Convergence

by TurtleMe

  “You will never truly be at rest while you’re in the middle of a war, kid. You need to get used to fighting effectively in a suboptimal state. Now, strip your clothes and resume battle.”

  “That damned lunatic,” I cursed. I could still hear the movements of the golems around me, waiting for me to come back up.

  Gathering mana around me, I waited for them to draw in as close as possible. Once their footsteps were in range, I released my spell.

  [Gale Force]

  Instead of aiming it at them, I released the spell on the ground below me, creating a large cloud of sand and debris to cover me. Some of the closer golems were shoved back by force, giving me enough space to maneuver around as the sand covered their vision of me.

  I lunged myself at the nearest golem, raising my testing sword in one fluid swipe. I knew that Wren wanted to mimic the environment of war, so I acted as if the golems were actual humans. I slashed at the golem’s jugular, and as expected, the golem fell on the floor, spewing a red liquid from its wound.

  Another golem—this one wielding a large halberd—charged at me from behind. As it lowered its stance to thrust its weapon at me, I pivoted with my sword in position to parry the head of the halberd. However, even with a body strengthened with Sylvia’s will on top of mana, I was thrown off balance at the force of the stab. I spun to alleviate some of the momentum caused by the blow, but I had no time to breath as another golem shoved me with his iron shield.

  Annoyed, I lashed out with a punch, my fist clad in lightning. The metal shield crumbled and the golem was shocked to the ground. Just then, the golem wielding the halberd swung his weapon at my head.

  However, another golem, one of a different color, blocked my attacker with his shield.

  “You’ll have allies in battle, Arthur. As one of the main players in the battle, it’ll be up to you whether you choose to be on the offensive—plowing through the lines of enemies—or staying near your team, keeping them alive.” I saw Wren overhead, floating in the sky as he sat on an earthen throne along with Windsom.

  The battle resumed as the pile of golem corpses stacked on top of one another on the battlefield. I imagined the anthropomorphic summons made of stone as humans instead. The scene back in the dungeon, Widow’s Crypt, flashed to mind, leaving me a little nauseous.

  As the hours drove on, the mock war that Wren had me endure began taking its toll. I understood more and more why gaining this experience was so crucial.

  I had experienced wars only from the backline, strategizing for different scenarios on a macro level. Now, being in the middle of the battlefield, there were so many factors that differed from the usual duels that I had grown accustomed to since my previous life: the corpses and severed limbs that one could trip over, the blood that accumulated on the ground to form puddles that one could slip on. Even with the bright colors indicating the different sides the golems were on, it was easy to accidentally swing at an ally in the heat of a battle, creating a mental toll on reckless attacks that could potentially put allies in harm’s way.

  As much as I hated giving credit to the eccentric asura, Wren did well creating an optimal learning environment. I wasn’t sure what sort of magic he had used, but the red liquid that the golems bled were very similar to that of blood. Soon, as the corpses of both enemy golems and ally golems increased and the blood-like liquid dyed the ground, a foul smell exuded the battlefield.

  I realized how precious my mana reserves were as the hours of continuous battle dragged on. Even with my mana core at the mid-silver stage and my use of Mana Rotation, I had to know how to conserve my usage of magic. Flashy, long-range spells were better left to the conjurers in the back line as I spent my mana protecting myself and only in cases of emergency.

  Throughout the battle, Wren shouted out pointers, advising me to avoid being herded into a corner as I continued to mow down enemy golems. Every now and then, golems that were stronger than usual would pop up, throwing me off guard as they massacred the golems on my side. I didn’t want to admit it, but I was positive that Wren could easily conjure a golem capable of killing me if he wanted to.

  The day ended when I was able to take down all of the major golems that Wren had been so kind to distinguish with golden crowns on top of their heads.

  “That was brutal,” I sighed, lying flat on the ground. I was in an almost constant state of battle from the moment I was rudely awakened, with no chance to eat, drink, or even pee.

  Dinner was spent around a fire after Wren casually removed the golems and fake blood with a swipe of his hand. We began by debriefing the battle; Windsom had yet to return from wherever he and Wren went last night, so it was only Wren that was present to point out the mistakes I had made, from the minor ones to the potentially fatal ones.

  “The total number of casualties on your side was 271 golems, while the other side had 512. Not an impressive victory considering the level I had made the golems on the enemy side,” Wren read off from his notes.

  “Maybe it’s because they look like stone gorillas that I feel no empathy for them, regardless of whether they’re on my team or not,” I countered, biting into a tofu-like substance that Wren had given me to eat.

  “I’ll keep that in mind. Go to sleep now. Tomorrow isn’t going to get any easier,” Wren replied as he jotted down some notes.

  I had grown used to Wren’s sharp way of talking, as if even his words were a scarce commodity. Turning away from them, I conjured a makeshift bed of soft sand and hoped that the next time I was awakened wouldn’t be by an army of golems.

  My thoughts ran amok during this period of rest. I thought about my role in the previous world. While there were a lot of flaws in the way the world was governed in my past life, I had to admit, things were simpler for me. When the outcome of nearly all problems rested on just one battle, it was black or white. Wars almost never happened unless it was a multi-country dispute. Even then, mass-scaled battles happened in controlled environments to minimize the death counts. This upcoming war wouldn’t have that. There were too many shades of greys to be accounted for.

  I speculated on the different scenarios that could potentially happen because of this war. What would the casualties be? And to what extent should the end outweigh these casualties? I pondered. I had no one I cared for back on Earth. However, was I willing to sacrifice my loved ones for the “greater good?” Undoubtedly not.

  I didn’t remember falling asleep, but I hardly did these days. To my surprise, I was able to get a good night’s rest. While my arms and legs ached from overuse, there were no golems on sight, leaving me more suspicious than relieved.

  Suddenly, a bloodcurdling scream from behind made me whip around. What I saw bewildered me just as much as it filled me with horror.

  With two, black horns gleaming menacingly against the morning sun, an asura of the Vritra Clan stood over me. Covered from the neck down in completely black-plated armor, the basilisk in human form opened his lips into a triumphant grin to reveal a row of jagged teeth, and in his grasp was someone I thought I would never see here.

  I was barely able to form a word as another gut-wrenching scream was ripped out from the Vritra’s hostage. “T-Tess?”

  Chapter 124: Preparations

  “Arthur! Please, help!” Tess choked out a desperate scream as I stood there, petrified at the turn of events. It really was Tessia Eralith. From her long, gunmetal-grey hair, to her bright turquoise eyes brimmed with tears, my childhood friend had somehow been dragged here from Dicathen.

  Tess sputtered into a series of pained coughs as the basilisk tightened its grip around her waist.

  Wasting no time, I charged at the black-horned asura with the practice sword Wren had left me. The repercussions of such a reckless course of action passed unheeded as I drew in, sword ablaze.

  [Realmheart]

  The familiar burning sensation spread through my body as I activated the rare blood-trait skill of the dragons. My sight altered into an enhanced, mana-focusing
vision and golden-white runes glowed brightly beneath my clothes.

  I drew forth the rampant energy from within Sylvia’s dragon will.

  [Static Void]

  This was the first time I had used the skill I had unlocked with the first phase of Sylvia’s will. I could see the purple specks of aether suddenly trembling around us as they buzzed into formation. Suddenly, the world stopped around me. The Vritra’s face was stuck in a menacing smirk while Tess was paused with her hair flailed about, mid-scream.

  I could feel the seconds draining away my energy as I dashed towards the Vritra. Arriving right in front of my enemy, I released Static Void as soon as I was in position to strike at the hand grasping Tess.

  The horned asura had no time to react at my attack as the blade of my sword sliced right through its forearm.

  The horned asura let out an infuriated roar as he clutched his wound. I pried open the fingers that were still gripped around Tess’s waist and gently set her down on the ground. She was unconscious and ghastly pale, but still alive and breathing.

  The basilisk’s severed hand was still spilling blood profusely, but when I turned to face my foe, he had already replaced his severed appendage with a metallic claw.

  I kept close to Tess with my right hand gripping my sword and my left hand preparing a spell. I could see the yellow, earthen particles gathering at the tip of the basilisk’s false hand. I used the full extent of the limited knowledge I had gained from reading mana movement from Myre as I readied my counterattack as well.

  As expected, the tips of the basilisk’s clawed fingers exploded toward me. Just as the five earthen spears accelerated, I raised my hand and fired a condensed burst of electricity. Three of the five earthen finger spears shattered upon impact as I parried another spear with the flat of my blade. I began gathering mana into my legs to charge at the basilisk by impulse, but an unsettling sensation crept up; the last spear was way too off course to have been aimed at me.

  I whipped my head back to see the dark, earthen spear about to impale the unconscious Tess when I activated Static Void once more.

  It felt like someone was stabbing needles into my heart as I raced toward my childhood friend. My mind whirled in fear and near-panic as I laid out my options. I could step in the path of the spear and use my body to shield Tess, but the injury I would sustain from the blow would leave me unable to protect her from the basilisk immediately after. I could also extend Static Void to encompass Tess and push her out of the spear’s path, but spreading the effects of Static Void to include another person would take a massive toll on my body.

  I chose to go with the third option. Dropping my sword, I grabbed the spear that was paused mid-flight at Tess with both hands and braced myself.

  Releasing Static Void, my body lurched forward as I tried to stop the earthen spike the size of Tessia herself with my bare hands. With a desperate spurt of strength, I managed to hold onto the speeding spike, my hands barely large enough to get a firm grip, long enough to drive it off-course.

  The earthen spear that the basilisk fired buried itself from the ground just inches away from where Tess lay, creating a web of cracks from the sheer force of the impact. My hands were bloody and raw from gripping onto the speeding projectile, and my breath was pained and unsteady. Myre had been right. No matter how much I practiced Static Void, because my body wasn’t compatible with using aether to effect time, it would always put an enormous amount of strain on my body.

  However, with the level that I was at currently, I needed to use all of the tools I had in order to have a fighting chance with a basilisk. The thought of both Tess and I in the cruel state that a basilisk had left Alea, the former lance, down in the dungeon, filled me with dread.

  Each breath felt like there was a fire in my lungs as I positioned myself between the approaching two-horned basilisk and the unconscious Tess. I picked up my sword with a grimace at the pain and poured mana into it. Despite the strain my body had incurred from activating Realmheart and using Static Void twice, my mana reserves were still abundant thanks to the constant use of Mana Rotation.

  I could maybe last long enough for either Wren or Windsom to arrive, but the problem was that for whatever reason, this basilisk was focused on harming Tess. I was contemplating my next course of action when it all clicked.

  “Wren, enough of this!” I roared, stabbing my sword into the ground.

  Nothing happened at first and, for a split second, I was afraid I had been wrong, but the towering basilisk stopped abruptly in his tracks before crumbling into fine dust.

  Behind me was another mound of fine sand where the golem in the shape of Tess had been.

  “You caught on rather quick. I was hoping to see how you played out the situation a bit more.” Wren emerged from the rocky ground, dusting off his shabby white coat.

  “It’s hard not to catch on with such an absurd scenario, Wren. I hope you don’t get a kick out of doing things like this,” I retorted, disgruntled.

  “How does one receive a kick from training? Improper teaching methods, perhaps? Is it a disciplinary action you lesser beings do to one another?”

  “No, it’s an idiom—never mind,” I sighed, shaking my head at the confused asura.

  “Regardless of your illogical expression, what I did was for your benefit. Look at the state you’re in now; you’ve expended most of your energy on recklessly attempting to save that elf,” Wren grunted.

  “Look. I know it wasn’t the best course of action, and I hate to say it, but there are people that I consider more important than anyone else, including myself.” I held my gaze firmly as Wren continued to study me.

  “Hmm. Well, familial bonds and mates are important, even for asu—”

  “Wait, what? Mate? Tess isn’t a mate.”

  “Oh? From what Windsom told me and by your reaction, I was sure that her importance went above that of just infatuation. You two haven’t yet engaged in carnal intimacy?”

  “No! I haven’t engaged in... carnal intimacy yet! Look, this is beside the point, Wren.” I could feel my face beginning to burn as the asura pondered his miscalculation.

  “Huh. My apologies then.” Wren shrugged, his expression as apathetic as before. “Well, my point is that, in war, there will come a time when your enemies will try and exploit whatever weaknesses you hold. Considering that you will be one of the main powers on Dicathen’s side, all the more so.”

  “Trust me; I know that.” Flashes of my previous life came to mind at this subject. I knew that there would be a point in time when the values of this life, the ones that went against my principles as King Grey, would come to hinder me.

  “Then I suppose it’d be pointless for me to go on. Expect more training and tribulations like these, boy. Part of why I was tasked to nurture you out of your diapers is because I can single-handedly create all sorts of scenarios,” the hunched asura explained as he idly fiddled with his unruly hair.

  Having lived two different lives, I wanted to refute his statement about me being in diapers, but I remembered that even with the combined span of time I’d been alive for—in both worlds—I’d still be much younger than any of the asuras I had met so far.

  Taking a deep breath, I sat down on the ground. “So you can just create a dummy of anything using the earth?”

  “Not anything. I wouldn’t be able to mimic the properties of water using earth, but mostly, yes,” the asura answered, sitting down on an extravagantly golden throne he conjured without even a snap of a finger.

  I thought back to when I had faced the fake basilisk. Every detail of both the black-horned asura and Tess had been spot on. However, there were two things that gave it away. One was that the golem of the basilisk couldn’t emit the amount of pressure and killing intent it normally would. However, that wasn’t what threw me off. Besides the probability of a basilisk holding Tess all the way here in Epheotus being almost nonexistent, under the influence of Realmheart, I was able to see the mana fluctuation of yellow
earthen particles all over the basilisk and Tess. I couldn’t figure it out at first because I failed to stay levelheaded, but as I realized what was happening, I was about ninety-percent sure.

  “Is it impossible for lesser beings to reach such a level of insight to perform the level of mana arts asuras are capable of?” I wondered aloud.

  “It goes against my nature to rule anything as impossible, so I’m just going to say that it is highly improbable. You of all people shouldn’t be so worried about probabilities though.”

  “Why is that?” I asked.

  “Well, the fact that you’re a walking testament to how skewed probabilities can be. With your innate ability to comprehend the workings of the four main elements as well as some of their deviating elemental forms coinciding so neatly with the fact that comprehension of all four elements is necessary to unlock the mysteries of aether that you’ve been so kindly bestowed by the very princess of dragons, every bit about you is an outlier, boy,” Wren explained. “Even asuras don’t have that much innate talent and luck.”

  “If that’s your way of cheering me up, thank you,” I chuckled, getting back up to my feet. “Now, what’s next on our to-do list?”

  “Before that, boy, give me your dominant hand.” Wren got up from his makeshift throne and walked towards me.

  Spreading my right hand with my palm facing up, I stared at the asura curiously. I could never read his face since he always had the same tired expression, like he’d drop to the floor snoring at any moment.

  Taking out a small, black case the size of a fist from his coat pocket, he opened it and held out a small, pyramid-shaped, opaque gem. “This is a mineral called an acclorite. Now, by itself, it’s a rather rare but useless piece of rock. However, with the right refining and synthesizing process that I will keep to my grave, it is capable of doing something remarkable.”

  “As in, speeding up the training process of the user?” I guessed.