There may also be some inaccuracies, since English is not my native language.
Essentially, TBATE is first translated from English into my native language - and in that process, some details are already altered to make it more understandable for us. Now I'm taking that adapted (and somewhat distorted) version, revising it, rewriting it, and then translating it back into English.
I hope you'll point out any mistakes in the text that I might have missed.
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Arthur Leywin POV
I nodded in understanding, and at that moment, Lucius made his move. With a sudden movement, he appeared right next to Swiftsure and grabbed his long, slender neck, then snapped it with a sharp motion and a characteristic crack.
"What the hell!?" Regis said, sharing my shock.
"What did you do?!" was all Caera managed to say in shock before a violet flicker flared nearby.
Before I could process what had happened, Lucius dropped to one knee and lifted Swiftsure toward the flash of violet light.
The snow in front of us whipped upward, showering us with a cloud of white flakes.
Caera was instantly cloaked in a shroud of black fire, and the sword was already in her hand.
It felt as if the entire forest was on edge. About twenty meters away, I sensed an unmistakable aether presence.
I wasn't quite sure what to do-attack them? But then why had Lucius staged this farce?
"Everyone, calm down," a calm voice cut through the cold atmosphere. Lucius began to stand up, realizing that those he intended to contact wouldn't approach him on their own.
"What are you doing?" Caera hissed, standing with her back pressed against him, her sword drawn, so as to cover her own back.
"That old bird lied a lot, and this minion of his," Lucius replied simply. After a moment's pause, he tossed Swiftsure's body about ten meters away from us and ten meters from the aether trail.
And a couple of seconds later, a figure with a feline face appeared in front of Swiftsure's dead body, leaving a flash of aether energy in its wake.
'God Step!' I thought in shock, quickly staring at the figure.
Shadow Claw had the head and spotted white fur of a snow leopard, but his torso and limbs were humanoid. Only the paws and feet were feline, as well as the long, muscular tail that swayed from side to side behind him; he looked small, at best 150 centimeters tall.
His eyes didn't leave Lucius for a couple of seconds, but having made up his mind, he hissed sharply, and immediately I sensed two more sources of aether aura. I tensed, thinking that battle was, alas, inevitable, but instead Shadow Claw took a measured step toward Lucius, then stopped and began to look at him.
Lucius blinked once, looking flustered, then took two long strides forward, moving away from us. Seeing this, Shadow Claw hissed again and took four steps forward, ending up about three meters in front of Lucius. Apparently having reached an agreement, they moved closer step by step, both ending up about five meters from each group.
Lucius Zogratis POV
To improve our rapport, I dropped to one knee, since at over two meters tall, standing in front of someone barely 150 centimeters tall was… awkward, given the situation.
Shadow Claw nodded at my actions, and then he spoke in his hissing, meowing language in a low voice, like the growl of an enraged leopard, addressing both his kin behind him and me standing before him.
Then the cat-like creature sat down in front of me, crossing its legs, and gestured with one paw for me to do the same. Turning, I sat down in the snow, crossing my legs and placing my hands on my knees, palms up.
Shadow Claw's eyes shone like amethysts. They did not look directly at me, but rather traced my outline, as if they could see the aura emanating from my body, which was most likely true. Then Shadow Claw shifted his gaze to Arthur, bestowed a similar look upon him, and turned his attention back to me.
Slowly, very slowly, one broad paw reached toward my upturned palm. Knowing what was about to happen, I sat still, watching as the soft pad of Shadow Claw's paw touched my hand, and at first, nothing happened.
But then everything changed.
It seemed as though everything had changed, yet at the same moment, nothing had changed. As always, I set out with my team of two other Shadow Claws to scout the village's surroundings and then go hunting. And as I walked through the forest, I noticed two pulsations of an all-too-familiar energy.
Then the scene shifted, and I was watching from beneath the snow as the accursed Spear Beak led three strange creatures, two of which emitted that strange pulsation.
Just as I was about to attack that damn Spear Beak, the strange creature vanished and reappeared right next to Spear Beak. The movement was so familiar that I felt my whiskers twitch and my eyes widen, but then something happened that made me freeze in place.
The strange creature, presumably Spear Beak's ally, stretched out its strange, hairless paw and placed it on Spear Beak's throat, snapping his neck with a sharp movement. It then looked in my direction and dropped to its knees, holding Spear Beak up as an offering.
Although I still couldn't make out the words as words, I understood their meaning when Wild Trail spoke to me from my right. "Snow Shadow, it's as clear as day that this is some kind of trap set by the devilish Spear Beaks. We simply must kill these creatures."
"What should we do with these strange creatures?" asked my old friend, Quick Paw.
After a moment's silence, I shifted my gaze to Spear Beaks lifeless body, then looked at the towering figure resembling four fists. I exhaled softly and moved toward it. "Why don't we talk? Before jumping to conclusions, let's look into their minds and find out their purpose."
Then the vision faded, and everything went dark and empty again. I felt... anticipation.
Having long prepared for this and pushed aside all other thoughts, I began to show my memories one by one. To start, I shared memories of how Caera, Arthur, and I stood before the broken arch, Arthur's attempt to restore it using the GodRune, and my words about how our skill levels were roughly equal. Then I recounted our first encounter with the Ghost Bear, including all the conversations about how neither I nor Arthur wanted to fight him.
Then I began sharing memories of our encounter with Spear Beak, who led us to the village, followed by a dialogue and my distrust of someone who so openly and friendly directed us toward other clans. There was also a very long and detailed analysis of every sentence Old Broken Beak spoke, his eyes, his breathing, the twitching of his feathers, the bending of his paws, and my own summary of what he had told us. And also my quick analysis-or rather, memorization-of all the bones and shards in the dwellings, and then my thoughts when I noticed the adult members of the Shadow Claw clan and the "realization" that there were the skulls of cubs there.
And my final words, "That old bird lied a lot," were my last thought before the world spun again, after which I found myself back in the familiar forest.
Silence and peace reigned once more. While I waited for a reply, Snow Shadow stood up, using her thick tail to push herself up from a sitting position. Then he gestured for me to stand up.
I looked back. Arthur, Regis-who had emerged from Arthur's body during the negotiations-and Caera were watching me in combat stances. I stood up and stretched, turned fully toward them, and said only, "We've achieved something."
Approaching Swiftsure's corpse, I roughly grabbed him by the beak, lifting his entire body. Under the questioning glances of everyone present, a short aether knife formed in my hand. With a swift motion, I slit Swiftsure's throat, letting a few drops of blood fall onto the white snow, then threw him about two meters forward. After that, filling my fist with aether, I struck the snow several times, smearing the tracks heavily and making the place look like a fight had taken place.
"Why are you doing this?" Caera asked, furrowing her brows.
"So the Spear Beaks will think we fought," I replied, walking over to Swiftsure's body, whose blood had stained the white snow beneath him a blood-red hue.
"Do you think they lied to us?" Caera asked uncertainly, her brows still furrowed and her index finger beginning to twitch slightly.
Turning to her and meeting her gaze, I replied in a calm but confident tone, "I know."
Snow Shadow hissed and meowed, then turned his head toward me, pointed in a certain direction, and took a step along with his companions in that direction.
I walked over to Caera and held out my hand; she grabbed it without hesitation but still looked at me, raising an eyebrow.
"They can communicate by sharing memories, so he knows that Grey and I can teleport-that's why he's not standing on ceremony," I replied, sensing Snow Shadow's movements clearly.
Caera squeezed my hand tighter but shook her head in disbelief. "The fact that we're about to teleport, and I'm taking it so calmly, makes me feel as if I've lost something…"
Glancing at Arthur, who nodded, I pulled Caera close, activated God Step, and followed the aether path that lay five meters from Snow Shadow. A couple of seconds later, we were standing on the edge of a sharp rocky ledge encircling the hidden refuge of the Shadow Claws.
We stopped a couple of times so the Shadow Claws could replenish the aether, appearing at different points until we found a shallow niche. From there, we could see the thatched huts, which were clearly visible even through the intensifying storm.
I directed the aether into my eyes to enhance my already perfect vision and began to observe what was happening in the village. The Shadow Claws lived in rounded huts shaped like beehives, woven from several layers of dry grass. The doorways were closed with ordinary doors woven into frames made of carved sticks.
The wind continued to howl, but the village was sheltered from most of the gusts. It was worth noting that the entire hollow in which it was situated had been cleared of snow. On either side of the dirt paths running between the houses grew a handful of small, slanted trees with broad, dark foliage, and thick grass was green everywhere.
On a round sandy clearing, four Shadow Claws appeared to be… training. When we arrived, they were attacking each other, though without using their claws. The sparring was already coming to an end when we arrived, as a few seconds later they bowed to each other and began practicing a series of identical movements.
Snow Shadow turned his head toward me, meowed something, and pointed with his paw at the space between the circular training arena and the outer wall. We exchanged a nod and leaped down from the alcove into the village, landing between the circular training arena and the outer wall. Arthur, Regis, and Caera jumped down after us.
The four Shadow Claws on the arena howled in alarm, backed away from us, and crouched low to the ground. The aether flared around them as they formed their claws, but they didn't attack us, merely glancing cautiously back and forth between us and the three hunters nearby.
Snow Shadow meowed something, turned to me, took Spear Beak from my hands, and laid Swiftsure's body on the grass, then stepped aside when another feline figure appeared. The cat let out a piercing meow. Shadow Claw was clearly elderly; his thick white fur had lost its sheen, and the black spots had faded to gray. As soon as my gaze fell on him, he snapped his head around and stepped back, assuming a defensive stance.
This time, another Shadow Claw stepped out of the crowd surrounding us; he was taller than the rest and pointed at me. He spoke in his hissing, meowing language in a low voice, like the growl of an enraged leopard.
A third Shadow Claw stepped out of the circle, so old and stooped that he had to move with the aid of a cane. He replied to the tall one, who shot me a fierce glance, bowed, and stepped back.
Silence fell over the village, broken only by the sound of the wind battering against the stone walls. Finally, Shadow Claw-who had been the first to step forward to examine Swiftsure's body-said something, and the other two Shadow Claws rushed over to pick up the corpse and carry it out of sight.
Shadow Claw hissed something, and Snow Shadow stepped forward, clasped his paws with Shadow Claw's, and froze for a couple of dozen seconds. After that, Shadow Claw's gaze toward me changed drastically, becoming slightly strange, as if she were looking at a weirdo.
And I couldn't blame him-with a rank 10 intellect, the volume of thoughts in real time is too great for someone who doesn't possess something like parallel processing.
I was now noticing too much of your world if I wanted to see it, which is why for every movement of the Old Broken Beak, I made about 10 assumptions that I sorted through in real time while simultaneously pondering and analyzing the skulls and behavior of other members of the Spear-beaked family. It was too much information for ordinary people. To put it simply, when looking at a picture depicting grass, the sky, and a couple of flowers, I would memorize every blade of grass and immediately speculate exactly how and at what angle that grass was drawn, and I did this with every blade of grass in the picture-and there might be more than 500 blades of grass there.
At a glance, Three Steps could only manage an awkward smile, shaking her head. Three Steps took a few steps forward, ending up in front of me, and sat down, raising her paw with the pad facing up. Realizing what she wanted, I sat down too and joined my hand with her paw, waiting for her to tap into my mind to connect them, while simultaneously analyzing how the aether had taken shape for such communication.
And then came the familiar tap on my consciousness; since even Djinn couldn't force his way into my mind, it was only natural that the intelligent beast from the relictombs couldn't do so without my permission either.
The quiet mountain village with its thatched huts vanished, as did the low-growing fruit trees and the crowd of concerned locals. Even the constant breeze disappeared.
It felt as though I were floating through space, though that wasn't quite right. In reality, I was nothing, and then suddenly colors and light seeped out of absolute nothingness, coalescing into moving images, as if I'd closed my eyes and were picturing a pleasant memory.
I watched as two Shadow Claw kittens chased each other through the village. One of them, the one catching up, howled angrily. The other had something in its paws. When they ran toward the pond, I suddenly appeared in front of them, causing both kittens to stop.
I calmly took the object-a small twig with a handful of purple berries on it-plucked the berries one by one from the branch, and then gave each child an equal amount.
"Be kind to one another and share with others," I said simply, though my words came out in the Shadow Claw language.
Then the vision faded and was replaced by another. This time, I looked up and saw myself standing there, calmly surveying the village. I relived the moments after our arrival in the village, but this time I observed what was happening from the perspective of that Shadow Claw.
Although I still couldn't make out the words themselves, I understood their meaning when the tall Shadowclaw-Left Tooth-spoke, addressing me. "Three Steps, it's as clear as day that this is some kind of trap set by the devilish Spear Beaks. We must quickly kill these creatures before we fall under their power."
"What a familiar phrase," I thought. At that moment, I felt Three Steps' paw tighten around my hand, as if telling me to focus.
Another Shadow Claw-Sleeping in the Snow-stepped out of the crowd and said, "Be careful, Left Tooth, lest your fear cause you to grow feathers and a beak. Let's peer into their minds and discover their purpose."
Snow Shadow addressed them at that moment, "I've already looked into the mind of the tallest one… he's certainly a strange fellow… but they're definitely not with the Spear Beaks-this guy saw the skulls of our children in their huts… though at the time he just thought they were our usual size, but after he met us in the forest, he realized those were the skulls of our children... and that's why he killed that Spear Beak, realizing they'd lied to him about us, in an attempt to pit us against them"
Then the vision faded, and everything grew dark and empty again. I felt it once more... anticipation. Taking a breath, I showed how we had appeared in this zone, how we had found the sanctuary, and how we had tried to make contact with the ghostly bear, the dialogues with the Spear-Beaks, and the conclusions drawn from every action and word of Old Broken Beak.
My edited thoughts flowed like a river into Three Steps' mind.
When I met Three Steps' gaze-she was looking at me as if her eyes were saying, 'Dude, are you serious?'-I looked away in feigned embarrassment. After that, Three Steps stood up, leaning on her thick tail, and motioned for us to follow her.
Three Steps relayed something to the other members of the Shadow Claw clan, causing about twenty residents to stir. Some bowed respectfully. A few people quickly averted their surprised gazes. And Left Tooth and two others shook their heads skeptically and looked as if they were ready to argue.
However, before they could do so, Sleeping in the Snow tapped the frozen ground with the end of his staff and said something briefly. What he said seemed to quell the rising tension, at least for now.
The semicircle of Shadow Claws parted, allowing the Three Steps to pass. We walked through the line of cat-people, most of whom were no taller than my elbow. The Three Steps led us through the settlement to a modest house near the backwater, then opened the door and waved us in.
The interior was modest, much like in the Spear Claw villages. Most of the floor was covered by a woven straw mat, and against the far wall stood a round bed made of dry yellow grass. A headdress with white feathers hung by the door, and next to the bed lay a small stack of slate tiles; the top slab bore an engraving that took the form of a picture.
"Time for dinner," the shadow wolf said unexpectedly, licking its muzzle before leaping and vanishing into Arthur's body.
Three Steps watched this closely, and her bright eyes widened as Regis vanished. Then Shadow Claw leaned forward, staring intently at Arthur's chest, and her eyes grew even wider.
After saying something in her native language, she paused and shook her head. She pointed to where Regis had been, then at Arthur's chest, after which she turned a questioning look toward me and poked my chest as well.
I nodded.
Three Steps laughed sharply and loudly, surprising Arthur and Caera. She was grinning wildly, but I couldn't let on that I knew the story, so I put on a look of complete confusion. Seeing my confusion, she pointed at my hands. I held them out to her, and she placed her soft paws on them again.
This time I wasn't torn away from the world, though I was still receiving images from Three Steps' memories. Six Shadow Claws stood on a circular training ground on the other side of the village. I was explaining something.
We were discussing the nature of the Creators' power and how each tribe had been gifted with unique abilities that suited their needs. I explained that they must never stop climbing the mountain of knowledge, because that mountain has no summit. If they had never encountered anything like this before, it didn't mean it was impossible to comprehend.
After the instruction, they began practicing with their claws and their ability to teleport. I corrected and encouraged them, gave them guidance, and answered their questions, and thanks to their memories, I began to gradually understand how they used the aether.
For the Shadow Claws, materializing the aether was as natural as breathing or a heartbeat. It was quite likely that the Djinn-their Creators-had originally endowed them with these abilities in exactly the same way as those chimeras who unconsciously manipulated the aether to move, fight, and even reshape themselves.
The speed at which they teleported was impressive. They didn't need to stop and search for the right path, as I had to do at first, which initially hindered my ability to use the God Step in combat.
But even now, Arthur sometimes makes mistakes at critical moments, trying to force his way through rather than feel his way, though this will likely be corrected in this zone if he watches the Shadow Claws' movements.
The vision ended, and Three Steps withdrew her hands, but I decided to play the role of a friend so that she would open up to me and I could better understand the aether and how this clan perceives it. I held out my palms toward her, trying to convey that I wanted to reconnect. She seemed to understand what I wanted and touched my hands.
I showed her fragments of memories from my entire journey through the Relic Tombs. In each one, I had practiced some form of Aetheric art, trying to learn to control my new abilities, hone them, and use them more effectively. I also showed her my vision of the God Step, or Shadow Step, of their clan.
A few minutes later, I broke the connection and immediately felt a thirst for knowledge emanating from the Three Steps. No sooner had our hands parted than she pressed them together again, and another memory filled my mind.
I was sitting across from the Sleeping in the Snow somewhere on the rocky peaks above the village. We were talking, but we couldn't seem to get to the topic I wanted to bring up, though I couldn't bring myself to do it.
The Sleeping One in the Snow wasn't as old as he is now. He didn't use a cane yet.
"What thought is hiding behind your eyes, Three Steps?" he asked me, piercing me with his fierce violet eyes.
"What is our destiny, Sleeping in the Snow?"
Old Shadow Claw watched me intently for several long moments before answering, "What is the destiny of the mountain? Or the snow? Or the fish in the stream?"
I had expected that answer. "The mountain is our home, the snow is our protection, and the fish fill our bellies when we grow hungry."
"That is exactly how these things relate to our lives, you are right, Three Steps, but is that their purpose?" Sleeping in the Snow carefully maintained a calm expression, but there was something taunting in his voice.
I pressed my paw against a clean snowdrift, then carefully pulled it out, leaving a perfect imprint. "They have no purpose of their own. We decide what they're for."
Sleeping in the Snow raised an eyebrow as he replied in a defiant tone, "And who are you to decide that? Are you the mistress of the mountain and the snow, that you might dictate their purpose?"
I shook my head, realizing I'd fallen into his trap. "No, I am not the mistress of the mountain or the snow."
Relaxing and smiling knowingly, the Sleeper in the Snow wrapped his tail around my shoulder. "Minds both clearer and deeper than ours have pondered the question of the purpose of our existence. Only by climbing the mountain of wisdom can we see more of what surrounds us."
"But what if we never climb high enough to find the answers we seek?"
Sleeping in the Snow stretched and yawned, the creaking of his old joints echoing across the cliff face. "Then hope that those you teach will climb higher than you when their time comes."
With those words, the vision ended.
Three Steps watched my face closely, but I didn't pay any attention to it, since practically 90% of the time my face wore a mask of calm, and obviously the emotions I was showing now were exactly the ones I wanted to show.
Instead of speaking, I simply gestured toward Arthur, causing her eyes to light up, and she walked over to him.
"Lucius?" Caera said quietly beside me, gently poking me in the side with her finger. "I don't mean to interrupt, but what's the plan? Are we guests here? Or prisoners?"
I met Three Steps' gaze as she reached out a paw toward Arthur before turning to Caera. "We're guests."
Caera sighed, smoothing her hair. "What about the portal fragment? Do you think they're willing to give it to us?"
"I haven't asked yet; it's better to smooth things over a bit first," I replied. "In the meantime, I think we should stay here and wait out the storm."
"You can relax," I added, looking at her tangled, slightly dirty hair.
Caera nodded silently, but a faint smile played on her lips.
We still have to find the Four Fists, the Ghost Bears, and the 'wild beasts,' and then the path to the Spear Beaks.
But right now, Arthur and I need to be here. I can't just let this chance to learn from the Shadow Claws-their understanding of the aether and their skills-slip away. Even with a strong rank 11 fighter talent, I've never been arrogant and have always wanted to learn something new, and here was the chance right before my eyes.
After all, I've only been in this world for barely a month and a half-or more precisely, in the Relictombs. I still know far too little. The God Runes certainly give me a vast amount of information about every aspect from which they originate, but the two God Runes I possess are only at Rank 11, at the very beginning of the Third Realm.
From what I've noticed, the system has realms.
Realm 1: Ranks 1–6
Realm 2: Ranks 7–10
Realm 3: Ranks 11 and up—I'm not sure exactly how high, but probably up to rank 15 or 16.
Moving up from each rank increases the value by about four times. But moving from the 1st realm to the 2nd increases the value by about 20 times; at least a rank 7 aether fruit could replenish my aether core seventy times over, if not more, while a rank 6 could only do so about three times at most.
And although I said "value," essentially every possible characteristic improves.
The aether fruit or crystal was filled with a large amount of higher-quality aether.
The weapon was upgraded so that it could change shape at my will, and of course, its durability, sharpness, and everything related became incredibly strong; something similar will likely happen with the armor.
My current rank 8 weapon can cut through mana itself with relative ease; it's terrifying to imagine what it would be like at rank 11 or rank 13.
God Rune gave me a vast amount of knowledge and control over the aspect it contains, plus my general understanding and control of aether also increased significantly. The amount of knowledge in my head was now astronomical.
I have a rune responsible for the aspect of destruction, the aspect of time and a bit of life, the aspect of space, and my latest rune, which was a new, fifth aspect: a combination.
The GodRune of Theft has the aspect of space, but its primary ability remains theft. It's as if, to create this GodRune, the aspect of space and the aspect of creation-which contained my desire to steal-were applied. That's the only way I can explain it; I still don't know much about GodRunes, so I can't say for sure which principle worked when creating the GodRune of Theft, but for myself, I simply created a separate branch called "Combinations": this branch includes the GodRune of Theft and the future GodRune King's Gambit
A simpler example of the power of ranks and realms in the system.
A rank 1 aether fruit has 5 points; let's use that as our starting point.
So, if rank 1 had 5 points but upon advancing to the next rank it was multiplied by 4, then a rank 6 aether fruit would have 5,120 points, which is already a lot compared to, say, rank 4, which would have 320 points, but upon moving to rank 7, it would already have 102,400 points-pretty substantial, right?
Now imagine it at rank 8-the total number of points would be 409,600. And at rank 9? A staggering 1,638,400 points at rank 9 versus 5,120 at rank 6-and yet it seems like the gap is only three ranks. It would take centuries for something like this to appear naturally, but thanks to the system, I can get it right away.
And finally, the reason for my confidence is that I will calmly rise to the absolute pinnacle in this world.
Rank 11 in the form of the God Step, or the God Rune of Theft.
131 million points at Rank 11, compared to six and a half million at rank 10. The gap between ranks is still manageable in the early stages, but the higher the rank, the wider the gap becomes, eventually reaching such absurd proportions that I can't imagine how rank 10 could possibly overcome rank 11.
Now let's turn our attention to the GodRune of Destruction at rank 12, whose total points exceed 500 million.
And now, my pride and joy: Aroa's Requiem at rank 13, with over 2 billion points.
As I've already mentioned, God Runes grant a vast amount of knowledge; right now, I'm ten steps ahead of Arthur in my understanding of the Aether. The only thing holding me back is my body, which is incapable of doing what I'm thinking of at the moment.
During the time we traveled between clans, I managed to decipher what that little bear from the Ghost Bears clan was using, but my body simply isn't capable of doing it with only a first-layer aether core, a rank 7 body, and rank 8 aether channels.
My body just isn't as versatile as I'd like it to be; of course, with a couple weeks of practice, I'll be able to replicate it, but if my body were rank 9, I could have done it the very moment I saw that aether art. For now, though, I need patience- there's no point in running at full speed, considering that Agrona and Kezess have about a year and a half left to live.
By that time, I might be able to raise everything to the highest possible rank, and if you imagine that there's another realm, the situation gets even more interesting.
The gap between the ranks is just ridiculous, isn't it?