The mountain presented a barren façade, its exterior shrouded in nothing but rocks. Its immediate surroundings were stripped of trees for hundreds of meters, rendering any approach nearly impossible without detection. However, from his elevated vantage point atop the trees, Tetsu enjoyed unobstructed views, allowing him to spy on the humanoid sentinels stationed around the mountain with perfect clarity.
They appeared tense, poised to strike at a moment's notice. The expansive, flat surface afforded them ample time to detect any creature attempting to breach the ring of trees encircling the mountain. Yet, paradoxically, Tetsu understood that this heightened vigilance only intensified the pervasive sense of dread.
A cunning predator can exploit their stronghold to outmaneuver them. Tetsu had already devised multiple strategies to trap or isolate them. Although he harbored no immediate intentions of putting these plans into action, forward-thinking was imperative to addressing future challenges.
When life held more meaning and safety, Tetsu would often play out such scenarios with Kile, even though there was no imminent threat. In his current reality, he not only welcomed these thoughts but actively encouraged them. In this new world, every bit of foresight could contribute to leveling up or averting death, and Tetsu was determined not to forego either option.
After several minutes of scouting, Tetsu gained a comprehensive understanding of the base's layout. The ingenuity of these humans astonished him—they had erected an impressive stronghold in just twenty days, assuming their timekeeping matched his.
Scar God had confirmed the existence of different humans, and after encountering Adam, Tetsu harbored a deep-seated distrust for all of them, indiscriminate of their origins. Not that he had ever placed much trust in humans, to begin with.
Ten entrances pierce the rugged face of the mountain, but the vast crater crowning its summit appears to offer the most promising route for infiltration. Diverting their forces to target the skies could create a strategic advantage, enabling a dual assault to gradually diminish their numbers. Studying the young individuals honing their elemental skills along the mountainside suggests they may have fortified the crown. Even a modest layer of earth could deceive any creature into avoiding a collision with the mountain peak, unless they possess the ability to discern subtle elemental fluctuations.
The young ones manipulated the earth, shaping it into a formidable barrier resembling a wall or a shield, but Tetsu's keen perception allows him to discern the discrepancy. He notes subtle variations in color and strength, and upon closer inspection, the energy signature appears notably diminished. This meant deceiving the senses of a beast can prove more challenging, so they must have bolstered their defense with booby traps to thwart any unsuspecting intruders attempting to breach the false summit.
"Half of the ten openings are likely traps too," he surmised, before shifting his attention to another location.
At the far end, their females tended to crops that flourished, their growth observable to the naked eye. Many of them bathed the crops in a verdant light, which Tetsu recognized as a life force connected to the plant life, surpassing the needs of humans. Though both hues were green, they differed in shade, and thanks to the goth goddess, he grasped which belonged to whom.
"How did they gain such mastery over differentiation and wield such precise control?" Tetsu frowned, pondering the remarkable skill displayed by the inhabitants.
For days, he labored to improve, but his success rate remained stuck at five percent. The orb, more often than not, transformed into a different hue. Fortunately, the rune inscribed on his tongue proved invaluable in unraveling the elusive process; without it, he would have found himself in a hopeless predicament.
"Did they enlist in the order, or did they associate her kind?" His mind brimmed with more questions as he ascended to a higher vantage point for better visuals.
A few men sketched circles around the farmland, then joined hands, weaving a barrier around the plants. Observing their ritual, Tetsu shifted onto a nearby branch, slipping into his meditative stance.
It was a hassle, not to mention suicidal, to remain still and observe the intricate vital flows, but at present, he had no other viable option. This was just another aspect he would have to decipher and improve upon before the tutorial concluded.
The most daunting drawback of this technique was the isolation from the external world. Apart from the flow of vital energies, the space appeared vacant. To overcome this challenge, Tetsu aimed to establish a radius where he could perceive various energies in motion. This way, he could discern and gauge the approach of anyone within this perimeter—a sort of life force radar, in essence.
This proved to be an elusive task, as he had never encountered a target willing to remain stationary, allowing him to focus on their energies. Nevertheless, the current scenario presented as good an opportunity as any, which he used by attempting to scan the farmers for their vital flows.
With so many of them assembled in one area, Tetsu could pinpoint their location. However, the accuracy of his perception remained laughable; despite there being at least a dozen individuals actively drawing and condensing vital energy, Tetsu could only discern a small cluster of energy shining a tad bit brighter than the rest. If he hadn't already been aware of their direction, he would have missed the subtle change in hue altogether.
"Man, I suck at so many levels," Tetsu sighed, maintaining his focus on that specific section of the mountain.
The shade deepened, prompting Tetsu to ponder whether those circles somehow contained the energy, preventing its dispersal. Another doubt surfaced in his mind, compelling him to cast aside his hesitation, hoping to clarify some doubts.
Distinct shades within a hue bore unique signatures; for instance, humans required a light green aura, whereas trees absorbed a darker green. Now, Tetsu observed the accumulated energy shifting shades, a common occurrence as denser and lighter concentrations carried different hues. While variations were expected due to differences in concentration, he questioned whether trees consumed a denser aura, whereas humans thrived on a more diluted version. Or did anyone who consumed a denser aura within their signature hue experience recovery?
"Need more recon," Tetsu muttered to himself as he scanned the area. His gaze lands upon a girl about his age.
He had never attempted this skill before, as none of the beasts had stayed still long enough for him to muster the courage to probe them. Also, Tetsu chose her because among the rest, only she sat motionless, tending to a plant in an old-fashioned way, and he immediately harbored a twinge of disdain toward her for using a makeshift shovel and her bare hands.
"How can anyone not want magic?" he frowned, puzzled by her apparent disregard for such power, and then used [Info] on her.
A stream of information flooded his mind, but to his shock, she somehow cut the information short and spotted him within seconds of the activation.
Tetsu released the runes, which pulled him from both ends to keep him afloat, and dropped straight down. The girl yelled, turning away from him, and he seized the opportunity to activate another rune on the side of the truck, propelling himself in a swift arc away from the commotion. Despite his confidence in placing the rune where she couldn't see it, she somehow followed its path back to him as soon as the rune was formed.
As he sifted through the fragments of information, his frown deepened even further.
{Acolyte. Level: 01. Name: Isabella Stormshard. Affinities: fire, wind, earth, water, light, growth, divine.}
"Acolyte!" Tetsu muttered, his brow furrowing as he burrowed into the ground, covering his tracks from behind. "Is it the class or something else?"
Rather than searching for another target to test his theory, Tetsu headed straight for the base. Judging by their swift response time, he surmised that the leader must be a military personnel or someone with a similar background.
The structure of the base served as another telltale sign. If his speculation proved correct, they would dispatch their elite teams to scout the area, with the leader positioned outside, prepared for an attack. They seemed to have covered all their bases, except one.
No one ever suspects the land they're standing on as their biggest blind spot.
"Cool it!" Tetsu mentally sighed at the fangs, which were brimming with excitement at the prospect of taking on a base full of elites. "I'm just going to scout, nothing more," he assured them, and the fangs reluctantly retreated. "Moody fangs, useless Saint, and bitchy runes. I seem to be collecting all the eccentrics," he remarked, half-amused at the motley crew of abilities and personalities he seemed to be amassing.
A couple of minutes later, Tetsu dug his way into the mountain, confirming his suspicion that it was hollow with a thin layer of conjured earth covering the mountain peak.
The interior of the mountain spiraled upward, featuring massive protruding slabs that created different platforms. Each platform held several wooden spears crafted from peculiar branches, adorned with various circles to enhance their power, along with guards positioned to either attack or bolster the circles.
All of them stood motionless, their gazes fixed on the ceiling, anticipating its breach, while Tetsu tunneled his way in with the aid of [Earth Carve], a skill that had attained Warrior status through continuous use. Before delving deeper into the mountain, he activated [Leech Over] to hide his presence.
With the weaker civilians escorted to safety, Tetsu found himself with ample opportunity to move about and assess the situation before making his next move.
Many tents dotted the outer area, serving as temporary shelters, while the central building boasted sturdier rocky walls, no doubt crafted using skills and reserved for the soldiers.
"Military rule," sighed Tetsu, quickly scanning the data carved on the walls for any pertinent information.
He decided against infiltrating deeper into their more fortified buildings, wary of potential traps, and concluded that the data available on the outer walls was sufficient to assess the situation.
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