"Hmm..., perhaps it is too soon?" holding their chin, the speaker said in a voice mixed with wonder and cruel amusement.
"But I'm amazed, he has already achieved the Preminiliary State with no training, even those pest captains can only boast of the First State, well... it is thanks to his unusual immense molecular energy"
"Nevertheless, the plan proceeds"
Those nuisances are already on the move," they muttered, dragging Xerves across the ground towards the jungle's edge, leaving him like a discarded log.
In a world where molecular energy defines one's essence, every individual possesses a Soul Core from birth—a reservoir of molecular energy.
There is a continuous flow of molecular energy from the Soul Core to the heart and mind, the path which this energy flows is called the soul path, while the patterns it takes are called soul patterns, from birth, the soul paths from the heart to the Soul Core are many than the soul paths from the mind to the Soul Core.
The First State is the state in which the body, heart, and mind are in equilibrium, that is, the energy flowing from the Soul Core to the heart is in equilibrium with the energy flowing from the Soul Core to the mind, achieved by a captain squad, during countless years of training and battles, the energy from the Soul Core create more soul paths to the mind, which enables the mind soul paths to equal that of the heart thereby entering equilibrium.
After the First State is the Preminiliary State, the gateway to the Second State. Achieved by the creation of multiple soul paths mind, driving the mind to its limit,
immensed molecular energy is needed to achieve the Second State, without enough molecular energy, a person daring to enter the Second State will have their life force used up.
Moments later, villagers carrying heavy logs and axes were spotted heading towards a distant barn in Shadowfell.
"But I tire of logging and manual labor. We must find a way to acquire mechanical artifacts to ease our toil," complained a man in his forties, barely managing the logs on his shoulder.
"Even if we sell some produce, it won't be enough," another lamented.
"And even if we manage to buy them, can we afford the adventurers needed to activate these artifacts?" the discontented man added.
"If only we had more molecular energy," retorted another.
"Hmph! You wouldn't be here doing this farm work if you had average molecular energy," remarked one.
"I would be in the city, as an adventurer, earning a fortune!" declared another.
"Are you implying everyone in the city has average molecular energy?" countered someone.
"No, but those with less are mere servants to the wealthy," retorted the first.
"You're right. I'd rather live here than grovel in the city," agreed another.
In a world where molecular energy is the essence of one's being, a person with molecular energy not up to average can't use or sense molecular energy, a person with average molecular energy can excel by working at various organizations such as:
Adventure Guild: as a registered adventurer exploring ruins for various artifacts, as an artifact activator, using molecular energy to activate artifacts.
Infirmaries: as a healer using molecular energy to activate earthly type artifacts, healing potion, used for healing.
Counter-demon Elite Force: the kingdom's main force that battles demons.
Almost there, one of them caught a glimpse of bodies covered in dry blood on the floor of the barn and shouted.
"ha..!! Don't tell me it is a demon..."
"let's check!"
They ran hurriedly to check the corpses
"What is with these wounds..."
"Seems like they were stabbed!!" the man in his early forties exclaimed.
"You got to be kidding! which maniac get a problem with us half-assed outskirters!!" One of them retorted, dropping the heavy logs and looking around furiously.
Groggily opening his eyes and gradually regaining awareness, Xerves found himself just in the front area of the jungle, more openly and less dense, his vision clearer by the second.
"Around twilight huh..." he said to no one in particular while brushing off his hair now full of dry leaves attached to it.
I wonder how long I have been asleep, h...huh— wait a minute, the demons! where are they, I lost, I hope the Elite have already captured them, tsk!" he soliloquised with a disgruntled expression.
"To the jungle, I guess, it is late already, I wonder where old man Cornixae is," he said jumping to his feet, as he took the first step, he heard some footsteps running in his direction, looking back, he saw some men around late thirties to early forties, angry expression written all over their face.
"This is bad, gotta run," said Xerves as he took to his heels, his legs almost crossing each other, carrying his fatigued body.
Shadowfell is comprised mostly of farmland and woods mixed, as it is on the outskirts of Dragonicania, almost at twilight with minimum light to show the way, nonetheless, the two captains and the squad members moved swiftly through the woods and plantation as though they are used to being there. Squad three is the reconnaissance Squad throughout the kingdom far and wide. They are also trained for combat. Thus the counter-demon elite squads comprise three squads.
"Something is strange," said Kane while running.
"Yes... no traces of the reconnaissance Squad members, strange indeed, they're supposed to be stationed throughout the kingdom, up to the border...
"And the fact that the great Juda jungle forest is so dense with molecular energy, since demons' dimensional portals appeared the most there which makes it almost unapproachable," said Lilinette both running swiftly at the same speed, while traversing the woods.
"After numerous losses of countless elite lives there, the reconnaissance there has been stopped" retorted Kane.
"Why not... after all, the forest isn't part of Dragonicania" agreed Lilinette.
"come to think of it, I heard from one of the monitoring and surveillance teams that levels of molecular energy have been dropping significantly in the Juda Jungle—" said a breathless male voice among the squad members.
"oo arr!!, from that slim girl I always see you with?" the one supposedly a female beside him interrupted.
"Shut it, she has nothing to do with this—" he retorted looking irritated while blushing.
"As expected, captains are something else"
"you bet, I'm almost out of breath...
"Lieutenant Ellie is unusually quiet tho"
numerous members voiced out.
"Ellie, did you sense something" Kane asked his lieutenant with a curious expression, somehow curious about her lack of liveliness.
"Shut it!!, musclehead!" Ellie, moving swiftly through the woods like a rat traversing a maze of tunnels, replied indifferently.
"tsk!"
"Strange indeed, hmm... does it mean demons have been ceasing to appear in that jungle?" asked Lininette
"We are almost at the location, we will find out soon..." replied Kane, with sounds of dry leaves almost not heard as they ran swiftly through the woods and plantation, nearing the end of the Shadowfell where the energy had been detected.
"E....excuse me..... hmm... Your Captaincy, w..we are only told to r.... reconnoiter S....s shadow fell a squad member mumbled behind.
"It is okay, after all, we have two captains that have mastered the first state here with us" assured the other.
"yes!" "Yes!!" others replied with optimistic expressions.
To become a captain, one must have mastered the First State, with a secret technique compatible with each person's First State, secret technique differs among those that have mastered the First State.
The Elite squad raced towards their destination, every passing second heightening the tension of what awaited them.