Chapter 489 Meeting of the minds (1/2)
I don't get much time between gruelling bouts of training my elemental Skills, but the time I do get I spend playing with my new pet, the mini-demon. He's awkward, unable to fly on his stunted wings and frequently tumbles over when walking about on his weak little arms. Every time he falls his big green eyeball wells up with moisture and I have to soothe him for a while before he can calm down and get back up.
I don't remember Tiny or Crinis being this fragile.
Long dormant, my Pet Growth Speed Skill finally has a chance to level up! This Skill will reduce the time it takes for the little guy to grow into his full, combat-ready form. I'd kind of hoped that it would reduce the amount of Bioma.s.s that he'd need to eat to grow, making the whole process a bit cheaper, but instead it just seems to increase the speed he goes through food. He's always hungry and the more he eats, the faster he grows.
Not that he's going to get that large. Not visibly at least. He's probably expanding a great deal inside his little pocket dimension.
Eventually, my brains burn out and I have to beg Torrina to leave me be so I can go into some sweet, sweet torpor. I need to rest! I'm completely drained! The second she's gone I make myself comfortable and sink immediately into blessed inactivity, my body goes completely still. Sweet release! A relaxing feeling takes over my body and slowly my minds grow still and oblivion takes over.
SHABAM!
I'm back, baby! For whatever reason, there's no slow recovery from torpor! I was never much of a morning person, I can remember many mornings feeling a touch low energy, but ever since my rebirth I'm just full of beans after waking up! I'm ready! I'm ready to take on the world! I manage to flex my legs and bounce around my cell as if I were shadowboxing for a brief moment before I realise Torrina is in the room and watching me.
[You seem full of energy,] she sounds amused, [ready for more training then?]
Dammit!
This rock-woman has no mercy… Sigh… may as well get into it.
After another four hours of relentless training with only a brief pause to eat and feed my new pet, the relentless monotony of the was only broken when Granin entered the room and ordered Torrina to leave. I can't cry, but I swear real tears nearly fall when I hear his gruff voice. Getting levels and improving my Skills is important, of course, I know that, but the training the three Shapers are putting me through is truly brutal.
Compress the mana, shape the mana, cast the spell, tear apart my spell, start again. Over and over. Not only is it repet.i.tive, but it's also really hard! Not to mention, I have to do this in two entirely separate elements casting two different spells at the same time! Every one of my minds is pushed to the limit for the duration of the training and a painful headache multiplied by four a.s.saults me whenever I stop. It's effective training, but holy moly is it rough.
[Granin, I honestly never thought I'd be so grateful to see you.]
The big Golgari Shaper looks up at me in surprise.
[What's the matter? I never thought I'd hear such words from you. Ah, Torrina has been training you? Hehe. You have my sympathy.]
He looks at me with barely concealed happiness, as if he is drawing great comfort from my suffering.
[She's always like this?! I thought she was only pus.h.i.+ng me so hard because of the short timeframe!]
[Oh no,] he shakes his head, [she's crazy. You have to understand that she came from low social status, like me, but she was able to raise herself high through her ridiculous work ethic. She's a well-regarded prospect amongst her peers.]
[Hold on a second. I thought you were considered to be a problematic no-hoper. How'd this bright young star end up in your triad?] I ask pointedly.
Granin frowns.
[That's all down to social standing and politics. Enough about that.] He waves away the matter of Torrina with one hand whilst fixing me with a glare. [Through hard work and bending a few fingers I've managed to secure a meeting for you with the other reincarnators. It wasn't easy, but I even managed to ensure that you wouldn't be listened in on. As far as I'm aware this is the first time that three of you have met together in the history of the Golgari empire.]
[You mean, like anywhere?]
[It may have happened somewhere on Pangera, but we don't know about it. I figured this would be a good chance for you to try and make some allies. James and more specifically Sarah have been here a long time. There are many Shapers who are sympathetic to them. If you can get them to put in a good word for you, it'll have some weight around the outpost.]