The Secret of Transcendents
"So, your navy's transcendent combat unit is similar to the Special Cases Department within the police?" Elyon recalled the two police officers he encountered last week, donning inspector badges but dressed in black uniforms.
"Ah, you know about them? We're not some decorative pillows used to deal with riff-raff. We're deployed against those lawless pirates and armies composed of other transcendents," Thane seemed pleased with his service record.
"How many of you are there?"
"Well, they call it a 'combat unit,' but it's really just over a hundred of us. And we're overseen by a rear admiral. With that numbering, there must be at least 12 units, over a thousand transcendent beings of varying powers and strengths, in the hands of the state," Thane's face turned somber.
"That many? Are transcendents as common as cabbages?" Elyon was astonished. If the official figures were this high, the actual numbers, including civilians, could be double.
"While they're called 'transcendents,' the level of awakening and development varies greatly between individuals. Most are like your old dad here, with only a partial enhancement of the body and certain organs. And do you think awakening comes without a price?"
"A price?" Elyon was puzzled.
"With increased abilities, there's always a voice that isn't your own whispering in your mind, leading to a feeling of schizophrenia, and overuse of the powers results in headaches."
"If it's just headaches, I suppose that's bearable," Elyon replied.
"How could it be just that? Our instructors in the army said the stronger the individual, the more prone to losing control. They could go mad or have their bodies explode from uncontrolled magic. The worst fate is becoming a dark creature, half-human, half-ghoul."
"Is there a way to cope with that?"
"Sure, many people, to oppose the voices in their heads, turn to alcohol, religion, or pretending the voices don't exist," Thane took a deep drag of his cigarette.
"Most days in the Scorpion Squad were relatively easy. Due to the special nature of our unit, we rarely engaged in regular combat. We were only called upon occasionally to suppress local deities or sorcerers worshipped by certain tribes."
"Deities, do they really exist?" Elyon inhaled sharply, getting to the heart of the matter.
"Bullshit deities. They're just mid-level transcendents posing as gods. Oh, I forgot to explain the specific ranks of transcendents to you. The newly awakened ones simply have their physical parameters enhanced to the peak human level. For example, I can run 100 yards in under nine seconds and lift 500 pounds. Some people are lucky enough to achieve further enhancements besides physical strength upon their first awakening. When I first awakened, I gained superhuman dynamic vision," Thane boasted a little.
"Those who have just awakened and those who have strengthened their powers are known as 'initiates' and 'awakened.' These are merely internal physical enhancements. Half of our unit is at this level, but don't underestimate them—a well-coordinated tactical squad can match up to a platoon of regular soldiers." Thane paused before continuing.
"The next level up involves abilities that can manipulate physical matter. Most of our squad leaders can achieve this level, typically feats like emitting electricity or making objects levitate. Their physical attributes are further enhanced, moving towards the superhuman. Depending on the degree of enhancement and power, they are known as 'metahumans' and 'superhumans.'"
"And above that?"
"As for the higher ranks, I'm not privy to them, but I've heard the commander of our Scorpion Squad single-handedly broke into a fleet of three sailing warships during a pirate chase. In less than twenty minutes, there wasn't a complete hull left afloat. Alone, he's like a small army."
"Is he really that formidable?" Elyon asked, skeptical.
Thane gestured dismissively, continuing, "I won't go into the other stuff. If you ever become a transcendent, someone will recruit you. You could join a military transcendent unit like the one I was in, or a police Special Cases Department. If you're a believer, the church has teams to combat false gods. Of course, some for the promise of high wages become bodyguards for nobles or wealthy merchants, and some audacious ones become criminals. After all, transcendents can cause much more damage and are far more mobile than ordinary people. Lastly, some fall and become disciples of dark gods. Stay far away from such people—they're beyond insane."
"Then, father, do you believe in the existence of the Winter God and the other eight deities?" Elyon continued, curious. His father was a nominal follower of the Winter God.
"Who knows? They could be ancient humans who reached a sufficiently high level of transcendence, or our powers might be gifts from the gods, or we could just be pawns in their games."
"Why did you retire and not serve longer? Don't you regret retiring as just a captain?" Elyon asked, confused.
"You need to live to earn those military commendations. Each time I used my powers, the whispers in my head grew louder. I thought I was one of the lucky ones, who could move from an initiate to an awakened and easily breakthrough to metahuman, but after ten years of service, there was still no sign of advancement."
"Isn't there another way?" Elyon thought of the 'Elixir of Wisdom' he had drunk. "Like drinking some sort of strengthening potion?"
"They exist, but the risk of losing control is too high. Plenty of transcendents in the army go berserk each year. Some snap, shooting their comrades before being killed themselves. Others have their psyches and bodies collapse together, transforming into unspeakable monsters."
"Seems the power of a superhuman comes with superhuman risks," Elyon mused.
"That's their own choice. Most who lose control are those who pursue promotion, train their abilities too hard, or are simply violent and odd. It's said that as you rise in rank, emotions like joy, anger, sorrow, and pleasure diminish."
"How long did you serve, dad?" Elyon inquired.
"The transcendent corps requires a standard ten-year service. After that, if you sign a voluntary reserve service agreement, you're allowed to leave. Your old man took his thousand-pound pension and returned to Caelon to be a farmer."
"How are you feeling now?" Elyon asked with concern.
"Using the powers occasionally doesn't do much harm, and the whispers in my head have faded. It seems the mighty transcendents might just be potential lunatics," Thane waved off the issue and headed back home.
For dinner, Elyon cooked a beer-roast duck following a recipe he remembered from Earth, which was well-received by his family. The next few days involved various duck preparations.
Apart from cooking, most of his time was spent herding with Darius or tutoring his sisters in subjects—other than math, which he managed to sidestep. By their standards, his academic prowess could have been strung up and beaten.
On June 22nd, as planned, it was time to head back. Unlike his arrival, Elyon now followed two lovely young ladies, laden with luggage on either side, looking more like a lowly servant trailing behind noble sisters.
In his suitcase, he also carried two bottles of Thane's treasured whiskey, as Liora instructed, to be gifted to Professor Russell and the generous Chief Orion.
Before setting out, his parents called him aside and handed him the tutoring fees and two months' worth of living expenses. Watching Thane reluctantly produce three notes bearing the likeness of Harold I, Liora scolded him for his stinginess.
He had intended to take only ten pounds for the tutoring fees, but Liora insisted he'd need more for rent and essentials like a handbag and dress shoes, then proceeded to extract another twenty pounds from Thane's wallet.
Having just lost two bottles of prized liquor, Thane's expression darkened further. Carrying nearly a hundred pounds, Elyon walked with trepidation.
The sisters, meanwhile, were aflutter with excitement for their first trip to Aegsburg, inquiring about places of interest. With his limited remaining memories, Elyon couldn't think of many such places; his studious life likely didn't include much time for outings.
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