MM - Chapter 266 - NECESSARY RESTRUCTURING

From his vantage in the darkened sky, Raine beheld the chaos he had unleashed. The staging ground was wholly transformed into clusters of conflict turned desperate by the momentous stakes. For those with a driving need to progress, this moment was do-or-die. The shouts of challenge cutting through the pre-dawn chill carried those emotions across the whole town. Multiple duels transpired simultaneously, grunts of exertion and the thuds of struck flesh were impossible to mistake.

Order existed within the mayhem. No battlemaster faced more than a single challenger at a time. Still, the challengers to the most grievous offenders were relentless. One opponent would fall, only for another to step forward, until the better-geared incumbent was finally forced into mental exhaustion and fell.

Only six cohorts had no challengers step forward at all—yesterday’s winners. Of the remaining thirty-nine cohorts, only four remained under the same leadership. Events unfolded precisely as Raine and Morty had calculated. The regulars they flagged for their potential—those who demonstrated overwhelming martial aptitude, stayed alive when others died, who had the strength to rescue their comrades, or refused to give up in the face of impossible odds—were the ones now in command, either through their own efforts, or with the aid of others who saw the same potential in them.

Raine had never been allowed to implement this system in the past. It filled him with an indescribable giddiness to see it in action after all the thought he’d put into it over the years. The system was self-correcting, nearly corruption-proof, and highly incentivised those at the bottom and the top. There were flaws, of course, but they were mostly abated by teamwork and minor forethought. 

The easiest way for a corrupt battlemaster to maintain his hold would be to crush opposition before a given Friday’s gambit. Such actions were prohibited by their contracts and would trigger immediate and severe consequences. As for ensuring competence, a little teamwork was all it took. A tactician with mediocre combat skills could align with a powerful warrior who lacked strategic depth. Their combined strengths would ensure a cohort was led by competence rather than suppressive might.

The final issue lay in those deposed. These first few battlemasters to fall would be heavily scorned. As time passed, and the dethroned rose in number, they would naturally become less the pariahs they seemed at the moment. Their suffering was of no consequence to Raine. The worse they were to their subordinates, the worse they would be treated after today. They could suffer with chins held high, or they could leave. And if their frustration turned to betrayal, well, that was a choice they had to make for themselves, and they would answer to Morty if that day came.

The whistling of displaced air announced Celeste’s arrival. She ascended with a series of controlled Lunges, apprehension written across her brow. Raine’s exerted will manipulated an extension on the platform of air beside him. His extended hand indicated the zone, and she landed with an unsteady step.

Her eyes widened as she realized what he was doing. She looked between the invisible platform and his calm demeanor. “How is your Connection already this powerful?” She stomped it hard for good measure, jaw falling open. “It feels solid enough to build a house on! Are your attributes in the thousands already, you monster?”

He offered no answer, instead gesturing with his chin toward a pair of guilders practically frothing at the mouth, trying to determine who would be next to face their sworn enemy. “Does it make sense now? What we spoke of before?”

Her gaze followed his, noting the arrogant battlemaster finally falling to a much smaller, faster challenger who came on the heels of a dozen who had failed before him. “When you said martial prowess is absolute, and trust is fallible?” He nodded, and she took his hint of a smile as a cue to continue. Instead of speaking right away, she watched for a few long seconds, face contorted as though in pain. “I… I can’t say I really get it. How does being worn down by potentially hundreds prove who is and isn’t the strongest? And what does being the strongest have to do with being a good leader? I will admit that I didn't realize how trapped they would feel with poor leadership. I feel terrible for putting them in that position, but I still think it would be easier, better, and faster to choose the leaders for them.”

Raine could barely keep the shit-eating grin from his face. Look at her go. The old Celeste would have lied her ass off to appear like she had all the answers, rather than admit ignorance.

Celeste felt the pride in his thoughts directed solely at her. The blush staining her neck made meeting his gaze unbearable, but she did it. And she most certainly was not biting her lip because she was thinking about the kiss they had shared.

Raine was completely unaware of her inner turmoil. “Both your questions have the same answer: because whoever ends up on top knows they will be next. The eyes of an entire cohort on your back, all hungry for what you have, is not a weight easy to bear. The pressure to perform will ensure only the most mentally resolute ascend to the top. And those kinds of people, inevitably, become the most powerful martials. Think of it like a Democracy, only one where you get to throw fists with your political leaders the second they step out of line.”

Ugh. Why do I feel like this every time he gets so… so… arrogant!

Celeste found her steel, not ready to back down yet. “I read a book about prison gangs once. This whole setup makes me wonder if you read it, too.”

Raine laughed out loud, enjoying the bite in her tone. “Care to bet on how many cohorts pass my little test?”

“Nope. Not at all. Betting against you has never worked before. I don’t imagine this time will be any different.”

“Clever girl.” Sensing something lurking behind her eyes, and not knowing what it was, caused his smile to fade. Raine mirrored the tone he had used to address the entire guild. “You’re dissatisfied?”

The question startled her, and she shook her head quickly. “No. I’m just… frustrated? It feels like I am always one step behind. No, that’s not quite right. I’m always making mistakes.”

Raine scratched at his chin, working through the underlying meanings in her admission. “You’re earning your place, same as them. The confidence you’ll build through trial and error is more valuable than me simply telling you the right answers from the beginning.” His fingers swept in a gentle arc, indicating the guilders below. “You’re just like them. Struggling, failing, then learning and growing. There’s something beautiful in that shared fate, don’t you think?”

Her lips parted, a single word escaping in a breath of realization. “Camaraderie.”

His smile returned in full force. He hadn’t expected her to grasp the most important lesson in all of this. Beneath it all, camaraderie was precisely what Astra Infernum was building right now. Through fighting each other, they would come to understand and accept each other faster than months of shared training could provide.

By now, the last of the original, incompetent battlemasters had been unseated. Fresh conflicts quickly sprouted as the newly appointed leaders faced the cohorts they suddenly found themselves responsible for. Arguing, negotiating, and threats to challenge them in turn were everywhere. A tense, but mostly cordial atmosphere settled as new pecking orders were established. 

The wisest of the new leaders swore to listen to any and all suggestions and found their positions secured without further conflict. A few others were so overwhelmingly powerful that their authority was absolute, their strength alone an unassailable argument.

But Raine was not finished. He had promised them a chance, and that promise extended to every single member. His voice, amplified within a cone of Connection, washed over the shouting and arguing. “Now that the battlemasters have been chosen, it is time for everyone else to have a choice. If you are unsatisfied with your current cohort or your new battlemaster, and you did not expend your one weekly right to challenge, you may face another of equal station from any chain of command, that is, any cohort.”

The confidence instantly drained from the faces of the overwhelmingly strong. Their martial might was useless if their best members abandoned them. Raine knew those leaders had nothing to fear. Many would choose to stay under such battlemasters; it was human nature to follow strength—a rule as old as civilization.

As expected, it was the cohorts who had passed the test yesterday who received the most glares and muttered vows of violence. The same question was in almost every head: why do it the hard way, when they can simply take out the weakest member of a cohort that had already earned the right to Resplendence?

The second round of duels began, and they were even more fierce than the first.

* * *

Nearly two hours passed. The sun rose before the cohorts were settled. Once more, Raine led them into The Divide. There was no reason for a grand speech. He did not linger to watch them get to work. For the very first time in some of their lives, their fate was now entirely their own.

Raine’s day devolved into a blur of violence and repetition. He became a reaping force within the Deep Divide, slaughtering Siege Crandals with growing efficiency. He pushed himself harder than the previous day, killing more, faster, but not due to taking unnecessary risks. Even with yesterday’s gains, he was still sorely underleveled for these enemies; the Crandals’ Plasma Shots and Tail Strikes could still kill him with a single hit.

Despite making the man meet him early in the morning, Raine did not compel Lucius to attend him. The young noble’s level was too high, and he had his own forces to command. He also honored his agreement with the noble scions, ignoring the beasts they targeted, which forced him to travel further and further down the massive fortification to find new prey.

He stopped only once to see to his body’s needs, otherwise killing from dawn until well after dusk. The death of the one-hundredth Crandal brought the final notification he was waiting for, and he at last called it a day.

[Level up! x7]

[+140 free attribute points]

[Potency: +42]

[Finesse: +42]

[Acuity: +42]

[Physique: +42]

[Connection: +42]

[General Skill Points +2]

Level 48; it had cost over seven billion Superiority to get there. A significant portion was spent catching up on his growth weapons, both of which had started several levels behind.

[Last Chance’s Gambit: (Marvelous Gold - LVL 36 > 48) (Superiority 1/596M) (Attack Power 324 > 432) (Elemental Power 324 > 432) (Attack Speed +2.0) (Finesse 108 > 144) (Connection 108 > 144) (Durability 97/200)]

[Innate Skill - Final Gambit: Convert 25% maximum Elemental Power into a single target non-elemental attack. 216 > 288 damage per EP converted. No cooldown)]

[Innate Passive - Explosive Ambuscade: Critical hits ignite the target’s Elemental Power, triggering a violent, internal chain reaction. Deals 216 > 288 non-resistible internal damage per Elemental Power ignited]

Raine twirled the dagger through his fingers, its familiar weight a comfort he would sorely miss. So close to fifty. Chances are you’ll evolve again then, and that will be the end of your growth. Still, a level 50 Chaotic Gold weapon with these attributes and abilities won’t be easy to replace. Another ten levels, maybe. Damn, feels too short. Such a good weapon, and you’ve been with me from the very start.

For a brief moment, he considered not draining the invested Superiority from the weapon, and holding onto it as a keepsake of this new, better timeline. His head shook, not knowing what he would do when the time came.

[Cassidy’s Comet: (Marvelous Gold - LVL 36 > 48) (Superiority 1/596M) (Attack Power 290 > 470) (Potency 109 > 157) (Physique 109 > 157) (Durability 137/240)]

[Innate Skill 1 - PuriPuri Comet Burst: Single target physical attack dealing 3,900% > 5,700% physical damage and force. Ignores all defense. (Skill name must be shouted to activate) (Cost: 20 Discipline) (Cooldown: 3 minutes)]

[Innate Skill 2 - PuriPuri Rainbow Release: 13.7 > 16.1-meter circular ground-based AOE dealing 1,950% > 2,850% damage with 3,900% > 5,700% bonus force and lift. Ignores all defense. (Skill name must be shouted to activate) (Cost: 25 of highest resource) (Cooldown: 5 minutes)]

Reviewing the weapons was a stark reminder that he needed to find a blacksmith soon. His armor’s Durability, in particular, was on its last legs. Along the way, he had painstakingly managed to accrue Attunement in each of his weapon types, a significant challenge considering that in the beginning, he couldn’t harm the Crandals without a piercing weapon. Thankfully, the swarms of smaller creatures they spawned allowed him to slowly grind up his other masteries. A cascade of notifications filled his vision.

[Congratulations!]

[Fists mastery has reached Adept]

[Damage dealt with fist basic attacks and skills increased by 10% > 20%]

[Fists Force-Damage Conversion unlocked at 50% maximum potential]

[See a trainer in any major city to advance fist mastery to Expert]

[Shield mastery has reached Adept]

[Defense and Resistance increased by 10% > 20% while wielding a shield]

[Shield Force-Damage Conversion unlocked at 50% maximum potential]

[See a trainer in any major city to advance shield mastery to Expert]

[Knives mastery has reached Adept]

[Damage dealt with knife basic attacks increased by 10% > 20%. Resource cost of elemental, celestial, and demonic skills used while wielding a knife decreased by 10% > 20%]

[Knives Force-Damage Conversion unlocked at 50% maximum potential]

[See a trainer in any major city to advance Knives mastery to Expert]

The rest were more of the same, a testament to his diligence: Mace, Spear, Sword, Axe, Wand, and Staff masteries all reached Adept. There was no achievement to go with them, unsurprising considering his cursed ring barred him from equipping all the ranged weapon types. The annoyance was minor and wholly unimportant next to the actual prize: Force-Damage Conversion.

The ability to convert half of any given blow’s force into additional damage was one of the few advantages Travelers had over beasts. Without mastering Force-Damage Conversion, progressing beyond level 50 was nearly impossible, at least for those who had not undergone Genesis. Raine alone understood how critical a component the ability was for the class quests that awaited everyone at level 50.

The second reason the Crandals grew easier throughout the day was his attributes. With this final level up, he now sported an additional forty in both Acuity and Physique. The remaining points had been evenly split between Potency, Finesse, and Connection. The influx of raw power and output had been a thrill. 

Compared to his Acuity that morning, Raine felt like a muddy lens had been removed from his eyes; colors and sounds were startlingly vibrant, and the deadly lances released by the Crandals were now slow enough to track their progress across The Divide. The surge in Physique and Potency was more visceral. Every application of Discipline felt like powerful currents running through his marrow, bringing with them startling increases in force and explosive power. He was more durable, heavier, yet still faster, his body a lethal instrument steadily closing the gap on his past self.

The core team stayed busy as well, practicing Resplendence all day as they struggled to keep up with attributes rapidly rising. In the end, they soared from level 25 all the way to 48. Varak’s entire cohort tagged along, matching their progress level for level. Even the level 50 bearers were in the raid group this time. If not for them drastically cutting into the total Superiority gains, Raine could have pushed everyone else to 50. Instead, he kicked anyone from the raid the moment they hit 48.

There was a method to his madness. It was rare, but some class quests triggered instantly upon reaching level 50, and those invariably dragged the individual into an alternate realm, ready or not. None of his people were ready. They needed time to train, to grow accustomed to their new attributes, to raise their skill completion rates—a task made monumentally more difficult by their newfound speed and strength. Most importantly, they needed gear.

Raine had vanishingly few pieces of decent level 45-plus equipment, and without full sets, completing their class quests would never happen. The same applied to him, which was why he immediately called it quits when both he and his growth weapons hit 48. Two full levels should be a sufficient buffer to clear the coming raid without worry; it would be a catastrophe if his class quest dragged him out and left Varak’s people stranded inside.

Flying back to The Wall, Raine reviewed his updated status, beyond pleased with not only the changes, but his overall progress. Wherever the witch planned to send him for his class quest, he would be more than prepared to face it.

NAME: Alaric

CLASS: Armsman

PROFESSION: Adept Engineer

PROFICIENCY: 47/150

TITLE: Spearhead of Orthrus / Sky Catcher / One Man Army / Big Game Executioner

ASPECT: Greater Aspect of the Werewolf

LEVEL: 41 > 48

SUPERIORITY: 8.42M / 596M

ATTUNEMENT: 99,838%

SKILL POINTS: 3 > 5

HEALTH POINTS: 11,374 > 12,401

ATTACK POWER: 2,569 > 2,739

DEFENSE: 1,511 > 1,613

RESISTANCE: 2,229 > 2,343

CRITICAL RATE: 56.35% > 54.33%

ELEMENTAL POWER: 3,123 > 3,275

CELESTIAL POWER: 2,923 > 3,075

DEMONIC POWER: 2,453 > 2,605

DISCIPLINE: 2,763 > 2,942

ATTACK SPEED: 4.40 > 4.9

MOVE SPEED: 101.6 > 110.6

POTENCY: 1,054 > 1,133

FINESSE: 997 > 1,075

ACUITY: 825 > 928

PHYSIQUE: 945 > 1,047

CONNECTION: 1,104 > 1,180

It was a good thing Celeste didn’t take his bet. She never would have guessed that after only five cohorts cleared the test on the first day, a startling twenty-two more would pass on the second. The total number, including Varak's, was twenty-eight. Not only that, twenty entire cohorts exceeded even his high expectations, grinding all the way to level 15.

They waited for him behind the shieldwall in loose mobs, unwilling to log before their guild master. Raine had no reason to hold back his radiant smile as he met and held the gazes of each battlemaster in turn. The sun was down, the day long since over. They had led their people relentlessly for over sixteen hours with few to no breaks, and despite it all, their exhausted faces beamed right back at him. 

Suddenly, the fatigue Raine had held at bay for hours vanished, replaced by an ecstatic desire to fulfil the fervent wish he saw in all their eyes. His voice rose louder than the still-raging battlefield. “What the hell are you all standing around for?! I thought you wanted to be martials?! If so, get your asses into formation!”

The victorious roared, celebrating their achievement by finally learning the martial technique that had driven their hearts throughout the long, bloody day.

And for those who failed, this day did not necessarily mark the end of their journeys. Back in Belehorn Tower, some mourned, some angrily swore vengeance, some slept soundly, and a few trained for all they were worth in the gym. No matter what path they chose, they would have another chance to try again, next Friday.