MM - Chapter 166 - THE FLORA, AND THE FAUNA

After inviting all the recruits into an army raid group, Raine led them across fields stained with chest-high grass. The high sun basked them in warmth, settling exhaustion into their bones. The core team ran interference on the fringes, slaughtering low-level beasts that grew curious or hungry.

Meanwhile, Raine’s sensitive ears caught snippets of the many hushed conversations. As expected, they were excited, anxious, and blown away by the core players’ power and speed, but above all, curious about this new world and what it meant to be here, experiencing life at triple time dilation.

One by one, Raine dolled out guild invitations, going down a very long list created by Morty. Earlier, before any of them arrived in ZionLine, Raine watched the recruits through the eyes of Morty’s drones as they showed up for their first day of work at Belehorn Tower. There, instead of a grand welcoming to match the guild’s emblem outside, they battled with the confusion of little to no direction on where to go or what to do.

As expected, a few showed leadership qualities, organizing the rest into teams to follow the drones rather than being led away one at a time. They were taken to rooms with five beds and five headsets and then given a few basic instructions before being left to their own devices. Those who showed initiative to either speed up their own progress or the progress of others received a point that Morty diligently tallied.

Inside ZionLine, they were met with many more questions than answers. The realism of the inside world hit hard; going from tiny, sterile rooms to a bustling town packed with outsiders was shocking to the point that even those who thought themselves prepared were stunned into indecision. The recruits who didn’t swiftly recover lost points, while again, those who pushed others were rewarded. Stealthed and gliding above the town in circles, Raine recorded it all, allowing Morty’s ruthless tallying to continue.

By the time the last finally made it to Rhino, several hundred had already earned their spots in the guild. Raine’s bloodlust pulsed so quickly that most thought they imagined the existential dread that brushed against the spines. As intended, his mental ability brought immediate silence. 

Raine’s voice reached all their ears as though speaking from a meter away. “Some have already been invited to join Astra Infernum. I’m sure the rest of you are curious why you haven’t been included, yet. You’ll have a chance to prove you belong here soon enough. So far, we’ve been judging your initiative and ambition when you didn’t know you were being watched. Those who passed are now members. There are many more tests to come; you need only pass one. Next: combat. Those who feel their strengths lie in battle take positions along the outside edges of your formations and protect the rest from the wolves. Core members, stand down.”

They were slow to respond, as any group of massed people lacking formal training were. Raine had been through this many times before and knew just how to motivate them. With the core group no longer hindering them, the rampant wolves quickly drew closer. When the first screams filled the air with the sounds of awaiting meat, the rest of the beasts grew bold.

“Those of you who die, group up at the same gate we left from and wait there. You won’t be disqualified.”

Fear, as always, proved an excellent motivator. Those who didn’t wish to have their throats torn out made way for the bloodthirsty warriors who desired nothing more than to test themselves against ZionLine’s supposedly realistic combat. Vastly outnumbering the beasts, the recruits made short work of the wolves. Only the bravest, who dove into the fighting quickly, received Superiority for their efforts. All the while, Raine circled above. The scant few who noticed him Lunge into the air and disappear received a point.

It took nearly fifteen minutes for a semblance of organization to settle into the ranks again, and the march to the forest continued.

“Those fighting, separate into groups of five to earn Superiority so you can begin leveling. You won’t receive anything for mindlessly attacking in a mob.”

Those governed by greed were quick to comply. Some even braved fighting solo, at least for a while. The next three hours became a grueling, non-stop battle for survival. None wanted to experience death, yet ZionLine did everything in its power to initiate them into the joys of being eaten and gored.

As always, when humanity massed, the harsh nature of the world responded, spawning many, many additional threats. Without letting them see, Raine silently wiped out tens of thousands of gathering beasts.

When they neared the witch’s cabin, Raine threw the survivors a bone.

“Those not participating in combat, access the skill store and learn Mend. Do your best to keep the fighters alive.” Part of Raine’s initial instructions was to not utilize their first general skill point. It was inevitable that among so many, a few would disregard instructions. They weren’t disqualified or penalized so long as they showed results. Raine had no desire for Astra Infernum to be a place that squashed creativity. Disobeying some rules was fine for those who earned the right through sheer competence.

Raine kept a careful eye on those who wanted to pave their own way. A particular party, clearly familiar with each other considering their teamwork, was making short work of the forest’s boars. They utilized a mix of skills and weapons, all geared toward melee, and were putting them to good use while displaying a solid martial foundation.

It didn’t take Raine long to remember them; they were the young martials he encountered when taking the class four martial exam at Gallant’s Gym. Whenever the beasts consolidated, threatening to break through the ragtag defenders, the hastily-dubbed gym bros were there in the thick of it, accruing Superiority faster than almost everyone else. With an approving nod, Raine sent them invites.

Donnie, was it? Never got the names of the others. They also helped spread the news about the recruitment drive. Glad they made it through Morty’s pruning.

There was another group that had pulled Raine’s attention, though for a more sinister reason. They were spies from CronGate he recognized well, and he doubted they were the only ones. Spies were an inevitability when so many credits were on the line. Raine had no intention of ousting them; he would get the most out of them when the moment was ripe.

On the outskirts, a dark-haired man with a thick, foot-long beard wore an exultant, borderline creepy grin as he, alone, took on beasts two and three at a time. He only took blows once from each enemy, then perfectly evaded them after, no matter how many surrounded him. He steadily hacked through his enemies, using a starting short sword more like a cleaver or axe. He’d earned an impressive three pieces of gear already and was the first among the recruits to reach level 1.

Raine had been keeping a sharp eye on him since he first arrived at Belehorn Tower. He was a strange one for sure, showing up in an old-fashioned self-propelled wheelchair, missing both legs. However, that wasn’t what garnered Raine’s focus; being crippled outside meant little in ZionLine, and therefore, meant little to Raine. The interest was because the man appeared on Morty’s thermal scan as a class four martial expert—the further one traversed down the martial path, the more heat was produced in the cells and was subsequently shunted from the body.

There were only a handful of recruits at the class three standard, stumbling into a class four was potentially a huge gain. Raine tempered his expectations. It was impossible to know how someone so injured in a martial duel would respond to ZionLine’s realistic and brutal combat. Instead of panicking or going totally crazy, the man fought ferociously, reveling in each victory without losing himself. Raine found it impossible to dislike the bearded man’s enthusiasm, and his fears were quickly put to rest.

Yet, the fact a man who used to be an expert couldn't afford prosthetics was telling. The loss that took his legs must have taken everything. Usually, even injured experts could find work as instructors and earn a decent income. Instead of giving up completely, he kept searching for something more, and found his way to Raine.

I’ll make sure he never has a reason to regret again.

Intrigued on how best to push the man forward, Raine landed next to him, impact softened by Connection. He was noticed straight away. The man tensed, fingers clenching his hilt while the other hand closed into a warning fist. His expression was hard; clearly, he was ready to defend himself if Raine was there to cause trouble.

Good response.

“That sword doesn't suit you.” Raine let his words hover in the air to see the man's response. As predicted, he grew more defensive, determined to protect what was his, even if it was only crappy starter equipment. Raine grinned; that feral attitude would take the man far. “I think a hatchet would fit you better, maybe two?”

The man's eyes widened in surprise, then squinted suspiciously. “How—”

Raine’s bellowing voice cut him off, “The first thousand to reach each level will receive two pieces of equipment from me up till level 15!” Raine withdrew two level 1 hatchets and flipped them around to grasp the blades, extending the handles. “Congratulations on being the first to level. Name?”

Suddenly embarrassed, the man couldn't hold Raine's eyes and instead fixated on the hatchets. He took them slowly as if the handout wasn't ideal to his sensibilities. “Uh, Bear. Call me Bear. Is there a way to change your name?”

Quirking a brow, Raine sorted the raid list by level and found the man's full name: BearlyAlive.

Don't recognize him. He must have come from a long way to escape whatever past was holding him down by the throat. Well, he won't find any of that here.

“Nope. Decisions in this place have a tendency to be permanent. Keep up the good work, Bear.”

Bear had already equipped the hatchets. His eyes glowed as they reappeared in his hands. With a roll of the wrists, the dual weapons whistled through the air in clean arcs. When he looked up to thank his new benefactor, Bear found himself alone.

Raine reappeared before the old wooden fence surrounding the witch’s estate. The lead group had reached their destination and was about to do something particularly stupid. “Don’t touch those,” Raine cautioned the over-eager youngsters approaching the dead adventurers and their cursed gear, the very same corpses that granted him the cursed ring what felt like months ago.

Their leader scratched at the back of his head, unsure how to respond. “R-right. Sorry. All yours, boss.”

“It’s not like that,” Raine chuckled. “The witch we’re here to see specializes in curses. Don’t you find it interesting that those bodies are still there when every other creature that dies vanishes within a few seconds?”

“Uh, maybe? Not really sure. This is all pretty new to me. Never played a full-dive like this before.”

Raine nodded, wearing an understanding smile. “It is odd, and oddities get people killed... or worse. Touch any of that, and you’ll likely be forced to restart your account, which triggers a two-week lockout. That's two weeks outside, a month and a half in here. Not worth the risk.”

Thanks to being the raid leader, Raine didn’t need to repeat himself; every ear heard him loud and clear. Anyone foolish enough to disregard such a blatant warning deserved their fate. Before the boy could thank him for the save, Raine snapped out his next orders. “Group one, approach individually and knock on the door. When she answers, politely accept her quest. Then, form ranks at Melbelle over there. Core members, take up defense again.”

“Roger roger!” Mel barked, snapping off an adorable salute before dashing in the indicated direction. Hundreds of heads turned, Raine understanding full well how impossible it was not to watch her run.

“Crimson, you’re in command. Once they have their quests, assign one core member to lead them back to town.” Celeste wore a look as if she wanted to complain but didn’t. Raine nodded, then withdrew a Return Stone, teleporting back to Silverlight City. It would take hours for each group of two thousand recruits to get their quests from the witch, and he had much more important things to do than stand around waiting.

The streets were even more crowded than the last time he was in the city. The average player level continued to rise, bloating the streets with the signs of life that Raine was used to seeing. Soon, Astra Infernum’s members would be amongst them, staking a claim on the resources only a city could provide. 

On his way to the crafting hall, Raine ignored several pending messages, sending one to Pamalaiha. She tried to call him back, but it was blocked by ZionLine. Speaking to someone live when they weren’t under the time dilation was heavily restricted. Raine ducked into the nearest alley and logged out. The rush of pain from his many injuries forced him to lay still for a full three breaths before returning her call.

“Did you find something?” Raine tried to keep the anxiety from his voice, failing miserably.

“Yes.” 

Pamalaiha’s simple response stirred a whirlwind of anticipation in Raine. She didn’t immediately elucidate, and he could easily imagine the sly grin she must be wearing. He flipped the call to video so she could see his expectant expression. Pamalaiha’s face appeared as well, dominating Raine’s vision. She removed the surgeon’s mask she always wore in the lab, her grin exactly as he pictured. The makeup she had worn previously was nowhere to be found, her glorious freckles on full display.

She must have left for the lab in a rush this morning; lucky me.

Pamalaiha cleared her throat softly, “I found two irregularities in your bloodwork. The…” she paused, eyes scanning her surroundings, “product created significant changes in the composition of your albumins and glob-ahem-blood plasma proteins.” Pamalaiha smiled softly, continuing with a more mundane vocabulary, “In essence, your blood has altered, increasing its ability to absorb vital nutrients.”

“Great! Then the next dose should be even more effective. Unless what you’re saying is somehow a bad thing?”

“It is and is not. The proteins in your blood are still adapting. I would estimate that the process is 27% complete. Another dose, no matter how small, before your proteins have acclimated would be disastrous. The two samples I tested melted.”

“Melted?!” Raine’s brows shot up. He’d seen ReGen overdose and sickness in the past; melting definitely should not be part of the process. Raine struggled with his disappointment, not liking the idea of remaining injured and vulnerable. “I’m failing to hear the positive side of this, Doctor.”

Pamalaiha pursed her lips, pausing to consider her words, “Typical cells, human or otherwise, are inadequate for the processing of vital nutrients; the resiliency of origin energy necessitates considerable time to break down and absorb, even in small doses. As you well know, it takes decades of conditioning before the cells can fully accept origin energy. That is precisely what your plasma is changing to do, and it is already 27% of the way through the process. Impossibility of that aside, I believe if you consumed more vital nutrients, your injuries would heal much more rapidly than expected, thanks to your enhanced digestion.”

Raine frowned, thoughts whirling a thousand kilometers a minute.

My cells are changing? Of course! Origin energy, mental abilities, Jedidiah’s unnatural durability, the road to grandmaster, it's all connected... The reason it takes so long to become a peak master, let alone grandmaster, is that the entire body has to be recoded to accept origin energy, or vital nutrients. Then, those nutrients need to be absorbed to further enhance the body! But nothing like what Pamalaiha is talking about happened when I took ReGen in the past. Is it because I have bloodlust now? No… she's wrong. This isn't from ReGen.

Jedidiah spoke of quenching and tempering; no way it's a coincidence that the soul flame called it tempering as well. When I used Sacrifice, those pulses of mental energy went beyond ZionLine and made my real body burn up, too. I felt so invigorated right after, and hungry! Because my cells began adapting to origin energy and consumed the last of the Qi Ock Gri in my system! That's got to be it! Oh, and the reason I couldn’t get the tempering to work a second time might be because there were no vital nutrients in my system! It makes so much sense. Damn, I should have put all this together days ago.

Wait. Why did Jedidiah think I hadn't undergone quenching or tempering if I clearly did? Shit. I'm still missing so many pieces of the puzzle.

“Thanks Pamalaiha. You helped solve a little mystery that’s been bothering me. It wasn’t your… product that caused the changes you’re talking about. It was something else. I’ve got to go. Before I forget again. I started growing some plants at my place. If there’s anything specific you need for production, let me know.”

Pamalaiha tapped the corner of her mouth with a seemingly delicate finger. There was no way she knew how vicious and creepy the smile was that grew on her lips. Her gaze was sharp and unwavering, yet danced with mischief Raine hadn’t seen in her before, “I’ll have to drop by and… thoroughly examine things for myself. I’ll prepare a list with my specific requirements.”

Raine’s heart thudded in his chest as he nodded dumbly. When a woman changed drastically like that while maintaining such fierce eye contact, it could only mean one thing. “Sure. See you soon.” Ending the call, he rubbed at a temple with his good hand.

Sounds like the Doc wants to examine the flora and the fauna. I need to talk to Mel. Oh yeah. They worked together all morning. I wonder how that went?