I pull myself higher, and lightning comes down from the sky, crashing against my body. A few more follow, and, unlike previously, I don't even try to redirect them with an orb. Instead, they crash against a thin layer of mana across my skin. The charge still causes my hair to rise up before it settles back down, damp under the rain.
Some of the raindrops contain mana, and some don't. If I try to block them all, my mana drains before I get close to the peak. So now, I have many, many more small sections of it lighting up against them.
I thought it would be more difficult, but it is something I can do even with my current capabilities. I think it is Lissandra’s intention to make me use my abilities more efficiently and to push me to realize it.
In a way, it doesn't even feel like training. It's just her throwing me into shitty situations and telling me to deal with it and adapt. Even now, she rarely tells me exactly what to do, she just gives me a rough idea, and the rest is up to me.
Another stone avalanche begins to rain down at the same moment as the clouds darken the sky further, forcing me to rely on mana-based perception more. I know that this avalanche isn't something I can avoid, as I have tried it many times before. Instead, I change the fluctuation of the mana on my hand and stab it into the mountain, barely driving it inside a little. Most of my remaining mana flickers across my skin as I brace myself to endure the hits, with my face turned toward the falling rocks to at least partially avoid some before I move higher.
Then, what feels like ten minutes later, the dark clouds around me begin to thin out, and the gravity weakens to the point that I feel extremely light and fast. The lightning stops, and there is no thunder anymore, and no rain.
Slowly, sunlight pierces the dark clouds, landing around me and making me realize how cold I have been the entire time. More light passes through, allowing me to see more of the area, and my eyes are pulled toward one place.
What I thought was the top I had climbed is just a small fake peak, and a bit further beyond it, there is another slope beginning. Its surface is reminiscent of the old ruins of a city, covered in vines and fauna that are taking over. The air around it wavers under intense heat, and there are zones that seem covered in poisonous clouds.
There is probably some metaphor to be said in this situation, something about there always being a higher mountain, but I just wonder if I fall there, will I remanifest at the bottom of this part or of the first mountain.
It is a silly question, as the answer seems too obvious, knowing the personality of... oh, yes, it is Lissandra I train with.
Still, I find myself giddy and addicted to this feeling. I have learned so much about myself, about all the capabilities I have and am not even using fully. It is, truly, addicting.
But I can't allow myself to get lost in that feeling. Here, I really like that muscular demon’s philosophy of looking down at people who are controlled by their feelings. He always controls himself, only letting loose when he judges it reasonable.
So I wait for a bit. I bathe in the light and observe how much Lissandra limited my body this time and what I have to work with.
Then, I move to climb again.
The place surrounding me now is a battlefield, the surface of a planet with many craters, some of them city-sized, others much smaller. There are giant animals reminiscent of goats, with spikes growing from their backs and burning fur. Against a fallen tower nearby, a similarly gigantic figure rests. A massive iron spear pierces the thylarin's chest, skewering his skyscraper-sized body to the ground.
“One of your memories?” I ask the silver haired woman.
Her eyes stay on the place for a while longer before she nods, but she doesn't say anything about it and just continues the training.
“You have told me you don't intend to strengthen your Empyrean Ichor trait beyond the third stage. Putting aside your delusions about getting your hands on fourth-stage strengthening, I want to hear what led you to this decision.”
“Before I answer, are the fourth and fifth stages that rare?”
“They are. Four possible strengthenings are something that becomes possible for your traits as you become a Champion, and the fifth is for when you become an Absolute, with the fifth being the limit. Then there are possible evolutions that often reset your stages, forcing you to strengthen your trait again. Furthermore, there is a huge difference between the quality of traits. Some third-stage traits can be stronger than a fifth-stage.”
“So, as always, it is not so simple.”
“Indeed.”
I take my eyes off the huge thylarin’s body and say, “I don't like the idea of delving too deeply into Empyrean Ichor or the lance. I worry it would influence my primary class or options too much.”
“And why is that a worry?”
“They all failed or went into hiding. The most powerful of the Empyreans were akin to demigods, with likely much purer blood than I will ever have, and even divine hearts, yet it didn't mean that much. You just see skills, hear of them, someone mentions how powerful the Thaumarch was, and that's it. Even their god is dead. What remains are the fragments, a corpse people like me use.”
“Your way of thinking is very arrogant, little pup. Those whom you talk about were among the most powerful beings this universe has birthed. Many would be happy to ever reach a fragment of the power they carried.”
“I know.”
“So why?”
My head still feels wobbly as I try to keep myself together. I feel something akin to a tugging on my mind, threatening to unwind what makes me me. To make me lose myself within it all.
But, no matter how much I spread myself thin. No matter how many parts of me I see manifested in this space. No matter how many months have passed, how deep thought acceleration goes, or what Lissandra throws at me. A core that is me blazes in the middle of it all, always gathering all these pieces together.
The main part of me that makes up my personality and the most important things about me. My focus, my ability to channel, all my effort, and the precious memories and bonds I hold.
“I don't think I could give it my all if I knew it was a road someone else already walked, and that was proven to not be enough. Maybe I could walk that road better, yes, push more than them, or have a bit more luck. But I think I can do better if I do it my way,” I say.
There is a dead human wearing beautiful blue armor with his eyes wide open as he stares at the sky. No wounds are visible on him at all, and I move my hand over his eyelids to close his eyes.
“I will see how the strengthenings change my Mana Physique, and then I will focus on it to evolve and make it even stronger until it is the thing that influences my blood and not the opposite. Though I'm sure I will make up some things as I go. And what's your plan?"
Her eyes linger on one body in the distance as she answers, "It is something I would rather not share, as there are beings that could listen."
"Even here?"
"Even here," she confirms.
"Usually you wouldn't let them, or wouldn't care about that at all. What you plan must be truly nasty."
A smile appears on her face as the light dances in her eyes. "Something like that."
This time I have to run. What is in front of me is a stretch of flat, grassy ground. The sky is blue with no clouds, and there is a slight breeze. The gravity is similar to that of the eleventh tutorial floor. There are no trees, no rocks, no buildings, or any obstacles. There isn't even a finish line I have to run toward.
My single objective here is to run as fast as possible. Once I start running, I'm not allowed to drop under a certain level of speed, and that limit continues to increase to force me to run faster.
I have probably already failed a few thousand times.
As I stand there, I shake my head to stop myself from blanking out after a long remanifestation, as my body seems like it's about to sway and fail. The edge of my vision is hazed over, and there are manifested subminds of mine around. They are even talking to me, though it sounds distant somewhat.
When I turn to look at them, they disappear, moving to the edge of my vision, and the voices start sounding in my head, louder and louder. Lissandra also says something that I pick up the meaning of, but I don't hear the exact words.
I open my mouth to say something, but no words come out. So I close my mouth, move my chin a bit, and try to talk again, only for some funny noise to escape me.
I chuckle and smile. The air is nice, and I take a deep breath just as I feel the breeze pressing against me.
My body begins to lean ahead and fall, and I let it happen. My vision clears a little, and mana races through my body. Just when it seems like I'm about to faceplant against the ground, I send another burst through my legs and explode into a run. Immediately, the area turns into a blur, and the attacks that have been shooting at me previously do so again, forcing me to dodge them nimbly while attempting not to lose any speed.
It is maybe a few hours later. Or maybe it is weeks. Possibly centuries? How would I know?
Around me, there are hundreds of figurines, me and all of them, standing in what is a beautiful meadow full of flowers with some trees in the distance. Each of these figurines has its own natural barrier that is different from the others, and requires a different method to pierce.
Some figurines are wooden, others are metal or covered in fabric. Some are even that luxurious kind of dark wood, covered in white fabric, like the sort you would see in a high-end, fancy suit shop. None of the figurines have a face, and all of them are moving. A few steps here and there, a small circle, waving hands, and such.
My objective is to locate the one that is about to attack me. That charge of that attack is purposefully hidden, and every time, too powerful. It is at the level of an Absolute, so it is nothing I could stop.
But if I hit the figurine a short moment before the attack launches, that attack will get canceled out.
It might be because of boredom, but I have also counted the length of this exercise, though I don't know how much time passed previously during the other ones. I decided not to count again after this exercise is over. There is a reputation I have to upkeep.
There are 417 figurines. The average number of attacks per 60 seconds is 11. The time between each attack averages 5.45 seconds. The total number of attacks that made me remanifest is 1,568,160. The total seconds that passed is 8,553,601. The estimated number of flowers in the meadow is about 667,213, and I'm still annoyed as I think I didn't count them all.
It is good training, as it allows me, without any danger, to try to observe and react to charging of an Absolute level attack. Even if it's currently not useful at all.
I think I will fail this one, as it is just too ridiculous, but I also think I'm okay with it.
10,163,222 seconds later, I succeed.
An unknown amount of time later, a notification jumpscares me.
Congratulations, you have acquired a new skill!