They would start with Emi in Castle Bluff Park for physical training, followed by meditation. They would then return her to the houseboat, her home or her mother’s restaurant before engaging in heavier training. Weights could be done on the houseboat, while the more extreme mobility training required portalling to a remote location.
Farrah had claimed a section of ground on Ken’s property and used her earth-shaping power to create an outlandish obstacle course that looked more like an art installation than anything navigable by people. Ken would often watch, astounded by the acrobatic prowess of the two bronze-rankers.
Any of these processes could be—and were—interrupted by dimensional incursions which, given the scope of the whole country, took place every day. The most common were category-one incursions, which Jason didn’t participate in. Farrah did while training recruits, who were exposed to carefully curated iron-rank monsters.
Most days had a category two somewhere in the country. Jason participated in almost all of them so that the Network could make use of his communication and looting services. It didn’t take long before he had participated in incursions across each of the eight states and territories, showering riches down on the country’s various branches.
Jason and Farrah both took the lead in category-three incursions. Rather than take on the silver-rank monsters they were best suited for, they started going for less ideal matches to push themselves. Jason only did this to a limited degree; many silvers still provided him with plenty of challenge.
Farrah would go further, taking on creatures like yowies where it was not her skill but her resource management that was pushed to the limit. Her power set gave her the strength to overpower even the stronger silver-rank monsters in short order, but doing so exhausted her reserves. The challenges that would help her cross the line into silver were not ones of power but of endurance.
Weeks became months as Jason and Farrah settled into life on Earth. Farrah’s fa?ade of being all right following her ordeal slowly became reality. They did not lose track of the idea of finding a way back to the other world, however, as they went over their large collection of astral magic books every night.
“This grid the Network uses is incredible,” Farrah said. “Compared to what gets used in my world, it’s much less complicated, yet far more elegant in design.”
“They have monster early-warning systems?”
“Yes, but they need certain levels of power to operate. That’s why there isn’t one in Greenstone. Regions with lower magic have to make do with much less efficient systems, like the adventurer boards. The fact that grid here is so simple yet so effective reflects an understanding of the magic involved that goes much deeper than what’s available in my world.”
“Like the astral magic the Builder brought into play,” Jason said.
Spending the increasingly pleasant evenings on the open top deck of the houseboat, they studied the astral magic books together. Farrah had the superior grasp of theory for the moment, but astral magic was not her focus. Jason had the advantage of much of his learning coming through the same books they were studying, so he didn’t need to adapt his learning from a lesser knowledge base. Clive had seen little point in educating Jason in astral magic that would soon be obsolete when the goddess Knowledge had provided such an unparalleled asset.
Jason had the original books on astral magic given to him by Knowledge, and they were riddled with notes made by Clive both before and during their time in the astral space.
“Astral magic isn't my area,” Farrah said, “but even I can tell this is far more advanced than what we had in the past.”
“That’s what Clive said,” Jason told her.
“How smart is that guy?” she asked, shaking her head as she read through his notes. “This is beyond advanced, and he deciphered it like it’s nothing. Every book I pick up is full of brilliant insights. The guy’s a monster.”
“Good thing too,” Jason said. “He’s the reason that Greenstone wasn’t wiped out and a bunch of diamond-rank super golems aren’t rampaging across your world. I just wish I knew if they made it out alive.”
“They did,” a voice drifted up to the top deck. Jason and Farrah had both sensed a person on the marina, but the unfamiliar, normal-rank aura had caused them to dismiss it. They went to the edge of the deck to look at the person standing on the dock in front of the houseboat.
It was a woman who looked around thirty, with alabaster skin and long, ruby hair. She was wearing a white summer dress with orange and yellow accents.
“Permission to come aboard?” she asked.
“Who are you?” Jason asked.
She frowned.
“Sorry,” she said. “We’ll have to do this later.”
“Do what?” Jason asked.
His and Farrah’s phones started beeping, the message that meant there had been a dimensional incursion.
“Another day, Mr Asano,” the woman said as she walked away. “It was nice to finally meet you, though.”
“But not me, apparently,” Farrah muttered.
“Who are you?” Jason called out.
“Your favourite painter,” she called back without stopping or turning.
“You’re Peter Paul Rubens?” Jason asked in a confused voice.
The woman stopped and turned around to give him an incredulous look.
“What?” Jason asked. “You claim to be a man who died in 1640 and you’re the one who looks surprised?”
66
NOT READY TO LEAVE
Despite their outward dismissiveness, Jason and Farrah had no trouble finding challenge from silver-rank monsters, although in very different ways. Farrah was all about frontloading damage, making endurance the key for her.
Jason was just the opposite.
The start of a fight was the most dangerous time for him. The enemy was at their strongest, with full reserves, while his abilities lacked immediate impact. His one instantaneous damage power required considerable setup, which left an eruption of Colin and Gordon's exploding spheres as his only blitz moves.
The longer a fight went on, the better for Jason, as the enemy grew weaker and he grew stronger. The best way for Jason to challenge himself, then, was to fight weaker enemies in higher numbers, consigning himself to a constant state of the beginning portion of fights.
When he had taken such fights against bronze-rank monsters, it had been a frustrating experience. They lacked the fortitude to survive long enough for Jason’s full abilities to come into play. In most instances, Jason had to work hard to even use his execute before the monsters died, making it a difficult power to advance.