172: The Hard Way (Patreon)

“You weren’t ready,” Cirayus said, healing Vir with A-Grade Restore Bone, Heal Wound, and Greater Numb Wound orbs.

Vir couldn’t say a word against that. Well, no, he could. “At least I didn’t run back to you.”

“I’d have kicked you right back if ye had!”

He lay still on a bench Cirayus had carved out of the rock. It turned out tremendous strength and Balancer of Scales was useful not only in combat, but for excavation as well. While Vir had been out scouting his enemy, Cirayus had carved a humble abode into the side of the volcano that rose from the Mahakurma’s back. It was a simple, small abode, if tall, to fit those of half-giant stature.

Comprising a single moderately sized room fit for eating or meditating in, and a corner to sleep in, it wasn’t much. But it was enough. A safe harbor from the storms that raged eternally outside. A shelter from the ever-falling ash. Though it lacked lighting, the windows and open doorway allowed plenty through. Not that Vir really needed light to see.

Vir hadn’t realized how much he needed such a place until now. The nerves and the stress of the past weeks melted away, and for the first time in a very long time, he felt safe.

“I know,” he replied through gritted teeth. Partly on account of the hot shame that burned in his chest. Partly because while A-Grade healing orbs closed his wounds before his very eyes, the associated pain was greater, too. Even with the anesthetic orb, the experience was hardly painless, especially later.

“I wasn’t really in any danger. Not with Dance of the Shadow Demon.” And with you watching over me, he didn’t add.

“But was it worth all this?” his godfather asked, having finished his treatment. “You should be thankful your friend carried these orbs with her. Quite handy, I must admit. Quite powerful. The girl never fails to impress. If the Demon Realm got their hands on these…”

Vir sat up slowly, not commenting on how Maiya had simply paid someone to precharge them, and wasn’t actually capable of using them since she lacked a Life Affinity. Regardless, she did give him these outrageously expensive orbs. He wasn’t about to throw her name under the wagon.

Groaning, Vir tested his newly healed limbs. Though the pain lingered, the skin had mended perfectly; the Shredder’s lacerations on his arms, chest, back, and legs left no scars.

“Worth it,” he replied. “Definitely worth it.”

“I presume you learned something from that beat down?”

Beat down, huh? That was exactly what it was. Vir had gone in knowing he’d be outmatched in raw power. He knew his blade might not have been able to penetrate the creature’s deep, thick armor.

“I didn’t think it’d be so badrakking fast,” he admitted. “It’s not just my power, either. I need more speed, too.”

“More speed, power, and defense. You lack in all dimensions, lad. With greater defense, offensive options open. With more power, you can end fights quicker, reducing the risk of injury. And with speed, you can avoid damage. It’s how you’ve won until now, isn’t it?”

“Right. My mobility’s always been a strength. Just that now…”

“Your foes are faster than you, negating that advantage,” the demon completed.

Good thing I didn’t wear my armor, Vir thought. He’d stashed his seric gear away for the fight. Foolish, perhaps, but with Cirayus watching his back, he wasn’t in any real danger. Better to save the armor for when he needed it most.

Vir suspected he’d be back to fighting condition after another day. A-Grade orbs truly were something else.

“So? How do you plan to overcome this disadvantage?”

Vir knew exactly the Talent he needed. “There’s a Rare Talent humans use called Haste. I guess it works like your Giant Grace. Makes you faster.”

“Curious. So humans learn these Talents, do they? And all of them are known? I admit there is some merit to being able to teach magic so… formulaically.”

“Well, teach is a strong word for it. Humans don’t really know what they’re doing with magic, and no one’s really been able to figure it out. Talents manifest in some warriors, and they have something like a process for learning some of the Common and Uncommon rarity ones.”

“Oh? A process?”

“You’ll be disappointed. I know I was. It usually involves praying to the gods and a lot of practicing basic moves and luck.”

Vir expected Cirayus to laugh, but instead he raised his brows. “Does it work?”

“Only by chance. I discovered early on that only those with Earth or Shadow affinities can manifest Talents, and that they probably learn basic prana manipulation via sheer luck.”

“Or perhaps those endless repetitions you mentioned are, in fact, honing their prana manipulation, albeit subconsciously?”

Vir gave the idea some thought. It was certainly possible, if unlikely. All one really had to do to control their prana was to will themselves to take hold of it. Just that most people started with such abysmal prana control, it wouldn’t even be noticeable until they honed it to a certain point. It was likely many humans actually succeeded at manipulating it, simply mistaking it for failure.

“The question is—are the humans aware?” Cirayus asked, stroking his beard. “Are their teachings vague by design? Or did they simply pass down any process that had a chance of working?”

“I’d bet seric on the latter,” Vir said. “They aren’t even aware of two affinities. Three, if you include Ash. They think Talents don’t even use magic, because you can use them in places where airborne prana density is low. I wouldn’t give them too much credit.”

“That sounds quite absurd, I must admit. Though, without the Iksana and their ability to see prana, who could say where we demons would be today?”

True, Prana Vision is what laid the foundation for all my later progress. Without it, he’d still think he was prana scorned. He’d be Talentless, and he’d never have made the insights into prana channeling that he had.

“Whatever it may be, having such a standardized system of magic has its own benefits,” Cirayus commented. “Limitations, yes. But benefits as well.”

“Hard to see how it could be any better than that Aspect of Midwinter’s Embrace you mentioned. Having multiple spells at your disposal without carrying around a bunch of orbs sounds pretty good to me.”

“Aye, the Aspect spells have great potential. Unlocking them, however, is another matter entirely. It’s a rare demon who can get Midwinter to do much more than cool an area on a hot day, or sprinkle light snow upon their foes. Demonic tattoos are fueled by imagination and willpower. There are no manuals. No documented process to teach our young. The path differs for each and every demon, and is one that must be walked alone, with precious little to guide them.”

“I mean, mejai are rare among humans, too,” Vir replied. “I don’t think you could say they’re at an advantage there.”

“Perhaps, but standardization comes with several benefits. When fighting as part of an army, it is far easier to command and coordinate troops with the same abilities. Can you tell me why?”

Vir thought it over for a moment. “You can have all your mejai perform the same attack with a single order?”

“Aye, but that’s not all. If one mejai falls, another may take their place. Not so with demons. We have issues banding together in armies as it is, but our unique powers turn battlefield logistics into a nightmare fraught with complexity. This orb precharging trick is quite valuable as well. I only wish demons had something like it.”

“Honestly surprised they don’t. Thanks to that, anyone can use C grade combat magic, even if they aren’t mejai.”

“Incredible. It means humans are limited only by how many orbs they can produce, not how many mejai they have. Quite the overwhelming advantage. ‘Tis the reason demons tend to focus on their Chakra instead. For while a few of us wield strong offensive magics, nearly all have opened two or three chakras.”

“That takes time and meditation, right? No way to hurry the process along?”

Cirayus nodded. “The lower chakras can all be opened with effort. There are no shortcuts, but the path is well understood.”

“That’s not useful to me right now. I need a way to defeat these beasts. And I need it fast.”

“Patience, lad. All will come in time.”

“If only we had that,” Vir replied, frustrated.

While they’d ventured deeper into the Ash, it hadn’t been deep enough to offset the time flow. Not nearly. According to Cirayus, the world still flowed more slowly here than it did in the Human Realm. Which meant weeks had gone by already. Not to mention the Mahakurma was still on the move, traveling to who-knew-where. If it delved too far into the ash before Vir was ready, he’d have to bail.

The best way to avoid that unfortunate scenario was by training. And by defeating the domain lords—the fell beasts who claimed the land as their own.

“Where are you going?” Cirayus asked.

“To get stronger.”

“Lad, didn’t your fight teach you anything? You need rest. You’re not even fully recovered.”

Vir shook his head. “Not gonna fight it. Not until I’m stronger. But meditating won’t hurt me, will it?”

Cirayus sighed. “If you must. But you’ve had a long day and your body and mind need rest. Trust me, recovery is as essential as stress to a warrior’s growth.”

“One hour. I’ll be back by then. Promise.”

“Be aware there's an Ash Tear nearby. Do not venture close to it. I doubt any beasts will venture out of it, but do not take any chances.“

“Another one? There was one in the sky when we first arrived.“

Cirayus nodded. “Unusual, but not unheard of.“

“I'll be careful.“

Vir walked back through the forest and down the hill, lost in thought. Haste truly was the Talent he needed most right now. There ought to be no reason he couldn’t learn it, except that it was considered a Rare tier Talent. Its workings would no doubt be more complex than Leap and High Jump.

Vir stopped in his tracks when he noticed his legs were taking him close to the edge of the Shredder’s territory. The beast currently slumbered, but Vir had learned firsthand that a surprise attack would fail; the beast was simply too responsive, and he doubted even striking while it was asleep would succeed.

There's that Ash Tear, Vir thought. It was now only a few paces off the ground, at the other end of the Shredder's territory. The beast had given the Tear a wide berth.

Retreating from the sleeping Shredder, Vir soon found the pond Cirayus had mentioned, surrounded by tall reeds that he recognized as the same kind he’d eaten earlier in the Ash.

At least food won’t be an immediate issue. It wasn’t tasty at all, and there wasn’t nearly enough to sustain him for months on end, but he figured there’d be other, better options by that time.

Covered in ash, Vir didn’t dare consume. Rudvik had trained Vir at an early age to boil water whenever he could, and he intended to do just that.

Sounds like the Mahakurma’s stopped for the day, Vir thought, noting the distinct absence of the beast’s thuds. While distracting, its movement did have the benefit of ridding its shell of Ash buildup.

With a deep breath, Vir sat down to meditate.

He had one hour to make some progress toward new powers, and just maybe, find a way to fix Prana Vision while he was at it.