We were in a bit of a pickle when we rushed to the showers, only to find that the other cadets were doing the same. Scott was ahead of me. He dropped his clothes in a smooth motion and occupied the last empty shower. A second later, a towering figure stepped up to the same shower. He grunted something, but Scott ignored him pointedly. Veins popping, the giant walked out of the shower room and waited, his naked foot tapping impatiently on the floor.
I brushed my teeth, went about my business, and returned to the shower. Scott’s timing was impeccable as always, and he walked out just as the giant of a cadet looked away.
“Sorry,” I muttered under my breath and jumped under the shower. Five rushed minutes later, I was done and walked out to see the giant cadet was still waiting.
“The shower in the back should be empty,” I added, which was rewarded with a glare.
“Thanks…” the giant grunted. He didn’t look particularly pleased, but he was in a time crunch and had no patience for a quarrel in the showers. Or so I told myself as I dried my body. I slipped into my clothes and walked outside to find Scott waiting for me.
“Group Combat with Madame Kalifer?” he asked with a smile.
I could tell Scott didn’t need an answer, but I nodded anyway.
“Me too,” Scott said before walking off without another word. I followed on autopilot as I entered my World.
Listening to the complaints of one Soulkin was still news to me. However, having two bonds was an entirely different realm filled with oddities. For one, neither Aureus nor the Ferronox Mantis bothered concealing their emotions. I’d heard more than enough about Blessed and Soulkins desiring privacy, so they shrouded the bond. It was a simple measure. Even I’d done it before, although never longer than a few minutes at a time.
But as much as it helped Blessed and Soulkin to keep to themselves, it didn’t allow them to understand each other wholly. Sure, it was complicated, and having two very different Soulkins in my World was bound to cause trouble, but I was certain the long-term benefits outweighed the temporary suffering.
If I adapt now, I won’t have as many problems with the next one, I reminded myself and started to wonder how long that would take.
Aureus can grow into a Mid Evolved beast, maybe even to the peak with the necessary resources, but that will take some time. I’ll be able to keep up with Aureus’ growth easily as long as he doesn’t experience a series of growth spurts. The mantis…
I was not quite sure about the Ferronox Mantis, though one thing was certain: it would be powerful. Fifteen Ether Gates formed on the etherious web that coursed through my entire body. Five Gates for every Rank. The Ferronox Mantis was bound to reach the peak of the Evolved Rank without ever consuming serums. If done right, he’d even advance to the Unblemished Rank.
As great as that was, the Ferronox Mantis would mature quickly, which meant I’d have to push my World to its limits again and again.
“Another sprint against death.” I chuckled to myself. Scott glanced back at me, but I waved him off.
We walked out of the dormitory and rushed to an open field where dozens of cadets were already waiting. Looking around, I noticed additional cadets trickling in, confirming that this was a Basic Class.
“I wonder how many cadets managed to upgrade their Classes,” I asked, and Scott answered almost at the same time.
“Many. A lot more than you think. Not so many for the Group Combat class though. If I had to guess, most would probably discard this class and join other special lectures to make up for the missing points.”
Scott was a good friend. Even better, he was a lot more knowledgeable than I was, so he could solve the problems I was struggling with—if he wanted to. He looked happy to play the all-knowing friend.
“I’m curious about something. Though it has nothing to do with the Grand Camp or the classes.”
Scott’s ears perked up, and even Destiny looked over. The little squirrel was seated on Scott’s shoulder as always, though she looked different. Something about her had changed, and I wasn’t quite sure what it was, other than her fur looking fluffier than ever.
“What is it? If it’s about my traits or my World, I won’t be able—…” His eyes disappeared in a murky, milky-white cloud, and he grimaced. “Never mind, you don’t care about that. Go for it. How can I help you?”
Even if you don’t tell me about it, I can put one and one together. At the very least, I had some ideas about Scott’s traits and why he was always like this.
“Now that my second Soulkin has hatched, I have fifteen new Ether Gates to nurture. While that sounds great, I… am unsure what to do.” I hesitated for a moment but stuck by my earlier decision anyway. “My physique is unusual. Some would say broken. My Ether Gates are four, sometimes five times larger than the norm. That’d be great—if they weren’t damaged.”
I let out a deep sigh as the weight of a thousand stones fell from my shoulders.
“My Gates are leaky. Doctors and researchers are not exactly sure why that’s the case, but we’ve established that my body consumes ether to move. I was weak and fragile before I bonded with Aureus, which changed everything. Nonetheless, moving around like everyone else consumes ether. More strenuous tasks like workouts consume more ether, but that’s beside the point. My point is that my Gates are leaky, and I have to refill them daily or the tempering of my body will wear off. Now, with more Ether Gates at my disposal, I have to decide which Gates to fill and how to handle the aftermath.”
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Filling the Gates was easy as long as the ether leaking into the Weave remained. In that case, I could fix everything in minutes. But by tempering my body, it would require more and more ether to function normally. Every task would consume more ether, which would come directly from the Weave, making refilling the leaky Gates more troublesome than it had any right to be.
“Your Gates are massive,” Scott cocked an eyebrow at me. “I didn’t know that.”
For a moment, he seemed too stumped to say a word.
“That makes so much sense. You were almost as strong as an Adept when you were still a Novice. You were only bound to a small mutant Soilback with little to no physical augmentation.” He slapped his forehead in exasperation. “How did I not see that?”
“Anyway, the answer is fairly simple, isn’t it?” Scott looked at me in a way that made me feel increasingly stupid. “You should focus on your World and Soulkins. I am fairly sure your bond with Aureus is firm, so you may as well focus more on your Soulkins and their bonds. Or does your body consume more ether from the soulshares’ empowerment as well?”
A grimace was all Scott needed for an answer.
“In that case, it doesn’t matter what you focus on. However, you will still need enough Ether Gates to supply your body as both Aureus and your little mantis grow stronger. The Ferronox Mantis will enhance your physical body, whereas Aureus will continue to push your mind and spirit. If those enhancements result in increased ether consumption, you will want to have as many Ether Gates as possible to supply the ether needed to keep you running.” Destiny patted Scott, who let out a soft groan.
He went still, his eyes glowing white. Blood poured from his nose as the white light faded. “It is fair to assume that you will have quite a few problems with your physique in the future. However, there are ways to alleviate those issues. Build up a stockpile of ether stones, maybe even condensed crystals or highly condensed ether serums to consume in an emergency. That is a must if you don’t want to suffer too much. Second, you need to learn how to absorb the ambient ether. There is ether everywhere in Razarn, and you will need to be able to absorb it naturally, like it’s second nature to you.”
Scott turned to a tall woman who had appeared in the center of the hundred-plus cadets that had gathered at this point before adding, “As troublesome as your physique is, it will make you ridiculously strong. As Blessed grow stronger, it becomes increasingly difficult to hunt beasts alone. Most Blessed have to rely on their wits, traits, and the techniques they’ve harnessed over years to keep up with the natural superiority of beasts at the same Rank. Your soulshares, if you continue to nourish them, combined with that physique of yours, will be more than enough to even out a beast’s superiority. In fact, you may as well be the superior existence if you play your cards right.”
Scott’s words were surprising, to say the least. I had already accepted that my physique was a blessing in disguise, but it seemed unnecessarily troublesome. It was a nuisance, a trouble I’d much rather not have. Yet, listening to Scott, I felt motivated.
A technique to wield ambient ether to refill my leaky Ether Gates at all times, and a safety net for emergencies. It wouldn’t be easy, but if that was what it took to feel more secure in my own skin, I had to get it. Thus, the seed of a plan formed in my head.
“That means I need more coins.” I chuckled, adding several items to my mental notes.
“Definitely.” Scott snickered. “But now we have a few beasts to kill. Wanna team up?”
Unsure what he was getting at, I turned to the tall woman. She had long red hair, a wide scar that stretched across her neck and half her face, and a frustrated expression that didn’t bode well with me.
“SILENCE!” the woman hollered, her voice deep and raspy.
“I am Instructor Kalifer, and I am responsible for pushing you into the right shape. As important as your individual prowess is, teamwork will always be more important. No Blessed, no matter how strong, can cover all the demands when it comes to survival and combat in the wild. Every Blessed brings different strengths to the group, and it will be on me to break you apart and push you in the right direction.”
I was not quite sure when it happened, but a knot formed in my stomach. My hair stood on end, and I backtracked instinctively as something akin to fear settled in my wildly racing heart.
“Such bloodlust,” Scott murmured beside me, his blue eyes gleaming in… was he actually excited? What in the Rulers’ names?!
“I will make sure you learn how to manage multiple threats, be they beasts or other races. Not all creatures are defenseless, and many are far more intelligent than young Blessed give them credit for.” Her fingers traced gently across her scar. “I was once like that too. I underestimated my enemy and overestimated my strength. And the only reason I’m still alive was my team. We shared responsibilities, adapted to our foes’ unpredictable nature, and survived for several months in the wilderness, surrounded by terrors that followed us into our dreams. But we made it out alive.”
For a fleeting moment her face hardened. She shook her head, and the fear in my heart grew more intense. That had to be the instructor’s doing!
“Having allies will not only steady your fear, but it keeps the morale high. You will learn how to trust them and grow strong together as you ensure no one surrenders, no matter how grim the situation looks.” Her voice gained an edge, and the dead-serious notion was replaced with a faint smile. “And, of course, you are stronger in a team. You can combine your greatest strengths and obliterate foes you’d never be strong enough to defeat on your own.”
The fear in my heart faded, but I couldn’t help staying rooted to my spot. Nobody moved, and no one uttered a word, their full attention lingering on Instructor Kalifer.
Her smile widened, revealing razor-sharp teeth. “Good. Now, let’s get to business. I don’t like wasting my precious time, and I highly doubt you like theory either. That being said, I want to see your performance in action.” She waved her hand, and a holographic screen showing a sheet with hundreds of names popped up.
“You are to form groups with no more than seven members. Do not rush—pick carefully. Your choice will determine your group’s course for the rest of my class.” A message popped up on my watch as the instructor said the last part. I opened the message and was told to form a group and submit my desired composition.
“Don’t be shy. Go for it. Form groups, or I will have to form your groups,” Instructor Kalifer said impatiently no more than ten seconds later. “And trust me, you do not want me to form the groups; I will have too much fun seeing you guys suffer.”
What now? Do you want us to be careful or not?!
The instructor was certainly a character. She had something about her, which could be good… or really bad.