With the ascent of the morning sun, the stifling heat of the desert once again enveloped the land. Zeke could feel the intensity of the sun's rays penetrating through his clothing, baking the ground beneath his feet. The air shimmered, distorting the horizon, and even the occasional plant seemed to wilt.
However, today, the oppressive heat of the desert didn't manage to dampen his mood. The night before, he had taught the Chimeroi his Breathing Technique and instructed them to practice during their watch, and it was time to check on their progress.
"Show me," he ordered the three figures gathered before him. Ash was the first to demonstrate. After a deep breath, the grey-haired wolfman took a step forward and assumed a state of utmost focus.
At first, nothing seemed to happen, until ever so slowly, his demeanor transformed with a frenetic energy. There was a glint in his eyes, a wild intensity that betrayed a burgeoning restlessness. Moments later, his fingers started to jerk and twitch, a clear sign that the man was beginning to lose control.
"That's enough," Zeke ordered. It took a few moments, but Ash managed to calm himself and emerged from his entranced state. Zeke nodded appreciatively, "You've done well, Ash."
The man took a step back, bowing his head. "I've still got a long road ahead of me," he admitted. "This technique... It gives me an odd sense of unease, and I can't help but instinctively fight its effects."
Zeke nodded slowly, considering the words. From what he observed, there was likely more than just the physical factors at play. The Technique seemed to tap into a feral side of the Chimeroi psyche, drawing on their more bestial roots.
That was likely not an easy change to accept. It was a struggle Zeke was all too familiar with. He had spent many sleepless nights thinking about what he'd done after surrendering to his Draconic Essence, and it might be even harder for the Chimeroi, who had been taught to suppress their bestial instincts since they were young.
After a quick nod, Zeke turned his gaze on Gravitas, silently urging her on. The woman looked uncharacteristically hesitant as she took a step forward. The reason for her reluctance became clear as she tried to employ the Technique. Every time Zeke thought she might succeed, something went wrong.
"That's enough," he said with a sigh.
Upon his words, her head drooped, and her eyes didn't even meet his own. "I'm sorry," she mumbled while taking a step back.
Zeke smiled wryly. He knew that Gravitas prided herself on being the strongest of his followers. Even though the disparity wasn't large, she often came out on top when they sparred. It must have been quite the blow to her to fail so miserably.
He turned to the last member of the trio. Vulcanos seemed wholly unconcerned as he took a confident step forward. He stood in the middle of the small circle with a lazy smirk.
However, when Zeke signaled for him to start, Vulcanos' demeanor changed entirely. It wasn't the same gradual transformation as with Ash, but an instant switch. His eyes sharpened with alertness, his jaw clenched, his muscles tensed, and the dull lines crisscrossing his body began to glow with a blinding light.
Yet, those changes were nothing compared to the infernal heat. The blaze emanating from his body was so hot that it forced all three others to take a few steps back. Before Zeke could get his bearings, the sand was beginning to crystalize before turning utterly black.
"That's enough! Stop!" Zeke yelled with wide eyes. He hoped Vulcanos still had enough self-control to get out of that state. Yet, to his utmost surprise, the heat died down instantly.
Instead of looking like an enraged beast, Vulcanos was looking back at him with a slight pout. "Just when I was getting warmed up," he complained.
Three pairs of eyes were staring at him, full of disbelief, and, for a change, Zeke had no explanation either. If anything, he would have expected Vulcanos to struggle the most with self-control. Yet, it now seemed that he had been completely wrong.
"H-how did you do that?" Gravitas asked with a slight waver in her tone.
Vulcanos seemed puzzled. "Do what?"
"You entered that state effortlessly and got yourself back under control just as quickly. How did you do that?" Ash said.
Vulcanos shrugged. "It felt comfortable..."
While the three started to bicker amongst themselves, Zeke considered what he had just seen. Vulcanos was apparently able to enter the state of Blood Boil instantaneously and exit it just as fast. There didn't seem to be a loss of control either, at least not to the point that he didn't recognize his allies anymore. Zeke smiled. He didn't yet know how this was possible, but this would make the next step of his plan much easier.
While he had been lost in thought, Ash and Gravitas began questioning Vulcanos about his rapid progress. Vulcanos, however, appeared to have no answers. The technique seemed to come naturally to him, leaving him at a loss for words.
Zeke intervened to break up the argument as the frustration mounted between them. "That's enough," he declared. "This is only the first day, and I'm sure you two will have plenty of opportunities to catch up. Besides, since this is a new technique, we don't know everything yet. It's possible that the technique is simply much more compatible with Vulcanos than with the two of you."
"But—" Gravitas began to argue but then seemed to realize how petulant she sounded. After a momentary pause, she nodded resolutely and fell silent. It was only in moments like these that Zeke remembered the usually mature woman was likely only around his age.
He gave her a reassuring smile before redirecting his full attention to Vulcanos. "Since you seem the most comfortable using the technique, you'll be the one testing it. I want you to go and confront the nest of crawlers on your own. Can you do that?"
"You can count on me!" Vulcanos exclaimed with an energetic nod. At that moment, he resembled Zeke's little sister, who had just been handed a new toy. His childlike enthusiasm was so infectious that Zeke couldn't help but return the smile.
"What about us?" Ash asked.
"You two…" he said, glancing between Ash and Gravitas, "will follow after him. Stay out of sight but close enough to intervene if something goes wrong. Remember, we don't know how this will play out, so it is of utmost importance that you are there to save him if something unexpected happens."
Both nodded, their slightly disgruntled expression turning serious once more. Zeke was gratified to see this shift. Despite the rivalry between the Chimeroi, they were clear about their priorities.
"Come here for a moment, Vulcanos." Upon his call, the dark-skinned Chimeroi approached and Zeke put his hand on the larger man's chest. He closed his eyes while focusing solely on his Spatial Perception.
[Notice]
Scanning initiated... Progress: 12%... 45%... 71%... 100%. Scan completed.
Subject 'Vulcanos' exhibits a Mana density of 45.3 particles per unit.
Now that he had an objective baseline, he could measure how much progress Vulcanos made using the Technique. By comparing the results with those of traditional cultivation, he could accurately gauge the effectiveness of this method.
Zeke smiled. This was exactly what Maximilian had always wanted and why his Trinity Project was such a valuable resource. He could use numbers and figures to optimize his research instead of relying on feelings and intuition. It allowed him to approach Magic in ways others could only dream about.
"Go ahead, then," Zeke instructed the three. "We'll be right behind you."
***
Minutes later, the Chimeroi had gone ahead while Zeke and Snow were walking at the head of the caravan while the guide was driving the carriage. The man had grumbled at the assinement, but Zeke had been firm. He wanted the man as far away from the experiment as he could.
It wasn't that Zeke especially distrusted him, but he wasn't going to take any unnecessary risks either. When his real identity was going to be revealed in the future, their guide would likely be questioned about every detail of their journey, and Zeke didn't want to give his enemies any clues. It was far better to have their guide believe he was an antisocial recluse who shut himself away inside the carriage than a brilliant researcher pushing the boundaries of common knowledge.
"It has started," Snow said softly, drawing Zeke's attention to what she was pointing at.
Above the nearby dune, he noticed the air shimmering. The distortion multiplied as the sky began to turn crimson a moment later. Zeke exchanged a quick glance with Snow before sprinting up the hill, the girl following closely behind. Upon cresting the dune, they were greeted with a sight of absolute mayhem.
The crawlers were a hybrid between scorpion and lizard, masters of camouflage. Yet now, they emerged by the dozens from their nests burrowed deep within the sandy dunes. Apparently, they were convinced of their victory, abandoning the element of surprise.
Zeke was horrified at the sight.
He wasn't afraid of facing an individual crawler; he could dispatch any one of them with relative ease. However, if they came at him with such numbers, his only way to survive would be to run for his life. Even for Vulcanos, those numbers should have been sufficient to see him turn tail. This wasn't the usual nest, exceeding their estimation by far. Ash and Gravitas seemed to share his apprehension as they exchanged worried glances, unsure if they should intervene.
Yet, Vulcanos was completely unfazed. Not only that, he charged deeper into their ranks, a manic smile on his lips. The glowing lines across his body shone with a blazing intensity. He seemed to disappear under the swarm of the larger creatures.
A moment later, the earth shook and a flash of blinding light heralded an unprecedented explosion. Vulcanos' figure became visible again as a giant shockwave sent many of the crawlers flying. The monsters screeched in pain and outrage as glowing molten lava spewed forth, burning their carapaces and searing their limbs.
He turned into a storm of fire and fury, dealing death to any who dared approach. He seemed utterly unstoppable. More than once, a stinger or claw got through his guard and struck his unprotected body. Yet, Vulcanos didn't even seem to feel the injuries. Nothing seemed to be able to slow him down.
Zeke gaped in awe as the Chimeroi went on an absolute rampage. The monsters died left and right while the ebony-skinned giant tore through them like a forest fire.
As the last of the crawlers died, its innards fried inside its shell, Vulcanos stood amidst the charred desert sand, surrounded by dozens of burned corpses. His head swiveled, searching for his next enemy. Despite bleeding freely from several cuts across his body, no pain registered on his face. Zeke could tell that Ash and Gravitas wanted to check on him but didn't dare to approach.
He understood their apprehension. The air about Vulcanos made one's hair stand on end. Snow, who had joined him at the top of the hill, clung onto his arm as she watched Vulcanos with wide eyes.
It was then that Zeke remembered that he was likely the only one who could calm the man down in this situation. He quickly calmed his thoughts and began to weave his Mind Magic into the appropriate spell, forming a mental connection.
"Vulcanos," Zeke called out mentally. "You have done well, but now you need to rest. This is an order." The moment the words were spoken, Zeke saw the change.
As if his strings had been cut, Zeke saw the distant figure collapse. Vulcanos didn't even try to break his fall as he fell face-first into the sand. Moments later, Ash and Gravitas were by his side, bandaging the wounds of the unconscious man.
Zeke pried open Snow's finger, freeing himself from her grip. In her panic, the girl had used so much strength that his hand had gone pale. Which was saying something, given Zeke's mastery over Blood Magic. She didn't even notice his actions as her eyes remained fixed on the distant battlefield.
"Let's go check on them," Zeke said as he led the way down the hill.
They soon arrived on the scene, and the fight's aftermath was even more impressive up close. Each crawler was the height of a man and several times that in length. Yet, their burned remains lay strewn across the sand as if tossed around by a giant. It was the single most impressive feat of Fire Magic Zeke had seen since Maximilian's final battle. And in the middle of that carnage lay the man responsible.
Zeke approached, getting a better look at the extent of his injuries. Vulcanos was a mess. His breathing was labored, and his heartbeat was weak. On top of that, his entire body was covered in lacerations.
"Status," Zeke demanded.
[Answer]
Preliminary analysis indicates that the subject's injuries, while visually alarming, do not pose an immediate threat. The observed debilitation is likely a consequence of employing Blood Boil. The subject's condition is anticipated to recover autonomously within the subsequent hours.
Zeke took a breath of relief. The last thing he wanted was to lose one of his people because he was overzealous in his research. He vowed to be more careful in any subsequent tests…
Those good intentions lasted until he heard Akasha's subsequent words.
[Notice]
A preliminary scan reveals that subject 'Vulcanos' now exhibits a Mana density of 47.4 particles per unit, an increase of 2.1, or 4.6%.