EG Monster Island Chapter 19

*** AUTHOR'S NOTE ****

Because I finished writing draft 1 of chapter 21, I am three chapters ahead of the Patreon. I want to be a few ahead in case of problems, but two is plenty, so bonus chapter! Thanks for all y'alls support, encouragement, corrections, and ideas! This is going to be the best one yet just because of y'all.

*** AUTHOR'S NOTE ***

Dinner finished quickly. Vaya, Jamila, and Hanna all showed up after about half an hour without Sam. At my questioning look Vaya said, “She is with Knight Kaminski. After getting changed, she had a panic attack. We got her calmed down, and she passed out. Knight Kaminski put another bed in her room and tucked the poor girl in.”

“Yeah, we’ll need to take it slow with her. I doubt she’s used to peaceful interactions with people and will need a while to recover,” I said. “Though I do expect her to get better faster than you would expect.”

“Why?” Jamila asked.

“Because I got over my arrival here way too quickly. I believe Darkness, or Light, did something that helped me move on faster, and it has still worked. After the Chaos cultist attack, I recovered my equilibrium from seeing the horrible things and killing people too fast to be natural,” I explained with a shrug.

“That is useful,” Hanna said, with a confused look on her face. Oh, yeah. She knows about the core, but not that I came from Earth. Blarg, secrets.

“So, do we know what the rewards are yet?” I asked, artfully changing the topic of conversation. Hanna’s eye roll let me know that I failed to not make it obvious.

“Not yet,” Ming said from farther down the table.

“All three teams did exceedingly well,” Librarian Narwan announced from the doorway. I looked over, and then noticed that no one else was in the dining room. “You all will be given rewards that are specific to you personally. I have most of the rewards already. The only holdouts are the Illyrians and the Volk. The Illyrians are always slow, but the Volk are preparing something special for Aiden and his team. After you finish, I will speak with you on how to best use the rewards. I intend for all of you to advance before the next event. Which is in four days. So be ready to work hard over the next few days.”

“What is the next event?” Aleks asked.

“We have not been informed,” Librarian Narwan answered. “Now, finish eating.”

“I cannot wait to see what we won,” Lea said. We’d been working on getting her out of her shell, and Ming had succeeded more than anyone else. Of course, the looks she gave him was probably the biggest part of it, but he remained fairly oblivious.

We talked about possibilities for a few minutes, everyone chiming in things that went from reasonable to ridiculous. “We are going to all get our eyes tattooed,” Jon said.

“What?” At least five of us exclaimed at the same time, turning to look at him incredulously.

“What?” Jon asked back, shock on his face. At least, for a second, then a grin broke through and he started to laugh.

“Can’t take you anywhere,” I shook my head at him.

“Well, I am going to find out,” Milenna said, standing from the table. She started a flood of people deciding they were done.

I sat and kept eating. “You are not lining up?” Jon asked.

“Nah. I can be last. I’m hungry,” I said, holding up my fork with a piece of pork on it.

“Good point,” Jon said, then grabbed the last bit of Elemental Fowl off Xiao’s abandoned plate. We ate in silence for a bit, waiting as the line got shorter. Finally, Jon got up and talked to Librarian Narwan for a minute while I washed down the meal with the ale, enjoying the minor amount of Aether in the drink left over from the brewing process. I wonder if you can make a high-Aether beer? I kinda wish I’d done some home brewing research back on Earth. Eh, if it’s not here, I doubt there is much that is worthwhile. Each meal here is ridiculously expensive.

Finally, it was my turn. I’d cleaned the plate, finished the watered-down drink, and then stacked all the plates together. Jon walked off, a pensive look on his face, so I stood and moved over to where Librarian Narwan was talking to everyone, and drinking whiskey.

“How is the drink?” I asked.

“Very good, thank you,” he said, taking a large gulp. “You will not be able to drink it, though, not until you advance to Seed Core. One shot would make you unable to function for the rest of the day.”

“Got it. I look forward to advancing,” I said with a grin.

“Probably another two years, even with your ridiculous speed,” he said. “Now, here are some of your rewards. I created several of these pills myself. There are three you will take as soon as you reach your chosen Aether Sauna.” He held up three bottles of pills and shook the first one. “They are a Fasting Pill, which will supply all the nutrients you need for three days.”

“Uh, I really,” I started to say.

“The pill you got was different, and provided materials for your body quickly. This will slowly dissolve so you do not get overwhelmed. The second pill is the Wakeful Energy Pill. You will not need to sleep for three days, but you will collapse afterwards. There is an additional pill of each in case they are needed. They should not be.”

He handed me the first bottle. “The third pill is the Center Protection Pill, and is something of my own design. You will take one as soon as you reach your chosen gathering location, and then another every eight hours for the next three days. This is going to be an expensive, painful, trying time, and you will succeed.” The second bottle contained nine large, spherical pills that I could feel. “These pills will keep you from tearing your center apart and utterly destroying your gathering capability. Do not forget one.”

“Yes sir,” I said, my eyes huge as I stared at the pills.

“You will need to be aware of how close to the rocks you can sail, though,” he said. “Your center will feel like it is stretching, not tearing. If it is tearing, slow down. Now, the other pills are various combinations of gathering pills that focus on different Elements. When one pill loses effectiveness, switch which sauna you are sitting in to match. I have cleared it with the staff, so no one else will interrupt you children. The Ashkhas were going to offer other benefits, but this will be the best overall.”

“Uh, I was hoping to see Captain Skipari. He said he was going to get me something in trade,” I said.

“After the next event,” he said. “I will make sure you get time.”

“Yes sir. Uh, Sia asked me to remind you about the Affinity Powders for Beasts,” I said sheepishly.

“I will speak to him tomorrow. I believe I have it done, and we will try them out,” he said. “You may have to assist in helping him evolve before the next event.”

“That would be amazing,” I said. “So, we should run your technique for the next three days. How will we know when it is time to advance?”

He examined me for a bit, “You will hit a point where the pain will get too much to continue to expand your center. If it is before you have reached thirty two times your original Aether Pool size, I will be disappointed. Once you cannot expand anymore, fill your Pool to overflowing and let the liquid Aether flow into your meridians. That will advance you to the next stage, since you are ready for it.”

“Got it,” I said.

“Start with Lightning. Move in order of your Affinities. Each pill is colored for the primary Aether it affects. Do not disappoint me,” he handed me the last bottle.

“Never,” I said, collecting the pill bottles. I headed to the locker room of the Lightning Aether Sauna. I quickly changed, remembering which locker was mine as I slipped on the robe provided. I stepped into the sauna to find Milenna sitting with her legs crossed and eyes closed. Her robe was hanging slightly open, and I had to quickly avert my gaze before I saw something I shouldn’t.

I sat and pounded down the Fasting Pill. It felt like a lump in my stomach. I didn’t notice anything different, but I was full from dinner anyway, so whatever. The second pill, the Wakeful Energy Pill, was like taking a shot of espresso mixed with Red Bull and cocaine. I was suddenly wired and jittery.

The third pill dissolved into Aether and coated my center. My chest felt tight, but I could deal with it. Then I took the first gathering pill, and sank into my center. I quickly focussed on putting together the runes for Librarian Narwan’s Pool Expansion Technique, while also setting up the Runic Spiral Gathering Technique. Aether seemed to explode into me, a level four Beast Core discharging into the small room right after I sat down.

I grit my teeth as I pushed against the sides of my Aether Pool. After cresting twenty times, expanding had gone from being mildly uncomfortable to extremely painful, like going from touching your toes with your fingers while stretching to touching your shoulders to your knees. It took everything I had to keep going, letting my center expand tiny bit by tiny bit.

Each expansion jolted pain through me, but I refused to stop. I knew I could stop at any time, letting the Pool overflow and advancing. I’d already surpassed most people, but I couldn’t just be exceptional. I had to be without peer, singular in my capability and expansion. I refused to give up. After a few hours, the pill’s effects waned and I came out of my center.

A quick check let me know I had another four hours before I needed another Center Protection Pill. “Oh!” Milenna exclaimed when I stood up.

“Where do you head next?” I asked, pretending to not notice her hurried fixing of her robe.

“Air,” she said before she hurried out, her cheeks red.

“Good thing I’m going to Fire,” I laughed, then dodged Lilianna as she walked in.

“Good luck,” she said to me.

“Work hard and succeed,” I said back with a bow. I rushed into the Fire sauna to find Lea already gathering, the air full of Aether. I sat and set up my Aether runes to begin. The Fire Aether flowed in, filling gaps left in the side of my Aether Pool. I could see now that gathering in very high densities of a single Aether wasn’t good for my long term capabilities, but going from one to another quickly was okay. I threw another pill, this one fire engine red, down my gullet and braced to direct the massive flow of Aether.

This time, stretching the center felt more like burning it, and the pain grew larger with each minor step. I will succeed, I thought, grinding my teeth. At this rate, I will reach my goal and make Librarian Narwan proud. I will stand on top of the world! I nearly giggled at the ridiculousness of my thoughts there, but focused down on my techniques.

Minor variations in spacing, changing the runes slightly, and realigning the spirals let me eke out a few percent more out of my gathering techniques, and I tried to remember where the best results were. I wanted to check if it was different for types of Aether, or location, or just the best for me specifically. Each bit of capability I could wring out of my being let me be that one step closer to saving everyone.

Finally, hours later, the gathering pill was starting to wane in effectiveness when the coating on my center frayed. I Immediately pulled out of my trance and took the second Center Protection Pill. I was still wired from the Wakeful Energy Pill, but could feel a pressure at the back of my mind to let me know how bad the fall off would be.

I nodded to Lea, Milenna blushed again as she held the door open for me, and then I hurried to the Air sauna, passing by nearly everyone. We were all jittery and full of energy, like that one convention I went to in Denver. Every nerd there had drank liters of coffee or energy drinks and was extra ADHD because of it. I slipped into the sauna, checking to make sure the belt tying my robe shut was secure, before eating the sky blue pill for Air Aether.

Optimizing the runes for my techniques led to a slightly different result for Air Aether. Well, that’s another data point, I thought. My heart and intestines felt like I had a tornado running through my body, but I refused to acknowledge the pain. Again, the flood of Aether was reduced to a stream, and it was time to switch. Metal, stabbing pain throughout my body. Earth, being crushed to nothing. Ice, frozen and chilled. Water, crushed and cut while being washed away. Wood felt like thorns pierced me all over while vines grew through my meridians. Every bit was harder, every step more painful.

By the time I reached Wood, I’d gotten to thirty times my original Pool, and each tiny improvement was less and less noticeable. I had to strain, shoving with every ounce of my willpower to make progress. I pushed against my center, crushing the Aether filling it to stretch the last bit. As the Wood pill’s effects ran out, I reached thirty one times.

I stood and cracked my back, sore from sitting cross legged for four hours over and over again. Almost done. I’m starting to get tired, but I can keep pushing. It’s only been one and a half days, halfway done. I’ve got one of each element left. Back to Lightning. I need to talk to Aleks about her runes in the Runic Spiral Technique. I think each setup will be different for different people, but I don’t know. I do know that it is different slightly for each Elemetn.

The hallway was full of the other teenagers, though we’d gone from manic convention goers to barely conscious zombies. No one had advanced yet, but everyone was still going, still pushing forward to reach the next level. I knew that no one would fail to advance. Together, we will win!

It took another full day before I reached my goal. A click seemed to echo through my body, mind, and soul when, with the last bit of Ice Aether wrung from the Beast Core and pill. My Pool was only a third full, so I walked over to the Water sauna, chugging a cup of water that was on a table in the hallway. The water cups had appeared after the first twelve hours, as the Fasting Pill prevented hunger but not thirst. We’d be able to ignore it, and use Aether to make up for the lost hydration, but a quick drink was more efficient for our time.

I sat and gathered, filling my Pool. It took a while, my capacity eclipsing many at Complete Condensation. I’ll have amazing endurance in a fight, but it’s going to take forever to refill afterwards. If we have another series of fights, I’ll have to conserve my Aether. We all will. If we don’t, the last fight will come down to whoever husbanded their resources better. Of course, if it’s only one fight, I could blitz a number of massive attacks that very few others could, especially at my level.

My Pool filled and then overflowed. The Aether collected at the entrance to my meridians and with a grunt I forced the liquid into my life meridian. Each meridian took time and effort, and I was only partly through when the pill started to fail. I hurried to the Ice sauna, shoving Aether into me while setting up my techniques again. Over and over again, I built up pressure and then opened another meridian to liquid Aether. Each additional one was harder, requiring more Aether and mental energy to open, but I would not stop.

I was two thirds of the way through my meridians when I felt a pulse of Aether from nearby. Someone advanced all the way! I took the time to pump my fist before buckling down again. Two more pulses went through me before I moved on to my last meridian. The last few had actively fought against opening, and each battle left me a little more tired. Have to finish. If I fail it’ll reset me back to Foundation and will be harder to advance again. I won’t give up!

I focused down, pushing with all my might. I was screaming, both in pain and effort, when my soul meridian opened and a massive wave of Aether, every drop that was in all my meridians, shot through my body and out over everyone else working towards the next level. I didn’t know it at first, but I found out later that everyone who hadn’t yet advanced moved a step closer when the wave of my advancement hit them.

I gasped in relief, sagging as the effects of the pills I’d taken dropped off simultaneously. I grinned up at Ming, and stood shakily on weak legs. I hobbled out of the room, down the hallway to find Librarian Narwan calmly eating a meal. “I made it,” I whispered, then promptly lay down on the floor and fell asleep.