MM - Chapter 142 - BLOOD BETWEEN FRIENDS

Raine traversed lantern-lit streets, steps light with anticipation of Mel's progress. He arrived at the arena to find the usual mass of players lined up to test themselves on the sands of the Tower of Triumph. Despite the late hour, they numbered in the thousands, all crowding together, eager to advance down their martial paths.

The hubbub was no shock. With the forums, word spread quickly that the reward for clearing the Tower's second floor was one gold. That was after already receiving an achievement and title for the first floor. The third and fourth gave a level-equivalent Common Grey armor and weapon respectively. As for the reward gifted upon overcoming the tenth wave of the fifth floor, Raine might be the only person alive who knew.

The clamor and excitement in the air was matched by the people's nervousness and fear. The Tower did not pull punches. Each time you entered, it was a battle to the death. There was no escape, no running, and no suicide option. Still, it was worth it for many. Dying in the Tower wouldn’t result in lost Superiority. At level fifteen, a silver per hour of grinding was considered decent, so the five silver entrance fee and only needing to clear the second floor’s ten waves for that shiny gold piece had the populace lining up in droves.

Raine breathed deeply, savoring the stimulating environment. After locking himself in a workshop for hours, it was just what he needed. The varied aroma of massed humanity also flowed in, bringing a nod. This was what ZionLine should be: people coming together to push their limits and advance, sweaty or not.

It was the atmosphere Raine wanted to cultivate in Astra Infernum. Those with the drive to progress would find no shortage of opportunities under his banner.

Curious at the state of the city’s martials, he accessed the leaderboard. Unsurprisingly, he was still at the top of the level category. Being tied with his core members brought a conflicted twist to his lips. Seeing Astra Infernum’s emblem next to each of the top ten spots was a dream come true. Yet, as a guild leader, it was his responsibility to set an example, a goal to strive towards.

Raine knew well the motivational difference between a guild with an equal-level leader and one who always stayed a few steps ahead. The only fitting word was vast.

Two outside days until the recruitment drive. Six days… I can make it if I skip a few bind points. I can get the boomstick materials at the same time. Those won’t be easy to harvest without the right tools, which I’ll have to make. First, gotta give the kids a little guidance.

Bypassing the long lines, Raine headed inside the arena. He checked the tower ranking tab. Fizgore was in second place after reaching the tenth wave of the fourth floor. Rhino was in third, still on the ninth wave. Celeste was the city's new champion at the first wave of the fifth floor.

What a monster. She's barely got a week of ZL time under her belt and is outperforming Fizgore. His family’s training is no less rigorous than the Phoenix Clans. He should be leagues ahead of her. Is he struggling with a mental block?

The lines of players began at several kiosks, each bringing players into an arena challenge or the Tower for a small fee. Five of the short pedestals had only a couple players dawdling nearby. Those were Raine’s destination. He slipped by the players, who eyed him critically, mumbling questions in his wake.

“Who’s this guy?”

“Don’t recognize him. Can’t read his info either.”

“Some kind of obfuscation skill?”

“Cool armor… Is that a demon skull? Hey, buddy. Where’d you get that armor?”

Raine ignored them, accessing the nearest kiosk. He scanned the list of rented arena floors, finding his group by the guild logo next to Fizgore’s name. Renting an entire floor cost several times more than a quick duel, battle, or Tower attempt, hence the lack of attention to these kiosks. With a tap, Raine vanished from the arena lobby, leaving the two observers flabbergasted that he didn’t even glance their way.

“You must be getting uglier. Even the guys are ignoring you now.”

“Shut it, Corban! He didn’t even flinch at the fifteen gold rental. He’s exactly the kind of person the boss sent us here to look for.”

“Right,” they shared a look, then each accessed a kiosk, checking the registry to see which group increased in player count.

Raine appeared in the stands to see Fizgore, Rhino, Celeste, and Mel battling below. They were split in two, the girls and boys squaring off. It only took a glance to judge their current attribute optimization. Surprisingly, Mel was in the lead in that regard. Raine pegged her around 45%. She was followed closely by Celeste at 43%.

From a good thirty-meter distance, Mel danced through Celeste’s blisteringly-fast Charged Blasts. Mel returned the favor by occasionally creating a shimmering circle of light above Celeste’s head. After a 1-second delay, a Ray of Judgment would shoot down from the little pool, lancing through the sands where Celeste stood a moment ago.

[Charged Blast: (Adept - Fire) Launches a ranged attack with staff, wand, or bare hands, increasing damage by 75%. Manipulate one or more facets to suit your needs. Range, Acceleration, Intensity, Force, Area (Cost: 1-26 EP depending on facets) (Cooldown: 1 second)]

[Ray of Judgment: (Beginner) Launches a ranged attack against a target within sight using mace, wand, dagger, or bare hands, dealing 220% damage (Cost: 5 CP) (Cooldown: 3 seconds)]

Neither was scoring any hits nor taking the necessary actions to ensure their next attack would strike true. Raine sighed, disappointed.

Clearly, I didn’t properly impart how vital it is to take every practice as seriously as a battle to the death.

As if his thoughts summoned their attention, both girls looked in his direction before jerking their heads back toward each other. Their focus jumped several-fold, each attack and evasion taking on the desperation he wanted to see. They closed the distance on each other, determination flashing in their eyes.

At least they’ve learned to not lose focus of their surroundings. These two, on the other hand…

Fizgore and Rhino were duking it out with little regard for anything other than scoring the next hit. If Celeste launched a blast at them, they would fail to notice it until the explosion put them on their backs. At least their movements were sharp and desperate, each seeking an unprotected gap in the other’s armor to score a critical hit.

Unfortunately, their strength was uncontrolled, neither reaching the 40% attribute optimization that should be the minimum standard of any core guildy. Raine reminded himself that he was not in the past and his standards didn’t exist yet.

Good thing I decided to come. 

Raine clapped his hands, utilizing the full 541 Potency he was capable of. The sonic boom created would have deafened any lower-level players standing nearby. The effect was instant. The four spun to face him, eyes wide.

Having their attention, he wasted no time mincing words, “Fizgore, pass me ownership for a sec.” The large, bare-chested man nodded, sending his afro bobbing. When Raine was notified that he owned the rented space, he immediately teleported himself to the sands. He then made several quick adjustments to the floor’s rules before returning ownership to Fizgore.

All four frowned when they felt varying degrees of weakness and strength flow into their muscles. Raine explained before they could ask, “I set a forced rule for your attributes. They are now at a standard for level 25 players with a randomized 10% variance. Each fight, you’ll need to adjust to slightly altered attributes. Additionally, the pain threshold is back to the usual 40%. I’m sure you noticed the arena defaults to 10%. While it might seem like a good idea to train with lower stakes, I assure you, falling into that trap will be devastating to your long-term potential. The arena must not become a safe haven to hide from the dangers of ZL.”

Fizgore bowed politely, “Thank you for your thoughtfulness, brother. We did consider the pain threshold. However, the greatest gift of life is friendship, and these fights are to the death.”

Raine responded in words that would strike a chord in his old friend, “Kindness to your enemy is cruelty to yourself. Your enemy is fear. Be not afraid of pain or death; fear only the act of standing still. I watched you and Rhino fight…” The implication that he noticed something had Fizgore subconsciously holding his breath. “Do you know what it is you lack, brother?”

Fizgore leaned forward, eyes alight with anticipation, “I have lived at the precipice for two years, not understanding my own path. How could I know?”

Raine nodded sagely, unsurprised. Fizgore, by his own definition, was a lover, not a murderer. He left his family to find his own path after they insisted he join the national stage. There, he would have been forced to kill merely to satisfy the greed of whichever city championed him. The irony was that if Fizgore did as his family desired, he would have found what he lacked. It was the very reason the national stage and martial competitions came into being in the first place.

What Fizgore needed was a mirrored need in all those on the martial path, including Raine. He met each of their gazes, drawing them in with a silent promise. The promise of reaching the same level of impossible skill he’d showcased repeatedly during the raid. Luckily for them, for the entire world, what they needed could be found in spades within ZionLine.

Raine’s words were soft. They strained to hear as he revealed the secret: “Desperation. Desperation is the key to every martial path. Only when the stakes are highest, your life in the balance, can you pull forth every nanometer of your strength. Hidden potential, talent, the genesis of mental abilities, all are fueled by desperation. So push forward with desperation. Break through the shackles of common sense. Fight with everything on the line, and die, so you may rise stronger tomorrow.”

The full brunt of Raine’s bloodlust burst free from his skin. It washed over them in a crimson wave, terror driving home his words in a way that simply listening never would. A heavy spear appeared in his grip. Raine spun it with familiar precision, his movements pristine and smooth despite his attributes being reduced to the same level as theirs.

The butt of his spear thudded heavily into the sands. He shouted with all his might, “We are Astra Infernum! We do not raise our fists wishing for an easy death! We do not turn from danger. We fear, but we do not relent! Now come! Show me your limits so that we may shatter them together!”

It was impossible to say whether fear or Raine’s speech drove Rhino to throw his spear, activating Warriors Toss. However, it was crystal clear that the missile streaking through the air drove the others to action. Fizgore rushed in, one-handed mace raised, shield leading the way.

Mel and Rhino split, running to opposite sides of Raine. Meanwhile, Celeste hung back, her staff already whirling as it spat deadly bolts of fire. Raine casually stepped to the side, and Rhino’s spear flew past his head. Mel tried to predict his dodge with a Ray of Judgment but overestimated how far he would move to evade. The lance of light harmlessly punched into the sand.

Raine kicked off the ground, dashing to meet Fizgore’s charge. In practice or a real skirmish, it was common courtesy to target the healers first. However, Raine aimed to find and exploit their weaknesses to help them grow, not dismantle them as quickly as possible. He met Fizgore with a flurry of strikes, stabs, and slashes. The added challenge of keeping the pressure on the trained martial while avoiding Celeste’s blasts had Raine’s heart pumping.

Each of his strategically placed attacks led Fizgore’s guard further to the side until he was open enough for Raine’s foot to lash out and clip an ankle. Before his friend realized he was falling, Raine was already past him and sprinting toward Celeste. He dodged and weaved through her barrage, closing in with deadly sincerity. If he reached her, there was no doubt in her mind that she would experience death.

Mel and Rhino were now perfectly divided on opposite sides of him. Raine had been counting the seconds, and when Rhino used Warriors Toss right on queue, he was ready. Instead of dodging the spear, he grabbed hold as it sailed past. His momentum took a ninety-degree turn, sending him barreling toward Mel. She was, after all, the healer.

Rhino tried to withdraw his spear, but Raine’s Connection covered its entire length, interrupting the weapon’s innate skill—Revert. This was a critical weakness of reverting weapons that the boy needed to know about.

Raine reached Mel in seconds. She maintained her cool despite his bloodlust hammering into her. Once more trying to predict his movements, she Lunged to the left as the point of his spear darted toward her stomach. The shaft of his spear slid through loose fingers, changing to a long grip mid-thrust. A twist of the arm allowed the spear to find its target, digging into her thigh and sending her Lunge off course. She crashed into the sand and rolled to her feet just in time for both of Raine’s feet to smash into her chest.

The air left Mel’s lungs as she was thrown into the arena wall. Raine recovered from his horizontal pole vault with a Lunge off Connection-hardened air. Flying toward Celeste, he looked and pinned Rhino with a look that spoke volumes. He released the boy’s spear, and it promptly teleported to its owner’s hands.

By creating a hard panel of air above him, Raine forced his trajectory lower to dodge Celeste’s next Charged Blast, which was loaded with extra Elemental Power to boost its speed and potency. She had even activated her staff’s innate skill, causing the flame to take on a sickly green hue.

[Staff of Demonic Incineration: (Marvelous Gold - LVL 25) (EP +150) (DEF +35) (AS -.25) (PHY +60) (CNC +60) (Durability 200/200) (Innate skill - Demonic Infusion: Convert any conjured flames to those of demonic origin granting viscosity that deals 100% damage over 15 seconds) (Uses: 99/100 refreshes at midnight)]

She wasn’t the only one pulling out all their tricks. Raine felt his attention yank toward Fizgore against his will as the man shouted, “Ya Mutha!” Raine’s mentality could not be so easily swayed. Unlike most debuffs, taunts measured the wielder's determination against their target’s self-control. If Raine were the type to easily succumb to his desires, he might have been swayed to chase after Fizgore with mad abandon.

[Negative affliction resisted: Taunted]

He does realize there’s no need to shout that to activate it, right?

After using the cloak on the others a few times, Fizgore had no idea it could be resisted. Judging by Celeste’s wide-open jaw, she didn’t realize it either. Raine’s spear dug deep into her shoulder, and his follow-up kick sent her flying into the wall, the same as Mel. Instead of finishing her, Raine pivoted toward Rhino.

The boy bravely accepted his fate, releasing a war cry as he charged to meet Raine head-on.