Chapter 79 - The Tide Of Night

It has been decided, Rod and the other directors orchestrated a plan for the upcoming Night Tide. The forces were divided into groups. The Medic Team, from the name itself, is the one who is responsible for tending the wounded. The Melee Team, are the front liners so to speak, they are the ones who will engage in close combat against the enemies.

The plan was already laid, but there is so much thing that they must do and prepared. The trainees spend most of their time training while shifting duties. The event might take place one week from now but they are hectic and tireless. Aside from that, there are trainees that must be dealt with utmost dedication.

A chain of explosions vociferated in the forest as Sherry continuously jinked and evaded the landmines that Nat conjured.

“No wonder why your friends spoke so confident about you, you got some spunk, kid,” Nat said.

It appears that Sherry can’t hear him, but, nonetheless, she was still gallantly avoiding the air bombs.

Alastor asked for Nat’s assistance with Sherry’s training. They were observing her dodging the air bombs from the higher echelon of the ruins of a building. Nat is unceasingly conjuring and planted his landmine magic to the ground.

“This air-bomb magic of mine not only can be planted on the ground but also in the air. You sure you don’t want to pack up my abilities for your student's delight?”

“No,” Alastor strictly said. “It would be too much for her. For now, let us test and help her improve her instinct and senses, so that she would be able to see clearly the upcoming tests.”

“Okay then.” He nodded.

Sherry leaped and hanged on the branch of a tree before Nat’s air-bomb exploded.

“Hey!” Alastor shouted. “That is cheating.”

Sherry glared back at him, “This training is for survival, right? What’s wrong with using the environment to use as an advantage?”

There’s a hint of annoyance in his tone, “I want you to learn to be cautious and use your senses properly, not to rely on your advance enhancements.”

“But my enhancements are the real deal. I can even see the mana planted all over the place.”

Alastor snapped out and whispered to Nat. “Do it, Nat.”

Nat grinned and used magic that compresses air with his mana. Sherry picked up the cue and saw the multiple compressions of air, although, she missed one. The nearby air compression exploded at her back. The shockwave sends her flying back to the ground and with a stroke of misfortune, she landed nearby the landmine.

Observing from the high level, Alastor decided to jump down and deliver a surprised attack to Sherry. She felt the wind sharpened up above and saw him with his sword directed at her. The pit in her stomach swells and bursts energy through her veins. She quickly propelled as the energy came out from her hand and evaded the attack.

She noticed the pattern of the landmines and land where it is safe. The feeling that was exhilarated suddenly hushed down and her senses went back to normal.

“What was that?” She asked.

“That is your innate power kicking up from your mind.”

“Is that the result of my enhancement?”

“Absolutely not. That ability comes from you, not from the bionic enhancement, but from your human side. Tell me, what do you feel?”

“I- for a moment I felt that there’s a heat swells on my stomach that burns me with such energy. I never felt that much sensation, but I think I like it.”

“It looks like you momentarily tap on your ability.”

“Say, how do you retain it?”

“Through training, of course. That feeling only comes in the moment of danger. Your senses will sharpen and would be able to deliver a counter offense against the enemy. This technique is based on the Hunters technique which was passed down in the past up to now, but only exceptional people were able to fully muster it and was able to perform it with expertise.”

Sherry smiled in amusement. “I guess I’m one of them.”

“Don’t get ahead of yourself, kid. It’s a stroke of one-time luck to use that kind of power. You will need more training to attain that kind of ability.”

Sherry grinned. “All right, all right. Show me it then. Give me all that you’ve got.” She challenged.

Alastor gripped his sword and went head against Sherry. She was put on an edge with Alastor aggression and Nat’s compressed bombs but was able to gain her stand against the odds.

Sherry cough as she leaped out of the swelling smoke.

“That’s – that’s enough, shit.” She kneeled and regained her breath. “I can’t hold on –much longer. Timeout.”

“That all you’ve got?” Alastor asked.

“It’s not fair. There are two of you guys and there’s only me.”

“Well get used to it. This is how we trained. We pushed through our limit and challenged the odds beyond our abilities.”

“Crap. I was not expecting this.”

“If I were you, I would train my mind to get ahead of physical strain. One day, if you’re in actual field combat, you would able to utilize every strategy that has thought to you.”

Her eyes gleam in determination, “Then I will endure it. Even if it cost a lot.”

“Good for you, but I’m afraid you are out of juice. Let’s do this again tomorrow.”

Sherry’s body gave up on the ground but Alastor caught her and carried her on his back.

“Hm, not bad, kid.”

Early in the morning.

Linda and the others helped the head technician named Farahd. She lends him the screwdriver as he climbs in the ladder in the ship to fix the bolts and finally able to let the shroud wide open.

“At last, we would be able to travel across the sea.”

“Yes, it is,” Farahd said. “Since, we were able to fix it. Why don’t we try it out?”

“Why now? The tide is nigh. We should hurry and hid on the mansion until the Night Tide comes.”

“Well, considering the lack of sailors, we might as well train the others to sail a ship as well, even though they’re essentials or not. But I would reckon they might be useful in the future.”

“Very well.”

Farahd commands the crew to prepare the ship and hold on to the position before he went to the steering wheel. They set sail across the sea. Whilst he was maneuvering the ship, the fellow crewmates threw the nets on the sea.

“This is how you catch a fish.” He said to Linda.

Farahd picked up the timing of the wind and went to maneuver it northwest. The ship turns side and stammered her to disbalance her position. She caught rope to balance.

“Maybe a little warning next time.”

A moment pass and the ship finally stopped from maneuvering to steady gait. The crew began to pull the net to dock. It was a feast of harvest indeed. The net was full of fish that even the fish on top can crawl and escape the net.

“You see what I did there?”

“That is impressive. Will you teach me?”

“With pleasure.”

And so, they began to depart the ship, and Linda was taught by the basic lessons from the captain himself.

She quickly grasped his teaching about catching the fishes on the seas. It requires a timing where the sailing winds would come. Whenever the winds come, she quickly maneuvers the steering wheels in the directions so that the speed will boost and would be able to catch fish. In certain lengths of her success, Farahd commands her.

“Hey, we’ll have to draw”

“Why? We have caught many. Surely we would have expected more if we continue.”

“No.” Farahd firmly said. “There is no need. Too much fish will be only decentralized and unbalance our cycle. If we gather too many sea creatures then there will be no upbringing for us next time.”

Linda nodded. She is not that ignorant to not recognize the emergence of the balance of nature.

“There are consequences should we caught the hatchlings. There will be no harvest for us should they caught on our stride!”

“Yes, I understand. No need to get stingy on it, jeez.” She nervously replied.

The night finally appeared before their eyes and the sunset was opposite to it. The stars burn bright above as the magenta clouds began to disperse into blackness. The tide of the night has finally come to end their quest. The sea began to behave incoherently the tide come high and low and high again that it makes their ship unstable to sail.

“Sail ho! We need to dock before the tide will consume us all!”

Farahd steered around and went to the underground cave that went straight down to the tunnel that the haven created. It was hard and rough. Farahd was too late anticipated the abnormal tide occurrence. Well, it was expected that will happen ever since that the Night Tide is coming. The chances of their ship getting wreck ashore are high, so it is better to dock and wait for another day to sail.