Chương 54: Chapter 53 - Alpha (XV)

As they continued, the rate of worm attacks increased, with the time between consecutive assaults growing shorter and shorter.

"How are you faring?" Alonso asked as he swiftly killed two more worms and packed the orbs into his bag. Fortunately, the orbs were incredibly light, so they didn't cause much encumbrance.

"Managing," Abhijit replied, his tone steady despite the rapid pace.

"But it's getting tougher. The intervals are shrinking." Alonso nodded.

"Stay sharp. We can't afford any slip-ups." The jungle seemed to close in around them as they pushed forward, the dense foliage and relentless assaults from the worms creating a tense, suffocating atmosphere. Each time they defeated a worm, they quickly packed the orbs and moved on, knowing the next attack was never far behind. At one point, Alonso deliberately slowed his pace, allowing Abhijit to take the lead after they exchanged a knowing glance. It was time to see if Abhijit could handle the pressure.

The test came sooner than expected. Two worms launched at Abhijit in rapid succession, barely a breath between them. Alonso closed his eyes, focusing on his senses to track both worms, predicting their attack paths and calculating the optimal strike for Abhijit. He honed in on Abhijit's sword, comparing it to the ideal movement in his mind.

"Congrats," Alonso said with a smile as two metallic sounds echoed through the jungle. The worms were gone, replaced by two orbs lying on the ground. Abhijit exhaled, the tension in his shoulders easing. He glanced back at Alonso, who was already moving forward to retrieve the orbs.

"Nice work," Alonso remarked, tossing the orbs to Abhijit.

"You're getting the hang of it." Abhijit caught them, nodding.

"Thanks. It's starting to feel more natural." They continued their trek through the dense jungle, the rhythm of their actions becoming almost automatic—cut, collect, move. The worms' attacks were relentless, but they handled them with a growing confidence, the earlier tension giving way to a steady determination. As they pressed forward, Alonso tried to keep track of the distance traveled. Without any conventional tools, he had to rely on his senses and ingenuity.

He devised a method using his EM waves, sending out a pulse every hundred steps and timing how long it took for the wave to bounce back from a fixed point, like a large tree or rock. By doing this, he could estimate the distance they'd traveled. To maintain a sense of direction, he aligned his movements with the Earth's electromagnetic poles, using them as a guide. With these techniques combined, he could get a rough estimate of their location.

Even as he employed these methods, Alonso knew they were still crude and in need of refinement. Both his measurements of time and space had a significant margin of error, but he was confident they would improve as he honed his skills and found more time to experiment. For now, though, they were enough to keep him on track.

"According to my calculations, we've covered about 5 kilometers so far," Alonso noted, his voice steady but focused.

"I don't know how big the worm zone is, but I'd be prepared for something to change after a couple more kilometers." Abhijit stared at him, puzzled.

"Calculations? And what do you mean by something changing?" Before Alonso could respond, a worm shot out from the undergrowth. Abhijit reacted instinctively, cutting it down with a swift motion.

"It's just a hunch," Alonso said.

"Let's keep our focus. By the way, do you reckon you could tackle more than two worms at once?" Abhijit paused, his face tightening in thought.

"Depends on the delay. As long as I have a bit of time between each assault, it should be manageable." Alonso gave a brief nod and moved ahead, taking the lead this time." Don't get soft-hearted now. All of you are being tested. If he's not up for it, then so be it. He's a grown man and a capable one at that. He can make his own decisions for his own good."" What happened to us needing him later on?"" I'm starting to believe that may not be the case.

This challenge with the worms seems specifically designed to test individual capability, with only so much one can do for another. If it's like this for the rest, having a partner might be more of a hindrance than an advantage."" And if it's not like this for the rest?" The tale has been taken without authorization; if you see it on Amazon, report the incident." There are more challengers out there than Abhijit."" Like Chiara?"" I would avoid her if possible, but… yes."

Alonso briefly stared at Abhijit, and both nodded in silent agreement before they continued moving forward. He let his thoughts drift to the difference between how his EM waves perceived the world versus traditional sight. With sight, everything was a reflection of light—colors, shapes, and outlines that only gave a superficial understanding of the environment. Distances were inferred through perspective, depth cues, and experience, but it was never entirely precise.

Sight was a projection, a 2D representation that his brain had to constantly interpret and decode. But with EM waves, the world unfolded in three dimensions in real time. Each point in space had a defined location in his mind, not just a reflection of light but an actual position in 3D space. It was as if he had a live, constantly updating map in his head. This direct spatial awareness allowed him to track the worms and other creatures with unparalleled accuracy.

He didn't just see where they were—he knew where they were, how far away they were, and how fast they were moving. This knowledge was key to landing precise strikes with his sword. With sight alone, such precision would have been impossible for him. As he moved through the jungle, killing more worms along the way, Alonso recalled the work he had done the previous night, trying to broaden his EM perception beyond just metallic objects.

EM waves naturally interacted strongly with conductive materials, making metal detection straightforward. However, detecting non-metallic objects required a different approach. The key was increasing the wave intensity and carefully adjusting the frequency, allowing the waves to scatter off denser, non-metallic structures like rocks and dense organic matter. This adjustment would give him a crude but functional 3D map of his surroundings. The challenge lay in the waves' inherent weakness.

To compensate, Alonso had started stacking waves—sending multiple pulses in rapid succession to amplify the signal. After two breakthroughs last night, he had finally managed to stack seven waves together, allowing them to constructively interfere with one another. This enabled him to faintly detect non-metallic objects, like his cloth and some rocks, though the images remained fuzzy and incomplete. The process demanded significant energy and concentration, making it difficult to sustain.

He knew the technique was far from perfect. The images he formed in his mind were vague, like trying to see through thick fog, but it was a start. The more orbs he absorbed, the stronger his EM capacity became, and with it, the clarity of these non-metallic detections. Additionally, as his mental capacity improved, stacking more waves together would become easier, leading to exponential advancements in the process." It all comes down to more orbs and more time to train."

His senses suddenly tingled with a subtle vibration beneath his feet. It was faint, barely noticeable, but it was there—more worms. Alonso paused, closing his eyes, and instinctively tuned his EM waves, adjusting their frequency to resonate with the vibrations. He had been working on this technique, refining it, and now was the perfect moment to test it. The resonance effect kicked in, amplifying the interaction between his EM waves and the mechanical vibrations in the ground.

In his mind, the vibrations became more than just a subtle tremor—they formed a distinct pattern, spreading out like ripples in water. He could sense their origin, feel their movement, and map their approach. He began to sense not just one, but multiple sources—three worms, moving fast and closing in from different angles. He had barely enough time to process their speed and direction before they would be upon him. But this time, he wasn't relying on detecting them by their metallic protrusions.

Now he was using their vibrations even before they left the ground to get an earlier notice of their location. Alonso quickly stepped to the side, positioning himself closer to two of the worms and further from the third. He knew from experience that worms typically struck from a distance of no more than two meters. By positioning himself this way, he could take on the first two simultaneously and then handle the third with a slight delay, giving him just enough time to adjust his blade.

He quickly assessed the trajectories of the two worms converging from different angles. They were targeting two distinct points, but he saw the path that would connect them—a single slash that could intercept both before they struck. He adjusted his stance, pivoting slightly to align himself with the imagined line between the two points. As the worms closed in, he unleashed a powerful, sweeping slash that followed that precise line.

His blade cut through the first worm, continuing the motion seamlessly to sever the second one a fraction of a heartbeat later. Both worms collapsed, lifeless, before they disappeared revealing two orbs. But there was no time to pause. Alonso let the momentum of his swing carry him into position for the third worm, which was already bearing down on him.

With a quick pivot and a sharp upward thrust, he intercepted the third worm just as it lunged, his sword driving through its body and ending the threat in an instant. The jungle fell silent as the third worm hit the ground, joining the others in defeat. Alonso took a deep breath, feeling the rush of adrenaline mixed with the satisfaction of a well-executed plan. He crouched down, swiftly collecting the orbs and putting them into the half-full basket.

"That third one was real close," Abhijit said, half in awe, half in fear at the thought of facing three worms at once, knowing he had no sure way to fend them off." For the ignorant, it's but luck that saves them. Luck didn't delay the strike of the third worm—it was our improved vibration sensor, giving us the worm's position in advance and allowing more time to prepare. Without that, the attacks would have been effectively simultaneous, and you'd be left with a hole through your body.

Luck isn't something you wait for; it's something you create." Alonso gazed at Abhijit, considering his words, then opened his mouth to say something but decided against it. Instead, he simply nodded. They continued their march forward.