Water (Buryoku Book 3)

by Aaron Oster

  Roy was already on his feet, feeling out for their advancement, and determined not to end up in as bad a situation as he had the night before.

  ***

  Aika’s fist drove into the ugly creature’s chest, a lance of brilliant white light spearing through the thing and toppling it to the ground. She stood back, panting hard and wiping a line of blood from the corner of her lip. It was her sixth night in this place, and the creatures were growing stronger.

  At first, she’d been able to handle them with relative ease, but as the nights wore on, she found herself having a harder and harder time. She was continually moving west now, following the keys that were left behind after the lead creature’s death. Each trial sent her to another island, and, hopefully, closer to Roy.

  Though she didn’t know where he was, she was confident he was still alive. She rose, looking out across the sparkling water and almost seeing him standing out in the middle of the lake on some distant island.

  She let out a sigh, then slumped to the ground and got into a cycling position. The fight had taken a lot out of her, and she needed to replenish what she could before the next creature came. The last one she’d beaten was tough, but not so much that she believed she’d been really challenged.

  At the rate they’d been coming, she figured that she had about twenty minutes until the final creature of the night showed its ugly face. Even as she cycled, she found herself continually distracted by thoughts of Roy. She couldn’t help herself. It wasn’t just that she worried about him, but that she missed him. She missed talking to him, laughing with him, and training with him.

  They’d been through so much together, that not having him here with her felt wrong. It was like she was missing a part of herself, a void that only Roy could fill. Growling to herself, Aika gave up and rose back to her feet. It was no good. She couldn’t concentrate on anything but Roy, so she’d just have to go into this fight with what she had.

  There was still a little Qi in her Core, and she had about half her total Essence capacity. It would have to do.

  Wherever you are, Roy, she thought as the creature began emerging from the water, I hope that you’re safe and that I’ll see you again soon.

  Then, the creature attacked, and all thoughts of Roy were driven from her mind.

  26

  Roy dragged his raft ashore on the seventh day, wincing at the collection of injuries he’d managed to acquire over the past few days. Dozens of new bruises, several cuts, a concussion, and another fractured rib all graced his body. Thankfully, he’d somehow avoided any broken bones, though that seemed to be thanks mostly to his massive expenditure of Essence to keep himself safe.

  He’d faced dozens of creatures on each new island, receiving a key and a bunch of the same odd blue shells with each victory. He had no idea what they did, but as with the keys, he held on to them. Each new key looked distinctly different, each inscribed with the next number in the sequence. As of now, he had keys one through six, and over a hundred of the small shells.

  He groaned, straightening up and stumbling towards the trees – oranges this time – and proceeded to gorge himself. He was starting to grow weary of all the nights of fighting and the days of rowing, but something positive seemed to be coming from all his idle time. For one, his range with his Spirit Sense had nearly doubled, and for another, he was getting close to a proper Armorer technique.

  It had all started on the day when he’d been expelling Essence to keep the creature and water away. It had given him a few ideas on how to adapt it into something more substantial. He’d been spending his time trying to tighten the expended Essence and form it into a shell around his body. He’d succeeded to a degree, but he wasn’t quite there yet.

  Likewise, he’d been working on his Containment technique as well, as it seemed to work on the same principle as his Armorer technique, only involving someone else, rather than himself. They were the last two techniques he had yet to master before he could move on to trying to learn the Full-body or Full-area techniques. According to Hermit, that was where his massive pool of Essence would really come into play, as both techniques were extremely taxing and most Martial Artists couldn’t hold them for very long.

  With his power, Roy could keep his strongest techniques going for minutes on end, or at least, he should, in theory. Dropping the rind of his fifth orange to the ground, Roy finally sat and began eating more slowly, thinking over his options for the rest of the day. It was about three in the afternoon now, and the creatures attacked at around eight.

  He could either spend his time resting or continue trying to work out his Armorer and Containment techniques.

  “I think you should rest,” Geon advised when he asked him. “You need it, and you always do better with techniques in the heat of battle anyway.”

  “I’ve noticed that, as well,” Roy admitted. “But, I think I can save myself from more injury if I can get the Armorer technique to work for me.”

  “Why don’t you at least take the time to cycle before you get to work?” Geon suggested. “You have a Core packed full of Essence, and I can feel that we’re close to the next Dan already.”

  Roy had noticed that, too. He’d been expecting another long stretch to 3rd Dan, but as of right now, he felt far closer than he’d thought he even could. That same feeling of fullness permeated his entire being, and as far as expansion went, Roy didn’t think he’d be able to do much more. His Core was as physically large as it could be, and his foundation – according to Geon, anyway – was the most solid he’d seen in his entire life.

  Geon had absorbed the memories from hundreds of powerful Martial Artists when he’d been a powerful Dungeon, so Roy trusted in his judgment. It also helped that Geon was regaining memories at a far faster rate than he had been, Roy’s continual growth pushing him further and further to the Core he used to be.

  “I just hope Hermit isn’t mad that I’ve pushed ahead,” Roy said, popping the last section of Orange into his mouth.

  “Why should you care what that guy thinks?” Geon replied. “His sister dumped us in here to die!”

  “Yes, she did, but I don’t think this was what he had in mind as far as training,” Roy pointed out. “He was always very up-front about that and almost never really threw any surprises our way, and even when he did, they were never this extreme.”

  “I suppose you have a good point,” Geon conceded. “But that doesn’t mean I don’t blame him for what happened. If he hadn’t left, he could have prevented this.”

  That much, Roy had to agree with. Regardless of whether or not it had been intentional, they were here in part due to Hermit’s negligence. He was going to have to answer for that, but for right now, they were still stuck in here. Roy really hoped that this was the last challenge, as he was seriously growing tired of the routine, and really needed a break for his injuries to heal.

  Roy stood then, heading down to the water to grab a drink and wash his sticky hands, before heading back up to begin cycling. He’d gotten much better at snatching up Essence as soon as he could while rowing and could pull Essence much faster now. His channels barely hurt anymore, and the only chest pain he had now was from the set of teeth marks left by one of the creatures he’d faced last night.

  He dropped to the ground, closing his eye and regulating his breathing, slowly beginning to loop the Essence from his Core through the flower pattern surrounding it. At the same time, he reached outward, to the strings of Power Essence generated by the lapping water against the shoreline, and began streaming it into his Core, taking up the space that the unrefined Essence had been wasting.

  The gaseous Essence twined through the pattern in his chest, lighting him from within before circling back to his Core. Slowly, his Core filled to its maximum capacity and began to strain as he pulled more Essence in. He was close; he could feel it. It was just a matter of time now.

  Roy inhaled sharply as a shudder ran through him, his Core contracting for an instant, before expanding outwar
d, giving him just a bit more space. The Essence ran wild within him for just a moment, some completely vanishing as it sank into his muscles skin and bones. His eyes snapped open just in time to see a third green stripe shimmer into existence above the other two.

  “Congratulations,” Geon said.

  “Thanks.”

  “You’re one step closer to killing the Beast King and the Supreme of Cloying Darkness.”

  Roy sighed, resisting the urge to answer and just continued cycling. He felt refreshed, some of the aches and pains he’d collected over the past week vanishing entirely. Even the constant ache from his ribs had subsided tremendously. Nothing quite measured up to the feeling of advancing, and it always came with some pretty great perks.

  His muscles felt a bit stronger, his body felt more durable and his bones, denser. The amount of space that had opened in his Core was next to negligible, but it would take a little while to fill it and push for the next Dan. Honestly, at this point, it was less pushing and more like just waiting. Never before had he had such an easy advancement, nor one that felt so natural. He still got the same feeling of fullness when looking at himself from within, meaning that his next advancement would likely be just as easy.

  Just one away from Green, he thought. Just one more until I can finally measure up to Aika.

  That thought gave him strength, and Roy set to cycling with a determination he’d previously been lacking. However, there was only so much Essence the gentle waves could produce, and within just a few minutes, all the Power Essence in the area had been drained. This wasn’t any great loss to Roy, as he simply stood, stretched, and prepared for the second part of his training.

  He didn’t want to go at it for too long, because he wanted at least a few hours of rest between now and when he’d have to fight. He set himself a strict time limit of an hour, then began to work. Slowly, he allowed several threads of Essence to leak from his skin, careful to contain them immediately and try to pull them closer to himself.

  It worked, the Essence seeming to respond more eagerly than before, as it flowed toward him. He began to weave more Essence into the framework, allowing more and more to pour from his Core until he was surrounded in a halo of whirling golden light. The expenditure was still quite massive, but as Roy tightened his concentration, pulling the sphere in and trying to shape it to his body, something incredible began to happen.

  The Essence, previously only given substance by its sheer quantity, began to crystalize, hardening into triangular plates of golden light some two inches across. Roy grinned as he felt the cost begin to drop significantly and almost lost his concentration as a result. He caught himself in time and kept working at it, pulling the weave of Essence ever tighter.

  “I did it!” Roy exclaimed, feeling the strange clicking sensation as the technique locked into place.

  “Hmm, I daresay you did,” Geon admitted. “Two accomplishments in one day. How…unusual. Maybe you’re finally starting to gain some semblance of intelligence.”

  Even Geon couldn’t ruin Roy’s good mood as he began walking around, getting a feel for the strange new coating. It hovered just half an inch above his skin, not quite touching it, but close enough that it didn’t impede his movements. He threw a few punches and kicks, admiring the way the technique sparkled and reflected light. The pattern of tiny triangles seemed to be designed to be as flashy as possible, which meant that there would be no chance of stealth when using this technique.

  That fit the profile of his Essence perfectly, as Power didn’t skulk and sneak, but rather took everything head-on. Roy began testing his techniques to see if he would be at all hindered, but of course, he wasn’t, not in the slightest. There was something quite noticeable, though, and that was that the technique took a continuous stream of Essence to maintain.

  Roy looked around for a few moments before his eyes alighted on the tree. Taking a running start, Roy leaped straight at it, having to fight every instinct to try and defend himself. His technique flashed as he slammed into the tree and was subsequently sent sprawling.

  “You know what? I take back my earlier compliment,” Geon said, as Roy rose to his feet. “You’re still an idiot.”

  Roy looked down at himself with a grin, noting that there wasn’t so much as a single chink in his armor. Sure, the impact had sapped more Essence, but the cost was manageable. Best of all, he didn’t feel a thing! Roy knew that a simple test like that wouldn’t be enough to determine its durability. Backing up down the beach, Roy activated his Shockwave and blasted towards the tree.

  “Stop, you idiot! You’re gonna get yourself…!” Geon began, just as Roy slammed into the tree.

  The impact knocked the breath from his lungs and sent him staggering back, but judging by the splintering crack from the tree, it had suffered far more than he had. Roy shook himself, looking down to note that several cracks had appeared in his technique. He’d felt that one, though it had been greatly muted. The Essence cost had also increased exponentially.

  At the instant he’d slammed into the tree, a massive chunk had been siphoned off to keep his technique intact, and even then, it hadn’t been fast enough to completely stop the thing from taking damage. Even as he watched, Essence streamed into the cracks, and the technique was whole again within a few seconds.

  “So, if it’s hit hard enough, the technique can be overwhelmed,” Roy noted as he allowed the shimmering armor to fade. “The cost increases when I take damage, and the greater the damage absorbed, the greater the cost.”

  “I could have told you that!” Geon snapped. “You didn’t need to run headlong into a tree! You could have killed yourself!”

  “But I didn’t,” Roy said, craning his neck from side to side. “And now I know how much damage I can absorb before the technique is overwhelmed.”

  Being a new technique, it had taken a significant amount of Essence to form and maintain. It would be doable if he managed to avoid being hit. If the cost became too much, he’d have to let it go. This made him curious about something else, and he began to run another test.

  The first thing he did was form the technique several more times, making sure he remembered the feeling. Next, he began to work on his other thought, summoning the technique in sections. It was much harder than bringing the whole technique into being, and Roy didn’t manage more than a shimmery haze over his right arm before his self-imposed timer ran out, but he was very pleased with his progress.

  Tonight’s battle would be far easier, now that he had a way to defend himself. Sure, the opponent would likely be stronger, now that he’d advanced to 3rd Dan Orange, but there was little he could do about that. He’d also wasted the time he’d given himself to develop his Containment technique, but after learning the Armorer technique, he’d discovered that the two were quite a bit different than he’d first believed.

  Now that he had an Armorer technique, a whole new possibility opened before him— the ability to combine his three Physical techniques and form his Full-body technique. He honestly had no idea where to even start. Even Aika, who had some of her techniques up to the third stage, didn’t have one. But that didn’t dissuade him in the slightest. If anything, it just made him more excited.

  He’d never managed to beat her at anything, so if he could develop his Full-body technique before her, he’d finally be ahead, even if only by a little. Wherever she was in this massive world of water, he was sure she was making her way across, just like him. He really hoped they’d meet up again soon, as he missed her company. Geon was hardly a great conversationalist, and he wasn’t much to look at. Aika, on the other hand…

  Roy forced his thoughts to stop right there. Aika was a friend, one of the only ones he had, and he wasn’t going to jeopardize that. Not for anything.

  Forcibly turning his mind on the fight that was fast approaching, Roy relaxed against a tree and allowed his mind to rest. He wouldn’t go to sleep, that was far too risky, but he would try and meditate to clear his mind and prepare himself fo
r the trial ahead. It would be difficult, but he was in the best position he had been since he started. Most of his injuries were gone, thanks to his advancement, and he now had an Armorer technique. There was still the matter of choosing a name, but Roy was confident he’d come up with something.

  For now, all he needed to do was rest.

  27

  Roy’s eyes flickered open as the sun’s last rays vanished over the horizon. The wind was picking up and the sky was dark, and growing darker by the minute. Lightning raced across the black expanse, lighting the world for an instant and revealing the creature emerging from the water. There was only one this time, and Roy knew that this would be the last test. He didn’t know how he knew that. If someone were to ask him, he’d just say that it was a feeling, something he knew deep down.

  The creature was massive, nearly nine feet tall and built like a wall of solid stone. Bunches of knotted muscle covered its blue-green scaly skin. Its arms were as wide as tree trunks, its chest bulging grossly, and its legs appeared to be more like the beams that held a house in place than anything else. Its face, like the others, was distinctly fish-like, containing an elongated snout complete with multiple rows of razor-sharp teeth.

  Its fingers were webbed and tipped with five-inch claws. A large dorsal fin rose from between its shoulders, and its eyes, twin pinpricks of red, gleamed with the light of intelligence.

  Despite what Roy may have been expecting, the creature didn’t attack right away. Thunder cracked across the sky, booming mightily, and causing him to flinch involuntarily. The wind began to pick up then, whipping across the small island and sending the previously small waves on the lake washing higher up on shore.