Many hours had passed since the Hunt started and Levandis' proclamations shook the Hellscape. In mountains far away from Razmund, a certain opposition dwelled and thought about what they needed, or didn't want.
Murai woke up after sleeping soundlessly for an hour on top of Bagus's back. Such sleep was usually enough for a day-long march, but Itrosh, Bagus, David, and Ultium were always ready to go on, travel, and kill. It was their standard adventurous mindset since it was their work and benefits that made the most of their lives.
They all heard and saw Levandis's proclaimed Hunt, with each of them being a target for the whole Hellscape and uncountable Hunters. Their bounties were their motivation and praise. It was also worth many starting motions.
Murai was supposed to be their King, boss, and reason. But Lisa was so much more instead. It surprised many of them, Murai included.
Fortunately, they knew his importance and no one would ever touch him as long as they were around. They decided to be his true guardians. His guards! However, who knew what would happen next, as official stakes were put in place and a storm brewed over many Provinces and Sectors, eying their team and possible destination. Many wondered where they were going, doing, or plotting.
It was obvious they were doing it long before the Hunt.
David didn't expect to get this kind of attention, while the rules of this game were brewing in his brain. His boy Ultium was their pinnacle. Their pursuiting danger. He knew this would've happened. Lisa did as well, albeit she believed that his weight should be acceptable against what this place could send at them. So far, it worked way too well because most dangerous fools waited this out.
Razmund did the same thing, she believed.
Lisa barely reacted or shifted her attention, unlike the rest of her party, who listened and watched a massive screen over the ceiling all those hours ago. Murai was the same, shocked and cursing at how high or low his bounty was. It was right. The message ended and nothing about their journey changed. He went to sleep as if it wasn't his concern, thinking that his bounty being lower than Lisa's was pitiful.
For once, Lisa wasn't sure why he was like that. It was optimal to think about this proclamation, yet he regarded it even worse than the previous Gate. He should take it seriously!
After a couple of hours of marching through some high mountains, they found a flat rocky surface surrounded by stone cliffs. It was time for a change of pace because they could afford it and these mountains were relatively safe. Not everyone wanted some rest, thanks to the Hunt and the tense atmosphere between them. David and Lisa had plans to tell and decided on this place as they were about to reach open Sectors ahead.
Sitting around a campfire, Lisa and Murai were at one side facing the others. Murai didn't quack; he figured listening was better because Lisa and David had plans that changed and the time was finally right to reveal them.
He had some expectations because he didn't regard Levandis that much, while Lisa was a more immediate eyesore. Itrosh, Bagus, and Ultium didn't speak either, but they were around the campfire and listened. It became apparent that their planning in Helltrim City was barebone and Murai wasn't sure if he should've been so trustworthy and confident to her.
Lisa stalled for days and didn't want to go too deep, though she never told him why.
Now, she did.
If Levandis was watching, her military was acting as a proxy of her vision and rules, making Hunters and Hunted somewhat connected like players in a game, watched by game-masters. Getting to their destination had to be done much better, and Lisa found the journey loose and time odd.
David wondered what sort of problems could arise from all the gangs and those seeking their head. He got why Lisa stalled because she didn't want to give anyone a chance to see their direction, and she wanted to see her little party in action.
They already proved themselves, yet Hunter did not.
Thus, they just went ahead and didn't visit any city or place. They hid, fought, and stalled. Then, the storm seized by Mindarch hit them all. Just in terms of points, it was worth being shocked. In terms of knowledge, Ozeki and Razmund were nothing surprising.
The third point was the sheer standard of this Hunt; it didn't seem that different.
Lisa wasn't happy; she just didn't show anyone what she thought. Murai got far too high a bounty for his Level and danger, which was a problem. It didn't matter if he got the status of a King, or if he was the reason for everything. It was stupidly big. That King status was more like a joke, similar to being a Villain. Both were an idea of danger, giving Hunters a sense of their game.
For them, it was as if Murai was many times more valuable, which meant an easier prize, while Lisa... well, she was much worse. She realized why and got incredibly upset. It was grudgeful and petty. Hell, she had a higher bounty than Ultium, so what sense was there? Did heavens hate her? That was unlikely. Mindarch was the one who had done that, she figured and silently cursed that spirit. He completely disregarded her after everything. It was truly petty.
Murai was weak, troubled with those closing on fodder limits. Long Zi, Uqari, and Anatidea or Goliath Golem showed some results of his growth, but how long could it last? Lisa had high hopes for him, though how quickly and well could he work for his strength? She created and gave him time, options, and comfort for that, but training could only do so much, while his last Boost left its gloom and mocking ideas.
How much did the last Gate change Murai wasn't a small matter. He got substantially powerful, yet what could he do in a matter of few days for her vast expectations? Lisa had little assurance over a huge change, even when he worked on something big with his cores, and his magic was undergoing a massive shift. Both were issues.
There were no doubts that fodder, far too enticed to catch her and him, would move in huge numbers.
Ultium, Bagus, Itrosh, and Bagus were at a high level, and due to their Helper status, they could clash against this Hunt, which made the hunt not personal, but team-based this time around. Levandis nor Midnarch cared enough to voice it like that, but they showed it nevertheless.
Lisa decided to trust nothing, including herself and their opposition.
200,000 Hell Points was an enormous value. Anyone could purchase great Artifacts with that sort of wealth, let alone many essences, or materials to change the course of their Fate. Many gangs would know what to do with that, while many greedy individuals would salivate over such prizes. There were more of them too. Ultium, Bagus, and Murai together were worth an astounding bounty.
Then, the rules stating their pressure came off as open or fixed. Those were the ways to get their points for Hunter.
Catching things alive was an interesting choice, whereas killing was harder. Mindarch voiced it and annoyed Lisa with how he said it. Helpers were to be killed, or so Lisa thought, but Mindarch didn't mention this detail to everyone. Catching with or without Token, or killing alone were all different. Murai thought the same thing, while everyone knew Anatidaes weren't simple to catch or kill, so many Hunters considered and required some strategy to deal with his Helpers.
Lisa's bounty involved catching alone, which puzzled some people. Then, a surprising fact came into Murai's mind. Since she was a strange ghost, why kill her? Did Mindarch thought of that and changed her subject? No one was certain, but many discovered Lisa's elevated existence that wasn't as known. Murai was much wilder in comparison, if not prominent. Hence, dealing with Murai as the primary goal seemed like the best course of action, right behind solving the secondary issue of Helpers.
Capable Hunters with good information gathering knew this. 150,000 Hell Points for an Anatidae of his Level was like tossing gold before beggars.
Most believed Murai was below Level 50 in might. The rest thought of something even lower, yet what was a Level anyway? Anatidaes weren't conventional, obvious by the last guest years ago that crushed the balance in blatant crashes below the resemble of Extremes. It was an issue stemming from strange and unique abilities that were hard to guess without Mindarch's clarifications, so doing it the hard and old way was one way to see it or realize nothing. That was to go and probe that party. Seeing Murai's soul would answer something, but that was impossible, and his growth and skill were untamable, and locked in the Network as Levandis preferred.
Days and hours passed, so Murai was improving and trained as best as his core and time allowed. It wasn't ideal. He couldn't choose something better. He never touched Mana Essences that he had, including the ones David begrudgingly gave away, nor did he work with the Core Defying Fusion Technique either. Training in this place without Boosts in sight was similar to the last Gate's Islands. However, that one at least had numerous trials and fights that gave him great targets. Here? He was all alone, devoid of fight, and full of silencing rare regiments.
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It was full of nostalgia, gifting him a time of life and peace that his soul remembered with grace, grudge, and melancholy that stemmed from his many lives. Oh, how many times had he killed to feel this peace in his previous lives and worlds? He was included to cherish such times, but here, he only cursed at his living.
And a little bit at Lisa, whose head and shoulders were equally puzzling since she was taking reign instead of him.
Everyone was equal when the world turned towards the Old World. Information gathering was important, so David relied on Marthosh, even though he wasn't as useful. So much can be found through rumors and lacking Mindarch's Codexes in the Helltrim City.
Many Sectors moved independently anyway, away from one another because of the unique setting, or politics. Many gangs and demons held grudges against one another and took this Hunt as an opportunity to kill others before focusing on their main objectives. Fewer opponents were great, giving their grudges and time a new meaning, while Levandis cherished the idea of feeding the beasts and Chaos of this place.
So much dread... So drowning...
Part of it was helpful for Murai's group since who amongst them cared about the Hunters? Murai did, considering his desire for essences, but the rest didn't care. Especially Lisa, who would be happy to see even more Ends among the Hunters.
Within a few hours after the Hunt started, many small-scale battles happened all over the Hellscape, with none going towards Razmund or Murai.
It was within Mindarch's and Levandi's expectations because Hunters were numerous and many hard-to-meet figures came out, giving other Hunters opportunities to duel or fight them. It was a true infighting.
The unrest was a good tool for growth. Whether they died or not, Levandis won't see a difference. Away from the Surface, this interest should prevail and move the unkept tools to remedy or End, weeding out the weak links, or feeding this beast.
Everyone was greedy for some Hell Points. Even if killing other Hunters wasn't part of the Hunt, every denizen of this temple had their lifespan sucked into the essence upon their End. That was a good enough reason to seek and kill other Hunters, with or without petty reason or questionable grudges in sight.
And Levandis needed new souls.
It was a win-win situation across the board.
Murai did see something and didn't take it the worst. If Razmund hunted him, or the whole Hellscape did, it didn't matter to him. Everyone was more powerful, so he felt like third-wheeling a clash that surrounded him and buzzed over his head.
Why? It annoyed him because it could be so much worse. A random End could be around the corners, and what would happen then? He didn't believe in a restart if this world wanted his End this badly.
Lisa put her words and head to good use, advising him that everything was fine and expected. She was half the reason he even slept or focused on his Heavenly Shaping and magic for the past few days. She ensured this team was one step closer to validating her words, so with such bodyguards acting of their free will, she was confident.
It wasn't entirely about trust. Lisa had things to lose too. She accepted what he could.
Most messages from Marthosh ended up impractical. The amount of news and rumors increased substantially, overwhelming Marthosh alongside most of the Helltrim City because too much movement and military moves cracked the information gathering apart. Now, the only accurate way to get things done was by physical means, personally, and using unconventional tactics.
Scouts and some mercenaries were the best for that job, and selling or taking accurate information was invaluable. Fake news could be a powerful counterattack, so Lisa wondered how to use this idea well. She thought of faking their target from the beginning and even David agreed. After all, Ip'ur Mountain was a troublesome location on its own, while their targets had no idea about it.
But how to fake it?
David had some ideas, but he never put them to good use because he feared the consequences of his betrayal of his former home. Helltrim Society shouldn't give Martosh and the rest of his men a good time. Ultium, Itrosh, and Bagus were the most trustworthy members he had, so his regrets lessened like his choices.
The rest was too wild to trust, too weak, or unreliable in what he was bound to. But it was true that he gave his fortune away to Marthosh, right alongside his whole company. So in a sense, David didn't betray anyone. It was just a different kind of pledge for some new knot in time. Levandis never shackled him anyway. He was no slave. He served this place enough.
It was time to change things up, as far as he and Ultium wanted.
The situation as a whole was mild for Murai, who calculated his training and power in numerous references. He relied on others, after all, so he accepted his terms for what they were.
It was almost funny. Since he had others to rely on, perhaps he was never this calm and focused in this life. Be it his mana space, abilities, and the course of his magic, everything progressed at an even better pace than fighting. It wasn't about any Path, or swordsmanship, though the side of Twin Blades did leave its mark and memory. He already half-recognized what he wanted to do. The only choice was to act upon it and pass the hurdles of his flesh and limiting magic.
The surroundings and a bit of his mindset changed, or.... could this Gate be part of it as well? The flow of mana was noticeably stronger, while Heavenly Shaping showed its value as a fundamental style for magic and spells.
He already reprocessed most of his spells to a similar level before the latest Boost. Now, he was at a stage of quick improvement, so in a sense, he passed the first success of the Heavenly Shaping.
Murai was concealing an expansive spectrum of knowledge under his soul, with many being far from Anatidae knowledge, while some might be close. It might be better if he considered the scope of his Question Mark that he used not that long ago. Mindarch chatted well and made no small bullshit excuses. It was about various spells, abilities, and powers that should be versatile and acceptable for Anatidae Panacea, so Murai began to put ideas into his arsenal and potential.
Mainly, the biggest was the Universal Affinity. He already had Flame, Sharpness, and Water; the pure mana was not included since it wasn't necessary. His main point was Universal Affinity which was impacting his whole mana like a talent since birth, or... after the first evolution? Murai thought it through and uncovered some neat ideas about this world, evolutions, and what it all could mean. They were intricate, interesting, and crucial discoveries. This beast of a body was far out there in scope and possibilities.
It almost resembled something from Endless Skies.
Mindarch gave some statements; it wasn't that useful on its own yet, or won't be for a long time.
Murai was a unique case even with this knowledge and flesh. It was a good contrast because Anatidaes had wild practices of abilities thanks to their Universal Affinity and extremely tight, savage, and imposing personality.
They could wield a lot of elemental powers and spells in general. However, too many things weren't always a good thing. Murai knew it from the bottom pit of his soul. Because of that, he wondered what use this Universal Affinity had because he had hardly ever heard of it twice. Both from the classics of the previous Epochs or concerning some interesting legends of Endless Skies.
Here, in the unknown depth of the universe, his ideas stirred and his head calmed in rare silence. Was his Beast Core able to cope with more elements on its own when he used to struggle with basic shaping? He figured the main problem was his inherited soul and lacking instincts for this flesh. He was no true Anatidae, whose Bloodline he carried was like an inconvenient gift that his soul most likely refused since his birth.
Universal Affinity might be the reason for most of his problems when it came to flesh and magic, so he didn't think of it as crucial affinity. It had near certain validation for this wilderness Pillage touched upon, and one can't really Shape Universal Affinity out to the world.
Now, he had three variants of lower Affinities, which he could pull out. So what if he had a dozen others? Wouldn't it be crazy and close to asking for a heavenly tribulation? Well, for a fact, asking for this sort of talent inherent to flesh and magic was far too lofty. Even Murai couldn't ask for more than he could chew.
Thus, the things that Mindarch mentioned were things that Murai could wield. It was up to his preference what to think of it, because there was a wide spectrum of abilities he could try to move or learn in the future. He also had future evolution to consider, right beside the Path and a variety of evolving trees of some abilities.
His first three Affinities already happened relatively easily, so as long as he would clatch or learn others, he could grow and add layers to his power. Essentially, it was like having a huge room for weapons, but fewer weapons to store there because he couldn't handle the whole room.
Murai had issues since his attention might get all over the place.
He started with tests to see where to start. The first was Mana Nova which he showed Lisa not that long ago. It was a pushing power that was under the Heavenly Shaping Manual training methods that Pillage recommended. It was a spell with basic pure mana that could work with most Affinities, giving it a different vibe or effects. Then, he had Flame Shot and Sharpblade, giving his basics a good start.
Mana Arrow, Dagger, and Spear were all spells that needed no big benefit. They weren't his focus. A well-timed Nova should be great with some added Affinity. Nova was forceful, pulling, heavy, and highly customized like most spells without fundamental complexity. There were a myriad of Affinities, so Murai wondered if some minor ones would go well for him, or if he should think bigger.
He desired Gravity Affinity, though he doubted Nova would give it justice. Pulling his ass and creating Gravity out of nowhere was definitely not under his current possibilities. He would have to control his magic and add quantity, and his precision had to be perfect. Pulling it from within and inside and creating a sphere of influential Gravity into his Beast Core would be like creating a planet or sun inside his body. It would stress him out way too much, but it was a possibility.
Creating Gravity, or getting it accepted via the Boost were two options.
Outside of the impossible, Murai had no problems with the Heavenly Shaping. It needed time and trial for training, so nothing shocked him, much to Pillage's reluctance, shock, or fear.
Heavenly Shaping was about efficiency at its core, as well as speed and intricate work. Old or new spells will always work with it, so getting used to it will be a good headstart.
It was that sort of magic that many spells and mages desired. Many sought perfection, both with speed, efficiency, and power. It was a similar yet forceful and tough ideology. Eventually, Murai had no doubts that most of his spells would move better. Murai trusted himself.
Preferring some mighty powers was not possible. He needed flexibility in mana, while he already had something much more potent anyway. His soul was a big variable, but the secondary answer was his body. His beak was savage like tails or wings of dragons! Magic was an essential tool to make both shine, and ducks or dragons had their small similarities that Murai did consider with inner laughter, cries, and fear.
Mastering Sharpblade was an endless journey because mana was nearly endless in gathering and existence. And with limited core, limits showed and flowed well within his expectations. He shouldn't rush it; anything and anywhere.
His stubbornness for perfection definitely stopped some of his extensive choices. Even then, he rather trained in beginning-level spells across the board and hoped to create an arsenal that would be accepted when this charade was over.
Heavenly Shaping changed his learning principles and elevated some curves. What he already had and learned, he restarted from scratch due to its nature. How to handle mana shifted, followed by spells, while all of his mana abilities stayed intact.
Soul-based powers remained the same, similar to his Conjuring in general, although that one had some tight link with Shaping.
So far, Murai hadn't reached many conclusive critiques from Lisa or his own heart. As she said numerous times and with creeping bother, his core was the main problem.
Even if taking those essences wouldn't show some ridiculous effects, they would be much better at a singular stimulus in Fusion. Murai also doubted Revolving Core was possible right now, so his stubbornness and choices were absolute. David's stash of essences was a great gift that will wait. Stabilization was taking longer like giving his Artificial Core its meals. It wasn't worth it to crack his head over the current idea, so he didn't push more boundaries.
That was why Murai took a laidback attitude and focused on fundamentals.
Lisa didn't berate him for that, even if she hoped things would be better. She figured they wouldn't because Anatidaes had various problematic sides that she knew Murai didn't know how to handle. In those, she couldn't help either. Who would? These beasts were crazy in history, creation, and living. They were nothing like they seemed.
It was like teaching or giving hints on how to handle water when one was a fire spirit.