Chapter 51: Essence Of Survival
The entire group was back at the lake; only this time, they weren’t here to bathe, they were here to train.
A clearing a few meters away from the lake had been turned into a makeshift training ground. The dense vegetation that once occupied the area had been painstakingly cleared away by the group, leaving behind a patch of open earth.
At the center of the clearing, several exhausted figures moved under Regaleon’s supervision... Or rather, attempted to move.
"Aargh!" Veyrath groaned loudly. "I really don’t understand why you are making us do this."
The failed Alchemist collapsed halfway through another push-up and lay spread across the ground like a dying animal.
Around him, Valmyr, Vaelorin, and even Kaeloris were still forcing themselves through the exercise.
Regaleon didn’t even look up as he replied. "For someone like you, the reps are mandatory."
The silver-haired Knight lowered himself for another push-up before continuing calmly.
"Pushups strengthen your shoulders, chest, and arms. More importantly, they build endurance. If you can’t even support your own body weight, how do you expect to wield a weapon while fighting for extended periods?"
Veyrath let out another miserable groan. He somehow managed to complete one final repetition before immediately rolling onto his back.
"You know what...?" He raised a finger toward the sky and declared. "...I surrender."
Then he pointed at Regaleon. "You are trying to kill me in the name of training."
Caelestra folded her arms and commented from where she stood with Aureleah and Sylveris.
"You know what, from where I am standing, I fail to see how a simple push-up becomes a death sentence."
Hearing that, Veyrath immediately sat upright and pointed accusingly at her. "That’s easy for you to say. Why don’t you get on the ground and start doing them yourself?"
Before Caelestra could reply, Sylvera suddenly answered from beside her.
"That’s because Regaleon never told us to do them." Then the young girl tilted her head and continued. "Besides, aren’t you men always bragging about being stronger than anyone else, especially girls?"
Valmyr nearly choked trying not to laugh as he continued with the reps...
Meanwhile, Veyrath stared at Sylveris in disbelief. Recently, he had begun developing a suspicion...
It seems like this girl definitely had something against him because if she didn’t... Then why is it that every single time he tried to make a point, she somehow appeared from nowhere to dismantle it.
He was greatly baffled. Had he perhaps offender her in his previous lifetime?
Choosing not to engage with her, he turned back toward Regaleon.
"Look, I know what you are trying to do and I appreciate it..."
Then he gestured toward himself and spoke as a matter of fact. "But just like I have said before, I’m an alchemist. I am not a knight like you or a vanguard like Valmyr. This sort of training isn’t really meant for me."
For the first time since the exercise began, Regaleon stopped. He rose to his feet and dusted dirt from his hands before looking directly at Veyrath.
"Let me ask you something?"
Veyrath blinked. "What?"
"Where are we right now?"
Though he was not sure what the silver-haired was driving at this time, the failed Alchemist still replied.
"We are in the Nether Lands."
Regaleon nodded, then asked seriously. "And when we first arrived here, how many were we?"
The clearing suddenly grew quieter at that question. Even Veyrath’s expression stiffened...
But Regaleon didn’t wait for an answer as he continued calmly.
"We were nine... And on our very first day, one of us died suddenly."
The group fell silent. Obviously, the memory was still very fresh in their heads. After all, it was an incident that happened just the day before yesterday.
"Now, I don’t know what the boy’s profession was. I don’t even know whether he was a scholar, an alchemist, a warrior, or a merchant..."
His golden gaze swept across the group as he continued. "But I do know one thing. He died. And it could have been any of us."
He wasn’t shouting, but still, his words landed heavily.
"Now what does that mean for us? It is simple, really. The Nether Lands doesn’t care who you were before arriving here. It doesn’t care about your status neither does it care what Great House you came from nor whether your Soul Essence is suited for combat or not..."
Then his voice became slightly colder. "The Nether Lands only recognizes two things. Death... And survival."
Regaleon pointed toward the forest around the clearing and continued solemnly.
"If you’re waiting for the world to acknowledge what you are supposed to be, then, you will be greatly disappointed. Out there, survival doesn’t ask what role you were born for, it only asks whether you’re prepared..."
He paused briefly, allowing that to sink, before continuing.
"The future is uncertain; it always has been. And the difference between the living and the dead is often decided long before danger arrives."
The group listened attentively as the silver-haired Knight continued speaking.
"And what is this difference? Preparation. The living prepares, while the dead assume they still have more time."
Silence settled over the clearing, and even the ever-talkative Veyrath found himself unable to immediately respond to any of those words.
But Regaleon continued...
"You don’t prepare because danger is already here, you prepare because one day, it will be. And when that day comes, you ensure that you won’t be caught with your pants down."
For a moment, nobody spoke. Then suddenly, Vaelorin snorted... And the serious atmosphere shattered immediately.
Regaleon slowly turned toward him and raised a brow. "Is there something amusing about what I just said?"
Vaelorin coughed. "...No, no."
"Then why are you laughing?"
The failed Pyromancer tried to maintain a straight face as he replied. "Actually, I was taking everything seriously until you said... Caught with your pants down."
The entire clearing froze...
Then, as always, Valmyr burst out laughing...
Kaeloris tried to stiffle his but it just kept forcing its way through his mouth...
Even Caelestra had to turn away while shaking her head.
She genuinely would like to open Vaelorin’s head and study just how his thoughts work because the failed Pyromancer was simply too... Crude.
Meanwhile, Regaleon stared at them and for a brief moment, he genuinely considered making everyone of them do another fifty pushups.
In the meantime, Veyrath wiped the tears from his eyes. Then after the laughter subsided, he looked back at Regaleon and replied.
"I understand everything you’ve said." Then his expression became thoughtful as he commented.
"Truly, preparation matters. But if the future is uncertain, shouldn’t we place our trust in the few things that are certain? Like our Soul Essences?"
The clearing grew quiet once more as Veyrath continued. "I mean, those powers are real, they are ours, and they are the only weapons we know we’ll have tomorrow."
Then his voice became more serious. "So if uncertainty is unavoidable. Shouldn’t we focus on mastering things certainty has already given to us?"
Regaleon looked mildly surprised... Because for once, Veyrath actually asked a genuinely profound question.
Valmyr slowly nodded. "I mean, he has a point. I’d rather learn more about my Runes than do push-ups. After all, I have been doing the reps since I was just three years old."
Vaelorin shrugged in agreement. "He’s right. Let’s focus on what matters more..."
Kaeloris adjusted his glasses as he acquiesced. "I feel the same way."
Regaleon studied them for a few moments... Then exhaled.
"Okay, that’s fair enough. I mean, since that’s what you guys want, then we would go for it."
Immediately, Veyrath grinned triumphantly. Obviously, the failed Alchemist had only been profound for a moment simply to escape a long morning of gruelling exercises...
Regaleon ignored that wretched expression of his and ordered. "Manifest your Soul Essences!"
Instantly; golden, silver, crimson, black, and azure light erupted across the clearing as relics appeared, Armour formed, and runes illuminated.
The training ground instantly transformed from a place of exercise into something far more serious and dangerous.
Regaleon stood at the front in his gleaming golden Armour, silver Halberd resting beside him...
And without hesitation, Sylveris moved beside him. Like a very enthusiastic assistant instructor.
The sight almost made Veyrath roll his eyes...
Regaleon’s gaze swept across the group as he spoke. "Before we learn how to fight effectively with our Essence Runes, we first understand the kind of Runes each of us awakened."
Veyrath immediately raised a hand. "Isn’t that information supposed to be a secret and known only to the Awakener alone?"
Kaeloris groaned. "By Aetherium, will you make up your mind. You didn’t want to exercise and now this?"
"Hey! I’m asking a valid question here!"
Regaleon raised a hand before another argument could begin.
"Veyrath... We aren’t in Valoria anymore. The Nether Lands doesn’t care about traditions or secrets. If one of us died because we failed to understand how another person’s abilities worked, then keeping those secrets become meaningless."
Right after his statement, Aureleah finally spoke in her usually measured voice.
"Also, are we here to train? Or are we here to listen to Veyrath complain all day long?"
The failed Alchemist immediately gulped down the words he had in mind.
Regaleon nodded. "Good..." Then a faint smile appeared beneath his helmet. "Since Veyrath has been the most vocal of us, he’ll go first."
"What?!" Veyrath shouted with widened eyes.
Regaleon simply pointed his Halberd toward the failed Alchemist, not minding his shocked expression.
"Veyrath, tell us everything about your Essence Runes..."
