Chapter 52: Learning New Tricks
The team met at the Adventure Society the day of the trial. The marshalling yard, normally scattered with a few teams at normal operations, was completely full. Nara saw armor and clothing from many different cultures than just Sanshi’s robes and martial wear. She saw a few races she had not seen before, in particular a dragon-like race. Their skin was between scales and skin, flexible and of vibrant colors like red, gold, blue, green, and even an iridescent silver. They had varying horns and tails, with elongated faces with similarities to those of dragons or lizards. They were tall, like leonids, with both men and women pushing six feet at the minimum.
“Those are dragonids,” Encio said, leaning in and whispering to Nara, “Usually arrogant. Claim they’re ‘the true inheritors of the dragons’.”
“Are they?”
Encio shrugged, “It doesn’t make them any more powerful than the rest of us. I say they’ve just inherited attitude and none of the class.”
“Attention, iron rankers,” Oswald called out, magically amplifying his voice over the crowd, “We will proceed to the Celestial Book Trials once preparations are complete. If any of you start trouble, you will be denied access to the trial. There are no exceptions. I care not for your background, your family, your resources. Do not come looking for me if you feel insulted; I do not care, and I will not help you.”
He flashed his aura over the crowd. It washed over them, emanating just the right amount of authority and power to put the rowdy iron rankers in line. He was silver rank, the highest rank they’d find in Sanshi, the low quality of magic too lacking for gold rankers and above to live in long term, outside of a few famous gold rankers who lived there anyway.
In particular, Nara sensed he wasn’t just silver rank, but peak silver rank. He was close to gold, but the final stretch was the longest.
“We will depart in two hours,” he said, “Make your final preparations. We will not wait for late arrivals.”
The adventurers boarded onto a massive ship. There must have been hundreds of them, but the wide rivers of Sanshi accommodated the boat easily. They were assigned cabins—rather cramped, but they would only need to put up with it for a few days. For the rewards in store, everyone was more than willing to bear it.
More adventurers came from simple families than not, but those from afar were clearly some of the better ones. They had to invest resources or connections to travel to Sanshi, unlike some of the lesser trained Sanshi natives. Many were missing just one or two abilities; to wait for legendary awakening stones was worth it. Legendary awakening stones did not simply show up on the market—they were unpurchasable. After a monster surge, a few might make it to sale, and they were snatched up quick by the highest bidders. The Adventure Society also made their bids and gave high rarity stones as rewards to iron rankers for exemplary achievements.
“I’m sort of realizing what a nice gift that Dimension Stone was.”
“How has that ability been coming along? Infinity Domain, right?”
“That’s right. I’ve tested it out a bit, but I definitely haven’t mastered its full potential.”
“No one masters an ability that quickly, if you’d did, I’d give you a bow and call you the master,” Encio said, performing a mock bow.
“Hm.”
“What?”
“Triggers my inner fangirl. I sort of enjoyed that.”
“Stop that,” Encio said. “You look like you’re seriously considering how to master an ability in a day.”
“No matter how much I think about it, it isn’t possible,” Nara sighed.
“So, what does the ability do?”
“It creates this area around me, around ten feet in diameter, where the trajectory of incoming attacks is slightly shifted. It works better on light and weak attacks, like projectiles, and less on physical attacks with driving force behind it. It really doesn’t make any sense to me, you’d think the ability to manipulate space would effect all things equally, but maybe more powerful attacks have some sort of magical momentum that denies changes in trajectory?”
John sighed, looking up at the sky blankly, “I’ve long since stopped trying to apply physics to magic. Just…feel the magic.”
“Alrighty then,” Nara said, side-eyeing John with concern.
“Otherwise,” John continued, “How do I answer how magic can cure cancer? How do large objects fit into small bags? How can they manipulate gravity without understanding gravity? How does crystal wash work—How does it know what to clean and what not to clean? How am I alive without lungs, a brain, and a heart?”
“Oh, so you heard about that?”
He pressed a finger to his wrist, “Why do I have a pulse if I have no heart? How am I breathing?”
“Doesn’t your healing magic classes answer stuff like that?”
He sighed, “They do go over this stuff, I just can’t wrap my head around it.”
“Speaking of,” said Sen, “You need to stop breathing.”
“Could you say that again?” John said slowly.
“Speaking of,” Sen repeated word-for-word, “You need to stop breathing.”
“I understand the meaning of your words. How exactly do I stop breathing?”
Sen looked at Nara, “How did you stop?”
“Don’t look to me for advice; I never was breathing in the first place, astral soul wandering and all that. I couldn’t breathe, then forgot I even had to.”
“Essence users practice techniques to rid themselves of habitual functions,” Sen said. “The easiest way for breathing is to drown yourself.”
“Wow, brutal, glad I don’t have to do that,” Nara looked over at Eufemia, “Your problem, not mine.”
“Oh how lovely, you get to watch me drown myself. Are you going to enjoy that?” she said with a glare.
“I mean, not really? I’m not that mean, just ribbing you.”
“Oh,” Eufemia said softly, “I didn’t mean to be so confrontational. It was unnecessary here, wasn’t it.”
Eufemia hadn’t quite processed that they were all supposed to be friendly. They weren’t enemies, and Nara was just making a callback.
“No, I shouldn’t have made a joke of something so uncomfortable.”
“So,” Eufemia asked, dispelling the awkwardness, “Is that really how you essence users do things?”
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“It’s the fastest way, but not the only way,” Sen said following up with her intentions.
“What’s the other way?”
“Practicing a series of breathing techniques that build up to stopping your breathing entirely. It won’t be necessary for you until bronze rank.”
“I see. I get to see John perform first. Thank you, John, for volunteering.”
“Can an old dog learn new tricks?” Nara said.
“I for one think I’ve learnt plenty of new tricks,” John said, thumping his chest with his fist, “I can handle it.”
“So,” Sen said with a curious glance, “You assent to the method of drowning?”
“Now I didn’t say that. How about we ease me into this whole ‘not breathing’ thing? I’ve been doing it my whole life. I’m quite remiss to letting it go.”
On the deck of the ship, two adventurers got into a scuffle, coming to blows, attracting the attention of all those around them, who quickly scrambled to give them a wide berth. Oswald was there in a flash, tossing the two adventurers off the side of the boat into the water below. The other adventurers quickly looked away, minding their own business.
Nara’s impressive aura range and aura strength allowed her to detect that the two adventurers were let back onto the ship through an alternate method.
“A bit of a performance, huh, to keep troublemakers in line. Smart.”
“What are you talking about?” Eufemia asked.
“I think this sort of thing is up your alley,” Nara said. “The branch head arranged for that little performance.”
“There’s a lot of nobility around here, I see their type easily. He doesn’t want their uptight parents complaining their precious little treasures were unjustly thrown out of their big chance over a little scuffle. No offense,” Eufemia said glancing at Sen and Encio, “I meant the less…trained nobility.”
“None taken,” Encio said, “I’m not technically nobility. Honorary dukedom, not a real dukedom.”
“Why is that? Surely your family could have it if they wanted it.”
“It’s traditional,” Sen explained. “Adventuring families do not need the political position for their power and prestige. Their prestige is based in the strength of their abilities and the quality of the progeny.”
Eufemia narrowed her eyes, “Doesn’t your family have territory to the north?”
“It’s named after my ancestors. It’s not our territory.”
“Uh huh.”
“The main family compound was built there, and people gathered around it. Others seek protection from those who wield power responsibly. It is only natural. Should we deny them and chase them away? We do not own the land. Not all of it,” Sen quietly added.
“Uh huh.”
“I’m not convincing you.”
“You’re not.”
Over the course of two days, Nara saw some familiar faces. Vallis was together with Kiris, Nolan, and Gento, as well as a few others. Nolan had agreed to be an auxiliary member for her team. He’d get the opportunity to train his abilities under the protection of others, and Vallis and her team enjoyed the benefits of his magical cooking, looting, and inventory powers.
She also saw Raja Jagar and his posse. He teamed up with those that stuck with him during the adventuring exam. He and the others passed one of the later examinations, having learnt their lesson. They weren’t completely changed, but real practice was valuable. They’d have to learn the rest through real experience. Kenny was there too, but considerably out-of-place. Even if he was right, he had abandoned the other four in the forest. He lost his chance with Jagar.
Adventurers made mistakes. They also would fall into difficult situations through no fault of their own. It was important that, no matter the blame or situation, everyone escaped together, and no one was left behind. Kenny had betrayed that trust; he would struggle to find a team in the future.
Another team she saw was Malachi Fenhu’s. His was a small team of three. Nothing was particularly special about his team except the uniform exceptional quality of their equipment. Adventure equipment went from average, to high quality, to flashy but quality (for those pretentious nobles), to even higher quality but discreet. This was that final type of equipment, those reserved for the rich and well-connected.
The Fenhu were famous as worldwide traders that facilitated trade routes and logistics in ports worldwide. They had also begun a more organized portal user transportation organization, Phoenix’s Wing, which had started to make portals more accessible for normal people as portal users sold their extra capacity to others through the company. If you could just tack yourself onto an already planned portal, it was far cheaper than hiring one specialty.
Due to these ventures, the Fenhu was one of the wealthiest families in the world. Members of Malik’s team had all of their equipment paid for. They all seemed to get along too, his female member chuckling at Malik’s frustration with her teasing.
The ship transport anchored in front of a mountain range where the adventurers would begin their trek. It was one of the few actual mountain ranges instead of Sanshi’s iconic stone spires. It was a few more hours until Oswald finally brought the group to a halt. In front of them was an abyssal shaft dropping straight into darkness. There were no ropes or safety nets; the only ones venturing there were those who wanted to jump down.
“Within this shaft are the location of the ruins of the cult of the Celestial Book. At its center, is the entrance to the Celestial Book astral space, where the trial is held.”
“How do we get down?” One adventurer asked.
“You’re adventurers, figure it out. I very strongly recommend evaluating the risk first. We do not know the depth of the shaft nor the danger of the shaft.” he stepped back from the shaft, disappearing in a flash of silver rank speed.
The iron rankers were left to their own devices, milling about.
Nara peered over the hole, tossing a cheap glowstone light down the shaft with its floatation disabled.
“One…two…three…four…” She kept count, waiting for the echo of an impact.
“Nothing? No sound?” She said, aghast.
“Nara, over here,” Eufemia called out to her.
She wandered over, where Aliyah was drawing a ritual circle in the air with a magical ability. At her feet, was a large and sturdy metal slab, around the size of two SUVs in area set next to each other, forming a square.
-------
Ability: [Enact Ritual]
Essence: Adept
Awakening Stone: Ink
Special Ability
Cost: Varies
Cooldown: None
Effect (Iron): Manifest lines of magic to draw out ritual diagrams. Materials required for a ritual may be used directly from a dimensional storage space instead of being placed within the diagram.
-------
“What’s that?”
“This is a ritual of slow fall,” Aliyah explained, “This platform will fall at a steady pace that I’ve transcribed into the ritual magic.”
Normally she would need to place the necessary materials within the ritual circle—spirit coins as well as quintessence of wind and cloud. However, thanks to another ability, Aliyah also had a coveted inventory ability. Their team, thanks to the two outworlders, already had an above average number of inventories. Utility essence users, such as ritualists, cooks, and alchemists, also had an above average number of inventories (since they needed their supplies in the field), so it was your normal adventurers like Sen and Vallis who lost out, possessing combat abilities in place of utility abilities.
-------
Ability: [Rune Gate]
Essence: Adept
Awakening Stone: Holding
Special Ability / Conjuration
Cost: None
Cooldown: None
Effect (Iron): Allows the user to store items in a dimensional pocket.
-------
Ritual magic was expensive for iron rankers, but this trial was worth the cost.
Nara looked around. Other teams were similarly sorting their descent. Malik’s group pulled a sky skimmer from his inventory. The three hopped in, and were the first to start downwards.
“And you don’t have one of those?” Eufemia asked Sen.
“It’s unnecessary,” Sen said, “We have Aliyah.”
Another team removed cloaks from their inventory, wearing them. They all hopped down; the cloaks similarly enchanted with slow fall.
One team jumped down, relying on a slow fall ability.
“I don’t know about that,” Nara muttered.
“What’s wrong with that?”
“I counted at least 30 seconds before I gave up,” Nara said, “The terminal velocity of a human is roughly 53 meters per second. If we assume the one second per 100 feet rule, or 1 second per 30 meters rule, that’s almost 3,000 feet. At minimum. Parachutes are designed to slow a human to a safe speed of let’s say, 5 miles per hour. Converting units, that’s 26400 feet per hour. That’s at least 6 minutes of slow fall, but that’s only accounting for 30 seconds. And for each team member they take with them, that’s going to drain their mana even faster. Iron rankers don’t have a good mana capacity. Celestines, runics, and elves may fare better but…”
Nara gazed at the abyss.
“How in the world do you know that?” Eufemia asked.
“Does this world not have the concept of terminal velocity?”
“Why would your velocity ever reach a peak when falling?” Encio asked, “Just use a flight ability.”
“You don’t have a flight ability.”
“Not yet.”
Nara sighed, and rubbed her temples.
“I think the shaft has some dimensional shenanigans going on. It’s probably a lot longer than it seems. It may not even be a consistent depth,” she said, offering something more in the technical language of Erras.
John stared blankly towards the hole, “They just let them jump down? All of these kids? What if they run out of mana and die?”
“I don’t know John, they die? None of us like the answer to that question.”
John leaned forward, placing his face in his palms, heaving a sigh, “This is bonkers.”
A person shot out of the hole, carrying the adventurers that had jumped down with just their slow fall abilities. It was Oswald. He tossed them to the floor into the dirt and grass.
“Go back to the ship,” he demanded. “You are unprepared.” He turned to the rest of the group, “We cannot save you inside the astral space. It denies entry to all but iron rankers. If you cannot handle this trial, turn back. Should you fear for your life, turn back. This is your final chance.”
“Well now I feel a little bit better,” John said turning back towards the group, “And also a bit melodramatic.”