Chương 76: A Workout to Die For

Dragon's Heart Tower, Level 23, Residence 30, Living Room. Local Time: 19: 20 Hours. Emma"Civilization collapse is a scary thing, I do admit, but you can only be ruled by fear for so long before it starts taking over and stagnation takes root."

I began, continuing off of the conversation that had started within the dorms, but that had somehow evolved and morphed into something else during dinner, before reaching something of a boiling point now that we'd arrived back in the dorms following a rather uneventful evening out. I had planned on conducting the M-REDD experiments whilst everyone was away.

But apparently, another evening spent away from the public eye would've brought a lot of unnecessary scrutiny my way, especially with the whole bird assault saga still very much on everyone's minds.

"You interchangeably swap the terms stability for stagnation, Cadet Emma Booker. This makes me question whether or not this is a purposeful lexical choice on your behalf, or whether you lack the capacity to discern the nuances between the two."

"It's purposeful, Ilunor." I responded in no uncertain terms, but only after a quick comparative vocab analysis courtesy of the EVI.

"Because while I do see where you're coming from, and while I honestly and genuinely empathize with everything that comes with uncovering the truth of being the tenth in a long line of fallen civilizations, the fact of the matter is you can't allow their shortcomings to define who it is you are today. They should be learned from, but they shouldn't be an outright reason to entrench yourself in…"

"Permanence?" Thalmin offered.

"Yeah, permanence. And moreso, the propagation of a system that simply survives for its own sake-""-and for the sake of the cultural and historical legacy of those living within it." Ilunor quickly snapped, attempting to correct me mid-sentence.

"That may be the case, and again I did say that I see where you're coming from. But that doesn't stop you from trying to progress avenues of policy with the intent of enshrining the well being of everyone living within it; and enriching the lives of those people living today."

"A system such as your own, Cadet Emma Booker?"

"I mean, that's what we've been attempting to do ever since we united." I acknowledged with a shrug.

"It is easy for you to make such bold claims with no fear of collapse, when you yourself lack the capacity or the access to the capabilities which might bring about such cataclysms."

"Oh trust me, we've had some close calls of our own." I countered, keeping myself just on the edge of acceptable vagueness. Something Ilunor quickly called me on almost immediately.

"Are you saying your mana-less kind possesses, or has access to realm-destroying levels of power through even more of these mana-less artifices?" This left me at an awkward impasse, prompting me to gesture towards my gun, and the mothership drone that has since folded in on itself like a loafing cat, behind us.

"You started this week off believing that a mana-less individual couldn't exist. I proved you wrong by simply walking through that portal. You then maintained the belief that a mana-less being couldn't possibly create constructs capable of matching or inflicting damage on the scale of a mage. I proved you wrong two times over now on that account, the first when I demonstrated the use of my gun, and the second in service of your side-quest.

Just a few days ago, you maintained the belief a mana-less being couldn't possibly achieve flight… Do I need to go on?"

"You need not go on, Cadet Emma Booker." Ilunor replied with a frustrated huff.

"However, I also need not remind you of a very important factor you're simply not considering. And that is simply, that you have yet to consider the role the fates and the gods may play in your realm."

"If you mean gods in the typical sense, Ilunor, how do you imagine them to survive in a mana-less realm?" Thalmin interjected, more or less destroying Ilunor's argument in the process as his maw hung agape all the while. I chose to move on following that little save from the lupinor, giving the wolf a thankful nod before continuing.

"We don't need the interference of magical higher powers to force us into a situation of potential societal collapse, Ilunor." I announced with a regretful sigh.

"We've pushed ourselves to that brink several times over. And yet… we've managed to pull through each and every time. I guess in your mind, you could attribute that to the lack of any magical deities that affected our minds or the decisions of our leaders or whatever magical conspiracy you wanna spout. But honestly, I'd attribute it to how I genuinely believe that our better judgment won out at the end of the day. Because ultimately, we both are on the same page when it comes to this particular argument, Ilunor."

I attempted to sway the talking points into an unexpected direction, taking the Vunerian off-guard.

"And pray tell, what could we possibly see eye-to-eye on, Earthrealmer?"

"We both value the sanctity of civilization. We both want to see it continue, and for the legacies of the past to be enshrined. But while you guys have built yourselves a museum to the past, and an altar to the present, you've inadvertently constructed a tomb for your future. We, on the other hand, have built a library in the bowels of a ship. Where that ship goes, and what adventures await us, we don't know.

But what we do know is that the more that library grows, the more we can improve that ship so that we can carry on our legacy, into whatever new sights and adventures we inevitably sail into."

"I didn't take you to be a poet, Cadet Emma Booker." Ilunor chided.

"Well, I guess I pick things up rather quickly." I shrugged in response.

"Perhaps you do have a point, Earthrealmer." Ilunor acknowledged, much to my surprise.

"Perhaps we do value the same things. But that doesn't change the fact that your way, is foolish and shortsighted."

"We've held our own, and maintained our government for practically a millennium now, Ilunor."

"And the Eternal Regime has maintained itself, and the stability of its adjacent realms, ten, twenty, thirty-fold over that amount of time, Cadet Emma Booker." Ilunor spoke without skipping a single beat.

"Ilunor-" Thalmin finally interjected, a stoic look of confidence acting as a perfect counter to Ilunor's bombastic personality.

"-have you perhaps considered that it is exactly because of their mana-less state that they lack the same problems faced by the Nexus?"

"Explain yourself, lupinor."

"Simply put, perhaps it is exactly due to their chaotic and independent nature, free from the inexplicable shackles that comes with a mana-based society, that allows them to create something so novel that it defies traditional cycles of collapse?"

"Perhaps it is, or perhaps it isn't." Thacea finally chimed in, much to the surprise of Ilunor who was about to commit to a lungful of retorts that'd otherwise probably chew up most of the night in the yappings of a deluxe kobold.

"But perhaps now would be the best time to finally go about our own ways. Curfew is, after all, still in effect. And despite it being extended into midnight following the end of the grace period, it would still be prudent to make haste with our respective personal responsibilities." This abrupt and unexpected bit of mediation was a breath of fresh air, and once again proved to be successful as both Thalmin and Ilunor nodded in unison.

"A wise and fair assessment, Thacea." The lupinor acknowledged, disengaging from the conversation entirely, and heading to the front door with a series of heavy footsteps.

"I will see you either later tonight, or in the morning for classes."

"Have fun at the gym, Thalmin!" I bid him a bit of a farewell with a wave, just as Ilunor too scampered off towards the door with a series of skittering footsteps.

"And where exactly are you going, Ilunor?" I breathed out frustratingly.

"I have other friends too, Earthrealmer." He responded curtly.

"I want to talk to people beyond just our social circle."

"Fair." I acknowledged, before diving into a tone of voice that was unabashedly stern.

"Just don't screw up like the last time you did with Mal'tory." I stated in no uncertain terms, prompting the Vunerian to stop mid-step.

"We're already on thin ice as it is with that fiasco. So just know that while I am amenable to helping, that there's a limit to how far I'm willing to go, Ilunor. I'm not saying this to be mean, nor am I asserting my dominance as a Nexian or whatever. But I feel like I need to say this, just going off of your track record so far."

"Noted." Was all Ilunor said, as with an incredulous huff in what I assumed to be a begrudging display of acknowledgement, he left, once more slamming the door hard behind him. That left just me and Thacea together, prompting me to turn towards her with an appreciative smile.

"Thanks for the save there, Thacea. I know, I know. I know what you're about to say. I should've disengaged way before then. But… I don't know, maybe it's because I needed to vent a bit after class given how utterly insane all of these revelations have been. Maybe I just feel a need to come to grips with all of this, and with Ilunor's constant desires to reaffirm the whole Nexian narrative, I felt a need to go back and forth with him on it.

I don't know, maybe I'm just really out of it right now, maybe-""-you're just hungry, Emma." Thacea interjected in what was probably one of the least verbose and most candid moments in any of our interactions thus far.

"W-what?"

"Most sapients that rely on physical sustenance as an aspect of their living form, are often not themselves, and find themselves becoming something else when they are hungry." She elaborated, more or less going back on the lack of verboseness.

"And judging by the number, or lack thereof, of these rations you have been consuming throughout the day… I assume your cognitive and emotional capacity is perhaps hampered by a distressing lack of nutrition." I didn't expect Thacea's unofficial group mom title to carry through this far, especially with her concern being so palpable now that we were alone.

"You know what Thacea-" I began, once more reaching behind my head awkwardly.

"-you're right. I guess I am pretty hungry now that I think about it." I chuckled, as the alien and unwelcome sensation of genuine hunger burned my insides.

"I'm trying my best to ration out these nutripaste tubes as much as I can right now, until I can confirm that the M-REDD is actually capable of de-manafying foodstuffs that can actually service my nutritional needs." Thacea's features shifted from palpable worry, to genuine concern at that statement, darkening to a point that conveyed everything I needed to know without even a word being uttered.

"I see." She began, her tone matching that new degree of concern to a tee.

"And supposing it doesn't?" The avian managed out with a heavy breath.

"What happens then?"

"Well… you can only pack so much nutripaste into the containers, especially when there's so much more gear needed for me to survive." I replied nervously, beginning our walk towards our bedroom, and towards the boxes in question.

"And despite my people having practically a millennium of experience in dealing with similar sorts of situations, the limitations imposed by the Academy on the amount and volume of cargo allowed did pose a unique sort of challenge to my situation." I quickly removed the cover to one of the crates, pointing to a pretty hefty sum of efficiently sealed and packaged nutripaste tubes.

Each of which were packaged so tightly that it was difficult to separate one from the other without their distinct little hermetically sealed caps.

"As a result, despite the generous amount of rations provided courtesy of my people, my supplies are still finite. The mission had always been to supplement, and eventually wean myself off of the rations and into local foodstuffs; provided of course they were deemed sufficiently safe. But supposing it doesn't work out?

Either due to some nutritional deficiency, or the existence of some fundamental biological, chemical, radiological, and physical hazards that might violate the Hazard Analysis and Risk Preventative Protocols (HARPP)? Well, in that case…" I paused, shifting my tone to match that of Thacea's.

"... I starve." A look of complete and utter shock took over the princess' expression, her rising crest feathers prompting me to quickly shift my direction on a dime at that little goof.

"I'm just kidding, Thacea." I offered through a mischievous grin, one that the avinor princess clearly wasn't reciprocating, and for good reason at that.

"In all seriousness, that's why they packed me this." I gestured towards another crate that was currently lodged halfway inside of the decontamination chamber.

"Or rather, when it's done and fully assembled inside, it's supposed to resemble this." I gestured towards my forearm's embedded tablet, as a small little projection of an upright and see-through rectangular box, held together with plastic fittings, rotated on its central axis; as if it was being presented in one of those forever-open online stores by a forever-online presenter during the height of the corpo era.

"It's a specially retrofitted and designed high-density aquaponics unit meant to maximize caloric output. Basically, it's designed to grow specially engineered and bred forms of nutrient-dense algae, capable of being processed into more nutripaste!" I announced brightly. If you discover this tale on Amazon, be aware that it has been unlawfully taken from Royal Road. Please report it.

Though that brightness clearly wasn't reciprocated by Thacea, as the holographic animation continued to show the contents of the see-through tower growing greener and greener, until finally, a thick slurry of green sludge dominated the entirety of its confines. This was quickly followed up by a cut-away animation, as the uneven goopy green slurry was forcibly pushed through its inner workings, going through process after eldritch process, before emerging out the other side inside of a nutripaste container.

It then finally completed its journey as a cartoonish suit of armor walked over to grab the gray pouch with an anachronistic smile plastered on its helmet. It was around the same time that a look of utter disgust formed on Thacea's face, that the reality of the situation also quickly dawned on me. The worst case scenario had elevated me from starving, sure. But not by much.

Because subsistence on Super Algae Nutripaste, was going to suck even more than subsistence on the regular, factory-made nutripaste, that at least had decent artificial flavorings in them.

"Algae…" Thacea finally muttered out with a look of complete and utter disgust-ridden horror.

"I… I believe that's what is fed to some of our shellfish farms along the Flockston coast, and in certain cases, luminous dyes and fisher's ink." She attempted to come to terms with it by at least demonstrating her familiarity with the stuff. Though, the fact that she knew it only as animal-feed and coloring probably wasn't doing my case any favors.

"Erm… yeah, well, hey! If it'll help you sleep better at night, just know that this definitely isn't what my people eat on a regular basis, if at all nowadays." I managed out with yet another awkward chuckle.

"I will take your word for it, Emma." Thacea acknowledged through a forced smile.

"I… am just happy to hear that you will have an alternative means of sustenance provided these Em-Red experiments do not go as planned."

"Listen, Thacea, this solution is not ideal. Like, at all. If I had more space, the team back at the IAS could probably whip up a full hydroponics suite with a proper range of crops and such. However, given the space constraints, we had to pull out a very, very undesirable piece of tech that we'd more or less moved beyond for like a good few centuries now. Considering our logistics and food security measures, stuff like this isn't even a thing in the military anymore, let alone the civilian sector.

However, given I'm the brave pioneer, I more or less was stuck with this as my only option. So… I guess that's just one of the many downsides that come with being an explorer. Though, honestly, I'd say it's still worth it. Because otherwise, I wouldn't have gotten to meet you of all people, Thacea!" I beamed out, that latter statement prompting Thacea's expression to finally shift once more to that worried, yet somewhat flustered look she sometimes had in these little talks.

"And erm, hey, even if it doesn't work out, the original factory-made nutripaste is going to last for a decent amount of time if I swap it and cycle it between the algae-paste. So it isn't too bad!" I urged Thacea towards the container full of nutripaste tubes, pulling a few out to demonstrate my point.

"We got flavors like Shredded BBQ Beef, Braised Lamb Shanks, Salmon Pesto, Meatball Marinara, Chicken Phanaeng Curry, Chicken Adobo, Nasi Lemak, Fish Ball Green Curry, Chicken Pad Krapaow, Teriyaki Chicken, and like two or three tofu or veggie options here. However, the thing that really kills it isn't the flavor itself. That aspect of it is fine. The thing that really kills it is the texture, because it's all the same squishy applesauce-like consistency that just irks the heck out of me."

Thacea's eyes seemed to be fixated on one, then another, then another tube as I lifted about ten between my fingers for her to see. She opened her beak to respond, but what she said wasn't what I had at all expected.

"These are all… meat-based foods?" I paused, cocking my head in confusion before nodding.

"Well, yes. Wait. Oh. Oh! Did you assume that my kind exclusively ate puree'd algae or something?"

"Not necessarily." The Avinor replied with a polite nod.

"Your prior comments on your interest in local Nexian dishes implies that you do have the capability to appreciate foods that are… more appetizing to both the eye and the palate. Moreover, my curiosities were less to do with the inherent aspects of your dietary preferences, but more so the socio-economic implications of it."

"Go on?" I urged, not quite expecting this turnaround.

"From what I saw of your people, the artificed farms within that sight-seer, I can understand that grains as well as produce could be produced en masse. But… and this is no offense to you Emma, but as a commoner? In a mana-less realm no less, is meat really that plentiful as your roster of rations imply?" The avinor began, before quickly correcting herself just as those words left her beak.

"My apologies, Emma. I meant to refer to your… citizenry, rather than your commoners. A distinction that you made clear during your sight-seer presentation."

"Oh, yeah. I can definitely see where you're coming from." I acknowledged.

"I imagine that isn't the case for most 'commoners' within the adjacent realms and such?"

"Not unless you're in a particularly mana-rich world that allows for Nexian methods of livestock rearing that increases yields." The princess offered, providing something of a fascinating insight into an aspect of the world I definitely wasn't anticipating touching upon today.

"To provide some context, in many adjacent realms barring those richest in mana, most commoners make do with a diet only partially consisting of meats and at times sparingly at that; primarily due to economic and ecological constraints. Your rations however, seem to imply a meat-heavy diet, which posits the question — just how common are meat-heavy diets in your realm?

Indeed, with your society consisting only of citizens, of equals, is it truly possible to maintain the diet of a wealthy merchant or a minor noble across the breadth of an entire population?"

"Well, long story short Thacea, the answer to that question is yes. Though, historically, that hasn't always been the case. It was only after the advent of a lot of tech that allowed for meat to be truly available in such quantities that it became a true staple across the board. Moreover, with the Protocols for the Minimum Acceptable Standards of Living and a lot of other laws regarding this, it's honestly just become an expected part of every-day living."

The princess paused for a moment, as if going deep into thought at that.

"And by staple, do you mean to say that meat is as much an afterthought as bread is to the typical commoner?"

"Well, it's going to be complicated to compare our relative standards of living but… meat definitely isn't even an afterthought, it's sort of expected. Heck, you could have steaks everyday if you wanted to; not that I recommend it of course. Like, it's part of a person's annually allotted Requisition Units." I offered, prompting an even more quizzical look to form on the princess' features than anything.

"Basically, it's a universal right alongside a lot of other basic necessities like guaranteed housing, public services and amenities and-" I paused, realizing I was going down another rabbit hole that really shouldn't be gone down, at least not if we wanted to get anything done tonight.

"-anyways, yeah, maybe we can talk about this after the experiment?"

"Of course, Emma." Thacea responded curtly, her eyes betraying just how deep in thought she was at this point.

"Anyways speaking of meat! Honestly, I can't wait to see if I can get some meats inside that M-REDD. But erm, given the HARPP protocols, meats and other animal-based foodstuffs are going to need much more in the way of proper nutritional and food science-based studies to confirm whether or not they're edible. Which means a lot more time before I finally get to take a bite out of whatever it is your equivalent of A5 Wagyu is over here." I chuckled, before continuing on into a sigh.

"It's a whole thing the scientists back at home have mapped out, going from simple foods with minimal potential adverse interactions with our biologies, to more complex foods that would increase the potential for an adverse reaction."

"I see." Thacea nodded thoughtfully.

"So in lieu of detection spells and other such means of magic-based tests, you have to — and I regret taking a word out of Ilunor's vernacular — take a roundabout method to reaching the same ends?"

"I guess you could put it that way." I shrugged.

"But it's a way that anyone can use, not just magic users."

"Requiring complex artifices and equipment, no doubt." Thacea argued, providing a rare bit of pushback that did make constructive sense.

"Similar to whatever machinations you need to facilitate these non-magical means of augmenting livestock yields."

"More or less." I nodded in acknowledgement.

"Which, again, is exactly why my people are so on board with not seeing civilization collapse, because these tools, methods, equipment, and anything and everything in between more or less hinges on a healthy and alive civilization to continue what it is we're doing." I offered, more or less circling back to the start of the conversation, prompting Thacea to nod with a respectful look of acknowledgement.

"I appreciate the candidness and consistency in your reasoning, Emma." Thacea responded, before shifting her gaze back towards the food cart, and the tent.

"With that being said-" She paused once more, pointing at a flatbread dish complete with an assortment of fruits and vegetables.

"-I assume that these would be acceptable to start with?"

"Yes." I nodded.

"They very much will be." The Transgracian Academy for the Magical Arts. Galnistria's Tower. The Grand Gymnasium. Local Time: 20: 00 Hours. Thalmin It was refreshing, to finally be alone again after an entire week of what amounted to a back to back to back series of misadventures culminating in a series of reality-altering experiences that rattled me to my very core.

Indeed, there had been lulls in the action, breaks in the adventures, and in fact periods where the boisterous spirit of leisure finally did take hold. However, those moments were always had in the midst of those that I was quickly coming to call my allies. And as a result, those moments were very much still taxing on a mind that desperately needed peace, not leisure. It was at times like these that I very much appreciated the 'civilized' Nexian reluctance to physical activity.

As unlike the gymnasiums back home, which were almost always guaranteed to be occupied by at least a handful of occupants in the case of the castle's gymnasium, and an entire sub-district's worth of lupinors in the public gymnasiums, here, in the Nexus? I could count a grand total of one. That one being me. In fact, the more I went about my business within the gymnasium's facilities, the less I saw any evidence of any of the equipment or amenities having been used.

Now, perhaps that was simply due to the efficiency of the cleaning staff. But more likely, I knew the place was more or less abandoned by the entirety of the student body. Which was honestly nothing short of heaven in my eyes, as I began strutting about the smooth tile floors with a confident swagger, entering into my own sort of trance as I went about the same routines I usually did back home.

Except this time, with an even greater sense of power behind me, courtesy of the rich and dense manastrams that felt practically limitless compared to what it was back home. The marble tile floors were a strange but understandable choice, as the space was after all dominated by a large swimming pool that took up much of the available area. Around it, and nearest to the front entrance, were more devices I was familiar with, such as complex artifices designed to allow the user to lift, pull, push, and float.

These were all made possible by anachronisms of oars and barbells that were adorned with a variety of embellishments so as to hide the fact that they resembled tools and activities the peasantry might perform, and something that a highborn would otherwise shy away from like a snow worm to hot sand. So after inspecting each and every piece of equipment with great fascination, admiring the craftsmanship, ignoring the fact that Nexian hands had crafted these tools…

I soon summoned for a change of clothes with a small burst of magic, replacing the armor and ornate fineries I had on, with something more practical for the occasion. Which soon enough, was put to good use, as my eyes honed in on the largest tool for physical training in the room, and immediately leaped into it with a resounding SPLASH! The feeling of that refreshingly cool water, which to other species might seem downright hellish, was nothing short of a paradise for the senses on my hot and aching body.

A body that now channeled every ounce of that frustration, that tiredness, that pent up energy, into an act that I'd always relished — swimming. The rush of energy that coursed through my whole body was enhanced by the use of ambient mana around me, as I pushed, pushed and pushed harder than I ever could back at home. This was one of the few rare boons of being here in the Nexus.

And this was what was pumping all sorts of good feelings into my head, as with each harsh exertion, came the reward of physical accomplishment. It might've been alien to Nexian sensibilities, but it felt good for the lupinor inside me. This continued until I had lost track of time and I began taking the occasional dive back and forth between the surface and the bottom of the pool; as I savored in the silence and serenity of the prolonged dives.

It was strangely therapeutic, almost akin to meditation, with the world around me dulled by the depths of the calm and unmoving water. Indeed, I would have continued testing the limits of my breath, if not for my manafields detecting the presence of someone else entering the room, making their way towards the lip of the pool. This fact alone was enough to cause me to resurface. But the ensuing surge, crackle, and ripple of mana that followed suit, prompted me to outright hasten that journey.

I immediately swam up, and with a purposeful mana-aided kick of my legs, was poised to leap right out through the calm surface of the water- -only to feel my head slamming against a barrier that should not be there. I recoiled in pain, almost exhaling the contents of my lungs in a fit of pained grunts. Confusion took hold, as I stared up expecting to see a barrier… instead being met with clear and calm waters.

This prompted me to immediately reach up, towards the lip of where the water met the floor, but instead of the desperate limb emerging through the clear surface… it instead met a smooth, uncompromising, and seamless invisible barrier. Moreover, I could see the water sloshing against this invisible glass-like enclosure. My eyes grew wide, as I took a hard slam against the barrier with both of my fists, only for the glass to respond with an uncompromising thunk. My heart began racing as my world slowed to a crawl.

My legs began treading the water with increasing frenzy until finally, that momentary panic shifted into steeled resolve. My training crept up, supplanting the panic and confusion with only one singular task in mind- - getting out.