Savage Awakening 143. Second Run (I) (Patreon)

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The tsunami almost capsized them.

Two of the Starlit Defenders were so stunned they almost didn’t make it in time. They had to leap to grab something solid. Then it all went sideways. A line of spray all but ran them off the boat.

The boat was stuck at a dangerous slant, climbing the edge of the wave the whole way back—

“Look out!” cried Cassie.

Blue wards had shot up at the edge of the Safe Zone. Cries came down from the lighthouse; a shrill alarm wailed in the distance. There was no stopping.

The boat ran up against the wards—and splattered to a halt there, wedged between sea and wall. A boiling-hot wave crashed over them, soaking them through…

When it all came sloshing to a halt, everyone was dripping wet. Zane was faintly amused. The rest of them were panting and frazzled.

“I’ll pay for the damages,” Zane told the captain.

“Eh?” said the captain. “Err—yes! My—my thanks to you, Master Sage!”

The Starlit Defenders were still staring and blinking, looking shell-shocked. They seemed startled like they’d just been waking from a dream. Then they looked at him…

If they were awestruck before…

He scratched his head. He wasn’t sure what Reina wanted them to learn. He hoped they’d learned it. He’d never been very good at teaching things.

“I’m going now,” he told them.

“S-sir!” They all stammered.

***

Zane walked back to the Beacon between two crowds of wide-eyed San Diego folk—folk sticking their heads out of their huts or lined up on the beach. He must’ve made for a strange sight, rising from the ocean like that. Especially coming from that explosion.

It wasn’t so much zoo animal anymore… it was almost like he was untouchable. Like a deity walking among them or something.

He always found it weird how differently folk treated him over time. He didn’t feel he’d changed all that much on the inside. He was freer, maybe—freer to do as he pleased. He’d just gotten a bigger hammer.

***

Back at VGI, things were wrapping up. He was already thinking about the future. About the A-rank dungeons he’d soon clear. Then the Auction afterward…

After how easy that B+-ranked dungeon went, he couldn’t imagine the A-ranks being that big an issue. But it’d be the first time he and Reina went fighting together. She hadn’t really fought since she was in the Level 30s. And she hadn’t grown into her new powers for combat at all. It would be a good way to shake off the rust, he figured. You didn’t just become a fighter overnight, especially if you took a lot of time off. Plus there was getting used to working as a team, which sometimes took a bit.

They’d have to be fully in sync when it came time for those S-ranks. And whatever came after.

Then there was that ‘Auction’ to think about… he figured they’d line up a few A-ranks before then. Make sure they had all the money they needed. Starting from the L.A. dungeon. Then going out to that Pacific island dungeon. And so on.

***

He spent some more time in the Soul Sauna. He didn’t need to, but it felt good. Some background fatigue had built up from sprinting like he’d been doing all month—a kind of creeping stress; after all that Law work he felt like an athlete after a long grueling season. He could do with a little off-time. It wasn’t the kind of thing that’d be a serious issue. It’d probably go away on its own—after some time off, a dungeon raid or two, he’d be good as new.

Still, though. Soon he wouldn’t have access to all this. He’d milk it while he could.

***

One morning he arrived at the Warrior Dojo extra early—and realized he’d spent weeks here and explored none of the place. He’d just been to the Sauna and back, over and over.

He had a little time. He poked around a bit. There was a dueling ring in a mini-stadium. A room laden with heavy bags. A five-story library of Skill manuals. Then there were a bunch of meditation rooms—quiet places to comprehend Skills. The attendant said their arrays made it easy to focus.

The top-tier one was booked out. The attendant was quite apologetic –“Lord Eze has booked this room, I’m afraid—will some other time work for you, sir?”

“It’s fine,” said Zane.

He came back later that night, just before leaving. Apparently, Eze had that time Booked too. He’d booked the whole week, the attendant said sheepishly. “Lord Eze said he wouldn’t come out until he mastered his new Inheritance Skill,” she said. She wrung her hands. “He brought a sleeping bag with him. He hasn’t come out once!”

Zane blinked.

He remembered what Avery said about Eze—that he didn’t have a life and trained all day. He didn’t seem comfortable at the Gala either. Or anywhere else Zane had seen him. Except for the ring. Though he had the graces to cover it up well enough.

Zane did get a strong sense the guy was just obsessed with being the best—like he only took time to sleep because he absolutely had to. If it made him happy, Zane supposed. Zane was hardly one to judge. What made Zane happy was fighting strong things, which was just about as weird.

Avery said Eze didn’t have a life jokingly, but Zane figured he did have a life. Just not the kind most people enjoyed. But he liked it, which was what ought to matter. Zane could respect it; he didn’t see why it was less valid than any other kind of life.

***

That night, Zane made his final upgrades.

Skill Evolved!

Volt Blitz [Rare] -> Stormfire Blitz [Mythic]

Skill evolved!

Fiery Renewal [Rare] -> Stormfire Renewal [Mythic]

There were two days left of VGI. Tomorrow, he’d run some tests. Get a real sense for where he sat now.

That B+-rank dungeon was a good taster, but it hadn’t pushed him at all. There was so much he hadn’t shown…so many Skills he hadn’t gotten a chance to use.

He needed another run at the Asura Hell Array for that.

And this time, he planned on going all the way to the end.

He clenched his fists. And no running and tripping and knocking Monsters over this time, either.

This time he wanted to crush them. He wanted to feel it, close-up.

He was grinning just thinking about it.

***

A lot of folks were camped out around the Asura Hell Array, Zane noticed on his way back from the Warrior Dojo. Elias had installed banners over the main roads, advertising ‘World Ranker Network’ subscriptions. There were three news crews, all with attractive smiling hosts in spiffy-looking suits.

Back in his hotel room, they’d installed a mini-projector. It was tuned to a feed of World Ranker News—there were three channels, one for each crew.

***

The next morning he lay in bed with Reina still sprawled all over him. Once they got going, she switched off and let herself go. She still hadn’t fully switched back on yet; she was still mumbly and snuggly. She wasn’t really sleeping, but she also didn’t want to wake up yet.

Zane turned on the projector since just laying there being a pillow was getting a little boring. Team three was out in South America following their Antarctic expedition. It was led by a tall, well-built, Amazonian-looking woman—Cristina Dos Santos, World Rank #7 and 8, depending on the day. Even with Reina’s considerable help, Cristina and Zane leveled at about the same rate; they kept swapping places.

She used Wind Laws. It showed her slicing a Level 107 Iceberg Whale in half with one clean stroke. In terms of power, she wasn’t far from where Eze had been just two weeks ago.

The top seven—eight now, including Zane—were all pretty tight in terms of powers and talent. You couldn’t take any of them lightly.

He changed the channel. News Crew two. It flickered to two reporters—not the ones that covers him; two middle-aged men. Behind them, taking up most of the view, was a giant projector. The same one that’d been installed outside the Asura Hell Array.

“Heavens!” cried one of the men, a mustached guy. “Look at him go! He’s crushing everything in his path—those Monsters can’t even touch him!”

Eze was a Juggernaut. Was moving through the den of Crystal Snakes now—and every shot was a one-shot. And he wasn’t even using Touch of Death. That punch Skill of his—there was something endlessly heavy about it… when it made the barest contact, every part of the Snake—head to tail—instantly exploded, scattering crystals everywhere.

He’d hit Zane with that before, and it’d set off an Earthquake in Zane’s head. But this version was a lot stronger.

A few of the Snakes got around to biting at Eze, but he took them on his gauntlets. A defensive Skill flashed up. They bounced off like flies off a windshield, and he took them to task.

“He’s setting a blistering pace right now,” went the other reporter, a short bald guy. “Much faster than even Walker’s pace last time! You’ve got to think—if he keeps this up…”

“It’ll be hard to deny him the top spot!” said Mustache. “Look—here comes the Boss!”

The massive Crystal Basilisk slithered up the tunnel…

One punch and Eze caved its face in. It tried constricting, tried biting back, but Eze smashed it again so hard the recoil sent it jerking back. Eze’s eyes were glowing bright purple the entire time.

He didn’t need to take the measure of this Monster. He already had in countless previous runs, probably; it was nothing to him now.

Three shots were all it took to end it.

“That’s six layers in thirty-five minutes!” roared Baldy, voice strangled. His glasses were a little askew. “Incredible!”

“That Basilisk gave Walker some trouble in his run—but Eze made it look easy!” said Mustache.

Zane frowned.

“You knew he made some massive improvements in training these last few days… no one would’ve guessed it’s this much! That defensive Skill, plus that punch, plus all those Levels he’s stacked on…phew!” said Baldy.

“The question isn’t whether he beats Walker’s record,” chortled Mustache. “The question is, by how much? He’s starting on the eighth layer now…”

Zane started sitting up.

“What’s going on?” murmured Reina. Zane gently set her down.

“There’s something I need to do,” he breathed.

***

Almost as soon as he got out of the hotel, there a news crew on him. His news crew.

He found a pretty big crowd waiting for him there too standing on either side of the road, cheering as he passed—almost like they’d expected him.

The news crew trailed him at a respectful distance. Still close enough he could hear what they were saying, though.

“He looks confident to me, Becca,” said Tyler, flashing a big white grin. “Fired up! Hell yeah! He must’ve heard Eze’s doing a Hell Array run. With that fighting spirit he’s got, you just knew he couldn’t resist giving it his own go!”

“Eze might’ve had huge breakthroughs these last few days,” said Becca, nodding. “But Zane’s made some serious strides too! We’ve got reports coming that he went down to San Diego and took out a B+-ranked dungeon—in one shot!”

“That doesn’t even sound real,” chuckled Tyler.

“The question is, will it be enough to overcome Eze’s new Inheritance Skill—and all those Levels he’s gained?” asked Becca.

“We’re about to see!” said Tyler.

***

Zane got there just after the projector winked out. But he could tell how it went just by the crowd’s reaction.

Awe. Silent, slack awe.

Eze strode out from the Array and looked calmly to the leaderboard.

It reshuffled. A new name cleared the top.

1. EMEKA EZE, 900 KILLS

Eze’s face didn’t change much. He hardly reacted at all. But Zane felt the guy was very, very satisfied; he felt like a cat stretching out in the sun.

“He cleared the entire thing!” roared Mustache, up near the Array. “In record time, too—just forty-eight minutes!”

“Astonishing…” whispered Baldy. “A simply spectacular performance! He’s left no doubt this time. Emeka Eze is number one!”

“The only way to displace him would be to clear it even faster,” said Mustache. “I don’t know about you, Mark, but I don’t see that happening anytime soon! Maybe ever! Good grief!”

Just then, Eze turned. Locked eyes with Zane. Froze.

They exchanged a look. Eze crossed his arms. And gave Zane a little smile. As though he was saying, alright, then. Bring it. Let’s see what you got.

Zane smiled right back. Cracked his knuckles. And went straight for the Array.