Chapter 40: No flags were raised.
To be fair to them though If i asked for them to fully stop the training they would do so in a heartbeat. My training is self inflicted and despite my hating it currently I know I still enjoy it in an ambivalent way. Especially since the results have been more than positive.
For some reason my progress seemed to be a lot faster than usual. It would usually take me months to be able to cut down the time it takes to manifest all the energy for a full shot. However in these two weeks my speed has dramatically risen from a couple of minutes to 30 seconds and that is with the power slightly increased as well.
If I had to guess its whatever is going on in my Mindspace that is causing the faster progress. I\'m still miffed I cannot go inside but we are arriving home any moment now and according to Jewel whatever is happening inside my head will be done today. I still don\'t know why they are being so cryptic about what\'s happening in there but I love them so a bit of secrecy is fine.
Before me on the other side of the room stood Jewel seeming to enjoy the role of target the last couple weeks she stood awaiting another one of my shots. Despite my slight increase in power Jewel could still easily take it as my shots to her had less power than a squirt gun on a regular dude.
I began to line up my shot onto her torso as per usual sucking in the ambient energy from the surroundings while adding my own to stabilise the round I took a stance. My back was straight as a rod and my arm was extended my left arm was raised slightly behind me for counterbalance. 30 seconds passed by in gathering the energy and my arm was burning in keeping the energy together.
I could tell this would be my most powerful shot yet so i let it fly.
As expected nothing happened upon contact Jewel had just absorbed the blow as per usual but she seemed to have gained a massive smile as though I had accomplished something. "Congratulations My Apollo, you have greatly improved in such a short amount of time. It took my body 1 whole extra microsecond to absorb the energy behind the psionic bullet!" Jewel relayed to me with excitement.
"Holy macaroni really?" I asked in amazement. Now most people would think 1 microsecond? Thats nothing and you would be right but one microsecond on what is considered a living deity means that attack packs some serious wallop. By all that is Psionic even a nano second should get a \'hell yea\' so a whole microsecond has lifted my mood greatly.
At this moment Orchid walked in with her swords in both hands. She could feel my happy emotions through the open link as she entered and asked "Did something good happen." "Yes I managed to make Jewels absorption of my attack take an extra second. Orchid was shocked at this revelation she knew of course how much of a big step that was.
she quickly walked over to me and gave me a celebratory kiss for my efforts much to Jewels chagrin.
With the kiss starting to get steamy Jewel decided to interrupt "I had called ORCHID over as we will arrive back at home space in 45 minutes and I wanted your Psionic energy full again when we do get back so to continue your training you may spar with her."
I did not even bother asking why my psionic energy needed to be full as I knew I would get yet another cryptic answer instead I just raised my hand out and within a second a very eager sword that had been waiting on the side of the room flew into my hands. "Woah someone missed me during my energy training huh?
are you excited to spar with Orchid again?" Zircon, the sword in question made my entire arm jolt forward as she tried to take a stab at her bitter rival at my question. "I will take that as a yes then. Come on dear lets go and get sweaty." I said to Orchid who gulped back her desires at the implications of those words and got into her sparing façade.
40 minutes later And I was sprawled out on my back In recovery My breathing was a little rattly and I was indeed very sweaty. Ever since I cut off her hand those couple of weeks ago Orchid has turned up her sparring to another level. At this point I can barely react to her attacks as they somehow became even more blurred than before.
I could not even get in any counters or attacks of my own as she seemed to grow 20 different arms.
As If a miracle brought from the heavens, a warrior-caste entered the room at that exact moment holding a basket inside of its maw as it made its way to me. When it arrived before me It placed the basket down and inside was a myriad of cold beers. "Oh I love you." I said in remark opening the metal cap of with my hand and downing the whole thing in a second before heading onto the next one.
The warrior whose presence I already forgot about while drinking the nectar of the gods accidentally let off her mating pheromones after my small remark leaving a small orange cloud behind her. This caused Orchid who relayed to bring the refreshments here to chase the warrior out in jealous anger.
After the fourth drink I felt full form once more "I don\'t know what the Ker\'mins put in their beer but hooey is it good." I said before returning to my feet.
"And thank you littl-" The warrior had disappeared "Huh they usually wait for head pats before leaving It must have been called to do another task oh well." As I said that I noticed the sweet smell of popcorn I\'m all to familiar with and a feint orange mist near the exit to the room.
"Or it got chased of by a Jealous creature commonly known as Orchid." I said turning to the culprit now I understood the full picture.
"Orchid you know the warriors intellect is not that advanced all they want from me is head pats and an occasional scritch. you don\'t have to get all jealous when I say they do a good job." I said at the completely unfazed Orchid. "It let out its mating pheromones you know how unpredictable they get when they do that Orchid was only thinking of your safety." she lied to hide her Jealousy.
After a quick \'shower\' which was just letting a bunch of special drones eating my epidermis clean I changed into some fresh clothing just in time for the ship to leave the Psionic tendril. Upon arriving at a translucent wall I could see home world in the distance.
Although It had only been a 6 weeks since I left I really did miss this gigantic barren rock I soul may be from Earth and my body may be from Apollo-minor but this place is my home.
It did not take long to arrive above the planet. I had already bordered a void-swimmer in preparation to descend Jewel and Orchid had gone off doing their own preparation especially Jewel as she is strongest while inside this sol system and her abilities are now cranked up to 11 in dealing with her hive.
I was alone for a good 10 minutes just enjoying my silence before the swimmer got packed. my warrior variants who I had not seen since the initial invasion had remerged from somewhere and boarded the ship I was on along with other freethinkers and a couple of agitators.
I was surprised when the swimmer took flight that Orchid did not end up joining me on my swimmer as she tends to show over clinginess and I expected her to fly down with me.
the descent took 5 minutes and I had started to get nervous all the cryptic stuff about my Mindspace would finally come to the surface once I made planeside.
"I hope everything will be ok." I thought outload raising no flags as I did so.