Street Cultivation, page 40
Lisa considered that in silence for a while. "I... had honestly never considered that before. I guess doing that sort of thing is a way a lot of health people make extra money. Hmm." She set the matter out of her mind, then handed him the first of the water bottles, which turned red, then pitch black. "Enough about that - bottoms up!"
Rick sat down, drank the bottle, and welcomed the pain.
Chapter 55: Final Preparations
The first bottle went down easily enough, filling him not like water, but like a solid mass slithering through his body. Not enough. Lisa was already handing him the second bottle she'd prepared, so he accepted it and began drinking. Even before he finished, he felt the heat building in him, but he forced himself to drink all of it before tossing the bottle aside and focusing his entire mind internally.
Just as Lisa had explained, the liquid seemed to course through him, heating everything in his lucrima. It felt almost like an attack designed to soften his defenses, but he accepted it and just focused on holding onto the cores he wanted, letting the rest dissolve into a mess of gooey lucrim.
When he was handed a third water bottle, he drank it automatically and the heat grew. Sweat beaded all over his body, but that was nothing compared to the raw heat inside him. He could almost imagine that he felt the clots of misused lucrim floating to the surface, but ignored the sensations. What mattered was sticking to the plan, staying focused until the first stage was done.
"Okay, Rick, now!"
When he heard Lisa's words, he let his senses expand outward. Yes, he could feel the impurities at the edges of his lucrima, floating like tiny flecks of trash in a peaceful pond. Rick gathered his strength and threw it against them, burning away the clots. Some of his good lucrim burned as well, but that pain was part of the process.
He finished feeling raw and a bit tired, but Lisa immediately handed him another water bottle. Rick drank the pitch black liquid and felt it burn through him. That had been the first step... now to repeat the process until he had cleared out everything.
At first he focused on the free-floating impurities, but as the blood red sphere dwindled, he let the heat rush into his Lucores as well. He would need to rebuild them afterward, but he felt the brittle fragments work their way out of the core of his being.
When it was finally over he fell onto his back and just breathed for a while, staring up at the sky. Even though he'd drunk an enormous amount of water, he felt empty instead of bloated. The emptiness was strikingly pure, and even though he was tired, his body felt light. Right now he had drained himself of energy, and his defenses were soft and pliable, but he could feel the new strength within him.
"Congrats! You did a great job with that." Lisa sat down beside him, handing him a bottle of serum - higher quality stuff that they sold in glass bottles instead of cans. "I've had professional fighter clients who whined way more about the process, but you really threw yourself into it."
"Well, I knew this was my only chance." Rick drank eagerly, then wiped off his mouth as he had to stop to breathe. "It's not like I can keep purifying myself on a regular basis, given the cost."
"I think you will." Lisa gave him an encouraging smile. "Things might be rough now, but you're really improving, Rick. I expect you to keep getting better, and I'm sure your life will improve. With all the work you put in, it would be unfair if the universe didn't reward you eventually."
Rick had no confidence in the universe's justice, but he appreciated the sentiment. They chatted casually as he finished the bottle of serum, taking a while to rest after the intense experience. But eventually their time came to an end, and Lisa obviously knew it.
"Rick..." She lowered her eyes and shook her head. "I'm not sure what to say. I hope you make it through this match and things go well. If you do get injured, don't be all prideful, okay? You can call me and I'll do what I can to help."
"I appreciate that, Lisa." Rick smiled at her and they headed out of the park by the same route they came in. Once there, Lisa lingered a bit, but Rick had to say his farewells and leave.
In part, it was because he wasn't sure what to think of their conversations. Honestly, another aspect of it was that he was eager to test his new strength. And another part of him was already fixated on the upcoming battle with Mike.
But another piece of it was much more mundane: drinking all of that liquid might have purified his lucrima, but he really needed to go to the bathroom.
It took him several days to fully recover from the purification process and re-solidify his Lucores to his satisfaction, but the process was easy because it was so much fun. Usually he put himself through hell just for small improvements, but now he felt new strength surging through him. Except it wasn't really new strength, just strength he'd earned and lost somewhere along the way.
Not only did he recover over 4000 lucrim in impurities, the process had improved his maximum by another 1250. Once Rick properly invested all of that, he was proud of his results:
[Name: Rick Hunter
Ether Tier: 16th
Ether Score: 243
Lucrim Generation: 37,500
Effective Rate: 35,047
Current Lucrim: 37,500]
[Rick Hunter's Lucrima Portfolio
Foundation: 3200 (Lv IV)
Offensive Lucore: 6875 (Lv IV)
Defensive Lucore: 15,525 (Lv VII)
Bunyan's Step: 6400 (Lv IV)
Graham's Stake: 6450 (Lv II)
Aura Leech: -2453 (Stage I)
Gross Lucrim: 37,500
Net Lucrim: 35,047]
He'd invested the majority into his defense, even though it felt excessive. But he reminded himself that as much as he'd improved, he was planning to face someone who was regularly handed far higher quantities of lucrim than he possessed. Though he planned to win, when he was done, he wouldn't have expensive medical care to help him. More important than winning was being able to move on after the fight, to regain his health and spend time with those who mattered to him.
All the remaining time he had, he spent adjusting to his new power. Rick had seen new Birthrighters injure themselves, clumsily using power and speed they weren't accustomed to. While he would never perform that poorly, he needed to perfect his understanding of his limits. No overextending himself, no using less than his full capacity, just precise use of his exact abilities.
In the evenings he made sure to spend time relaxing, since he didn't want to burn himself out before the challenge. That was easy enough, since Melissa was happy to spend time with him. They divided their time between practicing his theoretical new technique and messing around as usual.
On Friday night, they tested the basic principles of it one last time. Melissa extended her hands, carrying the void flame to him. Rick closed his eyes and accepted it, wrapping the flame within a sphere of aura. Unlike before, it no longer threatened to burn him. Even when he trained or sparred while holding the trapped flame within his lucrima, it managed to sustain itself.
"Wow." Melissa sat back and watched with an odd expression. "I know it's been a long road, but I'm still surprised you can do that. The flames tend to burn up everything, yet you've adjusted."
"It's partially thanks to you learning how to create more stable flames."
"Maybe, but I think you deserve a lot of the credit. Not like you're a super genius - no offense - but I feel like you're well-suited for it. Maybe because you're my brother?" Melissa switched from contemplative to grinning at him. "Was that your scheme this whole time? You were just pretending to be a loving older brother to get a hidden technique from me!"
"Indeed. My machinations lay undetected for years." Rick smiled at her, but his mind couldn't stay light for long these days. "I'm sorry if I haven't been paying as much attention to your things these days. My problems recently... they've been a bit all-consuming."
"Oh, don't talk like that. You've been great."
"But you're getting within a few months of graduation, and I just realized that we haven't really talked about it much. Do you know what you want to do next?"
Melissa sat back, considering the question... or perhaps considering him. "I've given it a lot of thought, but I'm still not sure. Get a job as soon as possible, obviously: I've been sponging off you for long enough. Do you think you could get me a job at your gym?"
Rick immediately shook his head. "You could, but you don't want that. Female trainers usually get more creepers, at least at a little place like ours. Even if you want to go into training, you shouldn't settle for a gym that's in a strip mall. You can do better."
"You really think so? They've done some job fairs at school and... well, a lot of the entrance requirements are higher than I thought. You need certificates from a combat sect, college degrees, special training... without those, I don't have so many options."
"Why not go for those?" Rick sat forward, locking his gaze with his sister. "You said you were sponging off me earlier, but that's wrong: I'm glad to be able to help you. We're family. Now, I might not be able to afford the full fees for university or a combat sect, but you've done well and you can probably get scholarships. Don't set your sights low just because you feel you have to."
Melissa stared at him for a moment, then to his surprise, jumped forward to hug him. "Thank you, Rick. I'm... not sure what I really want in life. But I'm glad you're here with me." She pulled back and smiled at him. "I love you, bro."
"Love you too, sis."
"Now..." Her sincere expression dissolved into a smirk. "How are you going to spend your last night before the big fight? I'm thinking the best use of it would be to watch Fist of the Sublime for the third time!"
"Oh, god, no."
"But don't you care about fist-pounding action?"
Joking aside, they didn't actually watch it again. After Melissa went to bed, Rick ran through all his exercises for the last time before the big match. He would meditate a little before the fight started, but otherwise the time for preparations had ended.
As he went to sleep, he considered final desperation options one last time. What he had done was impressive, yet he was still outclassed by his opponent. If he wanted more strength, he still had the option to take a demonic bond. Given how his ether score was improving, they would probably give him a decent one. That could make up a large portion of the gap, especially if he overextended the bond.
But no. This wasn't just a grudge match to him, not an issue of ego like it was for Mike. Rick realized that the things that truly mattered to him were more important than simply winning. He fixed that thought in his mind as he fell asleep.
Hopefully he wouldn't regret that decision by tomorrow evening. One way or another, it would be over.
Chapter 56: Grudge Match
Rick woke bright and early on the day of the challenge. Melissa was already dressed and ready, leaving no question about whether or not she was coming with him. That was probably just as well, given that it would be a risk to carry the void flame longer than necessary. When he didn't object, she nodded and went back to reading, letting him prepare himself mentally.
He took his clothes into the bathroom, carefully cleaned himself, and changed. For a moment he considered wearing the suit Granny Whitney had given him, but he decided against it. Instead he just wore a pair of pants loose enough to move in and a blank gray t-shirt. Though he wasn't going to win any fashion contests, they were comfortable for combat movement and they wouldn't distract him.
For a while Rick leaned on the sink, staring at himself in the mirror. There was no trace of what he'd been through in the tournament - in fact, there was no trace of most of what had happened to him. Would he look any different than he had the day Mike wandered into the gym looking for a fight? He was a little more muscular and his aura burned more intensely, but on the outside, he looked unchanged.
Yet that wasn't true. Rick smiled as he realized that however the day ended, he knew that he was no longer the person he had been before. He would not be content with accepting life as it came to him.
"Ready to go?" He came out of the bathroom impatient to reach their location. Fortunately, Melissa was just reading on the couch and hopped up instantly.
"Let's do it! But... I guess I should have asked this first, but is it far? These shoes aren't great for a long walk."
"If there was ever a day to splurge on transportation, it's today." At the moment he felt completely fresh and relaxed, so he wasn't going to risk fatiguing himself. As they left the apartment, Rick showed her the address on the formal challenge papers. "I looked it up online and it says it's a random field, but the satellite photos show that there's some kind of ruin. I think it was the headquarters of some old group."
"Hmm, that's a ways out of town. Are we sure that we're not walking into an ambush?"
"He did everything formally, so the challenge should be listed with the government and everything. I don't think he can really cheat that." At least, he hoped not. While there were tales of poor fighters proving their worth in such challenges, there were always tales of corruption as well. But there was little he could do about that, so all they could do was move forward.
They tried to joke a few times on the taxi ride, but they were both too tense. He saw the uneasiness in his sister's eyes and wondered if it was purely concern for him, or if she was overly invested in this fight herself. Mike's friend had threatened her because of this conflict, after all, so perhaps she needed to see it happen in order to move past it.
Maybe he was imagining it all. But Rick decided that it was another reason he needed to win.
Their car passed the suburbs, then entered the fields outside Branton. It wasn't long after that they neared their location. Rick peered out the window to see if there were any surprises, but it looked just like he'd seen online. There were odd structures from the ruin that couldn't be properly seen from the street pictures, and so far they were still ambiguous, just spires rising above the grass.
When they stopped, Melissa got out and surveyed the area while Rick found change for the driver. The man didn't even ask before driving back to town. That could be a problem, but Rick put it out of his mind. He couldn't concentrate on anything but the fight set before him.
"There you are!" A short man in an ill-fitting suit moved to greet them from the side of the field. "I'm telling you, I hate these challenges at strange locations. Okay, so your great-grandfather fought an important battle here... who really cares? It's just costing the taxpayers money..."
Rick stared at him, not having expected this. "You're the challenge official?"
"That's right. You and your guest seem to be right on time. Five minutes early would have been better, but it's acceptable. We can start as soon as your opponent gets here."
"We're not just fighting in this field, are we?"
"Of course not." The official shook his head as if the idea was absurd. "This way, I'll show you the ruins."
They headed out on a small path through the grass that Rick hadn't seen from their previous angle. The official led the way, bustling as if late for a meeting. Rick followed him with Melissa shadowing him, both of them looking around curiously.
As they drew closer, the shape of the ruins became obvious: it was an ancient combat arena, a large rectangle of stone. Most of it was obscured by the tall grasses, but he could see ornate carvings on the side, worn by the years but still intact. The top was covered in dark-colored flagstones, worn smooth by the wind. What he had seen from the road were four spires at the corners that curved up toward the center.
So this was their arena. A bit more grandiose than he'd expected, if far from modern. Did Maguire Incorporated own this land? Did it have some meaning for Mike? Rick decided that both of those questions were distractions and just walked up the stairs on the side, then stood in the arena silently, getting a feel for the place.
It was like a platform of stone floating in the grasses, which flowed around them in smooth patterns. They were strangely beautiful, so he let the wind patterns relax him as he slowly walked the arena. This place had a sense of deep peacefulness that he tried to absorb into himself.
When he finished a complete circuit of the arena, he was blocked by Melissa. She glanced to the road, then the official, before leaning closer and whispering. "Perhaps we should set up now? I mean, we don't know how long we'll have to wait, but could that guy consider it cheating?"
"It's not cheating," Rick said, "but... yes, let's do it now."
Melissa took a deep breath and drew a flickering flame from within herself. This one seemed particularly compact, a dangerous fragment of utter void. If it hadn't been from her, he would have hesitated, but Rick accepted the flame, built his usual shell, then let it submerge into his lucrima.
Before the end of the day, he'd use it for real.
They stood near each other for a while, and Melissa looked like she was about to say something, but at that moment Mike finally arrived. A black speck on the horizon grew in size surprisingly fast, revealing itself to be a dark limousine as it glided toward them. Without a sound, the lucrim vehicle came to hover just beside the challenge platform. Of course Mike wouldn't walk through a field.
As his rival stepped out of the vehicle, Rick actually looked past him first. He caught a glimpse of several people, including Mike's two cronies, but beyond them sat his father and several assistants. That was what Rick had needed to know. The CEO of Maguire Incorporated didn't get out of the car and seemed focused on other things, but he had decided to come. That was a small comfort.
Meanwhile, Mike swaggered into the arena, Glenn and Magnus behind him. They were actually in exactly the same formation as they'd entered the gym, so many months ago. Rick almost commented on it, not that it really mattered. Hopefully this time would end differently.
"Is everything ready?" Mike shot a scornful glance at Rick, then looked to the official. "I don't want to waste any more time than necessary with this scrub."
