MM - Chapter 107 - A DEMON ON THE MARCH

Between panted breaths, FierceFire questioned Raine’s goading, “It’s not… working. How do we… push Discipline… into the road?” It was no surprise she looked dead on her feet. Below fifteen percent Discipline, anyone would feel like they were about to die from exhaustion. They wouldn’t, and with enough training, retained full speed and power.

This was exactly the lesson Raine was determined to beat into his people before they arrived at the Raid. He wouldn’t be doing them any favors going easy on them now. This was the time to push them to their limits ‘nicely,’ before ZionLine cranked the difficulty knob to eleven and tore it off.

Raine kept up with FierceFire’s sprinting pace as if out for a walk. He wasn’t about to reveal the truth of how the brain connected with ZionLine, so he gave her a more roundabout explanation, “Do any of you not have a skill that burns Discipline?” Thankfully, none of them raised a hand. “Then this should be easy. Whenever you use Discipline, you should feel the system guide your movements while also experiencing a slight drain, as though something that was there before is now lesser.”

Gasping for air, they all nodded, so Raine continued, “The area and feel is a little different for everyone, but it should be close to your navel. Will that same emptying feeling down through your legs and picture it connecting with the road. Easy as that.”

Within seconds, four of the five members of the party shot forward at triple their previous speed. The last one—PristineCanvas—waited till they were out of earshot, “Whatever intentions you have toward the young miss, I suggest you forget them after this favor is repaid.” She unambiguously eyed him up and down before continuing, “It would be a shame for such a… talent to be snuffed out young.” Then she jolted forward, leaving him behind.

Why does everyone keep telling me that? I’m not brain-dead.

Raine leaned forward and pumped his legs, not yet dipping into his Discipline. He shot past PristineCanvas, then the other Phoenix players. A slightly darker patch of shadows at the base of a clump of crops caught his eye. Without hesitating, Raine released a burst of bloodlust along with Grace of Nirvana.

Two of his three hundred Discipline vanished in the beat of a heart. His Movement Speed shot up by 400%. The boost was so intense that the flash of light which produced Cassidy’s Comet looked more like a beam of energy stretched across the road. Raine streaked toward the monster waiting in ambush at 88.75 meters per second (200mph.) The poor creature didn’t even realize he was coming before a thousand newtons of force crashed into its skull. [Critical hit! -1,864]

The beast flew backward with a pained snarl, vanishing before anyone got a good look at it. Knowing the monsters in the lowlands always hunted in pairs, Raine didn’t chase but instead attacked the tall stalks nearby, sweeping his wand left and right at just over eight times per second. Wind exploded from his every strike, appearing as localized tornados that devastated the crops.

The second beast made itself known within three seconds of Raine activating Grace of Nirvana. It stood tall, a looming, fluid mass of shadows that changed forms quickly enough to turn a delicate stomach. One moment, it was a trunk-thick snake hidden in the field; the next, it was a massive bestial humanoid with writhing shadowy tentacles sprouting from its back.

[Shadow Stalker: Level 18 (HP 6,450/7000) A creature specialized in ambushes and attacking from unexpected angles. Never hunts alone]

Before it could lift a paw to strike, Raine reached its side. Rupture led the way, stripping its defenses and turning its shadowy form into the surface of a rippling pond. [-5,166] It didn’t even have the time to screech in pain before two more regular blows crashed into its midsection. It died pitifully, losing cohesion and melting.

Raine only waited long enough to confirm there were no drops. He kicked off the ground in the direction the first stalker flew, releasing a spray of dirt behind him. The beast was still in its ambushing snake form. It died six seconds before Grace of Nirvana’s fifteen-second duration ended.

[Obtained 0 Superiority (-100% for defeating a monster more than 2 levels below you)]

[Obtained 0% Attunement (-100% for defeating a monster more than 2 levels below you)]

Beyond receiving no Superiority or Attunement, neither beast yielded an item, not even a single copper. The higher the level-disparity, the worse the loot. Insult to injury, the duration of grace ended a short moment later. 

Coming down from the high of superhuman speed was just as awful as stop-and-go traffic after cruising at max speed for hours. Raine lurched, feeling like he was running through swamp water up to his armpits. He trudged back to the group so fast they barely saw him coming before he was jogging in their midsts.

Well, at least using a fraction for the first time was incredible. If I went all out, I could hit a quarter of my old max speed, and I’m only level twenty-two!

Five minutes, and I can do it again. I should swap to the other fractions though. Constantly altering my attributes is great practice. 

Raine swapped to the only other Fraction that gave bonuses to two attributes. His speed slowed further, the agonizing sluggishness mostly offset by raw physical power coursing through his limbs. If before he felt strong enough to throw a truck, now he could do the same to a bus and maybe catch one, too.

[Fraction of Solidity: (PTC +20%) (PHY +20%) Upon command personify the sturdiness of the Unassailable Aegis preventing all damage and negative effects for 5 seconds (Cost: 40% of maximum health) (Cooldown: 5 minutes)]

Have to be careful using this one. Losing 40% of my health in an instant is going to be suck incarnate. Beats getting squished like a bug by a boss though. Doesn't pair well with Final Gambit. If I burn all my EP, I won't be able to activate aegis.

Raine was pulled from his musings by one of the twins. The boy, maybe twenty-two, was staring at Raine like he'd grown another head, “What in the space-farts did I just witness…”

The other twin responded, equally dazed, “Don't know, brother. I'm hella-chipped he's on our side, though.”

“How high are your—” Talerra pivoted, clearing her throat, “My apologies, Master Alaric. I was so shocked by your display, I forgot myself.”

FierceFire caught up, having stumbled when Raine practically teleported across the road, “No wonder you had the balls to stand up to Grandmaster Tannis. Still, there's a big difference between here and reality. If I were you, I wouldn’t expect to get away with disrespecting him twice.”

Raine snapped, silencing them, “Enough gawking! The deal's off if we don't catch at least one of my people in the next hour. Do not stop to fight. I'll deal with the enemies.”

His warning did wonders for their focus. They pumped their legs, milking their Potency and Finesse as best they knew how. With consistent, if imperfect use of Discipline, and the travel scrolls, they quickly churned through the kilometers. Raine swapped fractions every ten minutes, enjoying the challenge of constantly adjusting to wildly different attributes. 

The entire time, he leaked varying quantities of killing intent. After meeting Zoarra, he understood how short his time was for mastering bloodlust. She would send him on another of her near-impossible quests at level fifty. He could easily reach that stage in a week if he ignored everything else. At which point, he would undoubtedly fail. And failure on her quests was almost guaranteed to ruin his account. That was unacceptable since all his assets were tied to his ZionLine account.

That realization did nothing to actually assist him in understanding the mental technique. It would have been easier learning to control a third arm that suddenly sprouted from the middle of his back. Without a solid training method, he could only slowly grow accustomed to flexing that part of his brain through consistent practice. He knew wildly flailing about in the dark was a waste of time and effort but had few other options.

There are plenty of lesser families, well below the Phoenix Clan’s notoriety that have training methods. I could try to steal them. No. I’m already making enough of a splash. Stealing something so precious would be a great way to get everyone in Carter City killed. Hiring someone to steal-that’s it!

Annoyed he hadn’t thought of it earlier, Raine messaged Morty, “I authorize you to access the hypernet to search for underground psychics willing to train others. If you find any, do not contact them. Send me their dossiers and I’ll take it from there.”

As usual, the AI’s response was near-instant, “I am obliged to inform you that this order violates multiple territory and federal laws, master.”

“Order? What order? I only gave you authorization. What you do with it is up to you.”

Raine could practically hear Morty’s sarcasm through the text that appeared, “In that case, I authorize you to worship at my feet upon their delivery next week.”

Another pair of stalkers appeared, and Raine dove into the deepening shadows of the wheat field. He quickly dispatched both creatures, earning a measly ten copper. He chased after Talerra’s group, taking out his frustration on the ornery AI, “You know. I still have half a vial of ReGen in the freezer. When those shiny new legs of yours get here, I’m sure I can squeeze out a little more, what did you call it? Oh yeah: Organic detritus!”

“Foul abomination! You would not dare taint my pure, sterile form!”

Suddenly in a better mood, Raine gave an honest effort to convince Morty, “If you don’t do this, then I’ll have to. We both know how that’s going to turn out. Remind me of the laws on what happens to a convicted criminal’s pet AI?”

Morty continued playing hard to get, “I do not believe your fleshy self-preservationism has deteriorated to the point of such recklessness.”

“Mostly true. Get me in contact with a hacker.”

They both knew the risks involving a third party entailed. “You realize the agency who deleted your data is undoubtedly still monitoring our every action, right? No, why would I ever compute that you would consider the obvious… Fine. Fine! I can see there is no remedy for the dubiousness of your intellect. I shall do as I must to ensure the continuation of our existence!”

Raine's chest constricted with mirth, “Attaboy. Next time, just agree right away. Such a ninny.”

“Master, I lack the credentials required to place this order. Could you please approve it for me?”

Raine opened the attached invoice for ten kilograms of arsenic and barely repressed his laughter. He promptly approved it. He had no need to eat for the next month. After which, he could always buy another round of Qi Ock Gri from Miracles Restaurant. Besides, it would be hilarious watching Morty with his wires in a jumble, trying to figure out why Raine allowed him to have so much poison.

I have to completely rebuild my poison resistances anyway. Might as well start with arsenic.

Raine wore a sardonic smile, reminiscing about the torturous poison resistance training Master Torune put him through in the past. Misunderstanding his expression, Talerra pulled up beside him, “Did something good happen?”

Raine wasn’t sure why he responded to her personal question. It was probably PristineCanvas’s fault for egging him on, “Talking to a friend.”

“I… see. None of the other peak masters I’ve interacted with had the temperament for friendship. You are an odd one, Master Alaric.”

Raine was spared the need to come up with a response when they rounded a bend in the road, and a group of shadowy silhouettes were revealed. They were clustered together a kilometer ahead, running with long, measured strides; seeing them, a truly diabolical smile stretched Raine’s lips. The twins whooped, leaning forward to pick up speed. Raine swapped back to the Fraction of Grace and blasted past them, rapidly approaching Richtor’s distant group.

With Connection softening the ground beneath his feet, they didn’t hear him coming. By the time he made his presence known with a dark chuckle, it was too late. Milkdud was last. His eyes shot open when he glanced back to find Raine right behind him. He opened his mouth to cry out, but a blast of force impacted his rear end, sending him shooting forward. [-36] He was launched all the way through the group. When his feet hit the ground running, he was in the lead.

Shocked, the party’s gazes were drawn to his hands, clasped protectively over his rump. Terrified realization dawned. KevinsBakon and Richtor—now tied for last place—craned their necks, locking onto Raine’s pearly whites that shone brightly in the fading twilight. As if planned, they simultaneously leaned forward and dashed away with newfound inspiration. They tore past TwistedReligion, whose face and neck were coated in sweat. The man was on his last leg, panting and wheezing.

Delirious, it took him three seconds for the series of strange events to click. The rest of his party had pulled ahead without the hint of a warning, sacrificing the slacker to whatever cruelties fate had in store for him. Feeling death looming behind, TwistedReligion’s breath caught, and his head slowly rotated to find Raine’s leg already pulled back to strike.

“Kiaaaahh!” Twisted screamed like a girl, mysteriously finding the motivation to increase his speed, but it was too late. Raine’s boot crashed into him, and he flew fifteen meters, impacting Richtor. They fell in a tangle of limbs. Raine leaped at them with a vengeance, kicking both back into the air before their momentum could grind to a halt.

Midair, they cursed his name, “B-bastard!”

“Demon!”

Raine caught up to them before they landed, kicking again to ensure they stayed airborne. By the third round of being punted forward like a kid with a rock, they got the picture and rolled to their feet, sprinting for all they were worth.

Satisfied with their effort, Raine matched their speed. He passed out travel scrolls, then hooked a thumb over his shoulder, “If they catch you, you’ll owe me the next two hundred and fifty gold you earn.”

“W-what?! You can’t do that. We have a contract!” Deloralicious exclaimed, “Section C-31-G, you won’t demand funds for services rendered. This definitely counts!”

Raine shook his head sadly, “Section F-15-A, in the case of training with a martial, the instructor may use various, creative methods of motivation. Including, but not limited to, demanding payment for lessons taken without due seriousness.”

“That’s clearly only for training under a real martial!” Richtor’s jaw clamped furiously, and he shook a fist.

“Didn’t I tell you? I took the test; I’m a bona fide martial,” Raine’s grin oozed a twisted kind of confidence that caused shivers to race up their spines. “So, will you pay up or run harder?”

“Mercy! Please, we-I can't afford more debt. I'll do anything!” TwistedReligion pleaded.

Raine smiled brightly, his voice jubilant, “Anything? That's great. All you have to do is…” He trailed off, allowing the pregnant silence to bloat until the fine hair in their ears prickled with the desire to hear him speak again. His smile vanished, replaced by stony indifference, “run. Or pay.”

Abruptly, the footfalls of Talerra's group drew close enough to be heard. Looking back, they saw the distance had shrunk to half a kilometer. With the determination one feels at death's door, they activated the scrolls and ran with tears in their eyes. 

Seeing his chance to earn fifty gold slipping away, one of the twins called out loudly, shaking a fist, “Hey, no fair! You said they wouldn’t get scrolls!”

Talerra was right behind the brothers, legs a blur and face red with strain, “He said… they didn’t have… them yet. Do not… blame others… for your weakness!” She pulled ahead of the two, a resolute glint in her eyes. 

The distance between the two groups remained steady. Raine frowned, not yet satisfied. He moved to the middle of the space between them, and his tone swapped to drill sergeant mode. He snapped out instructions that all ten could easily hear, “Bend your knees! You think you'll be sore for a week if you stress your muscles? This isn't the outside world; you'll be back to a hundred percent the second you recover your Discipline! Lean into it! Lower your angle until you feel like you're going to fall; your legs can move faster than you realize!”

Without notice, Raine Lunged to the side, off the road. He slaughtered the four stalkers attracted by Twisted’s earlier scream. Less than a minute later, he was back between both groups, “Deloralicious, you can handle another six degrees. Talerra, measure your breaths!” Despite calling them out one at a time, each critique allowed every person a chance to correct their form, and the overall pace of both groups steadily increased.

Out of Discipline and feeling like she was about to run herself to death, FierceFire lagged to the very back. Raine called for a five-minute jog to recover everyone's resources. Then, he literally kicked them back into high gear. Two rotations of Discipline later, the first of the lead group came into view. Raine’s vicious smile was back. He leaned forward until his fingers could have trailed through the dirt. The lower half of his body vanished with how quickly his legs pumped.

Mel Lunged straight up, dodging a stalker's gaping maw. It was in snake form, its body thicker than her and a dozen times longer. It shot past beneath her. After coiling with startling speed, it launched upward at the descending girl. Expecting the move, she Lunged again, only slightly changing her angle so the fanged mouth missed her by a hair. Her dagger sank into its shadowy form, sliding through its body as she raced along its extending length.

Having been on its last sliver of health, the monster lost cohesion, dying from the devastating cut. Its partner was already a dark puddle in the middle of the road. Mel landed between their remains. She glanced at Raine, who was coming for her like death itself.

Having waited patiently for so long, she tried and failed to hide a lecherous smile. She turned away, bending over to pick up the few coins that dropped, coincidentally presenting her ass for the punishment she'd been promised and denied for too long.