Noisy.
It's really fucking noisy.
My heightened senses pose an annoying hindrance to my daily life, taking away my peace. Over time, it seems to calm down as my head gradually filters and controls what I see and hear.
In the morning, washing my face with a bucket of water felt like using a waterfall. Even wearing some clothes explode sparking noises as the fabric creases.
I grasp my face and sigh. "I did not need to hear what my squad members do in their free time," I mumble to myself. My sanity was shattering yesterday night.
*tititit*
The sounds of small and quick taps. I look behind and perfectly shape out the tiny ant walking on the other side of the corridor.
I walk to the cookhouse and stop by the door. There are four tables sixteen chairs, and one vase of flowers in the corner. The counter of food is rooted at one side of the room.
Aside from the staff, four people sit around a table.
"Captain came back yesterday unconscious. A huge man carried him back, what happened?" Masoc asks.
Issac stares down and talks about the archive.
"The boss did that?" Kaden, who is usually quiet, exclaims. He fidgets with his finger as he takes a bite of his food.
Pain snaps my concentration and amazement distracts my mind. The level of information I can collect outside an enclosed room transcends human boundaries.
I push open the door and my squad members shoot up.
"Sir!" Issac exclaims.
My eyes twitch at the amplified sound. I put my finger on my lips and shut them.
I carefully lift a chair without dragging it and join them at the table.
"Cap-"
"Shh..." I say to Masoc.
"All of my senses were amplified yesterday. So I can hear and see and feel about everything around me." I whisper.
They nod. Masoc immediately freezes and turns pale at the realisation.
"That's right. I could hear...EVERYTHING..." I say.
...
"Anyways, give me two...no...one day to adjust and I want to speak to everyone individually after. Continue your physical training today. For tomorrow, I need everyone to find and bring as many varieties of weapons as possible to the training grounds. That's...all." I say. The pain is acting up again.
I immediately head back into my bed and doze off.
===========
Beneath an infinite void sky, a sea of contrast fights for reign. One side of glowing clear blue liquid illuminates to slowly consume the dark murky liquid at the other side.
A sight to behold.
At a distance in the air, a shard of ethereal brilliance lingers. Divine lines of the cosmos surround a charming diamond core with reflections of stars. Every second of gaze takes away every will to cease.
A closer inspection reveals the shard...growing?
The shard projects a phantom of stories. Those are the people I extracted.
Then this must be my sea of consciousness.
The allure urges me to move forward and touching the shard sends a blinding blast.
"..."
My eyelids flip open.
The same ceiling of my room.
I pull myself off the bed and draw the curtains. It's already night. My senses become slightly bearable after the rest. I take one towel and a change of clothes from the wardrobe to wash myself.
The well is situated across the dormitory, past the training grounds. Thus, I encounter Issac doing weight training under the grace of the moon.
He drops the sandbag when he sees me.
"Uh...sir..." he mumbles.
"It's fine to talk normally," I say.
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"Are you sure?"
"Yeah."
...
"Hey, wash up, let's talk after."
Issac nods.
After some splashes of water, Issac meets me at a bench facing the forest with two bottles of ice water.
One glance at Issac can tell his physique improved.
"How do you feel about your progress?" I ask Issac, taking one bottle.
"Ah...I'm not sure. It feels stagnant." He says, drinking a sip.
Does he not realise the change?
"I went to the archive and questioned about talent...the answers were awfully logical and obvious. To be honest, you know it too. You just refuse to acknowledge it."
Issac raises his brow, silent and confused.
I summarize what Merline said.
"Effort never lies..." Issac mumbles.
...
"Is it really possible to overcome talent?" Issac asks.
I point at myself. "You can ask around the academy, I was someone normal in the past, someone who had little strength to do what he wished. But one day, I was enlightened and I woke up."
Although I had the help of a goddess, I can't refute the effort I took to get here.
"Trust me, we will grow stronger together. You just need to do your part."
Issac furrows his brow and clenches his fist. He gets up and says "I understand. If Sir Loi can help me achieve the peak, I will serve you with my life." He slams his chest with a clenched fist and bows.
I smile. "Alright, I look forward to working with you."
The next day, everyone gathered near a pile of weapons, each sweating from the labour but none panting.
I then ask each of them to spar with me using different weapons as I try to figure out what other talents they may have. The next step is experience and training. With the approval of my father, we abandon the comfort of our camp and move into The Mountain of Giants, a rugged expanse of dangerous mountains with unforgiving slopes and piercing peaks five days away from the camp. Every perilous step requires mana to traverse and is accompanied by constant fierce cold wind and hybrid monsters.
Death is at every corner but none complain about the adversity as I lead everyone at the front.
Over here, we catch our food, create our home, train and establish our territory. The thick atmosphere of mana and my mana injection help allow my squad members to feel mana as their bodies adjust and I teach the basic cultivation technique to each.
This inhumane training is gruelling Indeed. my skin peels layer after layer from the cold. Ironic burning itch stabs every part of my body and pain erupts from even moving a limb. Now and then, the trouble of avalanches, rockslides, and sudden storms forces us to make drastic changes to our plans. Resources are incredibly scarce in the mountains, sometimes forcing us to near starvation and bitter frostbite. Yet despite the suffering and struggles, the thought of my family pushed me beyond limits.
This routine persists for three months...
================
Three months later...
================
"CAAAWWWW!!!" A giant bird of frost gem feathers screams as it dives effortlessly through the blizzard.
It approaches a ragged slope on a mountain with a few small black silhouettes.
The figures jump aside when the beak crashes into the rocks. The creature lifts off the slope, pulling out chunks of nature before a large axe engulfed in a blue aura slams on its body.
*BOOM!*
The attack cracks the gem feathers and sends the bird down. A glint sparkles. A raging spear streaks through the snowy sky, impaling the neck of the avian creature and scattering countless gems and mana.
Its body falls soulless and rolls down the mountain before Masoc catches it using his spear, behind him is a ragged humongous shield. Issac lands near Masoc wielding a crumbling giant axe.
"Phew...this is our lunch!" Masoc exclaims.
"Yeah-"
*BOOOOOOOOOM!!!!*
Explosions interrupt Issac. However, both don't seem surprised.
Issac helps Masoc carry the carcass back to a small cave on a ledge. Within are beds crafted using comfortable wool and rocks. Monsters are sensitive to light so they keep themselves warm by circulating mana at every second. Against a wall are spoils from hunting different monsters in the region, hide and parts are preserved in a bag of cold snow.
Both go to check the noise after. They climb to the peak and find Kaden and Aeon spectating something.
They freeze at the sight of a giant unidentified carcass in two red messy pulp. A singular cut ranging to the peak of a mountain across, blasting it into two different hills. A refined mark devoid of error was painted on the terrain.
The aura formed on my sword is stable and sharp.
I breathe out and retract the aura, sheathing the sword.
"Congratulations, Sir!" Issac says with a huge smile.
"Amazing, captain!" says Masoc.
"Boss..." Kaden mumbles.
Aeon nods in approval.
Status.
-----------
Loi Krist
Fate: 281900
Role: Background Character
Karma: 10090
Fourth Stage of Refinement Realm
First level of Sword Intent
Talent:
-Sword Tier 8(150000)
-Magic Tier 6 (70000)
-Cultivation Tier 3(500000)
-Speed Tier 5 (80000)
-Stealth Tier 7(95000)
Attributes:
-Holy Tier 2(30000)
-Darkness Tier 1(20000)
Skills:
-Quick Casting
-Death Sixth Sense
-Calm Mind
-----------
I'm at the bottleneck of the Refinement Realm, soon I will break through.
In addition, my training achieved Mind Fusion, a term used when one's senses, intuition, and judgement perfectly integrate with the body. Prolonged maximizing my senses and circulating mana crafted this new physique.
I take a look at my squad members' state.
-----------
Issac
Fate: 3000
Role: Background Character
First Stage of Refinement Realm
Talent:
-Sword Tier 1
-Axe Tier 4
-Mace Tier 2
-Bow Tier 1
-Cultivation Tier 1
-----------
-----------
Masoc
Fate: 2005
Role: Background Character
First Stage of Refinement Realm
Talent:
-Shield Tier 4
-Spear Tier 3
-Hammer Tier 2
-----------
-----------
Kaden
Fate: 1990
Role: Background Character
Null Stage of Refinement Realm
Talent:
-Dagger Tier 1
-Darts Tier 5
-Bow Tier 5
-Stealth Tier 2
-----------
-----------
Aeon
Fate: 2000
Role: Background Character
First Stage of Refinement Realm
Talent:
-Sword Tier 3
-Dagger Tier 3
-Bow Tier 3
-Mace Tier 3
-Stealth Tier 1
-Speed Tier 1
------------
Excluding Aeon, all of my subordinates changed their main weapons. Although Kaden failed to achieve the first stage, everyone established their energy core and awakened aura, stepping into the elite realm. Lastly, each is at peak physique condition boasting impressive muscles and stamina.
...
It's no longer effective to stay here for training.
I smile at my squad members. "Everyone has done well and the expedition is a week from now," I say.
Their eyes change.
"We shall return."
"Finally!" Issac celebrates.
Masoc sighs and rubs his stomach. "I've lost all the belly meat! I wonder if I can even tank properly." His size became smaller after he made his fat into muscles.
Kaden mumbles different kinds of food.
Aeon...simply stares at the mountain.
I scratch my hair and let out a small laugh.
It's time to return.