Chương 20: 187. Beyond the Physical

Alex scratched his cheek and let out a sigh. He forced himself to sit up, realizing once again that he'd slouched lower in the camping chair as the hours dragged by. He'd passed the hours by reviewing the most recent set of runes he'd learned from Maelis. They were larger concepts than anything he'd learned thus far. At the spirit's insistence, he spent time meditating on the rune's concepts as he understood them.

Maelis had stressed that there wasn't a wrong way to go about solidifying intent for a concept related to a rune, but the stronger, more personal, or better known that concept was, the stronger the intent would be in the rune. The reason Maelis had presented him with replacement runes was that the Elven concepts were too foreign, with no direct translation that either of them could understand.

Maelis's knowledge was vast, however, allowing the rune mage to give Alex runes that followed a similar taxonomy to the ones the sun elves used. The original four runes used were: Radiant Channel, Solar Burst, Gate-Breaker, and Dispersion. Maelis had proposed Alex learn five runes to replace the four, likely making the completion of the ritual slightly harder, though the spirit assured him that without runes he could form intent with, there would be no ritual at all.

Alex looked down at the notebook in his lap, still open to the concept he'd been contemplating. Portal was hands down the hardest of the five runes Maelis gave him. At first, he'd been excited to learn it, believing that if he could master the rune's concept here, he might eventually repurpose the rune for his spell circles. Gate-Breaker, as Maelis called it, had been the elven rune split into two runes for the sake of Alex's understanding.

Both the Portal and Fracture runes were complex in design and, in Alex's opinion, looked nothing like the original Elven rune. Fracture was one he found fun to contemplate, particularly because of its relation to his new skill. The feeling and concept of splitting or fracturing something into smaller pieces was something he was gaining firsthand experience in.

"Want me to pick it back up again?" Mage asked from beside him.

"No, not yet. I'm not sure how much longer we're going to be here. This is starting to feel like a waste of time." ** He squinted down at the building, still as silent as it had been through the entire night. Other than the two changes in groups of men standing outside, the building had been completely dormant. There were no windows or light from the space he could see.

"You're sure that there wasn't another exit?"

"I'm sure," Mage sighed, having already answered the question earlier in the night.

"You know this already. Stop being anxious." Alex felt a mental prodding at his thoughts that he recognized as Scout.

"Hey, you're getting another call to a checkpoint. You going to be back in time to go, or do you want me to go again?" Go ahead and take it. I'm staying here for a while. I know something's going on in there.

"I'll get to it, no worries. These people like you, they're really nice." A skeptical part of Alex's brain couldn't help but wonder if it was an act meant to draw him into enjoying the calls to the other checkpoints. He pushed the thought aside and focused on the quiet block outside his window. The guards in front of the building were chatting with one another, and the steaming cups of coffee he could see in their hands made him jealous.

"It's too bad we can't work more on the mana cycling," Mage said from behind him.

"Yeah," Alex responded with a twinge in the side of his face.

"I've got mixed feelings."

"You know it'll be worth it in the long run. Suck it up, buttercup," his clone quoted a phrase his father used whenever Alex and Jake were merely sulking or had minor injuries as children.

"I know, I know."

"Come on. Body tempering literally makes you less nervous than this."

"Throwing up just sucks. I'd rather go through another tempering than think about how often I'll be purging that nasty black stuff if we keep using the new cycling method."

"The filter is even more effective than we thought, though. I can only imagine we're skipping years of time with the slower method Eura showed us."

"I'm just worried it's going to be a lot more than I originally thought. I purged that much with less than a full rotation because the filter got so clogged up. If I'm right… even completely filtering my entire core won't be enough. Since my mana is split up between the fractured bodies, I have a feeling that when I dismiss each of you, the mana pools in my core will get mixed."

"Hmm, I see. Like muddying the water?"

"Exactly," Alex said, feeling a phantom twinge in his jaw as if he might need to hurl that very moment.

"Well, have you thought of it this way yet? What if the only reason that the method is working at all right now is because your mana is split up in the different pools? If all of those impurities were in your core at once, the filter might not even be able to sift through the core. Like a net through gravel, rather than sifting gold from a creek." Alex let his eyes drift away from the building and toward the sky, thinking through what the clone proposed.

"I could see that being the case." He nodded in acknowledgment.

"I had fifty percent of my stats when I tried it that first time, since Scout was dismissed. It might not be nearly as bad if I try again while all four of you are summoned."

"Right. Then, when you do recall the different lines of consciousness, it might 'muddy the water,' but you'll still be making progress. Eventually, all of the cores will get cleansed, and I'm sure that the more pure the core gets, the less you need to purge." Alex was nodding along by then.

"Yes. That would mean the worst of it is likely to be at the beginning of the training."

"So, just push through the early part, and then it should be smooth from then on!" Mage was excited and tapped his leg while trying to keep his voice low.

"It's also likely to get faster. Less impurities means less purging, which means more rotations and faster progress." Mage hesitated and scrunched his face slightly while pointing to Alex.

"Well, all of this is assuming we're right. It's going to require some testing to know for sure."

"Yeah, of course. Either way, even if it sucks, it makes it way easier to know it might not stay that way." The corner of Alex's mouth turned up as he realized he could push through almost anything if he knew that there was an end to it. Something in that thought stood out to him as important. His brows came together, but the thought was interrupted by a thought coming through from Warrior. Opening his mind, Alex's eyes shot open, and he stood up from his chair, the notebook falling to the floor. What?!

"Yeah, the same group is coming through the line for the checkpoint." You're sure it's them?

"Positive. They're even escorting two new people this time." Fuck me. Keep an eye on them and let me know when they get close to going through. Love this story? Find the genuine version on the author's preferred platform and support their work! Standing, Alex began urgently packing up equipment.

"Whoa, what's up?" Mage asked. He didn't answer, knowing the clone could simply check their memories if it wanted to know quickly. His mind flew through several different possibilities and how he should respond. Alex paused in his packing, looking through the slit in the boarded-up window at the warehouse once again.

"There had to have been an exit. One that you couldn't see…"

"Maybe underground? Or maybe it was a stealth skill or something?" Mage offered.

"Could have been a lot of things. Doesn't really matter now. They have two new people with them, which can't be a good sign. Do we force our way in here?" Alex entertained the thought before quickly dismissing it. While he could easily overpower the guards and get into the building, there wasn't any telling what would be on the other side of those locked doors. His mind jumped to stealth next, but he shook the thought away and continued packing.

"Stealth isn't our strong suit." Mage pointed out.

"You were worried about getting caught tailing them yesterday; they'll probably be even more jumpy today." Alex froze, half bent over, the camping chair having just disappeared into his bracer.

"Our strong suit. That's it." His mind worked through the problem rapidly, cobbling a plan together and seeing a way to salvage the situation, get more information, and rescue those he assumed to be under Angela's control.

"Ah, man. This plan again?" Mage said with a slight whine to his voice.

"Shut up, Scout did it last time anyway. This is a huge benefit of having clones in our kit. I don't have to risk myself. You've gotta get used to this idea."

"Okay, fair… it just feels bad when it's so intentional." Alex shrugged.

"Just make sure you sell it. Make it natural. I'll try to scan the fourth member and bail right after I do. You can let the mana thinning slip a bit so that they can pick up on your natural mana from above while I create enough space to stay out of the mix."

"No worries. I'll make sure it's easy for them to single me out while still making it look like an accident."

"That's the most important part," Alex said, waving for Mage to follow him as he left the room in the abandoned building.

"If it's too obvious, they'll know it's a trap." They walked side by side down the corridor before moving quickly through the thin traffic in the Zone 5 streets. Mage crouched near the checkpoint entrance, watching intently as people came through in groups. Compared to the other entries into the Safe Zone, this line was smaller and slower. The CP leadership hadn't been lying about that, at least. It was strange knowing he should feel anxious, his heart racing, yet feeling nothing at all.

The pre-battle anxiety was an odd sense of stress that the main Alex actually seemed to enjoy. It was a very different kind of feeling than the preemptive stress he would experience when Olivia would tease—"Would you stop that," Alex's voice snapped in his head.

"Focus on the fight and what you're going to do. You don't have the benefit of System skills, and they're going to outnumber you four to one." He looked over at the real Alex, who crouched further down the building's edge, watching the entrance intently. I know, I know. I'll put up enough of a fight to see some of their abilities in action, don't worry. Mage rolled his eyes while refocusing on the entry point. Another ten minutes passed before the group came through, looking around almost anxiously.

Mage smiled, happy to know that their prodding the previous day had unnerved them at least a bit. He gave the group some space, noting that little had changed about their appearance or movements compared to the day before. They were really confident in their power over whoever might have been scanning them. Or they are trying to lure in the person who was scanning them. This thought made him pause, and he pushed it toward the main Alex. It was unlikely that they were stupid, meaning that it had to be intentional.

Mage glanced around at the other rooftops, curious if there were others lying in wait.

"It doesn't matter. If they want to lure you into something, then we do it. We want them to capture you anyway," Alex pointed out. That's true… It's a bit confusing to think about who's doing the ambushing here. As amusing a thought as it was, he knew that his best opportunity was coming up at the next intersection. It was the same spot he'd scanned Angela the day prior and would hopefully tip them off that it was the same person.

Mage focused his thoughts and looked at the back of the fourth member of Angela and James's team. He wore armor and had a sword strapped to his waist, so it came as a surprise when Alex scanned his System status and they saw he was a mage. Or at least his magical stats were the highest of the bunch. The scramble that followed the scan was more hectic than either of them had predicted. Alex used his movement skill to dash backward as soon as the scan went off, leaving Mage alone on the roof.

As they'd planned, he was planning to see how the group below reacted, giving them a bit of time to stew with the idea that they were being monitored again. Then, he'd allow his mana to slip as he followed after them. Only he wasn't required to allow his mana to slip. Just after the skill was used, the group huddled together, looking at something in the armored man's hand, before he pointed directly at the building Mage was still crouched on.

Rather than letting his mana slip, he clamped down on it, making it slightly harder for them to find him. He leaped to the nearest roof, ensuring that he was briefly visible from below and the group could see the direction he'd jumped off in. He'd only made it three buildings away before the Gladiator joined him on the roof, cutting off his direction of retreat.

"Gotcha." Nothing else was said as a spear was drawn from a magical compartment at his belt, and he was dashing across the small rooftop space. Mage's eyes went wide, surprised at how little hesitation or analysis had been done. The man simply attacked on sight, completely confident in his ability to win the fight. Between Alex and the multiple clones, they'd all been in enough combat to get over such surprise quickly. His focus and mental agility quickly overcame any hesitation he felt about injuring the man.

A barrier spell formed quickly in his hand, and he cast it, placing the circle between them. Despite intentionally angling the wall of invisible force to be perpendicular to the spear, the weapon, made of sturdy material, flexed before sliding off at an angle, rather than snapping at the shaft. Aware that others would be joining them, he held out both hands to weave circles one after the other.

It was still too challenging to weave two at a time with a limited line of consciousness, but they came together so quickly that he was finished by the time his opponent had reset his feet for a second attack. He set the largest circle below their feet, with a threshold trigger. Then he began his own offensive, throwing lightning bolt spells back to back at the muscular man. James took it all in stride, producing a small buckler from his spatial item and using it to absorb or deflect the lightning spells.

Mage didn't miss the fact that the man's brown eyes never left him. Even as he ducked behind the shield, he kept him within sight. He formed a spell circle over his open palm, but the coordinated attack that came next was well timed and clearly practiced. From head to toe, his entire body locked up, and for a split second, it felt like he was being looked at by a god. The feeling of overwhelming might and power, of being completely and hopelessly outmatched, made him feel small and insignificant.

Something deep within his mind stirred. Something right at the edge of his mind, buried as if just out of reach. His mind pushed against the feeling, naturally hating the restraint and feeling like prey. There was a moment when the entire world seemed to freeze, and he knew that the others from the group must have arrived. The timing was lucky, as someone approaching him from behind must have triggered the spell he'd taken the time to cast below their feet. The area spell circle anchored the group's feet in place.

James, midway through a lunge with his spear aimed at Alex's leg, slid to a stop with wide eyes. As soon as the suppression of the CC skill ended, Alex activated the self-cast swift spell he had waiting in his open palm. The anchor spell ended, lasting only a few seconds, but with the increased speed, he had a few seconds to gain the advantage. Mage flowed forward, slipping past the spear, and brought an open palm up into James's nose.

He felt a bone crunch and turned in time to see Bryon finishing his fall to the ground. He knew that the man must have been leaping into an attack at his back when he crossed the spell's threshold, causing the anchor spell to yank him to the ground. Behind Byron, Alex saw a mage holding a wand with fire at its tip, pointed in his direction. Just behind the armored mage was Angela, with no weapons in hand, only looking at him with an intense look.

He briefly remembered her skill read out the day before, and one stood out— [Predator's Gaze]. Realizing he was most wary of her in the fight, he gripped the spear next to his left hand as James reeled from the blow to his face. Yanking it free, Mage drew his arm back and hurled the spear at the woman's chest. He started to form another swift spell over his hand, but everything crumbled in the next heartbeat.

Byron used a skill, his entire body flashing with mana, that hurled him forward at a speed so fast, Mage wasn't sure if his unaugmented mind would have seen anything other than a blur. A shield sprang into existence in front of Angela, though she seemed startled and then furious as the spear clattered over the side of the building, clacking along its way down into the alley.

Blinding white pain tore through his mind as she raised her hand, as if an hour of the worst migraine he'd ever had had been crammed into a single moment. Reflexively, he called out in alarm, as neither Alex nor Mage had expected to feel any pain at all. The clone's inability to feel physical pain quickly revealed something they hadn't even been aware existed. Mental magic.

The pain subsided, though he was certain that it was because the connection was going blank as Mage was struck on the back of the head by an angry Gladiator. Alex pulled his mind back from Mage quickly and blocked off the mental connection to organize his thoughts. Those last moments were a flurry, even for his quick mind, and he was twice as glad that he'd had Mage go as bait, rather than attempting to face the group head-on.

They were experienced fighters, and the entire exchange reminded him that while he was powerful, he hadn't seen everything that there was in this new world.

"Far from it," he mumbled to himself as he pressed both thumbs into his temples. The crowded street drew him along the sidewalk out of the fifth zone and into the fourth, already more than a mile away from the location of the fight. He made his way back to a hotel to regroup and wait for Mage to regain consciousness to reveal more information about the captors.