Salted Spires (A Cradle Quest)
- Thread starter KittyEmpress
- Start date
[x] B. "I want a set of Leeching Bracers - Tama said the Copper fights are just decided by who is stronger. And I'm already the weakest kid in my class. So I need to get stronger, faster than he is." You will commit to utilizing Leeching Bracers for the time being, greatly weakening your physical capabilities for your day to day life but strengthening the growth of your Strength and Toughness.
I don't think it's going to win but it's a cool concept.
I don't think it's going to win but it's a cool concept.
Something to keep in mind is that Lōkahi likely isn't going to win but the goal is to do well enough to not look bad and to make people not want to fight Lōkahi for being weak.
[x] B. "I want a set of Leeching Bracers - Tama said the Copper fights are just decided by who is stronger. And I'm already the weakest kid in my class. So I need to get stronger, faster than he is." You will commit to utilizing Leeching Bracers for the time being, greatly weakening your physical capabilities for your day to day life but strengthening the growth of your Strength and Toughness.
Parasite ring is probably more practical in general but the Leeching Bracers have more story potential, so let's make it a closer race.
Parasite ring is probably more practical in general but the Leeching Bracers have more story potential, so let's make it a closer race.
- Location
- A beautiful new land, at once alien and familiar.
- Pronouns
- They/Them
@KittyEmpress is this vote majority of lottery or?
- Pronouns
- He/Him
[x] B. "I want a set of Leeching Bracers - Tama said the Copper fights are just decided by who is stronger. And I'm already the weakest kid in my class. So I need to get stronger, faster than he is." You will commit to utilizing Leeching Bracers for the time being, greatly weakening your physical capabilities for your day to day life but strengthening the growth of your Strength and Toughness.
In order of preference
[x] A. "I want a Parasite Ring like yours. Mom. I'm really good at cycling, so it slowing me down won't be that bad. And Tama taught me all our Path's techniques, so having purer Madra would help!" You will commit to utilizing a Parasite Ring for the time being, slowing your advancement but strengthening your madra and resulting techniques, so long as you keep using it.
[x] J. Before you were a combatant, before you were even a Sacred Artist, you were a Soulsmith - or you longed to be one, at least, "Mom, do you think I could have a dredge, and try to make myself something for these fights?" You were going to win like a Soulsmith - by making yourself weapons, armor, or neat tricks. You will gain access to a Dredge, allowing you to take Soulsmithing actions.
[x] H. "Dad, you fight mostly with your shield, right?" You looked towards the big half-silver shield that hung on the wall, a Treasure from before your Dad arrived at the spire, "Could you teach me to protect myself with one?" You will begin to learn to the Shieldsman skill at a Novice level.
[x] A. "I want a Parasite Ring like yours. Mom. I'm really good at cycling, so it slowing me down won't be that bad. And Tama taught me all our Path's techniques, so having purer Madra would help!" You will commit to utilizing a Parasite Ring for the time being, slowing your advancement but strengthening your madra and resulting techniques, so long as you keep using it.
[x] J. Before you were a combatant, before you were even a Sacred Artist, you were a Soulsmith - or you longed to be one, at least, "Mom, do you think I could have a dredge, and try to make myself something for these fights?" You were going to win like a Soulsmith - by making yourself weapons, armor, or neat tricks. You will gain access to a Dredge, allowing you to take Soulsmithing actions.
[x] H. "Dad, you fight mostly with your shield, right?" You looked towards the big half-silver shield that hung on the wall, a Treasure from before your Dad arrived at the spire, "Could you teach me to protect myself with one?" You will begin to learn to the Shieldsman skill at a Novice level.
Shard
One and Many
- Location
- Malaysia
[x] B. "I want a set of Leeching Bracers - Tama said the Copper fights are just decided by who is stronger. And I'm already the weakest kid in my class. So I need to get stronger, faster than he is." You will commit to utilizing Leeching Bracers for the time being, greatly weakening your physical capabilities for your day to day life but strengthening the growth of your Strength and Toughness.
- Pronouns
- She/Her
Going to close the vote off here with the parasite ring winning. Gonna start making my outlines and all that.
CedeTheBees
Probably high right now
- Location
- Somewhere
- Pronouns
- They/Them
Results for future bingers
Friends and Family(?)
- Pronouns
- She/Her
It only took a couple of days for your Mother to present you with your new parasite ring. The ring was large on you, requiring it to be worn on your thumb and even then it threatened to slip off, but your Mother had already thought of that. A small silver - normal silver, not Halfsilver like the making of the ring itself - chain wrapped through and around it, and your Mother deftly spun the chain over your hand and around your wrist, attaching ring to wrist as well as finger, to ensure you don't lose it. "Using your madra with your hands will feel weird while this is on, but keep it on you at all times. I don't want you putting it in a pouch and getting pick pocketed by some Outcast." Your Mother warned you about it seriously, "Only take if off if your Father, your Brother, or I tell you to, so that we can keep it safe. Do you know how much that ring is worth?"
You didn't know any specifics, you'd never even really held a scale, until Semis gave you one for being the first to show such deep curiosity in the art of cycling aura. But you did know that Half-Silver was rarer than rare here - it didn't naturally occur anywhere on the Spires, and instead only washed up with shipwrecks and driftwood after storms. Halfsilver was a special sort of metal notable for being completely madra-disurptive. No matter what type of madra was used against it, it would break it apart, rendering it useless. Being stabbed with a halfsilver weapon would cut through a person's defensive techniques and disrupt their ability to cycle any sort of Enforcer technique - and this made them deadly weapons. However, the star-spackled silver metal was brittle, so long as you could meet it with physical force.
Outside of your family, the ring you now were wearing was the type of thing someone might commission for their child's Jade advancement, and even then it'd be a notably pricey gift, the type of thing that ring alone would not be disappointing when opening your gift box. Inside of your family they were slightly less valuable, but only because your family owned most of the halfsilver that had ever come to the Spires. You might have been able to expect a gift like this for your Iron graduation, but that was still at least a couple years away.
"More than I've ever seen in my life?" You guessed it, as you looked down at it. The scripting on the half-silver had to be done so carefully, the words were so tiny that without a drudge you wouldn't even be capable of making them. And even then, you needed a good one, and to be capable of controlling it well. "It's so pretty..." Halfsilver looked mostly like silver in a neutral light, but under bright light it sparkled like stars were embedded inside of the metal. And just holding it in your hand you could feel a heaviness to it - your body wasn't quite full of Madra like an Iron's, but you could feel the spiritual weight even in your senses. Sliding it on made it feel even stronger.
"Close to, at least." Your Mom patted you on the head, as she pulled away from helping you put it on, "Be patient when you start to pull at the aura today. You'll note that only the purest aura will make it past the ring, and that some of what you think you grabbed will dissipate. Don't feel frustrated if you feel like you've made no progress at all, especially for the first few weeks." She played with her own ring, and you noticed that yours was forged into a matching shape to your Mother's - the band billowing outward at points for an uneven, cloud-like ring, smoothed to perfection, "And don't try to cycle in ways to resist the struggle it causes, or it's a waste of time. You want to let the ring do its job."
It was so early, these pre dawn hours - but you were both used to waking up for morning cycling practice and extra energized to practice with your new ring, so it may as well be mid day, "Is there anything else I can do to make it work better? A special way to cycle or...?" You wanted all the information, you wanted to get it working as soon as possible. You weren't afraid of the tradeoffs in the least. The fact that this was given to you to help prepare you for inevitable beatings was long forgotten, as you had a new toy that was going to give you another puzzle to figure out regarding your cycling techniques.
"There are and there aren't." Your Mother looked at you seriously as she said that, as seriously as she ever had, "But you're too young to be looking into those. Your Father and I will help you find a fitting breathing technique for you, or someone who can help you make one like your Brother did. When you are ready." She ruffled your hair as she said that, "Don't try to sprint when you're just learning to walk. Especially now that you've decided to learn to walk while holding a sandbag."
"Alright, I am ready." Your Father came out of his and your Mother's shared room, and he was as impeccably dressed as always. His robe, despite being the same kind as yours, just fit his rotund belly perfectly, his foggy beard matched the coloration to perfection, and his jade green eyes were accentuated by his silver jewelry. Your Mother and Brother looked plain next to how well your Father knew to dress himself.
He also would take hours fussing over you, if you let him. But you were more fond of the cropped look with too many pouches that your Mother had, housing all of her tools including her slumbering drudge.
---------
Cycling with the Parasite Ring was indeed like trying to walk uphill while carrying sandbags. From reaching out for the aura around you, to pulling it in towards you, to breathing it in, to cycling it through your body to turn it into madra in your core, every single part of the process was almost painful. Almost. And you immediately felt the temptation to go against your Mother's advice, as you tried to adapt to the situation the scripted ring was putting you in. In a way, your talent worked against you, as you adapted without thought to pull from new angles, to adjust how you cycled, before realizing that you were reducing the benefits of your ring. So you would adjust yourself, and start over from the basics. And then you'd start to get into a rhythym again, and you'd find yourself doing it all over again.
---------
Unlike some of the treasures your family could have provided you, the parasite ring gave you no overt disadvantages when it came to class. You jogged from the bottom of the largest Spire to the top with all the speed you could, as Vai Depth-Watcher walked over each of the trainees. You were expected to do ten laps of this during your lesson, but by the time you'd ascended once you fell to the floor, panting for breath and feeling like you might vomit. You weren't sure how many steps you'd gone up to get there that time, but the idea of pushing through more didn't make you feel good.
Tane, meanwhile, finished his second ascent as you were laying on the ground - the boy literally lapping you as he dismissively regarded you, "Can't believe a weakling challenged me." You were panting for air and couldn't reply quickly enough - because he turned and started to descend again. You were laying in the ground, and he was leaving already. He was sweating, but he wasn't even panting yet, and in that moment you could feel the gap between the two of you.
Though there were larger gaps than that, Kiri Heart-Mender got to the top of the steps and turned on her heels without even a pause. She had ran past you four times during your ascent - which meant that this must have been her fourth lap. The large-as-a-teen girl didn't even look winded as she began another lap, only avoiding shoulder checking Kalia as she came up for her third lap due to the girl's quick motion. "Teacher Vai, tell her something! She keeps trying to sabotage me so I can't catch up to her!" Kalia cried out at the unfairness as Kiri disappeared down the steps in large strides.
"Do I look like Fiva to you, child?" Vai looked down from her cloud-chair, frowning at Kalia's remark, "Think of her as an extra obstacle on the course. It'll be good training for you. Though I doubt you will catch up, wasting time whining like this instead of moving." She motioned for her to go, "Unless you are too tired to go on, like a certain Soft-Storm." Vai looke down at you with an even bigger frown than she had for Kalia. But you had no energy to try and please the teacher, and no will to push yourself to go past your limits. So you just accepted the fact that she didn't like you much.
Kalia looked over and there was, perhaps, a little concern there. But she shook her head, "No Ma'am. I'm fine to keep going." The Swift-Step turned and started to make back down the hill, as you just... lay there.
"My nephew asked me about his Son's opponent, and if the family should be worried." Vai didn't speak to you often, she had given up on pushing you to do better or work harder. Instead she gave you basic instruction like everyone else, but no more or less, "I told him that you were the weakest, least driven Sacred Artist I had ever taught. That at least the other weaklings I had taught had pushed themselves harder than their peers to catch up." Her words filled you with frustration, and soon enough you were looking up at her with anger in your eyes, "Don't glare at me, child. If you have the energy to glare, you have the energy to run. Turn that hatred into motivation, and prove me wrong."
You tried to push yourself off the dirt ground. But as you did, your arms shook. And you felt like you might lose your breakfast. "I can't." You finally said, as you let youself lay back down in the dirt, accepting your defeat.
"Disappointing." Was all you heard from Vai, as she turned away from you, starting to coach the middle of the pack runners on how to improve their forms.
--------
"I heard about your challenge with Tane." Surprisingly enough, Kiri talked to you as you and the other students left the classroom where Vai had been teaching the theoretical parts of exercise and wellness, such as how to eat right, how to exercise safely, and even basic understanding of your anatomy. "You're an idiot for challenging him. You're way too puny, you're like a scrawny little baby seal challenging a hunter." Kiri had absolutely zero tact as she insulted you to your face, which was almost enough for you to challenge her too. But she continued, "I can teach you how to throw a punch, though." She gave you the first smile you'd ever seen from her, and you noticed she was missing a tooth. Was it from a baby tooth falling out, or from her illegal sparring? "And even better, I can teach you how to take a punch and keep going."
"...Why would you?" Kiri had been standoffish at least, and actively tried to run you over more than once. Your only interactions with her were negative, and you didn't understand why she would be willing to help you at all. "We're not friends. You said that yourself." You were normally friendly, happy to talk to anyone. But Kiri had convinced you to stop trying, just before she offered this.
"You're right, we aren't - and I didn't say I'd do it for free." Kiri shook her head, pointing her finger directly towards one of the many pouches on your robe, "I saw that scale you thought you had hidden in your pouch. I'm guessing you got it from teacher Semis, since you're teacher's pet and all. Give me that, and I'll teach you to brawl." Greed shone in the girl's eyes - a Lowgold scale was worth quite a bit to a Copper.
You brought your hand up to the pouch your singular Scale lay in, and you felt very protective for a moment, "What do you want it for?" You asked her, warily - you weren't certain why you were wary, but the idea of giving the rulebreaker what was a sizable amount of money for any kid to possess made you worried. Scales were money, but they were also hardened power, you could take a Cloud scale and absorb it much quicker than converting aura, as a sort of cultivation aid - and while the Blood and Poison madra inside this scale wasn't a perfect match for Kiri's path, she could draw power from this. But she could also trade it for weapons, armor or other illegal things...
"Maybe I want to cultivate it, maybe I want a fancy meal to myself, or maybe I want to go buy some knuckles." She shrugged her shoulders, as you hesitated "What I do with it isn't your concern. What is your concern is getting your head beaten in. So think about it." She stormed off in the way she always did, like she knew people would get out of her way.
-------
You arrived early to Semis' class, because you always arrived early to Semis' class. And Semis seemed to expect it, as the door opened just as you arrived, "I believe I've finally figured out your schedule, Lōkahi." He smiled a mirthful smile on all three of his mouths, even his hands seeming happy at detecting your arrival - without even needing to scan for you. "Come in, I was just getting set up for today's lesson. We will be looking at the Madras less... accepted, today. Where they come form, why people use them, why people hate them, oh it's such interesting work."
"Isn't Blood one of those?" You remembered your family's talk on slaughter artists. And you asked it with a childlike naivety that got you away with insulting your teacher's own family madra.
"It is, in much of the world. As is my own Poison blend - I'm certain that Blood and Poison is far from what an outsider would expect a teacher to specialize in." He chuckled into his hand, but then you saw something catch his eye - something about you, "Oh my, jewelry. You don't seem vain enough to be interested in that yet. And judging by the way it's catching the light, halfsilver. Where and why were you given a Parasite Ring, my curious disciple?" He didn't seem upset by its presence, more amused if anything. "I certainly hope your family isn't allowing you to use that while you are still in the process of stabilizing your core? Your Mother should know better, as an expert in that kind of thing."
"Oh!" You realized that of all people Semis would probably be the most likely outside your family to recognize the ring and what it meant for you to be using one. But you realized that a step too late, "Well... I uh..." You tried to scramble for a lie, but in the end you just bowed deeply, "I actually already stabilized my core. Please don't tell anyone, because Tane and I are supposed to fight, and I need all the time I can get to get ready, because if I start fighting Tane I'm probably gonna get beat up really bad, and I don't wanna get beat up really bad, and even three months isn't that long and I am probably still gonna get beaten up, so please please please don't tell anyone, please?" You had tears in your eyes as you begged the teacher to hide your family's lies.
Warm arms wrapped around you, as the teacher lifted you off the ground effortlessly into a hug, "Oh little Lōkahi, do not cry. I was only teasing you. I have known your core was stable since the day you did it. I might have realized it before you even did - I am an expert in Sacred Arts and cultivating, after all. Even without a deep scan, I can tell these things." His voice was so soft and gentle as he spoke to you, "You do not need to beg or fear. I will keep your secret as I have so far." He lowered you back to the ground as you stopped crying, and started trying to talk.
"I-I-I didn't mean to lie! I just... I just... at first I just kept... forgetting! There's always things to do, and work, and studying, and trying to script better and... and then Tane challenged me and it became a secret secret and now it's scary because if people find out it's bad!" You rambled at the teacher you trusted most, and he let you do so, with a gentle smile on his face.
"Well, if it eases your worries at all, know that all your pains will be temporary even if these fights come to pass. My family ensures that every wounded participant is healed as soon as we can after the fights - it is how many of our young learn to heal more properly." He held his hands infront of hmself, as he spoke with the same gentleness, "I know it is likely a hollow appeasement, however. It will still hurt in the moment."
You tried to stand up straight, to be brave and strong. But you failed, as you let out a sigh and a few more tears, "It's so scary, teacher Semis... I don't know what to do..."
Your plight was clearly tugging on the teacher's heartstrings, and he moved to his desk, sitting on top of it for a moment as he thought. And he looked deep in thought for a long time, "I'm not a fighter, little one. I've never learned to throw a punch, let alone how to use a weapon. I can't help you learn to fight like that. And while I know a lot about Cloud in theory, I can't confess to being an expert in your techniques, so I cannot claim to be able to teach you to use your madra better. Your other teachers might be able to help if you've cultivated a similar level of understanding with..." He trails off, as you put your head down. "No, it would be unreasonable to expect so. Hmm. What do you understand about more advanced cycling techniques, Lōkahi? Have your parents talked to you about the so called 'Jade' techniques?"
You nodded and shook your head at the same time, "I mean, Mom said she'd help me find a good one for me, when I get older. And when I'm stronger. And when it won't hurt me. And she specifically warned me to stick to the basics until then!" You were sure that she was saying those things out of concern for you. But if Semis was asking you a question, he probably was doing it for a reason, "But I've watched how my family all breathes weird. And my Brother says his helps with how he constantly has Madra feeding his Enforcer technique."
"Your Mother isn't wrong. Improper cultivation techniques, especially ones that involve your body, mind, or senses can and will kill you if you mess them up. Or even if you don't, without an Iron Body." Your teacher had moved towards a locked cabinet in the classroom, and unlocked it, "But a purely spiritual method could work, so long as you learn it under the guidance of a skilled teacher. But most of those I know aren't meant for cloud." He pulled out one book, browsing through it. Then another. after tossing the first onto the desk, "Most cycling techniques depend on the aura you are cycling into Madra. But sometimes people base their techniques on something else. Aha!" He flipped open a book, and proceeded to push one of the most complicated diagrams you'd ever seen towards you, laying across both pages of the book.
"That's a parasite ring." You took a few moments to realize it, but the diagrams were specifying the type of ring you had in your hand. It wasn't talking about how to make one however, but how they worked - how they broke down weaker aura, and why they left someone spiritually stronger if they struggled through it.
"It is! This is a particularly interesting text, recovered from a shipwreck five years ago - the Outcast whose family owned it I believe joined your family as an adopted daughter?" He looked at you with a raised eyebrow. "Aisha... Aila? It started with an 'Aye'. Maybe. I remember her mostly because she sold me this text before she was adopted."
"I don't know every adopted member..." You said it meekly, you weren't ever the most social of people after all.
"Well, you should get to know your family." He shifted gears for just a second, "Anyways, this text was her grandfather's. And the surviving portions I have are all about detailing how to improve a sacred artist's ability to utilize certain common treasures. Well, common elsewhere. The only ones I really recognize here are Parasite Rings." He flips the pages a few times, and shows you another diagram. This one features a person who appears to be cycling, and details a technique of breathing in Aura partially, and then outward again, and then back in, each time utilizing the purifying strength of the parasite ring. Semis didn't speak as he let you read it, and it did take you a few minutes to understand the basics of it.
"Infinite Purification Cycle..." The name itself sounded... fancy. "A technique to maximize this..." You looked down at your Parasite Ring, "But... would it be safe?"
"Not to do on your own." He closed the book suddenly, as he realized you were reading the how to without him. "I shouldn't be suggesting this at all to a child. But I've seen your talent in understanding these things, and with me keeping an eye on you I think you might be able to learn it." A pause as you started to smile, and he raised a finger "But, this technique isn't proven at all here, because by the time most people get a parasite ring, they've already started on their Path's cycling techniques. The guide says it can triple the benefits of a parasite ring for only increasing the strain by half again. But you cannot ever trust guides at their words, for people always claim things are greater than they are. And the benefits of this kind of technique would take months of practice to show if it works at all. I mean, I think the theory looks logical - but I cannot assure you it is."
"Would Mom get mad at you for teaching me?" You still remembered her warning you not to rush ahead. And changing a cycling technique this completely wasn't simple, as they quickly became second nature to those who used them - so if you chose to adopt it, it might well be for life. But at the same time... it was a chance to deepen your cycling knowledge. And with your goal being to earn Semis' prize to help with your Iron Body, more time working with him didn't seem like it would be bad.
"Possibly. If I can prove it's effective and make sure you learn it without being harmed, there's little she can complain about, however. This technique is practically as un-aspected as possible, so it's not as if it would stunt your growth to learn a wrong technique for your Path." Semis put the books back in the locked case, as he talked to you - it was getting close to time for class, after all. "I wont be hiding that we are learning it either, of course. I will need to be present at your morning cultivation, after all."
"...Is this a lot of work for you...?" Your family was so busy all the time with work that they couldn't spare nearly as much time as Semis seemed interested in doing for you. And he wasn't even family. "I don't want to be a bother..."
"It's no bother!" Semis smiled with his eyes, "Honestly, I am not offering purely to help you. I've had this book for five years, but no way to verify if its contents are useful. If they work, think of the things I could make with these as a basis. I could help a body bond to its Leeching Bracers, or perhaps a cycling technique to allow a person to bond more fully with their prosthetics. You would be helping me as much as I am helping you."
There was a knock at the door, a little knock of one of the other students, and Semis stood up and moved towards it, "Just consider it though! Don't feel like you have to do it."
You spent a lot of class considering it. For once you weren't the main person answering questions - instead letting Tane do so as he pleased.
-----------
Nuanua and Natano weren't normally social with you, but your two cousins ambushed you much like Tane had. Except that they didn't look like they wanted to fight you. "Hey there, 'honorable' cousin." Natano was the first one to speak, the ever so slightly taller male twin had a smirk on his face, "We heard about your little duel with that fishboy from class. Well, everyone has." It took you a moment to notice that a brown haired spire-carver boy was standing next to Nuanua, Ieke was a quiet boy in class and out of it, it seemed. "And we thought we should offer some help. You know, family takes care of family and all."
Nuanua spoke up second, the girl holding a spear in her hand that she looked decidedly not comfortable holding, despite clearly trying to look like she was very comfortable with it, "We can help you refine some of your techniques, ahead of the fight." The two were only three and a half years older than you, but that meant they had been Coppers for almost two years. "I'm really good at Ruler techniques, and my Brother's good at Forging. With both of us helping you, that's a lot of knowledge! Lucky lucky you!" She raised a hand as you tried to speak, "No no, you don't need to worry! We need your help too, after all."
She pointed back towards the Spire where you'd come from, and to Semis' class, "We saw that teacher Semis likes you a lot. So if you could put in a good word for us, maybe tell him about all the help we've given you..." Natano was the one speaking again, seemlessly playing off his twin's gesture, "We're getting close to our Iron graduation, and he collects Iron bodies. But he only advises his favorites. So you know, put in a good word, help us with the homework, you help us, we help you."
"I-I mean..." You hesitated. Something about it felt wrong, but they were still family, "I'll think about it!" You fled as quickly as you could, under the pressure of your two older cousins and their silently staring friend.
-----------
You were the first one home many days, but Tama was never far behind. So when you heard the door opening, you didn't even turn to face it "Lōkahi, you have a visitor." Tama announced it with a tired voice, not uncommon just after work, before he had even bathed. And you turned to look. Not expecting the young raven haired girl or her older sister, both of whom entered your home as your parents were gone, "You two behave." Tama waved you off as he headed towards his room with Lani.
"Yeah, behave! Or else I'll break out the Guard voice again." Lani snickered as she followed Tama.
You didn't have time to dwell on that, however, "You haven't asked for my help yet." Kalia stared at you with eyes like daggers, as if she was looking through you, "Why not?" She was accusing you of... something. Not trusting her? Thinking you're better than her? Either way, she looks annoyed.
"...I mean, you said uhm, I wasn't good enough for the dueling club. And not to talk to you in class." You felt intimidated by the stare, like your Dad's looks that told you you'd done something wrong. But you clearly hadn't.
"In class, yeah. But you know where I train. You could have come and asked for help." She crossed her arms as she looked at you, still that military bearing of hers that was oh so disciplined, no movement in her whole body besides the intentional arm crossing.
"I didn't think we were... close?" You'd only hung out with her once, and you mostly just watched her swing her sword. Sure, she'd inspired the path you took with one of your techniques, but that didn't mean you were close. "I mean, I don't wanna bother you... I uhm, barely know you."
"We aren't close. But my Sister wants to marry your Brother. So you are nearly my sibling. And I refuse to let my sibling lose and be embarassed." She said it like it was defacto going to happen without her help, "Because that could embarass me. Because I've never lost." She looked oh so smug for just a moment, expression slipping through a mask that her family had pushed onto her.
"O...oh...?" The girl was catching you off guard, with how she spoke. Your Brother had never discussed marriage in front of you, and when your parents brought it up, he always changed the subject. So that was new info.
"Yes. So meet me tomorrow morning at my training spot. I can show you some of the Swift-Step exercises. Just don't show them to anyone else. And then we can practice every morning until your duels start. I would say meet at dawn, but I know your family cultivates past the dawn. So as soon as you are done, meet me instead of heading home." She wasn't asking if you wanted to do it. She was telling you what you were going to do.
You only had so much time, and all of the people who were willing to help you - or to be bribed into helping you - had told you how. Now you had an important question to ask yourself in whose help you wanted, and whose you think would help the most.
[x] A. Hire Kiri with your single Scale and learn to throw a punch - and how to take one - from the gifted if troubled girl.
[x] B. Learn the Infinite Purification Cycle with Semis, specializing your cycling style to use your Parasite Ring.
[x] C. Accept Nuanua and Natano's offer, helping them with Cultivation class in exchange for help with your Forger and Ruler techniques.
[x] D. Accept Kalia's help, learning Swift-Step exercises to try and get ready for your fight.
You didn't know any specifics, you'd never even really held a scale, until Semis gave you one for being the first to show such deep curiosity in the art of cycling aura. But you did know that Half-Silver was rarer than rare here - it didn't naturally occur anywhere on the Spires, and instead only washed up with shipwrecks and driftwood after storms. Halfsilver was a special sort of metal notable for being completely madra-disurptive. No matter what type of madra was used against it, it would break it apart, rendering it useless. Being stabbed with a halfsilver weapon would cut through a person's defensive techniques and disrupt their ability to cycle any sort of Enforcer technique - and this made them deadly weapons. However, the star-spackled silver metal was brittle, so long as you could meet it with physical force.
Outside of your family, the ring you now were wearing was the type of thing someone might commission for their child's Jade advancement, and even then it'd be a notably pricey gift, the type of thing that ring alone would not be disappointing when opening your gift box. Inside of your family they were slightly less valuable, but only because your family owned most of the halfsilver that had ever come to the Spires. You might have been able to expect a gift like this for your Iron graduation, but that was still at least a couple years away.
"More than I've ever seen in my life?" You guessed it, as you looked down at it. The scripting on the half-silver had to be done so carefully, the words were so tiny that without a drudge you wouldn't even be capable of making them. And even then, you needed a good one, and to be capable of controlling it well. "It's so pretty..." Halfsilver looked mostly like silver in a neutral light, but under bright light it sparkled like stars were embedded inside of the metal. And just holding it in your hand you could feel a heaviness to it - your body wasn't quite full of Madra like an Iron's, but you could feel the spiritual weight even in your senses. Sliding it on made it feel even stronger.
"Close to, at least." Your Mom patted you on the head, as she pulled away from helping you put it on, "Be patient when you start to pull at the aura today. You'll note that only the purest aura will make it past the ring, and that some of what you think you grabbed will dissipate. Don't feel frustrated if you feel like you've made no progress at all, especially for the first few weeks." She played with her own ring, and you noticed that yours was forged into a matching shape to your Mother's - the band billowing outward at points for an uneven, cloud-like ring, smoothed to perfection, "And don't try to cycle in ways to resist the struggle it causes, or it's a waste of time. You want to let the ring do its job."
It was so early, these pre dawn hours - but you were both used to waking up for morning cycling practice and extra energized to practice with your new ring, so it may as well be mid day, "Is there anything else I can do to make it work better? A special way to cycle or...?" You wanted all the information, you wanted to get it working as soon as possible. You weren't afraid of the tradeoffs in the least. The fact that this was given to you to help prepare you for inevitable beatings was long forgotten, as you had a new toy that was going to give you another puzzle to figure out regarding your cycling techniques.
"There are and there aren't." Your Mother looked at you seriously as she said that, as seriously as she ever had, "But you're too young to be looking into those. Your Father and I will help you find a fitting breathing technique for you, or someone who can help you make one like your Brother did. When you are ready." She ruffled your hair as she said that, "Don't try to sprint when you're just learning to walk. Especially now that you've decided to learn to walk while holding a sandbag."
"Alright, I am ready." Your Father came out of his and your Mother's shared room, and he was as impeccably dressed as always. His robe, despite being the same kind as yours, just fit his rotund belly perfectly, his foggy beard matched the coloration to perfection, and his jade green eyes were accentuated by his silver jewelry. Your Mother and Brother looked plain next to how well your Father knew to dress himself.
He also would take hours fussing over you, if you let him. But you were more fond of the cropped look with too many pouches that your Mother had, housing all of her tools including her slumbering drudge.
---------
Cycling with the Parasite Ring was indeed like trying to walk uphill while carrying sandbags. From reaching out for the aura around you, to pulling it in towards you, to breathing it in, to cycling it through your body to turn it into madra in your core, every single part of the process was almost painful. Almost. And you immediately felt the temptation to go against your Mother's advice, as you tried to adapt to the situation the scripted ring was putting you in. In a way, your talent worked against you, as you adapted without thought to pull from new angles, to adjust how you cycled, before realizing that you were reducing the benefits of your ring. So you would adjust yourself, and start over from the basics. And then you'd start to get into a rhythym again, and you'd find yourself doing it all over again.
---------
Unlike some of the treasures your family could have provided you, the parasite ring gave you no overt disadvantages when it came to class. You jogged from the bottom of the largest Spire to the top with all the speed you could, as Vai Depth-Watcher walked over each of the trainees. You were expected to do ten laps of this during your lesson, but by the time you'd ascended once you fell to the floor, panting for breath and feeling like you might vomit. You weren't sure how many steps you'd gone up to get there that time, but the idea of pushing through more didn't make you feel good.
Tane, meanwhile, finished his second ascent as you were laying on the ground - the boy literally lapping you as he dismissively regarded you, "Can't believe a weakling challenged me." You were panting for air and couldn't reply quickly enough - because he turned and started to descend again. You were laying in the ground, and he was leaving already. He was sweating, but he wasn't even panting yet, and in that moment you could feel the gap between the two of you.
Though there were larger gaps than that, Kiri Heart-Mender got to the top of the steps and turned on her heels without even a pause. She had ran past you four times during your ascent - which meant that this must have been her fourth lap. The large-as-a-teen girl didn't even look winded as she began another lap, only avoiding shoulder checking Kalia as she came up for her third lap due to the girl's quick motion. "Teacher Vai, tell her something! She keeps trying to sabotage me so I can't catch up to her!" Kalia cried out at the unfairness as Kiri disappeared down the steps in large strides.
"Do I look like Fiva to you, child?" Vai looked down from her cloud-chair, frowning at Kalia's remark, "Think of her as an extra obstacle on the course. It'll be good training for you. Though I doubt you will catch up, wasting time whining like this instead of moving." She motioned for her to go, "Unless you are too tired to go on, like a certain Soft-Storm." Vai looke down at you with an even bigger frown than she had for Kalia. But you had no energy to try and please the teacher, and no will to push yourself to go past your limits. So you just accepted the fact that she didn't like you much.
Kalia looked over and there was, perhaps, a little concern there. But she shook her head, "No Ma'am. I'm fine to keep going." The Swift-Step turned and started to make back down the hill, as you just... lay there.
"My nephew asked me about his Son's opponent, and if the family should be worried." Vai didn't speak to you often, she had given up on pushing you to do better or work harder. Instead she gave you basic instruction like everyone else, but no more or less, "I told him that you were the weakest, least driven Sacred Artist I had ever taught. That at least the other weaklings I had taught had pushed themselves harder than their peers to catch up." Her words filled you with frustration, and soon enough you were looking up at her with anger in your eyes, "Don't glare at me, child. If you have the energy to glare, you have the energy to run. Turn that hatred into motivation, and prove me wrong."
You tried to push yourself off the dirt ground. But as you did, your arms shook. And you felt like you might lose your breakfast. "I can't." You finally said, as you let youself lay back down in the dirt, accepting your defeat.
"Disappointing." Was all you heard from Vai, as she turned away from you, starting to coach the middle of the pack runners on how to improve their forms.
--------
"I heard about your challenge with Tane." Surprisingly enough, Kiri talked to you as you and the other students left the classroom where Vai had been teaching the theoretical parts of exercise and wellness, such as how to eat right, how to exercise safely, and even basic understanding of your anatomy. "You're an idiot for challenging him. You're way too puny, you're like a scrawny little baby seal challenging a hunter." Kiri had absolutely zero tact as she insulted you to your face, which was almost enough for you to challenge her too. But she continued, "I can teach you how to throw a punch, though." She gave you the first smile you'd ever seen from her, and you noticed she was missing a tooth. Was it from a baby tooth falling out, or from her illegal sparring? "And even better, I can teach you how to take a punch and keep going."
"...Why would you?" Kiri had been standoffish at least, and actively tried to run you over more than once. Your only interactions with her were negative, and you didn't understand why she would be willing to help you at all. "We're not friends. You said that yourself." You were normally friendly, happy to talk to anyone. But Kiri had convinced you to stop trying, just before she offered this.
"You're right, we aren't - and I didn't say I'd do it for free." Kiri shook her head, pointing her finger directly towards one of the many pouches on your robe, "I saw that scale you thought you had hidden in your pouch. I'm guessing you got it from teacher Semis, since you're teacher's pet and all. Give me that, and I'll teach you to brawl." Greed shone in the girl's eyes - a Lowgold scale was worth quite a bit to a Copper.
You brought your hand up to the pouch your singular Scale lay in, and you felt very protective for a moment, "What do you want it for?" You asked her, warily - you weren't certain why you were wary, but the idea of giving the rulebreaker what was a sizable amount of money for any kid to possess made you worried. Scales were money, but they were also hardened power, you could take a Cloud scale and absorb it much quicker than converting aura, as a sort of cultivation aid - and while the Blood and Poison madra inside this scale wasn't a perfect match for Kiri's path, she could draw power from this. But she could also trade it for weapons, armor or other illegal things...
"Maybe I want to cultivate it, maybe I want a fancy meal to myself, or maybe I want to go buy some knuckles." She shrugged her shoulders, as you hesitated "What I do with it isn't your concern. What is your concern is getting your head beaten in. So think about it." She stormed off in the way she always did, like she knew people would get out of her way.
-------
You arrived early to Semis' class, because you always arrived early to Semis' class. And Semis seemed to expect it, as the door opened just as you arrived, "I believe I've finally figured out your schedule, Lōkahi." He smiled a mirthful smile on all three of his mouths, even his hands seeming happy at detecting your arrival - without even needing to scan for you. "Come in, I was just getting set up for today's lesson. We will be looking at the Madras less... accepted, today. Where they come form, why people use them, why people hate them, oh it's such interesting work."
"Isn't Blood one of those?" You remembered your family's talk on slaughter artists. And you asked it with a childlike naivety that got you away with insulting your teacher's own family madra.
"It is, in much of the world. As is my own Poison blend - I'm certain that Blood and Poison is far from what an outsider would expect a teacher to specialize in." He chuckled into his hand, but then you saw something catch his eye - something about you, "Oh my, jewelry. You don't seem vain enough to be interested in that yet. And judging by the way it's catching the light, halfsilver. Where and why were you given a Parasite Ring, my curious disciple?" He didn't seem upset by its presence, more amused if anything. "I certainly hope your family isn't allowing you to use that while you are still in the process of stabilizing your core? Your Mother should know better, as an expert in that kind of thing."
"Oh!" You realized that of all people Semis would probably be the most likely outside your family to recognize the ring and what it meant for you to be using one. But you realized that a step too late, "Well... I uh..." You tried to scramble for a lie, but in the end you just bowed deeply, "I actually already stabilized my core. Please don't tell anyone, because Tane and I are supposed to fight, and I need all the time I can get to get ready, because if I start fighting Tane I'm probably gonna get beat up really bad, and I don't wanna get beat up really bad, and even three months isn't that long and I am probably still gonna get beaten up, so please please please don't tell anyone, please?" You had tears in your eyes as you begged the teacher to hide your family's lies.
Warm arms wrapped around you, as the teacher lifted you off the ground effortlessly into a hug, "Oh little Lōkahi, do not cry. I was only teasing you. I have known your core was stable since the day you did it. I might have realized it before you even did - I am an expert in Sacred Arts and cultivating, after all. Even without a deep scan, I can tell these things." His voice was so soft and gentle as he spoke to you, "You do not need to beg or fear. I will keep your secret as I have so far." He lowered you back to the ground as you stopped crying, and started trying to talk.
"I-I-I didn't mean to lie! I just... I just... at first I just kept... forgetting! There's always things to do, and work, and studying, and trying to script better and... and then Tane challenged me and it became a secret secret and now it's scary because if people find out it's bad!" You rambled at the teacher you trusted most, and he let you do so, with a gentle smile on his face.
"Well, if it eases your worries at all, know that all your pains will be temporary even if these fights come to pass. My family ensures that every wounded participant is healed as soon as we can after the fights - it is how many of our young learn to heal more properly." He held his hands infront of hmself, as he spoke with the same gentleness, "I know it is likely a hollow appeasement, however. It will still hurt in the moment."
You tried to stand up straight, to be brave and strong. But you failed, as you let out a sigh and a few more tears, "It's so scary, teacher Semis... I don't know what to do..."
Your plight was clearly tugging on the teacher's heartstrings, and he moved to his desk, sitting on top of it for a moment as he thought. And he looked deep in thought for a long time, "I'm not a fighter, little one. I've never learned to throw a punch, let alone how to use a weapon. I can't help you learn to fight like that. And while I know a lot about Cloud in theory, I can't confess to being an expert in your techniques, so I cannot claim to be able to teach you to use your madra better. Your other teachers might be able to help if you've cultivated a similar level of understanding with..." He trails off, as you put your head down. "No, it would be unreasonable to expect so. Hmm. What do you understand about more advanced cycling techniques, Lōkahi? Have your parents talked to you about the so called 'Jade' techniques?"
You nodded and shook your head at the same time, "I mean, Mom said she'd help me find a good one for me, when I get older. And when I'm stronger. And when it won't hurt me. And she specifically warned me to stick to the basics until then!" You were sure that she was saying those things out of concern for you. But if Semis was asking you a question, he probably was doing it for a reason, "But I've watched how my family all breathes weird. And my Brother says his helps with how he constantly has Madra feeding his Enforcer technique."
"Your Mother isn't wrong. Improper cultivation techniques, especially ones that involve your body, mind, or senses can and will kill you if you mess them up. Or even if you don't, without an Iron Body." Your teacher had moved towards a locked cabinet in the classroom, and unlocked it, "But a purely spiritual method could work, so long as you learn it under the guidance of a skilled teacher. But most of those I know aren't meant for cloud." He pulled out one book, browsing through it. Then another. after tossing the first onto the desk, "Most cycling techniques depend on the aura you are cycling into Madra. But sometimes people base their techniques on something else. Aha!" He flipped open a book, and proceeded to push one of the most complicated diagrams you'd ever seen towards you, laying across both pages of the book.
"That's a parasite ring." You took a few moments to realize it, but the diagrams were specifying the type of ring you had in your hand. It wasn't talking about how to make one however, but how they worked - how they broke down weaker aura, and why they left someone spiritually stronger if they struggled through it.
"It is! This is a particularly interesting text, recovered from a shipwreck five years ago - the Outcast whose family owned it I believe joined your family as an adopted daughter?" He looked at you with a raised eyebrow. "Aisha... Aila? It started with an 'Aye'. Maybe. I remember her mostly because she sold me this text before she was adopted."
"I don't know every adopted member..." You said it meekly, you weren't ever the most social of people after all.
"Well, you should get to know your family." He shifted gears for just a second, "Anyways, this text was her grandfather's. And the surviving portions I have are all about detailing how to improve a sacred artist's ability to utilize certain common treasures. Well, common elsewhere. The only ones I really recognize here are Parasite Rings." He flips the pages a few times, and shows you another diagram. This one features a person who appears to be cycling, and details a technique of breathing in Aura partially, and then outward again, and then back in, each time utilizing the purifying strength of the parasite ring. Semis didn't speak as he let you read it, and it did take you a few minutes to understand the basics of it.
"Infinite Purification Cycle..." The name itself sounded... fancy. "A technique to maximize this..." You looked down at your Parasite Ring, "But... would it be safe?"
"Not to do on your own." He closed the book suddenly, as he realized you were reading the how to without him. "I shouldn't be suggesting this at all to a child. But I've seen your talent in understanding these things, and with me keeping an eye on you I think you might be able to learn it." A pause as you started to smile, and he raised a finger "But, this technique isn't proven at all here, because by the time most people get a parasite ring, they've already started on their Path's cycling techniques. The guide says it can triple the benefits of a parasite ring for only increasing the strain by half again. But you cannot ever trust guides at their words, for people always claim things are greater than they are. And the benefits of this kind of technique would take months of practice to show if it works at all. I mean, I think the theory looks logical - but I cannot assure you it is."
"Would Mom get mad at you for teaching me?" You still remembered her warning you not to rush ahead. And changing a cycling technique this completely wasn't simple, as they quickly became second nature to those who used them - so if you chose to adopt it, it might well be for life. But at the same time... it was a chance to deepen your cycling knowledge. And with your goal being to earn Semis' prize to help with your Iron Body, more time working with him didn't seem like it would be bad.
"Possibly. If I can prove it's effective and make sure you learn it without being harmed, there's little she can complain about, however. This technique is practically as un-aspected as possible, so it's not as if it would stunt your growth to learn a wrong technique for your Path." Semis put the books back in the locked case, as he talked to you - it was getting close to time for class, after all. "I wont be hiding that we are learning it either, of course. I will need to be present at your morning cultivation, after all."
"...Is this a lot of work for you...?" Your family was so busy all the time with work that they couldn't spare nearly as much time as Semis seemed interested in doing for you. And he wasn't even family. "I don't want to be a bother..."
"It's no bother!" Semis smiled with his eyes, "Honestly, I am not offering purely to help you. I've had this book for five years, but no way to verify if its contents are useful. If they work, think of the things I could make with these as a basis. I could help a body bond to its Leeching Bracers, or perhaps a cycling technique to allow a person to bond more fully with their prosthetics. You would be helping me as much as I am helping you."
There was a knock at the door, a little knock of one of the other students, and Semis stood up and moved towards it, "Just consider it though! Don't feel like you have to do it."
You spent a lot of class considering it. For once you weren't the main person answering questions - instead letting Tane do so as he pleased.
-----------
Nuanua and Natano weren't normally social with you, but your two cousins ambushed you much like Tane had. Except that they didn't look like they wanted to fight you. "Hey there, 'honorable' cousin." Natano was the first one to speak, the ever so slightly taller male twin had a smirk on his face, "We heard about your little duel with that fishboy from class. Well, everyone has." It took you a moment to notice that a brown haired spire-carver boy was standing next to Nuanua, Ieke was a quiet boy in class and out of it, it seemed. "And we thought we should offer some help. You know, family takes care of family and all."
Nuanua spoke up second, the girl holding a spear in her hand that she looked decidedly not comfortable holding, despite clearly trying to look like she was very comfortable with it, "We can help you refine some of your techniques, ahead of the fight." The two were only three and a half years older than you, but that meant they had been Coppers for almost two years. "I'm really good at Ruler techniques, and my Brother's good at Forging. With both of us helping you, that's a lot of knowledge! Lucky lucky you!" She raised a hand as you tried to speak, "No no, you don't need to worry! We need your help too, after all."
She pointed back towards the Spire where you'd come from, and to Semis' class, "We saw that teacher Semis likes you a lot. So if you could put in a good word for us, maybe tell him about all the help we've given you..." Natano was the one speaking again, seemlessly playing off his twin's gesture, "We're getting close to our Iron graduation, and he collects Iron bodies. But he only advises his favorites. So you know, put in a good word, help us with the homework, you help us, we help you."
"I-I mean..." You hesitated. Something about it felt wrong, but they were still family, "I'll think about it!" You fled as quickly as you could, under the pressure of your two older cousins and their silently staring friend.
-----------
You were the first one home many days, but Tama was never far behind. So when you heard the door opening, you didn't even turn to face it "Lōkahi, you have a visitor." Tama announced it with a tired voice, not uncommon just after work, before he had even bathed. And you turned to look. Not expecting the young raven haired girl or her older sister, both of whom entered your home as your parents were gone, "You two behave." Tama waved you off as he headed towards his room with Lani.
"Yeah, behave! Or else I'll break out the Guard voice again." Lani snickered as she followed Tama.
You didn't have time to dwell on that, however, "You haven't asked for my help yet." Kalia stared at you with eyes like daggers, as if she was looking through you, "Why not?" She was accusing you of... something. Not trusting her? Thinking you're better than her? Either way, she looks annoyed.
"...I mean, you said uhm, I wasn't good enough for the dueling club. And not to talk to you in class." You felt intimidated by the stare, like your Dad's looks that told you you'd done something wrong. But you clearly hadn't.
"In class, yeah. But you know where I train. You could have come and asked for help." She crossed her arms as she looked at you, still that military bearing of hers that was oh so disciplined, no movement in her whole body besides the intentional arm crossing.
"I didn't think we were... close?" You'd only hung out with her once, and you mostly just watched her swing her sword. Sure, she'd inspired the path you took with one of your techniques, but that didn't mean you were close. "I mean, I don't wanna bother you... I uhm, barely know you."
"We aren't close. But my Sister wants to marry your Brother. So you are nearly my sibling. And I refuse to let my sibling lose and be embarassed." She said it like it was defacto going to happen without her help, "Because that could embarass me. Because I've never lost." She looked oh so smug for just a moment, expression slipping through a mask that her family had pushed onto her.
"O...oh...?" The girl was catching you off guard, with how she spoke. Your Brother had never discussed marriage in front of you, and when your parents brought it up, he always changed the subject. So that was new info.
"Yes. So meet me tomorrow morning at my training spot. I can show you some of the Swift-Step exercises. Just don't show them to anyone else. And then we can practice every morning until your duels start. I would say meet at dawn, but I know your family cultivates past the dawn. So as soon as you are done, meet me instead of heading home." She wasn't asking if you wanted to do it. She was telling you what you were going to do.
You only had so much time, and all of the people who were willing to help you - or to be bribed into helping you - had told you how. Now you had an important question to ask yourself in whose help you wanted, and whose you think would help the most.
[x] A. Hire Kiri with your single Scale and learn to throw a punch - and how to take one - from the gifted if troubled girl.
[x] B. Learn the Infinite Purification Cycle with Semis, specializing your cycling style to use your Parasite Ring.
[x] C. Accept Nuanua and Natano's offer, helping them with Cultivation class in exchange for help with your Forger and Ruler techniques.
[x] D. Accept Kalia's help, learning Swift-Step exercises to try and get ready for your fight.
[x] D. Accept Kalia's help, learning Swift-Step exercises to try and get ready for your fight.
[x] C. Accept Nuanua and Natano's offer, helping them with Cultivation class in exchange for help with your Forger and Ruler techniques.
[x] C. Accept Nuanua and Natano's offer, helping them with Cultivation class in exchange for help with your Forger and Ruler techniques.
Shard
One and Many
- Location
- Malaysia
[x] B. Learn the Infinite Purification Cycle with Semis, specializing your cycling style to use your Parasite Ring.
[x] C. Accept Nuanua and Natano's offer, helping them with Cultivation class in exchange for help with your Forger and Ruler techniques.
[x] D. Accept Kalia's help, learning Swift-Step exercises to try and get ready for your fight.
[x] C. Accept Nuanua and Natano's offer, helping them with Cultivation class in exchange for help with your Forger and Ruler techniques.
[x] D. Accept Kalia's help, learning Swift-Step exercises to try and get ready for your fight.
Last edited:
ClawClawBite
Mad Engineering!
- Location
- Seattle, WA
A, b, and d all look interesting.
However, we might find a breathing cycle that does work with our element, and are getting purification with our without it.
I think of a and d, we are better with Kalia's help as we feel more suited to structured combat than brawling
[x] D. Accept Kalia's help, learning Swift-Step exercises to try and get ready for your fight.
However, we might find a breathing cycle that does work with our element, and are getting purification with our without it.
I think of a and d, we are better with Kalia's help as we feel more suited to structured combat than brawling
[x] D. Accept Kalia's help, learning Swift-Step exercises to try and get ready for your fight.
- Pronouns
- He/Him
[x] B. Learn the Infinite Purification Cycle with Semis, specializing your cycling style to use your Parasite Ring.
[x] D. Accept Kalia's help, learning Swift-Step exercises to try and get ready for your fight.
[x] D. Accept Kalia's help, learning Swift-Step exercises to try and get ready for your fight.
[x] B. Learn the Infinite Purification Cycle with Semis, specializing your cycling style to use your Parasite Ring.
[x] C. Accept Nuanua and Natano's offer, helping them with Cultivation class in exchange for help with your Forger and Ruler techniques.
[x] D. Accept Kalia's help, learning Swift-Step exercises to try and get ready for your fight.
[x] C. Accept Nuanua and Natano's offer, helping them with Cultivation class in exchange for help with your Forger and Ruler techniques.
[x] D. Accept Kalia's help, learning Swift-Step exercises to try and get ready for your fight.
[x] B. Learn the Infinite Purification Cycle with Semis, specializing your cycling style to use your Parasite Ring.
B seems better long term, a lot better. I'm not sure how it will help us win this fight though.
I think actually getting hit will help the most, followed by combat exercises. But, I don't care that much if we lose. It'll embarrass our family, but we'll be even deeper into Semis favoritism, so alongside the pill he might dig up a special iron body for us.
B seems better long term, a lot better. I'm not sure how it will help us win this fight though.
I think actually getting hit will help the most, followed by combat exercises. But, I don't care that much if we lose. It'll embarrass our family, but we'll be even deeper into Semis favoritism, so alongside the pill he might dig up a special iron body for us.
[x] A. Hire Kiri with your single Scale and learn to throw a punch - and how to take one - from the gifted if troubled girl.
[x] B. Learn the Infinite Purification Cycle with Semis, specializing your cycling style to use your Parasite Ring.
Feels like the best balance between present problems and future benefits. All the other preparations won't matter if MC still sucks at fighting.
[x] B. Learn the Infinite Purification Cycle with Semis, specializing your cycling style to use your Parasite Ring.
Feels like the best balance between present problems and future benefits. All the other preparations won't matter if MC still sucks at fighting.