[Year 30]
[Arkum]
Arkum watched as the Valovasoar huffed steam out of its nostrils. It stared at him, he was tired and he didn't want to fight the monster.
However, whatever worries he had were not met. The Valovasoar went up the serpent and started devouring it. Arkum couldn't do anything about it; if the monster wanted the corpse of the Deity, he could barely do anything against it.
Right now, he is weakened, he isn't at his full strength. The Valovasoar looked at Arkum again and tilted its head. Arkum’s heart started beating again, he anticipated what it would do.
The Valovasoar placed its gaze back to the corpse and tore a chunk out of it; Arkum was confused by this behaviour but even more so when the Valovasoar threw the chunk in front of him.
He was lying down near the Serpent's head, the ground that once was boiling already cooled down, but not enough that he could freely walk through it.
Arkum gazed at the meat and back at the Monster. Its slit eyes eagerly watch Arkum.
'Does it want me to eat it?’
Arkum looked at the piece of meat; it was raw, something he was not eager to eat or even place in his mouth. He pursed his lips and looked at the Valovasoar, he saw how its mouth was glaring hot.
He gulped dryly and did what the monster belatedly wanted, he used his spear to cut a small part of the raw meat presented to him and, with a reluctant gaze and sweat dripping down his forehead, took a bite and slowly chewed, just to appease the monster staring at him.
The Valovasoar tilted its head and looked intently at Arkum. It visually gulped, and Arkum took a deep sigh; he didn't like how the monster was smarter than it looked; even though he did not like the taste, he gulped audibly and grimaced as the raw flesh flushed his throat.
That seemed to satisfy the monster and went back to eating a part of the serpent, its jaws taking chunks after chunks in each bite.
“Dammit…”
Arkum just rested atop the serpent's head, he couldn't call his Officers via the flare he had on his belt. If their lives were endangered because of this monster, then he would be an incompetent Alvon; Alpine does not need an incompetent leader.
After a while of waiting, Arkum watched as the monster finally took its last chunk of meat; seemingly satisfied after a loud swallow, it licked its lips, taking a cautious look at its surroundings before leaving.
Arkum let out a sigh of relief before taking a long stick with a string tether on his hip, he pointed it upwards and pulled the string, which prompted a wisp to fly high in the sky.
Not even half an hour later, two of his Officers came up to him with shock and awe plastered on his face.
“Alvon! A-Are you alright?”
“I am, don't worry.”
His Officers were looking at the serpent, their eyes wide. They were looking at Arkum with awe and admiration, to kill a deity is a monumental feat. What would happen if it were to spread in the village that Arkum has defeated a deity? Especially if his officers think he was alone?
“I didn't kill it alone.” Arkum simply said.
“huh?” Khalid is confused. “Did Alvon Shavik take a visit? Or was it Lazarus?”
“Neither.” Arkum pointed at the part of the Serpent where the Valovasoar feasted. “The Valovasoar has been spotted here.”
The two officers realized what he was implying, both having a more serious face.
“Don't worry, we won't be meeting it, anytime soon,” Arkum said a tad bit tiredly.
The two Officers nodded and helped Arkum get back to the camp, at least now, they could use the Lake as a water source.
Once Arkum had gone back to his camp, a comfortable bed had presented him, a weaved bed with dried leaves covered with a yak fur blanket.
He first checked his status.
[Name]: Arkum
[Class]: Spear Master
[Attribute points]: 6
Might─ 217
Strength: 237
Constitution: 217
Dexterity: 222
Cunning─ 132
Intellect: 197
Perception:192
Charisma: 132
Mobility─ 194
Proprioception: 194
Agility: 194
Reflex: 198
Recovery─ 128
Tolerance: 200
Cooldown: 142
Vitality: 128
Endurance─201
Resilience:200
Tenacity: 203
Resistance:201
Spirit: 159
Luck: 140
[Traits&Characteristics]
─ [Hawk's eye]
─ [Battlelust]
─ [???]
[Titles & Achievement]
─ [The Spear of the Village]
─ [Persistent Hunter]
─ [Deity Slayer]
Arkum had new traits and titles; by the looks of it, he had grown stronger from the last time. Though he was quite confused, there was a trait that didn't tell its nature.
“What the hell is this?” Arkum questioned while scratching his head.
He couldn't get more information by tapping the trait, but since it didn't have any harmful effects on his body that he knew of, he just let it be.
He was already stressed enough. “Oof, I sometimes wish I could just retire like an elder… I'm already half a century years old…” Arkum sighed.
But would he do so? Arkum clenched his hand and grinned, no. He liked the thrill of fighting, he felt something shift within him, his soul. It agreed with his sentiment, making him chuckle.
He remembered how it felt to strike true with his spear, for his aura to move like liquid and solidify like stone, to burst like fire towards the serpent.
He couldn't forget that feeling, it was exhilarating. Anyways, once he had rested he would have to go back and do his report.
“Ugh, can't the officers just do that…”
Arkum complained but he soon fell asleep.
***
[Mari]
Mari fell asleep quickly; she slept next to Kaina with an embrace; she had distanced herself from Lazarus after some uncontrolled moment of passion.
Nonetheless, what she expected to be a dream turned out to be more lucid than she initially thought.
“What… where…”
“Hello, Mari.”
Mari jumped out of her skin and turned to see the familiar presence that was their Patron God. Mari calmed down after that.
Hadro walked up to her and ruffled her hair; Mari could tell that he was wearing a soft smile.
“You've been active with Lazarus.”
“I-I… uhm!” Mari quickly stuttered, flustered by what Hadro said.
Hadro just laughed heartily, it was a soft laugh that didn't annoy Mari. Hadro looked around; it was a blank and shifting space that was Mari’s conscious mind trying to dream.
“I guess I should say what I am here for.”
Hadro flicked his finger, and the scenery transitioned to his realm; the library shifted out of nowhere, and Hadro sat down on a chair.
“What is it…?” Mari prodded the subject.
“How much math have you learned?”
“W-well aside from your teachings, I have found ways to observe the orbit of celestial bodies.”
“I see…”
Hadro's eyes shifted; he parsed through Mari’s memories within a second. Hadro couldn't help but smile at her advancements, but some things were missing.
“Mari, it seems that your math is still disconnected from the world.”
“How?”
“Have you thought of things being true without proof?”
“... What do you mean?” Mari asked.
“It's quite late, but today we can go on with our lessons without stopping. Last time, you couldn't comprehend much, but today… I will make sure you will wake up anew.”
Hadro conjured a whiteboard just behind him, where he wrote “axioms” for Mari to see.
“Do you know what an axiom is?”
Mari parsed her memories when she found no recollections, she shook her head.
“An axiom is a truth without needing proof.”
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Hadro went on to write down axioms, one of them being the postulates, the first postulate, two points could make a straight line, the second postulate and so on.
“That….” Mari was quite confused.
The first thing Hadro did wrong was that he taught Mari basic mathematics without aligning her with the philosophy of mathematics.
Hadro remembered math as a place of stress, not because it was hard but because his professors made it hard. Hadro had a room full of reflection for the past 3 years he was incubating.
He knew that math and philosophy were quite aligned. After all, math is the language of the universe. To see this, one would need a special mind; no common mind would pierce through the veil that is the universe.
Hadro had realized the importance of philosophy through one's mind. How it moulds them to look through the world. And so, he continues to add more, stating Euclid's 5th postulate.
Mari looked at the 5th postulate and the drawing beside it. “This… looks parallel.”
“Is it?” Hadro chuckled; he then added together that each angle inside the line intersects is less than the product of two right angles. “If so, prove it.”
“T-Thats…!” Mari looked at the drawing and the two angles; one is written as 89 degrees, and the other is a complete 89.98 degrees. “It's hard…”
If the learning packet that she had learned from was true, then in geometry, she assumed that soon this would be a triangle. However, the length it will go to is just unimaginable. How much would the line need to stretch for it to meet?
“For two lines to meet, then, the lines need to stretch indefinitely. It is impossible to see this through.”
“Is that what you think?”
“Yes!” Mari answered confidently.
Hadro looked at Mari with a proud gaze, she was right. Euclid's fifth postulate did not seem intuitive, countless mathematicians tried to disprove or even outright remove the fifth postulate.
However, none of them succeeded. Some even just reiterated the fifth postulate. But it is also thanks to Euclid's fifth postulate that other forms of geometry were discovered, or attributed to.
Hadro flicked his finger and the drawing of the lines with an intersecting line moved out of the board like a holographic image. Mari intently watched.
“You're right, did it feel that way?” Hadro asked as he pointed to a direction, where then, the two lines stretched infinitely until they touched a few hundred meters away from them.
Mari nodded; her eyes, which had awoken with a geometric sight, could tell intuitively that Euclid's fifth postulate was correct without needing any proof or speculation.
“Did you know that this isn't the only solution for this?”
Hadro soon recalled the stretched lines, and he added a new space to inhibit the lines, a sphere. It was obvious, the lines that Hadro recalled stretched once again to loop around the sphere.
“This is also geometry.”
Mari watched intently, her eyes stuck to the images that Hadro was making her see. He made the lines wrap around the sphere and the lines intersected.
“Spherical geometry.”
Hadro soon changed the sphere to a disk, the Poincaré disk, and he displayed infinite lines to Mari.
“Hyperbolic Geometry.”
Hadro took a look towards Mari, her mind was turning gears. Some of these mathematical theorems are something that has been continuously developed over two thousand years.
And Mari is going to have it for free. Her eyes were looking intently at the geometry Hadro drawn upon the air. Though, not exactly free, if Hadro crammed this information in her mind there's a possibility she’ll die.
So she still had to work for it. “Mari,” Hadro called Mari who was ruminating deeply. “What do you know about math?”
Mari contemplated her answer; it was given to her when she was a child, and carefully she unfurled what to do with the knowledge of numbers; throughout her adulthood, she had contemplated this question: why did the responsibility fall on her lap? To quantify all things?
“Math… math is everything I can quantify.”
“Is that how you feel?”
Mari paused and stood still where she was. She opened her mouth, and Hadro anticipated her answer. “I see the relevance of math through where we stand. Anything could be quantified with math, therefore… Math is the world.”
Hadro grinned widely. Mari was close, but she needed to be pushed closer. Despite the advancement of technology of Foreline, from glasswork, metallurgy and medicine. Mari has fallen back quite a bit because of Hadro’s bias; he looked through the lens of a student of a 21st-century student, and thanks to that, he instilled a 21st-century mindset in Mari; it was a mistake he will no longer make again.
“Math is the language of the universe.” Hadro spoke solemnly. “This sphere is a pure ball of white flame.”
Hadro raised his index finger; Mari listened intently, and she watched intently. At the tip of Hadro’s finger, a transparent sphere formed, which soon became a pure sphere of white light.
“20 centimetres is the radius of this sphere.”
Mari watched in awe at the precision and accuracy of his measurement. The sphere was the most perfect shape she had ever witnessed.
“Now that we have identified the radius of the sphere, let's identify its surface area. A equals to four, pi, r squared (A=4πr²)
Since we know that the radius of the sphere is 20cm, then we could go for (A=4π(0.2)²
What we get is A=4π(0.16) and it would become A=0.5027m²
Now we try and get the temperature; this sphere is made of pure white flame; therefore, we could use the Stefans law… “
Mari listened intently, she could not understand a lot of words Hadro said, from watts, denominators, Kelvin and even Celsius, even Root. It felt like she was listening to another language she had never heard before.
“Let's take away every other factor, what we're left with is this.” Hadro presented a ball, a perfect sphere glowing white. “This is it. Four hundred fifty-six kilowatts of pure power.”
Mari looked with utter awe, can math be used this way? Hadro and Mari locked eyes with each other.
“You can learn this power, Mari; it is in your hands,” Hadro spoke with utter confidence for Mari.
Mari felt a tightness in her chest. Is it because her patron God, her father-in-law, believes in her so much? Soon, Mari felt something drip down her nose; she tasted copper, and she blinked a few times.
“Too much information…” Hadro removed the sphere on top of his finger, sighing in disappointment. “I guess this is where we stop.”
“N-no wait! I-I have questions!”
The world started to blur and Mari felt disappointment and urgency. She had questions to ask, questions to be answered. But to her dismay, Hadro only smiled.
“Every answer to your question Mari, you can find it.”
The world fell apart, the library vanished like a wisp of smoke and Mari felt her head pounding. She wanted to learn more, the measurements, the exact dimensions, she knew so little it felt like she learned the wrong things first.
She held her head for the amount of pain she was feeling. She looked at the crack of the window, and she saw the sun starting to rise.
-0-0-0-0-
[Learning Packet]
Geometric Rules
-Sum of angles of triangles
-Parallel postulate
-Straight line….
-0-0-0-0-
“... All of the answers… huh…”
***
[Shaka]
Shaka started another day with eagerness, she was about to have a breakthrough, thanks to Mari making the Mechanical writer. She could have an easy time writing down her thoughts.
Thankfully, her help through the process allowed the ink on the machine to never dry and automatically replaced through a lengthy process.
This will be useful for the processing of the Academy that Mari, Kavo and Shaka are planning for. She has to give a lengthy explanation along with proof this will be useful to the Council.
However, she had a feeling that she would be given a permit because she and her friends were chosen as their Patron God. To have the benefits…
Her fingers tapped on the keys of the writer; she provided the reason for having a mass education through a teacher and its importance.
Soon her office door received a knock. She absentmindedly replied, “Come in.” and a tall, stout elf came in with papers.
“Ma’am—”
“Shaka, I'd rather have my name called.”
Shaka replied sternly. “Shaka, these are the papers about the overlay synthesis theorem; I hope it's exactly how you see it.”
Shaka didn't stop writing before she had all of her ideas down; she looked up and took the papers from the elf. She scrutinized the papers in her hand “Eren… your theory is nice. I hope to see your theory at work soon.”
“Thank you, Shaka.” Eren's face brightened with the praise. “How long have you been in your office?”
Shaka raised a brow at the question; she thought of it and answered, “Since the sun has risen, why?”
“Shaka, the sun is already high. Have you eaten yet?” Eren said with a worried face. “I know the bakery had some Yak Bun; if you want, I could get you one?”
Shaka drooled at the thought of Yak bun, bread filled with beef filling is delicious. “No, I just finished my work, let's go get one.” Shaka stored the paper and neatly cleaned up her office.
After that, She followed Eren out of the office; it was at the Enchanters Hall, where enchanters of all races do the work provided by the consuls.
Once they reached the bakery, Shaka drooled at the smell of bread, and her steps became more excited. Eren sighed, and he hastened his stride to match with Shaka.
“Yak bun…!” Shaka squealed; thankfully, there weren't any lines, though even if she was of high standing, granting her priority in any lane, she would always choose to stand in line. She wasn't a cripple; she wasn't in any haste, and there were no emergencies, so she felt that she didn't have any right to cut lanes.
After they had ordered what they wanted and paid with system currency, they found an empty seat and ate there.
Shaka ate with childish eagerness; she savoured the bread along with the beef filling. Eren smiled at that sight, eating his part as well.
Shaka looked at Eren who ate slowly. “Are you going to eat that?” she pointed at his Yak bun.
Eren sighed, smiling “Go on.” Shaka didn't waste any time and grabbed the bun and ate it all up like a vacuum.
Shaka was eating eagerly, though once she was finished, she noticed Eren clenching his fists, his eyes looking down in a nervous gaze.
Shaka wondered what was wrong with Eren
Eren seems to have felt her gaze and unclenched his hand, he kept his smile. Shaka’s eyes narrowed.
“What's up with you?”
“Nothing, I just have some things in mind.”
“Are you sure it's something you should just keep to yourself?”
“For now… yes, maybe later I'd be brave enough to tell you.”
“Hmm…” Shaka hummed.
After they had their snacks, they went back to the enchanters’ Hall. Shaka went back to finishing her reasoning Paper. Her paper would be preserved in the future to be referred to as the ‘Akademiar Thabir’.
***
[Lazarus]
After waking up, Lazarus finally had to go back to his duty. One was protecting the Village, and the other was to help the Consul for expansion.
Some reports were made by the Magus Association, made up of mage elves and humans, that there were dungeons that needed exploring.
Since Lazarus was the only one who went into a dungeon and survived, they figured that sending him was the best idea. Which is, though, Lazarus is still reluctant to do so.
He had this distorted perception of monsters in the dungeon as something so strong it could kill him in mere seconds. Truthfully, Lazarus is strong enough to dive alone, but since his exploration of the dungeon was random, he never really had the chance to let go of that perception.
Though, thanks to this perception, Lazarus has survived by never underestimating monsters.
He pushed his body up from the sleeping mat after stretching, he went up to his loving wife, Mari, just to find her awake and her nose bleeding.
“M-Mari?”
He felt alarmed at first, then he felt his father’s energy. It was the same energy as Hadro, he didn't doubt it.
“I'm fine Lazarus… just… “
Mari licked her dry lips and tasted the blood, she looked at Lazarus, who wasted no time to grab a cloth to wipe away the blood.
“I feel my Father’s energy in you, what happened?”
“Oh… he, he went to my dream and taught me things…! Q-quickly, Lazarus! I have to write everything down before I forget!”
Mari pushed Lazarus away, crawling from the mat to a nightstand; she opened its drawers to grab a worn-down notebook and grabbed an ink bottle and quill.
She opened the notebook, trying to find space, but her actions were futile as she found out that her notebook had been filled a long time ago; she clicked her tongue and started drawing borders and using what was left of space to write down everything.
“The fifth postulate… Stefan law… “
Mari muttered she was jotting down her notes wherever she could. Lazarus was a bit worried, but when Mari finally settled in, she squealed and looked at Lazarus with a happy smile.
“The Academy, Lazarus… soon I'll be able to focus on the gift our god has given me.”
Lazarus saw no madness in her eyes but joy, it was someone who found purpose in life rekindled much more fiercer and brighter. Lazarus couldn't help but smile.
“Mm…”
However, their happy moment together was interrupted by the stir of a sleeping child. Kaina stretched and yawned before sitting up and looking at her two parents.
“Hi dad… mom…”
“Good morning, sweetheart.” Reply from the two.
***
[Shavik]
Shavik whistled in joy, though he couldn't whistle so the sounds he made sounded like he was blowing air, he had a weapon that could finally add to his own.
An obsidian dagger, and a talon dagger, both that came from excellent backgrounds. When Shavik was handed the obsidian dagger by Ivy, the Orc Smith, he couldn't help but be fascinated by it.
It didn't reflect his image and it also presented a sharpness that he never knew before. Now he had this talon of that Hawk which undoubtedly the same tier as him, 3rd tier the tier of the Champions.
“I wonder what Ivy can do with you.”
Shavik spoke particularly to no one, his mind over the talon that he sent back to the foreline village. Hopefully, the supply roads they made wouldn’t encounter any complications.
“A-Alvon!”
A voice called upon him out of the tent, Shavik stood up from his mat to receive whoever called him. His tent's walls open abruptly, showing a man who’s ridden in sweat and fear.
Shavik couldn't help but ask in worry, “What happened?”
“T-There's a new monster we haven't seen before!”
“Lead the way,” Shavik said with no hesitation.
The man was part of the recon group, an initiate trained in investigation and intel gathering. Shavik wholeheartedly believed what they said.
The initiate ran towards the unexplored woods where the recon mission had been issued; they had already traversed the hills and mountains where the hawk had terrorized them earlier, so it surely wasn't the hawk that was bothering them.
Once they got to the location, Shavik was surprised to see a bloodbath: two initiates fighting with their life on the line with their captain, along with two initiates brutally injured.
“Initiate, go and fetch the wounded.”
Shavik clenched his obsidian blade, he vanished where he once stood. The monster who was attacking the recon group seemed amused as if playing with its food.
Shavik appeared just right behind it; he swung his blade, trying to strike it from the spine. But as if the creature had eyes behind its back it jumped away at speeds incomprehensible to the naked eye.
Shavik was exempt from this, he saw how the creature landed metres away from where it stood earlier. Baring its fangs. Thankfully, it was away from the injured initiates.
“A-Alvon!” Screamed the captain, relieved.
“Go and take the injured, now.”
Shavik just issued an order, the Captain did not hesitate and moved with swiftness. Shavik's eyes did not move away from the creature, who was staring him down as well.
The creature had black stripes over its orange fur; it had the same feline traits as other cats in the Demonic forest. However, the difference between that forest and this one is clear. This feline stood larger than any feline he had faced.
[Emperor Tiger]
Shavik learned of its name from the system, ‘how truly marvellous.’ he couldn't help but think to himself. Another creature to test his strength. Shavik inched his feet forward.
The tiger warily watched Shavik’s movements, its eyes never leaving him. It bared its fangs, ready to pounce at any moment.
Shavik’s aura flickered a hint of excitement seeping through his blade. Shavik dashed, vanishing through the unseen, but to his surprise, the Tiger roared, and Shavik was stunned into place.
“What the—!”
Shavik was unveiled before the Tiger, his form fully seen. The tiger raised its paw and swung to him with its claws bare and sharp.
Shavik tried blocking with his blade but he was too late. He was hit and he felt something sharp dig through his shoulder and sent him flying to a nearby tree.
The tree crackled and bent through the force that it received, it soon fell with its majestic height that was built upon decades of nourishment.
Shavik groaned from the pain as he stood up nigh instantly despite the agony he felt from his ribs. He was bleeding from his shoulder, back and front. It left three large gashes that seemed would kill an unfortunate man.
However, Shavik is no ordinary man. The gash only sundered his skin and his flesh remained intact like steel.
“Dammit.”
His eyes landed back at the tiger, who was now charging at him at incredible speeds; Shavik spat blood out of his mouth before he dashed forward with his dagger. Once both arms reach the tiger pounced, its claws ready to grasp and its fangs ready to dig in flesh.
Shavik however, ducked low enough and used his momentum to slide down the pouncing monster, he used his dagger to strike and dig its sharp blade upon the monster's fur and flesh. He held tight as it soon hit bone and changed the direction of his motion.
He flipped through the Tiger’s back and landed on top of it, dagger still in hand. The Tiger sensing the man on its back was alarmed, it didn't even get the chance to process its pain after being stabbed, it soon started shaking itself violently, trying to shake off Shavik.
However, Shavik remained strong. He held to the tiger’s fur tightly, and his legs pressed to the Tiger’s back for dear life. The tiger roared in pain and launched itself into a tree, trying to slam his back.
Shavik cursed as he unwillingly let go to avoid being slammed into a tree. He landed quite a distance from the tiger, who slammed itself at the tree nonetheless but soon stood up clear and ready.
The tiger growled lowly as it bared its fangs to Shavik, both were bleeding but it's clear which one had the worse injury. The Emperor Tiger is bleeding from its belly, and each breath, drops of blood spill out of its nose.
Shavik had a large gash wound on his shoulder, but he could still manoeuvre. The Tiger was smart enough to assess itself for its injuries. If the battle continued, it would die.
There were two options for the Tiger, to run away or to continue fighting, of course, a monster elevated from being an animal, instincts will remain. But the tiger developed its ego long ago; its pride would be wounded to run away from a feeble monkey.
The tiger roared again, and Shavik was better prepared this time; he took the blaring roar, and his body shook, but he never paused. The Tiger pounced once again. This time, it was better prepared; it pounced low, two rear legs rooted to the ground.
Shavik assessed the monster’s attack, it pounced low as if to counter his slide back then, Shavik found it laughable, it countered him straightforwardly but that was it, it only prepared itself for one move.
Shavik vanished from where he stood and the tiger found itself pouncing nothing. The Tiger soon felt killing intent behind it and turned around to roar, but when it let out its roar, it found no victim.
Sharp pain soon filled its rear leg, it tried moving to look at whatever hurt it, just to find its rear leg not functioning. It stumbled and let out a feeble growl, it swiped its claws at nothing. Panicking wherever the attack is possibly coming from.
“Try and take this you beast!”
The tiger soon felt something clench its flesh, it felt pain and growled, but it could do nothing as Shavik lifted the tiger itself, exposing its belly to the sky.
The tiger shook and writhed as it was lifted, growling and hissing at Shavik, but soon felt limp as Shavik brought it down to his knee. Enhanced by Aura, its spine cracked and crumbled under the force Shavik placed on his knee.
The tiger growled in pain, its chest heaving up and down; the gash on its belly was close to its chest and was bleeding profusely. The stab Shavik had made was deep and the Tiger was losing consciousness.
“Farewell,” Shavik spoke, a hint of respect on his voice before he plunged the dagger down the Tiger’s noggin.