[18] ULTIMATE WEAPON

Sliff awoke at the very chair of the dining table on which he sat to tell Galarax about what had happened in the council meeting, before he returned to the Raven stronghold this morning.

The shack was quiet just like the last time.

"I have to find him," Sliff thought, exiting the shack. "I have to learn Alchos as fast as possible."

Someone jumped from the one of the trees growing beside the shack, startling Sliff.

"Look who's back," Galarax said, wrapping an arm around Sliff. "Is it night already?"

Sliff shook his head. "It'll be in a couple of hours."

"Starting training early?" Galarax said. "I like your warrior spirit!"

Sliff exhaled softly, bowing afterward. "Please teach me Alchos, Galarax. I can't have people protecting me forever. I have to become strong for my dream. And for that I have to become strong enough to protect myself and the people I want to."

"Now, now, kid," Galarax said, patting Sliff's head. "I already told you that I'm going to help, no need to do all this, alright?"

Sliff straightened up, nodding. "Right…"

"Why can't you have people protecting you?" Galarax said. "Do you regret to be saved by me from those alchobeasts?"

"No…" Sliff said, shaking his head. "I just…don't want people to get hurt because of me, not anymore… Besides, I actually asked you to save me, remember?"

"I didn't save you because you asked, shorty," Galarax said. "Tell me; once you get strong enough to protect others, who will you protect, only the ones who 'ask' to be saved?"

Sliff's head fell slowly. "I…didn't think about it."

"There's nothing to think here, kid," Galarax said in a matter of fact tone. "If you have power enough to protect others, no matter who they are, you have to protect them. The power that you'll have is not for selfish purposes, alright?"

"Like…not for my dream?"

Galarax shook his head. "Let me rephrase that. The power that you'll have is not for selfish purposes 'only'."

Sliff nodded. "I get it."

"Not yet, shorty," Galarax said, turning him around. "But one day you will. When you'll truly have the power to protect others, you know."

"Alright, but…" Sliff said, looking around. "Where are we going?"

"To our training grounds."

Sliff clenched his fist, walking beside Galarax away from his shack, away from the fruit-tree hill. "Let's hurry."

"No need to rush, kid," Galarax said, walking in front of Sliff toward the forest in a short distance. "Whatever you gain quickly, you lose quickly. Patience is important for power."

Sliff felt a spark in his spine. "Patience…power…" He looked at the back of the big man walking in front. "Galarax is somehow…different from others."

"Let's start the training, Sliff," Galarax said, glancing over his shoulder.

"Right…" Sliff said, nodding with a tense face. "Tell me what I have to do, Galarax."

Galarax faced away. "Tell me what you know about Alchos. I know you expected something less boring—"

"Alchos is the ancient art brought by Eloise to the regions," Sliff said. "Seekers use Alchos to maintain the balance of the world, to keep beasts from destroying the peace of the regions."

"Umm…" Galarax turned with a surprised face. "Th…That's right, but tell me about the practical skills of Alchos you know about."

"Practical?" Sliff asked. "You mean styles?"

Galarax nodded.

Sliff counted in his hands. "You told me there are actually eight styles of Alchos, right? Igna, Floma, Hurica, Grana, Volta, Luma—which I use, apparently—Chrona…and…er…"

"Nexa style," Galarax said, nodding, slowing his pace to walk beside Sliff. "Whatever style an Alchoser is good at, he associates himself with that style and is then known as either an Ignius or Flomius or Huricus and so on."

"Right…" Sliff said, nodding in agreement. "But there are also non-style Alchosers, like healers, summoners—"

"They're just Alchosers under the higher three styles, I think," Galarax said. "Like you're a summoner but are really a Lumus, Sliff."

"I forgot… Lisha and you told me about that."

"But you do remember chambers, right?"

"Yeah…I think," Sliff said. "Umm… Each style of Alchos is Stored in a separate chamber and Storing enough in a particular one shatters it…"

"Not 'storing enough', kid," Galarax said, shaking his head. "There's only a limited amount of surplus Alchos one can Store, it's upto the Alchoser if he chooses to Store it in a single chamber—shattering that chamber—or just distribute that surplus among other chambers."

Sliff tapped his forehead. "The glasses and water thing…"

"That's right," Galarax said, smiling. "Glad you remembered that."

Sliff whipped up his head. "What's an alchoskill, Galarax?"

"Alchoskill?" Galarax said. "It's just a technique being used in a particular way. Two people won't use a technique the same way, you know."

Sliff glanced away, sighing. "Lisha did say explain that last time…"

"Like your technique is spirit summoning," Galarax said. "But a lot of people can use that technique."

"Huh?" Sliff made a sour expression. "You told me I have a special technique…"

Galarax chuckled. "Well spirit summoners are rare and all but a type like you is one of a kind."

Sliff shook his head. "I'm not following, Galarax…"

"The thing special about your technique," Galarax explained, "is how you harness it. So while your technique may not be too special, the way you use it sure is."

"The way I use it—" Sliff's eyes widened.

Galarax chuckled. "You got something, right?"

"This is my alchoskill!"

"Correct, shorty," Galarax said. "No one can just go back and forth from here to the human plane, so 'your' spirit summoning is unique. Your alchoskill is special."

Sliff raised his hands in front of him, gazing at them. "Special…"

"Have you named it yet?" Galarax asked. "It'll be easier to Harness if you assign a name and a hand-sign to it."

Sliff's eyes widened as he whipped his head toward Galarax. "Is that why Seekers use hand-signs?"

"I think so," Galarax said, shrugging. "If they're Alchosers then I'm sure hope they do it because of that and not just to look cool."

Sliff nodded, facing forward, the forest clearing ahead. "I'll think of a name…"

"We're almost there, shorty," Galarax said. "Then we can start the real training."

"Right," Sliff said with determination. "What do I have to do, Galarax."

Galarax turned toward him. "Do you remember your hidden talent?"

"Talent?" Sliff said. "Storing Luma?"

"That's right," Galarax said. "Do you remember the only two principles of Alchos?"

"I do," Sliff said, nodding, the atmosphere becoming fresher. "Storing and Harnessing—"

"You suck at Harnessing, kid."

Sliff folded on himself. "No need to be so blunt about it."

"But we'll work on that," Galarax said, patting his shoulder. "Are you ready?"

Sliff straightened up. "Right! So because I can Store Luma already, you'll teach me to Harness it."

Galarax shook his head. "Incorrect. The first thing that you'll master is: Storing, the first principle of Alchos."

"Heh?"

Galarax opened his arms outward. "Here we are. The eight lakes."

Sliff glanced ahead as they reached a clearing of the forest. Ahead of him, he saw several lakes, each connected with a stream, the water of which flowed from one giant lake underneath a waterfall. "This is where we'll train?"

Galarax headed toward the lake underneath the waterfall, removing his shoes before stepping in the shallow lake. "This is not normal water, Sliff. If it were, these lakes would've overflowed long ago."

"You're right," Sliff said, glancing at the last lake, the water of which remained still. "The water is not going further."

"Watch me, kid," Galarax said, standing in the middle of the first lake, "and tell me what you think is going on."

Sliff nodded, watching Galarax carefully in the middle of the rippling lake. "I'll do my best, Galarax."

Galarax pressed his palms together, slowly the ripples became more in number, more violent but…more ripples were coming from Galarax than from the waterfall hitting the lake.

"Huh—?"

The ripples from the waterfall stopped, the water of the lake rippling away from Galarax only, making him stand on the rocky floor.

"The water is running away from you!"

"This is alchosurge, Sliff," Galarax explained. "Each of these lakes reacts to a different style; this one reacts only to Luma."

"Alchos…urge?"

"Alcho-surge, kid. Not alchos-urge."

"Right. What is it?"

"It's the flow of Alchos throughout the body, Sliff," Galarax said, the water of the lake becoming calmer, "This one is Lumasurge, the alchosurge of a Lumus."

"But isn't this Harnessing, Galarax," Sliff asked in confusion. "You told me we're going to work on my Storing."

Galarax nodded. "Patience, shorty."

Sliff flushed, nodding. "Right…"

"Now look at this!"

"Huh?"

The ripples vanished. The lake became a mirror of water. The waterfall hit the lake but it not even a single ripple formed. The lake was calm. Unmoving.

"This doesn't make sense, Galarax," Sliff said. "The lake is so…still."

Galarax stepped out of the lake, the ripples from the waterfall hitting the lake starting again. "This is your first step, shorty. You must master Lumasurge before we work on Harnessing."

Sliff tilted his head. "But…I think Lumasurge is a Harnessing technique. Aren't you doing the opposite of storing?"

"Step it," Galarax said, slapping Sliff's back. "You'll understand."

Sliff nodded as he took off his shoes. "What the? These aren't even what I was wearing."

"Well, yeah," Galarax said. "You're clothes aren't warrior enough to be transferred to Valhalla."

"So these are also elements of this plane?" Sliff said. "Makes sense."

Galarax nodded. "But it's all unimportant right now, kid. Go stand over there."

Sliff gulped, taking a step into the lake. It was shallow; the water wasn't too cold either. "Right here?"

"Yeah," Galarax said, pointing toward Sliff's feet. "Noticing something."

Sliff stood in the middle of the first lake, looking down at his feet. "I'm making ripples too…"

"That's bad."

"Huh? But you were making them too. Yours were even bigger!"

"The big ripples showed that I have mastery over my Lumasurge, kid," Galarax said. "And no ripples at all showed that I have mastery over Storing."

Sliff lifted a foot, the ripples lessening. "Then what does this show?"

"It shows leakage of Alchos."

"Leakage?" Sliff said loudly. "I'm losing Alchos?"

Galarax nodded. "Since you've shattered your Luma chamber, you've been Harnessing Alchos at the same time as you're Storing it."

"That makes no sense, Galarax."

"You're hidden talent only worked when you still had a chamber, kid," Galarax explained. "If you don't master Storing soon enough, you will never be able to use Alchos ever again?"

Sliff gulped. "Never?"

Galarax nodded with a frown. "You are Storing Alchos 'just' a little faster than you are Harnessing it, making the leakage small for now. But sooner or later, that leakage will grow because you have no grip over your Alchos, making your Harnessing way faster than your Storing. And when that happens…"

"I can never Store Alchos in the first place," Sliff realized, gulping.

"Correct," Galarax said, smiling. "You're catching on way faster than I thought."

"So what do I have to do, Galarax?"

"Make the lake calm. As calm as you can make it."

Sliff looked at the rippling lake, frowning. "Tell me how, Galarax, I'll do anything."

Galarax folded his arms. "I don't really know much about shattering chambers but I've heard from Bazyn that an Alchoser with a shattered chamber unlocks the alchoseye within him, closing that eye is equal to closing a chamber."

"Has Bazyn shattered a chamber?"

"No. Why?"

"Thought so, because I don't see an eye within me. All I see is just…light."

Galarax rubbed the back of his head. "That's weird. But here's the thing Sliff, who cares how you do it, just…control this light of yours, you know."

Sliff sighed. "How am I supposed to do that?"

"You have to figure it out somehow," Galarax said, showing him a fist. "Where there's a will there's a way, kid."

"How do you do it?"

"I just shove all my Alchos back into its chamber, you know."

"No, Galarax, I don't know."

Galarax sighed. "Look kid, with what I had planned, I was always planning on teaching you to use Lumasurge. It's going to be the biggest game-changer for you."

Sliff's ear perked up. "How's that, Galarax?"

"You see," Galarax said, "to use an alchoskill, one needs to have control over his Harnessing. And to have control over Harnessing, one must master the principle of Storing."

"I'm patient."

Galarax chuckled. "Right, so… You can't Harness a high level Lumaskill with a body like that, kid. There's no other way to say it. You're physically weak. Very weak. So you must train everyday for a stronger body than that. But looking at you…I think even with the best exercises, it'll take well over five years to get you in prime shape."

Sliff exhaled with a frown, looking at the ripples below. "So I'm hopeless…"

"With that said," Galarax said. "Once you get used to using Lumasurge, the results of daily exercises will increase more than ten-fold."

Sliff whipped his head up. "T-Ten times?"

Galarax smiled. "That's right! A good day's exercise will give you the results of ten or more days if you keep your Lumasurge on while training."

"That's insane, Galarax," Sliff said with a relaxed jaw. "It seems too good to be true."

"Doesn't it?" Galarax said. "But since you're a Lumus, you can use it to your advantage. All you have to learn is to Store your Alchos to not have it leaking passively and then we can work on your Lumasurge…"

"And then I have to work on my body for higher level Lumaskills."

Galarax showed a thumbs-up with a smile. "You got it perfectly, kid."

Sliff opened out his hands then closed them onto the sides of his face, slapping himself. "I will do it, Galarax! I will master Storing!"

"That's the spirit, kid!"

Sliff exhaled with his mouth, closing his eyes, looking deep into the light within him. "I don't see an eye at all… Galarax said he shoves his Alchos into its chamber… Can I just…shrink the light? That would be like storing it, right?"

Sliff shook his head. "How do I even begin to do that? Is it even possible to grab this light and make it smaller?

"I don't know, but I'll do it. Somehow, someway, I have to!"

Sliff reached for the light carefully, trying not to touch it, for that would activate his spirit summoning alchoskill.

"Shrink! Shrink!"

The light remained the same. Big and bright.

"I'm going to stay here for a long time."

***

"What's the matter, kid?" Galarax said, yawning. "You still here?"

Sliff kept his focus, for finally he was able to do something with the light. It was all in his mind. Just like he used to reach for it to use his alchoskill, he did the same, only with a minor difference. He pulled back his reach immediately after touching the light, almost like slapping it together from all the sides.

"It's almost been six hours, kid," Galarax said. "The ripples are yet to calm…"

Sliff did not speak, for that would break his focus. He pressed against the light carefully, retreating after ever punch. He was starting to get the hang of it. Now he could almost surround the light as a whole and clump it together—

"It's working, shorty," Galarax said. "You're doing it."

Sliff opened his eyes with a satisfied grin. He exhaled from his mouth, wiping the sweat off his forehead. "It took a while, Galarax, but I think I'm getting used to it—" He looked down. The ripples were same.

"Congrats, kid," Galarax said. "You've started your progress."

"What progress, Galarax?" Sliff said. "It's the same as before."

Galarax shook his head. "Look closer. At least two ripples are gone, if not three."

"Huh?" Sliff said, frowning. "Are you mocking me, Galarax?"

"Why would I do that?"

"With this pace, I won't become strong before I'm dead."

"For power," Galarax said, standing tall. "What is important, Sliff?"

A jolt went up Sliff's spine as he remembered what Galarax had said. He stood upright, nodding. "Patience."

"That's right," Galarax said. "Look at you six hours ago, not knowing where to even start. And now? You're at least a step closer to your dream. That's better than nothing, right?"

Sliff nodded, looking at his hands. "You're right, Galarax." He slammed his palms onto his face. "I'm stupid. What was I even thinking? Did I really expect it to be easy? How did I forget that I have no talent?"

"You're going to continue?" Galarax asked. "You can rest for an hour or so, you know."

Sliff shook his head with utter determination. "This is all I have, Galarax. I don't have talent but I do have time. I'll keep going at it till I think it's enough."

Galarax smiled. "The rule of repetition? I knew someone who liked that."

"What's that?"

"The more you do something, the better you get at it. It's a pretty simple rule but most people just don't have the will to keep going on and on and on."

"The rule of repetition," Sliff said, looking at the ripples forming off his feet. "I really like it. It doesn't require any talent at all."

"That's true," Galarax said, "but having a strong will is a talent of its own."

"Thank you, Galarax," Sliff said, bowing. "I think this is what I needed all this time."

"I told you to not do that, kid," Galarax said. "That rule was not something profound to start with."

"Maybe not for you, Galarax," Sliff said, looking up with a smile. "But for me, I think this rule will be my ultimate weapon from now on."

Galarax smiled. "So what're we waiting for? Get to it, Sliff."

Sliff clenched his fists, closing his eyes with a smile on his face. "Right!"

"It isn't easy but it doesn't have to be hard either. I just have to keep going. That I can do.

"And I will!"