Excerpt from “A Treatise on Wave Development Theories” by Unknown Author

For thousands of years, Galanad’s Formula of Wave Uniqueness has been the dominant model to predict the path of waves. For example, the meteoric rise of the Qual’Fan in the 9th Wave was part of the Galanad’s prediction, leading to no small amount of praise by the scientific community. Recently, however, his accuracy has been challenged by Candam the Greater’s Theory of Wave Cycles. Candam believes that there are cycles of five that repeat endlessly, bringing in planets with enormous similarities to their counterparts. The lynchpin in this theory is the connection between the 4th and 9th Waves, both of which focused on strength gathering. While the 4th produced the force of nature we now refer to as Rigor, the 9th has produced a military force in the Qual’Fan.

If this theory is true, what is the fate of the 11th Wave? The eradication of the 6th, their counterpart in this theory of five, is one of the unsolved mysteries of Genesis. Will it happen again?

Faul is a monster and I wish death and bodily harm upon him. I hope that he one day is torn apart, limb from limb, by an even more sadistic, cruel, and relentless being than himself. I hope the beast makes it last for years as his mind is slowly destroyed by the endless pain. I don’t really, but these little day dreams are the only thing that keeps me sane, allowing me a seconds respite from an otherwise endless regime of mind and body destroying training.

We wake every morning as the sun begins to rise and start with physical training. It begins with a few sprinting laps around the circle of trees, allowing me to discover the Sprinting Skill and making the exercise marginally easier. While the first few days were excruciating, especially with my low Stamina, repetition and Skill increases made it a somewhat invigorating way to start the day. Faul somehow realized that it was getting easier for me and decided to add his own little taste. Now, along with the exercise, he follows behind me and stabs me with his sword if he feels that I’m going too slow. Even with Mana Infusion it is impossible to avoid his strikes entirely. One particular morning comes to mind where, in one of his fits of anger, he happened to stab me in the stomach and laughed as I bled on the ground, finally deciding to bandage me when I was at 10% of my health and allow my regeneration to bring me back to full health.

The only benefit of this Faulian twist is that his serious intention to do me bodily harm is recognized by Genesis and the Skills used in my escape level up significantly faster. This particular piece of information further emphasizes the importance Genesis places on combat, an interesting premise that has me musing on its objectives. Is it really an unthinking system with no goals, carrying out billions of instantaneous programs on an entire universe, or is there an overarching objective that it is building towards? I try to ask Faul about this one evening but he ignores me.

Immediately after the morning warm up, we move to physical combat. I initially scoffed at the idea, arguing that I’m focusing on Mana based Skills, but it makes more sense the longer we train. While Meditation allows me to significantly speed up my Mana Regeneration, I’m still easily able to go through my entire Well in a short spar. Understanding physical combat allows me to last longer in a battle and gives my body more time to regenerate.

My low Strength and Dexterity make combat a problem, however, as I’ll never be able to go toe to toe with those who have focused on their physical attributes. With this in mind, Faul chose to focus on the quarterstaff in our training. When I asked him about it, his response was surprisingly in-depth and well thought out. “Your attribute choice makes sure that you’ll never be able to win a battle of strength or speed. With a shortsword you’d be too slow to take advantage of its close reach, with a longsword you’d be too weak to wield it with precision. I thought about a dagger but that is a coward’s weapon. A quarterstaff allows you to direct the battle, using your opponent’s Strength against them while using very little of your Stamina.”

Homicidal tendencies aside, his understanding of the intricacies of combat is far superior to mine.

Roughly three hours every day are spent on practicing with the quarterstaff. I find myself agreeing with Faul’s position the longer I train and the more proficient I become. With one hand just above the base and the other choked past the halfway point, I’m able to wield the lightweight weapon to offset the trajectory of Faul’s strikes, causing his body to overextend or become unbalanced, and open him up to counterattack. Of course this only happens when he is taking it easy on me, a rare occurrence. Overall, I am pleased with the weapon and the progress that I’m able to make under his tutelage.

Following physical combat, the two of us enter the forest and search for Hunters to battle. Faul occasionally makes it more challenging by leading the Hunters towards me, sometimes in packs of two or three. This, more than anything else, is my trial by fire. The constant combat is the anvil by which I am forged, all traces of hesitation and mercy purged from my system.

The rest of the day is committed to improving my Mana Skills and reading A Combat Understanding of Mana. I have no idea why Faul had the book, given his focus on physical combat, but it has become my single most important possession. I know that I’m still on the foundational chapters but my understanding of Mana expands with each extra page. The potential it has is … terrifying and exciting. It takes time but I’m able to construct my mental image of earth.

The rich loam that fosters life itself. The immovable solidity of a stone wall. The silent pride of the mountain that pierces the sky. The hunger of a devouring landslide. The hidden dangers of an endless desert. These and a thousand other images held in perfect balance are the basis by which I am finally obtain Earth Mana.

My accomplishments make me yell out in pride, which is then crushed by Faul when I tell him and he responds, “Took you long enough. Now work on Air.”

Life in Genesis is not easy. I’d learned that during my two months by myself but I hadn’t truly accepted it as my new reality. Some small part of me hoped to return to my peaceful life before the change, when my biggest problem was studying for a test. That part of me dies during my training with Faul. I mourn the loss of my innocence but I know that I grow stronger by accepting the world as it is.

Closing the book on my lap, I watch as the sun sets on the horizon. The sky that once filled me with hopelessness and despair is now a beautiful sight. It still radiates a palpable feeling of ruthlessness but I have accepted this way of life. The only way to survive on this planet is to be even more ruthless than the thing that you fight.

Pulling up my Skills page, I can barely believe the progress that I’ve made in my most powerful abilities.

Skills:

[Meditation Lvl 46, Mana Bullet Lvl 36, Mana Manipulation Lvl 33, Sprint Lvl 22, Mana Infusion Lvl 21, Trap Making Lvl 21, Planning Lvl 19, Staff Mastery Lvl 19, Pain Resistance Lvl 18, Disguise Lvl 10, Climbing Lvl 9, Foraging Lvl 8, Fire Mana Lvl 7, Ice Mana Lvl 7, Earth Mana Lvl 7, Manual Labor Lvl 6, Condensed Mana Bolt Lvl 5].

I look at my skills with a critical eye. A few, such as Condensed Mana Bolt and Manual Labor, have been ignored to focus on my most powerful skills, allowing for greater use in combat. I asked Faul what happened once a Skill reached Lvl 50 and his response, “It changes or gets stronger”, makes me excited to see what can happen.

I then take the Way Points that I’ve gained over these two months of torturous training and invest them entirely in Hopeless, with 38 points leftover to spend on another Way when I’m ready.

You have faced challenges and trials that would destroy lesser beings. Tenacity. Perseverance. Determination. These words begin to shape the essence of your soul and leave their mark on your body. Willpower +5, Physique +5

The Abyss of Hopelessness stared at you and you stared back, unblinking and unwavering in your conviction. Your will has become a force in and of itself. Willpower +5, Perception +5. Skill Gained: Indomitable Spirit (R-3) Lvl 1

Indomitable Spirit: Your mind has looked despair and hopelessness in the eye. They blinked. You have become immune to mental control. Passive effects of Willpower increased.

A grin spreads out over my face. Helldarvin may have once terrified me but I continue to gain power, growing stronger by the day. I may not be the most powerful thing on this planet but I’ll make sure that I give just as good as I get. I quickly check my Status sheet as I begin to drift off to sleep, imagining the different ways that I will be able to grow in the future.

Name: Cael King Health (Regeneration): 175/175 (45/h)

Race: Human (Earth) Mana (Regeneration): 340/340 (140/h)

Class: Unassigned Stamina (Regeneration): 120/120 (35/m)

Level: 19 Available WP: 38

Strength: 5 Intelligence: 25 Perception: 11

Dexterity: 4 Wisdom: 18 Recovery: 3

Endurance: 10 Willpower: 31 Charisma: 3

Physique: 15