I emptied the beer mug in three huge gulps, placed it on the grass, and refilled it immediately, repeating the process. The mild inebriation had a more psychological effect, but it slightly relieved the tension, even causing my neck to relax a bit.
"You might want to take it easy," Flavius said, pushing the jug of foamy drink away from me.
"Give it back," Ilona immediately elbowed him. "Raven needs it more."
The Night Sister had just risen above the horizon, and our small group was already sitting on the usual slope of the hill near the North Watchtower. Four closed jugs with fresh beer were attracting my eye, seemingly deliberately peeking out of the large basket.
"I thought you said the local beer tastes like donkey urine," Miranda couldn't resist teasing me.
"I'm not taking my words back," I smiled and filled the mug to the brim.
"Take some snacks," Flavius handed me a piece of cheese.
"We're not here to discuss beer," I said after taking a sip, eating the snack, and wiping the foam from my lips. "What do you think of Ender's plan?"
"We'll have to run around the archipelago a lot," the blond guy responded, waving dried fish in the air.
"And we'll be left without money," Ilona frowned.
"Well, you're exaggerating!" Miranda countered them more out of habit. "We just have to visit five relatively close islands in three weeks, all at least twice. We'll be spending nights in Unudo more often than anywhere else since we'll be constantly coming back here."
"We'll still have to spend the night on ships more often," Flavius's smirk was not at all mean.
"Most importantly, we have a chance to complete the quester's task and not be erased!" The healer spoke overly cheerfully.
"A chance? I don't know," having cleaned the fish, the blond guy turned to her. "The sheriff thinks we won't make it anyway."
"The sheriff doesn't consider our bonuses," I reassure him. "The locals are not used to the buffs that the questers 'bestowed' upon us. That's why Ender can't account for them. Moreover, you can increase the Core's energy not only by clearing dungeons."
"Training, meditation," the future sorceress of three elements nodded. "We know. But it's too slow."
"Slow," I agree with her, "but that doesn't mean it should be neglected."
"Also, alchemy," Ilona chimed in.
"Too expensive," Flavius objected. "Potions for increasing Core energy cost an outrageous amount of money."
"There are other ways," I nudged them in the right direction.
"Do you mean Duels of Strength?" the healer asks.
"No, they're not an option for you and even dangerous!" I object. "Energy doesn't come from thin air; in the case of achievements, meditation, and such, the world grants it to you. In Duels of Strength, the winner takes part of the Core energy of the loser. You should avoid this for now, as you won't win, and by losing, you'll forfeit too much and definitely won't be able to increase your rank in three weeks! As for real duels to the death – there's no need even to discuss them. Even Flavius," I nod at the guy, "would be killed in half a minute by any local tunneller of copper rank, who wouldn't even break a sweat."
"I'm not that helpless!" The blond guy even jumped to his feet.
"Cool down!" Miranda scolded him. "Raven is right: we are like infants compared to the locals." And after a short pause, she added, "At least for now, we are."
"Then what are you talking about, Raven?" Ilona brought the conversation back on track.
"The Core's energy can be increased in many ways. For example, working wholeheartedly, with dedication, is no less effective than meditation in this regard. And if you are a creative person, producing something of value can almost instantly advance your rank."
"For that, one needs to create a real masterpiece!" Flavius snorted. "Draw the Mona Lisa, build St. Vitus Cathedral, or create The Thinker! We are not genius enough to consider such things in our plans!"
We may not be, but Katashi Atsushi will soar through the Coils of the Spiral of the Great Path at such a speed precisely because of his work and, later, the creation of unique artifacts.
"What I mean is, don't focus on just one path!" I get straight to the point. "Yes, clearing dungeons is the foundation of your three-week race. But try not to waste a single minute of your time."
"Pf-f-f," Miranda crossed her arms. "That's obvious."
"Understanding and doing are two very different things," I say, finishing my second mug.
Silence hung over the meadow for a moment before Flavius broke it with a rather unexpected question.
"Raven, listen... We each got ten silver coins for completing the last task in our pouches. I'm curious... you had the pouch of the guy who ran away from us. And I got to thinking. The quester didn't say, 'here's your reward'; he said, 'in your pouches.' Did you check that pouch you got from the runaway?"
"I did check."
"And?"
"There's ten silver more in it." This guy is too clever... Anyways, there's no point in lying now.
"Don't you want to share with us?" Flavius asked as if it were something trivial.
"No. You sold me that pouch yourselves. Therefore, the silver in it is mine."
"Raven, don't you think that's a bit unfair?" Flavius persisted.
"I don't," My smile resembled a snarl. "I would understand if the guy who ran away had any complaints."
"As much as it hurts to admit," Miranda said, stretching, "Raven is right. It's his pouch now and, consequently, his money."
"Yeah," Ilona backed up the sorceress. "You're in the wrong here, Flavius."
"Alright, you've convinced me." The blond guy raised his hands in conciliation. "You are so lucky! You bought a pouch from us for two copper coins and gained ten silver out of nowhere!"
"Are you jealous?" I asked with feigned innocence.
"A little," the guy admitted. "And by the way!" he suddenly raised his voice, "I don't think the questers would give a reward to a dead man!"
"Oooh!" Ilona's eyes widened. "That means the madman who sailed into the sea on a fishing boat survived!"
"That's what I'm saying!" Pleased that his guess was supported, Flavius raised a finger. "And just like us, he also got his seven achievements in seven days."
Of course, I was hoping for something like this when I took the pouch for myself, but I didn't seriously count on it. Because the person who lost the purse just needs to state the fact of the loss to the quester and demand the reward personally. Apparently, the one who sailed alone into the sea didn't raise this issue. But this doesn't mean that not finding the promised by the quester, he won't demand it next time. He won't get this ten silver back anyway, but he will most likely take the subsequent rewards. But just in case, I won't throw his pouch away.
Without the memory of the future, I would have undoubtedly shared this money with the rest of the group, but now I was not going to do anything like that at all. Ten silvers are not a large sum, but for me, it will not be superfluous.
"Raven, are you leaving us soon?" Ilona was the first to raise this difficult question.
"Yes." I don't need to pretend to be regretful; I really liked these people, and parting with them will not bring me joy, even with Miranda. "But, I hope we will meet again."
"The sheriff likes to repeat that all the roads of Ain lead to Pentapolis," Flavius winked. "So, if he's right, we will definitely meet again."
The narrative has been taken without permission. Report any sightings.
"I don't understand why you're getting all sentimental?" The future elemental sorceress disdainfully turned away. "Raven is not leaving Un today or even tomorrow."
"Maybe precisely tomorrow," the healer objected. "Local ships do not run on a precise schedule, this is not Earth, and the 'Free Wind' may dock in the harbor tomorrow."
"Let it dock, and then you'll say goodbye." Miranda crossed her arms over her chest.
In a way, Flavius is right. If we survive, then in half a year, or at most eight months, we will all be in one of the great cities or in their vicinity. On Earth, there are jokes about some places being the "Navel of the Earth," meaning a metaphorical center of the entire planet. In ancient times, this way people referred to Rome, Constantinople, and other capitals of great empires. But still, even calling Rome at the height of the Roman Empire the center of Earth was an incorrect exaggeration. In Ain, things are a little different.
There is a real Center of the World here - Mount Divino. It can be called the local Olympus, with the only difference being that at the top of Divino stands a palace of real gods! The closer to Divino, the higher the rank of the dungeons, and even the air is more saturated with streams of Magic and winds of Spirit. A mere mortal cannot approach the slopes of Divino: a dense fog envelops the approaches and does not allow the "unworthy" to pass. But even if someone finds the strength in themselves to reach the foot of the mountain, the Great Stairway will stand in their way, which one can only ascend by invitation of a deity or by being strong enough to achieve divinity on their own. The Path of Ascension begins with the first step on this Stairway.
At an equal distance from the Divine Mountain, like the tips of a star-shaped pentagram, are located five great cities, colloquially called Pentapolis. Everyone who follows the Great Spiral Path and achieves significant results on this road sooner or later ends up in Pentapolis. Always. Therefore, Ender's saying about "all roads" has quite a real basis under it.
In the center of each of these five cities stands one of the Great Inverted Towers of Divine Seals. Places where, according to legends, the souls of five gods are voluntarily locked. Locked to protect Ain from the Second Demonic Invasion. I remember that, for some reason, these seals will not work and will not stop the demonic legions. Finding out why this happened, how did the demons manage to bypass the Seals of the Gods without destroying them. This is one of the cornerstones of my strategy for the new Cycle.
"Shall we train?" Flavius interrupted my thoughts.
Seeing my nod, the young man put aside his food, got to his feet, and took a few steps to the side, assuming a combat stance. A stance in which I quickly recognized the initial position of the Crane style, a school to which Tuan belonged. I will have to hint to Ender that this style does not suit Flavius very well. It's good for a straight sword and light spear, like my yari, for example, but it's far from the best option for an axe. However, I think the sheriff knows this even without me, and he has his reason for choosing this school of combat as the basis for an axeman.
Nate, Katashi, and even Ronin were always amused by this division of local styles, similar to the treatises on wushu from old movies. All three Earth masters considered the division into schools and styles to be flawed and limiting. But such are the local realities and traditions, not only in the east but also in the west of the Great Ridge.
And the drawback of all combat schools in Ain, without exception, is that none of them teach wrestling. Striking techniques, evasions, weapon handling - there's an abundance of those, but hardly any wrestling. Although, this can be explained by the fact that all local combat schools primarily focus on confronting monsters rather than humans. And wrestling with such opponents is not the best idea, that's true. However, the absence of a grappling skillset is a fatal flaw when it comes to fighting against humans. Because even if you and your opponent are armed with swords, close-quarters combat cannot be disregarded. Of course, there are some rudimentary wrestling skills known among the locals. But they are scattered, not consolidated into a unified system of techniques.
I could have knocked Flavius out in a dozen ways. Standing on one leg with arms spread wide is good for balance training, but in a real duel, this position is, to put it mildly, flawed. I explained this to the blond guy by taking him down in the most humiliating way. So, when he fell to the ground, his nose met his own knee. I didn't even hit him with full force. I just pushed him a couple of times and barely swept his supporting leg.
"Is this Aikido?" Flavius asked, wiping blood from his broken nose.
"No, just regular Judo," I replied.
"How about you against the three of us?" Ilona got to her feet. "But no fractures or anything!" She added immediately.
Shrugging, I agreed. It wouldn't hurt me to brush up on unarmed combat, either.
I set up this training session in such a way that I wouldn't have to beat the earthlings myself but instead create situations where they inadvertently harmed each other. Miranda especially excelled in "friendly fire," and in her case, "fire" was not a metaphor. Unlike me, who has to act alone, it's better for this trio to maintain their team for as long as possible. Even such a small group has a much greater chance of survival than a loner.
But they don't yet know how to work together seamlessly. Tuan and Ximi are training them individually, which is the right approach for the basics; on that, I agree with Ender. But the sooner they understand how to operate in battle, at least without getting in each other's way, the better. This training session was my attempt to teach them to be aware of each other and act according to each other's movements - without blocking attack sectors and not exposing themselves to friendly fire.
After an hour of beatings, which were more humiliating than painful, the earthlings began to show some improvement. At least Ilona and Flavius almost stopped getting caught in Miranda's fiery streams. This kind of training was also beneficial for me. All three of my companions were different. Flavius attacked straightforwardly. Miranda tried to keep her distance and used her staff and magic equally. Ilona, on the other hand, relied on unexpected, even "sneaky" attacks, not hesitating to use her allies as shields against my counterattacks. This diversity made me exert myself considerably, especially since I was trying not to hit them myself. We only finished after an hour when they managed to get me. Miranda used her fire to limit my field of vision. Ilona, taking advantage of this, tried to trip me with her staff. And as I was evading this double attack, Flavius's fist came flying out of the blind spot created by the fire. The blond guy merely grazed my shoulder, but I counted it as a hit.
I wasn't lying to Ender when I praised the earthlings. And it's not only about the bonuses they received from the initial tests. The point is that, as my "past self" understood, there were no mediocrities among those chosen by the questers to be transferred to Ain. Yes, the talents of the majority were useless on Earth, like, for instance, Miranda's affinity for the Elements. But on Ain, each of the earthlings got a chance to reach their full potential. Of course, not everyone will seize this opportunity, but that's a matter of individual choice.
After finishing the training, we washed up in a stream and went to the tavern. I intended to get some sleep, while Flavius was firmly resolved to get drunk that night, a desire that Ilona shared.
In the morning, as soon as I came down to the common room, the cook delivered a message from the recluse Laoy, inviting me to see him. I asked Flavius to tell Ender that I would be late for the training session and explain why I was delayed. Taking a crust of fresh bread and a small triangle of cheese with me, I left the tavern and headed toward the stone master's estate.
As I walked, I not only managed to grab a quick bite but also maintained my auras, two at a time. In a calm environment, not in battle, I was already able to do this without much difficulty. However, I realize that in a real fight, maintaining a pair of auras would still be challenging for me. That's why I need to practice this constantly, even when I'm simply walking somewhere like this.
Laoy was sitting on the porch, drinking tea, seemingly waiting for my arrival. When he noticed me, he got up, waved his hand inviting me in, and disappeared behind the door. It seems that I am getting used to his reticence, and this behavior of the house's owner doesn't bother me at all. I thought he had called me to pick up the finished spear, but it turned out to be slightly different.
"Some difficulties have arisen," began the stone master as he approached his workbench. "The width of those edge blades you wanted... There's a problem with it. The actual strength of the material turned out to be slightly lower than I had expected." He pointed to the nearly finished spearhead blank. "I need to understand, do we keep the initial design despite the loss in strength, or do we abandon these blades and go for a classic spear tip, which would be just as strong as steel?"
I looked at the blank. It was almost ready. Only the edge blades mentioned by the stone master and the shaping of the actual tip remained to be done. From a practical standpoint, I should prioritize strength. But I had my own plans for these blades.
It's all about the material. The dark obsidian. This type of volcanic glass has an affinity not with Fire, like regular obsidian, but with Shadow. And that distinction is crucial to me. Shadow is not as straightforward as the Elements; it doesn't deal much damage at once, but it is insidious. Someday I will find an ancient altar of Seguna, the deity in whose honor the Night Sister is named. The deity of shadows and shades, the mistress of twilight, creeping fear, curses, and the cool of the evening. The patroness of twilight monsters, as well as thieves and night assassins. The ancient altars of Seguna, built before the Fall, have been erased from human memory by the priests. However, the Night Sister is not such an "evil" and "terrifying" deity for her altars to be physically destroyed by the Pantheon priests.
I am sure that sooner or later, I will find such an altar, especially with the buff from the "Shadow Leader" achievement. And when it happens, I will be able to learn one shadow skill for each sacred place of Shadow I visit. The first such skill I plan to acquire is the "Cloak of Shadows," a spell that helps to hide in the shadows. And the second one is "Seguna's Kiss." It's a curse spell that can be placed on a weapon; when the enemy is wounded, it saps their winds of Spirit. This skill proved itself well in the last Cycle. It is incredibly effective in any prolonged battle against enemies who rely more on their physical abilities than on magic. And for the effective application of "Kiss," a regular tip, one designed only for piercing, is not very suitable. What should I choose? Strength, which is always needed and works immediately, here and now, or should I take a risk and lay in my weapon a reserve for the future?
I thought for quite a while until I remembered that standing next to me was a specialist, a stone master. Taking the blank in my hand, I surrounded it with the aura of "Weapon Strengthening."
"Master," I addressed him, "can you evaluate the strength of the material under an active aura now?"
"Hold it straight!" Laoy commanded and chanted a recitative of one of the spells, apparently something diagnostic.
He studied the blank for a couple of minutes, then gave his verdict.
"It's stronger than regular steel but slightly inferior to wootz." Laoy raised a finger. "But spending concentration on the 'Weapon Strengthening' aura is considered excessive waste, especially on the metal coil."
"When I first thought of making a tip out of dark obsidian, I planned to use it with this aura, so there are no problems with that. Moreover, the higher my rank, the stronger the aura's effect will be." Returning the blank to the workbench, I continued, "We keep the initial design."
"With four edges-blades?" the stone master clarified.
"Yes!"
"Good!" Laoy rubbed his hands in anticipation. Apparently, he himself wanted to make it that way since the original project was complex and challenged his craftsmanship. "Your spear will be ready by two in the afternoon." The recluse bent over the workbench and waved his hand, no longer paying attention to me. "You'll find your way out."
Quietly, trying not to make noise, I left the stone master's house and headed for the training hill.