Chapter 291: Live by My Word

She looked at Jyorta in calm, "That is why this information is not available to the Cadets, the general public, and those with less Sync Rates. Since you had witnessed the process, I told you about it. Make sure to never divulge it to anyone else. I'm sure Madam Mary had told you why."

"Yes, ma'am." Jyorta nodded, gulping in thought, 'If I leak it, even my corpse might not be left behind. Madam Mary made it crystal clear.'

"Do you have any more doubts?" Hearing her question, Jyorta spoke after a second of thought, "I also noticed the Crust-Mantle absorbing all the spikes pierced by the Steel Porcupines. How is that possible?"

Madam Rizenne nodded, speaking calmly, "The breakthrough process requires tremendous energy. When the energy in the Heart Crystal is lacking, one can supplement it with the energy stored in the body. That is the reason many end up skin and bones after a breakthrough."

She raised a finger, her expression turning serious once again, "But, the Frenzy Beasts use this aspect on another level, thanks to their differences from humans. They designate all foreign matter in their bodies as breakthrough support, absorbing their energies while using the remainder to evolve their Essence of Frenzy. In this manner, they might even end up with some perks that give them an advantage over their peers."

"Part of evolution is self-induced while the remaining is caused by consumption of external matter. By consuming distinct traits of creatures prior to a breakthrough, there is a small chance they will evolve to possess the traits post-evolution. Even if they don't obtain the trait as is, they might still end up with a result more geared to themselves."

Madam Rizenne massaged her temples, glancing at the time once, "By continuing in this route, new Frenzy Beast races are created down the line. The Floating Spiders had done this on a large scale to obtain their Trait. The formula to this has been kept secret by Rhachis Ancestor Web."

"Do you have any more doubts now?" Madam Rizenne smiled, gazing at his expression. Jyorta fell into thought once again.

'I have already taken all the memory fragments in the Crust-Mantle's soul. Due to the presence of the Mind Hound in the Mental Realm, it is not wise to create a subsoul in a being that will breakthrough in the future. So, I no longer have a reason to visit it again.' Jyorta sighed.

If he had been able to guess it, he would have proceeded deeper into the second layer and avoid encountering the Amplifier Steel Porcupine. It was only in his hurry to return that the events from before happened.

'But, I am not a prophet. How can I guess what creature was hiding within the sands? I can only face whatever came my way.' He then remembered his two explorations in the Labyrinth of Frenzy. Despite the first and second layers stated as a place where only Tier 1 beings roamed, he encountered Tier 2 beings.

In his first exploration, he came across the Amplifier Crust-Mantle, near the entrance at that. In his second exploration, he didn't come across any Tier 2 beings in the first layer. But he came across four Amplifier Crust-Mantles in the second layer and even encountered the Amplifier Steel Porcupine, a being that ought to live only on the fifth layer.

Jyorta expressed his confusion, "How are the Frenzy Beasts designated in the layers by their strength? And, despite it being so, why are they able to move above?"

Madam Rizenne nodded, expressing her understanding of his concern, "We have fused Tier 3 Relics in the Labyrinth walls that unleash a mild effect on the Frenzy Beasts. The greater their strength, the stronger the effect on them. It forces them to move down and disappears once they have settled in a place appropriate to their strength."

She then laughed, "But, if the labyrinth was a simple dungeon, this would have been possible. But as you have witnessed, the terrain for each layer is different. And certain Frenzy Beasts can only live on certain layers, so even if they are prompted to move below, they will resist the effect with all their might."

She pointed at Jyorta, "As what you have witnessed, the Crust-Mantles do this the most. They will settle in the upper floors and only proceed downward when the compulsion becomes unbearable. After hiding in the lower floors, once the compulsion disappears, they hurry back to the upper floors."

She then smiled, "Besides, we never solved this issue for a simple reason. What do you think would happen if the strength of the Frenzy Beasts varied linearly across the floors and the environment was the same throughout?"

After a second, Jyorta replied, "We would have an easier time."

"Right," She nodded and continued, "Moreover, the Cadets will limit themselves to areas they became accustomed to. This way, they will only fight against foes they are confident in taking down. We don't wish to see such a situation."

She shook her head, "After all, our objective is to make the Cadets experience the feeling of the Wilds. That is why we left many variabilities in place and don't intrude beyond necessary. Only when faced with unforeseen encounters would a person mature and become accustomed to dealing with uncertainties."

'So it was on purpose.' Jyorta nodded, expressing his gratitude as he stood, bowed and exited the cabin. Just when he stepped out, Madam Rizenne's voice resounded in his ears, "I will be witnessing your efforts in the Labyrinth."

Jyorta bowed in her direction and exited the Head Office Building, heading to the cafeteria. He ate his fill and returned to his dorm. As the food digested in his stomach, he felt his aura steadily recovering.

Jyorta observed the process, using all his senses, 'Am I absorbing the presence in the food and converting it into my body's? If I consider my body as my stomach, will I be able to absorb the aura in the surroundings and make it my own?'

Thirty minutes later, the sounds of the door being knocked resounded. Jyorta opened to see the figure of Haesha standing out. Jyorta smiled, "I was just about to come to meet you."

Haesha was currently out of breath, seemingly having run a long distance in a hurry. She took deep breaths as Jyorta invited her in. After ten seconds, Haesha drank some water, regaining her breathing rhythm.

Jyorta stared at her, wondering the reason of her fluster. He controlled his curiosity, waiting for her to speak on her own. A minute later, Haesha spoke, trying her best to conceal the fear in her voice, "This news is just being circulated around the academy."

Taking in a deep breath, she looked at Jyorta, "It seems Madam Mila suffered serious injuries, even losing a significant portion of her Sync Rate. She won't be returning for at least a month."

Jyorta's eyes widened at the news, his heart speeding up in alarm. The pores on his body opened, a result of the spike in his emotions. He began sweating within a second, his body tensing up as if he was in the Labyrinth of Frenzy.

Haesha's voice trembled as she buried her face in her arms, "Shouldn't a Sky Controller be invincible unless faced with an Ancestor? Moreover, with the Unranked Skill, Marble Sonata, her defence should be unparalleled right? But, how was she injured?"

"Jyorta…" Tears streamed out her eyes, "Espers are weak at Tier 1 and Tier 2. But, are we weak even at higher Tiers?"

Jyorta felt his confidence shake a little at her cries. Espers were strong at higher Tiers, this was the fact he and other Espers anchored on, a belief that they would be strong in the future. In their eyes, Madam Mila, a Sky Controller was an invincible figure.

The methods at her hand, the immense psychic energy reserves she possessed, and the tremendous strength she wielded, she was a powerhouse. Moreover, Espers were able to fly starting from Tier 3. As a Sky Controller, breaking through the sound barrier was mere child's play.

So, if they faced a strong opponent, they could just escape and fight in an advantageous location. One-on-one, Espers were said to trump Warriors at Tier 4 and Tier5. With five psychic arms, possessing means to move anywhere between 5-10 kilometres per second, and an Unranked Skill fabled for its defence, unless an Ancestor made a move, beings like Madam Mila were impossible to injure.

In their world, strength mattered the most. This also meant that should any powerhouse defending the safety of their homes were to be affected, everyone would panic. Haesha felt it, Jyorta too felt the same.

Their world was akin to a raging storm. They were like grass growing on the ground, their survival not guaranteed. Each powerhouse was like an umbrella that protected them from the calamitic weather. With more umbrellas, the area the grass could grow upon increased. The loss of a single umbrella meant doom for the grass underneath.

Jyorta thought logically, thanks to his maturity, looking at the news from another perspective. He sighed, grabbing Haesha's shoulders, "Sky Controllers are unimaginably strong. Unless an Ancestor acted against them, they cannot be injured. The situation must be more complex than we had imagined. Don't lose heart so easily."

"Aren't we weak now? Maybe the military academy blew up about the strength of high Tiered Espers so we won't be disillusioned at our future prospects." Haesha's eyes lacked its prior lustre, her confidence rock bottom.

His hands trembled a little as his voice rose by a notch, "A week before I arrived here, a Ground Controller from my family fought three Shifters, just to show me his power. The Shifters even possessed my Family's Unranked Skill but, the Ground Controller won by a large margin. So, the military academy is not fabricating the strength of Espers."

He then gazed deep into her eyes, making her flinch a second, "If you are still unsure, judge after two years when you become a Wave Controller. To you, it shouldn't be difficult. Until then…"

"Live by my word."