Chương 101: Training Part 2

On the third day of training, Joe stood overseeing the brats as they drilled footwork once more. His goal was to increase their stamina; he also wanted their movements so ingrained that they flowed without thought, as natural as breathing. It was the same standard he demanded of himself. He used that excuse as justification when, not for the first time, he caught their exhausted glares.

"Just five more minutes, then we'll take a break," he announced. Their eyes lit up, and they pushed harder for those last minutes. A breeze shifted across the lake from the northern forest. Joe frowned. The air smelled… like nothing. No scent of pine, no damp wood, nothing at all. He turned his head, squinting at a strange blur across the lake. His mini-map showed nothing unusual, but every instinct screamed that something was wrong. His eyes widened, and he moved in a flash, raising his hand.

"Mana Wave!" A wall of mana surged up between him, the brats, and the lake. An instant later, three glowing orbs slammed into it and detonated. Thunder cracked so violently it tore one of his eardrums, the blast hurling Shanna, Travis, Meris, and Locke across the ground. At the explosion's heart, a tornado bloomed, ripping through his barrier and sending a wall of fire roaring toward him. Joe roared back, his Aura bursting outward, dousing the fire as if with a crashing tide.

Somewhere behind him, Shanna screamed, but he had no time to help. He pulsed a message to Corel as he leapt into the air.

'Protect the brats. Invaders are here!' Her reply was simple and filled with anger.

'Kill them!' Joe vanished, reappearing above the shimmering blur at the forest's edge. Jingu Bang screamed as it tore through two half-seen figures, splitting them like butter beneath steel. Two kill notifications flashed. He swung again at the heart of the distortion… A massive shield materialized, catching his strike with a blast that hurled him skyward. He twisted, spun and Space-Jumped back to the ground, landing in a crouch, staff already raised.

The shield shifted to intercept him, as Jingu Bang crashed down once more. The impact sent him sprawling backwards, but this time the barrier cracked under his blow. The two corpses he had felled earlier shimmered into view, no longer cloaked. A man and a woman. Joe swore and ducked as a blade whistled past his head. He spun, trying to track his assailant, but only caught the shimmer of another blur. He was about to unleash an Aura Shout when a searing pain lanced through his skull, flooding his vision with white.

His mind reeled, drowning in agony. A voice whispered inside him.

'Use… kara Light!' He triggered Uriel's Light. Instantly, the pain and blinding white vanished, the intrusion burned away. Two swords came slicing down toward his face. But he was already gone. He reappeared to the side, his foot crashing into a shimmering blob with a crack of bones. His hand seized the form, spinning it like a ragdoll into the second blur beside it. A woman's scream cut off as both bodies dropped into view, unconscious, their cloaks fading. Another man. Another woman. Bounty hunters?

Sent by someone? The thought barely formed before three more blurs pounced. Joe's Aura blasted outward, tossing the attackers aside like paper in a gale. He followed, swift and merciless, three strikes, three deaths. There was no hesitation left in him. They had come to his home, hurt his people, and tried to kill him! The kill notifications blinked across his vision as his gaze fell to the unconscious pair.

'How are the brats? Everyone okay?'

'Yes. Did you kill them all?' Corel pulsed back.

'Two unconscious. I'm bringing them over.' Joe hefted the man and woman onto his shoulders and vanished, reappearing at the training grounds. He dropped the bodies at Alice's feet as she rushed forward, Corel right behind her, fury burning in her eyes.

"What happened? Did they attack the kids?" Alice demanded. A chill crawled down Joe's spine. His eyes darted, searching, but nothing stirred.

"No. They were focused on me. I think…" That earlier feeling exploded inside his head. He vanished mid-sentence, Space-Jumping in rapid bursts, racing toward the village and the people of Landradad. Joe appeared in the heart of the village, mouth agape, and his mana-infused voice thundered across the area.

"Invaders! Get inside!" Four blurs lunged at him, swords flashing in the daylight. His Mana Stream surged, wrapping around him as bubbles of mana absorbed each strike. He felt a flicker of their fear when their attacks failed and stuck, but he gave them no time to recover. In a blur, all four fell. He moved. Like a arrow loose from a bowstring, Joe tore through the village, striking down veiled assassins by the dozen. A few cloaked blades slipped past him, sinking into residents before he could reach them.

Screams rang out, bodies crumpled. For every three invaders he felled, another life was lost. Fury burned through him as vines erupted in his wake, lashing out, sowing chaos among the shadows. For an hour, the village was a war zone. Then, after far too long, silence fell. Joe sat at the centre of the village, eyes closed, Aura spread wide as he listened for the faintest tremor of movement. One hundred and sixty-two kill notifications blinked away, a class level gained, but none of it mattered.

He opened his pillar. Forty-eight villagers dead. Forty-eight lives lost because greedy hands had come hunting him. He stayed another hour, guarding the quiet before returning to the lake.

"What was that explosion? Did you see it, Travis?" Shanna asked, shaking Travis gently.

"I did," Travis replied despondently, swaying under her grip.

"Will you stop doing that?"

"Sorry. But it was huge. It looked like a…" For the first time since the attack started, Joe's shoulders loosened as he saw that everyone here was safe. Meris, Locke, Shanna, and Travis all looked a little shell-shocked. But fine overall. He strode toward Alice and Corel. Stolen novel; please report.

"Anything from the two earlier?"

"Bounty hunters," Corel said simply, eyes flicking his way. Joe noticed no bodies, no captives, and didn't ask what had become of them. His jaw tightened.

"Fuck. I should've planned better. I should've expected this." Corel caught his head, resting her forehead against his. Her voice was firm but soft.

"Don't be too hard on yourself. No one here was hurt." He nodded as Corel pulled back, meeting her eyes.

"You're right. But I'm setting up defences so this never happens again." He handed her his personal pillar and tapped a transfer of a few million credits to her.

"See what's for sale. I'll start planting." With gritted teeth, he dashed off, Shanna's retelling of the battle fading behind him. For three days, Joe worked nonstop, sowing seeds throughout Landradad. Tiny vines spread beneath the soil, hidden just under the grass, an early warning system ready to strike from below. For the skies, he relied on his pillar shop. He purchased layered arrays and scattered them around the village, shields ready to flare to life in the event of an attack.

Four anti-air turrets, guided by AI, now watched the skies day and night. He didn't expect an assault from above; visibility above the canopy of the forest would make invasion difficult. Plus, the looming Yggdrasil and its massive branches meant any skyboat would have to fly low, making it easier to spot or hear. He caught himself frowning, then sighed. Maybe a couple more turrets, just in case.

By the time he was done, Landradad had become a fortress, rivalling any pillar cities in defence but without their suffocating, hazy domes. He still preferred looking up to a clear sky or canopy of leaves. He finally allowed himself to relax after three more days of hard work. He turned his pond into a steaming hot spring, heating the water with mana. He hadn't been stealthy enough, though. A swimsuit-wearing, towel-wrapped group of seven soon joined him.

His three Volduran housemates waded into the pond stark naked, while Travis, Alice, Felicia, and Shanna kept their swimsuits on as they swam out more cautiously.

"How did you heat the water?" Shanna asked, gliding around, visibly more at ease than usual.

"There's a mana orb at the bottom. It'll keep it hot for about five hours," Joe explained, pointing down.

"Oh wow. Erm… I noticed you just buy whatever you want from the pillar shop… are you rich?" Joe chuckled.

"You could say that. Do you kids need anything? Ask, and I'll see what I can do. Just don't go crazy with it." With a flick of his hand, his pillar floated above the water. He held out his palm.

"Give me your hand." Shanna placed her hand in his, and Joe transferred a million credits. She lit up like a child in a candy shop, eyes glued to the pillar shop. Naturally, four more figures drifted over with outstretched hands. Joe handed Locke, Meris, and Travis each the same amount before turning to find Alice practically on his shoulder.

"Really, Alice?" he asked, one brow raised. She giggled.

"Can't a girl get a treat once in a while?" she fluttered her eyelashes at him. As if summoned, Corel appeared at her other side, brushing an arm against him with feigned innocence.

"Did someone say treat?" she purred. Joe rolled his eyes but gave them both five million credits before floating away, leaving the group crowding the pillar. Reclining back in the water, he let his head drift and stared at the sky. He truly savoured these quiet moments, letting the peace soak into him. He knew soon enough that the next integration competition would drag him back into chaos.

'Shuu cara gift tooo netwee,' Uriel hummed softly in his head, her voice a strange lullaby as he closed his eyes. __ The Divine Sword sat at his desk, scanning the day's report. Over a hundred people had been killed in Landradad, bounty hunters, all cut down in their lust for glory. He clenched a fist. A small part of him had hoped they might succeed, but no… luck never favoured him that way. That High Human remained a thorn he could not easily dislodge. With a wave, he pulled up his quest screen.

The gate he awaited would soon spawn, his chance to push his already legendary class even further. For a heartbeat, he almost smiled. Almost. His communicator chimed.

"What is it, Casey?"

"Sir, another message from the Major of Heliopolis. She's requesting a meeting about… a certain issue," Casey reported. Malcolm sighed. Just what he needed. Still, he couldn't afford to provoke Heliopolis, not now. Some sacrifices would have to be made.

"Tell her I'll contact her within the month. We'll discuss our mutual… friend." __ One month after the invasion of Landradad, Joe stood at the village's southern edge, a large cube in his hand. He tossed it into the air and stepped back as it floated ten metres above the grass, swirling into a miniature tornado of mana. The vortex expanded until a gate solidified in the air, glowing bright yellow. Level 100 Training Gate. Suitable for any class below level 100. Difficulty can be adjusted once inside.

100 slots open. This would help the brats reach the levels they needed. At last, he was satisfied with their progress in stamina and footwork; Travis and Shanna especially no longer looked like they'd collapse after a single mile run. He let out a sharp whistle as Bravo padded over with Alice astride its back.

"Make room," Joe said, hopping up behind her.

"Let's ride!" Bravo dashed off in search of the others. They returned to the house to the sound of Corel's music drifting through the air. Bravo padded over and lay down near her, and Joe smiled as he swung his legs from the beast's back. But he paused at the burning look in Corel's eyes as she stared daggers at Alice. The shift was so sharp it made him stumble. Usually, the two got along, except when Alice pushed her teasing, but she hadn't done that lately. What had triggered Corel's glare?

The moment passed as quickly as it came; Corel's expression softened back into serenity. Joe exhaled in relief and slid down beside her. Alice, quick on the uptake, slipped away with Bravo at her heels.

"Everything okay?" he asked, once they were alone. Corel tucked her Guzheng into her storage with a slow breath.

"Yes. I'll apologize to Alice later… I'm on edge today," she admitted, eyes distant. Joe swore under his breath. He remembered something she had told him was approaching.

'Foolish,' Uriel chided in the back of his mind.

"Yeah, yeah," he muttered before pressing his forehead to Corel's "Shall we go to Relashra? To pay our respects?" They walked together toward the teleportation array. Today marked the anniversary of the fall of her clan, the day she'd been taken captive by Pathfinder almost three years prior. By Volduran custom, it was separate from the mourning for her parents; this day belonged to the clansmen who had died protecting her. Joe accompanied her to Relashra, where Varaiya and the remaining elders awaited.

The ceremony was solemn. Names of the fallen were spoken and recorded, a pyre burned high into the night, and grief weighed heavily in the air. Joe stayed close, lifting Corel's spirits as best he could. For once, the Voldura of Relashra did not look at him with suspicion. Every elder he met greeted him with nods and smiles. He was wreathed in flowers as the ceremony unfolded, wooden carvings to honour the fallen burning in the pyre.

Joe added a handful of fragrant seeds to the fire, their scent rising with the smoke, carrying a freshness that eased the grief etched on the elder's faces. He now saw their smiles reach their eyes. The rites ended without interruption, the night closing on peace rather than pain. But when they returned home, Corel's composure shattered. Tears glistened as the moons in her eyes turned a deep, mournful red. Joe said nothing. He simply swept her into his arms and vanished, carrying her to their secluded clearing.

There, she slipped a small blue pill between his lips, and he offered no resistance. The night was theirs alone, spent in raw, burning passion. In the days that followed, neither spoke of that night. Life continued as if nothing had happened. Yet beneath the surface, something subtle stirred, an almost imperceptible shift in the bond between them, one that would soon demand to be faced.