Aetherios System [Slow Build OP MC, Isekai LitRPG/Cultivation] Chapter 87: Book 2: Chapter 4: Training

Read chapter 87 of Aetherios System [Slow Build OP MC, Isekai LitRPG/Cultivation] by TTReynolds on NovelPedia.

Book 2: Chapter 4: Training Book 2: Chapter 4: Training //ANOMALY REVIEW REPORT: //ACCESS LEVEL: Administrator (Obfuscated) //REQUEST SOURCE: Internal Anomaly Monitor – Euclid //LOG CONTEXT: Progress Evaluation – Subject #0117–A ("Alex") //STATUS: Internal Flag: Pending Review START OF RECORD: :://Event Flag: Quest Completion// //Dungeon Node <Dark Den> Successfully Cleared//Quest Objective: Rescue Allied Party (Status: Complete)//Secondary Objective: Establish Diplomatic Outcome with Kobold Tribe (Status: Achieved)//Unexpected Outcome of Kobold Chief – anomalous behavior for baseline parameters// //Performance Evaluated//Tactical Efficiency: 84%//Environmental Utilization: High//Additional Time Remaining: Minimal//Overall Rating: Notable Above Baseline//System Quest Evaluation//<Complete> Likelihood of Future Trial Success: Rising (Moderate-High) //Behavioral Compliance: 52% (Deviations from predicted patterns increasing)//Encouragement Measures: <High>//Additional Monitoring: Critical // Anomalous Trait Growth Detected // :://LOG END// *** The next day passed like the calm before a storm. Alex and team focused on training, cultivation, and gear repairs. They had quiet conversations by the fire. There were no monsters or bosses, no echoing screams in ancient corridors. Just the rhythmic constant of breath, sweat and pain to guide them forward. Alex found himself settling into a strange new role that he had never had before: coach. “All right, again,” he said, nodding toward Allie. “Slower this time. Focus on form, not speed.” She wiped her forehead with the back of one hand and grumbled under her breath. Despite her growing ire, he watched as she reset her stance and began again. Her form was cleaner now, shoulders back, weight balanced. He could see the subtle glow of her healing spell forming evenly across both hands. The energy, monitored by his aether sight, finally being controlled and smooth instead of wobbling around like it was an unsteady toddler. “Better,” Alex said. “Keep practicing the layer-stacking. Healing and buffing at the same time will save our lives down there.” She gave him a look. “You’re not coming, remember?” “I meant your lives,” he replied smoothly. Allie rolled her eyes, but a small smile tugged at her mouth as she turned away to continue her practice. Alex turned to Devon next. He could hear that Devon was muttering to himself in a corner, all the while, etching symbols in the dirt with a bit of charcoal. Glyphs, sigils, lines, and spirals of all various forms and kinds. Even with Alex’s [Glyphcraft] knowledge, to him it looked like ancient mathematics had gotten into a bar fight with a circuit board. “Devon.” He jumped. “Huh? Oh. Yeah. I was just running simulations for layering inside a spatial distortion field. You said there were gravity glyphs that existed right? Using earth attuned energy as a focus?” Alex raised a brow. “You’re what -ing now?” “Look, if the dungeon uses folded space to generate separated instances, and it does, how else do you have a System Dungeon right? Then pre-calculating spacial rune anchor drift and using space fold runes to shorten energy paths could increase cast distance by up to 20% and lower casting time by 8%. We will also need to get this basic understanding for temporal translocation spells down well in our future escape attempts. So far I’m still in the basic theory phase. It’s just… I need better ink. The mushroom oil keeps smudging.” Alex grinned. “Right. We’ll see what Vrung’s Quarry has.” Devon nodded and smiled, then went back to his work. Later, Alex sparred with Lance. They had gotten all their gear and weapons back form the Kobolds, but the taller man had taken a liking to a curved blade scavenged from the kobold armory instead of their spears. It was a little too long for him, a little too awkward, but Alex could already see him adapting. His sweeps and deflections flowing smoother with every pass. “You’ve got good instincts,” Alex said. “Just watch y