Our days on the flying ship passed quickly. We were given small rooms to rest and recover, which some cadets needed more than others, including myself. I wasn’t tired – no, that was impossible – but I had to brood over certain thoughts. Especially after they dropped that bombshell.
Other races.
Razarn was full of surprises, and the Council full of secrets. I never expected us to know all about the dangers outside the Bastions. The Council tried very hard to ensure the civilians didn’t have to be afraid. The public, especially the unBlessed, received sparse information, which was probably for the best, as it helped maintain order in society. To a certain extent, at least. People were prone to fear the unknown, and so was I.
I should be afraid of the other races roaming Razarn, yet I couldn’t help but marvel at the mysteries our planet was hiding. Was it stupid that I was dreaming about adventuring, about traveling across Razarn to see all the beauty the planet had to offer? Probably. As an Adept, I’d be killed within 24 hours. Even though I knew that, I imagined myself traveling Razarn, alongside Aureus, our new companion, maybe even Daniel and others.
My parents.
A poke, faint yet fierce, pierced my heart as I thought about my family. I knew I wasn’t going to see them a lot when I decided to join the Camp, but flying to unknown places made it worse. I didn’t think I would feel that way, but I was already missing them.
A ripple of reassurance poured into me, the corners of my lips curled upward.
“I know, I am not alone,” I muttered, reaching for the bond with Aureus.
I would never be alone, not with Aureus by my side.
***
After digesting the news to the best of my abilities, I rested a little. Against my expectations, I fell asleep within minutes and woke up well-rested. No nightmares of other races assaulting our Bastions and annihilating mankind forced their way into my mind. Instead, insatiable hunger crept up from the bottom of my stomach, filling my mind.
The flying ship was equipped with everything one could think of. An entire floor was filled with modern training equipment, and, as far as I could tell, they were as valuable and efficient as the Zerog’s ether devices. One of the rooms on the training floor resembled the ethermist cube, although it was larger than I remembered.
There was also a cafeteria, which appeared to be the gathering point for gossip and whatnot. I eavesdropped a little on the gathered masses, but most of them were talking about other races, their new Soulkins, and how cool they were. At least, it sounded like that when some Blessed bragged about their achievements – be they about their breakthroughs, combat experience, or various exams.
I was not particularly interested, so I focused on my dishes. Aureus earned a few curious glances when I summoned him to fill his stomach with high-grade meat, kibble, and other delicacies the Grand Camp prepared for the cadets’ Soulkins, but we ignored them as best we could.
Once we finished our second servings, our minds and bodies were rested and our stomachs were filled to the brim.
Training!
Aureus’ voice rang out in my head, excited and satisfied.
“Yes, we should train a little. We have a lot of catching-up to do,” I said and got up to leave when the group of young Blessed on the other side of the table said something interesting.
“Are you going to join the lectures?” a woman, small but voluptuous, asked the others.
“I don’t think so. I mean, we don’t have to join the lectures. There’s no attendance record and there’ll be no grades until we arrive at the Grand Camp,” a young man, tall, muscular, and rather handsome, responded with a shrug. “The manual is more than enough for me. You guys can go if you want, but I certainly don’t need these lectures. In the first place, they’re meant for those who lack tutelage.”
It felt like the handsome Blessed pointed at me with the last bit, but he hadn’t so much as glanced my way.
“That’s a weird way to put it. The lectures are meant to freshen up our knowledge,” a third voice added. A woman, but I couldn’t get a glimpse of her without making it too obvious. “If you don’t need it, that’s fine. You can train instead. I, for one, will join the lectures. Maybe I’ll learn something new. Maybe not.”
A chair scraped across the floor, and the chat on the other end of the table quieted down. Someone let out a curse, but I wasn’t listening anymore. I got up, motioned for Aureus to follow me, and left the cafeteria.
The manual about the Grand Camp was easy to acquire. It only took me one minute of foraging through the mess of my e-mails to find the right file and download it. I was still trying to get the hang of Etheriam, but I was getting better with it. The watch Daniel gifted me for my birthday was useful and, most importantly, it had automatically connected to the ship’s network. While I couldn’t connect with the messenger to talk to my parents, I could download all kinds of brochures.
I was… not quite sure what all those brochures were about, but they should revolve around the Grand Camp, right? Shaking my head, I pulled the downloaded files into a new folder to read through later. For now, I had a lecture to attend.
***
The lecture hall was small compared to the cafeteria and the training floor, but it was spacious enough to fit roughly several dozen cadets and their Soulkins. Most seats were occupied, and we focused on the large screens on the other side of the hall.
Aureus and I studied the holographic images of several familiar beasts; there were highly detailed images of Wagurs, Herula Beetles, and other regular Wild beasts on the left side, and fewer images of Wilds like Bloodbath Deers on the right side. There was a clear distinction between the two sides. Dozens of images of regular Wilds were shown on the left, often replaced by other common Wild beasts, whereas the right side displayed only a handful of images of the so-called ‘special’ Wilds. At least, that was what the lecturer called them.
The lecturer, a short, bald man in his early fifties, was enthusiastic. He was full of vigor as he talked about the power of beasts and their transformation into great power, even though most cadets didn’t seem particularly interested. I could understand that to a certain extent, as I had read all about the power levels of beasts and Blessed before as well. However, there was something unique about the bald lecturer.
Something about his voice made me listen more intently.
“Wild beasts are weak. Under normal circumstances, they do not possess noteworthy intelligence, and they are more often than not controlled by their instincts. Consumed by their wild attitude and the instinctive desire to grow stronger, they attack just about everything if they think it helps them improve.” The lecturer’s sonorous voice rang through the hall, garnering my full attention. “Wilds are ordinary creatures empowered by ether. Like all beasts, they absorb ether as naturally as they breathe. Unfortunately, or maybe that is our greatest fortune, Wild beasts cannot store much ether, so they disperse it through their bodies, which results in minor physical enhancements of their bodies.”
The bald man waved his hand and pointed his laser pointer at two enlarged images of a Wagur and a Herula Beetle.
“Beasts augment their physical bodies unconsciously. Their augmentation is purely instinctive, and the act – which the Blessed have replicated to develop Body Tempering techniques – is engraved into their minds, even if they do not know about it.”
He waved his hand again, and the Wagur and Herula Beetle were replaced by two Prouncers that could not look more different. One looked like the Prouncer I fought in the Windbloom Forest, whereas the other Prouncer appeared more muscular.
“Under normal circumstances, beasts augment their bodies following their instinctive drive. Therefore, beasts like Soilbacks are tough and strong. Their defense is formidable for a mere 3-Star Wild.” The image of a large lizard, a Soilback, appeared beside the Prouncers. “But there are also beasts that follow a different path. Maybe their instincts push them toward a different path, or they learned how to ignore the instinctive drive and augment their bodies in ways only they can understand. Such beasts are usually either more intelligent than their peers or have greater control over ether, allowing them to temper their bodies with more precision than most Wilds would be able to.”
I knew that much already. In fact, I had researched so much about Wilds that I learned Aureus was one of the few ‘lucky’ Wilds whose instincts pushed the mutant Soilback into augmenting his mind before anything else. The mutation, which also manifested the special trait, Paralyse, was the reason he refined his mind. That, among other things, was also explained by the bald lecturer.
The image had shifted to a Bloodbath Deer, which the lecturer used as a prime example of one of many special cases among Wild beasts.
The tale has been taken without authorization; if you see it on Amazon, report the incident.
“The instinct of Uniques is pulled differently. They naturally prioritize their unique characteristics, often labeled as Traits, to strengthen.” He cleared his throat, and the images shifted rapidly again. The images of most weak Wilds disappeared, while a few familiar images of Awakened beasts materialized beside the Bloodbath Deer and other beasts with special traits. “Uniques can already wield a portion of their dormant power. Henceforth, their probability of advancing to the Awakened Rank without the addition of external resources is greater. After all, all research performed in the last few hundred years indicated that only beasts with the ability to tap into their dormant potential can advance to the Awakened Rank.”
Racial traits, I thought, nodding slowly. Traits manifested in the event of a mutation were not necessarily the same as racial traits; however, such traits increased a Wild beast’s potential drastically, nonetheless.
Aureus’ trait, while not the sole reason, contributed greatly to my success. It was one of the major reasons Daniel’s parents accepted me as his retinue – why they invested so much in me and Aureus’ growth.
“Beasts grow through ether, their souls, minds, and physical might empowered. Every beast has a dormant power to wield, special characteristics they can unravel to advance. However, not all of them have the means to tap into their potential and grasp those powers.”
Most Awakened beasts didn’t have active traits like Paralyse or the Earthen Aspect Aureus manifested when he evolved to an Earthheart, but it was not like active traits were a necessity to reach the Awakened Rank. As far as I could remember, any kind of trait – if it is potent enough – can unlock the pathway to the Awakened Rank.
“Whereas the gap between Wilds and Awakened is great, the power granted from the Metamorphosis is much greater than any power an Awakened can reach.” The lecturer’s voice gained more grandeur. He did not talk much more about the Awakened Rank. Instead, he pushed ahead, shifting the holographic images of beasts once more.
“The chasm between the Awakened and Evolved is massive. Beasts of the old age had to evolve and metamorphose into all kinds of mystical beings to reach that level. They shed their skin and became different beings, hence the Rank’s name – Evolved.” The lecturer turned to the seated cadets with a bright smile.
He looked excited, his gaze drifting across the cadets’ bored faces. If he noticed their boredom, he didn’t show it. His gaze lingered on me, no more than a moment, yet long enough for me to note. Aureus shared my feelings and shuddered as the lecturer locked onto him.
Creepy.
“Nowadays, not all beasts have to evolve to reach the Evolved Rank. They no longer have to discard their weakness to become superior beings. As that may be, all beasts transform – some call it Metamorphosis – and become stronger selves as they advance to the Evolved Rank.” He cleared his throat, eyes locked onto a few cadets. “Most of you should have already experienced the change, but let me say it again: Evolved beasts are truly powerful. They’re also the reason mankind suffered so much when it all began.”
He shook his head and turned back to the holographic screens. The lecturer didn’t speak any more about the ‘Beginning’, which was a shame. I’d have loved to know more about the dark days when it all started. Everyone was so secretive about that time. Information was scarce, be it for the public, Blessed, or even cadets. Not even the Zerog’s information network offered many useful pieces of information about those days.
I pushed the thought aside and focused on the lecturer’s words. I’d already experienced a metamorphosis with Aureus’ evolution. In a way, at least. Maybe a ‘proper’ Metamorphosis awaited us at the Evolved Rank, maybe not. One way or another, I was certain the Earthheart would reach the Evolved Rank effortlessly.
The lecture continued for a bit. The bald lecturer mentioned the Metamorphosis a few more times and went into detail, but I wasn’t listening intently. My mind wandered, my focus on Aureus, memories of the transformation my Soulkin underwent when he evolved, but also the beast egg which stirred once. The bond with the beast egg was complete, courtesy of the perfect compatibility between the egg and my World. I could sense something within the egg, reach inside and communicate with the new member of our family, but the little one couldn’t answer just yet. He tried to, which I took as a good sign. However, the little one was impossible to understand.
Aureus forced his way into the connection, his voice resounding in my head.
Sleep!
Be nice, will you? I chuckled, shaking my head before turning back to the lecturer.
The holographic screens had changed again. This time they displayed a single beast standing beside a human, a link connecting them.
Soulkin. Soulshare. Blessed.
“…develop a strong connection with your Soulkin.” I must have missed a part of the lecture and redoubled my effort to listen. “While most Blessed consider a strong soulshare as crucial, that is not necessarily the case when it comes to a Blessed’s Rank. Do not misunderstand me – a strong soulshare is necessary to advance your Rank. However, your soulshare does not have to reach the second Stage to become an Expert.”
“Binding a beast, making it your Soulkin, unlocks ether. That, as far as we can tell, is the only requirement anyone has to fulfill to take the first step on the path of a Blessed – to become a Novice. The first step is also the easiest step. A bond – a soulshare with your Soulkin – is all you need. Advancing to the Adept Rank, however, is a little bit more complicated.” The lecturer stopped, his gaze drifting through the group of cadets once more. This time, his bright eyes locked onto a bored cadet, who was playing with his feline Soulkin. “Tell me about the requirements a Novice must fulfill to reach the Rank of an Adept officially.”
There was an edge to the lecturer’s voice. Subtle as it was, it was all the cadets needed to flinch and focus back on the lecture. Everyone stared at the screens, their backs straightened, their bodies tense. Even their Soulkins stiffened and fixed their attention on the bald man.
“I–Eeh—...You wanted me to name the requirements to advance to the Adept Rank, right?” The cadet, clearly unprepared for the sudden inquiry, fidgeted. Her feline Soulkin hissed at the lecturer, “Sir?”
“Yes. Please elaborate, cadet.” The lecturer responded calmly.
“Sure, I can do that… Sir.” The cadet cleared her throat and jumped from her chair. She stood unnaturally straight, her Soulkin trying to escape her tightening hands. “To advance to the Adept Rank, you need a strong bond with an Awakened beast, Sir!”
The lecturer raised an eyebrow, “Is that all?”
“Y-Yes?” The cadet had looked confident a moment ago, certain her answer was right, but she must have noticed the disappointment in the lecturer’s eyes.
“Sit down.”
She followed the order quietly, her cheeks red.
“Does someone else think they have the answer?” the bald lecturer asked, his gaze drifting through the hall once again. “A different answer from your fellow cadet.”
At first, nobody said anything. The seconds dragged by in uncomfortable silence until a short youth, holding a pair of sparrows in his cupped hands, stood up.
“I think I have the answer you wish to hear.”
“Go on.” The lecturer motioned to him to continue.
The young cadet cleared his throat, confidence filling his voice. “While the bond with an Awakened beast is indeed necessary to advance to the Adept Rank, offering the power required for the first change, several other conditions have to be met first. To become an Adept, ample Body Tempering is required. The researchers I talked to before mentioned that five Ether Gates, filled and refined, are needed to become an Adept.
“Other than Body Tempering with five Gates, you need a large World. Not only is a large quantity of soul energy useful for binding powerful Soulkins, but it is also necessary to stabilize the World and core, for the breakthrough to the Adept Rank not only enhances the quality of your World and body, but also expands both World and core. Regarding the World and the inner core, a Novice can only be called an Adept – a full-fledged Adept – once they can store a certain amount of ether in their core and control it with appropriate mastery. The former, once again, requires a large World, whereas the latter requires ample practice.”
The young cadet glanced at the lecturer, who nodded slowly. He sat down, satisfied with himself, while the lecturer motioned toward the holographic screens.
“Binding a beast of every rank to your World changes something inside you. A Wild beast unlocks ether, like I mentioned earlier. The bond with an Awakened beast, on the other hand, induces the first change. Your World, inner core, and body will change – improve – naturally as you bind your first Awakened beast. The same thing happens as you bind beasts of a higher rank for the first time, or when your beast evolves and naturally advances to the next Rank.” The lecturer glanced in my direction at that.
“To survive the changes mentioned earlier, you need a properly tempered body and a large World. Whether you achieved the aforementioned through multiple bonds or a singular soulshare does not matter. Still, preferably, you have already established a strong bond with the Soulkin, allowing you to monitor and alter the enhancement manually. In case your bond is strong, you do not even need five Gates. You can control the enhancement and become a half-Adept ahead of time. Fulfilling the remaining requirements to become a proper Adept can be completed thereafter in that case.”
Reaching the Adept Rank was still not all that difficult. It took some time and effort, but it was feasible. However, breaking through to a Journeyman or Expert was much harder, as far as I remembered reading. It required an enormous amount of soul energy and multiple Soulkins, depending on the beast's compatibility with the World and the Blessed, as well as the size of the World, as it determined the amount of ether a Blessed could hoard.
As far as I could trust my recollection, a Blessed’s Rank was not everything. The depth of a soulshare and the power of the respective Soulkins mattered a lot, albeit not necessarily to advance through the Ranks.
I, for one, barely met the requirements to be counted as a proper Adept. In fact, I was not even close to possessing five filled and refined Ether Gates. At this point, I had only three, each of them several times more valuable than the Gates of ordinary Blessed. In that sense, I wasn’t even a proper Adept since I didn’t have five filled Gates, yet the official reports declared me a proper Adept given the uniqueness of my Gates.
But while I was barely acknowledged as an Adept, I wouldn’t consider myself weak. In fact, most cadets – like Daniel – were born with large Worlds. They didn’t even have to refine their Worlds to reach the requirements for an Evolved. All they needed was a bit of Body Tempering and the right Soulkins to become Journeymen at a young age. And, since their Worlds were massive, as they continued to refine their already big Worlds from a young age, they could store a lot more ether in their cores. A lot more than I could. Despite that, I fought them head-on, and I won against one of them.
I may not be the strongest, but I was confident. Not necessarily in myself. If anything, I was confident in Aureus, our connection, and his desire to grow stronger.
It affected me, pushed me to keep moving.
Are you ready? Because I am! I shouted in my mind, clenching my fists while the lecturer continued to bombard us with information, both new and old.
Always!