Chapter 282: Cooperation is ducking hard (Patreon)

“From the left!” I warn Alec. “OTHER LEFT, YOU BUMBLING—”

The bag of sand launched by Kaitlynn smacks against the back of his blindfolded head, hard enough that he ends up stumbling off the lily pad.

“Sorry!” Kaitlynn yells from a distance as Alec plunges into the Hydrum with a yelp.

Stuck on his forehead as I am, there’s little I can do but let out a mental sigh as we go under again.

The purpose of this rather frustrating exercise is supposedly to improve our coordination.

I have the senses of a Peilor now—something to do with the crystal lattice resonating with energy fluctuations—which means I can feel Qi-based attacks coming a lot sooner, and am supposed to warn or defend Alec against them.

We’re working on the warning part now. However, our ‘assistants’ are hiding in the Hydrum, which apparently muffles the energy fluctuations I’m picking up on, thus preventing me from seeing things coming from too far in advance.

And obviously, it’s not going great.

So when Alec resurfaces a moment later, sputtering out Hydrum, I snap a little. “Seriously, why can’t you just follow directions, Alec?!”

“Well, your—your warnings are useless!”

“You both suck,” Suri chimes mercilessly as she comes floating over in her crystal. “Emma, ‘from the left’ might be a direction in the literal sense, but it’s not a direction. If your intention was to provide a useful suggestion, ‘duck’ would’ve been a lot more appropriate.”

“See?” Alec exclaims, gesturing into the empty Aether, miles from Suri’s actual location.

“And since Alec seems utterly incapable of correctly interpreting verbal commands,” she adds, turning her scathing attention to him, “you might wish to add some meaning to such instructions, so he won’t erroneously believe you’re warning him about waterfowl.”

“That’s probably wise, yeah,” I drawl.

Alec huffs out a breath in response, still treading Hydrum.

“It’s either this, or learning how to mind-meld,” Suri reminds us. “Not that I think you have enough time to do so...”

I mentally shudder at the thought.

“No thank you!” Alec exclaims, for once in total agreement with me. “Let’s save the desperate measure for a last resort, please.”

Suri flashes impatiently. “Well then, what are you waiting for? Again!”

With a sigh, Alec climbs onto the lily, and takes up a ready position.

Suri is not a very nice taskmaster. Rather than present us with any sort of theory or hints, she simply provides suggestions of things we can try, and then puts us under constant pressure as we test them.

In the end, however, her methods pay off. By the time the Twinstar sets, we’ve worked out a system that works for us.

Rather than make suggestions, I provide relevant sensory input to Alec—as much as he can handle—allowing him to feel the energies somewhat like I do, so he can make his own decisions on how to avoid them.

Honestly, in hindsight, it kinda feels like this should really have been the obvious answer from the start, but Suri assures me that’s not necessarily the case.

In fact, Peilor rarely rely on their host to make the calls. Many of them instead work with Commands that make it so that their instructions—clarified through objective meaning—are followed immediately and without hesitation.

It’s a very tempting idea, but Alec doesn’t seem as keen.

A shame, really.

I have to admit though, our new system works pretty well.

Now we just need to work out how to combine our Skills in a way that doesn’t completely throw Alec off, before the big day is here...

The day of the match comes both all too soon, and simultaneously nowhere near soon enough.

Although the days here are shorter than back on Earth, it’s still a significant amount of time that feels wasted.

It’s also nerve-wracking, to be hiding under a Boreum shell here in the middle of a massive Peilor neighbourhood, that I just know is the friggin’ nosy type. In fact, we’ve sensed several neighbours spend time idling just outside the property boundaries, as if either casually trying to eavesdrop or hoping for an invite.

At the same time, Alec and I really needed these two days to get ready. But we’ve come a long way.

Boost Reflexes sends Electric Energy crackling down Alec’s limbs, noticeable to my energy senses as a clear prickling.

Much like Boost Physical, it has a second mode that provides a continuous boost, which Alec thankfully gained before he got eliminated from the show, as he didn’t really learn a lot of Skills afterwards. Unlike my Lavi-based Boost Physical, however, the Qi-based Skill helps enhance primarily his Agility, and his Strength only secondarily.

“You’ve got this, Alec,” I say encouragingly, as the blindfolded boy crouches down at the side of the lake, placing his hands on the ground like a sprinter waiting for the starting pistol to fire.

“Ready?” Suri chimes. “Then in three, two, one, go!”

The moment I start feeding Alec a mental map of our surroundings, he jets off, accurately landing on the nearest lily pad with barely a stumble.

Our goal is to reach the other side of the lake unscathed, and without hitting the Hydrum. And of course, it’s not going to be made easy.

Two sandbags immediately come flying from the front, and I add their presence and projected trajectories to my feed.

Alec dodges them by bending over backwards in an impressive Matrix-style move, which I might’ve believed was just a convenient choice by anyone else.

While I mentally roll my eyes, I don’t comment, as the manoeuvre does its job, and he quickly springs forward afterwards, hopping from lily pad to lily pad on his way across.

A pair of webbed arms suddenly reaches up from the Hydrum right after he jumps. I instantly add them to my feed, even going so far as to make them flash with red light and accompany their appearance with a warning siren.

It works, as Alec reflexively draws his legs up mid-leap, thus avoiding Loudmouth’s grasping hands.

A dart comes flying from the right towards our landing spot, courtesy of Smooth-Cheeks, but upon receiving my projected trajectory, which predicts a collision, Alec manages to smoothly duck it, and it sails right over him.

Right after he leaps again, however, the next lily pad he’s aiming for is suddenly pulled under-Hydrum.

This time, there’s little Alec can do, so I quickly spin up some Cold Energy, and launch it at the Aether where the lily pad just was.

My Boreum platform comes out a little higher than the pad had been, but I showed Alec what was going on as I did it, so he barely stumbles upon landing, even though it wobbles a little.

Anchoring solid Boreum into the Aether with tendrils of Boreum vapour is really Dominique’s specialty, not mine, but I’m getting better at it.

After a few more hops, just when I think we’re home free and about to reach the other side, a final obstacle appears.

This time, it’s an attack from both sides: a barrage of Astreum bombs from the left and a fleet of spinning discs of Boreum from the right.

Shit, they’re really going for it!

After a moment, however, I realise the bombs are weaker than Kaitlynn usually makes them, and the edges of Suri’s Spinning Discs of Doom are actually quite dull.

Of course, Alec doesn’t need to know that, so I ham up their presences a little in my feed, and quickly project a plan on how to deal with them.

Well, calling it a plan is a bit much. Mainly, I project a purple colour to our left to indicate I’ll be taking care of the threat in that area, and a yellow one to our right—the colour of Alec’s hair—to indicate he’s responsible for that side.

As soon as I’ve communicated that, I spin up some Inverse Spatial Energy, and stretch it out towards the Astreum bombs.

The Yang projectiles actually all contain small spheres of Gravitational Energy that Kaitlynn uses to help compress and direct them, but I manage to overpower them, and warp the Astreum down into the Hydrum, a little bit behind us.

Splitting my energy into that many little pockets is something I previously couldn’t have done, but with how much stronger my mind is these days, it’s easy enough.

Meanwhile, Alec hurriedly spins up some Negative Inertial Energy, and combines that with a jet of compressed Aether from his mouth to blow Suri’s discs off course.

Then the seven Astreum bombs erupt, expanding wildly. The Hydrum behind us shoots up, forming a large wave.

Which is exactly what I hoped for.

I immediately project the rough path I expect the wave to take, and after a brief hesitation, Alec grabs onto the edges of the lily pad he’s on, and hunkers down.

Seconds later, we surf onto the beach on the other side.

“Aw yeah, that’s what I’m talking ’bout!” Alec exclaims as he jumps off his impromptu surfboard, fist-pumping exaggeratedly before he tears off his blindfold.

“Well done, you guys!” Kaitlynn gushes as her crystal comes floating over.

“Yeah, we’re definitely getting the hang of this,” I reply calmly. “But that was only the first time we succeeded in crossing the lake, so don’t think this means you’re done, mister.”

Alec groans. “Oh come on, can’t we at least take a break?!”

“I’m afraid not,” Suri chimes in a grave tone of voice. “I just got a ping from the estate’s system. They’re here.”

“What?” Kaitlynn asks in alarm. “Weren’t they supposed to arrive, like, two hours from now?”

“Actually, that was an estimate,” I admit unhappily. “Sudo refused to give us an exact time. Paranoid freak.”

Well, in this case, I suppose it’s justified.

“Shit, then what do we do?” Alec asks in a panic, as our three Hoig friends surface, worried looks on their faces, probably infected by our moods.

“We stick to the plan,” Suri chimes firmly, as she floats over to Smooth-Cheeks. “You all know what to do, so get moving!”

Alec and I, accompanied by Kaitlynn and Loudmouth, meet Sudo at the gate.

Well, I call it a gate, but it’s really more of a landing zone just outside of the estate boundary, with a path leading in between two intricately carved stone pillars. Physical boundaries are not very meaningful to a species that can pretty much all fly, and of which far too many know how to teleport, so the gate is really mostly a symbolic thing, a social convention.

The thin shell of Boreum separating us from the outside world is less symbolic, but a simple command from Kaitlynn to the estate’s system node that’s attached to one of the stone pillars, quickly forms a hemicircular hole in the Boreum at ground level.

And on the other side of that hole... stands Jacob.

Though to be frank, that’s mostly an assumption based on my recognition of the dark hood covering his face. The shadows it throws are only exacerbated by the big black case on his back, that’s not unlike a rather thin coffin.

My assumption is proven correct when Sudo has Jacob dramatically pull back his hood, lift his head, and give each of us a penetrating stare.

I’m not sure if there’s any point to that for her—having him actually look at us—but I suspect there isn’t, that it’s just a bit of theatre for our sakes.

Though I suppose it’s not unthinkable that Jacob has been granted a modicum of autonomy as well, to help improve his performance as a fighter.

I guess we’ll find out soon enough.

If Sudo is put off by the Boreum privacy screen around the estate, she doesn’t let on, and after a moment, Jacob walks through the opening like it’s the most natural thing in the world.

I suppose the permanent presence of the shell can’t really be a surprise to Sudo, as she’s also a Pellucid-tier Peilor, and must therefore live in Clarity Cove somewhere, most likely in some hidden grotto or dojo or whatever.

I’m glad I have no face to keep my expressions hidden on as Jacob approaches, because I don’t know how I would’ve managed to maintain my anger and sadness at seeing him being puppeteered like this.

In fact, I actually put a command on Alec to make sure he wouldn’t react emotionally either. A very simple one, that pretty much tells him to keep his face in check at all times.

I trust his acting ability about as far as I can toss it, which is already a hard thing to do with acting ability.

Anyway, though Alec’s face is a blank mask as Jacob approaches, I can still feel a tremor go through him. My Imaginary stomach sinks as I wonder if I shouldn’t have gone with a broader command, but thankfully, he quickly gets it under control, his shoulders loosening as his breathing steadies again.

“Lyrack,” Sudo chimes in a gravelly stage whisper, greeting the host first. “Much obliged for your hospitality. I know you’re going through... difficult times. Know that I, too, have fallen into the abyss of despair, and arose stronger for it.”

Ugh, Goddess give me the strength to listen to this melodramatic bullshit.

“Thank you, Sudo,” Kaitlynn responds earnestly in Lyrack’s voice. “Farouq has been a great source of comfort in these trying times, so it’s really the least I could do to help him out.”

Jacob nods, apparently serving as a spokesperson for Sudo in some way.

Only then does Sudo have him turn to Alec and me.

Wouldn’t do to interact with a Flawed-tier Peilor before properly greeting the Pellucid-tier one, after all. For all of Sudo’s theatre, she clearly has a well-established sense of propriety.

“So,” she chimes. “I am to instruct the artist, in the art of battle. A fine challenge.”

A powerful urge to have Alec punch her right in the crystal wells up inside of me.

“I eagerly await your instruction,” I instead chime politely in Farouq’s voice, prodding Alec through mental projection to give a slight bow, as Suri taught me is considered proper etiquette when speaking to someone one tier above your station.

His bow is a little stiff and shallow, but all things considered, that seems to fit with Farouq’s personality quite well.

Either way, Sudo doesn’t seem to take offence.

“Lead me to the field of battle, then,” she chimes in an ominous whisper. “And I shall teach you how to paint it with the blood of your enemies.”

Ugh. Do we really need her alive?

Author's note:

Thanks for reading! ^^