the era of calamities-Chapter 84: Daily Routine
10 Days Before the Events of Orion
The ocean was restless; waves over twenty meters high crashed with brutal force against the rocky cliffs.
These waters seemed forbidden to any human endeavor: their depths, their fierce and unpredictable currents, and the raging climate made them impossible to sail, a natural barrier imprisoning mankind on land.
And before this spectacle of nature, standing tall atop a cliff, was a man with binoculars pressed to his eyes.
His features were fine and elegant, his cyan-colored hair a wild mess, a mystical ring glinting on his right hand, and a black coat with one sleeve fluttering in the wind, as though he lacked an arm.
That man, of course, was Sirius.
He stood alone, watching for the arrival of the duchy’s forces.
Hours passed without the slightest anomaly. He tried again, but as the sun began to set, he decided to call it a day.
"Ronel should be here soon."
Sirius didn’t wait for his partner to relieve him. He turned and left.
Sliding down the cliff, he let the slope carry him like a skater.
At the bottom, he found nothing but stretches of jagged rock offering no clear path.
Pushing forward, he entered a cave hidden between two massive boulders.
The cave was nearly impossible to spot unless you knew where to look; they had made it their temporary hideout.
"Ah, Sirius, you’re already back?"
Sirius ignored the fact she had just woken up, drool still at the corner of her mouth. He simply handed the binoculars to Ronel, summing up his day in a single word:
"Clear."
Ronel caught the binoculars and fixed Sirius with a look.
"Tell me, do you not blush anymore like you used to?"
Sirius blinked, knowing exactly what she meant, but said nothing as he walked deeper into the cave.
Ronel headed out, throwing a sarcastic remark over her shoulder.
"So seeing me naked doesn’t even faze you anymore... makes me wonder if you’re really a man."
Sirius muttered under his breath.
("After a while, it just gets old.")
Ronel had the habit of sleeping completely nude, despite everyone sharing the same space. During the first three days, the male candidates hadn’t slept a wink. Only when their bodies couldn’t take more sleepless nights did they finally collapse.
Even now, as she went outside, she wore nothing but her underwear beneath her black coat.
---
Sirius pushed those images aside with a wave of his hand when he reached the deepest part of the cave.
A massive cavern stretched over nearly a hundred square meters. Inside, the candidates busied themselves: some were returning from their shift, others preparing to leave, giving the place a lively air.
Sirius passed by without a word. He received a few glances, but beyond brief reports from the guards, no one spoke to him.
Sirius didn’t mind. Leaning against his sleeping bag, he pulled out his survival ration , a can of food , which he devoured eagerly while scrolling on his smartphone.
The others shot him envious looks. His was the only phone that still picked up a signal.
("If you wanted one, you should’ve passed the exam,") Sirius thought.
After finishing his meal, he fell asleep. Soon, there would be plenty to do.
---
Sirius woke in the middle of the night. With silent steps, he slipped outside without disturbing a single candidate.
Once outside, he walked far from the cave, searching for a quiet spot.
"This will do," he said.
He sat cross-legged, closing his eyes.
Muttering softly:
<< Nephele Sense >>
His ring dissolved into a whitish mist that enveloped him.
Sirius focused.
"Five meters. That’s my current limit."
By using Nephele Sense, Sirius could perceive his surroundings even if deprived of all other senses.
But that wasn’t enough. He aimed to surpass his already superhuman senses with Nephele Sense alone. For now, all he could do was match them.
Moving to the second stage of training, he whispered:
<< Stereo Chains >> 𝘧𝘳𝘦ℯ𝓌𝘦𝒷𝘯𝑜𝑣𝘦𝓁.𝒸𝘰𝓂
From the mist, a chain solidified, swirling through the air around him.
"Not yet. Not enough."
He shaped the chain to his liking.
"Something’s missing."
With a thought, the chain shot through the air, striking a crab unlucky enough to wander nearby.
"That’s it."
"But it needs an edge something that can both defend and attack."
Noting this, Sirius concentrated, refining the chain until a small rounded blade sprouted at each end.
"Better."
Once satisfied, Sirius, without moving a single finger, made the chain dart in every direction at high speed. To wield it effectively in combat, it had to feel like an extension of his own body.
He spent over an hour making the chain dance while maintaining Nephele Sense.
Sweat dripped from his forehead. Fatigue set in. He only stopped once half his ether reserves had been drained.
Standing, Sirius opened his eyes. The night was still young. He moved on to another exercise.
<< Stereo Sword >>
The mist condensed into a white blade.
Sirius shaped it into a thin sword and gripped the hilt.
He studied it, savoring its weight, its balance, its center of inertia, before swinging it in the air.
He moved through different forms, simulating combat in his mind.
His body followed, as though he truly fought an opponent.
Sirius relived his battle against Gregoire, imagining ways he might have pierced that defensive coating.
Nephele Burst was an attack he had created: condensing the mist into a small volume, then increasing the pressure until it imploded.
Its advantage lay in speed and unpredictability. He could lock blades with an enemy and, in the next instant, make the sword explode.
But the drawback of Nephele Burst was firepower: strong enough to stun, not enough to knock out an opponent.
"I need a strike something powerful enough to pierce an Intermediate’s coating. A finishing move that can defeat an enemy in one blow."
Sirius swung the sword one last time in a wide arc, ending his training.
It was two in the morning. His watch would begin at sunrise.
"Time for some fieldwork."
The sword dissolved back into a ring. Grabbing a walkie-talkie, Sirius sent a message to the guards:
"It’s time for hide-and-seek."
