking. Impressive. Combining
5:22:55the skill with a physical attack
5:22:57noticeably increased the total damage
5:22:59output and you've still got your pet in
5:23:01reserve. There is no doubt that you are
5:23:04at the awakened level. Being able to
5:23:06reliably break the third barrier until
5:23:08you are exhausted would be enough for
5:23:10that. If you could have gotten through
5:23:12the fifth in a single attack every time,
5:23:14we would call it the minimum for
5:23:16ascended. But you're not quite there
5:23:18yet. Even with the physical and magical
5:23:20combined, we allow the warriors to
5:23:22enchant their swords. So the methodology
5:23:25is sound. You have our certification
5:23:27that you are indeed an awakened rank
5:23:29elite. The teachers and Sergeant Rita
5:23:32conferred for a moment and then the
5:23:34longerhaired of the two nondescript
5:23:36teachers cleared his throat. The
5:23:38teaching staff is in agreement. You are
5:23:41promoted to the awakened rank. He
5:23:43declared, "Student Dana, please step
5:23:46forward to begin your test."
5:23:49Sergeant Rita requested as the special
5:23:51forces mage recast the spells. The team
5:23:54leader leaned over to whisper to Carl as
5:23:56Dana mentally prepared. The reason it
5:23:59has to be one attack is that if there
5:24:01was an actual mage on the other side of
5:24:03that barrier, they would be reinforcing
5:24:05it constantly to keep their defenses up.
5:24:07If you can't break it in one shot, you
5:24:10can't hurt the mage. That made a lot of
5:24:13sense. The commander rank mage on the
5:24:15special forces team had just put the
5:24:17barriers there. He wasn't doing anything
5:24:19to upkeep them. But a magical beast with
5:24:22a barrier ability wouldn't let you just
5:24:24keep attacking without even trying to
5:24:26defend itself. Unfortunately for Dana,
5:24:29magic missile wasn't well suited to this
5:24:31test or to combating creatures with
5:24:33magical barriers.
5:24:35It was more of a multi-target dispersed
5:24:38damage type of ability. But it could be
5:24:40condensed to fire all the mana she could
5:24:42gather into a single spell. It would be
5:24:45best if she held back a bit until she
5:24:47knew what she needed to break the
5:24:49barrier. Though, unlike Carl, who had an
5:24:52easy time using multiple Ren attacks,
5:24:54her magic drained her stamina rapidly at
5:24:57full output. But she focused her magic
5:24:59missile into a single full power bolt
5:25:02and shattered the first two barriers in
5:25:03rapid succession, then the third, which
5:25:06nearly nullified her missile, but which
5:25:08shattered smoothly enough that the
5:25:09teachers gave a satisfied nod. You can
5:25:12split it into multiple missiles and we
5:25:15will still count it as one casting. We
5:25:18understand the limiting nature of the
5:25:19spell. The professor encouraged her. So
5:25:24the fourth was a barrage of five
5:25:25missiles, the last two of which made it
5:25:27through the broken barrier, but the
5:25:29fifth remained solidly intact, only
5:25:31glowing briefly the same way that the
5:25:33sixth had for Carl. She tried multiple
5:25:36attacks, long sustained barages, heavy
5:25:39single attacks, but nothing worked.
5:25:42The fifth barrier simply wouldn't break
5:25:44for her. That's good. We have seen
5:25:47enough to know that you can sustain
5:25:49awakened rank magical output.
5:25:51Congratulations, student Dana. You have
5:25:54been promoted to the standing of
5:25:55awakened rank mage. Cheers went up all
5:25:58over the waiting rooms as the two
5:26:00firstear students were officially
5:26:02promoted and the teachers handed over
5:26:04the black embroidered student badges to
5:26:06go on their jackets.
5:26:08You're not free yet. I still want those
5:26:10reports done and that means you too Mr.
5:26:13M special forces now and too cool to
5:26:15call my family on the holidays.
5:26:18Sergeant Rita added looking at one of
5:26:20the team members with a hard glare. The
5:26:23entire team burst into laughter at that
5:26:25and Carl marveled at the twist of fate
5:26:27that must have been for their relatives.
5:26:30Having two successful awakenings in the
5:26:32same family was incredibly rare from
5:26:34what Carl knew. But then it could just
5:26:36be that there weren't many big families
5:26:38in the mining town, so it just hadn't
5:26:40happened to anyone he knew. It was quite
5:26:43possible that certain families had much
5:26:45more luck than the average in awakening
5:26:47their talents. The so-called blessed
5:26:50families, as the nobility referred to
5:26:52themselves, but for a compatibility with
5:26:54the serum and not their relation to
5:26:56royalty.
5:26:57Sergeant Rita led them all out of the
5:26:59gymnasium and into a classroom where the
5:27:01computers had already been brought to
5:27:03the screen for an official mission
5:27:04report. I want everything, the general
5:27:08insists on no less than a thousand
5:27:09words. And then you can leave, she
5:27:12announced and closed the door behind
5:27:14her, leaving Carl and Dana with the
5:27:16beused special forces team inside.
5:27:19So that's the infamous cousin that
5:27:21you're so afraid of, is it? You know
5:27:24that you're stronger than she is now and
5:27:26higher ranked. She can't bully you. The
5:27:29team leader joked. What does strength
5:27:32have to do with anything? That woman
5:27:35holds a grudge like no other. The man
5:27:38muttered, making his team members smirk.
5:27:41They had obviously been over this
5:27:43before, though they hadn't met her in
5:27:44person, and the air of friendly
5:27:46camaraderie set Carl and Dana at ease as
5:27:48they sat down to begin their reports.
5:27:51The tapping of keys filled the air as
5:27:53everyone got to work, ignoring the
5:27:55previous conversation in favor of
5:27:57getting the unpleasant part of their day
5:27:58out of the way as fast as possible. The
5:28:01warriors had a clear advantage here,
5:28:03Carl included, in that their bodies were
5:28:05enhanced, so even if they were not the
5:28:07greatest typists, their hands were so
5:28:09fast that they could still easily type
5:28:11out the entire report as fast as they
5:28:13could frame it in their minds. The
5:28:16reports from the special forces team
5:28:17were more detailed and structured as
5:28:19they had done them a hundred times
5:28:21before, but Carl and Dana did their best
5:28:23to not forget anything that they had
5:28:24done or seen after they had arrived in
5:28:26that town. You two got quite the first
5:28:29mission, didn't you? I can't think of
5:28:32the last time I talked to someone who
5:28:33got to do something as amazing as a pair
5:28:35mission against an entire goblin tribe
5:28:37for their first time out. The team
5:28:40leader announced once he was finished
5:28:41his writing. Unless you count Jenny, but
5:28:44I think that we all know her story isn't
5:28:46quite as verifiable as this one. One of
5:28:49the others added with a short burst of
5:28:51laughter. Carl looked up in interest as
5:28:54they joked, and the team leader filled
5:28:56him in. She was a student a few years
5:28:59younger than us at the academy. She was
5:29:02with a four-person team looking for
5:29:04herbs in the forest for her first
5:29:05mission. According to her, she ended up
5:29:08meeting with a mystery man that she said
5:29:10was one of the local elites who was in
5:29:12the woods for the same reason. Long
5:29:15story short, she was pregnant when she
5:29:17returned to the academy. She only found
5:29:20out 2 months later when she started
5:29:22getting morning sickness, he explained.
5:29:26Carl avoided the mental math that told
5:29:28him there was something wrong with that
5:29:29age gap. But since he didn't know
5:29:31exactly how old Jenny or the elite in
5:29:33question were, he decided to keep
5:29:35silent. For all he knew, it could have
5:29:38been a cover story for a relationship
5:29:40with someone else entirely. Dana looked
5:29:43up from her work. Jenny Star Pepper.
5:29:47She's from my hometown. The team leader
5:29:50nodded. That's the one. Have you met
5:29:53her, kid? I heard he's adorable. Dana
5:29:57shook her head. Calling him cute is
5:30:00being extremely kind to him. He's just
5:30:03going into elementary school now and
5:30:05they have to put mittens on him to keep
5:30:07him from clawing at people. The word
5:30:09around town is that his father was a
5:30:11berserker and the rage skill got passed
5:30:13along to their kid who can't turn it
5:30:15off. But that's mostly just gossip.
5:30:19She's married to one of the bankers now
5:30:21and their younger two really are
5:30:23adorable.
5:30:24They all quickly finished their reports
5:30:26and chatted while they waited for
5:30:28Sergeant Rita to return. They could have
5:30:31gone looking for her or simply left in
5:30:33the case of the special forces team. But
5:30:35when they got back to base, they would
5:30:37have to work again to do the report for
5:30:39their own commander who would expect
5:30:40something other than a copied and pasted
5:30:42version of this report. And they were in
5:30:44no hurry to do that now that they were
5:30:46comfortable here. Can we meet your Hawk?
5:30:49You've been talking about him, but I
5:30:51haven't seen him since we arrived.
5:30:54Is he flying outside somewhere? The team
5:30:57leader asked. Actually, my class created
5:31:00a separate space for him. Hawk, come out
5:31:04and say hello. Carl replied. The bird
5:31:08appeared in the air in front of him,
5:31:09then settled onto the top of one of the
5:31:11monitors and wearily stared at the new
5:31:13people. Dana gave him a slice of jerky
5:31:16from her pocket, and Hawk's mood
5:31:18immediately improved. He would gladly
5:31:21meet more people if there was food
5:31:22involved. One of the team members nodded
5:31:25his head and whistled in appreciation.
5:31:28Awakened rank windspeed hawk male and my
5:31:31ability says he's under a month old, but
5:31:33that's far too young for him to be fully
5:31:35grown. Carl nodded. My skills helped him
5:31:40grow much faster than usual. I hatched
5:31:42him on the train on the way here, so
5:31:44that's as old as he is.
5:31:46We're just hoping that I can keep him
5:31:48growing at this rate so that he can
5:31:50become a true elite among magical
5:31:51beasts. The soldier nodded. Well, it's
5:31:56not impossible with a bit of energy and
5:31:58some resources.
5:31:59All beasts grow based on what they eat.
5:32:02It's not a precise science, but what I
5:32:05do know as a hunter is that they will
5:32:07instinctively search out stronger
5:32:09creatures or plants to eat. And if they
5:32:11don't get them, their growth will either
5:32:13stagnate or they will get weak from
5:32:14starvation. The more powerful the beast,
5:32:17the more powerful the food source must
5:32:20be. That's why there are a limited
5:32:22number of truly powerful beasts. There
5:32:24simply isn't enough food for more of
5:32:26them in most regions.
5:32:28Oh, that's a useful class skill, Carl
5:32:32noted. Yeah, my talent is to know where
5:32:35and how to hunt things that I have seen
5:32:37before. I can see the hawk, so I know
5:32:40where one would usually find them, as
5:32:42well as some of their habits. and I
5:32:44built up the rest of the knowledge
5:32:45through observation and practice. He
5:32:48shrugged.
5:32:50Well, it's still useful to me. I was
5:32:53going to request some higher ranked
5:32:55foods for him to try to force
5:32:56progression. I started absorbing
5:32:59nutrients much more efficiently a few
5:33:01days ago, so it should be good for both
5:33:03of us, Carl suggested.
5:33:06Just don't overdo it. If the difference
5:33:09is too great, you won't be able to
5:33:11absorb anything. It would be like going
5:33:14back to your first few days before your
5:33:16body adapted when you couldn't absorb
5:33:18proper nutrition from the foods. Carl
5:33:21considered the information that the
5:33:22special forces team had presented him
5:33:24with. If it was true that the quality of
5:33:27the diet limited a monster's growth, it
5:33:29made perfect sense that most wind speed
5:33:31hawks never made it past the awaken
5:33:33rank. Their favorite food was the earth
5:33:36mouse, a common grade monster. Eating
5:33:39that every day would give them a steady
5:33:41source of nutrition, but of a limited
5:33:43quality. If they were going to advance
5:33:46further, they would need higher quality
5:33:48food, but their usual hunting targets
5:33:50couldn't provide that. They were capable
5:33:52of hunting larger targets, but larger
5:33:55bodies would bring scavengers and other
5:33:57predators, which would interfere with
5:33:59their usual hunting grounds and force
5:34:00them to move.
5:34:02So they would end up trapped in a
5:34:04vicious cycle where they could only
5:34:05rarely eat higher quality meals and they
5:34:08would slowly grow to awaken rank as they
5:34:10got older. Hawk was certain that he
5:34:12would make it to the commander rank just
5:34:14like these special forces men. But that
5:34:16was largely wishful thinking on his part
5:34:18and unless Carl could provide the diet
5:34:20he needed, it wasn't realistic in the
5:34:22time they had at the academy, much less
5:34:24in the short term to overtake Sergeant
5:34:26Rita like Hawk wanted to. But the
5:34:29academy should be able to provide him
5:34:31with at least that much assistance. If
5:34:33the food in the cafeteria was common
5:34:35grade monster meat, then just increasing
5:34:38it one rank should bring about a new
5:34:39growth spurt for the hawk. That would be
5:34:42the first thing that he requested other
5:34:44than more of the mana infused blood with
5:34:46the strength stones in it. Hawk loved
5:34:49that stuff like Carl had loved ketchup
5:34:51on chicken nuggets when he was little.
5:34:54Though the bird's actual dietary
5:34:56requirements had slowed a lot since it
5:34:58hit maturity.
5:35:00Now it was relying more heavily on the
5:35:02energy provided by Carl and not eating
5:35:04multiple times its own body weight in a
5:35:06day. Hawk was still a little glutton,
5:35:09but when the total amount was under a
5:35:11kilo of meat a day, it was much more
5:35:13reasonable. At the rate that they were
5:35:16going, the awakened rank bore meat would
5:35:18last Hawk for months, and it seemed that
5:35:20the meat left in the space would not
5:35:21spoil. or at least it didn't spoil as
5:35:24quickly as it would in a refrigerator.
5:35:27Since we're here at the computers, we
5:35:29should send a letter home. I can send it
5:35:32to the mayor and he will print it for my
5:35:34parents since they don't have a phone or
5:35:36a computer. Carl suggested.
5:35:39You know that almost everything about
5:35:41your life is currently confidential,
5:35:43right? They will censor any information
5:35:46that outsiders are not supposed to have,
5:35:48like the location or layout of the
5:35:50academy, plus any details of your
5:35:52training.
5:35:53the team leader reminded him. That's
5:35:56fine. Just a little update to let my
5:35:58parents know that all is well is enough.
5:36:01I know that some of the other students
5:36:03are more eager to get away from home,
5:36:05but I was just eager to get away from
5:36:07the mines. Carl laughed. The shortest of
5:36:11the team members reached over to pat him
5:36:13on the head. That is understandable.
5:36:16I came from an island fishing village.
5:36:19There are no options there but the
5:36:21fishing boats or the canery. You work on
5:36:23one or in the other. The day I left was
5:36:26the happiest day of my life, but I still
5:36:28send a little something to my parents
5:36:30now and then. The others nodded in
5:36:33agreement. There are money transfer
5:36:35limits, but we can still send them
5:36:37enough to be doing well. My dad is an
5:36:40accountant in the capital, and he still
5:36:42loves his job, but he's one of the most
5:36:44boring people I know. My mom always
5:36:47tries to convince him to agree to going
5:36:49somewhere fancy for dinner when I visit,
5:36:51but he likes roast beef and potatoes so
5:36:53much he'd have them for every meal. One
5:36:55of the others laughed. Dana smiled as
5:36:58she wrote a short letter home, not
5:37:00directly referring to her rank or class,
5:37:03but letting her parents know that she
5:37:04was doing well and that the academy was
5:37:06treating her well with a beautiful room.
5:37:09She omitted the part about it being so
5:37:11loud that she preferred to study on
5:37:13Carl's balcony, but her parents would
5:37:15take that the wrong way no matter where
5:37:17she was. Carl kept his nice and simple,
5:37:20telling them that he had finally gotten
5:37:22a proper growth spurt to catch up to the
5:37:24height of his classmates and that he was
5:37:26making friends and meeting plenty of new
5:37:28people. The soldiers thought that was
5:37:30hilarious given the circumstances, but
5:37:33it was the sort of letter that could be
5:37:34sent home entirely unredacted.
5:37:37Most would want to include details of
5:37:39their training or their rooms, which
5:37:41would be scrubbed by the academy staff
5:37:43before the message was sent. While they
5:37:45both knew that they wouldn't be getting
5:37:47a letter back anytime soon, as the
5:37:49academy wanted them to focus on their
5:37:51studies, not the life they had left
5:37:53behind, it was still comforting to know
5:37:55that their parents didn't have to worry
5:37:56about them. Carl looked over his letter
5:37:59with satisfaction, then hit send and
5:38:01clicked the button that confirmed the
5:38:03message would be viewed by academy staff
5:38:05before being sent to an outside address,
5:38:07even if it was a government email
5:38:08address in his hometown. All right, that
5:38:11should take care of the important parts.
5:38:14Now, I just need to talk to the kitchen
5:38:16to work up a new diet plan for Hawk and
5:38:18I can start on the next phase of my
5:38:20studies." He informed the others, then
5:38:23sighed in relief. The team leader gave
5:38:26him a comforting pat on the back. That
5:38:28is always the fun part. We were the
5:38:31third year of serum injections. So when
5:38:33we were here, nobody knew anything about
5:38:35how to keep progressing. They hadn't
5:38:38even had any graduates yet the first
5:38:40year that we were here. But it's all
5:38:42about going with what feels right. For
5:38:45the mages, it's mostly focus and
5:38:47practice. For the hunters, druids, and
5:38:50rangers, being at one with nature is a
5:38:52major part of their growth.
5:38:54I think for Carl here it will be mostly
5:38:57about keeping Hawk growing. The official
5:38:59position is that the serum is the
5:39:01future. But we've learned something
5:39:03interesting in the last few years. The
5:39:06classes can be passed on. Some of them
5:39:09can be taught to older people who never
5:39:10got the injection but have potential and
5:39:12others can be inherited by children. I
5:39:15don't think that it will be long before
5:39:17they start looking for ways to optimize
5:39:19the serum to give the best classes to
5:39:21those with the most potential. Dana gave
5:39:24them an excited look. You think that is
5:39:26possible? I mean, if they could make a
5:39:29whole core of Golem mages, it would be
5:39:32huge for both the army and for major
5:39:34construction projects.
5:39:36I heard that was what they wanted to try
5:39:38to teach us all, just to see if we could
5:39:40learn the spell. More than just that, I
5:39:43think that they want to find an option
5:39:45that can be taught to people who aren't
5:39:47compatible with the serum. I know there
5:39:49have been some attempts to teach sword
5:39:51skills to students who don't have the
5:39:53compatibility with the serum. They've
5:39:55been a failure so far, the same as
5:39:57trying to teach them magic, but that
5:39:59could just be a lack of mana. Who knows,
5:40:03maybe they will happen upon something
5:40:04good, but that's in the future, and you
5:40:06two are too young to be worrying about
5:40:08your children's future. The team leader
5:40:11laughed. Their laughter was cut short
5:40:14when Sergeant Rita returned with the
5:40:15headmaster of the academy as well as the
5:40:18old mage who worked the transportation
5:40:20magic and two men in expensive looking
5:40:22suits. It is good to see everyone in
5:40:24such high spirits. We were just in a
5:40:27meeting about the incident when your
5:40:29reports came through the system. So
5:40:30these fine gentlemen came to speak to
5:40:32you all before they left. The headmaster
5:40:35informed them politely. If the
5:40:38headmaster was sucking up to them, these
5:40:40two had to be someone important. But
5:40:42Carl had no idea who they might be.
5:40:45There were too many important people in
5:40:46the world, from elites to government
5:40:48officials and even royalty. Royal Prince
5:40:51Axel, Overlord Drake. It is a pleasure
5:40:54to meet you in person. The special
5:40:56forces team leader announced while
5:40:58everyone else gave a hasty bow for the
5:41:00royal. Carl did his best to follow
5:41:03along, but he had no idea if he was
5:41:05doing the formal bow properly. It wasn't
5:41:08exactly the sort of thing that came up
5:41:10in class as a kid. The bullier of the
5:41:13two men, with his long black hair in a
5:41:15tidy braid, smiled back at them. No need
5:41:19to stand on formality.
5:41:21We're here on business, not in our
5:41:23official roles. I wanted to see the
5:41:26promising newbies and to hear firsthand
5:41:28how they feel about seeing the real
5:41:29threat to the nation.
5:41:31That must be Overlord Drake. As Hawk
5:41:34felt the man's power and warned Carl
5:41:36that he was dangerous.
5:41:38Overlord Drake, it's an honor. I must
5:41:41say, seeing goblins for the first time
5:41:43was more disgusting than anything. They
5:41:46smell terrible, especially when they're
5:41:48dead. Carl replied. Dana nodded her
5:41:52vigorous agreement, and the two men
5:41:54smiled back at them. That wasn't quite
5:41:57the response I was expecting. Weren't
5:41:59you terrified to have come across real
5:42:01monsters?
5:42:03The overlord rank warrior asked. I don't
5:42:06think that it even occurred to us. The
5:42:09first group we found was only the six of
5:42:11them, and we were confident enough of
5:42:12taking them out. So, by the time things
5:42:15got dangerous, we were already past the
5:42:17initial shock," Carl replied. Dana
5:42:21nodded her head and added, "Goblins are
5:42:24horrifying creatures, but they're so
5:42:26filthy and disgusting that it kind of
5:42:27overpowers any sense of fear, you know."
5:42:31The prince, with a slight smile on his
5:42:33delicate features, shrugged his
5:42:35shoulders. "I wouldn't know. I have seen
5:42:38many things since I graduated, but I
5:42:40have never met a goblin in real life. I
5:42:43am told that the smell of them is
5:42:45somewhat revolting." Why does he look
5:42:47like he's in charge? The big guy is way
5:42:51stronger than he is. Hawk asked Carl
5:42:54unclear about the human hierarchy.
5:42:57His family rules this whole area, so he
5:42:59gets respect as a future leader, not for
5:43:01the personal power he has now, Carl
5:43:04replied mentally. Oh, like the cub of a
5:43:07big predator. I understand.
5:43:11That was close enough for Hawk to guess
5:43:13where everyone's proper spot in the
5:43:14rankings was. It was critical in his
5:43:17mind to know what was prey, what was
5:43:19not, and what looked like prey, but
5:43:21could bring a very dangerous threat your
5:43:23way if you tried to eat it. Was there
5:43:25anything that we could do to help the
5:43:27two most promising students of this
5:43:29class grow? The prince asked the
5:43:31headmaster, preparing to leave now that
5:43:33he had made his determination of the
5:43:35character of the people they had been
5:43:36speaking about. Well, Dana is a standard
5:43:39mage. Her first spell was magic missile,
5:43:42the same as yours. So, anything that you
5:43:44can tell her about your own advancement
5:43:46might help. Or perhaps the royal library
5:43:49has a useful spell that might assist
5:43:51her. But Carl is a unique class. He has
5:43:55a deadly pet windspeed hawk that imparts
5:43:57power to him as it grows. That could be
5:44:00more difficult, your highness, the
5:44:03headmaster replied. What spells do you
5:44:06know now? Prince Axel asked Dana. Magic
5:44:10missile and fog bank. The prince thought
5:44:13about it for a moment and then held out
5:44:15a hand behind him, then realized that he
5:44:17hadn't brought his assistant into the
5:44:19room. If you have some time, I will give
5:44:22you a spell tome. It's a talent hand
5:44:25behind him, then realized that he hadn't
5:44:27brought his assistant into the room that
5:44:30I learned when I strengthened my
5:44:31inscription skills. In theory, if you
5:44:34are compatible with them, you can read
5:44:36it and immediately learn a new spell to
5:44:38a proficient level, he explained. I have
5:44:42all the time in the world, your
5:44:43highness. Dana chuckled. Right, firstear
5:44:48student. You won't be going far, or at
5:44:51least you won't be gone long if you are.
5:44:54I will have my assistants deliver the
5:44:56spare one I brought to your room later.
5:44:58Drake reached into the inner pocket of
5:45:00his coat and held out a small red book.
5:45:03It looks like this, but likely thicker
5:45:05than this one. This is the attack skill
5:45:08that we have been trying to teach all
5:45:09our warriors.
5:45:11It's a wide area attack skill, great for
5:45:14clearing groups of monsters.
5:45:16Perhaps Carl would like to try. Carl
5:45:19looked at the cover of the book, which
5:45:20was just blank red leather. What is it
5:45:23called? He asked. Rend. It's not a
5:45:28difficult one, but it is powerful thanks
5:45:30to the bleeding effect that it has on
5:45:32targets that survive the initial hit.
5:45:34And we are hoping that all the warriors
5:45:36can learn it by the end of their second
5:45:37year. Drake replied.
5:45:40Carl sighed and shook his head. Rend is
5:45:44the basic skill of the windspeed hawk.
5:45:46It is currently the only skill that I do
5:45:49know. In that case, I think that I might
5:45:52have something good for you. After rend,
5:45:55there is an advanced version of the
5:45:56skill known as shred. They're similar in
5:45:59function, but shred is much more deadly
5:46:01at the same rank and leaves jagged
5:46:03wounds that make it difficult to stop
5:46:05the bleeding if they lack magical
5:46:06healing. I will get someone to bring you
5:46:09a skill book to see if you can learn it
5:46:11or teach it to your hawk. If either one
5:46:14of you knows it, you shouldn't have too
5:46:16many problems fighting above your level
5:46:17as an awakened warrior. Overlord Drake
5:46:20announced better than Rend. Is he being
5:46:24silly? Rend is the greatest skill in the
5:46:27world. Hawk complained. It's an improved
5:46:31rend used by more powerful creatures.
5:46:34Trust him. It's a good thing. Carl
5:46:37replied. Then he bowed politely to the
5:46:40powerful warrior. I would appreciate any
5:46:43help we can get. I don't know what the
5:46:46limits of this class are, but if we can
5:46:48learn some more powerful attack magic,
5:46:50it would be incredible. The headmaster
5:46:53reached into a bag hanging from his side
5:46:55and pulled out a book that looked the
5:46:56same as the one for Ren, but with a bit
5:46:58of silver trim on it. I have a spare
5:47:01copy with me. Just send the new one to
5:47:03my office and I will give this one to
5:47:05student Carl. the headmaster suggested.
5:47:09That is much easier. My assistant should
5:47:12still be waiting there, and he has one
5:47:14with him. It looks like the lull is
5:47:16over, if these two are anything to go
5:47:19by. It has been a few years since any
5:47:21really outstanding students began their
5:47:23training, and we were beginning to worry
5:47:25that it was only luck that brought us a
5:47:27flood of geniuses in the first few
5:47:28years. Overlord Drake announced. The
5:47:32headmaster handed over the book which
5:47:34was warm and soft in Carl's hand and
5:47:37everyone stared at him expectantly.
5:47:39Go ahead, try to open it and see what
5:47:41happens. The headmaster insisted.
5:47:45Carl gently flipped open the manuscript
5:47:48and a flood of power flowed into his
5:47:50body. Skill learned. Shred. Pet skill
5:47:54learned. Shred. Hawk popped out of the
5:47:57beast space and landed on Carl's
5:47:59shoulder to show off, making sure that
5:48:01everyone could see the blood red feather
5:48:03streak through the cream color of his
5:48:04legs. Wow, I was not expecting that. But
5:48:09where did the book go? Carl asked. It
5:48:13vanishes if someone who can instantly
5:48:14learn the skill uses it. I have to tell
5:48:17you that was a shock to the
5:48:19inscriptionist teams when they first
5:48:20learned of that little bit of
5:48:22information. They cried for a week when
5:48:24they found out that the books they were
5:48:26making would just vanish to strengthen
5:48:28others since they couldn't use them
5:48:29themselves.
5:48:31Drake laughed.
5:48:33So, there are limitations.
5:48:35Carl asked. The prince nodded. Very
5:48:39strict ones, though we don't really
5:48:41understand why. Certain books can
5:48:44exclusively be used by those with
5:48:46certain types of mark, but it varies
5:48:48from skill to skill, and even ones that
5:48:50are similar might not work for the same
5:48:52person.
5:48:53But when there is one that works like
5:48:55this, it saves so much time and the user
5:48:57will be able to activate the skill at
5:48:59full force, the same as they could for
5:49:01their first skill with none of the
5:49:03failures or half power activations in
5:49:05the learning phase. Dana was beginning
5:49:08to get excited about the prospect, and
5:49:11the elites that have an affinity for
5:49:13inscription can just make these. That is
5:49:16incredibly powerful, even if they're not
5:49:18a combat class. The prince shook his
5:49:21head. They need an original copy to work
5:49:24from. The only ones they can make are
5:49:26ones that we have managed to find an
5:49:28original working copy for or that were
5:49:30created with the help of an elite that
5:49:32has mastered the skill well enough to
5:49:33teach others. The total number of spells
5:49:36that we have to for right now can be
5:49:38counted on my fingers. But rend, shred,
5:49:41and golem are the ones that we focus the
5:49:43most on since they are all advanced
5:49:45skills and are harder for elites to
5:49:47learn on their own. things like guard
5:49:49and slash we don't need to use a book
5:49:51for you can just teach the warriors the
5:49:53skills. Dana nodded in understanding and
5:49:56the prince got a curious look on his
5:49:58face before he took out another book
5:50:00from his pocket. How about you try this
5:50:03one? It's not one that I can use and our
5:50:06marks are the same, but I haven't
5:50:08actually had anyone else try it since it
5:50:10was copied out. He suggested passing her
5:50:13the book. Dana focused and flipped the
5:50:16cover open, showing an intricately
5:50:18detailed set of notes and diagrams.
5:50:21That's what I thought would happen. It's
5:50:23a vine whipped spell that we found in
5:50:25some ancient ruins. We gave the
5:50:28headmaster a copy for the library here
5:50:30as well, but we haven't found any class
5:50:32but the druids, the ones with the animal
5:50:34paw mark that can actually use it. Carl
5:50:38examined the book trimmed with the same
5:50:40silver the shred tome was before
5:50:41speaking. That makes sense. The one
5:50:45working as a guard on the train said
5:50:47that his powers didn't activate until he
5:50:49touched a tree. So, their bonds to
5:50:51nature would make them the perfect
5:50:52candidate to use a vine spell. If there
5:50:55are others that are animal related, I
5:50:57might be able to use them. While the
5:50:59mages should be able to use ones that
5:51:00are related to their first spell, right?
5:51:03I'm not sure what the mag's limits are,
5:51:05but from what I have seen, everyone has
5:51:07their own niche. The prince nodded.
5:51:11Exactly.
5:51:12We all have our niche, but nobody knows
5:51:15exactly how to tell what the limits are.
5:51:18If there was some way to accurately
5:51:19define the powers of the elites or tell
5:51:21what skills they would be able to use
5:51:23without having an identical class mark
5:51:25test the ability as a reference, it
5:51:27would save us so much time and effort.
5:51:30Too many of us have wasted months trying
5:51:32to learn a new ability that was simply
5:51:33impossible for our class. He was going
5:51:36to continue, but a knock on the door
5:51:38interrupted them, and a group of men in
5:51:40servant uniforms stepped inside. "Your
5:51:43Highness, there is an urgent matter at
5:51:45the capital. We need to go." The first
5:51:48man to enter announced. "That is fine."
5:51:52Pass this young mage a copy of the Golem
5:51:54Spell so we can see if she can use it.
5:51:57Then we can leave. Dana accepted the
5:52:00Golem spell book and hesitantly stroked
5:52:02the cover, hoping that she would be able
5:52:04to use this one the way that Carl did.
5:52:06Shred. After a moment of hesitation, she
5:52:10flipped open the cover and the book
5:52:11vanished. Prince Axel and the other
5:52:14mages didn't look surprised, but Dana
5:52:16was nearly vibrating with joy as she
5:52:18learned the spell, improving her
5:52:20repertoire to three spells in total. Now
5:52:23cast it, and we can see how it turns
5:52:25out. Each mage has a different golem
5:52:28based on their proficiencies, and it's
5:52:30the best way to tell the forward path
5:52:32for them, Prince Axel explained. Dana
5:52:36cast the golem, which came out looking
5:52:38more like an ancient statue, white
5:52:40marble, and distinctly lacking clothes
5:52:42other than a loin cloth. As soon as she
5:52:45saw it, she blushed bright red, and she
5:52:48was about to dismiss it, but the teacher
5:52:50stopped her. It will come back the same
5:52:52way every time. But a stone golem is a
5:52:56good one, second only to the iron golems
5:52:58in versatility.
5:53:00Most of the students get a clay, wood,
5:53:02or sand golem, which aren't as strong.
5:53:05Though the sand golem is quite difficult
5:53:07to damage. The clear visualization of
5:53:10the human form is actually a sign of
5:53:12superior mana control, which improves
5:53:14its agility, and it should be as
5:53:16physically strong as a monster at your
5:53:17rank, so it won't be weak in battle. the
5:53:20professor explained.
5:53:22Once you learn that mage armor spell,
5:53:25you can dress it in proper clothing. The
5:53:28prince whispered in a teasing tone. Carl
5:53:31examined it for a few seconds, wondering
5:53:33why it looked so familiar, even though
5:53:35he had seen numerous golem spells cast
5:53:37by students since he arrived, and one of
5:53:39the other team leaders in the Saturday
5:53:41group had a large mud golem among his
5:53:43spells. Then his mind went to the
5:53:46training golems in the rooms that the
5:53:47other two members of his team on the
5:53:49first day chose. That was where he had
5:53:52seen this sort of detailed golem before,
5:53:54but those were both armored and not in
5:53:56some sort of semi-nudist classical art
5:53:58style. The teacher smiled at Dana's
5:54:01embarrassment, but his satisfaction was
5:54:03immense.
5:54:05Not only had two of their firstear
5:54:07students made it to awakened rank this
5:54:08week, but the senior elite saw fit to
5:54:11grant both of them and the school some
5:54:12new abilities to teach the students.
5:54:15Nothing was going to bring him down off
5:54:17that high today. How well can a stone
5:54:20statue stand up against a magical
5:54:22attack, though? Dana asked as she had
5:54:25never personally fought against one
5:54:27before. The stone is magical as well.
5:54:31Though it looks like a simple statue,
5:54:33hacking at it with a regular sword will
5:54:35do nothing, and hitting it with an
5:54:36awakened rank spell will only do minor
5:54:38damage most of the time, the professor
5:54:41explained. "It appears that I no longer
5:54:44have the advantage in numbers or in
5:54:46power." Carl joked as Hawk gave the
5:54:49statue an evil glare. Every hawk knew
5:54:52that stones were hard and it probably
5:54:54wouldn't break easily if he attacked it.
5:54:56So, the big stone guy was a threat to
5:54:58his position as top pet. It was just a
5:55:01good thing that it couldn't fly, so it
5:55:03was unable to steal his scouting spot.
5:55:06Sergeant Rita patted Carl on the
5:55:07shoulder as she consoled him. Just wait.
5:55:11Once we find a suitable target pet, we
5:55:14will try getting you to bond with
5:55:15another monster. But the advantage that
5:55:18you have in growth rate is definitely
5:55:19way above most of your classmates.
5:55:22Drake, the burly overlord rank elite
5:55:25that arrived with the prince, smiled at
5:55:27Hawk and then sighed. I always liked
5:55:30birds. I will make sure that the academy
5:55:33gets approved to try feeding him some
5:55:34special resources to see if he can
5:55:36either learn some new skills or advance
5:55:38faster. If nothing else, we can at least
5:55:41spare him some of the ascended and
5:55:43commander rank monster blood to mix with
5:55:45the strength stones. That concoction
5:55:48should keep him growing at a steady pace
5:55:50for a little while until his body has
5:55:52reached the limits of its natural
5:55:53potential. The labs have tested that
5:55:56already and it works on almost all
5:55:58monsters. The big elite explained, "I
5:56:02would appreciate it. The faster he
5:56:05grows, the faster I grow, which helps
5:56:07both of us keep going.
5:56:09I think that once he has reached
5:56:11commander rank, it might be difficult,
5:56:13but Hawk has confidence that he can make
5:56:15it there with just a little help, Carl
5:56:18replied. Drake nodded in satisfaction.
5:56:22Good. Keep up that confidence. It's key
5:56:24to become strong. Once you lose
5:56:27confidence, you start becoming more
5:56:29cowardly. Once you start down that path,
5:56:32it's difficult to turn around and you
5:56:34have to spend time undoing the mental
5:56:36damage you did to yourself.
5:56:38So the aura of dominance that all the
5:56:40stronger elites gave off wasn't just the
5:56:42arrogance of the strong, but a mental
5:56:44trick to keep themselves from falling
5:56:46off the path to greater strength. That
5:56:48was not going to be an easy attitude to
5:56:50emulate, but keeping a certain level of
5:56:53confidence shouldn't be too difficult.
5:56:55The prince's assistants were tapping
5:56:57their wrists, indicating that he needed
5:56:59to hurry up. So Carl and Dana both bowed
5:57:01politely and looked toward the door,
5:57:03hoping to excuse themselves from any
5:57:05more formalities now that they had
5:57:07gotten all the benefits without
5:57:08upsetting anyone. Yes, we should all get
5:57:11back to our business. Don't forget to
5:57:14dismiss the golem. They're not allowed
5:57:16in the hallways.
5:57:18Prince Axel agreed, then gestured for
5:57:20his assistance to hand over the
5:57:21information that they had brought him
5:57:23and walked out of the room. Sergeant
5:57:25Rita smiled at the students as the
5:57:27senior officials left.
5:57:29Well, I must say that went better than
5:57:31any of us could have hoped for. If
5:57:33you're done socializing with the
5:57:35soldiers, you should get something to
5:57:37eat and then meditate or practice to
5:57:39consolidate your gains. New spells and
5:57:42skills can be tricky the first few
5:57:43times, even if you have used a skill
5:57:45book to learn them, so don't
5:57:46overestimate yourselves. The special
5:57:49forces team leader chuckled. Not that we
5:57:52would know. None of them were publicly
5:57:54available when we were in the academy.
5:57:57Carl and Dana headed back for the main
5:57:59floor of the dorms where there should be
5:58:00dinner served right now and silently
5:58:03hoped that the other students had not
5:58:04noticed who got out of the helicopter.
5:58:07That hope was in vain as the moment that
5:58:09they entered the cafeteria, they were
5:58:11surrounded by other students that they
5:58:12trained with, including all the others
5:58:14from the special training class. All
5:58:17right, Spill. What happened to you too
5:58:20that you came back a day late in an army
5:58:22helicopter?
5:58:24That is badass, by the way. But our
5:58:26mission barely took an hour. One of the
5:58:29other firstear students asked while the
5:58:31girl beside him nodded. Well, you see,
5:58:34it was just a minor lack of
5:58:36communication.
5:58:38The town we were sent to with the
5:58:40intention of having us eliminate a group
5:58:41of Iron Tusk boores headed by an
5:58:43awakened ranked beast had been overrun
5:58:45by goblins an hour before we left. It
5:58:48was too late for the academy to see the
5:58:50update, so we were delivered to an empty
5:58:52town with no idea what we were supposed
5:58:54to do.
5:58:55We just killed every monster that we
5:58:57could find and waited for someone to
5:58:59come get us. They didn't seem to be in a
5:59:01hurry to do that, so we called in the
5:59:03morning when we were sure that the
5:59:05goblins were all dead. Carl explained,
5:59:08"And how does that relate to you both
5:59:10having awakened rank black badges now?"
5:59:13One of the other students asked the
5:59:16special forces team that came to get us
5:59:18vouched for us and they let us do the
5:59:20test when we got back instead of waiting
5:59:22until the end of the semester or having
5:59:23to beg a professor. We both passed so we
5:59:27got the badges right away. Dana informed
5:59:30him with a smug smile. That's just not
5:59:33fair. If we had been the ones to get
5:59:36sent there, we could have been the first
5:59:37to get our badges. One of the other
5:59:40students complained. We nearly got
5:59:43killed by a single shadow cat and it
5:59:45hadn't quite reached awakened yet. If we
5:59:48had to face off against a whole tribe of
5:59:50goblins, we would be missing persons
5:59:52right now. His partner reminded him it
5:59:56wasn't that bad. The boy defended
5:59:59himself. Other than the 70 stitches, the
6:00:02broken hand, and the loss of your sword,
6:00:05one of the other students asked. It was
6:00:08just a little mistake. The cat caught me
6:00:10by surprise.
6:00:12The students laughed as Carl and Dana
6:00:14made their way to the counter to grab a
6:00:15meal and quickly rearranged their
6:00:17seating pattern so that the two of them
6:00:19would be placed in the corner where
6:00:20everyone could see and talk to them. "It
6:00:23looks like you two are famous today, so
6:00:25you might as well enjoy your time in the
6:00:27limelight." "Now tell us more about the
6:00:30fight with the goblins."
6:00:32One of the students insisted.
6:00:34By the time that they were done, it had
6:00:36been nearly two hours of giving every
6:00:38minute detail of their overnight
6:00:40adventure, and Carl was becoming
6:00:42increasingly certain that they had
6:00:43narrated the details of each action that
6:00:45they had taken more than once. If Hawk
6:00:48could talk, they might have dragged it
6:00:50out for another hour since the students
6:00:52wanted a blowby-blow recounting of the
6:00:54entire fight on a level that not even
6:00:56Sergeant Rita's official reporting
6:00:57required. But it felt good to be popular
6:01:00for the moment. And with the black
6:01:02badges, they would be entitled to some
6:01:04extra credits from the school every week
6:01:06to upgrade their rooms and lifestyle.
6:01:09Dana's first thought was to get some
6:01:10soundproofing for her bedroom so that
6:01:12she didn't have to hear the neighbors
6:01:14training at every hour of the day. But
6:01:16Carl was stumped. They were going to
6:01:18bring him resources for Hawk free of
6:01:20charge, and he wasn't sure what he
6:01:22needed. Plus, his room was perfect the
6:01:25way that it came. Sure, he could
6:01:28redecorate, but that wasn't really
6:01:30necessary. And they had to be in uniform
6:01:32on campus, so even if he was a
6:01:34fashionista, it wouldn't matter. He
6:01:36could get some more notebooks and maybe
6:01:38a tablet so he could digitize all his
6:01:40information, but that was about it. When
6:01:43they finally escaped the cafeteria to
6:01:45head to their dorms, the sounds of
6:01:47explosive attacks were echoing through
6:01:49the hallways. The noise was coming from
6:01:51the two doors on either side of the
6:01:53stairs where the large square rooms for
6:01:55warrior training were. Dana sighed in
6:01:58resignation at not being able to sleep,
6:02:00but Carl had a better idea. There is a
6:02:03hammock on the balcony if you'd like.
6:02:06It's quiet and the only one likely to
6:02:08wake you up out there is Hawk, unless it
6:02:10starts raining. I don't know if the
6:02:13spell around the greenhouse balcony
6:02:14actually stops rain since it hasn't
6:02:16happened since we arrived. Carl offered.
6:02:20As soon as he said it, Carl realized
6:02:23that he should likely get an award for
6:02:24the most awkward way to invite a girl to
6:02:26spend the night in your room ever. But
6:02:28she clearly needed to sleep. And even
6:02:30when they got to his door, he could
6:02:32still hear the firstear students
6:02:33frantically training on their day off.
6:02:36The news that two of the students had
6:02:37made it to awakened rank had spread like
6:02:39wildfire, and everyone who thought they
6:02:41had a chance to be next was working
6:02:43hard, as well as those who were a long
6:02:45way from the goal, who realized that
6:02:47they might be the first to be shunted to
6:02:49the slow progression courses.
6:02:51Nobody wanted that. It was a necessary
6:02:54part of the academyy's curriculum, and
6:02:56they weren't really the slow classes.
6:02:58They were the regular classes. But as
6:03:00time went on, the top third of the class
6:03:02would be moved up to special training,
6:03:04leaving the others behind. Carl was
6:03:07among that group for all of his
6:03:08training, while Dana was already there
6:03:10in the Saturday classes with a good
6:03:12chance that she would be gaining a
6:03:14personal tutor in the next few days.
6:03:16They were already way ahead and only
6:03:18gaining more ground on the rest of the
6:03:20class as they got the sort of special
6:03:22treatment that the true elites enjoyed.
6:03:24But while the special treatment that the
6:03:26most powerful got was enviable, the fact
6:03:29that they seemed to be together as a
6:03:30couple was enough to provoke jealousy in
6:03:32the hearts of many students.
6:03:34Carl woke up the next morning to the
6:03:36sound of laughter and stomping feet. It
6:03:39wasn't a combination that he associated
6:03:41with his room, which was normally
6:03:43silent, and for a moment he was
6:03:45completely disoriented.
6:03:47Hawk, he's not a perch. I am trying to
6:03:50train the golem to fight. Dana's voice
6:03:53laughed. The sense of confusion faded
6:03:56and Carl hurried to get dressed before
6:03:58heading out to the balcony where a
6:04:00nearly naked statue was doing some sort
6:04:02of kung fu while Hawk sat on its head
6:04:04and chirped directions that neither the
6:04:05golem nor Dana could understand. He says
6:04:08that the foot is too high and it makes
6:04:10you vulnerable to leg sweeps. Carl
6:04:13informed the mage as he stepped outside
6:04:15to meet them. Oh, good morning. I hope
6:04:19you don't mind. I used the shower first.
6:04:22The plants are all watered as well, and
6:04:25I think that hammock is enchanted. I
6:04:27might not have slept for long, but I
6:04:29haven't felt this refreshed in a long
6:04:31time. I was meditating, but Hawk was
6:04:34bored, so we started to water the
6:04:36plants, and then I thought I should try
6:04:38out my new spell. The Golem is good at
6:04:41smashing, but I think if it's used by
6:04:43someone who actually knows martial arts,
6:04:45it will get better. The golem responds
6:04:48to mental commands, but I know almost
6:04:50nothing about combat in that sense, so
6:04:53all I can tell it to do is basic
6:04:54attacks. She rambled as she adjusted the
6:04:57golem's movements, so its steps weren't
6:04:59as high. If it works that way, you'll
6:05:02have to get the teachers to let you sit
6:05:04in on some of the fighting classes I
6:05:06attend. I use clawed gauntlets to fight,
6:05:09so it's almost the same as martial arts,
6:05:11even when I'm armed, Carl suggested.
6:05:15or you can help me teach the golem. Once
6:05:18I understand the basics, it should be
6:05:20enough to get started. Dana suggested
6:05:23with a determined look at her summon.
6:05:26All right, let's start with the three
6:05:28basic combat stances and then we can
6:05:30move to the guarding positions since he
6:05:32already understands the basics of punch
6:05:34and kick from the spell. Dana led the
6:05:37golem to mimic Carl as he moved and the
6:05:39golem caught on incredibly quickly. They
6:05:42weren't intelligent in a true sense, but
6:05:44the spell allowed the golem to be
6:05:46slightly adaptive, and the more it
6:05:48fought, the better it would do the next
6:05:50time that it was summoned. The
6:05:52understanding was mostly the mages, but
6:05:54either the system or the spell itself
6:05:56enabled it to retain skills it had
6:05:58gained when dismissed and reummoned.
6:06:00After about 10 minutes, Carl and the
6:06:02Golem began to shadow box, holding back
6:06:05their powers so that they didn't
6:06:06actually injure each other, though they
6:06:08both had awakened rank physiques, at
6:06:10least in theory.
6:06:12Carl hadn't had to test that yet, but he
6:06:14hadn't been injured during training
6:06:15since the day that his absorption of
6:06:17energy from food had improved, despite
6:06:19taking just as many hits in training.
6:06:22However, kicks from sparring partners
6:06:24and a full power punch from a stone fist
6:06:26would be an entirely different
6:06:28experience, he assumed.
6:06:30All right, now that I've had a morning
6:06:32workout, I need to shower and then we
6:06:34should go get some breakfast before
6:06:36classes start. Will I see you again
6:06:39after class? Carl asked. I'll be back
6:06:43after dinner to study. I suspect that
6:06:46we're both going to be busy today with
6:06:48all that happened this weekend. Dana
6:06:50agreed. She was completely right. By 4
6:06:55in the afternoon, Carl was completely
6:06:57exhausted from the upgraded training
6:06:59regimen, and Sergeant Rita still had
6:07:01more plans for his day. Now that you
6:07:03have been promoted to the rank of
6:07:05awakened, you are considered somewhat of
6:07:07a proper elite, though you are still in
6:07:09school. Normally, this class comes up in
6:07:12the second semester, but we need to
6:07:14start going over the duties and
6:07:15responsibilities that come with the
6:07:17position of an awakened elite and the
6:07:19chances that you could be called to
6:07:20assist with attacks whenever you are off
6:07:22campus.
6:07:23Well, theoretically, you could be called
6:07:25to them when you are on campus as well.
6:07:27But there are plenty of senior students
6:07:29to go through before it would be your
6:07:30turn as we award credits for outside
6:07:33duties. And there is a waiting list.
6:07:36Rita explained.
6:07:38Wait, there is a waiting list for the
6:07:39emergency responses around the academy?
6:07:42Carl asked. That's the part that caught
6:07:45your attention. Yes, the senior students
6:07:49all want to have them to pad their
6:07:50resumes and for the extra resources that
6:07:53they can get, especially if they're
6:07:55graduating at awakened or barely into
6:07:57ascended rank. But right now, it is
6:08:00important that you know the basics like
6:08:02how to send a message to elite
6:08:04operations, the emergency contact
6:08:06numbers, and a few other things that
6:08:08would have helped you out on your last
6:08:09trip. I'm sure you're aware that the
6:08:12phone call could have gone more smoothly
6:08:13if you knew to give them your student ID
6:08:15number as an introduction. So, you would
6:08:17be transferred to someone with a
6:08:19functional brain, but you could also
6:08:20have contacted the elite force stationed
6:08:22at the air base directly and saved some
6:08:24time. Also, there were other elites in
6:08:27the area that you could have called on
6:08:29if things went wrong. They just didn't
6:08:30respond because the mayor sent the
6:08:32signal that they had all evacuated
6:08:34safely. With the civilians gone, the
6:08:37military could take their time. While
6:08:40the sergeant's explanation made a lot of
6:08:41sense, as it was undoubtedly safer to
6:08:44hunt for the goblins in the daylight, it
6:08:46would have made more sense to do the
6:08:47whole job the first day and not wait
6:08:49until the second day to deal with the
6:08:51rest of the goblin infestation after the
6:08:53homes have been looted overnight.
6:08:55But Carl assumed that this wasn't the
6:08:57only thing that they had to do, so he
6:08:59wouldn't hold it against the soldiers
6:09:01for showing up when they were ordered
6:09:02to. All right, let's see that data. I
6:09:06will start memorizing it before dinner,
6:09:08then keep working on it after class
6:09:10until I have it all down. Carl replied,
6:09:13resigned to the overload of data that
6:09:15was coming his way. The information
6:09:18turned out to not be all that bad. He
6:09:21had a few dozen items and protocols to
6:09:23memorize, but once he had seen them,
6:09:25they were mostly common sense items, and
6:09:27they wouldn't be difficult to remember
6:09:29at all. He wrote down the emergency call
6:09:32numbers and essential protocols for
6:09:34meeting elites with high positions on a
6:09:35Q card and took it down to have the
6:09:37supply room laminated on his way to
6:09:39dinner. But other than that, there
6:09:41wasn't much that he couldn't remember on
6:09:42the first day. The top of the class has
6:09:45finally graced us with his presence. How
6:09:48does it feel to be the most elite of the
6:09:50first years? One of the secondear mages
6:09:53from his morning skills training joked
6:09:55when Carl entered the cafeteria.
6:09:58I'm not sure. You will have to ask Hawk.
6:10:01Carl joked as the worker passed him the
6:10:03daily special, a fried noodle dish with
6:10:05large chunks of monster meat in it.
6:10:08That's probably true. His skills are
6:10:10insane. I heard that they're going to
6:10:12move up your studies again. Does that
6:10:14mean you're not going to get to practice
6:10:16with us in the mornings anymore? The
6:10:18blonde boy asked. I don't think they are
6:10:21planning to take me out of that training
6:10:23so soon. I heard from Sergeant Rita that
6:10:26they will change my close combat
6:10:28training partners, but they were already
6:10:30preparing to do that. Part of my ability
6:10:33seems to be faster learning speed, so
6:10:35I'm doing really well in the mixed
6:10:36martial arts class, but I still can't
6:10:38block magical attacks fast enough or in
6:10:41large enough numbers that the morning
6:10:42class needs to change. Carl's reply made
6:10:45the other mages in the room laugh. If
6:10:48one elite could block all the attacks
6:10:50from two dozen of them, did they really
6:10:52deserve to be assigned the same rank?
6:10:55Even if he could block half of them, it
6:10:57was already an unfair advantage at the
6:10:59same peak power level. But the nature of
6:11:01his skill that the Ren could separate
6:11:03into multiple parts with a single cast,
6:11:06made it much easier to hit multiple
6:11:08targets, and the mages had to admit that
6:11:10both Carl and Hawk had impeccable aim.
6:11:13Again that evening when Carl went up to
6:11:15his room after dinner, the hallways
6:11:17echoed with the sound of students
6:11:18furiously practicing, and he knew that
6:11:20Dana would be waiting for him to let her
6:11:22in. He didn't even have to wait after
6:11:25knocking on her door. She answered
6:11:27instantly as if she had been standing
6:11:29right behind it and had her school
6:11:30backpack at the ready, packed with her
6:11:32books and a change of uniform for the
6:11:34morning. I asked about a soundproofing
6:11:37measure for the room, but it's not
6:11:39cheap. We would need to take on at least
6:11:42one more mission at the same level as
6:11:43the last one to afford it. She
6:11:46apologized as she closed the door behind
6:11:48her. Carl winced at the sound of echoing
6:11:51attacks from the neighboring rooms. It's
6:11:54still a good place to practice, and once
6:11:56the others calm down, it shouldn't be
6:11:57too bad. I can see why all the senior
6:12:00students like to spend time outside,
6:12:02though. Even here in the hallways, it's
6:12:05loud, so in their rooms, it must be
6:12:07terrible. On the far side of campus, in
6:12:10a meeting room facing a wall of security
6:12:12camera feeds, the school administrators
6:12:15watched the two young students walk into
6:12:17the second floor greenhouse room. Are
6:12:19you certain that this won't lead to a
6:12:21premature pregnancy?
6:12:23I feel like we should separate them for
6:12:25the good of their planned career paths.
6:12:28An older woman insisted.
6:12:30Despite the appearances, they're two
6:12:32pure souls. I think that even if they
6:12:35were sharing the same bed, we wouldn't
6:12:37have to worry too much about it.
6:12:39Besides, there are prophylactics
6:12:41available for free, and we can have
6:12:43their individual counselors recommend
6:12:45long-term birth control injections for
6:12:47both of them." The headmaster replied
6:12:50with a shrug. "They're advancing much
6:12:52faster than the others, despite not
6:12:54having the strongest starts. Should we
6:12:56put a camera in the greenhouse room to
6:12:58see what sort of training they're
6:13:00doing?" one of the other board members
6:13:02suggested. The headmaster made an
6:13:05annoyed sound and shook his head. Feel
6:13:08free to ask them, but I will not allow
6:13:10cameras in the students dorm rooms.
6:13:12There are standards here, and I won't
6:13:14bend on that one. Every one of the
6:13:17elites had some secrets of their own,
6:13:19and when they were exposed, they could
6:13:21expose weaknesses of their class and
6:13:23abilities, which could put the elite in
6:13:25danger from the human sort of enemies.
6:13:27It was better that the students could
6:13:29keep those weaknesses to themselves. The
6:13:31headmaster had decided when he was
6:13:33appointed and for 10 years it had been
6:13:35working very well for everyone. Which
6:13:38one should be reassigned or are we going
6:13:40to separate them into career training
6:13:42paths as planned? The leader of the
6:13:44elite career training oversight board
6:13:47asked. The beast master is going to
6:13:49become a strategic asset if he can bond
6:13:51more than one pet. I say that we allow
6:13:54them a bit more flexibility than the
6:13:56other class leaders. Let them practice
6:13:59together. A solid bond between the two
6:14:01will help reduce his reluctance to go
6:14:03along with the testing later. The
6:14:05board's lead researcher suggested. The
6:14:08first old woman to speak gave a derisive
6:14:10snort. You think that having a friend is
6:14:13going to make him more likely to go
6:14:15along with your plans to throw him into
6:14:16danger and study the growth rate and
6:14:18reactions of the bonded monsters? I know
6:14:21that young men can be hormonal, but he's
6:14:23not an idiot. He will just run away from
6:14:25any real threats, and you'll never get
6:14:27your data. And if we send the cute idol
6:14:30girl with him, the researcher asked.
6:14:33"Absolutely not. I have over 7,000 hours
6:14:37of work already planned for her,
6:14:39including three albums, hundreds of
6:14:41public appearances, and an advertising
6:14:44campaign for whatever the cause dour is
6:14:46in 5 years after she has graduated." The
6:14:49celebrity development officer of the
6:14:51board insisted. The lone military
6:14:54officer in the room just rolled her
6:14:55eyes. She's a mage and a powerful one if
6:14:59she keeps growing at this rate. Just
6:15:01like the arch mage, there is no reason
6:15:03that she can't have actual missions
6:15:05rolled into whatever song and dance
6:15:07nonsense you had planned because of her
6:15:09cute face. You are going to have to
6:15:11adjust your expectations.
6:15:14If she makes it to commander rank before
6:15:16she graduates, she will have too much
6:15:18authority for you to pressure her into
6:15:19showbiz. Anyhow, Carl and Dana had no
6:15:23idea of the extent that the elders were
6:15:25making plans for their future. Instead
6:15:27of worrying about those sorts of things,
6:15:29they were busy studying and trying to
6:15:32find ways to grow their powers more
6:15:33efficiently. The fine control work that
6:15:36Dana had been doing with Hawk had helped
6:15:38her immensely, and Carl's growth rate
6:15:40didn't seem to be slowing at all, even
6:15:42though they hadn't gotten any new
6:15:44resources yet after his advancement. It
6:15:47was almost as if his powers were just
6:15:48reaching maturity, and like his body had
6:15:50in the first two weeks here, they were
6:15:52beginning to enter the growth phase,
6:15:54where he would start to truly blossom
6:15:56and show off the real potential of his
6:15:58unique class.
6:15:59While Dana worked on training the golem
6:16:01to operate as their frontline combatant,
6:16:04Carl worked on constantly improving the
6:16:06mental living conditions for Hawk. It
6:16:08felt like the more that he improved the
6:16:10space, the faster Hawk was growing. And
6:16:13even after a few days of work, he was
6:16:15certain that he could see the change in
6:16:16the bird. It wasn't getting larger, but
6:16:19the power was improving, and the luster
6:16:21of Hawk's feathers was improving, as if
6:16:24his health was getting better, despite
6:16:25there being nothing wrong with him to
6:16:27begin with. The minute changes in
6:16:29monsters as they advanced was a field
6:16:31with very little study done on it as the
6:16:33leadership felt that being able to
6:16:35identify the general power rankings of
6:16:37the monsters was more important than
6:16:38guessing the exact progression rate of
6:16:40wild beasts.
6:16:42So Carl was only able to guess by what
6:16:44he was seeing. And if he was right, then
6:16:47after only a few more months, Hawk would
6:16:49likely make it to the ascended rank and
6:16:51his claws would begin to darken and turn
6:16:53glossy. That growth level was feeding
6:16:56back to Carl and his body was getting
6:16:58stronger every time he woke up in the
6:17:00morning. But more importantly to him as
6:17:02a former late bloomer, it was not just
6:17:04getting taller, but he was getting
6:17:05toned. Not in a burly and muscular
6:17:08sense, more of a professional athlete,
6:17:11lean muscle mass way. The three of them,
6:17:14Carl, Hawk, and Dana, kept up that same
6:17:16routine all week with their regular
6:17:19classes all day and a new addition, the
6:17:21social adaptation lessons. as Sergeant
6:17:24Rita called them, where they learned all
6:17:25sorts of small things about interacting
6:17:27with other elites outside the academy,
6:17:30as well as some geography and important
6:17:32figures that were not well known to the
6:17:33general population.
6:17:35A regular elite wouldn't be calling on
6:17:37someone like the president without a
6:17:39very good reason. But there were dozens
6:17:40of powerful and reclusive elites and
6:17:42older magic users that were important
6:17:44enough that they should receive an
6:17:45invitation to everything, even if you
6:17:47knew that they would never show up to
6:17:49your event. Ironically, the headmaster
6:17:52was on that list of people who should be
6:17:54notified of and invited to all major
6:17:56social events, even though it was common
6:17:58knowledge that he rarely left the
6:17:59academy. Not inviting him would be seen
6:18:02as rude, and his staff would be left in
6:18:04the dark about the event when others
6:18:06asked him about unexpected events that
6:18:07might have happened at it. Finally, it
6:18:10was time for the special class to
6:18:12assemble again for their weekly
6:18:13training. But when Carl and Dana arrived
6:18:16at the grounds, they found a pair of new
6:18:18faces among the crowd and a new
6:18:20professor waiting there as well. The
6:18:22older mage in charge of the class raised
6:18:24a hand to get everyone's attention, and
6:18:26the group fell silent, eager to find out
6:18:28what was going on. Today, we introduced
6:18:31two new promising students, Jenna and
6:18:34Britney. Both are firstear mages with
6:18:37exceptional growth rates, and I hope
6:18:39that you all get along." The teacher
6:18:41paused and the team leaders realized
6:18:43that the numbers no longer worked. There
6:18:46were six teams of nine plus two didn't
6:18:49leave them with even team numbers. That
6:18:52meant someone was probably leaving for
6:18:54special training or a mission again.
6:18:57Yes, as you have guessed, two of our
6:18:59students will be shifted to another
6:19:01specialized class. The government's
6:19:03Bureau of Elite Development has
6:19:05determined that they will be guiding
6:19:06these two toward smaller group missions,
6:19:09and therefore their days will be better
6:19:10spent with another professor. The old
6:19:13mage informed them with a heavy dose of
6:19:15annoyance in his voice. These were his
6:19:18students, and he didn't like the
6:19:20bureaucratic meddling any more than
6:19:21anyone else did. He just didn't have the
6:19:24political power to stop them from doing
6:19:26it. In this case, Carl and Dana will be
6:19:29training for individual and small group
6:19:31missions, and I wanted them to have a
6:19:33chance to say their farewells to the
6:19:34whole group before they go off with
6:19:36their new professor, Colonel Valerie
6:19:38Balis.
6:19:39Boris.
6:19:41My name is Valerie Boris. The woman
6:19:44snarled at him, looking like every
6:19:46student's worst nightmare. Her uniform
6:19:49was so heavily starched and pressed that
6:19:51even standing here in the heat and wind,
6:19:53there was no sign of the creases
6:19:54relaxing, and with the sides of her head
6:19:56shaved under her cap and the gold lensed
6:19:58aviator glasses she wore, she gave off
6:20:01an air of unwavering uprightness and
6:20:03adherence to military regulations that
6:20:05no teenager would possibly enjoy. She
6:20:08was probably still under 30 years old
6:20:10and a powerful elite from the first
6:20:12batch or the initial testing, but her
6:20:14appearance made it challenging to tell
6:20:16her exact age.
6:20:17It is a pleasure to meet you, Colonel
6:20:19Boris. Carl and Dana replied in unison,
6:20:23causing the woman to turn and look down
6:20:25her nose at them. You may call me
6:20:27Professor Valerie, she replied curtly.
6:20:31Understood. Professor. Even Sergeant
6:20:35Rita was distinctly not looking at the
6:20:36woman, keeping her eyes forward toward
6:20:38the rest of the class, as if she was
6:20:40signaling that the two of them had
6:20:42nothing to do with one another, and that
6:20:44her duties were to the advanced group
6:20:45training class.
6:20:47The colonel looked around the field one
6:20:49last time, appearing dissatisfied with
6:20:51something that she saw, then gestured
6:20:53for Carl and Dana to follow her as she
6:20:55turned and walked away without another
6:20:57word. I owe not so evil woman an
6:21:00apology. This one looks much more evil.
6:21:03I bet she doesn't even believe in
6:21:05snacks. Hawk muttered in Carl's mind as
6:21:08they walked. Professor Valerie led Carl
6:21:11and Dana out of the field and behind the
6:21:13gymnasium building where she had a
6:21:15military sedan car parked with a driver
6:21:17waiting for them. Climb on in. Time is
6:21:20wasting and I am under orders to have
6:21:22you back here before dark. She
6:21:25instructed as she settled herself into
6:21:27the front passenger seat. It was
6:21:29obviously a sanctioned trip as she had
6:21:31just been introduced as their
6:21:33instructor, but it seemed odd to both of
6:21:35them that they would be taken off school
6:21:36grounds on the first day by their new
6:21:38professor for small groupoup combat or
6:21:40whatever she intended to teach them. No
6:21:43words were spoken until they were out of
6:21:45sight of the academy grounds, and then
6:21:47the professor turned back to look at the
6:21:48students in the back seat. What we will
6:21:51be learning is not for the ears of the
6:21:53general population of the academy or for
6:21:55the busy buddies watching the security
6:21:57footage. As you were informed earlier, I
6:22:00am from the Bureau of Elite Development,
6:22:02a division of the National Security
6:22:04Agency, and I will be teaching you the
6:22:06essentials of how to operate as a pair.
6:22:09It is not guaranteed that you two will
6:22:10be working together after graduation,
6:22:13but the bureau sees promise in you both,
6:22:15and we intend to guide your growth.
6:22:18There are certain things that the
6:22:19academy can't or won't do for you, but I
6:22:21am under no such restrictions.
6:22:24Have you both managed to get a grasp of
6:22:26the new abilities that you were taught
6:22:27over the weekend? She asked. We have,
6:22:32Dana replied somewhat stiffly.
6:22:35Excellent.
6:22:37Today, we are going to introduce you
6:22:38both to some real experts.
6:22:41Sergeant Rita isn't bad, but she coddles
6:22:43the students too much in the first and
6:22:45second years. the colonel insisted.
6:22:49Carl considered rebuking the woman as
6:22:51the sergeant was an excellent teacher
6:22:53and she had put in significant effort to
6:22:55help him get this far, but it was
6:22:56probably wiser not to anger the colonel
6:22:58and get Rita into trouble with her
6:23:00superior through no fault of her own.
6:23:02The car stopped at a warehouse 10
6:23:04minutes away from the academy on the
6:23:06outskirts of a small town. The door
6:23:09opened and the driver parked off to the
6:23:11side next to a military bus. Follow me
6:23:15and meet the rest of the teams. Valerie
6:23:18informed them, then straightened her
6:23:20uniform with a gust of wind magic and
6:23:22strode away. "You get used to her," the
6:23:25driver whispered as Carl and Dana were
6:23:27getting out of the vehicle, and the
6:23:29smile on his face helped assure them
6:23:31that this wouldn't be as terrible as
6:23:32they had been fearing. The colonel led
6:23:35them into a side room where 10 other
6:23:36pairs of elites were gathered. A few of
6:23:39the pairs were clearly soldiers, but
6:23:41most were in civilian clothing.
6:23:44Welcome back, Colonel. They greeted her
6:23:47in unison, all giving sharp salutes that
6:23:49made Carl and Dana feel out of place in
6:23:52a room full of professionals.
6:23:54At ease, everyone. Meet the new
6:23:57students, Carl and Dana. According to
6:24:00the Academy Board, Dana is slated for an
6:24:02abbreviated career as an entertainer,
6:24:04followed by an extended career using
6:24:06that fame for messaging, while Carl is
6:24:08designated as a test subject for his
6:24:10unique class.
6:24:12Someone at the top sees promise in it
6:24:14and they want to exploit it. The two
6:24:17students stood there stunned at the
6:24:18blunt revelation that their entire lives
6:24:20were actually being planned in that
6:24:22level of detail only weeks after they
6:24:24had started at the academy. It was
6:24:26disconcerting to say the least, but from
6:24:28the responses of the others here, it was
6:24:30either not unusual or it was not going
6:24:32to pan out the way that the board wanted
6:24:34it to. So, they've come to us for what?
6:24:38An introduction to elite society. or did
6:24:41you have other plans? One of the men in
6:24:44civilian clothing asked for small
6:24:47groupoup combat training. They both made
6:24:50it to awakened rank already and there is
6:24:52a good chance that both of them will hit
6:24:54commander rank before they graduate.
6:24:57Colonel Valerie explained.
6:24:59Oh, so we're going to pull rank and drop
6:25:01them out of their life plan. Now that
6:25:04does sound fun. One of the women in
6:25:07military uniform laughed and nudged the
6:25:09man standing beside her. "You know
6:25:12they're looking at us like we're working
6:25:13for Central Intelligence, right?" The
6:25:16partner replied with a huge smile on his
6:25:18face that made him look much less
6:25:20frightening. "Oh yes, introductions are
6:25:24in order. Everyone here is an
6:25:27investigator for the Bureau of Elite
6:25:28Development. We not only guide promising
6:25:31young elites, we also ensure that the
6:25:34others are living up to their duties and
6:25:36solve problems when an elite reaches a
6:25:38bottleneck in their growth. The
6:25:40department normally operates in pairs so
6:25:42that information won't be lost if an
6:25:44investigator is compromised.
6:25:46That means they are the perfect people
6:25:48to teach you paired combat skills. They
6:25:51will also cover a number of other
6:25:53subjects during the semester that we
6:25:54will be working here. and if I determine
6:25:56that more intensive study is needed, one
6:25:58of your regularly scheduled days may be
6:26:00shifted to this training center. The
6:26:03colonel informed them. The woman
6:26:05standing next to Dana wrapped a friendly
6:26:07arm around the girl's shoulders and
6:26:09smiled.
6:26:10Relax. She might be a bit intense, but
6:26:13I'm certain that you will have much more
6:26:15fun here than you did in that regular
6:26:16training class. Dana giggled, and the
6:26:19woman gave her a questioning look before
6:26:21Valerie spoke again. I am not certain
6:26:24that we can guarantee such a high level
6:26:26of enjoyment. Did you know that their
6:26:29last mission turned into the elimination
6:26:30of a goblin tribe that was looting an
6:26:32abandoned town? Compared to that, I fear
6:26:35that our training sessions might be a
6:26:37bit dull. But we do have some advantages
6:26:40that the other professors do not. For
6:26:43example, Nala is an inscriptionist.
6:26:46Once you have mastered the spells that
6:26:48you are working on, she will be able to
6:26:50make you copies of new skills to be
6:26:52directly learned. Also, I have arranged
6:26:55for an outing in the near future to look
6:26:56for infant monsters with high potentials
6:26:58to complement Carl's wind speed hawk.
6:27:01The Bureau of Elite Development is
6:27:03intensely interested in the possibility
6:27:05that you might be able to contract more
6:27:06than one monster and gain additional
6:27:08powers from the process.
6:27:10The odd collection of elites that were
6:27:12called here from the Bureau of Elite
6:27:14Development seemed like a cheerful bunch
6:27:16to Carl, and even more so after they
6:27:18were given no real restrictions on how
6:27:20to deal with the two new recruits. They
6:27:22were all used to working in pairs, which
6:27:24was so they had someone to watch their
6:27:26back as much as it was intended to
6:27:28prevent corruption, as the colonel had
6:27:30suggested. So, giving them a warrior and
6:27:32mage combo was perfect for their
6:27:33preferred fighting style.
6:27:35I think that what we should start with
6:27:37is actually more of a skills development
6:27:39than tactics.
6:27:41Normally, we would work with students
6:27:42about to graduate, so they would have a
6:27:44halfozen skills in their repertoire, but
6:27:47I am assuming that you two both only
6:27:48have one each. One of the warriors in
6:27:51civilian clothing suggested.
6:27:54I have two now thanks to Overlord Drake
6:27:56and Prince Axel gave Dana a golem spell
6:27:59book. Plus, she knows fog in addition to
6:28:02her base magic missile already.
6:28:05Carl explained. The man looked impressed
6:28:08and turned to the ginger-haired female
6:28:10soldier beside him. It looks like they
6:28:13really are on the path to fame. They're
6:28:15meeting all the right people already.
6:28:17Don't mind Josh. He's jealous that you
6:28:20got to meet the prince. You can call me
6:28:22Anise. And I will be helping you with
6:28:24your adaptation skills. One of the most
6:28:27important things you can do with your
6:28:29abilities is learning new ways to use
6:28:31them. The more creative you can be with
6:28:33them, the more useful even the basic
6:28:35skills will become. For example, the fog
6:28:39spell. It's not considered one of the
6:28:42more powerful spells. But did you know
6:28:44that you can condense it in just a ring
6:28:45to create a solid visual barrier? That
6:28:48alone will give you a huge advantage in
6:28:50combat as you can block off the view of
6:28:52your enemies while you escape. If you
6:28:55block a spot in an alley, it becomes
6:28:57much easier to run into a building
6:28:59without being followed. Anything
6:29:01pursuing you will have to guess what
6:29:03building you went into or you can cast
6:29:06it over the outside of a moving vehicle
6:29:08and make them crash, she explained.
6:29:12Dana was shocked by that last
6:29:13suggestion. Do the elites get into
6:29:16conflicts with other people a lot? She
6:29:19asked. We do. Most of the elites are a
6:29:23different story, but the teams here
6:29:25don't just guide the other elites toward
6:29:26more power, but away from taking the
6:29:28wrong paths in life.
6:29:31Sometimes we will be sent to deal with
6:29:32elites gone rogue, drunkards, and
6:29:34abusers, but the same techniques can be
6:29:37used against intelligent monsters.
6:29:40For example, the myithil tiger. They're
6:29:43smarter than most people you will meet,
6:29:45and if you want to lose them once
6:29:46they're following you, it will take a
6:29:48lot of effort. The full-grown ones are
6:29:51on the strong side of commander rank,
6:29:53and even twoon-one, it can be difficult
6:29:55for elites at the same rank to take them
6:29:57out unless they're caught in the open.
6:29:59Anise agreed. Carl didn't quite
6:30:02understand the crossover between this
6:30:04conversation and his own skills. Rend
6:30:07and shred seemed pretty simple, but the
6:30:09versatility of fog seemed to be pretty
6:30:11high. If you could use it to blind the
6:30:13target, that would take some real
6:30:15practice, but as long as it was
6:30:17possible, then there shouldn't be a
6:30:18problem for Dana to figure it out. The
6:30:21mages took Dana off to one side of the
6:30:23room to explain whatever they wanted to
6:30:25do first while the other half of the
6:30:27group gathered around Carl. All right,
6:30:30we're going to try something different.
6:30:33Have you ever attempted to just hold Ren
6:30:35on your hands? One of the men asked.
6:30:38Yeah, that's not a problem. I can hold
6:30:41it in place on the gauntlets for as long
6:30:43as I need. Carl agreed and coated his
6:30:46hands in the rend attack, lighting up
6:30:48the claws of the gauntlet with faint
6:30:50violet light. Nice. You understand the
6:30:53basic concept that we're going for then.
6:30:56What you want to do is learn to set it
6:30:57in place somewhere and not have it move.
6:31:00Think of it like a string or a snare
6:31:03being placed. The soldier suggested.
6:31:06Carl conferred with Hawk, who thought
6:31:08that it should be possible, but if they
6:31:10wanted it to stay on an object that
6:31:12wasn't attached to their own body, they
6:31:14would have to see it. All right, I think
6:31:17I can do it. Carl agreed and then
6:31:20focused on creating a rend attack that
6:31:22crossed the space between two pillars,
6:31:24using them as anchors to keep it in
6:31:26place, the same way that he wrapped it
6:31:28around his gloves to enhance the claws.
6:31:30Oh, that is superb. Well done. Now, to
6:31:35see if it actually works or just looks
6:31:37like it does, he tossed a metal bar
6:31:40against the thin beam of light and it
6:31:42cleanly cut in half, clattering to the
6:31:44ground in two pieces. Carl gasped in
6:31:47shock. That's brutal. I can see how that
6:31:51would be an incredibly dangerous way to
6:31:53use this ability. The only problem is
6:31:56that if I don't watch it to keep it in
6:31:57place, it won't stay. Ren doesn't want
6:32:00to be stationary, and Shred is even more
6:32:03violent. I doubt that I could keep that
6:32:05one stable at all. That's fine. The more
6:32:09practical uses of this skill
6:32:10modification training are to create
6:32:12snares and trip lines for passing
6:32:14monsters and to stop them from following
6:32:16you. If you can learn to do multiple
6:32:18stationary traps, you can block a path
6:32:21well enough that a pursuer won't be able
6:32:22to just step or jump over, and you will
6:32:24have time to either regroup or get away.
6:32:27All right, that is good enough for me.
6:32:30Not dying is always priority one.
6:32:33Carl agreed. I take it you came from the
6:32:36woods where there are a lot of monsters.
6:32:39One of the civilian- dressed women
6:32:41asked. Nope. The mines where we're
6:32:44always worried about the roof collapsing
6:32:46on us a kilometer underground.
6:32:48Carl replied with a chuckle. So not
6:32:51dying is priority one. Getting the job
6:32:54done is priority two. The rest of the
6:32:58day was spent on improving the new ways
6:32:59that the teams had come up with to use
6:33:01the Ren skill. Mostly Carl worked on his
6:33:04control to keep a strand of it
6:33:06stationary, but they also worked on
6:33:08disguising the skill, as some monsters
6:33:10would recognize the Ren ability and have
6:33:12a trick to deal with it. For example,
6:33:15some beasts with tusks could take the
6:33:17Ren directly and let it break against
6:33:18the tusk, doing little damage to their
6:33:21body. But if you made it look like a
6:33:23different skill, for example, having the
6:33:25Ren form not as a streak of energy, but
6:33:27as a disc or a spear, it would confuse
6:33:29them and they might not be able to deal
6:33:31with it. Dana had done something similar
6:33:34during the fight by dimming the light
6:33:36from her magic missiles. The small
6:33:39alterations to a spell could make just
6:33:41enough of a difference to get you
6:33:42through a tight spot or to get an edge
6:33:44on your competitors.
6:33:46All right, everyone. You've had your
6:33:48fun. We will meet back here again next
6:33:51week at the same time. Colonel Valerie
6:33:53announced at precisely 4 in the
6:33:55afternoon, the usual ending time for
6:33:57classes. The Saturday classes were
6:34:00usually a bit more flexible with their
6:34:02timings, but Carl was fairly certain
6:34:04that her personality didn't allow her to
6:34:06run overtime without prior written
6:34:08authorization.
6:34:10If she was off schedule, she was
6:34:12definitely the sort of person that would
6:34:13be bothered by it. See you two next
6:34:16week.
6:34:17Don't forget to practice if they give
6:34:19you some leisure time. We will be making
6:34:22up a lesson plan for you. One of the
6:34:25mages laughed. The colonel hurried the
6:34:28students back to the car while the
6:34:29others changed tasks to planning for
6:34:31something, obviously in a rush to get
6:34:33them back to the academy on schedule.
6:34:36The drive was a quiet one as Carl and
6:34:38Dana both focused on the things that
6:34:40they had been learning for the day.
6:34:42Learning new ways to use skills was
6:34:44entirely different from just learning
6:34:45the skill.
6:34:47Instead of just gaining knowledge, you
6:34:49had to work to change the way that you
6:34:51thought about, imagined, and solidified
6:34:53the spell. It was a different way of
6:34:55using the knowledge that you knew, a way
6:34:57that ran contrary to how you had been
6:34:59thinking about your skills. It was more
6:35:02of a test of mental flexibility and
6:35:04creativity than anything else. And for
6:35:06Carl, it was draining in a way that
6:35:08normal training was not. Eventually, he
6:35:11was certain that he would get used to
6:35:12it, but today he was oddly exhausted and
6:35:15glad that tomorrow didn't have any plans
6:35:17but staying in to relax and practice.
6:35:20When they were back on school grounds,
6:35:22the colonel put back on her professor
6:35:24Valerie friendly facade and her
6:35:25expressionless professionalism turned to
6:35:27a polite smile that was somehow still
6:35:29completely devoid of emotion. "So, what
6:35:33did you think of the first day of
6:35:34special training? Was it everything that
6:35:36you had hoped for?" she asked, looking
6:35:39at them in the rear view mirror of the
6:35:41car. It was certainly something
6:35:43unexpected, that's for sure. I never
6:35:46thought about trying to use my skills
6:35:48that way, but it is going to make a huge
6:35:50difference the next time I come up
6:35:52against monsters like that goblin tribe,
6:35:55Carl replied.
6:35:57Hulk was in full agreement. Ren was his
6:36:00ability. He should be best with it, but
6:36:02they had weird human ideas on how to
6:36:04make it work that would be great for
6:36:05harvesting meat, especially pigs. Pigs
6:36:09were stupid and he could make them
6:36:11stampede in rage so they would trip over
6:36:13the rend wire or get their tusk stuck on
6:36:16it and he could attack their soft and
6:36:17juicy underside.
6:36:19Hawk, go have a snack. Your food
6:36:22daydreams are distracting.
6:36:25Carl reminded his partner. Hawk wasn't
6:36:28wrong, though. Plenty of creatures could
6:36:31be made to charge in rage, and they
6:36:33wouldn't be looking closely enough to
6:36:34notice the thin string before they ran
6:36:36into it. They would be too focused on
6:36:39what he was doing, and the trap could be
6:36:41set in advance. Dana turned toward her
6:36:44noisy room with a soft smile on her
6:36:46face. "Let's see how the neighbors like
6:36:49me now. I've got some great ideas on how
6:36:52to make the Golem and Magic Missile work
6:36:54together, so I will be practicing them
6:36:55late into the night." Carl laughed at
6:36:58her comment.
6:37:00The booming noise of the neighbors
6:37:01practicing their attack abilities could
6:37:03still be sporadically heard. They hadn't
6:37:05given up on their goal of being the next
6:37:07to reach awakened rank yet, but the
6:37:09stomping of a stone golem would be
6:37:10horrendous where the magic missiles were
6:37:12normally silent. I think that I will
6:37:15focus on trying to improve the actual
6:37:17power of my abilities.
6:37:19Stretching the attack out the way they
6:37:21want puts a lot of drain on my mental
6:37:23abilities, so I need to work on them
6:37:24first and control second. Carl replied
6:37:28as she waved good night. But before he
6:37:30turned in, Carl realized that he did
6:37:33actually have some academy credits after
6:37:34their away mission and he didn't need to
6:37:36change his room so he could spend them
6:37:38on some resources for Hawk. He headed
6:37:41back downstairs to the supply room and
6:37:43waited for the clerk to answer the bell.
6:37:46Welcome back. I saw you headed off
6:37:49campus this morning, so I didn't expect
6:37:51to see you today. What can I do for you?
6:37:54Possibly a uniform repair.
6:37:57the man asked. "Nope, my uniforms are
6:38:00fine. We were just doing some off-site
6:38:03training, not a mission. What I need is
6:38:06an awakened or ascended rank strength
6:38:08stone and some ascended rank monster
6:38:10blood if you've got it." Carl replied,
6:38:14"Ah, the strengthening mixture. Be
6:38:17careful using too strong of a potion
6:38:19when you've just broken through. It's
6:38:21best to mix a little bit into a shot of
6:38:23water and see how that works out for
6:38:25you.
6:38:26The clerk warned him. Thanks. I will be
6:38:29sure to portion it out slowly if you've
6:38:31got the good stuff. Carl agreed. The man
6:38:35opened the computer to some sort of
6:38:36inventory screen and entered Carl's
6:38:39identification by scanning his badge,
6:38:41then frowned. You're still a bit short
6:38:44on credits. I can get you an ascended
6:38:47rank stone, but no blood or both had
6:38:49awakened with the credits you have. Carl
6:38:52nodded. He had expected that a simple
6:38:55mission wouldn't get him too far, even
6:38:57if it was the most common of items. I
6:39:00will take the ascended rank stone and I
6:39:02will mix it with the blood I saved from
6:39:04the mission. I still have a fair bit of
6:39:06awakened rank boar blood. Carl agreed.
6:39:10He actually had the whole boar, so he
6:39:13would be able to get half a liter or
6:39:14more of the blood out of it. Enough to
6:39:16last Hawk for weeks at the proportion it
6:39:18should be mixed with the crushed stone.
6:39:20Pleasure doing business with you. Do you
6:39:23want that stone ground fine or coarse?
6:39:26I'm assuming you aren't going to try to
6:39:28eat the thing intact. The clerk asked.
6:39:32Ground as fine as possible. It mixes
6:39:35better that way. Carl agreed. And there
6:39:39you are. Good luck with your training.
6:39:42As soon as the transaction was done, the
6:39:45man disappeared into the back room,
6:39:47leaving Carl holding a small bag of
6:39:49powder like some elicit drug
6:39:50transaction.
6:39:52Carl placed the powder in his beast
6:39:54space and mentally formed a bowl to pour
6:39:56bore blood into. Hawk was already
6:39:59prepared and happily drained the beast,
6:40:01then slowly swirled the concoction with
6:40:03his claws until he had the desired
6:40:05consistency and an even distribution. A
6:40:08quick lick of the claws to clean them
6:40:10brought a happy trill. Then he began to
6:40:12dip the boar meat in the bowl like he
6:40:13had seen Carl do with chicken at dinner.
6:40:16Carl ignored the bird's antics and sat
6:40:18on his bed to meditate the afternoon
6:40:20away, continuing right through until
6:40:22morning as Hawk adjusted to the change
6:40:24in food and the feedback strengthened
6:40:26Carl's body and mind. It looks like we
6:40:29might not have to slow down, buddy. Carl
6:40:32informed Hawk when his alarm went off
6:40:34for breakfast. I told you we will be
6:40:37stronger than that sergeant in no time.
6:40:40Hawk agreed. That was the first time
6:40:43that Carl recalled the bird calling her
6:40:44by rank instead of just evil lady or not
6:40:47so evil lady. Hawk was getting smarter.
6:40:51He was certain and he was
6:40:52[clears throat] beginning to remember
6:40:53names for people. Fortunately for the
6:40:56both of them, today was the weekly day
6:40:58off and they didn't have any major plans
6:41:00other than continuing their basic
6:41:02training and meditation schedule. But a
6:41:05lack of plans didn't mean they weren't
6:41:07going to do anything. First thing in the
6:41:09morning, before Carl had even gotten up
6:41:11to go to breakfast, the supply staff was
6:41:14at his door with a delivery of upgraded
6:41:16food products for Hawk, various meats,
6:41:18sausages with infused resources of some
6:41:20kind, and a pungent ointment that the
6:41:22label said should be applied to the
6:41:24claws to help them maintain their
6:41:25flexibility and not become brittle. That
6:41:28gave them plenty of work to do after
6:41:30Carl had finished eating, as Hawk was a
6:41:32fairly picky eater when the food product
6:41:34was not meat. The sausages had been
6:41:37created with humans in mind, so Carl
6:41:39would eat them himself if necessary. But
6:41:41some of the order seemed to be
6:41:43completely plant-based.
6:41:45It looked like meat cubes, but when Hawk
6:41:47poked them, they were just wiggly and
6:41:49soft, definitely not meat. Carl thought
6:41:52that they might be tofu of some sort,
6:41:55created with a magical plant to help
6:41:56strengthen the body, but Hawk resolutely
6:41:59refused to eat them. The spicy sausages
6:42:02were an instant hit, and Hawk didn't
6:42:04care that they had visible herbs in
6:42:05them. The cheese sausages as well. He
6:42:09made a mess of himself as he tore apart
6:42:11the juicy cooked meat tubes, but Hawk
6:42:13was instantly in love with the flavor of
6:42:15cheese. Carl made careful notes of the
6:42:18response to each food product, as well
6:42:20as Hawk's estimation of the absorbed
6:42:22energy content and any reactions that
6:42:24his body had to the food. Only one
6:42:27caused an unusual reaction.
6:42:30The spicy sausages that Hawk loved gave
6:42:32him a stimulant boost and made him
6:42:34hyper, a fact that Carl noticed, but
6:42:36Hawk did not. They might be some sort of
6:42:39drug to the windspeed Hawk, but his
6:42:41thoughts were as clear as always, just
6:42:43faster and more easily distracted.
6:42:46Once Hawk had a sample of everything,
6:42:48Carl tried the rejects and found that
6:42:50while they were edible, none of them
6:42:52were going to make his favorite foods
6:42:54list. They were all easy to digest,
6:42:57which was a small blessing. And Carl
6:42:59spent most of an hour meditating to burn
6:43:01through the energy before he got up to
6:43:02water the plants and check for any ripe
6:43:04fruits or flowers that should be
6:43:06harvested. He still had to use the
6:43:09manual for that, as most of them were
6:43:11only just beginning to change from when
6:43:12he had arrived, but a few were more
6:43:14prolific. The berry bushes in particular
6:43:17seemed to be constantly flowering and
6:43:19growing more fruit as they were picked,
6:43:21and the tea trees constantly dropped
6:43:23leaves that needed to be dried. that
6:43:25took him nearly to lunch, but he had a
6:43:27small collection of fruits in the beast
6:43:29space now, in addition to the berries
6:43:31that Hawk liked to season his meat with.
6:43:34"I should go do something today." Carl
6:43:37mused to himself as he finished eating
6:43:38again and meditated away the excess
6:43:40energy to improve the beast's space. It
6:43:43was really beginning to take shape, and
6:43:45he had most of a clearing worth of grass
6:43:47forming around the single tree already.
6:43:50Next, he was going to create a small
6:43:52bush. Hawk liked to fly around the
6:43:55balcony and dodge the branches so a bit
6:43:57more scenery would be good for him, Carl
6:43:59thought. How about a lake? A bit of
6:44:03water would be good so I can practice my
6:44:05diving for fish. Hawk suggested.
6:44:09That shouldn't be too hard. Just like
6:44:11the grass, he only had to focus on
6:44:13adding the lake bed to the nothingness
6:44:15of the space. Don't you think that it's
6:44:17getting larger in there? I swear that it
6:44:20used to be much more crowded and you
6:44:22didn't have as much room to fly around.
6:44:25Carl asked as he began to work on the
6:44:27lake. I agree. I used to have to make
6:44:31small circles around the tree, but now I
6:44:33can fly for a few minutes before I have
6:44:35to turn around. Do you think that this
6:44:37place will get bigger as we get
6:44:39stronger? I could have a whole world to
6:44:42myself once we get powerful enough, Hawk
6:44:45suggested.
6:44:46Maybe that was the goal.
6:44:48The space was getting more powerful and
6:44:50larger with effort and naturally it
6:44:53would become an impressive home for the
6:44:54windspeed hawk. But asking for a whole
6:44:56world was on a whole other level.
6:44:59Awakened level was only going to take
6:45:01him to a kilometer or so in diameter at
6:45:03this rate and the density of the world
6:45:05inside the space seemed to be improving
6:45:06in a linear way while the size had made
6:45:09a jump at some point that Carl hadn't
6:45:11noticed until now. That would be another
6:45:13item to add to his mental list of things
6:45:15to track. Dana came over after lunch,
6:45:19intending to study and meditate in the
6:45:21silence of the balcony. But Hawk had
6:45:24other ideas. He had far too much energy
6:45:27after his change in diet, and he needed
6:45:29to burn some off. So, he wanted to play.
6:45:32By play, he meant practicing their skill
6:45:34control together since his and Carl's
6:45:37were too similar to be entertaining.
6:45:39So she studied new ideas and techniques
6:45:42between rounds while Carl focused on
6:45:44expanding the lake to the size of a pond
6:45:46from a puddle. He worked on that until
6:45:49mid-afternoon when the urge to go do
6:45:51something crept up on him again. We
6:45:54should see if there are other things to
6:45:55do on the day off. They have to have
6:45:58some sort of entertainment that isn't
6:45:59working. Carl suggested
6:46:03there are movie rooms, the games lounge,
6:46:05and a few other facilities that we
6:46:07haven't explored yet. or we could go to
6:46:10the pool, Dana suggested.
6:46:13The pool was technically a training area
6:46:15for aquatic specialists, but on the rest
6:46:17day, it was simply a leisure spot for
6:46:20everyone to hang out, swim, and relax.
6:46:23The problem was that it meant there
6:46:24would be a crowd of people around, and
6:46:26neither of them were really the social
6:46:28butterfly sort. Being the first to
6:46:31awakened rank in the first year would
6:46:32draw a lot of attention, and they were
6:46:34hoping to let the furer die down for a
6:46:36few more days before they went out to
6:46:38mingle with people who didn't have
6:46:39anything better to do than ask questions
6:46:41about their training regimen. "How about
6:46:44the movie lounge?" "Just sit and watch a
6:46:47movie and eat popcorn,"
6:46:49Carl offered. "That sounds excellent,
6:46:53but even better is the fact that nobody
6:46:55will crowd us and ask loads of questions
6:46:57because there is a movie playing. Dana
6:47:00replied, nodding in satisfaction.
6:47:03So that was how they found themselves
6:47:05side by side in a dark room, eating junk
6:47:07food and trying not to laugh as a group
6:47:09of girls ahead of them in the small
6:47:11theater gushed about how handsome the
6:47:12star of the action movie they had picked
6:47:14was. According to the boy they had seen
6:47:17leaving when they came in, it was just
6:47:19starting again for the third time that
6:47:21day because the girls had put it on
6:47:23repeat and nobody was brave enough to
6:47:24argue with them when it was actually a
6:47:26good movie. After the movie, they took
6:47:29dinner to go and ate on the balcony as
6:47:31they watched the sunset. Carl couldn't
6:47:34help but feel that they might have just
6:47:35been on what would pass for a proper
6:47:37date. But by the time that he worked up
6:47:39the courage to say anything about it,
6:47:41Dana had fallen asleep in her chair
6:47:43while meditating. Carl moved her to the
6:47:46hammock where she usually slept and
6:47:47placed her bag on the table where it
6:47:49would be easy to find. Then turned in
6:47:51for the evening and forgot all about the
6:47:53stress of academy life for a night.
6:47:55After waking up late and rushing to get
6:47:57showered and fed before class, morning
6:47:59training still managed to go even more
6:48:01smoothly than usual with the innovative
6:48:03ways that they had come up with to
6:48:05modify Ren. Instead of a simple claw
6:48:08streak, Carl focused on expanding and
6:48:10stretching them as they flew and then
6:48:12cut a second pattern perpendicular to
6:48:14the first, creating a square grid of
6:48:16rending attacks that took out a whole
6:48:17swave of spells at once. It wasn't
6:48:20perfect as some managed to fly through
6:48:22the pattern, but with a minimal energy
6:48:24cost, he could block five or six out of
6:48:2720 spells in a volley. Is that even the
6:48:30same ability anymore? I mean, it looks
6:48:33the same at the start, but that's all
6:48:35they have in common. One of the mages
6:48:38complained.
6:48:39It is. It's just an extended reach
6:48:42version of the attack. If you notice,
6:48:45it's shorter range as well as I can't
6:48:47stop it expanding once it has started.
6:48:49So, it destabilizes if it flies too far,
6:48:52unlike the original, Carl explained.
6:48:56So, it's similar to the process that led
6:48:58to creating the water shotgun, except
6:49:00not as extreme of a modification.
6:49:03I like it. One of the other mages
6:49:06replied with a gesture of approval. Even
6:49:09the teacher thought it was impressive
6:49:10and horribly difficult to evade if it
6:49:12was thrown at you that way. The best
6:49:15that anyone could do was to block it.
6:49:17There would be no evasion.
6:49:19That would be a nightmare for the rogues
6:49:21and the agile monsters who weren't well
6:49:23known for their ability to take a hit.
6:49:26All right, that's it for today. See you
6:49:29all here tomorrow. The instructor
6:49:31shouted seconds before the bell rang,
6:49:34giving the mages time to finish one last
6:49:36spell. Carl and the mages relaxed
6:49:38through lunch as Hawk pined and showed
6:49:40off his new red feathers, the change
6:49:42from learning a second skill. Everyone
6:49:45had seen them all morning long, but they
6:49:47hadn't had a chance to really admire
6:49:49them with the hawk flying around above
6:49:51them. You know, I have never seen a
6:49:53windspeed hawk with feathers like that.
6:49:56I've got my tablet with me, and the
6:49:58photo analysis doesn't even recognize
6:50:00it. It says that it's a mutation and not
6:50:03a strength progression for the species,
6:50:06one of the mages explained.
6:50:08One of the others gave an excited look,
6:50:10eager for all types of new information.
6:50:13So, do you think that Hawk is on a whole
6:50:15new path forward now that he's learned
6:50:17another skill? Usually, monsters that
6:50:20reach maturity in the common and
6:50:22awakened ranks will have one skill at
6:50:24the most, and they rarely learn another.
6:50:26Since learning that Shred skill changed
6:50:28his feathers, I think it might have been
6:50:30part of what he needed to break through
6:50:32the racial limits for a windspeed hawk.
6:50:35At least, it certainly doesn't look like
6:50:37it was a detrimental change, and Shred
6:50:39is supposed to be much more powerful.
6:50:42Carl nodded.
6:50:43Hawk thinks the same thing, that he will
6:50:46be able to advance quickly. With my help
6:50:48and maybe another skill as he gets
6:50:50toward the top of ascended rank, I think
6:50:52that he can make commander way before I
6:50:54graduate. The mages side, none of them
6:50:58in that class would be making commander
6:51:00before graduation.
6:51:02In fact, it was unlikely that more than
6:51:04a handful in their year would show that
6:51:06sort of potential. But Carl was already
6:51:08looking past the awakened rank and into
6:51:10ascended when they had barely started
6:51:11their first semester. Common grade. What
6:51:15was that? He had barely even touched on
6:51:17it before he had left it behind. That
6:51:20alone was enough to let his training
6:51:22partners know that he was abnormal in
6:51:24the growth department. They finished
6:51:26lunch and went their separate ways,
6:51:28leaving Carl to face a grumpy Sergeant
6:51:30Rita all by himself when he reached the
6:51:32training grounds for the martial arts
6:51:34class. "Did you enjoy your new training
6:51:36regimen with the Bureau of Elite
6:51:38Development?" "A bit more exciting than
6:51:41the usual group training in the field,"
6:51:43she asked. And Carl realized that she
6:51:46wasn't upset at anything that he could
6:51:47control. She was mad that her authority
6:51:50as his development guidance counselor
6:51:51and personal tutor had been usurped by
6:51:53people from higher up the government
6:51:55food chain. It was definitely different.
6:51:58They focus on working in pairs instead
6:52:00of in a bigger team. So the whole
6:52:02mindset is different. Really, doing both
6:52:05would probably be better, but there are
6:52:07only so many days in the week. Carl
6:52:10replied carefully, not wanting to
6:52:12volunteer to give up his leisure time. I
6:52:15am glad that you think so. Now, with
6:52:18your official advancement, we are
6:52:20changing your training partners to
6:52:21someone more durable. Meet Tank. He is
6:52:24the Berserker combat instructor, and you
6:52:27will be helping him demonstrate the ways
6:52:28for unarmed and agility fighters to deal
6:52:30with berserkers today. Carl decided that
6:52:33Rita was definitely taking out her
6:52:35frustrations on him. That guy was huge.
6:52:39Good afternoon, class. I hope that you
6:52:41all ate well, but not too well. Rich
6:52:45foods will make you sluggish. The elite
6:52:48known as Tank greeted them. As you
6:52:50heard, my name is Tank and I am a
6:52:53part-time teacher here at the academy.
6:52:55As for most of the year, I am out
6:52:56hunting monsters.
6:52:58Today's lesson will be a simple one like
6:53:00the berserker fighting style is simple.
6:53:03Now, you may think that simple means
6:53:05easy to defeat, but you couldn't be
6:53:07further from the truth. I have heard
6:53:10that our volunteer for the day is quite
6:53:12durable and he has an assistant.
6:53:14Carl, please call for your windspeed
6:53:16hawk and I will begin the demonstration.
6:53:20Carl stepped up to the giant berserker
6:53:22and the teacher dropped into a combat
6:53:24stance.
6:53:25First, go with your instinct and guide
6:53:27your hawk to assist you. It will help
6:53:30the others see how the usual tactics
6:53:32against a martial artist won't work on a
6:53:34berserker.
6:53:35Professor Tank instructed.
6:53:38Carl immediately threw a net of crossed
6:53:40rend attacks and stepped to the side,
6:53:43intending to kick the knee out from
6:53:44under the teacher, while Hawk went for
6:53:46the obvious attack to the back of his
6:53:48armored head. They had learned that the
6:53:50neck was welldeended in the training
6:53:52outfits, and this man was likely too
6:53:54powerful for the attack to work. But if
6:53:57Shred hit the back of his helmet, it
6:53:59might leave him dizzy. The execution was
6:54:02flawless.
6:54:03Shred hit his helmet a split second
6:54:05before Carl's foot hit the teacher's
6:54:07knee. But that's where everything went
6:54:09wrong. The hit to the head triggered the
6:54:11berserker's rage and Carl's foot simply
6:54:14bounced off the huge man's leg. Then,
6:54:17faster than Carl could react to even
6:54:19begin to dodge, one massive meaty hand
6:54:22had backhanded his chest, sending him
6:54:24flying. Professor Tank smiled at the
6:54:27class while Sergeant Rita helped Carl to
6:54:29his feet. He was in a daysaze
6:54:32disoriented from bouncing across the
6:54:34ground. That young students is called
6:54:38unstoppable.
6:54:39The reason I showed you that first is
6:54:41because it's an ability that can be
6:54:43synthesized with magical drugs. So those
6:54:45of you who are in the army might run
6:54:47across it among other nation soldiers in
6:54:49the future. Unstoppable is a basic skill
6:54:52of the berserkers. Most start with it.
6:54:55You cannot knock them over without
6:54:56immensely overpowering them. Any part of
6:54:58their body is equal to their entire
6:55:00mass. Also, while the attack to the back
6:55:04of the head from the windspeed hawk
6:55:06shred, I believe it used will trigger
6:55:08berserker rage, which increases their
6:55:10power and movement speed multiple times.
6:55:13Now, the common grade Berserker students
6:55:16in your year aren't all that scary yet,
6:55:18but they will be. Instead of what you
6:55:21would normally do, which is taking them
6:55:23down with a throw or leg sweep to put
6:55:25them off balance and make them
6:55:26stationary targets for abuse, you want
6:55:28to aim for vital areas, soft spots, and
6:55:31nerve clusters.
6:55:33That will slow the berserker down until
6:55:35the damage piles up enough that rage
6:55:37wears off and they start feeling the
6:55:39pain. He explained to the class. Carl
6:55:43frowned.
6:55:45So basically, we dodge and avoid getting
6:55:47turned into paste until repeated attacks
6:55:49start showing their effects, but no leg
6:55:51sweeps and avoid hits to the head. Tank
6:55:54nodded happily like a child receiving a
6:55:57present. Just like that. Also, avoid the
6:56:01face and the crotch. Not because the
6:56:04attack won't work, but because it tends
6:56:06to cause an instinctual bump in the rage
6:56:08effect, and you might get hurt during
6:56:10training. The other students laughed. Of
6:56:14all the bad ideas they had generated so
6:56:16far, punching a man three times their
6:56:18size, and the dick was one of the
6:56:19fastest to be dismissed. The hits to the
6:56:22face were only second to be dismissed
6:56:24because half of them couldn't reach his
6:56:26face without jumping. Carl prepared to
6:56:29continue, then asked one last important
6:56:31question. Does the Berserker class make
6:56:34them huge, or are you just naturally
6:56:36that size? It makes them more muscular,
6:56:39but the height is all natural. I'm not
6:56:42even the tallest of my brothers. Tank
6:56:45gloated. Were they from some species
6:56:47that Carl didn't know? The people at the
6:56:50mines were shorter than average, as it
6:56:52was a benefit to be smaller in the
6:56:54narrow shafts, so the larger families
6:56:56had moved on generations ago to find
6:56:58more suitable work. But Carl was
6:57:00reasonably certain that humans weren't
6:57:02supposed to grow more than 2 m tall,
6:57:04much less two and a quarter. Carl tried
6:57:08again, ducking under the professor's
6:57:09guard to land a kidney punch, while Hawk
6:57:12went for his lower back and then the
6:57:13backs of his knees. Carl had to tumble
6:57:16to the side to dodge the counterattack.
6:57:18But Tank was holding back on the speed
6:57:20that he had shown earlier when enraged
6:57:22by the hit to the head, and Carl managed
6:57:24to land a solid hit to the sternum
6:57:26before a kick sent him flying again. But
6:57:28this time, he was able to twist enough
6:57:30to land on one knee and slide to an
6:57:32ungraceful stop. Don't underestimate a
6:57:35Berserker's strength.
6:57:37Carl here is awakened with the physique
6:57:39of an agility type magical beast. But
6:57:41even with that advantage, a berserker at
6:57:43his rank could shatter ribs with a solid
6:57:45hit. While they will usually wield
6:57:47weapons, that doesn't mean that their
6:57:49melee abilities are any less damaging
6:57:51than your own classes,
6:57:53especially when they are in solid armor.
6:57:56Tank explained as Carl circled him,
6:57:58looking for an opening. Tank threw an
6:58:01attack and Carl blocked it with Ren.
6:58:04That gave him an idea. He had ranged
6:58:07attack powers, but he wasn't fast enough
6:58:09to get away from the professor to use
6:58:11them. However, he could wield them as a
6:58:14shield, as well as the way he had been
6:58:16using them as short-ranged attacks. The
6:58:19professor threw another punch, which
6:58:20Carl knocked up over his head just as
6:58:23Hawk hit the elbow and completely
6:58:24redirected the strike.
6:58:26Tank was unstoppable, but those attacks
6:58:29would have either cut through or thrown
6:58:30someone his size to the ground with the
6:58:32amount of power that the duo had put
6:58:34into them. The deflected arm left his
6:58:36side open to attack, and Carl quickly
6:58:39sliced three times while Hawk distracted
6:58:41the Berserker by attacking his chest and
6:58:43stomach, soft areas that he had to block
6:58:45with the one hand that was in position.
6:58:48"That's much better. I didn't think you
6:58:51had it in you, but that rend really
6:58:53packs a punch. Tank announced with a
6:58:55smile. Now, in the advanced armor, those
6:58:59attacks didn't cause me anything more
6:59:01than a bruise which will heal in
6:59:02seconds. But against an attacker at your
6:59:04rank, even wearing awakened rank armor,
6:59:06that last combo might well have taken an
6:59:08arm off before slicing open his side and
6:59:11making his insides become his outsides.
6:59:14The Berserker finished. But most of us
6:59:17don't have slicing skills like Ren.
6:59:20One of the students complained.
6:59:22You're a monk, right? Bring your weapon
6:59:25and come up here. Carl, you can take a
6:59:28breather while I demonstrate how to
6:59:29fight a berserker using pressure points.
6:59:32The whole class gave the boy sympathetic
6:59:34looks for becoming the next volunteer,
6:59:36but Tank wasn't planning to wait at all
6:59:38and was impatiently gesturing for the
6:59:40boy to come forward. Right. Berserkers
6:59:44didn't feel pain. So although he had
6:59:46bruises from the attacks, he didn't feel
6:59:48them. Carl watched carefully and Hawk
6:59:51rested in the beast's space as the
6:59:53fights continued with the huge professor
6:59:55giving each of the students a chance to
6:59:57try against him. Carl had been the only
7:00:00one who really stood a chance as the
7:00:02rest had all been training only against
7:00:04their own styles or had specialized in
7:00:06grappling and submission techniques
7:00:08which wouldn't work on tank. But you
7:00:10didn't get to pick and choose your
7:00:12targets in a fight. There was a threat
7:00:14and you had to deal with it, so this
7:00:16sort of training would be incredibly
7:00:18valuable to them later. Carl knew that
7:00:21there were many species of giant
7:00:22humanoid monsters as well. Orcs, trolls,
7:00:26ogres, owlbears, and many more. This
7:00:30sort of training would work on them as
7:00:31well with only a little modification.
7:00:34It was hard for Carl to imagine what a
7:00:36troll or ogre might look like in person,
7:00:38but after seeing Tank, it became a bit
7:00:41easier. Ogres were supposed to be close
7:00:43to 3 m tall, so they would tower over
7:00:46the berserker the same way that he did
7:00:48over the agility warriors in this class.
7:00:51That was a terrifying thought, but they
7:00:53also wouldn't be in armor. So, there was
7:00:55a chance that Ren would actually cut
7:00:56them apart as it was intended to, as
7:00:58long as they weren't too much more
7:01:00powerful than he was. As the day
7:01:03progressed, Professor Tank showed off a
7:01:05dozen different fighting styles. And the
7:01:07students began to wonder if he had taken
7:01:09this job just because he was a battle
7:01:10junkie and there weren't constant
7:01:12threats at a level where he would be
7:01:13sent out. Fighting the students gave him
7:01:16a chance to let off some steam, even if
7:01:18he couldn't go all out. But there were
7:01:20other students here as well, and some of
7:01:22the stronger ascended ranked seniors
7:01:24from the other training group of the
7:01:26class were enough to actually make him
7:01:27work for his victories, not like Carl
7:01:29and the firstear class who he just toyed
7:01:32with. The mixed martial arts instructor
7:01:34raised his hand to get everyone's
7:01:36attention.
7:01:38All right, that's it for the day.
7:01:40Professor Tank will be working with a
7:01:42different class tomorrow, but don't
7:01:43forget the lessons you learned today.
7:01:46Integrate them into your fighting style
7:01:48and prepare for his return later this
7:01:50week. That would be easy enough. None of
7:01:54them were likely to forget this day
7:01:55anytime soon.
7:01:57Carl headed back toward the dorm rooms
7:01:59to begin the studies that he had been
7:02:01assigned on monster biology, intending
7:02:03to spend the evening focusing on finding
7:02:05ways to make Hawk stronger. But when he
7:02:08rounded the corner, he found Colonel
7:02:10Valerie standing at the door to the
7:02:11dormatory waiting for him with her
7:02:13trademark frown on her face. "Student
7:02:16Carl, follow me. We have numerous things
7:02:19to do today before dinner." She
7:02:22announced as she started walking. Carl
7:02:25sighed while Hawk gloated and dug into
7:02:27the pile of meat in the beast's space.
7:02:30The new strength stones with the
7:02:31awakened rank bore blood were doing
7:02:33great things for him, but Carl had to
7:02:35rely on the feedback and work while Hawk
7:02:37ate. The colonel led him toward the next
7:02:40building and into a private classroom
7:02:42where one of the pairs from the last
7:02:43training day were waiting. It was a
7:02:46warrior and mage pair like him and Dana.
7:02:49They had a large selection of pills,
7:02:51loaded needles, and food products set
7:02:53out on the table waiting for him, making
7:02:55Carl pause at the door in concern. Are
7:02:58we not concerned about interactions
7:03:00between multiple treatments?
7:03:02Carl asked, "Not particularly.
7:03:06All of these are known to work together
7:03:08occasionally, and we are not sure how
7:03:10many, if any, of them will actually work
7:03:13on you." The colonel replied with a
7:03:15shrug. You know that dead pan voice is
7:03:18why everyone thinks that you're a
7:03:20heartless right? The other woman
7:03:22in the room asked, forcing Carl to
7:03:25nearly swallow his tongue to avoid
7:03:26laughing. That definitely wouldn't go
7:03:29over well with the uncompromising
7:03:31colonel. But despite her hard glare at
7:03:33her subordinate, she did relent a little
7:03:35and explain her idea. These treatments
7:03:38aren't as nefarious as they look. Each
7:03:41of them is carefully chosen to enhance
7:03:43an aspect that you have already shown an
7:03:45aptitude beyond the normal in. The pills
7:03:48are mental stimulants more commonly used
7:03:50on psychics and visualization type
7:03:52mages. The injections are all magical
7:03:55equivalents of steroids and the foods
7:03:57are specially prepared combinations of
7:03:59materials that are intended to trigger
7:04:01skill understanding breakthroughs.
7:04:03The other two in the room nodded in
7:04:05satisfaction, as if that was enough of
7:04:07an explanation for Carl to just accept
7:04:09that he was going to take over a dozen
7:04:10treatments all in one sitting, possibly
7:04:12with a short break in between for
7:04:14everyone to take notes. All right, where
7:04:17do we start? Carl asked reluctantly.
7:04:21With the mental improvement from what we
7:04:24have deduced based on your reports, you
7:04:26meditate to improve the conditions and
7:04:28power stored in the mental space that
7:04:29Hawk inhabits. Correct? So improving
7:04:33that mental ability should help both of
7:04:35you. Compared to a physical enhancement
7:04:37which only treats you, it is clearly the
7:04:40better option. The lone man in the room
7:04:43nodded in agreement. These are all
7:04:45well-known and tested treatments.
7:04:48Both of us have taken them already
7:04:50without side effects, though they didn't
7:04:51do much for me other than increase the
7:04:53speed that I learned new skills. The
7:04:56speed with which he learned to improve
7:04:57his skills was a huge part of Carl's
7:04:59combat power. So, this could actually be
7:05:02a big break for him, Carl decided as he
7:05:04picked up the first little paper with a
7:05:06single glowing green pill on it. That is
7:05:09a Dragonite pill. It's made with the
7:05:11empowered bones of long dead dragons
7:05:13that have crystallized.
7:05:15It is mostly for mages as it gives a
7:05:18notable improvement in mana growth, but
7:05:20it also has incredible effects on
7:05:22intellect and mental strength. Colonel
7:05:24Valerie noted as the other two moved to
7:05:26their laptop computers to take notes.
7:05:29Carl popped the pill in his mouth and
7:05:31was about to wash it down with water.
7:05:33But the pill dissolved and his mind
7:05:35seemed to be flooded with golden light.
7:05:38Power seemed to be flowing into him at
7:05:40an incredible rate and the world within
7:05:42the beast space began to grow at a
7:05:43visible pace. "Well, it definitely
7:05:46worked. It's like a golden light in my
7:05:49mind, and I can see the improvement in
7:05:51the beast space already," Carl explained
7:05:55so the others would know what was
7:05:56happening. Excellent.
7:05:59Give it a few minutes to settle and we
7:06:01will move on. Hawk trilled happily as he
7:06:04flew around in the space, absorbing the
7:06:06energy until the feeling of the space
7:06:08returned to close to its original state.
7:06:11Now that it has settled and Hawk
7:06:12absorbed a lot of the excess energy, it
7:06:14feels like the improvement is
7:06:16noticeable, but not as strong as it felt
7:06:18at first, Carl added. So, it helps the
7:06:22Hawk as well. That is impressive. We
7:06:26will prepare another dose later so that
7:06:28you both get the full effect. Valerie
7:06:31noted. Perhaps we should double the dose
7:06:34of everything that we have spares for.
7:06:36The female mage suggested.
7:06:39That is a valid theory. If Carl and Hawk
7:06:42share everything, we are actually dosing
7:06:44both of them. So, the increased dosage
7:06:46could be necessary for some of these
7:06:48treatments to work properly. The warrior
7:06:51noted, running his fingers through his
7:06:53short brown hair. The colonel took out a
7:06:56briefcase from a safe in the room and
7:06:58set out another whole array of pills
7:07:00except for the one Carl had already
7:07:02taken. "Dragonite is a restricted
7:07:04substance and difficult to get. We don't
7:07:07have a second dose and it's not
7:07:09something that the academy usually has
7:07:11access to," she explained, then gestured
7:07:14for Carl to continue. Carl took the next
7:07:17two pills and a warm feeling washed over
7:07:20him while his thoughts seemed to become
7:07:21a bit more clear. It wasn't a big change
7:07:25and everyone seemed disappointed, but
7:07:27Valerie gestured for Carl to move on to
7:07:29the next. That one smells good, Hawk
7:07:33noted as Carl picked up the pills. Let's
7:07:36hope it works. I have no idea what it is
7:07:39supposed to do. The pills dissolved the
7:07:42same as the Dragonite pill had, and
7:07:44suddenly the proper method for
7:07:46activating his skills became clear in
7:07:48Carl's mind. how to make them more
7:07:50efficient, more powerful, faster to
7:07:53activate.
7:07:54Everything about the two skills became
7:07:56clear, and then the whisper of a third
7:07:58skill entered his mind as Hawk gained
7:08:00new insights into windshield.
7:08:03Carl couldn't use it yet, but as Hawk's
7:08:05understanding improved, the feedback
7:08:07coming from Hawk's advancement was
7:08:09giving him glimpses of the method. That
7:08:12one is incredible. I understand my
7:08:14skills so much more clearly now. And
7:08:17even Hawk is having a breakthrough in
7:08:18understanding despite his knowledge
7:08:20level already being incredibly high as
7:08:23rend is an innate skill to his species.
7:08:26Carl explained, "Wonderful.
7:08:29That pill can be hit and miss. Some
7:08:32people don't understand much while
7:08:34others make great strides. We will keep
7:08:37a note in your file so more will be
7:08:39available once you have learned more
7:08:40skills." The colonel replied. The next
7:08:44pill vanished with a swirl of energy
7:08:46into the air around him, as if his body
7:08:48was forcefully rejecting the pill.
7:08:51"Well, that was different. Something
7:08:54about that one is incompatible with him,
7:08:56despite the effect being nearly the same
7:08:58as the second one you took," the mage
7:09:00commented as her fingers flashed over
7:09:02the keys, making a note of the strange
7:09:04energy phenomenon. "You don't think that
7:09:07it's a matter of saturation, do you?
7:09:10Like when you eat too much and can't eat
7:09:12more? Carl asked. The other three shook
7:09:16their heads. No, we typically give this
7:09:19entire course at once, either the
7:09:21strength or mental improvement, and that
7:09:23has never happened before, the colonel
7:09:26replied. The next few mental improvement
7:09:29pills were absorbed without fanfare or
7:09:31any immediately noticeable effects. That
7:09:34was disappointing, but the last pill in
7:09:36the line looked more like a gemstone,
7:09:38and Hawk was getting excited just
7:09:40looking at it. This is a crystallized
7:09:43mana drop from a higher ranking beast.
7:09:46Normally, it is for increasing mana
7:09:48pools in the mages, but it should also
7:09:50be useful for your hawk, so we brought
7:09:52it with us," she added. Carl took the
7:09:56object in his hand, and Hawk immediately
7:09:58stole it, pulling it into the beast's
7:10:00space where he tucked it in his nest.
7:10:02You know, I'm supposed to eat that. Carl
7:10:06reminded him. It will be better here. I
7:10:09can slowly absorb all of it this way
7:10:12instead of you getting a stone in your
7:10:13stomach. Hawk says that it's better to
7:10:16slowly absorb it in the beast space to
7:10:18help his growth. I can feel the energy
7:10:21flowing into him, but it could take some
7:10:23time before the effects are obvious
7:10:24enough for me to tell what it is doing,
7:10:27Carl explained.
7:10:29Well, that's fine. We have a bit of time
7:10:32while we move on to the potions. I hope
7:10:35you're not afraid of needles because
7:10:37about half of these are injected while
7:10:39the half without needles are taken
7:10:40orally. But the plunger type baster
7:10:42reduces waste on the walls of the
7:10:44container. Valerie explained, "Well, I'm
7:10:48not the biggest fan, but if it's all for
7:10:50the sake of rapid growth, I'm not going
7:10:52to argue." Carl replied. The mage
7:10:56smirked. Make a note. subject's mental
7:11:00state has improved his understanding.
7:11:02He now understands in advance that
7:11:04exploitative laced inside thoughts are
7:11:06the key to interacting with the colonel.
7:11:09Colonel Valerie glared at her, but Carl
7:11:11realized that the two were actually good
7:11:13friends in some strange way. The man
7:11:16loaded the needles into a mechanical
7:11:18injector and gestured towards Carl's
7:11:20chest. You need to take your shirt off.
7:11:24We will inject them into the upper arm.
7:11:26The other optimal spot is the buttocks,
7:11:29but it's a bit forward to ask you to
7:11:30drop your pants without warning. He
7:11:33joked. Carl removed his jacket and the
7:11:36simple white uniform shirt and set them
7:11:38over the chair beside him. All right,
7:11:41this will hurt. I'm not going to lie or
7:11:44sugarcoat it. Just mentally prepare
7:11:47yourself and we will wait for the
7:11:48injection to settle before we move on to
7:11:50the next." Carl nodded and turned his
7:11:53head away before a pain shot up his arm
7:11:55and across his chest, feeling like his
7:11:57body had been set on fire. Here, drink
7:12:01this. You will need it." The mage's
7:12:03voice was a distant whisper, but she
7:12:05poured the drink into Carl's mouth as he
7:12:07clenched his eyes closed to keep the
7:12:09painful light out of his eyes as his
7:12:11body burned. The drink seemed to contain
7:12:14some sort of energy, and the burning of
7:12:16his body faded as it absorbed the power.
7:12:19Then the power began to flow back into
7:12:21his mind, and Hawk suddenly shot up in
7:12:23size, going from Hawks size to larger
7:12:26than a turkey or a condor in a matter of
7:12:28seconds. Hawk was a gangly and
7:12:30malnourished giant, but he was slowly
7:12:32filling out as the bird frantically
7:12:34tried to fill its ravenous belly. Hold
7:12:37up. Something in that one made Hawk grow
7:12:39uncontrollably.
7:12:41He's huge and starving, but there is
7:12:43food for him in the space. Give it a few
7:12:46minutes before we do anything else.
7:12:49Carl explained, still holding his eyes
7:12:51closed, though he was unable to meditate
7:12:53with the pain. "All right, notify us
7:12:56when Hawk has stabilized, and we will
7:12:59give you the second dose." Colonel
7:13:01Valerie agreed. Hawk panicked a little
7:13:04at that news, but Carl had already known
7:13:06that the colonel wouldn't give up on a
7:13:08treatment that was producing results so
7:13:10easily. It took half an hour before Hawk
7:13:13was settled, and the kitchen had already
7:13:15delivered a special order of monster
7:13:16meat for him to eat during the second
7:13:18dose by the time that the pain in Carl's
7:13:20body faded. Just keep your eyes closed.
7:13:24The food bowl is beside your hand. Just
7:13:26move it into the space for Hawk. Your
7:13:29body has stabilized along with his, but
7:13:32there is one more dose of that to go.
7:13:34Colonel Valerie insisted.
7:13:37You ready to be a giant hawk? Carl
7:13:40laughed while the bird trilled happily
7:13:42at the influx of ascended monster meat
7:13:44the kitchen had brought him. Not all of
7:13:46it was his preferred flavors, but at the
7:13:48moment Hawk didn't care what animals it
7:13:50had come from, as long as there was a
7:13:52lot of it, and it was all energy rich to
7:13:54make up for the energy that he was
7:13:55lacking. It only took a few more minutes
7:13:58for the bird to demolish the food
7:14:00shipment and decide that he was ready
7:14:01for another round of the special
7:14:03treatments.
7:14:04Carl nodded to signal that he was
7:14:06prepared to continue. And the pain
7:14:08spread through his body from the left
7:14:10side this time, overwhelming his mind.
7:14:12But the effect on Hawk wasn't as
7:14:14extreme. He didn't grow anymore, but his
7:14:17body filled out with powerful muscle.
7:14:20Now he looked like a proper Hawk again,
7:14:22but larger. He finished the meat bowl
7:14:25and flew up around a space in joy, then
7:14:27cried in despair as he realized that his
7:14:29nest was too small for his new body.
7:14:32Carl worked to change the shape as
7:14:34quickly as he could under the
7:14:35circumstances, while Hawk made sure not
7:14:37to lose his precious new stone before he
7:14:39settled down into the tree. Satisfaction
7:14:42flowed from his mind as power flowed in
7:14:44from the stone in the nest, and then the
7:14:46space itself seemed to change. It was
7:14:49growing, but it reached a plateau where
7:14:51Carl had expected the quality to
7:14:53improve. Only that wasn't what happened.
7:14:57The space seemed to split and the growth
7:14:59went to a second space, separate and
7:15:01barren, the way that Hawks had been when
7:15:03he first bonded with Carl. Do you think
7:15:06that spot is made for someone else?
7:15:09Like, we have improved the size of your
7:15:11resting spot enough that it's time to
7:15:12improve a home for a new friend, Carl
7:15:15asked his feathered partner. I think so.
7:15:19I can't go into it, so it's not a
7:15:21separate bedroom for me. Hulk replied,
7:15:24annoyed that not all the growth was
7:15:26going to his space. There was still room
7:15:29to fly, but he was much bigger now. So,
7:15:31shouldn't the room to fly have expanded
7:15:33proportionately?
7:15:35What happened? The warrior asked after a
7:15:38few minutes of Carl trying to stabilize
7:15:40both his mind and the new beast space.
7:15:43The mental space seems to have reached a
7:15:45plateau. The injection increased the
7:15:47size along with Hawk, but then it
7:15:49stopped and split into a small second
7:15:52space.
7:15:53The quality didn't improve. I will have
7:15:55to do that myself with meditation or
7:15:57more of the first set of pills, but this
7:16:00is a whole other space. I think that I
7:16:02might actually have the ability to add a
7:16:04second pet now, Carl explained.
7:16:08Carl opened his eyes and noticed the
7:16:10smiles on the faces of the three Bureau
7:16:12of Elite Development Workers. Their
7:16:15gamble had paid off, and if Carl could
7:16:17now add a second beast, his effective
7:16:19power would multiply. The second thing
7:16:22that he noticed was that the table was
7:16:24empty with two used multiple injectors
7:16:26and two emptyshot glasses on it. He had
7:16:29assumed that he was two out of 12
7:16:31injections into the process, but they
7:16:33had injected them six at a time, and the
7:16:35second shot was the second dose of
7:16:37everything. No wonder that hurt. It was
7:16:41like my body was on fire, but the second
7:16:43time faded much faster, and Hawk didn't
7:16:46have an explosive growth spurt. Instead,
7:16:48he filled out to proper windsp speed
7:16:50hawk proportions, but over a meter tall
7:16:52and with a wingspan that looks like a
7:16:54little over three meters, Carl
7:16:56explained. Colonel Valerie gestured
7:16:59impatiently, and Carl called Hawk out to
7:17:01stand on the empty table behind him. The
7:17:04mage whistled in appreciation, and Hawk
7:17:07pined, accidentally puncturing the steel
7:17:09desk with his claws. Well, the claws
7:17:12haven't gone translucent, so he's likely
7:17:14not at ascended rank yet, but he is a
7:17:16huge pretty boy. She cooed then stood up
7:17:20to go pet Hawk's head. It's definitely a
7:17:23mutation again, like when he learned
7:17:25shred, but this time it was physical
7:17:27growth. There is no record of this
7:17:29happening to a windspeed hawk before,
7:17:31but then I doubt that anyone would have
7:17:33been crazy enough to give a wild one
7:17:35that same sort of treatment just to see
7:17:36what happened. the warrior noted.
7:17:40Interesting.
7:17:42Hawk, could you please claw at this
7:17:44barrier for me? The mage asked. Wait,
7:17:48the room is too small for him to fly
7:17:50around and attack the barrier, and it
7:17:52won't hold up to an awakened rank rend
7:17:53attack if he succeeds. The warrior
7:17:56stopped her. Right. Sorry. We can do
7:18:00actual improvement testing tomorrow
7:18:02after the regular classes.
7:18:05I'm not sure if you noticed since time
7:18:07passes differently when you're absorbing
7:18:08that much energy or in pain, but it's
7:18:11been over 2 hours already and it is
7:18:13almost dinner time. The mage agreed.
7:18:17Just enough time to finish up as
7:18:18planned. Colonel Valerie agreed with a
7:18:21gesture for the food on the tray. Hawk
7:18:24delicately sniffed at them and then
7:18:26shook his head. There is no meat. I'm
7:18:29going to rest. He announced, then
7:18:32vanished back into the beast's space.
7:18:34He says there is no meat, so he's not
7:18:37interested.
7:18:38Carl explained as he examined the
7:18:40various dense squares and puddings. Each
7:18:43of them should help with the
7:18:44understanding of a skill. The rest of
7:18:47the squares were passed out to the
7:18:48relevant classes today with promising
7:18:50results. So, go ahead and try them one
7:18:52at a time and let us know if anything
7:18:54happens." The colonel agreed, looking a
7:18:57bit less severe for a moment. The
7:18:59results really must have been good if
7:19:01the head of the elite development
7:19:02department had a soft spot when they
7:19:04were mentioned. Carl bit into the first
7:19:07one, which tasted a bit like burning
7:19:09rubber smelled, then waited before
7:19:11shaking his head. If anything happened,
7:19:14he couldn't tell. One after another, he
7:19:17went through them until he got to the
7:19:19one that smelled like freshly welded
7:19:20steel. As soon as he bit into it, he
7:19:24could feel the energy. But then the
7:19:25flavor became familiar, and a glimpse of
7:19:27insight on how Slash was an introductory
7:19:30and inferior version of Rend filled his
7:19:33mind, giving him ideas on how to use
7:19:35lower power attacks with more energy
7:19:37efficiency.
7:19:39That one is slash.
7:19:41I see it as an inferior Rend, but I
7:19:43think that I could use it or something
7:19:45like it. Using Rend as the base skill
7:19:47and then stripping away most of the
7:19:49benefits to use a more energyefficient
7:19:51attack.
7:19:52Carl explained. The warrior looked
7:19:55vaguely offended while his partner
7:19:57chuckled. Well, that's one way to look
7:19:59at it, I suppose. If you use Ren as the
7:20:03basis and strip away the bleeding effect
7:20:05to have just the sword light, it would
7:20:07create something like slash. He
7:20:09eventually agreed.
7:20:11Now, let's see what else you can get out
7:20:13of this pile. A few more were eaten with
7:20:16no real changes, but the last one tasted
7:20:19like stone dust, and Carl sensed the
7:20:21familiar feeling of a golem, but the
7:20:23energy was so foreign to him that his
7:20:25body immediately rejected it. I think
7:20:27that should have given me insight into
7:20:29the golem spell, but my body just
7:20:31rejected it straight away. The taste was
7:20:34familiar, like the magic of the spell
7:20:36activating, but my body isn't compatible
7:20:38with that, Carl explained.
7:20:42Interesting.
7:20:43All of these should taste like regular
7:20:45food, but none of them seem to have
7:20:47tasted like that to you. Perhaps it's a
7:20:50result of your bond with Hawk, who is
7:20:52more sensitive to all sorts of magical
7:20:54abilities and threats. I will put it in
7:20:56the report with a note to investigate.
7:20:59The mage informed them. That concludes
7:21:02the day's special programming. We will
7:21:05bring you a fresh uniform. Then you can
7:21:07return to your room. Carl looked down at
7:21:10his body and noticed that while he was
7:21:12only a little more bulky, he was
7:21:14absolutely shredded. There wasn't an
7:21:17ounce of visible fat on his upper body
7:21:19and he could feel the itchy feeling of a
7:21:21beard coming in on his face. That was a
7:21:24new experience for him as he never
7:21:26really grew more than a bit of a
7:21:27scraggly mustache before, but this felt
7:21:29like a full beard. Carl judged his body,
7:21:33then his uniform, and put the shirt and
7:21:35jacket back on. They were a bit strained
7:21:38in the arms and chest, but they still
7:21:40closed. Oh, I see where this is going.
7:21:44Undo the top two buttons and you'll get
7:21:46all the ladies with that physique. The
7:21:49mage joked. Colonel Valerie gave a faint
7:21:52smile, then shook her head. That fitment
7:21:56is not within academy regulations.
7:21:58We will get you a fresh uniform and a
7:22:00razor before you leave this room. Daniel
7:22:03will help you shave if you haven't done
7:22:05it before, and I will take Alice to
7:22:07guard the door to prevent any curious
7:22:08eyes from seeing you before you are
7:22:10ready. The uniform was brought in, and
7:22:13the two women left the room while the
7:22:15warrior gave him an assessing look. We
7:22:18should cut your hair as well. It got
7:22:20really shaggy with the rapid growth.
7:22:23Don't worry, I've got practice, and I
7:22:25will keep you looking good for that
7:22:27little mage girl. The sly wink that
7:22:29Daniel gave him made Carl blush. But the
7:22:32warrior was all business as he took out
7:22:33the electric shaver from an academy bag
7:22:35and dug a set of clippers and scissors
7:22:37from his own kit. It was a shorter
7:22:40process than Carl had expected as the
7:22:42hand speed of an elite was so much
7:22:44higher than his mother who usually cut
7:22:46his hair. In 15 minutes he was dressed,
7:22:50the waist hair was in the trash and
7:22:51everything was clean to Daniel's
7:22:53satisfaction.
7:22:55Well, that's the best I can do. The rest
7:22:57is up to you. Good luck with the
7:23:00romance. The warrior laughed as he gave
7:23:03Carl one last twirl to make sure his
7:23:05haircut was perfect. Thanks.
7:23:08Honestly, this is overwhelming.
7:23:10Everything is changing so fast that I
7:23:12don't even wear out clothes anymore
7:23:14before they are discarded for a new
7:23:16size. Heck, I didn't even have that set
7:23:19long enough to launder them before
7:23:20outrowing them. Carl laughed. You should
7:23:24be settled now. Well, close to it. The
7:23:28first advancement or two are the largest
7:23:30changes. Now, you've just got to grow
7:23:32into your body. You're powerfully built,
7:23:35but it's still immature. Give it a few
7:23:38more years of regular training, and all
7:23:40that fancy muscle will become much
7:23:42harder, and you will be able to apply it
7:23:44more effectively.
7:23:46Old man strength is a real thing with
7:23:48the elites. Daniel laughed. It's a real
7:23:52thing with the miners as well.
7:23:54Some of them are much stronger than they
7:23:56look. Carl agreed with a smile on his
7:23:59face at the memory of an old man from
7:24:00the third shift showing up a supervisor
7:24:02from the city who couldn't get a rusted
7:24:04gate open. They left the room and the
7:24:07three adults split off with a short nod
7:24:09toward Carl who headed straight for the
7:24:11dining room. It was filled with excited
7:24:14voices of students who had gained
7:24:16something from the day's treats and the
7:24:17ones who had special training for the
7:24:19day because there wasn't a special
7:24:20advancement food for their skills.
7:24:23The first year mages in particular were
7:24:25freaking out as four of them had
7:24:27mastered Golem in one class while the
7:24:29rest of them were on the way to learning
7:24:31the spell. It was a huge moment for the
7:24:33mage trainees and they had earned the
7:24:35right to gloat for one day. The warrior
7:24:38classes mostly worked on improving basic
7:24:41skills with the food and Carl wondered
7:24:43if Dana had gotten special treatment as
7:24:45well as she already knew the golem
7:24:47spell. She might have gotten the same
7:24:49food buff that the others did to elevate
7:24:52her skill with the spell, but she had
7:24:53been in a special training with him on
7:24:55Saturday. Then she came into the room
7:24:58accompanied by one of the women from the
7:25:00elite development department who looked
7:25:02concerned that she would collapse. "Are
7:25:04you all right?" Carl asked, walking over
7:25:07to take over the assistance needed to
7:25:09keep Dana on her feet. "Yeah, we did a
7:25:12bunch of mental enhancement training,
7:25:14and it left her a bit dizzy. Not all the
7:25:17treatments went as expected. The older
7:25:20mage explained with a meaningful look at
7:25:22Carl. That look meant, don't discuss
7:25:25this in public, so Carl nodded and
7:25:27helped Dana through the line to get
7:25:28dinner, which the soldier Dana came in
7:25:30with Carrie to their table before
7:25:32sitting down to join them. It looks like
7:25:35the special training was much kinder on
7:25:37you. I expected you to be in worse
7:25:39shape, the woman commented. The last few
7:25:43lessons helped a lot and allowed me to
7:25:45focus.
7:25:47Not all of them worked. Some of them
7:25:48were completely ineffective, but enough
7:25:50of them worked that the colonel almost
7:25:52smiled. Carl replied. The woman smiled.
7:25:58Well, now that is a new one. She doesn't
7:26:01do that much. In fact, we all thought
7:26:04she had her sense of humor surgically
7:26:06removed when she got her oak leaves.
7:26:08That was a reference to the rank
7:26:10insignia for the lieutenant colonel, one
7:26:12military rank below where Colonel
7:26:14Valerie was now.
7:26:16Jill, be nice. You know she will chew
7:26:19you out the way that she did Dave if she
7:26:21hears you. Dana whispered. She's too
7:26:25busy berating him to come back this
7:26:26fast. But I will see you soon probably
7:26:30tomorrow to get the updated notes on how
7:26:32you're doing. Carl, it is good to meet
7:26:35you. I will be taking over as Dana's
7:26:38personal tutor. So, we will be seeing
7:26:40each other every morning. The petite
7:26:43blonde informed Carl with a smirk that
7:26:45made Dana blush. It took a moment to
7:26:48register. Then Carl was blushing as
7:26:50well. The mage knew that Dana usually
7:26:52slept in his room, and not knowing how
7:26:55Carl's room was laid out, had made the
7:26:57logical leap to the fact that rooms
7:26:58normally only had one bed in them. Carl
7:27:02didn't let that little bit of judgment
7:27:03change his plans for the evening. Though
7:27:06Hawk wanted to show off to Dana now that
7:27:08he was so much bigger, and she wanted to
7:27:10get a decent night's sleep while the
7:27:12other students were going even more
7:27:13crazy with their training regimen. They
7:27:16had all gotten a bump in power and
7:27:18skills today, and that had renewed their
7:27:19flagging faith that they would be able
7:27:21to progress to awaken before the end of
7:27:23semester exams when the ranks would all
7:27:25be reviewed. As soon as they were back
7:27:27on the balcony, Hawk popped out of his
7:27:29space and landed on the table, being
7:27:31careful not to damage it with his claws.
7:27:34Holy crap. Is that Hawk? What happened
7:27:38to you, buddy? You're massive. Dana
7:27:42gasped before pulling the bird into a
7:27:44hug. One of the treatments caused an
7:27:46extreme growth reaction. It took him a
7:27:49lot of food to recover, and he's still
7:27:51working on filling in the muscles, but
7:27:53he's definitely an impressive beast now,
7:27:56Carl explained.
7:27:58Well, now he's going to need a lot more
7:28:00food, but I'm sure that the academy can
7:28:02keep his belly full. Dana laughed. That
7:28:06would be another issue after he
7:28:08graduated. Carl realized
7:28:10the elites got a stipend, but he would
7:28:13be spending a massive amount on food if
7:28:14he couldn't regularly hunt for powerful
7:28:16monsters to keep Hawk fed. Then there
7:28:19would likely be a second monster as well
7:28:21since the beast space had split. That
7:28:24meant two ravenous beasts looking for
7:28:26sustenance, and it would have to be
7:28:28suitable to their rank, which would not
7:28:30be easy once they were much more
7:28:31powerful. It wasn't like any grocery
7:28:34store actually had overlord rank meat in
7:28:36stock, or even commander rank for that
7:28:38matter. Once you got past ascended rank,
7:28:42the monsters became incredibly dangerous
7:28:44to even larger towns. So, their
7:28:46population was controlled in the
7:28:47inhabited regions, meaning that Carl
7:28:49would have to go looking for them if his
7:28:51energy wasn't enough to sustain his
7:28:52team.
7:28:54Hawk squawkked happily as he tried to
7:28:56explain the new things that he had
7:28:57learned. So Carl translated for him
7:28:59while the bird had a deep conversation
7:29:01with the mage. I also got plenty of
7:29:04gains though not in quite the same way.
7:29:07Look at this. Dana announced then cast
7:29:11the golem spell which created two copies
7:29:13of the stone golem. Both as impressive
7:29:15as the first had been. One of the
7:29:18treatments gave me the insight to
7:29:19multiccast spells that I know. So, two
7:29:23golems or six magic missiles. It doesn't
7:29:27do much for fog unless I want to make
7:29:28two layers, but it's really powerful,
7:29:31even if it is a bit hard on mana. I have
7:29:34more of it now, and I recover much
7:29:36faster as well. Those pills were a
7:29:39miracle, she sighed. We went through a
7:29:42round of pills as well. Then there were
7:29:44injections of physical enhancement
7:29:46potions. The idea was that I needed the
7:29:49mental abilities for Hawk space and the
7:29:51strength to actually fight. There might
7:29:54be a second beast coming soon as well,
7:29:56but I'm not sure when the academy is
7:29:58going to set that up. I will be holding
7:30:01out for something good, a beast that can
7:30:03fight and get along with Hawk. Carl
7:30:05informed her. That shouldn't be too
7:30:08hard. Hawk is easy to get along with.
7:30:12The bird flapped his wings in annoyance,
7:30:14and Dana began to laugh. Oh, I see the
7:30:18problem. You don't want to share. Is
7:30:20that it? Hulk nodded and took a piece of
7:30:22meat out of the beast's face. He threw
7:30:25it in the air and swallowed it whole,
7:30:27trying to explain the issue to Dana in a
7:30:29way she would understand.
7:30:32Oh, they might try to steal your food.
7:30:35Yes, that would be annoying. She agreed.
7:30:39They both sat and meditated for a few
7:30:41hours before turning in for the night.
7:30:44They knew that they would be getting up
7:30:45early, but when the knock sounded at the
7:30:47door promptly as the sun came up,
7:30:49neither of them was ready. Carl slid his
7:30:52pants on and answered the door, finding
7:30:54Jill and Rita both waiting outside. Give
7:30:58me a few minutes to freshen up and eat.
7:31:00Then I will be ready. Isn't it a bit
7:31:02early? He asked. It is. But we have a
7:31:07big day again today. And this is Dana's
7:31:10first day with Jill as her personal
7:31:11tutor. She is here, right? Rita asked.
7:31:17Yeah, in the hammock on the balcony,
7:31:19probably still sleeping since the area
7:31:21is soundproof.
7:31:23Jill can go wake her up, but be careful.
7:31:26Hawk and a Golem or two are likely both
7:31:28active in there. Jill laughed. She was a
7:31:32commander rank mage. She wasn't
7:31:34particularly concerned about the golem,
7:31:36but Hawk could be an issue if he didn't
7:31:38want to let her near Dana. She couldn't
7:31:40afford to hurt the bird. But even with a
7:31:42magical shield protecting her, it would
7:31:44be challenging to get around an angry
7:31:46Hawk. She came out a few minutes later
7:31:49laughing and cursing with her hair all
7:31:51messed up. Did you know that Hawk is
7:31:54completely miserable if you wake him up?
7:31:56But what did they do to him? That bird
7:31:59is massive, she asked him up. But what
7:32:04did they do to him? That bird is
7:32:07massive, she asked. Sergeant Rita gave
7:32:11Carl a curious look. She had gotten a
7:32:14brief summary from Daniel and Alice, but
7:32:16they had been on their way out and
7:32:18hadn't filled in the official report
7:32:19yet. One of the treatments made him
7:32:22grow. Carl explained as Hawk waddled
7:32:25into the room, barely able to fit
7:32:27through the patio door unless he tucked
7:32:28his wings tight to his body. Are we sure
7:32:31that's even still a windspeed hawk? I
7:32:34doubt that there is a mouse that could
7:32:36feed his appetite anymore. He will be
7:32:38hunting deer and wolves soon enough.
7:32:41Rita asked. Hawk panicked for a moment,
7:32:44then remembered something that he had
7:32:46seen Carl reading. There are the giant
7:32:48swamp rats the size of dogs. They are a
7:32:52kind of mice. He suggested hopefully.
7:32:57Hawk says giant swamp rats still count.
7:33:00Carl relayed while the women laughed.
7:33:03The giant swamp rats were an awakened
7:33:05rank monster. So he 2028
7:33:08could hunt them already. But Rita was
7:33:10more excited to see if his power had
7:33:12grown proportionally to his body. If
7:33:15either his stamina or raw power had
7:33:17leveled up by a significant amount, he
7:33:19would be a menace in combat at the
7:33:20awakened rank. If it were both, he would
7:33:24be pushing the limits of what could be
7:33:25called an awakened monster.
7:33:28Sergeant Rita led Carl to the morning
7:33:29training where there was a new face
7:33:31waiting for them. Alice, the mage who
7:33:34had been in the room for Carl's
7:33:35treatments yesterday, was sitting in a
7:33:37chair by the door and waved happily as
7:33:40Carl walked in. Rita frowned as she
7:33:43realized who the woman was, then turned
7:33:45away as if by ignoring her, the woman
7:33:47would go away. But Alice didn't make any
7:33:50move to get up. She just sat by the door
7:33:53as Carl took his position and called
7:33:55Hawk out. Goddess, what did you do to
7:33:58Hawk? He looks like he wants to eat us.
7:34:02One of the mages gasped. It's not a big
7:34:05deal. A treatment just made him grow to
7:34:07a giant size. He's only a little
7:34:10stronger than he was, Carl replied.
7:34:14While that was reassuring, the fact that
7:34:16there was a giant monster in the sky
7:34:18above them was enough to intimidate all
7:34:19the students at least a little bit. It
7:34:22was an instinctive reaction to a large
7:34:24flying predator that could possibly
7:34:26carry away a full-grown person. It
7:34:29wasn't likely. His actual body was only
7:34:31a little over a meter long, but with the
7:34:33wide wings and longtail feathers, he
7:34:35looked much more imposing in flight.
7:34:38Their first few spells were a bit
7:34:40hesitant, but once they realized that
7:34:42Hawk was blocking them the same as
7:34:43always, they began to get back into the
7:34:46swing of things and worked to overcome
7:34:48his increased number of attacks, which
7:34:50were traveling at a higher speed today
7:34:52than they remembered. The mental
7:34:54improvements that both Carl and Hawk had
7:34:56gained were helping with both the
7:34:57targeting speed and the ability to
7:34:59rapidly form and send the rend attacks
7:35:01at the target. Carl heard Rita's voice
7:35:04as she talked to Alice and split a bit
7:35:06of his attention from the attacks. Don't
7:35:08you think this is a bit too easy? I
7:35:11mean, they're not even attacking the
7:35:13defenders, just the targets near them.
7:35:16Alice was asking, "It is the safest way.
7:35:20We can't afford the sort of fatal
7:35:22incident that happened a few years ago.
7:35:24Even if you put a barrier on them, there
7:35:26is still too much of a risk. Rita
7:35:29replied, "They're not going to break my
7:35:32barrier, and it would be better for the
7:35:34two of them if they had to actually
7:35:35avoid and block attacks instead of this
7:35:37bodyguard scenario where the attackers
7:35:39are only concerned with the target
7:35:41behind them." Alice replied, "Are you
7:35:44the tutor or am I?" Rita was definitely
7:35:48mad now, and Carl was tempted to
7:35:50continue listening as they lowered their
7:35:52voices to argue, but that would take too
7:35:54much of his attention from the task at
7:35:56hand. The class paused at the halfhour
7:35:58mark for their usual 5-minute breather,
7:36:00and Carl grabbed a water bottle for
7:36:02himself and Hawk, squeezing it to spray
7:36:05water into the open mouth of the
7:36:06oversized bird since he couldn't easily
7:36:08drink out of a bowl without making a
7:36:10mess. All right, everyone, back at it.
7:36:14But we are going to change things up a
7:36:16bit this time. Your skills are
7:36:18improving. So you will be aiming at
7:36:20moving targets.
7:36:22That means not only will you have to hit
7:36:24a moving target, but Carl and Hawk will
7:36:26have to defend moving targets. The
7:36:29professor in charge of the class
7:36:30instructed.
7:36:32Carl couldn't tell if that meant that
7:36:33Rita or Alice had won their argument,
7:36:36but it would make the class more
7:36:37interesting. It was also going to be a
7:36:40real challenge for some of the students
7:36:41who had struggled with their aim at the
7:36:43start of the year. They were better at
7:36:45hitting stationary targets, but Carl
7:36:48would have to make sure that he didn't
7:36:49get himself hit. He had the academyy's
7:36:52training armor, a long coat, and helmet,
7:36:54but that was only a limited level of
7:36:56protection that should keep him from
7:36:57being seriously injured if he took a
7:36:59direct strike from one of these spells.
7:37:02But then they were mostly on the low
7:37:04side of awakened, and his body was
7:37:06getting much stronger. So perhaps they
7:37:08wouldn't actually be too damaging
7:37:09through the coat. When he hit tank with
7:37:12full force spells, it barely bruised
7:37:14him, but he was two ranks above Carl and
7:37:17Hawk. The mages in the class were using
7:37:20limited power to extend their stamina, a
7:37:22quarter or less of their ability. That
7:37:25seemed safe enough. The spells began to
7:37:28fly toward the targets, which were now
7:37:30much closer to the ground, and Carl
7:37:32moved to make interception easier. His
7:37:35presence between the mages and the
7:37:37moving targets frustrated many of the
7:37:38students as even if Carl didn't
7:37:40successfully intercept the spells, they
7:37:43couldn't hit the target with him in the
7:37:44way. But now that they were coming
7:37:46toward him instead of over his head, the
7:37:48attacks were easier to target and block.
7:37:51The vertical axis was nearly removed as
7:37:53a factor, and attacking straight forward
7:37:56would hit many more spells if he used a
7:37:58wide arc or the net technique of
7:37:59overlapping rend attacks. But that also
7:38:02put the mages in the line of fire. So he
7:38:05had to be careful about his range so
7:38:06that the abilities dissipated before
7:38:08they reached the attackers. They weren't
7:38:10wearing armor. And asking the teacher to
7:38:13constantly intercept his counterattacks
7:38:14would probably put the older mage in a
7:38:16bad mood. Now that's much better. See
7:38:21how much more combat effective this is.
7:38:24Alice was asking Rita, letting Carl know
7:38:26that she had won that round of their
7:38:28exchange. At least for the most part.
7:38:30The mages were still attacking targets
7:38:32behind him, but they were at least
7:38:34throwing spells in his direction, as the
7:38:36mage from the Bureau of Elite
7:38:38Development had wanted. Carl tore a wide
7:38:41arc in the air using full power and
7:38:43stopped a dozen spells at once before
7:38:45the four streaks were finally
7:38:46dissipated, and the air between the two
7:38:48groups was clear. Damn it, they really
7:38:51increased the difficulty level, didn't
7:38:53they? We're all attacking at the same
7:38:56height, so he can burn energy to
7:38:58intercept us all at once. one of the
7:39:00mages realized.
7:39:02But that burns his stamina as well, so
7:39:05he won't be able to do it all the time.
7:39:07He's just blocking the ones that are
7:39:09most likely to hit himself or the
7:39:11target. Everyone who messed up their aim
7:39:13might have a chance if you can bring it
7:39:15back on target once you're past him. One
7:39:18of the others commented, "But they had
7:39:20forgotten that Hawk was in the sky above
7:39:22them attacking downward so he could
7:39:24still hit the attacks that tried to
7:39:26correct their trajectory when they were
7:39:28past Carl. I told you that they had real
7:39:31promise. You didn't need to get involved
7:39:33so quickly. Carl heard Rita mutter as
7:39:36the class was ending while Alice smiled
7:39:39back at her. The two elites were like
7:39:41oil and water. They both wanted the same
7:39:44thing, but they had very different ideas
7:39:47about how it should be done, and they
7:39:48simply seemed incompatible with each
7:39:50other. No matter what the goal was, Carl
7:39:53could see that they would have a hard
7:39:55time getting along. After the break for
7:39:58lunch, with both Rita and Alice eating
7:40:00intense silence at his table and scaring
7:40:02the other students away, it was time to
7:40:04go to the mixed martial arts class for
7:40:06his physical training. Tank was back
7:40:09again, ready to continue his lesson,
7:40:11while Daniel, Alice's partner, was
7:40:13sitting on a blanket at the edge of the
7:40:15training ground, waiting for the others
7:40:17to arrive. "Come on over and get
7:40:20comfortable. Good to see you again,
7:40:22Rita." He greeted them, then waved at
7:40:25Carl and gestured for him to join the
7:40:27class as usual. Carl wasn't the only one
7:40:30who could tell that Rita was annoyed at
7:40:32this point, but there wasn't much that
7:40:34she could do. There was no rule stating
7:40:36that the people from the government
7:40:38couldn't come sit and watch the class,
7:40:40and they weren't interfering with
7:40:41anything but Rita's development plans,
7:40:43which was within their operational
7:40:45authority. Carl assumed, "Carl, you will
7:40:48be training with Tank today while
7:40:50everyone else trains what they learned.
7:40:53Sorry about your luck, but you're the
7:40:55odd one out, and Sergeant Rita is busy
7:40:57at the moment. The professor informed
7:41:00him with a smirk. Sergeant Rita would
7:41:02much rather be training than busy, Carl
7:41:05was sure. But Tank turned out to be an
7:41:08excellent combat instructor with a
7:41:10profound understanding of both martial
7:41:12arts and armed combat. Today, the big
7:41:15man had a wooden training sword in his
7:41:17hands, while Carl wore the training
7:41:19gauntlets that he had obtained from the
7:41:20train. Those should be good enough to
7:41:23block, but be aware that my strength is
7:41:25far above yours. So, you don't want to
7:41:27try to overpower my attacks. Just
7:41:29deflect them so you can counterattack.
7:41:32If you can do it with your abilities,
7:41:33that's even better. Just keep the power
7:41:36level down so that you don't chop
7:41:37through the training weapon. After some
7:41:40time, you will be used to the sparring
7:41:42limitations, but it is best to air on
7:41:44the side of caution for now, Tank
7:41:47explained.
7:41:48All right. Are we having hawk rest for
7:41:51the afternoon? Carl asked for today.
7:41:55Yes. He got his training in the morning
7:41:58and a growing beast needs a lot of food
7:42:00and sleep. But he will be watching. So
7:42:03you can consider this a theory lesson
7:42:05for him. For now, the two of you can
7:42:08fight together, but once his power level
7:42:10goes up, it is unlikely that your body
7:42:12will be able to keep up. Not many
7:42:15classes can claim the physique of even
7:42:17the more fragile magical beasts.
7:42:19he explained.
7:42:21So my job in the future is what? To
7:42:24train the beasts about combat and let
7:42:26them go at it. Carl asked as they
7:42:29exchanged blows. Den know that's above
7:42:32my pay grade. But I would assume that
7:42:35for a class that focuses on monsters,
7:42:37making them stronger and teaching them
7:42:39all the things that they wouldn't
7:42:40naturally know will be a big part of
7:42:42your job. How many wind speed hawks are
7:42:45familiar with martial arts? How many of
7:42:48them even understand the intricacies of
7:42:49various magic spells? It might not seem
7:42:53like much, but your hawk already has a
7:42:55massive advantage over other beasts.
7:42:58Tank emphasized the word beasts with a
7:43:00chop of his sword that Carl barely
7:43:02deflected as he spun out of the way. It
7:43:04was easier to start an attack from the
7:43:06side or the back of the berserker, as he
7:43:08would be facing Carl before it was
7:43:10finished, and the extra time would allow
7:43:12Carl to prepare a defense that would
7:43:14allow him to keep moving. Hawk was
7:43:16impressed with the huge man's
7:43:18understanding of animals. As a windspeed
7:43:21hawk, there were numerous things that he
7:43:23didn't know at birth. Normal hawks would
7:43:26have to survive their first learning
7:43:27experience to begin to understand things
7:43:29like mage attacks, but he had gotten to
7:43:32practice dealing with them every
7:43:33morning. Plus, the Berserker man
7:43:36advocated for naps and food, so he was
7:43:38definitely wise. By the time that they
7:43:41finished, Carl was exhausted, and even
7:43:44Tank had broken a sweat, which impressed
7:43:46the other students far more than Carl
7:43:48thought that it should. Sure, he was a
7:43:51monster in combat, but he was also still
7:43:53vaguely human, so a 3-hour training
7:43:55session of that intensity was sure to
7:43:57work him at least a little. Carl might
7:44:00not be as powerful, but he was fast
7:44:02enough to keep the Berserker moving, a
7:44:04technique that Tank advocated for, as
7:44:06most of the Berserker type opponents
7:44:08would have a time limit. Enraged magical
7:44:11beasts usually burn through their energy
7:44:12reserves at an incredible rate. So if
7:44:14you could hold out for 5 or 10 minutes,
7:44:17they would exhaust themselves.
7:44:19Even most of the drug induced berserker
7:44:21states wouldn't last more than half an
7:44:23hour before the user would crash and be
7:44:25left in a far worse state than when they
7:44:27started. For that reason, they would go
7:44:29all out while they could. They knew that
7:44:32they had to win within the time limit,
7:44:34and they would get desperate as it got
7:44:36close.
7:44:37So the agility type fighters could
7:44:39string them along and wear them out,
7:44:41then finish them off once they crashed.
7:44:44Cardio was incredibly important for
7:44:46agility fighters who couldn't always
7:44:48finish a fight with a single strike. All
7:44:51right, that's it for the day. See you
7:44:54all tomorrow." The instructor called and
7:44:57the group began to disperse back to the
7:44:59showers or to their rooms to shower and
7:45:01change there. Carl was one who preferred
7:45:04to shower and change immediately, which
7:45:06left Rita and the pair from the Bureau
7:45:08of Elite Development waiting for him to
7:45:10come back out of the crowded locker room
7:45:11in the small building beside the
7:45:13training field. Do they always hold this
7:45:16class outdoors?
7:45:18Daniel asked. Rita nodded. Unless the
7:45:22weather is bad, the grass is softer than
7:45:25the gym floor and the mats aren't a
7:45:27realistic footing scenario.
7:45:29Most of their fights will be outdoors,
7:45:31so it's better to train in the field
7:45:33than on the hardwood.
7:45:35Understandable.
7:45:36All right, I think that we learned what
7:45:38we needed today. I will see you both
7:45:41tomorrow. Daniel agreed, then waved as
7:45:44he left with Rita glowering at his back.
7:45:47It looked like being up at the crack of
7:45:49dawn was going to become a regular
7:45:51thing. Carl decided as Sergeant Rita and
7:45:54Jill were at his door first thing the
7:45:55next morning. Rita had a book with her
7:45:58on monster biology, but this one was
7:46:00different. It focused on the innate
7:46:03skills of various monster skills instead
7:46:05of just giving an overview of the
7:46:07species. It was written from the
7:46:09perspective of a researcher who was
7:46:11trying to develop more ways to
7:46:12strengthen the skills of the elites with
7:46:14similar abilities. And for Carl, it was
7:46:16much easier to understand than the vague
7:46:18descriptions in most of the other
7:46:20textbooks.
7:46:21By the end of the week, the Bureau of
7:46:23Elite Development will probably have a
7:46:25plan to bring you before other juvenile
7:46:27monsters, either newborn or still in
7:46:29eggs for the aven and reptile species.
7:46:32I don't know what they will find you or
7:46:34if they'll even give you options other
7:46:36than the ones they prepared. But now
7:46:38that they're convinced that you can bond
7:46:39a second pet, they are determined to
7:46:41try. What you need to do is understand
7:46:44the skills that they have so that you
7:46:45can build a proper team out of your
7:46:47tamed monsters. You can focus on a
7:46:50specific skill set like stealth and
7:46:52scouting or a generalized combat team
7:46:54that can take on most threats, but you
7:46:56don't have much time to make the
7:46:58decision before the next step happens,"
7:47:00she explained. They were seated at a
7:47:03table in the cafeteria, which was still
7:47:05almost empty so early in the morning,
7:47:07but that gave him nearly 2 hours to go
7:47:09over the various species in the book
7:47:11before he needed to get to his first
7:47:13class. These tortoises, exactly how
7:47:16large do they get? I think that the text
7:47:19is incorrect.
7:47:20Carl asked. Rita looked at the book and
7:47:24shook her head. No, that's right. They
7:47:28grow between 18 and 25 m long. They're a
7:47:32saltwater species, but they can happily
7:47:34live nearly anywhere. If all your pets
7:47:37grow as fast as hawk, I wouldn't
7:47:39recommend that option if you are given
7:47:40it. There aren't many situations where
7:47:43you will have room for a 20 m long
7:47:45turtle. It's too wide to even fit down
7:47:48most city streets without damaging the
7:47:50buildings on either side. The thought
7:47:53made Carl laugh. A massive roadblock of
7:47:56armored shell just blocking an entire
7:47:58roadway to prevent a target from
7:48:00fleeing. Then there was the demon croc.
7:48:04Technically, they were an alligator, but
7:48:06at an equally impressive 25 m long and
7:48:09able to run at over 100 km an hour in
7:48:11short spurts, Carl imagined that the
7:48:13shape of its snout was the least of
7:48:15anyone's concerns when meeting it. Then
7:48:17there was the red gold panda. At a
7:48:20maximum height of 20 cm high, it was
7:48:23adorable, but its innate skill was
7:48:25vampireism.
7:48:27If it bit you, it could drain a human of
7:48:29blood in a matter of seconds.
7:48:31If we knew what they were going to
7:48:33bring, it would really help. Carl sighed
7:48:36as the time ran out and it was time to
7:48:38go to morning accuracy training. Best to
7:48:41be prepared for anything. The more you
7:48:44know about monster skills, the better
7:48:46that you will be able to plan for the
7:48:47skills that the ones they do present can
7:48:49use. Sergeant Rita replied with a shrug.
7:48:53Rita's mood only got worse as Daniel and
7:48:56Alice came to watch the training all day
7:48:58long. By the time that the day was
7:49:00finished, she was visibly annoyed. But
7:49:03the other two seemed to be enjoying the
7:49:04show, and they were happy to give
7:49:06training hints to the other students who
7:49:08were training near Carl and Tank.
7:49:10Originally, Carl had assumed it was the
7:49:13fact that they were here from the
7:49:14government that had annoyed Rita, but
7:49:16some of it seemed to be personal. They
7:49:18obviously knew each other from before
7:49:20this week and were close enough in age
7:49:22that they should have been in the
7:49:23academy together.
7:49:25The number of elites was small enough
7:49:27that it was a bit like a small town.
7:49:29Everyone knew everyone in their age
7:49:30group. It was a strange thought as Carl
7:49:34had always viewed the elites as a sort
7:49:35of untouchable existence that was above
7:49:37the common people like the mine workers.
7:49:39But now that he was here, it had a
7:49:41similar vibe to the mining town, but
7:49:43with a different sort of hard work and
7:49:45less of the black lung. The daily
7:49:47training became predictable with Tank
7:49:49increasing the difficulty every time
7:49:51that Carl thought he was getting better.
7:49:53while the evenings of that week all went
7:49:55the same. Eat, train, then Dana would
7:49:58come over in the later evening so she
7:50:00could actually sleep, as her neighbors
7:50:02had realized that she was torturing them
7:50:04back with the golem, which didn't have
7:50:05to be summoned all the time. But what
7:50:08they didn't know was that while the
7:50:09Golem had been practicing his line
7:50:11dancing until the small hours of the
7:50:13morning, Dana had been asleep on the
7:50:15balcony of Carl's room. Her daily
7:50:17training had also intensified now that
7:50:19she had Jill as her personal tutor. And
7:50:21she was so exhausted that she had to be
7:50:23literally carried out of bed some days
7:50:25to get ready after Carl had left with
7:50:27Sergeant Rita. Unlike Carl, who just
7:50:30hurt everywhere from physical training,
7:50:32her mind was completely frazzled from
7:50:34the requirements of her mana expansion
7:50:36training, leaving her feeling
7:50:37sleepdeprived even in the middle of the
7:50:39afternoon. Perhaps that was what the
7:50:42colonel had meant when she said that
7:50:43Sergeant Rita went easy on him. He hurt
7:50:46everywhere, even in places he didn't
7:50:48know could hurt, but he was still
7:50:50functional. And it was clear that Dana
7:50:52wasn't going to make it much longer at
7:50:53this rate when the Saturday training
7:50:55session rolled around and Colonel
7:50:56Valerie was the one that met them at the
7:50:58door in the morning after breakfast.
7:51:00Good morning, Colonel. We are ready to
7:51:04go. Carl greeted her at the door, then
7:51:07winced as she patted him on the shoulder
7:51:08in greeting. Dana was awake but in a
7:51:12days not in any shape to be vocal. So
7:51:14Carl was doing the speaking for the both
7:51:16of them. Colonel Valerie seemed to
7:51:19recognize that and she didn't push for
7:51:21more speech out of them as she led them
7:51:22to the car and back to the same training
7:51:24warehouse from a week ago. The teams all
7:51:27smiled as they saw the two bedraggled
7:51:29students stumble in leaning on each
7:51:31other to remain upright. Carl because he
7:51:35could barely walk and Dana because she
7:51:37was half asleep.
7:51:39Well, they made it through hell week,
7:51:41but I'm not sure if they're in any shape
7:51:42to make it through one more day of
7:51:44training to make it to the day off. One
7:51:47of the mages laughed. Alice, the
7:51:49dark-haired mage that watched Carl's
7:51:51training every day, smirked at him and
7:51:53gestured toward the pair. Try them. I
7:51:56think you will find that they're in
7:51:58better shape than they look. She
7:52:00suggested. The teams moved closer to
7:52:03begin an attack routine, and the two
7:52:05students responded in unison. Dana
7:52:08summoned a golem and Carl called Hawk
7:52:10out, letting the giant bird fly freely
7:52:12around the warehouse.
7:52:14Colonel Valerie gave a rofful chuckle
7:52:16and the team members backed away with a
7:52:18smile. Well, that might not be the
7:52:21ingrained response we were hoping for,
7:52:23but it works, I guess. One of the
7:52:26warriors agreed. I can still fight, just
7:52:29not as energetically as usual, unless
7:52:32you've got some painkillers.
7:52:34I swear that my bruises have bruises
7:52:36right now.
7:52:37Carl replied, "Good thing that you can
7:52:40fight a ranged battle then. Should we
7:52:43wake Dana up and get this started?" The
7:52:46man asked. Dana didn't open her eyes as
7:52:49she answered, "I'm awake. What's our
7:52:53first activity? This week is not as bad
7:52:56as last week. We want to see how the two
7:52:59of you work together to defend a spot in
7:53:01the middle of the warehouse against
7:53:02multiple attackers.
7:53:04But we will have to call Hawk back
7:53:06because there isn't enough terrain set
7:53:08up to sneak up with him hanging out in
7:53:09the rafters.
7:53:11One of the warriors explained as he
7:53:13began to equip a set of training armor.
7:53:16The helmet had a face shield and a neck
7:53:18protector, giving the attacking team
7:53:20full coverage as well as the shielding
7:53:22from their mages, so they shouldn't get
7:53:23hurt no matter what Carl and Dana did to
7:53:25them. But in the eyes of the attacking
7:53:27team, there wasn't much they were likely
7:53:29to do in that state. This was an
7:53:32essential part of the first week's
7:53:33training, learning to function on
7:53:35limited sleep and while exhausted.
7:53:38It wasn't as severe as the military put
7:53:40the regular soldiers through, at least
7:53:42not in the physical sense. But the
7:53:44students were also younger, and the
7:53:45mental exhaustion was undoubtedly just
7:53:47as great. Alice led Carl and Dana to the
7:53:51center of the impromptu maze, while a
7:53:53group of the warriors scattered through
7:53:54the crates that made up an approximation
7:53:56of either narrow alleys or an office
7:53:58building's maze of walls. Carl wasn't
7:54:01sure which it was meant to be, as he
7:54:03hadn't personally seen either, but it
7:54:05was going to make it easy for them to
7:54:06get close before they were detected.
7:54:09Carl's eyes were much better than human,
7:54:11but his hearing hadn't changed much, nor
7:54:13had his other senses, but his eyes could
7:54:16only see for a few meters around them.
7:54:18Set the golem to guard this spot and I
7:54:20will set up traps. Then you start
7:54:23spreading fog, but in random banks
7:54:25around us, it doesn't have to encompass
7:54:27our position, Carl whispered. The random
7:54:31fog banks might confuse the attackers,
7:54:34and Carl would set traps using Rend as
7:54:36they had taught him last week. They
7:54:39didn't have much time as the warehouse
7:54:41was not a huge place, but Carl worked
7:54:43quickly to get traps set up on most of
7:54:45the routes into the center by putting
7:54:47them just into his line of sight. There
7:54:49were a few routes behind him that he
7:54:51couldn't keep visible, so the golem
7:54:53would guard those approaches, and that
7:54:55would have to be enough warning for
7:54:56them. The team approached silently for
7:54:59the most part. The sound of someone
7:55:02bumping into a wall in the fog alerted
7:55:04Carl to their approach, but he couldn't
7:55:06be certain if it was an accident or a
7:55:07deliberate distraction.
7:55:09Then there was another from off to his
7:55:11left and a sharp intake of breath as the
7:55:13warrior stopped short just before he
7:55:15would have run into the trap. Carl
7:55:18carefully added one more trap down by
7:55:20the ankles and a half step further than
7:55:22the first, which was at chest height in
7:55:24the fog. There was a full second of
7:55:26silence as the warrior checked the trap
7:55:28in the dense fog and then a crash as he
7:55:30ducked under it and hit the second line,
7:55:32falling out into the open only a few
7:55:34steps from the central area Carl was
7:55:36guarding. Carl sent a shred attack his
7:55:39way and the warrior raised his hands as
7:55:41the attack slammed into his helmet. That
7:55:44should be the signal for out because
7:55:46after that he lay on the ground and
7:55:48played dead. There was another footstep
7:55:51and a soft chuckle from behind him as
7:55:53the next man in line assumed that Carl
7:55:55had gotten a drop on him. Then a loud
7:55:57cuss as he stepped on the trap line and
7:55:59retreated around the corner. That made
7:56:02the others much more careful and Carl
7:56:04nearly missed the next one until the
7:56:06golem surged forward to attack down a
7:56:08corridor. It was going to pursue the
7:56:10target, but Dana called it back to them,
7:56:13waiting to see what the warriors would
7:56:14do, and smart enough not to let the
7:56:16golem out of her sight where they could
7:56:18trick the simple reactions of the
7:56:19automaton.
7:56:21A few seconds later, they came all at
7:56:23once, making Carl and Dana both lash out
7:56:26with spells as fast as they could for
7:56:28the next few seconds as the warriors
7:56:29dodged and parried until they found
7:56:31blades at their necks, marking the end
7:56:33of the defense. Not bad. We have one
7:56:37chased off by the golem, three downed by
7:56:40traps, and four more downed in the final
7:56:42rush. Now, grab an energy drink and
7:56:45something to eat. We're going to go over
7:56:47some more effective defensive measures
7:56:48using the skills that you both have.
7:56:51Colonel Valerie congratulated them with
7:56:53a nod of appreciation for their effort.
7:56:56That was the best praise that they had
7:56:58managed to get out of her yet, and Carl
7:57:00was sure that it was a good sign that
7:57:02she was warming up to them a little bit.
7:57:04Carl sat down with the warriors, one of
7:57:06whom was still nursing a sore foot with
7:57:08his boot off. As you can see, the most
7:57:12effective strategy against many targets
7:57:14is actually the feet and legs. They're
7:57:16not as protected, and while the target
7:57:18will be careful what they step on, that
7:57:21also means they will be hesitant to
7:57:22approach you, Daniel explained, taking
7:57:25on the role of the spokesman after
7:57:27having watched Carl in his regular
7:57:28classes for a week. That makes sense.
7:57:32The boot has to have some feeling or you
7:57:35won't be able to walk as smoothly, but
7:57:37that also means that the armor is
7:57:38limited. I wasn't expecting someone to
7:57:41actually step on the trip wire, though.
7:57:44Carl agreed. That made the other
7:57:47warriors chuckle. Thin wires in the fog
7:57:50is a great combination technique, and it
7:57:52was what we were initially planning to
7:57:54suggest. There are only so many
7:57:56different ways to use rend, but if you
7:57:59treat it like wire, then you should be
7:58:00able to make a number of quality traps
7:58:03as well as set up ambushes.
7:58:05Our discussion today will be less about
7:58:07new ways to use your technique and what
7:58:09we should be finding you for a second
7:58:11pet attempt. If you had someone who
7:58:13could fight at your side in that
7:58:15situation, like the golem, you would
7:58:17have increased your potential defenses
7:58:18by a lot and it might have been enough
7:58:20to deal with all the attackers. The
7:58:23official position is that we should have
7:58:24you try with more newborns or eggs, as
7:58:27that was how Hawk started. If you try to
7:58:30bond a larger aggressive monster, there
7:58:32is a strong possibility that it would
7:58:34remain hostile to you and waste your
7:58:36talent until it is put down. There is
7:58:38also the chance that a lost pet might
7:58:40not be able to be replaced. The classes
7:58:43that can summon a familiar or helper pet
7:58:45are like that. Once it's gone, it is
7:58:48gone and they can't do it again. Your
7:58:51class is unique and you can bond with
7:58:53actual monsters, not use magic to summon
7:58:56a mouse or cat level common animal.
7:58:58Plus, you can bring them into that space
7:59:00in your mind that nobody knows the
7:59:01limitations of. But that is why we are
7:59:04being cautious. There is a lot of
7:59:06potential there and we don't want to
7:59:08make a fatal error. Daniel explained.
7:59:12Carl nodded slowly. The explanation made
7:59:15sense, but the space felt more like it
7:59:17was a nest, a home for whatever lived
7:59:19there. It didn't stop existing when Hawk
7:59:22was outside, and the second space was
7:59:25just sitting empty, waiting for Carl to
7:59:27build a nest for something else. "All
7:59:29right, what did you have in mind? Is
7:59:32there like some strategic reserve of
7:59:34monster babies for study or something?"
7:59:37Carl asked. The team laughed and shook
7:59:40their heads. No, what we're going to do
7:59:43is go for a little adventure. There are
7:59:46a few tamed species of monsters that the
7:59:48scientists study, but those aren't what
7:59:50we need for an elite that cultivates
7:59:52combat pets. Instead, we are going to
7:59:55head to the southern plains and go find
7:59:57you a proper monster. The place is
7:59:59infested with them, and they're all
8:00:01brutal killers. They have to be to
8:00:04survive there among their own kind.
8:00:06So, the initial plan is to drive around
8:00:09until you find one that feels promising
8:00:11to your class, then hunt it. We have
8:00:14surveillance, and we've marked nearly a
8:00:16100 nests and infant monsters, so there
8:00:18is a good chance that we can find what
8:00:20you need. Look at the hawk. He started
8:00:23out as an egg in the kitchen, and now
8:00:25he's one of the largest birds of prey
8:00:27that I have ever seen. Most birds his
8:00:30size, even the monstrous ones, are
8:00:32flightless. But his body is light and
8:00:35powerful despite his size. If another
8:00:37pet went through a similar advancement,
8:00:39we could be looking at a whole new
8:00:41strain of monster that is more deadly
8:00:43than any other on its level. Daniel was
8:00:46clearly excited as he finished his
8:00:47speech, and the others were preparing to
8:00:49bring out the maps to show Carl the
8:00:51possible matches that they had found.
8:00:54We've got everything from snakes to
8:00:55badgers to a crystallin mammoth cub
8:00:57tract.
8:00:59So whatever you think would be best can
8:01:00be available. Daniel added, "A
8:01:04crystallin mammoth would be a nightmare
8:01:06for anyone to fight against. They were
8:01:09supposed to have incredible magical
8:01:10powers according to folklore, but the
8:01:12book said that it was a result of their
8:01:14hide reflecting and changing any attack
8:01:16sent against them. Plus, they stood over
8:01:195 m tall and could crush armored cars
8:01:21with just their feet. Having one would
8:01:24be cool, but feeding one could be much
8:01:26more difficult than keeping Hawk happy.
8:01:29One of the others gestured to spots on a
8:01:31map they unrolled. We have also prepared
8:01:34for the possibility that your skills
8:01:36only allow you to bond with birds. So,
8:01:38there are six different powerful
8:01:39potential aven partners who have eggs in
8:01:41their nests. Now, actually getting the
8:01:44eggs won't be easy, but that's why we're
8:01:46here. We will send two teams with you to
8:01:49gather the new pet. And then we will
8:01:51impose a full blackout on the
8:01:53information so that it doesn't leak out
8:01:54until you are ready for others to know.
8:01:57If it is a baby, you will need time to
8:01:59help it grow. And nobody wants everyone
8:02:01to know their true power if they have
8:02:03the chance to hold a secret skill back
8:02:05for emergencies.
8:02:06Daniel smiled at Carl's hesitation.
8:02:09We're all on the same team, but we're
8:02:12all competing for the best jobs, the
8:02:14next promotion, that special chance that
8:02:16will give us something that we want.
8:02:18Having a little something in reserve can
8:02:20help impress people at just the right
8:02:22moment. Carl smiled at the warriors as
8:02:25he understood the logic. All right, when
8:02:28do we leave now? I will go get Alice and
8:02:32we will take Jod and Anise as well so
8:02:34that Dave and Jill can stay to watch
8:02:36over Dana as she recovers.
8:02:39They will likely spend the night here,
8:02:40resting and practicing through the off
8:02:42day. The academy is too loud to really
8:02:45focus, so having a night to just sit in
8:02:48silence should be appreciated,"
8:02:50Daniel explained.
8:02:52Jodie was the stereotypical blonde,
8:02:54handsome ladies man, while Anise was a
8:02:57short but muscular ginger woman, and
8:02:59both were among the military half of the
8:03:01Bureau of Elite Development Agents. That
8:03:04seemed to be a deliberate choice by
8:03:05Daniel as he led them all to a military
8:03:07vehicle which was far better suited to
8:03:09off-road use than the car that they had
8:03:11taken from the academy. "How long will
8:03:14it take us to get there?" Carl asked as
8:03:16they got in the truck. "Not long. We're
8:03:19close to the region that we want to
8:03:21start the search in, so we will drive a
8:03:23few hours and stop at a way station for
8:03:25the night. It would be better to search
8:03:27for the targets when we're all fresh and
8:03:29rested. Mistakes happen in the dark and
8:03:32I despise writing incident reports.
8:03:35Daniel replied with a teasing smile.
8:03:38They didn't wait for any long goodbyes.
8:03:41They just headed out and followed the
8:03:42highway south, intending to make their
8:03:44destination in time for dinner. That was
8:03:47still going to be difficult. Carl
8:03:49realized as the sun set and they were
8:03:51still driving, but a few hours after
8:03:53that, they were pulling up to a walled
8:03:55town that opened the gates for them and
8:03:57let them in to park next to a small
8:03:59motel with a row of units in two levels
8:04:01and gun turrets on each end of the roof.
8:04:04I take it that this place is a bit more
8:04:06dangerous than it is at home. Carl
8:04:09commented with a gesture toward the guns
8:04:11and the spotlights that were mounted on
8:04:13every building near the wall. a little
8:04:15bit, but mostly it is a precaution
8:04:17against larger predators trying to break
8:04:19into the city. Nobody wants to run to
8:04:22the wall for every emergency, so they
8:04:24build turrets on their workplace
8:04:26instead. Alice explained.
8:04:29Daniel checked them in, and Carl found
8:04:31himself alone in a small room with a
8:04:33single bed and a television. It wasn't
8:04:36anything special as far as hotels went,
8:04:38but it was quiet, so he spent the next
8:04:40few hours meditating and working on the
8:04:42new beast space to prepare it for
8:04:44occupancy.
8:04:46Get something cool, Hawk demanded. And
8:04:50what do you think would be good? If you
8:04:52say a messy eater so you can steal the
8:04:54scraps, I will have to remind you that
8:04:56you mostly eat in separate spaces,
8:04:59Carl replied.
8:05:01Something that will scare targets.
8:05:03Maybe a huge snake. Everything is afraid
8:05:06of snakes, even if they're easy to chop
8:05:09with Ren. Carl thought for a second. I
8:05:13think that it would be best to get
8:05:14another smart species.
8:05:16We work well together because we can
8:05:18communicate easily. If they can't follow
8:05:21the same instructions, it will just make
8:05:23it harder to fight. That rules out snake
8:05:26monsters.
8:05:28They're dangerous, but not intelligent.
8:05:31What about a war bear? They're smart. We
8:05:35should get a war bear. They were also 7
8:05:38m tall when standing on all four feet,
8:05:40covered in heavy natural armor and
8:05:42infamously illtempered peak overlord
8:05:44rank monsters. A war bear would take on
8:05:47anything without fear from a juvenile
8:05:49dragon to a main battle tank. I don't
8:05:52think we will be in a mood to celebrate
8:05:54if mama war bear finds us trying to
8:05:56steal her cup. Carl reminded Hawk. The
8:06:00windspeed hawk and the war bear actually
8:06:02got along well, as the hawks like to
8:06:04chirp for assistance when they wanted a
8:06:06partner to take down prey. And the war
8:06:08bear would happily kill anything that
8:06:10walked on its territory. But it didn't
8:06:12consider birds a threat, as they stayed
8:06:14off the ground unless they were hunting,
8:06:16and they were smart enough not to hunt
8:06:18anything that the war bear liked to eat.
8:06:21Carl drifted off to sleep a few hours
8:06:23later and woke up to the sound of a
8:06:25warning siren. He quickly threw on his
8:06:28uniform and got up to see what was going
8:06:30on. As an elite at the awakened rank, it
8:06:33was part of his duty to respond to these
8:06:35sorts of emergencies, even if the town
8:06:37was prepared. They had the four escorts
8:06:40from the bureau as well, so he wouldn't
8:06:42be in any real danger. But if it was a
8:06:44monster attack, there was a chance that
8:06:46it might lead him to an opportunity to
8:06:48find his second partner. As soon as he
8:06:50stepped out the door, there was a man in
8:06:52a police officer's uniform pointing at
8:06:54him. You're an elite, right? Ranged or
8:06:58melee? The policeman shouted. Either.
8:07:03Where do you need me? Carl asked. On the
8:07:07wall. It's a locust swarm. The officer
8:07:11was obviously panicking, and Carl
8:07:13wondered why a bunch of tiny insects
8:07:15were causing so much panic to people
8:07:17other than the farmers. Jod and Daniel
8:07:20were outside a few seconds behind him
8:07:22while Alice and Anise were up in the
8:07:24tower on top of the hotel and were
8:07:26already preparing to start casting
8:07:28spells.
8:07:29Hawk, stay inside. They're shooting at
8:07:32anything that moves. Carl warned his
8:07:35partner, then ran to the wall a few
8:07:37meters from the hotel. The swarm was
8:07:40hundreds of meters wide, and behind them
8:07:42there was nothing. not branches or
8:07:45grass, nothing but bare dirt and locust
8:07:48droppings.
8:07:49That explained why the villagers were
8:07:51terrified of these things, and they were
8:07:53much larger than Carl had read about in
8:07:55the book. These were a common grade
8:07:57monster species, and larger than his
8:08:00forearm instead of the size of his
8:08:02finger. Nothing was trying to eat the
8:08:04locusts, as Carl had expected of this
8:08:06insect buffet, and he quickly realized
8:08:09why. Everyone that the locals shot was
8:08:12instantly devoured by those around it,
8:08:14leaving nothing behind. With that sort
8:08:17of cannibalistic instinct, not even Hawk
8:08:19would want to attack and have most of
8:08:21his food stolen before he could retrieve
8:08:23it. Carl shook himself out of his revery
8:08:26and sent a constantly widening set of
8:08:28rend attacks into the front of the
8:08:30locust swarm, tearing dozens apart with
8:08:32each of the four attacks.
8:08:34That wasn't even close to enough
8:08:36firepower to slow the tide, but the
8:08:38power consumption was low, and Carl was
8:08:40throwing them out twice per second. The
8:08:43mages were the ones that made the first
8:08:45real change in the tightly packed ranks
8:08:47of the swarm by using fireballs to burn
8:08:49huge holes in the pack that quickly
8:08:51filled with other locusts eating the
8:08:53bodies and caused the front line to
8:08:54waver as the insects were distracted by
8:08:56the prospect of food left behind.
8:08:59That made for an even more densely
8:09:01packed group, and Carl changed to
8:09:03creating a net with two rend attacks and
8:09:05stretched it into a thin wire, which
8:09:07took a bit more power, but which tore
8:09:09apart a large patch of the locusts.
8:09:11The more of them that were destroyed at
8:09:13once, the slower their progress got,
8:09:15buying time for the locals and their
8:09:17guns to get in position and begin
8:09:19defending their homes. The buildings
8:09:21would likely hold up against the swarm,
8:09:24Carl assumed, but the gardens and
8:09:26everything else would not.
8:09:28The land would be left completely barren
8:09:30after the swarm passed, and they would
8:09:32have to start over from nothing. Welcome
8:09:35to the south. A man with a rifle and a
8:09:38cart full of equipment greeted Carl as
8:09:40he made it up the ramp. Quite the
8:09:42morning. What do you have there? Carl
8:09:46replied as he continued to attack.
8:09:49Automated flamethrower turret. If we
8:09:52have to retreat to the bunkers, they
8:09:54will burn most everything that tries to
8:09:55get into the town. Bloody locusts will
8:09:58even eat the metal when they get close.
8:10:00Not much else you can do. Carl kept up
8:10:03the low power attacks as the locust
8:10:05swarm began to dwindle under the
8:10:07combined firepower of the town and the
8:10:09efforts of the elites. Jod and Daniel
8:10:12were currently using rifles as they were
8:10:14close combatants, but they were highly
8:10:16skilled with them and every shot counted
8:10:18against the pure numbers of locusts.
8:10:21How long can you keep that up? The man
8:10:24beside Carl asked as another fence of
8:10:26four rend attacks tore apart the front
8:10:28lines of the swarm. Long enough. They're
8:10:31going to be here before I'm worn out.
8:10:34Carl replied.
8:10:36Perhaps not, lad. Just wait. Once
8:10:40they're close enough, we will start with
8:10:42the explosives, and that should thin
8:10:44them out quick, fast, and in a hurry.
8:10:47The man informed him with a smile. The
8:10:50first explosives were a line of
8:10:52landmines that the swarm set off,
8:10:54tearing apart the entire front line of
8:10:56insects and then the one behind it as
8:10:58they reached the second row of mines.
8:11:01That was over a quarter of the insects
8:11:02in a few seconds, but they were leaping
8:11:04into the air now flying over the
8:11:06minefield.
8:11:08That made them easier targets for Ren,
8:11:10as now they were right at Carl's eye
8:11:12level, and the attack would tear through
8:11:14multiple ranks of them before
8:11:15dissipating.
8:11:17Then the city's police force began
8:11:19firing grenade launchers into the swarm,
8:11:21hitting some in the air and others on
8:11:23the ground. The rifles were having a
8:11:25harder time against the flying insects,
8:11:28but Carl and the mages were not. The
8:11:31exploding magical fireballs and crimson
8:11:33streaks of energy were stopping
8:11:34everything that the grenades didn't, and
8:11:36the flying portion of the swarm began to
8:11:38descend to in order to eat the bodies.
8:11:41That set off more of the landmines, and
8:11:43the number of attackers began to fall to
8:11:45the point that they hardly seemed like a
8:11:47threat anymore. But even a few could run
8:11:50a muck through the town, and each of
8:11:52them could kill a human, then use the
8:11:54body as nutrients for more locust eggs.
8:11:57Carl began to sweat with exertion, and
8:11:59Hawk was pushing to come out and assist,
8:12:01even if he was standing beside Carl on
8:12:03the wall. It's all right, buddy. We're
8:12:07almost done here. One more minute and
8:12:10they'll be all gone. Then whatever
8:12:12cleanup the town does can start. Carl
8:12:15replied, placating the bird for a moment
8:12:17as he slowed his attacks to avoid
8:12:19overtaxing his stamina. The locusts made
8:12:22a field of green blood and body bits in
8:12:24the distance when the alarm finally
8:12:26sounded again, marking the official end
8:12:28of the battle and the start of the
8:12:29cleanup effort, which would ensure there
8:12:31were no survivors or viable eggs left
8:12:33behind. Thank you, Elite. Might I know
8:12:37your name? The man beside Carl asked
8:12:40politely.
8:12:42Carl, awakened ranked student at the
8:12:44academy. He replied, and the man
8:12:46chuckled. I must say, I'm a bit jealous.
8:12:50You did an impressive job here today.
8:12:53Your skills are well suited to town
8:12:55defense against the swarms of weaker
8:12:57monsters. Come back again sometime and
8:13:00drinks will be on us." Daniel laughed as
8:13:03he came over to the pair. No getting the
8:13:06students drunk so young.
8:13:08He reprimanded the local. Ba, you city
8:13:12folk are too uptight. Out here in the
8:13:14sticks, we start drinking beer with
8:13:16breakfast as soon as we can walk. Carl
8:13:19chuckled. That was because the water was
8:13:22no good, so you had to filter it and
8:13:24beer came ready to drink. His own family
8:13:27had done the same thing, though they
8:13:29thinned the cheap beer with the more
8:13:31expensive drinking water for the kids.
8:13:34Still, we're headed out into the long
8:13:35grass, so no drinking this morning, even
8:13:38if the beer is free with breakfast.
8:13:41Daniel cautioned Carl with a frown. Got
8:13:44it, boss. No drinking before we go
8:13:47monster hunting. It took a few minutes
8:13:49before things had calmed down enough
8:13:51that the staff returned to the
8:13:52restaurant next to the motel, but there
8:13:54was hot coffee in the pots, and the four
8:13:56agents were happy with that until the
8:13:58cook returned to take their orders.
8:14:01Alice was the first to address their
8:14:02plans for the day. As we've all been
8:14:05vividly reminded, the south is not a
8:14:08safe area, and it belongs more to the
8:14:10monsters than the people. So, we will
8:14:13have to watch every move that we make as
8:14:15we travel further from civilization.
8:14:18The first spot that I want to stop is
8:14:20here by the river. I don't know if Carl
8:14:23gets some sort of calling to his
8:14:24potential partners or if it will be a
8:14:26conscious decision every time, but there
8:14:28should be a wide variety of options
8:14:30along the riverbank.
8:14:32Most monsters need to drink, so they
8:14:34will have to go there eventually. The
8:14:36optimal targets would seem to be the
8:14:38stoneskin rhino, the golden dire bear,
8:14:41the giant crocalisk, and the armored
8:14:43ape. They were definitely aiming to get
8:14:45Carl a tank for the next pet, but they
8:14:48were right. Those would all be great
8:14:49options.
8:14:51The stoneskin rhino could spread its
8:14:53armor over nearby targets. The golden
8:14:55dire bear had an extremely impressive
8:14:57strengthening ability. The armored ape
8:14:59also had armor magic and necroilisk was
8:15:01basically a living tank. Carl would put
8:15:04it at the bottom of his list as it
8:15:06didn't have innate magic that he would
8:15:07be likely to learn. But as far as combat
8:15:10power, it was certainly near the top of
8:15:12the list. Since I gained hawks rend
8:15:15skill, I think that another innate skill
8:15:17would most likely be passed on as well.
8:15:19So, it might be just as important to
8:15:21pick a good skill as it is to pick the
8:15:23toughest of monsters.
8:15:25Carl suggested we could go a bit further
8:15:28and try to find him a giant Sarah.
8:15:31Daniel suggested, "You think that a
8:15:34giant armored lizard with rhino horns is
8:15:36what anyone would want as a pet?" Alice
8:15:39asked. The warrior shrugged. "It's a
8:15:42herbivore, so easy to feed. It's huge,
8:15:46armored, and it has the rapid
8:15:48regeneration innate skill. When it
8:15:51activates that ability, it will heal
8:15:53from the most egregious wounds in
8:15:55seconds. How would that not be useful?
8:15:58Jod smiled. I just think it will be
8:16:01amusing to see someone try to fight an
8:16:03ancient lizard the size of a small
8:16:05elephant. Carl had never heard of such a
8:16:08creature, but it sounded terrifying.
8:16:11Their drive took them out of the
8:16:12grassland and down a road that led
8:16:14through a marshy area where the
8:16:16crocalisk could be found. There were
8:16:18other magical beasts in the area, ones
8:16:21that hadn't been flagged as the most
8:16:22likely ones to build a strong team with
8:16:24hawk. And some of them were not shy
8:16:26about being around the roadway when they
8:16:28passed.
8:16:30For example, a large antler animal
8:16:32roughly the size of their truck with
8:16:34long legs and a thick neck that promised
8:16:36those broad antlers weren't just for
8:16:38show. What exactly is that? Carl
8:16:42muttered as they passed it by. Southern
8:16:44moose. They're not a magical beast, but
8:16:48most of the common great beasts won't
8:16:49mess with them. Alice replied.
8:16:53That was understandable. The beast was
8:16:55massive. Up ahead, they spotted a few
8:16:58smaller magical creatures, and the
8:17:00others watched Carl carefully to see if
8:17:02he had any sort of response to them. But
8:17:04Carl was just in wonder at all the
8:17:06scenery unlike anything he had ever seen
8:17:08before. First up, there should be a
8:17:11stoneskin rhino nest around here
8:17:13somewhere. It is further back off the
8:17:15road, so we will have to walk in to find
8:17:17it. One team will come with you, the
8:17:20other will stay to guard the truck so we
8:17:22don't have to walk home. Daniel informed
8:17:25him seriously.
8:17:27All right, let's go see what we can
8:17:29find. Carl agreed. According to the map,
8:17:34they would have to pass by a bit of the
8:17:35marsh. Then they would be back at the
8:17:37river, and that was where they were
8:17:39likely to find the rhino nest, as well
8:17:41as many other predators.
8:17:43Stop. Don't leave the truck. It looks
8:17:47like we found one of our options early,
8:17:50Alice ordered, and Daniel abruptly, but
8:17:52silently pulled his door closed again.
8:17:55Off in the trees, there was an enormous
8:17:57furry creature with a modeled pattern of
8:17:59golden spots through jet black fur.
8:18:02That should be the golden dire bear that
8:18:04they had informed him of and it had a
8:18:06small cub with it. The problem was that
8:18:09they were together and the mother was
8:18:10paying close attention to her young cub
8:18:13which meant they wouldn't be able to
8:18:14sneak up on it and see if Carl could
8:18:16bond it. The mother is commander rank
8:18:19and she doesn't look impressed to see us
8:18:20here. How about we go a little further
8:18:23along? Jod suggested.
8:18:26Carl considered the options for a
8:18:28moment. The Golden Dire Bear would be a
8:18:31good team member, especially as they
8:18:33grew so naturally powerful. But getting
8:18:35into a fight with one on the off chance
8:18:37that the cub would forgive him and work
8:18:39together seemed risky. We know where
8:18:42they are now. We can come back later,
8:18:44perhaps with some meat, and see if that
8:18:46puts her in a better mood. Daniel agreed
8:18:49while Jodie began to slowly drive until
8:18:51the bear decided that they were no
8:18:53longer a threat and went back to
8:18:54watching her cub. It's a bit further
8:18:57from the river, but up ahead here, there
8:18:59are some survivors of the giant lizard
8:19:00breeds. There aren't many of them left,
8:19:03at least not outside the breeding farms
8:19:05in the west, but any of them should be a
8:19:08viable option. They're not dragons, but
8:19:11there are some drakes among them, and
8:19:12almost every species has some sort of
8:19:14innate skill, Jod explained as he turned
8:19:17down a dirt path. They drove for another
8:19:2010 minutes when Jod stopped the truck
8:19:23and pointed to the far side of a
8:19:24clearing where there was a large group
8:19:26of animals roughly the same 2 m tall as
8:19:28the golden dire bear had been on all
8:19:30four feet, but with thick scales and
8:19:32three horns on their wide heads as the
8:19:34Sero were described. They were happily
8:19:37munching plants with beaked mouths,
8:19:39which made Hawk happy, and they seem to
8:19:41be non-aggressive and less threatened.
8:19:44Those are a subset of the Sero. They're
8:19:47less than half the size of the ones we
8:19:48were looking for, and they lack the full
8:19:50extent of the healing ability, but they
8:19:52have a rather unique racial skill that
8:19:54you might like. These beasts can coat
8:19:57themselves in magical lightning. They
8:20:00use it both as armor and as a weapon
8:20:02when they charge, Jod explained. There
8:20:06are eggs in the nests, and they're
8:20:07closer to us than to the beasts. Do you
8:20:10think that we should take a little trip
8:20:12out and see if we can get one to test?
8:20:14Daniel asked. Carl agreed that they
8:20:17looked like they would be a suitable
8:20:19option, and they had heavy scales all
8:20:21over their body that looked
8:20:22impenetrable, as well as the three long
8:20:24horns and the armored head. Let me
8:20:28be in and out in seconds. Hawk
8:20:31suggested. I will send Hawk. Carl
8:20:35informed the others, then opened the
8:20:37door a crack to call the bird out into
8:20:39the open. Hawk stre through the trees,
8:20:42and as soon as he grabbed an egg,
8:20:43alerting the herd to a predator in their
8:20:45midst, Carl called him back into the
8:20:47beast space. He could feel the egg, the
8:20:50life form inside of it, and it had been
8:20:52pushed to the other space when Hawk
8:20:54entered his home, but it was not ready
8:20:56to hatch. There was something missing
8:20:58for Carl to form a bond with it. "I
8:21:01think it's a possibility, but I need to
8:21:03do something, and I'm not sure what."
8:21:06Carl informed the others as Jod began
8:21:09driving again slowly as if the bird had
8:21:12nothing to do with them. Then we will
8:21:15keep looking. Place the egg here in the
8:21:18padded bag and we will hold on to it in
8:21:20case it's the best option. Alice
8:21:22explained.
8:21:24In the taming space, Hawk shook his
8:21:26feathers and something else moved to the
8:21:28secondary space. Did you get something
8:21:31on you? Carl asked curiously.
8:21:35Not sure what happened, Hawk asked,
8:21:38unable to see the other space or its
8:21:40contents.
8:21:42There is a tiny egg like minuscule,
8:21:46Carl explained as he examined the egg.
8:21:49There is another tiny egg there as well.
8:21:51I think that it was on Hawk when he came
8:21:53back. I'm not sure what it is yet, Carl
8:21:57informed the others. Can you bring it
8:22:00out? Or is it too fragile to move
8:22:03easily? Alice asked. "It looks very
8:22:07soft, not like a bird egg, but there is
8:22:09something alive in there for certain. I
8:22:11can feel it." Carl explained, then moved
8:22:14the egg to one of the padded bags. The
8:22:17others looked at it in horror, and Alice
8:22:20opened the door. "Get that thing out of
8:22:22here. That's a bloodbath spider egg."
8:22:26Carl looked down at the egg. The
8:22:29bloodbath spider was an urban legend.
8:22:32They were an invasive predator from a
8:22:33nation to the east and survived entirely
8:22:36on blood like a mosquito. But unlike the
8:22:39common mosquito, they grew to the size
8:22:41of a small car and had mandibles that
8:22:43could tear through steel to get to what
8:22:45they wanted. They were supposed to have
8:22:47been hunted to extinction, but it seemed
8:22:49that there were still some hiding out
8:22:51here in the wilderness.
8:22:53Carl was still admiring the soft egg
8:22:55when the truck made an abrupt turn,
8:22:57circling back the way that they had
8:22:58arrived from. And Jod increased his
8:23:01speed. You know that it is an egg,
8:23:03right? It's not hatched. Carl reminded
8:23:07the playboy.
8:23:09Yeah, you say that now, but where is
8:23:11mother bloodbath? They lay their eggs on
8:23:14the strands of their web. If Hawk came
8:23:17back with a spider egg on him, he broke
8:23:19a strand of the web as he flew over to
8:23:21get the other egg. They don't lay many
8:23:23eggs at a time because it would overpop
8:23:25populate an area too quickly, so they're
8:23:27probably going to be very protective,"
8:23:30he replied, beginning to panic. "The
8:23:33mother can bite through the armored roof
8:23:35of this truck." Daniel whispered to
8:23:37Carl, explaining the situation more
8:23:40clearly. They had four fully trained and
8:23:43high-ranking elites, but precisely zero
8:23:45who fancied walking home after their car
8:23:47was demolished by a giant spider. Carl
8:23:50moved the egg back into the secondary
8:23:52beast space. If they didn't find another
8:23:55option, this bloodbath spider hatchling
8:23:58would do very well. It looked like the
8:24:00spider and the lightning sero might be
8:24:02his only options if they were picking
8:24:04today because Jod was headed straight
8:24:06back to town and he wasn't even slowing
8:24:08down when they got near the river where
8:24:09the other options on the original list
8:24:11should be. Well, it appears that I've
8:24:14got two choices. How about I hold them
8:24:17both and see which one I can get to
8:24:19hatch and bond first? Carl offered as
8:24:22the town walls came back into sight. Two
8:24:25is enough. Jod agreed. Alice looked
8:24:29ready to disagree with him, but the
8:24:31other two looked like they were on his
8:24:33side with the plan to not spend any more
8:24:35time in the wilderness after the day
8:24:36that they had. They had only run into a
8:24:39few predators, but they were the worst
8:24:41possible ones to anger. At the very
8:24:44least, they would wait one night before
8:24:46going back out again. The academy had
8:24:49given permission for the trip, and they
8:24:50didn't have a set schedule, so they
8:24:52could stay out here for a week if they
8:24:54needed it. As long as the answer of
8:24:56whether Carl could bond another monster
8:24:58was clear, they could take all the time
8:25:00that they needed. Once they were both
8:25:03safely set in the secondary beast space,
8:25:05the two eggs seemed to be coexisting
8:25:07without any issues. But they couldn't be
8:25:09moved to Hawk space anymore, which made
8:25:11Carl wonder if he was going to have to
8:25:13move one of them out the minute that the
8:25:15other one hatched and bonded. There was
8:25:17one easy way to find out. Carl began to
8:25:21meditate and pour energy into the space,
8:25:23which flooded into the eggs.
8:25:25They were both immature eggs, though of
8:25:27more powerful monsters than the
8:25:29windspeed hawk, and the change was
8:25:31immediately noticeable. The embryos in
8:25:34the eggs began to develop at a massively
8:25:36increased rate as the space increased in
8:25:38size to accommodate them. He should
8:25:41probably pick one or the other well
8:25:42before they hatched. But both were
8:25:44growing so well that Carl didn't want to
8:25:46change anything yet. There was always
8:25:49the possibility that he could have
8:25:50multiple beasts in the space once they
8:25:52were bonded. Perhaps this second space
8:25:55was for unbonded pets in waiting. The
8:25:58first to hatch was the Sero, with small
8:26:00horns smashing through the eggshell, and
8:26:02a sense of mingled joy and relief
8:26:04flooding Carl's mind as the small
8:26:05reptile bonded with him. As Hawk had
8:26:08done, the beast began to grow rapidly
8:26:11out of its awkward newborn phase. But
8:26:13the Sarah wasn't as helpless as a baby
8:26:15bird, and he was screaming for food
8:26:17already. Carl focused and found that he
8:26:20could move the creature to Hawk space,
8:26:22but he felt like a visitor there. It
8:26:25wasn't his space, but the small
8:26:26prehistoric looking beast began to
8:26:28happily graze on the imaginary grass
8:26:30that Carl had made, and its body fleshed
8:26:32out with the influx of energy. So Carl
8:26:36kept adding more energy to the second
8:26:38space with the bloodbath spider egg,
8:26:40which was still growing and maturing.
8:26:42"What are you up to?" "We're here,"
8:26:46Alice asked. I need to focus. I think
8:26:50that the eggs can both be hatched and
8:26:52bonded. Carl muttered, not opening his
8:26:55eyes. All right, just follow me to a
8:26:58hotel room and you can finish your work.
8:27:01Alice instructed as Jod parked the
8:27:03truck. The others went to talk to the
8:27:06staff while Alice led Carl to a room,
8:27:08then closed and bolted the door while
8:27:10she waited there with him. If that
8:27:13spider hatches and you can't bond it,
8:27:15you will need one of us here to keep you
8:27:17safe. It will be weaker than you, but
8:27:20they're fast and they can dig inside the
8:27:22skin, which makes victims panic," she
8:27:25explained.
8:27:26Carl hadn't considered that possibility.
8:27:29"If he couldn't bond it, he likely
8:27:31couldn't keep it in that space either,
8:27:33but he wasn't sure that either he or
8:27:35Hawk could handle it running wild in the
8:27:37hotel room. A tiny spider running loose
8:27:40would be a nightmare to catch, but Alice
8:27:42was a mage, so she likely had some way
8:27:44to deal with it. Carl forged ahead and
8:27:47kept the progress going on the spider
8:27:49egg in the secondary space, growing it
8:27:51to the size of a baseball with a
8:27:53transparent membrane that held a large
8:27:55black spider inside. It was almost ready
8:27:58to hatch, and the space had been
8:28:00expanded by quite a bit, though the
8:28:02quality of it still seemed very low
8:28:03compared to the first space. In
8:28:06retrospect, that was the wrong course of
8:28:08action. But Carl had no way of knowing
8:28:11that until the egg hatched and the pain
8:28:13hit his mind. The moment that the spider
8:28:16egg hatched, the two beast spaces in his
8:28:19mind were nearly torn apart, with a
8:28:21third trying to form, and the imbalance
8:28:23between the complete space and the
8:28:24incomplete one was not allowing them to
8:28:26find a common distribution rate to form
8:28:28the third space. I need high energy
8:28:31food, whatever you can get. Carlin
8:28:34formed Alice with a pained wsece,
8:28:36feeling like his head was going to
8:28:38explode. "What is happening?" the mage
8:28:41asked as she sent a message on her phone
8:28:43to the others. Both of them hatched too
8:28:46close together for me to equalize their
8:28:48living spaces. "It is trying to create a
8:28:51third space in my mind, but the second
8:28:53is not ready to be split, and the first
8:28:55can't give up the energy that it already
8:28:57has. I need that energy," Carl demanded.
8:29:02It's on its way. Just hold on for a few
8:29:04more seconds and we will get you
8:29:06something," Alice explained. The
8:29:10reserves for Hawk were almost all raw
8:29:12meat, which Carl would have a horrible
8:29:14time digesting, but there was some
8:29:15roasted chicken in there, which Carl
8:29:17pulled out as a stop gap measure until
8:29:19he could get something with more energy.
8:29:22"Does it have to be meat?" Alice asked
8:29:24frantically. "Anything with an awakened
8:29:27energy level or better?" Carl replied as
8:29:30the energy influx from the chicken
8:29:32flowed through his body. Jod rushed in
8:29:35with a bag from the truck and began
8:29:37pulling out supplies until he got to the
8:29:39prepackaged meals. "These are all
8:29:41ascended rank meat for the main course,
8:29:43and the other dishes should be decent.
8:29:46They're made for commander rank elites
8:29:48on energyintensive missions," he
8:29:51explained as he tore the first pack open
8:29:53and handed it to Carl with a spoon. A
8:29:56cold ration pack was not exactly fine
8:29:58dining, but it was edible enough, and
8:30:00the energy flow was enough that the
8:30:02immediate pain was fading, while a sense
8:30:04of mental stress was settling in as a
8:30:06third space began to form. Both of the
8:30:09hatchlings were drawing immense amounts
8:30:10of energy from him. And even after Carl
8:30:13did his best to feed them what power he
8:30:15could absorb, it wasn't enough. I need
8:30:18monster blood and large amounts of
8:30:19magical plants for the new beasts. I
8:30:22think that things will stabilize once
8:30:24they are fed and not drawing energy
8:30:26straight from me, Carl explained, while
8:30:29otherwise completely focused on feeding
8:30:31himself and keeping his focus well
8:30:33enough to stabilize the newly formed
8:30:35space. Magical plants were something
8:30:37that they had plenty of since the plants
8:30:40didn't have to be edible to humans.
8:30:42Daniel brought back what appeared to be
8:30:44an entire hay bale, while a few minutes
8:30:46after that, Jod returned with a 5gallon
8:30:49pail full of blood. The shrub was put
8:30:52into the newest area as the baby so
8:30:54seemed to be the more placid of the two,
8:30:56while the bloodbath spider took its name
8:30:58literally and accidentally fell off the
8:31:00rim of the bucket into the blood before
8:31:02climbing back out to drink more
8:31:03carefully. "You need to keep eating,"
8:31:07Alice advised him as Carl began to
8:31:09relax. That made him open his eyes and
8:31:12look at his hand as he reached out for
8:31:14more food. "What the hell? What happened
8:31:18to me?" He gasped as he looked at the
8:31:20skeletal thin arm in front of him. "You
8:31:23tell us." You suddenly started to
8:31:26wither, and it's still ongoing, though
8:31:28not as fast as it was at first. "You
8:31:31look like hell," Alice replied.
8:31:35Carl dug into what looked like a set of
8:31:37plates from the buffet, piled high with
8:31:39whatever could be grabbed, and tried to
8:31:41form his thoughts. "The monsters don't
8:31:44share a space the way that I expected
8:31:45them to, or rather, they can't. I didn't
8:31:49realize that until the third one hatched
8:31:51and bonded. It needed to form another
8:31:53mental space, and I wasn't prepared. It
8:31:57drew the energy it needed from me, and
8:31:58it looks like I barely managed to keep
8:32:00up. If the beasts hadn't been
8:32:03hatchlings, they would have needed more
8:32:05energy to stabilize a space at their
8:32:06power level, and I would most likely be
8:32:08dead right now, or one of them would
8:32:10have broken free. There is a cap on the
8:32:13size, but not on the power density of
8:32:15the first space that I have reached.
8:32:18But there is a minimum requirement to
8:32:20properly bond a new pet. I know that
8:32:22now. One separate mental space with as
8:32:25much or more stored energy than the
8:32:27creature being bonded has. In the
8:32:30future, it would be best to keep going
8:32:32with hatchlings unless I have time to
8:32:34form a space for them in advance and to
8:32:36stock it with massive amounts of energy.
8:32:38But right now, I need a lot of food for
8:32:41growing beasts and to try to recover
8:32:43what was spent. I don't even know how
8:32:45long that will take.
8:32:47Have any of you ever seen anything like
8:32:49this before? Carl explained. Jod
8:32:53frowned. I have, but it was the result
8:32:56of a hostile spell, not backlash from an
8:32:58ability. It looks like there are dangers
8:33:01to overextending yourself in this way.
8:33:04But are the two new beasts really
8:33:06stable? Carl inspected the beast spaces?
8:33:10Yes, they are stable, at least for now.
8:33:14They are going to need some time before
8:33:15they're ready to actually begin
8:33:17training, but they are stabilized.
8:33:19Then our priority is to get you back
8:33:21into functional shape. We will help you
8:33:24eat and try to regain energy tonight.
8:33:26And then in the morning, we will
8:33:27determine if you need to be hospitalized
8:33:29until you can regain enough of the lost
8:33:31mass to be safely moved back to the
8:33:33academy. Alice informed him with a
8:33:35pitying look on her face. I guess I had
8:33:38better get to work on my recovery then.
8:33:41What do we have for higher rank foods? I
8:33:44will let you know when it's too much for
8:33:46me to digest efficiently.
8:33:48Carl side. Start with this salad. It
8:33:52might taste awful, but it's the most
8:33:54potent in the group. It was prepared for
8:33:57us to recover quickly from injuries, so
8:33:59it has healing properties and a
8:34:01commander rank base. Alice offered. Carl
8:34:05took the first bite, and energy flooded
8:34:07his system at a rate faster than
8:34:09anything he had ever experienced. then
8:34:11began to drain into all three of the
8:34:13beast spaces as fast as he could eat. It
8:34:16took immense focus to keep some of that
8:34:18for his own body, but after a few bites,
8:34:20he was getting the hang of splitting the
8:34:22energy four ways. The mental strain of
8:34:25the new spaces was diminishing as the
8:34:27energy influx became greater than the
8:34:28beasts need to draw from him in order to
8:34:30stabilize their early growth. But the
8:34:32pounding headache that Carl had was only
8:34:34getting worse. It felt like someone was
8:34:37kicking him in the skull from the
8:34:38inside, but he had no idea what he
8:34:40should do about it. Then, after a few
8:34:43minutes and three of the four salads,
8:34:46Carl found the reason. A new voice broke
8:34:49through the pain and whispered in his
8:34:50mind. "This food is good. Is there
8:34:54more?" The placid voice was coming from
8:34:57the newest of the spaces in his mind
8:34:59which was currently occupied by the Sero
8:35:01who was happily munching away on the
8:35:03plants as his body grew from its
8:35:05hatchling state. I will get you more
8:35:07before that runs out. Carl agreed. That
8:35:11was enough to reassure the creature and
8:35:13with it the pressure on Carl's mind. At
8:35:16least some of the pressure on his mind.
8:35:20The bond with the bloodbath spider was
8:35:22still not strong enough. And while the
8:35:23creature seemed happy with the situation
8:35:25that it was in, the bond between them
8:35:27still needed work until Carl could speak
8:35:29to it mentally and ensure that it wasn't
8:35:31going to escape and run rampant through
8:35:33the town. Hawk had a habit of wandering
8:35:36out of the space any time that he
8:35:37wanted, but Carl was fairly certain that
8:35:39he could keep the beasts in the space if
8:35:41he wanted to. Once the bond was formed,
8:35:44they would obey his orders without too
8:35:46many questions, and asking that they
8:35:48stay inside was a simple enough request.
8:35:51With the singular goal of stopping the
8:35:53pain in his head, Carl kept adding
8:35:55energy to the spaces, working to
8:35:57strengthen them while he rebuilt the
8:35:58damage that was done to his body as well
8:36:00as he could with the excess energy that
8:36:02he could spare from the process. A few
8:36:05minutes later, a man in a white coat
8:36:07came into the room carrying a large box
8:36:09full of various potions and assorted
8:36:11tools that Carl vaguely recognized as
8:36:13medical devices in his distracted state.
8:36:16He's stable, according to my skill, but
8:36:18he's got a long way to go. I will give
8:36:21him a regrowth potion. And I hope that
8:36:23your overseer will cover the cost. These
8:36:26things aren't cheap, the doctor informed
8:36:29the other elites in the room. Daniel
8:36:32laughed. We were sent here directly by
8:36:35the Bureau of Elite Development. We can
8:36:38put it on the expense account. No need
8:36:40for a reimbursement filing. That was the
8:36:43best news that the doctor had heard all
8:36:45day. And with that magic promise of a
8:36:47direct billing to the expense account,
8:36:49he was eager to break out all the best
8:36:50treatments to get the young student
8:36:52fully recovered from whatever mishap he
8:36:54had sustained.
8:36:55Might I ask what caused this? If I know,
8:36:59I might be able to treat it more
8:37:00effectively,
8:37:02the doctor asked. That's a fine
8:37:05question, and we really don't know the
8:37:07answer. He is a strange class marking,
8:37:10and he bonded a windspeed hawk type
8:37:12magical beast to him in order to gain
8:37:13power.
8:37:15On this outing, we wanted to see if he
8:37:17could add more monsters and expand his
8:37:19powers. Well, it worked and he added
8:37:22two, but there was some sort of
8:37:24backlash. It was too much mental strain,
8:37:26but then it started siphoning off his
8:37:28body as well. Alice explained.
8:37:32What two monsters?
8:37:34The doctor asked. Aero, probably one of
8:37:38the smaller lightning adept varieties,
8:37:40and a bloodbath spider, both hatchlings.
8:37:43She explained, "It is possible that the
8:37:46bloodbath spider was not getting what it
8:37:48needed, and it fed from the elitees body
8:37:50instead. Did you find some food for it?
8:37:54Hatchlings are born hungry," he asked.
8:37:58"We did. There is a lot of awakened
8:38:01quality blood for it and a smaller
8:38:02amount of ascended because we weren't
8:38:04sure what it would be able to digest,
8:38:07Alice explained.
8:38:09The doctor pulled another set of potions
8:38:11out and began to set up and for drip for
8:38:13Carl to make it easier to keep feeding
8:38:15him potions until he recovered. I
8:38:18suspect that a lot of the issue will be
8:38:19blood loss and extreme dehydration.
8:38:23Did you say that the serrow has
8:38:24lightning or regeneration as its primary
8:38:26racial skill? the doctor requested with
8:38:30a notepad in his hands. We would assume
8:38:33lightning as they were the smaller
8:38:34variety at the nest, but it's freshly
8:38:36hatched and we haven't seen the bonded
8:38:38animals ability yet. That was good
8:38:41enough for the doctor and he added more
8:38:43rapid healing medication to the bag and
8:38:45an electrical insulator on the stand.
8:38:48One thing that he didn't want was for
8:38:50his expensive treatment to get shocked
8:38:52into uselessness if the monster broke
8:38:53free during treatment. He needn't have
8:38:56worried so much about that particular
8:38:58pet. It was perfectly happy eating in
8:39:01the beast space with little to no
8:39:03motivation to do anything else right
8:39:05now. The bloodbath spider, on the other
8:39:08hand, was gluted on monster blood and
8:39:10bored, looking for something to do while
8:39:12it was stuck in a featureless space with
8:39:14barely enough energy to be comfortable.
8:39:17I will add more features later so that
8:39:19you can start making yourself
8:39:20comfortable. Carl placed the spider. at
8:39:24least a tree to build my web in
8:39:26something. The spider complained, not
8:39:29understanding the intricacies of
8:39:31building the contents of the space. Carl
8:39:34took a branch from the pile of food that
8:39:36they had brought into the room for him
8:39:37to feed his pets, and moved it into the
8:39:39fist-sized spider's area near the bucket
8:39:42of blood. That's a start. It sighed with
8:39:45relief, then said about making a nest in
8:39:48the branch with stringers that ran to
8:39:50the bucket so it didn't have to walk
8:39:51across the unnerving nothingness to get
8:39:53there. An hour later, the doctor
8:39:56switched the medicines in the four bag,
8:39:58and Carl's body began filling back out
8:40:00to something closer to his natural
8:40:02state. It wasn't a full recovery, but
8:40:05the elites in the room were feeling a
8:40:07lot better about his chances of not only
8:40:08surviving this mishap, but coming out
8:40:10better for it. The two monsters that
8:40:13Carl had bonded would both grow up to be
8:40:15extremely powerful without any
8:40:17additional help. But the evidence showed
8:40:18that simply being bonded to Carl would
8:40:20help them grow to be smarter and
8:40:22stronger than usual in a much shorter
8:40:24time. Between the hawk, the armored body
8:40:27of the Sero, and the bloodbath spider,
8:40:29they would form a combination that very
8:40:31few elites would be able to take down
8:40:33once they were fully grown. The bond
8:40:36grew as Carl stabilized the spaces all
8:40:38through the next day. And after a few
8:40:40glasses of straight monster blood, they
8:40:42were beginning to make progress on
8:40:44returning his body to its normal state.
8:40:46Currently, the feedback from the two new
8:40:48monsters wasn't great. And mostly it was
8:40:51them drawing from Carl and Hawk, who was
8:40:53also eating heavily to sustain the
8:40:55burden of their two rapidly growing
8:40:57hatchlings.
8:40:58But already Carl could feel that the
8:41:00demand was decreasing as they grew in
8:41:02power. And soon it would reverse with
8:41:04them beginning to strengthen his
8:41:05awakened grade physique. The bloodbath
8:41:08spider in particular. It was born on the
8:41:11strong side of awakened rank, going by
8:41:13its physique. But nobody in the room
8:41:15really knew what its innate skill was.
8:41:18It could tear apart an armored car with
8:41:20its mandibles and smoothly cut through
8:41:22monster flesh with the claws at the end
8:41:24of its legs, but pure power wasn't
8:41:26enough to explain its deadly reputation
8:41:28at its level. Just after lunch, the best
8:41:32sign that the bonds were normalizing,
8:41:34appeared. The Sarah, who insisted its
8:41:37name was Thor, after someone in the room
8:41:39had mentioned the mythical god of
8:41:40lightning, had settled in to sleep off a
8:41:42heavy meal, and Carl received a mental
8:41:45impression of a new power. Refreshing
8:41:47lightning create a lightning barrier
8:41:49around the caster that damages enemies
8:41:51and increases healing speed. Thor's
8:41:54lightning isn't just lightning. It is a
8:41:57magical effect that also slightly
8:41:59increases healing speed. I just gained
8:42:02access to it, but I don't dare use it in
8:42:04bed and hooked up to the four. At least
8:42:07not the first time, Carl informed the
8:42:10others. Whoops of joy filled the small
8:42:13hotel room, and the weary elites began
8:42:15to celebrate the fact that there didn't
8:42:17seem to be any lingering damage to
8:42:19Carl's body from the mishap. Now, we
8:42:22just need to find out what the ability
8:42:23of the bloodbath spider is, and we're
8:42:26set. Alice cheered. Carl checked on the
8:42:30spider in his mind. It had gone from the
8:42:32size of a baseball to the size of a
8:42:34volleyball overnight, and it had
8:42:36consumed nearly a third of the bucket of
8:42:38blood that they had provided for it. But
8:42:40it was happily sleeping in the hammock
8:42:42it had made in the small branch it had
8:42:44been given, and wasn't ready to answer
8:42:46questions yet. Give it a bit longer.
8:42:50They're both sleeping it off, and I need
8:42:52to do some more strengthening of the
8:42:53spaces before they grow any more
8:42:55powerful. The incredible body growth
8:42:58speed is great in theory, but I wasn't
8:43:00prepared to contain them, and I'm still
8:43:02worried that they will grow faster than
8:43:03I can keep providing a home for them.
8:43:06Hawk was good that way. His initial
8:43:08power level started low, and he grew
8:43:10with practice, but these two are growing
8:43:12powerful quickly without any training at
8:43:14all. He explained, "That's fine. Take
8:43:18all the time that you need. Should we
8:43:21get you more of the monster blood to
8:43:22drink?" Jod asked, concern clear on his
8:43:26face. It's fine. I think that the
8:43:30initial lack was due to the spider, and
8:43:32once we got a bucket of blood in there
8:43:33for it, I just needed to replenish what
8:43:35I lost. Carl side. That was completely
8:43:40unexpected, but they had gained valuable
8:43:42insights into the bonding process and
8:43:44the possible side effects of bonding to
8:43:46something beyond your level. The spider
8:43:49still hadn't made direct contact with
8:43:50his mind yet, though he could feel its
8:43:52curiosity about where it was and what
8:43:54Carl was. They were lone predators by
8:43:57nature and had only recently taken to
8:43:59protecting their young as their numbers
8:44:01dwindled. Before that, they were
8:44:03nomadic, and once they mated, the
8:44:05females would lay single eggs every few
8:44:08days as they traveled, spreading their
8:44:10clutch far and wide. For most of the
8:44:13day, they all rested, moving past the
8:44:15excitement of the night before. And just
8:44:17before dinner, the doctor came to remove
8:44:19the four stand and the needles from
8:44:21Carl's arm. It looks like you're healed
8:44:23well enough to be in the clear now. Not
8:44:26all elites heal faster than normal, but
8:44:28you should be all right on your own, and
8:44:30you will just need some training to
8:44:32rebuild the muscle mass that you lost.
8:44:34The doctor informed Carl with a
8:44:36professional gaze. Thanks, document. I
8:44:40will get to that as soon as the
8:44:41headaches are gone and I'm feeling less
8:44:43dizzy. I think it should be within a day
8:44:46or so. Possibly right after dinner, Carl
8:44:51replied. The doctor got back to tending
8:44:54to the rest of the frontier town, which
8:44:56Carl had learned was as much a military
8:44:58outpost as a town. They might not dress
8:45:01like it, but most of the towns folk were
8:45:03low-level elites, people who never made
8:45:05it past common grade, and who signed up
8:45:07to work for the Defense Department.
8:45:10Like the doctor who could make various
8:45:12medicines but nothing amazingly powerful
8:45:14by magical standards. They were still
8:45:16elites but doing the most dangerous sort
8:45:19of job by keeping the wild monsters
8:45:21restricted to the south and not moving
8:45:22into the more populated areas. Let me
8:45:25stand up and I will see if this
8:45:27lightning is enough to help me recover.
8:45:30Carl suggested
8:45:32outside.
8:45:34Try the first time outside in case you
8:45:36can't control it properly. Daniel
8:45:39reminded him. The first few attempts to
8:45:42stand up were shaky, but Carl was
8:45:44feeling better by the step, and once
8:45:46they were out in the parking lot, he was
8:45:48ready to give the refreshing lightning a
8:45:50try. Soft blue light crackled over his
8:45:53body, and Carl felt his body
8:45:55strengthening while the sleeping Thor
8:45:57woke up for a moment to see who was
8:45:59under attack. Once it realized that it
8:46:01was just Carl healing himself, the
8:46:03newborn beast went back to sleep, secure
8:46:06in its small home and tired from the
8:46:08effort of growing so much. Impressive.
8:46:12The muscle mass is growing back at a
8:46:14notable rate, recovering from the
8:46:15damaged and dehydrated tissues. Your
8:46:18skin is clearing up and your pores are
8:46:20getting cleansed. You even smell faintly
8:46:23of ozone. It's a healing effect and a
8:46:26spa treatment in one. Jod noted with
8:46:29glee. Unfortunately, I can't put it on
8:46:32anyone else, but I think it's going to
8:46:35be a fairly reliable defensive
8:46:36technique.
8:46:38Carl agreed. The last thing that they
8:46:41needed to do to determine the usefulness
8:46:42of the ability was to test it. Alice
8:46:45raised a barrier in between them and
8:46:47gestured toward it with her fist. With
8:46:50just the lightning up, give that a punch
8:46:52as hard as you can. It will tell us how
8:46:55your muscles are recovering, as well as
8:46:57if the lightning can already stand up to
8:46:59an awakened rank impact. If it can't, it
8:47:02will break around your fist when you hit
8:47:04the barrier," she explained.
8:47:07Carl snapped a fast punch at the barrier
8:47:10and frowned. His strength wasn't fully
8:47:13recovered, and the physical strength
8:47:14wasn't as high as he would have
8:47:16preferred, but the lightning crackled
8:47:17against the barrier, making it glow
8:47:19bright blue and held firm. Well, it's an
8:47:23awakened rank ability for certain. Carl
8:47:26will need to keep the lightning up as
8:47:28much as possible for a while, but the
8:47:30barrier is as good or better than that
8:47:31awakened rank training armor. Alice
8:47:34informed the others. Is it safe to
8:47:37touch? As in, can you sit down in a
8:47:40chair without scorching it? Daniel
8:47:43asked. Carl took a step back and saw the
8:47:46faint scorch marks where he was
8:47:47standing. I'm going with no. Even
8:47:51through my shoes, it's burning the
8:47:53ground. But it's not burning off my
8:47:55uniform, which is a big win for my
8:47:58dignity. Carl replied with a shrug.
8:48:02Yeah, best not to tempt fate. You aren't
8:48:05recovering as fast as the big Sero or
8:48:07the Trice with their indestructible
8:48:09innate ability, but it's still much
8:48:11faster than I had expected. Daniel
8:48:14agreed. I feel well enough to sit for a
8:48:17proper dinner now. So, how about we go
8:48:19eat? Carl suggested as he released the
8:48:22refreshing lightning ability. Eat? A
8:48:26soft, feminine voice hissed in his mind.
8:48:29Are you hungry for something different?
8:48:31Carl asked delicately, hoping to make a
8:48:34good first impression on the spider. No.
8:48:37Blood is life. Life is power. I need a
8:48:40bigger nest before I lure prey. she
8:48:43replied. The spider reminded Carl of
8:48:46when Hawk was a baby, all about food,
8:48:50always with the mice requests.
8:48:52Of course, if he hadn't had a massive
8:48:54growth spurt, those requests might not
8:48:57have stopped. But the focus on making
8:48:58the beast situation right for
8:49:00comfortable eating was the same. The
8:49:03group sat down to a proper dinner at a
8:49:05restaurant down the street, while the
8:49:06spider peered out of Carl's mind,
8:49:08content in its small nest, but intrigued
8:49:11by the world around them. They killed it
8:49:13and burned it. Why do they do that to
8:49:16the food? The spider asked. For humans,
8:49:20it tastes better this way and we can
8:49:22digest it more easily. Carl informed
8:49:26her. Interesting. I will try some. Carl
8:49:31put a bit of steak in the beast space,
8:49:33and the spider happily tore it apart
8:49:35before eating it in delicate bites that
8:49:36directly contrasted with the ferocity
8:49:38used to portion it. Not bad. It
8:49:41simulates the warmth of living food.
8:49:44Humans are strange but smart. It is very
8:49:48tender and they put something on it for
8:49:50flavor as well. I approve. Carl smiled
8:49:54at the response and Alice gestured for
8:49:56him to share with the group. My new
8:49:59spider friend gives her compliments to
8:50:00the chef. She approves of making the
8:50:03meat hot and tender as well as the
8:50:05seasoning. Carl explained. Does she have
8:50:09a name? Alice asked. Carl knew she was
8:50:13listening, so he waited while she came
8:50:15up with an answer. Even if you don't,
8:50:18that is fine. I can help you come up
8:50:20with what you would like to be called
8:50:22later. He soothed the spider. What
8:50:25should I be called? For I am the bringer
8:50:28of death, the one that all are fearful
8:50:30to speak of, the shadow that stalks the
8:50:32night and haunts the dreams of prey. I
8:50:35am power and stealth. What name could
8:50:37suit such a mighty being? Carl could
8:50:40sense the immense pride, but it was for
8:50:42her speech and not for herself. She was
8:50:46very proud that she had come up with
8:50:47something good, and she had no concept
8:50:49of what an edgy emo teen was, so she had
8:50:52no idea how much she sounded like one.
8:50:55She hasn't yet picked a suitable name.
8:50:58If I come up with one, we will decide on
8:51:00it later. Carl informed the others. We
8:51:04will come up with something suitably
8:51:06impressive for you, but maybe it will be
8:51:08simple. Thor named himself after the god
8:51:11of lightning, so perhaps you would like
8:51:13to be named after the spider goddess
8:51:15Arachnne.
8:51:17Carl suggested.
8:51:19There was a pause as she considered it.
8:51:21The spider didn't know anything about
8:51:23human gods. Is she a cool god? She
8:51:27asked.
8:51:29Very cool and the most talented of gods
8:51:31at weaving. Carl agreed. That name is
8:51:35too coursearse. I will be Ry, short for
8:51:38Arachnne.
8:51:40She decided
8:51:42change of plans. She will be called Ry,
8:51:45short for Arachnne, the spider goddess.
8:51:48Carl explained to the group who were all
8:51:50waiting while he had a silent
8:51:52conversation in his mind. Hawk, Thor,
8:51:55and Ray, all superb names. Daniel
8:51:59complimented the beasts before
8:52:00continuing to eat.
8:52:02Please let us know when we can meet her.
8:52:05Alice replied with a smile and Carl felt
8:52:08the spider looking out of his mind.
8:52:10Later. Not now. It is too bright and too
8:52:14far from my nest. Maybe tonight. She
8:52:18isn't fond of bright places while she's
8:52:20still growing. Carl explained.
8:52:23Oh, that makes sense. We will meet
8:52:26tonight if she is up for it. And then
8:52:28after we have done some basic tests
8:52:30tomorrow, we will head back to the
8:52:31academy. I'm sure they're concerned
8:52:34about you. And Sergeant Rita is probably
8:52:36going to murder me for ruining her
8:52:38lesson plans again. Alice laughed. Carl
8:52:42gave her a questioning look. And the
8:52:44mage continued. Well, you've got three
8:52:47pets now, right? Hawk is wellversed in
8:52:50working with you, but he's never worked
8:52:52with the others, and they haven't done
8:52:54any survival training at all. Once they
8:52:57are back at the academy, the sergeant
8:52:59will want them all trained to work in a
8:53:00team for safety and to enhance their
8:53:02power. She explained
8:53:05that got Thor's attention. There is
8:53:08safety and power in numbers. Together is
8:53:11much better than alone. On the way back
8:53:14to the hotel, Carl called out to Thor,
8:53:16who immediately began to run in a
8:53:18circle, sniffing the other team members
8:53:20so that he would recognize them as
8:53:22friends later. Then he came to stand by
8:53:25Carl's feet and looked around for
8:53:26something to eat. There isn't much food
8:53:29out here. But there are more friends.
8:53:33When we get back to the academy, I will
8:53:35introduce you to other trustworthy
8:53:36people as well. Carl explained. The
8:53:40lightning sparrow was the size of a
8:53:42large dog already, up from the ostrich
8:53:44egg size that he started from, and his
8:53:46horns were already beginning to grow.
8:53:49one on his nose above the thick beak
8:53:51mouth and two more on the armored frill
8:53:54that looked strangely like jade stone,
8:53:56slightly shiny with wavy white lines
8:53:58through it in a pattern that spread down
8:54:00all its scales and thickened to pure
8:54:02white on its belly. The tail ended in a
8:54:05large armored ball with small studs all
8:54:07over it like a living wrecking ball. But
8:54:09Thor was careful not to smash people
8:54:11with his tail as he ran around. The
8:54:14town's people looked at them like they
8:54:15were crazy, wandering around with a baby
8:54:18lightning sero. But the creature was
8:54:19happy like a puppy and not attacking
8:54:21anyone. So, they didn't voice their
8:54:23complaints about the danger of bringing
8:54:25monsters into town. Humans don't get
8:54:28big, do they? Just wait. I will be big
8:54:31enough to take care of you soon. Thor
8:54:34informed him with certainty that made
8:54:35Hawk laugh.
8:54:37Carl hadn't realized that the beasts
8:54:39could hear each other when they talked
8:54:40to him. But Hawk certainly could hear
8:54:42Thor. Thor wasn't worried about Hawk,
8:54:45though. His scales were so hard that the
8:54:48average windspeed Hawk would only pose a
8:54:50minimal threat to him, and they would be
8:54:52unable to drag him away into the sky
8:54:54with his size. Hawk still might not be
8:54:57able to lift him easily. But with Ren
8:54:59and Shred, the winner of a fight between
8:55:01them was unlikely to be Thor until he
8:55:03grew up. Humans don't have to be huge.
8:55:06They're smart. Haven't you been looking
8:55:09at all the strange things they have
8:55:10made? This place is like one huge web
8:55:13for hundreds of them. Rey added in her
8:55:16gentle voice. Thor didn't understand.
8:55:20Webs weren't a danger. They were just
8:55:22silk strings. But there were plenty of
8:55:25humans here, a whole herd of them that
8:55:27stayed in one spot. So, they must be
8:55:29strong somehow.
8:55:31Thor took in everything that there was
8:55:33to see and relayed the information to
8:55:35the others. Ry didn't want to come out
8:55:37in the light, and Hawk knew that they
8:55:39were likely to shoot at him if he flew
8:55:41around town. Jod led them to an open
8:55:44field near the edge of town, a sport
8:55:46field for the local school, and then
8:55:48stopped the group. "Let's get everyone
8:55:50out now. I know that Rey isn't
8:55:53comfortable in the light, but we're all
8:55:55friends here, so it should be all right.
8:55:58He announced, using his tone to imply
8:56:00that it was more of an order than a
8:56:01suggestion. Hawk happily went to stand
8:56:04by Thor, but Ry hesitated, still
8:56:07uncomfortable being in the open and
8:56:08around anyone in the light. Carl went
8:56:11over to stand in the shade of some trees
8:56:13at the edge of the field. And Ry
8:56:15relented, exiting the beast space to
8:56:17hide in the branches. If there is a
8:56:20threat, I will pull you right back into
8:56:21the space if you don't notice it first.
8:56:24Just focus on the space and you can
8:56:26return to it when you are close to me.
8:56:29Carl informed the skittish spider. Isn't
8:56:32she coming out? Jod asked, and Carl
8:56:35sensed Ray's smug smile even without
8:56:37looking at her. She's a bloodbath
8:56:40spider. Her body adapts coloration to
8:56:43her surroundings.
8:56:45She's in the tree, you idiot.
8:56:48Anise reprimanded him, speaking for the
8:56:50first time all day and startling
8:56:52everyone. She was normally quiet and let
8:56:54the boisterous blonde man do all the
8:56:56talking. But when she did speak, her
8:56:59reprimand brought him to an instant
8:57:00stop. "Oh, right. Yes, there she is."
8:57:06Jodie stammered while Alice openly
8:57:08laughed at him. "I like your friends.
8:57:12They're funny." Ry giggled. Miss Ray,
8:57:16would you mind attacking a barrier spell
8:57:18for me so we can see how your abilities
8:57:20are growing? Alice asked politely before
8:57:23making the barrier in the branches of
8:57:25the tree so the spider didn't have to
8:57:27come out. Ry inspected it for a moment.
8:57:30Then her body surged with power and she
8:57:32descended upon the barrier in a frenzy
8:57:34of violence. As soon as she attacked,
8:57:37Carl understood the brilliance of the
8:57:39bloodbath spider's evolution. The energy
8:57:42on her front claws and mandibles adapted
8:57:44as soon as she first touched the
8:57:46barrier, and insight flowed into Carl's
8:57:48mind. Offensive adaptation, passive
8:57:51ability that allows attacks to take on a
8:57:53more efficient form based on the target.
8:57:56Alice whistled in appreciation as the
8:57:58blows rain down on the barrier until the
8:58:00spider exhausted herself and backed up
8:58:02to the trunk of the tree, annoyed that
8:58:04the barrier didn't break. That is
8:58:06impressive.
8:58:08Just on attack power, you would
8:58:10certainly be ranked as ascended, though
8:58:12the actual energy level is much lower
8:58:14and at the bottom end of awakened. Alice
8:58:17informed her. Then the mage turned to
8:58:19Thor. Would you like to try as well? She
8:58:23set up the barrier on the ground,
8:58:25standing as tall as herself, and Thor
8:58:27ran off into the distance, then coated
8:58:29himself in lightning before charging
8:58:31forward. The beast hit the magical
8:58:34barrier with a bang and rebounded,
8:58:36lifting himself up off the ground and
8:58:38hurling himself back half a meter. Then
8:58:41he laughed, ran off, and came at it
8:58:43again. This is awesome. Thor cheered as
8:58:47he slammed into the spell again at a
8:58:49full run. Be careful or you're going to
8:58:52break a horn. Carl laughed as the
8:58:54lightning sero made for a third pass.
8:58:57Horns are hard. They will be fine. The
8:59:01lightning isn't breaking. Thor replied,
8:59:04then slammed into the barrier again,
8:59:06lighting it up and flinging himself into
8:59:08the air. How his neck is fine after
8:59:11that, I have no idea. I've never seen an
8:59:14animal seriously injure themselves in a
8:59:16charge, but it's not normally that
8:59:18violent," Daniel joked. Thor roared in
8:59:22pride and slammed into the barrier again
8:59:24before laughing and panting. We will
8:59:27have to work on your cardio if you're
8:59:29going to play with the barrier all day
8:59:30long. Carl informed him. I don't know
8:59:34what a cardio is, but I trust you. Thor
8:59:37replied as he caught his breath and
8:59:39prepared to go again. The group sat in
8:59:42the grass and watched Thor charged the
8:59:44barrier over and over while Ry laughed
8:59:46at him and Hawk lazily circled in the
8:59:48air over the field. Once they had
8:59:50realized that the monsters were with the
8:59:52elites in the field, the local citizens
8:59:54panic had subsided.
8:59:56The elites had seen stranger things in
8:59:58their time than a few tame beasts. So
9:00:00although they were deadly, the town's
9:00:02folk quickly realized that they weren't
9:00:04a threat. Once it started to get dark,
9:00:07Ray finally came down from the tree,
9:00:09blending into the grass as well as she
9:00:11could until she was hidden behind Carl's
9:00:13back where he sat at the edge of the
9:00:14field. That let her observe the humans
9:00:17from much closer while Hawk and Thor
9:00:19returned to their spaces to rest. We now
9:00:22know what allows the bloodbath spider to
9:00:24be so deadly.
9:00:26Lovely Miss Ray here can adapt her
9:00:28attacks to whatever she is targeting, so
9:00:30it's the most efficient option for
9:00:32destroying it. Carl was explaining to
9:00:34the others, "Hey, why are you telling
9:00:37them that?" She protested,
9:00:41"So they can come up with a way to help
9:00:42you make it even stronger." Carl
9:00:45replied, "She had to think about that
9:00:48for a while, as did the other elites.
9:00:51Can you do it since you're bonded with
9:00:53her?" Alice asked. I can, but not as
9:00:57well as she can. Carl agreed. He
9:01:01couldn't modify his gloves or even his
9:01:03fingernails with the ability like she
9:01:04could her claws and mandibles, but the
9:01:06energy from Ren could be altered to some
9:01:08degree when it was held in a layer over
9:01:10them. Alice brought up another barrier,
9:01:13and Carl focused for a second before
9:01:15throwing a full strength shred at it.
9:01:18The spell changed from red to golden as
9:01:20it hit the barrier and the field filled
9:01:22with golden light as the spell was
9:01:24dissipated. Pain lanced through Carl's
9:01:27skull and he cradled his head in his
9:01:29hands. It looks like I'm not quite at
9:01:32full recovery yet. The energy draw still
9:01:35makes my head hurt after a single
9:01:37attack. Once the spaces are in better
9:01:40shape, I think that it should be fine. a
9:01:43week, maybe two," he explained.
9:01:47The others side in resignation.
9:01:49They would have to explain that he was
9:01:51injured during a training mishap if he
9:01:53wouldn't be healed before they returned.
9:01:54And they really didn't want to have to
9:01:56fill out the paperwork involved in
9:01:58returning an injured student to the
9:01:59academy. Why don't we give it another
9:02:02day here and you can meditate with the
9:02:03lightning barrier up the entire time
9:02:05except for meals? Then we can judge
9:02:08whether it will take the full 2 weeks to
9:02:10completely recover. Daniel suggested.
9:02:14That's not a bad idea. I will start as
9:02:17soon as we get back. I understand now
9:02:20how to hold the barrier tight to my body
9:02:22so it doesn't burn things through my
9:02:23clothes. Carl agreed. Daniel gestured
9:02:27for him to try and then grabbed Carl's
9:02:30shirt and nodded in satisfaction when he
9:02:32didn't get shocked. That works for me. I
9:02:36will go buy a good cushion or a beanag
9:02:38chair for you. If you're going to
9:02:40meditate that long, comfort is
9:02:42important. The warrior informed the
9:02:45group. Carl ushered everyone into the
9:02:47space against Thor's protests.
9:02:50He was tired, but he wasn't done with
9:02:52the barrier game yet. You can play again
9:02:55later. There are more mages at the
9:02:58academy who can create them, and Miss
9:03:00Alice will be at most of my classes to
9:03:02make them while I work, Carl explained.
9:03:06Thor was excited, but Ry wasn't much
9:03:08less eager to test that barrier again.
9:03:11She would take some time to figure out
9:03:13how it worked and grow a little more.
9:03:15Then she was certain she could find a
9:03:16way to destroy it. If it existed, she
9:03:20could eventually find a way to tear it
9:03:21apart to get to the good bits inside.
9:03:24Maybe that was it. She might just be
9:03:26lacking motivation.
9:03:28She would ask Carl to put food inside
9:03:30the barrier when she was ready to try
9:03:32again. That should help. Or she could
9:03:35practice on Thor's barrier and try to
9:03:38break it right before he could ram it.
9:03:40That would be fun, too. The fact that
9:03:43Alice was a commander rank mage made no
9:03:45difference to Rey. It was just a matter
9:03:48of time in her mind before she would be
9:03:50able to smash that barrier with a single
9:03:52strike. Carl had two goals that night.
9:03:56First, he would create a nice shady set
9:03:58of low trees for Ry to rest and make her
9:04:00web in. And he would make a training
9:04:02field for Thor to run around. That Carl
9:04:05had two goals that night. First, he
9:04:08would create a nice shady set of low
9:04:10trees for Ry to rest and make her web
9:04:12in, and would be enough to keep the two
9:04:14of them happy for a little while. and
9:04:16the standard of having decent plant life
9:04:18corresponded to the level of beast space
9:04:20development that Hawk needed when he
9:04:21first advanced to awakened rank power.
9:04:24Carl was assuming that the development
9:04:26of the space that was needed would be
9:04:27the same for all beasts at the same
9:04:29power level and he would just have to
9:04:31keep up while they went through their
9:04:32initial growth phase. So, the space
9:04:34didn't fall behind and cause him this
9:04:36same mental pain again. Being unable to
9:04:39use the abilities that he had was a huge
9:04:41step backward for his personal power,
9:04:43even bigger than the degradation of his
9:04:45body that had yet to recover. Jod
9:04:48returned not long after they reached the
9:04:49hotel with a large beanag chair and a
9:04:52smile on his face. "This one is perfect.
9:04:56It is filled with glass beads. They're
9:04:59an electrical insulator, so the shock
9:05:01shouldn't travel anywhere, even if it
9:05:03leaks from Carl," he announced.
9:05:05That wasn't quite how magical lightning
9:05:07worked. It would melt the beads. But
9:05:09nobody bothered to mention that as a
9:05:11beanag chair was precisely what they
9:05:13needed. And even if the lightning leaked
9:05:15and melted the beads, it should form a
9:05:17more comfortable seat for Carl tonight.
9:05:20Once the recovery process was complete,
9:05:22Carl wouldn't have to split his energy
9:05:24into healing himself, and the
9:05:26development of the beast spaces would
9:05:28improve. But for now, the teams were
9:05:30more worried about avoiding a lingering
9:05:32injury report and light duty training
9:05:33modification appeal to go with the
9:05:35incident report that they were already
9:05:37going to have to do. Carl started with
9:05:40the easier parts, the increase in the
9:05:42quality of the two spaces and the
9:05:44addition of simple grass to the ground.
9:05:46Instead of the short grass that Hawk
9:05:48liked, it was longer grass. Ry liked to
9:05:51hide in the long grass, and Thor liked
9:05:54the way that it tickled his belly
9:05:55scales. No judgment.
9:05:58Then Carl left Thor's mostly empty as
9:06:01all the other plants in the space were
9:06:03going to be food products. The power
9:06:05density of both was increased evenly at
9:06:07the start. But after a few hours, Carl
9:06:10began to experiment and found that Ry
9:06:12actually required much more power in her
9:06:14space to relieve the strain on his mind.
9:06:17Her species was the more powerful of the
9:06:19two, and her power was growing more
9:06:21rapidly as well. The side effects of
9:06:24that could be problematic later, but the
9:06:26short-term benefits would be huge. By
9:06:29the time that the sun came up in the
9:06:30morning, Carl was no longer feeling the
9:06:33drain of the two monsters on his mind,
9:06:35and he was beginning to feel an influx
9:06:36of energy instead. Each of the three had
9:06:39a different feeling to it. It was
9:06:42difficult to describe, but Carl likened
9:06:44it to the feeling of wind in his hair,
9:06:46grass under his feet, and a comfortable
9:06:48blanket. He briefly stopped for
9:06:50breakfast in the restaurant downstairs,
9:06:52which had amassed a huge amount of meat,
9:06:55blood, and magical plants to restock his
9:06:57pets, then returned to his meditation.
9:07:00If he ever returned here, he would owe
9:07:02them a huge favor for helping him out
9:07:04with the feeding duties, as he now had
9:07:06weeks worth of food stored for everyone,
9:07:08and someone had even found him another
9:07:10strength stone to mix with the blood for
9:07:12Rey. That was a winning combination.
9:07:15According to the blood bath spider, the
9:07:18extra energy in the blood was helping
9:07:19her body form, which was improving the
9:07:21feedback, which in turn was restoring
9:07:23Carl's body and increasing the quality
9:07:25of her home. It might not look like they
9:07:28were getting much done, but the three
9:07:30monsters were undergoing a massive
9:07:32strengthening. Even Hawk was getting in
9:07:34on it now that the other two had
9:07:36stabilized.
9:07:38The three spaces seemed to feed off each
9:07:40other and the monsters within. that
9:07:42helped the others grow as much as it did
9:07:44Carl. And hour by hour, they were
9:07:46actually getting further ahead of him on
9:07:48the strength scale. It didn't feel like
9:07:51a problem. As long as the strength of
9:07:53the beast space held up, it didn't
9:07:55matter how strong his own body was. It
9:07:58was improving, though. He was stronger
9:08:01than before he had arrived, if not by
9:08:03much. That news was a massive relief to
9:08:06the others at dinner that evening.
9:08:08Seeing Carl recovered and glowing with
9:08:10power assured them that they had made
9:08:12the right choice in bringing him here
9:08:13and letting him bond both monsters.
9:08:16There was a short-term setback, but now
9:08:18they were ahead and still gaining. Do
9:08:21you think that there will be any
9:08:22long-term damage? Alice asked as Carl
9:08:25finished his dinner and prepared to go
9:08:27back to meditation.
9:08:29Not really. There will be a definite
9:08:32reduction in maximum growth speed with
9:08:34three spaces to enhance instead of two.
9:08:37I will be spending most of my spare time
9:08:39in meditation with little time for
9:08:41anything else until they are fullgrown.
9:08:44But after that, the extra space means
9:08:46what I can provide will be split three
9:08:48ways and it will be up to the feedback
9:08:50from the monsters to progress. Until I
9:08:53reach the higher side of commander rank,
9:08:55that shouldn't be a big issue as their
9:08:57natural growth will provide a
9:08:58significant portion of the strength
9:09:00growth we need. But after that, it's
9:09:03going to be a hard grind. And then I
9:09:05will either have to find another way to
9:09:06keep us growing or find a fourth partner
9:09:08with even higher potential to pull us
9:09:10all up. I'm not even sure that will be
9:09:13realistic, though. You saw what happened
9:09:16this time. Even if I prepare, how much
9:09:19strain will an overlord or royal rank
9:09:21monster cub put on my mind? They're even
9:09:24more intelligent than these three, or so
9:09:26I have heard. And their energy
9:09:27requirements have got to be immense.
9:09:30So, you're saying that your class will
9:09:32have a minimal impact on the growth of
9:09:34the monsters beyond their adult peak?
9:09:36Alice asked? Not quite. It will have a
9:09:40much larger impact on the ones with
9:09:42lower innate potential. And then after
9:09:44that bonus from the early growth phase
9:09:46ends, we will be looking at years and
9:09:48not weeks or months to move up a rank. I
9:09:51can't guarantee that it will hold true
9:09:53forever, but with the scaling once Hawk
9:09:55was full grown and the power difference
9:09:57between the levels that is described in
9:09:59the textbooks, I would say that making
9:10:01commander would be relatively easy, but
9:10:03it might be pushing it to make Royal
9:10:04before graduation and then Monarch by
9:10:07age 25.
9:10:09Of course, a new pet, a new technique,
9:10:11or even just a better understanding of
9:10:13how to leverage resources for growth
9:10:15could shorten that considerably.
9:10:17Alice laughed out loud, drawing the
9:10:20attention of the others in the
9:10:21restaurant. Don't let the others hear
9:10:23you call royal before 18 years old. A
9:10:26slow progression rate. Even I'm more
9:10:28than a little jealous and I'm still a
9:10:30young maiden. She reminded him quietly.
9:10:34Carl was fairly sure that neither of
9:10:36those words applied to Alice anymore, at
9:10:38least not from his perspective. But who
9:10:41was he to argue with her self
9:10:42assessment? Daniel tapped the table to
9:10:45get everyone's attention. We will be
9:10:48heading out in the morning. Carl has
9:10:50recovered enough to return to his
9:10:52regularly scheduled classes, and the
9:10:54pets are both bonded and growing
9:10:56smoothly. That completes the conditions
9:10:58of our outing, and the Colonel will not
9:11:00be happy if she finds out we decided to
9:11:02take a little vacation after the job was
9:11:04done. There was no doubt about that.
9:11:08Colonel Valerie had a bit of a human
9:11:10side, but it was hidden deep under her
9:11:12adherence to rules and regulations.
9:11:15To say that Rey was excited about the
9:11:17car ride was an understatement.
9:11:19The bloodbath spider naturally wanted to
9:11:21travel to spread their brood and find a
9:11:23mate. And as they gained intelligence,
9:11:25that instinct turned into a form of
9:11:27wanderlust.
9:11:29Being able to cover this much ground in
9:11:31one day was wonderful for the young
9:11:33spider who watched everything from the
9:11:35safety of her growing nest within the
9:11:36low trees and bushes that Carl was
9:11:38creating in the space for her. On the
9:11:41other hand, Thor had no interest at all
9:11:43in the scenery. He was content to munch
9:11:46all day long as long he was certain that
9:11:48he wasn't being left behind. Even
9:11:50compared to Rey, he still had a lot of
9:11:53growing to do. Most of her size would
9:11:55come from her long legs with a
9:11:57comparatively small body, so she was
9:11:59going to reach full maturity before he
9:12:01would, but he also had a solid and
9:12:03durable body to form with armored plates
9:12:05that needed time to solidify.
9:12:07Hulk was more eager to get back and show
9:12:09Dana their new friends. She had two
9:12:12golems now, but Carl had three pets.
9:12:16They weren't outnumbered anymore, and
9:12:18with the amount that Thor was growing,
9:12:20they wouldn't even be the physically
9:12:21smaller team for long.
9:12:23It was a good thing that the lightning
9:12:25Sarah was content to remain within his
9:12:27safe space because he wouldn't be able
9:12:28to wander around the balcony for long.
9:12:31Carl was more worried about Dana's
9:12:33response to Rey. The bloodbath spider
9:12:36was a sensitive soul, and having someone
9:12:38be terrified of her at first sight would
9:12:40be a heavy blow. Not everyone was
9:12:43terrified of spiders, but monstrous
9:12:45spiders the size of a small table might
9:12:47be a different story. They drove through
9:12:50the day and classes were long over by
9:12:52the time that they made it back to the
9:12:54academy. From the direction that they
9:12:56arrived, Carl realized that they had
9:12:58actually detoured around to the far side
9:13:00of the area by nearly 50 km because
9:13:03there was only one road leading in and
9:13:05out of the academy and it ran alongside
9:13:07the railroad tracks. Keeping the academy
9:13:10isolated was best for both safety and
9:13:12security. But he hadn't realized how
9:13:14remote this region was until he was
9:13:16paying attention to the trip during the
9:13:17daytime.
9:13:19All right, everyone will need to fill
9:13:21out a mission report for the morning,
9:13:22and this one is going to be
9:13:24significantly longer than usual with the
9:13:26progress that was made. I will let you
9:13:28all rest for now, and see you all
9:13:30later." Alice instructed the others
9:13:33while looking at Carl to ensure he knew
9:13:35that meant him as well. The academy and
9:13:37the government would naturally want to
9:13:39know all about the new pets, as well as
9:13:41the backlash from bonding, too, when his
9:13:43mind was only ready for one weaker pet.
9:13:46Normally, he would omit the speculative
9:13:48parts when he made a report. But this
9:13:50time, it seemed important enough not to
9:13:52skip, so he added it to his report along
9:13:54with a note about how trying to bond a
9:13:56fully grown monster might be a disaster
9:13:58if it was significantly more powerful
9:14:00than he was. Not to mention that fact
9:14:03that if it wasn't significantly stronger
9:14:05than him as an adult, then bonding it
9:14:07would be a mistake, as it would hinder
9:14:09his growth. A brisk knock at his door
9:14:11after dinner alerted him to a visitor,
9:14:13and Carl let Dana in. noticing how he
9:14:16looked a bit panicked and exhausted.
9:14:18"What happened? Did they come up with
9:14:21new training for you as well?" Carl
9:14:24asked as she flopped down on the bed.
9:14:26"You could say that." The choreography
9:14:29and singing teachers have decided that
9:14:31we're not paying enough attention to
9:14:32them with all the cutbacks in their
9:14:34aotted time. They have to split the
9:14:37afternoons now, and they have been
9:14:38prohibited from issuing homework as Jill
9:14:41decided my magic is more important than
9:14:43their department's plans.
9:14:45So, they're going crazy every day to
9:14:47pack everything they want me to learn
9:14:49into the time that they have," Dana
9:14:51explained, staring at the ceiling. "Have
9:14:54you eaten?" "I can grab something and
9:14:57bring it to the room. I have some new
9:15:00friends after this trip, and they could
9:15:02use a bit more variety in their diet,"
9:15:04Carl suggested.
9:15:06I did. Jill brought something to the end
9:15:09of choreography class, and I ate before
9:15:12coming over. I think that she's trying
9:15:14to pull me out of the classes entirely,
9:15:17but someone senior to her isn't going
9:15:18for it. Carl smiled.
9:15:22In that case, would you like to meet
9:15:24someone? She is a lovely fuzzy bloodbath
9:15:27spider and she likes meeting people, but
9:15:29not in the bright sunlight. Dana smiled.
9:15:33You bonded a spider. He nodded. And a
9:15:37lightning sparrow, but he's sleeping
9:15:39right now. Ry is growing more smoothly
9:15:42and she wants out to explore the room.
9:15:45Dana nodded and Carl brought the spider
9:15:47out to sit on the bed next to her. The
9:15:50two stared at each other for a few
9:15:52seconds. Then Dana smiled and Ray moved
9:15:54closer as if to get a better look at
9:15:56her. So, this is a juvenile female
9:16:00human. She's cuter than the other ones.
9:16:03Tell her that I say hello. Rey
9:16:06instructed.
9:16:08Rey says hello. I'm not sure if you can
9:16:11shake hands safely given her claws, but
9:16:14she's very friendly, Carl explained.
9:16:17Do you know about magic? I need to study
9:16:20some spells, and it was too loud in my
9:16:23dorm for that. It was great for focus
9:16:26training with the random explosions from
9:16:28the neighbors rooms making it harder to
9:16:29keep the spell stable, but for reading,
9:16:32it is just distracting.
9:16:34Dana asked the spider. I know about
9:16:37magic. Lots of animals use magic. What
9:16:41is reading? Carl briefly explained the
9:16:44concept of books, written language, and
9:16:46learning from recorded information,
9:16:48which shocked the young spider. That is
9:16:51great. You don't even need them to be
9:16:54nearby to learn from them. Books are
9:16:56good. I will watch her technique. Carl
9:17:00laughed. She's still quite young and
9:17:03hasn't seen enough books to learn to
9:17:05read yet, but she wants to watch you. I
9:17:08need to meditate to improve the power
9:17:10level in her mental space, but you two
9:17:12are free to work. Ry ran out onto the
9:17:15balcony and disappeared into the
9:17:17foliage, then followed Dana to the
9:17:19gazebo and began admiring the hammock
9:17:21before creating one of her own from
9:17:22webbing. Bloodbath spider web was very
9:17:26versatile. It could either be flimsy
9:17:28enough that the smallest of disturbances
9:17:30would break it and alert the spider in
9:17:32its web, or it could be strong enough to
9:17:34hold a 100 kg monster in place despite
9:17:36attempts to escape. What she used this
9:17:39time was the stronger kind, but without
9:17:41the stickiness, so that she could more
9:17:43easily move about and watch the reading
9:17:45process below her. Carl settled in to
9:17:48meditate, listening to Ray's reactions
9:17:50as she admired the pictures in the book
9:17:52and contemplated what the runes would
9:17:54mean. Dana was narrating things to her,
9:17:57thinking out loud as she worked on the
9:17:59assignment to improve her spell
9:18:00formation speed. Rey wasn't much help as
9:18:04she only knew one ability, but the moral
9:18:06support seemed to be helping the two of
9:18:08them bond. With Ry outside, it also
9:18:11reduced the strain on his mind a little
9:18:13as she was burning her energy and not
9:18:15using his to actively grow. Carl
9:18:18realized that this would be a great
9:18:19advantage to him and he worked much
9:18:21harder on her space, getting it further
9:18:23ahead of Thor's space in balance with
9:18:25the progression speed of the two
9:18:27species.
9:18:28The next morning, Carl completely forgot
9:18:31to warn Jill about the spider on the
9:18:32balcony. But when she failed to return
9:18:34with Dana after a minute, he went in to
9:18:37check on them and found her wrapped up
9:18:38like a cocoon and glowing with power
9:18:40from her hastily raised magical barrier.
9:18:43Thanks for finally coming to check on
9:18:45me. Now, would you kindly ask this young
9:18:48lady to let me go so that I can get my
9:18:50charge to class on time? Jill requested.
9:18:54Carl considered the look of restrained
9:18:56rage at being attacked for a second time
9:18:58by Carl's pets when she went to wake
9:19:00Dana up. And for a moment, he
9:19:02contemplated whether it might not be
9:19:04safer to leave her there. But she could
9:19:06break out easily enough. She was just
9:19:08waiting for him to do it so that she
9:19:10didn't have to fight with the bloodbath
9:19:12spider. Rey, you can let her out. She is
9:19:16Dana's teacher. She won't hurt her. Just
9:19:18wake her up for early morning
9:19:20instructions before breakfast.
9:19:22Carl instructed.
9:19:24That sounds like torture to me. The
9:19:27spider replied suspiciously, then
9:19:29vanished into the beast space, which was
9:19:31now becoming much more comfortable after
9:19:33another night of work by Carl. All
9:19:36right. She's definitely not a morning
9:19:38person, but she won't attack anymore
9:19:40today. Carl informed the teacher, who
9:19:44gave him a pointed look. Right. The web.
9:19:48Carl activated the enhanced rend on his
9:19:50index finger and cut the surprisingly
9:19:52durable webbing down the front,
9:19:53releasing Jill to shake Dana awake. See,
9:19:57she's not even just vibrating the web.
9:19:59She's shaking her like some animal. Rey
9:20:02informed Carl in an insulted tone.
9:20:06Five more minutes. The young mage
9:20:08complained and Carl smiled. It was the
9:20:12same thing every day, but her schedule
9:20:14was so packed that she couldn't waste
9:20:15any time in the morning. Carl walked
9:20:18over and gently rocked the hammock, then
9:20:20plucked a string by Dana's head, which
9:20:22she should hear vibrating next to her
9:20:24ear. "Fine, I will get up," she mumbled
9:20:28and opened her eyes. "How did you do
9:20:31that?" Jill asked in shock. Wise advice
9:20:35from the bloodbath spider. She knows all
9:20:38the best ways to operate a web, Carl
9:20:41explained. Jill looked down at the
9:20:44massive spiderweb on the ground, then
9:20:46picked it up, expecting a mass of loose
9:20:48strands now that it had been cut open,
9:20:50but the strands were stuck to each other
9:20:52and interwoven, creating a form of
9:20:54blanket. "You know, this is actually
9:20:57pretty well-made, all things
9:20:58considered," Jill noted as she admired
9:21:01the soft white silk. Carl brought me a
9:21:04silk blanket. That looks comfy. Dana
9:21:08agreed while Carl tried not to laugh.
9:21:12No. A certain someone thought it was
9:21:14appropriate to wrap me in webbing when I
9:21:16tried to wake you up the first time. Now
9:21:19we need to go or we will be late. Carl,
9:21:23we will be borrowing your shower. There
9:21:25isn't time to make a detour across the
9:21:27floor. Jill insisted.
9:21:30You cut the times awfully close.
9:21:33Go ahead. I will head down and eat first
9:21:35while I go over my day with Sergeant
9:21:37Rita. I'm sure she has a few questions
9:21:40about my mission report anyhow. But Rita
9:21:43didn't lead him to the cafeteria. She
9:21:45led him to the staff lounge where they
9:21:47could talk without the curious student
9:21:48ears listening in. The teachers were all
9:21:51privy to the official reports, so there
9:21:53was no point in hiding it from them.
9:21:56Carl and Dana had been the talk of the
9:21:58staff for a while now. And once the new
9:22:00pet was spotted, everyone would be
9:22:02gossiping about it. Start at the
9:22:04beginning. There was a lot in that
9:22:07report, and I wanted playbyplay from the
9:22:09time that you left the academy, she
9:22:11instructed.
9:22:12Carl went over the trip, the early
9:22:14morning locust attack, and then got into
9:22:16the sighting of the Golden Dire Bear.
9:22:19So, the other pet, the one named Thor in
9:22:21your report, is a Golden Dire Bear? Rita
9:22:25asked. No, we left it alone. Picking a
9:22:29fight with it and stealing its cub
9:22:31seemed like a monumentally bad idea when
9:22:33it was ready to charge our truck, so we
9:22:35left and went looking for something less
9:22:37hostile. Carl explained.
9:22:40He realized his mistake. In his report,
9:22:43Carl had only briefly mentioned the
9:22:45species of the pets and had been
9:22:47referring to them by name for the rest
9:22:48of the document, so a cursory scan would
9:22:51be confusing. We were headed further
9:22:53into the trees and away from the river
9:22:56when we came across a clutch of
9:22:57lightning serero eggs while the herd was
9:22:59on the far side of the clearing. I sent
9:23:02Hawk to recover an egg, then brought
9:23:04them both back into my mental space. But
9:23:07it wasn't just the one egg. There was a
9:23:10bloodbath spider egg stuck in his
9:23:12feathers as well. So I said about
9:23:14hatching them both, Carl explained.
9:23:18And of course, nobody realized that
9:23:20would be a terrible idea until after you
9:23:22were injured. She replied with an eye
9:23:25roll. Exactly.
9:23:28I didn't expect them to hatch that close
9:23:30together, and I was unprepared for the
9:23:32requirements that each of them must have
9:23:34a separate space, even though they can
9:23:35move to the other beast's space. So, I
9:23:38had to mentally form the third one in a
9:23:40hurry when the bloodbath spider hatched.
9:23:42And that put a lot of strain on my mind
9:23:44and body. The extra mission time was to
9:23:47recover enough to stabilize the bonds.
9:23:49And now I'm back to as good as new or
9:23:52something close to it. Carl agreed. Can
9:23:56we see? One of the teachers at the next
9:23:58table asked. Of course, Ry, do you want
9:24:03to come see people? Thor, if you come
9:24:06out to say hello, they will rub your
9:24:07head for you. Carl instructed.
9:24:11Thor bounded out, nearly knocking one of
9:24:13the teachers out of his chair before
9:24:15stopping himself while Ry appeared but
9:24:17hid under the table on Carl's thighs.
9:24:20"Oh, she's shy. All right, we will
9:24:23admire her from a distance." The older
9:24:26mage who taught his morning accuracy
9:24:28training class said softly with a
9:24:30gesture for the others not to scare the
9:24:32spider. Thor had no such restrictions,
9:24:35and the large dogs-sized animal happily
9:24:37bumped against people, asking to be
9:24:39patted, nearly spearing a dozen people
9:24:41before realizing that his horns were
9:24:43going to be in the way if he kept
9:24:44charging at them head first for
9:24:46attention. Is this the lightning sero
9:24:48variety? The smaller ones? One of the
9:24:52teachers asked. Yeah, he will get about
9:24:552 m tall if he's the size of his
9:24:58parents, so he will be big, but not
9:25:00elephant-sized.
9:25:02Carl agreed. The teacher happily rubbed
9:25:05at the scales on Thor's side. He's going
9:25:08to be beautiful with these deep green
9:25:10and white scales. Have you decided what
9:25:13sort of training he will undergo? Not
9:25:15yet. That's what Rita is glaring at me
9:25:18for, I think. And maybe the fact that
9:25:21there is a giant spider climbing up her
9:25:23leg that made the teachers burst into
9:25:26laughter. But Rey was intrigued by the
9:25:28sergeant's uniform, and she wanted to
9:25:30find out what the buttons were made of.
9:25:33The button, as it turned out, was made
9:25:35of black and brass. And after poking at
9:25:37it for a few seconds, and then rubbing
9:25:39her mandible against it to see what it
9:25:41felt like, Ry gave up on the button and
9:25:43returned to her space to avoid the
9:25:45attention that she was getting while out
9:25:46in the open. Once she's fully grown, I
9:25:49think that she will be more open about
9:25:51being outside. But for now, she is much
9:25:54more comfortable in places where she can
9:25:55camouflage herself, especially dark
9:25:58places, Carl explained. We won't force
9:26:02her out where she's uncomfortable. Then
9:26:04the leader of the mage training agreed
9:26:06while he rubbed Thor's head. One new and
9:26:09friendly pet was good enough for the
9:26:11teachers, but Rita had brought Carl here
9:26:13for an actual reason and not just to
9:26:15talk about how his weekend went. Are you
9:26:18healed well enough to begin full
9:26:19training schedules again? The note said
9:26:22that there had been some mental damage
9:26:24and there is no good way to quantify
9:26:26that. She asked very seriously.
9:26:30I feel better, but the only way to know
9:26:32for sure is to actually start training
9:26:34again and see if the pain returns. The
9:26:37two new spaces have advanced enough now
9:26:39that I am getting feedback from the pets
9:26:41and not needing to constantly feed the
9:26:43spaces to keep them contained. So, it
9:26:45should be all right. I'm not sure how
9:26:47much training I will be up for, though.
9:26:50I am going to need a lot of time to work
9:26:52on mental strength just to keep ahead of
9:26:54their growth rate, Carl explained.
9:26:57All right, then we can go to the morning
9:26:59classes as scheduled. The afternoon
9:27:02classes will be changed starting today
9:27:04as the decision has been made that there
9:27:06is not enough training for your pets now
9:27:08that there are three of them. Sending
9:27:10Thor out to get his head rubbed is not
9:27:12officially training no matter what the
9:27:14other professors tell you. Rita reminded
9:27:17him. What exactly they were going to
9:27:19teach Thor was a mystery to Carl. But as
9:27:22they finished their breakfast and headed
9:27:23for the training field for Hawk to
9:27:25practice, Rita got a much better idea.
9:27:28Thor is a growing boy and he needs his
9:27:30exercise. So what we're going to do
9:27:32today is to have you sit and meditate
9:27:34while Hawk blocks the attacks. And I
9:27:36will bring some mages from the early
9:27:37ascended class who are working on
9:27:39barriers to help Thor practice his
9:27:41skills. As soon as he heard the word
9:27:43barrier, Thor's head perked up in the
9:27:45beast's face. He loved the barrier game,
9:27:48and it would be even better with more
9:27:50barriers.
9:27:52Won't that be a waste for the other
9:27:53students? Carl asked. A few of the
9:27:57nearby mages laughed, and Rita shook her
9:27:59head. Taking full force awakened rank
9:28:02attacks repeatedly will burn through
9:28:04their mana faster than you might
9:28:05suspect. The goal is for them to keep
9:28:08the barriers up as long as possible
9:28:10while Thor rampages through the field,
9:28:12building up his muscles. Normally, they
9:28:15have the students from the awakened rank
9:28:16warrior classes smash at the barriers
9:28:18all afternoon.
9:28:20Setting them up for Thor won't be any
9:28:22different. But who is that? A new pet, I
9:28:26take it. The mage student beside Carl
9:28:29asked. Yeah, a lightning sero that I
9:28:32just bonded. The teachers are all in
9:28:35love with him and he adores the barrier
9:28:37game. Once you see him play, you will
9:28:40feel thankful that you got Hawk instead.
9:28:43Carl joked. The students got set up and
9:28:47Hawk took to the sky for his daily
9:28:48training. It only took a few seconds for
9:28:51Rita to grab four of the students who
9:28:53were working on barriers and to instruct
9:28:55them to set them up at different angles
9:28:57around the field, making a cube of
9:28:59sorts. "Go have fun," Carl instructed.
9:29:03and Thor ran out of the space at his
9:29:05best stumbling run, still a bit
9:29:07uncoordinated in the way of newborn
9:29:10animals everywhere. But when his horns
9:29:12hit the first barrier, and it wavered
9:29:14slightly as he bounced away, the mages
9:29:17knew that this training would not be
9:29:18easy on them. There was no rhyme or
9:29:21reason to the attacks. He charged at
9:29:23whatever one he saw, as long as it
9:29:25wasn't the one beside him. That was too
9:29:28close to get a run at, and he wanted to
9:29:30run as much as possible. In actual
9:29:33combat, that would rarely be the case.
9:29:36They would sweep and spear with the
9:29:37horns to tear apart their enemies. But
9:29:40there was just something satisfying
9:29:41about charging at the glowing magical
9:29:43walls. The mages that were attacking the
9:29:46moving targets below Hawk had to work
9:29:48hard to pay attention and not laugh as
9:29:50Thor trumpeted happily, a long warbling
9:29:52note like a military war horn, and
9:29:54continued to charge at whatever barrier
9:29:56managed to come back up first. It had
9:29:59only taken him 20 minutes to smash them
9:30:01all, and the first break wasn't
9:30:02scheduled until the halfhour mark. But
9:30:05if they weren't up, he would wait until
9:30:07one was. The students could all see his
9:30:10disappointment when he had to wait, and
9:30:12that silent judgment that they weren't
9:30:14good enough to even be a long-term play
9:30:16toy to a monster like him, was wearing
9:30:18on them. They had thought that the
9:30:20barriers they had made were
9:30:22exceptionally impressive, and they were
9:30:23a rank above him. But when there was no
9:30:25offensive power to deal with the threat,
9:30:27it didn't take long for him to smash
9:30:29through their mana reserves. The
9:30:32lightning barrier only stabilized his
9:30:34body and prevented him from breaking his
9:30:36horns. It had collapsed multiple times
9:30:39already, but even without it, a
9:30:41lightning sero had incredible raw power.
9:30:44Thor laid down in the grass when the
9:30:46break was called, and a few of the
9:30:47warriors from the group of warriors that
9:30:49was training on the ascended barriers
9:30:51came over to get a better look. You know
9:30:53that technique has some merits. We use
9:30:56skills and swing our weapons, but he's
9:30:58basically throwing a 100 kilo dinosaur
9:31:01coated in lightning at them. I bet if I
9:31:03grabbed Jon and swung him at the
9:31:05barrier, we could do even more damage.
9:31:08One of the boys laughed. Don't even
9:31:11think about it. Just be glad that they
9:31:13didn't send him to us to test our guard
9:31:15ability because someone would have
9:31:17gotten seriously injured. The other boy
9:31:19laughed while Thor panted in the grass,
9:31:22replenishing energy for the next round.
9:31:25He has to be tired, right? He's been
9:31:28running wild for half an hour. One of
9:31:31the ascended mage students asked. You
9:31:34would think so, but no. His natural
9:31:37recovery means that by the time the
9:31:38break is up, he will be ready for
9:31:40another round of the barrier game, and
9:31:42you had better be ready to play or he
9:31:44will be very disappointed.
9:31:46Carl informed them. Thor perked up at
9:31:49the mention of play, and the mages all
9:31:51grown to themselves as they realized
9:31:53that trying to contain a monster was not
9:31:54as simple of a task as they had expected
9:31:56it to be. If it were an attack, they
9:31:59would have to keep the barrier up and
9:32:01attack at the same time without letting
9:32:03the barrier fail, or they would be in
9:32:05trouble long before reinforcements could
9:32:07arrive. Thor was almost tired when the
9:32:10morning classes ended, and he returned
9:32:12to his space for lunch. But Hawk was
9:32:14having a glorious time. Without Carl
9:32:17there to take up half the work, he got
9:32:19to just freely attack anything that he
9:32:20wanted. And according to the students,
9:32:22he had an uncanny talent for picking off
9:32:24the ones that were actually going to hit
9:32:26the moving targets while ignoring the
9:32:28ones that would miss. Even when they
9:32:30sent out a cluster of attacks, he would
9:32:32just knock a portion of them out and let
9:32:34the others fly past the target. It was
9:32:37incredibly energyefficient on his part,
9:32:39and it wouldn't have been possible with
9:32:41the stationary targets, as the mages
9:32:43would rarely miss those. They were even
9:32:46beginning to take note of who Hawk
9:32:47seemed to totally ignore because their
9:32:49aim was so bad. Those mages were going
9:32:52to have to improve quickly because the
9:32:54rest of the class wouldn't let a giant
9:32:56bird make a mockery of them forever
9:32:57without joining in on the fun. It was
9:33:00after lunch when things took a drastic
9:33:02change.
9:33:03Sergeant Rita, as well as the duo from
9:33:06the Bureau of Elite Development, had
9:33:08decided that martial arts training, now
9:33:10that he had sufficient proficiency to
9:33:12deal with minor threats without
9:33:13resorting to skills usage, was no longer
9:33:15the most efficient use of his time.
9:33:18Instead, the afternoon would be a group
9:33:20training exercise for Carl with the
9:33:22pets. Coaxing Ray to come out and play
9:33:25might be difficult, but today's practice
9:33:27was on the basics of working together
9:33:29against a target that was stronger than
9:33:31they were. It was a situation that would
9:33:33inevitably happen in the future and with
9:33:35three of them in the team, they could
9:33:37now easily work on group tactics. We
9:33:40have enlisted a small group of
9:33:42volunteers and they will be your targets
9:33:44today. The goal is to intercept the
9:33:47three infiltrators and disable them
9:33:48without seriously harming them. These
9:33:51are all guards, so they know how to
9:33:53fight, but they are all at the ascended
9:33:55rank. So, you can't just go all out with
9:33:57the attacks like you did against Tank
9:33:59and the barriers. Alice was explaining
9:34:03that got Hawk's attention, but Thor was
9:34:05disappointed.
9:34:06If he couldn't just smash them, it would
9:34:09be much less fun. But Hawk's explanation
9:34:12that these exercises were practiced for
9:34:14being an adult was enough to get the
9:34:15growing young Sero on board. Ry
9:34:18considered the situation for a few
9:34:20moments and then came out to climb up
9:34:22Carl's back and look at the battleground
9:34:24from relative safety. All right,
9:34:26everyone is on board. The targets are
9:34:29instructed to take it easy on you, but
9:34:31they will be attacking in your direction
9:34:33with actual attacks. They are wearing
9:34:36training armor, but they are not going
9:34:37to be magically shielded so that you can
9:34:39take them down naturally. I will step in
9:34:42if someone looks like they will be
9:34:44seriously injured. The mage instructed
9:34:47while the volunteers smiled at the sight
9:34:49of Thor prancing around in the grass,
9:34:51eager to play. They got into position
9:34:54out of sight around the corner of a
9:34:55building with Carl as their target.
9:34:58They would try to grab him as abductions
9:35:00by foreign agents were a real threat
9:35:02while he and the beasts would work to
9:35:04prevent that. The idea was to give them
9:35:07limited response time in as realistic of
9:35:10a scenario as they could concoct within
9:35:11the school grounds which meant the
9:35:13volunteers were close so that Carl
9:35:15didn't have large amounts of time to
9:35:17prepare. It didn't make much difference,
9:35:20though. The three beasts could
9:35:22communicate with each other, and since
9:35:24Hawk could see the attackers, as soon as
9:35:26the practice team was given the order to
9:35:28begin and charged, the beasts were right
9:35:31on them. Thor held back on the full
9:35:33force charge and instead shielded
9:35:35himself with lightning against the lead
9:35:37warriors slash, and then threw him into
9:35:40the air with a horn between the legs
9:35:41that had Alice, bringing up a barrier to
9:35:43soften his fall. Thor turned on the
9:35:46other two who had raised their guard to
9:35:48deal with Hawks Ren while Ry had
9:35:51launched herself off Carl and hit the
9:35:53barrier at a tremendous speed which
9:35:55allowed her clawed legs to tear right
9:35:56through it. She landed on one of the
9:35:59men's legs and he panicked as he
9:36:01realized that she was a bloodbath spider
9:36:03which let Hawks attack hit him without
9:36:05resistance pummeling him unconscious
9:36:07through his helmet. The last man didn't
9:36:10fare much better as he could only parry
9:36:12Thor's attacks for the next second as
9:36:13the Sero flailed its horns at him. And
9:36:16then Ray was there on his back, tearing
9:36:18into the armored coat with gleeful
9:36:19abandon. Break. That's a victory for the
9:36:23defense team. You know, you don't have
9:36:26to take down the strength of your
9:36:27defensive abilities, just the attacks,
9:36:30Alice announced. We didn't. The hawk and
9:36:34the spider combined tore through them
9:36:36faster than we could bring them back up.
9:36:39I've never seen a rending attack shatter
9:36:41a guard barrier like that. The winded
9:36:44man who had been pummeled on the back by
9:36:46Ry announced the training that Hawk has
9:36:49gone through so far has done wonders for
9:36:51his attack strength. But Rey is a very
9:36:53fast learner and her offensive
9:36:55adaptation innate ability makes deleting
9:36:57barriers a breeze. Just wait until she's
9:37:00fully grown. barriers or rank above her
9:37:03won't even slow her down. Carl praised
9:37:06his shy teammate, "Can we test that so
9:37:09we can make a better strategy?" The one
9:37:12who had been thrown into the air asked
9:37:13as he limped over, nursing an injury to
9:37:15the groin from Thor's horn despite the
9:37:18armor. He stabbed his sword into the
9:37:20ground in front of him and activated
9:37:22guard, which Rey took down almost
9:37:25instantly with a strike from her
9:37:26mandibles and both front legs in unison.
9:37:29The pure smuggness of her attitude was
9:37:31clear to everyone, and Carl couldn't
9:37:33help but smile. "Do you have a stronger
9:37:36defensive ability?" he asked. "No, we
9:37:40trained as covert bodyguards. We don't
9:37:42usually use powerful defensive
9:37:44abilities, but parries and sudden
9:37:46strikes. Maybe we should try the next
9:37:49one without the pets already deployed.
9:37:52It will be good training for everyone,"
9:37:54he suggested.
9:37:56Also, that would give them a few more
9:37:58steps before they were noticed. And
9:38:00perhaps his testicles wouldn't have to
9:38:02meet the horn of a lightning sero again
9:38:04today. The team came at Carl again,
9:38:07spread out and sneaking up on him
9:38:08through the dorm building, with one even
9:38:10leaping out of the window. Now Carl
9:38:14ordered the beasts, sending them into
9:38:16the battlefield.
9:38:18Hawk moved to intercept the flying
9:38:19target, while Ray spit out a large mass
9:38:22of web to trip another. and Thor went
9:38:24with his signature charge, throwing
9:38:26another man high into the air with a
9:38:27flick of his thick neck. The three of
9:38:30them crashed to the ground at the same
9:38:32second, and Rita blew her whistle.
9:38:35"Carl, how did you know that they were
9:38:37coming?" She demanded, "A side effect of
9:38:41Bonding Hawk. I have fantastic
9:38:43peripheral vision, and I can focus on
9:38:45any spot I can see without moving my
9:38:47head. I had all three of them located
9:38:50before they attacked. Carl explained.
9:38:54Then was it necessary to throw me again?
9:38:57One of the men wheezed, climbing to his
9:38:59knees. Thor had gotten the same target
9:39:02twice in a row. Although he didn't spear
9:39:05the man between the legs this time, the
9:39:07two upper horns made for an excellent
9:39:09tossing platform, and he had peaked well
9:39:11over 5 m in the air. He didn't injure
9:39:14you this time. I mean with the hit. The
9:39:18sudden stop at the end looks like it
9:39:20wasn't much fun. Carl amended. Are they
9:39:24aware of what is happening around you
9:39:26before you call them out? One of the men
9:39:28asked. Probably more than I am. I don't
9:39:32know how much they can actually see, but
9:39:34they do have a solid awareness of their
9:39:36surroundings.
9:39:38Carl explained.
9:39:40All right. So, it's not easy to sneak up
9:39:42on you either. We should check on agent
9:39:45A. He looks a bit rough. The wheezing
9:39:48man replied, referring to the one that
9:39:50Hawk had intercepted. Alice rushed over
9:39:53and noticed that the man was conscious,
9:39:55but having a deep moment of personal
9:39:57introspection as he stared at the sky
9:39:59and began to question his life choices.
9:40:02"Is anything broken?" "I have healing
9:40:05potions from the witches," Alice
9:40:07offered. "Just my pride. Can you fix
9:40:11that?" he asked. And Alice noticed that
9:40:14there were six deep scratches in his
9:40:16training armor. Not only had Hawk
9:40:19knocked him out of the air, his attack
9:40:21had broken the man's guard, and Hawk's
9:40:22claws tore up his armor before dropping
9:40:24him on the ground. "It feels like we
9:40:27were the ones who got ambushed." The
9:40:30third man agreed, nursing a twisted
9:40:32ankle. Rita and Alice both side, but it
9:40:35was Rita who spoke first. I can already
9:40:38see that this will not be a viable
9:40:40training method in the long term. They
9:40:43already understand basic strategies and
9:40:45their response time is fast enough that
9:40:47it will be very challenging to actually
9:40:48ambush Carl even if they are resting. We
9:40:51will have to come up with another method
9:40:53of preparing them for combat. Rey gave
9:40:56her a pointed look which the sergeant
9:40:58returned for a moment before shaking her
9:41:00head. Even I can tell what that look
9:41:02means. The only way to truly train for
9:41:06combat is to be in combat.
9:41:08Carl knows enough martial arts that he
9:41:10should be all right in a fight, but the
9:41:12academy wouldn't approve of putting you
9:41:13all in danger just to get better
9:41:15training results. She reminded the
9:41:18spider. Hulk would agree to let us go
9:41:21outside. Ry pouted. Hawk's mind became
9:41:25curious and the spider beamed the mental
9:41:27version of a smile at him. If we were
9:41:30hunting outside, you could eat them
9:41:32after you killed them, she announced.
9:41:35This is not a democracy. Majority rules
9:41:38don't win here. Carl informed them in
9:41:41his best stern tone. Rey had already
9:41:44found Hawk's weak point. As soon as she
9:41:47mentioned food, the windspeed Hawk would
9:41:49be on board with whatever she wanted to
9:41:51do, and Thor would go along simply
9:41:53because that's where everyone else was
9:41:54going. "You look like you're having an
9:41:57intense discussion." Alice noted as Carl
9:42:00talked to the beasts. "They all want to
9:42:03go outside to train. I don't necessarily
9:42:06disagree with them as our training
9:42:08options are limited here, but it is safe
9:42:10here and safety in numbers is a good
9:42:12thing, Carl replied.
9:42:15Thor bobbed his head happily as he heard
9:42:17those reassuring words from the boss,
9:42:19and the instructors did their best not
9:42:21to laugh. They had been brutally bested
9:42:24by the lightning sero twice in as many
9:42:26hours. But still, it didn't feel like
9:42:29the creature was a threat. He was just
9:42:31too friendly. Let us discuss that for a
9:42:34few minutes. There are groups of
9:42:36students looking to go outside on
9:42:38missions and we might allow you to lead
9:42:40one of them as long as there is a second
9:42:42awakened rank or higher member as you
9:42:44are still a firstear student and
9:42:46untested in the field. Alice explained,
9:42:49earning herself a glare from Rita.
9:42:52Daniel wisely sat at the back of the
9:42:54field as he had been doing all day and
9:42:56avoided drawing attention to himself as
9:42:58the two argued over the appropriate
9:43:00course of action. The student training
9:43:02missions were normally not dangerous,
9:43:05certainly no worse than the Goblin Tribe
9:43:07had been. And Carl was much stronger now
9:43:09than he had been even that recently.
9:43:11With the addition of the two new pets,
9:43:13he alone would rampage through a Goblin
9:43:15Tribe. Nothing that they could do would
9:43:18significantly injure a Lightning Sarah
9:43:20unless they managed to swarm it and pin
9:43:22it down. That seemed unlikely with Hawk
9:43:25and Ray both in the fight, even if you
9:43:27didn't count Carl himself as a combat
9:43:29asset, as he would be mostly watching
9:43:31out for the other students. The outcome
9:43:34seemed inevitable, and after 20 minutes
9:43:36of discussion and a few tursly worded
9:43:38phone calls, the ladies returned with a
9:43:40smile on both of their faces. You will
9:43:43be allowed to lead an away mission.
9:43:46Student Dana will be going with you
9:43:47along with eight of the common grade
9:43:49first years. It is a herbal resource
9:43:52gathering mission in a lightly monitored
9:43:54area and there will be emergency
9:43:55assistance available on a 10-minute
9:43:57helicopter ride should you activate the
9:43:59emergency beacons.
9:44:01Sergeant Rita informed Carl. Understood,
9:44:05Sergeant. Thank you for this
9:44:07opportunity.
9:44:09Carl replied as seriously as he could
9:44:11while trying to ignore the excitement of
9:44:13his beasts. They were finally getting to
9:44:15somewhere that there might be mice and
9:44:17Hawk was overjoyed at the prospect.
9:44:20The mission was to start the next
9:44:22morning and they would be delivered by
9:44:24train to the location. There was no road
9:44:26near where they were going, but the
9:44:28train tracks ran only 20 km from the
9:44:31location of the suspected magical
9:44:32resources.
9:44:34That would be close enough for them to
9:44:35hike in, and it would be up to Carl and
9:44:38Dana to make sure that the team didn't
9:44:39get lost. With Hawk on duty, that should
9:44:43be a simple matter as he could see where
9:44:45they were going from above, so Carl
9:44:47didn't have too many concerns about the
9:44:49situation.
9:44:50There were also no reports of major
9:44:52beasts in the area, only some of the
9:44:54everpresent wild boores and a few small
9:44:56monsters that like to live in the
9:44:58forest. That could become an issue for
9:45:00most teams, but it would be a great test
9:45:03for them. Carl thought the small
9:45:05monsters were all common grade and he
9:45:08could deal with them in a matter of
9:45:09seconds, but they would be a good
9:45:11opponent for the students who were still
9:45:12struggling with their early growth.
9:45:15Also, having Dana along with her pair of
9:45:17golems would be enough security against
9:45:19the larger creatures that very few
9:45:21things would dare to attack them. The
9:45:23golems didn't take much upkeep, and by
9:45:26now she should be able to get them to
9:45:27follow complex orders without much
9:45:29distraction from her other casting,
9:45:31which would make them excellent guards.
9:45:33They all called it an early day as the
9:45:36supply train arrived at 3:00 in the
9:45:37morning so that supplies would be sorted
9:45:39and ready for pickup by the time that
9:45:41everyone started to wake up. But that
9:45:43also meant that if you wanted to catch
9:45:45the train out, you had to be at the
9:45:47tracks by 3:00 in the morning or 4 at
9:45:50the very latest if they were slow
9:45:51unloading. The train didn't wait for
9:45:54groups to come to them unless it was an
9:45:56urgent mission. So being on time was a
9:45:58major part of your responsibility.
9:46:00That was how Carl found himself waking
9:46:02Dana up at 2:00 in the morning, much to
9:46:04the protests of both herself and Rey,
9:46:07who was sleeping above her in the
9:46:08rafters of the gazebo. It's time to go.
9:46:12I'm going to water the plants quickly,
9:46:14and then we need to grab breakfast and
9:46:16get on the train. Carl reminded her. Ry
9:46:20disappeared back into the web in her
9:46:22space while Dana got up and ready. They
9:46:25both met their team at the cafeteria
9:46:27with the lone night shift worker on
9:46:29staff for occasions such as this. But
9:46:32there weren't enough of them. They were
9:46:33still missing two people and it was
9:46:35getting close to 3:00 in the morning.
9:46:38Does anyone know what rooms the other
9:46:39two are in? We should go wake them up.
9:46:43Carl insisted.
9:46:45I do. They're just a few doors down from
9:46:48me. One of the others agreed with a
9:46:51vicious smile that said she would enjoy
9:46:53waking them up much more than most.
9:46:55Three students came back down 10 minutes
9:46:57later, and the girl who went to fetch
9:46:59them settled back down with her
9:47:01breakfast while the two boys looked
9:47:03rather lost and half asleep. Cook, can
9:47:06we get some food for them and some
9:47:08lunches to go? We've got ration packs in
9:47:11the gear that the school provided, but I
9:47:13think a nice fresh sandwich would be
9:47:14better. Carl asked as he finished eating
9:47:17and got the last two stragglers settled.
9:47:20I will get them something to go. The
9:47:23train is already here, so you should be
9:47:25going if you want to make it before
9:47:26they're unloaded. She reminded him with
9:47:29a smile, then handed over a tray full of
9:47:31brown bags, two of which were much
9:47:33larger. Dana worked to usher everyone
9:47:36out as they finished their meal for the
9:47:38kilometer walk from the school grounds
9:47:40to the train stop on the ring around the
9:47:42academy. Did anyone bring a light?
9:47:45I can't see a thing. One of the warriors
9:47:48complained as they left the academy
9:47:50grounds and began to walk down the road.
9:47:53Everyone looked to Carl, who was leading
9:47:55the group, and he shrugged.
9:47:58Sorry, I forgot for a moment that I'm
9:48:00the only one who can see in the dark.
9:48:02I've got a flashlight in my pack, and
9:48:04there should be one in everyone else's
9:48:06as well. The packs were issued to them
9:48:09by the supply room, dropped off in their
9:48:11dorm after they were approved for the
9:48:12mission. So, they should have everything
9:48:15that the academy thought the student
9:48:17needed for the trip, as they weren't
9:48:18expected to plan out their whole gear
9:48:20set during their first year. One by one,
9:48:23the students brought out their
9:48:25flashlights and spun the cranks to
9:48:26charge the batteries. The academy knew
9:48:29that they would forget to bring spare
9:48:31batteries, so even the camping lantern
9:48:33that was in Carl's pack as team leader
9:48:35was powered by a hand crank charger. The
9:48:38lantern also had enough battery storage
9:48:40to charge the emergency phone, which
9:48:42served as their lifeline to
9:48:43civilization. "To of you, then?" the
9:48:47train's usher asked with a gesture
9:48:49toward the passenger car. "Yes, sir.
9:48:53I've got the mission order right here."
9:48:56Carl replied. The man looked it over,
9:48:59then picked up a phone mounted to the
9:49:01wall and confirmed the drop off location
9:49:03with the engineer.
9:49:05All right, climb aboard and stow your
9:49:07bags in the overhead compartments.
9:49:09We have a few more stops before yours,
9:49:12so you won't be there until lunchtime.
9:49:14Carl settled into a seat at the front of
9:49:16the train car, where Dana promptly fell
9:49:18asleep on his arm, and the rest of the
9:49:20team did their best to get a few more
9:49:22hours of rest while they traveled the
9:49:24morning away. They napped, meditated,
9:49:27and played games until the conductor
9:49:28gave them the warning that they had one
9:49:30more hour before drop off. That was when
9:49:33Carl decided it was time to get them all
9:49:35ready to move. All right, everyone. Have
9:49:38your lunch early. Use the washroom.
9:49:40Double check your gear and make sure
9:49:42that you have your weapons ready. Not in
9:49:45your bag, but on your hip and available
9:49:46for use at a moment's notice. While it
9:49:49isn't likely that there will be monsters
9:49:51next to the stop, we will get off in the
9:49:53wilderness, and there won't be anyone
9:49:55there to clear the area. He warned them.
9:49:59Got it. The team agreed while the
9:50:02conductor nodded in satisfaction to see
9:50:04that the team leader of this firstear
9:50:05mission was taking things seriously.
9:50:08Not all of them did, especially an easy
9:50:10mission like this one was supposed to
9:50:12be. But it always made his life easier
9:50:14if there were no injured students when
9:50:16the train stopped to pick them up again.
9:50:18The train pulled to a stop in the middle
9:50:20of nowhere and the students rose to
9:50:22their feet. Good luck, young elites.
9:50:26Just flag down any train you see passing
9:50:28by in the other direction and it will
9:50:30take you back to the academy or close
9:50:32enough for you to walk in. The conductor
9:50:35explained.
9:50:37Got it. We will see you soon. Carl
9:50:40agreed and led the others out the door.
9:50:43Dana brought up the rear of the group,
9:50:45making sure they were all off the train.
9:50:47And when Carl called out Hawk to scout
9:50:49for them, she called her pair of golems
9:50:51to guard the back of the pack. It was
9:50:54quiet out here other than the sound of
9:50:56the train beginning to move again, but
9:50:58that didn't necessarily mean safe, just
9:51:00that they hadn't noticed any threats
9:51:02yet. The students were all incredibly
9:51:05nervous, flinching at every sound of
9:51:07their teammates moving in the long
9:51:08grass. But as Carl led them into the
9:51:10trees toward where they should find the
9:51:12magical plants they needed, they became
9:51:14almost petrified with fear. That
9:51:16couldn't be natural. They had been so
9:51:18excited a moment ago. But when Carl
9:51:20searched the area, he couldn't find a
9:51:23reason for it. The feeling seemed to
9:51:25fade quickly as they walked until
9:51:27finally one of them pointed out a small
9:51:29weed growing near the tree trunks.
9:51:32Terror weed. The pollen causes a mild
9:51:35reaction that causes a fear response.
9:51:38It's the plant's natural defense
9:51:40mechanism. Someone must have stepped on
9:51:42one in the grass, he explained.
9:51:45The students all felt a little foolish
9:51:47when that was mentioned. The first thing
9:51:50that the warriors learned was to watch
9:51:51where they put their feet. They needed a
9:51:54solid footing for their sword skills.
9:51:56So, the ground under them was as
9:51:58important as the enemy. But someone had
9:52:00still stepped on a common toxic plant.
9:52:03Everyone, put your masks on. Who knows
9:52:07if there are other dangers like that in
9:52:08the area, and we don't need anyone
9:52:10poisoned on the first day of the trip.
9:52:13Do we have a healing class with us? He
9:52:16asked while mentally going through the
9:52:18students descriptions. he was given. I
9:52:20can do a minor heal and a poison
9:52:22cleanse. The lone druid in the group
9:52:25mentioned and I have healing potions,
9:52:28but we're here to get materials for
9:52:30more. One of the two witches added,
9:52:33"Perfect.
9:52:35We will save the potions for as long as
9:52:37possible as the warriors will mostly
9:52:39heal pretty quickly. As I discussed on
9:52:42the train, if we are attacked, fall back
9:52:44to form a ring with the casters in the
9:52:46middle."
9:52:47No, that's not because they're weaker,
9:52:49but because they're squishy. The
9:52:52warriors are the shield while the
9:52:53casters are the primary damage. The
9:52:56golems will back you up, and my beasts
9:52:58and I will range outside the defensive
9:53:00circle. Carl reminded them he would have
9:53:04liked to actually practice the maneuver,
9:53:06but according to Hawk, the first plants
9:53:09that they were searching for should be
9:53:10only a few hundred meters away. There
9:53:13was another spot marked on the map many
9:53:15kilometers away, but Hawk was certain
9:53:17that he had found them just up ahead.
9:53:20Once they got the first target, the
9:53:22mission could be considered a partial
9:53:23success, and everything that came
9:53:25afterwards would just bring them closer
9:53:27to completion. Definitely found it.
9:53:31Bright blue flowers shaped like shoes,
9:53:34Hawk informed Carl with a mental
9:53:36impression of where they were. Keep an
9:53:38eye out for threats. I don't want you
9:53:41getting ambushed as you fly over. Hawk
9:53:44laughed a little at Carl's concern as he
9:53:46was hundreds of meters above the trees,
9:53:48but he appreciated that his human cared
9:53:50enough to make sure he was safe. Carl
9:53:53adjusted their course, pretending to
9:53:55follow the map, and within minutes they
9:53:57were standing next to a field full of
9:53:59beautiful blue flowers. "These are the
9:54:02ones, right?" he asked. "Yes, but
9:54:06everyone, please stay out of the
9:54:08clearing." Only one in 10 blossoms has
9:54:11the magical properties of the plant. The
9:54:13rest are all decoys.
9:54:15If someone breaks the wrong one, we will
9:54:17have come here for nothing. The witch
9:54:20pleaded. You heard her. Stay here while
9:54:23the witches gather their ingredients.
9:54:26Hulk will be watching from above, and I
9:54:28will be right here at the edge of the
9:54:29clearing in case something is hiding in
9:54:31the flowers. The two witches moved
9:54:33delicately through the field, avoiding
9:54:35stepping on any of the flowers as they
9:54:37picked the ones they wanted. The plants
9:54:40weren't going without a fight, though.
9:54:43Multiple times, the witches stopped
9:54:45right as they were about to pluck and
9:54:46grabbed a different one, then continued
9:54:48on their way. Once they had a few dozen
9:54:51in total, they returned to the others
9:54:53with careful steps. That's enough. You
9:54:57can't pick too many or you will kill the
9:54:59patch. And we hope to come back here
9:55:01again soon. The plants are smart and
9:55:04when they sense that they're going to be
9:55:06damaged, they will pull their essence
9:55:07back to their roots, which renders the
9:55:09flowers worthless for potions.
9:55:12That's why we had to be so careful. The
9:55:15more outgoing of the two witches
9:55:17explained.
9:55:18All right, on to the next one. Carl
9:55:21agreed. It's not far, 100 m south. Hawk
9:55:26informed him. The next should also have
9:55:29been much further, but if Hawk had found
9:55:31some that weren't on the map, that was
9:55:33even better, as their collection
9:55:34wouldn't remove a listed herb from the
9:55:36directory for the other students who
9:55:38wanted to do a mission near here. Hawk
9:55:40thinks that he has found another of our
9:55:42goals already. Move as silently as
9:55:45possible so that we don't disturb the
9:55:47wildlife.
9:55:48Carl reminded the others in a stage
9:55:50whisper. The students began to move, but
9:55:53a whistle from Hawk drew Carl's
9:55:55attention. He had seen something
9:55:57dangerous, and it was close. "Everyone
9:56:00hold position." Hawk sees something,
9:56:03Carl whispered as he raised his hand in
9:56:05a gesture to stop. "White cloth, two
9:56:09figures running your direction. Possibly
9:56:12human, but maybe not," Hawk warned him.
9:56:16Humanoid monsters were rare, but
9:56:18poachers, aggressive hill folk, and
9:56:21foreign soldiers might not be. They
9:56:23didn't have enough information about the
9:56:25area's human population in the data to
9:56:27be certain. Carl's keen vision caught
9:56:30sight of the white cloth moving toward
9:56:32them at a run through the forest, a full
9:56:34second before he managed to associate
9:56:36the clothing with its most likely owner.
9:56:38Those are clergy robes, no more than 150
9:56:42cm tall. I think that they're students
9:56:45from one of the seminarymies.
9:56:47Carl informed the others, then moved to
9:56:50intercept the two running figures. If he
9:56:52was wrong, he had all the advantages,
9:56:55and if they didn't want to stop, he
9:56:57could just have Ray tie them up until
9:56:58they calmed down. The two came barreling
9:57:01through the trees, then paused when they
9:57:03saw the academy uniforms and began to
9:57:06gesture wildly. "You have to get out of
9:57:08here. There is a giant monster in the
9:57:11sky."
9:57:12One of them shouted.
9:57:143 m wingspan kind of brown with a creamy
9:57:17belly and red streaks on its legs. That
9:57:20one is trained. He's with us. Carl
9:57:23informed them. And the two clerics
9:57:25simply stared at him as if he had grown
9:57:27another head. A what now? That sounds
9:57:31terrifying.
9:57:32But no, there is a giant beetle flying
9:57:35this way. It killed our lesson proctor
9:57:38and he was an ascended high priest. The
9:57:41young boy exclaimed, "How far have you
9:57:44been running? We are all elites and we
9:57:47are hunting for magical plants in the
9:57:49area. There are 10 of us with two strong
9:57:52awakened rank leaders." Carl tried to
9:57:55calm the pair. Clerics weren't known for
9:57:58their combat power. They would empower
9:58:00the weapons of warriors, and their
9:58:02healing magic was remarkable, but as far
9:58:04as actual fighting abilities, they were
9:58:06just humans with swords if they were
9:58:08even carrying them. These two weren't.
9:58:12That might be enough. Can you fight an
9:58:14ascended ranked beast? The boy asked
9:58:17hopefully while the girl beside him did
9:58:19her best to hide her face. I can
9:58:22confidently say yes. We can fight a lone
9:58:26ascended rank monster. If there were a
9:58:28bunch of them, we would lead you away
9:58:30with us, but one is something that we
9:58:32can defeat. Carl replied with a gentle
9:58:35smile. Hawk was getting excited as well.
9:58:39Most beetles didn't fly well. They only
9:58:42flew a short distance and then landed.
9:58:44His genetic memories told him that
9:58:46beetles were crunchy and nutritious,
9:58:48though he wasn't sure that this one was
9:58:50a species that could be eaten. Rey was
9:58:53likewise excited about the prospect. To
9:58:56the bloodbath spider, all insects were
9:58:58prey. The sound of crashing through the
9:59:01trees brought another trill from Hawk,
9:59:03who had spotted a large black figure
9:59:05headed their way, covered in blood and
9:59:07wreaking of death.
9:59:09That had to be the beetle, and it was
9:59:10tracking the two humans.
9:59:13Everyone in position, get the clerics to
9:59:15the middle of the circle. Carl ordered,
9:59:18doing his best imitation of Sergeant
9:59:20Rita. He did it so well that even Dana
9:59:23responded, ushering everyone into
9:59:25position, while her golems remained
9:59:27outside, ready to face whatever threat
9:59:29Carl had noticed.
9:59:31The crashing through the trees was hard
9:59:33to miss as the beetle chased after the
9:59:34escaped prey. So Carl called out the
9:59:37other pets in time for the students to
9:59:39get used to their presence. These two
9:59:41are Thor and Ray. Do not attack them. He
9:59:45warned the others. The students stared
9:59:48in confusion at the sudden appearance of
9:59:50the lightning, who was already the size
9:59:52of a small bear or a huge dog, but it
9:59:55took them a few seconds to find Rey, who
9:59:57had appeared in a tree and instantly
9:59:59hidden herself.
10:00:01The beetle came in sight and lightning
10:00:03flashed around Thor's body. That caught
10:00:06its attention and the creature began to
10:00:08charge, keening in a way that made Carl
10:00:10feel like the creature was starving and
10:00:12desperate for food. Wait for my signal.
10:00:16Thor blocked the initial charge, then
10:00:18move out of the way for the students to
10:00:20retaliate.
10:00:21Carl called. The beetle flapped its
10:00:24wings to fly at Thor, then crashed to
10:00:26the ground as Ray tied them together
10:00:28above its back with a spurt of spider
10:00:30silk. The muscles that moved the wings
10:00:33weren't particularly strong, and it
10:00:35couldn't break free as Thor charged into
10:00:37it, flipping the creature on its back
10:00:38with a jab of his horns.
10:00:41Now, Carl ordered as Thor moved away,
10:00:44sending his own attack to join the
10:00:46combined spells of the mages. They
10:00:49wouldn't actually do much damage to the
10:00:50ascended rank beast. But as his shred
10:00:53tore apart the kitan, and the wings were
10:00:55held up, exposing its vulnerable sides,
10:00:57even the common rank magical attacks
10:00:59proved relatively effective. With a
10:01:02screech, the beetle tore its wings free
10:01:04of their confinement, and charged at
10:01:06Thor again, drawn to the largest threat.
10:01:09The students paused their attacks,
10:01:11waiting for an opening. While Carl moved
10:01:13in for the kill, Thor's lightning
10:01:16wavered and flickered out of existence
10:01:18for an instant as the two beasts
10:01:19clashed, and the beetle began to
10:01:21celebrate its impending victory a split
10:01:23second before Ray landed on its head and
10:01:25began to stab its eyes out with her
10:01:27clawed feet before tearing into the
10:01:29kitan of the beetle's skull. Carl helped
10:01:32that along with a condensed rend to the
10:01:34back of the creature's neck, and the
10:01:36bloodbath spider moved in for the kill,
10:01:38tearing through the hole to sever the
10:01:40muscles. The giant beetle fell to the
10:01:43ground with one last desperate flail of
10:01:45its wings, trying to dislodge Ray. But
10:01:47it was far too late. The strength left
10:01:50its body, and the spider began to tear
10:01:52the shell open to get at the good bits
10:01:54inside. Don't go getting yourself
10:01:56covered in bug guts. There's no river
10:01:59nearby to clean off in. Carl warned her
10:02:02just as Rey was about to take a dive
10:02:04directly into the carcass. She grumbled
10:02:07out a complaint and pulled the head into
10:02:08her beast space while Thor gave it one
10:02:11last kick for good luck. Problem solved,
10:02:14everyone. We will keep an eye out for
10:02:17more dangers, but the beetle threat is
10:02:19gone. Where are the cleric students? How
10:02:23far did you run? And how many more were
10:02:25in your group? Carl asked. They both
10:02:29just shook their heads. There was just
10:02:31us and the high priest out gathering
10:02:33herbs. I don't know how far we ran. We
10:02:37just ran. Carl nodded. I will have my
10:02:41hawk go look for the scene of the
10:02:42battle. I know that the church has some
10:02:45formal burial rituals and such, right?
10:02:48The two young clerics nodded numbly, not
10:02:50quite sure how to process what was going
10:02:52on. Well, then we will get it all sorted
10:02:55out so that the high priest is taken
10:02:57care of. Don't worry, we won't just
10:03:00leave the body here in the wilderness,
10:03:03Carl informed them.
10:03:05There likely wouldn't be a body to leave
10:03:06in the wilderness, but a little white
10:03:08lie wouldn't hurt anything. And if there
10:03:10was a blood soaked keepsake that the
10:03:12beetle didn't eat, it should be enough
10:03:14for their purposes. It would make both
10:03:16the cleric students and the other elite
10:03:18students feel a bit better about the
10:03:20situation, Carl decided, then wondered
10:03:22when he got so casual about death. Meat
10:03:26is meat. Hawk replied, unconcerned.
10:03:30Ry wholeheartedly agreed, but Thor just
10:03:32shook his head.
10:03:34Fragrant leaves were better than meat
10:03:36any day. With the responses of his pets,
10:03:39Carl began to realize how much their way
10:03:41of thinking was influencing his own. He
10:03:44should be horrified by the situation.
10:03:47But the calmness of his pets affected
10:03:49him just as much as their excitement
10:03:50did, and he just couldn't bring himself
10:03:52to be suitably agitated about the
10:03:54situation as Hawk searched for the sight
10:03:56of the original battle by following the
10:03:58Beatles trail through the woods. I have
10:04:01found it. It didn't finish eating. It
10:04:04just took the good bits and then chased
10:04:06the others. I think I can fit it all in
10:04:08this bag they brought. Hawk informed him
10:04:11helpfully. That was a disturbing
10:04:14thought. Pack him up and bring him to
10:04:16the beast space. We will make sure that
10:04:18he makes it to a proper burial. No,
10:04:21wait. I will ask the clerics if he
10:04:24should be buried right there first. Carl
10:04:26replied, "What is the burial ritual for
10:04:29high priests? Should I have Hawk
10:04:32preserve the remains of the body or
10:04:34should he be buried on the land? Carl
10:04:37asked. The older of the two clerics took
10:04:40out a small book and began to flip
10:04:42through it. I'm not sure that isn't
10:04:44supposed to happen. I mean, this is a
10:04:47safe zone. There shouldn't be anything
10:04:49stronger than a weak awakened beast
10:04:51here. He mumbled as he flipped through
10:04:54the pages. Oh, here it is. Yes, he
10:04:58should be brought back to the church for
10:05:00a burial in state thanks to his high
10:05:02station. There will be three days of
10:05:04mourning for the clergy surrounding the
10:05:06funeral and some other things that don't
10:05:08really involve you, but please preserve
10:05:10the remains. The student replied.
10:05:14Carl relayed the message and Hawk did
10:05:16his best to get all the bits into the
10:05:18large herb gathering bag that they had
10:05:20brought and began the flight back to
10:05:22Carl. Once he was close, Hawk shifted
10:05:25the bag into his beast space while Ray
10:05:27claimed the beetle body, leaving the
10:05:29area strangely empty. "What just
10:05:32happened?" One of the elite class
10:05:34students asked. "My beasts have a
10:05:37separate space where they can store food
10:05:39for later." Ry put the beetle away, and
10:05:42we will strip the good parts of Kitan
10:05:44for trade to the academy. They pay for
10:05:47monster parts since they can be used in
10:05:49armor and weapons, as well as some
10:05:51magical items.
10:05:53Carl explained.
10:05:55Oh, that's right. Will you ask Ry if I
10:05:58can have one of the horns? Beetle horn
10:06:01is on my list of ingredients, but I
10:06:03never thought about keeping it from the
10:06:04giant beetle. Ry broke the horn off with
10:06:07some effort and ejected it from her
10:06:09space. It was just a solid lump of kiten
10:06:13and completely inedible.
10:06:15Therefore, it was worthless to her. The
10:06:18student stared at the horn in reverence.
10:06:21You know, it died so fast that it never
10:06:24really sunk in. That was an ascended
10:06:26rank beast, wasn't it? I can feel the
10:06:29power in the Kitan, but it died so
10:06:32easily. Carl smiled. That's partially
10:06:36thanks to Ray's specialty. She's
10:06:38excellent at finding ways through
10:06:40Kaiden. Plus, my attack power is high,
10:06:44and with its wings lifted, the less
10:06:46armored sides were exposed. The students
10:06:48were making mental notes in case they
10:06:51had to fight something like that again.
10:06:53The shell that covered the wings was the
10:06:55strongest part of the giant beetle's
10:06:57body. So, normally you wouldn't attack
10:06:59its back. But with the wings lifted by
10:07:02the spider silk, that left it vulnerable
10:07:04to attack. And Carl's ability had left
10:07:06an open wound for them to target. Now,
10:07:09we're near the next herb that we came
10:07:11here for. So, let's keep going. My
10:07:14apologies to our new friends, but we
10:07:16still have a mission to complete. I will
10:07:19make sure that you make it back safely,
10:07:21though. If your pickup point is further
10:07:22a field than we're going, I will bring
10:07:24you back to the train tracks instead.
10:07:27Carl added, "That's good enough for us.
10:07:31I don't know where we were supposed to
10:07:32be picked up. The high priest was
10:07:34responsible for that. But there are
10:07:37other groups from the seminary school
10:07:38out here somewhere." The train dropped
10:07:41us all off only a few minutes apart, so
10:07:43we might find one of them before you go.
10:07:46The young cleric replied. One of the
10:07:49warriors smiled at the boy. But in the
10:07:52meantime, we're counting on you and your
10:07:54holy magic. The boy nodded and the shy
10:07:57girl gave them a thumbs up. Holy magic
10:08:00was the one thing that they were
10:08:02confident in. They had been out with the
10:08:04high priest mostly to serve as pack
10:08:06mules as he picked herbs and not as much
10:08:09for training as the warriors of the
10:08:10elite academy were. To the church,
10:08:13obedience and subservience were more
10:08:15important than combat skills, and
10:08:17serving the high priest on his mission
10:08:19was good training for their future works
10:08:21of service to the community. What is
10:08:23next? Didn't Hawk say that there was
10:08:26something nearby before the emergency
10:08:28happened? Dana asked. Just this way.
10:08:33Hawk is already back up in the air
10:08:34looking for more threats. So, we will
10:08:36just follow his path toward the next set
10:08:38of herbs and then we will move on to the
10:08:40third marked location. Carl agreed.
10:08:44Technically, he would be skipping the
10:08:46third location marked on the map since
10:08:48it was either at or very close to the
10:08:50battle site. But if they couldn't find
10:08:51that resource elsewhere, he might lead
10:08:53them there at the end of the trip. The
10:08:55way that he had planned to bring them
10:08:57would go right past the battle. But with
10:08:59Hawk's discovery, he could change the
10:09:01route to make a big loop around it and
10:09:03end up back near the tracks as they
10:09:04finished. If that covered everything
10:09:07that the group needed, then they could
10:09:08skip a few potential resources and head
10:09:11back satisfied.
10:09:12Though, if the clerics needed some of
10:09:14the others, he would gladly bring them
10:09:16around to help gather. They had enough
10:09:19trauma for one trip, so putting a good
10:09:21memory on top might help. Carl seemed to
10:09:24recall hearing that somewhere as a kid,
10:09:27perhaps from the school counselor after
10:09:28one of the many incidents down below in
10:09:30the pit. If anyone had felt relaxed
10:09:33about this easy mission when they
10:09:34arrived, they didn't feel relaxed
10:09:36anymore. The whole group was on high
10:09:39alert, searching the woods for anything
10:09:41that might be a danger.
10:09:43Carl let Thor lead the group on the
10:09:45ground following Hawk's guidance while
10:09:47Ray hid in the beast space with the
10:09:49remains of the giant beetle that she was
10:09:51carefully dissecting to improve her
10:09:52understanding of exoskeleletal species 4
10:09:55offensive adaptation.
10:09:57Minutes after they started moving again,
10:09:59an angry grunt caught Carl's attention
10:10:02and the crashing of a large animal
10:10:03through undergrowth drew the attention
10:10:05of everyone else. Free tree apes common
10:10:09grade. They don't look tasty, Hulk
10:10:13reported as the creatures approached. We
10:10:16have a small pack of apes in the trees
10:10:18incoming.
10:10:19Group, you know what to do. It is up to
10:10:22you if you want to attack them or let
10:10:24them pass. Carl informed the others,
10:10:27which made Dana smile at him. They could
10:10:30attack anything that moved, but that
10:10:32would anger everything else. So, if it
10:10:35wasn't hostile, she would prefer not to
10:10:37make it hostile. One of the mages shook
10:10:40his head. They normally don't attack
10:10:42people. They just like to shout at them
10:10:45from the trees. If they don't attack, we
10:10:48should keep moving since they will scare
10:10:50off any other small monsters with the
10:10:52noise they make. The group patiently
10:10:55waited and moved in a triple column,
10:10:57putting the warriors on the outside with
10:10:59the mages and clerics between them and
10:11:00the golems at the back. But the tree
10:11:03apes behaved just as the mage had
10:11:05anticipated, and they remained in the
10:11:07upper branches of the trees, screaming
10:11:09at the humans and occasionally throwing
10:11:11nuts and berries at them. The monkeys
10:11:14thought that the whole thing was
10:11:15hilarious, and they laughed as the
10:11:17warriors swatted aside the projectiles,
10:11:19but they didn't come any closer, and
10:11:21they didn't do anything that would
10:11:22provoke an all-out attack. "The spot is
10:11:25just ahead. Should I scare the monkeys
10:11:28away?" Hawk asked with a hopeful tone in
10:11:31Carl's mind. Sure, go ahead and get your
10:11:35snack. Carl replied, likening the
10:11:38monkeys to junk food. I told you they
10:11:41don't look tasty. Hawk replied
10:11:43indignantly as he folded his wings and
10:11:45dove out of the sky. He hit the monkey
10:11:48at well over 100 km an hour, nearly
10:11:51shredding its body as he pulled it away
10:11:52from the branch in his claws and
10:11:54returned to the sky. That was what a
10:11:57normal bird of prey would do as they had
10:11:59all the advantages when they were
10:12:00flying. Some of the students didn't
10:12:03realize that was hawk at first and they
10:12:05began to panic at the presence of
10:12:07another powerful attacker, but that only
10:12:09helped the tree apes make their
10:12:10decision. The humans were afraid of that
10:12:13thing too, so it would likely attack
10:12:15them next if the ape tribe left. Hawk
10:12:18peeled the ape apart and took one
10:12:19tentative bite before discarding the
10:12:21body, which bounced down through the
10:12:23branches as the rest of the tribe
10:12:25scattered.
10:12:26Good work. They're still running. Carl
10:12:29congratulated Hawk just as the birds
10:12:31speared down to get another of the tree
10:12:33apes and bring it into the sky to use as
10:12:35a projectile. But this time, it wasn't
10:12:38on the apes. Instead, he found a lone
10:12:41black mane bear and circled up to an
10:12:43altitude of 500 m before diving hard and
10:12:46releasing the corpse. A flap of his
10:12:49wings sent him on a glide path over the
10:12:51forest, and the bear roared in anger as
10:12:53the body smashed down right where it had
10:12:55been standing a second earlier. "Why are
10:12:58you angering the bears?" Carl asked as
10:13:01he heard the noise. "Why would I not
10:13:03anger the bears?" "You should have seen
10:13:06it. It was hilarious."
10:13:08Hawk replied, "I hate that I can't argue
10:13:12with that. It probably was hilarious,
10:13:15but the others are already freaked out
10:13:17enough without an angry bear coming
10:13:19their way. Do you know how a windsp
10:13:21speed hawk usually learns to fly? I
10:13:24mean, not me in the space, but other
10:13:27ones. Hawk asked. Don't they just flap
10:13:31their wings in the nest until they can
10:13:32take off? Carl asked. Nope. They'd
10:13:36remain in the nest forever that way.
10:13:39Once they're grown enough to fly, their
10:13:41mother pushes them out of the nest. They
10:13:44either learn or they hit the ground,
10:13:47Hawk replied. Carl's smile caught the
10:13:50attention of the warriors at the front,
10:13:52and they were suddenly very worried
10:13:53about the safety of their low-risk
10:13:55training mission. Did they get two
10:13:58awakened leaders, not because Carl and
10:13:59Dana were both in their first year as
10:14:01well, but because they were going to
10:14:03need more than one? What was out here
10:14:05that was making the monster man so
10:14:07happy? He was already so much more
10:14:10powerful than anything that should be in
10:14:11the area. Perhaps he forgot that the
10:14:13rest of them were not looking forward to
10:14:15actually meeting monsters on this trip
10:14:17to get resources.
10:14:18The sound of the angry bear retreated
10:14:20into the distance as it moved out of the
10:14:22territory of the annoying bird. But the
10:14:24group's tension level didn't drop any
10:14:26lower until they made it to the next
10:14:28spot, a section of fallen trees where an
10:14:30awakened rank moss grew abundantly all
10:14:32over the deadfall.
10:14:34This is what we are here for. The best
10:14:36of the resources in the region.
10:14:38One of the warriors quietly cheered.
10:14:41Carl's confused look let them all know
10:14:43that he hadn't had time to study the
10:14:45properties of the resources here, only
10:14:47their locations.
10:14:49So, one of the warriors helpfully filled
10:14:51him in. The moss is dried and then
10:14:53lightly roasted to create a tea that
10:14:55supplements the strength stones for
10:14:57classes that have physical enhancements.
10:14:59I don't know if it will work for your
10:15:01class, but a kilo each of that moss will
10:15:03keep us for the entire school year. You
10:15:06can't use too much. It will just be a
10:15:08waste. But a cup in the morning will
10:15:10make nearly as much of a difference as a
10:15:12strength stone twice a month, the
10:15:14warrior explained.
10:15:16That was more often than Hawk was going
10:15:18through strength stones mixed with blood
10:15:20as food seasoning.
10:15:22So, it should be a good resource for the
10:15:24pets, and Carl would have to get some.
10:15:27It looks good. Thor agreed, letting a
10:15:30bit of drool slip out of the corner of
10:15:32his mouth. All right. Do the mages need
10:15:35this resource or should we split it
10:15:38between the people who can use it,
10:15:40stopping at a kilo each so it doesn't go
10:15:42bad before everyone can use it? Carl
10:15:45asked. Mages can't use it. It won't do
10:15:48anything beneficial for us unless we're
10:15:50weakened. But the witches can use it in
10:15:53recovery potions, so they will need at
10:15:55least as much as the warriors.
10:15:57One of the warriors explained.
10:16:00The pair of witches looked grateful that
10:16:02he had stood up for them and the
10:16:03resource intensive needs of their potion
10:16:05making. Is there anything else I should
10:16:08know before I harvest this? Parasites,
10:16:11dangerous creatures that like to live
10:16:13under it? Carl asked. The group all
10:16:17reluctantly shook their heads, and Carl
10:16:19drew his short sword from the scabbard
10:16:21at his hip. The rest all thought it was
10:16:23a bit odd that he didn't take the sword
10:16:25out to fight, but he carried it anyhow,
10:16:27though they didn't say anything.
10:16:30The team leader was responsible for loot
10:16:32distribution according to academy
10:16:34regulations.
10:16:35Carl looked at how the moss grew down
10:16:38the top of the logs and the one side,
10:16:40but not the bottom or the other side. If
10:16:43he wanted it to keep growing, he had to
10:16:45leave enough in the right spots that it
10:16:47didn't ruin the moss bed too badly. So,
10:16:50he cut diagonal stripes across the log,
10:16:53removing thin strips amounting to half
10:16:54of the moss on each log while leaving
10:16:57the rest securely attached.
10:16:59That should grow back over, he assumed.
10:17:02And then it could be harvested again.
10:17:04Where did you learn that? Dana asked as
10:17:07Carl cut the careful strips from the
10:17:09moss. I'm actually just guessing here by
10:17:12the way that it grows. But I'm only
10:17:14taking half and leaving the other half
10:17:16in the way that looks like it will grow
10:17:18back the fastest. Moss spreads from the
10:17:21edges, you see, and only grows well on
10:17:24the sunny side. So, if I only take half
10:17:27and leave as many good edges as
10:17:29possible, then it looks like this. That
10:17:32should be the fastest pattern to grow
10:17:33back. And by my guess, I've cut nearly
10:17:3620 kilos of wet weight moss from this
10:17:38one tree. I haven't even touched the
10:17:41other ones yet, and we've got enough to
10:17:43fill all the warriors and the witch's
10:17:44requests.
10:17:46I just need to grab a little for Thor
10:17:48here, and we can be on our way to the
10:17:50next spot, he explained.
10:17:53I don't suppose we could spare a bit
10:17:55more. There is an awful lot of it
10:17:57growing here. One of the warriors
10:18:00suggested. The witch closest to Carl
10:18:03nodded in agreement. The academy expects
10:18:06you to provide for your own when it's
10:18:07not a standard part of the growth plan.
10:18:09And it's not like they accept these
10:18:11items as a trade-in. At least not from
10:18:13the first years who are supposed to be
10:18:14looking out for themselves first. But
10:18:16normally, we would never see so much of
10:18:18an awakened rank resource in one spot.
10:18:21If this was up on the market, we would
10:18:23be rich. Well, until we all got arrested
10:18:27for trafficking controlled substances to
10:18:29the masses, but you get my point. We
10:18:32could earn plenty of favors from the
10:18:33other students in class if we had a bit
10:18:35to trade them, you know. All right, I
10:18:38will harvest another log. Carl agreed
10:18:41with a smile. He cut the same stripe
10:18:44pattern on one log and then had Thor
10:18:46quietly move the log hidden behind where
10:18:48he was working into the beast space. A
10:18:51beast his size would need a lot of the
10:18:52moss to equal out to a cup of tea a day.
10:18:55And a bit added to his usual diet every
10:18:57morning would help him grow big and
10:18:59strong. But even the lightning sero
10:19:01realized that the herb should be
10:19:03rationed. He ate a lot of higher rank
10:19:06plants as his general diet, but this one
10:19:08was special and the effects were
10:19:10limited. So it was more of a treat than
10:19:12a basic staple of the diet. The second
10:19:15batch was spread the same as the first
10:19:16and stuffed into backpacks while Carl
10:19:19looked at the map to see what was up
10:19:20next. They were going to go around the
10:19:23battle from earlier, and that would
10:19:25bring them to one of two spots. Either a
10:19:28spot that might have another
10:19:29strengthening herb or one that was known
10:19:31to grow crystals that helped focus and
10:19:33increase the mana pool growth rate. Carl
10:19:36decided to lead them to the crystals
10:19:37first in the interest of fairness. If
10:19:40anything went wrong later, at least they
10:19:42should all have gained something from
10:19:44the trip that way. It would also help
10:19:46the clerics that they had rescued so
10:19:48they wouldn't go home empty-handed.
10:19:51The signs of monsters got more prominent
10:19:53the further that they went, and Carl
10:19:55began to question whether the intel was
10:19:57wrong or if this was actually what they
10:19:59considered a low-risk area in the
10:20:00wilderness. He knew that there were
10:20:03countless monsters in the wild areas and
10:20:05that large portions of the land barely
10:20:07held any humans, but he was seeing signs
10:20:09of magical abilities and trees that had
10:20:11been downed by something powerful enough
10:20:13to claw through them. That was no common
10:20:16grade monster, and most of the marks
10:20:18were too far up to have been the giant
10:20:20beetle. Even Thor was becoming nervous
10:20:23with all the signs and sense of
10:20:24predators, but he had a large pack with
10:20:26him now, and he wasn't as concerned as
10:20:28he would have been if he were alone.
10:20:31He trusted Hawk to find anything really
10:20:33dangerous, and the bird was currently
10:20:35circling their destination, making sure
10:20:37that nothing was hiding around the cave.
10:20:40He hadn't checked the inside, but the
10:20:42surroundings were clear of any large
10:20:44animals and a few more of the small ones
10:20:46as well, as Hawk was feeling a bit
10:20:48hungry after all that flying. The
10:20:50crystal cave is just ahead. Remember, we
10:20:54haven't checked the interior yet, so I
10:20:56can't say if the crystals are there, as
10:20:58the report said there would be, but I
10:21:00can say that Hawk found the cave right
10:21:02where they said it was," Carl reported.
10:21:05The mages shared an excited smile while
10:21:08the warriors prepared their minds for
10:21:09the charge into an unexplored cavern
10:21:11system. "If they found the crystals near
10:21:14the entrance, they wouldn't have to go
10:21:16far in, but if not, they would need to
10:21:18explore, and that brought a whole new
10:21:20realm of danger with it. Hold up. Dana
10:21:24warned them as they approached the
10:21:25clearing outside the cave entrance. I
10:21:28saw some unique plants in the clearing.
10:21:31They're not on the list, but I
10:21:33recognized them from the botney books
10:21:34that I had to read. She informed the
10:21:37team. Carl looked carefully and began to
10:21:41smile. One of the plants was a winter
10:21:43berry bush. Not powerful, but he would
10:21:47have to pick some for Hawk, who loved
10:21:49the flavor. I already got some," the
10:21:53smug bird informed him. Carl checked the
10:21:56mental space and found that there was an
10:21:58entire bush there planted in the ground
10:22:00as if it would keep growing. "Maybe it
10:22:02would." Carl didn't really understand
10:22:05how the spaces worked, but he was
10:22:07feeding them magical energy, so it
10:22:09wasn't impossible that a magical plant
10:22:11might survive in there, although the
10:22:12majority of the ground was just a mental
10:22:14image. Dana addressed the group. There
10:22:18are plants with narrow spiny leaves.
10:22:21Collect the leaves without letting them
10:22:23touch you or your clothing. We will want
10:22:26as many as possible. I need four warrior
10:22:29volunteers.
10:22:31For hands went up and Dana sent them
10:22:33out. Then she pointed to another plant.
10:22:36These are tiger leaf weeds. They're
10:22:39exceptional for fire magic training. All
10:22:42the mages should gather at least a few
10:22:44of them. They are eaten one at a time
10:22:46just before you try to learn fire magic.
10:22:49So dry them and save them. The mages
10:22:52began to move out, so Carl gathered the
10:22:54rest of the warriors. We are on guard
10:22:57duty, but as you move, keep your eyes
10:22:59open for these purple and white berries.
10:23:02They're delicious.
10:23:04Not much of a magical effect other than
10:23:06slightly refreshing, but they're a great
10:23:08seasoning for oatmeal that made the
10:23:11warriors smile. Oatmeal was not only a
10:23:14staple of the breakfast menu at home,
10:23:16but it was also in the breakfast pack of
10:23:18all their travel rations.
10:23:20Being able to flavor it with some fresh
10:23:22berries would make their first morning
10:23:23in the wilderness much more enjoyable.
10:23:26The tea made their way carefully across
10:23:28the field, grabbing everything that they
10:23:30thought might be valuable, while being
10:23:32careful not to kill the plants, even
10:23:34when they needed a portion of the roots
10:23:35for their training.
10:23:37It was a bit odd seeing these strong
10:23:39warriors being so delicate with flowers
10:23:41and weeds, but if it meant that they
10:23:43could come back here in a month or two
10:23:44and harvest the same resources again, it
10:23:47was well worth the effort. Although they
10:23:50had met up with a group from the clergy,
10:23:52it was rare for people to head this far
10:23:53into the wilderness. And with so much
10:23:55ground to cover, and only an aerial scan
10:23:58to indicate that there might be
10:23:59resources, the chances were that nobody
10:24:01else would return here after the report
10:24:03was filed that they had harvested in
10:24:05this region. It took them nearly an hour
10:24:07to finish their work and make it to the
10:24:09cavern where all the team members
10:24:11realized that they had a real problem on
10:24:13their hands. They had found so many
10:24:15other resources that they had filled
10:24:17their bags already and they were only at
10:24:19the third stop. Well, technically the
10:24:22second stop, as the first one hadn't
10:24:24been one of the intended map points to
10:24:26harvest resources.
10:24:28If we pack the moss a bit more tightly,
10:24:30we might make room for one more stop.
10:24:32But if it's a large leafy plant or a
10:24:35flower that shouldn't be crushed, we
10:24:36will be really short on space. One of
10:24:39the warriors noted they had loaded up
10:24:42with the moss, but the mages had filled
10:24:44their bags with the flowers and leaves
10:24:46here in this field where they had
10:24:47actually come to gather crystal from the
10:24:49cave. "All right, same formation as
10:24:52before. I will keep Hawk in reserve, but
10:24:56here in the darkness, we will have Thor
10:24:58and Ry," Carl explained. He felt
10:25:01Ray<unk>s amusement at the thought of
10:25:03Thor stomping around happily smashing
10:25:05all the crystals that they were here to
10:25:07gather. On second thought, I will keep
10:25:10Thor in reserve as well, and Ry will
10:25:12help me with the scouting duties on
10:25:13point. The golems will take up the rear,
10:25:16and the rest of you mingle your ranks,
10:25:18warrior, then mage. You all know the
10:25:21drill. He amended. The group adjusted
10:25:25their positions and prepared their
10:25:26flashlights with a rapid round of
10:25:28cranking the chargers just to make sure
10:25:30that the batteries were absolutely
10:25:32completely charged. Unlike Carl, who had
10:25:35very little reason to be afraid of the
10:25:37dark, the others were much more
10:25:39comfortable in the light. Ry decided
10:25:41that was the perfect excuse for her to
10:25:43scout ahead so she would be out of the
10:25:45range of the lights and vanished into
10:25:47the cave. It's shiny in here. Oh, pretty
10:25:51stone.
10:25:53That's for me and a bit of glowing moss
10:25:55for my nest and a mushroom. Rey happily
10:25:58narrated her scouting mission. Just
10:26:01remember that we're here to help the
10:26:03others level up so that they can catch
10:26:04up to us. So don't loot everything
10:26:06before they get there. Carl laughed at
10:26:09the bloodbath spiders excess. They're
10:26:12not valuable, just pretty. You can come
10:26:15in now. The entrance doesn't have
10:26:17anything scary in it. Carl stepped
10:26:20inside and for the first time noticed
10:26:22that there was something strange about
10:26:23his night vision. It was never truly
10:26:26dark in the academy with the lights in
10:26:28the yard, the dim lighting in the
10:26:30hallways, and all the other light
10:26:31sources around. But inside the cavern,
10:26:34before the others entered with their
10:26:36lights, Carl could see in a whole new
10:26:38way. Not how Hawk saw in the dark, as
10:26:41that still relied on some level of light
10:26:43being present, but how Rey saw in the
10:26:45dark through a combination of thermal
10:26:47imaging and echolocation.
10:26:50Each footstep made his surroundings seem
10:26:52more vivid, and he could see the
10:26:53difference where there was cold water
10:26:55running over the warmer stones. It was
10:26:58no wonder that Ry liked it in the dark.
10:27:00She was perfectly in her element.
10:27:02Then the group follow behind him,
10:27:04lighting up the tunnel with their
10:27:05lanterns and flashlights, and Carl's
10:27:08night vision naturally shifted back to
10:27:10the more detailed low light resolution
10:27:11that he had inherited from Hawk. Rey had
10:27:14been correct. None of the students were
10:27:16interested in the remains of the
10:27:18interesting objects that she had found,
10:27:19and the spider carefully led them down
10:27:21to the first chamber of the cavern
10:27:23system. There's one. I see one of the
10:27:27crystals. A mage whispered. One wouldn't
10:27:31be nearly enough, but it meant that
10:27:32there were or had been some here. Leave
10:27:36the first as a marker that they are
10:27:38still here. And let's move further into
10:27:39the cave to check for more. Ry, do you
10:27:43see what that one looks like? That is
10:27:45the type of crystal that they need. Carl
10:27:48commented on it. There is another good
10:27:52room up here, but something is in it.
10:27:55There is a pond in the middle, and I can
10:27:57sense something moving under the water.
10:27:59Ry reported.
10:28:01Stay back and we will approach it as a
10:28:04group. There is a cavern up ahead with
10:28:06something living in the water. Rey
10:28:09doesn't know what it is, so prepare for
10:28:11a fight, Carl reported. He moved slowly
10:28:15to the entrance where Ry was hiding
10:28:17directly above his head, blended in with
10:28:20the stone of the wall, and followed her
10:28:21gaze to the softly glowing waters of the
10:28:24pond. It was magnificent, giving off a
10:28:27dim glow of magical power, and the
10:28:29bottom was lined with crystals. There
10:28:31were hundreds of them in this room, but
10:28:33something felt off, like taking any of
10:28:35them would bring about a backlash.
10:28:38Wait before you pluck any of the
10:28:40crystals on the walls. I have a feeling
10:28:42that they're related to whatever is in
10:28:44the lake. Carl warned the group, who
10:28:47were about to go into a frenzy at the
10:28:49sight of so many resources.
10:28:51They paused for a moment, but it was
10:28:53obvious that they thought he was being
10:28:55overly cautious on nothing more than the
10:28:57word of a spider. One of the warriors
10:28:59used a stick that he had brought in with
10:29:01him and splashed the surface of the
10:29:02water, waiting for a response. But there
10:29:05was nothing, just ripples in the placid
10:29:07surface. The mages hesitated for a few
10:29:10more seconds. Then one of them used a
10:29:12knife to pop a crystal from the wall.
10:29:15Still no response from anything, and the
10:29:17others smiled in victory. The mage took
10:29:20off his glove to examine his prize, and
10:29:23a flash of light filled the room,
10:29:25engulfing and blinding everyone, as well
10:29:27as forcing Rey back into the beast's
10:29:29space. "I told them there was something
10:29:32here," she muttered as she waited for
10:29:34her eyes to adjust. "The first to adapt
10:29:37was Thor, who had been sitting with his
10:29:39eyes closed as he chewed, and he relayed
10:29:42the situation to Carl. There are things
10:29:44here, dangerous things. I will go out
10:29:48and chase them away. The lightning Sarah
10:29:51took action as he spoke, and his bugling
10:29:53call to arms echoed through a much
10:29:55larger space than Carl had expected.
10:29:58They couldn't be in that same cavern
10:29:59unless it had collapsed. It sounded more
10:30:02like they were outdoors, next to a
10:30:04mountain valley. The noise was enough to
10:30:06hold whatever was there at bay for the
10:30:08few seconds that it took Carl's eyes to
10:30:10adjust, but what he saw was nothing he
10:30:12could have anticipated.

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