"I-it hurts!" Landin growled gripping at his stomach.
"It's suffocating," Charlotte agreed, forcing the words through her teeth.
"Quetz feels lightheaded…" Quetz groaned.
The other teens also struggled to keep their auras in check, small sparks of mana crackling in the vicinity around them as their auras collided.
Drake pressed down with his own aura slightly, increasing its suppression effect.
"Now comes the really hard part. Focus on your center, your core. Reign in your aura's like anchoring it to a container within yourself," Drake explained.
The group of teens didn't acknowledge Drake's explanation but some of them began to noticeably change their aura, beginning to control it little by little.
They stood there for nearly an hour in total as they all watched the teens learn their skills. Drake nodded in approval at the speed they learned, others impressed to the point of disbelief.
The first to finish was Charlotte, which seemed to have spurred something in several others as Atropos, Quetz, and Kalik Tu' finished with some struggle quickly after. The last two to finish were Clotho who seemed to have some difficulty with the physical manifestation of his aura burning the ground around him, and Landin who seemed to have an especially strong aura to control.
But eventually, all of the six were able to complete the task to an acceptable degree.
"It feels like I'm constantly flexing every muscle in my body," Landin muttered in almost a pained whisper.
"Don't worry it gets easier," Drake assured, "Right now is going to be the most difficult time and I hope you can all see why I had you learn these skills first. These aura skills are powerful but to use them and to learn to fight while controlling them, is going to be one of the biggest hurdles you all face."
"C-child's play," Kalik sneered, gritting his teeth, "I won't lose now that we have finally started to progress!"
"I agree, I refuse to be second best for much longer!" Atropos said smiling slightly, her head turned to Charlotte.
The competition between Charlotte and Atropos had gotten even fiercer it seemed after their rank up. Charlotte somehow became more of a 'cool beauty' with stunted emotions compared to her previous flustered self. Atropos became even more 'passionate' about her desires, to her more restrained former personality.
Landin outside of having a deeper voice and older features seemed to be mostly the same, more outspoken but still roughly the same personality-wise.
Quetz, Clotho, and Kalik had all seemed to embody their previous personalities several times over. Quetz becoming more playful in her speech and mannerisms, encompassing everything that would describe a bubbly extrovert. Clotho an overprotective sis-con. And Kalik, the genius child prodigy who didn't want to lose to anyone or anything with the face of a delinquent constantly ready to fight.
Drake overheard some muttering from Glenn and Modred from behind him, but he ignored it, knowing that they were just surprised at the changes that ranking-up made, and of course at the speed at which the teens were growing. In the course of a few days, they had gone from level 1 to level 10 and increasing to F-Rank to boot.
Something that even took Drake, several weeks.
"Even if I had to do it twice…" he mumbled to himself for consolation.
"Alright, someone find me, Sherry," Drake hollered, to which apparently her new keeper pulled her from the small crowd around them.
"I got her. She's just taking a siesta from the food earlier," Tom sighed, carrying her on his back similar to Drake and his brother earlier.
"You know Tom, I never thought it would happen, but you two seem more and more made for each other by the second."
Tom blushed, then frowned as he processed the wording.
"You can be really mean sometimes you know…"
"Oh, I know. But I meant what I said. You did good," Drake smirked, "Now can you wake her up for me. Mr. Hogue!" he shouted, calling over the man.
"As we agreed, you will be going under contract. This is Sherry, our resident Pact Maker. This is Tom her keeper. Should you let this information go to anyone, I will be sure to make sure you regret it thoroughly, understand?"
Mr. Hogue nodded vigorously, "I understand completely, sir."
Tom gave a wry smile, shaking his shoulder slightly as he roused Sherry.
"What is it…?" she mumbled.
"Morning sunshine, I need you to kill a bird," Drake said.
"I don't do that…" she answered lazily.
"Oh. I need you to get this guy under contract then. He has to follow what I say, lead me to a city called Sandal, has to be within let's say a mile of me at all times. And has to NDA about you, me, and anything he hears us say until the contract is released."
"I can do that," she yawned, patting the top of Tom's head to let her down.
"Good, while you do that," Drake nodded, waving the teens over, "You six are coming to the city center to turn in your quests, we'll be back in a few minutes. Travis, you mind taking Dillon for a little?"
"Yeah, I got it. Kid still does all-nighters just for music…" Travis laughed, picking up his brother.
"He's definitely a Wallen, throwing yourself fully into something at the drop of a hat," Drake smiled, "Let's get going then shall we? Be back in a few."
Drake, Sah Ul', and the teens left the area with slow steps at first, the teens still having some difficulty with their new skills.
"Let's see it then, what kind of auras did we get?" Drake asked interested.
"Having a bit of difficulty here. Can't this wait until we've gotten a bit of control?" Landin said grunting with each step.
Drake smiled, thinking back on when he first got his aura and skills and how he jumped right into a fight with Bjorn, and eventually fighting with Stewart.
"Difficulty is good, even more is better!" Drake laughed, "Sarah, what did you do when you first got your aura skill?"
"Oh great, more stories…." Landin groaned.
Sah Ul' peered over her shoulder at the teens trailing behind her and Drake.
"When I received my skills I was in the midst of a large fight, there is no better place to learn than a fight," she said, nodding to herself.
"I couldn't agree more!" Drake nodded as well, "I think we need to turn up the training a notch."
Drake raised a hand and six brown magic circles, from them mannequins began to form from black earth that looked oddly like saibamen from a certain anime of the same size and build.
"Quetz does not like where this is going…" Quetz cooed as she hovered slightly above the ground, grimacing.
"Struggle and hardship are your reality. Defeat these elementals before we reach the center or Sarah can have you for the rest of the trip back to the city," Drake scoffed.
All the teen's faces besides Clotho and Atropos paled. Their apparent memories of her training during their journey to level 10 flashed in their minds.
The six mannequins spread out taking up position next to each of the teens as Drake and Sah Ul' walked casually in front, the sound of spells, screams, gunshots, and grunts ringing out behind them.
"Ah. Today is going to be a good day I think," Drake said, stretching.
—------------
Several minutes later, Drake and Sah Ul' were at the front door of the system center of the town where he had been directed by Mr. Hogue earlier. The teens were also there.
Although they were being dragged by the six mannequins across the ground to the center.
"Looks like you all lose," Drake chuckled.
"Lord Drake. Why are they so strong…" Atropos whined from the ground.
"Unfair…!" Quetz mumbled from the floor her feathers a bristled mess.
"These really did not seem to be a fair opponent for us Drake," Charlotte added groaning.
Drake was honestly impressed. The teens still somehow managed to keep their auras in check. However that was all they were able to do, their focus had been on controlling the skill, and they inevitably had trouble dealing with the little fighters Drake created because of it.
He made the little guys to be around level 5, the only difference was that they were adept at fighting because Drake was controlling them. And while the teens were now level 10. With their minds preoccupied with controlling their new skills, they stood literally no chance of winning.
"No excuses," Drake reprimanded, then added in a whisper, "Now I can push handling them during the trip back onto Sarah…"
He looked at his orc companion only to see her grinning at him, making him take a step back.
"What?"
"I enjoy training the children. It is good to see them grow into strong warriors. I have also learned some things from teaching them, but most of all, seeing the results of the Patriarch's teachings shine through in their path to strength is most enjoyable," Sah Ul' explained, "I do not mind taking on the duty of 'breaking in the new boars'."
Drake wasn't too fond of her wording and began wondering if he had made a mistake but that was future Drake's problem.
"Deals a deal, you guys lost, so you're Sarah's problem now, I'll help of course here and there but it'll be good for you all. I think…"
"I didn't agree to anything!" Landin complained.
"N-no trial is too difficult for a warrior of the Rahk…" Kalik tried to say proudly, but being dragged across the snow-covered ground made it far less imposing of a statement.
"Glad you still have the fire in your step, but I have another requirement," Drake said as he opened the door to the center and dismissing his elementals, "During this trip back, you are all required to protect the people in the group. Outside of my family, I will not help. That means that it is your job to keep them safe and alive, no matter what. No one, and I mean no one is allowed to help you."
Drake had thought about it for their entire time walking to the center but decided this was the best course of action to help the kids acclimate to new skills, learn to work as a proper party, as well as realize the severity and reality of what he was going to ask of them in the future.
Charlotte stood, leaning on her spear as she gathered herself, her eyes fierce.
"I wouldn't have it any other way. I plan on finding my family and protecting my brother. If I can't do this there wouldn't be any point in the first place."
The other teens nodded as well, getting up. It seemed Charlotte had taken on the big sister role since ranking up.
"Good, now let's get these quests turned in, grab our new shiny equipment, get some more quests, and be on our way. We still have to pick up a lot of monsters on the way back for Natto, but I'll take care of that for the most part."
He didn't wait for a reply as he entered the building, the center surprisingly as empty as the outside.
"I heard there were adventurers here…" Drake thought aloud, "If he's lying to me already that's a bad sign," he growled.
Without further adieu, Drake and his group moved to the counters turning in their quests. The quests received from the centers were different than the system obtained ones during the tutorial which Drake was actually happy to find out. The fact that the quests needed to be turned in like a quest from a game NPC made it much easier to experience bomb and not be tempted to turn them in right after completion for the rewards.
All the teens turned in their quests as well grabbing several more that were available but Drake was sure there would be even more back at his own city's center as this center wasn't a system building but a temporary one that would disappear within the year.
He looked around seeing new equipment on the teens.
Charlotte had received a new short spear. It appeared she had adopted the dual wield style replacing her broken non-grade spear with the F-Grade one to complement her slightly longer one. As well as a pair of leather bracers.
Landin had received a gaudy-looking silver earring with a red teardrop gem in it, that he kept playing with embarrassedly as if he wasn't sure he should be wearing it or not. And had replaced the staff that he was using earlier with a leatherbound book, making him look much more like Mikhail in a way.
Quetz had gained some very techno punk-looking goggles with violet lenses that she smiled and beamed at, chirping happily. She also switched between her new pistols and an older-looking bolt action rifle effortlessly, making Drake's eyes widen slightly.
Kalik looked uncomfortably at a pair of red bandanas that were apparently shoulder equipment as he tied them giving his overall look of a hoodlum nearly complete with his sleeveless long coat. He also played with a pair of brass-looking knuckles that he compared with his own steel-colored ones with a difficult expression.
Atropos looked a little disappointed at her new piece of equipment, a long steel-colored scythe about the same height as her. She had also gained something Drake was surprised to see. A black lace-looking oeice of cloth that she placed over her eyes, reminding him of a particular automata. But her brother looked even more disappointed as he slipped on some fingerless gloves flexing his hands and then replaced the twisted metal that hung around his forearms with something Drake could only call acrylic nails? The teen looked very uncomfortable but still snapped each thick nail onto each finger, making Drake laugh derisively at how much the boy was turning into the classic pretty boy trope.
Everyone done with equipping their new equipment and settled with taking their new quests, Drake rounded them up.
"All set?" he asked.
"I'm very pleased with my new equipment," Charlotte said, giving a subdued grin.
"I would have liked something more akin to what Lord Drake uses… but I will accept what I have received," Atropos sighed.
"Not sure how I'm rocking this new equipment but do you mind if I step out for a minute?" Landin asked.
"Sure, what for?" Drake asked both curious and intrigued.
"I want to summon my second companion. I still have the set of ten cores you gave me and the new equipment honestly isn't as good as I would have hoped for stat-wise so I wanted to replace it."
"Hmm, if I remember right, doesn't better equipment mean better stat transference?" Drake asked.
"It does, but with only Ifrit, I don't think I have enough combat ability for the trip back," Landin said scratching the back of his head, "Most of my skills are supportive, even my aura helps with my summons. So I thought two would be at least the minimum for now."
Drake nodded in agreement, "I don't see a problem with that. It's your choice ultimately and I won't say no."
Landin nodded, walking out of the center, Ifrit nipping at his heels.
"What about the rest of you?" Drake asked again.
Clotho just looked at his hands grimacing, but nodded.
Kalik scoffed crossing his arms.
"Really leaning into your tropes huh…" Drake scoffed.
"Quetz likes her new boom boom. She didn't like the bow before, but these sticks that make noise feel right in her hands. And Quetz got these really cute goggles! Look! See see Drake!" Quetz beamed shoving the goggles into his face.
"I see them," he smiled, "They are very cute."
The group done, they walked outside to find Landin holding one of the most horrific things Drake had ever seen in his hands. A wry smile on Landin's face.
"Ah! What the hell is that Landin? Did the summon go awry?!" Drake gasped.
"Awe, I think this small… tree? Is somewhat adorable," Atropos said, bending down to look at it.
[Anima Level 1]
"Haha… I would say it actually went well. Don't treat her too poorly man, it's rude," Landin said.
"She?" Drake asked.
"Yeah, Anima is actually a lesser treant. Not exactly sure why she seems so… dried out? I think it's a level thing," he shrugged.
"A treant huh? So you have an Ice using wolf named Ifrit and a, I'm guessing earth or plant… life using? Treant named Anima? Wasn't Anima like the end death boss or something? Are you making fun of me?!" Drake asked.
"I think it's funny yeah," Landin smiled, "And yeah, I can't tell what she does entirely, but when she burps, I feel warm inside so I'm guessing she heals a bit."
Drake shrugged this time, "Works for me, looks like you didn't stray too far from your base class with all these supportive skills and now a healing summon. How's your mana with both of them out?"
"I'll manage," Landin said, patting the top of Anima's bush-like head, "A few levels and more into Wisdom I think it won't even affect my Mana with the regeneration I get."
"Well then, looks like we can wrap it up here then," Drake announced, "Let's get back, we have a few day trip back, and I'm sure I'll be doing a lot of answering questions…"
Just as he was about to begin, he felt his neck hair stand on end. Turning he saw Sarah smiling and donning a very long wooden stick she tapped on her shoulder.
"I may now start training them, yes Patriarch?" Sah Ul' asked.
"Y-yes?" Drake answered.
A moment later, Sah Ul' dashed forward, holding the stick with both hands as she brought it down in an overhand swing above Charlotte, the stick vibrating with a red light.
Charlotte's eyes widened but Sah Ul' had held back enough that Charlotte could place her spears above her head, deflecting the blow and taking a swift step back.
Sah Ul' didn't stop and lunged to her side, swinging her menacing stick in a horizontal strike right at Atropos.
The wolf girl jumped using her new scythe as a platform to gain even more height with her jump, Sah Ul's stick slamming into the shaft but missing Atropos.
Atropos spun landing on the ground as she grabbed the spinning weapon out of the air and then jumped backward as well.
Clotho and the others looked in confusion at her and then at Drake, but Drake only smiled and shrugged.
"Don't look at me, en guard," he laughed.
The teens paled and Kalik shot forward his green skin just a sliver less flushed a bead of sweat already rolling down his face as he threw a fist forward only to be slammed into the ground by Sah Ul's stick.
Sah Ul' laughed and pointed at the rest of the teens.
"If you do not learn quickly you are failures as warriors! Come at me all at once!" she roared.