Chapter 7: Chapter 17: Logistic and Pain
Now that we finally had a tenet to follow and therefore it's time to plot how do we reach the goal.
Spoiler! It was not easy. I remembered one of my art projects went better and it was the one where my team fell flat on our face. To be fair, Justin had a good idea but people often dismiss him given his talent in music, so we end up listening to the least artistic person among humanity (aka Jeane). That was one of the day I started having the doubt in continue survival of humanity.
I jumped ship of course. The other went down with it.
Remember people: team spirit only existed when the team was held with anything stronger than Scotch tape.
Luckily, my current team was capable... or so I hope.
"Given the distance assuming nothing went wrong, it will take four months for us to drive from here to Millian at max speed."
Yes, this continent is bloody huge. Four-five times the circumference of the bloody Earth. And it was just one continent.
"And what are these area mark with the skull?" I asked across the map there are seven place marked with a skull. The message seemed to be: don't come here if you want to live. Nice, just nice.
"Those are the 7 Forbidden zones" Lux helped herself to a pancake. "My father often used it to scare me."
"May shame rest his destiny." Scathach commented.
I noted that sentence down. It would make a great one-liner.
"They are forbidden location Rem, " Cy said gulping. "An unexplored area from the hostile worlds so dangerous the gods would not enter. There are without many secret and resource that worth sky-high price. Load of people try to explore its and...well you know."
"They disappeared and sometimes a lucky few made it back as a broken mess," Scathach finished what Cy wanted to say. "The Drakokia once try to conquer the Danger zone called Thunder Ravine. Only Lucian and his 4 elite bodyguards out of thousand soldiers make it back traumatized by what they encountered."
Note: Asked Satholia about this next time. But that was not the most troubling thing.
"Millian is right next to the Danger Zone." I deadpanned.
"Yes, Smu'ag the Black Ruin, " Scathach said grimacing. "The ruin so monster-infested and malevolent that ninety-percent of the people entering it was lost. The survivor describes it as a lost civilization littered with bones and tree spirits that lived to tear off your head"
Note to self: Do not go there without a flamethrower. On the other hand maybe bring a living decoy, Mr. Bravel who was my Physics teacher would do?
"Any plans?" I asked. I really wanted to believe we got plans.
"Given our deadline land route was impossible," Scathach pointed to the blue lines on the map. "We had to take Hyper Channel?"
Silence...
"What is Hyper Channel?" Lux asked sparing me the trouble.
"They are basically a hyper-dimensional railway, " Our goddess explained. "It transported you by a carriages that warped distance itself."
"We can exit the channel at the Smu'ag's outpost and travel along Grand Empire border to reach Millian."
"Why don't we enter the Grand Capital?" Cytortia suggested.
"Too expensive, " Scathach answered. "Chuang and Tie Hua are also recruiting there."
"Oh, " Cytortia shrunk at the mention of those two names. "Let stay away from the capital as much as possible."
I sensed a history there. The traumatizing kind of history best not mentioned over this delicious cake.
"So now that wrapped up, " I said. "Next on this list: bathing order."
...
After we sort out the organization daily meeting, we entered the Horizon's style of of formal training.
"What is magic?" said coach Honey Badger, holding an ax.
The entire situation was surreal. It reminded me of a time my Gym coach got brain by coconut during his vacation. In this case, I was the coach and Scathach was the coconut.
"Magic is the natural power created by the interaction of mana, brain pattern and DNA. Its development and property unique to the person." Cytortia chimed.
"Brillant answer, " Scathach clapped. "Now what is a spell?"
"The usage of formula, code and ritual to enhance magic."
"That is right, " Scathach said. "The principle of mana resist, coating and sensory was the bottom of the totem pole. The basic of basic. The true mastery over magic is the construction of Spell. Every research field currently focused on this subject. A highly advanced spell fuel by enough magic could annihilate a country or an army. And to construct spell you need a medium."
Scathach summoned a spear.
"A medium like this spear can be used to channel magic through the rune inscribed on it to activate my an explosion. The material and shape of the spear also allowed me to condense my fire magic into an explosive force with the rune as a catalyst. Specific code and rune can also enhance physical parameter, this also categorized as enhancement spell."
Scathach demonstrated by throwing the spear that reduced the impacted area into a burning crater.
"Of course larger and purer medium will result in better magic control this more powerful spell. Specific rune and formulas can also be used to construct magic circles which can be used to boost spell power. Also be mindful of mana draining your supply. Over-using spell will result in rebound as Rem can attest."
Scathach looked back at us.
"Any question?"
I raised my hand.
"What exactly mana?"
Silence. The air became as dead as graveyard.
Scathath gestured toward Cy who grimaced.
"Mana was energy. That's what the only thing we could agree on. The scientific and religious factions of Phantasia had been fighting about it since forever. The religious sect thought it an incomprehensible power of cosmos while scientist hypothesized it the latent energy in the atmosphere. The argument was so ridiculous and pointless that any researcher remaining got laugh off as a buffoon."
Basically they'd no idea. This was basically the same argument on how the sun produced light when people didn't know quantum physic and energy level.
Opportunity. I could smell it now. Whenever the mass claimed something is stupid, there will be a grain of treasure ready to change the world. Now I have to find it.
"Do we have a information source regarding this subject?"
"Oh, I wonder when would you ask?" Scathach pointed to the Van. "We have the connection to the Phantasia Library. You can go and read up from there but first let do a status check for your current power."
...
Rem Breaker
Shadow Agent
Stat
Str: 100 (D)
End: 220 (C) >> 240 (C)
Mag: 200(C) >> 210 (C)
Wis: 302 (B)
Dex: 167 (D) >>200 (C)
Skill
Active
Magic Bullet (B)
Overburst: Limit Override (B) *discover*
Arrival of Dream (N/A)
Passive
Territory Creation (E)
Reality Breaker(Ex)
The Way of Optimism(N/A)
Calm mind (A)
Mythological Sword Art: Simplicity (B)
Shadow Land Martial Art (C)
...
Cytortia
Heavenly daughter of Wood
Stat
Str: 110 (D)
End:250(C)
Magic: 309 (B)
Wisdom: 180 (D)
Dexterity: 200 (C)
Skill
Active
Heavenly Art of Wood (A), [ Divine Center Authority (S)]*evolve*
Language (B)
Healing (A), [Surgical Healing (B)]
Alchemy (S): [Medicine (A), Poisoning Art (B), Item Creation (A), Pill-concocting (S), Phase Manipulation (B)]
Magic Bullet (B)
Passive
Goddess Origin (SS)
Divinity (A)
Wood Affinity (SSS)
...
Luxinna Latoria
Shadow Crusader(Lightning)
Stat:
Str: 200 (C)
End: 280 (C)
Mag: 230 (C)
Wis: 100 (D)
Dex: 315 (B)
Skill
Active
Lightning Stream (C)
Passive
Child of Thunder (SS)
Mythical Sword Art: Elegance (B)
Mythical Sword Art: Ferocity (A)
High Elves (S)
Ultimate One Blessing (N/A)
...
Silence...
"Hey Cy when did your skill evolve?" I asked, slightly annoyed for some reason.
"Err, Lady Satholia bumped it up for me." She said hurriedly. "Please don't tell anyone okay. I won't hear the end of it if my senior sister found out."
I had a feeling the Cy senior sister will pop up sooner or later. Anyway they were a tad below my priority list. My current priority right now was stat comparison and our future.
Cy's was certainly above average and her passive was excellent rank. The time spent under Nuwa certainly gave her a strong S-rank alchemy foundation. But that come with the expense in her stat. I barely entered Phantasia for a month and most of my Stat except Magic trump her's flat. Lux only need five days to beat her physical prowess.
As for Lux, my god, was that real? She'd beaten me in every parameter except magic and skills. Her passive [Mythical Sword Art: Elegance (B)] and [Mythical Sword Art: Ferocity (A)] indicated that Scatach taught her two different styles which she mastered beyond my level. However, her lacked of active skills would doomed her.
"How did you do it?" I demanded answers for this ass-pull. "How did you aced something that I need one week to even learn the basic off."
"She didn't ace it," Scatach said. "She mastered one and reach the intermediate level with another."
"Yeah," I said. "In five days!"
"Rem," Lux made an uncomfortable smile. "The ferocity style was the mimicking of animal's movement and incorporate them into swordplay. I spent three years in the wood with animals to the point that I can visualize them perfectly and getting corrupted by the Paracyst." She looked downcast as the memory of berserk Luxinna came to mind. "Well let say I know rage and ferocity like a second nature...all I have to do is wrapped my movement around it."
"Basically, her ordeal allowed her to be enlightened to the philosophy and core of the forms," Scathach nodded. "A blessing in disguise. This combined with her natural affinity with swordplay made her mastered the Ferocity form better than anyone. Then she began picking some basic of elegance from my spear technique and I taught her the basic." Scatach gave Lux a thumb-up. "She is without a doubt my best student and rarest thing in the world: the genius who work hard, lucky and bless with excellent master!"
Okay, that made sense. Now looked at me. I have to fix my weaknesses namely my limitation on [Arrival of Dream (N/A)] and the pitiful [Territory Creation (E)]. You could say I have the quantity but lacked quality.
"Now that you contemplated your weakness! Let me whipped you up to shape!" Scathach brought a black board with training regimes written all over it. "With two months time period we can now afford to take a proper course. 12 hours traveling, 10 hours training and 8 hours sleep. Horizon Dawn fitness up will begun now!"
Scathach's fiery eyes scared me. Cy tried to used me as a human shield and Lux already fell flat on her bottom.
Hell indeed...
...
I had only one way to describe what I felt...
Cold.
That was my training. Officially named Rem's Territory Expansion. Territory Creation expanded by usage and user's focus. To fix my range problem Scathach forced me to meditate on the ice bath with more ice than I could carried while trying to expand my territory. The cold and the headache was hell in itself.
'My lord, your focus are slipping.'
I know Central. The Desolater Blade had been summoned for thirty minutes straight as part of my secondary training: Rem's Imagination of Cold Endurance. It was a method employed by Scathach to improved my usage of [Arrival of Dream (N/A)]. The goal of this method was to improve my threshold and stamina for sustaining my creation. It was migraine inducing. I cannot even said anything because it would hurt more.
If you think I got it bad, the other two got it worse.
"Arrgh!" Lux cried in pain. "Too hot! Too hot!!!!!."
Lux was suffering under the torture called Lux's Magic Crash Coursed 1-0-1. She was strapped to a table frame and insulated from us by a portable greenhouse, Scatach set a heater to maximum blast underneath her. In front of her was an instruction on how to exercise lightning magic and an electromagnet. Poor Lux either used her magic to turn on the electromagnet and cut off the circuit or suffer non-lethal case of hyperthermia. If she failed and the circuit cut off, she would went back into a heat blasted mode.
I think the temperature in there must be around a sauna now. Poor girl.
As for our mighty leader, she had fallen as well.
"Dodge," the demon Badger knocked the goddess in the head.
A log sent the goddess sprawling. Scathach the shock some mana into got her up and running.
"Enough..." Cytortia got up, weight still strapped to her body, as she staggered for dear life. "I gave up. Please make it stop."
Scathach told her to changed into her sport gear. Then climbed on her shoulder like Yoda from hell. What await was a running circuit Scathach procured out with magics. Tires, swinging logs, cement wall and a monkeys bar hanging over a pool of water, it was the children play-ground of hell.
Cy must a run a lap around this hell circuit while motivated by demonic badger herself. The first quartered forced her passed three swinging logs that would knock her off-balance. The next quarter forced her to climb over the 5 meters high cement wall, then through the field of tires and finally ending the lap with a monkey-bars.
Oh,and whenever she faltered Scathach would pumped mana into her to keep going. By the fifth lap she was a soggy mess who moved more like a zombie.
And we are stuck here until Scatach said enough.
...
Two hours later
I and Lux found ourselves sitting back to back. The plan was that our temperature difference will aid the recovery.
Brrr....it is too cold. I still couldn't feel my legs. This was worse than the time Jeane mixed Vodka and slurpee together with coconut juice and some weird salt. Every thing was spinning painfully. Yet, I am happy, my torture was truly over.
Lux had a packet of ice resting out her head. She could barely talked.
As for Cy, she joined us and fainted in a soggy exhausted divine heap.
Scathach looked at as and sighed.
"You guys really got a long way to go." Scathach sighed. "We still had a sparring session with me after this. Get ready in thirty minute."
She beat us easily of course.
Then another round of same old torture.
Then getting trash by that satanic badger.
Rinse and Repeat.
For. Ten. Hours.
CREATORS' THOUGHTS 
JWL09
JWL09 ARC 2
Sorry about possible spelling error. Feel free to correct or comment if anything goes wrong. I will be slowing down the release because I still had to work out the detail in Arc 2.
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