Soul of the Warrior

“Well that was a lot easier than expected,’ Reivyn said. “A bit anticlimactic, to be honest.”

“We don’t always have to go through life or death to get what we need,” Refix answered. “If the resources are available, we might as well get them where and when we can. It’s a higher priority to handle Kefira’s situation as soon as possible than to go adventuring for the treasures ourselves.”

“That’s true, and with that taken care of, we can search for the materials for everyone else to use, as well as pay back the loan, without having to worry too much.”

“That’s the idea,” Ameliyn said. “It’s honestly a good deal they have going for newcomers. It’s only a simple 10% interest on the loan.”

“It doesn’t seem like that great of a deal for the Adventurer’s Guild, though.”

“Eh, it’s an investment,” Ameliyn shrugged. “They make their money in other ways, and giving a bit of a boost to newcomers builds goodwill and improves their chances of coming back with treasures.”

Reivyn could only concede the point. It wasn’t like the Adventurer’s Guild was handing out thousands of these short-term loans. From what he could see, there would be only one or two active loans out at a time, and there were far more people already fully integrated into the economy.

And it really did make me view them in a more favorable light, Reivyn nodded to himself.

He put the thoughts of the Adventurer’s Guild and the local economy on hold. They had more pressing matters to attend to. They had secured the necessary items for Kefira’s Bloodline advancement, and there was no reason to delay any further.

They arrived back at the inn they had booked quickly and everyone started to follow Kefira down the hall to her room. Ameliyn stepped behind Kefira and Serilla to turn to the rest of the group.

“What are you all doing?” She asked with a raised brow. Kimberly stepped forward to join the other girls and the three men shared a look between each other.

“Ahh, I didn’t realize it was going to be like that,” Reivyn answered sheepishly, scratching the back of his neck. “We’ll wait out here.”

“No you won’t,” Ameliyn shook her head. “We all know you can see everything happening inside this building no matter where you’re standing. Out you go.”

“I’ll turn it off,” Reivyn rolled his eyes.

“I’m sure you will, honey,” Ameliyn lightly tapped Reivyn on the side of the face, “and I trust you, but if you’re not here, I don’t have to. I’m aware that Kefira probably doesn’t actually mind,” she stole a glance at the younger woman to which Kefira simply shrugged unabashedly, “but I do. So off you go.”

Reivyn shrugged and gave one last look to Kefira. She reached out and squeezed his hand.

“I’ll see you in a couple of hours,” she said.

“Really? That long?” Reivyn quirked an eyebrow.

Kefira chuckled.

“We’re not like you. We have to do things the regular way. It will take a couple of hours to complete.”

Kefira had already spent months accumulating vital energy through the various treasures they could find in the Lower Regions. She just needed the final missing pieces to complete the circuit and activate the energies within her body. It was roughly similar to how Reivyn could accumulate enough Bloodline Experience over time but needed that last final push before it took hold and Leveled Up. It just required specific treasures used in specific ways. ℞åŊỒ₿Ёṧ

“Alright, then. See you in a couple of hours.” After one last squeeze of their fingers, the two let go. Reivyn turned with Refix and Teilon and headed to the exit.

As they stepped outside, Teilon clapped his hands together and rubbed them conspiratorily.

“Times like these are the perfect opportunity to visit-”

“A sparring ring!” Refix cut in, finger lifted dramatically to the sky.

Before Teilon could even process what happened, Refix grabbed both the boys by the shirt and dragged them toward the wall in the distance. Reivyn could see what appeared to be compounds set up for training near the wall. The outpost didn’t have its own military, but they did employ Adventurers like the patrollers and it was obvious they would have facilities for them to use.

“Whhhyyyy~?!” Teilon wailed as he was dragged along by Refix.

“Oh come on,” Refix replied without a shred of remorse. “It’s good for you. We’ll just do some light calisthenic - no time for more - and then find one of the locals to have a friendly match with. There’s a lot you could learn from fighting some of the veterans out here.”

“But it’s our duty to get drunk during times like these!” Teilon said, scrabbling at Refix’s hold on his shirt. He was unable to peel the older man’s fingers from their grip, though, and thus continued to be dragged along.

“Who told you that?” Refix glanced back with an inquisitive look.

“That’s what all of your subordinates say,” Teilon desperately searched for any argument out of his predicament.

“Uh huh. And, pray tell, which of my subordinates that you’ve talked to have a wife and children of their own?”

“Umm, none of them?”

“Exactly,” Refix nodded his head. “Let me give you a piece of advice. That last thing you want to do while your woman is going through suffering is to be having fun.”

“Which is why we’re going to do your favorite thing?” Teilo didn’t look convinced.

“That’s different. That’s self improvement. Fun doesn’t factor in such situations.”

Reivyn could practically see the wheels spinning in Teilon’s head as he searched for a counterargument. His eyes lit up and he spoke as quickly as the thought came to him.

“Poison Resistance! I need to work on my Poison Resistance.”

Refix came to a halt. He stood there in the middle of the road, both arms extended behind him grasping the two younger men’s shirts. Several of the passersby gave them curious glances, but other than that, they were ignored on the busy street.

“Huh,” Refix finally said after a moment of contemplation. “That’s actually a really good point.”

Teilon could feel that something was wrong as Refix agreed with him much too quickly.

“On second thought-” He began.

“Alright, it’s decided. We’ll find you a sparring partner that uses poison.” Refix glanced back and grinned at Teilon, a glint of humor in his eyes.

“Nooooo~.”

—

“You didn’t tell him?” Ameliyn asked after the three men left the inn.

“There’s no reason to cause him worry,” Kefira shook her head. “Besides, if he doesn’t know, that means you didn’t tell him, either.”

Ameliyn shrugged.

If you spot this narrative on Amazon, know that it has been stolen. Report the violation.

“Eh, it’s not my place when it involves you, and even if we don’t tell him, he’s bound to find out when Refix and Teilon go through the same procedure.”

“That’s a then problem, and I’m sure he’ll understand. This isn’t really the kind of secret to get upset over. He might be a little irritated that there was nothing he could do for me, but it’ll most likely be directed inward.”

“Yeah, most likely. I’m glad to see you understand my son so thoroughly.” Ameliyn gave Kefira a warm smile. “Alright, no reason to tarry any further. If you’re ready, let’s get to it.”

Kefira took a deep breath to steady her nerves.

“I’m ready.”

The four women entered Kefira’s room where a tub was already waiting for them. The baths were public per gender, but guests could request a tub for private use if they wanted. They were going to need it for their purposes.

Kefira disrobed and stood in the empty tub. It wasn’t there for a private bath, though it would be used to wash Kefira off when they were done. It was more to prevent any big messes from spreading all over the room.

Kefira pulled the case containing the final ingredients out of her storage and handed it to Serilla. Serilla opened it and removed the three natural treasures, separating them.

The six thorns from a Blood Rose each looked like they had a red, blood-like liquid poised to drip from the tip at any time. It was just an illusion, though. There was no actual liquid even there. Sliding it across an object wouldn’t smear it, and passing a finger over the drop wouldn’t disturb it. One was more likely to accidentally stab themselves with the unnaturally sharp point.

The root of a Burning Echinacea didn’t have quite the visual spectacle associated with it. While the petals of the flower itself had a magical corona that gave off the appearance of burning, the root was simply hot to the touch.

The Star Body Ginseng got its name from the pattern of dots and lines across the ginseng root that was already in a humanoid shape. There were six dots, and lines connected them together to give it the appearance of a star constellation. The lines and dots had a subtle glow to add to the effect.

Serilla took out a mortar and pestle. She placed the root of the Burning Echinacea and ground it into fine dust. The root was brown before processing, but after being turned into powder, it looked like burning embers given solid form.

Once that was done, Serilla picked up the six thorns and dipped the tip into the root powder. This was the only time the ephemeral liquid drop would ever interact with anything. The powder was absorbed into the liquid. It turned the deep crimson color a brighter shade until it was half-way to being orange. Heat began to radiate off of the thorn as it absorbed the properties of the root.

All six thorns together absorbed all of the root powder. As soon as all of the powder was absorbed, the liquid drop retreated into the thorn itself, staining the dark green thorn the same shade as the liquid.

“We’re ready,” Serilla looked at Kefira. She held out the Star Body Ginseng to her friend.

Kefria smiled as she accepted the ginseng root. She nodded her head once and put the whole thing in her mouth.

The Star Body Ginseng was much too large to chew and swallow whole, but that’s not what happened. It wasn’t a natural treasure for no reason. After closing her mouth, the Star Body Ginseng dissolved into a liquid that tasted like honey but felt as thin and clear as air. It effortlessly flowed down her throat where she felt the energy spread out and permeate her body.

The dots and lines found on the Star Body Ginseng manifested themselves on Kefira’s body. Six glowing dots appeared with lines connecting them together. She looked as if she had become the Star Body Ginseng.

Two dots appeared on the tips of her middle fingers, two dots appeared on the soles of her feet, one dot appeared on her forehead, and the last dot appeared on her dantian.

“Deep breath,” Ameliyn whispered. Kefira nodded her head.

Ameliyn and Serilla each took up a thorn. Without further hesitation, they drove them into the first dots on Kefira’s fingertips. The thorns easily pierced the flesh and bone and embedded themselves all the way until flush with her skin.

Kefira had unlocked the Pain Resistance Skill with all of the physical training she had done with Reivyn and Refix, but it still was one of her lowest Skills. It did nothing to blunt the extreme discomfort of having a sharp object pierce into the tips of her finger bones. She grunted with pain, but it wasn’t anything she couldn’t endure.

The two ladies helping her grabbed her by the arms and helped her sit down in the tub. The next step was said to be the most uncomfortable part of the procedure. Once sat in an upright position, Kefira’s soles were exposed. The two women grabbed another thorn, each, and drove them into the dots exposed on the bottoms of Kefira’s feet.

This time she did scream. There was no holding it back. It wasn’t necessarily the most painful thing Kefira had ever experienced, but the nature of the sensation was entirely unique. The pain didn’t abate over time, either, and she knew it wouldn’t go away until the thorns were extracted. She composed herself and grit her teeth against the pain.

“Two more, sweety,” Ameliyn whispered.

The two women once more took up the last of the thorns. Ameliyn brought her thorn up to Kefira’s head and held it steady against the dot on her forehead. She waited until Serilla held hers against the dot on Kefira’s abdomen. The two nodded their heads at each other and thrust the thorns into flesh once more.

Kefira’s mind went blank with the sensation. Because of the magical nature of the procedure, there was never any danger to her brain, even though a thorn was pierced directly into her skull. It wasn’t the feeling of having her brain nearly pierced that caused her mind to go blank. It was the amalgamation of sensations.

Now that all six thorns were pierced into her body, they sent out pulses of power into and through her being. The pulses carried the same feeling with them, so the same unique feeling of having the thorns pierced into the bottoms of her feet seemed to crawl up her legs where it met the sensations of the other piercings also pulsing through her body.

Each pulse traveled throughout her entire body, but when they crossed each other, they caused vibrations. The pulses came in rapid succession, and she felt like a storm of waves was crashing through her interior. The vibrations intensified every time, and her organs seemed to lock up with each one.

If she was cognizant enough to articulate the sensation, she would have described it as the same as if an audio wave shattered glass.

Her body was being shattered on a microscopic scale. The vital energies stored within her then rushed into her cells. Her cells were already full, though, and they didn’t have room to accommodate the new energies. Something had to be removed to make way for the new energy.

Black sludge began to squeeze out of her pores all over her body. It started off slow, but it accumulated over time. It was thick and sticky like tar, and it gave off a disgusting, pungent aroma. It stuck to her skin until no skin could even be seen. The only thing under the impurities that was still visible was the glowing constellation from the Star Body Ginseng.

Kefira didn’t even have a mind to scream at the pain and other weird sensations wracking her body. She just shivered uncontrollably while trying to stay awake during the process. If she fell unconscious, her internal organs would react in different ways and a lot of efficiency would be lost.

The three other women looking after her watched the process play out. The glowing lines of the constellation started off as a pure white glow, but as the process continued, the deep crimson of the blood drop from the thorns started to creep along the line. The fiery, burning orange from the root of the Burning Echinacea swirled around the creeping red lines and seemed to add to the purification of Kefira’s body near the lines.

The procedure would be complete when the glowing constellation was 100% inundated with the deep crimson color slowly creeping along the lines. The thorns would be expelled automatically, and they would be able to clean the gunk off of Kefira.

Based on the speed of the crimson filling the lines, it was going to be several hours before the ordeal was over. The three women simply sat and waited with Kefira through her agony, giving her their silent support and willpower.

—

Sweat dripped down Reivyn’s face as he watched his opponent over his wooden practice shield. The two combatants maneuvered around each other as they kept a sharp eye out for any indication of sudden movement. Slow, steady steps saw each of them moving parallel to each other as they maintained a tight circle within the yard.

Nobody in the practice field was equipped with their actual gear. The practice yard provided uniform weapons, shields, and rudimentary protective armor to everyone who paid the small usage fee. The practice gear was made from locally sourced Tier 5 wood. It wasn’t magical, but the sheer Mana density of the equipment ensured its durability.

Reivyn braced himself against his shield as his opponent dashed forward to deliver a powerful overhead blow with a wooden mace. Reivyn easily caught the swing with his shield, but blocking the attack itself wasn’t the point of this particular sparring session.

A deep vibration worked itself from the epicenter of the blow and traveled through his arm into his body. It contained within it a sharp pain everywhere that vibrated, and he could feel his Health Points tick down as he withstood the blow. The power of his opponents swing was completely contained within the vibrations and directed zero momentum beyond the point of impact. It was one of the strangest combat styles Reivyn had come across.

It was unsurprising to discover that almost every single person in the Outpost had reached Transcendence in at least one combat Skill. Reivyn’s current opponent’s ability was to transform all the energy of a vector from his mace attack into a localized vibration.

It created quite a distinct fighting style. It wasn’t an automatic transformation. His opponent could freely use the ability. Reivyn began the spar alternating between bracing himself against powerful attacks that could push him back and attacks that seemed to carry zero momentum at all. The speeds they moved meant Reivyn had a tiny fraction of a second to determine which defense he needed to employ.

Reivyn was a quick study, though, and he quickly fell into a rhythm with his sparring partner. He didn’t guess correctly every time, but he had so many other Skills to adjust his balance and footing that he was able to ignore a lot of the issues caused from guessing incorrectly. The other man’s fighting style was one of keeping his enemies off balance while inflicting incremental damage over time. Reivyn’s trained ability to go harder, longer with less Stamina also kept him in the fight through the pain, and his Regeneration Skill got a good workout, as well. The man across from Reivyn wasn’t seriously trying to hurt him, so the damage from the vibrations was relatively negligible.

After discovering that he couldn’t put Reivyn off balance, the two had switched to a different style of training. Instead of focusing on whether or not an attack would contain vibrations or not, all of them did and Reivyn practiced resisting those vibrations. In return Reivyn launched counterattacks with his True Strike ability in creative ways for his opponent to further hone the openings he presented while attacking. Even in situations where the man was 100% confident he left no openings for Reivyn to exploit, Reivyn’s True Strike ability would find a way.

Reivyn equipped himself with the same weaponry as those he fought against, so he was currently also using a mace. His opponent struck hard and fast, and he kept his own shield close to his body with a stance that was nowhere close to overextended. Reivyn could see the look in the other man’s eye that said, “How are you going to get through my defense this time?”

Well, everything’s a weapon, Reivyn thought.

Using his Skill and understanding, Reivyn’s body directed his opponent’s own vibration attack through his body, up his arm, and into his own mace. It concentrated in the thick, wooden head just as it crashed against the other man’s shield. It was the first time Reivyn had reflected the man’s own ability against him, so he was completely unprepared for his own tactic to be used against him.

Not only did he grunt from the vibrations traveling through his shield into his arm, his body jerked when the expected power of the strike didn’t hit him the way he expected. That slight hiccup in the man’s stance was all Reivyn needed.

Reivyn sliced his shield forward diagonally and knocked the man’s own shield away from his body. He contained all of the movements from strike, shield slice, to strike all in one fluid motion as he followed through by jabbing his mace straight into the man’s gut. From the moment the man struck Reivyn’s shield to Reivyn ramming his own weapon into his gut, less than one second passed.

The man stumbled back out of their tight confines, holding up his hand which held the mace. He opened his fingers as much as he could without dropping his weapon and shook his hand. He had a smile on his face as he disengaged from the spar.

“You know,” he said once he and Reivyn were standing at ease, “I think that was the first time I’ve been on the receiving end of an attack like that. So that’s what that feels like.”

“What exactly-”

The man suddenly cut off what he was saying as his head snapped in the direction of the center of the Outpost. Everywhere that Reivyn could see, everyone stopped what they were doing and looked in the same direction. He felt it, too, but it was apparently much fainter to him.

There was a sort of buzzing sensation in the atmosphere. Almost a slight rumble. Reivyn, along with Refix and Teilon nearby, turned to look in the same direction, curious as to what it could be.

A ripple of power exploded from within the center of the Outpost. It wasn’t destructive. There was no physical manifestation. It was powerful, nonetheless. People didn’t try to avoid the ripple or panic, but strange phenomenon happened to everyone as it passed through them.

Reivyn didn’t know exactly how to describe it. The power passed through him, but he didn’t feel any different. He tried to turn his head toward Refix to speak to him, but his movement was involuntarily jerky. He turned his head, but it moved too far. Then, he was suddenly looking straight ahead again.

His Divine Sense prevented his perspective from shifting too suddenly for him, but that same Divine Sense allowed him to witness the effects on everyone else. It was more pronounced on people who physically moved rather than just adjusted their stance.

People everywhere in his perception that moved had their bodies stretch in weird ways. One person took a step, but his foot reached several yards beyond what should have been possible. Reivyn’s Divine Sense simultaneously perceived him as existing in a state of being stretched beyond limits and stepping perfectly normally.

Then, the man’s body stuttered and shifted back to his original position. Reivyn shook his head to clear it, but half-way through the involuntary movement, he shifted back to complete stillness.

“What is happening?!” Reivyn heard his sparring partner shout in confusion. His voice echoed off the nearby walls, but even those echoes suddenly stuttered and disappeared.

The very fabric of Space and Time seemed to be splintered in the local area.

I think I know what caused this, Reivyn chuckled to himself. Once whatever this is passes, we’ll need to go congratulate Kefira.

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