Unlike the ludus’s training spaces, the Onyx Dragon Academy’s training areas didn’t have a lot of security. Either altitude or the caverns containing the spaces gave them privacy. Master Seer insisted on using the crater at the top. Warm-up involved scaling the mountain’s side. As instructed by his teacher, Nil didn’t use Expend. However, he didn’t hesitate to use Toggled Supercharging. Master Seer had only recently given Nil given permission to use it freely.
The ability was almost at Bronze Realm, and Nil could feel its ascension just outside of grasp. With the final round of the ticket tournament rapidly approaching, Nil wanted every possible advantage. His world was due to receive only eight tickets for the Cleansing. Nil and his friends all had quests that involved winning one. Since the rewards involved a Silver Ascension Token, he needed to complete the quest and ensure Wilson Luduses didn’t get the majority of the tickets as they had the past few years. Their representatives had already beaten Selia and Zora in two of the four tournaments, which listed them as the first prize.
Iris woke Nil early the following morning. The doors had no locks, and she had let herself in. The woman wore nothing but a loose house coat that barely concealed her chest. Her hair was wet, and droplets on her exposed skin glistened in dawn’s early light. Nil was cordial but short with her and asked for privacy so he could get ready for the climb. If she was disappointed, the woman didn’t let it show. It wasn’t the first time Iris had done something of the sort, and his attempts at setting boundaries had all failed. Nil couldn’t tell whether she hailed from a world where privacy and nudity were no big deal or if there was more to her behavior. Nil didn’t give the matter thought since it marred little, if at all.
The pair started the climb exactly at the fifth bell. Nil supercharged strength, infusing it with additional strength. It made supporting his weight with single-finger handholds a breeze. The several ranks of Might he had gained during his ten months on Ashe Falls also helped him push harder.
Meanwhile, Iris crawled more than climbed the mountainside using two extra sets of arms. Unlike Shervon Grey, the dead brute’s limbs, hers didn’t sprout out of her torso. Instead, they floated next to her. The golden light constituting them set of Energy Instinct and felt suspiciously like the Source. He had previously faced the manifested limbs in combat, and they were no joke. Nil often wondered whether Watcher Behind The Stars specialized in individuals with access to the Source.
It came as no surprise when she beat him to the top. Iris faced fewer limitations than Nil. He didn’t enquire about her abilities, and she didn’t volunteer any information. No one had explained it as such, but Nil got the feeling that it was rude to ask about one’s power seed, abilities, or cultivation style. People only mentioned their overall ranks and didn’t elaborate any further. There was a lot about Ashe Fall’s etiquette Nil didn’t understand, and no one appeared interested in explaining them. Even though most people he had met were polite, it felt almost as if the locals wanted to ensure that it remained obvious he was an outsider and also make him feel like one.
The energy in the crater was dense. If it had mass, Nil imagined it would be like breathing and wading through honey. The altitude brought them close to the Qi-rich canopy. Whenever Nil looked up with Energy Instinct’s visual component active, the world lit up with gold and green. Motes rained from the world tree’s branches and especially her fruits. At the same time, orange drifted up from all volcanic vents. There were none in the crater, but it was where the energy was densest. Nil summoned the Source Gauntlets, manifested Source Weapons, and ran drills while channeling energy through himself. Thanks to Master Seer’s regular lessons and endless practice, Nil could now handle three stable energy weapons: punching daggers, the three-finger blade, and also sharp knuckledusters that extended into a curving twenty-centimeter-long curved dagger.
The pair weren’t the only ones in the crater. Some of the older students spent the night on the mountaintop, cultivating. They always cleared out before the first lesson started, but every week, someone or another approached him for a conversation. When Nil took a break, a young pair, about sixteen, approached him.
“Does your world really have no Qi?” The female half of the duo asked.
“Or magic?” Her companion added.
Nil nodded. “It's barren. No magic. No Qi. No Wells of Power. Nothing.”
The pair exchanged concerned looks. “Really? How do you do—” She hesitated, fumbling over her words. “—do anything?”
“Hard work. Technology.” Nil shrugged. “Our civilization has progressed and has had setbacks over the past ten thousand years or so. Things were rough for the longest time. Imagine a Beacon World full of war and maniacs but no magic or monsters. Things have gotten better over the last couple of hundred years.”
“So you still light fires to cook food and wash clothes by hand?” The girl sounded horrified.
“No. We compensated with technology. Our stoves run on electricity or gas. We have vessels for flight and have traveled to our moon. It was a groundbreaking experiment that caused our cataclysm and helped the Nexus find us.”
“All that without magic.” The boy whistled. “And here I thought barren worlds were mostly full of barbarians.”
“Barbarians are a constant,” Nil said. “They dress differently, and they don’t use the same tactics as their counterparts in Beacon Worlds. They still ruin homes and—” Nil caught himself. The pair appeared uncomfortable. “I’d get better back to my warm-up. Have a safe descent.”
Taken from Royal Road, this narrative should be reported if found on Amazon.
“Thank you, senior.” The pair nodded before leaving. Nil doubted he would’ve received such a greeting if he weren’t Bronze and on the cusp of Silver Realm.
Then, Seer arrived, and sparring commenced.
Iris was a challenging opponent. Her additional arms came at him from almost every angle, and she controlled each limb with incredible control, precision, and speed. They forced Nil to push all of his abilities to their limits. He relied on Energy Instinct to detect the arms as they flew at her. His Finesse helped him somewhat keep up with the speed and react appropriately.
Nil frequently repositioned with Anti-Friction Lattice wrapped around his feet, sliding around the woman just about avoiding most of the attacks. Paint covered Nil’s practice weapons, and he occasionally drew lines on her arms, torso and legs. They marked injuries and helped Master Seer declare the victor. After months of training, Nil had only come out on top twice. He was sure both victories were the product of luck and not skill. Toggled Supercharging gave Nil the sufficient toughness to take the hits that got through. He didn’t use Absorb or Expend, as they would make the exercise moot.
It took Nil an hour, but he finally got the results he had hoped for.
Toggled Supercharging has progressed to Bronze 0!
The cost increase of switching between boosts is significantly reduced, and the base power of each boost is increased by 25%. You may now activate two boosts simultaneously.
Please pick one of the following to add to Toggled Supercharging’s list of boosts:
* Senses: Pick one or multiple senses to enhance. Boosting multiple simultaneously can cause sensory overload.
* Psychic Fortitude: Reinforce your mind against psychic attacks and mental strain.
* Motor Skills: Boost muscle control.
* Energy Sensitivity: Increase ability to detect and follow magic, Qi, and all energy.
Nil couldn’t help but whoop when the Schema notification appeared. It had taken him ten months of regular training to sufficiently rank the ability. He used it regularly, enhancing his speed while working or his strength when shopping. Nil supercharged toughness, often just for the hell of it.
The ability to supercharge multiple features simultaneously especially excited him, and it didn’t take him long to pick up his upgrade. Nil didn’t particularly care about enhancing his senses or energy sensitivity. Energy Instinct gave him all the detection and tracking he required. Picking between psychic fortitude and motor skills was significantly more challenging. Supercharging speed and the latter went hand in hand. He could foresee himself moving at speeds much greater than possible for his realm and rank. Nil believed that boosting motor skills would also increase his combat prowess, helping him take on martially superior foes like Shawn.
Meanwhile, the ability to supercharge psychic fortitude would cover one of Nil’s greatest weaknesses. Because of his Mind potential, raising the attribute was nearly impossible, and the returns from it were also horrid. It left him vulnerable to Mind Mages and Void entities. Since the Cleansing would involve visiting a world conquered by the Void, it made sense to go for the option.
It saddened Nil to give up on the possibility of superspeed in the end. It would make him unstoppable, but he felt obligated to go with psychic fortitude in the end. He needed it for survival and success. Nil would be useless to his friends in the group arena event if he fell vulnerable to a Mind Magic attack.
* Might: Bronze 6
* Finesse: Bronze 7
* Mind: Iron 6
* Spark: Bronze 8
Brutal Battery: Bronze 7
* Absorb: Bronze 7
* Expend: Bronze 8
* Toggled Supercharging: Bronze 0
* Energy Instinct: Iron 9
* Anti-Friction lattice: Iron 6
Feats:
* Armmaster’s Disappointment
* Through Sheer Grit
* The Power of Belief
* Primal Origins
Source Gauntlets: Iron 8
* Wield The Source: Iron 8
* Galvanized: Iron 9
Ironroot Whelp: Iron 9
* Reinforce: Iron 8
* Regenerate: Iron 9
“You look like you’re in the mood to celebrate,” Iris said.
“I finally got it,” Nil said.
“Your boost got to Bronze Realm?” Master Seer asked.
Nil nodded. “Now, I just need to improve Energy Instinct.”
“If training with Iris hasn’t done it, it means you need some sort of breakthrough. You’ll get there soon.”
“I assumed as much.” Nil sighed. “I don’t know what I need, though. What would Bronze Realm in Energy Instinct even get me?”
“Improved detection, cultivation speed, power, and perhaps more,” his teacher replied. “You’re getting good with your QI techniques. Your shaping and emission are way beyond that of the Bronze Realm. Unfortunately, your manipulation is still lagging behind. Perhaps that’s what you need? Get all to a decent enough level and combine them sufficiently. I believe the journey to mastering Qi techniques will push Energy Instinct to bronze.
“Are you still due to meet your friends the day after tomorrow?”
“I am. Do you need me to cancel?” Nil didn’t mind. Awkwardly sitting with Shawn while Susan and Andrew kanoodled was far from his favorite activity. Even though Selia knew about the meeting, Nil considered she’d show up. He always received an apology note once he returned from them. “I can help you with training the little ones. Or—”
“No. Go. See the world. Socialize. It's important to enjoy Ashe Falls while you can. There is no telling when or if you’ll see a Control World again.” Master Seer glanced at Iris. She was off at the crater’s center, cultivating and practicing her ability. Iris floated a meter above the ground, sitting in the air with her legs crossed. “Just remember not to reveal my true identity or mention it around the locals. My contemporaries won’t be pleased if they know about my presence here.”
“Didn’t you say, Keeper of Knowledge, Maka Dee, and Yggdrasil all interact with mortals and walk the physical realm?”
“They do,” Master Seer answered. “But we’re not all the same. Our privileges differ. Ashe Fall’s ruling powers also have mixed feelings about me and my presence on their planet. Not everyone is as cordial with the Watcher Behind The Stars as the Nexus.”