12.3

“What do you think poison is, Purple?” Eve asked as the group moved towards a Scorpion nest. The critters large and small sensed a deadly predator moving through their territory and had begun to assemble a Swarm ahead of the party. If it was too much for her potential minions to handle, Eve would step in to prevent deaths. The idea that half-trained children would somehow have an epiphany in battle turning into hardened veteran warriors with a plethora of ultimate moves might be popular in fiction, but baseless even in this new reality. As long as they were able to learn at a steady pace she would be hands-off. However, the sunk cost fallacy wouldn’t let her stand by as her future assistants were murdered within her view by overconfidence or anything of the sort.

People mastered things through repetition in safe environments, the idea that you needed life and death experience to learn something was nothing more than bogus bull droppings in Eve’s opinion.  Granted she had personal experience in the matter that swayed her thoughts. Certainly, there were battle geniuses in any world. It was just as certain such geniuses tended to fall to steady warriors that didn’t take insane risks or to their own thrill-seeking madness. Slow steady progress was how grandmasters grew, not rapid breakthroughs that left their foundations in shambles.

I fear not the man who has practiced ten thousand kicks. Eve thought as they moved forward. I fear the man who has practiced one kick ten thousand times. Words of wisdom that hadn’t changed since her old Sergeant had spoken them in the past on Earth. They were words that still guided her thoughts even today, at least in the matter of training others.

“Poison is a drug that kills the enemy. Fast, slow, detectable, unseen, there are many variations, but they are all built towards one purpose. Death.” Purple said striding up to walk beside her.

Eve nodded and said, “Correct. Poison, at its heart, is death incarnate. The only thing that differentiates it from medicine is the dose, the amount given.” Purple’s eyes widened as the concept took root in his mind while Eve continued, “There are poisons from my world that would wipe this one from existence. Creations that could adapt to any environment, and systematically remove all life from the smallest to the largest. Poisons that could move through the food chain from tiny bugs to the largest masters of the ocean completely contaminating all parts of the chain before killing them. From the little I have read on the subject here, the power of poison is seemingly contained to quiet assassinations, or used as a secondary method of dealing additional damage.” Eve glanced at her future minion noting the boy’s nod of agreement.

“Is that what you want to be? Someone who handles the more distasteful side of your family’s business interests? There is nothing wrong in living a life in the shadows.” Eve said in a persuasive tone.

“I want to prove that poison is just as deadly, if not more than a firebolt, ax, or dwarven rifle,” Purple said firmly. “I watched growing up as those who could punch harder, kick longer, or cast faster were given everything while those among us who could not, were barely tolerated. When my Affinity for Poison was revealed through testing was the proudest moment for my parents.” Purple took a deep breath before continuing, “But to be the Malacite Heir requires overwhelming power able to silence all others. Poison is not viewed as something a capable leader would use. I need results that will change that view. Results that will make my position uncontested and unassailable.”

A wide grin split her face as Eve pointed ahead at the dark living carpet that moved towards their group, “Then get them. Train under me and I promise that the color Purple will become associated with unstoppable death.”

Gripping the other three in her power, Eve used Spatial Step to move them to the Snake’s territory. Gesturing for Red to move up beside her as they walked forward among the scraggly bushes dotting the rough landscape she said, “What do you think fire is, Red?”

“Fire is the visible effect of the process of combustion, a chemical reaction generated either through materials or mana,” Red said with visible pride as Eve gaped at him.

Rubbing her forehead Eve said, “If you are so intelligent, why did you attack me?”

“I was having a bad day,” Red said with a straight face.

Calm. Training. Minions. Calm. Eve repeated the mantra before she said, “Do you know what radiation is?” She was willing to throw her previous assumptions out and form new ones if required.

“You know of the Invisible Flame!?” Red whispered shocked as he glanced back at the girls.

Invisible flame? I can see how they think of it like that. Eve thought.

“What if I told you that everything in the world is a form of energy?” Eve said watching as Red’s face grew thoughtful, “Compressed energy formed from particles smaller than you can see without using mana senses.” She watched in enjoyment as Red’s eyes widened in shock as he clearly was using some form of detection unique to his family to confirm her words.

“Heat is nothing more than these tiny bits of energy moving very fast,” Eve said and paused throwing her hand back to halt Glass and White’s chatter. She watched as Red stilled his very breathing falling to almost imperceptible levels as his mind reached the state that even the most jaded sought.

Epiphany.

It was a state of being where the world’s secrets unraveled before a mana user granting them a tiny peek at the vast cosmos and the powers that inhabited it. Eve knew that interrupting Red now would forever close his mind to accepting any offer of employment from her. Spreading her senses out she felt the incoming wave of snakes determined to remove intruders from their territory.

Lucky child. Eve thought as she reached out with Witch’s Dust and annihilated everything scaled within a ten-kilometer radius around them. I won’t take the chance of drawing agro by accident. Consider yourself owing this one a favor I’ll cash in later. Eve twisted space around Red creating a barrier that would prevent any issues with more dust.

Grabbing the two girls in her power, Eve used Spatial Step to move them to the Turtle’s territory. She landed deliberately in front of the muddy beginning of the shelled creature’s domain. Turning to the two younger women Eve said, “Like you, no doubt have realized by now I picked specific species for each of you to hunt.” Both girls nodded as she continued, “What do you think glass and light are?”

Glass said, “My element is a non-crystalline amorphous substance that can be used to effortlessly kill.”

White said, “My element is a particle that moves at high speeds with fantastic penetration power.”

Eve nodded, “The major weakness of Glass and Light is creatures with innate defenses high enough to survive the alpha strike. The turtles here have a strong Earth affinity which will inherently provide a defensive shield against Glass. White will have problems because their bodies are built with crystalline materials causing Light to have extreme difficulty penetrating and killing them.”

Eve pointed at the turtles slowly surfacing as they recognized intruders in their territory and said, “I want you to cut down the population here by at least ten percent. Figure out how to turn your disadvantages into strengths.”

Glass asked, “Couldn’t we just ask Red or Purple to do it? I prefer to work smarter not harder.” White nodded off to the side in agreement.

Eve smiled a saccharine smile and said, “I can tell that both of you have rather decent values in the Charm Stat for Tier Three. Are you perhaps used to teasing young men with your body in return for them working themselves to the bone?”

Glass smirked at the imagery conjured and nodded unconsciously, White on the other hand backed away sensing something off.

“Charm is a wonderful asset for a woman to have. It makes the journey through a populated location easy. Men are, after all, rather agreeable creatures towards a pretty face and smoking hot body.” Eve continued her eyes growing chilly.

Glass slowly nodded realizing that there was something off with the way she was speaking.

Eve raised a hand casting a small bit of Witch’s Dust into the face of her two students. There were sharp twisting noises as their skin, bones, and facial features altered. “Let me help you understand. There are times where the person facing you will be completely immune to any attempt at manipulation. If you do not have the power to kill, you are nothing more than meat on a chopping block for those who can. If you fail to accomplish what I have requested, the minor Curse will turn permanent.”

A conjured mirror of silver dust demonstrated to the two girls what their current features were. Neither of them was stupid enough to make a sound as Eve continued, “I understand you are part of the upper crust of society, so understand me when I say both of your houses combined are less than dust to me. I value you as possible assets in the future, which is why I am bothering to train you. There is no free will in this choice, as your Elders have already given silent consent by having you join us.” She watched as both younger women slowly came to the same conclusion.

“Rest assured, under my tutelage you will rise like phoenixes. Have no doubt of this. However, in this simple situation, I am the teacher and you are the students. We are not allies yet, we are not friends, partners, or anything more complex. If I give an order, I expect you to make it so. Perhaps in the future, when you have a wealth of experience to draw on, your input would matter. As of now, it does not. Understood?” Eve asked.

Both girls nodded and she watched as they turned their anger on the hapless shelled inhabitants of the area. With a sharp nod, Eve used Spatial Step to move directly back to the city. She had left a talisman with each to ensure that no untoward situations occurred. It wouldn’t do to lose her minions to some upstart adventuring group or random murderer.

Too harsh? Hut sent her mentally.

No, girls always think that because they mature sooner than men it makes them inherently superior. Eve replied. I need to demonstrate a different attitude to them than what works for the boys.

Meany-ness? Hut asked.

Superiority. Eve corrected. Women respond better to female authority figures that are strict, harsh, and efficient.

Cursing them was a nice touch. Kudzu said joining the conversation. I would have simply used drugs, but I can see that might have negative consequences.

Eve rolled her eyes as Nota chimed in. We could always just reverse the addiction later. Probably.

It wouldn’t be as cost-effective. Felix said as the entire group started a lively discussion on how to train their prospective future sub-minions.

Eve moved through the city following the scent of food as she chimed in with comments every so often. The children would be split up among her allies once they reached Tier Four, and she didn’t want any of the more exotic methods to be used without careful supervision. More than once she had to explain that children couldn’t handle some of the teaching methods described. Young adults were not superhuman monsters, yet, after all. Mostly. Eve reserved the right to withhold true judgment on some of her cousins from back on Earth.

Her nose led her to a street filled with what amounted to fast food stalls. Soup, something-on-a-stick, and fried bread of a thousand forms dominated the choices. Eve began to move forward her clothing shifting to blend in more conspicuously when a nasal voice screeched, “How dare you cross this young master’s path! Guards! Seize that woman!”

A glance at the small procession that had been about to enter the food lane made Eve twitch in annoyance. The fact that the young master in question was pointing at her pushed her irritation to full-blown annoyance.

Now how to deal with this, without killing the little snot? Eve thought as she turned to the approaching guards.