MM - Chapter 218 - SOBERING THOUGHTS

Celeste shoved away from Raine with the same ferocity that had drawn her close. She furiously wiped at damp cheeks that felt warm on her palms. She spun away as though not seeing him could shield her from the vulnerability she'd just exposed. Raine watched her for a moment, the echo of her touch not lingering long enough.

Constantine wasn’t lying. She’s really never had a boyfriend. So cute. 

[Shut up... jerk!] The memory of his twitching form spewing blood from every orifice was still fresh, leaving no room in her heart for anger.

Chuckling to himself, Raine sifted through the backlog of messages piled up during his tempering. An urgent demand from Alyxson Qorren flickered right at the top, insisting he and his staff be allowed entry into Belehorn Tower. Raine responded that he would be down to let the man in soon, then perused an inquiry from Mason Mnemonic.

"Mr. Desolate Broker, the results from your Abenaki Powder have stirred quite the frenzy. They're clamoring for details on its source and the potential for a reliable supply. I wish to acquire that intelligence from you at a fair price. Your thoughts?"

Raine’s eyes danced over ethereal keys, forming a swift reply. “At the moment, there is no supply. The few I have were found by chance. If circumstances shift, you'll be the first to know.” There was no reason to hide the truth when revealing it would get everyone off his back and simultaneously enhance demand.

“Time to go.” Raine stood and stretched, cracking his neck and rolling both shoulders. 

Celeste remained rigid, arms crossed protectively over her chest. She nodded curtly, boots scraping harshly against stones as she strode toward the door without meeting his eyes. “Where to?”

“To get our people back into ZL.”

The prospect of a convenient escape put a pep in Celeste’s step. Being around Raine right now was making her more uncomfortable by the second. Following even this ugly version of him and recording his every action had turned much more challenging than anticipated. They emerged from the crafting hall into the bustling streets of Silverlight's Commoner’s District.

The air hummed with urgency, locals dashing about to finish daily tasks before twilight arrived. A short walk brought them to the towering administrative spire. Other than the arena, it was the largest building in the entire district. As they approached, late afternoon light danced from the monolithic construct of polished granite. Its front entrance was flanked by stern Vaaterran arbiters, their levels too high to even consider acting out.

Inside, a vast central atrium teemed with activity. Clerks darted about, stacks of parchments threatening to fall from their grasp. Lines of locals snaked out of the many doors, their voices a cacophony of grievances against the outsiders invading sacred groves, farmsteads, and ancient havens. Their worries were worsened by rampaging beasts that had yet to be culled, and shortages in established markets strained by the sudden boom in population.

The sheer density of bodies made traversing deeper into the complex a chore. To Raine, this was normal. Celeste felt as though she were experiencing an entirely new ZionLine. As they found the right line and waited, a clerk grumbled about a neighbor's family overwhelming their local water well, when it had always provided sufficient resources before. Another laughed off a ‘brand new’ cluster of beggars that had ‘always’ peddled on a particular corner. More strange conversations flowed around them. She caught too many references of old friendships and shared histories that were starkly seamless. How could that be if many of these Vaaterrans were as new to the world as day-old babies?

A liveried attendant spotted them in line. He smiled widely as Raine's high reputation registered. Then, upon noticing the glow of the Queen's Favor, his eyes widened in alarm. Sweating, he bowed deeply, urgently gesturing toward a side corridor. “My Lord! Y-your presence honors us. This way, if you please. We reserve private chambers for esteemed nobles such as yourself.”

As usual, waiting in line until being noticed was the best way to begin a negotiation; the man would now bend over backward to resolve the perceived slight. Celeste arched an eyebrow, falling into step beside Raine as they were ushered out of the chaos. “Why do they treat you so well? I don’t care what he says, I’ve seen how they treat nobility, and it's not this extreme.”

Raine smirked, unable to resist teasing when she was being so cute today. “You’re right.”

Celeste’s eye twitched when she realized he had no intention of saying more. Worse, the repeated thoughts of her cuteness were a constant bombardment that kept locking up her muscles, making her feel even more awkward. A memory of Pamalaiha attempted to invade her headspace, and she growled, chasing it away with a subconscious flash of killing intent. Raine groaned to withhold his laughter at her overreaction.

After traversing a short, well-decorated hallway, they entered a lavish office lined with shelves of thick, legal tomes. At the center desk sat Administrator Joss, a wiry Vaaterran with sharp features and ink-stained fingers. His weariness was apparent in his stooped shoulders. He rose swiftly, offering a respectful incline of his head. “Lord Alaric—favored of Her Majesty, an unexpected delight. And your companion—Lady Crimson, I presume? How may the Silvergate Kingdom serve you today?”

Raine settled into a plush chair, motioning for Celeste to stand behind him. He got right to the point. “Permits for safe passage. Astra Infernum requires unimpeded travel through the Mirror Lake Territories, Southern Recluse Passes, and the Central Silvergate Highlands.”

Joss unfurled a shimmering map, spreading it across the table. He marked the areas Raine mentioned, then tallied them on a separate, blank scroll. “Certainly, my Lord. Standard tariffs for broad access to these zones comes to 340,000 gold annually, but given your exalted standing with Her Majesty—bless her eternal wisdom—we can reduce that by half. Perhaps more, if you commit to aiding with the monster rushes plaguing our borders.”

“Which borders, expected volume of contribution, and additional compensation?” Raine fired back rapidly, as though he’d conducted this exact negotiation a hundred times.

Joss was caught off guard and attempted to hide it by checking a ledger. “The Sandross F—”

Raine interrupted the man by dropping a heavy sack brimming with gold on the desk. He had long since known how the conversation would go, and knew exactly where he wanted his people to have the official backing of the government—the zone that encompassed the Ruptured Chaparral. “We’ll take the Ranaughlt Highlands. I’ll position my forces there within two arms. Make sure to include an exemption for operations without interference from local patrols.”

Joss stiffened, “Lord Alaric… Perhaps you are unaware that routine inventory searches are an order passed down directly from Her Majesty.”

Raine scoffed. “That amendment comes from the Trader’s Union. While signed by Her Majesty, it's a significant stretch to say it was a personal order.” Joss swallowed hard, eyes dancing between Raine and a stone-faced Celeste. “Funny how that very Trader’s Union is exempt from the same amendment. I think Astra Infernum has more than earned the right to bypass that restriction as well.”

“I-I cannot—”

Raine cut the mousy man off again, “I’m not asking you to. My people will be subjected to the same searches as anyone else, upon entering a town or city. Our operations coming to a halt three or more times per day for search after search is an insult to the contributions we have made to the kingdom. Contributions that will come to a screeching halt if this madness persists. I will not budge on this. If it's beyond your jurisdiction to make this decision, then send it up the line.”

Can’t have them finding out about the Abenaki Powder. 

Joss gaped at him, unwilling to continue arguing when Raine’s tone made it clear that doing so would instantly enrage him. The internal debate only lasted a few short seconds. “I understand, my Lord. I shall draw up the exemption and sign it on behalf of the kingdom. If there are issues, a representative will be in contact. I must warn you that potential fines may be issued if that…” Raine’s thunderous expression cut Joss off midstride. He pivoted, wiping moist palms on his trousers, “Ahem, that is to say, beyond the traveling licenses and exemption, is there anything else I can do to assist you?”

Raine steepled his fingers, tone returning to that of a measured politician. "Harvesting rights. In particular, Analruptors, Horrorters, and Bilespinners from any region.”

Joss had been sure he couldn’t be more shocked after the previous demand. His jaw dropped all the way open, face turning pale. He couldn’t comprehend why anyone would want to harvest those particular beasts. Analruptors were exactly as the name sounded—tentacled abominations that burrowed into the most private orifices to detonate their prey from within. Horrorters were even worse in their own way—thought-warping incorporeal specters that induced such vile hallucinations that their victims often killed themselves by any means rather than persist. Bileweavers were acid-spinners that dissolved the flesh of one prey and mixed in their eggs before force-feeding the resulting slurry to the next unfortunate soul, inducing a semi-alive state of pure suffering until said eggs hatched; then the real pain began.

Raine’s mind drifted to the toll his people would suffer. Visions of shattered psyches—recruits unraveling under the weight of grotesque violations leading to horrific death. The mental wellness center would be there to put them back together again, and after, they would never again balk at a normal death, while retaining a healthy appreciation for staying as alive as possible: a perfect combination. The thoughts reminded Raine that Morty had compiled a potential roster of therapists versed in extensive trauma.

Celeste froze at his diabolical thoughts. She had never come so close to revealing her ability as she did in that moment. Had he been looking, there was no way he would have missed the horror reflected in her eyes. Her fingers dug painfully into her thighs as Joss finally collected himself enough to respond. “Those are… unconventional choices, my Lord, but uncontested. Rights to those beasts come cheap—mere thousands, given the risks. I'll draft the clauses immediately.”

Raine nodded, knowing exactly what he was doing with his people's training. It was far too easy to grow complacent in a world where the value of a life could be distilled to which item was lost upon death. At first, guilds sought the easiest and most lucrative prey, gaining levels and income as rapidly as possible. Only after reaching the wall at level 50 did it become apparent that taking the easy path led to nothing but failure. Fear of death was healthy, a necessary evil on the path of any martial aiming to break free from mediocrity.

As Joss worked diligently, Celeste tentatively broke the silence. “Why those beasts specifically? Are they the best for leveling?” The clerk looked between them like one might when observing a fight about to break out between a married couple.

Raine didn’t look back, his voice steady. “Not the best by a long shot. Mixture of most challenging and lucrative. Few want to face them, leaving their drops perpetually in high demand. Facing those monsters will hone our forces to a razor’s edge. They’ll curse my name at first, but eventually, they’ll understand.”

Celeste’s voice turned despondent. “Sounds like we’ll be facing another round of dropouts.”

“Good. I told you before that wasn’t a problem, and I meant it. More is not always better. A few elites can sweep through entire armies, then train the next generation to be just as deadly.”

Joss cleared his throat, presenting the finalized scrolls with a flourish. “All set, my Lord. Sign here, and the seals will bind for all under your banner.”

With the documents secured, Raine rose and led the way back to the street. The entire time, he was eagerly anticipating logging out to assess the results of his critically-successful tempering. “Crimson, return to Mirror Lake and gather the first half of the recruits. Make sure your father’s people are with them. I'll meet you there soon.” 

In complete opposition to the permits he’d just signed, Raine had no intention of leading all of his people off to fight just yet. The stress from CronGate’s raids was enough to hone their senses; further pressure without rest would only stifle their growth. For now, ZionLine would become a place of rest and leisure where they could kick back and forget about the turbulence of their outside lives. When CronGate finally arrived in force, they would not find the expected beleaguered and demoralized prey, but fully-motivated, rested warriors.

“Until I get there, rearrange your existing regiments.” Raine flicked her a file with a breakdown of what he wanted.

Celeste skimmed the changes with a frown, though nodded. “Understood.”

Raine activated the logout sequence, and the world dissolved into a starlit river. Reality reasserted itself in a rush; the cool press of a headset sticking to still-damp skin. He unfastened the straps slowly, the changes to his physique hitting like a thunderclap.

Muscles coiled and extended with unfamiliar potency beneath skin that was both denser and more resilient. Hiding under the influx of raw power, exhaustion gnawed at Raine's bones, and his stomach released a gurgling rumble—the ache from depleted nutrients, both regular and vital.

The same exhaustion as last time. Tempering didn’t stop until my reserve of Vital Nutrients ran dry. Is excess nutrients all it takes for a critical success? Doesn’t sound right; I’m missing something.

Besides the hunger, aching soreness radiated through every joint, as if the bout with Jedidiah had only just ended. Raine stood, hopping in place and throwing a few experimental punches; a curled lip was his only outward sign of discomfort.

About a ten percent strength and speed increase. Damn… that’s huge. Months of fitness training outdone in hours. Amazing. And this can be done indefinitely, so long as I have enough VNs? No wonder grandmasters are so powerful.

Without decades of practice acclimating to fluctuating physiques, Raine would have been stumbling like a teenager after a growth spurt, limbs betraying him at every turn. He was already on his second nutrient bar as he entered the shower. Steaming hot water slithered across his skin, and a sobering thought struck.

How messed up would I be right now if I didn’t figure out how to heal myself with VNs? Shit… I’d be completely crippled. It's settled then, that's the first thing I’ll teach the girls. No, that won't work. It requires subtleties that I wouldn’t have been able to handle before getting juiced up on Primal Energy. I think it's time to question Pamalaiha on the Noroji’s methods. Most likely, I’ll have to help each of them through the first tempering before they can learn to heal.

The first tempering… Jedidiah mentioned surviving the quenching as though it came before tempering. Did I skip an important step? Or is quenching just the first tempering? That feels right. How hard would it have been to learn how to pulse bloodlust without the soul flame leading the way? If done wrong, I could see that being deadly. At the same time, if they let me in, it seems like it would be pretty easy to guide their mental abilities into the correct pattern of pulses and stop them if they make a mistake. Is there a reason that masters don’t do that for their pupils?

Frustrated at having so many unanswered questions, Raine dressed swiftly and headed to the tower's ground floor. Just beyond the exterior doors, Alyxson Qorren waited. Raine had saved the man's life before negotiating to rent Belehorn Tower from him, rather than screw him over by buying it outright. Yet even after everything he'd done for the man, all it took was a single glance to know that Alyxson had betrayed Astra Infernum.