Chapter 19: Chapter 19: Lessons Learned

Mike stepped out of the meeting room with mixed feelings. Most of the council members seemed like they couldn’t grasp the gravity of the situation. While lord Aldric tried to convey to them the fact that the very elite of their town couldn’t have handled this threat without the opportune appearance of Mike, it seemed they were not ready to deal with the implications. Mike reflected on what Lucian and the others said about Aldric himself and he figured that that was the lord’s approach himself up until recently. Mike saw a very determined leader in the meeting, very adamant and straight forward. “The recent encounter might have changed something,” Mike pondered. “Must it really take personal experience to change your stance on these matters,” Mike asked himself. They mentioned a distant past where their great grandparents had to deal with high level monsters, an age long gone, they thought. Seems like history is about to repeat”, Mike thought. “Too bad people don’t learn from past experience and need to pay with blood as tuition”.

Lord Aldric stepped out of the meeting room himself and approached Mike.

“Can you walk with me, Mike?” He asked him.

“Of course.”, answered Mike and followed him down the corridor.

“As you must have noticed, the council members do not understand what we’re facing yet.”

“Yes, I got that idea as well.” Said Mike.

“Doesn’t matter. At times like these you have to do what needs to be done, regardless of the popular opinion” Said Aldric. ”Though I have chrome to this realization just now”

After a short pause he continued “Mike, it seems like you are the best option for dealing with this threat, at least for now. We have been lazy for too long. We have been lax in our attitude. I have been…”, He stopped again.”I thought that by moving the logging camp and other facilities closer to Millhaven I will be able to avoid the threat, but I was wrong. You can’t evade reality forever, you need to face it head on.”

“I need to do better. It’s been a long time since people in these parts have broken past level 50. Stories from the past have mentioned great heroes that have reached much higher levels, in the hundreds, but we have lost our aspirations, our greatness,”He said.

“We need to learn, we need to train, we need to fight back. Protect what is ours once more”

“That seems like an admirable approach.” Mike said. “I have been lazy as well in my previous life. But now I have to be the best I can be to save the ones I care about”.

Lord Aldric gave him a thoughtful look and then said: “Speaking of training, we have a training arena here. It is a modest one, but maybe you can still benefit from it. I’ve noticed that you needed a lot of mana infusions during the fight. Those may not always be available”.

“Hmm…” Mike hesitated." Bear in mind that I come from a very distant land… what is a training arena here, exactly?”

“Well, it’s the name we call a room, specially created by expert craftsmen to allow for the constant infusion of mana and stamina to practicing people. It allows them to constantly use their abilities without having to stop for recovery.”, said Aldric. “I’m sure they have those where you come from, by a different name”.

“Oh, yes, yes, that’s right”, Mike grabbed the help line he was offered.

“Well, as a thank you for your service, we will provide you with any amount of time you need. You are aware of its diminishing returns I assume - the more you spend there the less improvement you see with time. How you need to take breaks to allow for further gains, etc.”

“Yes, of course.” Mike answered even though he had no idea what it was all about. But he was familiar with the concept of diminishing returns and he was sure he could figure the rest out by himself. He would still need some help though.

“May I invite Adrian to join me in training?” He asked.

“That young hunter? Yes, if it helps. Just make sure you are reaping the benefits. You are the central issue here, ” Answered Aldric. “We will also provide you with armor and a weapon to the best of our abilities. Have Allen been to see you?”

“Yes, he saw me alright.” Said Mike.

“Hehehe, yes, well, I am sure the product would suit you like a glove to a hand” Said Aldric.

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“Be sure to see him and the weapon’s smith as soon as possible. And start training. The servants will show you everything you need.”

“Thank you, I’ll do that”, said Mike. “And speaking of gear, my young companion would need some as well…”

Lord Aldric grimaced, but nodded “Whatever you need.”

And with that they parted ways and he went to find something to eat.

***

Mike found Adrian in the castle's dining hall, sitting alone at a long wooden table and working his way through a bowl of stew. The young hunter looked up as Mike approached, relief crossing his face.

"There you are," Adrian said, gesturing to the seat across from him. "How did the council meeting go?"

Mike grabbed a plate from a passing servant and sat down. The smell of roasted meat and vegetables made his stomach growl—Pattern Analysis apparently burned calories as efficiently as it burned mana.

"About as well as you'd expect." Mike tore off a chunk of bread. "Half of them think we're exaggerating. The other half wants to throw money at the problem until it goes away."

Adrian's spoon paused halfway to his mouth. "They don't believe Lord Aldric?"

"Oh, they believe something happened. They just can't wrap their heads around a Level 73 creature existing, let alone something worse coming." Mike's jaw tightened. "Aldric gets it, though. He's arranging training facilities for us."

"Us?" Adrian's eyes widened.

"If you're interested." Mike studied the younger man's reaction. "There's apparently a training arena here—some kind of room that replenishes mana and stamina while you practice. Aldric said I could bring you along."

Adrian set down his spoon carefully. "You'd do that for me?"

"You threw a spear into a Level 73 Behemoth's mouth. That took guts." Mike took a bite of meat, savoring the herbs. Clara's cooking had been good, but the castle kitchen operated on another level entirely. "Besides, we both need to get stronger. Fast."

"The furs Lucian gave us should fetch a good price," Adrian said, brightening. "Enough for decent equipment, at least. Though I doubt I can afford anything like what they're making for you."

Mike's thoughts turned to his ruined vest and empty weapon loops. "Speaking of equipment, I need to figure out what kind of weapon to use. My abilities don't exactly mesh well with traditional combat."

"What do you mean?"

Mike glanced around the hall. A few guards sat at distant tables, too far to overhear. "My Thread Manipulation ability—I can control objects, move them around. But I need something to manipulate in the first place."

Adrian leaned forward, interested. "Like how you used Sebastian's sword against the Behemoth?"

"Exactly. But I can't count on having convenient weapons lying around." Mike pushed vegetables around his plate, thinking. "I need something portable, versatile. Something I can deploy quickly when needed."

"Throwing knives?" Adrian suggested. "Easy to carry, quick to deploy."

Mike shook his head. "Too light. Against something like the Behemoth, I'd need more mass, more penetrating power."

"A chain, then? Or rope with weights?"

"Maybe..." Mike's mind raced through possibilities. The key was finding something that balanced portability with effectiveness. "Or something modular. Components I can combine or separate as needed."

Adrian grinned. "You should talk to the smithy tomorrow. If anyone can craft something unusual, it's Master Aldwin. Man's a genius with metal."

"First thing in the morning," Mike agreed. "After we get you properly equipped too. Can't have my training partner working with substandard gear."

"I can't accept—"

"You're not accepting anything," Mike cut him off. "Call it an investment. The stronger you get, the better we both survive what's coming."

Adrian's protest died on his lips. After a moment, he nodded. "Then I'll make sure it's a good investment."

They finished their meal discussing training strategies. Adrian shared what he knew about ability progression—how repeated use in challenging situations yielded the best results, how pushing limits safely could accelerate growth. Mike filed away each piece of information, his enhanced reasoning already building training scenarios.

"The arena should help with the mana problem," Adrian said as they left the hall. "Though Lord Aldric mentioned something about diminishing returns?"

"We'll figure it out as we go." Mike stretched, feeling the last traces of the day's ride in his muscles. Even with his enhanced stats, he wasn't immune to saddle soreness. "Get some rest. Tomorrow we start pushing ourselves to the limit."

Adrian headed to his quarters while Mike returned to his room. The bed looked inviting, but his mind churned with plans and possibilities. Weapon designs, training regimens, ability combinations - all of it spinning together in an increasingly complex web.

He pulled off his borrowed clothes and settled into bed. Tomorrow would bring new challenges, but for the first time since arriving in this world, he had resources, allies, and a plan.

The thought should have been comforting. Instead, Mike found himself staring at the ceiling, remembering the Behemoth's final words. Ancient things stirring. The deep forest awakening. And he couldn’t forget about the bigger picture. The competition. His family. They are what he was doing all of this for.

Whatever was coming, he'd be ready.

Or he'd die trying.