Chương 25: 13B. Awakened At Last

Much to Sam's disappointment, Pulsing Palm didn't cover the entire hole. A third remained. An almost perfectly curved, arcing edge, an open patch, and then a damaged, jagged side. It was enough for the creature Sam had put down the day before to slip through comfortably. As a result, he used Pulsing Palm again to finish the job. Not what I dreamed of, but it's certainly not bad. Fixing the second hole and the gate required one use of the technique each, leaving Sam with a little over a quarter of his maximum ether.

It was far from ideal, but he felt secure knowing that eight-foot-high walls reinforced with steel surrounded him. The heavy gates were a bonus, too. More importantly, the exercises helped him learn a lot about Pulsing Palm. The technique didn't require a strike or thrust, only full palm contact to transmit the pulse. Sam paid close attention to how the energy moved and behaved through his body once it was out.

Since the vessel helped contain the ether in the sphere, Sam didn't worry as much about blowback or an impact on his heart as he had with his first use of the technique. He was still using too much energy to push and drive the sphere through his ether channels, but he hoped practice and mastery of IEF would improve efficiency. He also needed to build and improve the vessel for control over how much he put into Pulsing Palm. For now, he used it precisely within the parameters the vessel allowed.

It's like the vessel is a rigid algorithm. I need to make room for variables. Input and output rate are the most important. Even though Sam intended to conserve his energy, he did a few laps of the compound while using IEF. Unlike Pulsing Palm, he had better control over the input and output. He also channeled a part of the ether flowing through his body into Feather Step. The power caught him by surprise.

Sam failed to maintain his balance and just barely saved his face from scraping across the rough, damaged concrete floor. His forearms suffered minor scratches, but they weren't bad enough to cause concern. Unlike the more popular mobility techniques favored by academy students, Feather Step didn't rely on power for maximum coverage. It wasn't about getting from A to B as fast as possible.

Instead, Feather Step used a series of swift, light steps to get around obstacles and threats, creating distance or slipping into blind spots. Convinced he'd spend most of his life chasing the dream of awakening, Sam picked it for survival. He didn't expect to outrun pursuers. However, swiftly changing direction without losing speed and moving silently could help him lose them or lead them into obstacles, threats, or traps. The compound's former residents had constructed several barriers and obstacles.

Most looked like giant wooden caltrops bound together, except someone had grown tree trunks into the intended shape, making each a single, undisturbed piece. A pair of gangly humanoids had impaled themselves on one and perished. A six-legged behemoth the size of an ox had charged into one and ripped itself open and broken the spiked barricade into two. Sam envied the late awakened who had created them. He suspected they were responsible for the food in the storerooms too.

He imagined a spirit or talent capable of sustaining an entire settlement, and building such defenses would set someone up in a city like Bastian for life. If Sam had something for the sort, he could live in any Level One settlement like a king and never have to worry about the wilds or Inhumans. People would pay him in essences, and he'd gradually grow stronger just building defenses and feeding people. This story is posted elsewhere by the author. Help them out by reading the authentic version.

I could probably achieve the same with Genesis alone. Repairs and healing should make me a fair deal. But do I want to live that life? Passive. Boring. I'd just be surviving again. The life of a Seeker appealed to Sam more. He wanted answers. He needed to understand what had happened to the world. The why and how were just as vital. Sam wished to make a difference, and it all started with making a difference and ensuring Iris survived. The broken barricades were easier to move.

He arranged them around the entrance to his hiding spot, leaving enough room for him to navigate around the door. A few went around the doors of the other buildings too. The intact spiked barriers were much too heavy. Attempting to move them drained more ether than Sam was willing to spare.

"I'll need a technique exclusively for Terminus," Sam said, broadcasting the thought towards Oros.

"Pulsing Palm is great, but there will be times I don't need something as big or devastating."

"What did you have in mind?" she asked through their telepathic bond.

"I can't pour either Genesis or Terminus into a weapon, can I? Like a knife, sword, or spearhead?"

"In short bursts, Genesis could keep an edge sharp and structure intact despite intensive use, but Terminus would cause rapid decay. I suppose you could always reverse the damage afterward. If you tell me precisely what you're after, maybe we could figure out something together?" The telepathic bond allowed Oros to send Sam images. He tried to reverse it, staring at the intact wooden barricade.

"Do you see this?"

"Yes," she answered.

"Good job. Now do it without talking out loud."

"Can you hear me from wherever you are?"

"No. But I know you're not doing it right." Sam chuckled to himself.

"Anyway. Terminus would destroy most of the barricade if I used Pulsing Palm. However, something more precise, like an edge with the concentrated power of Terminus, could decay just enough for me to cut this in half."

"Eventually, you could build a vessel that helps you create a blade of pure Terminus. For now, maybe we should work on something like a fingertip blade or coating the edge of your hand with ether? I've seen many do similar things in father's memories."

"Finger blades?" Sam imagined holding out his middle and index fingers and coating them in black ether to form a short knife.

"Something like that?" Oros replied with two-inch black blades of wispy Terminus extending out of the two fingers.

"Something more like this, but yours works too. Unfortunately, you're nowhere near either. However, coating the sides and tip in a thin layer might just do the job. You don't have the energy to spare, though. And my memories don't include technique manuals or spell books."

"The important thing is I've read about similar techniques. I don't remember them, but we know it's possible. So, we have something to work with." Sam smiled to himself and poured more ether into IEF. He had taken a break to draw ambient ether into himself and slowly circulate it through his system. It wasn't much, and purifying it reduced how much stayed in his channels, but he appreciated the little bonus. The burst allowed him to push a wooden barricade along the floor to the metal gates.

"We can tinker and try to come up with something later. Maybe I can buy something once we get back to Bastian. How's it looking? Any threats nearby?"

"Nothing within the compound or the lower levels of the building," Oros answered.

"There is good news and bad news. Which would you prefer first?"

"Good news." Sam sighed, dreading the bad news.

"The previous owners turned the roofs into a vegetable and fruit garden. I sense powerful ether and vegetation above."

"Let me guess. The bad news is something has laid claim to them."

"Correct. I can't tell without climbing higher or risking exposure. But powerful presences are slumbering among them. You'll have to clear them out if you want to harvest any of the crop. On the bright side, it's likely we'll get a decent essence or two out of the adventure."

"Or get ourselves killed. No-stars like me rarely venture into Level Two alone. We're in too deep."