Cultivating Talents [LitRPG Mana-cultivation]

The first four days were relatively simple. Hector instructed Mirae, Pippa, and Harry on the fundamentals of the Orion Fist technique, guiding them through its usage and the forms they needed to follow. It had been a while since he had engaged with his training in this manner. It was refreshing.

Throughout the first day, the air was heavy with a sense of foreboding. They had all seen the state Hector was in when he came back from the initial fight. It was clear that this fight would be even worse.

But Hector put those thoughts to the back of his mind. It was better to focus on what he could control: his cultivation and his ability to grow Talents. So on the second day, he didn't leave his tent. Instead, he cultivated, focusing only on building up his mana, pushing towards Gravity Forging-Three. If he could make it to that level before the fight, it would make things a lot easier.

On the third day, he spent some time going through his Talents. He needed to have a loadout that was great for targeting the Earthen Moles. Not that his currently equipped Talents couldn't handle that, but anything that could contribute would be great.

It would also be good to give the others some more Talents if he could afford it. Though his recent bout of unconsciousness had shown that he also needed to save up Talents when he could. Being knocked out and losing a growth cycle had been punishing.

On the fourth day, and the last day of preparation, his Talent Garden gave him a pleasant surprise. He received a couple of [Frost Dart] Talents and [Primal Aspect] Talents. With these, he could upgrade Jodie and Emela's Talents, meaning the girls' firepower would increase significantly.

"Hector," Jodie called. The ginger-haired girl stepped into the cave, the firelight playing with the shadows on her skin, as the [Gentle Sanctuary] dome dappled her features. Behind her, she dragged the bodies of two Hairless Rats by their tails. Concern rested on her lips as she moved towards the centre.

Mrs. Strongmail, sitting on a log next to the hastily constructed butchering table, stood as Jodie came over. Her eyes moved to the rats behind Jodie before she reached for the knife on the table. She brought the blade to her eyes, examining it.

Hector admired the woman's dedication to the craft. She had said she did odd jobs for her neighbours in the slums; he wasn't sure what odd jobs she did, but the woman was proficient.

According to Mirae, when they'd first brought the Hairless Rat corpse to Mrs. Strongmail, the woman got to work without hesitation. She skinned it and butchered the meat with surprising ease, not something any casual slum dweller would do.

"What's the matter?" Hector asked as Jodie stopped a few paces away, letting the Hairless Rats slump onto the floor.

"We might have a problem," Jodie said, scratching her cheeks. Specks of blood smeared across her skin. Frowning, she glanced back at the entrance. "It's the Earthen Moles. Something's happening with them. When I was hunting earlier, I expected to run into a few of them, but the only ones I saw were heading back."

Jodie turned, nudging the corpse of one of the Hairless Rats with her foot. "They didn't even attack these guys like they usually would. They just ran."

Hector stepped closer, dropping to one knee and examining the Hairless Rats. The kills were clean: their throats slashed, their hides undamaged. He glanced up at Jodie, raising a brow. "So they were running from the Hairless Rats?"

"No, I don't think so," Jodie said, shifting from foot to foot. "It was less of a retreat and more of a unified movement. Like something was calling them back."

Mrs. Strongmail stepped over, eyeing the rats. "I guess I can start with this one. It's a little bigger than that one and should be easier to get the skin off."

"Do as you will," Hector said, turning back to Jodie. "I don't understand. Why would they need to go back? They've practically been dominating the caves recently. Unless…"

"Unless something's going on with their leader," Jodie finished.

Nodding, Hector got back to his feet, dusting off his knees. His head turned towards the tent. Mirae and Pippa were still inside, cultivating, while Harry stood off to the side, practising the moves of Orion Fist.

He'd prepared them as much as he could; while they raided the Earthen Mole cave, if anything happened, they'd have to defend themselves.

"If they're all gathering, attacking the base won't be as easy," Hector said, turning back to Jodie. "But it also presents an opportunity. If we have something that can do a lot of damage in a crowded space, that could put the odds in our favour."

The shadows danced across Jodie's skin as torchlight flickered within the cave. A thoughtful look slipped onto her features. She let out a sigh. "I take it you want to use some explosive talismans, then? They aren't cheap; even with a discount from Marcus's father, they will still cost us a bit."

"Will the money from selling the hides cover it?" Hector asked.

"It should do, though it will eat into what we've saved so far," Jodie replied, glancing around their impromptu camp. "When this is over, we need to consider buying some stuff to spruce this place up a bit. It's pretty bland at the moment, with just a few tents and a butchering table."

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Hector nodded. She was right; their camp was a little spartan, to say the least. But they hadn't exactly had the free time to go shopping. What they had purchased was some wood and four other tents, enough for the five of them that were now down here.

"All right then. Lincoln should be down later to collect the Hairless Rats once they're butchered. We can ask him to get Marcus to gather us some explosive talismans, and tomorrow we can attack the Earthen Mole Cave."

A heavy thud echoed through the cavern. Hector turned toward the sound. Mrs. Strongmail wiped her brow as her hands dropped to her sides. On the table in front of her, the body of the Hairless Rat sagged, a slab of meat waiting to be butchered. The shimmer of the [Gentle Sanctuary] Talent coated its pink skin, giving it an eerie glow.

"You want to attack tomorrow?" Jodie asked. "Isn't that a bit too soon?"

"I gave us four days to prepare. I think that's more than enough time, and if the leader of the Earthen Moles has called them back, it has to be for a reason. And the only thing I can think of is that it's getting ready to advance. We can't have that. There's no way we're going to take that door if it gets any stronger."

"We don't know how strong it is, though."

"It's strong enough to scare a Rank-Two out of the cave, and for me, that's more than strong enough. We can't risk this any more than we already have."

Jodie nodded, her eyes drifting to the corpse of the Hairless Rat at her feet. "I think you're right. For now, I think I'm going to cultivate. Let me know when Lincoln's arrived."

"Why? If you're planning on having a go at him again, I'll ask that you hold off. I need us all working together on this. I know you and Lincoln are having problems at the moment, but I don't want your relationship with him to become any more strained. If anything, I'd ask if you could show some compassion."

Jodie scoffed, rolling her eyes as if she'd heard something stupid. "No, I just want to give him a message to pass on to the Montegs," Jodie said.

Hector raised a brow, crossing his arms.

Jodie chuckled and dismissively waved her hand. "I just want to know if there is anything they can do with the Earthen Moles. When we attack the cave, we are going to have a lot of raw resources to work with. It would be a waste not to turn that into some coin."

"That's a good idea. I can see your point." Hector stepped away, walking towards his tent. "All right, as soon as he's here, I'll let you know, but please be good."

"Do I look like a child to you?" Jodie huffed, resting a hand on her hip.

"It's not about what you look like; it's about what you'll do."

Hector spent the rest of the day tending his Talent Garden and practising cultivation. He needed to squeeze out as much as he could from these last few hours. After all, the slightest edge could make all the difference when the actual fight came.

The talismans would likely be the most significant difference. He told Lincoln of his plans a few hours later when the boy arrived. Much like before, Lincoln expressed scepticism but ultimately decided that it was for the best—though he brought up the possibility of the cave collapsing.

Even Hector had to admit that was a good point. A cave collapse would cost them the door and waste all their effort. So, Hector sent Lincoln away with his message to give to Marcus, as well as Jodie's, with the primary aim being to find explosive talismans that targeted a small, focused area and dealt little to no damage to the surrounding structures.

Several hours later, perhaps well into the day—it was hard to tell this deep underground—everyone had arrived, including Marcus and Delworth.

"Are you sure attacking the cave today is the right option?" Emela asked, curling a strand of hair behind her ear. Nyx stood at the girl's side, a blank look as always resting on her face. Emela's eyes moved to the stack of talismans resting by Marcus's feet. "Even with all that, are you sure we can take down a possible Rank-Three mana beast?"

Crossing his arms, Hector sighed and pinched the bridge of his nose. "I had my doubts before, but this time we no longer have a choice. The mana beast is most likely undergoing a breakthrough; if it gets any stronger, we might not be able to take it on. And if one day it leaves its cave, we'll all be at its mercy. It's no longer just about claiming that door; we need to put this threat down before it can get any worse."

Several of them nodded in agreement with him. Emela glanced to the side, meeting Nyx's eyes; the two girls shared a look. Hector couldn't help but raise an eyebrow. If Emela was a noble, did that mean Nyx was as well? Did she know Emela's true identity?

"I'll concede that you're right about this," Emela said, turning back to Hector, her gaze lingering on him. Her eyes then shifted to Jodie briefly. "So, when are we heading out?"

"I need to do something first," Hector said, shifting his focus to Jodie. "If I could just see you in the tent. And Emela, I'll see you after I've finished with her."

"What's this about?" Jodie asked.

Hector's gaze shifted to Mrs. Strongmail and Pippa, who stood by the butchering table, working on the body of a Hairless Rat. He subtly gestured towards them, causing Jodie to hold her tongue. "I see," she said, stepping away from the group and moving towards Hector's tent.

Hector spared a last glance around the group. Emela and Nyx held tepid expressions, still perhaps not sure of what they were doing, whilst Lincoln, Marcus, and Delworth were in much better spirits. Using the explosive talismans probably made it seem like this raid was a lot more likely to succeed.

"It will be all right, guys, I promise." Hector held Emela's gaze. With the new two [Frost Dart] Talents he'd picked up over the four days, she'd have an Uncommon Talent to go into this engagement with. She and Jodie both. Including him, that was three people with Uncommon Talents.

While I don't think this will be easy—it never is—it shouldn't be nearly as hard as she thinks. As long as nothing like that Gravity Forging-Seven freak pops up, we should be fine.

"If it helps, Hector," Delworth said, placing his hands inside his blazer pockets and wetting his bottom lip. "I think what you're doing is quite brave, facing down a potentially lethal threat and doing it with blind faith."

Hector blinked at Marcus's cousin. His brow creased in confusion as he raised a hand and scratched his forehead. It was kind of like a pep talk, but sounded more like doubt, if anything. Hector nodded at the boy and turned, walking towards his tent. "I appreciate the encouragement… even from you."

"What does that mean?" Delworth whispered to Marcus as Hector stepped into the tent.

Upon entering, Hector sighed. Jodie sat on a loose clump of cloth, turning her head as he stepped closer. "Everything alright?" she asked.

Hector nodded, and a bright smile peeled across her lips. Her blue eyes were practically sparkling. "So, if my guess is right, you have a new Talent for me."

"New Talent? No. More of an upgrade, and I think you're going to like this one."