MM - Chapter 220 - A WHOLE NEW ROAD

The roar of Astra Infernum's recruits faded as Raine descended, his boots crunching into dew-kissed grass. He wasted no time, waving Celeste forward with a sharp gesture. “Get them moving. Down the main road—double time. I want them out of Discipline within five minutes!”

Celeste gave a curt nod, voice cracking with authority. “You heard him! Move-move-move!” She broke into a sprint, her raw charisma easily converting to the kind of leadership that pulled the massive crowd into a disorganized, thundering mob. Raine easily kept pace and in seconds, the town was behind them. Before they reached the forest’s edge, the lower-level recruits and Ronexzera’s people were already trailing far behind.

A skeptical, downward curl formed on Celeste's lips as she pinned him with a sideways glance. “When I led them before, we weren’t allowed anywhere near the roads. With everyone spread out like this, and all the new changes, won’t they be in even more danger?”

Raine met her inquisitive gaze with a knowing smile. His voice was a steady anchor amid the growing cacophony of panting breaths and shuffling feet. “The problems of the past don’t apply anymore. First, the speed granted by using the roads is our largest advantage—monster rushes take time to build, and we'll easily outpace them. Second, CronGate is too busy dying to Vaaterrans to set traps; any ambush they try will be slaughtered by patrols long before we arrive. If they log out to wait, as they did last time, our pace will make timing nearly impossible. Lastly, the real threats are the Vaaterrans now—bandits don't give a damn about our contracts, some soldiers, too.”

Celeste’s brow furrowed, her boots pounding a steady rhythm on the hard-packed road. Behind them, the recruits were already digging deep into their Discipline reserves to keep up. “Those contracts were expensive, and you’re saying they won’t even protect us? Doesn’t feel worth it. How bad do you expect the bandits to be?”

Raine nodded, a flicker of approval in his glance; she was asking the right questions. “You’re right. The contracts aren’t worth it. At least, they wouldn't be if we were capable of defending ourselves. For now, the Vaaterrans hold all the creds. They’re going to keep screwing us over until we’re strong enough to screw them back. As for the bandits, they aren't on the queen's payroll. There’s no stopping them with anything other than force. I’ll be ranging ahead to deal with them. If all goes to plan, your only task is pushing these recruits until they’re vomiting blood; you know how it's done. Oh, and assign a few you trust to do the same for your father’s people.”

A cringe tightened Celeste’s features, the memory of her own brutal induction to bottomed-out Discipline would be a fresh wound for years to come. She’d emerged from that crucible only to be thrown into a raid she was utterly unprepared for. She fervently wished this time wouldn’t be so harsh, or they would lose even more recruits. The footsteps behind had grown into a storm of pounding boots, forcing Raine to switch to the officer chat. 

A quick message commanded the core group to keep up. His speed doubled, effortlessly pulling away from the main pack. Celeste, Mel, Fizgore, Rhino, and Richtor's team dug deep, muscles straining and Discipline dipping to maintain the blistering pace. Out of earshot, Raine’s voice cut through crisp night air. 

“The new skill system's not much different from the old one. Remember how activations forced your body into specific patterns? Those were training wheels. Now you're on your own. Perform those movements while visualizing the skill's effect. The stronger your intent, and the closer the micro-muscle twitches align to the skill, the better the outcome. It's a combination of three primary functions: Muscle movement, intent, and visualization.”

Raine leaped, soaring high into the air. Killing intent lanced forward, activating his cursed ring. A hefty greataxe forged from storm-tempered ore materialized in his grip. Its glistening edge was etched with crackling green lines that pulsed with latent power.

[Stormrend Greataxe: (Lustrous Blue - LVL 35) (Attack Power +165) (DEF +35) (PTC +55) (PHY +55) (Durability 150/150)]

He sank into the familiar stance mid-air, muscle memory sharpened by numerous repetitions. After Genesis, Primal Energy, and now tempering's forge, his body responded like a well-oiled machine. A mimicry of internal force combined with perfected muscle control, sending the axe cleaving forward to strike the empty air with a resonant boom. Dual waves rippled outward in a cone—one debilitating, the other a lethal shockwave.

[Rupture: (Completion - 68% Expert) Strike the air to reduce enemy defense by 45% > 68% for 12 > 13 seconds. Additionally releases a shock wave dealing 750% > 840% damage in a 10 > 13.7-meter expanding cone (Cost: 10 > 21 Discipline) (Cooldown: 15 seconds)]

The skill’s description had been updated with the new system, now displaying the effects he achieved based on his completion rate. Raine clicked his tongue. He’d consistently managed 75 to 80% completion in the past; he'd hoped his experience would grant him higher comprehension. Reaching only 68% slashed the skill’s effectiveness across the board—damage, debuff duration, and range all suffered. Additionally, the 21 Discipline cost and 15-second cooldown were bloated by the missing 32% he’d failed to achieve.

Landing in a light jog, he met their expectant, awe-filled stares. Not one of them was less than thoroughly impressed. He hadn't just performed a skill, something they'd all failed to do, he'd done it while airborne. “Once you’ve got it, pull five people aside and teach them. Then they’ll teach five more, and so on.”

Fizgore scratched his bare chest, grinning widely. “You make it sound straightforward enough, brother. Like crossing a river blindfolded by feeling the stones. But if the visualization fails, do we become a frog puffing up to swallow the sky?”

A short, sharp laugh escaped Raine. “No, you won’t blow yourself up, just waste some Discipline or power. Start slow. There’s no rush. You’ve got all night.”

Rhino’s arm blurred, his spear darting forward in a practice throw, but his Warrior’s Toss failed to activate. The weapon reappeared in his hand fine, but that was to be expected as it was an at-will ability, easy as thought. “It's still not working. What am I doing wrong?”

Raine nodded. “Your visualization is probably missing something to damage. Try imagining the air pressure breaking, or target a bush as though it were a beast.”

The youngest member of the core team frowned thoughtfully, then tried again. With a grunt, his spear zipped into the darkness, vanishing at supernatural speed. He released a triumphant cheer, meeting Raine’s thumbs-up with a grin of childish delight.

He actually got it on the second try. His past reputation wasn't for show.

“38%, is that good?” Rhino tilted his head, excitement tempered with uncertainty.

“You should aim to get above 50% with each of your skills as quickly as possible. Then focus on bringing your key abilities up to at least 70%.”

Concerned frowns settled on every face, each wondering how well they would perform once they finally figured it out. Celeste put on speed, dashing forward. She threw her arm out again and again in the motion for a Charged Blast, yielding no result. “This is so frustrating! How am I supposed to manipulate the individual facets if I can’t even get the skill to form in the first place?”

“Caster skills are a little different. Each component has to be settled in advance. Likewise, range, acceleration, intensity, force, area, and the cost in EP that goes into each of those facets need to be chosen before you act, or the skill won’t form. Like before, when you had to determine the skill’s point of release prior to even swinging, well, now you get to do that for every aspect of the skill, and the facets, too. Fun, right?!”

Raine’s too-innocent grin was met with a snarl as Celeste’s frustration boiled over. Suddenly losing her primary skills after honing them for so long evoked a powerlessness that churned in her gut. “That’s horse shi–how… how is that fair?” She caught herself, voice softening at the end.

Ten pairs of eyes swiveled to her, each with varying degrees of surprise. Fully understanding her annoyance, Raine angled closer and gently clapped her shoulder. “Since when was the martial path, or any part of life, fair? ZionLine is meant to push us. Casters have advantages that melee fighters lack, but they make up for it by polishing their minds to an unfathomable degree.”

There wasn’t an ounce of concern in his thoughts. He knew she could handle it, and that absolute confidence bled through. The spot his hand rested on burned with warmth that swarmed up Celeste’s neck to infect her cheeks. She turned away, glad the darkness concealed her embarrassment.

With a burst of speed, Mel took his other side, once more reminding him of how dangerous a distraction she was when she ran. He forcefully pulled his eyes up to meet hers. Easily anticipating the question she was about to ask, he told what he knew of celestial abilities. “Hold the entire chain of events in your mind from start to finish—flow of energy, motions, touch or range, end result—as if it were all happening at once. Practice individual segments first, then add more layers until it all comes together.”

Not having missed the angle of his gaze, Mel smiled mischievously and bounced on her toes, hands clapping excitedly. “Okay! This is so fun! Like a whole new mystery!” Grunts of ascent came from all around, each eager in their own way to dig into the new challenge.

Dear lord. Never imagined Mel would end up as the most dangerous in ‘this’ group of monsters.

Mel licked her lips, keeping her anticipation mostly contained. [You think I’m dangerous now, wait until the next time I get you alone.]

With the basics relayed, and his focus in serious need of a reset, Raine leaped again. he soared backward over the heads of the entire marching force. He hopped twice off solidified air before landing silently at the back of the column. Pamalaiha was running with all her might, her breath coming in ragged gasps as she fell further and further behind. Though, she was ahead of Constantine’s forces by a good margin, leaving her running alone.

Before she could complain or resist, Raine scooped her into his arms and took off again. Her slight weight was negligible to his enhanced strength. They soared higher with each step. She didn’t scream or struggle, but burrowed into his chest, wide eyes taking in the shadowed landscape rushing below as they quickly passed the main force, then the core group, and kept right on flying.

Pamalaiha was captivated. For the first time in her life, she realized that something as simple as a road at night could become breathtakingly beautiful with the right company. It stretched beneath them and far out of sight, like a revealed silver vein, sparkling under the moon. She breathed deeply, thoughts unusually sluggish.[This world… is amazing. So real, yet not, in all the best ways.]

When she spoke, her voice was soft, full of wonder. “So, this is what it feels like to fly… How are you doing this?”

A low chuckle vibrated through Raine’s chest and into her, bringing an unconscious smile to Pamalaiha’s lips. He glanced down at her. “One thing at a time. Gotta learn to run before you can fly.”

“I will learn everything you desire to teach me…” She panted from more than the sprinting, eyes locked onto his lips. Being so close, feeling his warmth and strong arms utterly overpowering her, made a flutter of butterflies erupt in her stomach.

Resisting the urge to swallow was the hardest thing Raine had done all day, second only to tearing his gaze away from Mel. “That’s a good attitude. You have a lot to learn, and you’re way behind in levels. Luckily, there are a few thousand beasts between here and the next town that are desperate to help you fix that.”

She wanted to answer, but found it hard to speak aloud with her thoughts so jumbled. [His face is so different here. It is good that his eyes are the same.]

They landed well ahead of the pack. Raine set her down gently, tone shifting into instructor mode. “The first thing to learn is Discipline utilization. You should feel an unusual energy source somewhere in your abdomen. By moving it to different parts of your body, you can consume it to empower your movements. Once you’re used to it, you’ll find it's incredibly similar to internal force. Command it through your feet and into the road while visualizing yourself connecting to the road itself.”

Almost before the words were out, Pamalaiha’s speed tripled. She shot forward, though was still slower than her real-world self. The sensation of manipulating a new energy source in a familiar way sent a thrill through her that nearly earned a joyous laugh. Being around Raine was a constant wellspring of new sensations and feelings. She never wanted it to end.

[Is this what it means to enjoy one’s life?]

She slowed the moment introspection broke her focus, only to immediately accelerate again with renewed vigor. Raine nodded approvingly.

She has excellent emotional control. Not surprising for a clan-trained expert.

A pinprick of vicious intent snagged his attention. He pointed to the side. Pamalaiha moved without hesitation, diving into the deep shadows with her blade drawn. A moment later, she finished dispatching the pair of stalking wolves and returned to the road. The main force was rapidly catching up, so Raine picked her up again and took off at maximum speed. Connection thinned the air, allowing his voice to reach her over the rushing wind. “Did you pick a general skill yet?”

“No. Mel-Melbelle suggested I wait for your command.”

“Good. Start with Slash and I’ll teach you how to use it.” Raine withdrew Common Grey weapons of each type, passing them to her one by one to replace the Dull Trash she started with. “Raising your attunement with each weapon type will grant significant attribute bonuses across the board. After you bind at the next town, use this stone to return to Mirror Lake and finish your aspect quest.”

Pamalaiha tilted her head, curiosity sharpening her gaze. “These attributes… they are why I am so weak and slow? When they grow enough, I will be capable of moving like you?”

“That's right. Attributes are the foundation of how you interact with and affect this world—Potency for raw power and speed, Finesse for precision and control, Acuity for perception and speed of thought, Physique for endurance, so you don’t tear yourself apart as you grow stronger. Connection is more complex, and knowing more about it won’t do you any good at the moment. Focus on an even spread. I’ll explain the thresholds and Connection later.”

Pamalaiha dipped her head politely. “Thank you for sacrificing your time to instruct me, M-Alaric. I do not like calling you by that name…”

Raine chuckled, setting her down once more. “You’ll get used to it. Is there a story behind your name: Vendarkin?”

A shadow passed over her features. She looked away, scanning the dark roadside for threats. Her voice was a whisper, laced with a chilling, vicious anger he’d never heard from her. “In the dark, I shall vanquish the murderers of my kin. Vandarkin.”

“Fitting. I haven’t forgotten my promise.”

“I know.” Her fingers squeezed tight around her new shortsword, conviction blazing in her every motion. “I can see it in your eyes. Feel it in your intent.” She darted away to dispatch another wolf that had strayed too close, returning after a quick, one-sided exchange.

“That reminds me. I have a plan to train Melbelle and Crimson in their mental abilities.” Raine paused to choose his words with care. Asking Pamalaiha for the secrets of the Noroji was a monumental leap of trust. Entire family lines had been exterminated for merely broaching the subject.

Pamalaiha smoothly picked up where he hesitated. “You wish for my input and the knowledge of my former clan. It is only natural to desire the secrets of your enemies. Sharing these things with you is not an issue. I have no family left for them to silence… No family left that they have not already silenced. All the knowledge I possess, I will gladly give to you… after you strike the first blow against them.”

Raine couldn’t fault her for wanting to accelerate the timeline, or at least have a timeline at all, since he’d failed to give her one in the first place.

The longer I wait, the harder it's going to get. Okay, soon as I reach 50 and unlock a 2nd tier class, we’ll go pay a visit to the Noroji.

“That’s acceptable.” Raine nodded in agreement even as distant torchlight drew his attention to the horizon—a Vaaterran patrol.

As with all countries, races, and ethnicities, there were bound to be members of a less savory variety. The queen’s favor and his noble station would go a long way to curb corruption, but nothing in either world could prevent it entirely. Raine wasn’t about to charge ahead recklessly, assuming all would be well because of a bought and paid permit. 

With only minutes to prepare before his recruits reached those unknown souls, he called on the Soul Flame of Amanesh, ready to test its newly expanded limits.