Since they were so massive, with or without John included, only five brutes could fit within the tub of the Agonizer at the same time.

If any items with runes were within the tub when turned on, it would cause an explosion. Mundane items would be destroyed too, so the six participants all wore nothing.

Both breathing and cycling techniques were performed so constantly and consistently, they became second nature and done without thought or effort. Since John was so used to wearing the band of suffering necklace, the lack of pain and tingling throughout his body felt strange, and how easily his essence cycled through his meridians was hard to adjust to.

The current Agonizer record was three minutes and thirty-four seconds, standard time. John believed he could take any source of pain for that miniscule amount of time.

While waiting for the event to start, John wondered if items could be purchased with credits. The Peerless only used them for sex. He had no desire to ever bed one of the filthy Peerless witches. Well, I have the desire, but I’d never stoop so low.

All the men within the tub were asked if they were ready. All confirmed they were. The elderly brute said, “Remember, if you stop cycling, you’re out. Here we go,” and turned on the Agonizer.

Sparking electricity showered down from the rods above the machine. At first it only tingled and caused a pins and needles feeling the same as the band of suffering necklace.

As John cycled, the tingling got worse and spread throughout his whole body before settling into his meridians and turning into a slight burning. After some time, he noticed the brutes in the tub with him squinting their eyes shut and clamping their mouths closed in pain.

“One minute,” was called out. The burning increased to a level John found to hurt, but very tolerably. The brutes were sucking air painfully between pursed lips. He focused on performing [Turmoil Within Tranquility Cycling Technique] correctly and adjusting to no longer wearing the band of suffering. He entered his battle-mind, as that mindset and perspective always helped with cycling.

In the battle-mind, while watching from above, time seemed to slow, and John was able to notice what needed adjusting with his cycling technique and his breathing technique, [Breath of the Serpent Clan Endless Technique].

“Two minutes.”

The burning had become fire, and John cycled the sparking electrical fire through his meridians with little issue.

“Three minutes.”

A brute screamed out loudly as if in true agony.

“You’re out Two-one-five! You stopped cycling.” Soon after Two-one-five exited, another brute dove out the tub.

John didn’t think it was so bad. It wasn’t nearly as bad as actually burning in fire, something that happened to him far too many times. He hated burning in fire, regardless of how much he enjoyed alighting his enemies with it.

John knew he could’ve slipped into meditation if he wanted. The pain just wasn’t terrible. Another brute jumped out of the tub.

A few moments later, the elderly Oli said, “Three minutes twenty.” A handful of seconds later, another brute screamed out in a horrific way and jumped out of the tub too.

The hair on top of the head of Two-three-five, the only brute remaining in the tub, was smoking. The brute’s face was so contorted in agony that John had to stop looking as it nearly caused him to laugh.

The sparking electrical fire burned hotter in John. It finally got to a level he thought of as true pain, but it was still tolerable. It wasn’t close to the pain he had to endure while ascending tiers.

“Three thirty-four! Record broke!”

Two-three-five screamed out in agony as the other brutes cheered. He endured a few more seconds before diving out of the tub. Another brute threw water over his smoking head.

“Should I exit? Or should I continue,” asked John.

Everyone screamed for him to keep going, then continuously yelled out encouragement.

“Four minutes!”

The pain ramped up to where John had to completely focus on cycling. It felt like lava coursed through his meridians, and his insides felt as if they were melting.

The pain increased to a similar level as when John ascended tiers. He was insusceptible to mundane pain, and largely hardened to true pain, but what he felt coursing through his meridians was intolerable. Unendurable. Pain that should cause unconsciousness to protect the mind from the trauma of it. Yet it didn’t, so he suffered it.

John made his world smaller, as the pain was too great, and he could only focus on enduring cycling from one moment to the next. Just one more moment. And then just one more, and then one more after, trying to completely block out everything besides reaching the next moment. And in doing so, he became lost to the moment and enduring time.

Hands roughly pulled John out of the tub. “You okay, Kahaka? Your eyes were smoking, and that head injury started bleeding too much. We had to turn it off and pull you out. Hey, you with me?”

Healing entered John. His eyes were damaged. He couldn’t force his lids to open. He pulled his orb-eye away from his chest and pointed it backwards to see himself. He cursed as he noticed his body was completely hairless. He had no eyebrows again, and he looked foolish. He hated being bald, but he was half-thankful his hair length was consistent again. The head injury he had suffered earlier would’ve left a large bald spot on the back of his head.

“I’m fine,” replied John. “Thanks for the healing, I just need to meditate.”

John sent vital essence to heal. He looked inside himself and cast [Heal], thankful the manifestation had improved dramatically, and he didn’t need to baby and control it so much. He sat down and began meditating.

Sometime later, his shoulder was shaken by a big, meaty hand. “Hey, Kahaka, they’ll call for you soon. Best get dressed now. How’re you feeling?”

John opened his healed eyes and stood. “Fine, Two-two-five. What was my time?”

“Just under seven minutes. I wonder how long you could’ve gone if we didn’t pull you out. Regardless, I’m sure that record isn’t being broken. How’s your channels?”

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They felt painful and crispy and too raw, but also strong, like a dirt road that had been stone-paved, metaled, cambered, and made to last. “Feeling pretty sturdy. The Agonizer really helped,” replied John.

For some reason, all the brutes laughed heartily at that reply, and continued to for a while.

After John got dressed, the elderly brute slapped his back, knocking him over. “Sorry, Kahaka. I didn’t mean to knock you down. That was supposed to be a congratulatory slap. I’m sure you’ve seen us boys do the same to one another. No harm meant.”

“No problem, Two-three…sorry, I can’t tell your rank.”

“Two-three-five, of course,” said the brute with a smile. “Twenty-eight credits. To a Kahaka. No, about 29 now with the one and change you earned from the arena earlier. And during Crazy Days.”

John wondered why he had an issue feeling the old brute’s rank. He also wanted to ask about the Crazy Days he kept hearing mentioned but he needed to settle something first. “Two of us beat the record. I only gained fourteen credits. Two-three-five…the other Two-three-five, gets the other fourteen.”

The old brute laughed and yelled out, “You hear that, boy? The Kahaka wants to split credits with you. He doesn’t know he can’t. Only Alii can give and take credits.”

Before the younger Two-three-five could reply, John quickly added, “It’s not what I want. You said there were 28 credits for beating the record. Two people beat the record, so we each get half.”

The old brute’s eyes unfocused and went distant. John assumed the man was being spoken to. The Peerless didn’t use earpieces like people on Earth did, as he would’ve been able to hear what was spoken. He heard no sound at all.

The old brute’s eyes refocused after a moment. “My Alii says the Kahaka’s right. You get fourteen each.” A cheer went up. Many brutes slapped the back and chest of the younger Two-three-five.

John wished he could activate and deactivate the [Lightweight] [Perk]. It decreased the weight of his mass. He had only fallen when slapped because he was taken by surprise. He hadn’t been ready for the force of it. He wouldn’t budge if another brute gave him a congratulatory slap, but none did.

Marbrouk and Hux were in the same corner near the front door, cheering too. He went to rejoin them. He didn’t lie when he was asked about his meridians, but with his band of suffering around his neck again, cycling caused the pain in his meridians to flare up terribly.

John’s friends seemed prouder of his achievement than he was himself. He was much prouder of his wins in the arena. I did no great deed here. Enduring pain is just a part of life. We all must do it.

Things settled and everyone went back to ignoring one another until, out of nowhere, all the brutes began cheering loudly for some time, startling the humans. Soon after, a young girl of about twelve or thirteen entered through a large door at the back of the room a robot opened for her. The Peerless girls, called Alia, were always covered completely from neck to toe.

A babe was cradled in the girl’s arm, partially under a protective cover hiding her udders as the babe suckled. A newborn was in her other arm, a tiny little thing far less than half the size of a normal human babe. She held it aloft by the neck in a way no human would ever hold a newborn. Unsmiling, the girl announced, “A new Li, and strong, from Alli Nani Kliee of Heiau Maka, Kauwa Pulu Ka! May he bring glory to our empire and our late and venerable father, Akua, and sire many sons!”

The room went wild. The girl lowered the tiny newborn and brought it to suckle on a covered udder before turning and exiting through the same door the same robot opened for her.

The brutes went back to lounging and ignoring each other as if nothing ever happened. The younger Two-three-five approached John, knelt, and spoke to him in a soft voice – soft for brutes, since they usually talked very loudly and sounded like they ate rocks for breakfast.

“Kahaka, my Alii’s summoning you down to this hall’s Waeyiani Pools. She’s on the Nani Empire, so this is a big deal. You know what a Nani is, right?”

“Yes, Two-three-five. The leadership councils of the Peerless Empire.”

“Close enough. None of us are going back with you so mind your manners. And thanks. We don’t think like that. In competition, we see only one winner. But how it was phrased – you were right. And I owe my windfall to you pointing it out. You didn’t have to, and I appreciate it.

“But that won’t stop me from doing what needs doing if you act stupid down there. The Agonizer will seem like paradise if you endanger my Alii in the slightest way. Even if you offend her. Act the fool and find out. All these boys feel the same for theirs. One Alii’s a famous elder. Don’t mess around.”

Two-three-five stared at John with a sterner and angrier look than usual. John said, “I will behave myself and be polite. I assure you.”

“Good. Listen, it’ll be heady back there, especially at your tier. Just try and keep your head on right. A clowder this size is rare. They get weird when only four of five of them gather. Twenty-eight is…a lot to handle. Too many. They like to play around. Just let them have their fun and don’t take it to heart. Think of Mele trying to battle naked – that helps me keep my head clear. Or think of ugly and defective Kahaki Alu. Good luck, Kahaka.”

“Thank you, Two-three-five,” said John. He stood and had a thought. “Uh, what is Crazy Days?”

The brute stood and smacked John on the back very lightly, more of a pat, as if John were frail and made of glass. “That’d take too much effort to explain. We were bred for fighting, not explaining. Ask a Mele or look it up, Kahaka. Use the big doors.”

As John made his way to the back of the room, many brutes also lightly patted his back as he passed by, their extremely long arms able to reach him easily while they sat. The large doors opened as he approached them.

A waiting robot said, “Follow me, Kahaka,” and began leading John through the Nani Victor-Fe An hall to where the air was thick and moist and damp stone-stairs lead downward.

The robot turned to John and said, “Down the stairs, Kahaka,” before hovering away.

John descended the damp stairs to a large, humid, and steamy room filled with glowing pools, tropical flora, and pleasant scents.

And Alii, 28 of them, from Diamond to mid Transcendent, though tier and Tree didn’t seem to matter much for the matriarchs.

There were 27 gorgeous Alii in bathing suits far skimpier than the one John saw Amber wearing in her commercial selling suntan lotion.

One Alii was an old crone with an empty chest, far too elderly to be considered beautiful, though some traces of her former beauty remained. She wore a tight outfit like a bathing suit, but it covered everything from her neck to her elbows and knees. She sat with her feet in one of the many pools, absentmindedly kicking water, ignoring John.

The other Alii ranged in age. The youngest, the Nani Victor John had already met at the arena, looked to be in her early twenties. The oldest looked to be in her mid to late-thirties, possibly early to mid-forties. She had an ageless beauty that made it hard to tell. And attempts to guess true age were impossible since ascension extended lifespans.

The Alii were all lounging about. From lying on their bellies to standing in pools, all would coyishly steal glances at John before smiling and giggling and looking away as he met their eye. One Alli near Nani Victor had a chest-sac that was red and puffy and scabbed. He assumed she was the mother of the newborn.

John felt blood rush to his face as he became dizzy and lightheaded. His head fogged. Thinking became difficult. He struggled to clear his mind of carnal thoughts.

These Alii witches put me under some sort of powerful spell. I…I can’t think. I must fight it. My uncanny ability to shrug off spells of the mind is up to the task. I will win. I will destroy them all one day, thought John as a promise.

The oldest Alii besides the old crone had plumb-colored and voluminous hair cascading around her shoulders, and eyes matching her hair’s color. All Alii were extremely beautiful and had perfect bodies, but this one seemed especially beautiful and perfect, even though John thought her hair and eye color were strange.

This same Alii laughed and smiled at John as she extracted her legs from a pool and brought her knees to her chest, wrapping her arms around them. She said, “You seem distressed, Kahaka Three-five. What’s wrong?”

John tried to clear his mind with a strong breath, but the act left his mind fuzzier and more clouded and filled with depravity. “Your spells have not ensorcelled me yet. I will not fall to your witchery.”

All the Alii, including the crone, laughed good-naturedly. Plumb-hair, smiling roguishly, said, “Witchery? There’s no witchery here. Just nature. A man stands before us, a strong man filled with desire and an abundance of credits. Our flowers, so moistened with dew, blossomed in response. There are many of us here, together in these sacred waters of the Waeyiani Pools, and you are responding to our natural musk in a natural way.

“Come, Kahaka, sit across this pool from me. Bathe your feet in these sacred cleansing waters of Waeyiani, taken from the pond our late husband and father, the venerable Akua, bathed in his whole life before leaving his village and starting down the path of peers, the praised Aikapu. We have much to discuss.”

John, as enslaved and ensorcelled by nature as evolution demanded of him, did as Plumb-hair bid.